JERUSALEM —U.S. forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 5p.m. on Friday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," according to the Central Command.

On Monday the Pentagon announced it was sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary.&nbsp;

The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728066701383.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —U.S. forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 5p.m. on Friday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," according to the Central Command.On Monday the Pentagon announced it was sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary.&nbsp;The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.

U.S. Forces conduct air-strikes on terrorist sites in Yemen

The Justice Department this week announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24), according to a media release.

ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.

The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.

“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”

“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.

Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.

Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.

Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.

Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727864343156.png" alt="Photo U.S. Marshal's Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Marshal's Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The Justice Department this week announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24), according to a media release.ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727864316487.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.Significant arrests:Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

U.S. Marshals arrest hundreds of fugitives, seize 550,000  fentanyl pills

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for setting a fire to a building with a man asleep inside.

Just after 6a.m. Friday, police and fire crews responded to a fire in a commercial build at 1621 South Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The cause of the fire was determined to be the result of an arson. Just before 12:30p.m. Friday, police arrested 50-year-old Angela J. Dugger Atchison, on requested charges of aggravated arson.

The requested charge is aggravated arson because a sixty year old man was asleep inside the build when the fire was set. He was not injured.&nbsp; Dugger and the victim had previously dated, according to Wilson.&nbsp; &nbsp; The victim had a living space in the building and often stated there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728065795516.png" alt="Dugger photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Dugger photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for setting a fire to a building with a man asleep inside.Just after 6a.m. Friday, police and fire crews responded to a fire in a commercial build at 1621 South Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The cause of the fire was determined to be the result of an arson. Just before 12:30p.m. Friday, police arrested 50-year-old Angela J. Dugger Atchison, on requested charges of aggravated arson.The requested charge is aggravated arson because a sixty year old man was asleep inside the build when the fire was set. He was not injured.&nbsp; Dugger and the victim had previously dated, according to Wilson.&nbsp; &nbsp; The victim had a living space in the building and often stated there.

Police: Kan. woman set fire to building with boyfriend inside

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.

Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you have confidence that it will be a free and fair election and that it will be peaceful?&quot; President Biden: &quot;I&#39;m confident it will be free and fair. I don&#39;t know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said...were very dangerous.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HrhpaooEHe">pic.twitter.com/HrhpaooEHe</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842271469838962742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you want to re-consider dropping out of the race?&quot; President Biden jokingly, &quot;I&#39;m back in!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WIyhRwbjjk">pic.twitter.com/WIyhRwbjjk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842272465117921726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

🎥President Biden said he doesn't know if the election will be peaceful

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are asking for the public's help to identify a man who robbed a Kansas City bank Thursday morning, showing a handgun as he demanded cash.

Just after 10:30a.m., the suspect walked into the First Federal Bank of Kansas City in the 1200 block of Armour Road and demanded money, according to a media release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The suspect was wearing a T-shirt, hat, and sunglasses. He displayed a handgun and demanded tellers hand over cash. He then ran from the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police, CrimeStoppers at 816-474-TIPS, or the FBI Kansas City at 816-512-8200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727992742848.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are asking for the public's help to identify a man who robbed a Kansas City bank Thursday morning, showing a handgun as he demanded cash.Just after 10:30a.m., the suspect walked into the First Federal Bank of Kansas City in the 1200 block of Armour Road and demanded money, according to a media release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.The suspect was wearing a T-shirt, hat, and sunglasses. He displayed a handgun and demanded tellers hand over cash. He then ran from the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police, CrimeStoppers at 816-474-TIPS, or the FBI Kansas City at 816-512-8200.

Police working to identify Kansas City bank robbery suspect

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sun-solar-flare-earth-ed204eef352560f09b8366bee05e2381">Solar storms</a>&nbsp;may cause&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solar-storm-flares-eruption-sun-fc23251025efc2d20dc128dc0b6a7c68">faint northern lights</a>&nbsp;across fringes of the northern United States over the weekend as forecasters monitor for possible disruptions to power and communications.

The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more frequent. The sun shot out two strong flares this week, including one Thursday that was the biggest since 2017.

<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental">Pale auroras may be visible</a>&nbsp;as far south as South Dakota, Iowa and New York — but the storms could still intensify or weaken over the weekend.

“There's still a fair amount of uncertainty," Erica Grow Cei, spokesperson for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sun-solar-flare-earth-ed204eef352560f09b8366bee05e2381">Solar storms</a>&nbsp;may cause&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solar-storm-flares-eruption-sun-fc23251025efc2d20dc128dc0b6a7c68">faint northern lights</a>&nbsp;across fringes of the northern United States over the weekend as forecasters monitor for possible disruptions to power and communications.The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more frequent. The sun shot out two strong flares this week, including one Thursday that was the biggest since 2017.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today&#39;s X9 (R3) flare was prolific, but impulsive (imagery courtesy of jhelioviewer). Still, the flare was associated with a CME and analyses and model runs are being conducted at this time. Updates will come later, stay tuned! <a href="https://t.co/lMGQOIoR4l">pic.twitter.com/lMGQOIoR4l</a>&mdash; NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSWPC/status/1841881547575632088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental">Pale auroras may be visible</a>&nbsp;as far south as South Dakota, Iowa and New York — but the storms could still intensify or weaken over the weekend.“There's still a fair amount of uncertainty," Erica Grow Cei, spokesperson for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Friday.

Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">BY JONEL ALECCIA &nbsp;AP Health Writer</a>

Two dairy workers in California were infected with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, the 15th and 16th human cases detected this year in an ongoing outbreak affecting the nation's dairy cows, health officials said Thursday.

The latest cases were found in workers who had contact with infected cattle in California's Central Valley, where more than 50 herds have been affected since August. The workers developed eye redness known as conjunctivitis and had mild symptoms.

California health officials said the workers were employed at different farms and there is no known link between the two cases, suggesting that they were infected through animal contact, not by people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday confirmed the positive test results, the first for California. CDC officials said new cases of bird flu in people exposed to infected animals is “not unexpected.” The risk to the public remains low, they added.

Across the U.S., more than 250 dairy herds have been infected in 14 states since the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in March. Avian influenza has been spreading in wild and domestic birds in the U.S. for several years but recently was found in dairy cows.

Before this year, one case of bird flu was detected in a person, a Colorado poultry worker who fell ill in 2022. Most cases this year have been detected in workers who had contact with cattle or poultry in Colorado, Michigan and Texas.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-h5n1-missouri-cdc-808b4db88bc5e70ed32760d8b01f627b">A person in Missouri</a>&nbsp;was also infected, but that person had no known contact with animals and the source of that illness has not been determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722448527185.png" alt="Photo Iowa State Dairy Association" />
 <figcaption>Photo Iowa State Dairy Association</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">BY JONEL ALECCIA &nbsp;AP Health Writer</a>Two dairy workers in California were infected with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, the 15th and 16th human cases detected this year in an ongoing outbreak affecting the nation's dairy cows, health officials said Thursday.The latest cases were found in workers who had contact with infected cattle in California's Central Valley, where more than 50 herds have been affected since August. The workers developed eye redness known as conjunctivitis and had mild symptoms.California health officials said the workers were employed at different farms and there is no known link between the two cases, suggesting that they were infected through animal contact, not by people.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday confirmed the positive test results, the first for California. CDC officials said new cases of bird flu in people exposed to infected animals is “not unexpected.” The risk to the public remains low, they added.Across the U.S., more than 250 dairy herds have been infected in 14 states since the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed in March. Avian influenza has been spreading in wild and domestic birds in the U.S. for several years but recently was found in dairy cows.Before this year, one case of bird flu was detected in a person, a Colorado poultry worker who fell ill in 2022. Most cases this year have been detected in workers who had contact with cattle or poultry in Colorado, Michigan and Texas.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-h5n1-missouri-cdc-808b4db88bc5e70ed32760d8b01f627b">A person in Missouri</a>&nbsp;was also infected, but that person had no known contact with animals and the source of that illness has not been determined.___

More dairy workers infected with bird flu, latest human cases in US

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in a July crash died from her injuries.

Just before 10:30a.m. July 28, Kansas City East Patrol officers were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash in the area Raytown Road and Blue Ridge Cutoff, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

 A Ford Fusion pulled out in front of a black Nissan Altima causing a head on crash.&nbsp; EMS transported the driver of the Ford to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries.&nbsp; The driver of the Nissan suffered a non-life-threatening injury.&nbsp; On Wednesday, police were notified at the hospitalized driver died from her injuries, according to Officer Gonzalez.&nbsp; This is fatal crash #72 in KCMO for 2024.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in a July crash died from her injuries.Just before 10:30a.m. July 28, Kansas City East Patrol officers were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash in the area Raytown Road and Blue Ridge Cutoff, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. A Ford Fusion pulled out in front of a black Nissan Altima causing a head on crash.&nbsp; EMS transported the driver of the Ford to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries.&nbsp; The driver of the Nissan suffered a non-life-threatening injury.&nbsp; On Wednesday, police were notified at the hospitalized driver died from her injuries, according to Officer Gonzalez.&nbsp; This is fatal crash #72 in KCMO for 2024.&nbsp;

KCPD: Woman injured in head-on crash died from her injuries.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Missouri put a temporary hold on President Joe Biden's latest student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-college-debt-f469500465aefa66aca67e3b31b27430">loan cancellation plan</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, slamming the door on hope it would move forward after another judge allowed a pause to expire.

Just as it briefly appeared the Biden administration would have a window to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-department-student-loan-debt-forgiveness-fc7bc28332b1b1faec088ae7a02b5f0c">push its plan</a>&nbsp;forward, U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp in Missouri granted an injunction blocking any widespread cancellation.

Six Republican-led states requested the injunction hours earlier, after a federal judge in Georgia decided not to extend a separate order blocking the plan.

The states, led by Missouri's attorney general, asked Schelp to act fast, saying the Education Department could “unlawfully mass cancel up to hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans as soon as Monday.” Schelp called it an easy decision.

The Education Department vowed to defend its proposal in court.

“This lawsuit was brought by Republican elected officials who made clear they will stop at nothing to prevent millions of their own constituents from getting breathing room on their student loans,” the department said in a statement.

Biden's plan has been on hold since September, when the states filed a lawsuit in Georgia arguing Biden had overstepped his legal authority. But on Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall decided not to extend the pause after finding that Georgia doesn't have the legal right to sue in this case.

Hall dismissed Georgia from the case and transferred it to Missouri, which Hall said has “clear standing” to challenge Biden's plan.

Proponents of student loan cancellation briefly had a glimmer of hope the plan would move forward — Hall's order was set to expire after Thursday, allowing the Education Department to finalize the rule. But Schelp's order put the question to rest.

“This is yet another win for the American people,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement. “The Court rightfully recognized Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cannot saddle working Americans with Ivy League debt.”

Biden’s plan would cancel at least some student loan debt for an estimated 30 million borrowers.

It would erase up to $20,000 in interest for those who have seen their original balances increase because of runaway interest. It would also provide relief to those who have been repaying their loans for 20 or 25 years, and those who went to college programs that leave graduates with high debt compared to their incomes.

Biden told the Education Department to pursue cancellation through a federal rulemaking process after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">rejected an earlier plan</a>&nbsp;using a different legal justification. That plan would have eliminated up to $20,000 for 43 million Americans.

The Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first proposal in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-biden-student-loans-f566c623ccb3f322523d7e0a2f88b0c5">case brought by Republican states</a>&nbsp;including Missouri.

In his order Wednesday, Hall said Georgia failed to prove it was significantly harmed by Biden’s new plan. He rejected an argument that the policy would hurt the state’s income tax revenue, but he found that Missouri has a strong case.

Missouri is suing on behalf of MOHELA, a student loan servicer that was created by the state and is hired by the federal government to help collect student loans. In the suit, Missouri argues that cancellation would hurt MOHELA's revenue because it's paid based on the number of borrowers it serves.

In their lawsuit, the Republican states argue that the Education Department had quietly been telling loan servicers to prepare for loan cancellation as early as Sept. 9, bypassing a typical 60-day waiting period for new federal rules to take effect.

Also joining the suit are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Ohio.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728051440239.png" alt="FIie photo President Biden met with reporters Thursday before boarding Air Force One- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>FIie photo President Biden met with reporters Thursday before boarding Air Force One- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Missouri put a temporary hold on President Joe Biden's latest student&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-college-debt-f469500465aefa66aca67e3b31b27430">loan cancellation plan</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, slamming the door on hope it would move forward after another judge allowed a pause to expire.Just as it briefly appeared the Biden administration would have a window to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-department-student-loan-debt-forgiveness-fc7bc28332b1b1faec088ae7a02b5f0c">push its plan</a>&nbsp;forward, U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp in Missouri granted an injunction blocking any widespread cancellation.Six Republican-led states requested the injunction hours earlier, after a federal judge in Georgia decided not to extend a separate order blocking the plan.The states, led by Missouri's attorney general, asked Schelp to act fast, saying the Education Department could “unlawfully mass cancel up to hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans as soon as Monday.” Schelp called it an easy decision.The Education Department vowed to defend its proposal in court.“This lawsuit was brought by Republican elected officials who made clear they will stop at nothing to prevent millions of their own constituents from getting breathing room on their student loans,” the department said in a statement.Biden's plan has been on hold since September, when the states filed a lawsuit in Georgia arguing Biden had overstepped his legal authority. But on Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall decided not to extend the pause after finding that Georgia doesn't have the legal right to sue in this case.Hall dismissed Georgia from the case and transferred it to Missouri, which Hall said has “clear standing” to challenge Biden's plan.Proponents of student loan cancellation briefly had a glimmer of hope the plan would move forward — Hall's order was set to expire after Thursday, allowing the Education Department to finalize the rule. But Schelp's order put the question to rest.“This is yet another win for the American people,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement. “The Court rightfully recognized Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cannot saddle working Americans with Ivy League debt.”Biden’s plan would cancel at least some student loan debt for an estimated 30 million borrowers.It would erase up to $20,000 in interest for those who have seen their original balances increase because of runaway interest. It would also provide relief to those who have been repaying their loans for 20 or 25 years, and those who went to college programs that leave graduates with high debt compared to their incomes.Biden told the Education Department to pursue cancellation through a federal rulemaking process after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">rejected an earlier plan</a>&nbsp;using a different legal justification. That plan would have eliminated up to $20,000 for 43 million Americans.The Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first proposal in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-biden-student-loans-f566c623ccb3f322523d7e0a2f88b0c5">case brought by Republican states</a>&nbsp;including Missouri.In his order Wednesday, Hall said Georgia failed to prove it was significantly harmed by Biden’s new plan. He rejected an argument that the policy would hurt the state’s income tax revenue, but he found that Missouri has a strong case.Missouri is suing on behalf of MOHELA, a student loan servicer that was created by the state and is hired by the federal government to help collect student loans. In the suit, Missouri argues that cancellation would hurt MOHELA's revenue because it's paid based on the number of borrowers it serves.In their lawsuit, the Republican states argue that the Education Department had quietly been telling loan servicers to prepare for loan cancellation as early as Sept. 9, bypassing a typical 60-day waiting period for new federal rules to take effect.Also joining the suit are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Ohio.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Biden's student loan cancellation on hold again after day of legal whiplash

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting.

Just after 7a.m. Thursday police responded to report of a shooting in the 4900 Block of Dickinson Road in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders found a man on the road with apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or reported an arrest.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting.Just after 7a.m. Thursday police responded to report of a shooting in the 4900 Block of Dickinson Road in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders found a man on the road with apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or reported an arrest.

Homicide: Man found on Kansas road with gunshot wounds

Candidates despair about Farm Bill gridlock, Israel’s war, immigration policy

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Republican U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann and Democratic challenger Paul Buskirk shared frustration Thursday that Congress failed to pass a new five-year Farm Bill despite a reprieve when gridlock blocked progress a year ago.

In 2023, President Joe Biden signed a measure extending the 2018 Farm Bill for 12 months. Expiration of that deal Sept. 30 meant Congress would return after the election for a lame-duck session starting Nov. 12 to seek another extension or complete House and Senate work on a new five-year plan for agriculture and nutrition programs. Federal funding for key USDA programs otherwise ends in December.

“It’s been very, very frustrating … to say the least,” said Mann, a Salina Republican who serves the 1st District stretching from the Colorado border to Lawrence. “I’ve gone to the floor of the House 33 times now, over the last year and a half, urging Congress to get serious in acting on getting a five-year Farm Bill locked in.”

Buskirk, a Lawrence Democrat campaigning against Mann in the November election, said Farm Bill legislation historically was the epitome of bipartisanship in Congress. He said it was a tone set years ago by the late U.S. Sens. Bob Dole of Kansas and George McGovern of South Dakota. However, he said, the current composition of Congress was wallowing in a quagmire of partisan bickering over Farm Bill policy and spending.

“The lack of a bill 12 full months after the previous five-year pact expired is a glaring example of the failure of government,” Buskirk said. “Our elected representatives, from all sides, spend more time fussing and bickering with each other over ideology and party affiliation — pointing fingers and laying blame — while taking no accountability.”

Mann, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, said he supported the version of a Farm Bill passed by that committee in May. It has yet to receive a vote of the full GOP-led House. He said the U.S. Senate offered an outline of a bill, but nothing passed the Senate floor that would be subject to normal negotiations.

“We need a fiscally conservative Farm Bill that provides a good return on investment for taxpayer dollars,” Mann said. “I’m optimistic we’re going to get a five-year Farm Bill. It seems to me that there is more momentum and … more of a desire to get something done by the end of the year. I’m not guaranteeing that’s going to happen, but I am more optimistic.”

In terms of Middle East, Mann said Israel had justifiably responded to the deadly incursion by Hamas from Gaza one year ago and was appropriately fighting with Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon and dealing with Iran’s barrage of nearly 200 missiles at Israel. The GOP congressman said the United States must continue to support Israel’s war effort.

“They are a sovereign nation and they have a right to respond. The bad actor in this is Iran,” Mann said. “There is a proxy war that’s been going on for a long time. It’s in our national security interest to stand with Israel because Iran has said they want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.”

Buskirk said he supported Israel’s initial defense against heinous crimes committed during the invasion by Hamas. In the past 12 months, he said, there had been too much death and destruction.

“It is time for Israel and Hamas to commit to an immediate ceasefire and work toward a peaceful solution,” he said.

Buskirk said it was wrong for Mann to have voted earlier this year against sending more U.S. weapons to Ukraine in the fight against Russian forces. He said 20,000 U.S. Army troops were stationed at Fort Riley in the 1st congressional district, and some were involved in supply lines moving munitions to Ukraine.

“I fully support U.S. dollars and arms for Ukraine as they fight for their freedom,” Buskirk said. “Mr. Mann voted against U.S. arms aid to Ukraine this past spring 2024. Mr. Mann is not representing the brave people serving in the 1st Infantry Division.”

Mann said constituents in the 60-county district frequently raised questions about the U.S. border with Mexico. In terms of immigration reform, the congressman said a House-passed bill would have been adopted by now if the Senate was “serious about securing our border completely.”

“When I came to Congress almost four years ago, America was strong,” Mann said. “Our streets were safe, and our border was more secure than any other point in recent history.”

In early 2024, presidential candidate Donald Trump successfully lobbied to kill the Senate’s bipartisan immigration bill in a bid to deny President Joe Biden a policy victory. Biden has since removed himself from the race, and Vice President Kamala Harris is running against Trump.

Buskirk faulted Mann for supporting Trump’s “horrendous plan to immediately identify, arrest and deport every undocumented resident in our country — affecting tens of millions of people.” He said Kansas had at least 62,000 undocumented residents, and Trump’s plan would separate families and harm the state’s economy.

“Ranchers, feed lots, dairies and meat-packing plants would all be immediately impacted and the ripple effect to the entire state and beyond would be massive,” Buskirk said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727985281246.png" alt=" U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican seeking reelection in the 1st District of Kansas, says he was increasingly optimistic Congress could pass a new five-year Farm Bill by the end of the year. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican seeking reelection in the 1st District of Kansas, says he was increasingly optimistic Congress could pass a new five-year Farm Bill by the end of the year. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Candidates despair about Farm Bill gridlock, Israel’s war, immigration policy</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Republican U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann and Democratic challenger Paul Buskirk shared frustration Thursday that Congress failed to pass a new five-year Farm Bill despite a reprieve when gridlock blocked progress a year ago.In 2023, President Joe Biden signed a measure extending the 2018 Farm Bill for 12 months. Expiration of that deal Sept. 30 meant Congress would return after the election for a lame-duck session starting Nov. 12 to seek another extension or complete House and Senate work on a new five-year plan for agriculture and nutrition programs. Federal funding for key USDA programs otherwise ends in December.“It’s been very, very frustrating … to say the least,” said Mann, a Salina Republican who serves the 1st District stretching from the Colorado border to Lawrence. “I’ve gone to the floor of the House 33 times now, over the last year and a half, urging Congress to get serious in acting on getting a five-year Farm Bill locked in.”Buskirk, a Lawrence Democrat campaigning against Mann in the November election, said Farm Bill legislation historically was the epitome of bipartisanship in Congress. He said it was a tone set years ago by the late U.S. Sens. Bob Dole of Kansas and George McGovern of South Dakota. However, he said, the current composition of Congress was wallowing in a quagmire of partisan bickering over Farm Bill policy and spending.“The lack of a bill 12 full months after the previous five-year pact expired is a glaring example of the failure of government,” Buskirk said. “Our elected representatives, from all sides, spend more time fussing and bickering with each other over ideology and party affiliation — pointing fingers and laying blame — while taking no accountability.”Mann, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, said he supported the version of a Farm Bill passed by that committee in May. It has yet to receive a vote of the full GOP-led House. He said the U.S. Senate offered an outline of a bill, but nothing passed the Senate floor that would be subject to normal negotiations.“We need a fiscally conservative Farm Bill that provides a good return on investment for taxpayer dollars,” Mann said. “I’m optimistic we’re going to get a five-year Farm Bill. It seems to me that there is more momentum and … more of a desire to get something done by the end of the year. I’m not guaranteeing that’s going to happen, but I am more optimistic.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727985323552.png" alt=" Democrat Paul Buskirk, who is running for U.S. House in the 1st District, said failure of Congress to pass a new five-year Farm Bill in the past year was a “glaring example of the failure of government.” (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Democrat Paul Buskirk, who is running for U.S. House in the 1st District, said failure of Congress to pass a new five-year Farm Bill in the past year was a “glaring example of the failure of government.” (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In terms of Middle East, Mann said Israel had justifiably responded to the deadly incursion by Hamas from Gaza one year ago and was appropriately fighting with Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon and dealing with Iran’s barrage of nearly 200 missiles at Israel. The GOP congressman said the United States must continue to support Israel’s war effort.“They are a sovereign nation and they have a right to respond. The bad actor in this is Iran,” Mann said. “There is a proxy war that’s been going on for a long time. It’s in our national security interest to stand with Israel because Iran has said they want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.”Buskirk said he supported Israel’s initial defense against heinous crimes committed during the invasion by Hamas. In the past 12 months, he said, there had been too much death and destruction.“It is time for Israel and Hamas to commit to an immediate ceasefire and work toward a peaceful solution,” he said.Buskirk said it was wrong for Mann to have voted earlier this year against sending more U.S. weapons to Ukraine in the fight against Russian forces. He said 20,000 U.S. Army troops were stationed at Fort Riley in the 1st congressional district, and some were involved in supply lines moving munitions to Ukraine.“I fully support U.S. dollars and arms for Ukraine as they fight for their freedom,” Buskirk said. “Mr. Mann voted against U.S. arms aid to Ukraine this past spring 2024. Mr. Mann is not representing the brave people serving in the 1st Infantry Division.”Mann said constituents in the 60-county district frequently raised questions about the U.S. border with Mexico. In terms of immigration reform, the congressman said a House-passed bill would have been adopted by now if the Senate was “serious about securing our border completely.”“When I came to Congress almost four years ago, America was strong,” Mann said. “Our streets were safe, and our border was more secure than any other point in recent history.”In early 2024, presidential candidate Donald Trump successfully lobbied to kill the Senate’s bipartisan immigration bill in a bid to deny President Joe Biden a policy victory. Biden has since removed himself from the race, and Vice President Kamala Harris is running against Trump.Buskirk faulted Mann for supporting Trump’s “horrendous plan to immediately identify, arrest and deport every undocumented resident in our country — affecting tens of millions of people.” He said Kansas had at least 62,000 undocumented residents, and Trump’s plan would separate families and harm the state’s economy.“Ranchers, feed lots, dairies and meat-packing plants would all be immediately impacted and the ripple effect to the entire state and beyond would be massive,” Buskirk said.

Kansas 1st District candidates Mann, Buskirk plow into Farm Bill, Middle East conflict

KANSAS CITY —Four people including two wanted suspect were injured in a three-vehicle accident during a high speed chase that occurred just after 5p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.

Kansas City police and other agencies were chasing a Volkswagen Jetta following an armed robbery and kidnapping, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

The VW, occupied by two suspects, refused to stop for officers. It was pursued for several minutes until it was going south on Interstate 29 and came upon stopped traffic. The VW struck a Dodge Journey and a blue Hyundai Sante Fe. 

The Hyundai flipped onto its driver's side after impact. The two suspects were taken into custody and transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Dodge and the Hyundai were also transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728042700319.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the crash and arrest image courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the crash and arrest image courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Four people including two wanted suspect were injured in a three-vehicle accident during a high speed chase that occurred just after 5p.m. Thursday in Kansas City.Kansas City police and other agencies were chasing a Volkswagen Jetta following an armed robbery and kidnapping, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.The VW, occupied by two suspects, refused to stop for officers. It was pursued for several minutes until it was going south on Interstate 29 and came upon stopped traffic. The VW struck a Dodge Journey and a blue Hyundai Sante Fe. The Hyundai flipped onto its driver's side after impact. The two suspects were taken into custody and transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Dodge and the Hyundai were also transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries.Police released no additional details

KCPD: 4 injured after 3-vehicle crash during chase of robbery suspects

SEDGWICK COUNTY –A striking worker is facing charges after an arrest while walking the picket line in Wichita.

On Wednesday, Wichita Police Officers were working a special&nbsp; assignment related to the strike activity at Textron Aviation as they have been since the strike began. Officers warned a 64-year-old Nevin Tucker of Wichita two times that morning about her conduct being a violation of a Wichita City Ordinance which prohibits impeding the free flow of traffic on any public street and is a misdemeanor, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Tucker, as identified by county booking records, again engaged in conduct that violated City of Wichita Ordinance and was arrested.

Prior to the strike, Wichita Police met with union leadership and Textron management to begin planning to maintain safety and order in our community.

In this instance, a specific individual refused to comply with City Ordinance after being educated at least two times regarding illegal conduct that caused a hazard to the public by quickly stepping into the roadway in front of vehicles. 

Wichita Police work to&nbsp; ensure the safety of everyone, including strikers, and preserving order in our community which includes enforcing the city code. During past strikes, there have been incidents of motor vehicle collisions causing death. Additionally, during this strike police have responded to collisions caused by strike activity.

Throughout the strike, police employees and commanders have continued to meet with strike leadership to ensure everyone is aware of applicable City of Wichita Ordinances.

Wichita Police will continue to ensure the safety of strikers, and the general public. Wichita Police are committed to protecting people’s rights as they express their opinions under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and has a duty to enforce applicable laws in order to maintain the safety of everyone in our community. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728039404412.png" alt="Nevin Tucker -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Nevin Tucker -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY –A striking worker is facing charges after an arrest while walking the picket line in Wichita.On Wednesday, Wichita Police Officers were working a special&nbsp; assignment related to the strike activity at Textron Aviation as they have been since the strike began. Officers warned a 64-year-old Nevin Tucker of Wichita two times that morning about her conduct being a violation of a Wichita City Ordinance which prohibits impeding the free flow of traffic on any public street and is a misdemeanor, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Tucker, as identified by county booking records, again engaged in conduct that violated City of Wichita Ordinance and was arrested.Prior to the strike, Wichita Police met with union leadership and Textron management to begin planning to maintain safety and order in our community.In this instance, a specific individual refused to comply with City Ordinance after being educated at least two times regarding illegal conduct that caused a hazard to the public by quickly stepping into the roadway in front of vehicles. Wichita Police work to&nbsp; ensure the safety of everyone, including strikers, and preserving order in our community which includes enforcing the city code. During past strikes, there have been incidents of motor vehicle collisions causing death. Additionally, during this strike police have responded to collisions caused by strike activity.Throughout the strike, police employees and commanders have continued to meet with strike leadership to ensure everyone is aware of applicable City of Wichita Ordinances.Wichita Police will continue to ensure the safety of strikers, and the general public. Wichita Police are committed to protecting people’s rights as they express their opinions under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and has a duty to enforce applicable laws in order to maintain the safety of everyone in our community.

Police arrest striking worker on picket line in Wichita

LINN COUNTY —Students, staff and the bus driver avoided injury after an incident on a bus trip just before 3p.m. Thursday in Linn County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 IC school bus driven by Steven&nbsp;Houston, 44, Fort Scott, was southbound on U.S. 69 just north of E 300th Road in Linn County. 

The bus blew the rear driver side outside dual tire. The driver attempted to "limp" the bus to a safe stopping location, but a fire started where the tire blew. The fire spread to the rest of the vehicle. All the occupants, 30 students and 3 adults, were able to safely exit the vehicle.

LINN COUNTY —Students, staff and the bus driver avoided injury after an incident on a bus trip just before 3p.m. Thursday in Linn County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 IC school bus driven by Steven&nbsp;Houston, 44, Fort Scott, was southbound on U.S. 69 just north of E 300th Road in Linn County. The bus blew the rear driver side outside dual tire. The driver attempted to "limp" the bus to a safe stopping location, but a fire started where the tire blew. The fire spread to the rest of the vehicle. All the occupants, 30 students and 3 adults, were able to safely exit the vehicle.There were no injuries.

Students, staff and driver escape fire on Kansas school bus

CHICAGO (AP) — Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-issue-positions-worlds-apart-3f80a342c790da64e3de92a4f5760991">stark contrast with her husband</a>, Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, on the crucial election issue.

<a href="https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1841806743216537870">In a video</a>&nbsp;posted to her X account Thursday morning, the former first lady defended women's “individual freedoms” to do what they want with their bodies — a position at odds with much of the Republican Party and her own husband, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">struggled to find a consistent message</a>&nbsp;on abortion while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">wedged between</a>&nbsp;anti-abortion supporters within his base and the majority of Americans who support abortion rights.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,” Melania Trump said in the video. “Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?”

The video appears to confirm excerpts of her self-titled memoir&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/02/melania-trump-memoir-defends-abortion-rights">reported</a>&nbsp;by The Guardian on Wednesday.

Melania Trump has rarely publicly expressed her personal political views and has been largely absent from the campaign trail. But in her memoir, set to be released publicly next Tuesday, she argues that the decision to end a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor, “free from any intervention of pressure from the government,” according to the published excerpts.

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” she wrote, according to The Guardian. “A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”

Melania Trump writes that she has “carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”

These views contrast sharply with the GOP's anti-abortion platform and with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and boasted about returning the abortion question to the states. Democrats have blamed the former president for the severe deterioration of reproductive rights as abortion bans were implemented in large swaths of the country following the overturning of the landmark case, which had granted a constitutional right to abortion.

Donald Trump said Thursday that he had talked to his wife about the book and told her to “go with your heart.”

“We spoke about it. And I said, you have to write what you believe. I’m not going to tell you what to do. You have to write what you believe,” he told Fox News, adding, “There are some people that are very, very far right on the issue, meaning without exceptions, and then there are other people that view it a little bit differently than that.”

Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;' campaign noted Trump's role in ending Roe v. Wade in a statement reacting to Melania Trump's defense of abortion rights.

“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives,” Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortion nationwide, punish women, and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care."

Donald Trump on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">said he would veto</a>&nbsp;a federal abortion ban, the first time he has explicitly said so after previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">refusing to answer questions</a>&nbsp;on the subject. Abortion rights advocates are skeptical, however, saying Trump cannot be trusted not to restrict reproductive rights.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the memoir is another example of “the Trumps playing voters like a fiddle.”

“As president, (Trump) made it his mission to get Roe v. Wade overturned,” she said in a statement. “Melania stood by him, never once publicly disavowing his actions until weeks before an election where our bodies are again on the ballot and they are losing voters to this issue. Read between the lines.”

Democratic strategist Brittany Crampsie called the memoir's release a “clear attempt to appeal to more moderate voters and to moderate JD Vance’s very clearly extreme views on the issue." But she was skeptical that the move would work in favor of Trump, saying his shifting views “have already confused voters and sowed distrust.”

Melania Trump also defends abortions later in pregnancy, asserting that “most abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother."

“These cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor,” she writes.

These views appear diametrically opposed to her husband, who has often parroted misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortion “after birth,” though infanticide is outlawed in every state.

The national abortion group SBA Pro-Life America denounced the former first lady’s views on abortion, including her comments on abortion later in pregnancy, but said their “priority is to defeat Kamala Harris.”

“Women with unplanned pregnancies are crying out for more resources, not more abortions,” the organization’s president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “We must have compassion for them and for babies in the womb who suffer from brutal abortions.”

Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law who focuses on reproductive rights law and history, said it is unclear if the memoir’s release so close to the election was an attempt to help Donald Trump. But she did note that Melania Trump's split from Trump on the issue is not uncommon historically.

There is “a pretty deep history of first ladies being more supportive of abortion rights than their husbands,” including Betty Ford, a vocal abortion rights supporter and the wife of former President Gerald Ford, Ziegler said.

Donald Trump promoted his wife's book at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9fGfm56TyA">a September rally in New York</a>, calling on supporters to “go out and get her book.” It is unclear if the former president has read the book.

“Go out and buy it,” he told the crowd. “It’s great. And if she says bad things about me, I’ll call you all up, and I’ll say, ‘Don’t buy it.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602762449332.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-issue-positions-worlds-apart-3f80a342c790da64e3de92a4f5760991">stark contrast with her husband</a>, Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, on the crucial election issue.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND">https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y9MT3uj97b">pic.twitter.com/Y9MT3uj97b</a>&mdash; MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1841806743216537870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1841806743216537870">In a video</a>&nbsp;posted to her X account Thursday morning, the former first lady defended women's “individual freedoms” to do what they want with their bodies — a position at odds with much of the Republican Party and her own husband, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">struggled to find a consistent message</a>&nbsp;on abortion while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">wedged between</a>&nbsp;anti-abortion supporters within his base and the majority of Americans who support abortion rights.“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,” Melania Trump said in the video. “Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?”The video appears to confirm excerpts of her self-titled memoir&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/02/melania-trump-memoir-defends-abortion-rights">reported</a>&nbsp;by The Guardian on Wednesday.Melania Trump has rarely publicly expressed her personal political views and has been largely absent from the campaign trail. But in her memoir, set to be released publicly next Tuesday, she argues that the decision to end a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor, “free from any intervention of pressure from the government,” according to the published excerpts.“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” she wrote, according to The Guardian. “A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”Melania Trump writes that she has “carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”These views contrast sharply with the GOP's anti-abortion platform and with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and boasted about returning the abortion question to the states. Democrats have blamed the former president for the severe deterioration of reproductive rights as abortion bans were implemented in large swaths of the country following the overturning of the landmark case, which had granted a constitutional right to abortion.Donald Trump said Thursday that he had talked to his wife about the book and told her to “go with your heart.”“We spoke about it. And I said, you have to write what you believe. I’m not going to tell you what to do. You have to write what you believe,” he told Fox News, adding, “There are some people that are very, very far right on the issue, meaning without exceptions, and then there are other people that view it a little bit differently than that.”Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;' campaign noted Trump's role in ending Roe v. Wade in a statement reacting to Melania Trump's defense of abortion rights.“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives,” Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortion nationwide, punish women, and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care."Donald Trump on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">said he would veto</a>&nbsp;a federal abortion ban, the first time he has explicitly said so after previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">refusing to answer questions</a>&nbsp;on the subject. Abortion rights advocates are skeptical, however, saying Trump cannot be trusted not to restrict reproductive rights.Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the memoir is another example of “the Trumps playing voters like a fiddle.”“As president, (Trump) made it his mission to get Roe v. Wade overturned,” she said in a statement. “Melania stood by him, never once publicly disavowing his actions until weeks before an election where our bodies are again on the ballot and they are losing voters to this issue. Read between the lines.”Democratic strategist Brittany Crampsie called the memoir's release a “clear attempt to appeal to more moderate voters and to moderate JD Vance’s very clearly extreme views on the issue." But she was skeptical that the move would work in favor of Trump, saying his shifting views “have already confused voters and sowed distrust.”Melania Trump also defends abortions later in pregnancy, asserting that “most abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother."“These cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor,” she writes.These views appear diametrically opposed to her husband, who has often parroted misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortion “after birth,” though infanticide is outlawed in every state.The national abortion group SBA Pro-Life America denounced the former first lady’s views on abortion, including her comments on abortion later in pregnancy, but said their “priority is to defeat Kamala Harris.”“Women with unplanned pregnancies are crying out for more resources, not more abortions,” the organization’s president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “We must have compassion for them and for babies in the womb who suffer from brutal abortions.”Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law who focuses on reproductive rights law and history, said it is unclear if the memoir’s release so close to the election was an attempt to help Donald Trump. But she did note that Melania Trump's split from Trump on the issue is not uncommon historically.There is “a pretty deep history of first ladies being more supportive of abortion rights than their husbands,” including Betty Ford, a vocal abortion rights supporter and the wife of former President Gerald Ford, Ziegler said.Donald Trump promoted his wife's book at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9fGfm56TyA">a September rally in New York</a>, calling on supporters to “go out and get her book.” It is unclear if the former president has read the book.“Go out and buy it,” he told the crowd. “It’s great. And if she says bad things about me, I’ll call you all up, and I’ll say, ‘Don’t buy it.’”CHICAGO (AP) — Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-issue-positions-worlds-apart-3f80a342c790da64e3de92a4f5760991">stark contrast with her husband</a>, Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, on the crucial election issue.<a href="https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1841806743216537870">In a video</a>&nbsp;posted to her X account Thursday morning, the former first lady defended women's “individual freedoms” to do what they want with their bodies — a position at odds with much of the Republican Party and her own husband, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">struggled to find a consistent message</a>&nbsp;on abortion while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">wedged between</a>&nbsp;anti-abortion supporters within his base and the majority of Americans who support abortion rights.“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,” Melania Trump said in the video. “Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?”The video appears to confirm excerpts of her self-titled memoir&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/02/melania-trump-memoir-defends-abortion-rights">reported</a>&nbsp;by The Guardian on Wednesday.Melania Trump has rarely publicly expressed her personal political views and has been largely absent from the campaign trail. But in her memoir, set to be released publicly next Tuesday, she argues that the decision to end a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor, “free from any intervention of pressure from the government,” according to the published excerpts.“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” she wrote, according to The Guardian. “A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”Melania Trump writes that she has “carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”These views contrast sharply with the GOP's anti-abortion platform and with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and boasted about returning the abortion question to the states. Democrats have blamed the former president for the severe deterioration of reproductive rights as abortion bans were implemented in large swaths of the country following the overturning of the landmark case, which had granted a constitutional right to abortion.Donald Trump said Thursday that he had talked to his wife about the book and told her to “go with your heart.”“We spoke about it. And I said, you have to write what you believe. I’m not going to tell you what to do. You have to write what you believe,” he told Fox News, adding, “There are some people that are very, very far right on the issue, meaning without exceptions, and then there are other people that view it a little bit differently than that.”Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;' campaign noted Trump's role in ending Roe v. Wade in a statement reacting to Melania Trump's defense of abortion rights.“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives,” Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortion nationwide, punish women, and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care."Donald Trump on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-vance-walz-debate-2024-election-abortion-64c739e99ffa1ad51b973e420e1fe92d">said he would veto</a>&nbsp;a federal abortion ban, the first time he has explicitly said so after previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">refusing to answer questions</a>&nbsp;on the subject. Abortion rights advocates are skeptical, however, saying Trump cannot be trusted not to restrict reproductive rights.Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the memoir is another example of “the Trumps playing voters like a fiddle.”“As president, (Trump) made it his mission to get Roe v. Wade overturned,” she said in a statement. “Melania stood by him, never once publicly disavowing his actions until weeks before an election where our bodies are again on the ballot and they are losing voters to this issue. Read between the lines.”Democratic strategist Brittany Crampsie called the memoir's release a “clear attempt to appeal to more moderate voters and to moderate JD Vance’s very clearly extreme views on the issue." But she was skeptical that the move would work in favor of Trump, saying his shifting views “have already confused voters and sowed distrust.”Melania Trump also defends abortions later in pregnancy, asserting that “most abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother."“These cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor,” she writes.These views appear diametrically opposed to her husband, who has often parroted misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortion “after birth,” though infanticide is outlawed in every state.The national abortion group SBA Pro-Life America denounced the former first lady’s views on abortion, including her comments on abortion later in pregnancy, but said their “priority is to defeat Kamala Harris.”“Women with unplanned pregnancies are crying out for more resources, not more abortions,” the organization’s president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “We must have compassion for them and for babies in the womb who suffer from brutal abortions.”Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law who focuses on reproductive rights law and history, said it is unclear if the memoir’s release so close to the election was an attempt to help Donald Trump. But she did note that Melania Trump's split from Trump on the issue is not uncommon historically.There is “a pretty deep history of first ladies being more supportive of abortion rights than their husbands,” including Betty Ford, a vocal abortion rights supporter and the wife of former President Gerald Ford, Ziegler said.Donald Trump promoted his wife's book at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9fGfm56TyA">a September rally in New York</a>, calling on supporters to “go out and get her book.” It is unclear if the former president has read the book.“Go out and buy it,” he told the crowd. “It’s great. And if she says bad things about me, I’ll call you all up, and I’ll say, ‘Don’t buy it.’”___

🎥In new video Melania Trump explains her support for abortion rights

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a hotel in Kansas City.

Just after 4p.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported fire at the 4-story Days Inn hotel in the 8600 block of Hillcrest, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

 On arrival crews reported fire showing from a second-floor room.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear. Fire had extended from the interior of the second-floor room to the exterior but was contained to the exterior.

EMS transported one occupant for evaluation due to smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728007390438.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC TV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a hotel in Kansas City.Just after 4p.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported fire at the 4-story Days Inn hotel in the 8600 block of Hillcrest, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. On arrival crews reported fire showing from a second-floor room.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear. Fire had extended from the interior of the second-floor room to the exterior but was contained to the exterior.EMS transported one occupant for evaluation due to smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

One hospitalized after fire at hotel in Kansas City

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/garth-brooks">Garth Brooks</a>&nbsp;alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he raped her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019.

The woman does not use her name and goes by Jane Roe in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Brooks forcefully denied the allegations in a statement and acknowledged he tried to get a court to stop Thursday's lawsuit from being filed.

The woman says in the lawsuit she had worked for Brooks' wife, country singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/trisha-yearwood">Trisha Yearwood</a>, since 1999, and had started also working for Brooks in 2017.

She said the assault occurred when she traveled from Nashville to Los Angeles with Brooks, who was performing with soul singer Sam Moore at a Grammy Awards tribute to Moore in October 2019.

Brooks normally traveled with an entourage, but the two were alone on his private jet, and he booked just one hotel suite for both of them, the lawsuit says.

The woman alleges that in the suite, he appeared naked in the doorway to the bedroom and raped her.

The suit says that he then proceeded as though nothing had happened and expected her to do his hair and makeup immediately after.

The woman's lawsuit alleges that earlier in 2019, when she was at Brooks' home, he had appeared naked in front of her, grabbed her hands, and put them on his genitals.

Brooks filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi last month, in which both him and the woman are anonymous.

In court filings in that case, the plaintiff, going by John Doe, says the allegations are “wholly untrue,” and he first learned of them in July when she threatened to publicly sue him unless he gave her millions of dollars.

He asked a judge to stop the woman from “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.”

“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” Brooks’ statement said. “It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."

Brooks said he filed the case anonymously “for the sake of families on both sides.”

“I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be," his statement concluded.

The woman's suit also says Brooks exposed himself to her many other times and talked about sexual fantasies with her and sent her explicit text messages.

She said she was forced to keep working for Brooks because of financial hardship, which he knew about and took advantage of.

An email to the woman's attorney asking whether she had reported her allegations to police was not immediately answered.

The 62-year-old Oklahoma-born Brooks was the biggest star in country music of the 1990s, with hits including “Friends in Low Places" and “The Thunder Rolls.” He brought arena-rock theatrics to his concerts and a pop-music sensibility to his recordings. He had huge success that went beyond typical country audiences.

He married fellow country star Yearwood in 2005. There was no immediate response to a message to a Yearwood representative seeking comment on the lawsuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728005993484.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/garth-brooks">Garth Brooks</a>&nbsp;alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he raped her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019.The woman does not use her name and goes by Jane Roe in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Brooks forcefully denied the allegations in a statement and acknowledged he tried to get a court to stop Thursday's lawsuit from being filed.The woman says in the lawsuit she had worked for Brooks' wife, country singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/trisha-yearwood">Trisha Yearwood</a>, since 1999, and had started also working for Brooks in 2017.She said the assault occurred when she traveled from Nashville to Los Angeles with Brooks, who was performing with soul singer Sam Moore at a Grammy Awards tribute to Moore in October 2019.Brooks normally traveled with an entourage, but the two were alone on his private jet, and he booked just one hotel suite for both of them, the lawsuit says.The woman alleges that in the suite, he appeared naked in the doorway to the bedroom and raped her.The suit says that he then proceeded as though nothing had happened and expected her to do his hair and makeup immediately after.The woman's lawsuit alleges that earlier in 2019, when she was at Brooks' home, he had appeared naked in front of her, grabbed her hands, and put them on his genitals.Brooks filed a preemptive lawsuit in federal court in Mississippi last month, in which both him and the woman are anonymous.In court filings in that case, the plaintiff, going by John Doe, says the allegations are “wholly untrue,” and he first learned of them in July when she threatened to publicly sue him unless he gave her millions of dollars.He asked a judge to stop the woman from “intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy.”“For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” Brooks’ statement said. “It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."Brooks said he filed the case anonymously “for the sake of families on both sides.”“I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be," his statement concluded.The woman's suit also says Brooks exposed himself to her many other times and talked about sexual fantasies with her and sent her explicit text messages.She said she was forced to keep working for Brooks because of financial hardship, which he knew about and took advantage of.An email to the woman's attorney asking whether she had reported her allegations to police was not immediately answered.The 62-year-old Oklahoma-born Brooks was the biggest star in country music of the 1990s, with hits including “Friends in Low Places" and “The Thunder Rolls.” He brought arena-rock theatrics to his concerts and a pop-music sensibility to his recordings. He had huge success that went beyond typical country audiences.He married fellow country star Yearwood in 2005. There was no immediate response to a message to a Yearwood representative seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Garth Brooks responds to lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault

DETROIT (AP) — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.

The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint statement.

A person briefed on the agreement said the ports sweetened their wage offer from about 50% over six years to 62%. The person didn’t want to be identified because the agreement is tentative. Any wage increase would have to be approved by union members as part of the ratification of a final contract.

The union went on strike early Tuesday after its contract expired in a dispute over pay and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-dockworkers-strike-union-automation-4707b764692f6061cd5948d3c73b3c53">the automation of tasks</a>&nbsp;at 36 ports stretching from Maine to Texas. The strike came at the peak of the holiday shopping season at the ports, which handle about half the cargo from ships coming into and out of the United States.

The walkout raised the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-holidays-shortages-inflation-c195bedec63d41afcec3c942ebb27e93">risk of shortages</a>&nbsp;of goods on store shelves if it lasted more than a few weeks. Most retailers, though, had stocked up or shipped items early in anticipation of the dockworkers' strike.

“With the grace of God, and the goodwill of neighbors, it’s gonna hold,” President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday night after the agreement.

In a statement later, Biden applauded both sides “for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding.”

Biden said that collective bargaining is “critical to building a stronger economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”

The union's membership won't need to vote on the temporary suspension of the strike, meaning that giant cranes should start loading and unloading shipping containers Thursday night. Until Jan. 15, the workers will be covered under the old contract, which expired on Sept. 30.

The union had been demanding a 77% raise over six years, plus a complete ban on the use of automation at the ports, which members see as a threat to their jobs. Both sides also have been apart on the issues of pension contributions and the distribution of royalties paid on containers that are moved by workers.

Thomas Kohler, who teaches labor and employment law at Boston College, said the agreement to halt the strike means that the two sides are close to a final deal.

“I’m sure that if they weren’t going anywhere they wouldn’t have suspended (the strike),” he said. “They’ve got wages. They’ll work out the language on automation, and I’m sure that what this really means is it gives the parties time to sit down and get exactly the language they can both live with.”

Industry analysts have said that for every day of a port strike it takes four to six days to recover. But they said a short strike of a few days probably wouldn’t gum up the supply chain too badly.

Kohler said the surprise end to the strike may catch railroads with cars, engines and crews out of position. But railroads are likely to work quickly to fix that.

Just before the strike had begun, the Maritime Alliance said both sides had moved off their original wage offers, a tentative sign of progress.

The settlement pushes the strike and any potential shortages past the November presidential election, eliminating a potential liability for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. It's also a big plus for the Biden-Harris administration, which has billed itself as the most union-friendly in American history. Shortages could have driven up prices and reignited inflation.

Thursday's deal came after administration officials met with foreign-owned shipping companies before dawn on Zoom, according to a person briefed on the day's events who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. The White House wanted to increase pressure to settle, emphasizing the responsibility to reopen the ports to help with recovery from Hurricane Helene, the person said.

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told them she could get the union to the bargaining table to extend the contract if the carriers made a higher wage offer. Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the carriers they had to make an offer by the end of the day so a manmade strike wouldn't worsen a natural disaster, the person said.

By midday the Maritime Alliance members agreed to a large increase, bringing about the agreement, according to the person.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727996714529.png" alt="Photo courtesy ILA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy ILA</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FILAUnion%2Fposts%2Fpfbid09yphJDe2LCn4Be71qibtsJ6cmiaZP8rp9WW613EZHTCKFLSASZW1SnsvDiyQLUF8l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="512" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages, the union and ports said in a joint statement.A person briefed on the agreement said the ports sweetened their wage offer from about 50% over six years to 62%. The person didn’t want to be identified because the agreement is tentative. Any wage increase would have to be approved by union members as part of the ratification of a final contract.The union went on strike early Tuesday after its contract expired in a dispute over pay and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-dockworkers-strike-union-automation-4707b764692f6061cd5948d3c73b3c53">the automation of tasks</a>&nbsp;at 36 ports stretching from Maine to Texas. The strike came at the peak of the holiday shopping season at the ports, which handle about half the cargo from ships coming into and out of the United States.The walkout raised the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-holidays-shortages-inflation-c195bedec63d41afcec3c942ebb27e93">risk of shortages</a>&nbsp;of goods on store shelves if it lasted more than a few weeks. Most retailers, though, had stocked up or shipped items early in anticipation of the dockworkers' strike.“With the grace of God, and the goodwill of neighbors, it’s gonna hold,” President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday night after the agreement.In a statement later, Biden applauded both sides “for acting patriotically to reopen our ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding.”Biden said that collective bargaining is “critical to building a stronger economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”The union's membership won't need to vote on the temporary suspension of the strike, meaning that giant cranes should start loading and unloading shipping containers Thursday night. Until Jan. 15, the workers will be covered under the old contract, which expired on Sept. 30.The union had been demanding a 77% raise over six years, plus a complete ban on the use of automation at the ports, which members see as a threat to their jobs. Both sides also have been apart on the issues of pension contributions and the distribution of royalties paid on containers that are moved by workers.Thomas Kohler, who teaches labor and employment law at Boston College, said the agreement to halt the strike means that the two sides are close to a final deal.“I’m sure that if they weren’t going anywhere they wouldn’t have suspended (the strike),” he said. “They’ve got wages. They’ll work out the language on automation, and I’m sure that what this really means is it gives the parties time to sit down and get exactly the language they can both live with.”Industry analysts have said that for every day of a port strike it takes four to six days to recover. But they said a short strike of a few days probably wouldn’t gum up the supply chain too badly.Kohler said the surprise end to the strike may catch railroads with cars, engines and crews out of position. But railroads are likely to work quickly to fix that.Just before the strike had begun, the Maritime Alliance said both sides had moved off their original wage offers, a tentative sign of progress.The settlement pushes the strike and any potential shortages past the November presidential election, eliminating a potential liability for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. It's also a big plus for the Biden-Harris administration, which has billed itself as the most union-friendly in American history. Shortages could have driven up prices and reignited inflation.Thursday's deal came after administration officials met with foreign-owned shipping companies before dawn on Zoom, according to a person briefed on the day's events who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. The White House wanted to increase pressure to settle, emphasizing the responsibility to reopen the ports to help with recovery from Hurricane Helene, the person said.Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told them she could get the union to the bargaining table to extend the contract if the carriers made a higher wage offer. Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the carriers they had to make an offer by the end of the day so a manmade strike wouldn't worsen a natural disaster, the person said.By midday the Maritime Alliance members agreed to a large increase, bringing about the agreement, according to the person.