By DAVID A. LIEB and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press

A battle between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congressional-map-882eae23a280a68dd6e0fc5a3bf11a0d">Texas Republicans</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4">California Democrats</a>&nbsp;to bolster their party's advantage in the U.S. House has led politicians in other states to consider ways they, too, could leverage partisan power to rack up more victories in the 2026 congressional elections.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-governor-redistricting-trump-33bfdc8790cdf8201d80c8c89258df3d">signed into law</a>&nbsp;a new U.S. House map sought by President Donald Trump that could help Republicans in their quest to keep control of the chamber. Hours later, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced that he was calling a special session to also redraw House districts in Republicans' favor.

California Democrats already have launched a counteroffensive, asking voters to approve revised House districts designed to boost Democrats' prospects.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-election-2026-texas-california-trump-1e23e2b3f8e09031cf1eee8979ff3559">Redistricting typically occurs</a>&nbsp;once a decade, immediately after a census. But in some states, there is no prohibition on a mid-cycle map makeover. The U.S. Supreme Court also has said there is no federal prohibition on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gerrymandering-texas-congress-redistricting-0c751f48a7757fc11214472944670413">political gerrymandering</a>, in which districts are intentionally drawn to one party's advantage.

The redistricting efforts could play a role in determining control of the U.S. House and, with it, the prospects for Trump's policy goals in the latter half of his term.

Here is a rundown of what states are doing.

Texas Democrats walked out, but Republicans prevailed

Democratic state House members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;for two weeks to scuttle a special session on redistricting by preventing a quorum needed to do business. But after that session ended, Abbott quickly called another one — and Democrats returned, satisfied that they had made their point and that California was proceeding with a counter plan.

Republicans currently hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas. A revised map passed Aug. 23 is intended to give Republicans a shot at picking up five additional seats in next year's elections. Abbott's signature made the map final.

Missouri lawmakers to meet in a special session on redistricting

Kehoe scheduled a special legislation session on redistricting to start Sept. 3 and released a proposed new congressional map that targets a seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The plan would give Republicans a chance at winning the seat by stretching the Kansas City-based district into rural Republican-leaning areas.

Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats.

Unlike in Texas, Missouri Democrats can’t prevent a quorum for business by walking out. And although Democrats could filibuster in the Senate, Republicans could use procedural maneuvers to shut that down and pass a new congressional map.

Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting

Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state's sole Democratic House representative. The Legislature's GOP supermajority could do so early next year, which would put the new lines in place before the June 1 candidate filing deadline.

California Democrats seek to counter Texas

Democrats already hold 43 of the 52 congressional seats in California. But similar to Texas, a revised map passed Aug. 21 by the state Legislature is aimed at giving Democrats a chance to gain five additional seats in the 2026 elections.

Unlike Texas, California has an independent citizens' commission that handles redistricting after the census, so any changes to the commission's map would need to win approval from voters. A referendum on the revised map is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Indiana Republicans meet with Trump about redistricting

Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met privately with Trump to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">redistricting</a>&nbsp;while in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. Some also met with Vice President JD Vance.

Several Indiana state legislators came out in support of a mid-cycle map change following the meetings. But others have expressed hesitation about joining Trump’s push to remake districts in Republicans’ favor. It remains unclear if Indiana will hold a legislative session on redistricting.

Republicans hold a 7-2 edge over Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation. All incumbent GOP congressional representatives have said they support redistricting.

Louisiana Republicans looking at times for a special session

Louisiana lawmakers are being told to keep their calendars open between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 over a challenge to the state's congressional map.

Republican state Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, who chairs a House committee that oversees redistricting, told the AP that the idea is to have lawmakers available to come back to work in case the Supreme Court issues a ruling quickly.

Republicans currently hold four of Louisiana's six congressional seats.

Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms

Because of the way its current districts were enacted, the state constitution requires Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">to adopt new House maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;elections. Ohio Democrats are bracing for Republicans to try to expand their 10-5 congressional majority when they meet later this year to redraw maps.

Democrats don’t have much power to stop it. But “we will fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said.

New York Democrats try to change state law

New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that redraws districts after every census. But state Democrats have introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting.

Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">Kathy Hochul had said</a>&nbsp;that if Texas proceeded, “we must do the same.”

But the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.

Maryland Democrats planning a response to Texas

Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam already has announced he is filing redistricting legislation for consideration during the 2026 session. Democratic House Majority Leader David Moon also has said he will sponsor legislation triggering redistricting in Maryland if Texas or any other state conducts mid-decade redistricting. Democrats already control seven of Maryland's eight congressional seats.

Florida's governor pledges support for redistricting

Florida Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;this year through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated his support for the state to join the redistricting fray, calling on the federal government to conduct a new Census count and claiming that the Trump administration should “award” the state another congressional seat.

Florida has 28 U.S. House seats, 18 of them currently occupied by Republicans.

A court orders Utah to redraw its districts

Utah Republicans hold all four of the state's U.S. House seats under a map the GOP-led Legislature approved after the 2020 census. But a judge ruled Aug. 25 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-congressional-map-redistricting-trump-midterms-100656aa263866946e0fd83f0319894a">the map was unlawful</a>&nbsp;because the Legislature had circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor one party.

The judge gave lawmakers until Sept. 24 to adopt a map that complies with voter-approved standards. A new map could increase Democrats' chances of winning a seat.

Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756504994284.png" alt=" Proposed Missouri congressional maps released Friday by the governor’s office." />
 <figcaption> Proposed Missouri congressional maps released Friday by the governor’s office.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID A. LIEB and JESSE BEDAYN Associated PressA battle between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congressional-map-882eae23a280a68dd6e0fc5a3bf11a0d">Texas Republicans</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4">California Democrats</a>&nbsp;to bolster their party's advantage in the U.S. House has led politicians in other states to consider ways they, too, could leverage partisan power to rack up more victories in the 2026 congressional elections.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/F2mgXWyWNo">pic.twitter.com/F2mgXWyWNo</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1961549912069566966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-governor-redistricting-trump-33bfdc8790cdf8201d80c8c89258df3d">signed into law</a>&nbsp;a new U.S. House map sought by President Donald Trump that could help Republicans in their quest to keep control of the chamber. Hours later, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced that he was calling a special session to also redraw House districts in Republicans' favor.California Democrats already have launched a counteroffensive, asking voters to approve revised House districts designed to boost Democrats' prospects.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-election-2026-texas-california-trump-1e23e2b3f8e09031cf1eee8979ff3559">Redistricting typically occurs</a>&nbsp;once a decade, immediately after a census. But in some states, there is no prohibition on a mid-cycle map makeover. The U.S. Supreme Court also has said there is no federal prohibition on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gerrymandering-texas-congress-redistricting-0c751f48a7757fc11214472944670413">political gerrymandering</a>, in which districts are intentionally drawn to one party's advantage.The redistricting efforts could play a role in determining control of the U.S. House and, with it, the prospects for Trump's policy goals in the latter half of his term.Here is a rundown of what states are doing.<h2>Texas Democrats walked out, but Republicans prevailed</h2>Democratic state House members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;for two weeks to scuttle a special session on redistricting by preventing a quorum needed to do business. But after that session ended, Abbott quickly called another one — and Democrats returned, satisfied that they had made their point and that California was proceeding with a counter plan.Republicans currently hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas. A revised map passed Aug. 23 is intended to give Republicans a shot at picking up five additional seats in next year's elections. Abbott's signature made the map final.<h2>Missouri lawmakers to meet in a special session on redistricting</h2>Kehoe scheduled a special legislation session on redistricting to start Sept. 3 and released a proposed new congressional map that targets a seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The plan would give Republicans a chance at winning the seat by stretching the Kansas City-based district into rural Republican-leaning areas.Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats.Unlike in Texas, Missouri Democrats can’t prevent a quorum for business by walking out. And although Democrats could filibuster in the Senate, Republicans could use procedural maneuvers to shut that down and pass a new congressional map.<h2>Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting</h2>Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state's sole Democratic House representative. The Legislature's GOP supermajority could do so early next year, which would put the new lines in place before the June 1 candidate filing deadline.<h2>California Democrats seek to counter Texas</h2>Democrats already hold 43 of the 52 congressional seats in California. But similar to Texas, a revised map passed Aug. 21 by the state Legislature is aimed at giving Democrats a chance to gain five additional seats in the 2026 elections.Unlike Texas, California has an independent citizens' commission that handles redistricting after the census, so any changes to the commission's map would need to win approval from voters. A referendum on the revised map is scheduled for Nov. 4.<h2>Indiana Republicans meet with Trump about redistricting</h2>Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met privately with Trump to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">redistricting</a>&nbsp;while in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. Some also met with Vice President JD Vance.Several Indiana state legislators came out in support of a mid-cycle map change following the meetings. But others have expressed hesitation about joining Trump’s push to remake districts in Republicans’ favor. It remains unclear if Indiana will hold a legislative session on redistricting.Republicans hold a 7-2 edge over Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation. All incumbent GOP congressional representatives have said they support redistricting.<h2>Louisiana Republicans looking at times for a special session</h2>Louisiana lawmakers are being told to keep their calendars open between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 over a challenge to the state's congressional map.Republican state Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, who chairs a House committee that oversees redistricting, told the AP that the idea is to have lawmakers available to come back to work in case the Supreme Court issues a ruling quickly.Republicans currently hold four of Louisiana's six congressional seats.<h2>Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms</h2>Because of the way its current districts were enacted, the state constitution requires Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">to adopt new House maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;elections. Ohio Democrats are bracing for Republicans to try to expand their 10-5 congressional majority when they meet later this year to redraw maps.Democrats don’t have much power to stop it. But “we will fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said.<h2>New York Democrats try to change state law</h2>New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that redraws districts after every census. But state Democrats have introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting.Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-2026-texas-redistricting-136cfeddc717f9fc69337bd3d39b1819">Kathy Hochul had said</a>&nbsp;that if Texas proceeded, “we must do the same.”But the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.<h2>Maryland Democrats planning a response to Texas</h2>Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam already has announced he is filing redistricting legislation for consideration during the 2026 session. Democratic House Majority Leader David Moon also has said he will sponsor legislation triggering redistricting in Maryland if Texas or any other state conducts mid-decade redistricting. Democrats already control seven of Maryland's eight congressional seats.<h2>Florida's governor pledges support for redistricting</h2>Florida Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;this year through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated his support for the state to join the redistricting fray, calling on the federal government to conduct a new Census count and claiming that the Trump administration should “award” the state another congressional seat.Florida has 28 U.S. House seats, 18 of them currently occupied by Republicans.<h2>A court orders Utah to redraw its districts</h2>Utah Republicans hold all four of the state's U.S. House seats under a map the GOP-led Legislature approved after the 2020 census. But a judge ruled Aug. 25 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-congressional-map-redistricting-trump-midterms-100656aa263866946e0fd83f0319894a">the map was unlawful</a>&nbsp;because the Legislature had circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor one party.The judge gave lawmakers until Sept. 24 to adopt a map that complies with voter-approved standards. A new map could increase Democrats' chances of winning a seat.____Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

What Kan. and other states are doing in the battle over US House redistricting maps

KANSAS CITy —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 48-year-old Stephonne M. Jones, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 10pm. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 5200 block of Euclid Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported sound of shots. While enroute the call was updated to a shooting. First responders located Jones suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and pronounced her deceased, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp;This incident is being investigated as a homicide and police have not identified a suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756643273626.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITy —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 48-year-old Stephonne M. Jones, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 10pm. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 5200 block of Euclid Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported sound of shots. While enroute the call was updated to a shooting. First responders located Jones suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and pronounced her deceased, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp;This incident is being investigated as a homicide and police have not identified a suspect.

Homicide: KCPD found 48-year-old woman dead outside home

JEFFERSON COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Hyundai Kona SUV driven by Shelby D. Copp, 33,&nbsp;Oskaloosa, was southbound on K-237 Highway at U.S. 24.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign and struck a westbound 2008 Chevy Suburban driven by Douglas K.&nbsp;Gould, 68, Topeka, in the passenger side.&nbsp; The Suburban was pulling a boat trailer. The boat detached and continued westbound on U.S. 24 and struck the front of a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Deegan K.&nbsp;Fraizer, 16, Topeka.

Copp and a passenger in the Surburban identified as Connie J. Gould, 66, Topeka were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Barnett Family Funeral Home.

EMS transported Douglas Gould and two passengers in the Hyundai identified as a 6-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl to&nbsp;Stormont Vail Health in Topeka.&nbsp; Fraizer and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The drivers and adult passengers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP. The KHP did not have information on whether the children were properly restrained.

JEFFERSON COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Hyundai Kona SUV driven by Shelby D. Copp, 33,&nbsp;Oskaloosa, was southbound on K-237 Highway at U.S. 24.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign and struck a westbound 2008 Chevy Suburban driven by Douglas K.&nbsp;Gould, 68, Topeka, in the passenger side.&nbsp; The Suburban was pulling a boat trailer. The boat detached and continued westbound on U.S. 24 and struck the front of a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Deegan K.&nbsp;Fraizer, 16, Topeka.Copp and a passenger in the Surburban identified as Connie J. Gould, 66, Topeka were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Barnett Family Funeral Home.EMS transported Douglas Gould and two passengers in the Hyundai identified as a 6-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl to&nbsp;Stormont Vail Health in Topeka.&nbsp; Fraizer and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. The drivers and adult passengers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP. The KHP did not have information on whether the children were properly restrained.

2 Kan. women dead, 2 children injured in 3-vehicle crash

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government.

The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.

The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.

Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.

The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at a press conference Monday that the death toll had risen to at least 800 with more than 2,500 injured. He said most of the casualties were in Kunar.

Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.

One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.

“Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble,” said the villager, who did not give his name.

“We need help here,” he pleaded. "We need people to come here and join us. Let us pull out the people who are buried. There is no one who can come and remove dead bodies from under the rubble.”

Homes collapsed and people screamed for help

Eastern Afghanistan is mountainous, with remote areas.

The quake has worsened communications. Blocked roads are forcing aid workers to walk four or five hours to reach survivors. Dozens of flights have operated in and out of Nangarhar Airport, transporting the injured to hospitals.

One survivor described seeing homes collapse before his eyes and people screaming for help.

Sadiqullah, who lives in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, said he was woken by a deep boom that sounded like a storm approaching. Like many Afghans, he uses only one name.

He ran to where his children were sleeping and rescued three of them. He was about to return to grab the rest of his family when the room fell on top of him.

“I was half-buried and unable to get out,” he told The Associated Press by phone from Nangarhar Hospital. “My wife and two sons are dead, and my father is injured and in hospital with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from other areas arrived and pulled me out."

It felt like the whole mountain was shaking, he said.

Rescue operations were underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman.

Zaman said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as deaths and injuries are reported. The chief spokesman, Mujahid, said helicopters had reached some areas but road travel was difficult.

“There are some villages where the injured and dead haven't been recovered from the rubble, so that’s why the numbers may increase,” he told journalists.

The tremors were felt in neighboring Pakistan

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the earthquake intensified existing humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan and urged international donors to support relief efforts.

“This adds death and destruction to other challenges including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries,” Grandi wrote on the social media platform X. “Hopefully the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts.”

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-herat-earthquake-155c12cd085d7aa8ee1fef5882e120f4">Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023</a>, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished in that quake.

The U.N. gave a lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.

The latest earthquake was likely to “dwarf the scale of the humanitarian needs” caused by the disaster of 2023, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Entire roads and communities have been cut off from accessing nearby towns or hospitals and 2,000 casualties were reported within the first 12 hours, said Sherine Ibrahim, the country director for the aid agency.

“Although we have been able to act fast, we are profoundly fearful for the additional strain this will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan," said Ibrahim. "&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-aid-agencies-women-8e6b00ad31a4b6a192c32f7b9ed8070f">Global funding cuts</a>&nbsp;have dramatically hampered our ability to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.”

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement that immediate needs include search and rescue support, emergency healthcare and medical supplies, food, clean water, and restoring road access to reach isolated communities.

Sunday night’s quake was felt in parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by events in Afghanistan. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are ready to extend all possible support in this regard,” he said on X.

Pakistan has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-afghan-refugees-deadline-return-un-fe4a63a110fdb4d7528352cf9e5b1d9b">expelled tens of thousands of Afghans</a>&nbsp;in the past year, many of them living in the country for decades as refugees.

At least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-pakistan-afghan-deportation-refugees-ea3fd1f9b995e4f97d8584718cea058d">1.2 million Afghans</a>&nbsp;have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, according to a June report by UNHCR.

Associated Press journalist Suzan Fraser contributed reporting from Ankara, Turkey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756722828476.png" alt="Image USGS" />
 <figcaption>Image USGS</figcaption>
 </figure>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government.The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 27 kilometers (17 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.The Taliban government's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at a press conference Monday that the death toll had risen to at least 800 with more than 2,500 injured. He said most of the casualties were in Kunar.Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.“Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble,” said the villager, who did not give his name.“We need help here,” he pleaded. "We need people to come here and join us. Let us pull out the people who are buried. There is no one who can come and remove dead bodies from under the rubble.”<h2>Homes collapsed and people screamed for help</h2>Eastern Afghanistan is mountainous, with remote areas.The quake has worsened communications. Blocked roads are forcing aid workers to walk four or five hours to reach survivors. Dozens of flights have operated in and out of Nangarhar Airport, transporting the injured to hospitals.One survivor described seeing homes collapse before his eyes and people screaming for help.Sadiqullah, who lives in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, said he was woken by a deep boom that sounded like a storm approaching. Like many Afghans, he uses only one name.He ran to where his children were sleeping and rescued three of them. He was about to return to grab the rest of his family when the room fell on top of him.“I was half-buried and unable to get out,” he told The Associated Press by phone from Nangarhar Hospital. “My wife and two sons are dead, and my father is injured and in hospital with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from other areas arrived and pulled me out."It felt like the whole mountain was shaking, he said.Rescue operations were underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman.Zaman said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as deaths and injuries are reported. The chief spokesman, Mujahid, said helicopters had reached some areas but road travel was difficult.“There are some villages where the injured and dead haven't been recovered from the rubble, so that’s why the numbers may increase,” he told journalists.<h2>The tremors were felt in neighboring Pakistan</h2>Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the earthquake intensified existing humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan and urged international donors to support relief efforts.“This adds death and destruction to other challenges including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries,” Grandi wrote on the social media platform X. “Hopefully the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts.”A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-herat-earthquake-155c12cd085d7aa8ee1fef5882e120f4">Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023</a>, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished in that quake.The U.N. gave a lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.The latest earthquake was likely to “dwarf the scale of the humanitarian needs” caused by the disaster of 2023, according to the International Rescue Committee.Entire roads and communities have been cut off from accessing nearby towns or hospitals and 2,000 casualties were reported within the first 12 hours, said Sherine Ibrahim, the country director for the aid agency.“Although we have been able to act fast, we are profoundly fearful for the additional strain this will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan," said Ibrahim. "&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-aid-agencies-women-8e6b00ad31a4b6a192c32f7b9ed8070f">Global funding cuts</a>&nbsp;have dramatically hampered our ability to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.”The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement that immediate needs include search and rescue support, emergency healthcare and medical supplies, food, clean water, and restoring road access to reach isolated communities.Sunday night’s quake was felt in parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. There were no reports of casualties or damage.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by events in Afghanistan. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are ready to extend all possible support in this regard,” he said on X.Pakistan has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-afghan-refugees-deadline-return-un-fe4a63a110fdb4d7528352cf9e5b1d9b">expelled tens of thousands of Afghans</a>&nbsp;in the past year, many of them living in the country for decades as refugees.At least&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-pakistan-afghan-deportation-refugees-ea3fd1f9b995e4f97d8584718cea058d">1.2 million Afghans</a>&nbsp;have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, according to a June report by UNHCR.———Associated Press journalist Suzan Fraser contributed reporting from Ankara, Turkey.

Hundreds dead and injured after large earthquake in Afghanistan

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two members of the 2nd&nbsp;American Militia were sentenced last week in federal court for their roles in a 2022 conspiracy to murder U.S. Border Patrol agents and, related to their shooting at FBI agents during the execution of a search warrant, of attempting to murder federal agents, according to the United State's Attorney.

Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tenn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total of 15 consecutive life terms in federal prison without parole for his convictions for one count of conspiracy to murder a federal officer and fourteen counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The court also sentenced Perry to concurrent terms of imprisonment of 20 years for his convictions for seven counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, seven counts of assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and one count of assault of a federal officer that inflicts bodily injury. Perry further received concurrent sentences of varying terms of imprisonment for his convictions for conspiracy to assault a federal officer, conspiracy to injure an officer, assault of a federal officer that involves physical contact, depredation of government property, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of body armor by a violent felon, and communicating a threat to injure. The court also sentenced Perry to five years of supervised release following his incarceration and a restitution amount of $3,717.98.

Jonathan S. O’Dell, 35, of Warsaw, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total of 165 years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to murder a federal officer, conspiracy to assault a federal officer, conspiracy to injure an officer, assault of a federal officer that inflicts bodily injury, depredation of government property, possession of a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, communicating a threat to injure, making a false statement, escape from custody, two counts of assault of a federal officer involving physical contact, seven counts each of attempted murder of a federal officer and assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and 14 counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The Court also sentenced O’Dell to five years of supervised release following his incarceration and a restitution amount of $19,234.63.

On Nov. 7, 2024, Perry and O’Dell were found guilty after a 9-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo. The jury deliberated for about two hours and 23 minutes before returning guilty verdicts, ending a trial that began on Oct. 28, 2024. On the morning of the first day of trial, O’Dell pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of making a false statement to a federal agent, and one count of escaping from custody.

Evidence introduced during the trial showed that, throughout the summer, and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join the 2nd&nbsp;American Militia, a group they co-founded, and join in their plan to travel to the United States-Mexico border to go to war with U.S. Border Patrol. Perry posted several videos on TikTok in an attempt to recruit other members into their conspiracy and they advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw.

On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry, bringing at least two stolen firearms, body armor, and gas masks with him, traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.

On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”

On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022.

O’Dell and Perry continued to conduct preparatory steps to further their conspiracy, including continuing to recruit others, attempting to acquire other gear, and practicing shooting at targets with firearms.

On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence. Federal agents approached the property at about 6 a.m. in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker in the lead armored vehicle, the “Bearcat,” to announce they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. Seven agents were inside or behind the Bearcat. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle.

Agents responded by deploying flash bangs around the residence. Agents used the Bearcat to conduct a breach of the front door of the residence using an affixed ram. Agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.

O’Dell and his girlfriend came out of the residence and surrendered to authorities. Perry eventually came out of the residence. Perry took down an American flag from the front porch of the residence and walked down the steps while waving the flag. After beginning to walk to the agents, Perry then turned around and moved back to the residence. Agents pursued Perry, who began to fight and swing his fists, striking the agents several times and causing injury to at least one agent before he was taken into custody.

Agents then searched the residence and found six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, 11 spent casings, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, one handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets, multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target, zip ties, medical supplies, and two 2nd American Militia patches. Agents also found two go-bags that contained food, provisions, and other gear.

Later, on Sept. 29, 2023, while O’Dell was in custody awaiting trial on the charges, he escaped from the Phelps County, Mo. Jail and eventually led authorities on a high-speed chase in Ray County, Mo., before being apprehended.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756688125002.png" alt="Perry photo Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Perry photo Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two members of the 2nd&nbsp;American Militia were sentenced last week in federal court for their roles in a 2022 conspiracy to murder U.S. Border Patrol agents and, related to their shooting at FBI agents during the execution of a search warrant, of attempting to murder federal agents, according to the United State's Attorney.Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tenn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total of 15 consecutive life terms in federal prison without parole for his convictions for one count of conspiracy to murder a federal officer and fourteen counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756688021668.png" alt="O'Dell photo Cole Co." />
 <figcaption>O'Dell photo Cole Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The court also sentenced Perry to concurrent terms of imprisonment of 20 years for his convictions for seven counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, seven counts of assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and one count of assault of a federal officer that inflicts bodily injury. Perry further received concurrent sentences of varying terms of imprisonment for his convictions for conspiracy to assault a federal officer, conspiracy to injure an officer, assault of a federal officer that involves physical contact, depredation of government property, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of body armor by a violent felon, and communicating a threat to injure. The court also sentenced Perry to five years of supervised release following his incarceration and a restitution amount of $3,717.98.Jonathan S. O’Dell, 35, of Warsaw, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total of 165 years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to murder a federal officer, conspiracy to assault a federal officer, conspiracy to injure an officer, assault of a federal officer that inflicts bodily injury, depredation of government property, possession of a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, communicating a threat to injure, making a false statement, escape from custody, two counts of assault of a federal officer involving physical contact, seven counts each of attempted murder of a federal officer and assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and 14 counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The Court also sentenced O’Dell to five years of supervised release following his incarceration and a restitution amount of $19,234.63.On Nov. 7, 2024, Perry and O’Dell were found guilty after a 9-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo. The jury deliberated for about two hours and 23 minutes before returning guilty verdicts, ending a trial that began on Oct. 28, 2024. On the morning of the first day of trial, O’Dell pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of making a false statement to a federal agent, and one count of escaping from custody.Evidence introduced during the trial showed that, throughout the summer, and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join the 2nd&nbsp;American Militia, a group they co-founded, and join in their plan to travel to the United States-Mexico border to go to war with U.S. Border Patrol. Perry posted several videos on TikTok in an attempt to recruit other members into their conspiracy and they advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw.On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry, bringing at least two stolen firearms, body armor, and gas masks with him, traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022.O’Dell and Perry continued to conduct preparatory steps to further their conspiracy, including continuing to recruit others, attempting to acquire other gear, and practicing shooting at targets with firearms.On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence. Federal agents approached the property at about 6 a.m. in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker in the lead armored vehicle, the “Bearcat,” to announce they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. Seven agents were inside or behind the Bearcat. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle.Agents responded by deploying flash bangs around the residence. Agents used the Bearcat to conduct a breach of the front door of the residence using an affixed ram. Agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.O’Dell and his girlfriend came out of the residence and surrendered to authorities. Perry eventually came out of the residence. Perry took down an American flag from the front porch of the residence and walked down the steps while waving the flag. After beginning to walk to the agents, Perry then turned around and moved back to the residence. Agents pursued Perry, who began to fight and swing his fists, striking the agents several times and causing injury to at least one agent before he was taken into custody.Agents then searched the residence and found six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, 11 spent casings, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, one handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets, multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target, zip ties, medical supplies, and two 2nd American Militia patches. Agents also found two go-bags that contained food, provisions, and other gear.Later, on Sept. 29, 2023, while O’Dell was in custody awaiting trial on the charges, he escaped from the Phelps County, Mo. Jail and eventually led authorities on a high-speed chase in Ray County, Mo., before being apprehended.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Prison for conspiracy to kill U.S. Border Patrol officers

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — A lost boy wandering a monorail line high above the crowd at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-travel-c6b18ccccd7b4637a9b0b55d1a218c42">Hersheypark</a>&nbsp;was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails.

The child was reported missing at about 5:05 p.m. Saturday after he became separated from his parents, according to a news release from the chocolate-themed amusement park in Pennsylvania.

While park employees were searching for him, the boy entered a secured area leading to the monorail ride. It was closed and “safeguarded by a chained closure at the entrance and barricaded turnstile at the platform,” according to the park. The boy was in the closed station for about 20 minutes before he wandered onto the tracks.

A video posted to social media shows the boy walking along the tracks as people in the crowd below start waving their arms and yelling directions at him including, “Stop!” and “Keep going!” At that point he covers his ears and begins to walk back the way he came, changes direction again, and then stops. One man climbs onto a nearby building and pulls himself onto the tracks, scooping up the boy to cheers from below.

The rescue took place at about 5:28 p.m., according to the park. The child was unharmed and was safely reunited with his family.

“We are grateful for the vigilance of our guests and the swift response of our team, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest levels of guest safety throughout Hersheypark,” the release reads.

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — A lost boy wandering a monorail line high above the crowd at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-travel-c6b18ccccd7b4637a9b0b55d1a218c42">Hersheypark</a>&nbsp;was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🔥🚨BREAKING: A civilian man named John Samson saved the life of a little boy who was spotted walking on a monorail at Hershey Park in Hershey Pennsylvania. <a href="https://t.co/LX8mVaSCt9">pic.twitter.com/LX8mVaSCt9</a>&mdash; Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1962184231955661106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The child was reported missing at about 5:05 p.m. Saturday after he became separated from his parents, according to a news release from the chocolate-themed amusement park in Pennsylvania.While park employees were searching for him, the boy entered a secured area leading to the monorail ride. It was closed and “safeguarded by a chained closure at the entrance and barricaded turnstile at the platform,” according to the park. The boy was in the closed station for about 20 minutes before he wandered onto the tracks.A video posted to social media shows the boy walking along the tracks as people in the crowd below start waving their arms and yelling directions at him including, “Stop!” and “Keep going!” At that point he covers his ears and begins to walk back the way he came, changes direction again, and then stops. One man climbs onto a nearby building and pulls himself onto the tracks, scooping up the boy to cheers from below.The rescue took place at about 5:28 p.m., according to the park. The child was unharmed and was safely reunited with his family.“We are grateful for the vigilance of our guests and the swift response of our team, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest levels of guest safety throughout Hersheypark,” the release reads.

🎥Dramatic rescue of lost boy walking on elevated monorail

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A teen murder suspect, captured on June 17, after hiding from police for weeks retuned to court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.

Judge Tyler Roush rejected a motion from Watt's attorney to dismiss the case, because the fatal shooting was in self defense, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Judge scheduled Watts for an&nbsp; arraignment hearing on September 11.

He is charged with second-degree murder, according to the District Attorney's office.

In March, police issued a felony pick-up for Watts in connection with the shooting of 24-year-old Demarc Burgess&nbsp;at a residence in the 14000 block of E. Twinlake Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Reboledo.&nbsp; EMS transported Burgess to a local hospital where he died.

First responders located a victim later identified as 24-year-old Demarc Burgess, according to police. Burgess had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident occurred during a gathering at the residence, where a disturbance broke out between Watts and Burgess, which ultimately led to the shooting.&nbsp; 

Wichita police and U.S. Marshals took Watts into custody June 17 in the area of 700 S Hunter in Wichita, according to a statement from Wichita Police. He remains jailed&nbsp;on bonds totaling over $500,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750260517323.png" alt="Watts photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Watts photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A teen murder suspect, captured on June 17, after hiding from police for weeks retuned to court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.Judge Tyler Roush rejected a motion from Watt's attorney to dismiss the case, because the fatal shooting was in self defense, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Judge scheduled Watts for an&nbsp; arraignment hearing on September 11.He is charged with second-degree murder, according to the District Attorney's office.In March, police issued a felony pick-up for Watts in connection with the shooting of 24-year-old Demarc Burgess&nbsp;at a residence in the 14000 block of E. Twinlake Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Reboledo.&nbsp; EMS transported Burgess to a local hospital where he died.First responders located a victim later identified as 24-year-old Demarc Burgess, according to police. Burgess had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident occurred during a gathering at the residence, where a disturbance broke out between Watts and Burgess, which ultimately led to the shooting.&nbsp; Wichita police and U.S. Marshals took Watts into custody June 17 in the area of 700 S Hunter in Wichita, according to a statement from Wichita Police. He remains jailed&nbsp;on bonds totaling over $500,000.

Judge rules against Kan. murder suspect who hid from police for weeks

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting near Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, police were called to a disturbance at an apartment building near 11600 E. Truman Road in the city of Independence, Missouri, according to a media release.

Officers observed a man alone in the back seat of a car and made contact with him. According to police, the man became aggressive and pulled out a gun.&nbsp; Officers told the man to drop the weapon. When he did not comply, officers shot him.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name or if he was involved in the initial disturbance. The Jackson County Police-Involved Incident Team is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732640321247.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal officer involved shooting near Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, police were called to a disturbance at an apartment building near 11600 E. Truman Road in the city of Independence, Missouri, according to a media release.Officers observed a man alone in the back seat of a car and made contact with him. According to police, the man became aggressive and pulled out a gun.&nbsp; Officers told the man to drop the weapon. When he did not comply, officers shot him.The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name or if he was involved in the initial disturbance. The Jackson County Police-Involved Incident Team is in charge of the investigation.

Police: Man dies in KC area officer shooting

KANSAS CITY (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-zepbound-obesity-drugs-coverage-access-142e234c16df4443e8f66c27d01f44e2">Pricey prescriptions</a>&nbsp;and nagging medical costs are swamping some insurers and employers now. Patients may start paying for it next year.

Health insurance will grow more expensive in many corners of the market in 2026, and coverage may shrink. That could leave patients paying more for doctor visits and dealing with prescription coverage changes.

Price increases could be especially stark in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-baltimore-aca-obamacare-oz-rfk-jr-2edbf585f8f7337e64a4368fb4967513">individual coverage marketplaces</a>, where insurers also are predicting the federal government will end some support that helps people buy coverage.

“We’re in a period of uncertainty in every health insurance market right now, which is something we haven’t seen in a very long time,” said Larry Levitt, an executive vice president at the nonprofit KFF, which studies health care.

In conference calls to discuss recent earnings reports, insurers ticked off a list of rising costs: More people are receiving care. Visits to expensive emergency rooms are rising, as are claims for mental health treatments.

Insurers also say more healthy customers are dropping coverage in the individual market. That leaves a higher concentration of sicker patients who generate claims.

Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obamacare-aca-health-care-coverage-biden-trump-0c73dcde4a19aea65cb83de01f2d5d2e">swelled</a>&nbsp;the past few years. But a crackdown on fraud and a tightening of eligibility verifications that were loosened during the COVID-19 pandemic makes it harder for some to stay covered, Jefferies analyst David Windley noted.

People who use little care “are disappearing,” he said.

Prescription drugs pose another challenge, especially popular and expensive diabetes and obesity treatments sometimes called GLP-1 drugs. Those include Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Zepbound.

“Pharmacy just gives me a headache, no pun intended,” said Vinnie Daboul, Boston-based managing director of the employee benefits consultant RT Consulting.

New gene therapies that can come with a one-time cost of more than $2 million also are having an impact, insurance brokers say. Those drugs, which target rare diseases, and some newer cancer treatments are part of the reason Sun Life Financial covered 47 claims last year that cost over $3 million.

The financial services company covers high-cost claims for employers that pay their own medical bills. Sun Life probably had no claims that expensive a decade ago and maybe “a handful at best” five years ago, said Jen Collier, president of health and risk solutions.

Some of these drugs are rarely used, but they cause overall costs to rise. That raises insurance premiums.

“It’s adding to medical (cost growth) in a way that we haven’t seen in the past,” Collier said.

Price hikes will be most apparent on the Affordable Care Act’s individual coverage marketplaces. Insurers there are raising premiums around 20% in 2026, according to KFF, which has been analyzing state regulatory filings.

But the actual hike consumers see may be much bigger. Enhanced tax credits that help people buy coverage could expire at the end of the year, unless Congress renews them.

If those go away, customer coverage costs could soar 75% or more, according to KFF.

Business owner Shirley Modlin worries about marketplace price hikes. She can’t afford to provide coverage for the roughly 20 employees at 3D Design and Manufacturing in Powhatan, Virginia, so she reimburses them $350 a month for coverage they buy.

Modlin knows her reimbursement only covers a slice of what her workers pay. She worries another price hike might push some to look for work at a bigger company that offers benefits.

“My employee may not want to go to work for a large corporation, but when they consider how they have to pay their bills, sometimes they have to make sacrifices,” she said.

Costs also have been growing in the bigger market for employer-sponsored coverage, the benefits consultant Mercer says. Employees may not feel that as much because companies generally pay most of the premium.

About half the large employers Mercer surveyed earlier this year said they are likely or very likely to shift more costs to their employees. That may mean higher deductibles or that people have to pay more before they reach the out-of-pocket maximum on their coverage.

For prescriptions, patients may see caps on those expensive obesity treatments or limits on who can take them.

Some plans also may start using separate deductibles for their pharmaceutical and medical benefits or having patients pay more for their prescriptions, Daboul said.

Coverage changes could vary around the country, noted Emily Bremer, president of a St. Louis-based independent insurance agency, The Bremer Group.

Employers aren’t eager to cut benefits, she said, so people may not see dramatic prescription coverage changes next year. But that may not last.

“If something doesn’t give with pharmacy costs, it’s going to be coming sooner than we’d like to think,” Bremer said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-zepbound-obesity-drugs-coverage-access-142e234c16df4443e8f66c27d01f44e2">Pricey prescriptions</a>&nbsp;and nagging medical costs are swamping some insurers and employers now. Patients may start paying for it next year.Health insurance will grow more expensive in many corners of the market in 2026, and coverage may shrink. That could leave patients paying more for doctor visits and dealing with prescription coverage changes.Price increases could be especially stark in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-baltimore-aca-obamacare-oz-rfk-jr-2edbf585f8f7337e64a4368fb4967513">individual coverage marketplaces</a>, where insurers also are predicting the federal government will end some support that helps people buy coverage.“We’re in a period of uncertainty in every health insurance market right now, which is something we haven’t seen in a very long time,” said Larry Levitt, an executive vice president at the nonprofit KFF, which studies health care.<h2>What’s hitting insurers</h2>In conference calls to discuss recent earnings reports, insurers ticked off a list of rising costs: More people are receiving care. Visits to expensive emergency rooms are rising, as are claims for mental health treatments.Insurers also say more healthy customers are dropping coverage in the individual market. That leaves a higher concentration of sicker patients who generate claims.Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obamacare-aca-health-care-coverage-biden-trump-0c73dcde4a19aea65cb83de01f2d5d2e">swelled</a>&nbsp;the past few years. But a crackdown on fraud and a tightening of eligibility verifications that were loosened during the COVID-19 pandemic makes it harder for some to stay covered, Jefferies analyst David Windley noted.People who use little care “are disappearing,” he said.Prescription drugs pose another challenge, especially popular and expensive diabetes and obesity treatments sometimes called GLP-1 drugs. Those include Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Zepbound.“Pharmacy just gives me a headache, no pun intended,” said Vinnie Daboul, Boston-based managing director of the employee benefits consultant RT Consulting.<h2>There are more super expensive drugs</h2>New gene therapies that can come with a one-time cost of more than $2 million also are having an impact, insurance brokers say. Those drugs, which target rare diseases, and some newer cancer treatments are part of the reason Sun Life Financial covered 47 claims last year that cost over $3 million.The financial services company covers high-cost claims for employers that pay their own medical bills. Sun Life probably had no claims that expensive a decade ago and maybe “a handful at best” five years ago, said Jen Collier, president of health and risk solutions.Some of these drugs are rarely used, but they cause overall costs to rise. That raises insurance premiums.“It’s adding to medical (cost growth) in a way that we haven’t seen in the past,” Collier said.<h2>Marketplace pain is in the forecast</h2>Price hikes will be most apparent on the Affordable Care Act’s individual coverage marketplaces. Insurers there are raising premiums around 20% in 2026, according to KFF, which has been analyzing state regulatory filings.But the actual hike consumers see may be much bigger. Enhanced tax credits that help people buy coverage could expire at the end of the year, unless Congress renews them.If those go away, customer coverage costs could soar 75% or more, according to KFF.Business owner Shirley Modlin worries about marketplace price hikes. She can’t afford to provide coverage for the roughly 20 employees at 3D Design and Manufacturing in Powhatan, Virginia, so she reimburses them $350 a month for coverage they buy.Modlin knows her reimbursement only covers a slice of what her workers pay. She worries another price hike might push some to look for work at a bigger company that offers benefits.“My employee may not want to go to work for a large corporation, but when they consider how they have to pay their bills, sometimes they have to make sacrifices,” she said.<h2>Employers may shift costs</h2>Costs also have been growing in the bigger market for employer-sponsored coverage, the benefits consultant Mercer says. Employees may not feel that as much because companies generally pay most of the premium.But they may notice coverage changes.About half the large employers Mercer surveyed earlier this year said they are likely or very likely to shift more costs to their employees. That may mean higher deductibles or that people have to pay more before they reach the out-of-pocket maximum on their coverage.<h2>Drug coverage changes are possible</h2>For prescriptions, patients may see caps on those expensive obesity treatments or limits on who can take them.Some plans also may start using separate deductibles for their pharmaceutical and medical benefits or having patients pay more for their prescriptions, Daboul said.Coverage changes could vary around the country, noted Emily Bremer, president of a St. Louis-based independent insurance agency, The Bremer Group.Employers aren’t eager to cut benefits, she said, so people may not see dramatic prescription coverage changes next year. But that may not last.“If something doesn’t give with pharmacy costs, it’s going to be coming sooner than we’d like to think,” Bremer said.___

Report: Expect health insurance prices to rise next year

WASHINGTON (AP) — The agency that oversees Voice of America and other government-funded international broadcasters is eliminating jobs for more than 500 employees, a Trump administration official said. The move could ratchet up a monthslong legal challenge over the news outlets' fate.

Kari Lake, acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, announced the latest round of job cuts late Friday, one day after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809.76.0.pdf">blocked her</a>&nbsp;from removing Michael Abramowitz as VOA director.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809.72.0.pdf">had ruled separately</a>&nbsp;that the Republican administration had failed to show how it was complying with his orders to restore VOA's operations. His order Monday gave the administration “one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial” to demonstrate its compliance. He ordered Lake to sit for a deposition by lawyers for agency employees by Sept. 15.

On Thursday, Lamberth said Abramowitz could not be removed without the approval of the majority of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board. Firing Abramowitz would be “plainly contrary to law,” according to Lamberth, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan.

Lake posted a statement on social media that said her agency had initiated a reduction in force, or RIF, eliminating 532 jobs for full-time government employees. She said the agency “will continue to fulfill its statutory mission after this RIF— and will likely improve its ability to function.”

“I look forward to taking additional steps in the coming months to improve the functioning of a very broken agency and make sure America’s voice is heard abroad where it matters most,” she wrote.

A group of agency employees who sued to block VOA's elimination said Lake's move would give their colleagues 30 days until their pay and benefits end.

“We find Lake’s continued attacks on our agency abhorrent,” they said in a statement. “We are looking forward to her deposition to hear whether her plan to dismantle VOA was done with the rigorous review process that Congress requires. So far we have not seen any evidence of that.”

In June,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-layoffs-trump-global-media-7a862bdc530dd3d48657c00d2df54539">layoff notices</a>&nbsp;were sent to more than 600 agency employees. Abramowitz was placed on administrative leave along with almost the entire VOA staff. He was told he would be fired effective Aug. 31.

The administration said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279211/gov.uscourts.dcd.279211.141.0.pdf">court filing</a>&nbsp;Thursday that it planned to send RIF notices to 486 employees of VOA and 46 other agency employees but intended to retain 158 agency employees and 108 VOA employees. The filing said the global media agency had 137 “active employees” and 62 other employees on administrative leave while VOA had 86 active employees and 512 others administrative leave.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The agency that oversees Voice of America and other government-funded international broadcasters is eliminating jobs for more than 500 employees, a Trump administration official said. The move could ratchet up a monthslong legal challenge over the news outlets' fate.Kari Lake, acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, announced the latest round of job cuts late Friday, one day after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809.76.0.pdf">blocked her</a>&nbsp;from removing Michael Abramowitz as VOA director.U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809/gov.uscourts.dcd.278809.72.0.pdf">had ruled separately</a>&nbsp;that the Republican administration had failed to show how it was complying with his orders to restore VOA's operations. His order Monday gave the administration “one final opportunity, short of a contempt trial” to demonstrate its compliance. He ordered Lake to sit for a deposition by lawyers for agency employees by Sept. 15.On Thursday, Lamberth said Abramowitz could not be removed without the approval of the majority of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board. Firing Abramowitz would be “plainly contrary to law,” according to Lamberth, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan.Lake posted a statement on social media that said her agency had initiated a reduction in force, or RIF, eliminating 532 jobs for full-time government employees. She said the agency “will continue to fulfill its statutory mission after this RIF— and will likely improve its ability to function.”“I look forward to taking additional steps in the coming months to improve the functioning of a very broken agency and make sure America’s voice is heard abroad where it matters most,” she wrote.A group of agency employees who sued to block VOA's elimination said Lake's move would give their colleagues 30 days until their pay and benefits end.“We find Lake’s continued attacks on our agency abhorrent,” they said in a statement. “We are looking forward to her deposition to hear whether her plan to dismantle VOA was done with the rigorous review process that Congress requires. So far we have not seen any evidence of that.”In June,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voice-of-america-layoffs-trump-global-media-7a862bdc530dd3d48657c00d2df54539">layoff notices</a>&nbsp;were sent to more than 600 agency employees. Abramowitz was placed on administrative leave along with almost the entire VOA staff. He was told he would be fired effective Aug. 31.The administration said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279211/gov.uscourts.dcd.279211.141.0.pdf">court filing</a>&nbsp;Thursday that it planned to send RIF notices to 486 employees of VOA and 46 other agency employees but intended to retain 158 agency employees and 108 VOA employees. The filing said the global media agency had 137 “active employees” and 62 other employees on administrative leave while VOA had 86 active employees and 512 others administrative leave.

Trump is cutting 500-plus jobs at Voice of America and its parent agency

LAWRENCE —the KU community rededicated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as a World War I memorial.

Originally dedicated in 1922 to honor the 129 students, faculty, staff, and alumni who died in WWI, Memorial Stadium will continue to honor these Jayhawks’ legacies.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756587626734.png" alt="Photos University of Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Photos University of Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE —the KU community rededicated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as a World War I memorial.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756587599829.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Originally dedicated in 1922 to honor the 129 students, faculty, staff, and alumni who died in WWI, Memorial Stadium will continue to honor these Jayhawks’ legacies.&nbsp;

KU rededicates stadium as a World War I memorial

NEW YORK (AP) — About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.

According to a Thursday recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, TTI Outdoor Power Equipment is recalling certain models of its Ryobi-branded electric pressure washers because the products’ capacitor can overheat and burst, “causing parts to be forcefully ejected.”

That poses serious impact risks to users or bystanders. To date, the CPSC notes, the power tool and equipment company has received 135 reports of capacitors overheating in the U.S. — including 41 reports of explosions that resulted in 32 injuries and/or fractures to consumers’ fingers, hands, face and eyes. A corresponding notice from Health Canada noted that no additional incidents were reported in Canada.

Consumers in possession of the now-recalled pressure washers are urged to stop using them immediately and visit Ryobi’s recall website to learn about how to receive a free repair kit, which includes a replacement capacitor.

The Ryobi washers under recall have model numbers RY142300 and RY142711VNM. About 764,000 were sold in the U.S., in addition to 16,000 in Canada.

In the U.S. these products were sold at Home Depot and Direct Tools Factory Outlet between July 2017 and June 2024, the CPSC notes, for about $300 to $400 in stores and online.

TTI Outdoor Power Equipment is a subsidary of Techtronic Industries (TTI). The Associated Press reached out to the company for further comments on Thursday.

Beyond Thursday’s pressure washer recall, TTI also recalled Ryobi-branded mowers and hedge trimmers earlier this year — due to fire and laceration hazards, respectively.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756412338104.png" alt="Pressure Washer" />
 <figcaption>Pressure Washer</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.According to a Thursday recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, TTI Outdoor Power Equipment is recalling certain models of its Ryobi-branded electric pressure washers because the products’ capacitor can overheat and burst, “causing parts to be forcefully ejected.”That poses serious impact risks to users or bystanders. To date, the CPSC notes, the power tool and equipment company has received 135 reports of capacitors overheating in the U.S. — including 41 reports of explosions that resulted in 32 injuries and/or fractures to consumers’ fingers, hands, face and eyes. A corresponding notice from Health Canada noted that no additional incidents were reported in Canada.Consumers in possession of the now-recalled pressure washers are urged to stop using them immediately and visit Ryobi’s recall website to learn about how to receive a free repair kit, which includes a replacement capacitor.The Ryobi washers under recall have model numbers RY142300 and RY142711VNM. About 764,000 were sold in the U.S., in addition to 16,000 in Canada.In the U.S. these products were sold at Home Depot and Direct Tools Factory Outlet between July 2017 and June 2024, the CPSC notes, for about $300 to $400 in stores and online.TTI Outdoor Power Equipment is a subsidary of Techtronic Industries (TTI). The Associated Press reached out to the company for further comments on Thursday.Beyond Thursday’s pressure washer recall, TTI also recalled Ryobi-branded mowers and hedge trimmers earlier this year — due to fire and laceration hazards, respectively.

Thousands of pressure washers recalled because they might explode

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting that sent a man to the hospital.

the Clay County Sheriff’s Department requested the assistance of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred within the Kansas City limits around the 5200 block of North Oak Trafficway.This afternoon, 

Just before 2:30p.m. Saturday, Kansas City Missouri Police Officers were called to a reported disturbance involving a man armed with a large knife in the shopping center at the intersection of NE Englewood Road and N. Oak Trafficway, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. 

The man had left the scene prior to police arrival. A suspect description was obtained, provided to dispatch via police radio, and broadcasted out to other patrol officers, to include the Clay County Sheriff’s Department.

At approximately 2:27PM, a Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy was patrolling the area of NE 50th St and N. Oak Trafficway and located the described suspect involved in the disturbance. The Deputy attempted to contact the man for further investigation. The man presented a large knife from within his waistband and began running northbound on N. Oak Trafficway. A foot chase was initiated, and additional deputies were called to assist with apprehending the armed individual. 

The&nbsp; suspect refused to comply with verbal commands and ran into a wooded area while being pursued by multiple Clay County Sheriff’s Deputies. The man stopped and was given further verbal commands to drop the knife. The man charged at the deputies before coming to a stop again. Additional resources, to include Sheriff K-9’s, were being called to the scene to deescalate the situation, according to Gonzalez

Deputies continued giving verbal commands for the man to drop the knife and peacefully surrender. The man refused to comply and ran towards the deputies a second time while armed with a weapon. At 2:33PM, two Clay County Sheriff’s Deputies discharged their duty weapons striking the man.

 Deputies on scene immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS responded and transported the man to an area hospital for medical treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

A large knife was recovered from the scene where the suspect had been shot. No deputies were injured during this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756606382239.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting that sent a man to the hospital.the Clay County Sheriff’s Department requested the assistance of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred within the Kansas City limits around the 5200 block of North Oak Trafficway.This afternoon, Just before 2:30p.m. Saturday, Kansas City Missouri Police Officers were called to a reported disturbance involving a man armed with a large knife in the shopping center at the intersection of NE Englewood Road and N. Oak Trafficway, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. The man had left the scene prior to police arrival. A suspect description was obtained, provided to dispatch via police radio, and broadcasted out to other patrol officers, to include the Clay County Sheriff’s Department.At approximately 2:27PM, a Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy was patrolling the area of NE 50th St and N. Oak Trafficway and located the described suspect involved in the disturbance. The Deputy attempted to contact the man for further investigation. The man presented a large knife from within his waistband and began running northbound on N. Oak Trafficway. A foot chase was initiated, and additional deputies were called to assist with apprehending the armed individual. The&nbsp; suspect refused to comply with verbal commands and ran into a wooded area while being pursued by multiple Clay County Sheriff’s Deputies. The man stopped and was given further verbal commands to drop the knife. The man charged at the deputies before coming to a stop again. Additional resources, to include Sheriff K-9’s, were being called to the scene to deescalate the situation, according to GonzalezDeputies continued giving verbal commands for the man to drop the knife and peacefully surrender. The man refused to comply and ran towards the deputies a second time while armed with a weapon. At 2:33PM, two Clay County Sheriff’s Deputies discharged their duty weapons striking the man. Deputies on scene immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS responded and transported the man to an area hospital for medical treatment of non-life threatening injuries.A large knife was recovered from the scene where the suspect had been shot. No deputies were injured during this incident.

KCPD: Deputies shot man who threatened them with a large knife

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

A federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.93.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruled Friday</a>&nbsp;against the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Medicaid funds from primarily Planned Parenthood-affiliated abortion providers.

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>A federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.93.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruled Friday</a>&nbsp;against the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Medicaid funds from primarily Planned Parenthood-affiliated abortion providers.Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani denied the federal government’s motion to lift a block on a new law, rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice’s argument that allowing Planned Parenthood to continue to bill for Medicaid while their lawsuit plays out would cause the government “irreparable injury.” She said the plaintiffs were more likely to suffer injury if the provision went into effect, such as having to close clinics and reduce services.“Here, Defendants suffer no irreparable harm where Plaintiffs are substantially likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 violates several constitutional provisions,” Talwani wrote in an order, denying the federal government’s request to stay two preliminary injunctions. “[I]t is precisely because Congress targeted only a ‘certain’ group of entities for exclusion from Medicaid programs — all but two of which are Planned Parenthood Federation Members — that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 is unconstitutional.”Late last month Talwani ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/one-big-beautiful-law-provision-planned-parenthood-funding-partly-blocked-judge" target="_blank">partial</a>&nbsp;and then a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-issues-new-order-protecting-all-planned-parenthood-clinics-medicaid-defunding" target="_blank">full preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-sues-trump-administration-officials-over-defunding-provision-budget-bill" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its Massachusetts and Utah affiliates sued</a>&nbsp;in early July over the new federal reproductive health restriction. After unsuccessfully asking the district court to lift the block, the federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.75.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appealed the preliminary injunctions</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shortly after, the DOJ&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;asking the district court to reconsider the preliminary injunctions. Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.89.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appellate court declined</a>&nbsp;the government’s request, pending the district court’s decision. Defendants are now expected to re-appeal the injunction to the First Circuit.&nbsp;The provision, set to expire July 4, 2026, would primarily affect health clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, which has estimated it could lose 200 of its 600 clinics, many of which are in rural areas and others that are critical abortion-access points.&nbsp;But two other affected organizations are Health Imperatives in Massachusetts, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/08/05/massachusetts-abortion-womens-health-federal-cuts?emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">according to WBUR</a>, operates seven clinics and serves about 10,000 patients, and Maine Family Planning, which has also sued over the provision. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker in Maine, an appointee of President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MFP-Decision-August-2025.pdf" target="_blank">denied Maine Family Planning’s motion for a preliminary injunction</a>, despite the organization facing losses up to nearly $2 million, potential layoffs, and disruption of care for about 8,000 patients.“This ruling is a devastating setback for Mainers who depend on us for basic primary care,” said George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-oks-medicaid-defunding-maines-largest-reproductive-health-care-provider" target="_blank">Maine Morning Star</a>. “The loss of Medicaid funds — which nearly half our patients rely on — threatens our ability to provide life-saving services to communities across the state. Mainers’ health should never be jeopardized by political decisions, and we will continue to fight for them.”<h2>Does the new federal Medicaid rule unlawfully target Planned Parenthood?</h2>Federal funding of abortion is already prohibited in most cases under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-hyde-amendment-and-coverage-for-abortion-services-under-medicaid-in-the-post-roe-era/" target="_blank">Hyde Amendment</a>. But the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text" target="_blank">funding rule</a>&nbsp;would bar from the Medicaid program reproductive health clinics that provide abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal and state Medicaid funding in fiscal year 2023 for health services like birth control, cancer and gender-affirming care.&nbsp;The legislation has caused confusion throughout the Planned Parenthood network because its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ21/PLAW-119publ21.pdf#page=230" target="_blank">definition of “prohibited entity”</a>&nbsp;includes a barred organization’s “affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics.”The nonprofit health network comprises its national membership and advocacy organization, PPFA, and nearly 50 independently structured and operated&nbsp;affiliates, some of which do not offer abortion, such as co-plaintiff Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. These organizations are reimbursed after the fact for specific health services covered by Medicaid.&nbsp;Even though the provision is currently blocked, several Planned Parenthood clinics around the country have already closed, both because of the new rule and the Trump administration’s other restrictions stripping abortion providers of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/limited-judicial-relief-fallout-begins-planned-parenthood-clinics-facing-medicaid-cuts" target="_blank">federal family planning grants</a>.&nbsp;Many of the recently shuttered clinics did not provide abortion, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ohio-planned-parenthoods-will-remain-closed-despite-federal-success-ongoing-lawsuit" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, and some are in states where abortion is illegal, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-close-louisiana-clinics-landry-murrill-applaud-news" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood’s attorneys have argued that the new federal Medicaid rule violates their equal protection, speech and association rights, because it excludes their clinics from the Medicaid program on the basis of their association to other organizations — in this case organizations that provide abortions and advocate for abortion rights.“[S]ince this Court issued its decision, the government has now admitted that Section 71113 (the “Defund Provision”) was intended to punish Planned Parenthood for its ‘political advocacy,’” the plaintiffs wrote in a recent brief&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.92.0.pdf" target="_blank">opposing defendants’ motion</a>&nbsp;to lift the injunction.&nbsp;Plaintiffs referred to a recent public statement made by Andrew G. Nixon, a spokesperson for co-defendant U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;“States should not be forced to fund organizations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/us/politics/trump-planned-parenthood.html" target="_blank">Nixon said</a>, after the district court’s initial preliminary injunction on July 22.&nbsp;But in court, the federal government argued the tax and spending cuts law excludes large abortion providers only because they provide abortions. They say they are also excluding smaller or non-abortion-providing affiliates, not because of their speech or advocacy, but because of their “non-expressive activities of corporate control and financing.” Their basic argument is that money to any Planned Parenthood clinic — even for health services unrelated to abortion — is money for abortion.&nbsp;“[B]ecause money is fungible, extending the funding restriction to affiliates prevents an organization from undermining federal policy not to subsidize abortion providers by shifting funds between entities that do not perform abortions and entities that do,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf#page=6" target="_blank">defendants wrote</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;The DOJ has also rejected plaintiffs’ claim that the federal legislation is a&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C3-1/ALDE_00013186/" target="_blank">bill of attainder</a>, which refers to legislation that unconstitutionally imposes punishment on a specific person or group of people without a judicial trial.&nbsp;“Halting the flow of federal Medicaid funds to those entities bears no resemblance to the forms of punishment that implicate the Bill of Attainder Clause,” reads the DOJ’s motion. “Historically, bills of attainder involved punishments such as ‘death,’ ‘banishment,’ and ‘imprisonment.’”But Talwani disagrees with the DOJ’s reasoning.“[T]here is no indication in the record that Planned Parenthood Members share revenues from Medicaid reimbursements,” she wrote. “The result is a restriction on associational freedom that is in no way ‘essential to the furtherance of [Defendants’] interest’ in withholding funds from certain abortion providers … and instead imposes a wholly unwarranted burden.”While the new federal tax and spending cuts law does not mention Planned Parenthood by name, a bill introduced this year with similar language is explicitly titled, “<a href="https://click.everyaction.com/k/113700862/564667045/-4655086?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9TTldTUi9TTldTUi8xLzEwNTEzMSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI0ZmRmYjMxZS03ZTdlLWYwMTEtYjQ4NC02MDQ1YmRlYjc0MTMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInNyZXNuaWNrQHN0YXRlc25ld3Nyb29tLmNvbSINCn0%3D&amp;hmac=VzdAbS6Oa98XA62IADfNGZ3_6dvqDEvTmiY8Ar8EoZo=&amp;emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2025</a>.” Meanwhile, several state legislatures have successfully stripped funding from the organization. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program in late June after a long legal fight, but the state’s affiliate just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-files-new-challenge-stay-scs-medicaid-list-non-abortion-services" target="_blank">sued again</a>&nbsp;over Medicaid eligibility.“You have to be living in a cave to believe this isn’t about Planned Parenthood,” said abortion law expert Mary Ziegler. “The reason Planned Parenthood is a target is because it’s a twofer. It’s both the nation’s largest abortion provider and also the nation’s best advocate for abortion rights. … But I think the problem for Planned Parenthood is that disaggregating the two is hard, and proving congressional intent to target one rather than the other is challenging.”Anti-abortion activists and conservative commentators have accused Talwani, an Obama appointee, of judicial activism.“Now the abortion industry is suing to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jun/23/poll-shows-voters-support-defunding-planned-parenthood-told/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_campaign=twtnl_x&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank">will of the voters</a>, duly passed by Congress,” wrote Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/08/judicial-activism-wont-restore-planned-parenthoods-federal-funding/" target="_blank">op-ed for National Review</a>. “They argue they’re constitutionally entitled to our tax dollars in perpetuity, and they’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/newsroom/press-releases/sba-slams-activist-ruling-forcing-americans-to-fund-abortion-giant-planned-parenthood" target="_blank">found a single activist judge</a>&nbsp;willing to take their side and impose that view on the entire nation — for now.”Ziegler said the bill of attainder argument is rarely used, but is plausible in this case.&nbsp;“Generally, with a bill of attainder, you have to show that there’s no other kind of valid legislative purpose, and that it’s selectively targeting the person who’s suing,” she said. “In this case, it seems pretty clear that there’s some targeting of Planned Parenthood happening. … But I think there being no other purpose is more complicated.”Ziegler said the case will likely be hard to win if it gets to the majority conservative Supreme Court. But if the injunction holds, Planned Parenthood could run out the clock on the one-year Medicaid restriction. She thinks it might seem too politically risky to renew this provision right before the 2026 midterm elections to more moderate Republicans in the House, like Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.notus.org/republicans/gop-defunding-planned-parenthood-reconciliation" target="_blank">told NOTUS</a>&nbsp;in May, “from the standpoint of providing health care to women, you know, I’m not for taking away people’s health care.”“They’ll either have to say, ‘All our boasts about defunding Planned Parenthood were not real, because Planned Parenthood is going to get funded again,’ or they’re going to have to make the funding prohibition permanent, which could have the consequences that people like Lawler were afraid of.”