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

TOPEKA — Kansas has been quietly building a pot of more than $26 million that can be used for attracting professional sports teams to the state, giving the state an edge in its “border war” with Missouri.

Totaling more than $26.2 million and counting, those funds are for&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/02/kansas-sports-wagering-bill-earmarks-80-of-state-revenue-to-pro-sports-stadium/">the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund</a>, which can be used to woo any professional sports team, including the Missouri-based Kansas City Chiefs or the Kansas City Royals, to Kansas.

For years, Kansas has been trying to sway the region’s NFL and MLB teams to cross the border. Lawmakers in both states,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/14/pure-emotion-frequently-drives-debates-on-sports-stadium-deals/">motivated by pride and potential revenue</a>, have lobbed tax incentives, construction fund packages and seemingly arbitrary decision deadlines at the teams.

The addition of millions of dollars to cover costs that haven’t already been bundled in other proposed deals bolsters Kansas’ case, especially after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/05/missouri-governor-allows-more-spending-property-tax-cap-as-he-pursues-stadium-deal/" target="_blank">Missouri lawmakers approved a stadium incentives package</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. In July, Kansas lawmakers approved&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/07/kansas-lawmakers-extend-deadline-for-chiefs-royals-to-accept-stadium-incentives/">a deadline extension</a>&nbsp;until the end of the year for the Chiefs and the Royals to accept&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/">hundreds of millions of dollars in stadium incentives</a>.

At a recent legislative hearing, Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, examined how Kansas has amassed millions for professional sports teams without much attention.

“If you read that statute very carefully, it draws some questions,” he said.

The law says the fund can be used to pay the principal or interest costs on any state or municipal bonds, “which shall include any such financing structured as pay-as-you-go, issued to fund the construction, rehabilitation, revitalization or expansion of a professional sports team’s primary facility or any other ancillary development to such primary facility.”

In other words, Thompson said, the purpose of the fund is “so we can help a professional sports team make a profit, get a stadium and come to Kansas.”

“I’ve never seen any evidence that these things pay for themselves, that taxpayers will receive a reduction in tax rates,” he said.

Research has shown that funneling taxpayer money into sports stadium and arena projects a&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/02/20/more-taxpayer-money-benefits-pro-sports-owners-amid-stadium-construction-wave/" target="_blank">poor public investment</a>.

Attracting economic development, and the border war itself, goes beyond professional sports. In 2019, Kansas’ Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson, current Gov. Mike Kehoe’s predecessor, declared a truce. The two states vowed to temporarily halt the practice of recruiting businesses to cross the state line without job creation, in theory halting the border war.

But that did not include Kansas City’s professional sports teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">Kelly told the Missouri Independent</a>&nbsp;in June 2024.

That was the first sign of the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/02/kansas-v-missouri-stadium-battle-shows-how-states-are-reigniting-border-wars/">truce’s disintegration</a>. Kansas City, Missouri’s City Council formalized an end to the truce this September. The council&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascity.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7665739&amp;GUID=ACBC7B2E-02E1-43B2-84F4-50D0BD396B54" target="_blank">repealed</a>&nbsp;a 10-year moratorium on tax incentives for job creation inside city limits that was passed in response to the truce. The truce expired in August.

Sports gambling dollars make up a relatively new revenue stream for Kansas. The state legalized sportsbooks in 2022 and could&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/25/kansas-legislators-look-for-bigger-payout-from-sportsbooks-with-contracts-set-to-expire/">consider modifying regulations</a>&nbsp;that govern books in the 2026 session.

The way sports wagering is regulated in Kansas allows gaming facility managers to keep 90% of revenues. The state gets 10%. Of that portion, the first $750,000 is deposited into the White Collar Crime Fund, which supports investigations of illegal wagers.

Once the white collar fund takes its allotted portion, 2% of what remains goes toward the Gambling Addiction Grant Fund, and 80% to the attracting professional sports coiffeur. In fiscal year 2024, about $8.7 million was deposited into it.

The state hasn’t yet used any of the $26 million, according to Megan Stookey, a spokesperson for Senate President Ty Masterson, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor.

If recruitment efforts don’t succeed, the funds will be reappropriated as the Legislature sees fit, she said. The Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of legislative leadership, is the body that could publicly consider any potential deals between the state and a professional sports team while the Legislature is not in session.

“Kansans can expect discussions to progress,” Stookey said in an email, “with the LCC prepared to review any proposals in the (time) prior to the deadline.”

Patrick Lowry, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said the agency “continues to conduct a careful analysis of costs and benefits as part of discussions to keep the Chiefs and Royals in the region while maximizing growth opportunities for Kansas.”

Echoing nearly identical comments given to reporters in the past, Lowry said “all major economic development projects require discretion and confidentiality,” and he declined to comment on negotiations or agreements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748263709817.png" alt="GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas has been quietly building a pot of more than $26 million that can be used for attracting professional sports teams to the state, giving the state an edge in its “border war” with Missouri.Totaling more than $26.2 million and counting, those funds are for&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/02/kansas-sports-wagering-bill-earmarks-80-of-state-revenue-to-pro-sports-stadium/">the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund</a>, which can be used to woo any professional sports team, including the Missouri-based Kansas City Chiefs or the Kansas City Royals, to Kansas.For years, Kansas has been trying to sway the region’s NFL and MLB teams to cross the border. Lawmakers in both states,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/14/pure-emotion-frequently-drives-debates-on-sports-stadium-deals/">motivated by pride and potential revenue</a>, have lobbed tax incentives, construction fund packages and seemingly arbitrary decision deadlines at the teams.The addition of millions of dollars to cover costs that haven’t already been bundled in other proposed deals bolsters Kansas’ case, especially after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/05/missouri-governor-allows-more-spending-property-tax-cap-as-he-pursues-stadium-deal/" target="_blank">Missouri lawmakers approved a stadium incentives package</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. In July, Kansas lawmakers approved&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/07/07/kansas-lawmakers-extend-deadline-for-chiefs-royals-to-accept-stadium-incentives/">a deadline extension</a>&nbsp;until the end of the year for the Chiefs and the Royals to accept&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/">hundreds of millions of dollars in stadium incentives</a>.At a recent legislative hearing, Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, examined how Kansas has amassed millions for professional sports teams without much attention.“If you read that statute very carefully, it draws some questions,” he said.The law says the fund can be used to pay the principal or interest costs on any state or municipal bonds, “which shall include any such financing structured as pay-as-you-go, issued to fund the construction, rehabilitation, revitalization or expansion of a professional sports team’s primary facility or any other ancillary development to such primary facility.”In other words, Thompson said, the purpose of the fund is “so we can help a professional sports team make a profit, get a stadium and come to Kansas.”“I’ve never seen any evidence that these things pay for themselves, that taxpayers will receive a reduction in tax rates,” he said.Research has shown that funneling taxpayer money into sports stadium and arena projects a&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/02/20/more-taxpayer-money-benefits-pro-sports-owners-amid-stadium-construction-wave/" target="_blank">poor public investment</a>.Attracting economic development, and the border war itself, goes beyond professional sports. In 2019, Kansas’ Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson, current Gov. Mike Kehoe’s predecessor, declared a truce. The two states vowed to temporarily halt the practice of recruiting businesses to cross the state line without job creation, in theory halting the border war.But that did not include Kansas City’s professional sports teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">Kelly told the Missouri Independent</a>&nbsp;in June 2024.That was the first sign of the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/02/kansas-v-missouri-stadium-battle-shows-how-states-are-reigniting-border-wars/">truce’s disintegration</a>. Kansas City, Missouri’s City Council formalized an end to the truce this September. The council&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascity.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7665739&amp;GUID=ACBC7B2E-02E1-43B2-84F4-50D0BD396B54" target="_blank">repealed</a>&nbsp;a 10-year moratorium on tax incentives for job creation inside city limits that was passed in response to the truce. The truce expired in August.Sports gambling dollars make up a relatively new revenue stream for Kansas. The state legalized sportsbooks in 2022 and could&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/25/kansas-legislators-look-for-bigger-payout-from-sportsbooks-with-contracts-set-to-expire/">consider modifying regulations</a>&nbsp;that govern books in the 2026 session.The way sports wagering is regulated in Kansas allows gaming facility managers to keep 90% of revenues. The state gets 10%. Of that portion, the first $750,000 is deposited into the White Collar Crime Fund, which supports investigations of illegal wagers.Once the white collar fund takes its allotted portion, 2% of what remains goes toward the Gambling Addiction Grant Fund, and 80% to the attracting professional sports coiffeur. In fiscal year 2024, about $8.7 million was deposited into it.The state hasn’t yet used any of the $26 million, according to Megan Stookey, a spokesperson for Senate President Ty Masterson, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor.If recruitment efforts don’t succeed, the funds will be reappropriated as the Legislature sees fit, she said. The Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of legislative leadership, is the body that could publicly consider any potential deals between the state and a professional sports team while the Legislature is not in session.“Kansans can expect discussions to progress,” Stookey said in an email, “with the LCC prepared to review any proposals in the (time) prior to the deadline.”Patrick Lowry, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said the agency “continues to conduct a careful analysis of costs and benefits as part of discussions to keep the Chiefs and Royals in the region while maximizing growth opportunities for Kansas.”Echoing nearly identical comments given to reporters in the past, Lowry said “all major economic development projects require discretion and confidentiality,” and he declined to comment on negotiations or agreements.

Kansas has amassed a $26 million fund from sports gambling revenue to help woo Chiefs, Royals

MORGAN COUNTY —Two Kansas teens were injured an accident just before 6p..m. Friday at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Sea-Doo Spark driven by a 13-year-old Wichita girl was traveling at the&nbsp;58.6 mile mark of the Osage Arm of the lake. The watercraft side swiped a Sea-Doo Spark driven by a 15-year-old Wichita girl. Both drivers were ejected.&nbsp;

Mid-Missouri EMS transported the 13-year-old to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. A&nbsp;private vehicle transported the 15-year-old to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The girls were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;

MORGAN COUNTY —Two Kansas teens were injured an accident just before 6p..m. Friday at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Sea-Doo Spark driven by a 13-year-old Wichita girl was traveling at the&nbsp;58.6 mile mark of the Osage Arm of the lake. The watercraft side swiped a Sea-Doo Spark driven by a 15-year-old Wichita girl. Both drivers were ejected.&nbsp;Mid-Missouri EMS transported the 13-year-old to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. A&nbsp;private vehicle transported the 15-year-old to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The girls were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;

Two Kansas girls hospitalized after jet ski accident

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Kevin Vester, a minimum-custody resident of the Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF) has been apprehended.

Vester was taken into custody Friday night, October 3, 2025, by Wichita Police Department.

Vester was placed on escape status after not returning to the facility earlier in the afternoon.

ORIGINAL STORY WICHITA, Kan. – Kansas inmate Kevin Vester was placed on escape status at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Friday,&nbsp; after not returning to the facility from his work release job this evening, according to a statement from the&nbsp; Department of Corrections.

Vester, a 55 year old African American male, is currently at large. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of Wichita Work Release Facility.

Vester is described as five-feet, nine-inches tall, and weighs 170 pounds with a slim build. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black pants, a royal blue shirt with white writing on the front, black shoes, and a black cap with a white image and a blue bill. He is known to wear a black do-rag under his cap.

Vester was convicted in Sedgwick County of seven months of incarceration for criminal threat and 31 months of incarceration for criminal firearm discharge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759540026774.png" alt="Vester photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Vester photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Kevin Vester, a minimum-custody resident of the Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF) has been apprehended.Vester was taken into custody Friday night, October 3, 2025, by Wichita Police Department.Vester was placed on escape status after not returning to the facility earlier in the afternoon.---------------ORIGINAL STORY WICHITA, Kan. – Kansas inmate Kevin Vester was placed on escape status at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Friday,&nbsp; after not returning to the facility from his work release job this evening, according to a statement from the&nbsp; Department of Corrections.Vester, a 55 year old African American male, is currently at large. This walkaway does not impact the security or operations of Wichita Work Release Facility.Vester is described as five-feet, nine-inches tall, and weighs 170 pounds with a slim build. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black pants, a royal blue shirt with white writing on the front, black shoes, and a black cap with a white image and a blue bill. He is known to wear a black do-rag under his cap.Vester was convicted in Sedgwick County of seven months of incarceration for criminal threat and 31 months of incarceration for criminal firearm discharge.

UPDATE: Kansas inmate who walked away from work release apprehended

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

Just before 8:30p.m. a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a bicycle without a headlamp near NW Taylor Street and NW Grant Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

 During the investigation, it was discovered that the individual had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. Joshua M. Fisher, 20, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department on requested charges Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Bicycle not equipped with a lamp when in use at night. Fisher also had a Topeka bench warrant for his arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759437720479.png" alt="Fisher-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Fisher-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations.Just before 8:30p.m. a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a bicycle without a headlamp near NW Taylor Street and NW Grant Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, it was discovered that the individual had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. Joshua M. Fisher, 20, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department on requested charges Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Bicycle not equipped with a lamp when in use at night. Fisher also had a Topeka bench warrant for his arrest.

Sheriff: Wanted Kan. drug suspect was riding bicycle in the dark

WASHINGTON (AP) —The president released a video Friday evening from the Oval Office in which he credited allies for working to achieve a deal between Israel and Hamas for the return of hostages taken in the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

“This is a big day,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”

Trump said he looked forward to having the hostages, including those who were killed, be returned to their families. He thanked Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and “so many others.”

The president said “we’re very close to achieving” peace in the Middle East.

He ended the video by saying, “Everybody will be treated fairly.” It was unclear what Trump meant by that.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The president released a video Friday evening from the Oval Office in which he credited allies for working to achieve a deal between Israel and Hamas for the return of hostages taken in the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/JzeyA0pH3e">pic.twitter.com/JzeyA0pH3e</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974246742355845367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This is a big day,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it all turns out. We have to get the final word down in concrete.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/7vl4SXDHZt">pic.twitter.com/7vl4SXDHZt</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974221685512458524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump said he looked forward to having the hostages, including those who were killed, be returned to their families. He thanked Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and “so many others.”The president said “we’re very close to achieving” peace in the Middle East.He ended the video by saying, “Everybody will be treated fairly.” It was unclear what Trump meant by that.

🎥Trump: Gaza hostage plan is a “big deal’ but still trying to get ‘final word’

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;said Friday that he ordered another strike on a small boat he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with cartels</a>.

In a post on social media, Hegseth asserted that the “vessel was trafficking narcotics" and those aboard were “narco-terrorists.” He said the strike killed four men but offered no details on who they were or what group they belonged to, following the U.S. designation of several Latin American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">cartels as foreign terrorist organizations</a>.

President Donald Trump said in his own social media post that the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE” and implied it was “entering American Territory” while off the coast of Venezuela.

It is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strike-drug-smuggling-vessel-275ab9837373a928aa3376e50d8d39b0">fourth deadly strike in the Caribbean</a>&nbsp;and the latest since revelations that Trump told lawmakers he was treating drug traffickers as unlawful combatants and military force was required to combat them. That assertion of presidential war powers sets the stage for expanded action and raises&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-warships-6ffd9e6f4eb738048c816c6d8257a6ef">questions about how far the administration will go</a>&nbsp;without&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/war-powers-act-trump-congress-9e6832fb5f5f844acf8992008d3a8d63">sign-off from Congress</a>.

“Blowing them up without knowing who’s on the boat is a terrible policy, and it should end,” said Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a consistent and harsh critic of the U.S. strikes.

The Trump administration laid out its justification for the strikes in a memo obtained by The Associated Press this week.

“The President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” according to the memo sent to Congress. Trump directed the Pentagon to “conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict,” the document says.

Sen. Jim Risch, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the president had the authority to go after the cartels without further authorization from Congress under “his general powers under the Constitution as the commander in chief.”

“What could be a bigger defense of this country than keeping out this poison that’s killing thousands of Americans every year?” Risch said Friday.

Paul said only Congress has the authority to declare war and characterized the memo as “a way to pretend like” the administration is notifying lawmakers with a justification for the strikes.

“If they want to declare war, come to Congress and say they want to declare war,” he told AP. “But you can’t just say it yourself and say, Oh, well, we sent them a note and now we’re at war with unnamed people who we won’t even identify before we kill.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist leader who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gustavo-petro-colombia-visa-trump-disobey-orders-ebca5169a8323ef087b709c5b8dc69b1">clashed with the Trump administration</a>, accused the U.S. of committing “murder” and urged the victims’ families to “join forces.”

“There are no narco-terrorists on the boats,” he posted on X after the strike was announced. “Drug traffickers live in the U.S., Europe and Dubai. On that boat are poor Caribbean youth.”

Video of Friday's strike posted online showed a small boat moving in open water when it suddenly explodes, with water splashing all around it. As the smoke from the explosion clears, the boat is visible, consumed with flames, floating motionless on the water.

With it, at least three of the strikes have now been carried out on vessels that U.S. officials said had originated from Venezuela. The strikes followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-destroyers-maduro-drug-cartels-9649e8282c061d9dad41a5dfb54431d4">buildup of U.S. maritime forces</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.

The Navy’s presence in the region — eight warships with over 5,000 sailors and Marines — has been pretty stable for weeks, according to two defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

In a post about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">first strike last month</a>, Trump claimed the vessel was carrying members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-caribbean-rubio-trump-tren-de-aragua-9e0dac7dee5a3fb14a16370508fc460d">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. Posts about all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-drug-cartels-05c5b0de282178419d46a3e93fbd2521">the subsequent strikes</a>, including Friday’s, have not provided any details about what organizations have been targeted. The four strikes have killed 21 people, the administration says.

Pentagon officials who briefed senators on the strikes this week could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict.

Officials in the Pentagon, when asked for more details about the strike, referred The Associated Press back to Hegseth’s post. The press office for Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest strike.

AP writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;said Friday that he ordered another strike on a small boat he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with cartels</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier this morning, on President Trump&#39;s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the… <a href="https://t.co/QpNPljFcGn">pic.twitter.com/QpNPljFcGn</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a post on social media, Hegseth asserted that the “vessel was trafficking narcotics" and those aboard were “narco-terrorists.” He said the strike killed four men but offered no details on who they were or what group they belonged to, following the U.S. designation of several Latin American&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">cartels as foreign terrorist organizations</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">📹 ON CAMERA: This morning, President Trump ordered a strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations headed to America and loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 PEOPLE off the Coast of Venezuela. BE WARNED! <a href="https://t.co/231ttj4q9P">pic.twitter.com/231ttj4q9P</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1974167658968068554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Donald Trump said in his own social media post that the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE” and implied it was “entering American Territory” while off the coast of Venezuela.It is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strike-drug-smuggling-vessel-275ab9837373a928aa3376e50d8d39b0">fourth deadly strike in the Caribbean</a>&nbsp;and the latest since revelations that Trump told lawmakers he was treating drug traffickers as unlawful combatants and military force was required to combat them. That assertion of presidential war powers sets the stage for expanded action and raises&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-warships-6ffd9e6f4eb738048c816c6d8257a6ef">questions about how far the administration will go</a>&nbsp;without&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/war-powers-act-trump-congress-9e6832fb5f5f844acf8992008d3a8d63">sign-off from Congress</a>.“Blowing them up without knowing who’s on the boat is a terrible policy, and it should end,” said Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a consistent and harsh critic of the U.S. strikes.The Trump administration laid out its justification for the strikes in a memo obtained by The Associated Press this week.“The President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” according to the memo sent to Congress. Trump directed the Pentagon to “conduct operations against them pursuant to the law of armed conflict,” the document says.Sen. Jim Risch, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the president had the authority to go after the cartels without further authorization from Congress under “his general powers under the Constitution as the commander in chief.”“What could be a bigger defense of this country than keeping out this poison that’s killing thousands of Americans every year?” Risch said Friday.Paul said only Congress has the authority to declare war and characterized the memo as “a way to pretend like” the administration is notifying lawmakers with a justification for the strikes.“If they want to declare war, come to Congress and say they want to declare war,” he told AP. “But you can’t just say it yourself and say, Oh, well, we sent them a note and now we’re at war with unnamed people who we won’t even identify before we kill.”Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist leader who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gustavo-petro-colombia-visa-trump-disobey-orders-ebca5169a8323ef087b709c5b8dc69b1">clashed with the Trump administration</a>, accused the U.S. of committing “murder” and urged the victims’ families to “join forces.”“There are no narco-terrorists on the boats,” he posted on X after the strike was announced. “Drug traffickers live in the U.S., Europe and Dubai. On that boat are poor Caribbean youth.”Video of Friday's strike posted online showed a small boat moving in open water when it suddenly explodes, with water splashing all around it. As the smoke from the explosion clears, the boat is visible, consumed with flames, floating motionless on the water.With it, at least three of the strikes have now been carried out on vessels that U.S. officials said had originated from Venezuela. The strikes followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-destroyers-maduro-drug-cartels-9649e8282c061d9dad41a5dfb54431d4">buildup of U.S. maritime forces</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.The Navy’s presence in the region — eight warships with over 5,000 sailors and Marines — has been pretty stable for weeks, according to two defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.In a post about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">first strike last month</a>, Trump claimed the vessel was carrying members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-caribbean-rubio-trump-tren-de-aragua-9e0dac7dee5a3fb14a16370508fc460d">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. Posts about all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-drug-cartels-05c5b0de282178419d46a3e93fbd2521">the subsequent strikes</a>, including Friday’s, have not provided any details about what organizations have been targeted. The four strikes have killed 21 people, the administration says.Pentagon officials who briefed senators on the strikes this week could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict.Officials in the Pentagon, when asked for more details about the strike, referred The Associated Press back to Hegseth’s post. The press office for Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest strike.___AP writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

🎥.US conducts another lethal strike on an alleged drug- boat

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks ticked higher on Friday, sending Wall Street to more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-stocks-shutdown-korea-openai-trump-a08c07307c4483a3583fe2aaa1609637">records</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 edged up by less than 0.1% to close out its seventh winning week in the last nine, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238 points, or 0.5%. Both added to their all-time highs set the day before. The Nasdaq composite lost an early gain and slipped 0.3% from its own record.

Usually, the first Friday of each month has Wall Street transfixed on the monthly jobs update that the U.S. government publishes. It shows how many jobs employers created and destroyed, while also updating the unemployment rate.

Such data is particularly important now, given how much on Wall Street is riding on the expectation that the job market is continuing to slow by enough to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jobs-inflation-powell-bccc5ad2114d0f9a19e0f6db4aeadf82">get the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates</a>. But the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-end-senate-congress-138e0bd690d616f0735429890d28196f">shutdown of the U.S. government</a>, now in its third day, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-government-shutdown-jobs-7606871d40d0b8b9e58ca42672e22112">delaying the release</a>.

So far, the U.S. stock market has looked past such delays, including Thursday’s scheduled report on unemployment claims.

Past shutdowns of the U.S. government have tended not to hurt the economy or stock market much, and the thinking is that this one could be similar, even if President Donald Trump has threatened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">large-scale firings of federal workers</a>&nbsp;this time around.

That leaves excitement around artificial intelligence and the massive spending underway because of it as one of the main drivers of the U.S. stock market, which has been setting record after record.

The industry got another boost after Japan’s Hitachi signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI related to powering AI. It followed an earlier set of announcements by OpenAI with South Korean companies, which vaulted stock prices higher there. Hitachi’s stock jumped 10.3% in Tokyo.

AI stocks have become so dominant, and so much money has poured into the industry that worries are rising about a potential bubble that could eventually lead to disappointment for investors.

Nvidia, the stock that’s become the poster child of the AI boom, lost an early gain during the morning to finish with a dip of 0.7%.

Applied Materials fell 2.7%. The company, whose equipment helps make semiconductor chips, said it will take a roughly $110 million hit to its revenue in the fourth quarter because of a new U.S. Commerce Department rule expanding export restrictions to certain customers based in China.

But gains for oil producers helped offset such losses. Exxon Mobil climbed 1.8%, and Diamondback Energy rose 3% as the price of crude clawed back some of its sharp losses from earlier in the week. Oil prices had been struggling on worries that the amount of crude in inventories will be too high relative to demand.

Entergy climbed 1.9% after saying its Arkansas business will deliver power for Google’s planned $4 billion investment in the state, including a new data center.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 added 0.44 to 6,715.79 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238.56 to 46,758.28, and the Nasdaq composite fell 63.54 to 22,780.51.

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

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was a big winner and rose 1.9% thanks in part to Hitachi’s jump.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.12% from 4.10% late Thursday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks ticked higher on Friday, sending Wall Street to more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/markets-stocks-shutdown-korea-openai-trump-a08c07307c4483a3583fe2aaa1609637">records</a>.The S&amp;P 500 edged up by less than 0.1% to close out its seventh winning week in the last nine, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238 points, or 0.5%. Both added to their all-time highs set the day before. The Nasdaq composite lost an early gain and slipped 0.3% from its own record.Usually, the first Friday of each month has Wall Street transfixed on the monthly jobs update that the U.S. government publishes. It shows how many jobs employers created and destroyed, while also updating the unemployment rate.Such data is particularly important now, given how much on Wall Street is riding on the expectation that the job market is continuing to slow by enough to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jobs-inflation-powell-bccc5ad2114d0f9a19e0f6db4aeadf82">get the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates</a>. But the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-end-senate-congress-138e0bd690d616f0735429890d28196f">shutdown of the U.S. government</a>, now in its third day, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-government-shutdown-jobs-7606871d40d0b8b9e58ca42672e22112">delaying the release</a>.So far, the U.S. stock market has looked past such delays, including Thursday’s scheduled report on unemployment claims.Past shutdowns of the U.S. government have tended not to hurt the economy or stock market much, and the thinking is that this one could be similar, even if President Donald Trump has threatened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">large-scale firings of federal workers</a>&nbsp;this time around.That leaves excitement around artificial intelligence and the massive spending underway because of it as one of the main drivers of the U.S. stock market, which has been setting record after record.The industry got another boost after Japan’s Hitachi signed a memorandum of understanding with OpenAI related to powering AI. It followed an earlier set of announcements by OpenAI with South Korean companies, which vaulted stock prices higher there. Hitachi’s stock jumped 10.3% in Tokyo.AI stocks have become so dominant, and so much money has poured into the industry that worries are rising about a potential bubble that could eventually lead to disappointment for investors.Nvidia, the stock that’s become the poster child of the AI boom, lost an early gain during the morning to finish with a dip of 0.7%.Applied Materials fell 2.7%. The company, whose equipment helps make semiconductor chips, said it will take a roughly $110 million hit to its revenue in the fourth quarter because of a new U.S. Commerce Department rule expanding export restrictions to certain customers based in China.But gains for oil producers helped offset such losses. Exxon Mobil climbed 1.8%, and Diamondback Energy rose 3% as the price of crude clawed back some of its sharp losses from earlier in the week. Oil prices had been struggling on worries that the amount of crude in inventories will be too high relative to demand.Entergy climbed 1.9% after saying its Arkansas business will deliver power for Google’s planned $4 billion investment in the state, including a new data center.All told, the S&amp;P 500 added 0.44 to 6,715.79 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238.56 to 46,758.28, and the Nasdaq composite fell 63.54 to 22,780.51.In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 was a big winner and rose 1.9% thanks in part to Hitachi’s jump.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.12% from 4.10% late Thursday.

Wall Street finishes its winning week with more records

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sean-diddy-combs">Sean “Diddy” Combs</a>&nbsp;was sentenced Friday to four years and two months in a federal criminal case that exposed the hip-hop mogul’s use of paid sex workers for drug-fueled, sometimes violent sex parties he called “freak-offs.”

Combs, 55, was convicted in July of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters.

He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life, but the sentence will nonetheless keep one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-timeline-e3cc5f3211880b4bfb0903bc4ad77c61">biggest names in music</a>&nbsp;out of the limelight and behind bars for years to come. Prosecutors had sought an 11-year sentence.

In a final word before the judge issued a sentence, Combs called his past behavior “disgusting, shameful” and “sick,” while apologizing to the people he hurt physically and mentally, as well as his children in the audience. He said his acts of domestic violence are a burden he will have to carry for the rest of his life.

Combs' defense lawyers have argued the sexual encounters were consensual and wanted Combs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-sentencing-letter-ae8002a02642483a39ff7667b5bc3192">freed immediately</a>&nbsp;after more than a year in detention, which forced him to get sober and fueled his remorse. They played an 11-minute video in court Friday portraying Combs’ family life, career and philanthropy before his arrest.

At one point during the video, Combs put a hand on his face and began to cry, his shoulders at times heaving. Combs was expected to speak in court later Friday.

The video was part of an atypical presentation by the defense team, reflecting Combs' unique status as a wealthy celebrity client who’s well-versed in shaping his image.

His nearly two-month trial in a federal court in Manhattan featured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-trial-witnesses-ecc690df5453d98a1ed54a89fd70c41a">testimony from women</a>&nbsp;who said Combs beat, threatened, sexually assaulted and blackmailed them. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the judge that sparing Combs serious prison time would excuse years of violence.

“It’s a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification,” she said. “He didn’t need the money. His currency was control.”

Slavik also blasted Combs for allegedly booking speaking gig in South Florida next week, calling it “the height of hubris.” Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson later said the proposed community events were meant to show what the business mogul could be doing “if the court let Mr. Combs out.”

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who has twice denied bail, has already signaled Combs is unlikely to leave custody soon. He said acquittals did not absolve the music mogul of underlying conduct, including violence and coercion.

Several of Combs children pleaded with him for leniency.

His daughters Chance and D’Lila Combs cried as they spoke, with D’Lila saying she feared losing her father after the death of their mother, Kim Porter, in 2018. Six of Combs’ seven children addressed the judge.

"Please, your honor, please,” D’Lila said through tears, “give our family the chance to heal together, to rebuild, to change, to move forward, not as a headline, but as human beings.”

Outside the courthouse, journalists and onlookers swarmed the sidewalks as TV crews stood in a long row across the street, echoing scenes from Combs’ trial.

Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for prostitution. Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued the law was misapplied.

During testimony at the trial, former girlfriend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-sex-trafficking-freak-offs-cassie-f61773689c057e0264d5a755b40b825a">Casandra “Cassie” Ventura</a>&nbsp;told jurors that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade Jong relationship. Jurors saw video of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday “freak-off.

Another woman, identified as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-trial-cassie-jane-aad8d02031e67364d84843d20efbe390">Jane</a>,” testified she was pressured into sex with male workers during drug-fueled “hotel nights” while Combs watched and sometimes filmed.

The only accuser scheduled to speak Friday, a former assistant known as “Mia,” withdrew after defense objections. She has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-trial-cassie-mia-3134e4be64b95457d0f999e284bf2527">accused Combs of raping her</a>&nbsp;in 2010 and asked the judge for a sentence that reflects “the ongoing danger my abuser poses.”

Prosecutors also introduced testimony at the trial about other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-trial-sean-combs-cassie-witnesses-9ebf9c4108cc322d660235c648ee40dd">alleged violence</a>. One of Cassie’s friends said Combs dangled her from 17th-floor balcony. Rapper Kid Cudi said Combs broke into his home after learning he was dating Cassie.

Another lawyer for Combs, Brian Steel, urged the judge to see the case through the prism of the “untreated trauma” and “ferocious drug addiction” that he says contributed to the hip-hop mogul’s misconduct.

“His good outweighs his bad, by far,” Steel said.

In a letter to the judge Thursday, Combs wrote: “The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn,” promising he would never commit another crime.

Cassie, in her own letter, described him as an abuser who “will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is.”

At a hearing last week, Combs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-sean-combs-sentencing-9f464d3ce7804efb305d3d55bf2c6865">told his mother</a>&nbsp;and children he was “getting closer to going home.”

Associated Press writers Liseberth Guillaume in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1751300290551.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sean-diddy-combs">Sean “Diddy” Combs</a>&nbsp;was sentenced Friday to four years and two months in a federal criminal case that exposed the hip-hop mogul’s use of paid sex workers for drug-fueled, sometimes violent sex parties he called “freak-offs.”Combs, 55, was convicted in July of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters.He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life, but the sentence will nonetheless keep one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-timeline-e3cc5f3211880b4bfb0903bc4ad77c61">biggest names in music</a>&nbsp;out of the limelight and behind bars for years to come. Prosecutors had sought an 11-year sentence.In a final word before the judge issued a sentence, Combs called his past behavior “disgusting, shameful” and “sick,” while apologizing to the people he hurt physically and mentally, as well as his children in the audience. He said his acts of domestic violence are a burden he will have to carry for the rest of his life.Combs' defense lawyers have argued the sexual encounters were consensual and wanted Combs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-sentencing-letter-ae8002a02642483a39ff7667b5bc3192">freed immediately</a>&nbsp;after more than a year in detention, which forced him to get sober and fueled his remorse. They played an 11-minute video in court Friday portraying Combs’ family life, career and philanthropy before his arrest.At one point during the video, Combs put a hand on his face and began to cry, his shoulders at times heaving. Combs was expected to speak in court later Friday.The video was part of an atypical presentation by the defense team, reflecting Combs' unique status as a wealthy celebrity client who’s well-versed in shaping his image.His nearly two-month trial in a federal court in Manhattan featured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-trial-witnesses-ecc690df5453d98a1ed54a89fd70c41a">testimony from women</a>&nbsp;who said Combs beat, threatened, sexually assaulted and blackmailed them. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the judge that sparing Combs serious prison time would excuse years of violence.“It’s a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification,” she said. “He didn’t need the money. His currency was control.”Slavik also blasted Combs for allegedly booking speaking gig in South Florida next week, calling it “the height of hubris.” Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson later said the proposed community events were meant to show what the business mogul could be doing “if the court let Mr. Combs out.”U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who has twice denied bail, has already signaled Combs is unlikely to leave custody soon. He said acquittals did not absolve the music mogul of underlying conduct, including violence and coercion.Several of Combs children pleaded with him for leniency.His daughters Chance and D’Lila Combs cried as they spoke, with D’Lila saying she feared losing her father after the death of their mother, Kim Porter, in 2018. Six of Combs’ seven children addressed the judge."Please, your honor, please,” D’Lila said through tears, “give our family the chance to heal together, to rebuild, to change, to move forward, not as a headline, but as human beings.”Outside the courthouse, journalists and onlookers swarmed the sidewalks as TV crews stood in a long row across the street, echoing scenes from Combs’ trial.Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for prostitution. Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued the law was misapplied.During testimony at the trial, former girlfriend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-sex-trafficking-freak-offs-cassie-f61773689c057e0264d5a755b40b825a">Casandra “Cassie” Ventura</a>&nbsp;told jurors that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade Jong relationship. Jurors saw video of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday “freak-off.Another woman, identified as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-trial-cassie-jane-aad8d02031e67364d84843d20efbe390">Jane</a>,” testified she was pressured into sex with male workers during drug-fueled “hotel nights” while Combs watched and sometimes filmed.The only accuser scheduled to speak Friday, a former assistant known as “Mia,” withdrew after defense objections. She has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-combs-diddy-trial-cassie-mia-3134e4be64b95457d0f999e284bf2527">accused Combs of raping her</a>&nbsp;in 2010 and asked the judge for a sentence that reflects “the ongoing danger my abuser poses.”Prosecutors also introduced testimony at the trial about other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-trial-sean-combs-cassie-witnesses-9ebf9c4108cc322d660235c648ee40dd">alleged violence</a>. One of Cassie’s friends said Combs dangled her from 17th-floor balcony. Rapper Kid Cudi said Combs broke into his home after learning he was dating Cassie.Another lawyer for Combs, Brian Steel, urged the judge to see the case through the prism of the “untreated trauma” and “ferocious drug addiction” that he says contributed to the hip-hop mogul’s misconduct.“His good outweighs his bad, by far,” Steel said.In a letter to the judge Thursday, Combs wrote: “The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn,” promising he would never commit another crime.Cassie, in her own letter, described him as an abuser who “will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is.”At a hearing last week, Combs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diddy-sean-combs-sentencing-9f464d3ce7804efb305d3d55bf2c6865">told his mother</a>&nbsp;and children he was “getting closer to going home.”___Associated Press writers Liseberth Guillaume in New York and Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs learns his fate in case involving sex workers

WASHINGTON (AP) —Hopes for a quick end to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-end-senate-congress-138e0bd690d616f0735429890d28196f">the government shutdown</a>&nbsp;faded Friday as Republicans and Democrats dig in for a prolonged fight and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;readies plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.

On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there has been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-congress-shutdown-democrats-republicans-bb3464820a347fd2c0399e78e335881e">Democrats are demanding</a>&nbsp;that Congress extend healthcare benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">voting on the House-passed bill</a>&nbsp;that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels.

The Senate fails to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government

Democrats refused to budge in a Senate vote and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Trump</a>&nbsp;readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.

On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there have been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff.

The vote to advance a GOP bill to reopen the government was not over, but senators were already heading for the exits of the Capitol.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he will give Democrats the weekend to think over their stance, but there have been few signs of meaningful progress to ending the impasse.

The bill was poised to fail Friday afternoon as over 40 senators had already voted against it. The Senate’s filibuster rules require at least 60 senators to vote to advance the legislation to a final vote.

GOP Sen. Hawley says Congress must act ‘quickly’ to fix expiring ACA tax credits

“We’ve got to do something to make sure the premiums don’t essentially double, which they will in my state,” said the Missouri Republican, referencing ongoing discussions about extending the ACA tax credits. “We just can’t allow that to happen.”

“That’s a lot of Missourians that will not be able to afford healthcare. So we have to do something about it,” said Hawley.

Some Republicans have said they will address the expiring ACA tax credits once the government reopens. Hawley said they need to be addressed “as soon as possible.”

Smithsonian museums will remain open through Oct. 11

The Smithsonian Institution including all its museums will remain open at least through Oct. 11 amid an ongoing federal government shutdown.

Museums, research centers and the National Zoo were originally projected to only be able to operate through Saturday using prior-year funding.

The extension was posted Friday on the Smithsonian website.

The Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History &amp; Culture, has been targeted by the Trump administration for programs that advance “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”

Jeffries calls Trump, Republican congressional leaders ‘unserious’ in shutdown talks

“These aren’t serious individuals. They want to keep the government shut down,” the Democratic leader said during a Friday press conference.

Jeffries leveled a litany of critiques of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. He added that President Trump “has behaved in a deeply unserious and deeply unhinged manner, and it’s evidence of the fact that Republican have a weak argument.”

Jeffries reiterated Democrats’ position that an extension of Affordable Care Act healthcare subsidies would be necessary for any budget to reopen the government.

“Everyone is about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because of the Republican health care crisis. Everyone,” he warned.

Jeffries said that he had not spoken with House Speaker Mike Johnson about a potential delay in the House returning next week but said he “expects” the current schedule for lawmakers to hold.

“I’m ready to talk to Mike Johnson, John Thune, the President, the Vice President, or any member of the Trump administration with any authority, anytime, anyplace, anywhere,” Jeffries told reporters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759519388040.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (center) votes on the Senate floor before beginning his weekend.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (center) votes on the Senate floor before beginning his weekend.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Hopes for a quick end to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-end-senate-congress-138e0bd690d616f0735429890d28196f">the government shutdown</a>&nbsp;faded Friday as Republicans and Democrats dig in for a prolonged fight and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;readies plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 BREAKING: US Senate REJECTS Democrats&#39; bill to reopen the federal government, 46-52. This is not the CLEAN bill, it&#39;s the Left&#39;s bill. Next up, the GOP bill. <a href="https://t.co/tUS2xfzq3V">pic.twitter.com/tUS2xfzq3V</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1974182958774038545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there has been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-congress-shutdown-democrats-republicans-bb3464820a347fd2c0399e78e335881e">Democrats are demanding</a>&nbsp;that Congress extend healthcare benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">voting on the House-passed bill</a>&nbsp;that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels.The latest:<h2>The Senate fails to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government</h2>Democrats refused to budge in a Senate vote and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Trump</a>&nbsp;readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.On the third day of the shutdown, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government fell well short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. Senators were expected to depart for the weekend, and there have been few signs of any real progress towards ending the congressional standoff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759519431708.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall headed for the exit after voting Friday afternoon (top of the image)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall headed for the exit after voting Friday afternoon (top of the image)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Senators head for the exits</h2>The vote to advance a GOP bill to reopen the government was not over, but senators were already heading for the exits of the Capitol.Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he will give Democrats the weekend to think over their stance, but there have been few signs of meaningful progress to ending the impasse.The bill was poised to fail Friday afternoon as over 40 senators had already voted against it. The Senate’s filibuster rules require at least 60 senators to vote to advance the legislation to a final vote.<h2>GOP Sen. Hawley says Congress must act ‘quickly’ to fix expiring ACA tax credits</h2>“We’ve got to do something to make sure the premiums don’t essentially double, which they will in my state,” said the Missouri Republican, referencing ongoing discussions about extending the ACA tax credits. “We just can’t allow that to happen.”“That’s a lot of Missourians that will not be able to afford healthcare. So we have to do something about it,” said Hawley.Some Republicans have said they will address the expiring ACA tax credits once the government reopens. Hawley said they need to be addressed “as soon as possible.”<h2>Smithsonian museums will remain open through Oct. 11</h2>The Smithsonian Institution including all its museums will remain open at least through Oct. 11 amid an ongoing federal government shutdown.Museums, research centers and the National Zoo were originally projected to only be able to operate through Saturday using prior-year funding.The extension was posted Friday on the Smithsonian website.The Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History &amp; Culture, has been targeted by the Trump administration for programs that advance “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”<h2>Jeffries calls Trump, Republican congressional leaders ‘unserious’ in shutdown talks</h2>“These aren’t serious individuals. They want to keep the government shut down,” the Democratic leader said during a Friday press conference.Jeffries leveled a litany of critiques of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. He added that President Trump “has behaved in a deeply unserious and deeply unhinged manner, and it’s evidence of the fact that Republican have a weak argument.”Jeffries reiterated Democrats’ position that an extension of Affordable Care Act healthcare subsidies would be necessary for any budget to reopen the government.“Everyone is about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because of the Republican health care crisis. Everyone,” he warned.Jeffries said that he had not spoken with House Speaker Mike Johnson about a potential delay in the House returning next week but said he “expects” the current schedule for lawmakers to hold.“I’m ready to talk to Mike Johnson, John Thune, the President, the Vice President, or any member of the Trump administration with any authority, anytime, anyplace, anywhere,” Jeffries told reporters.

Shutdown weekend: Another vote in U.S. Senate fails

McPHERSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 5:30a.m. Friday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Bentley D.&nbsp; Eckhoff, 20, Hutchinson was&nbsp;southbound on Interstate 135 one mile north of Quivera Road.

The pickup traveled off the roadway to the left and the driver overcorrected. The pickup returned to the road and rolled multiple times coming to rest in the southbound lanes of the Interstate.

A passenger in the pickup identified as Joel Guffey, 19,&nbsp; Hutchinson was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Eckhoff to Salina Regional Health Center. They were not wearing a seat belts, according to the KHP.

McPHERSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 5:30a.m. Friday in McPherson County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Bentley D.&nbsp; Eckhoff, 20, Hutchinson was&nbsp;southbound on Interstate 135 one mile north of Quivera Road.The pickup traveled off the roadway to the left and the driver overcorrected. The pickup returned to the road and rolled multiple times coming to rest in the southbound lanes of the Interstate.A passenger in the pickup identified as Joel Guffey, 19,&nbsp; Hutchinson was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Eckhoff to Salina Regional Health Center. They were not wearing a seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas man killed in violent pickup rollover crash

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement in a Kansas community are warning residents to be vigilant report of a rare venomous snake&nbsp;

On October 1, a citizen called in an animal complaint regarding a snake that was found moving from 4th Street into the City Park across from the 1st Baptist Church at 4th and Elm Street, according to the Louisburg Police Department.

 Officers responded and along with other City Public Works crew discovered the snake which turned out to be a mature Copperhead reptile that was handled and removed from the area. Checks were made to insure there were no other snakes of this variety still crawling about. While it is uncommon to find this type of snake in populated locations since they tend to avoid most people, they are native to the region and can occasionally turn up. Please be vigilant when out and about in our parks and other areas where trees and thicker foliage can be near the trails and equipment and structures. 

If you do observe a snake or other wild animal, please try to avoid it as most often it is not wanting to to be near you as well. And if you are just not sure, please reach out to the local animal control to handle the creature to insure that there are no issues that might be a safety concern. The local animal control in Louisburg is the Louisburg Police Department. To reach them, call Dispatch at 837-2300 and request an Officer to respond. Thanks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759455275336.jpg" alt="Copperhead -image courtesy Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Copperhead -image courtesy Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement in a Kansas community are warning residents to be vigilant report of a rare venomous snake&nbsp;On October 1, a citizen called in an animal complaint regarding a snake that was found moving from 4th Street into the City Park across from the 1st Baptist Church at 4th and Elm Street, according to the Louisburg Police Department. Officers responded and along with other City Public Works crew discovered the snake which turned out to be a mature Copperhead reptile that was handled and removed from the area. Checks were made to insure there were no other snakes of this variety still crawling about. While it is uncommon to find this type of snake in populated locations since they tend to avoid most people, they are native to the region and can occasionally turn up. Please be vigilant when out and about in our parks and other areas where trees and thicker foliage can be near the trails and equipment and structures. If you do observe a snake or other wild animal, please try to avoid it as most often it is not wanting to to be near you as well. And if you are just not sure, please reach out to the local animal control to handle the creature to insure that there are no issues that might be a safety concern. The local animal control in Louisburg is the Louisburg Police Department. To reach them, call Dispatch at 837-2300 and request an Officer to respond. Thanks.

Police warn Kan. residents after rare venomous snake reported

MIAMI COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Thursday in rural Miami County.

The Miami County Sheriff’s Office reported a 2015 Ram 1500 was eastbound on 231st Street and failed to stop at a stop sign at Waverly Road. The pickup collided with a southbound&nbsp;2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The impact&nbsp; forced the Chevy off the roadway and into a tree. The pickup left the roadway and rolled.

EMS transported the man driving the Chevrolet Cruze to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. EMS also transported the pickup driver to a hospital for treatment of&nbsp; life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release names of the victims.

The crash remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

MIAMI COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 10a.m. Thursday in rural Miami County.The Miami County Sheriff’s Office reported a 2015 Ram 1500 was eastbound on 231st Street and failed to stop at a stop sign at Waverly Road. The pickup collided with a southbound&nbsp;2014 Chevrolet Cruze. The impact&nbsp; forced the Chevy off the roadway and into a tree. The pickup left the roadway and rolled.EMS transported the man driving the Chevrolet Cruze to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. EMS also transported the pickup driver to a hospital for treatment of&nbsp; life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release names of the victims.The crash remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

Kansas man dies after crash pushed car into a tree

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins attends a Missouri Right to Life rally in March in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SECOND%20REVISED%20SUMMARY%20STATEMENT%20FOR%20HJR%2073.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3687540" target="_blank">latest version</a>&nbsp;of ballot language for a proposed abortion ban states the amendment would repeal a 2024 amendment after a Cole County judge said he had to be more specific.

The portion revised under court order now reads:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

The previous ballot language used the word “amend” rather than “repeal.”

On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Daniel Green said that Hoskins’ first attempt was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-orders-revised-ballot-language-repeal-abortion-rights/">“insufficient and unfair”&nbsp;</a>because it didn’t make clear that a current constitutional amendment would be repealed. Hoskins was charged with rewriting the ballot language after Green ordered that the initial wording by lawmakers also did not alert voters that<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">&nbsp;it would repeal the voter-approved amendment.</a>

Like the previous attempt, the language does not explicitly state what is in the section of the constitution to be repealed. That was a key point in the arguments filed over the first effort, with opponents of the amendment saying the ballot language should say it would reinstate a ban on most abortions and attorneys for Hoskins telling Green voters could easily look it up if they wanted to know more.

The<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">&nbsp;proposed amendment drafted by Republican lawmakers</a>&nbsp;will appear before voters in November 2026, two years after<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;Missourians codified the right to reproductive health care&nbsp;</a>—&nbsp;including abortions up until fetal viability —&nbsp;in the state constitution.

Green previously ruled that the remaining bullet points are now acceptable. Hoskins did not make any changes to the summaries, which read:&nbsp;

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

Under a new law enacted this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/judge-rules-unconstitutional-law-missouri-attorney-general-special-appeal-power/">upheld in a separate case by Green</a>, Hoskins has three attempts to submit ballot language that satisfies the court. If after that, Green still finds the language insufficient, the judge will rewrite it himself.

Hoskins was also responsible for writing the fair ballot statement that appears in polling places and on the office’s website that summarize what both a “yes” and “no” vote mean.

Green previously told Hoskins to rewrite the “fair ballot language” summary posted to the secretary of state’s website, calling the old language misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hoskins’ latest ballot statement makes just one change by again swapping “amend” out for “repeal.”

This latest summary also states that a “yes” vote would guarantee women’s medical care under specific scenarios, including ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, and allow abortions in the first 12 weeks festation in cases of rape or incest. It would also ban gender-affirming health care for minors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A “no” vote, Hoskins wrote, in part, would “limit abortion” to specific scenarios.

Prior to the passage of the 2024 abortion rights amendment, nearly all abortions were illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. The new proposed ban would broader access slightly to also allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it’s not yet clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756640213263.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins attends a Missouri Right to Life rally in March in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SECOND%20REVISED%20SUMMARY%20STATEMENT%20FOR%20HJR%2073.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3687540" target="_blank">latest version</a>&nbsp;of ballot language for a proposed abortion ban states the amendment would repeal a 2024 amendment after a Cole County judge said he had to be more specific.The portion revised under court order now reads:“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical&nbsp;emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’</li>
 </ul>The previous ballot language used the word “amend” rather than “repeal.”On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Daniel Green said that Hoskins’ first attempt was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-orders-revised-ballot-language-repeal-abortion-rights/">“insufficient and unfair”&nbsp;</a>because it didn’t make clear that a current constitutional amendment would be repealed. Hoskins was charged with rewriting the ballot language after Green ordered that the initial wording by lawmakers also did not alert voters that<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">&nbsp;it would repeal the voter-approved amendment.</a>Like the previous attempt, the language does not explicitly state what is in the section of the constitution to be repealed. That was a key point in the arguments filed over the first effort, with opponents of the amendment saying the ballot language should say it would reinstate a ban on most abortions and attorneys for Hoskins telling Green voters could easily look it up if they wanted to know more.The<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">&nbsp;proposed amendment drafted by Republican lawmakers</a>&nbsp;will appear before voters in November 2026, two years after<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;Missourians codified the right to reproductive health care&nbsp;</a>—&nbsp;including abortions up until fetal viability —&nbsp;in the state constitution.Green previously ruled that the remaining bullet points are now acceptable. Hoskins did not make any changes to the summaries, which read:&nbsp;“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;</li><li>and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>Under a new law enacted this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/judge-rules-unconstitutional-law-missouri-attorney-general-special-appeal-power/">upheld in a separate case by Green</a>, Hoskins has three attempts to submit ballot language that satisfies the court. If after that, Green still finds the language insufficient, the judge will rewrite it himself.Hoskins was also responsible for writing the fair ballot statement that appears in polling places and on the office’s website that summarize what both a “yes” and “no” vote mean.Green previously told Hoskins to rewrite the “fair ballot language” summary posted to the secretary of state’s website, calling the old language misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hoskins’ latest ballot statement makes just one change by again swapping “amend” out for “repeal.”This latest summary also states that a “yes” vote would guarantee women’s medical care under specific scenarios, including ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, and allow abortions in the first 12 weeks festation in cases of rape or incest. It would also ban gender-affirming health care for minors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A “no” vote, Hoskins wrote, in part, would “limit abortion” to specific scenarios.Prior to the passage of the 2024 abortion rights amendment, nearly all abortions were illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. The new proposed ban would broader access slightly to also allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it’s not yet clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.

Missouri secretary of state submits second attempt at abortion ban ballot language

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a computer scam that cost a man thousands of dollars.

On Thursday,&nbsp;&nbsp;a 76-year-old Salina man reported that on Monday he received a “pop-up” on his computer indicating his computer had contracted a virus and to call Microsoft at the listed phone number, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman,

The subject the victim spoke with advised his computer had been compromised and he was supposed to send money via Bitcoin. The victim also received a call claiming to be from the fraud department of his bank who instructed him to send $15,700 in bitcoin. 

On Tuesday, the man went to Kwik Shop at 305 W. Schilling in Salina and purchased $15,700 in bitcoin from the bitcoin machine, which he sent. The victim was contacted a few hours later and advised to send an additional $9,590 and went back to the same machine. The caller advised not to contact the police or his bank as this was an ongoing investigation. On Thursday the victim was told to wire another $24,300 through Wells Fargo. When the victim went to his bank to attempt the transfer it was flagged as fraud and would not go through. Total loss was valued at $25,290.

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a computer scam that cost a man thousands of dollars.On Thursday,&nbsp;&nbsp;a 76-year-old Salina man reported that on Monday he received a “pop-up” on his computer indicating his computer had contracted a virus and to call Microsoft at the listed phone number, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman,The subject the victim spoke with advised his computer had been compromised and he was supposed to send money via Bitcoin. The victim also received a call claiming to be from the fraud department of his bank who instructed him to send $15,700 in bitcoin. On Tuesday, the man went to Kwik Shop at 305 W. Schilling in Salina and purchased $15,700 in bitcoin from the bitcoin machine, which he sent. The victim was contacted a few hours later and advised to send an additional $9,590 and went back to the same machine. The caller advised not to contact the police or his bank as this was an ongoing investigation. On Thursday the victim was told to wire another $24,300 through Wells Fargo. When the victim went to his bank to attempt the transfer it was flagged as fraud and would not go through. Total loss was valued at $25,290.

Sheriff: Kansas man lost $25,000 in computer scam

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ali-swenson">ALI SWENSON</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Army veteran Samuel Port couldn’t believe what he was reading in his latest weekly newsletter emailed from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-republicans-shutdown-negotiations-votes-health-care-29b11579bfc694a52b9e8e272a47bb91">blamed Senate Democrats for the federal shutdown</a>, saying they were blocking a stopgap bill to fund the government “due to unrelated policy demands.” It then listed various disruptions to veterans’ resources.

In Port’s view, the finger-pointing was inappropriate from a federal agency and lacked the context that Republicans, too, could have taken steps&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">to keep the government funded</a>. He said it wore away any trust he had left in the VA to offer services without a political agenda.

“This blatant propaganda being spat out was astonishing,” said Port, a Virginia-based volunteer for the progressive advocacy organization Common Defense. “Then the astonishment turned into just anger that we’re being politicized like this.”

Port is among a growing number of Americans whose routine interactions with the federal government this week have been met with partisan messaging. As a Senate deadlock keeps the federal government unfunded, with no end in sight, some traditionally apolitical federal agencies are using their official channels to spread a coordinated political message: It’s the Democrats’ fault.

The rhetoric, popping up in bright-red webpage banners, email autoreplies and social media posts, lays blame on the political party that is out of power in Washington when both sides are refusing to accommodate the other.

Democrats, who have minorities in both the U.S. Senate and House, have demanded that a set of expiring health insurance tax credits be extended before they sign on to any deal. Republicans, who need several Democratic votes in the Senate, said those negotiations should wait until after the funding measure passes.

Experts say the communication strategy from across the federal government reflects how aligned President Donald Trump’s entire administration has become in targeting his political opponents.

Far more partisan than the straightforward alerts that typically grace agency websites during shutdowns, the messages are in keeping with Trump’s pattern of requiring loyalty and obedience at all levels of government.

“There’s really been a consistent and sustained effort to try to pull the entire bureaucracy in sync with what the president wants,” said Don Kettl, a professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “The big risk here is that it erodes the fundamental trust that people have in government’s ability to be impartial.”

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ali-swenson">ALI SWENSON</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Army veteran Samuel Port couldn’t believe what he was reading in his latest weekly newsletter emailed from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">HUD’s website has been updated with the following message: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.” <a href="https://t.co/4Q1ufb2glW">pic.twitter.com/4Q1ufb2glW</a>&mdash; Department of Housing and Urban Development (@HUDgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/HUDgov/status/1973246606087737612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-republicans-shutdown-negotiations-votes-health-care-29b11579bfc694a52b9e8e272a47bb91">blamed Senate Democrats for the federal shutdown</a>, saying they were blocking a stopgap bill to fund the government “due to unrelated policy demands.” It then listed various disruptions to veterans’ resources.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 Senate Democrats just voted to send the government into a shutdown. DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN LOADING. <a href="https://t.co/t7I2x7guxZ">pic.twitter.com/t7I2x7guxZ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1973171967865004192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In Port’s view, the finger-pointing was inappropriate from a federal agency and lacked the context that Republicans, too, could have taken steps&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">to keep the government funded</a>. He said it wore away any trust he had left in the VA to offer services without a political agenda.“This blatant propaganda being spat out was astonishing,” said Port, a Virginia-based volunteer for the progressive advocacy organization Common Defense. “Then the astonishment turned into just anger that we’re being politicized like this.”Port is among a growing number of Americans whose routine interactions with the federal government this week have been met with partisan messaging. As a Senate deadlock keeps the federal government unfunded, with no end in sight, some traditionally apolitical federal agencies are using their official channels to spread a coordinated political message: It’s the Democrats’ fault.The rhetoric, popping up in bright-red webpage banners, email autoreplies and social media posts, lays blame on the political party that is out of power in Washington when both sides are refusing to accommodate the other.Democrats, who have minorities in both the U.S. Senate and House, have demanded that a set of expiring health insurance tax credits be extended before they sign on to any deal. Republicans, who need several Democratic votes in the Senate, said those negotiations should wait until after the funding measure passes.Experts say the communication strategy from across the federal government reflects how aligned President Donald Trump’s entire administration has become in targeting his political opponents.Far more partisan than the straightforward alerts that typically grace agency websites during shutdowns, the messages are in keeping with Trump’s pattern of requiring loyalty and obedience at all levels of government.“There’s really been a consistent and sustained effort to try to pull the entire bureaucracy in sync with what the president wants,” said Don Kettl, a professor emeritus and former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “The big risk here is that it erodes the fundamental trust that people have in government’s ability to be impartial.”<h2>Several government websites blame Democrats</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759452448754.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>Many internet users noticed the first political postings from government agencies on Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-warning-democrats-hatch-act-hud-d21afb79d01007bdd39a9211af1e2b99">before the shutdown began.</a>&nbsp;The website of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development displayed a message warning that “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands.”That afternoon, employees across the federal government reported receiving messages from their agencies noting Trump’s general opposition to a shutdown.It’s difficult to know with certainty how many federal agencies and departments are promoting the partisan language across websites, social media accounts and email messages. Of the 15 executive departments in Trump’s Cabinet, at least 10 posted messages this week that blamed Democrats or the “radical left” for the shutdown on their official websites or social media accounts.The website of the Small Business Administration placed its message in a red banner that took up the entire screen on a smartphone. It said actions from Senate Democrats are preventing the agency “from serving America’s 36 million small businesses.” Other websites, including that of the Food and Drug Administration, told visitors that mission-critical activities would continue “during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”Several other federal agencies and departments maintained politically neutral messages, noting simply that there might be delays in services or updates because of the lapse in funding.<h2>Employee out-of-office messages are changed</h2>At the Department of Education, out-of-office email messages were reset Wednesday with language blaming Democrats for the shutdown.“On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution,” the message said. “Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations.”Some employees tried to change it to something nonpartisan only to see it reverted, according to an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.The White House isn’t shying away from the politics, displaying a by-the-second ticker on its website adding up the length of time for which “Democrats Have Shut Down the Government.”Concerned citizens calling the White House comment line on Wednesday also heard a political voicemail message. In the recording, press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-government-shutdown-health-care-immigrant-11b3ec0066407a17b407bc8e43962fd9">Trump’s false claim</a>&nbsp;that Democrats forced the government shutdown fight because they want to fund health care for illegal immigrants.<h2>Could the messaging violate federal law?</h2>Ethics watchdogs said the political messages from government agency websites and emails exceed the level of partisanship they have seen in the past from the civil service.Multiple experts said the messages also violate a 1939 law called the Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees. Kathleen Clark, a government ethics lawyer and law professor at Washington University, said they are “aimed at pursuing partisan political advantages” and therefore violate the law.On Thursday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel calling for an investigation into the messages for “apparent violations of the Hatch Act.”Donald K. Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said he doesn’t think the messages violate the Hatch Act because they discuss the Democratic Party related to a policy difference rather than an election or a candidate. Still, he said, the postings might violate other ethics laws and are “wildly inappropriate.”Veterans Affairs spokesman Pete Kasperowicz defended his agency’s email message, saying it was “100% factual.”HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a Wednesday night interview with NewsNation that he’s not worried about the Hatch Act allegations against his agency. He called them a “distraction” to deflect from “irresponsible actions on the Hill” and how “Americans are being impacted greatly by this government shutdown.”Asked about the HUD website banner Thursday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson said it shared “the objective truth.”“There are 44 Democrats in the Senate — and by the way every Democrat in the House except one — who voted to shut the government down,” Johnson said in a press conference outside his office. “They are the ones that made that decision. The White House, the executive branch, take no pleasure in this.”___Associated Press writers Collin Binkley, Joey Cappelletti and Gary Fields i