By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday recommended the Kansas Legislature gather public testimony about Republican plans to redraw the state’s four congressional districts to disadvantage Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the next election.

“I am calling on legislative leadership to host town halls prior to circulating a petition for a special session,” Kelly said in a statement. “Kansans must be offered the opportunity to express their opinions directly to their representatives, as they have during previous redistricting processes.”

The Republican-led Legislature convened 18 public sessions in 2021 in advance of the House and Senate votes in 2022 to reconfigure U.S. House district boundaries. That congressional map was expected to be in place for a decade, but President Donald Trump applied pressure on Kansas and other states to perform mid-decade redistricting in an attempt to swell the ranks of GOP members in the U.S. House after the 2026 election cycle.

Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Wichita-area Republicans seeking election to statewide offices, have contemplated convening a special session in November to work on maps that would split moderate voters of Johnson County among multiple congressional districts.

The political objective would be to make the 3rd District, which is represented by Davids and anchored by Johnson and Wyandotte counties, more winnable for Republican candidates. At the same time, the districts of GOP U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes would lose a portion of their Republican edge in terms of registered voters.

Kelly said she wouldn’t call a special session for the purpose of redistricting. Masterson and Hawkins have the option of gathering petition signatures from two-thirds of Senate and House members to compel a special session of the Legislature. Currently, Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers and numerically could reach that threshold.

The Democratic governor said discussions about a special session and congressional redistricting “must be brought out from behind closed doors and into the public domain.”

In 2021, then-House Speaker Ron Ryckman said redistricting in Kansas should be viewed as a multi-year process that included town halls to gauge what Kansas wanted to see in terms of adjustments to district boundaries. The Olathe Republican insisted at that time the process should allow for “additional public input” beyond views of legislators.

In 2022, Masterson said it was important to keep a united Johnson County at the core of the 3rd District held by Davids.

In wake of Trump’s call on Kansas to shift its congressional boundaries, Masterson said his consideration of redistricting wouldn’t be connected to his quest to secure Trump’s endorsement in the upcoming governor’s race. While Masterson is among GOP candidates for governor, Hawkins is running for state insurance commissioner.

Kelly said Kansas lawmakers ought to adhere to precedent and offer robust in-person and online public comment options.

She said residents of Johnson County should have a voice in planning an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of U.S. House boundaries, especially when that action could be taken without referencing new Census data needed to divide the population into four districts.

“I do not agree with mid-decade redistricting based on old data and a clearly partisan agenda,” Kelly said in a statement.

Masterson and Hawkins said they were puzzled Kelly opposed redistricting in Kansas but encouraged redistricting in Democrat-led states such as California in response to action by Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Kelly chairs the Democratic Governors Association.

“Governor Kelly’s recent statements on Kansas redistricting are hypocritical at best,” Masterson said. “She has strongly supported partisan redistricting in California, yet opposes redrawing Kansas’ maps to better reflect the will of most Kansans.”

In terms of redistricting in Kansas, Hawkins added:&nbsp;“To quote the governor, ‘there is a bigger risk in doing nothing.’ It is certainly an issue we are considering seriously.”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both Democrats from Johnson County, echoed Kelly’s opposition to a special session and support for hearings on redistricting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643147273216.png" alt="Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday recommended the Kansas Legislature gather public testimony about Republican plans to redraw the state’s four congressional districts to disadvantage Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the next election.“I am calling on legislative leadership to host town halls prior to circulating a petition for a special session,” Kelly said in a statement. “Kansans must be offered the opportunity to express their opinions directly to their representatives, as they have during previous redistricting processes.”The Republican-led Legislature convened 18 public sessions in 2021 in advance of the House and Senate votes in 2022 to reconfigure U.S. House district boundaries. That congressional map was expected to be in place for a decade, but President Donald Trump applied pressure on Kansas and other states to perform mid-decade redistricting in an attempt to swell the ranks of GOP members in the U.S. House after the 2026 election cycle.Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Wichita-area Republicans seeking election to statewide offices, have contemplated convening a special session in November to work on maps that would split moderate voters of Johnson County among multiple congressional districts.The political objective would be to make the 3rd District, which is represented by Davids and anchored by Johnson and Wyandotte counties, more winnable for Republican candidates. At the same time, the districts of GOP U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes would lose a portion of their Republican edge in terms of registered voters.<h2>The petition route</h2>Kelly said she wouldn’t call a special session for the purpose of redistricting. Masterson and Hawkins have the option of gathering petition signatures from two-thirds of Senate and House members to compel a special session of the Legislature. Currently, Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers and numerically could reach that threshold.The Democratic governor said discussions about a special session and congressional redistricting “must be brought out from behind closed doors and into the public domain.”In 2021, then-House Speaker Ron Ryckman said redistricting in Kansas should be viewed as a multi-year process that included town halls to gauge what Kansas wanted to see in terms of adjustments to district boundaries. The Olathe Republican insisted at that time the process should allow for “additional public input” beyond views of legislators.In 2022, Masterson said it was important to keep a united Johnson County at the core of the 3rd District held by Davids.In wake of Trump’s call on Kansas to shift its congressional boundaries, Masterson said his consideration of redistricting wouldn’t be connected to his quest to secure Trump’s endorsement in the upcoming governor’s race. While Masterson is among GOP candidates for governor, Hawkins is running for state insurance commissioner.Kelly said Kansas lawmakers ought to adhere to precedent and offer robust in-person and online public comment options.She said residents of Johnson County should have a voice in planning an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of U.S. House boundaries, especially when that action could be taken without referencing new Census data needed to divide the population into four districts.“I do not agree with mid-decade redistricting based on old data and a clearly partisan agenda,” Kelly said in a statement.<h2>Leadership tussle</h2>Masterson and Hawkins said they were puzzled Kelly opposed redistricting in Kansas but encouraged redistricting in Democrat-led states such as California in response to action by Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Kelly chairs the Democratic Governors Association.“Governor Kelly’s recent statements on Kansas redistricting are hypocritical at best,” Masterson said. “She has strongly supported partisan redistricting in California, yet opposes redrawing Kansas’ maps to better reflect the will of most Kansans.”In terms of redistricting in Kansas, Hawkins added:&nbsp;“To quote the governor, ‘there is a bigger risk in doing nothing.’ It is certainly an issue we are considering seriously.”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both Democrats from Johnson County, echoed Kelly’s opposition to a special session and support for hearings on redistricting.

Kansas governor urges GOP to convene public hearings on U.S. House redistricting

RILEY COUNTY–&nbsp;Law enforcement in Manhattan have made two arrests this week after a lengthy investigation into multiple vehicle burglaries during the last two months.

Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested Jessup McClelland, 25, of Manhattan, in the 1100 block of Freemont Avenue in Manhattan. He is being held o a $12,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal use of a financial card.&nbsp;&nbsp;McClelland has previous convictions for burglary, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Just after 12:30p.m. Monday,&nbsp; police arrested Adyson Westgate, 19, of Wamego in the 1800 block of Hayes Drive. He was jailed on two counts of criminal use of a financial card and one count of burglary to a vehicle. 

Westgate met the requirement of a $10,000 bond and is no longer in custody.

The RCPD thanked the community for sharing camera footage that assisted in this ongoing investigation and encourage anyone who may have been a victim of vehicle burglaries and has not yet reported it, to contact the RCPD at (785) 537-2112.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758726089427.png" alt="McClelland photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>McClelland photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY–&nbsp;Law enforcement in Manhattan have made two arrests this week after a lengthy investigation into multiple vehicle burglaries during the last two months.Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested Jessup McClelland, 25, of Manhattan, in the 1100 block of Freemont Avenue in Manhattan. He is being held o a $12,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal use of a financial card.&nbsp;&nbsp;McClelland has previous convictions for burglary, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Just after 12:30p.m. Monday,&nbsp; police arrested Adyson Westgate, 19, of Wamego in the 1800 block of Hayes Drive. He was jailed on two counts of criminal use of a financial card and one count of burglary to a vehicle. Westgate met the requirement of a $10,000 bond and is no longer in custody.The RCPD thanked the community for sharing camera footage that assisted in this ongoing investigation and encourage anyone who may have been a victim of vehicle burglaries and has not yet reported it, to contact the RCPD at (785) 537-2112.

Security camera image helped catch Kan. burglary suspects

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 Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, accusing the app’s creators of harming teenagers.

He said the company designed the social media platform “with manipulative features that prey on the mental health of our children.” He said Snapchat has been marketed as safe for teens.

He added:&nbsp;“They have prioritized profit over safety, and our lawsuit holds them accountable for the devastating harm caused to Kansas families.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24644&amp;t=638942182987324433" target="_blank">40-page lawsuit</a>, filed in Washington County on Kansas’ northern border, contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app to build its case.

It alleges Snap violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Those violations are based on the app’s age rating in app stores, around 12 years old and up, and app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references.

“In reality, content in all of those categories appears frequently and is intense on Snapchat,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee, who died in 2021of fentanyl poisoning after reportedly purchasing from a drug dealer on Snapchat.

“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale,” the lawsuit said. “Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”

That was the only mention of Washington County residents, of whom there are around 5,500, in the lawsuit.&nbsp;

A Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of users is a top priority. The company didn’t directly address the lawsuit but said it has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception.

“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us,” the statement said. “This is why we continually adapt our strategies to fight against bad actors, who change their tactics to exploit online platforms for their nefarious ends, and this will remain a crucial part of our efforts to help keep Snapchatters safe.”

For the past three years, the company has commissioned research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries, including the United States, on online platforms.

The 2024 surveys asked more than 9,000 people — around 3,000 teens, 3,000 young adults ages 18-24 and 3,000 parents of teenage children — about online risks, digital wellbeing, defense against online threats and sextortion.

The survey found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024. Misinformation, hate speech and bullying, sexual risks, threats of violence, impersonation, extremist content and self-harm were all perceived as more prevalent than in previous years.

Of the Gen Z teens and young adults surveyed, 80% reported experiencing some online risk, a two percentage point increase from 2023. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents said they had some interaction with intimate or sexual imagery.

Of those, 39% received such imagery, 35% were asked for imagery of themselves and 17% shared or distributed content depicting someone else.

Joseph Sciarrotta, the attorney general’s chief deputy who was hired last month, said the office investigated Snap, finding its features “are intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.”

“From Snapstreaks that create immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points, the platform is a digital trap for children,” Sciarrotta said. “This action alleges that the company made deceptive and misleading claims about safety and parental controls that have contributed to an unacceptable mental health crisis among our youth.”

The lawsuit asks for a judge to find Snap in violation of state law, prohibit the company from continuing the violations and force Snap to pay fines, fees and court costs. The attorney general’s office enlisted Washington, D.C.-based firm Cooper and Kirk to help argue its case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758745585926.png" alt="Snapchat logo" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat logo</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 Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, accusing the app’s creators of harming teenagers.He said the company designed the social media platform “with manipulative features that prey on the mental health of our children.” He said Snapchat has been marketed as safe for teens.“We allege it is not,” Kobach said.He added:&nbsp;“They have prioritized profit over safety, and our lawsuit holds them accountable for the devastating harm caused to Kansas families.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24644&amp;t=638942182987324433" target="_blank">40-page lawsuit</a>, filed in Washington County on Kansas’ northern border, contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app to build its case.It alleges Snap violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Those violations are based on the app’s age rating in app stores, around 12 years old and up, and app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references.“In reality, content in all of those categories appears frequently and is intense on Snapchat,” the lawsuit reads.The lawsuit references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee, who died in 2021of fentanyl poisoning after reportedly purchasing from a drug dealer on Snapchat.“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale,” the lawsuit said. “Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”That was the only mention of Washington County residents, of whom there are around 5,500, in the lawsuit.&nbsp;A Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of users is a top priority. The company didn’t directly address the lawsuit but said it has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception.“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us,” the statement said. “This is why we continually adapt our strategies to fight against bad actors, who change their tactics to exploit online platforms for their nefarious ends, and this will remain a crucial part of our efforts to help keep Snapchatters safe.”For the past three years, the company has commissioned research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries, including the United States, on online platforms.The 2024 surveys asked more than 9,000 people — around 3,000 teens, 3,000 young adults ages 18-24 and 3,000 parents of teenage children — about online risks, digital wellbeing, defense against online threats and sextortion.The survey found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024. Misinformation, hate speech and bullying, sexual risks, threats of violence, impersonation, extremist content and self-harm were all perceived as more prevalent than in previous years.Of the Gen Z teens and young adults surveyed, 80% reported experiencing some online risk, a two percentage point increase from 2023. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents said they had some interaction with intimate or sexual imagery.Of those, 39% received such imagery, 35% were asked for imagery of themselves and 17% shared or distributed content depicting someone else.Joseph Sciarrotta, the attorney general’s chief deputy who was hired last month, said the office investigated Snap, finding its features “are intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.”“From Snapstreaks that create immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points, the platform is a digital trap for children,” Sciarrotta said. “This action alleges that the company made deceptive and misleading claims about safety and parental controls that have contributed to an unacceptable mental health crisis among our youth.”The lawsuit asks for a judge to find Snap in violation of state law, prohibit the company from continuing the violations and force Snap to pay fines, fees and court costs. The attorney general’s office enlisted Washington, D.C.-based firm Cooper and Kirk to help argue its case.

Kan. sues social media app Snapchat for harming teenagers’ mental health

WASHINGTON (AP) —Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-d40ff2bfe020001d2770660e72f5c9f2">Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-gsa-fired-employees-ce18553b281fbf5816ec2fd491d79b78" target="_blank">being asked to return to work</a>.

The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report to work on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation.

“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748629615367.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk during an Oval Office meeting -image White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk during an Oval Office meeting -image White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-d40ff2bfe020001d2770660e72f5c9f2">Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-gsa-fired-employees-ce18553b281fbf5816ec2fd491d79b78" target="_blank">being asked to return to work</a>.The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report to work on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation.“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”

Hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE are rehired

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.

On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.

The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.

Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.

Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.

Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758722708367.png" alt="The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

Police: Suspects took hard drive from bank ATM in central Kansas

UNITED NATIONS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-summit-zelenskyy-a01a6dbae85b10cc710c48f1558c1401">calls for Kyiv to make concessions</a>&nbsp;to end the war.

Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering of world leaders.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”

The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-putin-33015fe967ab7cd09fee165fed59953e">keep up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war. It was a departure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-land-swap-trump-summit-e8e869d5d5ec672fee3e86022b20d11a">Trump’s previous suggestions</a>&nbsp;that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

That had disheartened Zelenskyy, Europeans and Ukrainians and called into question the U.S. commitment to U.N. principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. But now, Trump’s view of the battlefield coincides more with Ukraine’s, Zelenskyy said.

“Trump is a game changer by himself,” Zelenskyy told reporters after their meeting.

Trump needles Russia about war in Ukraine

Trump, going back to his 2024 campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">insisted he would quickly end the war</a>, but his peace efforts appear to have stalled following a diplomatic blitz last month, when he held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-alaska-meeting-ukraine-war-942638dc7d3b7b8e61698f8574bdc890">summit with Putin</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-zelensky-what-to-know-f70e7c231251f263a66772d954eefff5">White House meeting with Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European allies.

Trump has acknowledged, including in his U.N. speech to world leaders, that he thought a resolution to this conflict would be “the easiest” because he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-relationship-over-years-d7a6c5400d9ec88127d16278be07a145">had a good relationship with Putin</a>. Trump said he is open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-trump-putin-russia-sanctions-ukraine-7457f341013e2e552c7f5f76ac7fd962">imposing more sanctions on Russia</a>&nbsp;and urged Europe to join in.

“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote on social media. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”

In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish.”

“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said. “The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”

Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said the “biggest progress” toward ending the conflict “is that the Russian economy is terrible right now.” Zelenskyy said he agreed with Trump’s call for European nations to further halt imports of Russian oil and natural gas.

“We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump told Zelenskyy, who replied that he had “good news” from the battlefield.

How Trump’s stance has shifted on Ukraine

Before his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Alaska summit</a>&nbsp;with Putin last month, Trump repeated that any resolution to the war would require “some land swapping.”

In talks with Zelenskyy and Europeans just afterward, Trump said Putin reiterated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-putin-summit-ukraine-territory-ba56ddbd24d1b7e8e0aca7754d0f180a">he wants the Donetsk and Luhansk regions</a>&nbsp;that make up the Donbas, according to European officials. Days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders</a>&nbsp;came to the White House.

Following those meetings, Trump announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">arranging for direct talks</a>&nbsp;between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.

European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia.

“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.

However, he repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.

Push for sanctions and cutting off Russian oil

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said before meeting with Trump that Europe would be imposing more sanctions and tariffs on Russia and that the bloc would be further reducing its imports of Russian energy.

Zelenskyy, speaking at a special U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine, also appealed for stronger U.S. pressure on Russia.

“Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it,” said Zelenskyy, who has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">strained ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;in previous sitdowns and has previously faced White House accusations that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-trump-war-zelenskyy-putin-7fe8c0c80b4e93e3bc079c621a44e8bb">partly to blame for Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;in 2022.

Russia denigrated the Security Council meeting as just the New York stop in the world tour of a “former actor,” a reference to Zelenskyy.

“There is no added value for the establishment of peace in Ukraine generated from today’s meeting,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. “This will merely become yet another shameful episode in the market of hypocrisy.”

European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, with some alarmed by the possibility that the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nato-members-borders-airspace-violations-4a7d6c3eabf76c82ebaff434401b3331">could spread beyond Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as they are facing what they have called Russian provocations.

“I welcome the fact that the president of the United States believes in Ukraine’s ability not only to hold the course” but to prevail, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

NATO allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12">will hold formal consultations</a>&nbsp;at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-drones-estonia-ed72156951e6ef62f802d9f1f786c8b5">Russian fighter jets entered its airspace</a>&nbsp;last week without authorization.

Trump said he would back NATO countries that choose to shoot down intruding Russian planes, but said direct U.S. involvement would depend on the circumstances.

New strikes in Ukraine as toll of war grows

The full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, is taking a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians. Russia said it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow, while Ukraine said Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared with 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.

A U.N. Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.

“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.

Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. AP reporters Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755286154581.png" alt="Russian President Putin and President Trump met in Alaska August 15. Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Russian President Putin and President Trump met in Alaska August 15. Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-summit-zelenskyy-a01a6dbae85b10cc710c48f1558c1401">calls for Kyiv to make concessions</a>&nbsp;to end the war.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 &quot;...Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!&quot; - PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP <a href="https://t.co/YI0N4JF4ll">pic.twitter.com/YI0N4JF4ll</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970564074850123952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?&quot; President Trump: &quot;Yes, I do.&quot; When asked if he still trusts President Putin, Trump responds, &quot;I&#39;ll let you know in about a month.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pptl8AWYtK">pic.twitter.com/pptl8AWYtK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970548801967423919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky. &quot;We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up. It&#39;s pretty amazing actually.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Th62pTYuck">pic.twitter.com/Th62pTYuck</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970548405328818584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering of world leaders.“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-putin-33015fe967ab7cd09fee165fed59953e">keep up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war. It was a departure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-land-swap-trump-summit-e8e869d5d5ec672fee3e86022b20d11a">Trump’s previous suggestions</a>&nbsp;that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.That had disheartened Zelenskyy, Europeans and Ukrainians and called into question the U.S. commitment to U.N. principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. But now, Trump’s view of the battlefield coincides more with Ukraine’s, Zelenskyy said.“Trump is a game changer by himself,” Zelenskyy told reporters after their meeting.<h2>Trump needles Russia about war in Ukraine</h2>Trump, going back to his 2024 campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">insisted he would quickly end the war</a>, but his peace efforts appear to have stalled following a diplomatic blitz last month, when he held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-alaska-meeting-ukraine-war-942638dc7d3b7b8e61698f8574bdc890">summit with Putin</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-zelensky-what-to-know-f70e7c231251f263a66772d954eefff5">White House meeting with Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European allies.Trump has acknowledged, including in his U.N. speech to world leaders, that he thought a resolution to this conflict would be “the easiest” because he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-relationship-over-years-d7a6c5400d9ec88127d16278be07a145">had a good relationship with Putin</a>. Trump said he is open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-trump-putin-russia-sanctions-ukraine-7457f341013e2e552c7f5f76ac7fd962">imposing more sanctions on Russia</a>&nbsp;and urged Europe to join in.“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote on social media. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish.”“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said. “The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said the “biggest progress” toward ending the conflict “is that the Russian economy is terrible right now.” Zelenskyy said he agreed with Trump’s call for European nations to further halt imports of Russian oil and natural gas.“We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump told Zelenskyy, who replied that he had “good news” from the battlefield.<h2>How Trump’s stance has shifted on Ukraine</h2>Before his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Alaska summit</a>&nbsp;with Putin last month, Trump repeated that any resolution to the war would require “some land swapping.”In talks with Zelenskyy and Europeans just afterward, Trump said Putin reiterated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-putin-summit-ukraine-territory-ba56ddbd24d1b7e8e0aca7754d0f180a">he wants the Donetsk and Luhansk regions</a>&nbsp;that make up the Donbas, according to European officials. Days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders</a>&nbsp;came to the White House.Following those meetings, Trump announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">arranging for direct talks</a>&nbsp;between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia.“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.However, he repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.<h2>Push for sanctions and cutting off Russian oil</h2>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said before meeting with Trump that Europe would be imposing more sanctions and tariffs on Russia and that the bloc would be further reducing its imports of Russian energy.Zelenskyy, speaking at a special U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine, also appealed for stronger U.S. pressure on Russia.“Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it,” said Zelenskyy, who has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">strained ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;in previous sitdowns and has previously faced White House accusations that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-trump-war-zelenskyy-putin-7fe8c0c80b4e93e3bc079c621a44e8bb">partly to blame for Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;in 2022.Russia denigrated the Security Council meeting as just the New York stop in the world tour of a “former actor,” a reference to Zelenskyy.“There is no added value for the establishment of peace in Ukraine generated from today’s meeting,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. “This will merely become yet another shameful episode in the market of hypocrisy.”European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, with some alarmed by the possibility that the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nato-members-borders-airspace-violations-4a7d6c3eabf76c82ebaff434401b3331">could spread beyond Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as they are facing what they have called Russian provocations.“I welcome the fact that the president of the United States believes in Ukraine’s ability not only to hold the course” but to prevail, French President Emmanuel Macron said.NATO allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12">will hold formal consultations</a>&nbsp;at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-drones-estonia-ed72156951e6ef62f802d9f1f786c8b5">Russian fighter jets entered its airspace</a>&nbsp;last week without authorization.Trump said he would back NATO countries that choose to shoot down intruding Russian planes, but said direct U.S. involvement would depend on the circumstances.<h2>New strikes in Ukraine as toll of war grows</h2>The full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, is taking a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians. Russia said it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow, while Ukraine said Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians.The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared with 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.A U.N. Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.___Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. AP reporters Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Presidential pivot: Trump now needles Russia on War in Ukraine

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 8:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.

The man&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates the victim was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. 

Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;Officer Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 8:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.The man&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates the victim was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;Officer Gonzalez.

Homicide: Shooting victim found in vehicle on Kansas City street

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of killing his neighbor has made his first court appearance.

&nbsp;Allan Taylor Gunneson, 38, is charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 6p.m. September 12, police responded to the 900 block of South Vassar Avenue in Wichita, according to a statement from police. First responders found  48-year-old Brian Baker in a front yard with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. Baker was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased at 6:41 p.m.

Investigators learned through multiple witnesses that the incident began as an argument and physical altercation between neighbors that led to the gunfire.

When officers arrived, the suspect identified as Gunneson came out of his home and surrendered.

He was taken to City Hall, questioned, and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp; Gunneson remains on Unsupervised Custody; Home Incarceration, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757803004206.png" alt="GUNNESON- photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>GUNNESON- photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of killing his neighbor has made his first court appearance.&nbsp;Allan Taylor Gunneson, 38, is charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 6p.m. September 12, police responded to the 900 block of South Vassar Avenue in Wichita, according to a statement from police. First responders found 48-year-old Brian Baker in a front yard with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. Baker was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased at 6:41 p.m.Investigators learned through multiple witnesses that the incident began as an argument and physical altercation between neighbors that led to the gunfire.When officers arrived, the suspect identified as Gunneson came out of his home and surrendered.He was taken to City Hall, questioned, and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp; Gunneson remains on Unsupervised Custody; Home Incarceration, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of killing his neighbor faced a judge

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-a29db3adb762b9b148d56ce88c24485c">Jimmy Kimmel made an emotional return</a>&nbsp;to his late-night show Tuesday night after a nearly weeklong suspension for remarks he made after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.

For 16 minutes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">Kimmel mixed humor, pointed messages and emotion</a>&nbsp;to talk about his suspension, the support he’s received and praised Kirk’s widow.

Here are seven key moments from his opening monologue, edited for clarity and brevity.

Kimmel talks about the support he’s received

“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours. Me or the CEO of Tylenol. So it’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last six days. I’ve heard from all the people in the world over the last six days, everyone I have ever met has reached out 10 or 11 times.

Weird characters from my past are emai— the guy who fired me from my first radio job in Seattle — where we are not airing tonight by the way — Sorry, Seattle. His name is Larry. In 1989, Larry tried to force me to do a bit called jokes for donuts, where people would call in with a joke and I would give them donuts. I refused to do it. And then I made a lot of fun of Larry for suggesting it. And eventually Larry fired me and I had to move back in with my parents. But even he wrote in to cheer me up. Thank you Larry, and I want to thank everyone who checked in on the show.

Some that I do especially want to mention are my fellow late night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert. He’s found himself in this predicament. My friends Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, James Corden, Arsenio, Kathy, Wanda, Chelsea, even Jay (Leno) reached out. I heard from late-night hosts in other countries, from Ireland and from Germany. The guy in Germany offered me a job.

This country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, “Come here. Cut loose.” My boyhood idols, Howard Stern and David Letterman, were very considerate and kind and I feel honored to be part of a group of people that knows what goes into doing a show like this. And I also want to thank all of you — I do — who supported our show, cared enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard. I will never forget it.”

Kimmel: “And maybe, weirdly, maybe, most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. I never would have imagined if, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz who believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.

Ted Cruz clip: “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired.”

Kimmel: “Oh, wait, no, not that -- the other part.”

Ted Cruz clip: “But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying (crosstalk) what you can and can’t say what you the media have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like, that will end up bad for conservatives.”

Kimmel: “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. He’s absolutely right. This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it. If Ted Cruz can’t speak freely, then he can’t cast spells on the Smurfs.

Even though I don’t agree with many of those people on most subjects, some of the things they say even make me want to throw up. It takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did, and they deserve credit for it. And thank for telling your followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it. “

“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion. And I meant it. I still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what, it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.

But I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did, point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.

I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution. And it isn’t ever.

And also, selfishly, I am, I am a person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my coworkers because of what I choose to say. And I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love. So that’s what I wanted to say on that subject. “

Kimmel on the FCC and chairman Brendan Carr

“I want you to think about this: Should the government be allowed to regulate which podcasts the cell phone companies and Wi-Fi providers are allowed to let you download to make sure they serve the public interest? You think that sounds crazy, but 10 years ago, this sounded crazy, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and that these companies can find ways to change, conduct and take action on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

In addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public. Ted Cruz said he sounded like a mafioso. Although I don’t know, if you want to hear a mob boss make a threat like that, you have to hide a microphone in a deli and park outside in a van with a tape recorder all night long. This genius said it on a podcast.

“You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried, did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now. ”

ABC’s ‘condition’ for Kimmel returning and the host’s gratitude

“I know a lot of people have been asking me if there are conditions for my return to the air, and there is one. Disney has asked me to read the following statement, and, I have agreed to do it.

Here we go: To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV connected device. (laughter)

I’ve been, um, fortunate to work at a company that has allowed me to do the show the way we want to do it for almost 23 years. I’ve done almost 4,000 shows on ABC. And over that time, the people who run this network have allowed me to evolve and to stretch the boundaries of what was once traditional for a late night talk show, even when it made them uncomfortable, which I do a lot.

Every night, they’ve defended my right to poke fun at our leaders and to advocate for subjects that I think are important by allowing me to use their platform. And I am very grateful for that. With that said, I was not happy when they pulled me off the air on. I did not agree with that decision and I told them that and we had many conversations. I shared my point of view. They shared theirs. We talked it through and at the end, even though they didn’t have to, they really didn’t have to. This is a giant company. We have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation. They welcomed me back on the air and I thank them for that. But unfortunately, and I think unjustly, this puts them at risk.”

Kimmel says to follow Erika Kirk’s example of forgiveness

“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow.

If you believe in the teachings of Jesus as I do, there it was. That’s, that’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. And I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-a29db3adb762b9b148d56ce88c24485c">Jimmy Kimmel made an emotional return</a>&nbsp;to his late-night show Tuesday night after a nearly weeklong suspension for remarks he made after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.For 16 minutes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">Kimmel mixed humor, pointed messages and emotion</a>&nbsp;to talk about his suspension, the support he’s received and praised Kirk’s widow.Here are seven key moments from his opening monologue, edited for clarity and brevity.<h2>Kimmel talks about the support he’s received</h2>“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours. Me or the CEO of Tylenol. So it’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last six days. I’ve heard from all the people in the world over the last six days, everyone I have ever met has reached out 10 or 11 times.Weird characters from my past are emai— the guy who fired me from my first radio job in Seattle — where we are not airing tonight by the way — Sorry, Seattle. His name is Larry. In 1989, Larry tried to force me to do a bit called jokes for donuts, where people would call in with a joke and I would give them donuts. I refused to do it. And then I made a lot of fun of Larry for suggesting it. And eventually Larry fired me and I had to move back in with my parents. But even he wrote in to cheer me up. Thank you Larry, and I want to thank everyone who checked in on the show.Some that I do especially want to mention are my fellow late night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert. He’s found himself in this predicament. My friends Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, James Corden, Arsenio, Kathy, Wanda, Chelsea, even Jay (Leno) reached out. I heard from late-night hosts in other countries, from Ireland and from Germany. The guy in Germany offered me a job.Can you imagine?This country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, “Come here. Cut loose.” My boyhood idols, Howard Stern and David Letterman, were very considerate and kind and I feel honored to be part of a group of people that knows what goes into doing a show like this. And I also want to thank all of you — I do — who supported our show, cared enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard. I will never forget it.”<h2>Kimmel on support from surprising places</h2>Kimmel: “And maybe, weirdly, maybe, most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. I never would have imagined if, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz who believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.Ted Cruz clip: “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired.”Kimmel: “Oh, wait, no, not that -- the other part.”Ted Cruz clip: “But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying (crosstalk) what you can and can’t say what you the media have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like, that will end up bad for conservatives.”Kimmel: “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. He’s absolutely right. This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it. If Ted Cruz can’t speak freely, then he can’t cast spells on the Smurfs.Even though I don’t agree with many of those people on most subjects, some of the things they say even make me want to throw up. It takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did, and they deserve credit for it. And thank for telling your followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it. “<h2>Kimmel talks about Charlie Kirk</h2>“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion. And I meant it. I still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what, it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.But I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. And for those who think I did, point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution. And it isn’t ever.And also, selfishly, I am, I am a person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my coworkers because of what I choose to say. And I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love. So that’s what I wanted to say on that subject. “<h2>Kimmel on the FCC and chairman Brendan Carr</h2>“I want you to think about this: Should the government be allowed to regulate which podcasts the cell phone companies and Wi-Fi providers are allowed to let you download to make sure they serve the public interest? You think that sounds crazy, but 10 years ago, this sounded crazy, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and that these companies can find ways to change, conduct and take action on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.In addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public. Ted Cruz said he sounded like a mafioso. Although I don’t know, if you want to hear a mob boss make a threat like that, you have to hide a microphone in a deli and park outside in a van with a tape recorder all night long. This genius said it on a podcast.<h2>Kimmel says Trump has boosted ratings</h2>“You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried, did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now. ”<h2>ABC’s ‘condition’ for Kimmel returning and the host’s gratitude</h2>“I know a lot of people have been asking me if there are conditions for my return to the air, and there is one. Disney has asked me to read the following statement, and, I have agreed to do it.Here we go: To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV connected device. (laughter)I’ve been, um, fortunate to work at a company that has allowed me to do the show the way we want to do it for almost 23 years. I’ve done almost 4,000 shows on ABC. And over that time, the people who run this network have allowed me to evolve and to stretch the boundaries of what was once traditional for a late night talk show, even when it made them uncomfortable, which I do a lot.Every night, they’ve defended my right to poke fun at our leaders and to advocate for subjects that I think are important by allowing me to use their platform. And I am very grateful for that. With that said, I was not happy when they pulled me off the air on. I did not agree with that decision and I told them that and we had many conversations. I shared my point of view. They shared theirs. We talked it through and at the end, even though they didn’t have to, they really didn’t have to. This is a giant company. We have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation. They welcomed me back on the air and I thank them for that. But unfortunately, and I think unjustly, this puts them at risk.”<h2>Kimmel says to follow Erika Kirk’s example of forgiveness</h2>“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow.If you believe in the teachings of Jesus as I do, there it was. That’s, that’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. And I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”

In Jimmy Kimmel’s words: What the host said upon his return from suspension

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. – The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, arrested two men Sept. 17,&nbsp; in connection with a social security scam that defrauded an 84- year-old Kansas woman of more than $255,000.

The investigation began in May when the victim received a phone call from a man posing as an FBI agent, according to Sedgwick Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

 The caller convinced the woman her social security number had been compromised and was being used at numerous banks. Believing her savings were at risk and after being pressured by the man, she liquidated her assets into gold and handed them over in three separate transactions to individuals she thought were undercover FBI agents.

Detectives believe the gold was transferred to overseas accounts.

The victim’s family contacted the Sheriff’s Office after learning all her assets were gone. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and agents with the FBI launched a joint investigation.

On Sept. 17, detectives and deputies with the Sheriff’s Office, agents with the FBI, and troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol, including their Air Support Section, conducted an operation to take down the suspects. Law enforcement intercepted a fourth attempted transaction and arrested 27-year-old Krishna Bharanue Daggubati of Cummings, Georgia, and 29-year-old Sai Praveen Kommana of Frisco, Texas. Both men were booked into the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility on charges of felony theft by deception and mistreatment of a dependent adult.

Detectives believe the ringleader of the scam is not in the United States and directed the scheme by communicating with the victim and his couriers.

Sheriff Jeff Easter reminds residents to remain alert. “These criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Easter said. “I encourage family members to watch out for their loved ones, especially the elderly, who are often targeted by these scams. The Sheriff’s Office will never ask for money over the phone; not for missing jury duty, not for a warrant, and we will never offer to safeguard your assets. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758654135521.png" alt="Daggubati photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Daggubati photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. – The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, arrested two men Sept. 17,&nbsp; in connection with a social security scam that defrauded an 84- year-old Kansas woman of more than $255,000.The investigation began in May when the victim received a phone call from a man posing as an FBI agent, according to Sedgwick Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758654102753.png" alt="KOMMANA photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>KOMMANA photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure> The caller convinced the woman her social security number had been compromised and was being used at numerous banks. Believing her savings were at risk and after being pressured by the man, she liquidated her assets into gold and handed them over in three separate transactions to individuals she thought were undercover FBI agents.Detectives believe the gold was transferred to overseas accounts.The victim’s family contacted the Sheriff’s Office after learning all her assets were gone. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and agents with the FBI launched a joint investigation.On Sept. 17, detectives and deputies with the Sheriff’s Office, agents with the FBI, and troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol, including their Air Support Section, conducted an operation to take down the suspects. Law enforcement intercepted a fourth attempted transaction and arrested 27-year-old Krishna Bharanue Daggubati of Cummings, Georgia, and 29-year-old Sai Praveen Kommana of Frisco, Texas. Both men were booked into the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility on charges of felony theft by deception and mistreatment of a dependent adult.Detectives believe the ringleader of the scam is not in the United States and directed the scheme by communicating with the victim and his couriers.Sheriff Jeff Easter reminds residents to remain alert. “These criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” Easter said. “I encourage family members to watch out for their loved ones, especially the elderly, who are often targeted by these scams. The Sheriff’s Office will never ask for money over the phone; not for missing jury duty, not for a warrant, and we will never offer to safeguard your assets.

Suspects jailed in Kansas for $250K Social Security scam  

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump on Monday promoted ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., an OB/GYN, who delivered more than 5,000 babies, according to his online bio, responded to the White House action plan.

"Autism rates in America are alarming: 1 in 31 children now, up 5x since 2000. It’s about time we launched an NIH Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) to dig deep into causes and solutions." Marshall wrote on social media.

" I’m extremely grateful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for prioritizing this issue. The announcement revealed that Vitamin B9 (folate) shows promise in helping some autism cases per studies.

Some research links CHRONIC acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to increased autism risk."&nbsp;

"While evidence is inconclusive, for all medications, use the shortest duration and minimal dose necessary. Ask your doctor."

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump on Monday promoted ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., an OB/GYN, who delivered more than 5,000 babies, according to his online bio, responded to the White House action plan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> announce the Autism Action Plan. Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/1inEvIecYU">pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970238866394099891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"Autism rates in America are alarming: 1 in 31 children now, up 5x since 2000. It’s about time we launched an NIH Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) to dig deep into causes and solutions." Marshall wrote on social media." I’m extremely grateful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for prioritizing this issue. The announcement revealed that Vitamin B9 (folate) shows promise in helping some autism cases per studies.

Some research links CHRONIC acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to increased autism risk."&nbsp;"While evidence is inconclusive, for all medications, use the shortest duration and minimal dose necessary. Ask your doctor." <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy, can be associated with an increased risk of autism: &quot;They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically… <a href="https://t.co/79tNwDW6Ly">pic.twitter.com/79tNwDW6Ly</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231115194757454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kansas U.S. Senator responds to President Trump's autism announcement

KANSAS CITY —Fire crews had to overcome a hydrant issue while fighting an apartment fire in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Just after 8:30a.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3200 Block of St. John Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews reported heavy smoke and fire showing from a three-story occupied apartment building.&nbsp; Heavy fire was located on both the second and third floors. Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported during this operation. On arrival the first hydrant that was secured was found to be inoperable. A second water source was secured in front of the structure on Indiana. 

Fortunately the inoperable hydrant did not hinder operations. It will be reported to the water department for maintenance. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758655949121.png" alt="Photos KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Fire crews had to overcome a hydrant issue while fighting an apartment fire in Kansas City on Tuesday.Just after 8:30a.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3200 Block of St. John Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758655930737.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews reported heavy smoke and fire showing from a three-story occupied apartment building.&nbsp; Heavy fire was located on both the second and third floors. Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported during this operation. On arrival the first hydrant that was secured was found to be inoperable. A second water source was secured in front of the structure on Indiana. Fortunately the inoperable hydrant did not hinder operations. It will be reported to the water department for maintenance. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

Hydrant did not work as crews began fight on KC apartment fire

HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.

At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. 

He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.

The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758646833807.png" alt="Cole photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Cole photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department.

Former student admits to sex crime in Kan. college dorm

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the brazen foreclosure sale</a>.

U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, declined to speak on her own behalf during the hearing.

Findley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-fraud-foreclosure-sale-c1a821d32c64c06afbeef277f0a793d7">pleaded guilty in February</a>&nbsp;to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She also had been indicted on a charge of aggravated identity theft, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when Findley was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.

Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.

Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42.

The public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.

Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.

Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brought into question the authenticity of the signature.

In halting the foreclosure sale, the judge said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.

A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed with the sale because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address for Naussany listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.

After the scheme fell apart, Findley, who has a criminal history that includes attempts at passing bad checks, tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25, 2024, to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.

In arguing for a three-year sentence, defense attorney Tyrone Paylor noted that Presley's estate did not suffer any loss of money and countered the prosecution's stance that the scheme was executed in a sophisticated manner.

Fowlkes, the judge, said it would have been a “travesty of justice” if the sale had been completed.

“This was a highly sophisticated scheme to defraud,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740502725805.png" alt="Findley photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Findley photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Missouri woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-sale-lawsuit-elvis-presley-bd864f24ff76205ce23885c182a56a66">halted the brazen foreclosure sale</a>.U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, declined to speak on her own behalf during the hearing.Findley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-fraud-foreclosure-sale-c1a821d32c64c06afbeef277f0a793d7">pleaded guilty in February</a>&nbsp;to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-sale-fraudulent-d6431df76860570e5d31526e81974f7d">charge of mail fraud</a>&nbsp;related to the scheme. She also had been indicted on a charge of aggravated identity theft, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">her death in January 2023</a>, prosecutors said when Findley was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85 million settlement, according to authorities.Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-elvis-presley-auction-lawsuit-riley-keough-4c5d2dda1c189997319d331794e8f8d0">Experts were baffled</a>&nbsp;by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42.The public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/riley-keough">Riley Keough</a>, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lisa-marie-presley">Lisa Marie Presley</a>.Keough filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/graceland-auction-elvis-presley-359098fd64877f2e826b7309dba2bbb3">a lawsuit claiming fraud,</a>&nbsp;and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending — the bogus lender authorities say Findley created — said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brought into question the authenticity of the signature.In halting the foreclosure sale, the judge said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed with the sale because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address for Naussany listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.After the scheme fell apart, Findley, who has a criminal history that includes attempts at passing bad checks, tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent May 25, 2024, to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the internet to steal money.In arguing for a three-year sentence, defense attorney Tyrone Paylor noted that Presley's estate did not suffer any loss of money and countered the prosecution's stance that the scheme was executed in a sophisticated manner.Fowlkes, the judge, said it would have been a “travesty of justice” if the sale had been completed.“This was a highly sophisticated scheme to defraud,” he said.

Woman going to prison for trying to sell off Elvis Presley's Graceland

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;castigated the United Nations as a feckless institution in a speech to the world body on Tuesday, praising the turn America has taken under his leadership while warning Europe will be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.

His roughly hourlong speech before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to applaud his second-term achievements and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”

The address was the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to an unapologetically “America First” posture with an antagonistic view toward the United Nations. Trump also sharply criticized the global body for inaction, saying it was filled with “empty words” that “don’t solve wars.”

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638236501.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;castigated the United Nations as a feckless institution in a speech to the world body on Tuesday, praising the turn America has taken under his leadership while warning Europe will be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Watch in full: President Donald J. Trump&#39;s address to the 80th session of the United Nations Generally Assembly <a href="https://t.co/sJKI6GPkyk">pic.twitter.com/sJKI6GPkyk</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970525758855536854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His roughly hourlong speech before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;was both grievance-filled and self-congratulatory as he used the platform to applaud his second-term achievements and lament that some of his fellow world leaders’ countries were “going to hell.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UaxUrM2zCG">pic.twitter.com/UaxUrM2zCG</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970513791168208929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The address was the latest reminder for U.S. allies and foes that the United States — after a four-year interim under the more internationalist President Joe Biden — has returned to an unapologetically “America First” posture with an antagonistic view toward the United Nations. Trump also sharply criticized the global body for inaction, saying it was filled with “empty words” that “don’t solve wars.”“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump said. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I’ve always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential.”Afterward, Trump attempted to assuage fears from some diplomats by assuring the top U.N. leader that the U.S. remained “100%” supportive of the global body despite his earlier criticism.“I may disagree with it sometimes, but I am so behind it because the potential for peace at this institution is great,” Trump told Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.It was another about-face after Trump offered a weave of jarring juxtapositions in his address to the assembly.He trumpeted himself as a peacemaker and enumerated successes of his administration’s efforts in several hotspots around the globe. At the same time, Trump heralded his decisions to order the U.S. military to carry out strikes on Iran and more recently against alleged drug smugglers from Venezuela and argued that “globalists” are on the verge of destroying successful nations.<h2>Warnings about ‘green scam’ and migration</h2>Trump touted his administration’s policies allowing for expanded drilling for oil and natural gas in the United States, and aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration, implicitly suggesting more countries should follow suit.He sharply warned that European nations that have more welcoming migration policies and commit to expensive energy projects aimed at reducing their carbon footprint were causing irreparable harm to their economies and cultures.“I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the ‘green energy’ scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump said. “If you don’t stop people that you’ve never seen before that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.”Trump added, “I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration. This double-tailed monster destroys everything in its wake, and they cannot let that happen any longer.”<h2>Trump pokes at UN for escalator, teleprompter issues</h2>Early in his speech, Trump broke from his prepared remarks to bemoan an inoperable escalator in U.N. headquarters that he happened upon as well as a defective teleprompter.“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” Trump poked, eliciting laughs from delegates and leaders.A U.N. official said the United Nations understands that someone from the president’s party who ran ahead of him inadvertently triggered the stop mechanism on the escalator. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the White House was operating the teleprompter for the president.<h2>Trump holds one-on-one talks with world leaders</h2>Trump touted “the renewal of American strength around the world” and his efforts to help end several wars. He peppered his speech with criticism of global institutions doing too little to end war and solve the world’s biggest problems.General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that despite all the internal and external challenges facing the organization, it is not the time to walk away.“Sometimes we could’ve done more, but we cannot let this dishearten us. If we stop doing the right things, evil will prevail,” Baerbock said in her opening remarks.Trump also met Tuesday with the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union. He will also hold a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.He’ll return to Washington after hosting a reception Tuesday night for world leaders.<h2>Gaza and Ukraine cast shadow over Trump speech</h2>Trump has struggled to deliver on his 2024 campaign promises to quickly end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Some longtime American allies are using this year’s General Assembly to spotlight the growing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-france-saudi-recognition-two-states-88f3a87f7d79df02311f09b3e45560e9">France became the latest nation to recognize Palestinian statehood</a>&nbsp;on Monday at the start of a high-profile meeting at the U.N. aimed at galvanizing support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unga-israel-palestinians-statehood-gaza-war-11edddc147d24c73d13316330ebae1d4">a two-state solution</a>&nbsp;to the Mideast conflict.Trump sharply criticized the statehood recognition push.“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists,” Trump said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.”Trump also addressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s war in Ukraine</a>, saying that at the time of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion, everyone thought it would be a “quick little skirmish,” with Russia prevailing in a matter of days. Instead, the war has stretched on for over three years and counting.The U.S. president on Tuesday once again threatened to hit Russia with “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Putin does not come to the table to end the war. He said that would “stop the bloodshed ... very quickly” but also suggested fighting will not end as long as China and European nations continue buying Russian energy.Trump during his one-on-one meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a more optimistic tone.“The biggest progress is that the Russian economy is terrible right now, as you know,” Trump said. He also added that Russian forces were not looking “very distinguished” in their fight against a much smaller Ukrainian military.<h2>Trump has Oslo dreams</h2>The president again made clear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-nobel-prize-peace-544b703c161c13d9e14f1529df8a2669">he wants to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize</a>, repeating his spurious claim that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peace-wars-claim-fact-check-10128b26232e1d1eb9e68c5617320cf3">he’s “ended seven wars”</a>&nbsp;since he returned to office.“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Prize — but for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless wars,” Trump offered.In the making, Trump regularly points to his administration’s efforts to end conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, and elsewhere.“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them,” Trump said. “Sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”Although Trump helped mediate relations among many of these nations, experts say his impact isn’t as clear cut as he claims.___Associated Press writers Jamey Keaton in Geneva, Tracy Brown and Darlene Superville in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, and Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report.