BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a><br><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"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court swore in a new justice Wednesday, marking Gov. Laura Kelly’s fourth appointee to the bench.

After an informal ceremony Wednesday morning at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, Larkin Walsh succeeded Evelyn Wilson, another Kelly appointee who resigned from the court in July.&nbsp;

“The informal swearing-in allows Walsh to begin her official duties ahead of a formal swearing-in ceremony,” said court spokesperson Lisa Taylor in a press release.

The formal ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 21.

Walsh was a private practice attorney from Leawood before her appointment to the state Supreme Court. She specialized in appellate, civil rights, consumer protection, and labor and employment law, and she has argued and briefed cases on multiple levels, from Kansas appellate courts to the U.S. Supreme Court. She is one of three Kelly appointees on the bench. Wilson officially resigned on July 4, citing ALS as her reason. She served for roughly five years

Walsh’s first oral arguments as a state Supreme Court justice are scheduled for late October, according to the court’s docket.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/07/gov-laura-kelly-selects-leawood-attorney-to-fill-vacancy-on-kansas-supreme-court/">Kelly, a Democrat, appointed Walsh</a>&nbsp;in August through a merit-based review process that involves a panel of attorneys and gubernatorial appointees, which selects three nominees for the governor to choose from. Walsh will be on voters’ ballots after a year of service for a retention vote, as is constitutionally required. Republican legislators are attempting to change the judicial selection process by way of an August 2026 ballot measure proposing popular vote elections for state Supreme Court justices.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758192760006.png" alt=" Larkin Walsh, front left, is the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest justice after an informal swearing in ceremony on Sept. 17, 2025, in Topeka. (Lisa Taylor/Office of Judicial Administration)" />
                        <figcaption> Larkin Walsh, front left, is the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest justice after an informal swearing in ceremony on Sept. 17, 2025, in Topeka. (Lisa Taylor/Office of Judicial Administration)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a><br><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"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court swore in a new justice Wednesday, marking Gov. Laura Kelly’s fourth appointee to the bench.</p><p>After an informal ceremony Wednesday morning at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, Larkin Walsh succeeded Evelyn Wilson, another Kelly appointee who resigned from the court in July.&nbsp;</p><p>“The informal swearing-in allows Walsh to begin her official duties ahead of a formal swearing-in ceremony,” said court spokesperson Lisa Taylor in a press release.</p><p>The formal ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 21.</p><p>Walsh was a private practice attorney from Leawood before her appointment to the state Supreme Court. She specialized in appellate, civil rights, consumer protection, and labor and employment law, and she has argued and briefed cases on multiple levels, from Kansas appellate courts to the U.S. Supreme Court. She is one of three Kelly appointees on the bench. Wilson officially resigned on July 4, citing ALS as her reason. She served for roughly five years</p><p>Walsh’s first oral arguments as a state Supreme Court justice are scheduled for late October, according to the court’s docket.</p><p><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/07/gov-laura-kelly-selects-leawood-attorney-to-fill-vacancy-on-kansas-supreme-court/">Kelly, a Democrat, appointed Walsh</a>&nbsp;in August through a merit-based review process that involves a panel of attorneys and gubernatorial appointees, which selects three nominees for the governor to choose from. Walsh will be on voters’ ballots after a year of service for a retention vote, as is constitutionally required. Republican legislators are attempting to change the judicial selection process by way of an August 2026 ballot measure proposing popular vote elections for state Supreme Court justices.</p>

New Kansas Supreme Court justice takes the bench

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a priest from a Catholic church in Leawood, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas.

On Wednesday, Father Richard Storey advised the Archdiocese of his decision to resign as the pastor of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, according to a statement on the diocese website.

The Prairie Village Police Department has informed the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas of a criminal investigation involving Father Storey concerning another adult. The Archdiocese is fully cooperating with authorities so they can investigate the serious allegations being made against Father Storey.

In addition, Archbishop McKnight has initiated a preliminary canonical investigation.

Due to Father Storey’s decision to resign, and in compliance with archdiocesan policy, he has been temporarily suspended from the public exercise of priestly ministry. He is not allowed to function publicly as a priest during this time, which includes celebrating Mass and performing pastoral duties. He is presumed innocent until the investigations are concluded.

As is normative for such a process, the diocese will not provide any further information on the matter during the investigation.

Father John Riley, vicar general of the archdiocese, has been appointed as temporary administrator of the parish.

We are devastated by this situation. While we cooperate with law enforcement and engage in our own efforts to understand the circumstances and to determine next steps for the community, we also ask for prayers for all affected.

If you have any information you believe the police should know, please contact the Prairie Village Police Department at 913-642-6868.

Our archdiocese takes all allegations of abuse and misconduct by church personnel very seriously and works to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect, and compassion. We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when it may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential report line at 913-276-8703 or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/protection-and-care/reportabuse/">www.archkck.org/reportabuse</a>.

To learn more about our archdiocesan safe environment policies and procedures, click&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Creating-Safe-Enviroment-Explainer.pdf">here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758193607832.png" alt="Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood -Google image" />
                        <figcaption>Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood -Google image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a priest from a Catholic church in Leawood, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas.</p><p>On Wednesday, Father Richard Storey advised the Archdiocese of his decision to resign as the pastor of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, according to a statement on the diocese website.</p><p>The Prairie Village Police Department has informed the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas of a criminal investigation involving Father Storey concerning another adult. The Archdiocese is fully cooperating with authorities so they can investigate the serious allegations being made against Father Storey.</p><p>In addition, Archbishop McKnight has initiated a preliminary canonical investigation.</p><p>Due to Father Storey’s decision to resign, and in compliance with archdiocesan policy, he has been temporarily suspended from the public exercise of priestly ministry. He is not allowed to function publicly as a priest during this time, which includes celebrating Mass and performing pastoral duties. He is presumed innocent until the investigations are concluded.</p><p>As is normative for such a process, the diocese will not provide any further information on the matter during the investigation.</p><p>Father John Riley, vicar general of the archdiocese, has been appointed as temporary administrator of the parish.</p><p>We are devastated by this situation. While we cooperate with law enforcement and engage in our own efforts to understand the circumstances and to determine next steps for the community, we also ask for prayers for all affected.</p><p>If you have any information you believe the police should know, please contact the Prairie Village Police Department at 913-642-6868.</p><p>Our archdiocese takes all allegations of abuse and misconduct by church personnel very seriously and works to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect, and compassion. We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when it may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential report line at 913-276-8703 or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/protection-and-care/reportabuse/">www.archkck.org/reportabuse</a>.</p><p>To learn more about our archdiocesan safe environment policies and procedures, click&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Creating-Safe-Enviroment-Explainer.pdf">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Kansas priest resigns amid police investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) —The House declined late Wednesday to punish one of its own over commentary in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but the effort showed the reach of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-charlie-kirk-radical-left-political-opposition-3875efd0674ed2a22a719dfb42ace6ab">President Donald Trump’s push</a>&nbsp;for political retribution and set the stage for more to come.

The 214-213 roll call shelved a resolution from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-mace-governor-south-carolina-donald-trump-0543ed431f732471195c98e0c1076bcc">GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina</a>&nbsp;to censure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ilhan-omar">Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and have her removed from two House committees: Education and the Workforce, and Budget. The two have feuded viciously on social media.

Kansas GOP lawmakers voted against killing the resolution. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Mike Flood of Nebraska, Tom McClintock of California, Jeff Hurd of Colorado and Cory Mills of Florida.

Mace has said Omar, an immigrant who criticized Kirk’s views of gun ownership and race relations in the aftermath of George Floyd’s 2020 death in Minneapolis, should be deported to her home country of Somalia.

Omar said Mace is pushing a false narrative to raise money “and boost her run for Governor.”

“Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?” implored Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“We live in an era of intense political violence as we have seen with the recent assassinations of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-shot-197b8073b66449297986f8276e6dcfc9">Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman</a>&nbsp;and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk,” he said, referring to the shooting of lawmakers in Minnesota.

The legacy of Kirk’s personal and political influence runs wide and deep on Capitol Hill — House Speaker Mike Johnson is among those who considered the young conservative leader a friend — and, in the week since Kirk was assassinated, he has been memorialized in ways large and small.

A candlelight vigil was held late Monday evening inside the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, and a House resolution in his honor is expected to be swiftly approved. One lawmaker, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who wrote that she owes “my entire political career to Charlie Kirk,” is seeking to place a statue of Kirk in the Capitol “to honor his legacy.”

At the same time, Republicans have unleashed a series of legislative proposals echoing Trump’s call for action against what he characterizes as the “radical left” — those challenging his views, and those of the slain conservative leader.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas to set up a select committee to conduct a “full scale investigation of the coordinated network of leftists attacking us.”

GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has promoted his bill to add rioting to the list of prosecutable offenses under racketeering laws, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wants Congress to revive a Cold War-era law that would “prohibit the U.S. government from engaging in domestic, political propaganda.” He’s calling it the Charlie Kirk Act.

GOP Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, offered another resolution focused on reprimanding Omar, while Mace also proposed the Education Department strip federal funding from schools that fail “to act against staff who excuse or glorify the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

Many of those putting forward the proposals, including Roy, Carter and Mace, are all running for higher office in their states, showing the importance of carrying Trump’s message to their broader base of voters and supporters.

“In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, policymakers must do all they can to stop radical left-wing violence,” wrote the Heritage Foundation’s political arm, Heritage Action, in supporting Roy’s proposal for a new committee to delve into “the forces behind the radical left’s assault on America.”

It’s not the first time Congress has taken action against Omar or other lawmakers.

In 2023, Omar was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ilhan-omar-house-foreign-affairs-committee-ee2ae3fd86b895c5b078d8bf576c3360">stripped of her assignment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee</a>, and the last Congress set a new standard for meting out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-santos-ukraine-border-mccarthy-speaker-johnson-dda73a13a198293803e386976cf3414d">censures and punishments</a>.

This time, when Mace offered her resolution to go after Omar, Democratic Rep. Greg Casar of Texas put up a swift response: A counter-effort to reprimand Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida with a censure over allegations involving his personal and professional conduct.

Mills was among four Republicans to join Democrats in rejecting the resolution against Omar.

More recently, the House appears to have been cooling these efforts. Lawmakers rejected a resolution to censure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-mciver-immigration-detention-center-charges-262a10a54d85c32ec8eb94093a705c80">Rep. LaMonica McIver</a>, D-N.J., and remove her from a committee assignment as she faces federal charges stemming from a visit to an immigration detention facility.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758157907879.png" alt="Rep. Ilhan Omar-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Rep. Ilhan Omar-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —The House declined late Wednesday to punish one of its own over commentary in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but the effort showed the reach of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-charlie-kirk-radical-left-political-opposition-3875efd0674ed2a22a719dfb42ace6ab">President Donald Trump’s push</a>&nbsp;for political retribution and set the stage for more to come.</p><p>The 214-213 roll call shelved a resolution from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-mace-governor-south-carolina-donald-trump-0543ed431f732471195c98e0c1076bcc">GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina</a>&nbsp;to censure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ilhan-omar">Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and have her removed from two House committees: Education and the Workforce, and Budget. The two have feuded viciously on social media.</p><p>Kansas GOP lawmakers voted against killing the resolution. The four Republicans who voted to table the measure are Mike Flood of Nebraska, Tom McClintock of California, Jeff Hurd of Colorado and Cory Mills of Florida.</p><p>Mace has said Omar, an immigrant who criticized Kirk’s views of gun ownership and race relations in the aftermath of George Floyd’s 2020 death in Minneapolis, should be deported to her home country of Somalia.</p><p>Omar said Mace is pushing a false narrative to raise money “and boost her run for Governor.”</p><p>“Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?” implored Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.</p><p>“We live in an era of intense political violence as we have seen with the recent assassinations of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-shot-197b8073b66449297986f8276e6dcfc9">Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman</a>&nbsp;and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk,” he said, referring to the shooting of lawmakers in Minnesota.</p><p>The legacy of Kirk’s personal and political influence runs wide and deep on Capitol Hill — House Speaker Mike Johnson is among those who considered the young conservative leader a friend — and, in the week since Kirk was assassinated, he has been memorialized in ways large and small.</p><p>A candlelight vigil was held late Monday evening inside the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, and a House resolution in his honor is expected to be swiftly approved. One lawmaker, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who wrote that she owes “my entire political career to Charlie Kirk,” is seeking to place a statue of Kirk in the Capitol “to honor his legacy.”</p><p>At the same time, Republicans have unleashed a series of legislative proposals echoing Trump’s call for action against what he characterizes as the “radical left” — those challenging his views, and those of the slain conservative leader.</p><p>Rep. Chip Roy of Texas to set up a select committee to conduct a “full scale investigation of the coordinated network of leftists attacking us.”</p><p>GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has promoted his bill to add rioting to the list of prosecutable offenses under racketeering laws, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wants Congress to revive a Cold War-era law that would “prohibit the U.S. government from engaging in domestic, political propaganda.” He’s calling it the Charlie Kirk Act.</p><p>GOP Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, offered another resolution focused on reprimanding Omar, while Mace also proposed the Education Department strip federal funding from schools that fail “to act against staff who excuse or glorify the murder of Charlie Kirk.”</p><p>Many of those putting forward the proposals, including Roy, Carter and Mace, are all running for higher office in their states, showing the importance of carrying Trump’s message to their broader base of voters and supporters.</p><p>“In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, policymakers must do all they can to stop radical left-wing violence,” wrote the Heritage Foundation’s political arm, Heritage Action, in supporting Roy’s proposal for a new committee to delve into “the forces behind the radical left’s assault on America.”</p><p>It’s not the first time Congress has taken action against Omar or other lawmakers.</p><p>In 2023, Omar was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ilhan-omar-house-foreign-affairs-committee-ee2ae3fd86b895c5b078d8bf576c3360">stripped of her assignment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee</a>, and the last Congress set a new standard for meting out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-santos-ukraine-border-mccarthy-speaker-johnson-dda73a13a198293803e386976cf3414d">censures and punishments</a>.</p><p>This time, when Mace offered her resolution to go after Omar, Democratic Rep. Greg Casar of Texas put up a swift response: A counter-effort to reprimand Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida with a censure over allegations involving his personal and professional conduct.</p><p>Mills was among four Republicans to join Democrats in rejecting the resolution against Omar.</p><p>More recently, the House appears to have been cooling these efforts. Lawmakers rejected a resolution to censure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-mciver-immigration-detention-center-charges-262a10a54d85c32ec8eb94093a705c80">Rep. LaMonica McIver</a>, D-N.J., and remove her from a committee assignment as she faces federal charges stemming from a visit to an immigration detention facility.</p><p>___</p>

Kan. GOP lawmakers vote to censure Rep. Omar for Charlie Kirk comments

The legal group says low-income people are disproportionately affected by the cost of bail and calls for using no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. But President Donald Trump argues it's leading to a rise in crime.

<b>By </b>DYLAN LYSEN<br><a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-16/kansas-aclu-says-cash-bail-is-hurting-low-income-residents-but-trump-wants-to-require-it"><i>KCUR</i></a>

In a recent study, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas asks people to imagine a Wichita-area husband and wife raising a daughter who are living paycheck to paycheck.

In this scenario, the family has a household income of $5,600 a month. Rent is $1,000 a month, which is the average cost in that area. The family also needs to pay fluctuating costs for utilities, groceries, phone bills and other expenses.

But the father of this family is arrested for felony possession of marijuana. He is held in the Sedgwick County Jail and given a $2,500 bond for release.

The ACLU of Kansas argues that the family can’t afford the cost of that bail. So the father could remain in jail on suspicion of a nonviolent crime for months, which also takes away nearly half of the family's household income. With now only $3,000 of income a month, it is virtually impossible for the family to pay for the father’s release.

Meanwhile, a wealthy person accused of the same crime may be able to afford that bail price and be released from jail the same day they are arrested.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/publications/price-freedom-bail-sedgwick-county/" target="_blank">ACLU of Kansas study</a>&nbsp;found that low-income residents in Sedgwick County are disproportionately affected by cash bail. Micah Kubic, executive director for the group, said that creates an unfair justice system that brings additional punishment for low-income offenders.

“There's something really unfair about a two-tiered system of justice,” Kubic said, “where folks get treated differently, have different outcomes based on whether they have money or whether they don't.”

Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail. The money is refunded when their case is resolved and they appear at all their required court dates.

They may also use a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.attorneytmorton.com/frequently-asked-criminal-defense-questions/how-do-jail-bail-bonds-work-for-kansas-crimes" target="_blank">standard bond</a>, which is a private agreement with a bondsman to cover the up front cost. A bondsman will often charge a non-refundable 10% fee to pay for the bail with an agreement that the person in custody will pay the full amount if they fail to appear at their court dates.

ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail. That’s when a suspected offender is released from jail without paying a bail amount, but promises a judge overseeing their case that they will show up for their court dates, or else face a fine and additional charges.

Enacting bail reform to make cashless bail standard for nonviolent crimes in Kansas will likely be an uphill battle because the conversation among conservative political leaders is trending the other direction.

President Donald Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-orders-aimed-ending-cashless-bail-policies-2025-08-25/" target="_blank">calling for the elimination of cashless bail nationwide</a>. He argues that cashless bail lets criminals back out onto the streets and that’s leading to more crime.

But criminal justice reform advocates dispute those claims and suggest cashless bail actually decreases crime without unfairly punishing low-income people.

The ACLU of Kansas study, which looked at arrest and crime data of Sedgwick County in 2023 and 2024, showed the vast majority of arrests in the county were for nonviolent crimes.

The study also found that the most common bail cost is $1,000 and the average is $1,500. The average monthly income of Sedgwick County residents is roughly $3,000. So an arrest for a single drug offense would come with an upfront cost that is one-third of their monthly income.

Kubic said inmates forced to post bail are being punished before they are ever convicted of a crime. They either must pay such a relatively high bail cost or remain in jail until their case is resolved. That could also be a form of punishment because staying in jail means they may lose jobs, be evicted for failing to pay rent or leave their children without supervision.

“That harms all of us,” Kubic said. “It doesn’t improve outcomes and it makes communities weaker.”

An ACLU of Kansas study found that low-income people are disproportionately affected by cash bail because they can't afford the upfront cost and can end up in jail for months.

The study specifically recommends the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office enact a policy to request own-recognizance bonds for non-person misdemeanor and felony cases, which are nonviolent crimes.

But Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said it’s not as simple as the study makes it seem.

He told the Kansas News Service in an email that bail is set by a judge, not the District Attorney’s office. He said a prosecutor can provide information to the judge about the defendant and request certain bail terms, but a judge ultimately decides.

Sedgwick County also has a bail schedule that lists a standard cost for certain low-level crimes, like disorderly conduct. Bennett said a majority of the crimes in that list uses cashless bail, so the accused offender is released without paying anything.

Bennett also noted that bail is determined by many factors, such as whether the suspect has a criminal history. He said someone with prior convictions would be facing a higher sentence if they are convicted again. He said nearly 70% of people charged with a new crime have a prior felony conviction.

“These prior convictions constitute the person’s criminal history and will obviously impact the amount of bond the Judge requires,” he said.

While the ACLU of Kansas study specifically looked at Sedgwick County, Kubic said these income-disparity issues are likely happening across the state. He said district attorneys across Kansas could request a judge to use cashless bail for nonviolent crimes more often to help address income disparity in justice.

Representatives for the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association declined to comment on the study and the ACLU of Kansas recommendation for cashless bail.

Meanwhile, the days of cashless bail in other parts of the country may be numbered.

As part of the federal take over of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., Trump signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/taking-steps-to-end-cashless-bail-to-protect-americans/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending cashless bail there. He also wants Congress to pass legislation banning it throughout the country.

However, it’s unclear if Congress can enact a nationwide ban on cashless bail. R Street Institute, a conservative think tank focused on limited government,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/why-federal-repeal-of-no-cash-bail-laws-would-be-unconstitutional-and-bad-policy/" target="_blank">suggests that such a ban is unconstitutional</a>.

Kubic argues bail policy is better left to states.

“It is disrespectful to state and local officials — regardless of party, regardless of ideology — and their ability to do what is best for their constituents,” Kubic said.

Still, Trump argues cashless bail lets criminals out of jail without consequences and leads to increased crime rates. He also claimed, without citing specific instances, jurisdictions with cashless bail like Chicago are letting accused murderers out of jail.

“Somebody murders somebody and they are out on no-cash bail before the day is out,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/vcS3wkDf4MU?si=X0z1fy0V8YvqV3C7&amp;t=705" target="_blank">during an August press conference</a>. "We’re going to end that.”

The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump’s alma mater, called that claim misleading. In a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/trumps-distortions-on-cashless-bail/" target="_blank">fact checking website</a>, the center noted that some states that have enacted cashless bail have exceptions for violent felonies and murder. It also said it’s “exceedingly rare” that a judge has let a murder suspect out of jail before trial without cash bail.

The Bail Project, a criminal justice reform group that supports cashless bail nationwide, directly disputes Trump’s assertion that bail reform leads to rising crime. The group notes&nbsp;<a href="https://bailproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/How-Real-Bail-Reform-Creates-a-Safer-America.pdf" target="_blank">crime rates</a>&nbsp;fell in New Jersey and Illinois after both states enacted cashless bail systems.

The group also points to a 2024 study by the Brennan Center for Justices showing crime is not increasing because of cashless bail.

That study looked at crime rates from 33 jurisdictions across the country that have enacted bail reform. The study concluded that there is no evidence connecting increased or decreased crime rates to cashless bail.

A Brennan Center for Justice study found jurisdictions that enacted bail reform, like cashless bail, did not see a rise in crime.

Ames Grawert, who co-authored the study, told the Kansas News Services that crime rates rise and fall for many different reasons, but cashless bail is not statistically proven to be related.

“It would be surprising,” Grawert said, “if there was a single policy lever that elected officials or judges could pull to change crime rates at the drop of a hat.”

Additionally, crime rates continue to fall nationally after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FBI data shows violent crime rates continued to fall this year after rising by 30% during the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-crime-statistics-report-e785a5a970597f2ebf78ea093baeaa28" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>. The crime rates also fell to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

Grawert said communities that want to lower crime rates should consider boosting social support programs, like increased access to mental health services.

However, he said cash bail still poses the issue of unequal justice.

“A lot of people agree, even across party lines,” Grawert said, “that wealth shouldn't be what decides whether someone walks free or spends the time that they have before trial in detention.”

<i>Dylan Lysen reports on social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen@kcur.org.</i>

<i>The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.</i>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138622530.png" alt="Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail, like the Douglas County Jail seen here. ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
                        <figcaption>Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail, like the Douglas County Jail seen here. ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>The legal group says low-income people are disproportionately affected by the cost of bail and calls for using no-cash bail for nonviolent crimes. But President Donald Trump argues it's leading to a rise in crime.</h2><p><b>By </b>DYLAN LYSEN<br><a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-16/kansas-aclu-says-cash-bail-is-hurting-low-income-residents-but-trump-wants-to-require-it"><i>KCUR</i></a></p><p>In a recent study, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas asks people to imagine a Wichita-area husband and wife raising a daughter who are living paycheck to paycheck.</p><p>In this scenario, the family has a household income of $5,600 a month. Rent is $1,000 a month, which is the average cost in that area. The family also needs to pay fluctuating costs for utilities, groceries, phone bills and other expenses.</p><p>But the father of this family is arrested for felony possession of marijuana. He is held in the Sedgwick County Jail and given a $2,500 bond for release.</p><p>The ACLU of Kansas argues that the family can’t afford the cost of that bail. So the father could remain in jail on suspicion of a nonviolent crime for months, which also takes away nearly half of the family's household income. With now only $3,000 of income a month, it is virtually impossible for the family to pay for the father’s release.</p><p>Meanwhile, a wealthy person accused of the same crime may be able to afford that bail price and be released from jail the same day they are arrested.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/publications/price-freedom-bail-sedgwick-county/" target="_blank">ACLU of Kansas study</a>&nbsp;found that low-income residents in Sedgwick County are disproportionately affected by cash bail. Micah Kubic, executive director for the group, said that creates an unfair justice system that brings additional punishment for low-income offenders.</p><p>“There's something really unfair about a two-tiered system of justice,” Kubic said, “where folks get treated differently, have different outcomes based on whether they have money or whether they don't.”</p><p>Standard bail requires a person in custody to pay the entire cost up front as collateral for their release from jail. The money is refunded when their case is resolved and they appear at all their required court dates.</p><p>They may also use a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.attorneytmorton.com/frequently-asked-criminal-defense-questions/how-do-jail-bail-bonds-work-for-kansas-crimes" target="_blank">standard bond</a>, which is a private agreement with a bondsman to cover the up front cost. A bondsman will often charge a non-refundable 10% fee to pay for the bail with an agreement that the person in custody will pay the full amount if they fail to appear at their court dates.</p><p>ACLU of Kansas is calling for expanding the use of no-cash bail. That’s when a suspected offender is released from jail without paying a bail amount, but promises a judge overseeing their case that they will show up for their court dates, or else face a fine and additional charges.</p><p>Enacting bail reform to make cashless bail standard for nonviolent crimes in Kansas will likely be an uphill battle because the conversation among conservative political leaders is trending the other direction.</p><p>President Donald Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-orders-aimed-ending-cashless-bail-policies-2025-08-25/" target="_blank">calling for the elimination of cashless bail nationwide</a>. He argues that cashless bail lets criminals back out onto the streets and that’s leading to more crime.</p><p>But criminal justice reform advocates dispute those claims and suggest cashless bail actually decreases crime without unfairly punishing low-income people.</p><h2>Effect on Kansas</h2><p>The ACLU of Kansas study, which looked at arrest and crime data of Sedgwick County in 2023 and 2024, showed the vast majority of arrests in the county were for nonviolent crimes.</p><p>The study also found that the most common bail cost is $1,000 and the average is $1,500. The average monthly income of Sedgwick County residents is roughly $3,000. So an arrest for a single drug offense would come with an upfront cost that is one-third of their monthly income.</p><p>Kubic said inmates forced to post bail are being punished before they are ever convicted of a crime. They either must pay such a relatively high bail cost or remain in jail until their case is resolved. That could also be a form of punishment because staying in jail means they may lose jobs, be evicted for failing to pay rent or leave their children without supervision.</p><p>“That harms all of us,” Kubic said. “It doesn’t improve outcomes and it makes communities weaker.”</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138774422.png" alt="Kylie Cameron / KMUW" />
                        <figcaption>Kylie Cameron / KMUW</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>An ACLU of Kansas study found that low-income people are disproportionately affected by cash bail because they can't afford the upfront cost and can end up in jail for months.</p><p>The study specifically recommends the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office enact a policy to request own-recognizance bonds for non-person misdemeanor and felony cases, which are nonviolent crimes.</p><p>But Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said it’s not as simple as the study makes it seem.</p><p>He told the Kansas News Service in an email that bail is set by a judge, not the District Attorney’s office. He said a prosecutor can provide information to the judge about the defendant and request certain bail terms, but a judge ultimately decides.</p><p>Sedgwick County also has a bail schedule that lists a standard cost for certain low-level crimes, like disorderly conduct. Bennett said a majority of the crimes in that list uses cashless bail, so the accused offender is released without paying anything.</p><p>Bennett also noted that bail is determined by many factors, such as whether the suspect has a criminal history. He said someone with prior convictions would be facing a higher sentence if they are convicted again. He said nearly 70% of people charged with a new crime have a prior felony conviction.</p><p>“These prior convictions constitute the person’s criminal history and will obviously impact the amount of bond the Judge requires,” he said.</p><p>While the ACLU of Kansas study specifically looked at Sedgwick County, Kubic said these income-disparity issues are likely happening across the state. He said district attorneys across Kansas could request a judge to use cashless bail for nonviolent crimes more often to help address income disparity in justice.</p><p>Representatives for the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association declined to comment on the study and the ACLU of Kansas recommendation for cashless bail.</p><h2>National ban</h2><p>Meanwhile, the days of cashless bail in other parts of the country may be numbered.</p><p>As part of the federal take over of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., Trump signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/taking-steps-to-end-cashless-bail-to-protect-americans/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending cashless bail there. He also wants Congress to pass legislation banning it throughout the country.</p><p>However, it’s unclear if Congress can enact a nationwide ban on cashless bail. R Street Institute, a conservative think tank focused on limited government,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/why-federal-repeal-of-no-cash-bail-laws-would-be-unconstitutional-and-bad-policy/" target="_blank">suggests that such a ban is unconstitutional</a>.</p><p>Kubic argues bail policy is better left to states.</p><p>“It is disrespectful to state and local officials — regardless of party, regardless of ideology — and their ability to do what is best for their constituents,” Kubic said.</p><p>Still, Trump argues cashless bail lets criminals out of jail without consequences and leads to increased crime rates. He also claimed, without citing specific instances, jurisdictions with cashless bail like Chicago are letting accused murderers out of jail.</p><p>“Somebody murders somebody and they are out on no-cash bail before the day is out,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/vcS3wkDf4MU?si=X0z1fy0V8YvqV3C7&amp;t=705" target="_blank">during an August press conference</a>. "We’re going to end that.”</p><p>The Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump’s alma mater, called that claim misleading. In a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/trumps-distortions-on-cashless-bail/" target="_blank">fact checking website</a>, the center noted that some states that have enacted cashless bail have exceptions for violent felonies and murder. It also said it’s “exceedingly rare” that a judge has let a murder suspect out of jail before trial without cash bail.</p><h2>Crime rates</h2><p>The Bail Project, a criminal justice reform group that supports cashless bail nationwide, directly disputes Trump’s assertion that bail reform leads to rising crime. The group notes&nbsp;<a href="https://bailproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/How-Real-Bail-Reform-Creates-a-Safer-America.pdf" target="_blank">crime rates</a>&nbsp;fell in New Jersey and Illinois after both states enacted cashless bail systems.</p><p>The group also points to a 2024 study by the Brennan Center for Justices showing crime is not increasing because of cashless bail.</p><p>That study looked at crime rates from 33 jurisdictions across the country that have enacted bail reform. The study concluded that there is no evidence connecting increased or decreased crime rates to cashless bail.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758138914202.png" alt="Nomin Ujiyediin /&nbsp;Kansas News Service" />
                        <figcaption>Nomin Ujiyediin /&nbsp;Kansas News Service</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>A Brennan Center for Justice study found jurisdictions that enacted bail reform, like cashless bail, did not see a rise in crime.</p><p>Ames Grawert, who co-authored the study, told the Kansas News Services that crime rates rise and fall for many different reasons, but cashless bail is not statistically proven to be related.</p><p>“It would be surprising,” Grawert said, “if there was a single policy lever that elected officials or judges could pull to change crime rates at the drop of a hat.”</p><p>Additionally, crime rates continue to fall nationally after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>FBI data shows violent crime rates continued to fall this year after rising by 30% during the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-crime-statistics-report-e785a5a970597f2ebf78ea093baeaa28" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>. The crime rates also fell to near pre-pandemic levels in 2022.</p><p>Grawert said communities that want to lower crime rates should consider boosting social support programs, like increased access to mental health services.</p><p>However, he said cash bail still poses the issue of unequal justice.</p><p>“A lot of people agree, even across party lines,” Grawert said, “that wealth shouldn't be what decides whether someone walks free or spends the time that they have before trial in detention.”</p><p><i>Dylan Lysen reports on social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dlysen@kcur.org.</i></p><p><i>The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.</i></p>

Kansas ACLU says cash bail is hurting low-income residents; Trump wants to require it

SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.

Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.

Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;

Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163504048.png" alt="Batz photo Seward Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Batz photo Seward Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.</p><p>Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163443530.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;</p><p>Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;</p><p>Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.</p>

Man in the U.S. illegally wanted for child sex crimes in Kansas

WINDSOR, England (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;relished the glow of a British royal spectacle as he opened a two-day state visit Wednesday, calling the hours of pageantry with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;“one of the highest honors of my life” while also making time for a quiet tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.

The grandeur-loving president soaked up all the revelry, from the largest guard of honor in living memory — with 120 horses and 1,300 troops — to carriage rides, an air show and a Windsor Castle state dinner.

After the pomp comes the real work Thursday, when Trump and British&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keir-starmer">Prime Minister</a>&nbsp;Keir Starmer meet to talk trade, technology and geopolitical issues.

No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has had the honor of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-trump-state-visit-67c610327fca8e99818c7f5980a9cfb3">second U.K. state visit;</a>&nbsp;Trump’s first was in 2019, during his previous term. The display of regal splendor was meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-imperialism-canada-panama-greenland-b4b53445dee97398b498b79eab54d49b">America First policies are putting pressure on trade</a>&nbsp;and security arrangements around the globe.

“This was the second state visit, and that’s the first, and maybe that’s going to be the last time, I hope it is actually,” Trump joked during the evening banquet.

The visit began with Prince William and his wife, Kate, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walking Trump and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by Charles and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/queen-camilla">Queen Camilla</a>. A gigantic royal standard, the flag used for official celebration days, flew from the Royal Tower.

The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where both inspected an honor guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.

They continued to chat and joke as the day progressed, with the king occasionally putting his hand on Trump’s back. The president stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops after the king gestured for him to do so. The king’s invitation avoided a violation of protocol, which was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth.

Part of the day was spent at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, where Trump placed a wreath in honor of Elizabeth, who died in 2022.

The president and Charles toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations.

Among the items were 18th-century watercolors and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.

The president later walked a red carpet on the castle’s East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians, dates to the 1600s and was once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at day’s end.

A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the U.K. and U.S. militaries was scrapped because of poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake.

Charles and Camilla presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalized handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.

Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany &amp; Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.

The history, tradition and celebrity of the royal family give it a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-trump-state-visit-starmer-334930dc7a467118b5551c6e4ec3d1db">talks with Trump,</a>&nbsp;Starmer will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-palestinian-state-israel-gaza-recognition-bf50123e56404382ca0f7cfbd4161d14">Middle East</a>&nbsp;and the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>.

Ahead of the banquet, Trump and Charles walked together, leading a procession. Trump wore white tie, while his wife was in a yellow gown. Charles was in white tie with a blue sash, and Camilla in a blue gown with a tiara.

Beefeaters in traditional red uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to the castle’s St. George’s Hall for the dinner, which featured 100 staff members attending to 160 guests. The grand Waterloo table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver sparkling in the light from 139 candles and elaborate floral arrangements handpicked from the castle grounds.

The guests included Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Open AI’s Sam Altman and golfer Nick Faldo. Also appearing was publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch, whom Trump recently sued for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s report on a sexually suggestive letter purportedly written by Trump for disgraced financier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.

The menu featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, along with Norfolk chicken ballotine. Dessert was vanilla ice cream bombe with a raspberry sherbet interior and lightly poached Victorian plums.

Trump avoids alcohol, but the bar offerings included a cocktail known as a trans-Atlantic whiskey sour infused with marmalade, Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port — Trump is the 45th and 47th American president — and Hennessy 1912 cognac Grande Champagne. That was the year Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in Scotland.

The musical playlist included the theme from the James Bond movies and pop and rock staples, as well as top show tunes, often featured at Trump’s campaign rallies.

In his toast, Charles saluted Trump’s British roots and his recent visits to the U.K. In a nod to the president’s favorite sport, he said, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses.”

Trump mostly stuck to his prepared remarks and was on his best behavior, declaring, “This is truly one of the highest honors of my life” and sneaking in only one dig about his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, by saying the U.S. was “sick” a year ago. He also touched on Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts and said “special” does not begin to do justice to his country’s relationship with the U.K.

“Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history,” Trump said.

Trump being in Windsor doesn’t stop protests

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-britain-uk-state-visit-king-charles-11e2c897c9047f12614cfa70e0c17753">Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump’s visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-8f5de6a976af473788bf74389df782dc">baby blimp</a>, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.

In Windsor, protesters projected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/images-of-trump-and-epstein-projected-on-windsor-castle-as-us-president-visits-uk-6b004c3ab53247078795780c5c4bf7b1">an image of Trump and Epstein</a>&nbsp;on a tower at the castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people.

Lawless and Price reported from London and Weissert from Washington.

<p>WINDSOR, England (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;relished the glow of a British royal spectacle as he opened a two-day state visit Wednesday, calling the hours of pageantry with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;“one of the highest honors of my life” while also making time for a quiet tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH IN FULL: President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady receive a marvelous welcome to Windsor Castle earlier today, kicking off the President&#39;s unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom. <a href="https://t.co/3IOBmn8cVo">pic.twitter.com/3IOBmn8cVo</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968393607976456671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/UpX0M1yM5c">pic.twitter.com/UpX0M1yM5c</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968412389054775622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome President Trump 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Xpm5Nq2XRA">pic.twitter.com/Xpm5Nq2XRA</a></p>&mdash; The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1968305875686449290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇺🇸 🇬🇧 This afternoon, a Beating Retreat ceremony was held at Windsor Castle to mark President Trump’s State Visit.<br><br>The ceremony has its origins in the early years of organised warfare when the beating of drums and the parading of Post Guards heralded the closing of camp gates… <a href="https://t.co/UnFCeOYL29">pic.twitter.com/UnFCeOYL29</a></p>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1968387149734330404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WOW! A joint U.S.-U.K. flyover of F-35s and Red Arrows atop <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, and Their Majesties at Windsor Castle! 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/CvMEtO3o3a">pic.twitter.com/CvMEtO3o3a</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968343366929907847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and the First Lady listen to the Chapel Choristers inside St. George’s Chapel 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Qzw0FVowkJ">pic.twitter.com/Qzw0FVowkJ</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968337163357188250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> inspecting the Guard of Honor with King Charles 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/OtFaUxKMyp">pic.twitter.com/OtFaUxKMyp</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968294714886734156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive at Windsor Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/p0RMi3zKA8">pic.twitter.com/p0RMi3zKA8</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1968293874230767665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇬🇧 🇺🇸 The King and Queen inspect the banquet table in St George’s Hall ahead of this evening’s State Banquet <a href="https://t.co/T5OJm7MY3C">pic.twitter.com/T5OJm7MY3C</a></p>&mdash; The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1968356830087889211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, together with Their Majesties, arrive for a state banquet at Windsor Castle. 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/tyO8lTW4xv">pic.twitter.com/tyO8lTW4xv</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968403182070960249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re joined by history and fate, by love and language, and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry, and destiny... The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal — it&#39;s irreplaceable and unbreakable.&quot; 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/RhFIaLNcAp">pic.twitter.com/RhFIaLNcAp</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968410080077832446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;On behalf of all Americans, I offer a toast to one of the great friendships, two great countries, and to His Majesty, King Charlies III — a very, very special man and also a very, very special Queen.&quot; 🥂🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/kzLKVhUFgA">pic.twitter.com/kzLKVhUFgA</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968409465629053016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> delivers remarks at the State Banquet at Windsor Castle: &quot;This is truly one of the highest honors of my life... for many decades, His Majesty The King has epitomized the fortitude, nobility, and the spirit of the British Monarchy, and the British people.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NhePpGOpJH">pic.twitter.com/NhePpGOpJH</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968408158696567144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">King Charles III: &quot;Allow me to propose a toast to President Trump and the First Lady — and to the health, prosperity, and happiness of the people of the United States of America.&quot; 🥂🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/KOjIIpHdwo">pic.twitter.com/KOjIIpHdwo</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968407680457887907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The grandeur-loving president soaked up all the revelry, from the largest guard of honor in living memory — with 120 horses and 1,300 troops — to carriage rides, an air show and a Windsor Castle state dinner.</p><p>After the pomp comes the real work Thursday, when Trump and British&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/keir-starmer">Prime Minister</a>&nbsp;Keir Starmer meet to talk trade, technology and geopolitical issues.</p><p>No U.S. president, or any other world leader, has had the honor of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-trump-state-visit-67c610327fca8e99818c7f5980a9cfb3">second U.K. state visit;</a>&nbsp;Trump’s first was in 2019, during his previous term. The display of regal splendor was meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-imperialism-canada-panama-greenland-b4b53445dee97398b498b79eab54d49b">America First policies are putting pressure on trade</a>&nbsp;and security arrangements around the globe.</p><p>“This was the second state visit, and that’s the first, and maybe that’s going to be the last time, I hope it is actually,” Trump joked during the evening banquet.</p><p>The visit began with Prince William and his wife, Kate, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walking Trump and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by Charles and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/queen-camilla">Queen Camilla</a>. A gigantic royal standard, the flag used for official celebration days, flew from the Royal Tower.</p><p>The guests traveled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where both inspected an honor guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.</p><p>They continued to chat and joke as the day progressed, with the king occasionally putting his hand on Trump’s back. The president stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops after the king gestured for him to do so. The king’s invitation avoided a violation of protocol, which was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth.</p><p>Part of the day was spent at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, where Trump placed a wreath in honor of Elizabeth, who died in 2022.</p><h2>A full day of pomp and circumstance</h2><p>The president and Charles toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations.</p><p>Among the items were 18th-century watercolors and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.</p><p>The president later walked a red carpet on the castle’s East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians, dates to the 1600s and was once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at day’s end.</p><p>A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the U.K. and U.S. militaries was scrapped because of poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake.</p><p>Charles and Camilla presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalized handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.</p><p>Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany &amp; Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.</p><h2>Serious talks coming</h2><p>The history, tradition and celebrity of the royal family give it a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. In his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-trump-state-visit-starmer-334930dc7a467118b5551c6e4ec3d1db">talks with Trump,</a>&nbsp;Starmer will promote a new U.K.-U.S. technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-palestinian-state-israel-gaza-recognition-bf50123e56404382ca0f7cfbd4161d14">Middle East</a>&nbsp;and the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nato">NATO</a>.</p><p>Ahead of the banquet, Trump and Charles walked together, leading a procession. Trump wore white tie, while his wife was in a yellow gown. Charles was in white tie with a blue sash, and Camilla in a blue gown with a tiara.</p><p>Beefeaters in traditional red uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to the castle’s St. George’s Hall for the dinner, which featured 100 staff members attending to 160 guests. The grand Waterloo table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver sparkling in the light from 139 candles and elaborate floral arrangements handpicked from the castle grounds.</p><p>The guests included Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Open AI’s Sam Altman and golfer Nick Faldo. Also appearing was publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch, whom Trump recently sued for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s report on a sexually suggestive letter purportedly written by Trump for disgraced financier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.</p><p>The menu featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, along with Norfolk chicken ballotine. Dessert was vanilla ice cream bombe with a raspberry sherbet interior and lightly poached Victorian plums.</p><p>Trump avoids alcohol, but the bar offerings included a cocktail known as a trans-Atlantic whiskey sour infused with marmalade, Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port — Trump is the 45th and 47th American president — and Hennessy 1912 cognac Grande Champagne. That was the year Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in Scotland.</p><p>The musical playlist included the theme from the James Bond movies and pop and rock staples, as well as top show tunes, often featured at Trump’s campaign rallies.</p><p>In his toast, Charles saluted Trump’s British roots and his recent visits to the U.K. In a nod to the president’s favorite sport, he said, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses.”</p><p>Trump mostly stuck to his prepared remarks and was on his best behavior, declaring, “This is truly one of the highest honors of my life” and sneaking in only one dig about his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, by saying the U.S. was “sick” a year ago. He also touched on Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts and said “special” does not begin to do justice to his country’s relationship with the U.K.</p><p>“Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history,” Trump said.</p><h2>Trump being in Windsor doesn’t stop protests</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-britain-uk-state-visit-king-charles-11e2c897c9047f12614cfa70e0c17753">Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump’s visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-8f5de6a976af473788bf74389df782dc">baby blimp</a>, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.</p><p>In Windsor, protesters projected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/images-of-trump-and-epstein-projected-on-windsor-castle-as-us-president-visits-uk-6b004c3ab53247078795780c5c4bf7b1">an image of Trump and Epstein</a>&nbsp;on a tower at the castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people.</p><p>___</p><p>Lawless and Price reported from London and Weissert from Washington.</p>

🎥 Highlights of the President's big day with the Royal family

CASS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a three vehicle accident near Kansas City.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Sept 15, sheriff deputies responded to the area of 195th Street on Route D in Belton regarding a three-vehicle accident, according to the Cass County Sheriff.

The driver of a pickup truck had struck a semi and another vehicle. The vehicles sustained heavy damage. Deputies conducted standardized field sobriety tests for the driver of the pickup truck. He was placed into custody --- and has been identified as 37-year-old Justin Sherman of Amoret, Missouri.

 Sherman has been charged with two felony counts of Property Damage - 1st Degree, a felony for Leaving the Scene of an Accident - Property Damage Exceeding $1,000 and a misdemeanor for Driving While Intoxicated. 

Sherman is being held on a$50,000 bond, according to the sheriff's office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758127542818.png" alt="Sherman photo Cass Co." />
                        <figcaption>Sherman photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CASS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a three vehicle accident near Kansas City.</p><p>Just before 5:30 p.m. Sept 15, sheriff deputies responded to the area of 195th Street on Route D in Belton regarding a three-vehicle accident, according to the Cass County Sheriff.</p><p>The driver of a pickup truck had struck a semi and another vehicle. The vehicles sustained heavy damage. Deputies conducted standardized field sobriety tests for the driver of the pickup truck. He was placed into custody --- and has been identified as 37-year-old Justin Sherman of Amoret, Missouri.</p><p> Sherman has been charged with two felony counts of Property Damage - 1st Degree, a felony for Leaving the Scene of an Accident - Property Damage Exceeding $1,000 and a misdemeanor for Driving While Intoxicated. </p><p>Sherman is being held on a$50,000 bond, according to the sheriff's office.</p>

Driver charged with felony for leaving 3-vehicle crash near KC

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely beginning Wednesday after comments that he made about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">Charlie Kirk's killing</a>&nbsp;led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Kimmel, the veteran late-night comic</a>, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk's assassination on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

ABC, which has aired Kimmel's late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel's comments about Kirk's death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.

There was no immediate comment from Kimmel, whose contract is up in May 2026. ABC's statement did not cite a reason for why his show was preempted.

President Donald Trump celebrated ABC's move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

He also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.” In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">after CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,”</a>&nbsp;Trump wrote on his social media platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” Like Colbert, Kimmel has been consistently been critical of Trump and many of his policies.

In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/charlie-kirk-shooting-news#00000199-3e68-d49f-a99f-3fef75fe0000">Utah records</a>&nbsp;show he was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter2/20A-2-S505.html?v=C20A-2-S505_2025050720250507">he did not vote</a>&nbsp;in two regular general elections. He told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”

Kimmel's show pulled as audience waited for taping

An audience was lined up outside the theater where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tapes when they were told Wednesday’s show was canceled.

“We were just about to walk in — interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug on this right as the studio audience was about to walk in,” Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press outside the theater. “They didn’t tell us what had happened. They just said that the show was canceled.”

Williams said he was worried someone had been injured — until he saw that ABC had announced nearly at the same time online that the preemption was indefinite. Williams hadn’t been aware of Kimmel’s comments on Kirk, but sought them out after the announcement.

“They didn’t really seem to justify the means. It seemed to be a bit extreme. And it wasn’t like insulting to, it really had nothing to do with Charlie Kirk at all. He didn’t even mention anything ill about Charlie Kirk — it was about the shooter,” Williams said.

What Kimmel said on his show and reaction to it

Kimmel said that Trump's response to Kirk's death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?” He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the killing “like a kid who didn't read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”

He returned to the topic on Tuesday night, mocking Vice President JD Vance's performance as guest host for Kirk's podcast.

He said Trump was “fanning the flames” by attacking people on the left. “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they're too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can't be both of those things.”

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments on Kirk some of the “sickest conduct possible” in an interview Wednesday morning with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.

“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” Carr said.

Carr said it appeared to be an “intentional effort” to mislead the public that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.

The conservative group interest group Center for American Rights cited Carr’s comments in lodging a complaint Wednesday against ABC in addition to a prior complaint from early September accusing ABC of political bias. They wrote in the complaint that Kimmel showed a “reckless indifference or willful defiance of facts” and asked the commission to take ABC off air, if ABC did not take Kimmel off air first.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the administration for “using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression” in a post on X.

The move comes as the president, his administration and political party have stepped up their effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">police speech about Kirk’s death.</a>&nbsp;Vance earlier this week urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination. It is also the latest effort by the administration to use its power to lean on the media. Carr has launched investigations of outlets that have angered Trump and the president has sued numerous media organizations for negative coverage.

CBS said this past summer that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">canceling Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role. Soon after the cancellation, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount's long-pending deal with Skydance. ABC parent company Disney is currently awaiting regulatory approval for ESPN's acquisition of the NFL Network.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image ABC" />
                        <figcaption>Image ABC</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK (AP) — ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely beginning Wednesday after comments that he made about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">Charlie Kirk's killing</a>&nbsp;led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Kimmel, the veteran late-night comic</a>, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk's assassination on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”</p><p>ABC, which has aired Kimmel's late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel's comments about Kirk's death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.</p><p>There was no immediate comment from Kimmel, whose contract is up in May 2026. ABC's statement did not cite a reason for why his show was preempted.</p><p>President Donald Trump celebrated ABC's move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”</p><p>He also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.” In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">after CBS canceled “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,”</a>&nbsp;Trump wrote on his social media platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” Like Colbert, Kimmel has been consistently been critical of Trump and many of his policies.</p><p>In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”</p><p>Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/charlie-kirk-shooting-news#00000199-3e68-d49f-a99f-3fef75fe0000">Utah records</a>&nbsp;show he was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter2/20A-2-S505.html?v=C20A-2-S505_2025050720250507">he did not vote</a>&nbsp;in two regular general elections. He told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”</p><h2>Kimmel's show pulled as audience waited for taping</h2><p>An audience was lined up outside the theater where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” tapes when they were told Wednesday’s show was canceled.</p><p>“We were just about to walk in — interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug on this right as the studio audience was about to walk in,” Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press outside the theater. “They didn’t tell us what had happened. They just said that the show was canceled.”</p><p>Williams said he was worried someone had been injured — until he saw that ABC had announced nearly at the same time online that the preemption was indefinite. Williams hadn’t been aware of Kimmel’s comments on Kirk, but sought them out after the announcement.</p><p>“They didn’t really seem to justify the means. It seemed to be a bit extreme. And it wasn’t like insulting to, it really had nothing to do with Charlie Kirk at all. He didn’t even mention anything ill about Charlie Kirk — it was about the shooter,” Williams said.</p><h2>What Kimmel said on his show and reaction to it</h2><p>Kimmel said that Trump's response to Kirk's death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?” He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the killing “like a kid who didn't read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”</p><p>He returned to the topic on Tuesday night, mocking Vice President JD Vance's performance as guest host for Kirk's podcast.</p><p>He said Trump was “fanning the flames” by attacking people on the left. “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they're too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can't be both of those things.”</p><p>FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments on Kirk some of the “sickest conduct possible” in an interview Wednesday morning with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.</p><p>“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” Carr said.</p><p>Carr said it appeared to be an “intentional effort” to mislead the public that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.</p><p>The conservative group interest group Center for American Rights cited Carr’s comments in lodging a complaint Wednesday against ABC in addition to a prior complaint from early September accusing ABC of political bias. They wrote in the complaint that Kimmel showed a “reckless indifference or willful defiance of facts” and asked the commission to take ABC off air, if ABC did not take Kimmel off air first.</p><p>FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the administration for “using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression” in a post on X.</p><p>The move comes as the president, his administration and political party have stepped up their effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">police speech about Kirk’s death.</a>&nbsp;Vance earlier this week urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination. It is also the latest effort by the administration to use its power to lean on the media. Carr has launched investigations of outlets that have angered Trump and the president has sued numerous media organizations for negative coverage.</p><p>CBS said this past summer that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">canceling Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role. Soon after the cancellation, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount's long-pending deal with Skydance. ABC parent company Disney is currently awaiting regulatory approval for ESPN's acquisition of the NFL Network.</p>

ABC suspends Kimmel's late-night show over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s public health system is headed to a “very dangerous place” with Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;and his team of anti-vaccine advisers in charge, fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Susan Monarez warned senators on Wednesday.

Describing extraordinary turmoil inside the nation's health agencies, Monarez and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Chief Debra Houry described exchanges in which Kennedy or political advisers rebuffed data supporting the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Monarez, who was fired after just 29 days on the job following disagreements with Kennedy, told senators deadly diseases like polio and whooping cough, long contained, are poised to make a comeback in the U.S.

“I believe preventable diseases will return, and I believe we will have our children harmed by things they don’t need to be harmed by,” Monarez said before the Senate health committee.

Monarez said she was ordered by Kennedy to resign if she did not sign off on new vaccine recommendations, which are expected to be released later this week by an advisory panel that Kennedy has stocked with medical experts and vaccine skeptics. She said that when she asked for data or science to back up Kennedy’s request to change the childhood vaccination schedule, he offered none.

She added that Kennedy told her “he spoke to the president every day about changing the childhood vaccination schedule.”

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the powerful health committee, listened intently as Monarez and Houry described conversations with Kennedy and his advisers.

“To be clear, he said there was not science or data, but he still expected you to change schedule?” Cassidy asked.

Cassidy carefully praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting health policies but made it clear he was concerned about the circumstances surrounding Monarez's removal.

Houry, meanwhile, described similar exchanges with Kennedy's political advisers, who took an unprecedented role in preparing materials for meetings of the CDC's advisory vaccine panel.

Ahead of this week's meeting of the panel, Houry offered to include data around the hepatitis B shot that is administered to newborns to prevent spread of the deadly disease from the mother. She said a Kennedy adviser dismissed the data as biased because it might support keeping the shots on the schedule.

"You’re suggesting that they wanted to move away from the birth dose, but they were afraid that your data would say that they should retain it?" Cassidy asked.

During the Senate hearing, Democrats, all of whom opposed Monarez's nomination, also questioned Kennedy's motives for firing Monarez, who was approved for the job unanimously by Republicans.

“Frankly, she stood up for protecting the well-being of the American people, and for that reason she was fired,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats.

Monarez said it was both her refusal to sign off on new vaccination recommendations without scientific evidence and her unwillingness to fire high-ranking career CDC officials without cause that led to her ousting.

Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-senate-cdc-3a5a090fc9d9f547377203fe5c61ffa2">has denied</a>&nbsp;Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations but has acknowledged he demanded firings. He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney.

While Senate Republicans have been mostly loath to challenge Trump or even Kennedy, many of them have expressed concerns about the lack of availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the health department’s decisions to scale back some childhood vaccines.

Others have backed up Kennedy’s distrust of the nation’s health agencies.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, a doctor, aggressively questioned Monarez about her “philosophy” on vaccines as she explained that her decisions were based on science. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Trump was elected to make change and suggested Monarez's job was to be loyal to Kennedy.

“America needs better than this,” Tuberville said.

The Senate hearing was taking place just a day before the vaccine panel starts its two-day session in Atlanta to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox. It’s unclear how the panel might vote on the recommendations, though members have raised doubts about whether hepatitis B shots administered to newborns are necessary and have suggested COVID-19 recommendations should be more restricted.

The CDC director must endorse those recommendations before they become official. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-oneill-cdc-kennedy-trump-vaccines-58fd24f678bf46ea6ec96a2b09f85ff4">Jim O’Neill</a>, now serving as the CDC’s acting director, will be responsible for that.

“I'm very nervous about it,” Monarez said of the meeting.

Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe in New York and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758119416377.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s public health system is headed to a “very dangerous place” with Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;and his team of anti-vaccine advisers in charge, fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Susan Monarez warned senators on Wednesday.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a> admonishes Susan Monarez: “You are the problem.” <a href="https://t.co/4ow5WxO992">pic.twitter.com/4ow5WxO992</a></p>&mdash; HHS.gov (@HHSGov) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov/status/1968340321500311721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former CDC Director Susan Monarez delivers her opening statement: &quot;Today should not be about me. Today should be about the future of trust in public health.&quot; <br><br>Ms. Monarez details her time at the CDC and her firing from the agency. <a href="https://t.co/a45ZiXGZ0n">pic.twitter.com/a45ZiXGZ0n</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1968328090288881978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Describing extraordinary turmoil inside the nation's health agencies, Monarez and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Chief Debra Houry described exchanges in which Kennedy or political advisers rebuffed data supporting the safety and efficacy of vaccines.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry opening statement. <a href="https://t.co/5bK99PFZQY">pic.twitter.com/5bK99PFZQY</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1968328629521105280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Monarez, who was fired after just 29 days on the job following disagreements with Kennedy, told senators deadly diseases like polio and whooping cough, long contained, are poised to make a comeback in the U.S.</p><p>“I believe preventable diseases will return, and I believe we will have our children harmed by things they don’t need to be harmed by,” Monarez said before the Senate health committee.</p><h2>Monarez describes her firing by RFK</h2><p>Monarez said she was ordered by Kennedy to resign if she did not sign off on new vaccine recommendations, which are expected to be released later this week by an advisory panel that Kennedy has stocked with medical experts and vaccine skeptics. She said that when she asked for data or science to back up Kennedy’s request to change the childhood vaccination schedule, he offered none.</p><p>She added that Kennedy told her “he spoke to the president every day about changing the childhood vaccination schedule.”</p><p>Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the powerful health committee, listened intently as Monarez and Houry described conversations with Kennedy and his advisers.</p><p>“To be clear, he said there was not science or data, but he still expected you to change schedule?” Cassidy asked.</p><p>Cassidy carefully praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting health policies but made it clear he was concerned about the circumstances surrounding Monarez's removal.</p><p>Houry, meanwhile, described similar exchanges with Kennedy's political advisers, who took an unprecedented role in preparing materials for meetings of the CDC's advisory vaccine panel.</p><p>Ahead of this week's meeting of the panel, Houry offered to include data around the hepatitis B shot that is administered to newborns to prevent spread of the deadly disease from the mother. She said a Kennedy adviser dismissed the data as biased because it might support keeping the shots on the schedule.</p><p>"You’re suggesting that they wanted to move away from the birth dose, but they were afraid that your data would say that they should retain it?" Cassidy asked.</p><h2>Critical vaccine decisions are ahead</h2><p>During the Senate hearing, Democrats, all of whom opposed Monarez's nomination, also questioned Kennedy's motives for firing Monarez, who was approved for the job unanimously by Republicans.</p><p>“Frankly, she stood up for protecting the well-being of the American people, and for that reason she was fired,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats.</p><p>Monarez said it was both her refusal to sign off on new vaccination recommendations without scientific evidence and her unwillingness to fire high-ranking career CDC officials without cause that led to her ousting.</p><p>Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-senate-cdc-3a5a090fc9d9f547377203fe5c61ffa2">has denied</a>&nbsp;Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations but has acknowledged he demanded firings. He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney.</p><p>While Senate Republicans have been mostly loath to challenge Trump or even Kennedy, many of them have expressed concerns about the lack of availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the health department’s decisions to scale back some childhood vaccines.</p><p>Others have backed up Kennedy’s distrust of the nation’s health agencies.</p><p>Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, a doctor, aggressively questioned Monarez about her “philosophy” on vaccines as she explained that her decisions were based on science. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Trump was elected to make change and suggested Monarez's job was to be loyal to Kennedy.</p><p>“America needs better than this,” Tuberville said.</p><p>The Senate hearing was taking place just a day before the vaccine panel starts its two-day session in Atlanta to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox. It’s unclear how the panel might vote on the recommendations, though members have raised doubts about whether hepatitis B shots administered to newborns are necessary and have suggested COVID-19 recommendations should be more restricted.</p><p>The CDC director must endorse those recommendations before they become official. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-oneill-cdc-kennedy-trump-vaccines-58fd24f678bf46ea6ec96a2b09f85ff4">Jim O’Neill</a>, now serving as the CDC’s acting director, will be responsible for that.</p><p>“I'm very nervous about it,” Monarez said of the meeting.</p><p>——</p><p>Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe in New York and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed.</p>

🎥 Kan. U.S. Senator admonished fired CDC Chief: “You are the problem.”

Kansas City Chief All-Pro Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is celebrating a milestone birthday.&nbsp; On social media, the Chiefs sent a special message from his friends and family.

<p>Kansas City Chief All-Pro Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is celebrating a milestone birthday.&nbsp; On social media, the Chiefs sent a special message from his friends and family.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@patrickmahomes</a>, your friends and family have a message for you ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/lOM8folZB8">pic.twitter.com/lOM8folZB8</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1968373858773463079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 See who honored Patrick Mahomes on a milestone birthday

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation's labor market.

The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and it lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-trump-rates-99d90bab1ba2faa0fc5d4a6106125da7">unchanged this year</a>&nbsp;as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy.

Yet the central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation, which remains modestly above its 2% target, to jobs, as hiring has grounded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-unemployment-trump-firing-f686eab61f7d6b702ca10b12b0250498">nearly to a halt</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the unemployment rate has ticked higher. Lower interest rates could reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans, and boost growth and hiring.

“In this less dynamic and somewhat softer labor market, the downside risks to employment appear to have risen,” Powell said at a press conference following the Fed's two-day meeting.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation's labor market.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fed Chair Powell: &quot;In support of our goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, today the Federal Open Market Committee decided to lower our policy interest rate by a quarter percentage point.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> <a href="https://t.co/HFoopj40DY">pic.twitter.com/HFoopj40DY</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1968383292446498969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and it lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-trump-rates-99d90bab1ba2faa0fc5d4a6106125da7">unchanged this year</a>&nbsp;as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy.</p><p>Yet the central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation, which remains modestly above its 2% target, to jobs, as hiring has grounded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-unemployment-trump-firing-f686eab61f7d6b702ca10b12b0250498">nearly to a halt</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the unemployment rate has ticked higher. Lower interest rates could reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans, and boost growth and hiring.</p><p>“In this less dynamic and somewhat softer labor market, the downside risks to employment appear to have risen,” Powell said at a press conference following the Fed's two-day meeting.</p><p>Fed officials also signaled that they expect to reduce their key rate twice more this year, but just once in 2026. Before the meeting, investors on Wall Street had projected five cuts for the rest of this year and next. Stocks wavered a bit as Powell took questions from reporters. The S&amp;P 500 ticked down 0.1% as of 3:40 p.m. ET.</p><p>Just one Fed policymaker dissented from the decision: Stephen Miran, who President Donald Trump appointed and was confirmed by the Senate in a rushed vote late Monday just hours before the meeting began. Miran preferred a larger half-point cut, but Powell told reporters there wasn't “very much support” for the bigger-size cut among Fed officials.</p><p>Many economists had forecast there would be additional dissents, and the meeting's outcome suggests that Powell was able to patch together a show of unity from a committee that includes Miran and two other Trump appointees from his first term, as well as a Fed governor, Lisa Cook, whom Trump is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-cook-trump-e9933d518af5155250bebbdc29fd3f2b">seeking to fire</a>.</p><p>Still, there were still significant differences among the 19 officials on the Fed's rate-setting committee about where the Fed should go next. Seven policymakers indicated they don't support any further cuts, while two supported just one more and 10 favor at least two more. One official — likely Miran — indicated that they would support several large cuts to bring the Fed's rate to 2.9% by year's end. Fed officials submit their forecasts of future rate moves anonymously.</p><p>Powell said the wide divergence reflects the uncertain outlook for the economy, given that inflation remains stubborn even as hiring has stumbled.</p><p>“There are no risk-free paths now,” Powell said. “It's not incredibly obvious what to do.”</p><p>The Fed is facing both a challenging economic environment and threats to its traditional independence from day-to-day politics. At the same time that hiring has weakened, inflation remains stubbornly elevated. It rose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a">2.9% in August</a>&nbsp;from a year ago, according to the consumer price index, up from 2.7% in July and noticeably above the Fed’s 2% target.</p><p>It’s unusual to have weaker hiring and elevated inflation, because typically a slowing economy causes consumers to pull back on spending, cooling price hikes. Powell suggested last month that sluggish growth could keep inflation in check even if tariffs lift prices further.</p><p>Separately, Trump’s attempted firing of Cook is the first time a president has tried to remove a Fed governor in the central bank’s 112-year history, and has been seen by many legal scholars as an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-trump-powell-cook-interest-rates-65f53b88f35f6fd4c670ce43efd6d852">unprecedented attack</a>&nbsp;on the Fed’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-trump-independence-5c2ec1a37dc4aca6a59544f8b4513a45">independence</a>. His administration has accused Cook of mortgage fraud, but the accusation has come in the context of Trump’s extensive criticism of Powell and the Fed for not cutting rates much faster and steeper.</p><p>An appeals court late Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-cook-trump-56e36badb0d1e9752e306fd6609747bd">upheld an earlier ruling</a>&nbsp;that the firing violated Cook’s due process rights. A lower court had also previously ruled that Trump did not provide sufficient justification to remove Cook. Also late Monday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-miran-trump-70a09bdf2e10839f35e1596cafe5c415">Senate voted to approve</a>&nbsp;Miran’s nomination, and he was quickly sworn in Tuesday morning.</p><p>On Tuesday, Trump said Fed officials “have to make their own choice” on rates but added that “they should listen to smart people like me.” Trump has said the Fed should reduce rates by three full percentage points.</p><p>When asked what the signs would be that the Fed is no longer functioning independent of political pressure, Powell said, “I don’t believe we’ll ever get to that place. We’re doing our work exactly as we always have now.”</p><p>The Fed’s move to cut rates puts it in a different spot from many other central banks overseas. Last week, the European Central Bank left its benchmark rate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-central-bank-interest-rates-lagarde-d4618467d6e89764d61c9ef52756790d">unchanged</a>, as inflation has largely cooled and the economy has seen limited damage, so far, from U.S. tariffs. On Friday, the Bank of England is also expected to keep its rate on hold as inflation, at 3.8%, remains higher than in the United States.</p>