By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/claire-rush">CLAIRE RUSH</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/gene-johnson">GENE JOHNSON</a>

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court on Monday put on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-oregon-california-trump-newsom-3b8e12f8d2d39f195dda73dda31f1681">a lower court ruling</a>&nbsp;that kept President Donald Trump from taking command of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. However, Trump is still barred from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-hegseth-deploy-portland-chicago-trump-c618d8e59e1136cc0c2c3286d9c41d79">actually deploying</a>&nbsp;those troops, at least for now.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued two temporary restraining orders early this month — one that prohibited Trump from calling up the troops so he could send them to Portland, and another that prohibited him from sending any National Guard members to Oregon at all, after the president tried to evade the first order by deploying California troops instead.

The Justice Department appealed the first order, and in a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the administration. The majority said the president was likely to succeed on his claim that he had the authority to federalize the troops based on a determination he was unable to enforce the laws without them.

However, Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops may immediately be deployed.

The administration has said that because the legal reasoning underpinning both temporary restraining orders was the same, it will now ask Immergut to dissolve her second order and allow Trump to deploy troops to Portland. The Justice Department argued that it is not the role of the courts to second-guess the president’s determination about when to deploy troops.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, said he would ask for a broader panel of the appeals to reconsider the decision.

<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>

“Today’s ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification,” Rayfield said. “We are on a dangerous path in America.”

The Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Trump’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-legal-clash-presidential-power-1ed22e89bcdebc8d3e5bd9238373dc45">deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in Democratic-led cities have been mired in legal challenges. A judge in California ruled that his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a longstanding law that generally prohibits the use of the military for civilian policing, and the administration on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-national-guard-trump-913ecce44b6bcc5d0cba1b252dfd34ce">asked the U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to allow the deployment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-troops-memphis-chicago-trump-96d489ab1b325c90da6f75a23efcf479">National Guard</a>&nbsp;troops in the Chicago area,

Mostly small nightly protests, limited to a single block, have been occurring since June outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. Larger crowds, including counter-protesters and live-streamers, have shown up at times, and federal agents have used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

The administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal property from protesters, and that having to send extra Department of Homeland Security agents to help guard the property meant they were not enforcing immigration laws elsewhere.

Immergut previously rejected the administration’s arguments, saying the president’s claims about Portland being war-torn are “simply untethered to the facts.” But the appeals court majority — Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade, both Trump appointees — said the president’s decision was owed more deference.

Bade wrote that the facts appeared to support Trump’s decision “even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media.”

Judge Susan Graber, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton appointee, dissented. She urged her colleagues on the 9th Circuit to “to vacate the majority’s order before the illegal deployment of troops under false pretenses can occur.”

“In the two weeks leading up to the President’s September 27 social media post, there had not been a single incident of protesters’ disrupting the execution of the laws,” Graber wrote. “It is hard to understand how a tiny protest causing no disruptions could possibly satisfy the standard that the President is unable to execute the laws.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750413132016.jpeg" alt="File photo California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)" />
 <figcaption>File photo California National Guard stand in formation guarding the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/claire-rush">CLAIRE RUSH</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/gene-johnson">GENE JOHNSON</a>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court on Monday put on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-oregon-california-trump-newsom-3b8e12f8d2d39f195dda73dda31f1681">a lower court ruling</a>&nbsp;that kept President Donald Trump from taking command of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. However, Trump is still barred from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-hegseth-deploy-portland-chicago-trump-c618d8e59e1136cc0c2c3286d9c41d79">actually deploying</a>&nbsp;those troops, at least for now.U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued two temporary restraining orders early this month — one that prohibited Trump from calling up the troops so he could send them to Portland, and another that prohibited him from sending any National Guard members to Oregon at all, after the president tried to evade the first order by deploying California troops instead.The Justice Department appealed the first order, and in a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the administration. The majority said the president was likely to succeed on his claim that he had the authority to federalize the troops based on a determination he was unable to enforce the laws without them.However, Immergut’s second order remains in effect, so no troops may immediately be deployed.The administration has said that because the legal reasoning underpinning both temporary restraining orders was the same, it will now ask Immergut to dissolve her second order and allow Trump to deploy troops to Portland. The Justice Department argued that it is not the role of the courts to second-guess the president’s determination about when to deploy troops.Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, said he would ask for a broader panel of the appeals to reconsider the decision.<a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7Tv2j59PwNEyqGCi1y" target="_blank">▶ Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel.</a>“Today’s ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification,” Rayfield said. “We are on a dangerous path in America.”The Justice Department did not immediately return an email seeking comment.Trump’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-legal-clash-presidential-power-1ed22e89bcdebc8d3e5bd9238373dc45">deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in Democratic-led cities have been mired in legal challenges. A judge in California ruled that his deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a longstanding law that generally prohibits the use of the military for civilian policing, and the administration on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-national-guard-trump-913ecce44b6bcc5d0cba1b252dfd34ce">asked the U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to allow the deployment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-troops-memphis-chicago-trump-96d489ab1b325c90da6f75a23efcf479">National Guard</a>&nbsp;troops in the Chicago area,Mostly small nightly protests, limited to a single block, have been occurring since June outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. Larger crowds, including counter-protesters and live-streamers, have shown up at times, and federal agents have used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.The administration has said the troops are needed to protect federal property from protesters, and that having to send extra Department of Homeland Security agents to help guard the property meant they were not enforcing immigration laws elsewhere.Immergut previously rejected the administration’s arguments, saying the president’s claims about Portland being war-torn are “simply untethered to the facts.” But the appeals court majority — Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade, both Trump appointees — said the president’s decision was owed more deference.Bade wrote that the facts appeared to support Trump’s decision “even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media.”Judge Susan Graber, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton appointee, dissented. She urged her colleagues on the 9th Circuit to “to vacate the majority’s order before the illegal deployment of troops under false pretenses can occur.”“In the two weeks leading up to the President’s September 27 social media post, there had not been a single incident of protesters’ disrupting the execution of the laws,” Graber wrote. “It is hard to understand how a tiny protest causing no disruptions could possibly satisfy the standard that the President is unable to execute the laws.”___

Court gives Trump a win on National Guard deployment in Portland

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal 2-vehicle accident that occurred just before 7p.m. Friday in Saline County have identified the victim as 30-year-old Riley Faris of Salina, according to a statement from the Saline County Sheriff. Deputies also made an arrest.

According to the sheriff's office, a custom 1986 Harley Davidson driven by&nbsp; Faris was westbound on Kansas 140 Highway at Perry Street in Brookville.&nbsp; A 2003 Subaru Forester driven by Kylie Barnett, 39, Kanopolis, rear-ended the motorcycle.

Faris was ejected from the motorcycle upon impact and pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies at the scene arrested Barnett and booked her into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance and Following too close.

Deputies determined alcohol was not a factor. Barnett is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760984128017.png" alt="Barnett photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Barnett photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal 2-vehicle accident that occurred just before 7p.m. Friday in Saline County have identified the victim as 30-year-old Riley Faris of Salina, according to a statement from the Saline County Sheriff. Deputies also made an arrest.According to the sheriff's office, a custom 1986 Harley Davidson driven by&nbsp; Faris was westbound on Kansas 140 Highway at Perry Street in Brookville.&nbsp; A 2003 Subaru Forester driven by Kylie Barnett, 39, Kanopolis, rear-ended the motorcycle.Faris was ejected from the motorcycle upon impact and pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies at the scene arrested Barnett and booked her into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance and Following too close.Deputies determined alcohol was not a factor. Barnett is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

Kansas woman arrested after crash that killed motorcyclist

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Ford County.

Just before 6a.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3000 block of Gary Avenue in Dodge City in response to reports of shots fired, according to a media release.

While officers were arriving in the area, a 31-year-old Dodge City man approached officers at the Police Department and stated that he had just shot his wife. 

Based on the information provided, officers responded to the location given by the individual and discovered a 31-year-old woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by first responders, she died her injuries at the scene. 

The suspect was taken into custody without incident and is being held in the Ford County Jail on requested charges of first-degree murder.&nbsp;

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Ford County.Just before 6a.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3000 block of Gary Avenue in Dodge City in response to reports of shots fired, according to a media release.While officers were arriving in the area, a 31-year-old Dodge City man approached officers at the Police Department and stated that he had just shot his wife. Based on the information provided, officers responded to the location given by the individual and discovered a 31-year-old woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by first responders, she died her injuries at the scene. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and is being held in the Ford County Jail on requested charges of first-degree murder.&nbsp;

Homicide: SW Kansas man told police he shot his wife

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two instances of alleged fraud in Riley County.

Just before 3:30p.m. Friday, officers filed a report of fraud in Randolph. A 66-year-old man reported an unknown individual scammed him out of $25,000 worth of gift cards online.

Officers lso filed a report of fraud on Friday in Manhattan. A 70-year-old woman reported an unknown individual falsely identified themselves as a police officer and instructed her to purchase gift cards for missing jury duty. The estimated total loss associated with this case is $3,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two instances of alleged fraud in Riley County.Just before 3:30p.m. Friday, officers filed a report of fraud in Randolph. A 66-year-old man reported an unknown individual scammed him out of $25,000 worth of gift cards online.Officers lso filed a report of fraud on Friday in Manhattan. A 70-year-old woman reported an unknown individual falsely identified themselves as a police officer and instructed her to purchase gift cards for missing jury duty. The estimated total loss associated with this case is $3,000.

Police: Kansas man lost $25,000 in gift card scam

Federal, state funding uncertainty looms; anti-tenure bill to resurface in Topeka

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

&nbsp;University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod explores KU’s achievements in student recruiting, faculty research and endowment fundraising on Oct. 17, 2025, in a campus speech. Girod, chancellor since 2017, pointed to a series of threats confronting U.S. higher education. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod says dismantling of federal funding of university research, lukewarm state budgets, a precipitous drop in college-age students, rise of artificial intelligence and inflationary pressure on operating costs threaten the future of higher education.

These headwinds exist amid dwindling enthusiasm, regardless of political affiliation, in the public’s view of the value of investment in a college degree, the chancellor said. Positive sentiment among Americans for higher education has eroded from 70% to 40% in less than a decade, he said.

“The question of, is the investment worth it, is really the question that’s being asked a lot of our society,” Girod said. “It’s creating a time of fairly significant uncertainty across the country right now.”

Girod said computing power of artificial intelligence would transform KU and other higher education institutions. AI must be viewed as a “disruptor,” he said, but also an opportunity to evolve.

“It’s going to completely change how we educate. It’s going to completely change how we conduct research. It certainly is going to completely change how we conduct our business of higher education,” he said.

Girod shared the report Thursday during his annual “State of the University Address,” which featured a broad analysis of U.S. higher education as well as distinct challenges facing KU and a summary of the university’s enrollment, research and fundraising trends.

Girod said KU this fall achieved record student enrollment for the second consecutive year. The current freshman class at KU is the third largest in university history, he said. At the same time, the chancellor said, KU improved student retention and its graduation rate. The decline in 18-year-olds in the United States will make continuation of that track record increasingly difficult, he said.

“We have the most Kansas kids we’ve ever had. We have the most out-of-state kids we’ve ever had. That’s a great place to be at this moment in time,” he said.

The chancellor said KU documented nine consecutive years of growth in research funding as the total climbed from $337 million in 2017 to $611 million in 2024. The pipeline of research grants in the current year has “slowed down profoundly” as the administration of President Donald Trump rolled back federal research and development funding available to colleges and universities.

He said progress has been made with the “One KU” project to realign and unify administrative leadership of KU campuses in Lawrence, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas. The idea is to create efficiencies by moving away from a decentralized campus-based administrative structure, he said.

“The goal of that is obviously to help us streamline and be far more strategic, but also far more nimble in leveraging our assets across all our campuses,” Girod said.

Girod told about 200 people during the speech that KU endowment’s fundraising campaign eclipsed the $2 billion mark with two years remaining in a 10-year quest to secure commitments of $2.5 billion. He said half the contributions were destined for KU’s Lawrence campus, 30% would be dedicated to KUMC and 20% was earmarked for athletics.

“I’m happy to stand up here and say the state of our university is actually quite strong,” Girod said. “Probably the strongest it’s ever been. I also know I say that in a moment when we probably have the highest degree of uncertainty that we’ve had … in the history of the university.”

Girod said the 2025 Kansas Legislature adopted a flat budget in terms of base support for KU, which could be viewed as a step backward due to inflation. He said a 30% surge in operating costs in the past five years and combined challenges with state and federal funding prompted decisions to cut spending by $32 million on the Lawrence campus and to reduce spending by $39 million on the KU Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas.

“I’ll tell you on the Lawrence campus about half of that cut will go to market pay for faculty and staff, but that really just gets us started on that journey,” Girod said.

David Smith, a professor of sociology, was among faculty and staff in the audience holding small signs during the chancellor’s speech that said “Contract now! Stop the delay” or “Fair contract now!” KU faculty and academic staff in April 2024 approved formation of a union by capturing 86% of the vote among nearly 1,000 participants in the election. The bargaining unit, United Academics of KU, represents employees with educational or research roles on campus.

“We have been in contract negotiations for well over a year now,” Smith said. “It’s been something like 450 days since those contract negotiations began.”

Smith said union negotiators were working to improve compensation, especially for adjunct faculty or people on short-term contracts. He said negotiations included an effort to enshrine in the first contract guarantees the administration formally shared governance with faculty and staff. For example, he said, faculty and staff should have had a role alongside KU administrators in deciding whether to discontinue 42 academic programs in 2022.

Girod said the 2026 session of the Legislature would be important to KU, and early indications were that it would be another tight budget year for higher education. He anticipated legislators would renew a push to redefine university tenure so it no longer could be recognized as an “entitlement, right or property interest.” The 2025 version of that legislation was blocked by opponents, including Girod, from emerging from a House committee.

“We’ve already been told its coming back again. We know that’s something we’re going to have to pay attention to because it’s so critical to what we do and who we are as an institution,” the chancellor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760983392597.png" alt=" University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod explores KU’s achievements in student recruiting, faculty research and endowment fundraising on Oct. 17, 2025, in a campus speech. Girod, chancellor since 2017, pointed to a series of threats confronting U.S. higher education. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod explores KU’s achievements in student recruiting, faculty research and endowment fundraising on Oct. 17, 2025, in a campus speech. Girod, chancellor since 2017, pointed to a series of threats confronting U.S. higher education. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Federal, state funding uncertainty looms; anti-tenure bill to resurface in Topeka</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod explores KU’s achievements in student recruiting, faculty research and endowment fundraising on Oct. 17, 2025, in a campus speech. Girod, chancellor since 2017, pointed to a series of threats confronting U.S. higher education. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)LAWRENCE — University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod says dismantling of federal funding of university research, lukewarm state budgets, a precipitous drop in college-age students, rise of artificial intelligence and inflationary pressure on operating costs threaten the future of higher education.These headwinds exist amid dwindling enthusiasm, regardless of political affiliation, in the public’s view of the value of investment in a college degree, the chancellor said. Positive sentiment among Americans for higher education has eroded from 70% to 40% in less than a decade, he said.“The question of, is the investment worth it, is really the question that’s being asked a lot of our society,” Girod said. “It’s creating a time of fairly significant uncertainty across the country right now.”Girod said computing power of artificial intelligence would transform KU and other higher education institutions. AI must be viewed as a “disruptor,” he said, but also an opportunity to evolve.“It’s going to completely change how we educate. It’s going to completely change how we conduct research. It certainly is going to completely change how we conduct our business of higher education,” he said.Girod shared the report Thursday during his annual “State of the University Address,” which featured a broad analysis of U.S. higher education as well as distinct challenges facing KU and a summary of the university’s enrollment, research and fundraising trends.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760983337463.png" alt="University of Kansas faculty and staff hoist small signs during KU chancellor Doug Girod’s annual speech Oct. 16, 2025, to register disappointment that more progress isn’t being made in negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement with unionized campus employees. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>University of Kansas faculty and staff hoist small signs during KU chancellor Doug Girod’s annual speech Oct. 16, 2025, to register disappointment that more progress isn’t being made in negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement with unionized campus employees. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Positive trends</h2>Girod said KU this fall achieved record student enrollment for the second consecutive year. The current freshman class at KU is the third largest in university history, he said. At the same time, the chancellor said, KU improved student retention and its graduation rate. The decline in 18-year-olds in the United States will make continuation of that track record increasingly difficult, he said.“We have the most Kansas kids we’ve ever had. We have the most out-of-state kids we’ve ever had. That’s a great place to be at this moment in time,” he said.The chancellor said KU documented nine consecutive years of growth in research funding as the total climbed from $337 million in 2017 to $611 million in 2024. The pipeline of research grants in the current year has “slowed down profoundly” as the administration of President Donald Trump rolled back federal research and development funding available to colleges and universities.He said progress has been made with the “One KU” project to realign and unify administrative leadership of KU campuses in Lawrence, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas. The idea is to create efficiencies by moving away from a decentralized campus-based administrative structure, he said.“The goal of that is obviously to help us streamline and be far more strategic, but also far more nimble in leveraging our assets across all our campuses,” Girod said.Girod told about 200 people during the speech that KU endowment’s fundraising campaign eclipsed the $2 billion mark with two years remaining in a 10-year quest to secure commitments of $2.5 billion. He said half the contributions were destined for KU’s Lawrence campus, 30% would be dedicated to KUMC and 20% was earmarked for athletics.“I’m happy to stand up here and say the state of our university is actually quite strong,” Girod said. “Probably the strongest it’s ever been. I also know I say that in a moment when we probably have the highest degree of uncertainty that we’ve had … in the history of the university.”<h2>Kansas headwinds</h2>Girod said the 2025 Kansas Legislature adopted a flat budget in terms of base support for KU, which could be viewed as a step backward due to inflation. He said a 30% surge in operating costs in the past five years and combined challenges with state and federal funding prompted decisions to cut spending by $32 million on the Lawrence campus and to reduce spending by $39 million on the KU Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas.“I’ll tell you on the Lawrence campus about half of that cut will go to market pay for faculty and staff, but that really just gets us started on that journey,” Girod said.David Smith, a professor of sociology, was among faculty and staff in the audience holding small signs during the chancellor’s speech that said “Contract now! Stop the delay” or “Fair contract now!” KU faculty and academic staff in April 2024 approved formation of a union by capturing 86% of the vote among nearly 1,000 participants in the election. The bargaining unit, United Academics of KU, represents employees with educational or research roles on campus.“We have been in contract negotiations for well over a year now,” Smith said. “It’s been something like 450 days since those contract negotiations began.”Smith said union negotiators were working to improve compensation, especially for adjunct faculty or people on short-term contracts. He said negotiations included an effort to enshrine in the first contract guarantees the administration formally shared governance with faculty and staff. For example, he said, faculty and staff should have had a role alongside KU administrators in deciding whether to discontinue 42 academic programs in 2022.Girod said the 2026 session of the Legislature would be important to KU, and early indications were that it would be another tight budget year for higher education. He anticipated legislators would renew a push to redefine university tenure so it no longer could be recognized as an “entitlement, right or property interest.” The 2025 version of that legislation was blocked by opponents, including Girod, from emerging from a House committee.“We’ve already been told its coming back again. We know that’s something we’re going to have to pay attention to because it’s so critical to what we do and who we are as an institution,” the chancellor said.

Chancellor profiles hurdles for higher education, outlines KU achievements

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins says the summary of a proposed initiative petition seeking to repeal stadium subsidies was a ‘first bite at the apple’ that can later be refined in the courts. Critics say that’s just a strategy to bog down and derail citizen-led campaigns

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is warning voters that a repeal of Missouri’s $1.5 billion stadium subsidy could mean the Chiefs pack their bags and move to Kansas.&nbsp;

And what about the Royals, the other team state lawmakers were hoping to convince to stay in Missouri when they created the subsidy program?&nbsp; Crickets.&nbsp;

A ballot summary prepared by Hoskins’ office for a pair of proposed initiative petitions seeking to repeal the stadium funding law declares that voter approval could “likely cause the Kansas City Chiefs to move their stadium from Missouri to Kansas.”

There is no mention of the Royals, an omission that sparked a flurry of questions — and criticism.&nbsp;

Does Hoskins have some reason to believe the Royals have already decided to leave the state or have no intention of using the stadium tax incentives?&nbsp;

Or, as critics allege, is Hoskins hoping to sink the measure by making predictions about the future plans of the Chiefs, who&nbsp;— unlike the Royals — have a statewide fanbase, three recent championships, and a star player in Patrick Mahomes who is the face of the sport?

The Secretary of State’s Office insists it has neither inside knowledge of the Royals’ intentions nor a desire to bias voters against the proposed repeal. In a statement, the office said it “does not have access to or knowledge of the private business decisions of any professional sports franchise,” and that the ballot summary must reflect the “clearest, most immediate potential consequence” of the law.

Besides, Hoskins’ office said, the current version of the summary is just the “first bite at the apple.” A recently approved state law gives the secretary of state up to three times to get the ballot language right — if proponents are upset enough about the first version to take the issue to court.&nbsp;

Brad Ketcher, a lawyer working with the group behind the ballot measure to repeal the subsidy, believes that’s the point. Writing an unfair ballot summary forces backers of initiative petitions to invest the time and money into legal challenges that could otherwise be dedicated to gathering signatures or engaging with voters.&nbsp;

“Hoskins is all but admitting,” Ketcher said, “that he drafted flawed language with an eye toward slowing the measure.”

Over the last month, Hoskins has found himself at the center of the political storm, facing criticism — and lawsuits — over his office’s role in the initiative petition and referendum process.&nbsp;

Hoskins has used his authority to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/16/lawsuit-threat-of-criminal-charges-part-of-gop-effort-to-block-vote-on-missouri-map/">pre-emptively reject 100,000 signatures for a proposed referendum</a>&nbsp;on Missouri’s new congressional map. He’s also come under fire for crafting what critics call “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuits-challenge-deceptive-summaries-for-missouri-public-education-ballot-measures/">deceptive and prejudicial</a>” summary statements for two public‐education related constitutional amendments.&nbsp;

He was tasked with rewriting the ballot language for a proposal to reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban after a Cole County judge determined the initial wording by lawmakers failed to alert voters that the amendment would ban most abortions.&nbsp;

But his initial draft was rejected when the judge determined it was “insufficient and unfair.” Hoskins got the judge’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/07/missouri-abortion-ban-amendment-ballot-language-2026/">sign off on the summary</a>&nbsp;on his next attempt.&nbsp;

Sean Nicholson, a longtime progressive activist in Missouri, filed a lawsuit earlier this year asking a judge to strike down a new law that says any ballot language deemed insufficient or unfair by a court must be sent back to the secretary of state up to three times for revision. If, after three attempts, the courts still find the language unacceptable, a judge is then allowed to rewrite it themselves.

Nicholson said Hoskins’ behavior is exactly why the law is so dangerous and should be overturned.

“Denny Hoskins is required to write fair and impartial language,” Nicholson said. “But instead, he is reinforcing all the concerns people had when the legislature passed the law, that a bad-faith politician could use it to waste the people’s time and resources.”&nbsp;

As for the Chiefs and Royals, their future — in Missouri or Kansas — remains unresolved.&nbsp;

“We have heard nothing to indicate that the Royals have decided to leave the State of Missouri,” said Gabby Picard, a spokeswoman for Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, whose office plays no role in the intuitive petition process, when asked about the team’s omission from the ballot summary.

“In fact,” Picard said, “Gov. Kehoe and his team remain in frequent communication with the Royals and the Chiefs to ensure that both teams stay in Missouri — where they belong.”

The teams have expressed interest in leaving Missouri when the lease on their current stadiums in Jackson County expire in 2030. Kansas lawmakers put a deal on the table that would use state incentives to pay for up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums.

The Missouri plan would allocate state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties. The cost is estimated at close to $1.5 billion over 30 years.

A pair of Republican lawmakers<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-ag-general-assembly-seek-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-stadium-funding-bill/">&nbsp;filed a lawsuit hoping to get the entire package thrown out</a>, arguing it violates the constitution by including multiple provisions and aid to private interests.&nbsp;

The initiative petitions aiming to repeal the stadium subsidy seek to direct any money saved toward preventing cuts to Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/article_59f065f3-1e50-44a6-81ac-630fb5acd698.html" target="_blank">that could result from legislation passed this summer by Congress</a>.&nbsp;

Hoskins, Ketcher alleges, “has chosen to protect billions for billionaire sports team owners at the expense of everyday Missourians and their health care.”&nbsp;

For his part, Hoskins defended his work — and his team loyalties.&nbsp;

“Secretary Hoskins applauds the Royals on a hard-fought season and, like many Missourians, is cheering on the Chiefs this football season,” his office said in a statement. “Regardless of team colors, the goal remains the same: ensuring Missouri voters have the facts they need to make an informed decision at the ballot box.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748263709817.png" alt="GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Secretary of State Denny Hoskins says the summary of a proposed initiative petition seeking to repeal stadium subsidies was a ‘first bite at the apple’ that can later be refined in the courts. Critics say that’s just a strategy to bog down and derail citizen-led campaigns</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is warning voters that a repeal of Missouri’s $1.5 billion stadium subsidy could mean the Chiefs pack their bags and move to Kansas.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759061969764.png" alt="Secretary of State Denny Hoskins-courtesy phto" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of State Denny Hoskins-courtesy phto</figcaption>
 </figure>And what about the Royals, the other team state lawmakers were hoping to convince to stay in Missouri when they created the subsidy program?&nbsp; Crickets.&nbsp;A ballot summary prepared by Hoskins’ office for a pair of proposed initiative petitions seeking to repeal the stadium funding law declares that voter approval could “likely cause the Kansas City Chiefs to move their stadium from Missouri to Kansas.”There is no mention of the Royals, an omission that sparked a flurry of questions — and criticism.&nbsp;Does Hoskins have some reason to believe the Royals have already decided to leave the state or have no intention of using the stadium tax incentives?&nbsp;Or, as critics allege, is Hoskins hoping to sink the measure by making predictions about the future plans of the Chiefs, who&nbsp;— unlike the Royals — have a statewide fanbase, three recent championships, and a star player in Patrick Mahomes who is the face of the sport?The Secretary of State’s Office insists it has neither inside knowledge of the Royals’ intentions nor a desire to bias voters against the proposed repeal. In a statement, the office said it “does not have access to or knowledge of the private business decisions of any professional sports franchise,” and that the ballot summary must reflect the “clearest, most immediate potential consequence” of the law.Besides, Hoskins’ office said, the current version of the summary is just the “first bite at the apple.” A recently approved state law gives the secretary of state up to three times to get the ballot language right — if proponents are upset enough about the first version to take the issue to court.&nbsp;Brad Ketcher, a lawyer working with the group behind the ballot measure to repeal the subsidy, believes that’s the point. Writing an unfair ballot summary forces backers of initiative petitions to invest the time and money into legal challenges that could otherwise be dedicated to gathering signatures or engaging with voters.&nbsp;“Hoskins is all but admitting,” Ketcher said, “that he drafted flawed language with an eye toward slowing the measure.”Over the last month, Hoskins has found himself at the center of the political storm, facing criticism — and lawsuits — over his office’s role in the initiative petition and referendum process.&nbsp;Hoskins has used his authority to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/16/lawsuit-threat-of-criminal-charges-part-of-gop-effort-to-block-vote-on-missouri-map/">pre-emptively reject 100,000 signatures for a proposed referendum</a>&nbsp;on Missouri’s new congressional map. He’s also come under fire for crafting what critics call “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuits-challenge-deceptive-summaries-for-missouri-public-education-ballot-measures/">deceptive and prejudicial</a>” summary statements for two public‐education related constitutional amendments.&nbsp;He was tasked with rewriting the ballot language for a proposal to reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban after a Cole County judge determined the initial wording by lawmakers failed to alert voters that the amendment would ban most abortions.&nbsp;But his initial draft was rejected when the judge determined it was “insufficient and unfair.” Hoskins got the judge’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/07/missouri-abortion-ban-amendment-ballot-language-2026/">sign off on the summary</a>&nbsp;on his next attempt.&nbsp;Sean Nicholson, a longtime progressive activist in Missouri, filed a lawsuit earlier this year asking a judge to strike down a new law that says any ballot language deemed insufficient or unfair by a court must be sent back to the secretary of state up to three times for revision. If, after three attempts, the courts still find the language unacceptable, a judge is then allowed to rewrite it themselves.Nicholson said Hoskins’ behavior is exactly why the law is so dangerous and should be overturned.“Denny Hoskins is required to write fair and impartial language,” Nicholson said. “But instead, he is reinforcing all the concerns people had when the legislature passed the law, that a bad-faith politician could use it to waste the people’s time and resources.”&nbsp;As for the Chiefs and Royals, their future — in Missouri or Kansas — remains unresolved.&nbsp;“We have heard nothing to indicate that the Royals have decided to leave the State of Missouri,” said Gabby Picard, a spokeswoman for Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, whose office plays no role in the intuitive petition process, when asked about the team’s omission from the ballot summary.“In fact,” Picard said, “Gov. Kehoe and his team remain in frequent communication with the Royals and the Chiefs to ensure that both teams stay in Missouri — where they belong.”The teams have expressed interest in leaving Missouri when the lease on their current stadiums in Jackson County expire in 2030. Kansas lawmakers put a deal on the table that would use state incentives to pay for up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums.The Missouri plan would allocate state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties. The cost is estimated at close to $1.5 billion over 30 years.A pair of Republican lawmakers<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-ag-general-assembly-seek-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-stadium-funding-bill/">&nbsp;filed a lawsuit hoping to get the entire package thrown out</a>, arguing it violates the constitution by including multiple provisions and aid to private interests.&nbsp;The initiative petitions aiming to repeal the stadium subsidy seek to direct any money saved toward preventing cuts to Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/article_59f065f3-1e50-44a6-81ac-630fb5acd698.html" target="_blank">that could result from legislation passed this summer by Congress</a>.&nbsp;Hoskins, Ketcher alleges, “has chosen to protect billions for billionaire sports team owners at the expense of everyday Missourians and their health care.”&nbsp;For his part, Hoskins defended his work — and his team loyalties.&nbsp;“Secretary Hoskins applauds the Royals on a hard-fought season and, like many Missourians, is cheering on the Chiefs this football season,” his office said in a statement. “Regardless of team colors, the goal remains the same: ensuring Missouri voters have the facts they need to make an informed decision at the ballot box.”

Chiefs in, Royals out: Mo. secretary of state once again catches flak over ballot summary

RILEY COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of fire at a home in Manhattan.

On Sunday, crews&nbsp;responded to 326 Vattier Street in Manhattan, according to a social media report from the Manhattan Fire Department.

Crews found fire showing from the front of the home.  The building was quickly searched and the fire was extinguished.  No injuries were reported.  The occupants of the home were displaced.&nbsp; The fire department released no additional details early Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760970839575.png" alt="Photos Manhattan Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Manhattan Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of fire at a home in Manhattan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760970734045.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Sunday, crews&nbsp;responded to 326 Vattier Street in Manhattan, according to a social media report from the Manhattan Fire Department.Crews found fire showing from the front of the home. The building was quickly searched and the fire was extinguished. No injuries were reported. The occupants of the home were displaced.&nbsp; The fire department released no additional details early Monday.

Family displaced after Kansas house fire 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;is quickly approaching the second&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">longest on record</a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-obamacare-republicans-democrats-b6b59cae2ec28b39e57fbb703704f46a">no end in sight</a>. Some lawmakers are predicting it could become the longest, surpassing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the 35 days from President Donald Trump's first term</a>.

The Trump administration is using the current shutdown to buttress priorities it favors while seeking to dismantle those it doesn't. Nevertheless, Democrats are insisting that any funding bill include help for millions of Americans who will lose health insurance coverage or face dramatically higher monthly premiums if Congress does nothing.

The shutdown began Oct. 1. Here's a look at its impact so far on workers, the economy and the services the government provides.

The federal government employed nearly 2.3 million civilian employees as of March 31. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 750,000 of those employees would be furloughed each day during a shutdown. That means they don't report to work until the shutdown ends. Others are considered “excepted” and do go to work, helping to protect life and property and perform other essential services.

Both groups of workers will get paid, but on a retroactive basis. That means they are facing the prospect of missing a full paycheck later this month after receiving a partial one earlier for work performed in late September.

The nation's 1.3 million active-duty service members got a temporary reprieve. They were looking at missing a paycheck on Wednesday. But Trump directed the Pentagon to redirect money. A second reprieve looks unlikely.

Of note for taxpayers, the government tab for paying furloughed workers while they are at home comes to roughly $400 million a day, according to a CBO estimate provided at the request of Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

The administration is also trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-10-2025">fire thousands of federal workers</a>&nbsp;in agencies that don't align with its priorities. Republican leaders in Congress have said that's part of the fallout from a shutdown. Past presidents, however, did not use shutdowns to engage in mass firings.

The Republican administration has announced one reduction in force affecting 4,100 workers, with the biggest cuts happening at the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing and Urban Development.

White House budget chief Russ Vought said in an interview on “The Charlie Kirk Show” that many more are planned.

“I think we’ll probably end up being north of 10,000,” Vought said.

“We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy,” Vought said. “Not just the funding, but the bureaucracy, that we now have an opportunity to do that.”

A federal judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-layoffs-trump-unions-b312b3ca77cbdbc72e778ece3b2cbffc">temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the firings, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the administration was “100%” confident that it will prevail on the merits in subsequent legal action.

Lawmakers acknowledge that many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck and will face some financial stress during the shutdown. Food banks in some communities have boosted efforts to help them. The Capital Area Food Bank, for example, said it would hold additional food distributions in the Washington region beginning Monday to support federal workers and contractors.

Past shutdowns have had slight impacts on the economy, reducing growth in the quarter during which the shutdown occurs, but growth increases slightly in the following three months to help make up for it.

One estimate from Oxford Economics said a shutdown reduces economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points per week. A shutdown that lasts the entire quarter, which has never occurred, would reduce growth for those three months by 1.2 to 2.4 percentage points.

Some industries are hurt worse than others.

The U.S. Travel Association said the travel economy is expected to lose $1 billion a week as travelers change plans to visit national parks, historic sites and the nation's capital, where many facilities such as Smithsonian Institution museums and the National Zoo are now closed to visitors.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that the Small Business Administration supports loans totaling about $860 million a week for 1,600 small businesses. Those programs close to new loans during the shutdown. The shutdown also has halted the issuance and renewal of flood insurance policies, delaying mortgage closings and real estate transactions.

The Federal Aviation Administration has reported air controller shortages in cities across the United States, from airports in Boston and Philadelphia, to control centers in Atlanta and Houston.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-government-shutdown-travel-aviation-flight-delays-211022120bf96ab95dc6861ca5a7e32d">Flight delays</a>&nbsp;have spread to airports in Nashville, Tennessee, Dallas, Newark, New Jersey and more.

The party that insists on conditions as part of a government funding bill generally doesn't get its way. That was the case in 2013 and 2018 for Republicans. It remains to be seen how things will shake out this time, but neither side appears to be budging.

So far, the public is rather split on who is to blame for the impasse. Roughly 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>.

Perceptions could change depending upon how much the White House uses the shutdown to eliminate Democratic priorities and Democratic-leaning states and cities.

The administration has put on hold roughly $18 billion to fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-york-city-business-94a9e170a3348c74a3545ece08f15687">a new rail tunnel</a>&nbsp;beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-79783568fad34e788930b01ef246fadb">Second Avenue subway</a>. It canceled $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. The administration cited reasons apart from the shutdown for the funding changes.

In the end, there does not appear to be an easy way out of the shutdown. Republicans insists any negotiations on health care occur after the government is fully open for business. “We’re not conducting negotiations in a hostage situation," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Across the Capitol, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Democrats "are not going to bend and we’re not going to break because we are standing up for the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315749226.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;is quickly approaching the second&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">longest on record</a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-obamacare-republicans-democrats-b6b59cae2ec28b39e57fbb703704f46a">no end in sight</a>. Some lawmakers are predicting it could become the longest, surpassing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the 35 days from President Donald Trump's first term</a>.The Trump administration is using the current shutdown to buttress priorities it favors while seeking to dismantle those it doesn't. Nevertheless, Democrats are insisting that any funding bill include help for millions of Americans who will lose health insurance coverage or face dramatically higher monthly premiums if Congress does nothing.The shutdown began Oct. 1. Here's a look at its impact so far on workers, the economy and the services the government provides.<h2>Furloughs and firings</h2>The federal government employed nearly 2.3 million civilian employees as of March 31. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 750,000 of those employees would be furloughed each day during a shutdown. That means they don't report to work until the shutdown ends. Others are considered “excepted” and do go to work, helping to protect life and property and perform other essential services.Both groups of workers will get paid, but on a retroactive basis. That means they are facing the prospect of missing a full paycheck later this month after receiving a partial one earlier for work performed in late September.The nation's 1.3 million active-duty service members got a temporary reprieve. They were looking at missing a paycheck on Wednesday. But Trump directed the Pentagon to redirect money. A second reprieve looks unlikely.Of note for taxpayers, the government tab for paying furloughed workers while they are at home comes to roughly $400 million a day, according to a CBO estimate provided at the request of Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.The administration is also trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-10-2025">fire thousands of federal workers</a>&nbsp;in agencies that don't align with its priorities. Republican leaders in Congress have said that's part of the fallout from a shutdown. Past presidents, however, did not use shutdowns to engage in mass firings.The Republican administration has announced one reduction in force affecting 4,100 workers, with the biggest cuts happening at the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing and Urban Development.White House budget chief Russ Vought said in an interview on “The Charlie Kirk Show” that many more are planned.“I think we’ll probably end up being north of 10,000,” Vought said.“We want to be very aggressive where we can be in shuttering the bureaucracy,” Vought said. “Not just the funding, but the bureaucracy, that we now have an opportunity to do that.”A federal judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-layoffs-trump-unions-b312b3ca77cbdbc72e778ece3b2cbffc">temporarily blocked</a>&nbsp;the firings, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the administration was “100%” confident that it will prevail on the merits in subsequent legal action.Lawmakers acknowledge that many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck and will face some financial stress during the shutdown. Food banks in some communities have boosted efforts to help them. The Capital Area Food Bank, for example, said it would hold additional food distributions in the Washington region beginning Monday to support federal workers and contractors.<h2>Economic Impact</h2>Past shutdowns have had slight impacts on the economy, reducing growth in the quarter during which the shutdown occurs, but growth increases slightly in the following three months to help make up for it.One estimate from Oxford Economics said a shutdown reduces economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points per week. A shutdown that lasts the entire quarter, which has never occurred, would reduce growth for those three months by 1.2 to 2.4 percentage points.Some industries are hurt worse than others.The U.S. Travel Association said the travel economy is expected to lose $1 billion a week as travelers change plans to visit national parks, historic sites and the nation's capital, where many facilities such as Smithsonian Institution museums and the National Zoo are now closed to visitors.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that the Small Business Administration supports loans totaling about $860 million a week for 1,600 small businesses. Those programs close to new loans during the shutdown. The shutdown also has halted the issuance and renewal of flood insurance policies, delaying mortgage closings and real estate transactions.The Federal Aviation Administration has reported air controller shortages in cities across the United States, from airports in Boston and Philadelphia, to control centers in Atlanta and Houston.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-government-shutdown-travel-aviation-flight-delays-211022120bf96ab95dc6861ca5a7e32d">Flight delays</a>&nbsp;have spread to airports in Nashville, Tennessee, Dallas, Newark, New Jersey and more.<h2>Political fallout</h2>The party that insists on conditions as part of a government funding bill generally doesn't get its way. That was the case in 2013 and 2018 for Republicans. It remains to be seen how things will shake out this time, but neither side appears to be budging.So far, the public is rather split on who is to blame for the impasse. Roughly 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>.Perceptions could change depending upon how much the White House uses the shutdown to eliminate Democratic priorities and Democratic-leaning states and cities.The administration has put on hold roughly $18 billion to fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-york-city-business-94a9e170a3348c74a3545ece08f15687">a new rail tunnel</a>&nbsp;beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-79783568fad34e788930b01ef246fadb">Second Avenue subway</a>. It canceled $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. The administration cited reasons apart from the shutdown for the funding changes.In the end, there does not appear to be an easy way out of the shutdown. Republicans insists any negotiations on health care occur after the government is fully open for business. “We’re not conducting negotiations in a hostage situation," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.Across the Capitol, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Democrats "are not going to bend and we’re not going to break because we are standing up for the American people.”

Government shutdown impact on workers, services and the economy 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal crash and have made an arrest.

Just after 7p.m. October 17,&nbsp; police responded to a crash involving a sedan and a motorcycle at West 42nd Street South and South Seneca in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders located a 27-year-old motorcyclist, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the 61-year-old driver of a sedan was traveling north on Seneca and attempting to make a left turn onto 42nd Street. The motorcyclist was traveling south on Seneca when the sedan turned and struck him.

The Wichita Police Critical Accident Follow up Team was activated and AFU Detectives responded to the scene. Police arrested the sedan driver identified from county arrest records as Brian Adrian and booked him into jail on requested charges of Involuntary Manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in the crash, according to police.

Adrian remains in custody on a $200,000 bond, according to online jail records. This case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office for formal charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760814308179.png" alt="Police near the crash scene photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the crash scene photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal crash and have made an arrest.Just after 7p.m. October 17,&nbsp; police responded to a crash involving a sedan and a motorcycle at West 42nd Street South and South Seneca in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders located a 27-year-old motorcyclist, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760814274895.png" alt="Adrian photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Adrian photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary investigation indicates that the 61-year-old driver of a sedan was traveling north on Seneca and attempting to make a left turn onto 42nd Street. The motorcyclist was traveling south on Seneca when the sedan turned and struck him.The Wichita Police Critical Accident Follow up Team was activated and AFU Detectives responded to the scene. Police arrested the sedan driver identified from county arrest records as Brian Adrian and booked him into jail on requested charges of Involuntary Manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in the crash, according to police.Adrian remains in custody on a $200,000 bond, according to online jail records. This case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office for formal charges.

Kansas man accused of DUI in crash that killed motorcyclist

LONDON (AP) — Internet users around the world faced widespread disruption early on Monday because of a problem at Amazon’s cloud computing service that took down dozens of major online services, including social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games and chat app Signal.

About three hours after the outage began, Amazon Web Services said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status" target="_blank">starting to recover from the problem.</a>

Amazon Web Services provides behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to many government departments, universities and businesses, including The Associated Press, which allows them to provide online services.

On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services. DownDetector said the problems were: “Possibly related to issues at Amazon Web Services.”

Coinbase and Signal both said on X that they were experiencing issues related to the AWS outage.

Even Amazon’s own services weren’t immune. Users of the company’s Ring doorbell cameras and Alexa-powered smart speakers posted on DownDetector that they weren’t working, while others said they were unable to access the Amazon website or download books to their Kindle.

Amazon pinned the outage on issues related to their domain name system, an apparatus that converts web addresses into IP addresses so websites and apps can load on internet-connected devices.

The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it was “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.”

Later, the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.

Around 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the company said that it was seeing recovery across most of the affected services. “We can confirm global services and features that rely on US-EAST-1 have also recovered,” it said, adding that it is working on a “full resolution.”

This is not the first time issues with Amazon’s key services have caused widespread disruptions. Many popular internet services were down after a brief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-outage-aws-cloud-services-be93bc744e4e69d04055683830a409c3">outage in 2023</a>. AWS’s longest outage in recent history occurred in late 2021, when companies -- everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services -- were affected for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-amazoncom-inc-web-services-3ba6c35f2c86245231c03a2dc7f0c995">more than five hours</a>. Outages also happened in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32dc4dceb18a4214b23b2930ebd1e05f">2017</a>.

The company reported that 64 internal AWS services were affected by the issue.

AWS customers include some of the world’s biggest businesses and organizations.

“So much of the world now relies on these three or four big (cloud) compute companies who provide the underlying infrastructure that when there’s an issue like this, it can be really impactful across a broad range, a broad spectrum” of online services, said Patrick Burgess, a cybersecurity expert at U.K.-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

“The world now runs on the cloud,” and the internet is seen as a utility like water or electricity, as we spend so much of our lives on our smartphones, Burgess said.

And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by a handful of companies, when something goes wrong, “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.

“The good news is that this kind of issue is usually relatively fast (to resolve)” and there’s no indication that it was caused by a cyber incident like a cyberattack, Burgess said.

“This looks like a good old-fashioned technology issue, something’s gone wrong and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.

There are “well-established processes” to deal with outages at Amazon Web Services, as well as rivals Google and Microsoft, which together provide most of the world’s cloud computing infrastructure, Burgess said, adding that such outages are usually fixed in “hours rather than days.”

NEW YORK (AP) —Amazon said its cloud computing service was recovering from a major outage that disrupted online activity around the world. Amazon Web Services provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press. The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it is “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.” 

Around 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the company said that it was seeing recovery across most of the affected services. “We can confirm global services and features that rely on US-EAST-1 have also recovered,” it said, adding that it is working on a “full resolution.” Amazon said its cloud computing service was recovering from a major outage that disrupted online activity around the world on Monday.

Amazon Web Services provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.

On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services. Coinbase and Signal both said on X that they were experiencing issues related to the AWS outage.

The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it is “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.”

Later the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.

“The world now runs on the cloud” and the internet is seen as a utility like water or electricity as we spend so much of our lives on our smartphones, Burgess said.

And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by a handful of companies, when something goes wrong “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.

“This look’s like a good old fashioned technology issue, something’s gone wrong and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.

Amazon Web Services said at about 6:30 a.m. Eastern time that “most AWS Service operations are succeeding normally now.”

AP writer Mustakim Hasnath in London contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) —An Amazon Web Services outage is causing major disruptions around the world. The service provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.

On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services.

Amazon Web Services said on the site where it provides updates that services in its eastern U.S. region were disrupted and engineers were working to understand what was causing the problem.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760954347143.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Internet users around the world faced widespread disruption early on Monday because of a problem at Amazon’s cloud computing service that took down dozens of major online services, including social media site Snapchat, the Roblox and Fortnite video games and chat app Signal.About three hours after the outage began, Amazon Web Services said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://health.aws.amazon.com/health/status" target="_blank">starting to recover from the problem.</a>Amazon Web Services provides behind-the-scenes cloud computing infrastructure to many government departments, universities and businesses, including The Associated Press, which allows them to provide online services.On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services. DownDetector said the problems were: “Possibly related to issues at Amazon Web Services.”Coinbase and Signal both said on X that they were experiencing issues related to the AWS outage.Even Amazon’s own services weren’t immune. Users of the company’s Ring doorbell cameras and Alexa-powered smart speakers posted on DownDetector that they weren’t working, while others said they were unable to access the Amazon website or download books to their Kindle.Amazon pinned the outage on issues related to their domain name system, an apparatus that converts web addresses into IP addresses so websites and apps can load on internet-connected devices.The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it was “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.”Later, the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.Around 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the company said that it was seeing recovery across most of the affected services. “We can confirm global services and features that rely on US-EAST-1 have also recovered,” it said, adding that it is working on a “full resolution.”This is not the first time issues with Amazon’s key services have caused widespread disruptions. Many popular internet services were down after a brief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-outage-aws-cloud-services-be93bc744e4e69d04055683830a409c3">outage in 2023</a>. AWS’s longest outage in recent history occurred in late 2021, when companies -- everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services -- were affected for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-amazoncom-inc-web-services-3ba6c35f2c86245231c03a2dc7f0c995">more than five hours</a>. Outages also happened in 2020 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/32dc4dceb18a4214b23b2930ebd1e05f">2017</a>.The company reported that 64 internal AWS services were affected by the issue.AWS customers include some of the world’s biggest businesses and organizations.“So much of the world now relies on these three or four big (cloud) compute companies who provide the underlying infrastructure that when there’s an issue like this, it can be really impactful across a broad range, a broad spectrum” of online services, said Patrick Burgess, a cybersecurity expert at U.K.-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.“The world now runs on the cloud,” and the internet is seen as a utility like water or electricity, as we spend so much of our lives on our smartphones, Burgess said.And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by a handful of companies, when something goes wrong, “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.“The good news is that this kind of issue is usually relatively fast (to resolve)” and there’s no indication that it was caused by a cyber incident like a cyberattack, Burgess said.“This looks like a good old-fashioned technology issue, something’s gone wrong and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.There are “well-established processes” to deal with outages at Amazon Web Services, as well as rivals Google and Microsoft, which together provide most of the world’s cloud computing infrastructure, Burgess said, adding that such outages are usually fixed in “hours rather than days.”---------------NEW YORK (AP) —Amazon said its cloud computing service was recovering from a major outage that disrupted online activity around the world. Amazon Web Services provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press. The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it is “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.” Around 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the company said that it was seeing recovery across most of the affected services. “We can confirm global services and features that rely on US-EAST-1 have also recovered,” it said, adding that it is working on a “full resolution.” Amazon said its cloud computing service was recovering from a major outage that disrupted online activity around the world on Monday.Amazon Web Services provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services. Coinbase and Signal both said on X that they were experiencing issues related to the AWS outage.The first signs of trouble emerged at around 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, when Amazon Web Services reported on its Health Dashboard that it is “investigating increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS services in the US-EAST-1 Region.”Later the company reported that there were “significant error rates” and that engineers were “actively working” on the problem.Around 6 a.m. Eastern Time, the company said that it was seeing recovery across most of the affected services. “We can confirm global services and features that rely on US-EAST-1 have also recovered,” it said, adding that it is working on a “full resolution.”AWS customers include some of the world’s biggest businesses and organizations.“So much of the world now relies on these three or four big (cloud) compute companies who provide the underlying infrastructure that when there’s an issue like this, it can be really impactful across a broad range, a broad spectrum” of online services, said Patrick Burgess, a cybersecurity expert at U.K.-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.“The world now runs on the cloud” and the internet is seen as a utility like water or electricity as we spend so much of our lives on our smartphones, Burgess said.And because so much of the online world’s plumbing is underpinned by a handful of companies, when something goes wrong “it’s very difficult for users to pinpoint what is happening because we don’t see Amazon, we just see Snapchat or Roblox,” Burgess said.“The good news is that this kind of issue is usually relatively fast (to resolve)” and there’s no indication that it was caused by a cyber incident like a cyberattack, Burgess said.“This look’s like a good old fashioned technology issue, something’s gone wrong and it will be fixed by Amazon,” he said.There are “well-established processes” to deal with outages at Amazon Web Services, as well as rivals Google and Microsoft, which together provide most of the world’s cloud computing infrastructure, Burgess said, adding that such outages are usually fixed in “hours rather than days.”Amazon Web Services said at about 6:30 a.m. Eastern time that “most AWS Service operations are succeeding normally now.”___AP writer Mustakim Hasnath in London contributed to this report.---------------------NEW YORK (AP) —An Amazon Web Services outage is causing major disruptions around the world. The service provides remote computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.On DownDetector, a website that tracks online outages, users reported issues with Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite online broker Robinhood, the McDonald’s app and many other services.Amazon Web Services said on the site where it provides updates that services in its eastern U.S. region were disrupted and engineers were working to understand what was causing the problem.AWS customers include some of the world’s biggest businesses and organizations.

Amazon Web Services recovering from outage that caused disruptions worldwide

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The United States will slash assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/colombia">Colombia</a>&nbsp;because its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gustavo-petro">Gustavo Petro</a>, “does nothing to stop” drug production,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America.

In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular.” The Republican president warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”

Hours later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the latest U.S. strike on a vessel that was allegedly carrying “substantial amounts of narcotics.”

He said the vessel was associated with a Colombian rebel group —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/eln.html" target="_blank">the National Liberation Army, or ELN</a>&nbsp;— that has been in conflict with Petro’s government. He did not provide any evidence for his assertions, but he shared a brief video clip of a boat engulfed in flames after an explosion on Friday.

Petro, who can be as vocal on social media as his American counterpart, rejected Trump’s accusations and defended his work to fight narcotics in Colombia, the world’s largest exporter of cocaine.

“Trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker,” Petro wrote. He suggested that Trump was being deceived by his advisers, described himself as “the main enemy” of drugs in his country and said Trump was being “rude and ignorant toward Colombia.”

The Colombian Foreign Ministry described Trump’s statement as a “direct threat to national sovereignty by proposing an illegal intervention in Colombian territory.” Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters that the country “has used all its capability and also lost men and women fighting drug trafficking.”

Trump’s latest broadside against Petro raises the possibility of an expanding clash in Latin America, where the U.S. has already increased pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro.

American naval ships, fighter jets and drones are deployed in the region for what the administration has described as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Trump also authorized covert operations inside Venezuela.

Unlike Venezuela, Colombia is a longtime U.S. ally and the top recipient of American assistance in the region. But coca cultivation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-coca-crop-033c449cf1124b4ce23cec3716e1aeef">reached an all-time high</a>&nbsp;last year, according to the United Nations, and there has been fresh violence in rural areas where the government spent years battling insurgents before reaching a peace deal a decade ago.

In September, the Trump administration accused Colombia of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-colombia-drug-war-cooperation-14493c8f7a9af102a8a29cc368ac1e03">failing to cooperate</a>&nbsp;in the drug war, although at the time Washington issued a waiver of sanctions that would have triggered aid cuts.

Colombia received an estimated $230 million in the U.S. budget year that ended Sept. 30, a drop from recent years that exceeded $700 million, according to U.S. figures.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has repeatedly feuded with Trump this year. Petro initially rejected U.S. military flights of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-immigration-deportation-flights-petro-trump-us-67870e41556c5d8791d22ec6767049fd">deported migrants,</a>&nbsp;leading Trump to threaten tariffs. The State Department said it would revoke Petro’s visa when he attended the U.N. General Assembly in New York because he told American soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.

Petro and Trump have also been at odds over American strikes on boats in the Caribbean. On Sunday, Petro accused the U.S. government of assassination, pointing to a Sept. 16 strike that he said killed a Colombian man named Alejandro Carranza. Petro said Carranza was a fisherman with no ties to drug trafficking, and his boat was malfunctioning when it was hit.

“The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family, his children. This is Bolívar’s homeland, and they are murdering his children with bombs,” Petro wrote on social media. He said that he asked his country’s attorney general’s office to initiate legal proceedings internationally and in U.S. courts.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Petro’s accusations.

Despite Petro’s criticism, his government plans to prosecute the Colombian survivor of a more recent U.S. strike on a submersible that was allegedly carrying drugs.

Another survivor was repatriated to Ecuador, where the Ministry of the Interior said he would not face charges after prosecutors met with him and determined that he had not committed any crimes within the country’s borders.

The ELN, which Hegseth said was the target of Friday’s strike, has long denied any role in drug trafficking and offered to submit to the scrutiny of an international commission. It did not respond to Hegseth’s announcement. Colombian authorities regularly report the dismantling of cocaine laboratories and the seizure of drugs believed to belong to the guerrillas.

There have been seven U.S. strikes in the region since early September that the administration says are targeting alleged drug traffickers. At least 32 people have been killed.

Trump said Sunday that Petro had “a fresh mouth toward America.” He complained that drug smuggling continues “despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America.”

“AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” he added.

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes region at International Crisis Group, said “it is befuddling and profoundly unwise of the United States to alienate its strongest military partner in Latin America at a moment when tension between Washington and Venezuela are at its highest point in recent years.”

She said Washington and Bogota have long treated their relationship as foundational, but “that wisdom is being thrown out the window, with really catastrophic effects.”

Colombia lost significant U.S. funding when Trump slashed the U.S. Agency for International Development earlier this year. More cuts could affect military cooperation and undermine efforts to fight rebel groups.

“If that is cut, we will see a strategic loss of capability for the Colombian military and police at precisely the moment when they’re confronting the greatest security crisis in Colombia for over a decade,” she said.

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The United States will slash assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/colombia">Colombia</a>&nbsp;because its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gustavo-petro">Gustavo Petro</a>, “does nothing to stop” drug production,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/RkULBLNrzI">pic.twitter.com/RkULBLNrzI</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1979892335690629356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as “an illegal drug leader” who is “low rated and very unpopular.” The Republican president warned that Petro “better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The… <a href="https://t.co/1v7oR879LC">pic.twitter.com/1v7oR879LC</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1979930208472912048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Hours later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the latest U.S. strike on a vessel that was allegedly carrying “substantial amounts of narcotics.”He said the vessel was associated with a Colombian rebel group —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/eln.html" target="_blank">the National Liberation Army, or ELN</a>&nbsp;— that has been in conflict with Petro’s government. He did not provide any evidence for his assertions, but he shared a brief video clip of a boat engulfed in flames after an explosion on Friday.Petro, who can be as vocal on social media as his American counterpart, rejected Trump’s accusations and defended his work to fight narcotics in Colombia, the world’s largest exporter of cocaine.“Trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker,” Petro wrote. He suggested that Trump was being deceived by his advisers, described himself as “the main enemy” of drugs in his country and said Trump was being “rude and ignorant toward Colombia.”The Colombian Foreign Ministry described Trump’s statement as a “direct threat to national sovereignty by proposing an illegal intervention in Colombian territory.” Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters that the country “has used all its capability and also lost men and women fighting drug trafficking.”Trump’s latest broadside against Petro raises the possibility of an expanding clash in Latin America, where the U.S. has already increased pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro.American naval ships, fighter jets and drones are deployed in the region for what the administration has described as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Trump also authorized covert operations inside Venezuela.Unlike Venezuela, Colombia is a longtime U.S. ally and the top recipient of American assistance in the region. But coca cultivation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-coca-crop-033c449cf1124b4ce23cec3716e1aeef">reached an all-time high</a>&nbsp;last year, according to the United Nations, and there has been fresh violence in rural areas where the government spent years battling insurgents before reaching a peace deal a decade ago.In September, the Trump administration accused Colombia of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-colombia-drug-war-cooperation-14493c8f7a9af102a8a29cc368ac1e03">failing to cooperate</a>&nbsp;in the drug war, although at the time Washington issued a waiver of sanctions that would have triggered aid cuts.Colombia received an estimated $230 million in the U.S. budget year that ended Sept. 30, a drop from recent years that exceeded $700 million, according to U.S. figures.Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has repeatedly feuded with Trump this year. Petro initially rejected U.S. military flights of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-immigration-deportation-flights-petro-trump-us-67870e41556c5d8791d22ec6767049fd">deported migrants,</a>&nbsp;leading Trump to threaten tariffs. The State Department said it would revoke Petro’s visa when he attended the U.N. General Assembly in New York because he told American soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.Petro and Trump have also been at odds over American strikes on boats in the Caribbean. On Sunday, Petro accused the U.S. government of assassination, pointing to a Sept. 16 strike that he said killed a Colombian man named Alejandro Carranza. Petro said Carranza was a fisherman with no ties to drug trafficking, and his boat was malfunctioning when it was hit.“The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family, his children. This is Bolívar’s homeland, and they are murdering his children with bombs,” Petro wrote on social media. He said that he asked his country’s attorney general’s office to initiate legal proceedings internationally and in U.S. courts.The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Petro’s accusations.Despite Petro’s criticism, his government plans to prosecute the Colombian survivor of a more recent U.S. strike on a submersible that was allegedly carrying drugs.Another survivor was repatriated to Ecuador, where the Ministry of the Interior said he would not face charges after prosecutors met with him and determined that he had not committed any crimes within the country’s borders.The ELN, which Hegseth said was the target of Friday’s strike, has long denied any role in drug trafficking and offered to submit to the scrutiny of an international commission. It did not respond to Hegseth’s announcement. Colombian authorities regularly report the dismantling of cocaine laboratories and the seizure of drugs believed to belong to the guerrillas.There have been seven U.S. strikes in the region since early September that the administration says are targeting alleged drug traffickers. At least 32 people have been killed.Trump said Sunday that Petro had “a fresh mouth toward America.” He complained that drug smuggling continues “despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America.”“AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” he added.Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes region at International Crisis Group, said “it is befuddling and profoundly unwise of the United States to alienate its strongest military partner in Latin America at a moment when tension between Washington and Venezuela are at its highest point in recent years.”She said Washington and Bogota have long treated their relationship as foundational, but “that wisdom is being thrown out the window, with really catastrophic effects.”Colombia lost significant U.S. funding when Trump slashed the U.S. Agency for International Development earlier this year. More cuts could affect military cooperation and undermine efforts to fight rebel groups.“If that is cut, we will see a strategic loss of capability for the Colombian military and police at precisely the moment when they’re confronting the greatest security crisis in Colombia for over a decade,” she said.

Trump responds after Colombian leader accuses US of murder in strike on drug boat

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a Kansas woman who was reported missing is going to prison for the rest of his life.

On Monday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 31-year-old Kyle Bearden to a life term for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The earliest possibility of parole is 25 years and an additional 181 months in prison if parole is granted.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a woman who was reported missing will learn his fate on Monday.

Judge Jeffrey Goering will sentence 31-year-old Kyle Bearden for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian. Her&nbsp;&nbsp;body was found in a Wichita park,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In August, Bearden entered a plea of guilty during an evidentiary hearing before Judge Goering.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753958410010.png" alt="Bearden-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Bearden-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a Kansas woman who was reported missing is going to prison for the rest of his life.On Monday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 31-year-old Kyle Bearden to a life term for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The earliest possibility of parole is 25 years and an additional 181 months in prison if parole is granted.----------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man who&nbsp;admitted killing a woman who was reported missing will learn his fate on Monday.Judge Jeffrey Goering will sentence 31-year-old Kyle Bearden for the murder of 30-year-old Mariana Christian. Her&nbsp;&nbsp;body was found in a Wichita park,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In August, Bearden entered a plea of guilty during an evidentiary hearing before Judge Goering.The plea agreement calls for the parties to jointly recommend a prison sentence of life with parole eligibility after 25 years, to be followed by an additional 15 years of imprisonment if parole is granted.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754062859608.png" alt="Police issued a missing person alert for Mariana Christian on July 27" />
 <figcaption>Police issued a missing person alert for Mariana Christian on July 27</figcaption>
 </figure>Around 10:30 a.m. on July 21, a friend of Mariana Christian filed a missing person report. The friend said Ms. Christian had a history of mental health challenges and often relied on them for transportation to work. That morning, Christian was not at her home in the 1200 block of S. Paige when the friend arrived to pick her up.At the residence, the friend encountered an unidentified man later identified as Kyle Bearden who said he didn’t know Ms. Christian’s whereabouts.He claimed Mariana Christian had left the apartment on Friday, July 18, in a truck with an unknown man and woman and hadn’t returned. He also expressed concern for her safety. Although not listed on the lease, the man appeared to be living in the apartment.Although Ms. Christian was last seen on Friday, July 18, she wasn’t reported missing until Monday, July 21. After multiple failed attempts to reach her and finding her absence unusual, the friend contacted police. Officers issued an attempt-to-locate alert, and investigators took over the case.WPD investigators identified Bearden as a person of interest. They followed leads to locate Ms. Christian, discovering evidence of her death and where her remains were left in Cottonwood Park near Armor and Bayley in Wichita.Wichita Police officers responded to the area and located human remains. Investigators believe Bearden shot Ms. Christian.Crime scene investigators processed Ms. Christian’s apartment and found evidence of foul play. On the morning of July 31, the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center positively identified the remains as those of Mariana Christian.Kyle Bearden was arrested on July 30 and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;