By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

Eastern Kansas
Congressman Derek Schmidt hopes the country learns something in the wake of the
tragic death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and
killed while taking questions from students at Utah Valley University September
10th.

Schmidt, a
Republican, says he didn’t know Kirk personally, but had followed his work.

“Look, here’s the
bottom line, we all say that we want people who are willing to sit down and debate
with and try to persuade people who have a very different view from them. That’s
the way our self-governing system is supposed to work and that’s what Charlie Kirk
did,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.&nbsp;
“Some people really didn’t like or they really did like it, but at the
end of the day he went and sat down and debated with people who had a different
world view and tried to persuade them and often did. And I think we ought to
celebrate that. It’s the way the system is supposed to work.”

Suspect Tyler
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and could face the death
penalty.

Schmidt says this
goes beyond the murder of one young man.

“So, when he was assassinated,
when he was murdered, you know it was an assault not just on one young man, it
was also an assault on the idea that we want this country to work in a
non-violent way, where instead there’s a clash of ideas and not a clash of
bullets,” according to Schmidt.

Schmidt hopes the
country grows from this tragedy.

“I hope it’s been
a wakeup call for a lot of people,” Schmidt says. “It’s always easier to sort
of default to the name calling and the exaggeration. It’s harder to have a thoughtful
discussion about issues you disagree on, but that’s what the country requires. It’s
what the people expect. And I hope it’s what’s going to come out of this
terrible, terrible crime.”

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostEastern Kansas
Congressman Derek Schmidt hopes the country learns something in the wake of the
tragic death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Kirk was shot and
killed while taking questions from students at Utah Valley University September
10th.Schmidt, a
Republican, says he didn’t know Kirk personally, but had followed his work.“Look, here’s the
bottom line, we all say that we want people who are willing to sit down and debate
with and try to persuade people who have a very different view from them. That’s
the way our self-governing system is supposed to work and that’s what Charlie Kirk
did,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.&nbsp;
“Some people really didn’t like or they really did like it, but at the
end of the day he went and sat down and debated with people who had a different
world view and tried to persuade them and often did. And I think we ought to
celebrate that. It’s the way the system is supposed to work.”Suspect Tyler
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and could face the death
penalty.Schmidt says this
goes beyond the murder of one young man.“So, when he was assassinated,
when he was murdered, you know it was an assault not just on one young man, it
was also an assault on the idea that we want this country to work in a
non-violent way, where instead there’s a clash of ideas and not a clash of
bullets,” according to Schmidt.Schmidt hopes the
country grows from this tragedy.“I hope it’s been
a wakeup call for a lot of people,” Schmidt says. “It’s always easier to sort
of default to the name calling and the exaggeration. It’s harder to have a thoughtful
discussion about issues you disagree on, but that’s what the country requires. It’s
what the people expect. And I hope it’s what’s going to come out of this
terrible, terrible crime.”

Kansas Congressman hopes country learns from Kirk tragedy

WASHINGTON (AP) — A vote to swiftly end the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;failed Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party’s demands to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">fund health care</a>&nbsp;subsidies that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republicans refuse to provide.

The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve on day one of the shutdown but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-1-2025">offered no breakthrough</a>. Blame was being cast on all sides. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty.

Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;were expected to be furloughed, with some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by Trump's Republican administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as the president vows to "do things that are irreversible" to punish Democrats. Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.

“I certainly pray they will come to their senses,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;said, flanked by GOP leaders at the Capitol.

This is the third time Trump has presided over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a federal funding lapse</a>&nbsp;and the first since his return to the White House this year. His record underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities in a political climate that rewards hard-line positions rather than more traditional compromises.

The Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-democrats-republicans-trump-fight-c4949dace66c18d6099b5e23fd98b049">picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, causing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">insurance premiums to spike</a>&nbsp;nationwide.

Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After convening a White House meeting this week with the Democratic leaders, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.

“President Trump’s behavior has become more erratic and unhinged," Democratic leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;said in a joint statement, calling for an “intervention" to get the country out of the shutdown. “Instead of negotiating a bipartisan agreement in good faith, he is obsessively posting crazed deepfake videos.”

Vice President JD Vance said Republicans want to resolve the health care issues that concern Democrats but will not negotiate until the government reopens.

“It's craziness, and people are going to suffer because of this,” Vance said Wednesday on the Fox News show “Fox &amp; Friends.”

What neither side has devised is an easy off-ramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the many services being thrown into turmoil.

Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide

An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.

Wall Street&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-shutdown-trump-b4bddbf826a5eabee1113f62aeb5e25e">veered toward losses</a>&nbsp;before the opening bell Wednesday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;went into effect just after midnight, but stocks drifted around their record highs later in the day.

Across the government, stoppages were getting underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans not just for furloughs, which are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the government.

The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.

But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.

Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.

But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including Wednesday, on a 55-45 vote. It needs 60 votes to advance, which requires cooperation between the two parties in a chamber where the GOP has a 53-47 majority. A Democratic bill also failed.

Divisions within the Democrats are apparent, as three senators again crossed over to join Republicans, signaling that Democratic leverage may be eroding. One Republican opposed the GOP plan.

During the roll call, an widening group of senators engaged in an intense conversation, including GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who has been talking with colleagues about the idea of a one-year extension of the expiring health care subsidies.

“It’s just one thought, and there are other ideas that are out there," Rounds said afterward.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>, who has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue — but not as part of talks to keep the government open — is working to peel off more Democrats to his side.

The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, but said they would be back next week.

Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.

During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.

Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti, Will Weissert, Fatima Hussein and other AP reporters nationwide contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759340146038.jpeg" alt="Counting votes in the Senate on Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes in the Senate on Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A vote to swiftly end the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;failed Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party’s demands to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">fund health care</a>&nbsp;subsidies that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republicans refuse to provide.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> (D-NY): &quot;When I was majority leader, we never had one shutdown in four years. Not one. You know why? Because we worked with our Republican colleagues to find a way to keep the government funded.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yp98g17bLj">pic.twitter.com/yp98g17bLj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1973413168450797571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve on day one of the shutdown but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-1-2025">offered no breakthrough</a>. Blame was being cast on all sides. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty.Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;were expected to be furloughed, with some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by Trump's Republican administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as the president vows to "do things that are irreversible" to punish Democrats. Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &quot;The reason why the American people&#39;s government is shut down is because Chuck Schumer is listening to the far-left radicals in his own party because he&#39;s terrified of a primary challenge.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FD2mbOakVI">pic.twitter.com/FD2mbOakVI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1973446837093769305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I certainly pray they will come to their senses,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;said, flanked by GOP leaders at the Capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> (D-NY): &quot;When I was majority leader, we never had one shutdown in four years. Not one. You know why? Because we worked with our Republican colleagues to find a way to keep the government funded.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yp98g17bLj">pic.twitter.com/yp98g17bLj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1973413168450797571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This is the third time Trump has presided over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a federal funding lapse</a>&nbsp;and the first since his return to the White House this year. His record underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities in a political climate that rewards hard-line positions rather than more traditional compromises.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> (R-LA): &quot;Democrats in Congress have dragged our country into another reckless shutdown to satisfy their far-left base. That is the truth. Whether or not the government remains open or reopens is entirely up to them.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FNj29KnIEU">pic.twitter.com/FNj29KnIEU</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1973402524691402961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Plenty of blame being thrown around</h2>The Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-democrats-republicans-trump-fight-c4949dace66c18d6099b5e23fd98b049">picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, causing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">insurance premiums to spike</a>&nbsp;nationwide.Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After convening a White House meeting this week with the Democratic leaders, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.“President Trump’s behavior has become more erratic and unhinged," Democratic leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;said in a joint statement, calling for an “intervention" to get the country out of the shutdown. “Instead of negotiating a bipartisan agreement in good faith, he is obsessively posting crazed deepfake videos.”Vice President JD Vance said Republicans want to resolve the health care issues that concern Democrats but will not negotiate until the government reopens.“It's craziness, and people are going to suffer because of this,” Vance said Wednesday on the Fox News show “Fox &amp; Friends.”What neither side has devised is an easy off-ramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the many services being thrown into turmoil.<h2>Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide</h2>An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.Wall Street&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-shutdown-trump-b4bddbf826a5eabee1113f62aeb5e25e">veered toward losses</a>&nbsp;before the opening bell Wednesday as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;went into effect just after midnight, but stocks drifted around their record highs later in the day.Across the government, stoppages were getting underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans not just for furloughs, which are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the government.<h2>What’s staying open and shutting down</h2>The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.<h2>No easy exit as health care costs soar</h2>Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including Wednesday, on a 55-45 vote. It needs 60 votes to advance, which requires cooperation between the two parties in a chamber where the GOP has a 53-47 majority. A Democratic bill also failed.Divisions within the Democrats are apparent, as three senators again crossed over to join Republicans, signaling that Democratic leverage may be eroding. One Republican opposed the GOP plan.During the roll call, an widening group of senators engaged in an intense conversation, including GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who has been talking with colleagues about the idea of a one-year extension of the expiring health care subsidies.“It’s just one thought, and there are other ideas that are out there," Rounds said afterward.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>, who has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue — but not as part of talks to keep the government open — is working to peel off more Democrats to his side.The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, but said they would be back next week.Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.___Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Joey Cappelletti, Will Weissert, Fatima Hussein and other AP reporters nationwide contributed to this report.

🎥Plenty of blame being thrown around over government shutdown

This fall, 14,682 students, including 9,146 Kansans, are enrolled at one of the three Fort Hays State University affiliated institutions. On-campus enrollment at FHSU grew by 2% over last year. Enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | North Central is up 6.9% in Hays and Beloit, and enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland is up 3.5%.&nbsp;

According to the <a href="https://submission.kansasregents.gov/ibi_apps/portal/BIP_Public2/KHEStats">Kansas Board of Regents website</a>, total fall 2025 enrollment at FHSU in Hays is 12,849 students, down 0.2% from 12,878 students in fall 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The five year change, according to the regents, is -12.5% fewer students.&nbsp;

Scott Cason, FHSU chief communications officer, told Hays Post the university's enrollment was down 88 international students and three online students from one year ago.&nbsp;

He said the university planned for the likely reduction in international students, especially on its China campuses. 

"It's attributed to things beyond our control," Cason said.&nbsp;

"The unmatched value of a Fort Hays educational experience continues to attract students who seek a high-quality education at an affordable price to our three institutions," said FHSU President&nbsp;Tisa&nbsp;Mason. "With the support of our state legislators, we are making investments in the future of Fort Hays that align with the goals set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents&nbsp;and&nbsp;our state's workforce needs."

Fall enrollment at the three Fort Hays schools at a glance

The fall 2025 enrollment count at Fort Hays State University, Kansas’ largest comprehensive regional public university, includes 1,096 first-time new undergraduate (non-transfer) students, an increase of more than 9% over last year, campus residence halls operating at full capacity, and a 5% increase in the number of Kansans enrolled at the university over the past two years.

Enrollment in academic programs that prepare graduates to work in critical-need professions grew again this fall. Undergraduate enrollment growth leaders in this category include Social Work at 23% over last fall, Allied Health (Medical Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Imaging, and Radiologic Technology), with an increase of 22%, and both Nursing and Applied Technology at 9% in enrollment growth.

Thanks to $15 million in funding from the Kansas Legislature, an expansion of Stroup Hall that is underway will bring the Departments of Nursing and Allied Health together under one roof, creating collaborative, state-of-the-art spaces for learning and training.&nbsp;

With the support of Senator Jerry Moran, the university secured&nbsp;an additional $3 million U.S. Department of Education grant to fund the advanced simulation labs, modern classrooms and realistic clinical environments necessary to ensure&nbsp;FHSU students receive hands-on training that mirrors real-world practice.

This expansion will provide the space necessary to meet an anticipated enrollment growth in nursing of more than 65% and medical diagnostic imaging programs of 40% over the next several years.&nbsp;

The Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS/AMS), FHSU’s residential early college program for gifted high school juniors and seniors, saw enrollment growth of 6%, marking the third consecutive year of enrollment growth. &nbsp;

Overall enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | North Central in both Beloit and Hays this fall is 1,055, a 6.9% overall growth in enrollment over last fall. &nbsp;Enrollment markedly increased in several areas of critical workforce needs in our state, including Construction Technology and Electrical Technology at 39%, and Plumbing, Heating, and AC (PHAC) programs at 53%.

All three of these programs train professionals to fill critical workforce-need programs who will likely go on to live and work in Kansas. The Construction Career Center, scheduled to open in time for the 2026 spring semester, will serve as the new home for these three programs (and the Commercial Driver’s License program), and fuel future growth in these critical program areas.

"We’re thrilled that our enrollment continues to rise—an exciting reflection of the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, and admissions team, said Fort Hays Tech | North Central President Eric Burks. “The buzz around our new building is driving impressive growth in our construction programs, alongside continued momentum in online learning."

Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland experienced strong enrollment growth across multiple programs this year. Our Electrical Technology program has seen such high demand that an additional instructor was added, yet student interest still exceeded capacity, leading to a waitlist. 

Other programs are also on the rise: Child Care Specialist and Respiratory Care are both up 50%, Medical Assistant is up 66%, Cosmetology is up 24%, Computer Graphics Technology is up 23%, and Welding Technology is up 12%.

Early College enrollment has also increased. These opportunities give high school students a valuable head start— exploring career pathways and gaining real-world skills before graduation. 

Across all programs, students are choosing Fort Hays Tech | Northwest for its hands-on training, strong industry partnerships, and proven job placement outcomes.

"The increasing demand for graduates with technical skills in our region is making technical education a popular choice for high school students," said Dr. Corey Isbell, Fort Hays Tech | Northwest President.&nbsp;“Students and families are becoming more aware of the opportunities available to them on our campus, and this is driving our enrollment growth in several areas.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759335183338.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsThis fall, 14,682 students, including 9,146 Kansans, are enrolled at one of the three Fort Hays State University affiliated institutions. On-campus enrollment at FHSU grew by 2% over last year. Enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | North Central is up 6.9% in Hays and Beloit, and enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland is up 3.5%.&nbsp;According to the <a href="https://submission.kansasregents.gov/ibi_apps/portal/BIP_Public2/KHEStats">Kansas Board of Regents website</a>, total fall 2025 enrollment at FHSU in Hays is 12,849 students, down 0.2% from 12,878 students in fall 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;The five year change, according to the regents, is -12.5% fewer students.&nbsp;Scott Cason, FHSU chief communications officer, told Hays Post the university's enrollment was down 88 international students and three online students from one year ago.&nbsp; He said the university planned for the likely reduction in international students, especially on its China campuses. "It's attributed to things beyond our control," Cason said.&nbsp;"The unmatched value of a Fort Hays educational experience continues to attract students who seek a high-quality education at an affordable price to our three institutions," said FHSU President&nbsp;Tisa&nbsp;Mason. "With the support of our state legislators, we are making investments in the future of Fort Hays that align with the goals set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents&nbsp;and&nbsp;our state's workforce needs."Fall enrollment at the three Fort Hays schools at a glanceFHSUThe fall 2025 enrollment count at Fort Hays State University, Kansas’ largest comprehensive regional public university, includes 1,096 first-time new undergraduate (non-transfer) students, an increase of more than 9% over last year, campus residence halls operating at full capacity, and a 5% increase in the number of Kansans enrolled at the university over the past two years.Enrollment in academic programs that prepare graduates to work in critical-need professions grew again this fall. Undergraduate enrollment growth leaders in this category include Social Work at 23% over last fall, Allied Health (Medical Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Imaging, and Radiologic Technology), with an increase of 22%, and both Nursing and Applied Technology at 9% in enrollment growth.Thanks to $15 million in funding from the Kansas Legislature, an expansion of Stroup Hall that is underway will bring the Departments of Nursing and Allied Health together under one roof, creating collaborative, state-of-the-art spaces for learning and training.&nbsp;With the support of Senator Jerry Moran, the university secured&nbsp;an additional $3 million U.S. Department of Education grant to fund the advanced simulation labs, modern classrooms and realistic clinical environments necessary to ensure&nbsp;FHSU students receive hands-on training that mirrors real-world practice.This expansion will provide the space necessary to meet an anticipated enrollment growth in nursing of more than 65% and medical diagnostic imaging programs of 40% over the next several years.&nbsp;The Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS/AMS), FHSU’s residential early college program for gifted high school juniors and seniors, saw enrollment growth of 6%, marking the third consecutive year of enrollment growth. &nbsp;Fort Hays Tech | North CentralOverall enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | North Central in both Beloit and Hays this fall is 1,055, a 6.9% overall growth in enrollment over last fall. &nbsp;Enrollment markedly increased in several areas of critical workforce needs in our state, including Construction Technology and Electrical Technology at 39%, and Plumbing, Heating, and AC (PHAC) programs at 53%.All three of these programs train professionals to fill critical workforce-need programs who will likely go on to live and work in Kansas. The Construction Career Center, scheduled to open in time for the 2026 spring semester, will serve as the new home for these three programs (and the Commercial Driver’s License program), and fuel future growth in these critical program areas."We’re thrilled that our enrollment continues to rise—an exciting reflection of the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, and admissions team, said Fort Hays Tech | North Central President Eric Burks. “The buzz around our new building is driving impressive growth in our construction programs, alongside continued momentum in online learning."Fort Hays Tech | NorthwestFort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland experienced strong enrollment growth across multiple programs this year. Our Electrical Technology program has seen such high demand that an additional instructor was added, yet student interest still exceeded capacity, leading to a waitlist. Other programs are also on the rise: Child Care Specialist and Respiratory Care are both up 50%, Medical Assistant is up 66%, Cosmetology is up 24%, Computer Graphics Technology is up 23%, and Welding Technology is up 12%.Early College enrollment has also increased. These opportunities give high school students a valuable head start— exploring career pathways and gaining real-world skills before graduation. Across all programs, students are choosing Fort Hays Tech | Northwest for its hands-on training, strong industry partnerships, and proven job placement outcomes."The increasing demand for graduates with technical skills in our region is making technical education a popular choice for high school students," said Dr. Corey Isbell, Fort Hays Tech | Northwest President.&nbsp;“Students and families are becoming more aware of the opportunities available to them on our campus, and this is driving our enrollment growth in several areas.”

FHSU, affiliated technical colleges release fall student enrollment numbers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged federal shutdown after lawmakers deadlocked and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">missed the deadline</a>&nbsp;for funding the government.

Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government generally at current levels through Nov. 21, but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-sabotage-sinister-escalator-teleprompter-4ea2203722a9afabc991ac6626fff948">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;mega-bill passed this summer and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-food-stamps-6542e448a2f6ed7b93ab8f7fe84ac53a">extend tax credits</a>&nbsp;that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act.

Republicans called the Democratic proposal a nonstarter that would cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion.

Neither side shows any&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">signs of budging</a>.

Here’s what to know about the shutdown that began Wednesday:

Now that a lapse in funding has occurred, the law requires agencies to furlough their “non-excepted” employees. Excepted employees, who include those who work to protect life and property, stay on the job but don’t get paid until after the shutdown ends.

The White House Office of Management and Budget begins the process with instructions to agencies that a lapse in appropriations has occurred and they should initiate orderly shutdown activities. That memo went out Tuesday evening.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown, with the total daily cost of their compensation at roughly $400 million.

What government work continues during a shutdown?

FBI investigators, CIA officers, air traffic controllers and agents operating airport checkpoints keep working. So do members of the Armed Forces.

Those programs that rely on mandatory spending generally continue during a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-data-department-of-government-efficiency-f8b842c3eeaea5a304c690fba9b032ef">Social Security payments</a>&nbsp;still go out. Seniors relying on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-medicare-trust-fund-trump-74e13292f510739724a555d7ded7c1a3">Medicare coverage</a>&nbsp;can still see their doctors and health care providers can be reimbursed.

Veteran health care also continues during a shutdown. Veterans Affairs medical centers and outpatient clinics will be open, and VA benefits will be processed and delivered. Burials will continue at VA national cemeteries.

Will furloughed federal workers get paid?

Yes. In 2019, Congress passed a bill enshrining into law the requirement that furloughed employees get retroactive pay once operations resume.

While they’ll eventually get paid, the furloughed workers and those who remain on the job may have to go without one or more of their regular paychecks, depending upon how long the shutdown lasts.

Service members would also receive back pay for missed paychecks once federal funding resumes.

Yes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-postal-services-us-suspended-tariffs-d74eb6022e8838f39bba8ed9588c74ba">The U.S. Postal Service</a>&nbsp;is unaffected by a government shutdown. It’s an independent entity funded through the sale of its products and services, not by tax dollars.

All administrations get some leeway to choose which services to freeze or maintain in a shutdown.

The first Trump administration worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/66b50739f4b84063a2ff56dff3156712">blunt the impact</a>&nbsp;of what became the country’s longest partial shutdown in 2018 and 2019. But on Tuesday, Trump threatened the possibility of increasing the pain that comes with a shutdown.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them,” Trump said of Democrats. “Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan. The plans outline which workers would stay on the job during a shutdown and which would be furloughed.

In a provocative move, the Office of Management and Budget has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">threatened the mass firing</a>&nbsp;of federal workers in a shutdown. An OMB memo said those programs that didn’t get funding through Trump’s mega-bill this summer would bear the brunt of a shutdown.

Agencies should consider issuing reduction-in-force notices for those programs whose funding expires, that don’t have alternative funding sources and are “not consistent with the President’s priorities,” the memo said.

That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when furloughed federal workers returned to their jobs once the shutdown was over. A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that’s already faced major rounds of cuts due to efforts from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-federal-takeover-economy-5a81e02a246995a066db375eb47c5692">the Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and elsewhere in Trump’s Republican administration.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2026-hhs-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html">Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will furlough about 41% of its staff out of nearly 80,000 employees, according to a contingency plan posted on its website.

As part of that plan, the Atlanta-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monarez-cdc-vaccines-kennedy-rfk-jr-194fd4336aaa74cb6e7c715d0605b47e">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;would continue to monitor disease outbreaks, while activities that will stop include research into health risks and ways to prevent illness.

Meanwhile, research and patient care at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-institutes-of-health-research-cuts-6b69c254bc245f0ec1c7ddf1af74281f">National Institutes of Health</a>&nbsp;would be upended. Patients currently enrolled in studies at the research-only hospital nicknamed the House of Hope will continue to receive care. Additional sick patients hoping for access to experimental therapies can’t enroll except in special circumstances, and no new studies will begin.

At the Food and Drug Administration, its “ability to protect and promote public health and safety would be significantly impacted, with many activities delayed or paused.” For example, the agency would not accept new drug applications or medical device submissions that require payment of a user fee.

— The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harriet-tubman-park-service-trump-dei-a8dbb6fa252518d0598aad5f0ce6f1ab">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;plans to furlough about two-thirds of its employees while keeping parks largely open to visitors during the federal shutdown, according to a contingency plan released Tuesday night. The plan says “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.”

The plan also allows parks to enter into agreements with states, tribes or local governments willing to make donations to keep national park sites open. The park service has more than 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, national battlefields and historic sites.

Sites could close if damage is being done to park resources or garbage is building up.

Many national parks including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-travel-barack-obama-wyoming-lifestyle-c3df56fd72be4ed48a2b8066f365f900">Yellowstone and Yosemite stayed open</a>&nbsp;during a 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term. Limited staffing led to vandalism, gates being pried open and other problems including an off-roader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e28b313197bb46bebef0faca24b333ed">mowing down one of the namesake trees</a>&nbsp;at Joshua Tree National Park in California.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smithsonian-trump-history-museum-teachers-3bfba38c574e9b72824f5b4c4f633d52">Smithsonian Institution</a>: Museums, research centers and the National Zoo will remain open through at least Monday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congressional-budget-office-swagel-trump-bill-3a76f5ce1f7bd02c1dac2269d87d91db">Phillip Swagel</a>, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said a short shutdown doesn’t have a huge impact on the economy, especially since federal workers, by law, are paid retroactively. But “if a shutdown continues, then that can give rise to uncertainties about what is the role of government in our society, and what’s the financial impact on all the programs that the government funds.”

“The impact is not immediate, but over time, there is a negative impact of a shutdown on the economy,” he added.

Markets haven’t reacted strongly to past shutdowns, according to Goldman Sachs Research. At the close of the three prolonged shutdowns since the early 1990s, equity markets finished flat or up even after dipping initially.

A governmentwide shutdown would directly reduce growth by around 0.15 percentage points for each week it lasted, or about 0.2 percentage points per week once private-sector effects were included, and growth would rise by the same cumulative amount in the quarter following reopening, writes Alec Phillips, chief U.S. political economist at Goldman Sachs.

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Matthew Brown and Annie Ma contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315749226.png" alt="Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged federal shutdown after lawmakers deadlocked and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-trump-health-care-54b2a584657a0b619bc8326708a05604">missed the deadline</a>&nbsp;for funding the government.Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government generally at current levels through Nov. 21, but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-sabotage-sinister-escalator-teleprompter-4ea2203722a9afabc991ac6626fff948">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;mega-bill passed this summer and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-food-stamps-6542e448a2f6ed7b93ab8f7fe84ac53a">extend tax credits</a>&nbsp;that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act.Republicans called the Democratic proposal a nonstarter that would cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion.Neither side shows any&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">signs of budging</a>.Here’s what to know about the shutdown that began Wednesday:<h2>What happens in the shutdown?</h2>Now that a lapse in funding has occurred, the law requires agencies to furlough their “non-excepted” employees. Excepted employees, who include those who work to protect life and property, stay on the job but don’t get paid until after the shutdown ends.The White House Office of Management and Budget begins the process with instructions to agencies that a lapse in appropriations has occurred and they should initiate orderly shutdown activities. That memo went out Tuesday evening.The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown, with the total daily cost of their compensation at roughly $400 million.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315687610.png" alt="Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>What government work continues during a shutdown?</h2>A great deal, actually.FBI investigators, CIA officers, air traffic controllers and agents operating airport checkpoints keep working. So do members of the Armed Forces.Those programs that rely on mandatory spending generally continue during a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-data-department-of-government-efficiency-f8b842c3eeaea5a304c690fba9b032ef">Social Security payments</a>&nbsp;still go out. Seniors relying on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-medicare-trust-fund-trump-74e13292f510739724a555d7ded7c1a3">Medicare coverage</a>&nbsp;can still see their doctors and health care providers can be reimbursed.Veteran health care also continues during a shutdown. Veterans Affairs medical centers and outpatient clinics will be open, and VA benefits will be processed and delivered. Burials will continue at VA national cemeteries.<h2>Will furloughed federal workers get paid?</h2>Yes. In 2019, Congress passed a bill enshrining into law the requirement that furloughed employees get retroactive pay once operations resume.While they’ll eventually get paid, the furloughed workers and those who remain on the job may have to go without one or more of their regular paychecks, depending upon how long the shutdown lasts.Service members would also receive back pay for missed paychecks once federal funding resumes.<h2>Will I still get mail?</h2>Yes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-postal-services-us-suspended-tariffs-d74eb6022e8838f39bba8ed9588c74ba">The U.S. Postal Service</a>&nbsp;is unaffected by a government shutdown. It’s an independent entity funded through the sale of its products and services, not by tax dollars.<h2>What closes during a shutdown?</h2>All administrations get some leeway to choose which services to freeze or maintain in a shutdown.The first Trump administration worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/66b50739f4b84063a2ff56dff3156712">blunt the impact</a>&nbsp;of what became the country’s longest partial shutdown in 2018 and 2019. But on Tuesday, Trump threatened the possibility of increasing the pain that comes with a shutdown.“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them,” Trump said of Democrats. “Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan. The plans outline which workers would stay on the job during a shutdown and which would be furloughed.In a provocative move, the Office of Management and Budget has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">threatened the mass firing</a>&nbsp;of federal workers in a shutdown. An OMB memo said those programs that didn’t get funding through Trump’s mega-bill this summer would bear the brunt of a shutdown.Agencies should consider issuing reduction-in-force notices for those programs whose funding expires, that don’t have alternative funding sources and are “not consistent with the President’s priorities,” the memo said.That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when furloughed federal workers returned to their jobs once the shutdown was over. A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that’s already faced major rounds of cuts due to efforts from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-federal-takeover-economy-5a81e02a246995a066db375eb47c5692">the Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;and elsewhere in Trump’s Republican administration.<h2>What agencies are planning</h2>—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy-2026-hhs-contingency-staffing-plan/index.html">Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will furlough about 41% of its staff out of nearly 80,000 employees, according to a contingency plan posted on its website.As part of that plan, the Atlanta-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monarez-cdc-vaccines-kennedy-rfk-jr-194fd4336aaa74cb6e7c715d0605b47e">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;would continue to monitor disease outbreaks, while activities that will stop include research into health risks and ways to prevent illness.Meanwhile, research and patient care at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-institutes-of-health-research-cuts-6b69c254bc245f0ec1c7ddf1af74281f">National Institutes of Health</a>&nbsp;would be upended. Patients currently enrolled in studies at the research-only hospital nicknamed the House of Hope will continue to receive care. Additional sick patients hoping for access to experimental therapies can’t enroll except in special circumstances, and no new studies will begin.At the Food and Drug Administration, its “ability to protect and promote public health and safety would be significantly impacted, with many activities delayed or paused.” For example, the agency would not accept new drug applications or medical device submissions that require payment of a user fee.— The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harriet-tubman-park-service-trump-dei-a8dbb6fa252518d0598aad5f0ce6f1ab">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;plans to furlough about two-thirds of its employees while keeping parks largely open to visitors during the federal shutdown, according to a contingency plan released Tuesday night. The plan says “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.”The plan also allows parks to enter into agreements with states, tribes or local governments willing to make donations to keep national park sites open. The park service has more than 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, national battlefields and historic sites.Sites could close if damage is being done to park resources or garbage is building up.Many national parks including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-travel-barack-obama-wyoming-lifestyle-c3df56fd72be4ed48a2b8066f365f900">Yellowstone and Yosemite stayed open</a>&nbsp;during a 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term. Limited staffing led to vandalism, gates being pried open and other problems including an off-roader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e28b313197bb46bebef0faca24b333ed">mowing down one of the namesake trees</a>&nbsp;at Joshua Tree National Park in California.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/smithsonian-trump-history-museum-teachers-3bfba38c574e9b72824f5b4c4f633d52">Smithsonian Institution</a>: Museums, research centers and the National Zoo will remain open through at least Monday.<h2>Impact on the economy</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/congressional-budget-office-swagel-trump-bill-3a76f5ce1f7bd02c1dac2269d87d91db">Phillip Swagel</a>, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said a short shutdown doesn’t have a huge impact on the economy, especially since federal workers, by law, are paid retroactively. But “if a shutdown continues, then that can give rise to uncertainties about what is the role of government in our society, and what’s the financial impact on all the programs that the government funds.”“The impact is not immediate, but over time, there is a negative impact of a shutdown on the economy,” he added.Markets haven’t reacted strongly to past shutdowns, according to Goldman Sachs Research. At the close of the three prolonged shutdowns since the early 1990s, equity markets finished flat or up even after dipping initially.A governmentwide shutdown would directly reduce growth by around 0.15 percentage points for each week it lasted, or about 0.2 percentage points per week once private-sector effects were included, and growth would rise by the same cumulative amount in the quarter following reopening, writes Alec Phillips, chief U.S. political economist at Goldman Sachs.___Associated Press writer Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Matthew Brown and Annie Ma contributed to this report.

What happens now that a government shutdown is underway

The items are arriving fast and furious for the Eagle On-Line Auction at Hays Post.

Because of this, the auction has started early, and is going on right NOW!&nbsp; If you would like to get in on the action of this year’s online auction, click on the link below.&nbsp;

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Bid now on an expansive collection ranging from home essentials to tantalizing restaurant gift cards, and valuable services from esteemed local companies and save.

 Whether you're seeking something specific or just browsing for unexpected finds, our vast selection promises both variety and value. 

The Eagle Radio online auction — where saving money is just a click away!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758644527286.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The items are arriving fast and furious for the Eagle On-Line Auction at Hays Post.Because of this, the auction has started early, and is going on right NOW!&nbsp; If you would like to get in on the action of this year’s online auction, click on the link below.&nbsp;Dive into a digital treasure trove of savings with the Eagle Radio Online Auction!<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/eagle-radio-auction-descriptions-of-items">Click here&nbsp;to get registered, view items and bid.</a>Bid now on an expansive collection ranging from home essentials to tantalizing restaurant gift cards, and valuable services from esteemed local companies and save. Whether you're seeking something specific or just browsing for unexpected finds, our vast selection promises both variety and value. <h2>The Eagle Radio online auction — where saving money is just a click away!</h2>

Eagle Radio Auction live now!

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By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Overnight rain in Hays yielded an official 0.23 of an inch of rain according to the K-State Agriculture Research Center south of town.

The Eagle Media Center, 2300 Hall, measured 0.30 of an inch of rain.

Hays has exceeded the annual amount of moisture received by the end of September. It currently stands at 22.73 inches. The 158-year cumulative amount of annual moisture received by Sept. 30 is 21.38 inches.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755526171677.jpg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostOvernight rain in Hays yielded an official 0.23 of an inch of rain according to the K-State Agriculture Research Center south of town.The Eagle Media Center, 2300 Hall, measured 0.30 of an inch of rain.Hays has exceeded the annual amount of moisture received by the end of September. It currently stands at 22.73 inches. The 158-year cumulative amount of annual moisture received by Sept. 30 is 21.38 inches.

Overnight rain in Hays continues to push total moisture to above average

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plunged into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">failed to strike an agreement</a>&nbsp;to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.

Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;are expected to be furloughed, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.

“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-democrats-health-care-blame-ee852953197b7b59f3447aa3a2167ac0">the president</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-chuck-schumer-8510b2fa4d40c4bbc058951c49c42468">met privately with congressional leadership</a>&nbsp;this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.

This is the third time Trump has presided over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">federal funding lapse</a>, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">Democrats picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">costs of insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;nationwide.

Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.

What neither side has devised is an easy offramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.

“What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.

Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”

While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.

“There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.

Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.

As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.

But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>&nbsp;has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.

The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.

“Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

“They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plunged into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-chuck-schumer-20e54a0f5e4fee909d0f9ea2c07c15e1">government shutdown</a>, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-schumer-thune-trump-health-care-b85fe6cdd5d8cdc3e3aa1f4ae889474f">failed to strike an agreement</a>&nbsp;to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.Roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b62-d3e5-a399-ff7b4ce10000">750,000 federal workers</a>&nbsp;are expected to be furloughed, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9c25-d394-abb9-bf2ff8a90000">potentially fired</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration. Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">offices will be shuttered</a>, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ap%2C+deportations&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1151US1151&amp;oq=ap%2C+deportations&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjIKCAQQABgKGBYYHjILCAUQABgWGB4YxwMyCwgGEAAYFhgeGMcDMgYIBxBFGEHSAQgzMzAxajBqN6gCCLACAfEFvyEijmQRltw&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deportation agenda</a>&nbsp;is expected to run full speed ahead, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca5-d8db-af9f-bcbfbbfc0000">education</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9b5d-d3e5-a399-ff7d80870000">environmental</a>&nbsp;and other services sputter. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9ca8-d073-abdf-ddfdfb520000">economic fallout</a>&nbsp;is expected to ripple nationwide.“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-democrats-health-care-blame-ee852953197b7b59f3447aa3a2167ac0">the president</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-chuck-schumer-8510b2fa4d40c4bbc058951c49c42468">met privately with congressional leadership</a>&nbsp;this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.This is the third time Trump has presided over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">federal funding lapse</a>, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.<h2>Plenty of blame being thrown around</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">Democrats picked this fight</a>, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">eager to challenge</a>&nbsp;the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">costs of insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;nationwide.Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">refused to negotiate</a>&nbsp;for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-30-2025#00000199-9afd-d8db-af9f-baff3ed90000">widely viewed as unserious and racist</a>.What neither side has devised is an easy offramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.“What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”<h2>Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide</h2>An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.“There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">mass firings</a>&nbsp;of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.<h2>What’s staying open and shutting down</h2>The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">former national park superintendents</a>&nbsp;urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.<h2>No easy exit as health care costs soar</h2>Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.But that bill has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">failed repeatedly</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-thune-ap-interview-omb-memo-6b79cd64987b6173f1b3295dc3505994">Senate Majority Leader John Thune</a>&nbsp;has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.The standoff is a political test for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.“Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.“They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.___

First closure of US government since 2018 begins 

JUNCTION CITY - The Hays High volleyball team split their two matches at Tuesday's Junction City triangular. The Indians swept the host Bluejays then were swept by Manhattan to end their four-match win streak.

HHS def. Junction City: 25-11, 25-23 Manhattan def. HHS: 25-12, 25-18

The Indians are now 13-6 overall. They host Abilene, Liberal and Salina South in a&nbsp; home quadrangular Thursday.

Hays Post SportsJUNCTION CITY - The Hays High volleyball team split their two matches at Tuesday's Junction City triangular. The Indians swept the host Bluejays then were swept by Manhattan to end their four-match win streak.HHS def. Junction City: 25-11, 25-23 Manhattan def. HHS: 25-12, 25-18The Indians are now 13-6 overall. They host Abilene, Liberal and Salina South in a&nbsp; home quadrangular Thursday.

🏐 HHS splits matches in Junction City

WAKEENEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team won both of their matches at Tuesday's Trego triangular. The Monarchs swept Phillipsburg and the host Golden Eagles.

TMP-Marian def. Phillipsburg: 25-20, 25-19 TMP-Marian def. Trego 25-16, 25-23

The Monarchs have won four-straight and 10 of their last 12 and improved to 14-10 on the season.

Hays Post SportsWAKEENEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team won both of their matches at Tuesday's Trego triangular. The Monarchs swept Phillipsburg and the host Golden Eagles.TMP-Marian def. Phillipsburg: 25-20, 25-19 TMP-Marian def. Trego 25-16, 25-23The Monarchs have won four-straight and 10 of their last 12 and improved to 14-10 on the season.

🏐 Monarchs win twice at Trego triangular

Fort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Tariq Logan and defensive back Michael Chavez spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers  travel to Missouri Southern Saturday.

Hays Post SportsFort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Tariq Logan and defensive back Michael Chavez spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers travel to Missouri Southern Saturday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ROhEZD8xSjQ?si=ZTbYOhYWUmL3QCk-" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹 Chris Brown: "We're going to have our work cut out for us," | Tiger Press Conference 9-30-25

VALLEY CENTER, Kan. - The Hays High girls tennis team competed at the Valley Center Invitational Tuesday.

The No. 1 Doubles team of Mya Ploutz and Emersyn Sander led the way with a second place finish.

#1 Singles: Delia Dixon- 5th #2 Singles: Dakota Maier- 4th #1 Doubles: Mya Ploutz &amp; Emersyn Sander- 2nd #2 Doubles: Jadyn Younger &amp; Brynn Zweifel- 4th

HHS returns to action on Monday, October 6 at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Liberal.

Hays Post SportsVALLEY CENTER, Kan. - The Hays High girls tennis team competed at the Valley Center Invitational Tuesday.The No. 1 Doubles team of Mya Ploutz and Emersyn Sander led the way with a second place finish.Below are the HHS results.#1 Singles: Delia Dixon- 5th #2 Singles: Dakota Maier- 4th #1 Doubles: Mya Ploutz &amp; Emersyn Sander- 2nd #2 Doubles: Jadyn Younger &amp; Brynn Zweifel- 4thHHS returns to action on Monday, October 6 at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Liberal.

🎾 HHS competes in Valley Center

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;after midnight Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years.

The Senate rejected the legislation as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. The 55-45 vote on a bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits</a>&nbsp;that expire at the end of the year.

“We hope they sit down with us and talk," Schumer said after the vote. "Otherwise, it’s the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”

The failure of Congress to keep the government open means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">laid off</a>. After the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

Threatening retribution to Democrats, Trump said Tuesday that a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won’t entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it’s a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.

The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">retreated after 35 days</a>&nbsp;— the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.

Democrats take a stand against Trump, with exceptions

While partisan stalemates over government spending are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a frequent occurrence in Washington</a>, the current impasse comes as Democrats see a rare opportunity to use their leverage to achieve policy goals and as their base voters are spoiling for a fight with Trump. Republicans who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate needed at least eight votes from Democrats after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the bill.

Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted with Republicans to keep the government open — giving Republicans hope that there might be five more who will eventually come around and help end a shutdown.

After the vote, King warned against “permanent damage” as Trump and his administration have threatened mass layoffs.

“Instead of fighting Trump we're actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision,” King said.

Thune predicted Democratic support for the GOP bill will increase "when they realize that this is playing a losing hand.”

The stakes are huge for federal workers across the country as the White House told agencies last week that they should consider “a reduction in force” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">many federal programs if the government shuts down</a>. That means that workers who are not deemed essential could be fired instead of just furloughed.

Either way, most would not get paid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in a letter to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Tuesday that around 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.

Federal agencies were already preparing. On the home page of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large pop up ad reads, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”

Democrats want to negotiate an extension of the health subsidies immediately as people are beginning to receive notices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">premium increases</a>&nbsp;for the next year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs as expanded subsidies first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic expire.

Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this summer and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.

“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Thune pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but many are strongly opposed to it.

In rare, pointed back-and-forth with Schumer on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” and have offered to negotiate with Democrats — if they will vote to keep the government open until Nov. 21.

A critical, and unusual, vote for Democrats

Democrats are in an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive, and it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">unclear how or when a shutdown will end</a>. But party activists and lawmakers have argued that Democrats need to do something to stand up to Trump.

“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “We’ve seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is.”

Some groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">called for Schumer’s resignation</a>&nbsp;in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote.

Schumer said then that he voted to keep the government open because a shutdown would have made things worse as Trump’s administration was slashing government jobs. He says things have now changed, including the passage this summer of the massive GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.

A bipartisan meeting at the White House on Monday was Trump’s first with all four leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term. Schumer said the group “had candid, frank discussions” about health care.

But Trump did not appear to be ready for serious talks. Hours later, he posted a fake video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries taken from footage of their real press conference outside of the White House after the meeting. In the altered video, a voiceover that sounds like Schumer’s voice makes fun of Democrats and Jeffries stands beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache. Mexican music plays in the background.

At a news conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning, Jeffries said it was a “racist and fake AI video."

Schumer said that less than a day before a shutdown, Trump was trolling on the internet “like a 10-year-old.”

“It’s only the president who can do this," Schumer said. "We know he runs the show here.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759275091442.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on the floor of the Senate Tuesday evening -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on the floor of the Senate Tuesday evening -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;after midnight Wednesday for the first time in nearly seven years.The Senate rejected the legislation as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. The 55-45 vote on a bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits</a>&nbsp;that expire at the end of the year.“We hope they sit down with us and talk," Schumer said after the vote. "Otherwise, it’s the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt.”The failure of Congress to keep the government open means that hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-congress-government-shutdown-99d4cafe53209f6dc6ae5562c2ac79d2">laid off</a>. After the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”Threatening retribution to Democrats, Trump said Tuesday that a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won’t entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it’s a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">retreated after 35 days</a>&nbsp;— the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.<h2>Democrats take a stand against Trump, with exceptions</h2>While partisan stalemates over government spending are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdowns-history-schumer-trump-f442ba1392fab3e7cab37756302e829c">a frequent occurrence in Washington</a>, the current impasse comes as Democrats see a rare opportunity to use their leverage to achieve policy goals and as their base voters are spoiling for a fight with Trump. Republicans who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate needed at least eight votes from Democrats after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the bill.Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted with Republicans to keep the government open — giving Republicans hope that there might be five more who will eventually come around and help end a shutdown.After the vote, King warned against “permanent damage” as Trump and his administration have threatened mass layoffs.“Instead of fighting Trump we're actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision,” King said.Thune predicted Democratic support for the GOP bill will increase "when they realize that this is playing a losing hand.”<h2>Shutdown preparations begin</h2>The stakes are huge for federal workers across the country as the White House told agencies last week that they should consider “a reduction in force” for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/effects-of-government-shutdown-donald-trump-4a16fc477eb67b7cf7ac708e578146e3">many federal programs if the government shuts down</a>. That means that workers who are not deemed essential could be fired instead of just furloughed.Either way, most would not get paid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in a letter to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Tuesday that around 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.Federal agencies were already preparing. On the home page of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large pop up ad reads, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”<h2>Democrats’ health care asks</h2>Democrats want to negotiate an extension of the health subsidies immediately as people are beginning to receive notices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">premium increases</a>&nbsp;for the next year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs as expanded subsidies first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic expire.Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this summer and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.Thune pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but many are strongly opposed to it.In rare, pointed back-and-forth with Schumer on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” and have offered to negotiate with Democrats — if they will vote to keep the government open until Nov. 21.<h2>A critical, and unusual, vote for Democrats</h2>Democrats are in an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive, and it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-health-care-subsidies-schumer-6b0d64fe442fc4fa8a8daf283a30ce76">unclear how or when a shutdown will end</a>. But party activists and lawmakers have argued that Democrats need to do something to stand up to Trump.“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “We’ve seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is.”Some groups&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-congress-chuck-schumer-government-funding-shutdown-43d1acea20c34ad28d848edc08ad6375">called for Schumer’s resignation</a>&nbsp;in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote.Schumer said then that he voted to keep the government open because a shutdown would have made things worse as Trump’s administration was slashing government jobs. He says things have now changed, including the passage this summer of the massive GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.<h2>Trump's role in negotiations</h2>A bipartisan meeting at the White House on Monday was Trump’s first with all four leaders in Congress since retaking the White House for his second term. Schumer said the group “had candid, frank discussions” about health care.But Trump did not appear to be ready for serious talks. Hours later, he posted a fake video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries taken from footage of their real press conference outside of the White House after the meeting. In the altered video, a voiceover that sounds like Schumer’s voice makes fun of Democrats and Jeffries stands beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache. Mexican music plays in the background.At a news conference on the Capitol steps Tuesday morning, Jeffries said it was a “racist and fake AI video."Schumer said that less than a day before a shutdown, Trump was trolling on the internet “like a 10-year-old.”“It’s only the president who can do this," Schumer said. "We know he runs the show here.”___Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Kevin Freking, Matthew Brown, Darlene Superville and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this report.