Ellis County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling announced that early voting for the upcoming election will begin on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the Administration Center, 718 Main Street, Hays.

Early voting hours will be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The final day of early voting will be Monday, November 3, ending at 12:00 noon. For voter convenience, there will also be Saturday early voting on November 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Administration Center.

The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, October 14, 2025, when voter registration books will close.

Advance mail ballots will be mailed on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Voters may request an advance mail ballot by completing an application. Applications are available online, by calling the County Clerk’s Office to have one mailed, or by visiting the office at 718 Main Street.

“As always, my office is here to assist voters,” said Dreiling. “If you have questions about registration, early voting, or advance ballots, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

For more information, please contact the Ellis County Clerk’s Office at 785-628-9410.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747092483078.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Ellis County ClerkEllis County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling announced that early voting for the upcoming election will begin on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the Administration Center, 718 Main Street, Hays.Early voting hours will be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The final day of early voting will be Monday, November 3, ending at 12:00 noon. For voter convenience, there will also be Saturday early voting on November 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Administration Center.The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, October 14, 2025, when voter registration books will close.Advance mail ballots will be mailed on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Voters may request an advance mail ballot by completing an application. Applications are available online, by calling the County Clerk’s Office to have one mailed, or by visiting the office at 718 Main Street.“As always, my office is here to assist voters,” said Dreiling. “If you have questions about registration, early voting, or advance ballots, please don’t hesitate to call us.”For more information, please contact the Ellis County Clerk’s Office at 785-628-9410.

Early voting starts Oct. 20 for Nov. election; last day to register is Oct. 14

A deadly tornado that tore across southeastern North Dakota this summer has been upgraded to an EF5 with winds topping 200 mph (322 kph), the strongest classification of tornado and the first on American soil in 12 years, meteorologists said Monday.

The June 20 twister in Enderlin caused significant damage and killed three people. At its largest, the tornado was 1.05 miles wide (1.69 kilometers) and carved a path across the prairie for just over 12 miles (19 kilometers).

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks estimated the tornado's winds reached 210 mph (338 kph), according to the newly released analysis. The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado in Oklahoma holds the record of the strongest winds ever recorded at 321 mph (517 kph).

Since the National Weather Service began using Enhanced Fujita scale in 2007, there have been 10 tornadoes categorized as EF5.

“In the last kind of 12 years, there’s been several strong tornadoes that have come close, but there haven’t been known damage indicators at that time to support the EF5 rating,” said Melinda Beerends, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Grand Forks. “It’s hard sometimes to get tornadoes to hit something.”

The twister destroyed farmsteads, tipped over fully-loaded rail cars, toppled transmission towers and uprooted trees. One tanker car was hurled far from the rest.

Meteorologists from the Grand Forks office headed into the field the next morning to assess the damage. Determining a tornado's strength usually takes days or weeks, as meteorologists study the damage to buildings and trees. This case took much longer because of the unusual damage to rail cars.

The initial estimate for the tornado in the days afterward was an EF3.

The tornado was caused by warm, moist air in place which is ripe for a thunderstorm, Beerends said. But there was also a high amount of wind shear, which is a variation of wind speed and direction that created the conditions for the tornado.

Two men and a woman were killed at two locations near Enderlin, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Fargo. Thousands of homes lost power during the storm.

One farmstead had its foundation swept clean, with just the basement remaining and debris scattered downwind.

By SARAH RAZA Associated PressA deadly tornado that tore across southeastern North Dakota this summer has been upgraded to an EF5 with winds topping 200 mph (322 kph), the strongest classification of tornado and the first on American soil in 12 years, meteorologists said Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After further investigation, Enderlin tornado #1 in North Dakota on 20 June 2025 was upgraded to an EF-5 (the first EF-5 since 20 May 2013 in Moore OK!). More imagery and details on the CIMSS Satellite Blog: <a href="https://t.co/4tiqEWQFee">https://t.co/4tiqEWQFee</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSGrandForks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NWSGrandForks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NDwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/NmvZPOd1EQ">pic.twitter.com/NmvZPOd1EQ</a>&mdash; UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) <a href="https://twitter.com/UWCIMSS/status/1975240939875500298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The June 20 twister in Enderlin caused significant damage and killed three people. At its largest, the tornado was 1.05 miles wide (1.69 kilometers) and carved a path across the prairie for just over 12 miles (19 kilometers).Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks estimated the tornado's winds reached 210 mph (338 kph), according to the newly released analysis. The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado in Oklahoma holds the record of the strongest winds ever recorded at 321 mph (517 kph).Since the National Weather Service began using Enhanced Fujita scale in 2007, there have been 10 tornadoes categorized as EF5.“In the last kind of 12 years, there’s been several strong tornadoes that have come close, but there haven’t been known damage indicators at that time to support the EF5 rating,” said Melinda Beerends, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Grand Forks. “It’s hard sometimes to get tornadoes to hit something.”The twister destroyed farmsteads, tipped over fully-loaded rail cars, toppled transmission towers and uprooted trees. One tanker car was hurled far from the rest.Meteorologists from the Grand Forks office headed into the field the next morning to assess the damage. Determining a tornado's strength usually takes days or weeks, as meteorologists study the damage to buildings and trees. This case took much longer because of the unusual damage to rail cars.The initial estimate for the tornado in the days afterward was an EF3.The tornado was caused by warm, moist air in place which is ripe for a thunderstorm, Beerends said. But there was also a high amount of wind shear, which is a variation of wind speed and direction that created the conditions for the tornado.Two men and a woman were killed at two locations near Enderlin, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Fargo. Thousands of homes lost power during the storm.One farmstead had its foundation swept clean, with just the basement remaining and debris scattered downwind.

Weather service: 210 mph tornado was first EF5 in a dozen years

The Hays City Commission and USD 489 Board of Education (BOE) candidate election forum is set for October 6th at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on Fort Hays State University’s campus.

Candidates for the USD 489 BOE will open the forum at 6 p.m. and conclude by 7:00 p.m. After a 15-minute intermission including refreshments, Hays City Commission candidates will take the stage at 7:15 and will conclude by 8:45 p.m.

In a partnership with the American Democracy Project, FHSU Student Government Association, FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Tiger Media Network, and The Chamber in Hays, Kansas, this election forum provides voters in the City of Hays and USD 489 district boundaries the opportunity to learn about each of the candidates and their stances on important community issues. A special thank you is extended to event sponsors Midwest Energy and The Hays Daily News.

To submit questions in advance of the forum, email sarah@hayschamber.com.

Thank you to Tiger Media Network for offering a livestream/replay of the event for those who are unable to attend in person. The event link can be found here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw</a>

Important fall 2025 election dates and information:

· Early voting begins Tuesday, October 14th at the Ellis County Administration building located at 718 Main St. and ends at noon on Monday, November 3rd. · Election day is November 4th. · Polling locations can be found here: <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/432/Polling-Site-Locations">https://www.ellisco.net/432/Polling-Site-Locations</a> · To view other races on the ballot and for general information, visit: <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election">https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election</a>.

About The Chamber in Hays, Kansas The Chamber in Hays, Kansas’ mission is to accelerate business connections and advocate community advancement. Through facilitation of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County, the Ellis County Workforce Committee, Leadership Hays, and other programs, The Chamber is dedicated to improving quality of life for all Ellis County residents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634743366242.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Chamber in HaysThe Hays City Commission and USD 489 Board of Education (BOE) candidate election forum is set for October 6th at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on Fort Hays State University’s campus.Candidates for the USD 489 BOE will open the forum at 6 p.m. and conclude by 7:00 p.m. After a 15-minute intermission including refreshments, Hays City Commission candidates will take the stage at 7:15 and will conclude by 8:45 p.m.In a partnership with the American Democracy Project, FHSU Student Government Association, FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Tiger Media Network, and The Chamber in Hays, Kansas, this election forum provides voters in the City of Hays and USD 489 district boundaries the opportunity to learn about each of the candidates and their stances on important community issues. A special thank you is extended to event sponsors Midwest Energy and The Hays Daily News.To submit questions in advance of the forum, email sarah@hayschamber.com.Thank you to Tiger Media Network for offering a livestream/replay of the event for those who are unable to attend in person. The event link can be found here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw</a>Important fall 2025 election dates and information:· Early voting begins Tuesday, October 14th at the Ellis County Administration building located at 718 Main St. and ends at noon on Monday, November 3rd. · Election day is November 4th. · Polling locations can be found here: <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/432/Polling-Site-Locations">https://www.ellisco.net/432/Polling-Site-Locations</a> · To view other races on the ballot and for general information, visit: <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election">https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election</a>.About The Chamber in Hays, Kansas The Chamber in Hays, Kansas’ mission is to accelerate business connections and advocate community advancement. Through facilitation of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County, the Ellis County Workforce Committee, Leadership Hays, and other programs, The Chamber is dedicated to improving quality of life for all Ellis County residents.

Fall election forum set for tonight

Tiger Talk with football coach Chris Brown airs Monday at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.

Tiger Talk with football coach Chris Brown airs Monday at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (October 6, 2025)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=hg8vg-198616c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (October 6, 2025)

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-lgbtq-tariffs-birthright-citizenship-6454b491b6b232ee424fe61823866bb4">a new term</a>&nbsp;that will have a sharp focus on President Donald Trump's robust assertion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">executive power</a>.

Pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people also are on the agenda. On Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments over bans passed by nearly half of U.S. states on therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.

Chief Justice John Roberts formally opened the term Monday as the court rejected more than 800 pending appeals, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epstein-maxwell-appeal-a4ba832cd2a23a2c499cef23f1e30927">a challenge by Ghislaine Maxwell</a>&nbsp;to her conviction for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

In its first arguments, the court also appeared to be inclined to rule against a criminal defendant from Texas in a case about the constitutional right to a lawyer. Approaching an overnight break in the defendant's testimony, the trial judge ordered defense lawyers not to talk to their client about his testimony.

A major thrust of the next 10 months, however, is expected to be the justices' evaluation of Trump's expansive claims of presidential power.

The court's conservative majority has so far been receptive, at least in preliminary rulings, to many emergency appeals from Trump's Republican administration. But there could be more skepticism when the court conducts in-depth examinations of some Trump policies, including the president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">imposition of tariffs</a>&nbsp;and his desired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-ruling-appeals-trump-immigration-70632486a2ae41f7c98d97b1f7399368">restrictions on birthright citizenship</a>.

The justices are hearing a pivotal case for Trump’s economic agenda in early November as they consider the legality of many of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-d1d0dd6ddd83e2c1df1598e468b839f5">his sweeping tariffs</a>. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">lower courts</a>&nbsp;have found the Republican president does not have the power to unilaterally impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">wide-ranging tariffs</a>&nbsp;under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">an emergency powers law</a>.

In December, the justices will take up Trump's power to fire independent agency members at will, a case that probably will lead the court to overturn, or drastically narrow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">a 90-year-old decision</a>. It required a cause, like neglect of duty, before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/295us602">a president could remove</a>&nbsp;the Senate-confirmed officials from their jobs.

The outcome appears to be in little doubt because the conservatives have allowed the firings to take effect while the case plays out, even after lower-court judges found the firings illegal. The three liberal justices on the nine-member court have dissented each time.

Another case that has arrived at the court but has yet to be considered involves Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/">executive order</a>&nbsp;denying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-6d282d34b7aa1e992390499504ad5c7d">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;to children born in the United States to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-trump-executive-order-immigrants-fc7dd75ba1fb0a10f56b2a85b92dbe53">parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily</a>.

The administration has appealed lower-court rulings blocking the order as unconstitutional, or likely so, flouting more than 125 years of general understanding and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649">an 1898 Supreme Court ruling</a>. The case could be argued in the late winter or early spring.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A monumental&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;term begins Monday with major tests of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">presidential power</a>&nbsp;on the agenda along with pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people.

The court's conservative majority has so far been receptive, at least in preliminary rulings, to many of President Donald Trump's aggressive assertions of authority. Liberal Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>&nbsp;invoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/25a103_kh7p.pdf#page=16">Calvin and Hobbes comic strip</a>&nbsp;after one such decision allowing the cut of $783 million in research funding.

"This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist,” Jackson wrote. “Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this administration always wins.”

The conservative justices could be more skeptical when they conduct an in-depth examination of some Trump policies, including the president's imposition of tariffs and his desired restrictions on birthright citizenship.

If the same conservative-liberal split that has marked so many of Trump's emergency appeals endures, "we are in for one of the most polarizing terms yet,” said Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University’s law school.

The justices will pass judgment in the next 10 months on some of Trump's most controversial efforts.

3 major cases on presidential power are on the docket

The justices are hearing a pivotal case for Trump’s economic agenda in early November as they consider the legality of many of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-d1d0dd6ddd83e2c1df1598e468b839f5">sweeping tariffs</a>. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">lower courts</a>&nbsp;have found the Republican president does not have the power to unilaterally impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">wide-ranging tariffs</a>&nbsp;under an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">emergency powers law</a>.

States and small businesses argue Trump cannot usurp Congress’s taxation powers by declaring national emergencies and using tariffs to address them.

The administration, though, says the law does give the president the power to regulate importation, and that includes tariffs. Four dissenting judges on a federal appeals court in Washington bought that argument, mapping out a possible legal path at the high court.

In December, the justices will take up Trump's power to fire independent agency members at will, a case that probably will lead the court to overturn, or drastically narrow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">a 90-year-old decision</a>. It required a cause, like neglect of duty, before a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/295us602">president could remove</a>&nbsp;the Senate-confirmed officials from their jobs.

The outcome appears to be in little doubt because the conservatives have allowed the firings to take effect while the case plays out, even after lower-court judges found the firings illegal. The three liberal justices have dissented each time.

The administration has appealed lower-court rulings blocking the order as unconstitutional, or likely so, flouting more than 125 years of general understanding and an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649">1898 Supreme Court ruling</a>. The case could be argued in the late winter or early spring.

The court could hand Republicans significant victories on voting rights and campaign finance

The future of electoral districts with majorities of Black, Hispanic or Native American voters hangs in the balance in a case about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-louisiana-redistricting-majority-black-districts-ea09df430fa850d4eb7497ae1be9667d">congressional redistricting in Louisiana</a>&nbsp;that will be argued in mid-October.

The Republican-led state has abandoned its defense of a political map that elected two Black members of Congress. Instead, Louisiana wants the court to reject any consideration of race in redistricting in a case that could bring major changes to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-act-60th-anniversary-supreme-court-d2bf2ff47a6c1b574e6e351d1fb46528">Voting Rights Act</a>.

Chief Justice John Roberts and the other five conservative justices have been skeptical of the consideration of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">race in public life</a>, including a decision in 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions.

Louisiana's position would allow it and other Republican-controlled states in the South to draw new political maps that eliminate virtually all majority Black House districts, which have been Democratic strongholds, voting rights experts say.

The justices failed to decide the case in June after hearing arguments during its last term. The court does not need to go as far as Louisiana wants to reject the congressional map.

But a second round of arguments is a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court, and sometimes presages a major change by the justices. The Citizens United decision in 2010 that led to dramatic increases in independent spending in U.S. elections came after it was argued a second time.

Republicans, including the Trump administration, also are behind a drive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-political-party-spending-a6b43b10ae73e58cc2e7af581b91ec76">to wipe away limits</a>&nbsp;on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president.

The justices are reviewing an appellate ruling that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. Democrats had asked the court to leave the law in place, and the Supreme Court upheld it in 2001.

But Roberts, who just marked his 20th anniversary as chief justice, has led a court that has struck down one campaign finance regulation after another.

Transgender women and girls face a test over their participation on school sports teams

More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-title-ix-schools-3871f87d332fb229c07ad16aa3d3cca8">transgender women and girls</a>&nbsp;from participating in certain sports competitions.

The justices are hearing cases from Idaho and West Virginia, where transgender athletes won lower court rulings.

The Supreme Court in June upheld a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-care-trump-79fc6f3bbdab2e92d6f0184201a468a9">ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth</a>, but pointedly did not decide any broader issues about transgender rights.

They quickly agreed to take up the state appeals, which raised questions under the Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment and the federal law known as Title IX that dramatically expanded the participation of girls and women in sports in public schools and colleges.

The court has yet to set an argument date.

Justice Samuel Alito is most likely possible retirement in 2026

Alito turns 76 in April, young by Supreme Court standards. But he might not want to stay around and gamble on the possibility of Democrats flipping the Senate in next year's elections and seeing a Democrat capture the White House two years later.

Retiring next summer would allow Trump to name a similarly conservative but much younger replacement who would almost certainly win confirmation from the Republican-led Senate.

For close watchers of the court, Alito has done only one thing out of the ordinary: signed a contract to write a book that is expected out next year. Even as his junior colleagues have moved quickly to sign book deals. Alito, by contrast, waited nearly 20 years.

He did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Alito is not the oldest justice. Clarence Thomas is 77, but he has shown no signs of leaving, certainly not before he is set to become the longest-serving justice in U.S. history in 2028.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-lgbtq-tariffs-birthright-citizenship-6454b491b6b232ee424fe61823866bb4">a new term</a>&nbsp;that will have a sharp focus on President Donald Trump's robust assertion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">executive power</a>.Pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people also are on the agenda. On Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments over bans passed by nearly half of U.S. states on therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.Chief Justice John Roberts formally opened the term Monday as the court rejected more than 800 pending appeals, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-epstein-maxwell-appeal-a4ba832cd2a23a2c499cef23f1e30927">a challenge by Ghislaine Maxwell</a>&nbsp;to her conviction for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.In its first arguments, the court also appeared to be inclined to rule against a criminal defendant from Texas in a case about the constitutional right to a lawyer. Approaching an overnight break in the defendant's testimony, the trial judge ordered defense lawyers not to talk to their client about his testimony.A major thrust of the next 10 months, however, is expected to be the justices' evaluation of Trump's expansive claims of presidential power.The court's conservative majority has so far been receptive, at least in preliminary rulings, to many emergency appeals from Trump's Republican administration. But there could be more skepticism when the court conducts in-depth examinations of some Trump policies, including the president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">imposition of tariffs</a>&nbsp;and his desired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-ruling-appeals-trump-immigration-70632486a2ae41f7c98d97b1f7399368">restrictions on birthright citizenship</a>.The justices are hearing a pivotal case for Trump’s economic agenda in early November as they consider the legality of many of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-d1d0dd6ddd83e2c1df1598e468b839f5">his sweeping tariffs</a>. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">lower courts</a>&nbsp;have found the Republican president does not have the power to unilaterally impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">wide-ranging tariffs</a>&nbsp;under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">an emergency powers law</a>.In December, the justices will take up Trump's power to fire independent agency members at will, a case that probably will lead the court to overturn, or drastically narrow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">a 90-year-old decision</a>. It required a cause, like neglect of duty, before&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/295us602">a president could remove</a>&nbsp;the Senate-confirmed officials from their jobs.The outcome appears to be in little doubt because the conservatives have allowed the firings to take effect while the case plays out, even after lower-court judges found the firings illegal. The three liberal justices on the nine-member court have dissented each time.Another case that has arrived at the court but has yet to be considered involves Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/">executive order</a>&nbsp;denying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-6d282d34b7aa1e992390499504ad5c7d">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;to children born in the United States to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-trump-executive-order-immigrants-fc7dd75ba1fb0a10f56b2a85b92dbe53">parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily</a>.The administration has appealed lower-court rulings blocking the order as unconstitutional, or likely so, flouting more than 125 years of general understanding and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649">an 1898 Supreme Court ruling</a>. The case could be argued in the late winter or early spring.WASHINGTON (AP) — A monumental&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;term begins Monday with major tests of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef">presidential power</a>&nbsp;on the agenda along with pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people.The court's conservative majority has so far been receptive, at least in preliminary rulings, to many of President Donald Trump's aggressive assertions of authority. Liberal Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>&nbsp;invoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/25a103_kh7p.pdf#page=16">Calvin and Hobbes comic strip</a>&nbsp;after one such decision allowing the cut of $783 million in research funding."This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist,” Jackson wrote. “Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this administration always wins.”The conservative justices could be more skeptical when they conduct an in-depth examination of some Trump policies, including the president's imposition of tariffs and his desired restrictions on birthright citizenship.If the same conservative-liberal split that has marked so many of Trump's emergency appeals endures, "we are in for one of the most polarizing terms yet,” said Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University’s law school.The justices will pass judgment in the next 10 months on some of Trump's most controversial efforts.<h2>3 major cases on presidential power are on the docket</h2>The justices are hearing a pivotal case for Trump’s economic agenda in early November as they consider the legality of many of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-d1d0dd6ddd83e2c1df1598e468b839f5">sweeping tariffs</a>. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-court-ruling-trade-1c5a02ad38597c3629eff5977490813a">lower courts</a>&nbsp;have found the Republican president does not have the power to unilaterally impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">wide-ranging tariffs</a>&nbsp;under an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45618">emergency powers law</a>.States and small businesses argue Trump cannot usurp Congress’s taxation powers by declaring national emergencies and using tariffs to address them.The administration, though, says the law does give the president the power to regulate importation, and that includes tariffs. Four dissenting judges on a federal appeals court in Washington bought that argument, mapping out a possible legal path at the high court.In December, the justices will take up Trump's power to fire independent agency members at will, a case that probably will lead the court to overturn, or drastically narrow,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">a 90-year-old decision</a>. It required a cause, like neglect of duty, before a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/295us602">president could remove</a>&nbsp;the Senate-confirmed officials from their jobs.The outcome appears to be in little doubt because the conservatives have allowed the firings to take effect while the case plays out, even after lower-court judges found the firings illegal. The three liberal justices have dissented each time.Another case that has arrived at the court but has yet to be considered involves Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/">executive order</a>&nbsp;denying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-6d282d34b7aa1e992390499504ad5c7d">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;to children born in the United States to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-trump-executive-order-immigrants-fc7dd75ba1fb0a10f56b2a85b92dbe53">parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily</a>.The administration has appealed lower-court rulings blocking the order as unconstitutional, or likely so, flouting more than 125 years of general understanding and an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/169us649">1898 Supreme Court ruling</a>. The case could be argued in the late winter or early spring.<h2>The court could hand Republicans significant victories on voting rights and campaign finance</h2>The future of electoral districts with majorities of Black, Hispanic or Native American voters hangs in the balance in a case about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-louisiana-redistricting-majority-black-districts-ea09df430fa850d4eb7497ae1be9667d">congressional redistricting in Louisiana</a>&nbsp;that will be argued in mid-October.The Republican-led state has abandoned its defense of a political map that elected two Black members of Congress. Instead, Louisiana wants the court to reject any consideration of race in redistricting in a case that could bring major changes to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-act-60th-anniversary-supreme-court-d2bf2ff47a6c1b574e6e351d1fb46528">Voting Rights Act</a>.Chief Justice John Roberts and the other five conservative justices have been skeptical of the consideration of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">race in public life</a>, including a decision in 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions.Louisiana's position would allow it and other Republican-controlled states in the South to draw new political maps that eliminate virtually all majority Black House districts, which have been Democratic strongholds, voting rights experts say.The justices failed to decide the case in June after hearing arguments during its last term. The court does not need to go as far as Louisiana wants to reject the congressional map.But a second round of arguments is a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court, and sometimes presages a major change by the justices. The Citizens United decision in 2010 that led to dramatic increases in independent spending in U.S. elections came after it was argued a second time.Republicans, including the Trump administration, also are behind a drive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-political-party-spending-a6b43b10ae73e58cc2e7af581b91ec76">to wipe away limits</a>&nbsp;on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president.The justices are reviewing an appellate ruling that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. Democrats had asked the court to leave the law in place, and the Supreme Court upheld it in 2001.But Roberts, who just marked his 20th anniversary as chief justice, has led a court that has struck down one campaign finance regulation after another.No date for arguments has been set.<h2>Transgender women and girls face a test over their participation on school sports teams</h2>More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-title-ix-schools-3871f87d332fb229c07ad16aa3d3cca8">transgender women and girls</a>&nbsp;from participating in certain sports competitions.The justices are hearing cases from Idaho and West Virginia, where transgender athletes won lower court rulings.The Supreme Court in June upheld a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-care-trump-79fc6f3bbdab2e92d6f0184201a468a9">ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth</a>, but pointedly did not decide any broader issues about transgender rights.They quickly agreed to take up the state appeals, which raised questions under the Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment and the federal law known as Title IX that dramatically expanded the participation of girls and women in sports in public schools and colleges.The court has yet to set an argument date.<h2>Justice Samuel Alito is most likely possible retirement in 2026</h2>Alito turns 76 in April, young by Supreme Court standards. But he might not want to stay around and gamble on the possibility of Democrats flipping the Senate in next year's elections and seeing a Democrat capture the White House two years later.Retiring next summer would allow Trump to name a similarly conservative but much younger replacement who would almost certainly win confirmation from the Republican-led Senate.For close watchers of the court, Alito has done only one thing out of the ordinary: signed a contract to write a book that is expected out next year. Even as his junior colleagues have moved quickly to sign book deals. Alito, by contrast, waited nearly 20 years.He did not respond to a request for comment for this story.Alito is not the oldest justice. Clarence Thomas is 77, but he has shown no signs of leaving, certainly not before he is set to become the longest-serving justice in U.S. history in 2028.

New term: Supreme Court will hear 3 major cases on presidential power 

The MIAA KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason rankings for the 2025-26 men's basketball season. Washburn was picked as the favorite to take home this season's hardware by MIAA head coaches and media representatives.

The MIAA tips off the 2025-26 NCAA Division II basketball season today in downtown Kansas City for its annual Basketball Media Day, presented by Seigfreid Bingham. All 28 MIAA head coaches will gather at the College Basketball Experience to speak on the upcoming season and take questions from media members in attendance. Fans can watch the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day live, for free, on The MIAA Network.

Washburn, the league's defending regular season champion, finished at the top of both the coaches and media preseason polls. The Ichabods were the unanimous favorite among MIAA head coaches, totaling 169 points and 13 first-place votes. They totaled 346 points and 23 first-place selections from media members who cover MIAA basketball.  

The Ichabods went 30-4 overall and 17-2 against league competition last season to clinch the program's first outright MIAA regular season title since the 2003-04 season. After being upset in the MIAA tournament quarterfinals, the Bods received a bid into the NCAA postseason, where they were crowned champions of the Central Region and advanced to compete for a national title. Washburn ended its 2024-25 season in the Division II Final Four, falling to the eventual national champion, Nova Southeastern.

Rogers State received its best preseason rankings since joining the MIAA in 2019. The Hillcats finished second in the coaches poll with 141 points and one first-place selection, and third in the media poll with 286 points and another first-place nod. They ended last season 13-6 in the MIAA and 23-10 overall.

Fort Hays State, the defending MIAA tournament champion, finished third in the MIAA coaches poll and second in the media poll. The Tigers ended their 2024-25 campaign 12-7 in the MIAA and 22-10 overall. They were the only MIAA team to join the Ichabods in the NCAA postseason, where they suffered a first-round loss in the Central Region Championship.

Both MIAA coaches and media members also included Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State in their top five. The full rankings for the 2025-26 MIAA men's basketball preseason coaches and media polls are listed below.

The 2025-26 NCAA Division II basketball season will officially tip off on Friday, October 31, with MIAA teams competing in D2CCA Tip-Off Classics. This season will feature one new head coach on the men's side with Brooks McKowen taking over the Griffon basketball program.

The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships will return to the historic Municipal March 4-8 in downtown Kansas City. To view the complete 2025-26 schedules for all 14 MIAA men's basketball programs, visit theMIAA.com/mensbasketball.  

2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759759464769.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The MIAA KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason rankings for the 2025-26 men's basketball season. Washburn was picked as the favorite to take home this season's hardware by MIAA head coaches and media representatives.The MIAA tips off the 2025-26 NCAA Division II basketball season today in downtown Kansas City for its annual Basketball Media Day, presented by Seigfreid Bingham. All 28 MIAA head coaches will gather at the College Basketball Experience to speak on the upcoming season and take questions from media members in attendance. Fans can watch the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day live, for free, on The MIAA Network.Washburn, the league's defending regular season champion, finished at the top of both the coaches and media preseason polls. The Ichabods were the unanimous favorite among MIAA head coaches, totaling 169 points and 13 first-place votes. They totaled 346 points and 23 first-place selections from media members who cover MIAA basketball. The Ichabods went 30-4 overall and 17-2 against league competition last season to clinch the program's first outright MIAA regular season title since the 2003-04 season. After being upset in the MIAA tournament quarterfinals, the Bods received a bid into the NCAA postseason, where they were crowned champions of the Central Region and advanced to compete for a national title. Washburn ended its 2024-25 season in the Division II Final Four, falling to the eventual national champion, Nova Southeastern.Rogers State received its best preseason rankings since joining the MIAA in 2019. The Hillcats finished second in the coaches poll with 141 points and one first-place selection, and third in the media poll with 286 points and another first-place nod. They ended last season 13-6 in the MIAA and 23-10 overall.Fort Hays State, the defending MIAA tournament champion, finished third in the MIAA coaches poll and second in the media poll. The Tigers ended their 2024-25 campaign 12-7 in the MIAA and 22-10 overall. They were the only MIAA team to join the Ichabods in the NCAA postseason, where they suffered a first-round loss in the Central Region Championship.Both MIAA coaches and media members also included Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State in their top five. The full rankings for the 2025-26 MIAA men's basketball preseason coaches and media polls are listed below.The 2025-26 NCAA Division II basketball season will officially tip off on Friday, October 31, with MIAA teams competing in D2CCA Tip-Off Classics. This season will feature one new head coach on the men's side with Brooks McKowen taking over the Griffon basketball program.The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships will return to the historic Municipal March 4-8 in downtown Kansas City. To view the complete 2025-26 schedules for all 14 MIAA men's basketball programs, visit theMIAA.com/mensbasketball. 2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL1. Washburn [13] – 169 points2. Rogers State [1] – 141 points3. Central Oklahoma – 137 points4. Fort Hays State – 134 points5. Pittsburg State – 127 points6. Nebraska Kearney – 106 points7. Central Missouri – 102 points8. Missouri Western – 79 points9. Northeastern State – 62 points10. Emporia State – 59 points11. Newman – 52 points12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 41 points13. Missouri Southern – 35 points14. Northwest Missouri – 30 points[#] - First Place Votes2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL1. Washburn [23] – 346 points2. Fort Hays State [1] – 297 points3. Rogers State [1] – 286 points4. Pittsburg State – 280 points5. Central Oklahoma – 229 points6. Nebraska Kearney – 211 points7. Central Missouri – 186 points8. Missouri Western – 169 points9. Emporia State – 159 points10. Northeastern State – 132 points11. Northwest Missouri – 108 points12. Newman – 93 points13. Missouri Southern – 69 points14. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 59 points[#] - First Place Votes

🏀 2025-26 MIAA men's basketball preseason polls announced

Fort Hays State football travels to Joplin to face Missouri Southern State at Fred G. Hughes Stadium on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Fort Hays State football travels to Joplin to face Missouri Southern State at Fred G. Hughes Stadium on Saturday, October 4, 2025.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-FB at Missouri Southern State (Oct. 4, 2025)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7sr9w-1985d24-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-FB at Missouri Southern

The MIAA KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason rankings for the 2025-26 women’s basketball season. The Tigers of Fort Hays State led the coaches poll while the Pittsburg State Gorillas finished as the top team in the media poll.

The MIAA tips off the 2025-26 basketball season today, Monday, October 6, at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City as the Association hosts its annual Basketball Media Day presented by Seigfreid Bingham. Fans can watch the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day live, for free, on The MIAA Network.

It was a close battle for the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 coaches preseason poll with the top three teams finishing just four points from one another, while both the MIAA coaches and media members who cover MIAA teams selected the same five teams to house in their top five.

Fort Hays State topped the MIAA coaches poll with 152 points and two first-place votes. The Tigers finished the 2024-25 season 28-5 overall and 16-3 in the MIAA to finish second in the regular season standings. Fort Hays was also the runner-up of the 2025 MIAA Basketball Championship and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA postseason, where their season ended in the regional semifinals. The Tigers were picked second in the media poll with 299 points and five first-place selections.

Washburn finished second in the coaches’ poll with 148 points and six first-place votes. The Ichabods went 18-13 overall and finished 11-8 in MIAA action last season. They return last season’s Co-Newcomer of the Year Payton Sterk, and All-Defensive Team and Second Team All-MIAA selection Yiibari Nwidadah. Washburn was picked third in the media’s preseason poll with 276 points and three first-place votes.

The Gorillas concluded the coaches’ top three teams with 114 points and five first-place selections, but led the media poll with a 27-point lead and 13 first-place nods. Pitt State is the league’s reigning regular season champion and has won the last two MIAA tournament titles. The Gorillas took their 2024-25 season all the way to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals, where they lost to the eventual national champion, Grand Valley State. Pitt ended their historic run season 33-4 overall and 18-1 in the MIAA.

Central Missouri and Nebraska Kearney finished fourth and fifth in both the coaches and media polls. The Jennies went 17-15 overall and 8-11 in the MIAA last season while the Lopers finished 20-9 overall, 13-6 in the MIAA.

The complete rankings for both the MIAA coaches and media preseason women’s basketball polls are listed below. 

The 2025-26 MIAA women’s basketball season will feature three new head coaches – MJ Baker is entering her first season at Emporia State, Hannah Moeller is entering her first season at Central Oklahoma, and Luke Scheidecker is entering his first season at Missouri Western.

The NCAA Division II women’s basketball season officially tips off Friday, October 31, with MIAA teams competing in Division II Tip Off Classic events. The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 4-8 at the historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo. To view the complete 2025-26 schedules for all 14 MIAA women’s basketball programs, visit theMIAA.com/womensbasketball.

2025-26 MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL

2025-26 MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759758710674.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The MIAA KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason rankings for the 2025-26 women’s basketball season. The Tigers of Fort Hays State led the coaches poll while the Pittsburg State Gorillas finished as the top team in the media poll.The MIAA tips off the 2025-26 basketball season today, Monday, October 6, at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City as the Association hosts its annual Basketball Media Day presented by Seigfreid Bingham. Fans can watch the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day live, for free, on The MIAA Network.It was a close battle for the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 coaches preseason poll with the top three teams finishing just four points from one another, while both the MIAA coaches and media members who cover MIAA teams selected the same five teams to house in their top five.Fort Hays State topped the MIAA coaches poll with 152 points and two first-place votes. The Tigers finished the 2024-25 season 28-5 overall and 16-3 in the MIAA to finish second in the regular season standings. Fort Hays was also the runner-up of the 2025 MIAA Basketball Championship and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA postseason, where their season ended in the regional semifinals. The Tigers were picked second in the media poll with 299 points and five first-place selections.Washburn finished second in the coaches’ poll with 148 points and six first-place votes. The Ichabods went 18-13 overall and finished 11-8 in MIAA action last season. They return last season’s Co-Newcomer of the Year Payton Sterk, and All-Defensive Team and Second Team All-MIAA selection Yiibari Nwidadah. Washburn was picked third in the media’s preseason poll with 276 points and three first-place votes.The Gorillas concluded the coaches’ top three teams with 114 points and five first-place selections, but led the media poll with a 27-point lead and 13 first-place nods. Pitt State is the league’s reigning regular season champion and has won the last two MIAA tournament titles. The Gorillas took their 2024-25 season all the way to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals, where they lost to the eventual national champion, Grand Valley State. Pitt ended their historic run season 33-4 overall and 18-1 in the MIAA.Central Missouri and Nebraska Kearney finished fourth and fifth in both the coaches and media polls. The Jennies went 17-15 overall and 8-11 in the MIAA last season while the Lopers finished 20-9 overall, 13-6 in the MIAA.The complete rankings for both the MIAA coaches and media preseason women’s basketball polls are listed below. The 2025-26 MIAA women’s basketball season will feature three new head coaches – MJ Baker is entering her first season at Emporia State, Hannah Moeller is entering her first season at Central Oklahoma, and Luke Scheidecker is entering his first season at Missouri Western.The NCAA Division II women’s basketball season officially tips off Friday, October 31, with MIAA teams competing in Division II Tip Off Classic events. The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 4-8 at the historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo. To view the complete 2025-26 schedules for all 14 MIAA women’s basketball programs, visit theMIAA.com/womensbasketball.2025-26 MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL1. Fort Hays State [2] – 152 points2. Washburn [6] – 148 points3. Pittsburg State [5] – 144 points4. Central Missouri [1] – 138 points5. Nebraska Kearney – 135 points6. Missouri Western – 99 points7. Missouri Southern – 95 points8. Northwest Missouri – 78 points9. Northeastern State – 76 points10. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 73 points11. Emporia State – 48 points12. Central Oklahoma – 44 points13. Rogers State – 28 points14. Newman – 16 points[#] - First Place Votes2025-26 MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL1. Pittsburg State [13] – 326 points2. Fort Hays State [5] – 299 points3. Washburn [3] – 276 points4. Central Missouri [4] – 271 points5. Nebraska Kearney – 268 points6. Missouri Western – 227 points7. Northwest Missouri – 187 points8. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 185 points9. Missouri Southern – 176 points10. Emporia State – 127 points11. Northeastern State – 111 points12. Central Oklahoma – 92 points13. Rogers State – 49 points14. Newman – 31 points[#] - First Place Votes

🏀 2025-26 MIAA women's basketball preseason polls announced

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)

Monday, October 6
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am &nbsp;KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs FB at Jacksonville Jaguars, 6:00pm

Tuesday, October 7
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6:00pm

Wednesday, October 8
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pm

Thursday, October 9
 none

Friday, October 10
 KKQY: Trego FB at
Ness City, 6:00pm &nbsp;KFIX: Hays High FB at Dodge City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Oakley, 6:30pm

Saturday, October 11
 KAYS: Kansas FB at
Texas Tech, 5:00pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Central Oklahoma, 6:00pm

Sunday, October 12
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs FB vs. Detroit Lions, 6:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Monday, October 6
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am &nbsp;KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs FB at Jacksonville Jaguars, 6:00pmTuesday, October 7
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6:00pmWednesday, October 8
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 9
 noneFriday, October 10
 KKQY: Trego FB at
Ness City, 6:00pm &nbsp;KFIX: Hays High FB at Dodge City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Oakley, 6:30pmSaturday, October 11
 KAYS: Kansas FB at
Texas Tech, 5:00pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Central Oklahoma, 6:00pmSunday, October 12
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs FB vs. Detroit Lions, 6:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Hays residents lined Vine Street Sunday in silent prayer, holding signs united by a single message: choose life.

The 2025 National Life Chain opened with a prayer service at St. Joseph Cemetery. Fr. Nick Parker of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church led the service, reading scripture and highlighting God’s intimate creation of each person.

"It's a wonderful witness that we have today, where we are able to show our love for the born, the unborn, the young, the old, and let people know that they are truly children of God," he said.

The annual event is a peaceful, hour-long demonstration held on the first Sunday of October, where church members and congregations gather to express their stance on abortion publicly.

Parker encouraged attendees to demonstrate compassion and peace rather than anger or judgment, emphasizing the importance of love for all people.

Alicia Knight, an organizer, described the Life Chain as a public expression of faith meant to connect with others and encourage support for the movement.

"There is a large community that is pro-life that believes in the right to life. From natural conception to natural death," she said. "It should also encourage those who have chosen abortion, for them to feel mercy and love for any decision that they made, and that they are welcomed here too."

Knight said anyone who has had an abortion or is pregnant and seeking support can reach out to <a href="https://ccnks.org/">Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas</a> or <a href="https://www.rachelsvineyard.org/">Rachel's Vineyard</a>, which its website describes as a place to “renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion.”

Chase and Julie Berg said they believe it is important to raise awareness about what they consider the "tragedy of abortion."

"If we can't protect our citizens at the most vulnerable state of life, then why does anybody think they're going to be protected in the U.S.?" Chase said.

"The opposing side can be very loud. It's important to show that we're here, respectful, and we want to show up with love and kindness," Julie said.

Chase and Julie attended the demonstration with their baby and said they have four children. They added they hope to see more young people take part in next year’s Life Chain.

"Be pro-life or there won't be a next generation," Chase said. "It's not a young person's issue, it's an everybody's issue."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699398720.jpeg" alt="Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostHays residents lined Vine Street Sunday in silent prayer, holding signs united by a single message: choose life.The 2025 National Life Chain opened with a prayer service at St. Joseph Cemetery. Fr. Nick Parker of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church led the service, reading scripture and highlighting God’s intimate creation of each person."It's a wonderful witness that we have today, where we are able to show our love for the born, the unborn, the young, the old, and let people know that they are truly children of God," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699457986.jpeg" alt="Fr. Nick Parker of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays reading scripture at the St. Joseph Cemetery. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Fr. Nick Parker of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Hays reading scripture at the St. Joseph Cemetery. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699471340.jpeg" alt="Attendees gathered at St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays for scripture readings from Fr. Nick Parker. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Attendees gathered at St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays for scripture readings from Fr. Nick Parker. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699487508.jpeg" alt="The Memorial of the Unborn at St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Memorial of the Unborn at St. Joseph Cemetery in Hays. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The annual event is a peaceful, hour-long demonstration held on the first Sunday of October, where church members and congregations gather to express their stance on abortion publicly.Parker encouraged attendees to demonstrate compassion and peace rather than anger or judgment, emphasizing the importance of love for all people.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699593825.jpeg" alt="Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699530289.jpeg" alt="Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays residents holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699564323.jpeg" alt="A family holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A family holding pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699617455.jpeg" alt="Attendees lined up with pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Attendees lined up with pro-life signs on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Alicia Knight, an organizer, described the Life Chain as a public expression of faith meant to connect with others and encourage support for the movement."There is a large community that is pro-life that believes in the right to life. From natural conception to natural death," she said. "It should also encourage those who have chosen abortion, for them to feel mercy and love for any decision that they made, and that they are welcomed here too."Knight said anyone who has had an abortion or is pregnant and seeking support can reach out to <a href="https://ccnks.org/">Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas</a> or <a href="https://www.rachelsvineyard.org/">Rachel's Vineyard</a>, which its website describes as a place to “renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion.”Chase and Julie Berg said they believe it is important to raise awareness about what they consider the "tragedy of abortion."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699642324.jpeg" alt="Chase Berg and Julie Berg holding pro-life signs with their baby on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Chase Berg and Julie Berg holding pro-life signs with their baby on Vine Street for the 2025 National Life Chain. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>"If we can't protect our citizens at the most vulnerable state of life, then why does anybody think they're going to be protected in the U.S.?" Chase said."The opposing side can be very loud. It's important to show that we're here, respectful, and we want to show up with love and kindness," Julie said.Chase and Julie attended the demonstration with their baby and said they have four children. They added they hope to see more young people take part in next year’s Life Chain."Be pro-life or there won't be a next generation," Chase said. "It's not a young person's issue, it's an everybody's issue."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759699686926.jpeg" alt="An attendee with a pro-life sign and rosary. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>An attendee with a pro-life sign and rosary. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays residents join National Life Chain in silent demonstration

BELOIT and HAYS — Fort Hays Tech | North Central is proud to announce a significant achievement in its ongoing commitment to student success. Thanks to the generous support of numerous donors, in collaboration with the Fort Hays Tech | North Central Foundation, a record-breaking 115 scholarships have been awarded across both the Beloit and Hays campuses during the 2025/2026 academic year.

 Fort Hays Tech | North Central hosted receptions for students and donors at the Hays campus on Wednesday, September 24 and at the Beloit campus on Wednesday, October 1. 

The success of these scholarship programs would not be possible without the generosity and commitment of the donors who have made them a reality. Their belief in the potential of students and their dedication to technical education have set an inspiring example, encouraging the recipients to pay it forward and support future generations in their pursuit of knowledge. 

These scholarships, created by dedicated benefactors, have been established to provide vital financial assistance to students pursuing a variety of programs at Fort Hays Tech | North Central. The enduring legacy of these donors is reflected in the annual scholarships they have created, ensuring that students receive support not only now but into the future.

 Eric Burks, president of Fort Hays Tech | North Central, expressed his gratitude, "Honoring the legacy of our donors, their contributions, and their leadership in educating our future workforce is a pleasure, and we can't thank them enough for their generosity.”

 "We are deeply grateful to these donors for establishing these important scholarship funds, of which we are honored to administer," said Mendi Anschutz, director of advancement for the Fort Hays Tech | North Central Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759501872099.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays Tech | North Central scholarship winners in Beloit included Tyse Frazee, Kiley Crain and Quentin Haldeman. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays Tech | North Central scholarship winners in Beloit included Tyse Frazee, Kiley Crain and Quentin Haldeman. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Fort Hays Tech | North CentralBELOIT and HAYS — Fort Hays Tech | North Central is proud to announce a significant achievement in its ongoing commitment to student success. Thanks to the generous support of numerous donors, in collaboration with the Fort Hays Tech | North Central Foundation, a record-breaking 115 scholarships have been awarded across both the Beloit and Hays campuses during the 2025/2026 academic year. Fort Hays Tech | North Central hosted receptions for students and donors at the Hays campus on Wednesday, September 24 and at the Beloit campus on Wednesday, October 1. The success of these scholarship programs would not be possible without the generosity and commitment of the donors who have made them a reality. Their belief in the potential of students and their dedication to technical education have set an inspiring example, encouraging the recipients to pay it forward and support future generations in their pursuit of knowledge. These scholarships, created by dedicated benefactors, have been established to provide vital financial assistance to students pursuing a variety of programs at Fort Hays Tech | North Central. The enduring legacy of these donors is reflected in the annual scholarships they have created, ensuring that students receive support not only now but into the future. Eric Burks, president of Fort Hays Tech | North Central, expressed his gratitude, "Honoring the legacy of our donors, their contributions, and their leadership in educating our future workforce is a pleasure, and we can't thank them enough for their generosity.” "We are deeply grateful to these donors for establishing these important scholarship funds, of which we are honored to administer," said Mendi Anschutz, director of advancement for the Fort Hays Tech | North Central Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fort Hays Tech | North Central awards record-breaking 115 student scholarships 

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;did not let the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday to salute the Navy as it celebrates its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navy.mil/Navy-250/">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;— using his speech to praise both the Navy and himself.

Trump delivered remarks that by his own recognition bordered on making it more like a campaign event, generating some applause from the crowd before closing out with a recording of his theme song, “YMCA” by Village People.

“Let’s face it, this is a rally,” Trump told the crowd that the Navy estimated to be 10,000 people.

The president criticized his political opponents and attacked Democratic lawmakers as the shutdown entered its fifth day, causing military personnel to work without pay until the government reopens.

“I want you to know that despite the current Democrat induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny. Don’t worry about it," Trump said to cheers from the crowd.

The government shutdown that began Wednesday has sparked partisan blame games as several thousand federal employees are furloughed and key infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic-run areas such as New York and Chicago have been put on hold. It lurked in the background of the event as Trump praised a Navy that he said has “never failed to hunt, kill and win.”

Senate Democrats rejected efforts to preserve a continuation of government operations when the new budget year started on Wednesday. They cited the lapse in subsidies that could cause health insurance costs to climb rapidly for people who get coverage through the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Democratic lawmakers also have sought to reverse cuts to Medicaid that Trump signed into law.

Democrats oppose Trump's move to have his administration decline to spend congressionally approved funds, saying it undermines the budgeting process, among other concerns. Meanwhile, Trump has explored laying off federal workers at what he called “Democrat Agencies.”

Among those joining Trump for the festivities were first lady Melania Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former Navy rear admiral who was a White House doctor during Trump's first term.

After his arrival in Norfolk, Trump went to the USS George H.W. Bush and spoke to the sailors and handed out challenge coins.

The Trumps then watched a military demonstration while standing on the deck of the aircraft carrier. Navy destroyers launched missiles and fired shells into the Atlantic Ocean, Navy SEALs descended from helicopters and fighter jets catapulted off.

The president has increasingly sought to leverage support from within the military as he has escalated its role in American society, asking troops to patrol the streets of U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Memphis, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump was seeking to send his state's National Guard to Portland after the administration's previous moves to deploy troops in the Oregon National Guard were blocked in court.

Trump on Tuesday addressed a gathering of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-meeting-military-commanders-4ceb8026bff7c652b08c08e8afb1df99">military leaders</a>&nbsp;abruptly summoned from across the globe to Virginia by Hegseth. The Republican president proposed using U.S. cities as training grounds for the armed forces and he spoke of needing military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-combat-women-race-hegseth-d406029d0e0dfd52443ef8d7fcb765cb">Hegseth declared</a>&nbsp;an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-defense-combat-women-trump-b423fd49730d9ab97151a2d2a4fdf6a7">“male-level” standards</a>&nbsp;for physical fitness.

The administration is seeking to reshape Pentagon culture and use military resources for the president’s priorities, including quelling domestic unrest and violent crime.

Trump has also engaged the military in an armed conflict with drug cartels, leading to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-venezuela-drug-cartels-unlawful-combatants-1848b02febe08acacb82979d7da47dfb">four strikes</a>&nbsp;on boats in the Caribbean that Washington says were involved in trafficking.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;did not let the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday to salute the Navy as it celebrates its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.navy.mil/Navy-250/">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;— using his speech to praise both the Navy and himself.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> arrive aboard the USS George H.W. Bush off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, to celebrate the <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USNavy</a>&#39;s 250th birthday. <a href="http
s://t.co/BrP0ByFZmX">pic.twitter.com/BrP0ByFZmX</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974892908827300085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump and theFirst Lady walk through a cordon of U.S. Navy Sailors as they arrive on the USSS Harry’s Truman 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/EXhHyWHQ0e">pic.twitter.com/EXhHyWHQ0e</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1974927779763556583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NAVY 1! President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> makes an announcement on USSS George H.W. Bush 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/WqMVLvREXg">pic.twitter.com/WqMVLvREXg</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1974928957561819394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: We are gathered on this storied waterfront to celebrate 250 years of strength, tenacity, and unwavering courage by the greatest fighting force ever to roam the seas — the UNITED STATES NAVY. <a href="https://t.co/sOYwKP8V3x">pic.twitter.com/sOYwKP8V3x</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974933318073508208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Docked beside us today are a combined 150,000 tons of pure American Naval supremacy — and two colossal reasons why NO ONE should ever want to start a fight with the USA.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7uGYhVlpWh">pic.twitter.com/7uGYhVlpWh</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974934985653277096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUIS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUIS</a>: &quot;Whenever duty calls, American Sailors will hoist our flag high and they will rally to Admiral Farragut&#39;s immortal battle cry: &#39;DAMN THE TORPEDOS, FULL SPEED AHEAD!&#39;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0pJleUey7N">pic.twitter.com/0pJleUey7N</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974943920779153693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>: &quot;HOOYAH, NAVY!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gUMfbjZZv5">pic.twitter.com/gUMfbjZZv5</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974931079682457750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">THE <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USNAVY</a> LOVES <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a>! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/my6pxPAHOP">pic.twitter.com/my6pxPAHOP</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974929453295006076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">THE <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USNAVY</a> LOVES <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SECWAR</a>! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/my6pxPAHOP">pic.twitter.com/my6pxPAHOP</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974929453295006076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump delivered remarks that by his own recognition bordered on making it more like a campaign event, generating some applause from the crowd before closing out with a recording of his theme song, “YMCA” by Village People.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">250 years of the greatest fighting force ever to roam the seas — THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 🇺🇸<a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USNavy</a> ⚓️ <a href="https://t.co/pwZLiAMNz6">pic.twitter.com/pwZLiAMNz6</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1974944835108065313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sailors wave goodbye to President Trump after the largest celebration in the history of the U.S. Navy! ⚓️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/03f8ztRTSl">pic.twitter.com/03f8ztRTSl</a>&mdash; Anna Kelly (@AnnaKelly47) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaKelly47/status/1974946429543366974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TRUMP DANCE ABOARD THE USS HARRY S. TRUMAN! GOD BLESS OUR NAVY! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/TCYmQ2ayh0">pic.twitter.com/TCYmQ2ayh0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1974944086718403000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Let’s face it, this is a rally,” Trump told the crowd that the Navy estimated to be 10,000 people.The president criticized his political opponents and attacked Democratic lawmakers as the shutdown entered its fifth day, causing military personnel to work without pay until the government reopens.“I want you to know that despite the current Democrat induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny. Don’t worry about it," Trump said to cheers from the crowd.The government shutdown that began Wednesday has sparked partisan blame games as several thousand federal employees are furloughed and key infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic-run areas such as New York and Chicago have been put on hold. It lurked in the background of the event as Trump praised a Navy that he said has “never failed to hunt, kill and win.”Senate Democrats rejected efforts to preserve a continuation of government operations when the new budget year started on Wednesday. They cited the lapse in subsidies that could cause health insurance costs to climb rapidly for people who get coverage through the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Democratic lawmakers also have sought to reverse cuts to Medicaid that Trump signed into law.Democrats oppose Trump's move to have his administration decline to spend congressionally approved funds, saying it undermines the budgeting process, among other concerns. Meanwhile, Trump has explored laying off federal workers at what he called “Democrat Agencies.”Among those joining Trump for the festivities were first lady Melania Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former Navy rear admiral who was a White House doctor during Trump's first term.After his arrival in Norfolk, Trump went to the USS George H.W. Bush and spoke to the sailors and handed out challenge coins.The Trumps then watched a military demonstration while standing on the deck of the aircraft carrier. Navy destroyers launched missiles and fired shells into the Atlantic Ocean, Navy SEALs descended from helicopters and fighter jets catapulted off.The president has increasingly sought to leverage support from within the military as he has escalated its role in American society, asking troops to patrol the streets of U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Memphis, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump was seeking to send his state's National Guard to Portland after the administration's previous moves to deploy troops in the Oregon National Guard were blocked in court.Trump on Tuesday addressed a gathering of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-meeting-military-commanders-4ceb8026bff7c652b08c08e8afb1df99">military leaders</a>&nbsp;abruptly summoned from across the globe to Virginia by Hegseth. The Republican president proposed using U.S. cities as training grounds for the armed forces and he spoke of needing military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-combat-women-race-hegseth-d406029d0e0dfd52443ef8d7fcb765cb">Hegseth declared</a>&nbsp;an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-pentagon-defense-combat-women-trump-b423fd49730d9ab97151a2d2a4fdf6a7">“male-level” standards</a>&nbsp;for physical fitness.The administration is seeking to reshape Pentagon culture and use military resources for the president’s priorities, including quelling domestic unrest and violent crime.Trump has also engaged the military in an armed conflict with drug cartels, leading to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-venezuela-drug-cartels-unlawful-combatants-1848b02febe08acacb82979d7da47dfb">four strikes</a>&nbsp;on boats in the Caribbean that Washington says were involved in trafficking.

🎥 President, First Lady celebrate Navy's 250th birthday 

EMPORIA, Kan. - Fort Hays State fell to Emporia State by a score of 5-2 on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (2-6-1, 0-3-1 MIAA) leveled the match twice in the first half on a pair of goals by Sydney Cotter, but it was not enough as the Hornets (6-3-0, 3-0-0 MIAA) added three more in the second half.

After Emporia State took an early 1-0 lead, FHSU and ESU traded a flurry of goals in the waning minutes before halftime. The Hornets scored in the 5th minute, but FHSU equalized in the 40th minute on a header by Cotter off a corner kick from Megan Wiman. Emporia State regained the lead with just under a minute remaining in the first half, but Cotter quickly responded, scoring just 12 seconds later to level the match once again. Cotter now has six goals on the season to lead the Tigers. FHSU outshot ESU 8-6 in the opening half.

It did not take long for ESU to regain its lead for the third time in the match as Avery Zimmerman provided what turned out to be the game winner in the 48th minute. The Hornets eventually added on goals in the 79th and 83rd minutes to run away with the victory. ESU outshot FHSU 8-1 in the second half and 14-9 for the match.

Jamie Kerkvliet got her first start in goal for FHSU and made six saves. Mackenzi Goen of ESU made four stops between the pipes.

Cotter provided the majority of the offensive attack for FHSU with six of the team's nine shots. Five of her shots were on target. Ella Favot led ESU with four shots and she had one of the team's five goals, all spread among different players.

Fort Hays State will host Central Oklahoma in Hays on Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759745993978.png" alt="FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEMPORIA, Kan. - Fort Hays State fell to Emporia State by a score of 5-2 on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (2-6-1, 0-3-1 MIAA) leveled the match twice in the first half on a pair of goals by Sydney Cotter, but it was not enough as the Hornets (6-3-0, 3-0-0 MIAA) added three more in the second half.After Emporia State took an early 1-0 lead, FHSU and ESU traded a flurry of goals in the waning minutes before halftime. The Hornets scored in the 5th minute, but FHSU equalized in the 40th minute on a header by Cotter off a corner kick from Megan Wiman. Emporia State regained the lead with just under a minute remaining in the first half, but Cotter quickly responded, scoring just 12 seconds later to level the match once again. Cotter now has six goals on the season to lead the Tigers. FHSU outshot ESU 8-6 in the opening half.It did not take long for ESU to regain its lead for the third time in the match as Avery Zimmerman provided what turned out to be the game winner in the 48th minute. The Hornets eventually added on goals in the 79th and 83rd minutes to run away with the victory. ESU outshot FHSU 8-1 in the second half and 14-9 for the match.Jamie Kerkvliet got her first start in goal for FHSU and made six saves. Mackenzi Goen of ESU made four stops between the pipes.Cotter provided the majority of the offensive attack for FHSU with six of the team's nine shots. Five of her shots were on target. Ella Favot led ESU with four shots and she had one of the team's five goals, all spread among different players.Fort Hays State will host Central Oklahoma in Hays on Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m.

⚽ Cotter scores twice, Tiger women fall to Hornets in Emporia

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday that it would pay migrant children $2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, dangling a new incentive in efforts to persuade people to self-deport.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t say how much migrants would get or when the offer would take effect, but The Associated Press obtained an email to migrant shelters saying children 14 years of age and older would get $2,500 each. Children were given 24 hours to respond.

The notice to shelters from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Administration for Families and Children did not indicate any consequences for children who decline the offer. It asked shelter directors to acknowledge the offer within four hours.

ICE said in a statement that the offer would initially be for 17-year-olds.

“Any payment to support a return home would be provided after an immigration judge grants the request and the individual arrives in their country of origin,” ICE said. “Access to financial support when returning home would assist should they choose that option.”

ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and the Health and Human Services Department did not immediately respond to questions about the amount of the payment and age eligibility.

ICE dismissed widespread reports among immigration lawyers and advocates that it was launching a much broader crackdown Friday to deport migrant children who entered the country without their parents, called “Freaky Friday.”

The administration has also offered $1,000 to adults who voluntarily leave the country. Advocates said $2,500 may prevent children from making informed decisions.

“For a child, $2,500 might be the most money they’ve ever seen in their life, and that may make it very, very difficult for them to accurately weigh the long-term risks of taking voluntary departure versus trying to stay in the United States and going through the immigration court process to get relief that they may be legally entitled to,” said Melissa Adamson, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law.

Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, echoed concerns about the offer, saying it “pressures children to abandon their legal claims and return to a life of fear and danger without ever receiving a fair hearing.”

U.S. border authorities have arrested children crossing the border without parents more than 400,000 times since October 2021. A 2008 law requires them to appear before an immigration judge before being returned to their countries.

Children have been spending more time in government-run shelters since the Trump administration put them under closer scrutiny before releasing them to family in the United States to pursue their immigration cases.

The additional scrutiny includes fingerprinting, DNA testing and home visits by immigration officers. Over the summer, immigration officers started showing up and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-children-parents-reunification-trump-81b20a1e3651337cec14b508f59cc52f">arresting parents</a>.

The average length of stay at government-run shelters for those released in the U.S. was 171 days in July, down from a peak of 217 days in April but well above 37 days in January, when Trump took office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750038378079.png" alt="File photo -Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>File photo -Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration said Friday that it would pay migrant children $2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, dangling a new incentive in efforts to persuade people to self-deport.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t say how much migrants would get or when the offer would take effect, but The Associated Press obtained an email to migrant shelters saying children 14 years of age and older would get $2,500 each. Children were given 24 hours to respond.The notice to shelters from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Administration for Families and Children did not indicate any consequences for children who decline the offer. It asked shelter directors to acknowledge the offer within four hours.ICE said in a statement that the offer would initially be for 17-year-olds.“Any payment to support a return home would be provided after an immigration judge grants the request and the individual arrives in their country of origin,” ICE said. “Access to financial support when returning home would assist should they choose that option.”ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and the Health and Human Services Department did not immediately respond to questions about the amount of the payment and age eligibility.ICE dismissed widespread reports among immigration lawyers and advocates that it was launching a much broader crackdown Friday to deport migrant children who entered the country without their parents, called “Freaky Friday.”The administration has also offered $1,000 to adults who voluntarily leave the country. Advocates said $2,500 may prevent children from making informed decisions.“For a child, $2,500 might be the most money they’ve ever seen in their life, and that may make it very, very difficult for them to accurately weigh the long-term risks of taking voluntary departure versus trying to stay in the United States and going through the immigration court process to get relief that they may be legally entitled to,” said Melissa Adamson, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law.Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, echoed concerns about the offer, saying it “pressures children to abandon their legal claims and return to a life of fear and danger without ever receiving a fair hearing.”U.S. border authorities have arrested children crossing the border without parents more than 400,000 times since October 2021. A 2008 law requires them to appear before an immigration judge before being returned to their countries.Children have been spending more time in government-run shelters since the Trump administration put them under closer scrutiny before releasing them to family in the United States to pursue their immigration cases.The additional scrutiny includes fingerprinting, DNA testing and home visits by immigration officers. Over the summer, immigration officers started showing up and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-children-parents-reunification-trump-81b20a1e3651337cec14b508f59cc52f">arresting parents</a>.The average length of stay at government-run shelters for those released in the U.S. was 171 days in July, down from a peak of 217 days in April but well above 37 days in January, when Trump took office.

Trump admin. offers migrant children cash to self deport

For the first time, a woman will serve as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anglican-church-of-england-archbishop-of-canterbury-cb6217f75fbef58e2a22088033248717">Archbishop of Canterbury</a>, following the 105 men who have held the role since St. Augustine took the position in the year 597.

This means Bishop of London Sarah Mullally has broken through the Church of England’s highest stained-glass ceiling. But for many of the world’s religions, that barrier to women in top leadership remains firmly intact.

Here is a look at how high women in ministry have been able to climb in some of the major faith traditions.

As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mullaly will also lead the Anglican Communion in her new role, which the communion describes as the first among equals. It has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries and many still believe the Bible requires male-only leadership.

One exception is the Episcopal Church in the United States. Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected to serve as the presiding bishop of that Anglican province in 2006.

In addition to the Episcopal Church, other mainline Protestant denominations in the U.S. have had female leaders.

The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton recently finished 12 years as the first woman to be presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest U.S. Lutheran body. The United Methodist Church has had women serve as president of its powerful Council of Bishops, including the current president — Tracy Smith Malone. In 2023, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson became the first woman to lead the United Church of Christ as its general minister and president.

Among evangelical churches, there are some female pastors. But the largest evangelical denomination, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-churches-women-pastors-34edfd1578e609c3acb187ab90f0255e">Southern Baptist Convention</a>, has maintained an all-male leadership and bars women from serving as pastors at SBC-affiliated churches.

In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-1675b593ac48cd40fd15304a59ba9e1b">most major Black Christian denominations</a>&nbsp;have no doctrinal bar to ordained women leaders in the way that some denominations do, and women have preached and been ordained in historically Black churches since at least the 19th century.

Yet denominational leadership remained all-male until the 21st century, and women are still the exception in the top rungs. One example is Vashti Murphy McKenzie, who in 2000 was elected the first woman bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-women-cf2602d26d3ec84a7993f872916b1b89">Catholic Church</a>&nbsp;makes a distinction between ministry and management when it comes to women’s leadership roles.

The church bars women from ordained ministry, meaning they cannot be priests or deacons, on the grounds that Christ’s apostles were all men. Women have however reached high levels of church management,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-women-cf2602d26d3ec84a7993f872916b1b89">especially under Pope Francis</a>.

The late pope promoted several nuns to senior Vatican positions, including the first-ever female prefect of a Holy See department, and gave women the right to vote at major Vatican gatherings known as synods.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Commonly known as the Mormon church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is currently going through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mormon-church-nelson-oaks-president-leadership-90ce246157e27e976af6f57b5e92fc32">leadership transition</a>&nbsp;following the death of its president, Russell M. Nelson.

For the first time, a woman will serve as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anglican-church-of-england-archbishop-of-canterbury-cb6217f75fbef58e2a22088033248717">Archbishop of Canterbury</a>, following the 105 men who have held the role since St. Augustine took the position in the year 597.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hello, my name is Bishop Sarah Mullally. I&#39;m deeply honoured to have been called to serve as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.<a href="https://t.co/2FIJRUADZk">https://t.co/2FIJRUADZk</a> <a href="https://t.co/IqTgcfi7tp">pic.twitter.com/IqTgcfi7tp</a>&mdash; Archbishop of Canterbury (@OfficeofABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeofABC/status/1974037891484414226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This means Bishop of London Sarah Mullally has broken through the Church of England’s highest stained-glass ceiling. But for many of the world’s religions, that barrier to women in top leadership remains firmly intact.Here is a look at how high women in ministry have been able to climb in some of the major faith traditions.<h2>Anglican Communion</h2>As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Mullaly will also lead the Anglican Communion in her new role, which the communion describes as the first among equals. It has more than 85 million members spread across 165 countries and many still believe the Bible requires male-only leadership.One exception is the Episcopal Church in the United States. Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected to serve as the presiding bishop of that Anglican province in 2006.<h2>Other Protestant churches</h2>In addition to the Episcopal Church, other mainline Protestant denominations in the U.S. have had female leaders.The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton recently finished 12 years as the first woman to be presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest U.S. Lutheran body. The United Methodist Church has had women serve as president of its powerful Council of Bishops, including the current president — Tracy Smith Malone. In 2023, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson became the first woman to lead the United Church of Christ as its general minister and president.Among evangelical churches, there are some female pastors. But the largest evangelical denomination, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southern-baptist-churches-women-pastors-34edfd1578e609c3acb187ab90f0255e">Southern Baptist Convention</a>, has maintained an all-male leadership and bars women from serving as pastors at SBC-affiliated churches.In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-1675b593ac48cd40fd15304a59ba9e1b">most major Black Christian denominations</a>&nbsp;have no doctrinal bar to ordained women leaders in the way that some denominations do, and women have preached and been ordained in historically Black churches since at least the 19th century.Yet denominational leadership remained all-male until the 21st century, and women are still the exception in the top rungs. One example is Vashti Murphy McKenzie, who in 2000 was elected the first woman bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.<h2>Catholic Church</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-women-cf2602d26d3ec84a7993f872916b1b89">Catholic Church</a>&nbsp;makes a distinction between ministry and management when it comes to women’s leadership roles.The church bars women from ordained ministry, meaning they cannot be priests or deacons, on the grounds that Christ’s apostles were all men. Women have however reached high levels of church management,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-women-cf2602d26d3ec84a7993f872916b1b89">especially under Pope Francis</a>.The late pope promoted several nuns to senior Vatican positions, including the first-ever female prefect of a Holy See department, and gave women the right to vote at major Vatican gatherings known as synods.<h2>The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</h2>Commonly known as the Mormon church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is currently going through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mormon-church-nelson-oaks-president-leadership-90ce246157e27e976af6f57b5e92fc32">leadership transition</a>&nbsp;following the death of its president, Russell M. Nelson.Every church president since its founding in 1830 has been a man — and the next person to lead the more than 17 million-member, global church will be too. That is in keeping with the faith’s all-male priesthood.The highest-ranking women in the church oversee organizations that run programs for women and girls. These sit below several layers of leadership groups reserved for only men.<h2>Judaism</h2>The gender situation within Judaism is markedly different in Israel and the United States, which together account for more than 80% of the world’s Jewish population.The largest U.S. branches, Reform and Conservative, allow women to be rabbis, while the Orthodox branch does not. In Israel, the Conservative and Reform movements are small, and Orthodox authorities hold a near monopoly on all matters regarding Judaism.<h2>Islam</h2>Unlike the Church of England, not all faith traditions, including Islam, have a centralized hierarchical structure, and therefore do not have an equivalent role to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.Among Islam's some 2 billion adherents around the world, women don’t lead mixed-gender congregational prayers in traditional Muslim settings and the top formal ranks of Islamic authorities have been largely filled with men.Still, many Muslim women have been occupying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-religion-islam-14cfe5f40ffa234a7e783dc9a53b98ea">other leadership roles</a>&nbsp;in Islamic spaces in their communities, including as religious scholars, preachers, and, in some cases, religious courts judges.Different cultural norms or theological and scholarly interpretations can lead to varying views and debates on the permissibility, scope or boundaries of certain roles. Some Muslims have been pushing to expand women’s roles in Islamic spaces and pointing to historic examples from the Islamic heritage.<h2>Women leaders in other decentralized faiths</h2>Instead of a single, centralized figure or body, authority in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-india-new-york-new-york-city-hinduism-c7d710dbdb69dd6de0fabb0f48cdc849">Hinduism</a>&nbsp;is derived from sacred texts, tradition and the teachings of spiritual teachers and monastic leaders.Structured similarly, authority in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-india-education-thailand-72c19680853e154d2687990c62f8c19c">Buddhism</a>&nbsp;stems from the Buddha’s teachings, those acknowledged as enlightened individuals and community consensus, with scripture serving as guidance rather than a definitive source of all rules.Both religions have numerous sects and orders with their own leaders and a small number of them are women.In Hinduism, some examples include Mata Amritanandamayi, a 72-year-old Indian spiritual leader, who hails from a marginalized fishing community and now oversees her own spiritual and charitable organization. Examples can also be found in the Ramakrishna Order, which has a separate branch for female monks who establish and lead their own monasteries around the world.In Buddhism, more women are pushing for ordination and for elevation to higher titles. Some schools, such as Soto Zen, the largest in Japan and with large numbers of Western practitioners, are more open to female leaders and have several abbesses in their ranks.<h2>Sikhism</h2>Sikhism, which by some counts is the fifth largest religion in the world, is also male-dominated.None of the 10 Gurus, the human spiritual teachers of the faith, were female. Women are also significantly underrepresented in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the body that oversees many gurdwaras in India. Bibi Jagir Kaur was the first woman to be elected president of the committee in 1999 and again in 2004.In many gurdwaras, certain rituals like carrying the palanquin containing the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture, or performing spiritual music (kirtan) at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest Sikh shrine, have remained largely male-dominated.Those norms are slowly changing in other parts of the world including North America where several women have formed kirtan groups.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.