By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">government shuts down</a>&nbsp;next week.

In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.

A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and elsewhere in the Trump administration.

Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.

This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-schumer-jeffries-meeting-8b1726435066403bf6b9fe4e4fffc029">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.

In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.

“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”

Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”

Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”

OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/guidance/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">this one has not</a>.

The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.</a>

“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”

OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.

“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/seung-min-kim">SEUNG MIN KIM</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is telling agencies to prepare large-scale firings of federal workers if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">government shuts down</a>&nbsp;next week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758805389171.png" alt="Image OMB" />
 <figcaption>Image OMB</figcaption>
 </figure>In a memo released Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the President’s priorities.” That would be a much more aggressive step than in previous shutdowns, when federal workers not deemed essential were furloughed but returned to their jobs once Congress approved government spending.A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but eliminate their positions, which would trigger yet another massive upheaval in a federal workforce that has already faced major rounds of cuts this year due to efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency and elsewhere in the Trump administration.Once any potential government shutdown ends, agencies are asked to revise their reduction in force plans “as needed to retain the minimal number of employees necessary to carry out statutory functions,” according to the memo, which was first reported by Politico.This move from OMB significantly increases the consequences of a potential government shutdown next week and escalates pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-government-shutdown-schumer-jeffries-meeting-8b1726435066403bf6b9fe4e4fffc029">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>. The two leaders have kept nearly all of their Democratic lawmakers united against a clean funding bill pushed by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans that would keep the federal government operating for seven more weeks, demanding immediate improvements to health care in exchange for their votes.In statements issued shortly after the memo was released, the two Democrats showed no signs of budging.“We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings,” Jeffries wrote in a post on X. “Get lost.”Jeffries called Russ Vought, the head of OMB, a “malignant political hack.”Schumer said in a statement that the OMB memo is an “attempt at intimidation” and predicted the “unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”OMB noted that it held its first planning call with other federal agencies earlier this week to plan for a shutdown. The budget office plays point in managing federal government shutdowns, particularly planning for them ahead of time. Past budget offices have also posted shutdown contingency plans — which would outline which agency workers would stay on the job during a government shutdown and which would be furloughed — on its website, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-resources/guidance/agency-contingency-plans/" target="_blank">this one has not</a>.The memo noted that congressional Democrats are refusing to support a clean government funding bill “due to their partisan demands,” which include an extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus a reversal of Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax and spending cuts law.</a>“As such, it has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” the memo reads, which also notes that the GOP’s signature law, a major tax and border spending package, gives “ample resources to ensure that many core Trump Administration priorities will continue uninterrupted.”OMB noted that it had asked all agencies to submit their plans in case of a government shutdown by Aug. 1.“OMB has received many, but not all, of your submissions,” it added. “Please send us your updated lapse plans ASAP.”

Read the memo: OMB threatens mass firings if government shutdown hits

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

ACCESS General Public Transportation in Hays is still facing a 2026 funding gap after the city of Hays and Ellis County wrapped up their budget processes.

Jerry Michaud, DSNWK executive director, said the gap is about $161,000. Michaud said ACCESS is reaching out to the Kansas Department of Transportation, which has provided some funding, and potentially to legislators to explore funding solutions.

"We need general public transportation in the community. There's no question about that," Michaud said.

Michaud said ACCESS has not experienced federal funding cuts. He said the shortfall stems from limited state support through KDOT, insufficient local contributions, and rising costs for fuel, insurance, maintenance and vehicles.

Michaud said during the COVID-19 pandemic, match rates helped create reserves. However, those reserves are now depleted, resulting in a greater deficit heading into 2026.

Michaud said he also hopes to include the city and county in the conversation in finding long-term solutions for the service that provides transportation to elderly residents and people with disabilities.

Michaud said the city contributed $82,500 and the county $50,000.&nbsp;The service provided about&nbsp;28,000 rides in 2024, with more than 11,000 of those trips related to work.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1c896b49-4c58-4425-a998-474c7c4b6da4">SEE RELATED STORY: ACCESS Public Transportation faces 2026 budget shortfall</a>

Michaid said there are no plans for immediate changes to the service.&nbsp;

You can learn more about ACCESS transportation&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.google.com/mydsnwk.org/access">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625263605210.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostACCESS General Public Transportation in Hays is still facing a 2026 funding gap after the city of Hays and Ellis County wrapped up their budget processes.Jerry Michaud, DSNWK executive director, said the gap is about $161,000. Michaud said ACCESS is reaching out to the Kansas Department of Transportation, which has provided some funding, and potentially to legislators to explore funding solutions."We need general public transportation in the community. There's no question about that," Michaud said.Michaud said ACCESS has not experienced federal funding cuts. He said the shortfall stems from limited state support through KDOT, insufficient local contributions, and rising costs for fuel, insurance, maintenance and vehicles.Michaud said during the COVID-19 pandemic, match rates helped create reserves. However, those reserves are now depleted, resulting in a greater deficit heading into 2026.Michaud said he also hopes to include the city and county in the conversation in finding long-term solutions for the service that provides transportation to elderly residents and people with disabilities.Michaud said the city contributed $82,500 and the county $50,000.&nbsp;The service provided about&nbsp;28,000 rides in 2024, with more than 11,000 of those trips related to work.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1c896b49-4c58-4425-a998-474c7c4b6da4">SEE RELATED STORY: ACCESS Public Transportation faces 2026 budget shortfall</a>Michaid said there are no plans for immediate changes to the service.&nbsp;You can learn more about ACCESS transportation&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.google.com/mydsnwk.org/access">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ACCESS Public Transportation still faces 2026 budget shortfall

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel</a>&nbsp;is back on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-career-e5d12c1f9512266753b52873db0dd62a">ABC late-night show</a>, but it's still a mystery when — or if — viewers in cities such as Washington, Seattle and St. Louis will be able to see him again on their televisions.

ABC stations owned by the Nexstar and Sinclair corporations took Kimmel off the air last week on the same day the network&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">suspended him</a>&nbsp;for comments that angered supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>. Those stations kept him off the air Tuesday, when ABC lifted the suspension. The unusual dispute attracted the attention of U.S. senators, who said they wanted to investigate the relationship between the affiliates and President Donald Trump's administration.

Kimmel returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-d6421f17ebef4735753495b4f4997c8f">with no apologies</a>, but in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-monologue-key-moments-2ad8513693aef095dd4cc998afc0cfaa">emotional monologue</a>&nbsp;where he appeared close to tears, the host said that he was not trying to joke about the assassination. He also paid tribute to Kirk's widow.

And it got a large audience, with ABC reporting nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to the broadcast alone, despite the blackouts in many cities. As is often the case with late-night hosts' monologues, there was a larger audience online, with more than 15 million people watching Kimmel's opening remarks on YouTube by Wednesday evening. ABC says more than 26 million people watched Kimmel's return on social media, including YouTube.

Typically, he gets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television. The numbers released by ABC do not include viewership from streaming services.

A spokesman for Nexstar said Wednesday that Kimmel will continue to be preempted from its stations while the company evaluates his show. Together, the Nexstar and Sinclair groups account for about a quarter of ABC's affiliates, many in smaller cities such as Nashville, Tennessee; Lubbock, Texas; or Topeka, Kansas.

“We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at the (ABC parent) Walt Disney Co., with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” Nexstar said.

Dispute highlights relationship between networks and local stations

The dispute focused attention on the business relationships between television networks and the local stations that carry their programming. In the past, local stations occasionally balked at airing a network show, but it was usually an individual market or two worried about pushing boundaries in language or sexual content, said Ted Harbert, a former top executive at ABC and CBS.

What's different this time is groups that have gobbled up multiple stations acting collectively on content for largely political reasons.

“This is how much the country's political divisions have seeped their way into something that has been, for the last 50 or 75 years, a relatively orderly business,” Harbert said.

Leadership of ownership groups is generally more conservative than the media and entertainment figures on the stations they broadcast, said Ken Basin, author of “The Business of Television.” Both Sinclair, with conservative political content, and Nexstar have reason to curry favor with the Trump administration, he said. Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval for the purchase of a rival, he said.

“I worry that this is not going to be the only dispute of this nature in the years ahead,” Basin said.

It's possible that Disney could play hardball if negotiations on Kimmel's return drag on, such as threatening to withhold other ABC programming — even the “nuclear option” of football games. Its unclear how the affiliate agreements are worded.

But Matt Dolgin, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Service, said he doubts the dispute reaches that point. The station groups have a far less diversified business portfolio than Disney, and the expiration of affiliate agreements next year looms as a deadline, he said. They have few good options if they lose ABC programming.

“From a business perspective, the best course on this issue (for Disney) is to stay above the fray,” Dolgin said. “The dollars associated with this show are very low.”

As they climb, the stunning number of YouTube views of Kimmel's monologue serve to make television broadcasting less important, hurting the negotiating position of the stations.

For the station groups, the biggest goal should be to negotiate their way out of this — while finding a way to save face, he said. Sinclair initially took a strong stance, saying Kimmel would not return to its stations without apologizing to Kirk's widow and donating money to Kirk's political organization. That's not likely to happen.

Kimmel was at risk of losing show entirely

Last week, Kimmel seemed to be in real danger of losing his show entirely until advocates for free speech protested, including many who canceled subscriptions for Disney services.

“The backlash was stronger than they expected, stronger than I expected,” Basin said. “There was a sense of despair within the industry that this was a ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment.”

Four Democratic senators said late Tuesday that they wanted to look into what happened with the station groups.

“If Nexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of a critic of the administration for official acts by the Trump administration, your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech but also risk running afoul of anti-corruption law,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Chris Van Hollen wrote to the companies.

On Wednesday, another group of senators led by California Democrat Adam Schiff said they wanted to question FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about “implicit threats” made to Disney over Kimmel.

In his monologue Tuesday, Kimmel tried to thread the needle between both sides in a raw political moment, and seemed to realize its difficulty.

“I don’t think what I’m going to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”

Within hours, many proved his point. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization that Kirk founded that is now headed by his widow, posted on X that Kimmel’s monologue was “not good enough.”

In another corner of social media, comic Ben Stiller posted that it was a “brilliant monologue.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jimmy-kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel</a>&nbsp;is back on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-career-e5d12c1f9512266753b52873db0dd62a">ABC late-night show</a>, but it's still a mystery when — or if — viewers in cities such as Washington, Seattle and St. Louis will be able to see him again on their televisions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ABC stations owned by the Nexstar and Sinclair corporations took Kimmel off the air last week on the same day the network&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">suspended him</a>&nbsp;for comments that angered supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>. Those stations kept him off the air Tuesday, when ABC lifted the suspension. The unusual dispute attracted the attention of U.S. senators, who said they wanted to investigate the relationship between the affiliates and President Donald Trump's administration.Kimmel returned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-returns-suspension-charlie-kirk-d6421f17ebef4735753495b4f4997c8f">with no apologies</a>, but in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-monologue-key-moments-2ad8513693aef095dd4cc998afc0cfaa">emotional monologue</a>&nbsp;where he appeared close to tears, the host said that he was not trying to joke about the assassination. He also paid tribute to Kirk's widow.And it got a large audience, with ABC reporting nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to the broadcast alone, despite the blackouts in many cities. As is often the case with late-night hosts' monologues, there was a larger audience online, with more than 15 million people watching Kimmel's opening remarks on YouTube by Wednesday evening. ABC says more than 26 million people watched Kimmel's return on social media, including YouTube.Typically, he gets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television. The numbers released by ABC do not include viewership from streaming services.A spokesman for Nexstar said Wednesday that Kimmel will continue to be preempted from its stations while the company evaluates his show. Together, the Nexstar and Sinclair groups account for about a quarter of ABC's affiliates, many in smaller cities such as Nashville, Tennessee; Lubbock, Texas; or Topeka, Kansas.“We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at the (ABC parent) Walt Disney Co., with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” Nexstar said.<h2>Dispute highlights relationship between networks and local stations</h2>The dispute focused attention on the business relationships between television networks and the local stations that carry their programming. In the past, local stations occasionally balked at airing a network show, but it was usually an individual market or two worried about pushing boundaries in language or sexual content, said Ted Harbert, a former top executive at ABC and CBS.What's different this time is groups that have gobbled up multiple stations acting collectively on content for largely political reasons.“This is how much the country's political divisions have seeped their way into something that has been, for the last 50 or 75 years, a relatively orderly business,” Harbert said.Leadership of ownership groups is generally more conservative than the media and entertainment figures on the stations they broadcast, said Ken Basin, author of “The Business of Television.” Both Sinclair, with conservative political content, and Nexstar have reason to curry favor with the Trump administration, he said. Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval for the purchase of a rival, he said.“I worry that this is not going to be the only dispute of this nature in the years ahead,” Basin said.It's possible that Disney could play hardball if negotiations on Kimmel's return drag on, such as threatening to withhold other ABC programming — even the “nuclear option” of football games. Its unclear how the affiliate agreements are worded.But Matt Dolgin, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Service, said he doubts the dispute reaches that point. The station groups have a far less diversified business portfolio than Disney, and the expiration of affiliate agreements next year looms as a deadline, he said. They have few good options if they lose ABC programming.“From a business perspective, the best course on this issue (for Disney) is to stay above the fray,” Dolgin said. “The dollars associated with this show are very low.”As they climb, the stunning number of YouTube views of Kimmel's monologue serve to make television broadcasting less important, hurting the negotiating position of the stations.For the station groups, the biggest goal should be to negotiate their way out of this — while finding a way to save face, he said. Sinclair initially took a strong stance, saying Kimmel would not return to its stations without apologizing to Kirk's widow and donating money to Kirk's political organization. That's not likely to happen.<h2>Kimmel was at risk of losing show entirely</h2>Last week, Kimmel seemed to be in real danger of losing his show entirely until advocates for free speech protested, including many who canceled subscriptions for Disney services.“The backlash was stronger than they expected, stronger than I expected,” Basin said. “There was a sense of despair within the industry that this was a ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment.”Four Democratic senators said late Tuesday that they wanted to look into what happened with the station groups.“If Nexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of a critic of the administration for official acts by the Trump administration, your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech but also risk running afoul of anti-corruption law,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Chris Van Hollen wrote to the companies.On Wednesday, another group of senators led by California Democrat Adam Schiff said they wanted to question FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about “implicit threats” made to Disney over Kimmel.In his monologue Tuesday, Kimmel tried to thread the needle between both sides in a raw political moment, and seemed to realize its difficulty.“I don’t think what I’m going to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”Within hours, many proved his point. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization that Kirk founded that is now headed by his widow, posted on X that Kimmel’s monologue was “not good enough.”In another corner of social media, comic Ben Stiller posted that it was a “brilliant monologue.”___

Kimmel is back on ABC, but many affiliates still refuse to air his show

By LINN ANN HUNTINGTON Special to Hays Post

It’s not unusual for a minister in Ellis County to pastor multiple churches, particularly if some of those are in rural areas. But it&nbsp;is&nbsp;unusual for one minister to pastor churches from two different mainline Protestant denominations.

That is the situation for the Rev. Ben Houchen.

Houchen became the priest at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 2900 Canal Blvd., and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2422 Hyacinth Ave., in 2024. As of Sept. 14, he is now also the part-time pastor at First Presbyterian Church, 2900 Hall St.

First Presbyterian had been without a pastor since its interim part-time pastor, the Rev. Christine Wagner, retired in December 2024. Its nominating committee had already been searching for a new pastor for several months before that. Since Wagner’s retirement, First Presbyterian’s pulpit has been filled by lay persons from Hays, Ellis, and surrounding communities.

Houchen said the First Presbyterian Church leaders reached out to him several months ago about becoming their new pastor.

“At first, I had some reservations about taking on the work of a third church, but after prompting from my bishop and engaging with the wonderful folks on the First Presbyterian Pastoral Nominating Committee, I knew that this would be an amazing opportunity to bring all of these lovely people together to better serve Hays. The traditions and customs of the three groups may have differences. But the hearts of these people are dedicated to a Christ-like love for their community,” Houchen said.

“In every conversation I heard a heart cry to know how to do more. How to create better care, more love, more engagement, and more resources for the people of our city. These churches are coming together to improve and empower the lives of the people in Hays, America, and I just had to be a part of that,” he said.&nbsp;

Gia Scott, chair of First Presbyterian’s Pastor Nominating Committee, said in a news release, “We’re thrilled to welcome Rev. Houchen as our new pastor. His deep commitment to mission, youth, and community-building made him an ideal fit for our church. We believe this shared ministry will enrich both congregations and expand our collective impact in Hays.”

One of the challenges of pastoring three churches, of course, involves logistics. Houchen said the three churches will continue to have separate worship services in their respective buildings. But all of their worship times have changed.

First Presbyterian now meets at 9 a.m. Sundays, St. Michael’s meets at 11 a.m. Sundays, and St. Andrew’s meets at 1 p.m. Sundays.

“Our hope is to be one church with three services,” Houchen said. “That means we want to do ministry together, serve Hays together, create, and support, and empower our community together.

“But we are still maintaining and respecting the varied traditions of each group in their respective places of worship. I have had a good deal of practice with this already as St. Michael’s and St. Andrew’s have very different traditions of their own, even though they are both of the same denomination.”

Houchen said he is not an ordained Presbyterian minister, “and it won’t be a necessity. The Episcopal Church and The Presbyterian USA Church are finalizing work to be ‘in full communion,’ which will allow me to perform all the same rites for both denominations. But I will be attending some trainings to better understand Presbyterian polity and traditions so I can fully lead in the church with knowledge of and respect for their particular observances.”&nbsp;

Houchen earned bachelor degrees in pastoral leadership and biblical studies from Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, Minn., and he has a master’s degree in intergenerational leadership from Denver Seminary.

He served as a pulpit supply pastor in Minnesota for three years, as a youth and family pastor in Colorado for five years, and taught leadership studies classes in China for Fort Hays State University from 2014 to 2021. He began working as the administrator at the two Episcopal churches in Hays in 2022 before becoming the priest at both in 2024.

He and his wife, Nikki, have been married for 21 years and have four children, ages 11 to 20.

Houchen said he has two main goals for his churches’ shared ministry. One of those involves Feeding Hays, a ministry that St. Michael’s began in 2022. Houchen said his wife was the one who originally had the idea of the church providing a free hot meal every week, and someone else had the idea of making it a drive-thru.

Thus, Feeding Hays was born. The church continues to provide a free hot meal from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. each Thursday. There are no income requirements. Normally, the meal is spaghetti and meat sauce, a salad, and dessert.

The ministry that started out serving 20 to 30 people per week is now serving 230 to 250&nbsp; people per week, Houchen said. The meals are free, but some recipients wish to donate money to the church. Feeding Hays donates that money to pay off student lunchroom debt at USD 489 Hays public schools. Houchen said during the 2024-2025 school year, Feeding Hays donated more than $2,500 toward student lunch debt.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recently St. Michael’s received funds from the United Way to hire an administrator for the Feeding Hays program. It is working on creating a board of directors for Feeding Hays so it can become a separate non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Houchen’s first goal is “we want to find a way to increase the amount of food we serve and the number of nights we can serve it. But we also want to move beyond food service and help find ways to get people back on their feet and able to self-sustain.

“Getting them fed well is a huge building block towards that end. But it’s just the beginning of what we’ll be doing here. I can’t wait to see what all comes next.”

While his first goal involves meeting people’s physical needs, Houchen’s second goal involves his flocks’ spiritual needs.

“On a spiritual level, our purpose is to continue to stand out as churches that are here for the people who love their faith, as well as those who are looking for a faith to love,” he said. “Our churches aren’t just for those who believe in God. They are for those who don’t have anything to believe in--the lonely, lost, and homeless. They are a place of refuge. And as they continue to grow, they will first and foremost grow in their love, acceptance, and grace for each other.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758722046993.jpeg" alt="The Rev. Ben Houchen preaches his first sermon as the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church on Sept. 14. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The Rev. Ben Houchen preaches his first sermon as the new pastor at First Presbyterian Church on Sept. 14. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINN ANN HUNTINGTON Special to Hays PostIt’s not unusual for a minister in Ellis County to pastor multiple churches, particularly if some of those are in rural areas. But it&nbsp;is&nbsp;unusual for one minister to pastor churches from two different mainline Protestant denominations.That is the situation for the Rev. Ben Houchen.Houchen became the priest at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 2900 Canal Blvd., and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2422 Hyacinth Ave., in 2024. As of Sept. 14, he is now also the part-time pastor at First Presbyterian Church, 2900 Hall St.First Presbyterian had been without a pastor since its interim part-time pastor, the Rev. Christine Wagner, retired in December 2024. Its nominating committee had already been searching for a new pastor for several months before that. Since Wagner’s retirement, First Presbyterian’s pulpit has been filled by lay persons from Hays, Ellis, and surrounding communities.Houchen said the First Presbyterian Church leaders reached out to him several months ago about becoming their new pastor.“At first, I had some reservations about taking on the work of a third church, but after prompting from my bishop and engaging with the wonderful folks on the First Presbyterian Pastoral Nominating Committee, I knew that this would be an amazing opportunity to bring all of these lovely people together to better serve Hays. The traditions and customs of the three groups may have differences. But the hearts of these people are dedicated to a Christ-like love for their community,” Houchen said.“In every conversation I heard a heart cry to know how to do more. How to create better care, more love, more engagement, and more resources for the people of our city. These churches are coming together to improve and empower the lives of the people in Hays, America, and I just had to be a part of that,” he said.&nbsp;Gia Scott, chair of First Presbyterian’s Pastor Nominating Committee, said in a news release, “We’re thrilled to welcome Rev. Houchen as our new pastor. His deep commitment to mission, youth, and community-building made him an ideal fit for our church. We believe this shared ministry will enrich both congregations and expand our collective impact in Hays.”One of the challenges of pastoring three churches, of course, involves logistics. Houchen said the three churches will continue to have separate worship services in their respective buildings. But all of their worship times have changed.First Presbyterian now meets at 9 a.m. Sundays, St. Michael’s meets at 11 a.m. Sundays, and St. Andrew’s meets at 1 p.m. Sundays.“Our hope is to be one church with three services,” Houchen said. “That means we want to do ministry together, serve Hays together, create, and support, and empower our community together.“But we are still maintaining and respecting the varied traditions of each group in their respective places of worship. I have had a good deal of practice with this already as St. Michael’s and St. Andrew’s have very different traditions of their own, even though they are both of the same denomination.”Houchen said he is not an ordained Presbyterian minister, “and it won’t be a necessity. The Episcopal Church and The Presbyterian USA Church are finalizing work to be ‘in full communion,’ which will allow me to perform all the same rites for both denominations. But I will be attending some trainings to better understand Presbyterian polity and traditions so I can fully lead in the church with knowledge of and respect for their particular observances.”&nbsp;Houchen earned bachelor degrees in pastoral leadership and biblical studies from Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, Minn., and he has a master’s degree in intergenerational leadership from Denver Seminary.He served as a pulpit supply pastor in Minnesota for three years, as a youth and family pastor in Colorado for five years, and taught leadership studies classes in China for Fort Hays State University from 2014 to 2021. He began working as the administrator at the two Episcopal churches in Hays in 2022 before becoming the priest at both in 2024.He and his wife, Nikki, have been married for 21 years and have four children, ages 11 to 20.Houchen said he has two main goals for his churches’ shared ministry. One of those involves Feeding Hays, a ministry that St. Michael’s began in 2022. Houchen said his wife was the one who originally had the idea of the church providing a free hot meal every week, and someone else had the idea of making it a drive-thru.Thus, Feeding Hays was born. The church continues to provide a free hot meal from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. each Thursday. There are no income requirements. Normally, the meal is spaghetti and meat sauce, a salad, and dessert.The ministry that started out serving 20 to 30 people per week is now serving 230 to 250&nbsp; people per week, Houchen said. The meals are free, but some recipients wish to donate money to the church. Feeding Hays donates that money to pay off student lunchroom debt at USD 489 Hays public schools. Houchen said during the 2024-2025 school year, Feeding Hays donated more than $2,500 toward student lunch debt.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recently St. Michael’s received funds from the United Way to hire an administrator for the Feeding Hays program. It is working on creating a board of directors for Feeding Hays so it can become a separate non-profit 501(c)3 organization.Houchen’s first goal is “we want to find a way to increase the amount of food we serve and the number of nights we can serve it. But we also want to move beyond food service and help find ways to get people back on their feet and able to self-sustain.“Getting them fed well is a huge building block towards that end. But it’s just the beginning of what we’ll be doing here. I can’t wait to see what all comes next.”While his first goal involves meeting people’s physical needs, Houchen’s second goal involves his flocks’ spiritual needs.“On a spiritual level, our purpose is to continue to stand out as churches that are here for the people who love their faith, as well as those who are looking for a faith to love,” he said. “Our churches aren’t just for those who believe in God. They are for those who don’t have anything to believe in--the lonely, lost, and homeless. They are a place of refuge. And as they continue to grow, they will first and foremost grow in their love, acceptance, and grace for each other.”&nbsp;

1 pastor, 3 churches, 2 different denominations

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">former FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Officials are hoping to file the case in the Eastern District of Virginia days after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">appealed to his attorney general to charge Comey</a>&nbsp;and other perceived political adversaries, and following Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">replacement last week of the office’s top prosecutor</a>&nbsp;with a White House aide who had served as one of his personal lawyers.

Prosecutors have been evaluating whether Comey lied to lawmakers during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony related to the investigation into ties&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign</a>. The five-year statute of limitations for bringing a case would be next Tuesday, but the Justice Department is expected to seek an indictment before a grand jury before then, said the two people, who were not authorized to discuss an investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

The push to move forward comes even as prosecutors detailed in a memo concerns about proceeding with seeking an indictment, one of the people said.

Comey’s lawyer declined to comment Wednesday and said he had not heard any updates from the Justice Department.

If prosecutors are successful in obtaining an indictment, Comey would become the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of the president’s chief grievances — the long-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigation into Russia’s election interference</a>&nbsp;that Trump and his supporters have long derided as a “hoax” and “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow meddled on his campaign’s behalf in 2016.

Any criminal case would almost certainly deepen concerns that the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Pam Bondi</a>, a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized as it pursues investigations of public figures the president regards as his adversaries.

Comey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">who was fired as FBI director by Trump</a>&nbsp;months into his first administration, has long been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution. Comey was singled out by name in a social media post Saturday night in which Trump complained directly to Bondi that she had not yet brought charges against him,

The White House has moved in recent months to exert control in unprecedented ways over a Justice Department that has historically enjoyed independence in prosecutorial decision-making. The office investigating Comey was thrown into turmoil last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">following the resignation</a>&nbsp;of its U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, amid Trump administration pressure to bring charges against another of the president’s foes, New York Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigation-letitia-james-07452728c0bf2677ca095b7cf14db2c6">in a mortgage fraud investigation</a>.

Trump replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who earlier represented Trump in the investigation into his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida but who lacks the federal criminal experience that historically accompanies the job of running one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices.

A grand jury would have to approve any indictment, and though that’s generally a low bar in the criminal justice system, the Trump Justice Department has encountered repeated setbacks in recent months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Trump%E2%80%99s%20law%20enforcement%20intervention%20in%20Washington,%20D.C." target="_blank">particularly in pursuing charges</a>&nbsp;related to Trump’s law enforcement intervention in Washington, D.C.

It was not clear what statements to Congress prosecutors might be zeroing in on, and the strength of any case prosecutors might seek to bring is also unclear.

The government’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation is among the most studied chapters of modern American history, with multiple reviews and reports dedicated to it, and yet prosecutors have not pursued cases against senior FBI officials.

Prosecutors in the first Trump Justice Department declined to prosecute Comey following an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee2870cb0c9148e08161d851b26092e9">inspector general review</a>&nbsp;into his handling of memos documenting his conversations with Trump in the weeks before he was fired. He also was not charged by a special counsel, John Durham, who scrutinized the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation and was conducting his inquiry at the time Comey gave his testimony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758754380508.png" alt="File James Comey image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File James Comey image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">former FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter.Officials are hoping to file the case in the Eastern District of Virginia days after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-retribution-bondi-investigations-97207519e02dea460d6c68cc8b585c33">appealed to his attorney general to charge Comey</a>&nbsp;and other perceived political adversaries, and following Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">replacement last week of the office’s top prosecutor</a>&nbsp;with a White House aide who had served as one of his personal lawyers.Prosecutors have been evaluating whether Comey lied to lawmakers during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony related to the investigation into ties&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign</a>. The five-year statute of limitations for bringing a case would be next Tuesday, but the Justice Department is expected to seek an indictment before a grand jury before then, said the two people, who were not authorized to discuss an investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.The push to move forward comes even as prosecutors detailed in a memo concerns about proceeding with seeking an indictment, one of the people said.Comey’s lawyer declined to comment Wednesday and said he had not heard any updates from the Justice Department.If prosecutors are successful in obtaining an indictment, Comey would become the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of the president’s chief grievances — the long-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">investigation into Russia’s election interference</a>&nbsp;that Trump and his supporters have long derided as a “hoax” and “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow meddled on his campaign’s behalf in 2016.Any criminal case would almost certainly deepen concerns that the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pam-bondi">Pam Bondi</a>, a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized as it pursues investigations of public figures the president regards as his adversaries.Comey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">who was fired as FBI director by Trump</a>&nbsp;months into his first administration, has long been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution. Comey was singled out by name in a social media post Saturday night in which Trump complained directly to Bondi that she had not yet brought charges against him,The White House has moved in recent months to exert control in unprecedented ways over a Justice Department that has historically enjoyed independence in prosecutorial decision-making. The office investigating Comey was thrown into turmoil last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">following the resignation</a>&nbsp;of its U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, amid Trump administration pressure to bring charges against another of the president’s foes, New York Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigation-letitia-james-07452728c0bf2677ca095b7cf14db2c6">in a mortgage fraud investigation</a>.Trump replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who earlier represented Trump in the investigation into his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida but who lacks the federal criminal experience that historically accompanies the job of running one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices.A grand jury would have to approve any indictment, and though that’s generally a low bar in the criminal justice system, the Trump Justice Department has encountered repeated setbacks in recent months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Trump%E2%80%99s%20law%20enforcement%20intervention%20in%20Washington,%20D.C." target="_blank">particularly in pursuing charges</a>&nbsp;related to Trump’s law enforcement intervention in Washington, D.C.It was not clear what statements to Congress prosecutors might be zeroing in on, and the strength of any case prosecutors might seek to bring is also unclear.The government’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation is among the most studied chapters of modern American history, with multiple reviews and reports dedicated to it, and yet prosecutors have not pursued cases against senior FBI officials.Prosecutors in the first Trump Justice Department declined to prosecute Comey following an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee2870cb0c9148e08161d851b26092e9">inspector general review</a>&nbsp;into his handling of memos documenting his conversations with Trump in the weeks before he was fired. He also was not charged by a special counsel, John Durham, who scrutinized the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation and was conducting his inquiry at the time Comey gave his testimony.___

Former FBI Director James Comey faces possible indictment

HAYS, Kan. — Fort Hays State (5-0-2, 1-0-0 GAC) secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Northeastern State (3-2-2, 0-1-0 GAC) on Wednesday at FHSU Soccer Stadium. The No. 17 ranked Tigers took control early, netting three first-half goals and added two more in the second half to lead 5-0. The RiverHawks managed to score once in the second half, but could not close the gap.

Fort Hays State broke through for its first goal in the 29th minute when Agustin Ayala had a stick back on a ball headed off the post by Bastian Carlman. Joseph Street also assisted off his long throw into the box. Three minutes later Tadhg Walsh struck for a goal off passes from Carlman and Street. Carlman added a goal of his own in the 42nd minute, assisted by Dalton Cates. The Tigers maintained control by limiting Northeastern State to just two shots.

The Tigers extended their lead early in the second half with a goal by Federico Heinrich in the 47th minute, assisted by Mario Leal Vales and Dylan Ashford. Carlman added his second goal for the match in the 54th minute, assisted by Heinrich and Lucas Garay, pushing Fort Hays State to a 5-0 advantage.

Carter Adams of NSU provided the only counter goal in response for NSU in the 62nd minute after the Tigers had pulled starting goalkeeper Payton Roehrich for Simon Niksch. Roehrich did not have to make any saves while he was in net for nearly 62 minutes, while Niksch made one.

Fort Hays State outshot Northeastern State 18-11 for the match as both teams had nine shots in the second half after FHSU led the shot count 9-2 in the first. Only two of NSU's shots in the match were on target.

The Tigers will rest the remainder of the week and prepare for a challenging road trip to Rogers State and Southern Nazarene next week (Oct. 2 &amp; 4). Rogers State is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758794833349.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. — Fort Hays State (5-0-2, 1-0-0 GAC) secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Northeastern State (3-2-2, 0-1-0 GAC) on Wednesday at FHSU Soccer Stadium. The No. 17 ranked Tigers took control early, netting three first-half goals and added two more in the second half to lead 5-0. The RiverHawks managed to score once in the second half, but could not close the gap.Fort Hays State broke through for its first goal in the 29th minute when Agustin Ayala had a stick back on a ball headed off the post by Bastian Carlman. Joseph Street also assisted off his long throw into the box. Three minutes later Tadhg Walsh struck for a goal off passes from Carlman and Street. Carlman added a goal of his own in the 42nd minute, assisted by Dalton Cates. The Tigers maintained control by limiting Northeastern State to just two shots.The Tigers extended their lead early in the second half with a goal by Federico Heinrich in the 47th minute, assisted by Mario Leal Vales and Dylan Ashford. Carlman added his second goal for the match in the 54th minute, assisted by Heinrich and Lucas Garay, pushing Fort Hays State to a 5-0 advantage.Carter Adams of NSU provided the only counter goal in response for NSU in the 62nd minute after the Tigers had pulled starting goalkeeper Payton Roehrich for Simon Niksch. Roehrich did not have to make any saves while he was in net for nearly 62 minutes, while Niksch made one.Fort Hays State outshot Northeastern State 18-11 for the match as both teams had nine shots in the second half after FHSU led the shot count 9-2 in the first. Only two of NSU's shots in the match were on target.The Tigers will rest the remainder of the week and prepare for a challenging road trip to Rogers State and Southern Nazarene next week (Oct. 2 &amp; 4). Rogers State is currently ranked No. 11 in the nation.

⚽ No. 17 Tigers open GAC play with commanding win

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one.

Instead of a headshot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the Democrat’s name — a reference to Trump’s frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term in office and not really the one making decisions.

The snub amounts to the latest attempt by Trump to delegitimize a predecessor he routinely belittles, including in front of more than 100 world leaders on Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering. Trump has never acknowledged his own defeat to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-prosecutor-2020-biden-election-194b3d49f49b0345f77873fc34b4dcc5">Biden in the 2020 election</a>, instead falsely chalking up the outcome to voter fraud.

Trump had previously signaled he would represent Biden with an autopen on the Presidential Walk of Fame. Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-autopen-investigation-pardons-9095684acf3c31189f03295a9e9de7e1">alleged</a>&nbsp;without evidence that Biden administration officials might have forged their boss’s signature by using the autopen and taken broad actions he wasn’t aware of.

He’s also cast doubt on the validity of pardons and other documents that Biden signed with an autopen, even though other presidents before him have also relied on the device to sign key papers. A key Republican-led House committee also is investigating the Biden administration’s autopen use.

White House staff sent out a burst of social media posts Wednesday afternoon gleefully promoting the finished project. The media may get its first in-person glimpse of the Walk of Fame when Trump hosts a dinner Wednesday night on the new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Rose Garden patio</a>&nbsp;that sits adjacent to the West Wing Collonad on which the portraits hang.

The addition of the Walk of Fame is the latest in a series of design changes he’s made at the White House since resuming office. He’s also added gold flourishes to the Oval Office walls, installed massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-flagpoles-a0928efcdcb6d1362a0e1827e96d0344">new flagpoles</a>&nbsp;on both lawns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/trump-rose-garden-paved-over-photo-gallery-732b9521b69c10c12ce448f12e27401c">replaced the grass in the Rose Garden</a>&nbsp;with patio stone and started construction on a massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">new ballroom</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758735968499.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/MSERUFrlyH">https://t.co/MSERUFrlyH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970899696227942480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 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://t.co/jE2Vm7UdjL">https://t.co/jE2Vm7UdjL</a> <a href="https://t.co/CJ3yQBtPGQ">pic.twitter.com/CJ3yQBtPGQ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970902690474647786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Instead of a headshot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the Democrat’s name — a reference to Trump’s frequent allegation that the former president was addled by the end of his term in office and not really the one making decisions.The snub amounts to the latest attempt by Trump to delegitimize a predecessor he routinely belittles, including in front of more than 100 world leaders on Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering. Trump has never acknowledged his own defeat to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-prosecutor-2020-biden-election-194b3d49f49b0345f77873fc34b4dcc5">Biden in the 2020 election</a>, instead falsely chalking up the outcome to voter fraud.Trump had previously signaled he would represent Biden with an autopen on the Presidential Walk of Fame. Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-autopen-investigation-pardons-9095684acf3c31189f03295a9e9de7e1">alleged</a>&nbsp;without evidence that Biden administration officials might have forged their boss’s signature by using the autopen and taken broad actions he wasn’t aware of.He’s also cast doubt on the validity of pardons and other documents that Biden signed with an autopen, even though other presidents before him have also relied on the device to sign key papers. A key Republican-led House committee also is investigating the Biden administration’s autopen use.White House staff sent out a burst of social media posts Wednesday afternoon gleefully promoting the finished project. The media may get its first in-person glimpse of the Walk of Fame when Trump hosts a dinner Wednesday night on the new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-rose-garden-club-e862eba55133195f0297c3595ba4122f">Rose Garden patio</a>&nbsp;that sits adjacent to the West Wing Collonad on which the portraits hang.The addition of the Walk of Fame is the latest in a series of design changes he’s made at the White House since resuming office. He’s also added gold flourishes to the Oval Office walls, installed massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-flagpoles-a0928efcdcb6d1362a0e1827e96d0344">new flagpoles</a>&nbsp;on both lawns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/trump-rose-garden-paved-over-photo-gallery-732b9521b69c10c12ce448f12e27401c">replaced the grass in the Rose Garden</a>&nbsp;with patio stone and started construction on a massive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-trump-ballroom-ea5c645a45e8f8846ebc98d5b2976678">new ballroom</a>.

🎥Trump snubs Biden on new Presidential Walk of Fame

DALLAS (AP) —A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing two detainees and wounding another before taking his own life, authorities said.

The exact motivation of the attack was not immediately known. The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging. The head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.“

The shooter fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a release.

The detainee who survived was in critical condition at a hospital, DHS said.

FBI on scene at Texas home linked to suspect

FBI agents can be seen at a house in suburban Dallas that public records link to suspected gunman Joshua Jahn.

The home sits on a tree-lined cul-de-sac in a neighborhood dotted with one and two-story brick homes. The street was blocked by a Fairview police vehicle, but officials wearing FBI jackets could be seen in the front yard.

Vance on ICE facility shooting: ‘Just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed’

During his remarks in North Carolina, Vance lamented the loss of life in the shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas.

The suspect has been identified by a law enforcement official as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

Authorities have not provided details on a specific motive. Vance referred to the shooting as “politically motivated,” saying there was additional information that investigators had collected that was not yet made public.

FBI Director Kash Patel released a photo on social media that shows a bullet found at the scene with the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.

Speaking about the attack’s victims, Vance said, “It looks like some of the detainees, in other words, some of the potential illegal aliens were some of those who are affected.”

“Look,” he added, “Just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.”

Law enforcement official identifies suspect in shooting at immigration facility

A law enforcement official identified the suspect as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

The official could not publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Texas Gov. Abbott says shooting won’t deter immigration enforcement

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement calling the shooting “horrific” and “cowardly” and said that Texas will provide any resources needed to investigate.

Abbott, a Republican who has aggressively ramped up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protests-texas-national-guard-4f8ffc07788515c0d0e7ae40c7980565">border security efforts</a>&nbsp;over his decade as governor, said Texas will continue to work with federal officials to detain and deport anyone in the country illegally.

“We will not let this cowardly attack impede our efforts to secure the border, enforce immigration law, and ensure law and order,” Abbott said.

Federal officials are releasing images from shooting scene

Federal officials have been releasing images from the scene of the attack on the Dallas ICE facility. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X a photo of&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1970877754221498599">unspent shell casings</a>&nbsp;marked with the phrase “ANTI ICE.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson And Tricia McLaughlin posted photos&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1970897372054982778">showing bullet holes</a>&nbsp;in a window and a glass case holding an American flag.

Body taken away as officers check building near ICE facility

Hours after the shooting, law enforcement officials including the FBI could be seen on top of a law office building near the ICE facility.

A white van from the medical examiner’s office arrived. A crew could be seen loading in a body that was in a black bag before driving away

DALLAS (AP) — A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding others before taking his own life, authorities said.

The exact motivation of the attack was not immediately known. The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging. The head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux told reporters that officers responded to a report of four people shot, with two dead. Authorities initially said three people, including the shooter, had been shot.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that no ICE agents were injured.

“We believe he was shooting at law enforcement and detainees from an apartment building,” McLaughlin said. “Detainees were among the victims of the shooting.”

The FBI said during the news conference that it was investigating the shooting as “an act of targeted violence.”

The attack is the latest public, targeted killing in the U.S. and comes two weeks after conservative leader Charlie Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">was killed</a>&nbsp;by a rifle-wielding shooter on a roof.

Officers responded to a call to assist an officer on North Stemmons Freeway around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday and determined that someone opened fire at a government building from an adjacent building, Dallas police spokesperson Officer Jonathen E. Maner said in an email.

The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department was also dispatched after a call reporting a shooting at or near the immigration office, department spokesperson Jason L. Evans said in an email.

Parkland Hospital received two patients from the shooting, hospital spokesperson April Foran said by telephone. She did not have any details about their conditions.

A third person died at the scene after the shooting, Maner said.

Dozens of emergency vehicles were seen along a highway near the facility.

The ICE facility is along Interstate 35 East, just southwest of Dallas Love Field, a large commercial airport serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and just blocks from hotels catering to airport travelers.

Traffic cameras near the scene showed six lanes of a normally busy freeway empty, with cars and semitrailers ground to a halt on an interstate exit.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said details were still emerging, but the agency was confirming there were “multiple injuries and fatalities” at the field office. Noem said the motive remained unclear, but noted there has been an uptick in targeting of ICE agents.

ICE and Homeland Security didn’t immediately provide additional details.

A July 4 attack at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-detention-center-shooting-officer-ambush-f3782b689659270b10bd9b33bb48169b">Texas immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;injured a police officer, who was shot in the neck. Attackers dressed in black military-style clothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, federal prosecutors said. At least 11 people have been charged in connection with the attack.

A man with an assault rifle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcallen-texas-border-patrol-shooting-8241ec60d26e54d7582a7e77f6ece01e">fired dozens of rounds</a>&nbsp;at federal agents as they were leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen on July 7. The man, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, injured a police officer who responded to the scene before authorities shot and killed him. Police later found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks inside his car.

Associated Press reporters Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, and Jeff Martin, in Atlanta, contributed to this story.

DALLAS (AP) —A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing two detainees and wounding another before taking his own life, authorities said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning just before 7am local time, an individual fired multiple rounds at a Dallas, Texas ICE facility, killing one, wounding several others, before taking his own life. FBI, DHS, ATF are on the ground with Dallas PD and state authorities. While the investigation is… <a href="https://t.co/SMOyxiKLqA">pic.twitter.com/SMOyxiKLqA</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1970877754221498599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The exact motivation of the attack was not immediately known. The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging. The head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.“The shooter fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a release.The detainee who survived was in critical condition at a hospital, DHS said.Here's the latest:<h2>FBI on scene at Texas home linked to suspect</h2>FBI agents can be seen at a house in suburban Dallas that public records link to suspected gunman Joshua Jahn.The home sits on a tree-lined cul-de-sac in a neighborhood dotted with one and two-story brick homes. The street was blocked by a Fairview police vehicle, but officials wearing FBI jackets could be seen in the front yard.<h2>Vance on ICE facility shooting: ‘Just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed’</h2>During his remarks in North Carolina, Vance lamented the loss of life in the shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas.The suspect has been identified by a law enforcement official as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.Authorities have not provided details on a specific motive. Vance referred to the shooting as “politically motivated,” saying there was additional information that investigators had collected that was not yet made public.FBI Director Kash Patel released a photo on social media that shows a bullet found at the scene with the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.Speaking about the attack’s victims, Vance said, “It looks like some of the detainees, in other words, some of the potential illegal aliens were some of those who are affected.”“Look,” he added, “Just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.”<h2>Law enforcement official identifies suspect in shooting at immigration facility</h2>A law enforcement official identified the suspect as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.The official could not publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.<h2>Texas Gov. Abbott says shooting won’t deter immigration enforcement</h2>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement calling the shooting “horrific” and “cowardly” and said that Texas will provide any resources needed to investigate.Abbott, a Republican who has aggressively ramped up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protests-texas-national-guard-4f8ffc07788515c0d0e7ae40c7980565">border security efforts</a>&nbsp;over his decade as governor, said Texas will continue to work with federal officials to detain and deport anyone in the country illegally.“We will not let this cowardly attack impede our efforts to secure the border, enforce immigration law, and ensure law and order,” Abbott said.<h2>Federal officials are releasing images from shooting scene</h2>Federal officials have been releasing images from the scene of the attack on the Dallas ICE facility. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X a photo of&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1970877754221498599">unspent shell casings</a>&nbsp;marked with the phrase “ANTI ICE.”Department of Homeland Security spokesperson And Tricia McLaughlin posted photos&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1970897372054982778">showing bullet holes</a>&nbsp;in a window and a glass case holding an American flag.<h2>Body taken away as officers check building near ICE facility</h2>Hours after the shooting, law enforcement officials including the FBI could be seen on top of a law office building near the ICE facility.A white van from the medical examiner’s office arrived. A crew could be seen loading in a body that was in a black bag before driving away-----------DALLAS (AP) —A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing two detainees and wounding another before taking his own life, authorities said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning just before 7am local time, an individual fired multiple rounds at a Dallas, Texas ICE facility, killing one, wounding several others, before taking his own life. FBI, DHS, ATF are on the ground with Dallas PD and state authorities. While the investigation is… <a href="https://t.co/SMOyxiKLqA">pic.twitter.com/SMOyxiKLqA</a>&mdash; FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1970877754221498599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The exact motivation of the attack was not immediately known. The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging. The head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.“The shooter fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a release.The detainee who survived was in critical condition at a hospital, DHS said.--------------------DALLAS (AP) — A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding others before taking his own life, authorities said.The exact motivation of the attack was not immediately known. The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging. The head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what appears to be marker.Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux told reporters that officers responded to a report of four people shot, with two dead. Authorities initially said three people, including the shooter, had been shot.Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that no ICE agents were injured.“We believe he was shooting at law enforcement and detainees from an apartment building,” McLaughlin said. “Detainees were among the victims of the shooting.”The FBI said during the news conference that it was investigating the shooting as “an act of targeted violence.”The attack is the latest public, targeted killing in the U.S. and comes two weeks after conservative leader Charlie Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">was killed</a>&nbsp;by a rifle-wielding shooter on a roof.Officers responded to a call to assist an officer on North Stemmons Freeway around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday and determined that someone opened fire at a government building from an adjacent building, Dallas police spokesperson Officer Jonathen E. Maner said in an email.The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department was also dispatched after a call reporting a shooting at or near the immigration office, department spokesperson Jason L. Evans said in an email.Parkland Hospital received two patients from the shooting, hospital spokesperson April Foran said by telephone. She did not have any details about their conditions.A third person died at the scene after the shooting, Maner said.Dozens of emergency vehicles were seen along a highway near the facility.The ICE facility is along Interstate 35 East, just southwest of Dallas Love Field, a large commercial airport serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and just blocks from hotels catering to airport travelers.Traffic cameras near the scene showed six lanes of a normally busy freeway empty, with cars and semitrailers ground to a halt on an interstate exit.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said details were still emerging, but the agency was confirming there were “multiple injuries and fatalities” at the field office. Noem said the motive remained unclear, but noted there has been an uptick in targeting of ICE agents.ICE and Homeland Security didn’t immediately provide additional details.A July 4 attack at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-detention-center-shooting-officer-ambush-f3782b689659270b10bd9b33bb48169b">Texas immigration detention center</a>&nbsp;injured a police officer, who was shot in the neck. Attackers dressed in black military-style clothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, federal prosecutors said. At least 11 people have been charged in connection with the attack.A man with an assault rifle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcallen-texas-border-patrol-shooting-8241ec60d26e54d7582a7e77f6ece01e">fired dozens of rounds</a>&nbsp;at federal agents as they were leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen on July 7. The man, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, injured a police officer who responded to the scene before authorities shot and killed him. Police later found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks inside his car.___Associated Press reporters Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, and Jeff Martin, in Atlanta, contributed to this story.

Suspect in deadly ICE shooting was 29-year-old man

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

A Wellington man was arrested Sept. 14 on multiple charges, including alleged underage drinking at Chuck's, 507 W. Seventh St.

Hays Police Lt. Brandon Hauptman said officers responded to a disturbance at the bar shortly after midnight, after staff allegedly caught 18-year-old Carter Gene Burnett of Wellington drinking underage.

Hauptman said Burnett allegedly resisted when staff tried to remove him, resulting in a scuffle. Staff eventually escorted him out of the bar and then called the police.

Burnett was arrested on requested charges of simple battery, underage possession of alcohol and underage possession of tobacco. Hauptman said Burnett sustained minor injuries. No injuries were reported among bar staff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716320706146.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostA Wellington man was arrested Sept. 14 on multiple charges, including alleged underage drinking at Chuck's, 507 W. Seventh St. Hays Police Lt. Brandon Hauptman said officers responded to a disturbance at the bar shortly after midnight, after staff allegedly caught 18-year-old Carter Gene Burnett of Wellington drinking underage.Hauptman said Burnett allegedly resisted when staff tried to remove him, resulting in a scuffle. Staff eventually escorted him out of the bar and then called the police.Burnett was arrested on requested charges of simple battery, underage possession of alcohol and underage possession of tobacco. Hauptman said Burnett sustained minor injuries. No injuries were reported among bar staff.

Wellington man arrested in Hays bar for alleged battery

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758745585926.png" alt="Snapchat logo" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat logo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, accusing the app’s creators of harming teenagers.He said the company designed the social media platform “with manipulative features that prey on the mental health of our children.” He said Snapchat has been marketed as safe for teens.“We allege it is not,” Kobach said.He added:&nbsp;“They have prioritized profit over safety, and our lawsuit holds them accountable for the devastating harm caused to Kansas families.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24644&amp;t=638942182987324433" target="_blank">40-page lawsuit</a>, filed in Washington County on Kansas’ northern border, contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app to build its case.It alleges Snap violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Those violations are based on the app’s age rating in app stores, around 12 years old and up, and app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references.“In reality, content in all of those categories appears frequently and is intense on Snapchat,” the lawsuit reads.The lawsuit references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee, who died in 2021of fentanyl poisoning after reportedly purchasing from a drug dealer on Snapchat.“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale,” the lawsuit said. “Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”That was the only mention of Washington County residents, of whom there are around 5,500, in the lawsuit.&nbsp;A Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of users is a top priority. The company didn’t directly address the lawsuit but said it has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception.“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us,” the statement said. “This is why we continually adapt our strategies to fight against bad actors, who change their tactics to exploit online platforms for their nefarious ends, and this will remain a crucial part of our efforts to help keep Snapchatters safe.”For the past three years, the company has commissioned research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries, including the United States, on online platforms.The 2024 surveys asked more than 9,000 people — around 3,000 teens, 3,000 young adults ages 18-24 and 3,000 parents of teenage children — about online risks, digital wellbeing, defense against online threats and sextortion.The survey found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024. Misinformation, hate speech and bullying, sexual risks, threats of violence, impersonation, extremist content and self-harm were all perceived as more prevalent than in previous years.Of the Gen Z teens and young adults surveyed, 80% reported experiencing some online risk, a two percentage point increase from 2023. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents said they had some interaction with intimate or sexual imagery.Of those, 39% received such imagery, 35% were asked for imagery of themselves and 17% shared or distributed content depicting someone else.Joseph Sciarrotta, the attorney general’s chief deputy who was hired last month, said the office investigated Snap, finding its features “are intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.”“From Snapstreaks that create immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points, the platform is a digital trap for children,” Sciarrotta said. “This action alleges that the company made deceptive and misleading claims about safety and parental controls that have contributed to an unacceptable mental health crisis among our youth.”The lawsuit asks for a judge to find Snap in violation of state law, prohibit the company from continuing the violations and force Snap to pay fines, fees and court costs. The attorney general’s office enlisted Washington, D.C.-based firm Cooper and Kirk to help argue its case.

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

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Bison sculptures and cornhole games are on Thursday's agenda for the Hays City Commission.

The Ellis County members of the Heartland Community Foundation Youth Action Council are asking for permission to place up to 25 life-size fiberglass bison statues on public spaces in Hays.

The high school students have raised almost all the $125,000 needed for the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/07bdd861-fa34-4686-8c39-2587327f3009">public art project</a>, which will depict the history and heritage of Ellis County in Hays, Ellis and Victoria.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584721067731.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostBison sculptures and cornhole games are on Thursday's agenda for the Hays City Commission.The Ellis County members of the Heartland Community Foundation Youth Action Council are asking for permission to place up to 25 life-size fiberglass bison statues on public spaces in Hays.The high school students have raised almost all the $125,000 needed for the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/07bdd861-fa34-4686-8c39-2587327f3009">public art project</a>, which will depict the history and heritage of Ellis County in Hays, Ellis and Victoria.&nbsp;Also to be voted on is a request from Arc of Central Plains for permission to proceed with <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/07bdd861-fa34-4686-8c39-2587327f3009">Phase 3 of the ARC Park</a>, 3300 Hillcrest.&nbsp;The improvements would include two new shelter houses, a second gazebo-type picnic pavilion and nearby flower garden, along with two permanent cornhole courts with 10 total lanes and shaded dugouts.Arc of Central Plains has raised the money for Phase 3, estimated to cost less than $500,000.The complete Sept. 25 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09252025-1571">here</a>. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;