WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly knife attack as 23-year-old Christopher Cook of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from police.

Just after 7p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a residence in the 6500 Block of Kansas Avenue after a report of a stabbing. 

First responders located Cook in the home suffering from apparent stab wounds.  He was pronounced deceased on scene. 

&nbsp;This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.

<p>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly knife attack as 23-year-old Christopher Cook of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from police.</p><p>Just after 7p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a residence in the 6500 Block of Kansas Avenue after a report of a stabbing. </p><p>First responders located Cook in the home suffering from apparent stab wounds.  He was pronounced deceased on scene. </p><p>&nbsp;This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.</p>

Police ID victim in deadly knife attack at Kansas home

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress began searching for compromise on a short-term government funding bill Wednesday, with just a few weeks left to broker a deal before a possible shutdown.

Fresh off their August recess, congressional leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee appealed for bipartisanship from the other side while admitting they are far from a final agreement.&nbsp;

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say during a press conference whether he will negotiate a stopgap spending bill with Democrats, or use the go-at-it-alone approach that succeeded in March.&nbsp;

“Republicans are committed to keeping the government open, and unfortunately, it seems like not all Democrats agree with that, and they’re beginning to apply the government shutdown pressure,” Johnson said. “But I want you to remember one thing: All but one House Democrat voted to shut down the government in March, and we expect, sadly, that that may happen again.”

Johnson said he was open to negotiations with Democratic leaders as long as they “are willing to work with us and think responsibly about how we can spend less than we did last year.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during an afternoon press conference that Democrats want GOP leaders to negotiate the stopgap spending bill across party lines.&nbsp;

“The bottom line is very simple: We Democrats want a bipartisan bill and we are pushing the Republicans very hard to do it,” Schumer said. “We’re on our front foot. We’re unified.”&nbsp;

Schumer, who took considerable flak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">for helping Republicans limit debate</a>&nbsp;on a partisan stopgap bill in March, said “it’s much different than last time.”&nbsp;

Pressed by several reporters about what Democrats would help move through the Senate this time around, Schumer said: “We are willing to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan proposal with significant Democratic input. So far, they are not.”

The House and Senate are supposed to complete work on the dozen annual government funding bills by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 but that hasn’t happened for decades, so lawmakers rely on a stopgap spending bill to keep federal departments and agencies running on autopilot for a couple months.&nbsp;

That measure, sometimes called a continuing resolution, is intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to complete bipartisan House-Senate negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills, though Congress used three CRs to fund the government this fiscal year instead of getting its work done.&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects lawmakers will need to approve a stopgap spending bill “for some time into the foreseeable future,” but that discussions are ongoing about how long it will last and what else might be added.&nbsp;

“My hope would be that whatever that CR looks like, that it is clean and that it enables us to buy some time to get a regular appropriations process done,” Thune said. “I still think the best way to fund the government is through the appropriations process.”

President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office earlier in the day that he expects Republicans will vote for a stopgap spending bill but he didn’t address how it would get through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which requires bipartisanship.&nbsp;

“I think the Republicans will vote for an extension,” Trump said. “We won’t have any Democrat votes.”&nbsp;

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he hopes to negotiate final versions of three full-year bills with the Senate before the end of the month.

Lawmakers would then use a stopgap spending bill to keep the departments and agencies covered in the other nine bills flat funded for a couple of months until the two chambers can reach final agreement on the spending levels and policy within those measures.&nbsp;

“We’re talking about relatively modest bills and bills where there is either broad agreement, like MilCon-VA, or LegBranch and Ag,” Cole said. “We’re not talking about major bills. You can’t really do that until you have a topline and we don’t have a topline.”

The Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills are generally easier to negotiate than some of the other full-year measures, like Defense, Homeland Security and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education.&nbsp;

Cole said when House and Senate leaders begin negotiating a total spending level for all of the bills, or topline, is “above my paygrade.”

“I’m ready to do it at any time if they want to empower us, otherwise the leadership on both sides and the president have to” figure that out, Cole said.

The House and Senate are supposed to start off the annual government funding process in the spring by reaching bipartisan agreement on how much in total spending to spread throughout the dozen appropriations bills.&nbsp;

Those talks haven’t even started for fiscal 2026, which is slated to begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;

Instead, the House and Senate Appropriations committees have separately decided how much to spend and written vastly different versions of the bills.&nbsp;

The 12 bills that have been released by the GOP-led House committee are partisan, while the eight bills released by the Senate panel have received broad bipartisan support in committee.&nbsp;

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’s spoken with Cole a couple of times about the three-bills-plus-stopgap strategy and supports the concept.&nbsp;

“I have and I agree with that approach,” Collins said.

Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said any stopgap bill “needs to be a real bipartisan compromise.”

“For the last few months we have shown a bipartisan way forward on the Appropriations Committee,” Murray said. “Democrats have shown that we are willing to work in good faith to write bipartisan funding bills that protect investments in education, life-saving research and a lot more.&nbsp;

“We’ve already passed eight out of the committee and three on the floor: MilCon-VA, Ag and LegBranch. As part of a bipartisan short-term CR, I support conferencing those three bills and passing them with the short-term CR for the remaining nine bills.”

House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro said “the best case scenario for us is to move forward.”&nbsp;

“No gimmicks, no riders, let’s clear the decks,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “Talk about how we get Republican priorities, Democratic priorities.”&nbsp;

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “there’s a chance” to wrap up negotiations between the two chambers on final versions of some of the full-year government spending bills before the end of the month.&nbsp;

“It might not be all 12, but a few of them for sure,” Scalise said. “So let’s give the appropriators that opportunity to keep negotiating. They’ve already been having negotiations for weeks now — Tom Cole and a lot of his counterparts. I have faith they can hopefully get a lot of things done.”

Scalise, R-La., said he plans to reserve floor time later this month to&nbsp; ensure whatever spending bill gets written is “the top priority.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt, chairman of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he thinks most people agree there’s going to be some sort of stopgap given all 12 of the annual bills aren’t close to becoming law.

The Alabama Republican said this feat is “almost impossible” given the short number of legislative days left before the shutdown deadline.&nbsp;

“The solution, of course, obviously, or the only alternative, would be to have a CR, but I think the shorter the CR, the better,” he said, noting that the measure would have to be “long enough that you can have negotiations, but short enough that it doesn’t drag out until Christmas and that … we’re up here at Christmas doing an omnibus or something like that, which everybody wants to avoid.”&nbsp;

Congress has often bundled the final, conferenced versions of the dozen bills together into a sweeping omnibus package at the end of the year to ensure quick floor votes, though GOP leaders have tried to get away from that practice in recent years.&nbsp;

Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said that while he hopes a stopgap spending bill is “not necessary,” the panel is “certainly prepared to put together a short-term CR if that’s what’s required to avoid a shutdown.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757020412274.png" alt=" U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., takes questions from reporters during a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Also pictured, from left to right, are Ohio Republican Rep. Dave Taylor; Majority Whip Tom Emmer R-Minn.; co-founders of Patriot Industries Sarah and Tom Click; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
                        <figcaption> U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., takes questions from reporters during a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Also pictured, from left to right, are Ohio Republican Rep. Dave Taylor; Majority Whip Tom Emmer R-Minn.; co-founders of Patriot Industries Sarah and Tom Click; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a></p><p>WASHINGTON — Members of Congress began searching for compromise on a short-term government funding bill Wednesday, with just a few weeks left to broker a deal before a possible shutdown.</p><p>Fresh off their August recess, congressional leaders and members of the Appropriations Committee appealed for bipartisanship from the other side while admitting they are far from a final agreement.&nbsp;</p><p>Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say during a press conference whether he will negotiate a stopgap spending bill with Democrats, or use the go-at-it-alone approach that succeeded in March.&nbsp;</p><p>“Republicans are committed to keeping the government open, and unfortunately, it seems like not all Democrats agree with that, and they’re beginning to apply the government shutdown pressure,” Johnson said. “But I want you to remember one thing: All but one House Democrat voted to shut down the government in March, and we expect, sadly, that that may happen again.”</p><p>Johnson said he was open to negotiations with Democratic leaders as long as they “are willing to work with us and think responsibly about how we can spend less than we did last year.”</p><p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during an afternoon press conference that Democrats want GOP leaders to negotiate the stopgap spending bill across party lines.&nbsp;</p><p>“The bottom line is very simple: We Democrats want a bipartisan bill and we are pushing the Republicans very hard to do it,” Schumer said. “We’re on our front foot. We’re unified.”&nbsp;</p><p>Schumer, who took considerable flak&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-stopgap-spending-bill-law-following-us-senate-passage" target="_blank">for helping Republicans limit debate</a>&nbsp;on a partisan stopgap bill in March, said “it’s much different than last time.”&nbsp;</p><p>Pressed by several reporters about what Democrats would help move through the Senate this time around, Schumer said: “We are willing to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan proposal with significant Democratic input. So far, they are not.”</p><h2>Spending running on autopilot</h2><p>The House and Senate are supposed to complete work on the dozen annual government funding bills by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 but that hasn’t happened for decades, so lawmakers rely on a stopgap spending bill to keep federal departments and agencies running on autopilot for a couple months.&nbsp;</p><p>That measure, sometimes called a continuing resolution, is intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to complete bipartisan House-Senate negotiations on the full-year appropriations bills, though Congress used three CRs to fund the government this fiscal year instead of getting its work done.&nbsp;</p><p>Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects lawmakers will need to approve a stopgap spending bill “for some time into the foreseeable future,” but that discussions are ongoing about how long it will last and what else might be added.&nbsp;</p><p>“My hope would be that whatever that CR looks like, that it is clean and that it enables us to buy some time to get a regular appropriations process done,” Thune said. “I still think the best way to fund the government is through the appropriations process.”</p><p>President Donald Trump said from the Oval Office earlier in the day that he expects Republicans will vote for a stopgap spending bill but he didn’t address how it would get through the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which requires bipartisanship.&nbsp;</p><p>“I think the Republicans will vote for an extension,” Trump said. “We won’t have any Democrat votes.”&nbsp;</p><h2>Three spending bills seen as possible</h2><p>House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters he hopes to negotiate final versions of three full-year bills with the Senate before the end of the month.</p><p>Lawmakers would then use a stopgap spending bill to keep the departments and agencies covered in the other nine bills flat funded for a couple of months until the two chambers can reach final agreement on the spending levels and policy within those measures.&nbsp;</p><p>“We’re talking about relatively modest bills and bills where there is either broad agreement, like MilCon-VA, or LegBranch and Ag,” Cole said. “We’re not talking about major bills. You can’t really do that until you have a topline and we don’t have a topline.”</p><p>The Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA spending bills are generally easier to negotiate than some of the other full-year measures, like Defense, Homeland Security and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education.&nbsp;</p><p>Cole said when House and Senate leaders begin negotiating a total spending level for all of the bills, or topline, is “above my paygrade.”</p><p>“I’m ready to do it at any time if they want to empower us, otherwise the leadership on both sides and the president have to” figure that out, Cole said.</p><p>The House and Senate are supposed to start off the annual government funding process in the spring by reaching bipartisan agreement on how much in total spending to spread throughout the dozen appropriations bills.&nbsp;</p><p>Those talks haven’t even started for fiscal 2026, which is slated to begin Oct. 1.&nbsp;</p><p>Instead, the House and Senate Appropriations committees have separately decided how much to spend and written vastly different versions of the bills.&nbsp;</p><h2>House and Senate at odds</h2><p>The 12 bills that have been released by the GOP-led House committee are partisan, while the eight bills released by the Senate panel have received broad bipartisan support in committee.&nbsp;</p><p>Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’s spoken with Cole a couple of times about the three-bills-plus-stopgap strategy and supports the concept.&nbsp;</p><p>“I have and I agree with that approach,” Collins said.</p><p>Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said any stopgap bill “needs to be a real bipartisan compromise.”</p><p>“For the last few months we have shown a bipartisan way forward on the Appropriations Committee,” Murray said. “Democrats have shown that we are willing to work in good faith to write bipartisan funding bills that protect investments in education, life-saving research and a lot more.&nbsp;</p><p>“We’ve already passed eight out of the committee and three on the floor: MilCon-VA, Ag and LegBranch. As part of a bipartisan short-term CR, I support conferencing those three bills and passing them with the short-term CR for the remaining nine bills.”</p><p>House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro said “the best case scenario for us is to move forward.”&nbsp;</p><p>“No gimmicks, no riders, let’s clear the decks,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “Talk about how we get Republican priorities, Democratic priorities.”&nbsp;</p><h2>Negotiations ‘for weeks now’</h2><p>House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “there’s a chance” to wrap up negotiations between the two chambers on final versions of some of the full-year government spending bills before the end of the month.&nbsp;</p><p>“It might not be all 12, but a few of them for sure,” Scalise said. “So let’s give the appropriators that opportunity to keep negotiating. They’ve already been having negotiations for weeks now — Tom Cole and a lot of his counterparts. I have faith they can hopefully get a lot of things done.”</p><p>Scalise, R-La., said he plans to reserve floor time later this month to&nbsp; ensure whatever spending bill gets written is “the top priority.”</p><p>Rep. Robert Aderholt, chairman of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he thinks most people agree there’s going to be some sort of stopgap given all 12 of the annual bills aren’t close to becoming law.</p><p>The Alabama Republican said this feat is “almost impossible” given the short number of legislative days left before the shutdown deadline.&nbsp;</p><p>“The solution, of course, obviously, or the only alternative, would be to have a CR, but I think the shorter the CR, the better,” he said, noting that the measure would have to be “long enough that you can have negotiations, but short enough that it doesn’t drag out until Christmas and that … we’re up here at Christmas doing an omnibus or something like that, which everybody wants to avoid.”&nbsp;</p><p>Congress has often bundled the final, conferenced versions of the dozen bills together into a sweeping omnibus package at the end of the year to ensure quick floor votes, though GOP leaders have tried to get away from that practice in recent years.&nbsp;</p><p>Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said that while he hopes a stopgap spending bill is “not necessary,” the panel is “certainly prepared to put together a short-term CR if that’s what’s required to avoid a shutdown.”</p>

Despite shutdown deadline, little movement in Congress on spending deal

WYANDOTTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) shared an update on the July 5th death of Charles Adair at the Wyandotte County Detention Center.

In the final autopsy report, the coroner ruled Adair's cause of death as complications of mechanical asphyxia. Contributory factors were noted as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. Adair's manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 5, Charles L. Adair, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas, received medical care in the detention center’s infirmary for a pre-existing wound on his leg.

Preliminary information indicates that when personnel attempted to transfer him back to his cell, Adair caused a disturbance by yelling, refusing to listen to commands, and physically resisting. Multiple sheriff’s deputies responded and handcuffed Adair to gain compliance. They transported him to his cell, where several deputies placed him on the lower bunk. They began attempting to remove the handcuffs, while Adair continued to resist. They gained control, removed the cuffs, and left the cell.

Immediately after, at 8:37 p.m., medical staff were called to evaluate Adair who they found&nbsp; him unresponsive. Life-saving measures were initiated. EMS responded to the facility and continued medical intervention. Despite efforts, Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.

This week the KBI concluded its investigation and presented findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751825756436.png" alt="Adair photo from an arrest in 2022 in Wyandotte County" />
                        <figcaption>Adair photo from an arrest in 2022 in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WYANDOTTE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) shared an update on the July 5th death of Charles Adair at the Wyandotte County Detention Center.</p><p>In the final autopsy report, the coroner ruled Adair's cause of death as complications of mechanical asphyxia. Contributory factors were noted as hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. Adair's manner of death was determined to be homicide.&nbsp;</p><p>At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 5, Charles L. Adair, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas, received medical care in the detention center’s infirmary for a pre-existing wound on his leg.</p><p>Preliminary information indicates that when personnel attempted to transfer him back to his cell, Adair caused a disturbance by yelling, refusing to listen to commands, and physically resisting. Multiple sheriff’s deputies responded and handcuffed Adair to gain compliance. They transported him to his cell, where several deputies placed him on the lower bunk. They began attempting to remove the handcuffs, while Adair continued to resist. They gained control, removed the cuffs, and left the cell.</p><p>Immediately after, at 8:37 p.m., medical staff were called to evaluate Adair who they found&nbsp; him unresponsive. Life-saving measures were initiated. EMS responded to the facility and continued medical intervention. Despite efforts, Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.</p><p>This week the KBI concluded its investigation and presented findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office.&nbsp;</p>

KBI updates cause of death of inmate after struggle with deputies

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump signs executive order renaming the Defense Department as Department of War: &quot;It has to do with winning. We should have won every war. We could have won every war. We really chose to be a very politically correct or wokey and we just fight forever.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bluS2rZ4k2">pic.twitter.com/bluS2rZ4k2</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1964064319714300314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Back to work. <a href="https://t.co/M7wRax9gOm">pic.twitter.com/M7wRax9gOm</a></p>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1964071082710683650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order officially restoring the name &quot;Department of War&quot; to the Department of Defense.<br><br>This is the 200th Executive Order the President has signed since taking office. <a href="https://t.co/OuLfuSoRLR">pic.twitter.com/OuLfuSoRLR</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964062437721756148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between — and then we decided to go woke and we changed the name to Department of Defense. So, we&#39;re going Department of War.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Vct6X3L9JU">pic.twitter.com/Vct6X3L9JU</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964063136643678641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Secretary of War <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a>: &quot;This War Department, Mr. President, just like America, is BACK... We&#39;re going to set the tone for this country.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NrVn35zz62">pic.twitter.com/NrVn35zz62</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964062304816779733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Workers take down &quot;Secretary of Defense&quot; signage at The Pentagon <a href="https://t.co/70lO1fSVkg">pic.twitter.com/70lO1fSVkg</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1964102398328160727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">👀 <a href="https://t.co/FG5uBRbGrK">https://t.co/FG5uBRbGrK</a> <a href="https://t.co/xXNs8DXQ8w">pic.twitter.com/xXNs8DXQ8w</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964070460104044925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/NwFIdAHsxL">https://t.co/NwFIdAHsxL</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dmr6bL2t7p">pic.twitter.com/Dmr6bL2t7p</a></p>&mdash; DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/1964075449677410603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President explains why he's changing the name of the Dept. of Defense 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced arrests in the murder of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym who worked in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.

Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and a third arrest is at large, according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Both teens will be charged as adults, according to Pirro.

Just before 10:30p.m. June 30, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police.

 Officers located Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts  unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.

On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.

The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office in June.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

 "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757089518113.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced arrests in the murder of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym who worked in the office of Kansas Congressman Ron Estes.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two arrests have been made connected to the murder of my intern, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, as announced by <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyPirro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAttyPirro</a> today.<br><br>I extend my appreciation to Attorney Pirro, her team, and <a href="https://twitter.com/DCPoliceDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCPoliceDept</a> for diligently working on this case to bring those responsible to justice. <a href="https://t.co/XT81e9y7NV">https://t.co/XT81e9y7NV</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1964022335930859917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IvX-6f7q9tQ?si=TAzqL4wNBiMZZsVV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>Two 17-year-olds have been arrested and a third arrest is at large, according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Both teens will be charged as adults, according to Pirro.</p><p>Just before 10:30p.m. June 30, Third District officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest Washington, DC. according to a media release from Washington Metropolitan Police.</p><p> Officers located Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts  unconscious, and an adult female and a 16-year-old male conscious and breathing suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded and transported all three victims to area hospitals.</p><p>On Tuesday, after all lifesaving measures failed Tarpinian-Jachym succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to Metropolitan Police.</p><p>The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest District of Columbia and began firing at a group. Detectives believe Tarpinian-Jachym&nbsp; was not the intended target of the shooting.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes stated in a release from his office in June.&nbsp;Tarpinian-Jachym worked in Estes office since early June. He was a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst.</p><p> "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country," Estes wrote.</p>

🎥2 arrested in killing of 21-year-old intern for Kansas Congressman

A Missouri House committee voted Thursday to redraw the state’s congressional districts to carve up Kansas City and gain another GOP-leaning seat

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

If a new Missouri congressional map endorsed by President Donald Trump is put into place, voters living on Kansas City’s east side will share a congressional district with people living nearly four hours away in Osage County.&nbsp;

Anyone living in downtown Kansas City would be in a district stretching south nearly to Springfield. And Kansas Citians living north of the Missouri River would be in a district running to the border of Iowa and Illinois.&nbsp;

All of those voters currently reside in the 5th Congressional and are represented by 11-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.&nbsp;

But under the proposed new map, which was approved Thursday by a Missouri House committee after more than five hours of public testimony, that district would be carved up in hopes of creating another Republican-leaning seat.

“This is a superior map than the one we have today,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the redistricting legislation.&nbsp;

Missouri has eight congressional districts, with Democrats holding two.&nbsp;

Trump, facing a potentially difficult midterm election cycle next year, has instructed GOP-controlled states to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/repub/why-congressional-redistricting-is-blowing-up-across-the-us-this-summer/">redraw maps</a>&nbsp;to add&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">more Republican seats</a>.&nbsp;

Even though mid-decade redistricting in Missouri is nearly unheard of — it hasn’t happened in six decades, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision — Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into session this week to redraw the map so the GOP would hold seven of the state’s seats in the U.S. House.

Republicans Thursday downplayed any role Trump’s demands had on the gerrymandering push. And they insisted the map was drawn by the governor’s staff, not the White House.

Democrats didn’t buy it, denouncing the map as unconstitutional and the push to split up Kansas City for partisan gain as “morally corrupt and inexcusable.”

“Every Missourian deserves fair representation, not these political tricks,” said state Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat. “My city, Kansas City, hangs in the balance right here, right now.”

The Missouri Constitution calls for the legislature to draw new congressional districts every 10 years after&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">new census numbers</a>&nbsp;are certified to the governor. That happened in 2022, and Democrats argue it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">violates the state constitution</a>&nbsp;to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;

There are also questions about whether relying on old population data could also violate the state and federal constitution.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">The Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also promised to go to court to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, on Thursday demanded demographic information about the map be made available to the public before the committee took a vote.&nbsp;

“I’m asking for information for the public and for this committee,” Aune said. “We deserve to have that information, and if you are not willing to provide it, what are you hiding?&nbsp;

She also pressed Deaton whether the governor’s office actually drew the map, or whether it was crafted by the Trump administration. She noted Trump last week praised the map and instructed Missouri lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/J_Hancock/status/1961834031550448026" target="_blank">approve it “AS IS.”</a>

The proposed new map meets constitutional requirements of districts with equal population as precisely as possible, Deaton said, and is more compact and contiguous, and divides fewer communities, than the current map.&nbsp;

He said the governor was clear that his staff drew the proposed map.

“Gov. Kehoe has never lied to me,” Deaton said, “so I take him at his word.”

The only person to testify in favor of the proposed new map was Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life. She said her organization is committed to helping pass anti-abortion legislation and supporting anti-abortion elected officials.&nbsp;

“We support the process that would increase those numbers,” she said.

A parade of critics testified against the map, including the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, the Missouri NAACP, the League of Women Voters and several residents of the 5th District.&nbsp;

Shannon Cooper, a lobbyist for the city of Kansas City and former Republican lawmaker, said the proposed map “chops our region into three different pieces.” The needs of downtown Kansas City, he said, are different than the needs of rural Henry County.

“I have gone through three redistricting processes in my time here, and what is sorely lacking in this is the amount of public input and the time where, in the past, the committees have traveled across the state and gone into communities and taken the local input from citizens, businesses as well as elected local officials to see what they care about and how they want to be put into those districts,” he said. “And we’re going to do this in six or eight hours and vote it out Monday and Tuesday.”

Phil Scaglia, testifying on behalf of Cleaver, who could not attend Thursday’s hearing, said the map violates the “one person, one vote” principle by relying on old census data. It’s also unconstitutional, Scaglia argued, because it “fails to be compact and divides communities of interest.”

A new map could be be drawn in a way that includes all of Kansas City south of the Missouri River in the 5th District, Scaglia said, and still give Republicans the electoral advantage they are seeking.

State Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, countered that he believes Kansas City would benefit by being represented by three members of Congress.

The proposed new map leaves two districts untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in&nbsp;southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.&nbsp;

The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;

The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, swaps territory with the 2nd, taking over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.

The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;

The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;

The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;

It’s the 5th District that sees the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;

The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.

Sharp asked Deaton Thursday whether he would be open to changing the map, even in small ways. Deaton said the map was produced and requested by the governor, and he “can’t imagine myself at this time supporting any changes.”&nbsp;

“You move one line to make one person happy,” Deaton said, “and you have to move seven other lines and you’ve got seven new enemies… this is the map I’m supporting.”&nbsp;

As the committee was preparing to vote, Sharp offered an amendment moving a small portion of south Kansas City in the Hickman Mills area — around 12,000 voters — back into the 5th District. The change would be balanced out by moving voters near Grain Valley to the 4th District.

Republicans opposed the change, and Sharp withdrew the amendment in the hope of offering it again when the full House debates the bill next week.

Aune said the entire process “reeks of an authoritarian power grab.”

State Rep. Richard West, a Wentzville Republican and chair of the committee, praised the map for moving all of St. Charles County into the same district.&nbsp;

“My county is currently split up,” he said. “This is going to make us whole.”

State Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, pushed back on the idea that what Republicans are doing by redrawing the map is out of the ordinary in American politics.

“I’m not saying we should gerrymander or we shouldn’t,” he said, adding: “I’m just saying it’s been part of the republic from the beginning.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068209585.png" alt=" State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
                        <figcaption> State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>A Missouri House committee voted Thursday to redraw the state’s congressional districts to carve up Kansas City and gain another GOP-leaning seat</h2><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a><br><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/"><i>Missouri Independent</i></a></p><p>If a new Missouri congressional map endorsed by President Donald Trump is put into place, voters living on Kansas City’s east side will share a congressional district with people living nearly four hours away in Osage County.&nbsp;</p><p>Anyone living in downtown Kansas City would be in a district stretching south nearly to Springfield. And Kansas Citians living north of the Missouri River would be in a district running to the border of Iowa and Illinois.&nbsp;</p><p>All of those voters currently reside in the 5th Congressional and are represented by 11-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.&nbsp;</p><p>But under the proposed new map, which was approved Thursday by a Missouri House committee after more than five hours of public testimony, that district would be carved up in hopes of creating another Republican-leaning seat.</p><p>“This is a superior map than the one we have today,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the redistricting legislation.&nbsp;</p><p>Missouri has eight congressional districts, with Democrats holding two.&nbsp;</p><p>Trump, facing a potentially difficult midterm election cycle next year, has instructed GOP-controlled states to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/repub/why-congressional-redistricting-is-blowing-up-across-the-us-this-summer/">redraw maps</a>&nbsp;to add&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/21/missouri-gop-leader-says-lawmakers-will-start-with-a-congressional-map-drawn-in-d-c/">more Republican seats</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Even though mid-decade redistricting in Missouri is nearly unheard of — it hasn’t happened in six decades, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision — Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into session this week to redraw the map so the GOP would hold seven of the state’s seats in the U.S. House.</p><p>Republicans Thursday downplayed any role Trump’s demands had on the gerrymandering push. And they insisted the map was drawn by the governor’s staff, not the White House.</p><p>Democrats didn’t buy it, denouncing the map as unconstitutional and the push to split up Kansas City for partisan gain as “morally corrupt and inexcusable.”</p><p>“Every Missourian deserves fair representation, not these political tricks,” said state Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat. “My city, Kansas City, hangs in the balance right here, right now.”</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068164737.png" alt="State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks in opposition to a proposed congressional map during a House committee hearing on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
                        <figcaption>State Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks in opposition to a proposed congressional map during a House committee hearing on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The Missouri Constitution calls for the legislature to draw new congressional districts every 10 years after&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">new census numbers</a>&nbsp;are certified to the governor. That happened in 2022, and Democrats argue it&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/07/black-missouri-lawmakers-vow-to-block-missouri-gop-push-for-new-congressional-districts/">violates the state constitution</a>&nbsp;to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;</p><p>There are also questions about whether relying on old population data could also violate the state and federal constitution.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">The Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also promised to go to court to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.</p><p>House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, on Thursday demanded demographic information about the map be made available to the public before the committee took a vote.&nbsp;</p><p>“I’m asking for information for the public and for this committee,” Aune said. “We deserve to have that information, and if you are not willing to provide it, what are you hiding?&nbsp;</p><p>She also pressed Deaton whether the governor’s office actually drew the map, or whether it was crafted by the Trump administration. She noted Trump last week praised the map and instructed Missouri lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/J_Hancock/status/1961834031550448026" target="_blank">approve it “AS IS.”</a></p><p>The proposed new map meets constitutional requirements of districts with equal population as precisely as possible, Deaton said, and is more compact and contiguous, and divides fewer communities, than the current map.&nbsp;</p><p>He said the governor was clear that his staff drew the proposed map.</p><p>“Gov. Kehoe has never lied to me,” Deaton said, “so I take him at his word.”</p><p>The only person to testify in favor of the proposed new map was Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life. She said her organization is committed to helping pass anti-abortion legislation and supporting anti-abortion elected officials.&nbsp;</p><p>“We support the process that would increase those numbers,” she said.</p><p>A parade of critics testified against the map, including the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, the Missouri NAACP, the League of Women Voters and several residents of the 5th District.&nbsp;</p><p>Shannon Cooper, a lobbyist for the city of Kansas City and former Republican lawmaker, said the proposed map “chops our region into three different pieces.” The needs of downtown Kansas City, he said, are different than the needs of rural Henry County.</p><p>“I have gone through three redistricting processes in my time here, and what is sorely lacking in this is the amount of public input and the time where, in the past, the committees have traveled across the state and gone into communities and taken the local input from citizens, businesses as well as elected local officials to see what they care about and how they want to be put into those districts,” he said. “And we’re going to do this in six or eight hours and vote it out Monday and Tuesday.”</p><p>Phil Scaglia, testifying on behalf of Cleaver, who could not attend Thursday’s hearing, said the map violates the “one person, one vote” principle by relying on old census data. It’s also unconstitutional, Scaglia argued, because it “fails to be compact and divides communities of interest.”</p><p>A new map could be be drawn in a way that includes all of Kansas City south of the Missouri River in the 5th District, Scaglia said, and still give Republicans the electoral advantage they are seeking.</p><p>State Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, countered that he believes Kansas City would benefit by being represented by three members of Congress.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068115039.png" alt="Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website)." />
                        <figcaption>Missouri Republicans are pushing to enact this map to revise congressional district lines in a special session. The GOP’s goal is to win the 5th District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat (Screenshot from Missouri House website).</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The proposed new map leaves two districts untouched — the 7th District in southwest Missouri and 8th District in&nbsp;southeast Missouri, both represented by Republicans. It only tinkers with the 1st District, based in St. Louis and represented by Democrat Wesley Bell.&nbsp;</p><p>The 2nd District, represented by Republican Ann Wagner, moves south of the Missouri River, taking in southern St. Louis suburbs along with Gasconade,&nbsp; Crawford, Jefferson and Washington counties.&nbsp;</p><p>The 3rd District, represented by Republican Bob Onder, swaps territory with the 2nd, taking over all of St. Charles and Warren counties, adding Audrain, Lincoln, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties as it stretches north to Hannabil and encompasses nearly all of Columbia.</p><p>The 4th and 6th Districts are where the Kansas City voters who previously all lived in the 5th will be moved.&nbsp;</p><p>The 4th District loses parts of Columbia, along with Sedalia and Warrensburg to the 5th District in order to pick up downtown Kansas City. It is represented by Republican Mark Alford.&nbsp;</p><p>The 6th District runs across the entire northern half of the state, picking up a piece of Kansas City north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;</p><p>It’s the 5th District that sees the most substantial changes. Previously encompassing nearly all of Kansas City, the district now only includes the city’s east side, then stretches east to encompass Jefferson City all the way to Phelps County. It also includes the northern portion of Boone County, but not the Democrat-leaning areas of Columbia.&nbsp;</p><p>The 5th District also picks up six counties from the 3rd District — Cole, Cooper, Howard, Maries, Moniteau and Miller counties as well as Morgan County from the 4th District.</p><p>Sharp asked Deaton Thursday whether he would be open to changing the map, even in small ways. Deaton said the map was produced and requested by the governor, and he “can’t imagine myself at this time supporting any changes.”&nbsp;</p><p>“You move one line to make one person happy,” Deaton said, “and you have to move seven other lines and you’ve got seven new enemies… this is the map I’m supporting.”&nbsp;</p><p>As the committee was preparing to vote, Sharp offered an amendment moving a small portion of south Kansas City in the Hickman Mills area — around 12,000 voters — back into the 5th District. The change would be balanced out by moving voters near Grain Valley to the 4th District.</p><p>Republicans opposed the change, and Sharp withdrew the amendment in the hope of offering it again when the full House debates the bill next week.</p><p>Aune said the entire process “reeks of an authoritarian power grab.”</p><p>State Rep. Richard West, a Wentzville Republican and chair of the committee, praised the map for moving all of St. Charles County into the same district.&nbsp;</p><p>“My county is currently split up,” he said. “This is going to make us whole.”</p><p>State Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, pushed back on the idea that what Republicans are doing by redrawing the map is out of the ordinary in American politics.</p><p>“I’m not saying we should gerrymander or we shouldn’t,” he said, adding: “I’m just saying it’s been part of the republic from the beginning.”</p>

Legislative push to gerrymander Missouri congressional map advances

SHAWNEE&nbsp; COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka and have made an arrest.

Just before 5p.m. Wednesday, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting in the 1000 block of NE Poplar Street in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.&nbsp; As officers arrived in the area, they located two men suffering from life-threatening injuries. While on the scene, one individual was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. The second was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

As a result of the investigation, Dalton Wolf Thompson, 28, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated Battery

This is the 17th homicide investigation of 2025 in the city of Topeka, according to Connell.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757067919776.png" alt="Thompson photo Shawnee County" />
                        <figcaption>Thompson photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE&nbsp; COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka and have made an arrest.</p><p>Just before 5p.m. Wednesday, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting in the 1000 block of NE Poplar Street in Topeka, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.&nbsp; As officers arrived in the area, they located two men suffering from life-threatening injuries. While on the scene, one individual was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. The second was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.</p><p>As a result of the investigation, Dalton Wolf Thompson, 28, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st Degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated Battery</p><p>This is the 17th homicide investigation of 2025 in the city of Topeka, according to Connell.</p>

Police: Kansas man jailed for shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured 

The 2025 Kansas State Fair opened its gates Friday morning under a light drizzle — a reminder, as Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz put it, that “you just never know what you’re going to have for weather in Kansas.” While the rain dampened the sidewalks, spirits remained high as opening ceremonies celebrated the start of 10 days of agriculture, entertainment, and tradition.

The day began with a ribbon cutting at the People’s Bank &amp; Trust Arena, where a new canopy has been added to provide shade and shelter for visitors. Schulz noted that the canopy was just one of many improvements across the grounds, alongside ongoing renovations of the historic Bison Building. Exterior work is nearly complete, and interior upgrades will begin later this month.

Concertgoers can look forward to a strong lineup of entertainment, beginning tonight with Sam Barber and Avery Anna at the Nex-Tech Grandstand. Ticket sales are already running ahead of last year’s pace, according to Schulz, with strong presales and plenty of walk-up traffic expected. “Our percentage sold is way above where we had expected it to be,” he said.

Visitors will also notice new food options this year, including pulled pork corn dogs, firecracker wontons, and pineapple smoothies served right in a carved fruit shell. Fairgoers are encouraged to download the official Kansas State Fair app for the latest updates, schedules, and vendor locations.

Agriculture remains at the heart of the fair. Schulz emphasized the importance of showcasing Kansas’ farming roots, even as some state fairs around the country move away from that focus. “We want to make sure our agricultural aspects are being promoted here at the Kansas State Fair,” he said.

Beyond the midway and the rides, one of the most heartwarming events takes place Friday with the Championship Livestock Show at Prairie Pavilion, where Special Olympics athletes are paired with FFA and 4-H youth to show animals in the ring. Schulz called it one of the most rewarding parts of the fair: “For someone who has never been around livestock, to be able to walk with an animal and work with it is truly special.”

The Kansas State Fair runs through Sept. 14, featuring daily entertainment, livestock shows, exhibits, and hundreds of vendors. Tickets and event packages are available online at kansasstatefair.com or at the gate.

The 2025 Kansas State Fair opened on Friday with a special celebration honoring seniors during "Young at Heart Day". Guests 55 and older will enjoy discounted $2 gate admission as the Fair officially opens its 10-day run at the Hutchinson fairgrounds.

The day began with the Working Equitation Show at 8 a.m. in Expo II, followed by popular family attractions such as Moo-U Guided Barn Tours at the Birthing Center and Dr. Goddard’s Lab demonstrations at the Education Center. Throughout the morning, visitors can also catch Hedrick’s Pig Races, the Chainsaw Woodcarvers, and a variety of art demonstrations in the Oz Gallery.

At 11 a.m., the official Opening Ceremony takes place at the Peoples Bank and Trust Arena, followed by a ribbon-cutting at 11:15 a.m. The afternoon schedule is packed with livestock competitions including goat, swine, sheep, and beef showmanship events, along with the Draft Horse Show in Expo Center. Visitors can also enjoy special contests such as homemade ice cream judging and the “It’s All About the Bread” competition.

Entertainment highlights include the Cowboy Circus, Ron Diamond the Hypnotist, and “It’s Showtime Circus” at Gottschalk Park. Musical performances will feature Sweet Rhubarb on the Lowen Corporation Stage, Jay Jackson with Nashville’s Finest at the Peoples Bank and Trust Arena, and Wyatt Henson performing at Lake Talbott.

The day wraps up with a big night at the Nex-Tech Grandstand, where rising country artists Sam Barber and Avery Anna take the stage.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757084774653.jpeg" alt="State Fair Opening Ceremonies-Post photo" />
                        <figcaption>State Fair Opening Ceremonies-Post photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The 2025 Kansas State Fair opened its gates Friday morning under a light drizzle — a reminder, as Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz put it, that “you just never know what you’re going to have for weather in Kansas.” While the rain dampened the sidewalks, spirits remained high as opening ceremonies celebrated the start of 10 days of agriculture, entertainment, and tradition.</p><p>The day began with a ribbon cutting at the People’s Bank &amp; Trust Arena, where a new canopy has been added to provide shade and shelter for visitors. Schulz noted that the canopy was just one of many improvements across the grounds, alongside ongoing renovations of the historic Bison Building. Exterior work is nearly complete, and interior upgrades will begin later this month.</p><p>Concertgoers can look forward to a strong lineup of entertainment, beginning tonight with Sam Barber and Avery Anna at the Nex-Tech Grandstand. Ticket sales are already running ahead of last year’s pace, according to Schulz, with strong presales and plenty of walk-up traffic expected. “Our percentage sold is way above where we had expected it to be,” he said.</p><p>Visitors will also notice new food options this year, including pulled pork corn dogs, firecracker wontons, and pineapple smoothies served right in a carved fruit shell. Fairgoers are encouraged to download the official Kansas State Fair app for the latest updates, schedules, and vendor locations.</p><p>Agriculture remains at the heart of the fair. Schulz emphasized the importance of showcasing Kansas’ farming roots, even as some state fairs around the country move away from that focus. “We want to make sure our agricultural aspects are being promoted here at the Kansas State Fair,” he said.</p><p>Beyond the midway and the rides, one of the most heartwarming events takes place Friday with the Championship Livestock Show at Prairie Pavilion, where Special Olympics athletes are paired with FFA and 4-H youth to show animals in the ring. Schulz called it one of the most rewarding parts of the fair: “For someone who has never been around livestock, to be able to walk with an animal and work with it is truly special.”</p><p>The Kansas State Fair runs through Sept. 14, featuring daily entertainment, livestock shows, exhibits, and hundreds of vendors. Tickets and event packages are available online at kansasstatefair.com or at the gate.</p><p>----------------------------</p><p>The 2025 Kansas State Fair opened on Friday with a special celebration honoring seniors during "Young at Heart Day". Guests 55 and older will enjoy discounted $2 gate admission as the Fair officially opens its 10-day run at the Hutchinson fairgrounds.</p><p>The day began with the Working Equitation Show at 8 a.m. in Expo II, followed by popular family attractions such as Moo-U Guided Barn Tours at the Birthing Center and Dr. Goddard’s Lab demonstrations at the Education Center. Throughout the morning, visitors can also catch Hedrick’s Pig Races, the Chainsaw Woodcarvers, and a variety of art demonstrations in the Oz Gallery.</p><p>At 11 a.m., the official Opening Ceremony takes place at the Peoples Bank and Trust Arena, followed by a ribbon-cutting at 11:15 a.m. The afternoon schedule is packed with livestock competitions including goat, swine, sheep, and beef showmanship events, along with the Draft Horse Show in Expo Center. Visitors can also enjoy special contests such as homemade ice cream judging and the “It’s All About the Bread” competition.</p><p>Entertainment highlights include the Cowboy Circus, Ron Diamond the Hypnotist, and “It’s Showtime Circus” at Gottschalk Park. Musical performances will feature Sweet Rhubarb on the Lowen Corporation Stage, Jay Jackson with Nashville’s Finest at the Peoples Bank and Trust Arena, and Wyatt Henson performing at Lake Talbott.</p><p>The day wraps up with a big night at the Nex-Tech Grandstand, where rising country artists Sam Barber and Avery Anna take the stage.</p>

Kansas State Fair kicks off with ribbon cutting

By: <b>NICOLAS FIERRO<br></b><i>Salina Post</i>

CLAY CENTER - A nursing home in Clay Center has been evacuated by the state of Kansas and has left more questions than answers.

In the middle of August 2025, residents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;were evacuated by the <a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/">Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)</a> due to quality of living issues. According to Cara Sloan-Ramos of KDADS, residents were 'successfully moved' from the nursing home.

"We can confirm that residents were successfully moved from the Advena nursing home in Clay Center, and we are working to make sure they are well cared for in their new locations," said Sloan-Ramos.

Reasons have as to why residents were removed remain unknown. Many speculations from the public have stated there were possibilities of 'mold in the air ducts' and even residents being 'neglected of care.'

Sloan-Ramos stated that KDADS takes such allegations seriously and are investigated accordingly.

"KDADS takes all allegations of abuse and neglect seriously and operates a hotline to receive such reports," she said. "If and when such allegations are received, they are investigated accordingly. The results of those investigations are confidential and are only made available to the parties directly involved in the case."

Sloan-Ramos also said KDADS could not answer any questions as to why the residents were evacuated. She stated these questions are to be directed towards the administration of Advena.

"We cannot provide details at this time because the process is not yet complete and the information is not public," she said. "Questions about where patients were transferred or whether any legal action has been filed would need to be answered by the facility."

<b><i>Salina Post has reached out to the administrative team of Advena several times, but has not received a response.</i></b>

According to a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KSOG/bulletins/3d63358">press release</a> from KDADS, on March 10, 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;received funding from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a> (CMS) after approval to implement the 'SNF Clinic quality improvement program in 43 nursing homes across Kansas.' The purpose of the funding was to enhance&nbsp;staff training, improve resident care and elevate overall facility performance through an advanced electronic learning management system (eLMS).

SNF Clinic is a web-based platform that provides nursing home staff with easy access to essential education and care resources. The program ensures residents receive high-quality, person-centered care by equipping healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and tools.

“The implementation of SNF Clinic in Kansas nursing homes represents a significant investment in the well-being of our elderly population,” KDADS Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Program Manager Rebecca Hedrick said. “By prioritizing education and quality improvement, we ensure that staff members are fully prepared to provide exceptional care to residents.”

Members of Clay Center have spoken about the situation and speculated as to what may have happened.

"It is pretty sad, where are you going to put all those people?"

"There may have been a building or water problem."

"I heard the state had to evacuate the residents because of mold, but no one is talking about it and I do not know what is going on."

According to <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/area/ks/advena-living-of-clay-center-175351">reviews</a> of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>, the nursing home had a below average rating for "Short-term rehabilitation" and "Long-term care." The rating for Short-term rehab evaluates a nursing home's quality of post-acute care for patients recovering from a hospital stay, such as instances that include strokes, heart attacks, infections or accidental injuries. The rating for Long-term care evaluates&nbsp;a nursing home's ability to care for residents who need daily assistance with medical needs, such as administering medications and non-medical needs such as dressing, eating and using the bathroom.

According to a standard inspection report conducted on April 9, 2025 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;had potentials of actual harm with many residents being affected to provide services such as:

 Infection Control Deficiency,&nbsp;Nutrition and Dietary Deficiency and Administration Deficiency (determine what resources are necessary to care for residents).

Few patients were affected as far as the&nbsp;Quality of Life and Care Deficiency and Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiency&nbsp;

However, Advena Living of Clay Center had no reports of any actual harm with minimal potentiality when it came to&nbsp;Nursing and Physician Services Deficiency. See the full report <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/inspections/pdf/nursing-home/175351/health/health-inspection?date=2025-04-09">here</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757010210377.jpeg" alt="Advena Living of Clay Center sign on 715 Liberty St., Clay Center, KS. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) evacuated residents in the middle of August 2025. Photo by Nicolas Fierro" />
                        <figcaption>Advena Living of Clay Center sign on 715 Liberty St., Clay Center, KS. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) evacuated residents in the middle of August 2025. Photo by Nicolas Fierro</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By: <b>NICOLAS FIERRO<br></b><i>Salina Post</i></p><p>CLAY CENTER - A nursing home in Clay Center has been evacuated by the state of Kansas and has left more questions than answers.</p><p>In the middle of August 2025, residents of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;were evacuated by the <a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/">Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)</a> due to quality of living issues. According to Cara Sloan-Ramos of KDADS, residents were 'successfully moved' from the nursing home.</p><p>"We can confirm that residents were successfully moved from the Advena nursing home in Clay Center, and we are working to make sure they are well cared for in their new locations," said Sloan-Ramos.</p><p>Reasons have as to why residents were removed remain unknown. Many speculations from the public have stated there were possibilities of 'mold in the air ducts' and even residents being 'neglected of care.'</p><p>Sloan-Ramos stated that KDADS takes such allegations seriously and are investigated accordingly.</p><p>"KDADS takes all allegations of abuse and neglect seriously and operates a hotline to receive such reports," she said. "If and when such allegations are received, they are investigated accordingly. The results of those investigations are confidential and are only made available to the parties directly involved in the case."</p><p>Sloan-Ramos also said KDADS could not answer any questions as to why the residents were evacuated. She stated these questions are to be directed towards the administration of Advena.</p><p>"We cannot provide details at this time because the process is not yet complete and the information is not public," she said. "Questions about where patients were transferred or whether any legal action has been filed would need to be answered by the facility."</p><p><b><i>Salina Post has reached out to the administrative team of Advena several times, but has not received a response.</i></b></p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757010441578.jpeg" alt="No Trespassing sign on the front door of Advena Living of Clay Center. Photo by Nicolas Fierro" />
                        <figcaption>No Trespassing sign on the front door of Advena Living of Clay Center. Photo by Nicolas Fierro</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Set up for success</h2><p>According to a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KSOG/bulletins/3d63358">press release</a> from KDADS, on March 10, 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;received funding from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a> (CMS) after approval to implement the 'SNF Clinic quality improvement program in 43 nursing homes across Kansas.' The purpose of the funding was to enhance&nbsp;staff training, improve resident care and elevate overall facility performance through an advanced electronic learning management system (eLMS).</p><p>SNF Clinic is a web-based platform that provides nursing home staff with easy access to essential education and care resources. The program ensures residents receive high-quality, person-centered care by equipping healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and tools.</p><p>“The implementation of SNF Clinic in Kansas nursing homes represents a significant investment in the well-being of our elderly population,” KDADS Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Program Manager Rebecca Hedrick said. “By prioritizing education and quality improvement, we ensure that staff members are fully prepared to provide exceptional care to residents.”</p><h2>Concerns from the public</h2><p>Members of Clay Center have spoken about the situation and speculated as to what may have happened.</p><p>"It is pretty sad, where are you going to put all those people?"</p><p>"There may have been a building or water problem."</p><p>"I heard the state had to evacuate the residents because of mold, but no one is talking about it and I do not know what is going on."</p><p>According to <a href="https://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/area/ks/advena-living-of-clay-center-175351">reviews</a> of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>, the nursing home had a below average rating for "Short-term rehabilitation" and "Long-term care." The rating for Short-term rehab evaluates a nursing home's quality of post-acute care for patients recovering from a hospital stay, such as instances that include strokes, heart attacks, infections or accidental injuries. The rating for Long-term care evaluates&nbsp;a nursing home's ability to care for residents who need daily assistance with medical needs, such as administering medications and non-medical needs such as dressing, eating and using the bathroom.</p><p>According to a standard inspection report conducted on April 9, 2025 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/">The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.advenaclaycenter.com/">Advena Living of Clay Center</a>&nbsp;had potentials of actual harm with many residents being affected to provide services such as:</p><p> Infection Control Deficiency,&nbsp;Nutrition and Dietary Deficiency and Administration Deficiency (determine what resources are necessary to care for residents).</p><p>Few patients were affected as far as the&nbsp;Quality of Life and Care Deficiency and Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiency&nbsp;</p><p>However, Advena Living of Clay Center had no reports of any actual harm with minimal potentiality when it came to&nbsp;Nursing and Physician Services Deficiency. See the full report <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/inspections/pdf/nursing-home/175351/health/health-inspection?date=2025-04-09">here</a>.</p>

Sheriff: Child dead after medical incident on Kansas highway

CRAWFORD COUNTY—A now former member of the Kansas State University football team is out of jail after an arrest in southeast Kansas.

On Wednesday, police in Arma arrested 19-year-old Darren Jay-Shawn Ross on drug allegations, according to online booking records.

Ross was a member of the Wildcat 2024 recruiting class and played high school football at Liberty North.&nbsp;

Ross was booked into jail just before 3:30a.m. Wednesday on requested charges of distributing marijuana, according to the Crawford County sheriff's web site. He met the requirement of a $15,000 bond and was released just before 7p.m. Thursday.

His bio has been removed from the Kansas State Football website. He did not play in the first two games of the season for the Wildcats.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757078797295.png" alt="Ross photo Crawford Co." />
                        <figcaption>Ross photo Crawford Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CRAWFORD COUNTY—A now former member of the Kansas State University football team is out of jail after an arrest in southeast Kansas.</p><p>On Wednesday, police in Arma arrested 19-year-old Darren Jay-Shawn Ross on drug allegations, according to online booking records.</p><p>Ross was a member of the Wildcat 2024 recruiting class and played high school football at Liberty North.&nbsp;</p><p>Ross was booked into jail just before 3:30a.m. Wednesday on requested charges of distributing marijuana, according to the Crawford County sheriff's web site. He met the requirement of a $15,000 bond and was released just before 7p.m. Thursday.</p><p>His bio has been removed from the Kansas State Football website. He did not play in the first two games of the season for the Wildcats.</p>

K-State football player out of jail after arrest in southeast Kansas

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING 🇺🇸 : President Trump hosts tech leaders for a dinner at the White House. Guests include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman<a href="https://t.co/GUJavrxP9M">pic.twitter.com/GUJavrxP9M</a></p>&mdash; Zaid Ahmd (@realzaidzayn) <a href="https://twitter.com/realzaidzayn/status/1963766937500156283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Google co-founder Sergey Brin: &quot;It&#39;s a real incredible inflection point right now in AI and the fact that your administration is supporting our companies instead of fighting with them — it&#39;s hugely important.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3vUGc1Dvai">pic.twitter.com/3vUGc1Dvai</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963780730632180101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Google CEO Sundar Pichai: &quot;The AI moment is one of the most transformative moments any of us have ever seen... The AI Action Plan, under your leadership, I think is a great start, and we look forward to working together — and thanks for your leadership.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AKzlSgbYJl">pic.twitter.com/AKzlSgbYJl</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963781769108332769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AMD</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaSu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LisaSu</a>: &quot;The incredible work that your administration has done to support the semiconductor industry... the amount of acceleration that we&#39;ve seen just in the few short months that the administration has been in place — we&#39;re so grateful for that support.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UjrORUbzLQ">pic.twitter.com/UjrORUbzLQ</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963782822218313962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Microsoft?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Microsoft</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@satyanadella</a>: &quot;Everything that you&#39;re doing in terms of setting in place the platform where the rest of the world can not only use our technology, but trust our technology more than any other alternative, is perhaps the most important issue.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4xNxZggG3f">pic.twitter.com/4xNxZggG3f</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963783827442057465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a>: &quot;I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major [$600 billion] investment in the United States... That says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/289vkiB6vy">pic.twitter.com/289vkiB6vy</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963786061114417495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OpenAI</a> CEO Sam Altman: &quot;Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation President. It&#39;s a very refreshing change...The investment that&#39;s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back... I don&#39;t think that would be happening without your leadership.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/suGDIJFlx8">pic.twitter.com/suGDIJFlx8</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963787418429018457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OpenAI</a> President Greg Brockman <a href="https://twitter.com/gdb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gdb</a>: &quot;We&#39;ve been just very impressed with how this Administration has really embraced AI... There has been a choice of whether to approach it with optimism, and I think that that&#39;s what I&#39;ve really seen from this Administration.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cLGmDzLwtO">pic.twitter.com/cLGmDzLwtO</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963790825273348601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Trump hosts top tech CEOs, not  Elon Musk, at White House dinner

KANSAS CITY —A man's death in June is now being investigating as a homicide.

Just before 3a.m. June 22, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3600 block of Warwick Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported incident with KC Fire Department crews, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

 First responders located the victim, later identified as 50-year-old&nbsp;Darriyun Webb on the floor unconscious. EMS responded and transported the victim to an area hospital where he was declared deceased. The investigation indicates the victim and suspect had been involved in a physical altercation that led to the victim losing consciousness.

The suspect, an adult male, was identified and interviewed at the scene.

On Thursday morning homicide detectives were notified by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office this incident has been ruled a homicide.

<p>KANSAS CITY —A man's death in June is now being investigating as a homicide.</p><p>Just before 3a.m. June 22, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 3600 block of Warwick Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported incident with KC Fire Department crews, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.</p><p> First responders located the victim, later identified as 50-year-old&nbsp;Darriyun Webb on the floor unconscious. EMS responded and transported the victim to an area hospital where he was declared deceased. The investigation indicates the victim and suspect had been involved in a physical altercation that led to the victim losing consciousness.</p><p>The suspect, an adult male, was identified and interviewed at the scene.</p><p>On Thursday morning homicide detectives were notified by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office this incident has been ruled a homicide.</p><h2></h2>

Medical examiner rules Kansas City man's death in June a homicide

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop near Kansas City.

Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, sheriff's&nbsp;deputies made a vehicle stop on southbound Interstate 49 at the Archie exit, due to a lane violation, according to the Cass County Sheriff.

After a vehicle search, deputies found several homemade explosives. The Lee’s Summit Bomb Squad was contacted and arrived on scene, where they detonated the explosives.

Deputies also found narcotics in the vehicle.The suspect has been identified as 51-year-old Charles Cooper of Kansas City. 

He has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (D Felony) and Driving While Revoked/Suspended (D Misdemeanor). Cooper’s bond is set at $10,000 cash only. He’s currently being housed at the Cass County Jail.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757018875097.png" alt="Photo Cass County Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Cass County Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop near Kansas City.</p><p>Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, sheriff's&nbsp;deputies made a vehicle stop on southbound Interstate 49 at the Archie exit, due to a lane violation, according to the Cass County Sheriff.</p><p>After a vehicle search, deputies found several homemade explosives. The Lee’s Summit Bomb Squad was contacted and arrived on scene, where they detonated the explosives.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757019134279.png" alt="Cooper photo Cass County" />
                        <figcaption>Cooper photo Cass County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Deputies also found narcotics in the vehicle.The suspect has been identified as 51-year-old Charles Cooper of Kansas City. </p><p>He has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (D Felony) and Driving While Revoked/Suspended (D Misdemeanor). Cooper’s bond is set at $10,000 cash only. He’s currently being housed at the Cass County Jail.</p>

Kansas City man caught transporting homemade explosives

HOWELL COUNTY —ONe person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Thursday in Howell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Can Am Outlander 1000R driven by a 30-year-old Dora man was southbound on County Road 7590 two miles south of Highway CC. The ATV left the road, struck an embankment and the driver was ejected. 

He was pronounced deceased at Ozark Health Care. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

<p>HOWELL COUNTY —ONe person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Thursday in Howell County.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Can Am Outlander 1000R driven by a 30-year-old Dora man was southbound on County Road 7590 two miles south of Highway CC. The ATV left the road, struck an embankment and the driver was ejected. </p><p>He was pronounced deceased at Ozark Health Care. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.</p>

Missouri man killed after ejected from ATV

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A North Kansas City. Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, according to the United State's Attorney.

Aaron Randall Class, 53, was charged in a one-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2025. The indictment was unsealed and made public following Class’s arrest. The indictment alleges that on or about Nov. 23rd, 2024, Class knowingly aimed a beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft that was in the aircraft jurisdiction of the United States at the time of the incident.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Under federal statutes, Class is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Branon Chlarson. It was investigated by the North Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696444782028.png" alt="File image from a similar investigation in 2018" />
                        <figcaption>File image from a similar investigation in 2018</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A North Kansas City. Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, according to the United State's Attorney.</p><p>Aaron Randall Class, 53, was charged in a one-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2025. The indictment was unsealed and made public following Class’s arrest. The indictment alleges that on or about Nov. 23rd, 2024, Class knowingly aimed a beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft that was in the aircraft jurisdiction of the United States at the time of the incident.</p><p>The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.</p><p>Under federal statutes, Class is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.</p><p>The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Branon Chlarson. It was investigated by the North Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.</p>