Coldwater school district mired in conflict amid suspension of superintendent

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

TOPEKA — Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday asked for the public’s help investigating an incident in which 10 bullets were fired into the unoccupied, parked vehicle of the local school board president.

President Kelly Herd, and other members of the school board in southwest Kansas, have been embroiled in controversy that led to the suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer pending an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">inquiry into allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student</a>.

The student’s family filed a sexual harassment complaint and police report in the spring, but Herd worked for months to downplay substance of the allegations and to preserve Theurer’s administrative position.

The school board voted Sept. 3 to suspend Theurer with pay after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">more than 100 community members packed a school board meeting to demand disciplinary action</a>. Many in the audience loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaint. There was a law enforcement presence at that meeting, but outrage was confined to a series of outbursts by people in the crowd and by Herd.

At 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the sheriff’s department said, a vehicle parked at a residence in the 500 block of East Cottonwood in Coldwater was struck by gunfire approximately 10 times. Herd has resided at a house in that block for decades.

Sheriff Jacob Bruckner confirmed the vehicle was owned by a USD 300 school board member. He said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to help process the crime scene and assist with the investigation.

“The vehicle was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported,” Bruckner said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

In a social media post, the sheriff urged Coldwater residents to check home security systems for video of vehicles or people in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting.

Steve Prusa, a member of Comanche County’s school board, said he was notified of the incident at the board president’s home shortly after it occurred.

The reality of someone turning to firearms to make a point about leadership of a public school district was alarming, he said.

“It’s not just a vandalism,” Prusa said. “It’s definitely to a different level.”

He said members of the school board, who don’t receive a salary, had stepped forward to serve because they sought to be of benefit to the community and assume a role in the education of students. The Comanche County district enrolls about 300 students.

“I am devastated and heartbroken for our community. Violence cannot be an answer to anything,” Prusa said.

Comanche County school board member Dean Yoder said it was wrong to interject violence into debate about education.

“So glad her and her family are OK,” Yoder said. “There is never a need for violence. Ever.”

The Comanche County district serves a rural population that includes the communities of Protection, Wilmore, Buttermilk and Coldwater. The district’s South Center High School is located in Coldwater. The district’s middle school and elementary school are in Protection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758650204627.png" alt="Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday confirmed the unoccupied vehicle of a local school board member in Coldwater was peppered with gunshots on Sunday evening. The vehicle owner is Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd, a member of the board since 2016. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday confirmed the unoccupied vehicle of a local school board member in Coldwater was peppered with gunshots on Sunday evening. The vehicle owner is Comanche County school board president Kelly Herd, a member of the board since 2016. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Coldwater school district mired in conflict amid suspension of superintendent</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday asked for the public’s help investigating an incident in which 10 bullets were fired into the unoccupied, parked vehicle of the local school board president.President Kelly Herd, and other members of the school board in southwest Kansas, have been embroiled in controversy that led to the suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer pending an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/02/a-kansas-student-reported-her-coach-for-harassment-and-touching-school-leaders-kept-it-quiet/">inquiry into allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student</a>.The student’s family filed a sexual harassment complaint and police report in the spring, but Herd worked for months to downplay substance of the allegations and to preserve Theurer’s administrative position.The school board voted Sept. 3 to suspend Theurer with pay after&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/outraged-parents-demand-action-as-kansas-school-board-places-superintendent-on-administrative-leave/">more than 100 community members packed a school board meeting to demand disciplinary action</a>. Many in the audience loudly criticized the board’s handling of the students’ complaint. There was a law enforcement presence at that meeting, but outrage was confined to a series of outbursts by people in the crowd and by Herd.At 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the sheriff’s department said, a vehicle parked at a residence in the 500 block of East Cottonwood in Coldwater was struck by gunfire approximately 10 times. Herd has resided at a house in that block for decades.Sheriff Jacob Bruckner confirmed the vehicle was owned by a USD 300 school board member. He said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to help process the crime scene and assist with the investigation.“The vehicle was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported,” Bruckner said. “The investigation is ongoing.”In a social media post, the sheriff urged Coldwater residents to check home security systems for video of vehicles or people in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting.Steve Prusa, a member of Comanche County’s school board, said he was notified of the incident at the board president’s home shortly after it occurred.The reality of someone turning to firearms to make a point about leadership of a public school district was alarming, he said.“It’s not just a vandalism,” Prusa said. “It’s definitely to a different level.”He said members of the school board, who don’t receive a salary, had stepped forward to serve because they sought to be of benefit to the community and assume a role in the education of students. The Comanche County district enrolls about 300 students.“I am devastated and heartbroken for our community. Violence cannot be an answer to anything,” Prusa said.Comanche County school board member Dean Yoder said it was wrong to interject violence into debate about education.“So glad her and her family are OK,” Yoder said. “There is never a need for violence. Ever.”Herd declined to comment.The Comanche County district serves a rural population that includes the communities of Protection, Wilmore, Buttermilk and Coldwater. The district’s South Center High School is located in Coldwater. The district’s middle school and elementary school are in Protection.

SW Kan. school board president’s unoccupied vehicle struck by 10 gunshots

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday.

Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom.

The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after about two hours of deliberation.

The jurors were on their way out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced when Routh grabbed a pen off a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck.

As marshals were dragging him from the courtroom, Routh's daughter Sara Routh began screaming, “Dad I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”

She continued screaming as her father was taken from the courtroom, saying the case against him was rigged. She went outside the courthouse, where she waited by a guard gate for her father to be driven away.

Back inside the courtroom, Routh was brought back before the judge. He was no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled. There were no signs of blood on his shirt. The judge announced Routh will be sentenced on Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. He faces life in prison.

The standby defense attorneys for Routh did not have a comment following the verdict.

Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.

Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">plotting to kill Trump</a>&nbsp;before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.

“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Routh said. He pointed out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth-hole green at the golf course and noted that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.

Routh, 59, exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defense. He rested his case Monday morning after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours. In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”

“This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation,” Bondi said.

“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people.”

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.

Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified earlier in the trial that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.

Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.

Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous and sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.

In the early days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

Besides the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday.Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741357051491.png" alt="-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>-Routh photo Palm Beach County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after about two hours of deliberation.The jurors were on their way out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced when Routh grabbed a pen off a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck.As marshals were dragging him from the courtroom, Routh's daughter Sara Routh began screaming, “Dad I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”She continued screaming as her father was taken from the courtroom, saying the case against him was rigged. She went outside the courthouse, where she waited by a guard gate for her father to be driven away.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/etEVWek7gr">pic.twitter.com/etEVWek7gr</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1970562014419317049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Back inside the courtroom, Routh was brought back before the judge. He was no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled. There were no signs of blood on his shirt. The judge announced Routh will be sentenced on Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. He faces life in prison.The standby defense attorneys for Routh did not have a comment following the verdict.Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">plotting to kill Trump</a>&nbsp;before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Routh said. He pointed out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth-hole green at the golf course and noted that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.Routh, 59, exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defense. He rested his case Monday morning after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours. In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”“This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation,” Bondi said.“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people.”U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-attempt-florida-644c71bc607e4ebad5115f2a490b314c">represent himself</a>&nbsp;following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Routh’s former defense attorneys have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defense and have been present during trial the past two weeks.Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified earlier in the trial that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c">an attempt</a>&nbsp;on his life while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous and sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.In the early days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">Russia's war in Ukraine</a>, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) fuse, police said.In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.Besides the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.___

Trump would-be assassin tried to kill himself after guilty verdict 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in in Overland Park.

Early Tuesday, crews quickly extinguished a fire in a first floor apartment at the Aspen Lodge Apartments at 81st Terrace and Switzer in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park Fire.

No injuries are reported. 6 adults &amp; 2 dogs from 4 units are being assisted by the Red Cross. Lenexa Fire, Overland Park Police and Johnson County Med-Act assisted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758630178944.png" alt="Image from Overland Park Fire video" />
 <figcaption>Image from Overland Park Fire video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in in Overland Park. Early Tuesday, crews quickly extinguished a fire in a first floor apartment at the Aspen Lodge Apartments at 81st Terrace and Switzer in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park Fire.No injuries are reported. 6 adults &amp; 2 dogs from 4 units are being assisted by the Red Cross. Lenexa Fire, Overland Park Police and Johnson County Med-Act assisted.

6 adults, 2 dogs displaced after Kansas apartment fire

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-23-2025">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has abruptly canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-democrats-health-care-ce86b9021837ad2a6b32f7f484207714">this week's planned meeting</a>&nbsp;with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>.

In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down the White House had agreed to the day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party's leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>, since his return to the White House.

“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in the post.

The president complained the Democrats “are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States" unless the Republicans agree to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-trump-schumer-health-care-55d72ec2cdfd6b0c9f6dcc61696dbbc6">more funding on health care</a>&nbsp;for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sit-down with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a “long and brutal slog” ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds.

Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Jeffries had issued a joint statement saying that after “weeks of Republican stonewalling” the president had agreed to meet in the Oval Office. But after the Republican president canceled the meeting, the Democratic leaders accused him of throwing a tantrum and running away. Jeffries posted on X that “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer,” Jeffries wrote on X. “The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”

In a post on X directed at Trump, Schumer said Democrats will sit down and discuss health care “when you’re finished ranting.”

Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”

With Congress at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">a stalemate</a>, the government is headed toward a federal shutdown next week, Oct. 1, if the House and the Senate are unable to approve the legislation needed to fund offices and services into the new fiscal year. Lawmakers left town amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the logjam</a>, and they are not due back until Sept. 29.

Trump has been unafraid of shutting down the government and, during his first term, was president over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the nation's longest federal closure</a>, during the 2018-19 holiday season, when he was pushing Congress to provide funds for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The president insisted over the weekend that essential services, including for veterans, would remain open.

Republicans, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have been trying to avoid a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;led passage late last week of a temporary funding measure, which would have kept government offices running into November while talks get underway.

That's the typical way to buy time during funding fights, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the measure failed</a>&nbsp;in the Senate. Democrats refused to support the stopgap bill because it did not include their priorities of health care funds. A Democratic proposal, with the health care money restored, was defeated by Senate Republicans.

Schumer and Jeffries have demanded a meeting with Trump to work out a compromise, but the Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.

Thursday's scheduled meeting would have potentially set up a showdown at the White House, reminiscent of the 2018 funding fight when Trump led&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIX_SI7sgw">an explosive public session</a>&nbsp;with Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Democrats are working to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">health care programs</a>. The Democratic proposal would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;enacted earlier this year.

Republicans have said the Democrats’ demands to reverse the Medicaid changes are a nonstarter, but they have also said there is time to address the health insurance subsidy issue in the months ahead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638266766.png" alt="President Trump and the First Lady arrive at the UN on Tuesday-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and the First Lady arrive at the UN on Tuesday-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-9-23-2025">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has abruptly canceled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-democrats-health-care-ce86b9021837ad2a6b32f7f484207714">this week's planned meeting</a>&nbsp;with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Trump Always Chickens Out. Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer. The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1970496724260028910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/f7uLA1c7tC">pic.twitter.com/f7uLA1c7tC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970484487625547886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down the White House had agreed to the day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party's leaders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Sen. Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Rep. Hakeem Jeffries</a>, since his return to the White House.“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump wrote in the post.The president complained the Democrats “are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States" unless the Republicans agree to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-trump-schumer-health-care-55d72ec2cdfd6b0c9f6dcc61696dbbc6">more funding on health care</a>&nbsp;for various groups of people he has criticized. Trump did not close the door on a future sit-down with the Democratic leaders, but he warned of a “long and brutal slog” ahead unless Democrats dropped their demands to salvage health care funds.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Donald Trump has never used my name during his presidency. Now he is afraid to meet to discuss the Republican healthcare crisis and pending government shutdown. Why is that? Sincerely, Hakeem Sekou Jeffries&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1970521433794023490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Jeffries had issued a joint statement saying that after “weeks of Republican stonewalling” the president had agreed to meet in the Oval Office. But after the Republican president canceled the meeting, the Democratic leaders accused him of throwing a tantrum and running away. Jeffries posted on X that “Trump Always Chickens Out.”“Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer,” Jeffries wrote on X. “The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”In a post on X directed at Trump, Schumer said Democrats will sit down and discuss health care “when you’re finished ranting.”Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.”With Congress at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">a stalemate</a>, the government is headed toward a federal shutdown next week, Oct. 1, if the House and the Senate are unable to approve the legislation needed to fund offices and services into the new fiscal year. Lawmakers left town amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the logjam</a>, and they are not due back until Sept. 29.Trump has been unafraid of shutting down the government and, during his first term, was president over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">the nation's longest federal closure</a>, during the 2018-19 holiday season, when he was pushing Congress to provide funds for his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.The president insisted over the weekend that essential services, including for veterans, would remain open.Republicans, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have been trying to avoid a shutdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;led passage late last week of a temporary funding measure, which would have kept government offices running into November while talks get underway.That's the typical way to buy time during funding fights, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-trump-funding-bill-republicans-shutdown-1fea0f79c85ec69b91d9789fbda00834">the measure failed</a>&nbsp;in the Senate. Democrats refused to support the stopgap bill because it did not include their priorities of health care funds. A Democratic proposal, with the health care money restored, was defeated by Senate Republicans.Schumer and Jeffries have demanded a meeting with Trump to work out a compromise, but the Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.Thursday's scheduled meeting would have potentially set up a showdown at the White House, reminiscent of the 2018 funding fight when Trump led&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaIX_SI7sgw">an explosive public session</a>&nbsp;with Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.Democrats are working to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-republicans-funding-schumer-congress-trump-0c1973b2d0aad76aa5a3ec3749965edd">health care programs</a>. The Democratic proposal would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Republicans’ big tax breaks and spending cuts bill</a>&nbsp;enacted earlier this year.Republicans have said the Democrats’ demands to reverse the Medicaid changes are a nonstarter, but they have also said there is time to address the health insurance subsidy issue in the months ahead.

House Democrat leader: Trump always chickens out

PAWNEE COUNTY– Shane Paul Wagoner, 37, appeared in the custody of Larned State Hospital September 18, in the Pawnee County District Court before District Judge Bruce Gatterman to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Wagoner is charged with a single count of Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.&nbsp; He has been listed as a Kansas Sex Offender since 2014 and a Sexually Violent Predator since 2023, according to the KBI Offender Registry.

After hearing the testimony of the court-assigned forensic evaluator and arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman found Wagoner not competent to stand trial. Based on this finding, the Court then entered an order directing Wagoner to be committed to the State Security Hospital for up to ninety days for an evaluation to determine if there is a substantial probability of the defendant attaining competency to stand trial in the foreseeable future.

Under Kansas law, a person is “incompetent to stand trial” when such person is charged with a crime and, because of mental illness or defect is unable: (1) To understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against such person; or (2) to make or assist in making such person's defense.

The charge stems from an incident on the night of February 8, 2025, at the Jung North building on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) where at the time the defendant was civilly committed to the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP). 

Review of security footage determined Wagoner exited the building through the security checkpoint without being properly identified but then voluntarily returned to the building less than two minutes later asking for assistance to call a taxi. Upon reentering the building, LSH staff identified him as a patient and redirected the defendant to his housing unit without incident. The matter was investigated by the LSH special investigator with assistance from LSH Safety and Security staff. No outside law enforcement assistance was required.

Pending the court ordered evaluation, the defendant will remain subject to his civil commitment to the Sexual Predator Treatment program located on the campus of Larned State Hospital.&nbsp; Wagoner has previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery, burglary, aggravated burglary and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758569804590.png" alt="Wagoner photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Wagoner photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Shane Paul Wagoner, 37, appeared in the custody of Larned State Hospital September 18, in the Pawnee County District Court before District Judge Bruce Gatterman to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.Wagoner is charged with a single count of Aggravated Escape from Custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.&nbsp; He has been listed as a Kansas Sex Offender since 2014 and a Sexually Violent Predator since 2023, according to the KBI Offender Registry.After hearing the testimony of the court-assigned forensic evaluator and arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman found Wagoner not competent to stand trial. Based on this finding, the Court then entered an order directing Wagoner to be committed to the State Security Hospital for up to ninety days for an evaluation to determine if there is a substantial probability of the defendant attaining competency to stand trial in the foreseeable future.Under Kansas law, a person is “incompetent to stand trial” when such person is charged with a crime and, because of mental illness or defect is unable: (1) To understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against such person; or (2) to make or assist in making such person's defense.The charge stems from an incident on the night of February 8, 2025, at the Jung North building on the campus of Larned State Hospital (LSH) where at the time the defendant was civilly committed to the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP). Review of security footage determined Wagoner exited the building through the security checkpoint without being properly identified but then voluntarily returned to the building less than two minutes later asking for assistance to call a taxi. Upon reentering the building, LSH staff identified him as a patient and redirected the defendant to his housing unit without incident. The matter was investigated by the LSH special investigator with assistance from LSH Safety and Security staff. No outside law enforcement assistance was required.Pending the court ordered evaluation, the defendant will remain subject to his civil commitment to the Sexual Predator Treatment program located on the campus of Larned State Hospital.&nbsp; Wagoner has previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery, burglary, aggravated burglary and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. sex offender faced a judge after escape from custody

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to late-night television Tuesday after a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">weeklong suspension</a>&nbsp;that triggered a national discussion about freedom of speech and President Donald Trump's ability to police the words of journalists, commentators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-free-speech-comedy-censorship-0a1525424a5cf66d7236a39b853c4680">and even comics</a>.

But two groups of ABC affiliates that denounced Kimmel last week said they would not carry his return. Nexstar Media Group said it would continue to preempt the show, “pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would also keep Kimmel off its stations. The two corporations collectively control about a quarter of ABC affiliates.

ABC, which suspended Kimmel's show last Wednesday following criticism of his comments about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,</a>&nbsp;announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host.

“Our long national late nightmare is over,” Stephen Colbert joked on his CBS show in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">Kimmel's reinstatement</a>.

ABC suspended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f"></a>Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made in a monologue last week. Kimmel suggested that many Trump supporters were trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death and were "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr last week said it appeared that Kimmel was trying to “directly mislead the American public” with his remarks about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with Kirk's killing, and his motives. Those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">motives remain unclear</a>. Authorities say Robinson grew up in a conservative family, but his mother told investigators his son had turned left politically in the last year.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said before ABC announced the suspension. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Those remarks set a backlash in motion, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republicans-charlie-kirk-speech-kimmel-806cfa39cc19060541f3834a0597ff09">Republican Sen. Ted Cruz saying that Carr</a>&nbsp;acted like “a mafioso.” Hundreds of entertainment luminaries, including Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter circulated by the American Civil Liberties Union that called ABC's move “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

Some consumers punished&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">ABC parent Disney</a>&nbsp;by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.

Trump had hailed Kimmel's suspension, even inaccurately saying the show had been canceled. Kimmel has been a relentless Trump critic in his comedy.

Trump's administration has used threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over news coverage, which the companies settled. Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>, and successfully urged Congress to strip federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.

How — or even whether — Kimmel would address the controversy on his first show back remained a mystery. Millions of people are likely to watch.

Disney and ABC executives reportedly negotiated the return for several days before announcing the resolution. The ABC statement said the suspension happened because some of Kimmel's comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but it did not call them misleading.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X that “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make.”

The suspension happened at a time when the late-night landscape is shifting. Shows are losing viewers, in part because many watch highlights the next day online. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer. Kimmel's contract with ABC reportedly lasts through May.

Colbert, in his opening monologue Monday, grabbed his recently won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, saying, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”

Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy and James Pollard in New York and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday.

"We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” ABC said a statement.

ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.

Backlash to Kimmel’s comments was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.

Sinclair said Monday that it would not air Kimmel's show Tuesday and would broadcast news programming instead. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return,” the company said. There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel's return.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X about Kimmel's reinstatement: “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.”

Stephen Colbert joyfully reacted to the news during the opening of his “Late Show,” telling his audience that “our long national, late nightmare is over.”

Colbert, whose late show is being canceled by CBS after this season, said he was happy for his friend and the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” staff. Grabbing his recently-won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, the comedian could hardly contain his glee. He added, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”

President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel's reinstatement.

Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.

Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.

“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.

Kimmel’s suspension has cast a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">spotlight on the web of business interests</a>&nbsp;that require approval from the U.S. government. Disney, for instance, needs approval from the Trump administration for ESPN to complete its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-media-espn-a801cc6d355ddbcb98a8700125eed18b">acquisition of the NFL Network</a>, while Nexstar needs the administration’s approval to complete its $6.2 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nexstar-tegna-newsnation-cw-trump-c1743d55103a809ea31c5c7c7c4c0c87">purchase of broadcast rival Tegna</a>. Sinclair has petitioned the FCC to relax rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.

The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer.

Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026. His representative did not return a message seeking comment Monday.

Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>

More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-kimmel-nyc-mayor-bdb4033e7d60d6c81a80d16c8499bfed">willing to appear at a town hall</a>&nbsp;hosted by a local ABC station after earlier canceling his appearance due to Kimmel's suspension.

This story has been updated to correct that last name of Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758149830141.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to late-night television Tuesday after a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-a2bfa904429c318fe52e7d3493c6883d">weeklong suspension</a>&nbsp;that triggered a national discussion about freedom of speech and President Donald Trump's ability to police the words of journalists, commentators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-free-speech-comedy-censorship-0a1525424a5cf66d7236a39b853c4680">and even comics</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But two groups of ABC affiliates that denounced Kimmel last week said they would not carry his return. Nexstar Media Group said it would continue to preempt the show, “pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would also keep Kimmel off its stations. The two corporations collectively control about a quarter of ABC affiliates.ABC, which suspended Kimmel's show last Wednesday following criticism of his comments about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,</a>&nbsp;announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host.“Our long national late nightmare is over,” Stephen Colbert joked on his CBS show in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-supporters-94b79634a19b2c4ce70a2b4195ef1175">Kimmel's reinstatement</a>.ABC suspended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f"></a>Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made in a monologue last week. Kimmel suggested that many Trump supporters were trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death and were "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr last week said it appeared that Kimmel was trying to “directly mislead the American public” with his remarks about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with Kirk's killing, and his motives. Those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">motives remain unclear</a>. Authorities say Robinson grew up in a conservative family, but his mother told investigators his son had turned left politically in the last year.“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said before ABC announced the suspension. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”Those remarks set a backlash in motion, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republicans-charlie-kirk-speech-kimmel-806cfa39cc19060541f3834a0597ff09">Republican Sen. Ted Cruz saying that Carr</a>&nbsp;acted like “a mafioso.” Hundreds of entertainment luminaries, including Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter circulated by the American Civil Liberties Union that called ABC's move “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”Some consumers punished&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">ABC parent Disney</a>&nbsp;by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.Trump had hailed Kimmel's suspension, even inaccurately saying the show had been canceled. Kimmel has been a relentless Trump critic in his comedy.Trump's administration has used threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over news coverage, which the companies settled. Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>, and successfully urged Congress to strip federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.How — or even whether — Kimmel would address the controversy on his first show back remained a mystery. Millions of people are likely to watch.Disney and ABC executives reportedly negotiated the return for several days before announcing the resolution. The ABC statement said the suspension happened because some of Kimmel's comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but it did not call them misleading.Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X that “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make.”The suspension happened at a time when the late-night landscape is shifting. Shows are losing viewers, in part because many watch highlights the next day online. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer. Kimmel's contract with ABC reportedly lasts through May.Colbert, in his opening monologue Monday, grabbed his recently won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, saying, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”___Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy and James Pollard in New York and Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.---------------------------------NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">activist Charlie Kirk</a>, officials with the network said Monday."We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” ABC said a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return. <a href="https://t.co/beGC6VID2x">pic.twitter.com/beGC6VID2x</a>&mdash; Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1970266039532306593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ABC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-2c79d56fa53779014f2bb2ed9e47da1f">suspended</a>&nbsp;Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.Backlash to Kimmel’s comments was swift.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-kimmel-affiliate-charlie-kirk-8eb9dca5dff2c717fd00a7083982c5c4">Nexstar and Sinclair,</a>&nbsp;two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-reaction-03c1ae9d16a4a47481e855de1668def3">comedians</a>, came to his defense.Sinclair said Monday that it would not air Kimmel's show Tuesday and would broadcast news programming instead. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return,” the company said. There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel's return.Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X about Kimmel's reinstatement: “Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.”Stephen Colbert joyfully reacted to the news during the opening of his “Late Show,” telling his audience that “our long national, late nightmare is over.”Colbert, whose late show is being canceled by CBS after this season, said he was happy for his friend and the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” staff. Grabbing his recently-won Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, the comedian could hardly contain his glee. He added, “Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!”President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel's reinstatement.Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>&nbsp;over their coverage.Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-wall-street-journal-b006f3ef25e6b4ab910cc3b41c865227">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-b2a615192ebe2dcec859eb883368dfbb">The New York Times</a>. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/npr-pbs-public-broadcasting-trump-cuts-73de8fadf32655aa74752690d22a3758">NPR and PBS</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-jimmy-kimmel-f1c635a8b2184ccf50ed53d1c8d76518">Brendan Carr</a>, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC's local station licenses because of Kimmel's remarks.“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.Kimmel’s suspension has cast a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">spotlight on the web of business interests</a>&nbsp;that require approval from the U.S. government. Disney, for instance, needs approval from the Trump administration for ESPN to complete its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-media-espn-a801cc6d355ddbcb98a8700125eed18b">acquisition of the NFL Network</a>, while Nexstar needs the administration’s approval to complete its $6.2 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nexstar-tegna-newsnation-cw-trump-c1743d55103a809ea31c5c7c7c4c0c87">purchase of broadcast rival Tegna</a>. Sinclair has petitioned the FCC to relax rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab">the cancellation of Colbert’s show</a>&nbsp;over the summer.Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026. His representative did not return a message seeking comment Monday.Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-charlie-kirk-business-interests-fcc-f18546e00ba03980c03b4cda4c576aa8">Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.</a>More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/defend-free-speech-letter-kimmel">names to an open letter</a>&nbsp;Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”Also Monday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Monday evening he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-kimmel-nyc-mayor-bdb4033e7d60d6c81a80d16c8499bfed">willing to appear at a town hall</a>&nbsp;hosted by a local ABC station after earlier canceling his appearance due to Kimmel's suspension.___This story has been updated to correct that last name of Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.

More ABC affiliates refuse to show Jimmy Kimmel's return to TV

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; 

A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: &quot;Bad escalator&quot; President Trump referred to during his address to the U.N. General Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA80</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l">https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ja1JRyfF7m">pic.twitter.com/Ja1JRyfF7m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970544863130399037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 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">NOW - Escalator at UN headquarters immediately stops as Trump and Melania step on it shortly after arriving. <a href="https://t.co/8nlUkDoQxm">pic.twitter.com/8nlUkDoQxm</a>&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1970488216470859859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump begins <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly Address: &quot;I don&#39;t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working…Whoever&#39;s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/01t80AL9de">pic.twitter.com/01t80AL9de</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970492091034734761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Trump handles technical problems with humor at UN

NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.

This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.

In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.

While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”

These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634316959.png" alt="Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758637728470.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634294809.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

Secret Service finds network of devices capable of crashing phone network

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The federal government’s plan to withhold $10 million from a Kansas food assistance program won’t affect recipients and will be delayed while the state files an appeal, the Kansas governor’s chief of staff said Monday.

The governor’s office provided clarity on the issue after Attorney General Kris Kobach declared the state had lost millions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because “Gov. Laura Kelly refused to provide basic information about SNAP recipients to the USDA.”

Kelly’s administration has refused federal demands for SNAP data because it isn’t clear how Kansans’ personal information will be used.

“The governor seems to be blinded by her political ideology. She is flagrantly violating Kansas law, and she is hurting needy Kansans in the process,” Kobach said in a news release.&nbsp;

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/08/kansas-lawsuit-seeks-to-force-gov-laura-kelly-to-divulge-details-about-snap-recipients/">Kobach sued Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Sept. 8 for failing to turn over personal data of SNAP applicants and recipients, as they were repeatedly asked to do by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Patrick Penn, a former Kansas legislator who now is U.S. undersecretary for the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services program at USDA, in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24632&amp;t=638929448810904955" target="_blank">Aug. 20 letter to Kelly</a>&nbsp;threatened to withhold $10.4 million every three months until his agency receives the data.

Penn said the data is needed to look for fraud within the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">which Howard has previously said</a>&nbsp;is a function already completed through a fraud detection program in place as part of the state’s contract with FNS.

“In the absence of data, FNS lacks key information necessary to ensure effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Penn’s letter said. “FNS has already discovered from states that are complying with this statutory data sharing requirement that fraud or duplication in state distribution of federal funds has gone unreported and needs remediation.”

Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, said the state will file an appeal of the decision to withhold funding.

“The attorney general continues to have a complicated relationship with the facts and the truth in an effort to score political points by misleading thousands of Kansans,” Lawrence said of Kobach’s press release.&nbsp;

“We will, of course, appeal the decision and continue to protect the security of Kansans’ private data,” Lawrence said. “The filing of an appeal will automatically stay the disallowance of funds, meaning the SNAP program will continue to operate normally as the appeals process unfolds.”

Howard has said previously that DCF and the state are awaiting the ruling of a lawsuit brought by California and joined by other states asking the courts to stay the USDA’s request for SNAP data. A temporary injunction to stop the release of data to the USDA is in effect, according to a filing in that case.

Kobach’s office has not responded to Kansas Reflector questions about whether he believes that injunction applies to Kansas.

“We warned that this would happen when we filed the lawsuit on behalf of all Kansans against the governor. She is required by Kansas law to provide this basic information to the USDA,” Kobach said in the press release. “Now low-income Kansas families won’t be able to put food on the table because of her political defiance.”

If the funding were lost, it would affect the Kansas budget because it pays for administrative costs associated with SNAP. The funds are not part of the aid that is paid to SNAP recipients.&nbsp;

U.S. Reps. Ron Estes and Tracey Mann&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24634&amp;t=638929449101644374" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>, which Kobach included in his press release, to Kelly on Sept. 3 demanding the data be released so the state can correct its SNAP error rate.

Earlier this month, Howard explained the SNAP error rate is determined by the fraud detection process already in place.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758629932559.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly’s office said $10.4 million the federal government is threatening to withhold from a food assistance program won’t have an immediate effect as the state plans to appeal the decision. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly’s office said $10.4 million the federal government is threatening to withhold from a food assistance program won’t have an immediate effect as the state plans to appeal the decision. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The federal government’s plan to withhold $10 million from a Kansas food assistance program won’t affect recipients and will be delayed while the state files an appeal, the Kansas governor’s chief of staff said Monday.The governor’s office provided clarity on the issue after Attorney General Kris Kobach declared the state had lost millions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because “Gov. Laura Kelly refused to provide basic information about SNAP recipients to the USDA.”Kelly’s administration has refused federal demands for SNAP data because it isn’t clear how Kansans’ personal information will be used.“The governor seems to be blinded by her political ideology. She is flagrantly violating Kansas law, and she is hurting needy Kansans in the process,” Kobach said in a news release.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/08/kansas-lawsuit-seeks-to-force-gov-laura-kelly-to-divulge-details-about-snap-recipients/">Kobach sued Kelly</a>&nbsp;and Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Sept. 8 for failing to turn over personal data of SNAP applicants and recipients, as they were repeatedly asked to do by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Patrick Penn, a former Kansas legislator who now is U.S. undersecretary for the Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services program at USDA, in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24632&amp;t=638929448810904955" target="_blank">Aug. 20 letter to Kelly</a>&nbsp;threatened to withhold $10.4 million every three months until his agency receives the data.Penn said the data is needed to look for fraud within the program,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/26/kansas-official-defends-refusal-to-turn-over-private-food-program-data-in-face-of-political-attacks/">which Howard has previously said</a>&nbsp;is a function already completed through a fraud detection program in place as part of the state’s contract with FNS.Penn said that is not the case.“In the absence of data, FNS lacks key information necessary to ensure effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” Penn’s letter said. “FNS has already discovered from states that are complying with this statutory data sharing requirement that fraud or duplication in state distribution of federal funds has gone unreported and needs remediation.”Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, said the state will file an appeal of the decision to withhold funding.“The attorney general continues to have a complicated relationship with the facts and the truth in an effort to score political points by misleading thousands of Kansans,” Lawrence said of Kobach’s press release.&nbsp;“We will, of course, appeal the decision and continue to protect the security of Kansans’ private data,” Lawrence said. “The filing of an appeal will automatically stay the disallowance of funds, meaning the SNAP program will continue to operate normally as the appeals process unfolds.”Howard has said previously that DCF and the state are awaiting the ruling of a lawsuit brought by California and joined by other states asking the courts to stay the USDA’s request for SNAP data. A temporary injunction to stop the release of data to the USDA is in effect, according to a filing in that case.Kobach’s office has not responded to Kansas Reflector questions about whether he believes that injunction applies to Kansas.“We warned that this would happen when we filed the lawsuit on behalf of all Kansans against the governor. She is required by Kansas law to provide this basic information to the USDA,” Kobach said in the press release. “Now low-income Kansas families won’t be able to put food on the table because of her political defiance.”If the funding were lost, it would affect the Kansas budget because it pays for administrative costs associated with SNAP. The funds are not part of the aid that is paid to SNAP recipients.&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Ron Estes and Tracey Mann&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24634&amp;t=638929449101644374" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>, which Kobach included in his press release, to Kelly on Sept. 3 demanding the data be released so the state can correct its SNAP error rate.Earlier this month, Howard explained the SNAP error rate is determined by the fraud detection process already in place.

Kansas governor’s office disputes accuracy of Kobach’s claims about SNAP funding

FRANKLIN COUNTY —A Kansas man is in custody after allegedly firing shots at deputies near his rural home.

Just before 7:30p.m. Sunday, the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center received a port alleging 54-year-old Lester Caleb of rural Ottawa was firing a gun on his property in The 1200 Block of K68-Highway, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.

A neighbor called to check on him and Caleb verbally threatened the caller.&nbsp; Law enforcement was contacted due to Caleb's behavior. As the first responding deputy arrived, he was shot at twice from the area of Caleb's property. Caleb was then observed walking across the driveway toward's his residence and the deputy lost sight of him. The deputy was not struck by the gunfire and not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At this point, officers from the Ottawa Police Special Tactics and Rescue Team, The Miami County Sheriff's Special Response Team and The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area. A KHP helicopter was also used to monitor the area along with drones from local agencies.Neighbors in close. proximity were evacuated.&nbsp; Law enforcement conducted a search and could not find Caleb and asked the public for help to locate him.

During the day on Monday, law enforcement finally reached Caleb by phone and began a conversation. After an hour of discussion, Caleb surrendered to Franklin County Deputies.&nbsp; He was booked into jail just afater 4:30p.m.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release possible charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758535054962.png" alt="Caleb photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Caleb photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —A Kansas man is in custody after allegedly firing shots at deputies near his rural home.Just before 7:30p.m. Sunday, the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center received a port alleging 54-year-old Lester Caleb of rural Ottawa was firing a gun on his property in The 1200 Block of K68-Highway, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.A neighbor called to check on him and Caleb verbally threatened the caller.&nbsp; Law enforcement was contacted due to Caleb's behavior. As the first responding deputy arrived, he was shot at twice from the area of Caleb's property. Caleb was then observed walking across the driveway toward's his residence and the deputy lost sight of him. The deputy was not struck by the gunfire and not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;At this point, officers from the Ottawa Police Special Tactics and Rescue Team, The Miami County Sheriff's Special Response Team and The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area. A KHP helicopter was also used to monitor the area along with drones from local agencies.Neighbors in close. proximity were evacuated.&nbsp; Law enforcement conducted a search and could not find Caleb and asked the public for help to locate him.During the day on Monday, law enforcement finally reached Caleb by phone and began a conversation. After an hour of discussion, Caleb surrendered to Franklin County Deputies.&nbsp; He was booked into jail just afater 4:30p.m.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release possible charges.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of firing gun at deputies is in custody

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat at KU Medical Center.

Just after 6:30p.m Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to assist K.U. Medical police officers on a bomb threat call, according to a media release.

K.U. officers advised KCKPD that an individual arrived to the entrance of the ER with what was told to police to be an explosive device.  KCKPD set a perimeter and the bomb unit of KCKPD was called to the scene. 

 The device was determined not to be explosive. There was no danger to the public. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat at KU Medical Center.Just after 6:30p.m Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to assist K.U. Medical police officers on a bomb threat call, according to a media release.K.U. officers advised KCKPD that an individual arrived to the entrance of the ER with what was told to police to be an explosive device. KCKPD set a perimeter and the bomb unit of KCKPD was called to the scene. The device was determined not to be explosive. There was no danger to the public. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

Police investigate bomb threat at KU Medical Center

The vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;

The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.

In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:

Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:

While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.

Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a>

There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.

With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.

Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.

Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.

Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.

The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.

Coalition of Autism ScientistsThe vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces FDA&#39;s new guidance alerting physicians to a potential link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. <a href="https://t.co/ZjVgEAR6MX">pic.twitter.com/ZjVgEAR6MX</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970268144569819420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/0FdBCOjtZk">pic.twitter.com/0FdBCOjtZk</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970247984106328147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a>Regarding folinic acid (leucovorin):There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.Vaccines and Autism:Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.References:<ul>
 <li>Prada D, Ritz B, Bauer AZ, Baccarelli AA. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. 2025 Aug 14;24(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0. PMID: 40804730; PMCID: PMC12351903.</li><li>Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205–1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172 (See figure 2A)</li><li>Zhang C, Chen Y, Hou F, Li Y, Wang W, Guo L, Zhang C, Li L, Lu C. Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Folinic Acid in Children with Autism: The Impact of Folate Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms. Nutrients. 2025 May 7;17(9):1602. doi: 10.3390/nu17091602. PMID: 40362912; PMCID: PMC12073535.</li><li>ACOG Response to Consensus Statement on Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy. 9-21-21.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy</a></li><li>Panda PK, Sharawat IK, Saha S, Gupta D, Palayullakandi A, Meena K. Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Pediatr. 2024 Nov;183(11):4827-4835. doi: 10.1007/s00431-024-05762-6. Epub 2024 Sep 7. PMID: 39243316.</li><li>Batebi N, Moghaddam HS, Hasanzadeh A, Fakour Y, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Folinic Acid as Adjunctive Therapy in Treatment of Inappropriate Speech in Children with Autism: A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;52(5):928-938. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01072-8. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33029705.</li><li>Renard E, Leheup B, Guéant-Rodriguez RM, Oussalah A, Quadros EV, Guéant JL. Folinic acid improves the score of Autism in the EFFET placebo-controlled randomized trial. Biochimie. 2020 Jun;173:57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.04.019. Epub 2020 May 7. PMID: 32387472.</li><li>Frye RE, Slattery J, Delhey L, Furgerson B, Strickland T, Tippett M, Sailey A, Wynne R, Rose S, Melnyk S, Jill James S, Sequeira JM, Quadros EV. Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;23(2):247-256. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.168. Epub 2016 Oct 18. PMID: 27752075; PMCID: PMC5794882.</li>
 </ul>

Coalition of autism scientists oppose links between Tylenol and Autism; use of Leucovorin

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/growler-pines-tiger-preserve-oklahoma-handler-killed-38aca16b13afd7e9a71fcca1923676b5">tiger fatally attacked</a>&nbsp;an animal handler as horrified onlookers watched during the end of a big cat show at a preserve in southeastern Oklahoma, officials said Monday.

Ryan Easley, 37, was dead when deputies arrived Saturday at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve near Hugo, not far from the Texas border, just minutes after dispatchers received an emergency call, said Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park.

Park said the tiger unexpectedly started to bite and then shake Easley while the two were inside of a large cage.

“It was a big tiger,” Park told The Associated Press. “This particular one, he’d had for quite some time.”

Park said Easley’s wife and young daughter were present when the attack occurred.

Messages left Monday with Growler Pines Tiger Preserve were not immediately returned.

“This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” the preserve said in a statement on its Facebook page. “Ryan understood those risks — not out of recklessness but out of love. The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”

All tours have been canceled until further notice, the statement said.

The preserve is a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and see demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website.

Because the facility did not house animals native to Oklahoma, it would have been issued permits by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — rather than the state. That is according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation spokesperson Kelly Adams. Messages left Monday with both of those federal agencies were not immediately returned.

Two different animal rights organizations, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Humane World for Animals, said Easley’s death is a sad reminder of the dangers posed when wild animals like tigers are used in performances.

“It was really only a matter of time before these cats responded in way that is completely natural to them, which is to use aggression to respond to a stressor,” said Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation’s senior director of captive wildlife.

A certificate of veterinary inspection provided to the AP by Humane World shows two 11-month-old tigers obtained by Easley in 2012 came from the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, which was owned and operated by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-exotic-tiger-king-sentence-murder-for-hire-812b9b2b759e8d84f2e3192766f1efec">Tiger King</a>&nbsp;” Joe Exotic. The document appears to be authentic, said Bryce Boyer, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, which received the certificate in 2012.

Joe Exotic, a mullet-wearing Oklahoma zookeeper whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">sentenced to federal prison</a>&nbsp;in a case documented in the Netflix series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

In a statement posted to Maldonado-Passage’s Instagram account, he says Easley once built a compound at his zoo in Wynnewood more than a decade ago to house Easley’s tigers during the winter.

“So with all my respect as a human R.I.P. Ryan Easley,” the statement said. “You died doing what you loved.”

It’s not the first time a tiger has attacked and killed its handler. In 1997, a 400-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/may/08/tiger-kills-trainer-as-200-children-watch-in/" target="_blank">Bengal tiger killed its trainer</a>&nbsp;in front of a crowd of about 200 people at a circus in Pennsylvania.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758581710959.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/growler-pines-tiger-preserve-oklahoma-handler-killed-38aca16b13afd7e9a71fcca1923676b5">tiger fatally attacked</a>&nbsp;an animal handler as horrified onlookers watched during the end of a big cat show at a preserve in southeastern Oklahoma, officials said Monday.Ryan Easley, 37, was dead when deputies arrived Saturday at the Growler Pines Tiger Preserve near Hugo, not far from the Texas border, just minutes after dispatchers received an emergency call, said Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGrowlerPines%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036fGHuYB2NuHgcL1WCAvb7gNeSnPcopk19Bjo7nG4uzMAWoN36nvLAwcRDypBUzftl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="272" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Park said the tiger unexpectedly started to bite and then shake Easley while the two were inside of a large cage.“It was a big tiger,” Park told The Associated Press. “This particular one, he’d had for quite some time.”Park said Easley’s wife and young daughter were present when the attack occurred.Messages left Monday with Growler Pines Tiger Preserve were not immediately returned.“This tragedy is a painful reminder of both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world,” the preserve said in a statement on its Facebook page. “Ryan understood those risks — not out of recklessness but out of love. The animals under his care were not just animals to him, but beings he formed a connection with — one rooted in respect, daily care and love.”All tours have been canceled until further notice, the statement said.The preserve is a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and see demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website.Because the facility did not house animals native to Oklahoma, it would have been issued permits by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — rather than the state. That is according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation spokesperson Kelly Adams. Messages left Monday with both of those federal agencies were not immediately returned.Two different animal rights organizations, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Humane World for Animals, said Easley’s death is a sad reminder of the dangers posed when wild animals like tigers are used in performances.“It was really only a matter of time before these cats responded in way that is completely natural to them, which is to use aggression to respond to a stressor,” said Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation’s senior director of captive wildlife.A certificate of veterinary inspection provided to the AP by Humane World shows two 11-month-old tigers obtained by Easley in 2012 came from the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, which was owned and operated by “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-exotic-tiger-king-sentence-murder-for-hire-812b9b2b759e8d84f2e3192766f1efec">Tiger King</a>&nbsp;” Joe Exotic. The document appears to be authentic, said Bryce Boyer, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, which received the certificate in 2012.Joe Exotic, a mullet-wearing Oklahoma zookeeper whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">sentenced to federal prison</a>&nbsp;in a case documented in the Netflix series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.In a statement posted to Maldonado-Passage’s Instagram account, he says Easley once built a compound at his zoo in Wynnewood more than a decade ago to house Easley’s tigers during the winter.“So with all my respect as a human R.I.P. Ryan Easley,” the statement said. “You died doing what you loved.”It’s not the first time a tiger has attacked and killed its handler. In 1997, a 400-pound&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/may/08/tiger-kills-trainer-as-200-children-watch-in/" target="_blank">Bengal tiger killed its trainer</a>&nbsp;in front of a crowd of about 200 people at a circus in Pennsylvania.In Las Vegas in 2003,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf0c463f767d9e10f9ae44caa35f677b">Roy Horn of Siegfried &amp; Roy</a>&nbsp;was critically injured in an attack by one of the act’s famed white tigers during a show at the Mirage hotel-casino. Roy suffered severe neck injuries and underwent lengthy rehabilitation, and the attack effectively ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production.