SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

Just before 6a.m. on Monday at police were dispatched to a report of a sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1500 block of South Kansas, according to a media release.

The investigation revealed that the minor was waiting for the school bus when they were approached by a 31-year-old male suspect, not known to her. The suspect, identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Gonzalo Ramirez, lured the minor into a vehicle and committed the assault.

Officers quickly located Ramirez who was taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is encouraged to contact WPD Investigations at (316) 268-4407. Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111.

The Wichita Police Department reminds parents and guardians to:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758056137846.png" alt="Ramirez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Ramirez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.Just before 6a.m. on Monday at police were dispatched to a report of a sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1500 block of South Kansas, according to a media release.The investigation revealed that the minor was waiting for the school bus when they were approached by a 31-year-old male suspect, not known to her. The suspect, identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Gonzalo Ramirez, lured the minor into a vehicle and committed the assault.Officers quickly located Ramirez who was taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.Anyone with additional information about this incident is encouraged to contact WPD Investigations at (316) 268-4407. Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111.The Wichita Police Department reminds parents and guardians to:<ul>
 <li>Speak with their children about the dangers of speaking with strangers or entering vehicles with unknown individuals.</li><li>Encourage children to immediately notify a trusted adult and call 911 if they feel unsafe or encounter a similar situation.</li>
 </ul>

Kan. man accused of sex assault of child waiting for school bus

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —On Sunday, Muang Kyi was reported missing after being dropped off by a family member to go fishing near the Kaw River, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas. police.

 When the family returned, Mr. Kyi was no longer at the location other than his personal items. A multi-agency search effort was launched, including the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department Canine Search and Rescue, Overland Park Dive Team, and aerial support via police drones.  

On Tuesday, during the ongoing search, a call for service was received from a fisherman near Kaw Point who reported discovering a body in the river. The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, Kansas City, KCKPD Detectives, and Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department (KCKFD) responded to the scene and recovered the body.  He was positively identified by detectives as the missing man. At this time, no foul play is suspected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758068599578.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —On Sunday, Muang Kyi was reported missing after being dropped off by a family member to go fishing near the Kaw River, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas. police. When the family returned, Mr. Kyi was no longer at the location other than his personal items. A multi-agency search effort was launched, including the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department Canine Search and Rescue, Overland Park Dive Team, and aerial support via police drones. On Tuesday, during the ongoing search, a call for service was received from a fisherman near Kaw Point who reported discovering a body in the river. The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, Kansas City, KCKPD Detectives, and Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department (KCKFD) responded to the scene and recovered the body. He was positively identified by detectives as the missing man. At this time, no foul play is suspected.

Police: Body discovered in river identified as missing Kan. man

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV told the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See that he is praying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">Charlie Kirk</a>, the conservative activist assassinated in Utah last week, as well as his wife and children, the Vatican spokesman said Tuesday.

Leo also “expressed concern about political violence and spoke of the need to refrain from rhetoric and exploitation that lead to polarization rather than dialogue,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said in comments reported by Vatican News.

The pope made the comments on Saturday when he received Ambassador Brian Burch in an audience to receive his credentials. The protocol visit marked their first meeting.

“The pope confirmed that he is praying for Charlie Kirk,” Bruni said.

Kirk was shot dead Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, outside Salt Lake City.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyler-robinson-charlie-kirk-charges-criminal-counts-34e0a6e790222a9a915df383eea281ee">Tyler Robinson, 22,</a>&nbsp;has been charged with aggravated murder in Kirk's killing.

Leo had sent a telegram of condolences Aug. 27 after a shooting in a Catholic church in Minneapolis in which two children were killed, but didn’t send a telegram about the Kirk slaying.

Burch hosted a welcome diplomatic reception Monday in which he said it was a “remarkable time to be in Rome,” with an American pope for the first time.

He spoke about his papal audience, saying Leo “reminded me he is not an American pope. He is a pope of America for the world,” Burch told the assembled ambassadors, cardinals and guests.

Burch’s Chicago-based organization, CatholicVote, endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and helped lead a successful effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-catholic-voters-f73f2c74b1e21cc96ff42a671220dbdb">boost Catholic support</a>&nbsp;for the Republican winner.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV told the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See that he is praying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-court-death-penalty-f541df08a936e06497ee2342296bc398">Charlie Kirk</a>, the conservative activist assassinated in Utah last week, as well as his wife and children, the Vatican spokesman said Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, 🇺🇸🇻🇦Ambassador Burch presented his credentials to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, officially beginning his tenure as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. We warmly welcome Ambassador Burch and wish him every success in his important work. Buon lavoro! <a href="https://t.co/KqdEQEKh5r">pic.twitter.com/KqdEQEKh5r</a>&mdash; U.S. in Holy See (@USinHolySee) <a href="https://twitter.com/USinHolySee/status/1966845330659463217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Leo also “expressed concern about political violence and spoke of the need to refrain from rhetoric and exploitation that lead to polarization rather than dialogue,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said in comments reported by Vatican News.The pope made the comments on Saturday when he received Ambassador Brian Burch in an audience to receive his credentials. The protocol visit marked their first meeting.“The pope confirmed that he is praying for Charlie Kirk,” Bruni said.Kirk was shot dead Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, outside Salt Lake City.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyler-robinson-charlie-kirk-charges-criminal-counts-34e0a6e790222a9a915df383eea281ee">Tyler Robinson, 22,</a>&nbsp;has been charged with aggravated murder in Kirk's killing.Leo had sent a telegram of condolences Aug. 27 after a shooting in a Catholic church in Minneapolis in which two children were killed, but didn’t send a telegram about the Kirk slaying.Burch hosted a welcome diplomatic reception Monday in which he said it was a “remarkable time to be in Rome,” with an American pope for the first time.He spoke about his papal audience, saying Leo “reminded me he is not an American pope. He is a pope of America for the world,” Burch told the assembled ambassadors, cardinals and guests.Burch’s Chicago-based organization, CatholicVote, endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and helped lead a successful effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-catholic-voters-f73f2c74b1e21cc96ff42a671220dbdb">boost Catholic support</a>&nbsp;for the Republican winner.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope talks with new US ambassador about Charlie Kirk and family

WASHINGTON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in Washington County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022&nbsp;Moto Guzzi motorcycle driven by Thomas G. Lewis, 68, Firestone, Colorado,&nbsp;&nbsp;was eastbound on U.S. 36 just east of Osage Road.&nbsp;

The motorcycle rear-ended a 1981 John Deere Tractor driven by&nbsp;Schmidt, Jonathan E. Schmidt, 26, Diller, Nebraska.&nbsp; Lewis was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Schmidt was not injured. The KHP did not information on if Lewis was wearing a helmet at the time of an accident.

WASHINGTON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in Washington County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022&nbsp;Moto Guzzi motorcycle driven by Thomas G. Lewis, 68, Firestone, Colorado,&nbsp;&nbsp;was eastbound on U.S. 36 just east of Osage Road.&nbsp;The motorcycle rear-ended a 1981 John Deere Tractor driven by&nbsp;Schmidt, Jonathan E. Schmidt, 26, Diller, Nebraska.&nbsp; Lewis was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Schmidt was not injured. The KHP did not information on if Lewis was wearing a helmet at the time of an accident.

Man dies after motorcycle rear-ends tractor on Kan. highway

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.

Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;

&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758144874411.png" alt="Gonzalez photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

Sheriff: Suspect with no drivers license dumped trash on Kan. highway

JOHNSON COUNTY—A former school paraprofessional has admitted having a sexual relationship with a student.

In August, Kassidy Alexander, 27, was charged with unlawful sexual relations, according to online jail records in Johnson County.&nbsp; She is a former USD 232 Desoto school district employee at&nbsp;Lexington Trails Middle School.

On September 11,&nbsp; Alexander pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful sexual relations with a student, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. Two other counts of unlawful sexual relations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

The charge involves events occurring from July 25, 2022, to March 2024, according to court documents.&nbsp; Alexander is accused of "unlawfully and feloniously engaging in consensual sexual intercourse" with someone 16 years or older, a student in the school, according to court documents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723146446335.png" alt="Alexander photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Alexander photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A former school paraprofessional has admitted having a sexual relationship with a student.In August, Kassidy Alexander, 27, was charged with unlawful sexual relations, according to online jail records in Johnson County.&nbsp; She is a former USD 232 Desoto school district employee at&nbsp;Lexington Trails Middle School.On September 11,&nbsp; Alexander pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful sexual relations with a student, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. Two other counts of unlawful sexual relations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.The charge involves events occurring from July 25, 2022, to March 2024, according to court documents.&nbsp; Alexander is accused of "unlawfully and feloniously engaging in consensual sexual intercourse" with someone 16 years or older, a student in the school, according to court documents.

Plea deal: Kansas middle school teacher admits sex with student

BROWN COUNTY —The search for a wanted suspect is over in northeast Kansas.

Just after 10:30a.m. Sunday, deputies aprehanded 39-year-old Josh Heideman of Corning at the Brown County State fishing lake, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

A deputy had received a tip that Heideman was staying at the lake in a tent.&nbsp; A coordinated effort with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officers and Sheriff's deputies resulted in an arrest without incident at the campsite.

Heideman is being held on requested chargesof Interference of Law enforcement officer and a parole violation stemming from an incident on September 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a series of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County are asking the public for help in locating 38-year-old&nbsp; Joshua Heideman of Centralia, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

Heideman is&nbsp; &nbsp;Heideman is described as a 38-year-old&nbsp; white male,&nbsp; 6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758038702782.png" alt="Heideman -photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Heideman -photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —The search for a wanted suspect is over in northeast Kansas.Just after 10:30a.m. Sunday, deputies aprehanded 39-year-old Josh Heideman of Corning at the Brown County State fishing lake, according to Sheriff John Merchant.A deputy had received a tip that Heideman was staying at the lake in a tent.&nbsp; A coordinated effort with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officers and Sheriff's deputies resulted in an arrest without incident at the campsite.Heideman is being held on requested chargesof Interference of Law enforcement officer and a parole violation stemming from an incident on September 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;-------------------------BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a series of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County are asking the public for help in locating 38-year-old&nbsp; Joshua Heideman of Centralia, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.Heideman is&nbsp; &nbsp;Heideman is described as a 38-year-old&nbsp; white male,&nbsp; 6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp;

Wanted suspect was hiding in a tent at a Kansas lake

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsey-bahr">LINDSEY BAHR</a> Associated Press

When you’re a larger-than-life, generation-spanning star like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-redford-reaction-tributes-b3f22682a10aaf2b587a7fa7318e6d86">Robert Redford</a>, the hard truth is that every movie is notable in some way. He was iconic in his own time, whether in front of the camera, or behind it. And in his lifetime, so many of his films transcended their original reviews to find passionate fanbases: Just ask older millennials about the 1992 hacker movie “Sneakers” or the “Sex and the City” generation about “The Way We Were.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-redford-dies-be240607d3f2f3374c00a3bdc79154e4">Redford died Tuesday at 89,</a>&nbsp;leaving behind an arsenal of great roles that he owned, whether he was playing a quiet CIA agent, a con man, a baseball player, a grizzled mariner, an ambitious journalist, or a charming WASP in love. You could make a feast out of his Sydney Pollack collaborations alone, staring with “Jeremiah Johnson” (streaming on&nbsp;<a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/100042107/jeremiah-johnson" target="_blank">Tubi</a>&nbsp;), a classic that also took on a surprising afterlife as a meme that became so popular, younger generations didn’t even realize it was Redford behind that beard. His very last role came this year, a cameo in “Dark Winds,” the AMC show about Navajo police officers he produced.

This is a list of some of Redford’s most memorable performances, but don’t forget about the films he directed, too: among them are the all-timers “Ordinary People” (&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/ordinary-people/umc.cmc.yeqorbtu1t41epsy01fu3dmi?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A272603413" target="_blank">streaming on MGM+</a>&nbsp;), which won him the best director Oscar, and “Quiz Show” (rent on&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/quiz-show/umc.cmc.20y3lua6vjlz9ntnlzglueiah?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A442087681" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a>&nbsp;), which got him another nod.

Redford and Jane Fonda play a passionate but mismatched newlywed couple whose relationship is tested by their walk-up New York apartment in this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/85fec2b821fa47ddab7920b1c9b11a1b">Neil Simon comedy.</a>&nbsp;Reprising the role he’d played on Broadway, Redford is the uptight, conservative foil to her more free-spirited character and they’re both stunningly beautiful and fun to watch. Fonda told The Guardian in 2015 that she was “always in love with Robert Redford.” He later responded that he wasn’t aware. The two also appeared together in “The Chase” (1966), “The Electric Horseman” (1979) and “Our Souls at Night” (2017).

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13001141" target="_blank">Kanopy</a>; rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.0315c529-0e5e-4ba7-99b0-5802d59418c2?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a>

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969)

Redford met Paul Newman on “Butch Cassidy,” George Roy Hill and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f703a27397104a71866fa0cc2034c397">William Goldman’s</a>&nbsp;Western buddy film about outlaws on the run. It was the start of a lifelong friendship, but it almost didn’t happen, since the studio wanted a star like Steve McQueen or Marlon Brando instead of Redford.

“I was not a name equal to Paul’s. I was just sort of moving up at that time,” he told the AP in 2015. “There was a big argument that went on for months and months. They said it had to be a star. (Newman) said, ‘Well, I want to work with an actor,’ because Paul respected acting. Had it not been for Paul, I would not have gotten that break.”

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.a201590c-c682-476b-b711-7435628cf5b3?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a>

A film that’s as stylish as it is compelling, Redford plays an ambitious and smug downhill skier out for Olympic gold in this Michael Ritchie film. Roger Ebert, in his review, wrote that it is “a portrait of a man that is so complete, and so tragic, that ‘Downhill Racer’ becomes the best movie ever made about sports — without really being about sports at all.”

This was one of Redford’s passion projects, his first independent feature that taught him some hard lessons about Hollywood. “That was when I learned about how the film industry really works,” Redford told the Harvard Business Review in 2002. “The studio simply tossed ‘Downhill Racer’ away without a second thought. I broke my heart trying to get that film promoted and distributed.”

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/3216668" target="_blank">Kanopy</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://fubo.tv/al/al1%3Fa%3Dplay%26ftv_campaign%3Dfeeds%26ftv_medium%3Dfeed_google_watch_actions%26ftv_source%3D202509070704%26ftv_term%3Dprogram_MV000034860000%26pid%3DMV000034860000%26t%3Dprogram%26utm_campaign%3Dfeeds%26utm_medium%3Dfeed_google_watch_actions%26utm_source%3D202509070704%26utm_term%3Dprogram_MV000034860000%26v%3D1" target="_blank">FuboTV</a>; rent on Prime Video

After the success of “Butch Cassidy,” “The Sting,” another Hill film, fell into place more easily. Redford and Newman play grifters in 1936 Chicago who fleece Robert Shaw’s rich mobster in this memorable caper that went on to win best picture.

“What was interesting was the switcheroo,” Redford told the AP. “Paul had played these iconic, quiet, still characters in the past, and that’s not what Paul is. He was a chatty, nervous guy who was always biting his fingernails. … He loved to have fun and play games.”

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://watch.spectrum.net/product/movie/MV000090330000?visitId=202509161403V-7c66df92-45bb-400a-8d32-0eca2b2349f4" target="_blank">Spectrum</a>; rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-sting/umc.cmc.2efto0al4w35i937i1i2d3mn5?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A282285129" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a>

Ah Hubbell, that beautiful, carefree WASP who falls in love with Barbra Streisand’s fiercely opinionated Katie. The making of the Pollack film, from a script standpoint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reviews-barbra-streisand-robert-redford-entertainment-e9f23e523a8f48def643a09527f4ebf1">was fraught</a>&nbsp;and the original writer Arthur Laurents was never quite happy with how it turned out. But this romantic drama with that memorable song has endured over the generations (it was even a reference in a pivotal “Sex and the City” episode).

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on various services including&nbsp;<a href="https://athome.fandango.com/content/browse/details/The-Way-We-Were/13758?CMP=NSP_JustWatch~FAH" target="_blank">Fandango</a>

Redford teamed with Pollack again for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-christmas-movies-1483b45d748a303df3efd2e547870bc5">this paranoid thriller</a>&nbsp;about a quiet CIA codebreaker who returns from lunch only to discover his co-workers have all been murdered. The film sends him on the run from the bosses involved in this vast conspiracy, and a hit man played by Max von Sydow.

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgmplus.com/movie/three-days-of-the-condor-1975" target="_blank">MGM+</a>

To Redford, the history of this film was more interesting than the project itself. He started obsessing over the Watergate saga during a whistle-stop tour for “The Candidate,” also a great and prophetic Redford film, when he overheard some journalists gossiping about the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and became fascinated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1b12e38126b47629a4a0fcd2991b008">the journalists covering the story,</a>&nbsp;Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

“I wanted to know who these guys were, who created all this disturbance,” Redford told the AP. “I thought, ‘Wow, one guy was a Jew, one guy was a WASP. One guy was a Republican, the other guy was a liberal. One guy was a good writer, the other wasn’t very good. They didn’t like each other, but they had to work together. Now that’s an interesting dynamic I’d love to know about.’”

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.44a9f723-46bf-2e5f-a092-4e5977f2886b?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" target="_blank">Prime Video</a>

This is one of those films that might not be many critics’ favorite, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-mlb-baseball-arts-and-entertainment-0a51a5b8e8447fcbc7d0e38d101bda15">its cultural impact</a>&nbsp;almost negates that. Redford played baseball player Roy Hobbs in Barry Levinson’s adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel about an up-and-coming talent whose career is derailed after getting shot, but who gets another chance at greatness 16 years later.

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.5ea9f798-37e1-3909-d7df-7517970eb83f?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3Fhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.5ea9f798-37e1-3909-d7df-7517970eb83f?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a>

This breathtakingly beautiful historical romance (also directed by Pollack) finds Meryl Streep, as the Danish expat Karen Blixen, unable to resist the charms of Redford’s big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton, an English man with no accent (Pollack thought it would be distracting for audiences). The film didn’t get the best reviews, but it did go on to win the best picture Oscar.

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.96a9f769-4e9d-7726-87b6-a725ee6b0c81?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" target="_blank">Prime Video</a>

J.C. Chandor directed Redford in this harrowing survival story, in which a veteran sailor on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean tries to survive after his yacht is stuck by a floating cargo container. Made for only $9 million, it’s stripped-down and thrilling. “It’s a pure cinematic experience,” Redford told The Hollywood Reporter. “And that was very appealing to me at this point in my life — to be able to go back to my roots as an actor, to be interesting enough to have the audience ride along with you and almost be a part of what you are feeling and thinking.” It’s likely a quirk of modern film review aggregation, but it is also his highest Rotten Tomatoes score.

WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/348089/all-is-lost" target="_blank">Tubi</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/54d292739ead505886772a48e4af8d59/all-is-lost?source=bing" target="_blank">The Roku Channel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/15622657" target="_blank">Kanopy</a>

This&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-eca5e04623f94f26928b9a2fad3d77cf">indie gem</a>&nbsp;from filmmaker David Lowery, about a 70-year-old San Quentin escapee who embarks on a series of bank heists, was a bit of a swan song for Redford, who was 82 when it was released. His character, Forrest Tucker, is the kind of thief who left his victims disarmed, with one bank teller explaining to the police, “He was a gentleman.” It’s one of those films that’s almost comforting to watch, a reassuring testament to his enduring appeal. Charisma doesn’t need to dwindle with age, and Redford was proof.

WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-old-man--the-gun/umc.cmc.5cn92t8ay8xiqxaffaetpvd20?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A1438900292" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a>

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 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lindsey-bahr">LINDSEY BAHR</a> Associated PressWhen you’re a larger-than-life, generation-spanning star like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-redford-reaction-tributes-b3f22682a10aaf2b587a7fa7318e6d86">Robert Redford</a>, the hard truth is that every movie is notable in some way. He was iconic in his own time, whether in front of the camera, or behind it. And in his lifetime, so many of his films transcended their original reviews to find passionate fanbases: Just ask older millennials about the 1992 hacker movie “Sneakers” or the “Sex and the City” generation about “The Way We Were.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-redford-dies-be240607d3f2f3374c00a3bdc79154e4">Redford died Tuesday at 89,</a>&nbsp;leaving behind an arsenal of great roles that he owned, whether he was playing a quiet CIA agent, a con man, a baseball player, a grizzled mariner, an ambitious journalist, or a charming WASP in love. You could make a feast out of his Sydney Pollack collaborations alone, staring with “Jeremiah Johnson” (streaming on&nbsp;<a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/100042107/jeremiah-johnson" target="_blank">Tubi</a>&nbsp;), a classic that also took on a surprising afterlife as a meme that became so popular, younger generations didn’t even realize it was Redford behind that beard. His very last role came this year, a cameo in “Dark Winds,” the AMC show about Navajo police officers he produced.This is a list of some of Redford’s most memorable performances, but don’t forget about the films he directed, too: among them are the all-timers “Ordinary People” (&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/ordinary-people/umc.cmc.yeqorbtu1t41epsy01fu3dmi?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A272603413" target="_blank">streaming on MGM+</a>&nbsp;), which won him the best director Oscar, and “Quiz Show” (rent on&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/quiz-show/umc.cmc.20y3lua6vjlz9ntnlzglueiah?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A442087681" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a>&nbsp;), which got him another nod.<h2>“Barefoot in the Park” (1967)</h2>Redford and Jane Fonda play a passionate but mismatched newlywed couple whose relationship is tested by their walk-up New York apartment in this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/85fec2b821fa47ddab7920b1c9b11a1b">Neil Simon comedy.</a>&nbsp;Reprising the role he’d played on Broadway, Redford is the uptight, conservative foil to her more free-spirited character and they’re both stunningly beautiful and fun to watch. Fonda told The Guardian in 2015 that she was “always in love with Robert Redford.” He later responded that he wasn’t aware. The two also appeared together in “The Chase” (1966), “The Electric Horseman” (1979) and “Our Souls at Night” (2017).WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13001141" target="_blank">Kanopy</a>; rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.0315c529-0e5e-4ba7-99b0-5802d59418c2?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a><h2>“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969)</h2>Redford met Paul Newman on “Butch Cassidy,” George Roy Hill and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f703a27397104a71866fa0cc2034c397">William Goldman’s</a>&nbsp;Western buddy film about outlaws on the run. It was the start of a lifelong friendship, but it almost didn’t happen, since the studio wanted a star like Steve McQueen or Marlon Brando instead of Redford.“I was not a name equal to Paul’s. I was just sort of moving up at that time,” he told the AP in 2015. “There was a big argument that went on for months and months. They said it had to be a star. (Newman) said, ‘Well, I want to work with an actor,’ because Paul respected acting. Had it not been for Paul, I would not have gotten that break.”WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.a201590c-c682-476b-b711-7435628cf5b3?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a><h2>“Downhill Racer” (1969)</h2>A film that’s as stylish as it is compelling, Redford plays an ambitious and smug downhill skier out for Olympic gold in this Michael Ritchie film. Roger Ebert, in his review, wrote that it is “a portrait of a man that is so complete, and so tragic, that ‘Downhill Racer’ becomes the best movie ever made about sports — without really being about sports at all.”This was one of Redford’s passion projects, his first independent feature that taught him some hard lessons about Hollywood. “That was when I learned about how the film industry really works,” Redford told the Harvard Business Review in 2002. “The studio simply tossed ‘Downhill Racer’ away without a second thought. I broke my heart trying to get that film promoted and distributed.”WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/3216668" target="_blank">Kanopy</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://fubo.tv/al/al1%3Fa%3Dplay%26ftv_campaign%3Dfeeds%26ftv_medium%3Dfeed_google_watch_actions%26ftv_source%3D202509070704%26ftv_term%3Dprogram_MV000034860000%26pid%3DMV000034860000%26t%3Dprogram%26utm_campaign%3Dfeeds%26utm_medium%3Dfeed_google_watch_actions%26utm_source%3D202509070704%26utm_term%3Dprogram_MV000034860000%26v%3D1" target="_blank">FuboTV</a>; rent on Prime Video<h2>“The Sting” (1973)</h2>After the success of “Butch Cassidy,” “The Sting,” another Hill film, fell into place more easily. Redford and Newman play grifters in 1936 Chicago who fleece Robert Shaw’s rich mobster in this memorable caper that went on to win best picture.“What was interesting was the switcheroo,” Redford told the AP. “Paul had played these iconic, quiet, still characters in the past, and that’s not what Paul is. He was a chatty, nervous guy who was always biting his fingernails. … He loved to have fun and play games.”WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://watch.spectrum.net/product/movie/MV000090330000?visitId=202509161403V-7c66df92-45bb-400a-8d32-0eca2b2349f4" target="_blank">Spectrum</a>; rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-sting/umc.cmc.2efto0al4w35i937i1i2d3mn5?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A282285129" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a><h2>“The Way We Were” (1973)</h2>Ah Hubbell, that beautiful, carefree WASP who falls in love with Barbra Streisand’s fiercely opinionated Katie. The making of the Pollack film, from a script standpoint,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reviews-barbra-streisand-robert-redford-entertainment-e9f23e523a8f48def643a09527f4ebf1">was fraught</a>&nbsp;and the original writer Arthur Laurents was never quite happy with how it turned out. But this romantic drama with that memorable song has endured over the generations (it was even a reference in a pivotal “Sex and the City” episode).WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on various services including&nbsp;<a href="https://athome.fandango.com/content/browse/details/The-Way-We-Were/13758?CMP=NSP_JustWatch~FAH" target="_blank">Fandango</a><h2>“Three Days of the Condor” (1975)</h2>Redford teamed with Pollack again for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-christmas-movies-1483b45d748a303df3efd2e547870bc5">this paranoid thriller</a>&nbsp;about a quiet CIA codebreaker who returns from lunch only to discover his co-workers have all been murdered. The film sends him on the run from the bosses involved in this vast conspiracy, and a hit man played by Max von Sydow.WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgmplus.com/movie/three-days-of-the-condor-1975" target="_blank">MGM+</a><h2>“All the President’s Men” (1976)</h2>To Redford, the history of this film was more interesting than the project itself. He started obsessing over the Watergate saga during a whistle-stop tour for “The Candidate,” also a great and prophetic Redford film, when he overheard some journalists gossiping about the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and became fascinated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1b12e38126b47629a4a0fcd2991b008">the journalists covering the story,</a>&nbsp;Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.“I wanted to know who these guys were, who created all this disturbance,” Redford told the AP. “I thought, ‘Wow, one guy was a Jew, one guy was a WASP. One guy was a Republican, the other guy was a liberal. One guy was a good writer, the other wasn’t very good. They didn’t like each other, but they had to work together. Now that’s an interesting dynamic I’d love to know about.’”WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.44a9f723-46bf-2e5f-a092-4e5977f2886b?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" target="_blank">Prime Video</a><h2>“The Natural” (1984)</h2>This is one of those films that might not be many critics’ favorite, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-mlb-baseball-arts-and-entertainment-0a51a5b8e8447fcbc7d0e38d101bda15">its cultural impact</a>&nbsp;almost negates that. Redford played baseball player Roy Hobbs in Barry Levinson’s adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel about an up-and-coming talent whose career is derailed after getting shot, but who gets another chance at greatness 16 years later.WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.5ea9f798-37e1-3909-d7df-7517970eb83f?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3Fhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.5ea9f798-37e1-3909-d7df-7517970eb83f?tag=justus1ktp-20&amp;token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F" target="_blank">Prime Video</a><h2>“Out of Africa” (1985)</h2>This breathtakingly beautiful historical romance (also directed by Pollack) finds Meryl Streep, as the Danish expat Karen Blixen, unable to resist the charms of Redford’s big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton, an English man with no accent (Pollack thought it would be distracting for audiences). The film didn’t get the best reviews, but it did go on to win the best picture Oscar.WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.96a9f769-4e9d-7726-87b6-a725ee6b0c81?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" target="_blank">Prime Video</a><h2>“All Is Lost” (2013)</h2>J.C. Chandor directed Redford in this harrowing survival story, in which a veteran sailor on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean tries to survive after his yacht is stuck by a floating cargo container. Made for only $9 million, it’s stripped-down and thrilling. “It’s a pure cinematic experience,” Redford told The Hollywood Reporter. “And that was very appealing to me at this point in my life — to be able to go back to my roots as an actor, to be interesting enough to have the audience ride along with you and almost be a part of what you are feeling and thinking.” It’s likely a quirk of modern film review aggregation, but it is also his highest Rotten Tomatoes score.WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on&nbsp;<a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/348089/all-is-lost" target="_blank">Tubi</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/54d292739ead505886772a48e4af8d59/all-is-lost?source=bing" target="_blank">The Roku Channel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/15622657" target="_blank">Kanopy</a><h2>“The Old Man &amp; The Gun” (2018)</h2>This&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-eca5e04623f94f26928b9a2fad3d77cf">indie gem</a>&nbsp;from filmmaker David Lowery, about a 70-year-old San Quentin escapee who embarks on a series of bank heists, was a bit of a swan song for Redford, who was 82 when it was released. His character, Forrest Tucker, is the kind of thief who left his victims disarmed, with one bank teller explaining to the police, “He was a gentleman.” It’s one of those films that’s almost comforting to watch, a reassuring testament to his enduring appeal. Charisma doesn’t need to dwindle with age, and Redford was proof.WHERE TO WATCH: Rent on several services, including&nbsp;<a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-old-man--the-gun/umc.cmc.5cn92t8ay8xiqxaffaetpvd20?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A1438900292" target="_blank">Apple TV+</a>

11 of Robert Redford’s most memorable performances and where to watch them

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump is warning Hamas not to use hostages as 'human shields'

This comes as Israel’s ground offensive targeting Gaza City begins.

“I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he prepared to leave for the United Kingdom. “And if they do that, they’re going to be in big trouble.”

On Monday, Trump posted his Truth Social platform that he had read a news report indicating Hamas would use the captives as “human shields.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump is warning Hamas not to use hostages as 'human shields'<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Trump is asked about Israel launching a massive new ground offensive in Gaza City, and all he has to say is: &quot;I hear Hamas is trying to use the old Human Shield deal.&quot; In other words, he recycles one of the three or four Gaza-related talking points he&#39;s able to retain in his head <a href="https://t.co/Op0MpxvwGt">pic.twitter.com/Op0MpxvwGt</a>&mdash; Michael Tracey (@mtracey) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1968003246053790122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This comes as Israel’s ground offensive targeting Gaza City begins.“I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he prepared to leave for the United Kingdom. “And if they do that, they’re going to be in big trouble.”<figure>
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 </figure>On Monday, Trump posted his Truth Social platform that he had read a news report indicating Hamas would use the captives as “human shields.”

🎥Trump warns Hamas if hostages are used as human shields

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;at a Utah university, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26098852-tyler-robinson-indictment/">Click here to read the full indictment&nbsp;</a>

The charge means Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in announcing the charges. He said Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the gun used to kill Kirk.

Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">gunned down</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 10 as he spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.

A Utah Valley University police officer was watching the crowd from an “elevated position” and identified the roof of the Losee Center as a potential position for a shooter, Gray said. The officer found evidence on the roof immediately, he said, and spurred officers to direct their attention to surveillance video leading to the roof.

Robinson, 22, also was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon.

It was unclear whether Robinson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-suspect-d893cc16fb0937d507283c710c551ef0">Robinson was arrested</a>&nbsp;late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.

Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">a confidant of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">largest political organizations</a>. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence in a deeply polarized United States</a>.

While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spencer-cox-unity-speech-kirk-political-violence-17a8c23ba06428cbbc413a673cd0f986">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said over the weekend that those who know Robinson say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-cox-robinson-assassination-aef9fe8dc82d218a36d078536717d95d">his politics shifted left</a>&nbsp;in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet.”

FBI Director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-patel-russia-epstein-c3e70633befef64b60613709c9919b0c">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;said Monday on the Fox News Channel show “Fox &amp; Friends” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-dna-fbi-patel-92a643a3f16bce587fd34896ca7f4f76">DNA evidence has linked Robinson</a>&nbsp;to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.

Before the shooting, Robinson wrote in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it, according to Patel.

The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-charlie-kirk-senate-hearing-048c7a7c575472b8a1a7d4ed6fb32b69">a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in Washington. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.

“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.

Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether that played a role. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative. He said investigators believe Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.

In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-killing-america-divided-violence-politics-9b75c05301668fa033f9b4cc98b046c9">facing questions</a>&nbsp;about rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence</a>, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">consequences at work</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758046618970.png" alt="Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announces the charges on Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announces the charges on Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;at a Utah university, was charged on Tuesday with aggravated murder.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26098852-tyler-robinson-indictment/">Click here to read the full indictment&nbsp;</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray announces charges filed against Tyler James Robinson in the death of Charlie Kirk including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice.&quot; He also announces his intent to seek the death penalty. <a href="https://t.co/LqlpmMMR7O">pic.twitter.com/LqlpmMMR7O</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1968018452431380491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758049682220.png" alt="Text message between Tyler Robinson and his roommate and romantic partner, according to the Utah County Attorney" />
 <figcaption>Text message between Tyler Robinson and his roommate and romantic partner, according to the Utah County Attorney</figcaption>
 </figure>The charge means Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in announcing the charges. He said Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the gun used to kill Kirk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758049347660.png" alt="Page 1 of the indictment -Utah County Attorney's office" />
 <figcaption>Page 1 of the indictment -Utah County Attorney's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Kirk was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect-things-to-know-dcde3f792f4d6636d44fb9f4fa53569c">gunned down</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 10 as he spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.A Utah Valley University police officer was watching the crowd from an “elevated position” and identified the roof of the Losee Center as a potential position for a shooter, Gray said. The officer found evidence on the roof immediately, he said, and spurred officers to direct their attention to surveillance video leading to the roof.Robinson, 22, also was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon.It was unclear whether Robinson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757689066912.png" alt="Robinson photo released by the Utah Governor's office" />
 <figcaption>Robinson photo released by the Utah Governor's office</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-suspect-d893cc16fb0937d507283c710c551ef0">Robinson was arrested</a>&nbsp;late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">a confidant of President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9">largest political organizations</a>. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence in a deeply polarized United States</a>.While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spencer-cox-unity-speech-kirk-political-violence-17a8c23ba06428cbbc413a673cd0f986">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said over the weekend that those who know Robinson say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-cox-robinson-assassination-aef9fe8dc82d218a36d078536717d95d">his politics shifted left</a>&nbsp;in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet.”FBI Director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-patel-russia-epstein-c3e70633befef64b60613709c9919b0c">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;said Monday on the Fox News Channel show “Fox &amp; Friends” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-dna-fbi-patel-92a643a3f16bce587fd34896ca7f4f76">DNA evidence has linked Robinson</a>&nbsp;to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.Before the shooting, Robinson wrote in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Kirk and was going to do it, according to Patel.The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patel-fbi-charlie-kirk-senate-hearing-048c7a7c575472b8a1a7d4ed6fb32b69">a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;in Washington. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether that played a role. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s partner has been cooperative. He said investigators believe Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-killing-america-divided-violence-politics-9b75c05301668fa033f9b4cc98b046c9">facing questions</a>&nbsp;about rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">political violence</a>, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kirk-trump-cancel-culture-assassination-4d69649e382ea46d8dcf794150a1d3c9">consequences at work</a>

🎥 Read the charges announced against accused Charlie Kirk killer

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 Kansas State Fair drew 300,784 visitors over 10 days, a weather-affected total that trailed the 328,714 reported in 2024 and 330,044 in 2023, organizers said.

The Fair opened Sept. 5 under misty skies, followed by a strong weekend before heavy rain on Monday snarled parking. To keep the grounds accessible, officials rolled out shuttle service from Hutchinson Community College, the Hutchinson Uptown Mall and Bold 3PL.

“We are grateful to the Hutchinson community and our emergency response partners for helping us make these adjustments quickly and safely,” General Manager Bryan Schulz said. “Our staff, Fair Board, and countless supporters worked tirelessly to make this year’s Fair a success despite the weather.”

Grandstand highlights included Ludacris (6,600), Jeff Dunham (just under 6,000), Josiah Queen with Ben Fuller (5,700) and The Fray with Plain White T’s (4,400).

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 Kansas State Fair drew 300,784 visitors over 10 days, a weather-affected total that trailed the 328,714 reported in 2024 and 330,044 in 2023, organizers said.The Fair opened Sept. 5 under misty skies, followed by a strong weekend before heavy rain on Monday snarled parking. To keep the grounds accessible, officials rolled out shuttle service from Hutchinson Community College, the Hutchinson Uptown Mall and Bold 3PL.“We are grateful to the Hutchinson community and our emergency response partners for helping us make these adjustments quickly and safely,” General Manager Bryan Schulz said. “Our staff, Fair Board, and countless supporters worked tirelessly to make this year’s Fair a success despite the weather.”Grandstand highlights included Ludacris (6,600), Jeff Dunham (just under 6,000), Josiah Queen with Ben Fuller (5,700) and The Fray with Plain White T’s (4,400).

Kansas State Fair attendance down due to wet weather

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

Gov. Tim Walz typically treats the Minnesota State Fair like his personal Super Bowl — trying new foods (this year the Uncrustaburger), touting one of his favorite rides (the Ye Old Mill) and making the rounds at TV and radio station booths for softball interviews.

Walz’s State Fair interviews this year centered around one question: Will you run for reelection? The governor was coy and reserved. He said he was taking his time assessing what was best for Minnesotans. Also, he said, the June death of his friend and close governing ally Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman weighed on him and delayed his reelection announcement.

“This one about broke me,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jks8AaxqbXY" target="_blank">Walz told WCCO</a>&nbsp;at the fair on Aug. 24, referring to Hortman’s death.

Nine days later, Walz was&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/02/walz-to-call-special-session-on-gun-control-propose-assault-weapons-ban/">speaking in front of Deerwood Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in Eagan. This time, he seemed more determined and animated, promising he was going to make Minnesota safer for children by pushing for gun control measures like a ban on so-called assault weapons.

What happened in those nine days? Yet another crisis that Walz had to manage, this time the killing of two children and wounding of 21 others in the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/08/27/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-horrific-act-of-violence-at-south-minneapolis-school/">Church of the Annunciation mass shooting.</a>

The second-term DFL governor announced Tuesday that he’ll seek a third term, launching a campaign that will require him to convince Minnesotans that he’s been a steadying hand in the face of the multiple crises that have enveloped the state in recent years, including a once-in-a-century pandemic, civil unrest after the police murder of George Floyd, emerging fiscal instability and shocking political violence.

“We’re not done yet. And that’s why I’m running for reelection. I want to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed — in every corner of the state,” Walz said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151" target="_blank">campaign launch video.</a>

Another crisis has been state government’s own making: A wave of fraud in public programs is sure to be a centerpiece of the Republican campaign against him.

He’ll also need to persuade skeptical Minnesotans that he has a vision for another four years — a June KSTP poll found that just 43% of Minnesotans surveyed say Walz should r<a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/kstp-surveyusa-results-gov-walz-to-testify-before-congress/" target="_blank">un for a third term even though he remains broadly popular.</a>&nbsp;The last time Minnesota voters were faced with a governor seeking a third term, they rejected Iron Range Democrat Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1990.

West metro Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins, 2022 GOP nominee for governor Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and health care executive, are challenging Walz. If they can raise money and blanket the media, they’ll have plenty to work with to attack Walz’s nearly eight years in office, from flagging school test scores to fraud-riddled public programs.

“Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of higher taxes, failing schools, unsafe streets, fraud and policies that undermine fairness for women and girls,” said Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash in a statement. “… Minnesota families are worse off under his leadership. It’s time for new leadership and a fresh direction. Minnesota deserves better.”

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is leaving Walz’s side to run for U.S. Senate, said Walz has a strong record to run on — Minnesotans make better wages and live healthier, longer lives than other Midwesterners — and an energetic personality that’s repeatedly won over Minnesotans.

“He’s an incredible effective campaigner, and I think once he’s on the road, he’s unstoppable,” said Flanagan, who added that “of course” she’ll endorse him.&nbsp;

Running in a midterm election during President Donald Trump’s second term, Walz also has an ace: He can sell himself as a Democratic bulwark against an increasingly hostile federal government led by a president Minnesotans have rejected three times.

“Minnesotans trust that Tim Walz is ready to stand up for them, for their liberties and their constitutional rights and defend them from an authoritarian in the White House. People are going to look to Tim Walz for that leadership,” said DFL Chair Richard Carlbom, who’s worked for Walz off-and-on since 2007.

The governor was elected in 2018, campaigning under the slogan “One Minnesota.” Walz represented a purple district in Congress for more than a decade and when first elected he was seen as a centrist bridge-builder.

But he’s become a champion of progressive policies — in 2022 with Walz at the top of the ticket, Democrats swept control of state government and passed one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">most significant progressive agendas</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s recent history with just a single-seat Senate majority. Walz’s signature is on laws providing all students with free lunch, legalizing marijuana, codifying abortion rights, providing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating a paid leave program, mandating paid sick leave, restoring voting rights to people after they serve prison sentences, protecting warehouse and meat processing workers, creating a free college program for working class families and requiring universal background checks for gun purchases, among many others.

Republicans were aghast, both by his policies and also his management of several crises.

Like many Democratic governors in 2020, Walz put in place&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;at the beginning of the pandemic, and later an indoor mask mandate and restrictions on schools and churches at the urging of public health authorities and institutions like the Mayo Clinic.

He required state workers to be vaccinated before they could return to the workplace.

The pandemic decisions were polarizing and at times faced legal challenges. By the time the worst of the pandemic was over, Minnesota had lower COVID-19 death rates than most other states.

The aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 presented another political and governing challenge. The widespread destruction of the riots, which followed decades of police abuses, created a lasting liability for him.

In 2018, Walz, alongside Flanagan, won 21 of 87 counties. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.startribune.com/many-of-minnesotas-counties-shifted-right-why-that-wasnt-enough-for-jensen-to-beat-walz/600224371/?_gl=1*munmte*_gcl_au*MTc3MjY2NDMzNy4xNzUxMzk2NTUz*_ga*NzE2Nzk0MjEwLjE3Mjc3MjIxNDc.*_ga_SG3Y2YJFRQ*czE3NTgwMjQ3ODkkbzk0MiRnMSR0MTc1ODAyNDkwNyRqNDYkbDAkaDEwOTAyNDAy" target="_blank">Walz won 13.</a>&nbsp;

“‘One Minnesota’ means working together across lines of difference to get good work done for people,” Flanagan said, acknowledging that the country is more divided now than when the duo was first elected.

“We are in a time when people feel incredibly divided, which means this requires us to lean in even more, to listen to folks, to hear their concerns and take action whenever and wherever we can. And I think that is what Gov. Walz’s reelection will be grounded in,” Flanagan said.

One year ago, Walz was thrust into the national spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris picked&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/from-a-mankato-classroom-to-the-white-house-harris-names-walz-her-vice-presidential-nominee/">him as her running mate.</a>&nbsp;Harris had hoped that Walz’s rural background, Midwest demeanor and military, teaching and coaching resume would win over working-class voters.

Republicans and the national press during the accelerated campaign scrutinized Walz’s past and propensity to misspeak — what he called “knucklehead” misstatements.

After a resounding&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/11/06/weird-won-now-walz-comes-home/">defeat on the national stage,</a>&nbsp;Walz returned to a different Minnesota, one with a divided Legislature after Republicans won seats for shared control of the Minnesota House. The state was also facing a long-term deficit.

Walz spent weeks negotiating with legislative leaders of both parties to come to&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/06/gov-tim-walz-to-call-special-session-for-monday-legislature-aims-to-pass-14-bills-in-one-day/">a two-year budget agreement,</a>&nbsp;requiring him to acquiesce to the GOP’s top demand: Eliminate state-funded health insurance for undocumented adults. The progressive Democratic base was outraged.

Just days after the Legislature passed the two-year budget, a man&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/14/minnesota-house-democratic-leader-dead-after-targeted-shooting-democratic-senator-also-shot/">shot and killed Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark</a>&nbsp;in their Brooklyn Park home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Walz oversaw the two-day manhunt to apprehend the shooter of his friend. Hortman’s assassination gave Walz pause about whether he wanted to continue to serve as governor.

This summer was bookended by tragedies after a shooter opened fire outside of Church of Annunciation last month. Walz again headed the response to the mass shooting and is now pushing lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walz-says-he-will-call-special-session-one-way-or-another-on-gun-control/">to return for a special session</a>&nbsp;to get Republicans on the record regarding gun control.

In 2023, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walzs-proposes-child-tax-credits-universal-free-lunch-boost-in-k-12-education-funding/">began the historic legislative session</a>&nbsp;under the DFL trifecta by saying that Minnesota was going to become “the best state in the country to raise a family.”

That year, the governor shepherded legislation that he frequently brags about to this day: the school meals program and a child tax credit that could slash childhood poverty by 33%.

But Walz’s lengthy record may fade into the background in the face of the second Trump earthquake and the administration’s aggressive incursions into state policies.

Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has sued the Trump administration some 30 times so far, said that Walz is the right person to stand up to Trump.

“(Walz) has been a real asset in my opinion, and he’s been a great partner,” Ellison said. “The governor’s office and the AG’s office historically have not always worked well together, but me and Gov. Walz work seamlessly, and I’m glad to keep him as a partner.”

Paradoxically, Trump is both a challenge but also a political gift to Walz — an easy foil.

Voters will go to the polls next year with Trump top of mind, said Jeff Blodgett, who was chief strategist for Sens. Paul Wellstone and Al Franken.

“This is going to be a much bigger election about how our state is faring in the midst of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Blodgett said. “It will be a contrast between Trump’s style and Tim Walz’s style and the fact that he’s ushered the state through many, many crises and come out on the other side stronger and better — I think that will only help him.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758034568019.jpeg" alt=" Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz read to a class of preschoolers during a visit to Pine Bend Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights for a meeting of the Children’s Cabinet Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz read to a class of preschoolers during a visit to Pine Bend Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights for a meeting of the Children’s Cabinet Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>Gov. Tim Walz typically treats the Minnesota State Fair like his personal Super Bowl — trying new foods (this year the Uncrustaburger), touting one of his favorite rides (the Ye Old Mill) and making the rounds at TV and radio station booths for softball interviews.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m running for reelection to continue serving as Governor of Minnesota. We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet. I’m staying in the fight — and I need you with me. <a href="https://t.co/NsVCXfq4M2">pic.twitter.com/NsVCXfq4M2</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Walz’s State Fair interviews this year centered around one question: Will you run for reelection? The governor was coy and reserved. He said he was taking his time assessing what was best for Minnesotans. Also, he said, the June death of his friend and close governing ally Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman weighed on him and delayed his reelection announcement.“This one about broke me,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jks8AaxqbXY" target="_blank">Walz told WCCO</a>&nbsp;at the fair on Aug. 24, referring to Hortman’s death.Nine days later, Walz was&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/09/02/walz-to-call-special-session-on-gun-control-propose-assault-weapons-ban/">speaking in front of Deerwood Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in Eagan. This time, he seemed more determined and animated, promising he was going to make Minnesota safer for children by pushing for gun control measures like a ban on so-called assault weapons.What happened in those nine days? Yet another crisis that Walz had to manage, this time the killing of two children and wounding of 21 others in the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/08/27/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-horrific-act-of-violence-at-south-minneapolis-school/">Church of the Annunciation mass shooting.</a>The second-term DFL governor announced Tuesday that he’ll seek a third term, launching a campaign that will require him to convince Minnesotans that he’s been a steadying hand in the face of the multiple crises that have enveloped the state in recent years, including a once-in-a-century pandemic, civil unrest after the police murder of George Floyd, emerging fiscal instability and shocking political violence.“We’re not done yet. And that’s why I’m running for reelection. I want to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed — in every corner of the state,” Walz said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Tim_Walz/status/1967936393747063151" target="_blank">campaign launch video.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724014226536.png" alt="Walz and VP Kamala Harris on the campaign trail-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Walz and VP Kamala Harris on the campaign trail-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Another crisis has been state government’s own making: A wave of fraud in public programs is sure to be a centerpiece of the Republican campaign against him.He’ll also need to persuade skeptical Minnesotans that he has a vision for another four years — a June KSTP poll found that just 43% of Minnesotans surveyed say Walz should r<a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/kstp-surveyusa-results-gov-walz-to-testify-before-congress/" target="_blank">un for a third term even though he remains broadly popular.</a>&nbsp;The last time Minnesota voters were faced with a governor seeking a third term, they rejected Iron Range Democrat Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1990.West metro Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins, 2022 GOP nominee for governor Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and health care executive, are challenging Walz. If they can raise money and blanket the media, they’ll have plenty to work with to attack Walz’s nearly eight years in office, from flagging school test scores to fraud-riddled public programs.“Minnesotans cannot afford four more years of higher taxes, failing schools, unsafe streets, fraud and policies that undermine fairness for women and girls,” said Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash in a statement. “… Minnesota families are worse off under his leadership. It’s time for new leadership and a fresh direction. Minnesota deserves better.”Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is leaving Walz’s side to run for U.S. Senate, said Walz has a strong record to run on — Minnesotans make better wages and live healthier, longer lives than other Midwesterners — and an energetic personality that’s repeatedly won over Minnesotans.“He’s an incredible effective campaigner, and I think once he’s on the road, he’s unstoppable,” said Flanagan, who added that “of course” she’ll endorse him.&nbsp;Running in a midterm election during President Donald Trump’s second term, Walz also has an ace: He can sell himself as a Democratic bulwark against an increasingly hostile federal government led by a president Minnesotans have rejected three times.“Minnesotans trust that Tim Walz is ready to stand up for them, for their liberties and their constitutional rights and defend them from an authoritarian in the White House. People are going to look to Tim Walz for that leadership,” said DFL Chair Richard Carlbom, who’s worked for Walz off-and-on since 2007.<h2>A tenure defined by crises</h2>The governor was elected in 2018, campaigning under the slogan “One Minnesota.” Walz represented a purple district in Congress for more than a decade and when first elected he was seen as a centrist bridge-builder.But he’s become a champion of progressive policies — in 2022 with Walz at the top of the ticket, Democrats swept control of state government and passed one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">most significant progressive agendas</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s recent history with just a single-seat Senate majority. Walz’s signature is on laws providing all students with free lunch, legalizing marijuana, codifying abortion rights, providing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants, creating a paid leave program, mandating paid sick leave, restoring voting rights to people after they serve prison sentences, protecting warehouse and meat processing workers, creating a free college program for working class families and requiring universal background checks for gun purchases, among many others.Republicans were aghast, both by his policies and also his management of several crises.Like many Democratic governors in 2020, Walz put in place&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/07/heres-what-tim-walz-has-done-as-governor-of-minnesota/">a stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;at the beginning of the pandemic, and later an indoor mask mandate and restrictions on schools and churches at the urging of public health authorities and institutions like the Mayo Clinic.He required state workers to be vaccinated before they could return to the workplace.The pandemic decisions were polarizing and at times faced legal challenges. By the time the worst of the pandemic was over, Minnesota had lower COVID-19 death rates than most other states.The aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 presented another political and governing challenge. The widespread destruction of the riots, which followed decades of police abuses, created a lasting liability for him.In 2018, Walz, alongside Flanagan, won 21 of 87 counties. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.startribune.com/many-of-minnesotas-counties-shifted-right-why-that-wasnt-enough-for-jensen-to-beat-walz/600224371/?_gl=1*munmte*_gcl_au*MTc3MjY2NDMzNy4xNzUxMzk2NTUz*_ga*NzE2Nzk0MjEwLjE3Mjc3MjIxNDc.*_ga_SG3Y2YJFRQ*czE3NTgwMjQ3ODkkbzk0MiRnMSR0MTc1ODAyNDkwNyRqNDYkbDAkaDEwOTAyNDAy" target="_blank">Walz won 13.</a>&nbsp;“‘One Minnesota’ means working together across lines of difference to get good work done for people,” Flanagan said, acknowledging that the country is more divided now than when the duo was first elected.“We are in a time when people feel incredibly divided, which means this requires us to lean in even more, to listen to folks, to hear their concerns and take action whenever and wherever we can. And I think that is what Gov. Walz’s reelection will be grounded in,” Flanagan said.One year ago, Walz was thrust into the national spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris picked&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/from-a-mankato-classroom-to-the-white-house-harris-names-walz-her-vice-presidential-nominee/">him as her running mate.</a>&nbsp;Harris had hoped that Walz’s rural background, Midwest demeanor and military, teaching and coaching resume would win over working-class voters.Republicans and the national press during the accelerated campaign scrutinized Walz’s past and propensity to misspeak — what he called “knucklehead” misstatements.After a resounding&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/11/06/weird-won-now-walz-comes-home/">defeat on the national stage,</a>&nbsp;Walz returned to a different Minnesota, one with a divided Legislature after Republicans won seats for shared control of the Minnesota House. The state was also facing a long-term deficit.Walz spent weeks negotiating with legislative leaders of both parties to come to&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/06/gov-tim-walz-to-call-special-session-for-monday-legislature-aims-to-pass-14-bills-in-one-day/">a two-year budget agreement,</a>&nbsp;requiring him to acquiesce to the GOP’s top demand: Eliminate state-funded health insurance for undocumented adults. The progressive Democratic base was outraged.Just days after the Legislature passed the two-year budget, a man&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/06/14/minnesota-house-democratic-leader-dead-after-targeted-shooting-democratic-senator-also-shot/">shot and killed Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark</a>&nbsp;in their Brooklyn Park home and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Walz oversaw the two-day manhunt to apprehend the shooter of his friend. Hortman’s assassination gave Walz pause about whether he wanted to continue to serve as governor.This summer was bookended by tragedies after a shooter opened fire outside of Church of Annunciation last month. Walz again headed the response to the mass shooting and is now pushing lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walz-says-he-will-call-special-session-one-way-or-another-on-gun-control/">to return for a special session</a>&nbsp;to get Republicans on the record regarding gun control.<h2>Walz’s vision for the next four years</h2>In 2023, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/walzs-proposes-child-tax-credits-universal-free-lunch-boost-in-k-12-education-funding/">began the historic legislative session</a>&nbsp;under the DFL trifecta by saying that Minnesota was going to become “the best state in the country to raise a family.”That year, the governor shepherded legislation that he frequently brags about to this day: the school meals program and a child tax credit that could slash childhood poverty by 33%.But Walz’s lengthy record may fade into the background in the face of the second Trump earthquake and the administration’s aggressive incursions into state policies.Attorney General Keith Ellison, who has sued the Trump administration some 30 times so far, said that Walz is the right person to stand up to Trump.“(Walz) has been a real asset in my opinion, and he’s been a great partner,” Ellison said. “The governor’s office and the AG’s office historically have not always worked well together, but me and Gov. Walz work seamlessly, and I’m glad to keep him as a partner.”Paradoxically, Trump is both a challenge but also a political gift to Walz — an easy foil.Voters will go to the polls next year with Trump top of mind, said Jeff Blodgett, who was chief strategist for Sens. Paul Wellstone and Al Franken.“This is going to be a much bigger election about how our state is faring in the midst of Donald Trump’s presidency,” Blodgett said. “It will be a contrast between Trump’s style and Tim Walz’s style and the fact that he’s ushered the state through many, many crises and come out on the other side stronger and better — I think that will only help him.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz launches reelection campaign for third term

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a fatal motel shooting will return to court Thursday.

Craig Steele, 34, will appear before Judge Roger Woods for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A hearing scheduled for last month was delayed.

In April, police asked the public for help to locate Steele in connection with death of Eric Lopez-Morales, which occurred on April 17, in the 1600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita.&nbsp; A few hours later, police reported they had Steele in custody for questioning regarding this case.&nbsp;

On the night of the shooting, police were in the area of Harry and Broadway on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots nearby, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers immediately responded to the area and located&nbsp;Lopez-Morale with a gunshot wound. He was in front of the Frontier Motel at 1623 S. Broadway.

Despite the life-saving efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:04 p.m.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Lopez-Morales was involved in a physical altercation with unknown males in the parking lot of the motel before the shooting.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745003725186.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a fatal motel shooting will return to court Thursday.Craig Steele, 34, will appear before Judge Roger Woods for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. A hearing scheduled for last month was delayed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745333641854.png" alt="Steele photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Steele photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>In April, police asked the public for help to locate Steele in connection with death of Eric Lopez-Morales, which occurred on April 17, in the 1600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita.&nbsp; A few hours later, police reported they had Steele in custody for questioning regarding this case.&nbsp;On the night of the shooting, police were in the area of Harry and Broadway on an unrelated call when they heard gunshots nearby, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers immediately responded to the area and located&nbsp;Lopez-Morale with a gunshot wound. He was in front of the Frontier Motel at 1623 S. Broadway.Despite the life-saving efforts of first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:04 p.m.Preliminary investigations indicate that Lopez-Morales was involved in a physical altercation with unknown males in the parking lot of the motel before the shooting.&nbsp;

Suspect in deadly Kan. motel killing is due back in court

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;: Cassandra L&nbsp;: Lukens, 41, Coffeyville, was northbound on County Road 4300 at County Road 2000 approximately one mile north of U.S. 166. The driver failed to yield at the stop sign. The Silverado struck a westbound 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by Brian R.&nbsp;Griswold, 65, Coffeyville.

Griswold was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp;Lukens was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;: Cassandra L&nbsp;: Lukens, 41, Coffeyville, was northbound on County Road 4300 at County Road 2000 approximately one mile north of U.S. 166. The driver failed to yield at the stop sign. The Silverado struck a westbound 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by Brian R.&nbsp;Griswold, 65, Coffeyville.Griswold was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp;Lukens was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man killed in pickup, car crash

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

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers skewered the state agency that oversees nursing licenses, alleging it has contributed to the state’s nursing shortage and demanding action before the next legislative session.

At a Sept. 8 meeting of the House Select Committee on Government Oversight, legislators urged the Kansas State Board of Nursing to make substantial changes to policies, procedures and regulations that govern the state’s relicensing and disciplinary processes.

Legislators used words such as “perplexed,” “horrified,” and “egregious” to describe their feelings about the state nursing board and its leadership. They passed resolutions that are likely to guide future changes.

Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, hurled jabs at the board, which he described as having “no regard for human life.”

He accused the agency of being filled with “power-hungry individuals that are ruining people’s lives,” and he favored extracting some of the board’s $4 million budget to share with those he thinks have been wronged by the board.

Over months of hearings, the committee has listened to hours of testimony from health care professionals. The testimony detailed the nursing board’s delays in licensing, inadequate communication, leadership issues, dated technology, inconsistent fees for the same infractions, clerical errors, coercion, conflicts of interest, flawed investigations and an approach to discipline with “an attitude of guilty until proven innocent,” said Rep. Sandy Pickert, a Wichita Republican.

Pickert does not sit on the oversight committee. She is a nurse and has followed the committee’s hearings.

Brenda Sharpe, a board member, said the board agrees with some recommendations for change.

“This board would like more tools in its toolbox,” she said.

She also strongly encouraged the committee to consider facts and circumstances not available in an open forum, referencing the long list of testimony about individual disciplinary cases. She maintained the board has acted in good faith, taking into account facts and circumstances “that may appear one way to this group but, in fact, we believe are another.”

“I would never say we follow everything perfectly,” Sharpe said. “We’re human beings. The licensees are human beings. This is a human process. That’s where we’re at.”

Michael Schommer told the committee about his 23-year-old son, Connor, who is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with depression. Connor attempted suicide twice, Schommer said. It wasn’t until the family found a nurse, Ana Ahrens, and a therapist who discovered the perfect combination of medication and counseling that stabilized Connor, he said.

“You know, she has a unique, no-nonsense, stern yet compassionate method of getting his attention, and he would look her in the eye and respond to the questions she was asking him,” Schommer said. “She held him accountable for what he was doing and started to get through to him.”

But then Ahrens made an error while renewing her licenses online. The state nursing board revoked her prescribing privileges, and Ahrens couldn’t refill Connor Schommer’s medication.

Michael Schommer and his wife frantically tried to find another prescriber.

“It went about two weeks too far, unfortunately,” Schommer said. “And, I just — one day he got up and there he was walking through the house talking to the ceiling again for eight hours nonstop.”

That could have been prevented, Schommer said, expressing confusion about the nursing board’s procedures.

“Thank God we still have him today, and he’s doing much better,” Schommer said.

Schommer’s story was one of dozens, but its gravity struck legislators and underscored their crusade for change.

“He could’ve lost his son, and that’s serious,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat.

The committee deliberated two resolutions that encouraged considering a grace period for nurses who are late to apply for relicensing, IT updates and regular digital notifications leading up to a nurse’s relicensing deadline. The committee also discussed changing the makeup of the state board, favoring a mix of legislative and gubernatorial appointments.

The resolutions allude to a bill for the 2026 session, but lawmakers urged the board to review its policies without legislative action. The committee also discussed the possibility of a future subcommittee that could provide further recommendations.

The nursing board is responsible for more than 70,000 Kansas nurses.

Maggie Ortiz, a nurse from Texas who advocates across the country for changing nursing regulations, said the issues Kansas is facing are not unique.

“The elephant in the room is the investigative process,” she said.

House lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of oversight of the board. Complaints about the board are investigated by the board, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest.

Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican, said disciplinary processes seem inconsistent, which many legislators on the committee find egregious.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757962679630.png" alt=" Rep. Sandy Pickert, shown here at Gov. Laura Kelly's State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025, used her experience as a nurse to advise a House oversight committee in September on changes to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Sandy Pickert, shown here at Gov. Laura Kelly's State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025, used her experience as a nurse to advise a House oversight committee in September on changes to the Kansas State Board of Nursing. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers skewered the state agency that oversees nursing licenses, alleging it has contributed to the state’s nursing shortage and demanding action before the next legislative session.At a Sept. 8 meeting of the House Select Committee on Government Oversight, legislators urged the Kansas State Board of Nursing to make substantial changes to policies, procedures and regulations that govern the state’s relicensing and disciplinary processes.Legislators used words such as “perplexed,” “horrified,” and “egregious” to describe their feelings about the state nursing board and its leadership. They passed resolutions that are likely to guide future changes.Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, hurled jabs at the board, which he described as having “no regard for human life.”He accused the agency of being filled with “power-hungry individuals that are ruining people’s lives,” and he favored extracting some of the board’s $4 million budget to share with those he thinks have been wronged by the board.Over months of hearings, the committee has listened to hours of testimony from health care professionals. The testimony detailed the nursing board’s delays in licensing, inadequate communication, leadership issues, dated technology, inconsistent fees for the same infractions, clerical errors, coercion, conflicts of interest, flawed investigations and an approach to discipline with “an attitude of guilty until proven innocent,” said Rep. Sandy Pickert, a Wichita Republican.Pickert does not sit on the oversight committee. She is a nurse and has followed the committee’s hearings.“Pandora’s box is open,” she said.Brenda Sharpe, a board member, said the board agrees with some recommendations for change.“This board would like more tools in its toolbox,” she said.She also strongly encouraged the committee to consider facts and circumstances not available in an open forum, referencing the long list of testimony about individual disciplinary cases. She maintained the board has acted in good faith, taking into account facts and circumstances “that may appear one way to this group but, in fact, we believe are another.”“I would never say we follow everything perfectly,” Sharpe said. “We’re human beings. The licensees are human beings. This is a human process. That’s where we’re at.”Michael Schommer told the committee about his 23-year-old son, Connor, who is on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with depression. Connor attempted suicide twice, Schommer said. It wasn’t until the family found a nurse, Ana Ahrens, and a therapist who discovered the perfect combination of medication and counseling that stabilized Connor, he said.“You know, she has a unique, no-nonsense, stern yet compassionate method of getting his attention, and he would look her in the eye and respond to the questions she was asking him,” Schommer said. “She held him accountable for what he was doing and started to get through to him.”But then Ahrens made an error while renewing her licenses online. The state nursing board revoked her prescribing privileges, and Ahrens couldn’t refill Connor Schommer’s medication.Michael Schommer and his wife frantically tried to find another prescriber.“It went about two weeks too far, unfortunately,” Schommer said. “And, I just — one day he got up and there he was walking through the house talking to the ceiling again for eight hours nonstop.”That could have been prevented, Schommer said, expressing confusion about the nursing board’s procedures.“Thank God we still have him today, and he’s doing much better,” Schommer said.Schommer’s story was one of dozens, but its gravity struck legislators and underscored their crusade for change.“He could’ve lost his son, and that’s serious,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat.The committee deliberated two resolutions that encouraged considering a grace period for nurses who are late to apply for relicensing, IT updates and regular digital notifications leading up to a nurse’s relicensing deadline. The committee also discussed changing the makeup of the state board, favoring a mix of legislative and gubernatorial appointments.The resolutions allude to a bill for the 2026 session, but lawmakers urged the board to review its policies without legislative action. The committee also discussed the possibility of a future subcommittee that could provide further recommendations.The nursing board is responsible for more than 70,000 Kansas nurses.Maggie Ortiz, a nurse from Texas who advocates across the country for changing nursing regulations, said the issues Kansas is facing are not unique.“The elephant in the room is the investigative process,” she said.House lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of oversight of the board. Complaints about the board are investigated by the board, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest.Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican, said disciplinary processes seem inconsistent, which many legislators on the committee find egregious.Rep. Emil Bergquist, a Wichita Republican who was sitting on the committee Monday as a substitute, said he didn’t think nurses in Kansas are being protected. And disciplinary processes seem “like a knifepoint rather than a corrective point,” he said.