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 — In a rare moment of reprieve for U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/repub/rfk-jr-battles-with-members-of-us-senate-panel-over-vaccines-removal-of-cdc-director/">a grueling group of senators</a>&nbsp;Thursday, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas gave him the opportunity to explain his views on vaccines and leadership.

Democrats and Republicans alike expressed their distaste and concern for Kennedy’s decisions as leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during a roughly three-hour hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Kennedy defended staff turnover, the erosion of vaccine investment and funding stalls.

But Marshall spent his allotted five minutes leveling with the secretary.

“One of your themes for the CDC is transparency,” Marshall said.

Part of that transparency, he said, is sharing what Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention know about vaccines so parents can be better equipped to make decisions. An aide standing behind Marshall held a large sign containing a graphic depicting the current CDC recommendations for vaccinations for children.

“By the time they’re 18 months, they’ve had 18 jabs,” Marshall said. “By the time they get to be old enough to vote, they have 76 jabs.”

An aide moved the sign with the graphic to the side to reveal another sign, which read in bright red type, “76 JABS!”

Marshall, a former OB-GYN who said he’s delivered 5,000 babies, also said he doesn’t understand why newborns are given a hepatitis vaccine if a mother has no risk factors. The hepatitis vaccine is typically the first vaccine a newborn receives.

Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth, and an estimated 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B infections in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.

Marshall said vaccines should be treated like medication and asked how Kennedy uses transparency to do just that.

Kennedy agreed with Marshall, confronting accusations that he is anti-vaccine.

“Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,” Kennedy said. “I’m pro-medicine, but I understand some medicines harm people. Some of them have risks. Some of them have benefits that outweigh those risks for some populations.”

Marshall said he and Kennedy are fighting to empower parents to make their own decisions surrounding vaccines.

“I guess before the press labels me wrong, I’m not anti-vaccine either,” Marshall said, expressing support for the MMR, DPT, polio and smallpox vaccines.

Marshall also gave Kennedy time to clear up any confusion about his stance on the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, which Kennedy oversees, more than 1.2 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 as of Aug. 30. In an estimated 87% of those deaths, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and it was listed as a contributing cause in the remaining deaths.

Earlier in the hearing, Kennedy said he didn’t know the total COVID-19 death toll in the U.S., refuting existing estimates of both the death toll and vaccine efficacy rates. He blamed “data chaos” at the CDC, which he also oversees.

Marshall agreed with Kennedy, articulating the difference between the number of people dying from COVID and the number of those who died with COVID.

“The calculus is different and it’s complicated,” Kennedy said, “and, you know, if you want to just turn everything into a sound bite, it makes it — you can’t have a grown-up conversation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757076839547.png" alt="Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas describes, with signage, the number of vaccines U.S. children typically receive by the age of 18 during a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. Senate Finance Committee livestream)" />
 <figcaption>Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas describes, with signage, the number of vaccines U.S. children typically receive by the age of 18 during a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. Senate Finance Committee livestream)</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 — In a rare moment of reprieve for U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he faced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/04/repub/rfk-jr-battles-with-members-of-us-senate-panel-over-vaccines-removal-of-cdc-director/">a grueling group of senators</a>&nbsp;Thursday, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas gave him the opportunity to explain his views on vaccines and leadership.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ge_pFJfWZB4?si=rOt8nC9fh6koCwhU&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Democrats and Republicans alike expressed their distaste and concern for Kennedy’s decisions as leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during a roughly three-hour hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Kennedy defended staff turnover, the erosion of vaccine investment and funding stalls.But Marshall spent his allotted five minutes leveling with the secretary.“One of your themes for the CDC is transparency,” Marshall said.Part of that transparency, he said, is sharing what Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention know about vaccines so parents can be better equipped to make decisions. An aide standing behind Marshall held a large sign containing a graphic depicting the current CDC recommendations for vaccinations for children.“By the time they’re 18 months, they’ve had 18 jabs,” Marshall said. “By the time they get to be old enough to vote, they have 76 jabs.”An aide moved the sign with the graphic to the side to reveal another sign, which read in bright red type, “76 JABS!”Marshall, a former OB-GYN who said he’s delivered 5,000 babies, also said he doesn’t understand why newborns are given a hepatitis vaccine if a mother has no risk factors. The hepatitis vaccine is typically the first vaccine a newborn receives.Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted from mother to child at birth, and an estimated 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B infections in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.Marshall said vaccines should be treated like medication and asked how Kennedy uses transparency to do just that.Kennedy agreed with Marshall, confronting accusations that he is anti-vaccine.“Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,” Kennedy said. “I’m pro-medicine, but I understand some medicines harm people. Some of them have risks. Some of them have benefits that outweigh those risks for some populations.”Marshall said he and Kennedy are fighting to empower parents to make their own decisions surrounding vaccines.“I guess before the press labels me wrong, I’m not anti-vaccine either,” Marshall said, expressing support for the MMR, DPT, polio and smallpox vaccines.Marshall also gave Kennedy time to clear up any confusion about his stance on the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 vaccines.According to the National Center for Health Statistics, which Kennedy oversees, more than 1.2 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 as of Aug. 30. In an estimated 87% of those deaths, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and it was listed as a contributing cause in the remaining deaths.Earlier in the hearing, Kennedy said he didn’t know the total COVID-19 death toll in the U.S., refuting existing estimates of both the death toll and vaccine efficacy rates. He blamed “data chaos” at the CDC, which he also oversees.Marshall agreed with Kennedy, articulating the difference between the number of people dying from COVID and the number of those who died with COVID.“The calculus is different and it’s complicated,” Kennedy said, “and, you know, if you want to just turn everything into a sound bite, it makes it — you can’t have a grown-up conversation.”

RFK Jr., Kan. U.S. senator find common ground on vaccines at contentious hearing

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Lawmakers in Missouri are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-missouri-trump-620f1fbd9bccb4dfa2f3840e03fbb4c6">latest to try to draw</a>&nbsp;a new U.S. House map for the 2026 election that could improve the Republican Party's numbers in Congress.

It's a trend that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-governor-redistricting-trump-33bfdc8790cdf8201d80c8c89258df3d">began in Texas</a>, at the behest of President Donald Trump, to try to keep GOP control of the House next year. California Democrats responded with their own map to help their party, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4">it still requires voter approval.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-election-2026-texas-california-trump-1e23e2b3f8e09031cf1eee8979ff3559">Redistricting typically occurs</a>&nbsp;once a decade, immediately after a census. But in some states, there is no prohibition on a mid-cycle map makeover. The U.S. Supreme Court also has said there is no federal prohibition on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gerrymandering-texas-congress-redistricting-0c751f48a7757fc11214472944670413">political gerrymandering</a>, in which districts are intentionally drawn to one party’s advantage.

Nationally, Democrats need to gain three seats next year to take control of the House. The party of the president typically loses seats in the midterm congressional elections.

Here is a rundown of what states are doing:

Missouri lawmakers hold a special session

A special session called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe began Wednesday and will run at least a week.

Missouri is represented in the U.S House by six Republicans and two Democrats.

A revised map proposed by Kehoe would give Republicans a better chance at winning the seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by stretching the Kansas City-based district into rural Republican-leaning areas.

Although Democrats could filibuster in the Senate, Republicans could use procedural maneuvers to shut that down and pass the new map.

Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting

Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state’s sole Democratic representative. The Legislature’s GOP supermajority could do so early next year.

Texas Democrats walked out but Republicans prevailed

Democratic state House members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;for two weeks to scuttle a special session on redistricting by preventing a quorum needed to do business. But after that session ended, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called another one — and Democrats returned, satisfied that they had made their point and that California was proceeding with a counter plan.

Republicans hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas. A revised map passed Aug. 23 is intended to give Republicans a shot at picking up five additional seats in next year’s elections. Abbott’s signature made the map final.

California Democrats seek to counter Texas

Democrats already hold 43 of the 52 congressional seats in California. The Legislature passed a revised map passed Aug. 21 aimed at giving Democrats a chance to gain five additional seats in the 2026 elections.

Unlike Texas, California has an independent citizens’ commission that handles redistricting after the census, so any changes to the map need approval from voters.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-trump-newsom-congress-election-bca9ed4451a65497500b1756b52a6d94">A referendum</a>&nbsp;is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Indiana Republicans meet with Trump about redistricting

Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met privately with Trump to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">redistricting</a>&nbsp;while in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. Some also met with Vice President JD Vance.

Several Indiana legislators came out in support of a mid-cycle map change following the meetings. But others have expressed hesitation. It remains unclear if Indiana lawmakers will hold a special session on redistricting.

Republicans hold a 7-2 edge over Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation.

Louisiana Republicans looking at times for a special session

Louisiana lawmakers are being told to keep their calendars open between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 over a challenge to the state’s congressional map.

Republican state Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, who chairs a House committee that oversees redistricting, said the idea is to have lawmakers available to come back to work in case the Supreme Court issues a ruling quickly.

Republicans now hold four of Louisiana’s six congressional seats.

Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms

Because of the way its current districts were enacted, the state constitution requires Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">to adopt new House maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;elections. Ohio Democrats are bracing for Republicans to try to expand their 10-5 congressional majority.

Democrats don’t have much power to stop it. But “we will fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said.

New York Democrats try to change state law

New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that redraws districts after every census.

State Democrats have introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting, but the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.

Maryland Democrats planning a response to Texas

Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam has announced he is filing redistricting legislation for consideration during the 2026 session. Democratic House Majority Leader David Moon also said he would sponsor legislation triggering redistricting in Maryland if any state conducted mid-decade redistricting. Democrats control seven of Maryland’s eight congressional seats.

Florida’s governor pledges support for redistricting

Florida Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated his support for the state to join the redistricting fray, calling on the federal government to conduct a new census count and claiming that the Trump administration should “award” the state another congressional seat.

Twenty of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats are occupied by Republicans.

A court orders Utah to redraw its districts

Utah Republicans hold all four of the state’s U.S. House seats under a map the GOP-led Legislature approved after the 2020 census. But a judge ruled Aug. 25 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-congressional-map-redistricting-trump-midterms-100656aa263866946e0fd83f0319894a">the map was unlawful</a>&nbsp;because the Legislature had circumvented an independent redistricting commission that was established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor one party.

The judge gave lawmakers until Sept. 24 to adopt a map, which could increase Democrats’ chances of winning a seat.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756504994284.png" alt=" Proposed congressional maps released in August by the governor’s office." />
 <figcaption> Proposed congressional maps released in August by the governor’s office.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Lawmakers in Missouri are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-missouri-trump-620f1fbd9bccb4dfa2f3840e03fbb4c6">latest to try to draw</a>&nbsp;a new U.S. House map for the 2026 election that could improve the Republican Party's numbers in Congress.It's a trend that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-governor-redistricting-trump-33bfdc8790cdf8201d80c8c89258df3d">began in Texas</a>, at the behest of President Donald Trump, to try to keep GOP control of the House next year. California Democrats responded with their own map to help their party, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4">it still requires voter approval.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-election-2026-texas-california-trump-1e23e2b3f8e09031cf1eee8979ff3559">Redistricting typically occurs</a>&nbsp;once a decade, immediately after a census. But in some states, there is no prohibition on a mid-cycle map makeover. The U.S. Supreme Court also has said there is no federal prohibition on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gerrymandering-texas-congress-redistricting-0c751f48a7757fc11214472944670413">political gerrymandering</a>, in which districts are intentionally drawn to one party’s advantage.Nationally, Democrats need to gain three seats next year to take control of the House. The party of the president typically loses seats in the midterm congressional elections.Here is a rundown of what states are doing:<h2>Missouri lawmakers hold a special session</h2>A special session called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe began Wednesday and will run at least a week.Missouri is represented in the U.S House by six Republicans and two Democrats.A revised map proposed by Kehoe would give Republicans a better chance at winning the seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by stretching the Kansas City-based district into rural Republican-leaning areas.Although Democrats could filibuster in the Senate, Republicans could use procedural maneuvers to shut that down and pass the new map.<h2>Kansas Republicans haven’t ruled out redistricting</h2>Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didn’t rule out trying to redraw the state’s four congressional districts, one of which is held by the state’s sole Democratic representative. The Legislature’s GOP supermajority could do so early next year.<h2>Texas Democrats walked out but Republicans prevailed</h2>Democratic state House members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-legislature-quorum-break-redistricting-trump-743e616c14903deb7f264b2734422a09">left Texas</a>&nbsp;for two weeks to scuttle a special session on redistricting by preventing a quorum needed to do business. But after that session ended, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called another one — and Democrats returned, satisfied that they had made their point and that California was proceeding with a counter plan.Republicans hold 25 of the 38 congressional seats in Texas. A revised map passed Aug. 23 is intended to give Republicans a shot at picking up five additional seats in next year’s elections. Abbott’s signature made the map final.<h2>California Democrats seek to counter Texas</h2>Democrats already hold 43 of the 52 congressional seats in California. The Legislature passed a revised map passed Aug. 21 aimed at giving Democrats a chance to gain five additional seats in the 2026 elections.Unlike Texas, California has an independent citizens’ commission that handles redistricting after the census, so any changes to the map need approval from voters.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-trump-newsom-congress-election-bca9ed4451a65497500b1756b52a6d94">A referendum</a>&nbsp;is scheduled for Nov. 4.<h2>Indiana Republicans meet with Trump about redistricting</h2>Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met privately with Trump to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">redistricting</a>&nbsp;while in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26. Some also met with Vice President JD Vance.Several Indiana legislators came out in support of a mid-cycle map change following the meetings. But others have expressed hesitation. It remains unclear if Indiana lawmakers will hold a special session on redistricting.Republicans hold a 7-2 edge over Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation.<h2>Louisiana Republicans looking at times for a special session</h2>Louisiana lawmakers are being told to keep their calendars open between Oct. 23 and Nov. 13. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Oct. 15 over a challenge to the state’s congressional map.Republican state Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, who chairs a House committee that oversees redistricting, said the idea is to have lawmakers available to come back to work in case the Supreme Court issues a ruling quickly.Republicans now hold four of Louisiana’s six congressional seats.<h2>Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms</h2>Because of the way its current districts were enacted, the state constitution requires Republican-led Ohio&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-ohio-state-government-01117758be7ece7ce12ebc04baa0ce05">to adopt new House maps before the 2026</a>&nbsp;elections. Ohio Democrats are bracing for Republicans to try to expand their 10-5 congressional majority.Democrats don’t have much power to stop it. But “we will fight, we will organize, we will make noise at every step of the process,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said.<h2>New York Democrats try to change state law</h2>New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that redraws districts after every census.State Democrats have introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting, but the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters.<h2>Maryland Democrats planning a response to Texas</h2>Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam has announced he is filing redistricting legislation for consideration during the 2026 session. Democratic House Majority Leader David Moon also said he would sponsor legislation triggering redistricting in Maryland if any state conducted mid-decade redistricting. Democrats control seven of Maryland’s eight congressional seats.<h2>Florida’s governor pledges support for redistricting</h2>Florida Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-indiana-redistricting-donald-trump-fafc5bd34f741b3886913e792ab33048">will take up redistricting</a>&nbsp;through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has reiterated his support for the state to join the redistricting fray, calling on the federal government to conduct a new census count and claiming that the Trump administration should “award” the state another congressional seat.Twenty of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats are occupied by Republicans.<h2>A court orders Utah to redraw its districts</h2>Utah Republicans hold all four of the state’s U.S. House seats under a map the GOP-led Legislature approved after the 2020 census. But a judge ruled Aug. 25 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-congressional-map-redistricting-trump-midterms-100656aa263866946e0fd83f0319894a">the map was unlawful</a>&nbsp;because the Legislature had circumvented an independent redistricting commission that was established by voters to ensure districts don’t deliberately favor one party.The judge gave lawmakers until Sept. 24 to adopt a map, which could increase Democrats’ chances of winning a seat.

Where Kan. and other states stand in the battle over US House redistricting maps

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 11:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8200 block of Bannister Road in Kansas City, Missouri. on a shooting call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

On arrival officers were directed inside the business there where they located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive on the ground. Officers rendered aid to the victim and summoned EMS to the scene who declared the victim deceased.

Homicide detectives are investigating and canvassing for witnesses. Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim entered the business shortly before the shooting and had an interaction with one or more additional patrons that were also inside the business. That interaction escalated to gunfire and the victim was struck. There is no known suspect information at this time and no one is in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757258826627.png" alt="View of the business where the shooting occurred -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>View of the business where the shooting occurred -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 11:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 8200 block of Bannister Road in Kansas City, Missouri. on a shooting call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.On arrival officers were directed inside the business there where they located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive on the ground. Officers rendered aid to the victim and summoned EMS to the scene who declared the victim deceased.Homicide detectives are investigating and canvassing for witnesses. Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim entered the business shortly before the shooting and had an interaction with one or more additional patrons that were also inside the business. That interaction escalated to gunfire and the victim was struck. There is no known suspect information at this time and no one is in custody.

KCPD: One dead in gas station shooting

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal officials have agreed to restore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/health">health-</a>&nbsp;and science-related webpages and data under to a lawsuit settlement with doctors groups and other organizations who sued.

The settlement was announced this week by the lead plaintiffs in the case, the Washington State Medical Association.

Soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, federal health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gender-ideology-sex-pronouns-order-transgender-2d7e54837f5d0651ed0cefa5ea0d6301">deleted or removed information</a>&nbsp;on a range of topics including pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder and the AIDS epidemic. The move was made in reaction to a Trump executive order that told agencies to stop using the term “gender” in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-businesses-diversity-05fb71a91cab7e3bbe8729f6bdeb4983">federal policies and documents</a>.

The administration saw it as a move to end the promotion of “gender ideology.” Doctors, scientists and public health advocates saw it as an “egregious example of government overreach,” says Dr. John Bramhall, the organization’s president, said in a statement.

“This was trusted health information that vanished in a blink of an eye — resources that, among other things, physicians rely on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care,” Bramhall said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to restore more than 100 websites and resources to the state they were in, said Graham Short, a spokesperson for the Washington State doctors’ group.

“We expect the sites will be restored in the coming weeks,” Short said in an email.

The case was filed in federal court in Seattle. The plaintiffs include, among others, the Vermont Medical Society, the Washington State Nurses Association and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care.

The defendants included U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and federal health agencies and officials who work under him.

Federal officials responded to questions about the settlement with this statement: “HHS remains committed to its mission of removing radical gender and DEI ideology from federal programs, subject to applicable law, to ensure taxpayer dollars deliver meaningful results for the American people.”

The case is similar to one filed in Washington, D.C., by Doctors for America and others against the government. That lawsuit also sought to force the government to restore health information to the public, and the two cases overlapped somewhat in the websites they targeted, Short said.

In July, a judge in the Doctors for America case ordered restoration of websites. As of last week, 167 of the websites at issue had been restored and 33 were still under review, according to a court filing.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748002472470.png" alt="File image HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a press conference in May- image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File image HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a press conference in May- image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Federal officials have agreed to restore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/health">health-</a>&nbsp;and science-related webpages and data under to a lawsuit settlement with doctors groups and other organizations who sued.The settlement was announced this week by the lead plaintiffs in the case, the Washington State Medical Association.Soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, federal health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gender-ideology-sex-pronouns-order-transgender-2d7e54837f5d0651ed0cefa5ea0d6301">deleted or removed information</a>&nbsp;on a range of topics including pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder and the AIDS epidemic. The move was made in reaction to a Trump executive order that told agencies to stop using the term “gender” in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-businesses-diversity-05fb71a91cab7e3bbe8729f6bdeb4983">federal policies and documents</a>.The administration saw it as a move to end the promotion of “gender ideology.” Doctors, scientists and public health advocates saw it as an “egregious example of government overreach,” says Dr. John Bramhall, the organization’s president, said in a statement.“This was trusted health information that vanished in a blink of an eye — resources that, among other things, physicians rely on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care,” Bramhall said.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to restore more than 100 websites and resources to the state they were in, said Graham Short, a spokesperson for the Washington State doctors’ group.“We expect the sites will be restored in the coming weeks,” Short said in an email.The case was filed in federal court in Seattle. The plaintiffs include, among others, the Vermont Medical Society, the Washington State Nurses Association and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care.The defendants included U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and federal health agencies and officials who work under him.Federal officials responded to questions about the settlement with this statement: “HHS remains committed to its mission of removing radical gender and DEI ideology from federal programs, subject to applicable law, to ensure taxpayer dollars deliver meaningful results for the American people.”The case is similar to one filed in Washington, D.C., by Doctors for America and others against the government. That lawsuit also sought to force the government to restore health information to the public, and the two cases overlapped somewhat in the websites they targeted, Short said.In July, a judge in the Doctors for America case ordered restoration of websites. As of last week, 167 of the websites at issue had been restored and 33 were still under review, according to a court filing.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police K9 returned to work last week after being stabbed while assisting during an arrest last month.

 After a full recovery and medical clearance, K9 Dagger returned to full duty, according to a social media report from the Shawnee Police Department.&nbsp;

Just before 4a.m. August 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was dispatched to disturbance at a home in the 900 block of Riverview, according to a media release.

At the home, officers spoke with the caller who said a family member had returned to the. home after an earlier assault involving a knife. When officers approached the home to talk to the man, he barricaded himself inside.

The Shawnee Police Department assisted and brought K9 Dagger, a Belgian Malinois, to the scene. When officers went inside the home to take make an arrest, the suspect stabbed the K9 officer.

Dagger was transported to a local veterinarian and was expected to make a full recovery. Dagger has been with the Shawnee Police Department since 2023.

At 7:30 a.m., the suspect surrendered and was arrested.&nbsp;

In 2024 the Kansas legislature passed&nbsp; “Bane’s Law,” that increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.

Governor Kelly vetoed the bill but on was overridden 105-20 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756865012128.png" alt="Dagger photo Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Dagger photo Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police K9 returned to work last week after being stabbed while assisting during an arrest last month. After a full recovery and medical clearance, K9 Dagger returned to full duty, according to a social media report from the Shawnee Police Department.&nbsp;Just before 4a.m. August 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was dispatched to disturbance at a home in the 900 block of Riverview, according to a media release.At the home, officers spoke with the caller who said a family member had returned to the. home after an earlier assault involving a knife. When officers approached the home to talk to the man, he barricaded himself inside.The Shawnee Police Department assisted and brought K9 Dagger, a Belgian Malinois, to the scene. When officers went inside the home to take make an arrest, the suspect stabbed the K9 officer.Dagger was transported to a local veterinarian and was expected to make a full recovery. Dagger has been with the Shawnee Police Department since 2023.At 7:30 a.m., the suspect surrendered and was arrested.&nbsp;In 2024 the Kansas legislature passed&nbsp; “Bane’s Law,” that increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.Governor Kelly vetoed the bill but on was overridden 105-20 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate.

Kansas police K-9 returns to full time duty after being stabbed

HUTCHINSON —The Cottonwood Building at the Kansas State Fair was evacuated due to a gas leak on Saturday, according to a media release from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.&nbsp; 

Staff from the Fire Marshal's office responded to a report of a smell of gas in the building and detected a dangerous buildup of gas in the building, which contains a food court.

The Hutchinson Fire Department was at the scene and pushed fresh air into the building to dissipate the gas. They were working to determine the source of the gas and that it was safe to reopen the building.

"Great teamwork by all of our public safety partners working to keep our state fairgrounds safe!&nbsp; "

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757245499984.png" alt="Photo Kansas Fire Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Fire Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON —The Cottonwood Building at the Kansas State Fair was evacuated due to a gas leak on Saturday, according to a media release from the Kansas Fire Marshal's office.&nbsp; <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757188524055.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas Fire Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Fire Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>Staff from the Fire Marshal's office responded to a report of a smell of gas in the building and detected a dangerous buildup of gas in the building, which contains a food court.The Hutchinson Fire Department was at the scene and pushed fresh air into the building to dissipate the gas. They were working to determine the source of the gas and that it was safe to reopen the building."Great teamwork by all of our public safety partners working to keep our state fairgrounds safe!&nbsp; "

Gas leak forces evacuation at Kansas State Fair food court

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Saturday amplified his promises to send National Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">troops and immigration agents</a>&nbsp;to Chicago by posting a parody image from “Apocalypse Now” featuring a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the nation’s third-largest city.

“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

In response to the post, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called Trump a “wannabe dictator.”

Trump on Friday signed an executive order seeking to rename the Defense Department the Department of War, after months of campaigning to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. The renaming requires congressional approval.

The illustration in Trump’s post shows him against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline, wearing a hat matching that of the movie’s war-loving and amoral Lt. Col. Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall.

Trump’s weekend post follows his repeated threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he’s targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration is set to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, as it did in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bovino-border-patrol-immigration-los-angeles-chicago-03b908a84106fae80a80b2837625eef7">Los Angeles</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">deploy National Guard troops</a>.

In addition to sending troops to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-newsom-los-angeles-national-guard-d6c8450a3ac2de34e669ef0836d22cbc">Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;in June, Trump has deployed them since last month in Washington, as part of his unprecedented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-dc-national-guard-democrats-politics-03e3f73a6d0eacd9754618e555349b27">law enforcement takeover</a>&nbsp;of the nation’s capital.

He’s also suggested that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">Baltimore</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-new-orleans-chicago-baltimore-c9df92974b9fbb2f3be0bb015a512eff">New Orleans</a>&nbsp;could get the same treatment, and on Friday even mentioned federal authorities possibly heading for Portland, Oregon, to “wipe ’em out,” meaning protesters. He could have been mistakenly describing video from demonstrations in that city years ago.

Details about Trump’s promised Chicago operation have been sparse, but there’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-trump-national-guard-crime-illinois-ef8f6e337e0a120634a350db84d60f46">already widespread opposition</a>. City and state leaders have said they plan to sue the Trump administration. Pritzker, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, is also fiercely opposed to it.

The president “is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote on X over an image of Trump’s post. “This is not a joke. This is not normal.”

He added: “Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

Trump has suggested that he has nearly limitless powers when it comes to deploying the National Guard. At times he’s even touched on questions about his being a dictator.

“Most people are saying, ‘If you call him a dictator, if he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants’ — I am not a dictator, by the way,” Trump said last month. He added, “Not that I don’t have — I would — the right to do anything I want to do.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Saturday amplified his promises to send National Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">troops and immigration agents</a>&nbsp;to Chicago by posting a parody image from “Apocalypse Now” featuring a ball of flames as helicopters zoom over the nation’s third-largest city.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚁🚁🚁 <a href="https://t.co/6LSUCBcDQK">pic.twitter.com/6LSUCBcDQK</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1964359754458833028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,’” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”The president offered no details beyond the label “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian 1979 film set in the Vietnam war, in which a character says: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”In response to the post, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called Trump a “wannabe dictator.”Trump on Friday signed an executive order seeking to rename the Defense Department the Department of War, after months of campaigning to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. The renaming requires congressional approval.The illustration in Trump’s post shows him against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline, wearing a hat matching that of the movie’s war-loving and amoral Lt. Col. Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall.Trump’s weekend post follows his repeated threats to add Chicago to the list of other Democratic-led cities he’s targeted for expanded federal enforcement. His administration is set to step up immigration enforcement in Chicago, as it did in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bovino-border-patrol-immigration-los-angeles-chicago-03b908a84106fae80a80b2837625eef7">Los Angeles</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">deploy National Guard troops</a>.In addition to sending troops to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-newsom-los-angeles-national-guard-d6c8450a3ac2de34e669ef0836d22cbc">Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;in June, Trump has deployed them since last month in Washington, as part of his unprecedented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-dc-national-guard-democrats-politics-03e3f73a6d0eacd9754618e555349b27">law enforcement takeover</a>&nbsp;of the nation’s capital.He’s also suggested that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chicago-baltimore-law-enforcement-6d7c80258f17c3d679358467531f7e9d">Baltimore</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-new-orleans-chicago-baltimore-c9df92974b9fbb2f3be0bb015a512eff">New Orleans</a>&nbsp;could get the same treatment, and on Friday even mentioned federal authorities possibly heading for Portland, Oregon, to “wipe ’em out,” meaning protesters. He could have been mistakenly describing video from demonstrations in that city years ago.Details about Trump’s promised Chicago operation have been sparse, but there’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-trump-national-guard-crime-illinois-ef8f6e337e0a120634a350db84d60f46">already widespread opposition</a>. City and state leaders have said they plan to sue the Trump administration. Pritzker, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, is also fiercely opposed to it.The president “is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote on X over an image of Trump’s post. “This is not a joke. This is not normal.”He added: “Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”Trump has suggested that he has nearly limitless powers when it comes to deploying the National Guard. At times he’s even touched on questions about his being a dictator.“Most people are saying, ‘If you call him a dictator, if he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants’ — I am not a dictator, by the way,” Trump said last month. He added, “Not that I don’t have — I would — the right to do anything I want to do.”

Trump threatens Chicago with 'Apocalypse Now' action

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the estimated $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner.

The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17.

The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery.

The prize, which was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-powerball-mega-millions-history-46066fc0d1ab97ee53c7d6ca86d46c9d">second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot</a>&nbsp;in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh-EUIo12hM">no one matched</a>&nbsp;all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31.

Powerball’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">terrible odds</a>&nbsp;of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-c750b32664d0b02d318ae8030f671952">three drawings each week</a>.

The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 million.

Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the estimated $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner.The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17.The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery.The prize, which was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/largest-lottery-jackpots-powerball-mega-millions-history-46066fc0d1ab97ee53c7d6ca86d46c9d">second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot</a>&nbsp;in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh-EUIo12hM">no one matched</a>&nbsp;all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31.Powerball’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">terrible odds</a>&nbsp;of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-c750b32664d0b02d318ae8030f671952">three drawings each week</a>.The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 million.Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.787 Billion – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 – OR</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li><li>$754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA</li>
 </ol>

2 Powerball lottery players.will split estimated $1.8 billion jackpot

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire and a later a house fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 6:30p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the area of 18th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp;

 On arrival, crews reported heavy fire and smoke from a two-story structure off of 18th Street and Euclid.  An offensive fire attack was ordered, and interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines. Two separate apartments were involved in the fire, which was brought "under control" by companies on scene at 7:02 p.m. Searches of the structure came back all clear. There were no injuries reported.

Just before 8p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported fire in the 5900 block of Bellefontaine Avenue, according to Nolan.

Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a 1-story home on arrival. Offensive operations were ordered, and two handlines were advanced into the structure to extinguish the fire. 

&nbsp;The fire was brought under control at 8:09 p.m. Companies on scene continued with salvage and overhaul operations while extinguishing hot spots. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757215043127.jpeg" alt="Photo KC Fire Dept." />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Fire Dept.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire and a later a house fire in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 6:30p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the area of 18th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp; On arrival, crews reported heavy fire and smoke from a two-story structure off of 18th Street and Euclid. An offensive fire attack was ordered, and interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines. Two separate apartments were involved in the fire, which was brought "under control" by companies on scene at 7:02 p.m. Searches of the structure came back all clear. There were no injuries reported.Just before 8p.m. Saturday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported fire in the 5900 block of Bellefontaine Avenue, according to Nolan.Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a 1-story home on arrival. Offensive operations were ordered, and two handlines were advanced into the structure to extinguish the fire. &nbsp;The fire was brought under control at 8:09 p.m. Companies on scene continued with salvage and overhaul operations while extinguishing hot spots. There were no injuries reported.

Cause of a KC apartment fire and a house fire under investigation 

KANSAS CITY– A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, according to the United State's Attorney.

Lisandro Garcia-Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Garcia-Ramirez was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, traveling on I-70 in Saline County, Mo. Garcia-Ramirez admitted to transporting individuals he knew were present in the United States illegally.

Under federal statutes, Garcia-Ramirez is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Garcia-Ramirez will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757191101055.png" alt="Ramirez photo from his February arrest" />
 <figcaption>Ramirez photo from his February arrest</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, according to the United State's Attorney.Lisandro Garcia-Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Garcia-Ramirez was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, traveling on I-70 in Saline County, Mo. Garcia-Ramirez admitted to transporting individuals he knew were present in the United States illegally.Under federal statutes, Garcia-Ramirez is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Garcia-Ramirez will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.

Mexican national admits transporting illegals on I-70

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in rural Brown County.

Just after 9p.m. September 4, a sheriff's&nbsp; deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway when he encountered a vehicle with only one operating headlight, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy made contact with the driver, 38-year-old&nbsp; Josiah Williams from Topeka. It was discovered that his drivers license had been revoked.&nbsp; 

The passenger of the vehicle 31-year-old Paige Keefe of Omaha had a $500 Failure to Appear Warrant out of Ford County Kansas.&nbsp; K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle and cocaine, a scale, baggies and other items of interest were located and taken as evidence.&nbsp;

Three children were also present at the time of stop.

Williams was arrested on requested charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Distribution of a Stimulant, Possession of Stimulant, No Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Keefe was arrested on charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Possession of Stimulant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757107746300.png" alt="Williams photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop in rural Brown County.Just after 9p.m. September 4, a sheriff's&nbsp; deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 Highway when he encountered a vehicle with only one operating headlight, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757107719719.png" alt="Keefe photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Keefe photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>The deputy made contact with the driver, 38-year-old&nbsp; Josiah Williams from Topeka. It was discovered that his drivers license had been revoked.&nbsp; The passenger of the vehicle 31-year-old Paige Keefe of Omaha had a $500 Failure to Appear Warrant out of Ford County Kansas.&nbsp; K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle and cocaine, a scale, baggies and other items of interest were located and taken as evidence.&nbsp;Three children were also present at the time of stop.Williams was arrested on requested charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Distribution of a Stimulant, Possession of Stimulant, No Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Keefe was arrested on charges of Aggravated Endangerment of a Child, Possession of Stimulant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Couple accused of selling cocaine in Kansas had kids in the car

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers with stealing $900,000 from the Court, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy as well as individual counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

As part of their duties, Roberts and Robinson were responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County Clerk Office’s bank account.

Roberts and Robinson are accused of devising a scheme to steal incoming cash between January 2018 and February 2023. They allegedly concealed the ongoing thefts by using the clerk of court’s signature on fraudulent checks that they generated without authorization. 

According to court documents, the fraudulent checks appeared to be facially valid and were drawn on and deposited into the county clerk office’s bank account, creating a corresponding debit and credit—which eliminated fluctuation in the deposit amount on the bank statements but concealed the stolen cash in the Court’s accounting system.

Roberts and Robinson made their initial court appearances on September 3, 2025, and September 5, 2025, respectively, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers with stealing $900,000 from the Court, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy as well as individual counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.As part of their duties, Roberts and Robinson were responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County Clerk Office’s bank account.Roberts and Robinson are accused of devising a scheme to steal incoming cash between January 2018 and February 2023. They allegedly concealed the ongoing thefts by using the clerk of court’s signature on fraudulent checks that they generated without authorization. According to court documents, the fraudulent checks appeared to be facially valid and were drawn on and deposited into the county clerk office’s bank account, creating a corresponding debit and credit—which eliminated fluctuation in the deposit amount on the bank statements but concealed the stolen cash in the Court’s accounting system.Roberts and Robinson made their initial court appearances on September 3, 2025, and September 5, 2025, respectively, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

2 Kan. county court bookkeepers charged in $900K fraud scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for members of Congress in the newly paved White House Rose Garden, telling them they were the first gathering of what he dubbed the “Rose Garden Club.”

The president held a microphone as he addressed about 100 people, mostly House Republicans along with some GOP senators, thanking them for their support of his legislation.

“We call it the Rose Garden Club. And it’s a club for senators, for congresspeople and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country,” Trump said.

Trump said he intended for the tech executives he dined with Thursday night, including Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to be the first ones to enjoy the space. That dinner was moved indoors due to rain.

“I had the high-tech guys here, and they didn’t want to have rain on top of their beautiful heads,” Trump told the lawmakers.

Among the changes Trump has made to renovate and remake the White House has been his decision to pave over the grassy lawn in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/trump-rose-garden-paved-over-photo-gallery-732b9521b69c10c12ce448f12e27401c">the Rose Garden</a>, where he set up tables, chairs and umbrellas that look strikingly similar to the outdoor setup at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hosted a dinner Friday night for members of Congress in the newly paved White House Rose Garden, telling them they were the first gathering of what he dubbed the “Rose Garden Club.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">GRAND OPENING: Rose Garden Club 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VJe97CondZ">pic.twitter.com/VJe97CondZ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964155026323980414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Grand Opening of the Rose Garden Club at the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a> <a href="https://t.co/BLdk8obft2">pic.twitter.com/BLdk8obft2</a>&mdash; Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/1964146753394925915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 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/2025/9/1757171663358.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Rose Garden Club 🌹🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/A3voNntmpy">pic.twitter.com/A3voNntmpy</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1964335225640481014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The grand opening of the new Rose Garden Club at the White House last night was epic. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for his hospitality &amp; visionary leadership. <a href="https://t.co/eoTJu8EMNZ">pic.twitter.com/eoTJu8EMNZ</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1964306857368952927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Last night at the White House we celebrated the grand opening of the Rose Garden Club. I was honored to offer a prayer for our nation, with <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> sharing a great photo of me praying over <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdonaldtrump</a>. A special night, thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>. <a href="https://t.co/5f45VgDTop">pic.twitter.com/5f45VgDTop</a>&mdash; Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorLankford/status/1964328662766944410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president held a microphone as he addressed about 100 people, mostly House Republicans along with some GOP senators, thanking them for their support of his legislation.“We call it the Rose Garden Club. And it’s a club for senators, for congresspeople and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country,” Trump said.Trump said he intended for the tech executives he dined with Thursday night, including Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to be the first ones to enjoy the space. That dinner was moved indoors due to rain.“I had the high-tech guys here, and they didn’t want to have rain on top of their beautiful heads,” Trump told the lawmakers.Among the changes Trump has made to renovate and remake the White House has been his decision to pave over the grassy lawn in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/trump-rose-garden-paved-over-photo-gallery-732b9521b69c10c12ce448f12e27401c">the Rose Garden</a>, where he set up tables, chairs and umbrellas that look strikingly similar to the outdoor setup at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

See photos of White House dinner at new ‘Rose Garden Club’

CHICAGO (AP) — At a Catholic school in Pope Leo XIV’s hometown, fifth graders read comic books about Carlo Acutis' life titled “Digital Disciple.” They draw pictures of what the teenage Italian computer whiz might have had as his cellphone wallpaper. They discuss the miracles that allegedly occurred thanks to Acutis' intercession.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brzb_VN86Ng">Click here to view</a> the web camera on the Acutis Tomb

In the lead-up to Acutis' canonization on Sunday, it's all Acutis, all the time at the Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish and school in Chicago. The parish was the first in the United States to take its name from Acutis, who died in 2006 at age 15 and is about to become history's first millennial saint.

In recent years, Acutis has shot to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-saint-catholic-millennial-assisi-francis-f3abea4be1c4e57adbe1633733fd671d">near rock star-like fame</a>&nbsp;among many young Catholics, generating a global following the likes of which the Catholic Church hasn’t seen in ages. Much of that popularity is thanks to a concerted campaign by the Vatican to give the next generation of faithful a relatable, modern-day role model, an ordinary kid who used his technological talents to spread the faith.

He’s not a towering world figure like Mother Teresa or St. John Paul II, but rather a “saint next door,” said the Rev. Ed Howe, the pastor at Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish in Chicago’s Northwest Side.

“He’s someone who I think a lot of young people today say, ‘I could be the saint next door,'" Howe said.

Leo, a Chicago native, will declare Acutis a saint on Sunday in his first canonization ceremony, alongside another popular Italian, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young. Both ceremonies had been scheduled for earlier this year, but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-saint-acutis-posponed-9fdb99acaf0296974dc6216851c9167a">postponed following Pope Francis' death</a>&nbsp;in April.

It was Francis who had fervently willed the Acutis sainthood case forward, convinced that the church needed someone like him to attract young Catholics to the faith while addressing the promises and perils of the digital age.

Acutis was precociously savvy with computers long before the social media era, reading college-level textbooks on programming and coding as a youngster and making websites that at the time were the domain of professionals. But he limited himself to an hour of video games a week, apparently deciding long before TikTok that human relationships were far more important than virtual ones.

“Carlo was well aware that the whole apparatus of communications, advertising and social networking can be used to lull us, to make us addicted to consumerism and buying the latest thing on the market,” Francis wrote in a 2019 document. “Yet he knew how to use the new communications technology to transmit the Gospel, to communicate values and beauty.”

Leo inherited the Acutis cause, but he too has pointed to technology —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-vision-papacy-artificial-intelligence-36d29e37a11620b594b9b7c0574cc358">especially artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;— as one of the main challenges facing humanity.

Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London to a wealthy but not particularly observant Catholic family. They moved back to Milan soon after he was born and he enjoyed a typical, happy childhood, albeit marked by his increasingly intense religious devotion.

In October 2006, at age 15, he fell ill with what was quickly diagnosed as acute leukemia. Within days, he was dead. He was entombed in Assisi, which known for its association with another popular saint, St. Francis.

In a remarkably quick process, Acutis was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-sainthood-pope-francis-4b0149a3a2ca7a5be5cc6b87698bb931">beatified in 2020</a>, and last year Francis approved the second miracle needed for him to be made a saint.

In the years since his death, young Catholics have flocked by the millions to Assisi, where through a glass-sided tomb they can see the young Acutis, dressed in jeans, Nike sneakers and a sweatshirt, his hands clasped around a rosary. Those who can’t make it in person can watch the comings and goings on a webcam pointed at his tomb, a level of internet accessibility not afforded even to popes buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.

For his admirers, Acutis was an ordinary kid who did extraordinary things, a typical Milan teen who went to school, played soccer and loved animals. But he also brought food to the poor, attended Mass daily and got his less-than-devout parents back to church.

“When I read his story for the first time, it was just like shocking to me, because from a very early age, he was just really drawn to Jesus Christ and he would go to Mass all the time,” said Sona Harrison, an eighth grader at the St. John Berchmans’ school, which is part of the Acutis parish. “I feel like he’s a lot more relatable, and I definitely feel like I’m closer to God when I read about him.”

Acutis earned the nickname “God’s Influencer,” because he used technology to spread the faith. His most well-known tech legacy is the website he created about so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/list.html">Eucharistic miracles</a>, available in nearly 20 different languages. The site compiles information about the 196 seemingly inexplicable events over the history of the church related to the Eucharist, which the faithful believe is the body of Christ.

Acutis was known to spend hours in prayer before the Eucharist each day, a practice known as Eucharistic adoration.

“This was the fixed appointment of his day,” his mother, Antonia Salzano, said in a documentary that was airing Friday night at the U.S. seminary in Rome.

Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame, said Acutis’ enormous popularity was clearly the result of a concerted church campaign, pushed strongly by his grief-stricken mother. But she said that is nothing new, and that in the 2,000-year history of the church, saints have very often been pushed ahead to respond to a particular need at a particular time.

“It doesn’t detract from the holiness of the person being honored to say that there are choices that are made” about which cases move forward, she said in a phone interview.

Sprows Cummings said that the Acutis phenomenon caught on because he's attractive to both young people and the institutional church, for using technology in a positive way to spread his profound belief in Eucharistic miracles at a time when many Catholics don’t believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.

“Canonization is about marketing,” said Sprows Cummings, author of “A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics become American.”

“Which stories are going to get told? Who is going to get remembered through this amazingly efficient way of remembering holy people?”

Acutis and his story are ever-present here at the parish named for him. During Mass this week before the canonization, students processed into the chapel under an Acutis banner carrying things he might have carried: a soccer ball, laptop and knapsack.

Howe, the parish pastor and priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection, pulled items out of the knapsack to explain Acutis' story to the youngest students seated up front: A can of food he might have given to a homeless person, a set of rosary beads he might have prayed with.

“He fed the poor, he cared for the poor,” said 9-year-old David Cameron, who called Acutis “a great man.” Cameron, a fan of Sonic, Minecraft and Halo, also found inspiration in Acutis' love of video games — and awe at Acutis' restraint.

“He played video games for like only one hour a week, which I don’t think I can do,” he said.

Nicole Winfield reported from Vatican City.

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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757084801829.png" alt="View from the Acutis web camera" />
 <figcaption>View from the Acutis web camera</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — At a Catholic school in Pope Leo XIV’s hometown, fifth graders read comic books about Carlo Acutis' life titled “Digital Disciple.” They draw pictures of what the teenage Italian computer whiz might have had as his cellphone wallpaper. They discuss the miracles that allegedly occurred thanks to Acutis' intercession.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brzb_VN86Ng">Click here to view</a> the web camera on the Acutis TombIn the lead-up to Acutis' canonization on Sunday, it's all Acutis, all the time at the Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish and school in Chicago. The parish was the first in the United States to take its name from Acutis, who died in 2006 at age 15 and is about to become history's first millennial saint.In recent years, Acutis has shot to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-saint-catholic-millennial-assisi-francis-f3abea4be1c4e57adbe1633733fd671d">near rock star-like fame</a>&nbsp;among many young Catholics, generating a global following the likes of which the Catholic Church hasn’t seen in ages. Much of that popularity is thanks to a concerted campaign by the Vatican to give the next generation of faithful a relatable, modern-day role model, an ordinary kid who used his technological talents to spread the faith.He’s not a towering world figure like Mother Teresa or St. John Paul II, but rather a “saint next door,” said the Rev. Ed Howe, the pastor at Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish in Chicago’s Northwest Side.“He’s someone who I think a lot of young people today say, ‘I could be the saint next door,'" Howe said.<h2>Pope Leo XIV's first canonization</h2>Leo, a Chicago native, will declare Acutis a saint on Sunday in his first canonization ceremony, alongside another popular Italian, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young. Both ceremonies had been scheduled for earlier this year, but were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-saint-acutis-posponed-9fdb99acaf0296974dc6216851c9167a">postponed following Pope Francis' death</a>&nbsp;in April.It was Francis who had fervently willed the Acutis sainthood case forward, convinced that the church needed someone like him to attract young Catholics to the faith while addressing the promises and perils of the digital age.Acutis was precociously savvy with computers long before the social media era, reading college-level textbooks on programming and coding as a youngster and making websites that at the time were the domain of professionals. But he limited himself to an hour of video games a week, apparently deciding long before TikTok that human relationships were far more important than virtual ones.“Carlo was well aware that the whole apparatus of communications, advertising and social networking can be used to lull us, to make us addicted to consumerism and buying the latest thing on the market,” Francis wrote in a 2019 document. “Yet he knew how to use the new communications technology to transmit the Gospel, to communicate values and beauty.”Leo inherited the Acutis cause, but he too has pointed to technology —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-vision-papacy-artificial-intelligence-36d29e37a11620b594b9b7c0574cc358">especially artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;— as one of the main challenges facing humanity.<h2>A fast-track to sainthood</h2>Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London to a wealthy but not particularly observant Catholic family. They moved back to Milan soon after he was born and he enjoyed a typical, happy childhood, albeit marked by his increasingly intense religious devotion.In October 2006, at age 15, he fell ill with what was quickly diagnosed as acute leukemia. Within days, he was dead. He was entombed in Assisi, which known for its association with another popular saint, St. Francis.In a remarkably quick process, Acutis was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-sainthood-pope-francis-4b0149a3a2ca7a5be5cc6b87698bb931">beatified in 2020</a>, and last year Francis approved the second miracle needed for him to be made a saint.In the years since his death, young Catholics have flocked by the millions to Assisi, where through a glass-sided tomb they can see the young Acutis, dressed in jeans, Nike sneakers and a sweatshirt, his hands clasped around a rosary. Those who can’t make it in person can watch the comings and goings on a webcam pointed at his tomb, a level of internet accessibility not afforded even to popes buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.<h2>The ordinary and the extraordinary</h2>For his admirers, Acutis was an ordinary kid who did extraordinary things, a typical Milan teen who went to school, played soccer and loved animals. But he also brought food to the poor, attended Mass daily and got his less-than-devout parents back to church.“When I read his story for the first time, it was just like shocking to me, because from a very early age, he was just really drawn to Jesus Christ and he would go to Mass all the time,” said Sona Harrison, an eighth grader at the St. John Berchmans’ school, which is part of the Acutis parish. “I feel like he’s a lot more relatable, and I definitely feel like I’m closer to God when I read about him.”Acutis earned the nickname “God’s Influencer,” because he used technology to spread the faith. His most well-known tech legacy is the website he created about so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/list.html">Eucharistic miracles</a>, available in nearly 20 different languages. The site compiles information about the 196 seemingly inexplicable events over the history of the church related to the Eucharist, which the faithful believe is the body of Christ.Acutis was known to spend hours in prayer before the Eucharist each day, a practice known as Eucharistic adoration.“This was the fixed appointment of his day,” his mother, Antonia Salzano, said in a documentary that was airing Friday night at the U.S. seminary in Rome.<h2>An appeal that serves the church</h2>Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a history professor at the University of Notre Dame, said Acutis’ enormous popularity was clearly the result of a concerted church campaign, pushed strongly by his grief-stricken mother. But she said that is nothing new, and that in the 2,000-year history of the church, saints have very often been pushed ahead to respond to a particular need at a particular time.“It doesn’t detract from the holiness of the person being honored to say that there are choices that are made” about which cases move forward, she said in a phone interview.Sprows Cummings said that the Acutis phenomenon caught on because he's attractive to both young people and the institutional church, for using technology in a positive way to spread his profound belief in Eucharistic miracles at a time when many Catholics don’t believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.“Canonization is about marketing,” said Sprows Cummings, author of “A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics become American.”“Which stories are going to get told? Who is going to get remembered through this amazingly efficient way of remembering holy people?”Acutis and his story are ever-present here at the parish named for him. During Mass this week before the canonization, students processed into the chapel under an Acutis banner carrying things he might have carried: a soccer ball, laptop and knapsack.Howe, the parish pastor and priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection, pulled items out of the knapsack to explain Acutis' story to the youngest students seated up front: A can of food he might have given to a homeless person, a set of rosary beads he might have prayed with.The message landed.“He fed the poor, he cared for the poor,” said 9-year-old David Cameron, who called Acutis “a great man.” Cameron, a fan of Sonic, Minecraft and Halo, also found inspiration in Acutis' love of video games — and awe at Acutis' restraint.“He played video games for like only one hour a week, which I don’t think I can do,” he said.___Nicole Winfield reported from Vatican City.___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.

15-year-old computer whiz is becoming the Catholic Church's first millennial saint

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a shooting&nbsp; in Wichita continue asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;16-year-old Cesar Govea, according to a statement from Wichita Police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756165563203.png" alt="Govea-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Govea-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a shooting&nbsp; in Wichita continue asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;16-year-old Cesar Govea, according to a statement from Wichita Police.Govea is wanted in connection with a shooting on August 24, that injured his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend and a 17-year-old boy. The victims were inside a vehicle near Wichita and Waterwalk when Govea opened fire.Govea is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach him.If you know his whereabouts, do not approach him and call 911 immediately. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.