CHICAGO (AP) —Longtime chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, Sister Jean, has retired at 106 because of health concerns. The school's student newspaper,&nbsp;<a href="https://loyolaphoenix.com/2025/09/health-is-more-important-sister-jean-106-retires-from-official-campus-duties/">The Loyola Phoenix</a>, announced her retirement earlier this month.

Sister Jean rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago's trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers' improbable run.

She published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-parasports-jean-dolores-schmidt-chicago-06b8d438408e8e6abe08b395e3cd13d7">memoir</a>&nbsp;in 2023, "Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years," sharing lessons she'd learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice. Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21.

Sister Jean served as the team's chaplain for 30 years, providing players with support, mentorship and encouragement. She became a beloved figure at the university and a local celebrity in the community.

CHICAGO (AP) —Longtime chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, Sister Jean, has retired at 106 because of health concerns. The school's student newspaper,&nbsp;<a href="https://loyolaphoenix.com/2025/09/health-is-more-important-sister-jean-106-retires-from-official-campus-duties/">The Loyola Phoenix</a>, announced her retirement earlier this month.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">💛🐺🏀 <a href="https://t.co/Xz1qu0VsdD">pic.twitter.com/Xz1qu0VsdD</a>&mdash; Loyola Men&#39;s Basketball (@RamblersMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RamblersMBB/status/1970954805641449550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sister Jean rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago's trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers' improbable run.She published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-parasports-jean-dolores-schmidt-chicago-06b8d438408e8e6abe08b395e3cd13d7">memoir</a>&nbsp;in 2023, "Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years," sharing lessons she'd learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice. Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21.Sister Jean served as the team's chaplain for 30 years, providing players with support, mentorship and encouragement. She became a beloved figure at the university and a local celebrity in the community.___

Sister Jean, iconic March Madness figure, retires at 106

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faced charges following a major drug trafficking investigation led by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2726/Clarke-Redacted-Complaint-1">Dewayne C. Clarke</a>, 47,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs, five counts of Delivering a Controlled Substance Except 35 Grams or Less of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoid, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to Jackson County Attorney Melesa Johnson.

 If convicted on the trafficking charge, he could serve up to 15 years in prison. The other charges carry up to 10 years each.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2727/CLarkeRedacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force became aware of Clarke, a major distributor, who distributes crack-cocaine in large quantities. During the investigation, the Task Force was able to obtain a search warrant for the defendant’s residence and located multiple firearms, about 1,650 grams of cocaine, Methamphetamine, and more than $60,000 in cash.&nbsp;

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.

The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758656175455.png" alt="Clarke photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Clarke photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faced charges following a major drug trafficking investigation led by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2726/Clarke-Redacted-Complaint-1">Dewayne C. Clarke</a>, 47,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs, five counts of Delivering a Controlled Substance Except 35 Grams or Less of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoid, and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, according to Jackson County Attorney Melesa Johnson. If convicted on the trafficking charge, he could serve up to 15 years in prison. The other charges carry up to 10 years each.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2727/CLarkeRedacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, the Jackson County Drug Task Force became aware of Clarke, a major distributor, who distributes crack-cocaine in large quantities. During the investigation, the Task Force was able to obtain a search warrant for the defendant’s residence and located multiple firearms, about 1,650 grams of cocaine, Methamphetamine, and more than $60,000 in cash.&nbsp;The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.The defendant is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro.

Task force captures major Kansas City area cocaine dealer 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🎥Trump snubs Biden on new Presidential Walk of Fame

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

The family of one of the 67 people killed when an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-acc8bf751427eb6824d9d1fad30895b8">airliner collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday sued the government and the airlines involved, accusing them of failing to recognize the warning signs after more than 30 documented near misses in the area.

Other families are expected to join this first lawsuit that seeks to hold the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-congress-ntsb-faa-helicopter-e6cabb82fd788039e16ab2af84220712">Federal Aviation Administration</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-midair-collision-military-training-washington-airport-6f77fbc68a02d621e24f9ca9b29cb805">Army</a>, American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, accountable for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest U.S. plane crash</a>&nbsp;since 2001. PSA Airlines operated Flight 5342 that crashed Jan. 29.

The lawsuit says the airlines and government agencies “utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public.”

The FAA didn't immediately respond but the airlines and Army both said they are focused on supporting the families who lost loved ones in the crash and ensuring the safety of their flights. The Army declined to discuss the details of the lawsuit, but American and PSA defended their actions and said they will fight any claim that they caused or contributed to this accident.

“Flight 5342 was on a routine approach to DCA (Reagan airport) when the Army helicopter — that was above the published helicopter route altitude — collided with it,” the airlines said in their statement. “American has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else.”

The widow of Casey Crafton from Connecticut, who is raising three young boys without her husband, filed the lawsuit. Her lawyers also represent the majority of the families of people who died in the crash.

Crafton's brother read a statement from his widowed sister-in-law, Rachael Crafton, during a news conference Wednesday, describing the family's despair.

“Nearly eight months ago, our lives were shattered in a moment, and the grief has been unimaginable. The future we dreamed about was taken away from us,” Dailey Crafton said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has already highlighted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-dc-plane-crash-midair-collision-helicopter-a08cded88e1d7582fb8d242204d6aeff">long list</a>&nbsp;of things that likely contributed to the crash, although the final report identifying the cause won't be ready until next year.

The Black Hawk helicopter was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">flying well above</a>&nbsp;the 200-foot (60-meter) limit, but even if it had been at the correct altitude,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-e9f7b69fe01ff39dc8629d2999104683">the route it was flying</a>&nbsp;provided a scant 75 feet (23 meters) of separation between helicopters and planes landing on Ronald Reagan International Airport's secondary runway. The flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually flying 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the altimeter showed the pilots before the two aircraft collided.

The NTSB has also said the FAA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">failed to recognize</a>&nbsp;an alarming pattern of near misses at the busy airport in the years before the crash and ignored concerns about helicopter traffic around the airport its own controllers raised years earlier. Investigators also said that overworked controllers were trying to squeeze as many planes as possible into the landing pattern with minimal separation on a regular basis. If any of those things — or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-hearings-army-helicopter-airplane-crash-potomac-984dc835b1cc63274768192a404bfa2c">a number of other factors</a>&nbsp;— had been different that night, the collision might have been avoided.

The lawsuit says the airlines failed in their duty to protect the passengers because they were aware of numerous incidents in which helicopters flew close to commercial aircraft around Reagan airport but failed to adequately train pilots and didn't inform them about the helicopter routes or take other action to mitigate the risks. Other airline policies, such as allowing pilots to accept an alternative runway that intersects with the helicopter route and heavily scheduling flights in the second half of every hour, may have contributed.

“There is clear evidence that there were dozens of near-misses and thousands of reports of congestion between commercial aircraft and military aircraft at Reagan National that were being ignored by the airlines,” said lawyer Bob Clifford, who is representing the families.

The lawsuit says the PSA pilots should have reacted sooner when they received an alert about traffic in the area 19 seconds before the crash instead of waiting until the last second to pull up. The lawsuit says a yellow icon appeared on the pilots' warning system showing the relative direction and altitude of the Army helicopter.

The PSA pilots would also have heard controllers warn the helicopter about their aircraft although the controller never warned the PSA pilots directly.

Doug Lane lost his wife, Christine, and his son, Spencer — an aspiring Olympic figure skater — in the crash.

Addressing the news conference, Lane urged investigators to quickly determine what went wrong to prevent future accidents.

“We’ve also turned our grief into action,” Lane said of the victims' families. “We collaborated with Congress on critical air safety reforms. We secured a much needed set of oversight investigations into the FAA, and we will not rest until similar investigations are underway into the U.S. Army.”

Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>, who were returning from an elite junior skaters' camp following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita, Kansas. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims’ families.

Others on the flight from Wichita included a group of hunters returning from a guided trip in Kansas; four members of a steamfitters’ union in suburban Maryland; nine students and parents from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia; and two Chinese nationals. There were also four crew members on the plane and three people in the helicopter's crew who were killed.

Bill and Renee Parente said they are hoping the lawsuit can answer the lingering questions about the crash that killed their 34-year-old son, Anthony Parente, less than six months before he was due to get married.

Bill Parente said his family is mad because this crash didn't have to happen.

“We are on a mission to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Bill Parente said after the news conference. “We have to live with this for the rest of our lives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="FILE The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), as they began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>FILE The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), as they began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation WriterThe family of one of the 67 people killed when an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-acc8bf751427eb6824d9d1fad30895b8">airliner collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday sued the government and the airlines involved, accusing them of failing to recognize the warning signs after more than 30 documented near misses in the area.Other families are expected to join this first lawsuit that seeks to hold the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-congress-ntsb-faa-helicopter-e6cabb82fd788039e16ab2af84220712">Federal Aviation Administration</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-midair-collision-military-training-washington-airport-6f77fbc68a02d621e24f9ca9b29cb805">Army</a>, American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, accountable for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest U.S. plane crash</a>&nbsp;since 2001. PSA Airlines operated Flight 5342 that crashed Jan. 29.The lawsuit says the airlines and government agencies “utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public.”The FAA didn't immediately respond but the airlines and Army both said they are focused on supporting the families who lost loved ones in the crash and ensuring the safety of their flights. The Army declined to discuss the details of the lawsuit, but American and PSA defended their actions and said they will fight any claim that they caused or contributed to this accident.“Flight 5342 was on a routine approach to DCA (Reagan airport) when the Army helicopter — that was above the published helicopter route altitude — collided with it,” the airlines said in their statement. “American has a strong track record of putting the safety of our customers and team members above everything else.”The widow of Casey Crafton from Connecticut, who is raising three young boys without her husband, filed the lawsuit. Her lawyers also represent the majority of the families of people who died in the crash.Crafton's brother read a statement from his widowed sister-in-law, Rachael Crafton, during a news conference Wednesday, describing the family's despair.“Nearly eight months ago, our lives were shattered in a moment, and the grief has been unimaginable. The future we dreamed about was taken away from us,” Dailey Crafton said.<h2>Determining the cause of the crash</h2>The National Transportation Safety Board has already highlighted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-dc-plane-crash-midair-collision-helicopter-a08cded88e1d7582fb8d242204d6aeff">long list</a>&nbsp;of things that likely contributed to the crash, although the final report identifying the cause won't be ready until next year.The Black Hawk helicopter was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">flying well above</a>&nbsp;the 200-foot (60-meter) limit, but even if it had been at the correct altitude,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-e9f7b69fe01ff39dc8629d2999104683">the route it was flying</a>&nbsp;provided a scant 75 feet (23 meters) of separation between helicopters and planes landing on Ronald Reagan International Airport's secondary runway. The flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually flying 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the altimeter showed the pilots before the two aircraft collided.The NTSB has also said the FAA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">failed to recognize</a>&nbsp;an alarming pattern of near misses at the busy airport in the years before the crash and ignored concerns about helicopter traffic around the airport its own controllers raised years earlier. Investigators also said that overworked controllers were trying to squeeze as many planes as possible into the landing pattern with minimal separation on a regular basis. If any of those things — or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-hearings-army-helicopter-airplane-crash-potomac-984dc835b1cc63274768192a404bfa2c">a number of other factors</a>&nbsp;— had been different that night, the collision might have been avoided.The lawsuit says the airlines failed in their duty to protect the passengers because they were aware of numerous incidents in which helicopters flew close to commercial aircraft around Reagan airport but failed to adequately train pilots and didn't inform them about the helicopter routes or take other action to mitigate the risks. Other airline policies, such as allowing pilots to accept an alternative runway that intersects with the helicopter route and heavily scheduling flights in the second half of every hour, may have contributed.“There is clear evidence that there were dozens of near-misses and thousands of reports of congestion between commercial aircraft and military aircraft at Reagan National that were being ignored by the airlines,” said lawyer Bob Clifford, who is representing the families.The lawsuit says the PSA pilots should have reacted sooner when they received an alert about traffic in the area 19 seconds before the crash instead of waiting until the last second to pull up. The lawsuit says a yellow icon appeared on the pilots' warning system showing the relative direction and altitude of the Army helicopter.The PSA pilots would also have heard controllers warn the helicopter about their aircraft although the controller never warned the PSA pilots directly.<h2>Turning grief into action</h2>Doug Lane lost his wife, Christine, and his son, Spencer — an aspiring Olympic figure skater — in the crash.Addressing the news conference, Lane urged investigators to quickly determine what went wrong to prevent future accidents.“We’ve also turned our grief into action,” Lane said of the victims' families. “We collaborated with Congress on critical air safety reforms. We secured a much needed set of oversight investigations into the FAA, and we will not rest until similar investigations are underway into the U.S. Army.”Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>, who were returning from an elite junior skaters' camp following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita, Kansas. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims’ families.Others on the flight from Wichita included a group of hunters returning from a guided trip in Kansas; four members of a steamfitters’ union in suburban Maryland; nine students and parents from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia; and two Chinese nationals. There were also four crew members on the plane and three people in the helicopter's crew who were killed.Bill and Renee Parente said they are hoping the lawsuit can answer the lingering questions about the crash that killed their 34-year-old son, Anthony Parente, less than six months before he was due to get married.Bill Parente said his family is mad because this crash didn't have to happen.“We are on a mission to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Bill Parente said after the news conference. “We have to live with this for the rest of our lives.”___

First lawsuit filed in deadly Kansas to DC helicopter, plane crash 

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

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

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

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

FBI on scene at Texas home linked to suspect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Law enforcement official identifies suspect in shooting at immigration facility

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

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

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

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

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

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

Federal officials are releasing images from shooting scene

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

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

Body taken away as officers check building near ICE facility

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Kansas house fire.

Just before 10a.m. Tuesday, crews assisted one person out of a house fire at 100th and Farley Lane in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park FIre.

It took crews about an hour to extinguish a stubborn attic fire at the residence. No injuries are reported. Two adults and one canine displaced.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758655733485.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Kansas house fire.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Crews assisted one person out of a house fire at 100th and Farley Ln. just before 10 a.m. It took crews about an hour to extinguish a stubborn attic fire at the residence. No injuries are reported. Two adults and one canine displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation. <a href="https://t.co/V3flXzKYGf">pic.twitter.com/V3flXzKYGf</a>&mdash; Overland Park Fire Department (@OverlandParkFD) <a href="https://twitter.com/OverlandParkFD/status/1970528644377301320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just before 10a.m. Tuesday, crews assisted one person out of a house fire at 100th and Farley Lane in Overland Park, according to a social media report from Overland Park FIre.It took crews about an hour to extinguish a stubborn attic fire at the residence. No injuries are reported. Two adults and one canine displaced.&nbsp;

Crews battle fire for nearly an hour in attic of Kansas home

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

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday recommended the Kansas Legislature gather public testimony about Republican plans to redraw the state’s four congressional districts to disadvantage Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the next election.

“I am calling on legislative leadership to host town halls prior to circulating a petition for a special session,” Kelly said in a statement. “Kansans must be offered the opportunity to express their opinions directly to their representatives, as they have during previous redistricting processes.”

The Republican-led Legislature convened 18 public sessions in 2021 in advance of the House and Senate votes in 2022 to reconfigure U.S. House district boundaries. That congressional map was expected to be in place for a decade, but President Donald Trump applied pressure on Kansas and other states to perform mid-decade redistricting in an attempt to swell the ranks of GOP members in the U.S. House after the 2026 election cycle.

Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Wichita-area Republicans seeking election to statewide offices, have contemplated convening a special session in November to work on maps that would split moderate voters of Johnson County among multiple congressional districts.

The political objective would be to make the 3rd District, which is represented by Davids and anchored by Johnson and Wyandotte counties, more winnable for Republican candidates. At the same time, the districts of GOP U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes would lose a portion of their Republican edge in terms of registered voters.

Kelly said she wouldn’t call a special session for the purpose of redistricting. Masterson and Hawkins have the option of gathering petition signatures from two-thirds of Senate and House members to compel a special session of the Legislature. Currently, Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers and numerically could reach that threshold.

The Democratic governor said discussions about a special session and congressional redistricting “must be brought out from behind closed doors and into the public domain.”

In 2021, then-House Speaker Ron Ryckman said redistricting in Kansas should be viewed as a multi-year process that included town halls to gauge what Kansas wanted to see in terms of adjustments to district boundaries. The Olathe Republican insisted at that time the process should allow for “additional public input” beyond views of legislators.

In 2022, Masterson said it was important to keep a united Johnson County at the core of the 3rd District held by Davids.

In wake of Trump’s call on Kansas to shift its congressional boundaries, Masterson said his consideration of redistricting wouldn’t be connected to his quest to secure Trump’s endorsement in the upcoming governor’s race. While Masterson is among GOP candidates for governor, Hawkins is running for state insurance commissioner.

Kelly said Kansas lawmakers ought to adhere to precedent and offer robust in-person and online public comment options.

She said residents of Johnson County should have a voice in planning an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of U.S. House boundaries, especially when that action could be taken without referencing new Census data needed to divide the population into four districts.

“I do not agree with mid-decade redistricting based on old data and a clearly partisan agenda,” Kelly said in a statement.

Masterson and Hawkins said they were puzzled Kelly opposed redistricting in Kansas but encouraged redistricting in Democrat-led states such as California in response to action by Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Kelly chairs the Democratic Governors Association.

“Governor Kelly’s recent statements on Kansas redistricting are hypocritical at best,” Masterson said. “She has strongly supported partisan redistricting in California, yet opposes redrawing Kansas’ maps to better reflect the will of most Kansans.”

In terms of redistricting in Kansas, Hawkins added:&nbsp;“To quote the governor, ‘there is a bigger risk in doing nothing.’ It is certainly an issue we are considering seriously.”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both Democrats from Johnson County, echoed Kelly’s opposition to a special session and support for hearings on redistricting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643147273216.png" alt="Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Congressional Districts -Image Kansas Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday recommended the Kansas Legislature gather public testimony about Republican plans to redraw the state’s four congressional districts to disadvantage Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the next election.“I am calling on legislative leadership to host town halls prior to circulating a petition for a special session,” Kelly said in a statement. “Kansans must be offered the opportunity to express their opinions directly to their representatives, as they have during previous redistricting processes.”The Republican-led Legislature convened 18 public sessions in 2021 in advance of the House and Senate votes in 2022 to reconfigure U.S. House district boundaries. That congressional map was expected to be in place for a decade, but President Donald Trump applied pressure on Kansas and other states to perform mid-decade redistricting in an attempt to swell the ranks of GOP members in the U.S. House after the 2026 election cycle.Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Wichita-area Republicans seeking election to statewide offices, have contemplated convening a special session in November to work on maps that would split moderate voters of Johnson County among multiple congressional districts.The political objective would be to make the 3rd District, which is represented by Davids and anchored by Johnson and Wyandotte counties, more winnable for Republican candidates. At the same time, the districts of GOP U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes would lose a portion of their Republican edge in terms of registered voters.<h2>The petition route</h2>Kelly said she wouldn’t call a special session for the purpose of redistricting. Masterson and Hawkins have the option of gathering petition signatures from two-thirds of Senate and House members to compel a special session of the Legislature. Currently, Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers and numerically could reach that threshold.The Democratic governor said discussions about a special session and congressional redistricting “must be brought out from behind closed doors and into the public domain.”In 2021, then-House Speaker Ron Ryckman said redistricting in Kansas should be viewed as a multi-year process that included town halls to gauge what Kansas wanted to see in terms of adjustments to district boundaries. The Olathe Republican insisted at that time the process should allow for “additional public input” beyond views of legislators.In 2022, Masterson said it was important to keep a united Johnson County at the core of the 3rd District held by Davids.In wake of Trump’s call on Kansas to shift its congressional boundaries, Masterson said his consideration of redistricting wouldn’t be connected to his quest to secure Trump’s endorsement in the upcoming governor’s race. While Masterson is among GOP candidates for governor, Hawkins is running for state insurance commissioner.Kelly said Kansas lawmakers ought to adhere to precedent and offer robust in-person and online public comment options.She said residents of Johnson County should have a voice in planning an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting of U.S. House boundaries, especially when that action could be taken without referencing new Census data needed to divide the population into four districts.“I do not agree with mid-decade redistricting based on old data and a clearly partisan agenda,” Kelly said in a statement.<h2>Leadership tussle</h2>Masterson and Hawkins said they were puzzled Kelly opposed redistricting in Kansas but encouraged redistricting in Democrat-led states such as California in response to action by Republican-controlled states such as Texas. Kelly chairs the Democratic Governors Association.“Governor Kelly’s recent statements on Kansas redistricting are hypocritical at best,” Masterson said. “She has strongly supported partisan redistricting in California, yet opposes redrawing Kansas’ maps to better reflect the will of most Kansans.”In terms of redistricting in Kansas, Hawkins added:&nbsp;“To quote the governor, ‘there is a bigger risk in doing nothing.’ It is certainly an issue we are considering seriously.”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both Democrats from Johnson County, echoed Kelly’s opposition to a special session and support for hearings on redistricting.

Kansas governor urges GOP to convene public hearings on U.S. House redistricting

RILEY COUNTY–&nbsp;Law enforcement in Manhattan have made two arrests this week after a lengthy investigation into multiple vehicle burglaries during the last two months.

Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested Jessup McClelland, 25, of Manhattan, in the 1100 block of Freemont Avenue in Manhattan. He is being held o a $12,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal use of a financial card.&nbsp;&nbsp;McClelland has previous convictions for burglary, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Just after 12:30p.m. Monday,&nbsp; police arrested Adyson Westgate, 19, of Wamego in the 1800 block of Hayes Drive. He was jailed on two counts of criminal use of a financial card and one count of burglary to a vehicle. 

Westgate met the requirement of a $10,000 bond and is no longer in custody.

The RCPD thanked the community for sharing camera footage that assisted in this ongoing investigation and encourage anyone who may have been a victim of vehicle burglaries and has not yet reported it, to contact the RCPD at (785) 537-2112.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758726089427.png" alt="McClelland photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>McClelland photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY–&nbsp;Law enforcement in Manhattan have made two arrests this week after a lengthy investigation into multiple vehicle burglaries during the last two months.Just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday, police arrested Jessup McClelland, 25, of Manhattan, in the 1100 block of Freemont Avenue in Manhattan. He is being held o a $12,000 bond on requested charges that include three counts of criminal use of a financial card.&nbsp;&nbsp;McClelland has previous convictions for burglary, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Just after 12:30p.m. Monday,&nbsp; police arrested Adyson Westgate, 19, of Wamego in the 1800 block of Hayes Drive. He was jailed on two counts of criminal use of a financial card and one count of burglary to a vehicle. Westgate met the requirement of a $10,000 bond and is no longer in custody.The RCPD thanked the community for sharing camera footage that assisted in this ongoing investigation and encourage anyone who may have been a victim of vehicle burglaries and has not yet reported it, to contact the RCPD at (785) 537-2112.

Security camera image helped catch Kan. burglary suspects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WASHINGTON (AP) —Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-d40ff2bfe020001d2770660e72f5c9f2">Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-gsa-fired-employees-ce18553b281fbf5816ec2fd491d79b78" target="_blank">being asked to return to work</a>.

The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report to work on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation.

“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748629615367.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk during an Oval Office meeting -image White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk during an Oval Office meeting -image White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-donald-trump-d40ff2bfe020001d2770660e72f5c9f2">Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-gsa-fired-employees-ce18553b281fbf5816ec2fd491d79b78" target="_blank">being asked to return to work</a>.The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report to work on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation.“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”

Hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE are rehired

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.

On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.

The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.

Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.

Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.

Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758722708367.png" alt="The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

Police: Suspects took hard drive from bank ATM in central Kansas

UNITED NATIONS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-summit-zelenskyy-a01a6dbae85b10cc710c48f1558c1401">calls for Kyiv to make concessions</a>&nbsp;to end the war.

Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering of world leaders.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”

The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-putin-33015fe967ab7cd09fee165fed59953e">keep up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war. It was a departure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-land-swap-trump-summit-e8e869d5d5ec672fee3e86022b20d11a">Trump’s previous suggestions</a>&nbsp;that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

That had disheartened Zelenskyy, Europeans and Ukrainians and called into question the U.S. commitment to U.N. principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. But now, Trump’s view of the battlefield coincides more with Ukraine’s, Zelenskyy said.

“Trump is a game changer by himself,” Zelenskyy told reporters after their meeting.

Trump needles Russia about war in Ukraine

Trump, going back to his 2024 campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">insisted he would quickly end the war</a>, but his peace efforts appear to have stalled following a diplomatic blitz last month, when he held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-alaska-meeting-ukraine-war-942638dc7d3b7b8e61698f8574bdc890">summit with Putin</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-zelensky-what-to-know-f70e7c231251f263a66772d954eefff5">White House meeting with Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European allies.

Trump has acknowledged, including in his U.N. speech to world leaders, that he thought a resolution to this conflict would be “the easiest” because he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-relationship-over-years-d7a6c5400d9ec88127d16278be07a145">had a good relationship with Putin</a>. Trump said he is open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-trump-putin-russia-sanctions-ukraine-7457f341013e2e552c7f5f76ac7fd962">imposing more sanctions on Russia</a>&nbsp;and urged Europe to join in.

“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote on social media. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”

In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish.”

“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said. “The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”

Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said the “biggest progress” toward ending the conflict “is that the Russian economy is terrible right now.” Zelenskyy said he agreed with Trump’s call for European nations to further halt imports of Russian oil and natural gas.

“We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump told Zelenskyy, who replied that he had “good news” from the battlefield.

How Trump’s stance has shifted on Ukraine

Before his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Alaska summit</a>&nbsp;with Putin last month, Trump repeated that any resolution to the war would require “some land swapping.”

In talks with Zelenskyy and Europeans just afterward, Trump said Putin reiterated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-putin-summit-ukraine-territory-ba56ddbd24d1b7e8e0aca7754d0f180a">he wants the Donetsk and Luhansk regions</a>&nbsp;that make up the Donbas, according to European officials. Days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders</a>&nbsp;came to the White House.

Following those meetings, Trump announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">arranging for direct talks</a>&nbsp;between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.

European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia.

“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.

However, he repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.

Push for sanctions and cutting off Russian oil

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said before meeting with Trump that Europe would be imposing more sanctions and tariffs on Russia and that the bloc would be further reducing its imports of Russian energy.

Zelenskyy, speaking at a special U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine, also appealed for stronger U.S. pressure on Russia.

“Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it,” said Zelenskyy, who has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">strained ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;in previous sitdowns and has previously faced White House accusations that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-trump-war-zelenskyy-putin-7fe8c0c80b4e93e3bc079c621a44e8bb">partly to blame for Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;in 2022.

Russia denigrated the Security Council meeting as just the New York stop in the world tour of a “former actor,” a reference to Zelenskyy.

“There is no added value for the establishment of peace in Ukraine generated from today’s meeting,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. “This will merely become yet another shameful episode in the market of hypocrisy.”

European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, with some alarmed by the possibility that the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nato-members-borders-airspace-violations-4a7d6c3eabf76c82ebaff434401b3331">could spread beyond Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as they are facing what they have called Russian provocations.

“I welcome the fact that the president of the United States believes in Ukraine’s ability not only to hold the course” but to prevail, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

NATO allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12">will hold formal consultations</a>&nbsp;at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-drones-estonia-ed72156951e6ef62f802d9f1f786c8b5">Russian fighter jets entered its airspace</a>&nbsp;last week without authorization.

Trump said he would back NATO countries that choose to shoot down intruding Russian planes, but said direct U.S. involvement would depend on the circumstances.

New strikes in Ukraine as toll of war grows

The full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, is taking a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians. Russia said it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow, while Ukraine said Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared with 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.

A U.N. Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.

“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755286154581.png" alt="Russian President Putin and President Trump met in Alaska August 15. Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Russian President Putin and President Trump met in Alaska August 15. Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-summit-zelenskyy-a01a6dbae85b10cc710c48f1558c1401">calls for Kyiv to make concessions</a>&nbsp;to end the war.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 &quot;...Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!&quot; - PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP <a href="https://t.co/YI0N4JF4ll">pic.twitter.com/YI0N4JF4ll</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970564074850123952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?&quot; President Trump: &quot;Yes, I do.&quot; When asked if he still trusts President Putin, Trump responds, &quot;I&#39;ll let you know in about a month.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pptl8AWYtK">pic.twitter.com/pptl8AWYtK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970548801967423919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky. &quot;We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up. It&#39;s pretty amazing actually.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Th62pTYuck">pic.twitter.com/Th62pTYuck</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970548405328818584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-opens-fb91931e273432bc8725e9e9860f9844">United Nations General Assembly</a>&nbsp;gathering of world leaders.“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelenskyy, who has urged the American president to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-putin-33015fe967ab7cd09fee165fed59953e">keep up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war. It was a departure from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-land-swap-trump-summit-e8e869d5d5ec672fee3e86022b20d11a">Trump’s previous suggestions</a>&nbsp;that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.That had disheartened Zelenskyy, Europeans and Ukrainians and called into question the U.S. commitment to U.N. principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. But now, Trump’s view of the battlefield coincides more with Ukraine’s, Zelenskyy said.“Trump is a game changer by himself,” Zelenskyy told reporters after their meeting.<h2>Trump needles Russia about war in Ukraine</h2>Trump, going back to his 2024 campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">insisted he would quickly end the war</a>, but his peace efforts appear to have stalled following a diplomatic blitz last month, when he held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-alaska-meeting-ukraine-war-942638dc7d3b7b8e61698f8574bdc890">summit with Putin</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-zelensky-what-to-know-f70e7c231251f263a66772d954eefff5">White House meeting with Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European allies.Trump has acknowledged, including in his U.N. speech to world leaders, that he thought a resolution to this conflict would be “the easiest” because he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-relationship-over-years-d7a6c5400d9ec88127d16278be07a145">had a good relationship with Putin</a>. Trump said he is open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-trump-putin-russia-sanctions-ukraine-7457f341013e2e552c7f5f76ac7fd962">imposing more sanctions on Russia</a>&nbsp;and urged Europe to join in.“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump wrote on social media. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’”In his speech to the General Assembly, Trump said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish.”“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said. “The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said the “biggest progress” toward ending the conflict “is that the Russian economy is terrible right now.” Zelenskyy said he agreed with Trump’s call for European nations to further halt imports of Russian oil and natural gas.“We have great respect for the fight that Ukraine is putting up,” Trump told Zelenskyy, who replied that he had “good news” from the battlefield.<h2>How Trump’s stance has shifted on Ukraine</h2>Before his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Alaska summit</a>&nbsp;with Putin last month, Trump repeated that any resolution to the war would require “some land swapping.”In talks with Zelenskyy and Europeans just afterward, Trump said Putin reiterated that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-trump-putin-summit-ukraine-territory-ba56ddbd24d1b7e8e0aca7754d0f180a">he wants the Donetsk and Luhansk regions</a>&nbsp;that make up the Donbas, according to European officials. Days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders</a>&nbsp;came to the White House.Following those meetings, Trump announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135">arranging for direct talks</a>&nbsp;between Putin and Zelenskyy. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia.“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.However, he repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.<h2>Push for sanctions and cutting off Russian oil</h2>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said before meeting with Trump that Europe would be imposing more sanctions and tariffs on Russia and that the bloc would be further reducing its imports of Russian energy.Zelenskyy, speaking at a special U.N. Security Council session on Ukraine, also appealed for stronger U.S. pressure on Russia.“Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it,” said Zelenskyy, who has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">strained ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;in previous sitdowns and has previously faced White House accusations that he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-trump-war-zelenskyy-putin-7fe8c0c80b4e93e3bc079c621a44e8bb">partly to blame for Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;in 2022.Russia denigrated the Security Council meeting as just the New York stop in the world tour of a “former actor,” a reference to Zelenskyy.“There is no added value for the establishment of peace in Ukraine generated from today’s meeting,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. “This will merely become yet another shameful episode in the market of hypocrisy.”European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, with some alarmed by the possibility that the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nato-members-borders-airspace-violations-4a7d6c3eabf76c82ebaff434401b3331">could spread beyond Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as they are facing what they have called Russian provocations.“I welcome the fact that the president of the United States believes in Ukraine’s ability not only to hold the course” but to prevail, French President Emmanuel Macron said.NATO allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12">will hold formal consultations</a>&nbsp;at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-drones-estonia-ed72156951e6ef62f802d9f1f786c8b5">Russian fighter jets entered its airspace</a>&nbsp;last week without authorization.Trump said he would back NATO countries that choose to shoot down intruding Russian planes, but said direct U.S. involvement would depend on the circumstances.<h2>New strikes in Ukraine as toll of war grows</h2>The full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, is taking a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians. Russia said it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow, while Ukraine said Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians.The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared with 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.A U.N. Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.___Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. AP reporters Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report.