TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) announced today that it has stopped selling the 10-year combination of hunting and fishing licenses for Kansas residents aged 65 to 74. The decision follows the discovery that the statute authorizing the department to sell the licenses at a reduced rate had expired, according to a media release from the department.

 The licenses were commonly called a Senior Lifetime Pass because after a resident reaches age 75, they are no longer required to purchase Kansas hunting and fishing licenses.

The Senior Lifetime Pass was established by the Kansas Legislature in 2012 through Senate Bill 314 (K.S.A. 32-9,100), along with several other discounted licenses for seniors. In 2023, the other discounted hunting and fishing licenses were made permanent with the passage of House Bill 2039.

“When we discovered the authorization for the Senior Lifetime Pass had lapsed, I instructed staff to stop selling them,” said KDWP Acting Secretary Christopher Kennedy. “All licenses were sold in good faith, and the Senior Lifetime Passes already issued will remain valid. While we must stop selling this pass, we are exploring regulatory and statutory options to offer additional discounted rates for seniors in the future.”

Annual senior licenses for Kansas residents ages 65 to 74 remain available at significantly discounted rates. The Resident Senior Annual Hunting License is $15; the Resident Senior Annual Fishing License is $15; and the Resident Senior Annual Combo license for hunting and fishing is $25.&nbsp;

Licenses can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fgooutdoorskansas.com%2F%3Futm_source=news%26utm_medium=press-release%26utm_campaign=seniorpass/1/01010192a1459178-60c89685-53da-4635-952e-6b4356087c6a-000000/4JvsUPaJwS_X9HfwP4S2N03Bs6huji2zkP9YvZXiwpc=375">license.gooutdoorskansas.com</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-833-587-2164. Licenses are also available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fksoutdoors.com%2FLicense-Permits%2FLocations-to-Buy-License-Permits%3Futm_source=news%26utm_medium=press-release%26utm_campaign=seniorpass/1/01010192a1459178-60c89685-53da-4635-952e-6b4356087c6a-000000/Pv_yUCFbs-D8Pat1rM4qsbSadFZW2v0OEwjFUxHFajQ=375">various locations statewide.</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) announced today that it has stopped selling the 10-year combination of hunting and fishing licenses for Kansas residents aged 65 to 74. The decision follows the discovery that the statute authorizing the department to sell the licenses at a reduced rate had expired, according to a media release from the department. The licenses were commonly called a Senior Lifetime Pass because after a resident reaches age 75, they are no longer required to purchase Kansas hunting and fishing licenses.The Senior Lifetime Pass was established by the Kansas Legislature in 2012 through Senate Bill 314 (K.S.A. 32-9,100), along with several other discounted licenses for seniors. In 2023, the other discounted hunting and fishing licenses were made permanent with the passage of House Bill 2039.“When we discovered the authorization for the Senior Lifetime Pass had lapsed, I instructed staff to stop selling them,” said KDWP Acting Secretary Christopher Kennedy. “All licenses were sold in good faith, and the Senior Lifetime Passes already issued will remain valid. While we must stop selling this pass, we are exploring regulatory and statutory options to offer additional discounted rates for seniors in the future.”Annual senior licenses for Kansas residents ages 65 to 74 remain available at significantly discounted rates. The Resident Senior Annual Hunting License is $15; the Resident Senior Annual Fishing License is $15; and the Resident Senior Annual Combo license for hunting and fishing is $25.&nbsp;Licenses can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fgooutdoorskansas.com%2F%3Futm_source=news%26utm_medium=press-release%26utm_campaign=seniorpass/1/01010192a1459178-60c89685-53da-4635-952e-6b4356087c6a-000000/4JvsUPaJwS_X9HfwP4S2N03Bs6huji2zkP9YvZXiwpc=375">license.gooutdoorskansas.com</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 1-833-587-2164. Licenses are also available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fksoutdoors.com%2FLicense-Permits%2FLocations-to-Buy-License-Permits%3Futm_source=news%26utm_medium=press-release%26utm_campaign=seniorpass/1/01010192a1459178-60c89685-53da-4635-952e-6b4356087c6a-000000/Pv_yUCFbs-D8Pat1rM4qsbSadFZW2v0OEwjFUxHFajQ=375">various locations statewide.</a>

Kansas Wildlife and Parks stops the sale of Senior Lifetime Passes 

In the past week, U.S. forces successfully destroyed 20 one-way attack drones and Land Attack Cruise Missiles in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command.

 These Iranian-supplied weapons, launched episodically by the Houthis and Iranian-Aligned Militia Groups (IAMGs) over several days during the week, posed a significant risk to United States, allies, and partner forces, as well as civilians in the region and beyond. The drones and missiles were downed by a combination of U.S. Air Force and U.S Navy assets deployed to the region.

No U.S. service members were injured in these actions. U.S. and coalition forces remain at a high level of readiness, postured to defend U.S. interests and those of our allies and partners in the region.

Here’s a general timeline of CENTCOM operational activities during the past week:

As previously released, CENTCOM forces conducted a series of airstrikes Oct. 11 against multiple known ISIS camps in Syria, resulting in at least 35 ISIS operatives killed, to include several ISIS leaders. The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and civilians. Battle damage assessments are still underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. U.S. and partner forces continue to execute these critical operations that contribute to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM AOR and the support of regional stability.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583511919.png" alt="File photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>In the past week, U.S. forces successfully destroyed 20 one-way attack drones and Land Attack Cruise Missiles in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command. These Iranian-supplied weapons, launched episodically by the Houthis and Iranian-Aligned Militia Groups (IAMGs) over several days during the week, posed a significant risk to United States, allies, and partner forces, as well as civilians in the region and beyond. The drones and missiles were downed by a combination of U.S. Air Force and U.S Navy assets deployed to the region.No U.S. service members were injured in these actions. U.S. and coalition forces remain at a high level of readiness, postured to defend U.S. interests and those of our allies and partners in the region.Here’s a general timeline of CENTCOM operational activities during the past week:As previously released, CENTCOM forces conducted a series of airstrikes Oct. 11 against multiple known ISIS camps in Syria, resulting in at least 35 ISIS operatives killed, to include several ISIS leaders. The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and civilians. Battle damage assessments are still underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. U.S. and partner forces continue to execute these critical operations that contribute to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM AOR and the support of regional stability.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728866585354.png" alt="File p hoto-A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mobile launcher sits on display in the new Lt. Gen. C.J. LeVan THAAD Instructional Facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)" />
 <figcaption>File p hoto-A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mobile launcher sits on display in the new Lt. Gen. C.J. LeVan THAAD Instructional Facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)</figcaption>
 </figure><ul>
 <li>On Oct. 13, at the direction of the President, the Secretary of Defense authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel’s air defenses following Iran’s unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on Oct. 1. The THAAD battery is now integrated into the regional air defense architecture.</li><li>Separately, during the past week, CENTCOM forces conducted a successful strike against a Houthi Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher and its associated radar that presented a threat to U.S. and coalition aircraft. Additionally, CENTCOM forces conducted strikes against multiple UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) used to direct Houthi OWAUAS targeting of U.S. and coalition forces against international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. For operations security reasons, we won’t discuss specific dates or locations of these self-defense strikes.</li><li>U.S. and coalition forces assigned to Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) twice came under rocket attacks from IAMGs. In both instances, the rockets were successfully intercepted. No U.S. service members were injured in either incident.</li><li>Finally, on the evening of Oct. 16 EDT, CENTCOM forces conducted multiple airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen that contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. CENTCOM forces targeted the Houthi’s hardened underground facilities housing missiles, weapons components, and other munitions used to target military and civilian vessels throughout the region. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers, were part of the operation.</li>
 </ul>

Busy week for U.S. forces across the Middle East

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon after a wild chase in Franklin County.

On October 14, sheriff's deputies attempted a traffic stop in the 2500 Block of East Logan Street in Ottawa, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.

The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Aaron Ayers of Wellsville, refused to stop, accelerated erratically on Kansas 68 Highway. Once Ayers reached the 3300 Block of East 68 Highway, near the Walmart Distribution Center, a deputy completed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention maneuver in an attempt to end the pursuit for the safety of the public.

This caused the vehicle to exit the north side of the road and stop briefly. However, Ayers was able to continue driving before he was taken into custody.

The vehicle traveled through a yard on private property, through a fence and into a pasture. Once Ayers began driving through private property, deputies did not follow.

Ayers continued driving to the northeast corner of the pasture, through two more fences and into a tree line where deputies lost sight of him.

Members of the Ottawa Police Department responded to assist with a perimeter and multiple drones were deployed to help locate the vehicle.&nbsp; After a lengthy search, officers located the vehicle that had crash damage in the trees. Officers responded on foot, located the driver in the truck and with the assistance of the Osage County K9 unit took Ayers into custody. 

He was offered medical attention by Franklin County EMS, transported to Advent Health for evaluation, discharged and is now in the jail on requested charges of Battery of a Law enforcement officer, driving while revoked, reckless driving, felony flee and elude and felony criminal damage to property.&nbsp; Ayers has previous conviction for drugs and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729113080613.png" alt="Ayers photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Ayers photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon after a wild chase in Franklin County.On October 14, sheriff's deputies attempted a traffic stop in the 2500 Block of East Logan Street in Ottawa, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Aaron Ayers of Wellsville, refused to stop, accelerated erratically on Kansas 68 Highway. Once Ayers reached the 3300 Block of East 68 Highway, near the Walmart Distribution Center, a deputy completed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention maneuver in an attempt to end the pursuit for the safety of the public.This caused the vehicle to exit the north side of the road and stop briefly. However, Ayers was able to continue driving before he was taken into custody.The vehicle traveled through a yard on private property, through a fence and into a pasture. Once Ayers began driving through private property, deputies did not follow.Ayers continued driving to the northeast corner of the pasture, through two more fences and into a tree line where deputies lost sight of him.Members of the Ottawa Police Department responded to assist with a perimeter and multiple drones were deployed to help locate the vehicle.&nbsp; After a lengthy search, officers located the vehicle that had crash damage in the trees. Officers responded on foot, located the driver in the truck and with the assistance of the Osage County K9 unit took Ayers into custody. He was offered medical attention by Franklin County EMS, transported to Advent Health for evaluation, discharged and is now in the jail on requested charges of Battery of a Law enforcement officer, driving while revoked, reckless driving, felony flee and elude and felony criminal damage to property.&nbsp; Ayers has previous conviction for drugs and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon captured after wild police chase

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOSH%20BOAK%20and%20GEIR%20MOULSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOSH BOAK and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press</a>

BERLIN (AP) —Germany honored President Joe Biden for his contribution to trans-Atlantic relations on Friday, ahead of his meetings with European allies on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Biden said it's important for Ukraine's Western allies to “sustain our resolve” in supporting the country as he met Friday with European partners, with the upcoming U.S. presidential election casting a long shadow over his visit to Germany.

Biden met Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Ukraine's second-biggest military supplier after the U.S. They were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for discussions that also addressed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.

With the election just weeks away and the race extremely tight, there are worries that a victory for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the Republican nominee, could upset the relationships that Biden is hoping to pass on to Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, the Democratic nominee.

Trump has an appetite for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">imposing trade tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. security partners. He has expressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">indifference to the security of Ukraine</a>, refusing to say during a presidential debate if he wants the U.S. ally to win its war against Russia. He’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nato-foreign-aid-russia-2b8054a9fe185eec34c2c541cece655d">voiced doubts</a>&nbsp;about coming to the defense of NATO members if they come under attack.

The gathered leaders never uttered Trump's name in public, yet their remarks often hinted at the possibility that he could withdraw support from Ukraine and scorn global alliances that Biden and his counterparts view as critical.

Biden in an exchange with reporters following his meeting with the three European leaders suggested that the U.S. election was discussed in the private talks. Asked if the leaders were worried about the presidential race, Biden responded tersely, “They're interested.”

Earlier in the day Biden emphasized the need to support Ukraine.

“As Ukraine faces a tough winter, we must — we must — sustain our resolve, our effort and our support,” Biden said.

Scholz said that “we will stand beside Ukraine as long as it is necessary,” pointing to a planned $50 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-frozen-assets-loan-39d8619f083600651fabe46b4548716d">international loan package</a>&nbsp;funded by interest on profits from frozen Russian assets.

“Our position is clear: We are supporting Ukraine as strongly as possible,” he added. “At the same time, we are taking care that NATO does not become a party to the war so that this war doesn't culminate in an even bigger catastrophe.”

Scholz has indicated that he's skeptical about aspects of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-ukraine-membership-russia-7a27716d4838edf2c0ff6d97df50478d">“victory plan”</a>&nbsp;drawn up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and says he will stand by his refusal to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv.

Biden is also opposed to loosening restrictions on letting Ukraine use western weapons to strike deeper into Russia, but did not shut the door on the issue.

“In foreign policy, there’s never a ‘never will I change my mind,'” Biden said. “Right now there is no consensus on long-range weapons."

Biden didn’t want his term to end without visiting Berlin, after having been to other key allies such as Japan, South Korea, France, India, the U.K., Poland and Ukraine. The visit was a quick one, with Biden spending about 20 hours on the ground in Berlin.

Concerns about what might come next were reflected as Biden received the highest class of Germany’s Order of Merit, which was also bestowed on former U.S. President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?55572-1/german-order-merit">George H.W. Bush</a>&nbsp;in recognition of his support for German reunification.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the friendship with the U.S. is “and will always be existentially important” for Germany, but there have always been “times of proximity and greater distance.”

“Even recently, just a handful of years ago, the distance had grown so wide that we almost lost each other,” Steinmeier said, in an reference to tense relations during Trump’s earlier presidency. He said Biden “restored Europe's hope in the trans-Atlantic alliance literally overnight.”

Recalling the “wide sweep of history” he has seen in his 81 years, Biden said, “we should never underestimate the power of democracy, never underestimate the value of alliances.”

As he met Scholz, Biden said he was “grateful for Germany’s cooperation in holding Iran accountable for destabilizing policies, including providing missiles and drones to Russia to use against Ukraine.” He pointed to new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-russia-drones-missiles-iran-sanctions-78d0dee01817ca4b5feedf18a72bac31">European sanctions</a>&nbsp;against Iran's leading airlines and said that “this coordination is going to have to continue.”

Biden reiterated his call for Israel to pursue peace after the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-news-10-17-2024-d12ca71945313e601cf10876072f4182">Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar</a>&nbsp;— which he described as “a moment of justice.”

“I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday, let’s also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas,” he said.

Biden said he and the European leaders discussed the way ahead following the killing of Sinwar. He suggested that negotiating a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah could be easier than forging one between Israel and Hamas.

“We think that there is a possibility of working for a ceasefire in Lebanon and it’s going to be harder in Gaza,” Biden said. “But we agree there has to be an outcome of what happens the day after.”

Biden declined to say whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave him assurance in their Thursday phone call that the Israelis are ready to get back to negotiations on the stalled cease-fire deals.

“We’re in the middle of discussions about that,” Biden said. “I’m not going to get into that.”

Trump has said his approach will help the U.S. economy and prevent foreign countries from taking advantage of the United States. He maintains that if he were still president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Hamas would never have attacked Israel in 2023.

“I will end the war in Ukraine, stop the chaos in the Middle East, and prevent World War III,” he said at a recent rally in Georgia.

Harris, for her part, has voiced strong backing for Ukraine and tracks with Biden on support for Israel, while placing particular emphasis on the need to relieve the suffering of Palestinian civilians whose lives have been upended by the Hamas-Israel war.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOSH%20BOAK%20and%20GEIR%20MOULSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOSH BOAK and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press</a>BERLIN (AP) —Germany honored President Joe Biden for his contribution to trans-Atlantic relations on Friday, ahead of his meetings with European allies on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0mZTyUrm9oADjY7h2YgJRGehgk6rF9JEVPadfaKPEKewJXrUexLxJR8YcQD6j76DPl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="665" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Biden said it's important for Ukraine's Western allies to “sustain our resolve” in supporting the country as he met Friday with European partners, with the upcoming U.S. presidential election casting a long shadow over his visit to Germany.Biden met Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Ukraine's second-biggest military supplier after the U.S. They were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for discussions that also addressed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.With the election just weeks away and the race extremely tight, there are worries that a victory for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the Republican nominee, could upset the relationships that Biden is hoping to pass on to Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, the Democratic nominee.Trump has an appetite for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">imposing trade tariffs</a>&nbsp;on key U.S. security partners. He has expressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">indifference to the security of Ukraine</a>, refusing to say during a presidential debate if he wants the U.S. ally to win its war against Russia. He’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nato-foreign-aid-russia-2b8054a9fe185eec34c2c541cece655d">voiced doubts</a>&nbsp;about coming to the defense of NATO members if they come under attack.The gathered leaders never uttered Trump's name in public, yet their remarks often hinted at the possibility that he could withdraw support from Ukraine and scorn global alliances that Biden and his counterparts view as critical.Biden in an exchange with reporters following his meeting with the three European leaders suggested that the U.S. election was discussed in the private talks. Asked if the leaders were worried about the presidential race, Biden responded tersely, “They're interested.”Earlier in the day Biden emphasized the need to support Ukraine.“As Ukraine faces a tough winter, we must — we must — sustain our resolve, our effort and our support,” Biden said.Scholz said that “we will stand beside Ukraine as long as it is necessary,” pointing to a planned $50 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-frozen-assets-loan-39d8619f083600651fabe46b4548716d">international loan package</a>&nbsp;funded by interest on profits from frozen Russian assets.“Our position is clear: We are supporting Ukraine as strongly as possible,” he added. “At the same time, we are taking care that NATO does not become a party to the war so that this war doesn't culminate in an even bigger catastrophe.”Scholz has indicated that he's skeptical about aspects of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-ukraine-membership-russia-7a27716d4838edf2c0ff6d97df50478d">“victory plan”</a>&nbsp;drawn up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and says he will stand by his refusal to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv.Biden is also opposed to loosening restrictions on letting Ukraine use western weapons to strike deeper into Russia, but did not shut the door on the issue.“In foreign policy, there’s never a ‘never will I change my mind,'” Biden said. “Right now there is no consensus on long-range weapons."Biden didn’t want his term to end without visiting Berlin, after having been to other key allies such as Japan, South Korea, France, India, the U.K., Poland and Ukraine. The visit was a quick one, with Biden spending about 20 hours on the ground in Berlin.Concerns about what might come next were reflected as Biden received the highest class of Germany’s Order of Merit, which was also bestowed on former U.S. President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?55572-1/german-order-merit">George H.W. Bush</a>&nbsp;in recognition of his support for German reunification.German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the friendship with the U.S. is “and will always be existentially important” for Germany, but there have always been “times of proximity and greater distance.”“Even recently, just a handful of years ago, the distance had grown so wide that we almost lost each other,” Steinmeier said, in an reference to tense relations during Trump’s earlier presidency. He said Biden “restored Europe's hope in the trans-Atlantic alliance literally overnight.”Recalling the “wide sweep of history” he has seen in his 81 years, Biden said, “we should never underestimate the power of democracy, never underestimate the value of alliances.”As he met Scholz, Biden said he was “grateful for Germany’s cooperation in holding Iran accountable for destabilizing policies, including providing missiles and drones to Russia to use against Ukraine.” He pointed to new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-russia-drones-missiles-iran-sanctions-78d0dee01817ca4b5feedf18a72bac31">European sanctions</a>&nbsp;against Iran's leading airlines and said that “this coordination is going to have to continue.”Biden reiterated his call for Israel to pursue peace after the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-news-10-17-2024-d12ca71945313e601cf10876072f4182">Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar</a>&nbsp;— which he described as “a moment of justice.”“I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday, let’s also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas,” he said.Biden said he and the European leaders discussed the way ahead following the killing of Sinwar. He suggested that negotiating a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah could be easier than forging one between Israel and Hamas.“We think that there is a possibility of working for a ceasefire in Lebanon and it’s going to be harder in Gaza,” Biden said. “But we agree there has to be an outcome of what happens the day after.”Biden declined to say whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave him assurance in their Thursday phone call that the Israelis are ready to get back to negotiations on the stalled cease-fire deals.“We’re in the middle of discussions about that,” Biden said. “I’m not going to get into that.”Trump has said his approach will help the U.S. economy and prevent foreign countries from taking advantage of the United States. He maintains that if he were still president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Hamas would never have attacked Israel in 2023.“I will end the war in Ukraine, stop the chaos in the Middle East, and prevent World War III,” he said at a recent rally in Georgia.Harris, for her part, has voiced strong backing for Ukraine and tracks with Biden on support for Israel, while placing particular emphasis on the need to relieve the suffering of Palestinian civilians whose lives have been upended by the Hamas-Israel war.

Biden receives high honor from Germany for contribution to trans-Atlantic ties

RILEY COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.

Just before noon Friday, crews were dispatched to a house fire at 4517 Lamonte Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.

First arriving crews found a two-story house with heavy fire showing from the rear. The fire was contained within 30 minutes. The house is a two-story split-level home with a basement. Loss is estimated at $125,000 to contents and $300,000 to the structure. There were no injuries reported.

The owners are listed as Nathan and Shanna Legleiter of the same address. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.

Riley County Fire District #1 provided a mobile air unit to fill air bottles at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729288256852.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.Just before noon Friday, crews were dispatched to a house fire at 4517 Lamonte Drive in Manhattan, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729288428452.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First arriving crews found a two-story house with heavy fire showing from the rear. The fire was contained within 30 minutes. The house is a two-story split-level home with a basement. Loss is estimated at $125,000 to contents and $300,000 to the structure. There were no injuries reported.The owners are listed as Nathan and Shanna Legleiter of the same address. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.Riley County Fire District #1 provided a mobile air unit to fill air bottles at the scene.

Thousands of dollars in damage after fire at Kansas home 

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed their latest winning week with more records on Friday.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to squeak past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-3eea0bd848ea1fe6dd788930c17027eb">the all-time high</a>&nbsp;it had set early this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 36 points, or 0.1%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-earnings-17ae24422a6dd5c641f94597b0d99b1f">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-quarterly-earnings-subscribers-slowdown-6bb73a293cb37348819574ea1db65dbd">Netflix</a>&nbsp;helped drive the market with a leap of 11.1% after the streaming giant reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. That was despite a slowdown in subscriber growth.

It helped offset a 5.2% drop for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cvs-health-ceo-lynch-joyner-56ad4f6c4fed7a293b841f7037bd71a8">CVS Health</a>, which said it’s likely to report a profit for the latest quarter that’s well below what analysts had been expecting. The company also said David Joyner, an executive vice president, is taking over as president and CEO for Karen Lynch.

Trading overall on Wall Street remained relatively calm, as the S&amp;P 500 closed its sixth straight winning week. That’s its longest such winning streak of 2024.

Solid economic data has boosted hopes the U.S. economy can make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">a perfect escape</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">worst inflation in generations</a>, one that ends without a painful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-jerome-powell-839eaf55d57958b96fe18f9bc0884397">recession</a>&nbsp;that many investors had seen as nearly inevitable. And with the Federal Reserve now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cutting interest rates</a>&nbsp;to keep the economy humming, the expectation among optimists is that stocks can rise even further.

But critics are warning that stock prices look too expensive given how much faster they’ve climbed than corporate profits.

David Lefkowitz, head of U.S. equities at UBS Global Wealth Management, sees both sides. But while stock prices are indeed high relative to profits, he says they’re “reasonable” when considering the Fed is cutting interest rates and other factors.

He’s also expecting growth in corporate profits to continue, and he raised his forecast for where the S&amp;P 500 could be in June to 6,300 from 6,200.

On Wall Street, American Express fell 3.1% despite reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of forecasts, and it said its revenue for the full year of 2024 will likely come in at the lower end of the forecasted range it gave at the start of the year.

The credit-card company’s drop was the biggest reason the Dow lagged behind other stock indexes.

SLB, the giant that helps companies extract oil and natural gas, fell 4.7% after delivering a mixed earnings report. Its profit edged past analysts’ expectations, but its revenue fell short as lower crude prices pushed some international producers to be cautious with their spending. CEO Olivier Le Peuch said revenue grew in the Middle East and Asia, along with offshore North America, but declined in Latin America.

Oil prices tumbled this week as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-oil-nuclear-sites-biden-f5dd702de7d990dd1d00f665e1484dee">worries receded</a>&nbsp;that Israel will attack Iranian oil facilities as part of its retaliation for Iran’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">missile attack early this month</a>. Iran is a major producer of crude, and a strike could upend its exports to China and elsewhere. Concerns about the strength of demand from China have also hit oil prices.

A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell another 1.9% Friday for a 7.5% decline for the week. It’s back to $73.06 after topping $80 early last week.

On the winning side of Wall Street was Intuitive Surgical, which climbed 10% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The company, whose robotic-assisted systems allow for less invasive surgery, also delivered better revenue than expected.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 23.20 points to 5,864.67. The Dow added 36.86 to 43,275.91, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 115.94 to 18,489.55.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.07% from 4.10% late Thursday.

Traders are coalescing around the idea that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point at its next meeting in November. Expectations had been high earlier for the Fed to deliver another larger-than-usual cut of half a percentage point, but strong updates on the economy have eliminated those. The federal funds rate is currently sitting in a range of 4.75% to 5%.

In stock markets abroad, Chinese indexes jumped in their latest sharp swing. Stocks rose 2.9% in Shanghai and 3.6% in Hong Kong after a report showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-gdp-economy-property-jinping-d98f4fcc041a8749618d53e26376ac2e">growth slowed during the summer</a>&nbsp;for the world’s second-largest economy.

The slowdown, exacerbated by a weak real-estate market, has raised expectations for big stimulus from the Chinese government and central bank, though doubts are still prevalent about how much effect they will have.

Stock indexes were mixed elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed their latest winning week with more records on Friday.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% to squeak past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-3eea0bd848ea1fe6dd788930c17027eb">the all-time high</a>&nbsp;it had set early this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 36 points, or 0.1%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-earnings-17ae24422a6dd5c641f94597b0d99b1f">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-quarterly-earnings-subscribers-slowdown-6bb73a293cb37348819574ea1db65dbd">Netflix</a>&nbsp;helped drive the market with a leap of 11.1% after the streaming giant reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. That was despite a slowdown in subscriber growth.It helped offset a 5.2% drop for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cvs-health-ceo-lynch-joyner-56ad4f6c4fed7a293b841f7037bd71a8">CVS Health</a>, which said it’s likely to report a profit for the latest quarter that’s well below what analysts had been expecting. The company also said David Joyner, an executive vice president, is taking over as president and CEO for Karen Lynch.Trading overall on Wall Street remained relatively calm, as the S&amp;P 500 closed its sixth straight winning week. That’s its longest such winning streak of 2024.Solid economic data has boosted hopes the U.S. economy can make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">a perfect escape</a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">worst inflation in generations</a>, one that ends without a painful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-jerome-powell-839eaf55d57958b96fe18f9bc0884397">recession</a>&nbsp;that many investors had seen as nearly inevitable. And with the Federal Reserve now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cutting interest rates</a>&nbsp;to keep the economy humming, the expectation among optimists is that stocks can rise even further.But critics are warning that stock prices look too expensive given how much faster they’ve climbed than corporate profits.David Lefkowitz, head of U.S. equities at UBS Global Wealth Management, sees both sides. But while stock prices are indeed high relative to profits, he says they’re “reasonable” when considering the Fed is cutting interest rates and other factors.He’s also expecting growth in corporate profits to continue, and he raised his forecast for where the S&amp;P 500 could be in June to 6,300 from 6,200.On Wall Street, American Express fell 3.1% despite reporting better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of forecasts, and it said its revenue for the full year of 2024 will likely come in at the lower end of the forecasted range it gave at the start of the year.The credit-card company’s drop was the biggest reason the Dow lagged behind other stock indexes.SLB, the giant that helps companies extract oil and natural gas, fell 4.7% after delivering a mixed earnings report. Its profit edged past analysts’ expectations, but its revenue fell short as lower crude prices pushed some international producers to be cautious with their spending. CEO Olivier Le Peuch said revenue grew in the Middle East and Asia, along with offshore North America, but declined in Latin America.Oil prices tumbled this week as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-oil-nuclear-sites-biden-f5dd702de7d990dd1d00f665e1484dee">worries receded</a>&nbsp;that Israel will attack Iranian oil facilities as part of its retaliation for Iran’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">missile attack early this month</a>. Iran is a major producer of crude, and a strike could upend its exports to China and elsewhere. Concerns about the strength of demand from China have also hit oil prices.A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, fell another 1.9% Friday for a 7.5% decline for the week. It’s back to $73.06 after topping $80 early last week.On the winning side of Wall Street was Intuitive Surgical, which climbed 10% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The company, whose robotic-assisted systems allow for less invasive surgery, also delivered better revenue than expected.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 23.20 points to 5,864.67. The Dow added 36.86 to 43,275.91, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 115.94 to 18,489.55.In the bond market, Treasury yields eased. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.07% from 4.10% late Thursday.Traders are coalescing around the idea that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point at its next meeting in November. Expectations had been high earlier for the Fed to deliver another larger-than-usual cut of half a percentage point, but strong updates on the economy have eliminated those. The federal funds rate is currently sitting in a range of 4.75% to 5%.In stock markets abroad, Chinese indexes jumped in their latest sharp swing. Stocks rose 2.9% in Shanghai and 3.6% in Hong Kong after a report showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-gdp-economy-property-jinping-d98f4fcc041a8749618d53e26376ac2e">growth slowed during the summer</a>&nbsp;for the world’s second-largest economy.The slowdown, exacerbated by a weak real-estate market, has raised expectations for big stimulus from the Chinese government and central bank, though doubts are still prevalent about how much effect they will have.Stock indexes were mixed elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

Wall Street sets more records and closes a 6th straight winning week

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20KOENIG%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer</a>

WICHITA (AP) —Boeing's biggest supplier of aircraft components said Friday that it will temporarily furlough 700 workers later this month, warning that it would have to resort to layoffs if a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-new-stock-debt-finances-strike-b7839aef372f4b4e8312f9efbe8ef24b">strike by Boeing machinists</a>&nbsp;lasts beyond November.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spirit-aerosystems-737-layoffs-c8da0ea0a2f4694cc9f22d7d63595ba7">Spirit AeroSystems</a>&nbsp;said Friday that starting Oct. 28, employees who build parts of Boeing 767s and 777s will be off the job for three weeks. A strike by about 33,000 Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest that started Sept. 13 halted production of those planes and Boeing 737 Max jets.

Boeing is in the process of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">buying Spirit for $4.7 billion</a>&nbsp;to reduce outsourcing and to have more control over its supply chain.

The furloughs at a key supplier were announced as Boeing faced a new review of its compliance with Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-aviation-administration">The FAA</a>&nbsp;said it will examine key safety processes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">at Boeing</a>&nbsp;over the next three months to make sure that they “result in timely, accurate safety-related information for FAA use.”

An FAA spokesperson said the review was not triggered by any particular event but rather is part of the FAA’s oversight of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-inspections-aircraft-companies-safety-1cb53f061f7df2f9a45262300a4353a3">safety culture</a>&nbsp;at the huge aircraft maker. The FAA increased its scrutiny of the company after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-manufacturing-reputation-3eed69b839021b24bfe792080c85b63c">a panel blew off</a>&nbsp;a Boeing Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

A Boeing spokesperson said Friday, “We continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA. We support all actions that strengthen safety in aviation.”

The inspector general of the Transportation Department said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/46466">weaknesses in FAA oversight</a>&nbsp;are limiting its ability to find and fix problems at Boeing.

The auditor said FAA has failed to ensure that Boeing and its suppliers make parts that meet engineering and design requirements and to investigate claims that Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-whistleblowers-safety-senate-hearings-f8354ddddc6372e3337cd74b9ea264e3">puts improper pressure</a>&nbsp;on employees who are authorized to conduct safety inspections. The FAA has closed only 14 of 34 reports of undue pressure, with the others remaining open for more than a year on average, according to the report.

Meanwhile, there are no outward signs the strike at Boeing might end soon. The company said last week that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">plans to lay off</a>&nbsp;about 17,000 people in the coming months as the aerospace giant tries to deal with revenue losses from its idled assembly lines.

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su met this week with representatives of Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, an indication of the Biden administration’s concern about the strike's impact on the economy.

Spirit AeroSystems spokesperson Joe Buccino said the temporary furloughs are part of a cost-cutting plan that includes a hiring freeze and restrictions on overtime work and travel. He said Spirit, based in Wichita, Kansas, has built up a large inventory of 767s and 777s that can’t be shipped to Boeing because of the strike, and Spirit doesn’t have room to store any more.

“If the strike continues beyond November, financial pressures will require us to implement layoffs and additional furloughs,” Buccino said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580497975886.jpeg" alt="File photo Elaine Thompson/AP/NPR" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elaine Thompson/AP/NPR</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20KOENIG%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer</a>WICHITA (AP) —Boeing's biggest supplier of aircraft components said Friday that it will temporarily furlough 700 workers later this month, warning that it would have to resort to layoffs if a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-new-stock-debt-finances-strike-b7839aef372f4b4e8312f9efbe8ef24b">strike by Boeing machinists</a>&nbsp;lasts beyond November.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spirit-aerosystems-737-layoffs-c8da0ea0a2f4694cc9f22d7d63595ba7">Spirit AeroSystems</a>&nbsp;said Friday that starting Oct. 28, employees who build parts of Boeing 767s and 777s will be off the job for three weeks. A strike by about 33,000 Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest that started Sept. 13 halted production of those planes and Boeing 737 Max jets.Boeing is in the process of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">buying Spirit for $4.7 billion</a>&nbsp;to reduce outsourcing and to have more control over its supply chain.The furloughs at a key supplier were announced as Boeing faced a new review of its compliance with Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-aviation-administration">The FAA</a>&nbsp;said it will examine key safety processes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">at Boeing</a>&nbsp;over the next three months to make sure that they “result in timely, accurate safety-related information for FAA use.”An FAA spokesperson said the review was not triggered by any particular event but rather is part of the FAA’s oversight of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-inspections-aircraft-companies-safety-1cb53f061f7df2f9a45262300a4353a3">safety culture</a>&nbsp;at the huge aircraft maker. The FAA increased its scrutiny of the company after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-manufacturing-reputation-3eed69b839021b24bfe792080c85b63c">a panel blew off</a>&nbsp;a Boeing Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.A Boeing spokesperson said Friday, “We continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA. We support all actions that strengthen safety in aviation.”The inspector general of the Transportation Department said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/46466">weaknesses in FAA oversight</a>&nbsp;are limiting its ability to find and fix problems at Boeing.The auditor said FAA has failed to ensure that Boeing and its suppliers make parts that meet engineering and design requirements and to investigate claims that Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-whistleblowers-safety-senate-hearings-f8354ddddc6372e3337cd74b9ea264e3">puts improper pressure</a>&nbsp;on employees who are authorized to conduct safety inspections. The FAA has closed only 14 of 34 reports of undue pressure, with the others remaining open for more than a year on average, according to the report.Meanwhile, there are no outward signs the strike at Boeing might end soon. The company said last week that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">plans to lay off</a>&nbsp;about 17,000 people in the coming months as the aerospace giant tries to deal with revenue losses from its idled assembly lines.Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su met this week with representatives of Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, an indication of the Biden administration’s concern about the strike's impact on the economy.Spirit AeroSystems spokesperson Joe Buccino said the temporary furloughs are part of a cost-cutting plan that includes a hiring freeze and restrictions on overtime work and travel. He said Spirit, based in Wichita, Kansas, has built up a large inventory of 767s and 777s that can’t be shipped to Boeing because of the strike, and Spirit doesn’t have room to store any more.“If the strike continues beyond November, financial pressures will require us to implement layoffs and additional furloughs,” Buccino said.

Kan. aircraft parts maker to furlough 700 workers due to Boeing strike

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The campaign opposing a sports betting constitutional amendment on Missouri’s November ballot canceled more than $1 million in television ads Thursday just as the group pushing the proposal launched new ads featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgkOu4I0rA" target="_blank">St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith</a>.

The Independent’s tracking of broadcaster reports to the Federal Communications Commission show that Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/statewide-candidates-in-missouri-run-cheap-campaigns-while-ballot-measures-spend-heavily/">aired or reserved almost $4 million</a>&nbsp;worth of television ads opposing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>.&nbsp;

Thursday’s cancellation took down $1.2 million of those ads, some of which had been purchased weeks ago.

The ads are being pulled so the campaign can shift to more direct contacts, saidBrooke Foster, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment.

“While the out-of-state online gambling corporations continue to throw millions of dollars at misleading TV ads, we have decided to focus our efforts on grassroots outreach and community conversations during the two and a weeks that remain before Election Day,” she said in an email.

Since it was created Sept. 10, the committee has received $14.2 million from Caesars Entertainment-owned casinos in Missouri. In the $2.7 million of television ads that did run, the campaign has played on skepticism about how taxes from gambling are used, casting doubt on whether a promise of more than $100 million for education programs over the first five years will be fulfilled.

Caesars is the only one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/MGCwebCrystalReports/dxClassALicensee.aspx" target="_blank">six casino operators</a>&nbsp;licensed in Missouri that is actively opposing the ballot measure. One aspect the company dislikes is that online gambling platforms could be licensed without having to create a business relationship with a Missouri casino.

Winning for Missouri Education, the committee backing Amendment 2, is the best-funded ballot measure campaign in state history. The two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, have each contributed $15.8 million, and the television and radio ad campaign has cost almost $10 million so far. The ads in favor of sports wagering emphasize that the Missouri Constitution directs all revenue from gambling taxes to education programs.

Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, declined to say why he believed the ads were pulled.

“That’s something you’d have to ask them about,” Cardetti said. “We’re focused on the campaign and making sure our message is getting out. We feel really good about where we are right now.”

In an August St. Louis University/YouGov poll, 50% of voters surveyed said they supported sports wagering after reading the Amendment 2 ballot language while 30% were opposed. The television ads opposing Amendment 2, which began running in the first week of September, had narrowed that lead,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">Foster said last week</a>.

“It’s definitely tightened,” she said. “It’s margin of error type close, so we’re really pleased to see that.”

Winning for Missouri Education this week has increased the size of some of its television purchases and has begun emphasizing support for the measure from professional sports teams — which will be able to set up retail sports wagering locations and provide a branded online platform.

“The Amendment 2 campaign will continue to aggressively get our message out,” Cardetti said, “and ensure that Missourians know the benefits of legalizing sports betting, right up until the last hour.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a> The campaign opposing a sports betting constitutional amendment on Missouri’s November ballot canceled more than $1 million in television ads Thursday just as the group pushing the proposal launched new ads featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgkOu4I0rA" target="_blank">St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith</a>.The Independent’s tracking of broadcaster reports to the Federal Communications Commission show that Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/statewide-candidates-in-missouri-run-cheap-campaigns-while-ballot-measures-spend-heavily/">aired or reserved almost $4 million</a>&nbsp;worth of television ads opposing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-160.pdf" target="_blank">Amendment 2</a>.&nbsp;Thursday’s cancellation took down $1.2 million of those ads, some of which had been purchased weeks ago.The ads are being pulled so the campaign can shift to more direct contacts, saidBrooke Foster, a spokeswoman for Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment.“While the out-of-state online gambling corporations continue to throw millions of dollars at misleading TV ads, we have decided to focus our efforts on grassroots outreach and community conversations during the two and a weeks that remain before Election Day,” she said in an email.Since it was created Sept. 10, the committee has received $14.2 million from Caesars Entertainment-owned casinos in Missouri. In the $2.7 million of television ads that did run, the campaign has played on skepticism about how taxes from gambling are used, casting doubt on whether a promise of more than $100 million for education programs over the first five years will be fulfilled.Caesars is the only one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mgc.dps.mo.gov/MGCwebCrystalReports/dxClassALicensee.aspx" target="_blank">six casino operators</a>&nbsp;licensed in Missouri that is actively opposing the ballot measure. One aspect the company dislikes is that online gambling platforms could be licensed without having to create a business relationship with a Missouri casino.Winning for Missouri Education, the committee backing Amendment 2, is the best-funded ballot measure campaign in state history. The two biggest online bookmakers, FanDuel and DraftKings, have each contributed $15.8 million, and the television and radio ad campaign has cost almost $10 million so far. The ads in favor of sports wagering emphasize that the Missouri Constitution directs all revenue from gambling taxes to education programs.Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, declined to say why he believed the ads were pulled.“That’s something you’d have to ask them about,” Cardetti said. “We’re focused on the campaign and making sure our message is getting out. We feel really good about where we are right now.”In an August St. Louis University/YouGov poll, 50% of voters surveyed said they supported sports wagering after reading the Amendment 2 ballot language while 30% were opposed. The television ads opposing Amendment 2, which began running in the first week of September, had narrowed that lead,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">Foster said last week</a>.“It’s definitely tightened,” she said. “It’s margin of error type close, so we’re really pleased to see that.”Winning for Missouri Education this week has increased the size of some of its television purchases and has begun emphasizing support for the measure from professional sports teams — which will be able to set up retail sports wagering locations and provide a branded online platform.“The Amendment 2 campaign will continue to aggressively get our message out,” Cardetti said, “and ensure that Missourians know the benefits of legalizing sports betting, right up until the last hour.”

Opponents of Missouri sports betting amendment pull TV ads in campaign’s homestretch

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.

Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.

Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.

The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.

Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.

“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.

The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.

But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.

The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.

Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.

As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.

One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.

Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.

Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265876120.png" alt="Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds of Kansans greet the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, on Oct. 17, 2024, in North Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The train named Big Boy was late. Anticipation and impatience built as 30 minutes passed.Some had been on the edge of the tracks of Great Overland Station in North Topeka for hours waiting to see a piece of American history pass through town.Just before 1 p.m., the teeth-chattering whistle of Big Boy No. 4014 announced its arrival.The 83-year-old steam locomotive stopped briefly Thursday afternoon spewing steam in Topeka on its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Salina while on the last leg of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/" target="_blank">Heartland of America Tour</a>. It was met with at least 1,000 people from across Kansas, eager to catch a glimpse of the living legend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265844799.png" alt=" The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolls into Topeka on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Crowds have gathered at almost every stop on the eight-week, nine-state tour, ranging from hundreds to thousands to see the more than 1.2 million lb. locomotive, said Mike Jaixen, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad.“There’s a legend of the Big Boy,” he said.The way Jaixen explains the draw of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/" target="_blank">Big Boy</a>&nbsp;begins in 1941 when the first Big Boy rolled out of the factory in Schenectady, New York. It wasn’t named Big Boy then. It was going to be named after the Wasatch Mountains, through which it would travel for 20 years and more than 1 million miles between Utah and Wyoming hauling freight before retiring in 1961.But one crew member, who was amazed at the sheer size of it, took a piece of chalk and scrawled the name “Big Boy” on the locomotive, Jaixen said. Crew members today still draw the name in chalk on the locomotive’s front.The Big Boy No. 4014 was one of 25 manufactured exclusively for Union Pacific, and it’s now the only one in operation after it was brought out of retirement and restored between 2013 and 2019, which allowed it to reclaim its title as the largest steam locomotive in the world. It’s almost as long as two typical diesel locomotives and produces more than 6,000 horsepower.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729265799147.png" alt="Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka react to the world’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolling into town on Oct. 17, 2024. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jeff and Lena Appenfeller of Topeka waited from behind a fence on the northeast side of the tracks. Others were sitting on the hoods and in the trunks of their cars or in pools of crowds near the station. Lena Appenfeller, a 7-year-old, had the day off from school, and it was Jeff Appenfeller’s second time seeing Big Boy No. 4014 in Topeka. The locomotive’s whistle will “rattle your teeth,” he said.As Big Boy churned around the bend and slowly rolled into the station, railroad police and crew tried to keep excited spectators from lingering on the tracks. It stopped for about 40 minutes, and people swarmed the front of the train for photos or to get a closer look while crews performed minor maintenance work.One couple came to watch from El Dorado, more than 100 miles away, and had plans to chase the train to Wamego, to witness it among the sparsely populated fields, they said.Doug Edwards drove the 30 miles from Holton to see Big Boy.Trains were a big part of his life as a kid. Now a retired electronics businessman, they remind him of the northeastern Kansas farm he grew up on, and recalling those memories made him emotional as he looked out at the tracks.“It’s a childhood thing,” he said.

World’s largest steam locomotive, Big Boy, rattles into Topeka

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

Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3700 Block of Independence Avenue on the report of someone with a weapon, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Officers located a victim suffering from bodily trauma. Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. 

At the same time, officers were dispatched to the area of 6th and Monroe on an ambulance en route call.&nbsp; It was determined both of these calls were related. The original incident occurred at 6th and Monroe. This is being investigated as a homicide. 

A preliminary investigation revealed the victim to have injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. Responding officers were able to locate several witnesses on scene.&nbsp; Detectives are interviewing those witnesses to determine the events that led up to incident, according to DiMartino.

Crime scene personnel processed the scene for any physical evidence.If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp; There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday patrol officers were dispatched to the 3700 Block of Independence Avenue on the report of someone with a weapon, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Officers located a victim suffering from bodily trauma. Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. At the same time, officers were dispatched to the area of 6th and Monroe on an ambulance en route call.&nbsp; It was determined both of these calls were related. The original incident occurred at 6th and Monroe. This is being investigated as a homicide. A preliminary investigation revealed the victim to have injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. Responding officers were able to locate several witnesses on scene.&nbsp; Detectives are interviewing those witnesses to determine the events that led up to incident, according to DiMartino.Crime scene personnel processed the scene for any physical evidence.If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp; There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

Homicide: KCPD found victim with bodily trauma 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GEOFF MULVIHILL &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

Three states are renewing a legal push to restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone, including reinstating requirements it be dispensed in person instead of by mail.

The request from Kansas, Idaho and Missouri filed Friday would bar the drug’s use after seven weeks of pregnancy instead of 10 and require three in-person doctor office visits instead of none in the latest attempt to make it harder to get a drug that's used in most abortions nationally.

The filing seeking to sue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was made in a federal court in Texas where the case was returned after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-fda-4073b9a7b1cbb1c3641025290c22be2a">U.S. Supreme Court in June</a>&nbsp;unanimously agreed to keep federal changes that eased access to the medication.

In that ruling, the high court did not tackle the merits of the approval but rather said that anti-abortion doctors and their organizations lacked the legal right to sue. The justices also previously refused the states’ push to intervene in the case.

The states argue they have legal standing because access to the pills “undermine state abortion laws and frustrate state law enforcement,” they wrote in court documents.

They are now making a more modest but still far-reaching request instead: that the courts return the restrictions around the drug to where they were before the FDA relaxed them in 2016 and 2021.

The relaxed rules also allow care providers such as nurse practitioners to prescribe the drugs in addition to doctors.

Medication abortions — usually using mifepristone in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, accounted for about half the abortions provided in the U.S. before the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision ended the nationwide right to abortion and opened the door for states to impose bans and additional restrictions. Thirteen states now enforce bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and four more bar it after about six weeks — before many women know they're pregnant.

The pills are now used in close to two-thirds of the abortions provided across the country and prescribed via telehealth to patients in states with bans by doctors in states with laws that seek to protect them from legal scrutiny for providing such interstate care. Expanded access to the medications is one reason monthly abortion numbers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-survey-pills-roe-election-2024-7179dda48eae0a764be89c2e0aafd80a">up slightly since Roe was overturned.</a>

Aid Access, which helps women get abortion pills and covers costs for those who can’t afford them, criticized the latest filing on Wednesday.

“The document submitted is full of lies,” said Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, the group’s founder. “There is overwhelming scientific proof that telemedical abortions done at home for pregnancies up to 13 weeks are as safe as in-clinic abortions.”

Over the years, the FDA reaffirmed mifepristone’s safety and repeatedly eased restrictions, culminating in a 2021 decision doing away with any in-person requirements and allowing the pill to be sent through the mail.

Abortion opponents have been arguing that the FDA’s easing of restrictions resulted in many more “emergency complications.” But that argument lumps together women experiencing a range of issues with mifepristone — from the drug not working to people who may simply have questions or concerns but don’t require medical care.

OB-GYNs say a tiny fraction of patients suffer “major” or “serious” adverse events after taking mifepristone.

A legal brief by a group of medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says major adverse events — such as significant infection, excessive bleeding or hospitalization — occur in about one in every 300 patients.

The labeling also mentions those who use the drug went to the emergency room in 2.9% to 4.6% of cases — something the states seized on in their filing. But doctors say ER visits don’t always reflect big problems; some people may go there just to be checked out or to ask questions because they don’t have a primary care doctor or don’t want to talk to their doctor about their abortion. A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29898742/">2018 study</a>&nbsp;found that slightly more than half of patients who visited the ER because of abortions received only observational care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GEOFF MULVIHILL &nbsp;Associated Press</a>Three states are renewing a legal push to restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone, including reinstating requirements it be dispensed in person instead of by mail.The request from Kansas, Idaho and Missouri filed Friday would bar the drug’s use after seven weeks of pregnancy instead of 10 and require three in-person doctor office visits instead of none in the latest attempt to make it harder to get a drug that's used in most abortions nationally.The filing seeking to sue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was made in a federal court in Texas where the case was returned after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-fda-4073b9a7b1cbb1c3641025290c22be2a">U.S. Supreme Court in June</a>&nbsp;unanimously agreed to keep federal changes that eased access to the medication.In that ruling, the high court did not tackle the merits of the approval but rather said that anti-abortion doctors and their organizations lacked the legal right to sue. The justices also previously refused the states’ push to intervene in the case.The states argue they have legal standing because access to the pills “undermine state abortion laws and frustrate state law enforcement,” they wrote in court documents.They are now making a more modest but still far-reaching request instead: that the courts return the restrictions around the drug to where they were before the FDA relaxed them in 2016 and 2021.The relaxed rules also allow care providers such as nurse practitioners to prescribe the drugs in addition to doctors.Medication abortions — usually using mifepristone in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, accounted for about half the abortions provided in the U.S. before the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision ended the nationwide right to abortion and opened the door for states to impose bans and additional restrictions. Thirteen states now enforce bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and four more bar it after about six weeks — before many women know they're pregnant.The pills are now used in close to two-thirds of the abortions provided across the country and prescribed via telehealth to patients in states with bans by doctors in states with laws that seek to protect them from legal scrutiny for providing such interstate care. Expanded access to the medications is one reason monthly abortion numbers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-survey-pills-roe-election-2024-7179dda48eae0a764be89c2e0aafd80a">up slightly since Roe was overturned.</a>Aid Access, which helps women get abortion pills and covers costs for those who can’t afford them, criticized the latest filing on Wednesday.“The document submitted is full of lies,” said Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, the group’s founder. “There is overwhelming scientific proof that telemedical abortions done at home for pregnancies up to 13 weeks are as safe as in-clinic abortions.”Over the years, the FDA reaffirmed mifepristone’s safety and repeatedly eased restrictions, culminating in a 2021 decision doing away with any in-person requirements and allowing the pill to be sent through the mail.Abortion opponents have been arguing that the FDA’s easing of restrictions resulted in many more “emergency complications.” But that argument lumps together women experiencing a range of issues with mifepristone — from the drug not working to people who may simply have questions or concerns but don’t require medical care.OB-GYNs say a tiny fraction of patients suffer “major” or “serious” adverse events after taking mifepristone.A legal brief by a group of medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says major adverse events — such as significant infection, excessive bleeding or hospitalization — occur in about one in every 300 patients.The labeling also mentions those who use the drug went to the emergency room in 2.9% to 4.6% of cases — something the states seized on in their filing. But doctors say ER visits don’t always reflect big problems; some people may go there just to be checked out or to ask questions because they don’t have a primary care doctor or don’t want to talk to their doctor about their abortion. A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29898742/">2018 study</a>&nbsp;found that slightly more than half of patients who visited the ER because of abortions received only observational care.

Kansas renews effort to reduce access to the abortion pill

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;laced into Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and other Democrats on Thursday in a pointed and at times bitter speech as he headlined the annual Al Smith charity dinner in New York.

Trump, in remarks that often felt more like a rally performance than a comedy routine, repeatedly criticized Harris over her decision to skip&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-al-smith-dinner-109cbfcdb2693c960483b8d4843cd704">the event</a>&nbsp;in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-joe-biden-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-0d30e62ab81872afeb9176b6e672bae3">break from presidential tradition</a>&nbsp;as she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-wisconsin-negative-political-attacks-fccd9cb11d304c59e6c8119d7e1e9b54">campaigned in Wisconsin</a>.

She recorded a video that was played onscreen, but Trump called the decision "deeply disrespectful."

““If you really wanted Vice President Harris to accept your invitation, I guess you should have told her the funds were going to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis and she would have been here, guaranteed,” said Trump, urging Catholics to vote for him in response.

“You better remember that I’m here and she’s not," he said.

The white-tie dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally offered candidates from both parties the chance to trade lighthearted barbs, poke fun at themselves, and show that they can get along — or at least pretend to — for one night in the election's final stretch.

It's often the last time the two nominees share a stage before Election Day.

Trump delivered a number of one-liners that drew laughs. But he also questioned the mental fitness of Harris and President Joe Biden, commented on second gentleman Doug Emhoff's extramarital affair during his previous marriage, and made a joke about transgender women that echoed his frequent mocking of trans athletes on the campaign trail.

He said at one point that he would offer a couple of self-deprecating jokes before abandoning the effort. “Nope. I’ve got nothing,” he said to laughs.

“I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me," he said, referencing his survival of two assassination attempts this year.

Of Biden, he said, “If the Democrats really wanted to have someone not be with us this evening, they would have sent Joe Biden."

Later, he said the current occupant of the White House “can barely talk, barely put together two coherent sentences, who seems to have the mental faculties of a child. This is a person that has nothing going, no intelligence whatsoever. But enough about Kamala Harris.”

In the video she recorded for the occasion, Harris appeared alongside comedian and actress Molly Shannon, who reprised her long-running “Saturday Night Live” character Mary Katherine Gallagher, an awkward Catholic schoolgirl. She also poked fun at Trump for comments he made in Michigan, saying that mocking Catholics in the video would be “like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.”

Harris’ campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-al-smith-dinner-109cbfcdb2693c960483b8d4843cd704">had previously said</a>&nbsp;that, with less than three weeks before Election Day, they wanted her to spend as much time as possible campaigning in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-north-carolina-arizona-election-34bca16175c387a076131ad69bc18d47">battleground states</a>&nbsp;that will decide the election, rather than detouring to heavily Democratic New York. Her team has told organizers that she would be willing to attend the dinner as president if she wins.

Melania Trump attended in a rare appearance

Trump was joined at the dinner by his wife, Melania, who has been an infrequent presence on the campaign trail.

The dais included a mix of Trump allies and foes, with various entanglements. They included New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a successful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-letitia-james-new-york-engoron-38bc3a7f2ccb22555c026e9bf70fd5bb">civil fraud case against Trump and his business</a>. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed Trump after dropping his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, attended with his wife, Cheryl Hines.

Also in attendance were New York’s embattled Mayor Eric Adams and other top city officials, as well as business leaders and sports and media personalities. Adams was charged last month with accepting illegal campaign contributions and lavish overseas trips from Turkish officials and businesspeople — a case that was mentioned repeatedly, including by Trump.

Trump has claimed, without evidence, that Adams was targeted by authorities because he criticized Biden’s migrant policies.

“Mayor Adams: Good luck with everything,” Trump said, adding that what Adams faces is “peanuts” compared to his own legal woes and predicting that he will win reelection nonetheless.

He also went after former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was repeatedly booed by the crowd.

“To be honest, he was a terrible mayor," Trump said before offering a profanity at a religion-themed event. "I don’t give a s—- if this is comedy or not.”

Jim Gaffigan, who plays Tim Walz on ‘SNL,’ emceed

The dinner was emceed by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who plays Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live.”

Gaffigan has a history of criticizing Trump. In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JimGaffigan/status/1299204126383968257">he wrote on X</a>, then named Twitter, that, “We need to wake up. We need to call trump the con man and thief that he is.”

Gaffigan largely kept his focus on others Thursday, but offered several pointed quips, including when he referenced allegations that the Trump Organization in the 1970s discriminated against Black renters.

“If Vice President Harris wins this election, not only would she be the first female president, a Black woman would occupy the White House, a former Trump residence,” Gaffigan said. “Obviously you wouldn't be renting to her. I mean, that would never happen anyway. Maybe if Doug did the signing.”

Gaffigan also mocked Harris for not coming to the dinner and joked about the Democrats replacing Biden with the vice president.

“The media has begun discussing the phenomena of secret Trump voters. I don’t know if you’ve heard about this — people who publicly say they would never vote for Trump, but then when they go in the voting booth, they do. It’s a small group. They’re called the Biden family,” he told the crowd.

Trump's tone echoed his appearance in 2016, when he was joined by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and delivered a particularly nasty speech in which he called her “corrupt."

“Hillary believes that it’s vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private,” he said to jeers. “For example, here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics.”

Mary Callahan Erdoes, vice chair of the foundation, alluded to that when she introduced Trump, suggesting she hoped for something less caustic.

“You never disappoint. Your wit is absolutely fabulous. And all of us together are going to hope for the best,” she said to laughs.

Trump, too, referenced the performance Thursday, saying that, in 2016, he "went overboard. That was like terrible. And I knew I was in trouble midway through."

That didn't stop him, however, from similar attacks, and repeatedly straying off-script.

The Harris campaign responded to Trump's speech with a statement saying it would remind “Americans how unstable he’s become.”

“He may refuse to release his medical records, but every day he makes it clear to the American people that he is not up to the job,” said spokesperson Ammar Moussa.

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;laced into Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and other Democrats on Thursday in a pointed and at times bitter speech as he headlined the annual Al Smith charity dinner in New York.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fmr Pres Trump on VP Harris not attending Al Smith Dinner: &quot;The two candidates for president are supposed to exchange good-natured barbs...I didn&#39;t like Biden very much and now I like him quite a bit...When we hopefully win...I&#39;ll like her a lot, but right now I can&#39;t stand her.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2NGXaaSKQx">pic.twitter.com/2NGXaaSKQx</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1847109154210468104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, in remarks that often felt more like a rally performance than a comedy routine, repeatedly criticized Harris over her decision to skip&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-al-smith-dinner-109cbfcdb2693c960483b8d4843cd704">the event</a>&nbsp;in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-joe-biden-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-0d30e62ab81872afeb9176b6e672bae3">break from presidential tradition</a>&nbsp;as she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-wisconsin-negative-political-attacks-fccd9cb11d304c59e6c8119d7e1e9b54">campaigned in Wisconsin</a>.She recorded a video that was played onscreen, but Trump called the decision "deeply disrespectful."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> video with Molly Shannon&#39;s Saturday Night Live character Mary Katherine Gallagher at the Al Smith Dinner. Dinner MC <a href="https://twitter.com/JimGaffigan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimGaffigan</a>: &quot;As I watch that I couldn&#39;t help but think of, now I know how my kids felt when I FaceTime into a piano recital they were at.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ibigiim32G">pic.twitter.com/ibigiim32G</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1847095293726097880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>““If you really wanted Vice President Harris to accept your invitation, I guess you should have told her the funds were going to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis and she would have been here, guaranteed,” said Trump, urging Catholics to vote for him in response.“You better remember that I’m here and she’s not," he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on New York City Mayor Adams: &quot;Good luck with everything!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UAzPFtWJRd">pic.twitter.com/UAzPFtWJRd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1847096902426235250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The white-tie dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally offered candidates from both parties the chance to trade lighthearted barbs, poke fun at themselves, and show that they can get along — or at least pretend to — for one night in the election's final stretch.It's often the last time the two nominees share a stage before Election Day.Trump delivered a number of one-liners that drew laughs. But he also questioned the mental fitness of Harris and President Joe Biden, commented on second gentleman Doug Emhoff's extramarital affair during his previous marriage, and made a joke about transgender women that echoed his frequent mocking of trans athletes on the campaign trail.He said at one point that he would offer a couple of self-deprecating jokes before abandoning the effort. “Nope. I’ve got nothing,” he said to laughs.“I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me," he said, referencing his survival of two assassination attempts this year.Of Biden, he said, “If the Democrats really wanted to have someone not be with us this evening, they would have sent Joe Biden."Later, he said the current occupant of the White House “can barely talk, barely put together two coherent sentences, who seems to have the mental faculties of a child. This is a person that has nothing going, no intelligence whatsoever. But enough about Kamala Harris.”In the video she recorded for the occasion, Harris appeared alongside comedian and actress Molly Shannon, who reprised her long-running “Saturday Night Live” character Mary Katherine Gallagher, an awkward Catholic schoolgirl. She also poked fun at Trump for comments he made in Michigan, saying that mocking Catholics in the video would be “like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.”Harris’ campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-al-smith-dinner-109cbfcdb2693c960483b8d4843cd704">had previously said</a>&nbsp;that, with less than three weeks before Election Day, they wanted her to spend as much time as possible campaigning in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-north-carolina-arizona-election-34bca16175c387a076131ad69bc18d47">battleground states</a>&nbsp;that will decide the election, rather than detouring to heavily Democratic New York. Her team has told organizers that she would be willing to attend the dinner as president if she wins.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on Sen. Chuck Schumer: &quot;I supported him...I gave him his first check...I was very proud of it. I don&#39;t know about lately.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pOK9pivhQ7">pic.twitter.com/pOK9pivhQ7</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1847096679457026286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Melania Trump attended in a rare appearance</h2>Trump was joined at the dinner by his wife, Melania, who has been an infrequent presence on the campaign trail.The dais included a mix of Trump allies and foes, with various entanglements. They included New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a successful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-letitia-james-new-york-engoron-38bc3a7f2ccb22555c026e9bf70fd5bb">civil fraud case against Trump and his business</a>. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who endorsed Trump after dropping his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, attended with his wife, Cheryl Hines.Also in attendance were New York’s embattled Mayor Eric Adams and other top city officials, as well as business leaders and sports and media personalities. Adams was charged last month with accepting illegal campaign contributions and lavish overseas trips from Turkish officials and businesspeople — a case that was mentioned repeatedly, including by Trump.Trump has claimed, without evidence, that Adams was targeted by authorities because he criticized Biden’s migrant policies.“Mayor Adams: Good luck with everything,” Trump said, adding that what Adams faces is “peanuts” compared to his own legal woes and predicting that he will win reelection nonetheless.He also went after former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was repeatedly booed by the crowd.“To be honest, he was a terrible mayor," Trump said before offering a profanity at a religion-themed event. "I don’t give a s—- if this is comedy or not.”<h2>Jim Gaffigan, who plays Tim Walz on ‘SNL,’ emceed</h2>The dinner was emceed by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who plays Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live.”Gaffigan has a history of criticizing Trump. In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JimGaffigan/status/1299204126383968257">he wrote on X</a>, then named Twitter, that, “We need to wake up. We need to call trump the con man and thief that he is.”Gaffigan largely kept his focus on others Thursday, but offered several pointed quips, including when he referenced allegations that the Trump Organization in the 1970s discriminated against Black renters.“If Vice President Harris wins this election, not only would she be the first female president, a Black woman would occupy the White House, a former Trump residence,” Gaffigan said. “Obviously you wouldn't be renting to her. I mean, that would never happen anyway. Maybe if Doug did the signing.”Gaffigan also mocked Harris for not coming to the dinner and joked about the Democrats replacing Biden with the vice president.“The media has begun discussing the phenomena of secret Trump voters. I don’t know if you’ve heard about this — people who publicly say they would never vote for Trump, but then when they go in the voting booth, they do. It’s a small group. They’re called the Biden family,” he told the crowd.<h2>Reprising his role</h2>Trump's tone echoed his appearance in 2016, when he was joined by his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and delivered a particularly nasty speech in which he called her “corrupt."“Hillary believes that it’s vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private,” he said to jeers. “For example, here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics.”Mary Callahan Erdoes, vice chair of the foundation, alluded to that when she introduced Trump, suggesting she hoped for something less caustic.“You never disappoint. Your wit is absolutely fabulous. And all of us together are going to hope for the best,” she said to laughs.Trump, too, referenced the performance Thursday, saying that, in 2016, he "went overboard. That was like terrible. And I knew I was in trouble midway through."That didn't stop him, however, from similar attacks, and repeatedly straying off-script.The Harris campaign responded to Trump's speech with a statement saying it would remind “Americans how unstable he’s become.”“He may refuse to release his medical records, but every day he makes it clear to the American people that he is not up to the job,” said spokesperson Ammar Moussa.Trump's sense of humor is often cited by his supporters as key to his appeal. While he infamously glowered through former President Barack Obama’s jokes at his expense during the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, he also sometimes pokes fun at himself.At several rallies this year, he has remarked on his hair after catching a glimpse of himself onscreen.“What the hell can you do? There’s nothing I can do about it. We’re stuck with it," he joked at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, last month.Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>, who is Catholic, spoke at a virtual version of the fundraiser in 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-joe-biden-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-0d30e62ab81872afeb9176b6e672bae3">which was moved online due to concerns over large gatherings at the height of the pandemic</a>.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alsmithfoundation.org/dinner/">Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner</a>&nbsp;is named for the former New York governor, a Democrat who was the first Catholic to receive a major-party nomination for president when he unsuccessfully ran for the White House in 1928.The event has become a tradition for presidential candidates since Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy appeared together in 1960. In 1996, the Archdiocese of New York decided not to invite then-President Bill Clinton and his Republican challenger, Bob Dole, reportedly because Clinton vetoed a late-term abortion ban.