The Republican plan, urged on by Trump and approved by the Missouri House, would split a diverse community 3 ways

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jonathanshorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jonathanshorman/"></a>KANSAS CITY &nbsp;— A man slept on the cool, gray steps of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, the building and its columns shielding his body from the midday sun on a recent weekday. A few others lingered in the shade under nearby trees.

On Monday evenings, the more-than-century-old church in Historic Northeast Kansas City opens its doors to people in need. It offers a free meal, hygiene products, clothing and a medical clinic. Hundreds often come.

President Donald Trump’s nationwide gerrymandering push has now also arrived at the church’s literal doorstep.

Northeast Kansas City currently sits comfortably inside Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, which encompasses much of the city and the surrounding metro area. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, an 80-year-old Democrat who was the city’s first Black mayor in the 1990s, has held the seat for 20 years.

But Missouri Republicans are advancing a redrawn congressional map through the state legislature that aims to give the party a political&nbsp;advantage. It would crack the city’s urban core into three districts — with all of them converging on the corner of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard, home to Independence Boulevard Christian Church.

The intersection’s southwest corner, where the church is located, would move into the 4th Congressional District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a second-term Republican who was previously a TV news anchor.&nbsp;The southeast corner, a parking lot, would stay in&nbsp;a&nbsp;5th District&nbsp;reshaped to embrace a much more rural and conservative constituency.

The northern side, lined by red-brick apartments and a meat market, would join the 6th District. Held by Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves since 2001, it would stretch across the state to the Illinois border.

Residents say they fear that dividing the area, with its complex interplay of problems and positive qualities, will dilute their voice in Washington, D.C.

“We need somebody to understand what poverty looks like,” the Rev. Mindy Fugarino, the church’s senior pastor, told Stateline as she described her problems with the gerrymander and how it will weaken the neighborhood’s representation.

“We need somebody to understand, what are the needs for housing,” Fugarino said. “We need somebody to understand what are the needs for fair wages and health care and those kind of things in a community where people are literally living and sometimes dying on the street.”

The Missouri House passed the new map in a 90-65 vote Tuesday, sending it to the state Senate. The Senate could begin work on the map as early as Wednesday.

The Missouri gerrymander marks the latest example of a Republican-controlled state heeding Trump’s call to redraw congressional districts. Creating more GOP-leaning districts would maximize the party’s chances of retaining control of the U.S. House after the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats, both in Missouri and across the country, have condemned the effort as election-rigging. California has retaliated by asking its voters to approve a Democratic gerrymander. Republicans say they want to ensure Congress can advance Trump’s priorities, and they emphasize that federal courts allow partisan gerrymandering.

In Kansas City, the redistricting plan has set off a bitter political battle that’s left many people feeling angry and dismissed. Stateline spoke with residents, business owners, activists and local officials in Northeast Kansas City, where three districts would divide the area, to better understand the consequences of the national gerrymandering effort at the local level.

Northeast Kansas City residents and others broadly described a diverse, multicultural community with beautiful architecture, a strong civic fabric and neighborhood pride. In the blocks immediately surrounding the intersection of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard, less than a third of residents are non-Hispanic white, according to census data.

At the same time, homelessness and crime can be a part of life. Residents are balancing a need for local investment against the risks of gentrification. The poverty rate fluctuates wildly within the area, from less than 12% of residents in some blocks to more than 63% in others. Vacant storefronts are sometimes only a short walk from colorful, tidy houses.

Most community members Stateline spoke with oppose the redistricting effort.

“Nobody asked for this,” said Edgar Palacios, the founder of Latinx Education Collaborative and Revolución Educativa, nonprofit organizations based in Northeast Kansas City that seek to foster Latino representation in education locally. His own home would move into the 4th District under the plan.

Palacios, the son of Nicaraguan immigrants, worried the gerrymander would lead to new representatives for the area who won’t understand the challenges of an urban environment.

“They’re not going to understand the nuances of urban public education and they’re not going to appreciate the differences in how money gets spent or why it gets spent that way or why it’s necessary to do certain things,” Palacios said.

Dan Smith runs Eleos Coffee House on Independence Avenue. The 14-year-old coffee shop is a nondenominational Christian ministry that Smith said draws in both people coming to just work or hang out and individuals off the street wanting help.

Smith declined to offer an opinion on the redistricting proposal, but said he hoped politicians will “totally forget about those lines” when making decisions.

“Because that’s what we have to do here at Eleos,” Smith said. “We can’t draw lines, you know — ‘well, as long as you’re in this group of people or as long as you don’t identify this way or as long as you don’t do this’ — I mean, that’s not helpful for anybody.”

Trump set off a gerrymandering rush this summer in an effort to shore up Republican chances to keep control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterm elections.

He initially demanded Texas redraw its maps to potentially provide up to&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/08/22/as-democrats-fight-fire-with-fire-gerrymandering-opponents-seek-a-path-forward/" target="_blank">five additional GOP seats</a>, and has since urged Republicans in other states to do the same. California has retaliated and other Democratic states may follow.

Republicans in Missouri and elsewhere have been upfront that they are shuffling the map with the intention of improving their party’s standing and say their efforts are in line with a U.S. Supreme Court’s 2019 decision that greenlit political gerrymandering. Missouri Republicans add that their proposed map splits fewer counties and cities than the current one.

“It is an improvement; it is a reform of our current congressional map,” state Rep. Dirk Deaton, the Republican sponsor of the legislation, said at a hearing last week in Jefferson City.

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who called a special session to pass the map, said the state’s “conservative, commonsense values, rooted in faith, family and freedom, should be truly represented at all levels of government.” He also wants lawmakers to pass a measure that would pose new hurdles to citizen-proposed constitutional amendments.

Kehoe’s office released only rough outlines of the map. After redistricting legislation was introduced in the Missouri General Assembly last week, Stateline produced a detailed map based on census block information supplied by the Missouri House that shows three congressional districts would meet at Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard.

Republicans already hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. Cleaver is one of two Democrats, along with U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell of the 1st Congressional District in St. Louis.

At most, the new map would likely enable Republicans to take the 5th Congressional District — a single seat — at the cost of a divided Kansas City.

“Two words. One is&nbsp;‘horrible’&nbsp;and the second is&nbsp;‘divisive,’” Cleaver told reporters in Kansas City recently, summing up his reaction to the map.

Cleaver has promised to file a federal lawsuit challenging the map if it passes (other opponents are expected to file lawsuits in state court as well). Giving one example of how the gerrymander would affect the region, Cleaver said Kansas City Public Schools would have multiple U.S. representatives under the map.

“It’s conceivable that two members of Congress could be fighting each other when legislation occurs where one party takes a position and the other party takes the opposite position,” Cleaver said. “That’s absolutely crazy.”

Kansas City is home to some 516,000 people in an overall metro area of 2.2 million. The city is in the midst of a sports golden era that has been a boost to local pride: The Kansas City Chiefs have appeared in five Super Bowls over the past six years and won three; the city hosted the NFL Draft in 2023; it will host World Cup soccer matches next summer. Music star Taylor Swift’s frequent visits to the metro area to see fiancé Travis Kelce, the Chiefs player, have helped, too.

But gun violence remains a persistent problem. As other major cities have experienced falling homicide rates coming out of the pandemic, Kansas City broke its homicide record in 2023. Killings then fell last year, but nonfatal shootings jumped.

Kansas City leaders say their options to respond are constrained. Unlike nearly every major American city, Kansas City doesn’t control its police force. Instead, city-funded officers are overseen by commissioners almost entirely appointed by the governor, a policy with Civil War-era roots. And Missouri lawmakers have almost entirely preempted the city’s ability to restrict firearms.

For some Kansas Citians, the gerrymandered map strikes them as only the latest instance in a long history of Missouri exercising power with little regard for residents. The map cuts much of Kansas City into two along Troost Avenue — once a dividing line during the era of racial redlining that is still shorthand today for the split between the city’s predominantly white and Black neighborhoods.

“It’s sad that they go to this length to try, in my opinion, to disenfranchise people,” said Lonnie Beattle, a retired postal worker who said she lives in the 18th Street and Vine Street neighborhood that’s south of the Northeast Kansas City area.

The gerrymander marks a low point in the relationship between Kansas City and the Missouri Capitol, said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

But the second-term mayor, who has battled with Republicans over control of police funding, said that in this instance, the moves by lawmakers have very little do with “purported misbehavior” by the city and more to do with Trump’s demands.

Lucas said carving up Kansas City would mean city officials would have to engage in more lobbying work and more outreach to members of Congress.

“It just adds bureaucracy to a process that currently doesn’t really need it,” Lucas said. “I think everything is working fine right now. One might ask, why change? But obviously, because the president said so.”

While nearly everyone approached by Stateline voiced opposition to the proposed map, the sentiment wasn’t unanimous.

Laura Birdsong, who lives in Northeast Kansas City and calls herself conservative, said that while she understands the concerns, she also sees positives.

“I don’t think it’s an attempt to control, I think it’s an attempt to balance,” Birdsong said as she drove an all-terrain vehicle along Independence Avenue on Friday, shuttling people to and from a local food festival.

Kate Barsotti, a longtime resident of Columbus Park, a neighborhood on the western edge of Northeast Kansas City, said she knew immediately that the gerrymander would be a threat to the neighborhood, dividing it between the 4th and 6th districts. But she suggested the decision could backfire on Republicans.

Barsotti, like others interviewed, emphasized what she views as the absurdity of a congressional district that includes Kansas City stretching all the way to the Illinois border on the eastern edge of the state. Many say that placing so many rural areas into the same district as a dense urban city could upset rural, conservative voters as well.

“So if you want to fight, you’ve just declared war on your own constituents, and I can go anywhere in the state of Missouri and say to them, ‘They don’t care about you,’” Barsotti said.

Some Democrats suspect the party could potentially flip the 4th District, currently held by a Republican, if Kehoe’s proposed map is enacted. Its current boundaries include substantial rural areas but exclude most of the Kansas City metro region. Under the new map, the 4th would slice deep into Kansas City, swallowing up downtown and a lot of Democratic voters in the process.

Lucas said if the map takes effect, he would consider running in 2026 in the 4th District, where he would live. Everyone who cares about representation for Kansas City owes it to the community to make Republicans spend real resources, he said.

“And so I expect there to be a real congressional race,” the mayor said.

At Independence Boulevard Christian Church on Monday afternoon, preparations were already underway for that evening’s meal.

Tables and chairs were set up in a large basement hall, with a separate space available for families. Fugarino, the pastor, said the church expected to serve some kind of ham-and-turkey casserole.

In a few hours, their guests would arrive.

Later that afternoon and 150 miles away at the state Capitol, lawmakers would begin debating the bill that would split apart the crossroads of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard.

“I think the whole point,” Fugarino said in an interview about the gerrymander, “has nothing to do with trying to address what citizens are actually needing.”

<a href="https://stateline.org/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>&nbsp;is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@stateline.org">info@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757522745269.png" alt=" The intersection of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo., is shown on Sept. 4. A proposed congressional gerrymander in the Missouri General Assembly would divide the intersection among three congressional district (Jonathan Shorman/Stateline)." />
 <figcaption> The intersection of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo., is shown on Sept. 4. A proposed congressional gerrymander in the Missouri General Assembly would divide the intersection among three congressional district (Jonathan Shorman/Stateline).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Republican plan, urged on by Trump and approved by the Missouri House, would split a diverse community 3 ways</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jonathanshorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jonathanshorman/"></a>KANSAS CITY &nbsp;— A man slept on the cool, gray steps of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, the building and its columns shielding his body from the midday sun on a recent weekday. A few others lingered in the shade under nearby trees.On Monday evenings, the more-than-century-old church in Historic Northeast Kansas City opens its doors to people in need. It offers a free meal, hygiene products, clothing and a medical clinic. Hundreds often come.President Donald Trump’s nationwide gerrymandering push has now also arrived at the church’s literal doorstep.Northeast Kansas City currently sits comfortably inside Missouri’s 5th Congressional District, which encompasses much of the city and the surrounding metro area. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, an 80-year-old Democrat who was the city’s first Black mayor in the 1990s, has held the seat for 20 years.But Missouri Republicans are advancing a redrawn congressional map through the state legislature that aims to give the party a political&nbsp;advantage. It would crack the city’s urban core into three districts — with all of them converging on the corner of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard, home to Independence Boulevard Christian Church.The intersection’s southwest corner, where the church is located, would move into the 4th Congressional District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a second-term Republican who was previously a TV news anchor.&nbsp;The southeast corner, a parking lot, would stay in&nbsp;a&nbsp;5th District&nbsp;reshaped to embrace a much more rural and conservative constituency.The northern side, lined by red-brick apartments and a meat market, would join the 6th District. Held by Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves since 2001, it would stretch across the state to the Illinois border.Residents say they fear that dividing the area, with its complex interplay of problems and positive qualities, will dilute their voice in Washington, D.C.“We need somebody to understand what poverty looks like,” the Rev. Mindy Fugarino, the church’s senior pastor, told Stateline as she described her problems with the gerrymander and how it will weaken the neighborhood’s representation.“We need somebody to understand, what are the needs for housing,” Fugarino said. “We need somebody to understand what are the needs for fair wages and health care and those kind of things in a community where people are literally living and sometimes dying on the street.”The Missouri House passed the new map in a 90-65 vote Tuesday, sending it to the state Senate. The Senate could begin work on the map as early as Wednesday.The Missouri gerrymander marks the latest example of a Republican-controlled state heeding Trump’s call to redraw congressional districts. Creating more GOP-leaning districts would maximize the party’s chances of retaining control of the U.S. House after the 2026 midterm elections.Democrats, both in Missouri and across the country, have condemned the effort as election-rigging. California has retaliated by asking its voters to approve a Democratic gerrymander. Republicans say they want to ensure Congress can advance Trump’s priorities, and they emphasize that federal courts allow partisan gerrymandering.In Kansas City, the redistricting plan has set off a bitter political battle that’s left many people feeling angry and dismissed. Stateline spoke with residents, business owners, activists and local officials in Northeast Kansas City, where three districts would divide the area, to better understand the consequences of the national gerrymandering effort at the local level.Northeast Kansas City residents and others broadly described a diverse, multicultural community with beautiful architecture, a strong civic fabric and neighborhood pride. In the blocks immediately surrounding the intersection of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard, less than a third of residents are non-Hispanic white, according to census data.At the same time, homelessness and crime can be a part of life. Residents are balancing a need for local investment against the risks of gentrification. The poverty rate fluctuates wildly within the area, from less than 12% of residents in some blocks to more than 63% in others. Vacant storefronts are sometimes only a short walk from colorful, tidy houses.Most community members Stateline spoke with oppose the redistricting effort.“Nobody asked for this,” said Edgar Palacios, the founder of Latinx Education Collaborative and Revolución Educativa, nonprofit organizations based in Northeast Kansas City that seek to foster Latino representation in education locally. His own home would move into the 4th District under the plan.Palacios, the son of Nicaraguan immigrants, worried the gerrymander would lead to new representatives for the area who won’t understand the challenges of an urban environment.“They’re not going to understand the nuances of urban public education and they’re not going to appreciate the differences in how money gets spent or why it gets spent that way or why it’s necessary to do certain things,” Palacios said.Dan Smith runs Eleos Coffee House on Independence Avenue. The 14-year-old coffee shop is a nondenominational Christian ministry that Smith said draws in both people coming to just work or hang out and individuals off the street wanting help.Smith declined to offer an opinion on the redistricting proposal, but said he hoped politicians will “totally forget about those lines” when making decisions.“Because that’s what we have to do here at Eleos,” Smith said. “We can’t draw lines, you know — ‘well, as long as you’re in this group of people or as long as you don’t identify this way or as long as you don’t do this’ — I mean, that’s not helpful for anybody.”<h2>Republicans say maps are improvement</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757068209585.png" alt=" State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, presents legislation that would redraw Missouri’s congressional map to a House committee on Thursday (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump set off a gerrymandering rush this summer in an effort to shore up Republican chances to keep control of the U.S. House in the 2026 midterm elections.He initially demanded Texas redraw its maps to potentially provide up to&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/08/22/as-democrats-fight-fire-with-fire-gerrymandering-opponents-seek-a-path-forward/" target="_blank">five additional GOP seats</a>, and has since urged Republicans in other states to do the same. California has retaliated and other Democratic states may follow.Republicans in Missouri and elsewhere have been upfront that they are shuffling the map with the intention of improving their party’s standing and say their efforts are in line with a U.S. Supreme Court’s 2019 decision that greenlit political gerrymandering. Missouri Republicans add that their proposed map splits fewer counties and cities than the current one.“It is an improvement; it is a reform of our current congressional map,” state Rep. Dirk Deaton, the Republican sponsor of the legislation, said at a hearing last week in Jefferson City.Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who called a special session to pass the map, said the state’s “conservative, commonsense values, rooted in faith, family and freedom, should be truly represented at all levels of government.” He also wants lawmakers to pass a measure that would pose new hurdles to citizen-proposed constitutional amendments.Kehoe’s office released only rough outlines of the map. After redistricting legislation was introduced in the Missouri General Assembly last week, Stateline produced a detailed map based on census block information supplied by the Missouri House that shows three congressional districts would meet at Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard.Republicans already hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. Cleaver is one of two Democrats, along with U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell of the 1st Congressional District in St. Louis.At most, the new map would likely enable Republicans to take the 5th Congressional District — a single seat — at the cost of a divided Kansas City.“Two words. One is&nbsp;‘horrible’&nbsp;and the second is&nbsp;‘divisive,’” Cleaver told reporters in Kansas City recently, summing up his reaction to the map.Cleaver has promised to file a federal lawsuit challenging the map if it passes (other opponents are expected to file lawsuits in state court as well). Giving one example of how the gerrymander would affect the region, Cleaver said Kansas City Public Schools would have multiple U.S. representatives under the map.“It’s conceivable that two members of Congress could be fighting each other when legislation occurs where one party takes a position and the other party takes the opposite position,” Cleaver said. “That’s absolutely crazy.”Kansas City is home to some 516,000 people in an overall metro area of 2.2 million. The city is in the midst of a sports golden era that has been a boost to local pride: The Kansas City Chiefs have appeared in five Super Bowls over the past six years and won three; the city hosted the NFL Draft in 2023; it will host World Cup soccer matches next summer. Music star Taylor Swift’s frequent visits to the metro area to see fiancé Travis Kelce, the Chiefs player, have helped, too.But gun violence remains a persistent problem. As other major cities have experienced falling homicide rates coming out of the pandemic, Kansas City broke its homicide record in 2023. Killings then fell last year, but nonfatal shootings jumped.Kansas City leaders say their options to respond are constrained. Unlike nearly every major American city, Kansas City doesn’t control its police force. Instead, city-funded officers are overseen by commissioners almost entirely appointed by the governor, a policy with Civil War-era roots. And Missouri lawmakers have almost entirely preempted the city’s ability to restrict firearms.For some Kansas Citians, the gerrymandered map strikes them as only the latest instance in a long history of Missouri exercising power with little regard for residents. The map cuts much of Kansas City into two along Troost Avenue — once a dividing line during the era of racial redlining that is still shorthand today for the split between the city’s predominantly white and Black neighborhoods.“It’s sad that they go to this length to try, in my opinion, to disenfranchise people,” said Lonnie Beattle, a retired postal worker who said she lives in the 18th Street and Vine Street neighborhood that’s south of the Northeast Kansas City area.<h2>Kansas City low point</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757522621053.png" alt="U.S. Rep Emanuel Cleaver walks through the Missouri candidate filing process in February 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep Emanuel Cleaver walks through the Missouri candidate filing process in February 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The gerrymander marks a low point in the relationship between Kansas City and the Missouri Capitol, said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.But the second-term mayor, who has battled with Republicans over control of police funding, said that in this instance, the moves by lawmakers have very little do with “purported misbehavior” by the city and more to do with Trump’s demands.Lucas said carving up Kansas City would mean city officials would have to engage in more lobbying work and more outreach to members of Congress.“It just adds bureaucracy to a process that currently doesn’t really need it,” Lucas said. “I think everything is working fine right now. One might ask, why change? But obviously, because the president said so.”While nearly everyone approached by Stateline voiced opposition to the proposed map, the sentiment wasn’t unanimous.Laura Birdsong, who lives in Northeast Kansas City and calls herself conservative, said that while she understands the concerns, she also sees positives.“I don’t think it’s an attempt to control, I think it’s an attempt to balance,” Birdsong said as she drove an all-terrain vehicle along Independence Avenue on Friday, shuttling people to and from a local food festival.Kate Barsotti, a longtime resident of Columbus Park, a neighborhood on the western edge of Northeast Kansas City, said she knew immediately that the gerrymander would be a threat to the neighborhood, dividing it between the 4th and 6th districts. But she suggested the decision could backfire on Republicans.Barsotti, like others interviewed, emphasized what she views as the absurdity of a congressional district that includes Kansas City stretching all the way to the Illinois border on the eastern edge of the state. Many say that placing so many rural areas into the same district as a dense urban city could upset rural, conservative voters as well.“So if you want to fight, you’ve just declared war on your own constituents, and I can go anywhere in the state of Missouri and say to them, ‘They don’t care about you,’” Barsotti said.Some Democrats suspect the party could potentially flip the 4th District, currently held by a Republican, if Kehoe’s proposed map is enacted. Its current boundaries include substantial rural areas but exclude most of the Kansas City metro region. Under the new map, the 4th would slice deep into Kansas City, swallowing up downtown and a lot of Democratic voters in the process.Lucas said if the map takes effect, he would consider running in 2026 in the 4th District, where he would live. Everyone who cares about representation for Kansas City owes it to the community to make Republicans spend real resources, he said.“And so I expect there to be a real congressional race,” the mayor said.<h2>Basic needs</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757522681868.png" alt="The Rev. Mindy Fugarino, senior pastor of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, sits inside the church’s sanctuary on Monday, Sept. 8. Fugarino opposes a plan to gerrymander Missouri’s congressional districts (Jonathan Shorman/Stateline)." />
 <figcaption>The Rev. Mindy Fugarino, senior pastor of Independence Boulevard Christian Church, sits inside the church’s sanctuary on Monday, Sept. 8. Fugarino opposes a plan to gerrymander Missouri’s congressional districts (Jonathan Shorman/Stateline).</figcaption>
 </figure>At Independence Boulevard Christian Church on Monday afternoon, preparations were already underway for that evening’s meal.Tables and chairs were set up in a large basement hall, with a separate space available for families. Fugarino, the pastor, said the church expected to serve some kind of ham-and-turkey casserole.In a few hours, their guests would arrive.Later that afternoon and 150 miles away at the state Capitol, lawmakers would begin debating the bill that would split apart the crossroads of Independence Avenue and Gladstone Boulevard.“I think the whole point,” Fugarino said in an interview about the gerrymander, “has nothing to do with trying to address what citizens are actually needing.”<a href="https://stateline.org/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>&nbsp;is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@stateline.org">info@stateline.org</a>.

One urban crossroad, 3 new districts: Kansas City braces for redistricting

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/hannah-schoenbaum">HANNAH SCHOENBAUM</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alanna-durkin-richer">ALANNA DURKIN RICHER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-sherman">MARK SHERMAN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/eric-tucker">ERIC TUCKER</a>

OREM, Utah (AP) — Authorities searched on Thursday for a sniper who assassinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">Charlie Kirk</a>, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, with one bullet and then slipped away amid the mayhem resulting from the latest act of political violence to befall America.

Kirk was killed with a gunshot from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking on Wednesday, authorities said. Federal, state and local authorities were working what they called “multiple active crime scenes." As the search stretched into a second day, they provided little information about the shooter’s identity, motive, location or evidence and were reviewing grainy security videos of a mysterious person in dark clothing.

“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/spencer-cox">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said. "I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”

Two people were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said.

The circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">an escalating threat of political violence</a>&nbsp;in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.

Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were set to visit with Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City. According to a person familiar with Vance’s plans but not authorized to speak about them publicly, the Vances will visit Utah instead of New York, which had been their planned destination for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-attacks-anniversary-world-trade-center-0c2af6068dd5f1cc9f71a56c8a1c0c83">an outdoor ceremony to commemorate Sept. 11</a>.

Vance posted a lengthy remembrance on X chronicling the origins of their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s run for the Senate and ultimately praying after hearing of the shooting. Through the years, Vance wrote, Kirk checked in and played a pivotal role in setting up the second Trump administration.

“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”

Kirk was taking questions about gun violence

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political youth organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, at the Sorensen Center courtyard on campus. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the person asked. Kirk responded, “Too many.”

The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.

The shooter, who Cox pledged would be held accountable in a state with the death penalty, wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away.

Madison Lattin was watching only a few dozen feet from Kirk’s left when she said she heard the bullet hit Kirk.

“Blood is falling and dripping down and you’re just like so scared, not just for him but your own safety,” she said.

She said she saw people drop to the ground in an eerie silence pierced immediately by cries. Lattin ran while others splashed through decorative pools to get away. Some fell and were trampled in the stampede. People lost their shoes, backpacks, folding chairs and water bottles in the frenzy.

When Lattin later learned that Kirk had died, she said she wept, describing him as a role model who had showed her how to be determined and fight for the truth.

Some 3,000 people were in attendance, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety. The university police department had six officers working the event, along with Kirk’s own security detail, authorities said.

Trump announced the death on social media and praised the 31-year-old Kirk who was co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-charlie-kirk-turning-point-afb64a04493ddf44df3b7338536a6524">Turning Point</a>&nbsp;as “Great, and even Legendary.” Later Wednesday, he released a recorded video from the White House in which he called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom” and blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the killing.

Utah Valley University said the campus was immediately evacuated after the shooting, with officers escorting people to safety. It will be closed until Monday.

Meanwhile, armed officers walked around the neighborhood bordering the campus, knocking on doors and asking for any information residents might have on the shooting. Helicopters buzzed overhead.

Wednesday’s event, billed as the first stop on Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour,” had generated a polarizing campus reaction. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”

Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”

Condemnation from across the political spectrum

The shooting drew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-reaction-87f6755421938d0a0d7c5905be10767f">swift condemnation</a>&nbsp;across the political aisle as Democratic officials joined Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation, and Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the violence.

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends,” said Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-0ee455e480004cbeae7dc716da2a0ddd">who was wounded in a 2011 shooting</a>&nbsp;in her Arizona district.

The shooting appeared poised to become part of a spike of political violence that has touched a range of ideologies and representatives of both major parties. The attacks include the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-killed-congress-violence-1e6a061c4265b0136ebb058a2777b85f">assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband</a>&nbsp;at their house in June, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boulder-colorado-attack-soliman-israel-hostages-8110fb3abd3da90f36c3d970f4c26f5b">firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages</a>, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-governor-mansion-fire-cody-balmer-cd896e2bb8f5a00a73b07b9f1013df93">fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor</a>, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-54f385fbdac215b89c6df047fa399039">shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year</a>.

Former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at Wednesday’s event, told the Fox News Channel that he didn’t believe Kirk had enough security.

“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.”

Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.

But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.

Despite early misgivings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-turning-point-voter-mobilization-musk-07286c2572b02aafefdda1cda093e788">Turning Point</a>&nbsp;enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

Richer and Sherman reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver; Michael Biesecker, Brian Slodysko, Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L. Price in Washington; Jesse Bedayn in Orem, Utah; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541335583.png" alt="Police respond to the scene of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, who was speaking during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Police respond to the scene of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, who was speaking during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/hannah-schoenbaum">HANNAH SCHOENBAUM</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alanna-durkin-richer">ALANNA DURKIN RICHER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-sherman">MARK SHERMAN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/eric-tucker">ERIC TUCKER</a>OREM, Utah (AP) — Authorities searched on Thursday for a sniper who assassinated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">Charlie Kirk</a>, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, with one bullet and then slipped away amid the mayhem resulting from the latest act of political violence to befall America.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FBI has created a digital media tip line seeking information regarding the shooting at Utah Valley University that took place on September 10, 2025: <a href="https://t.co/aNUqciEesp">https://t.co/aNUqciEesp</a>&mdash; FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBISaltLakeCity/status/1965906435054694671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FBI is working alongside our local and state law enforcement partners in Utah to fully investigate and seek justice in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Anyone with information, photos, and video from the incident can help the FBI identity more… <a href="https://t.co/JEQ22lIwfv">pic.twitter.com/JEQ22lIwfv</a>&mdash; FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1965962302458417304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kirk was killed with a gunshot from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking on Wednesday, authorities said. Federal, state and local authorities were working what they called “multiple active crime scenes." As the search stretched into a second day, they provided little information about the shooter’s identity, motive, location or evidence and were reviewing grainy security videos of a mysterious person in dark clothing.“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/spencer-cox">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox</a>&nbsp;said. "I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”Two people were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said.The circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23">an escalating threat of political violence</a>&nbsp;in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were set to visit with Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City. According to a person familiar with Vance’s plans but not authorized to speak about them publicly, the Vances will visit Utah instead of New York, which had been their planned destination for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-attacks-anniversary-world-trade-center-0c2af6068dd5f1cc9f71a56c8a1c0c83">an outdoor ceremony to commemorate Sept. 11</a>.Vance posted a lengthy remembrance on X chronicling the origins of their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s run for the Senate and ultimately praying after hearing of the shooting. Through the years, Vance wrote, Kirk checked in and played a pivotal role in setting up the second Trump administration.“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”<h2>Kirk was taking questions about gun violence</h2>Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political youth organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, at the Sorensen Center courtyard on campus. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the person asked. Kirk responded, “Too many.”The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.Then a single shot rang out.The shooter, who Cox pledged would be held accountable in a state with the death penalty, wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away.Madison Lattin was watching only a few dozen feet from Kirk’s left when she said she heard the bullet hit Kirk.“Blood is falling and dripping down and you’re just like so scared, not just for him but your own safety,” she said.She said she saw people drop to the ground in an eerie silence pierced immediately by cries. Lattin ran while others splashed through decorative pools to get away. Some fell and were trampled in the stampede. People lost their shoes, backpacks, folding chairs and water bottles in the frenzy.When Lattin later learned that Kirk had died, she said she wept, describing him as a role model who had showed her how to be determined and fight for the truth.<h2>Trump calls Kirk ‘martyr for truth’</h2>Some 3,000 people were in attendance, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety. The university police department had six officers working the event, along with Kirk’s own security detail, authorities said.Trump announced the death on social media and praised the 31-year-old Kirk who was co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-charlie-kirk-turning-point-afb64a04493ddf44df3b7338536a6524">Turning Point</a>&nbsp;as “Great, and even Legendary.” Later Wednesday, he released a recorded video from the White House in which he called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom” and blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the killing.Utah Valley University said the campus was immediately evacuated after the shooting, with officers escorting people to safety. It will be closed until Monday.Meanwhile, armed officers walked around the neighborhood bordering the campus, knocking on doors and asking for any information residents might have on the shooting. Helicopters buzzed overhead.Wednesday’s event, billed as the first stop on Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour,” had generated a polarizing campus reaction. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”<h2>Condemnation from across the political spectrum</h2>The shooting drew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-reaction-87f6755421938d0a0d7c5905be10767f">swift condemnation</a>&nbsp;across the political aisle as Democratic officials joined Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation, and Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the violence.“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X.“The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends,” said Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-0ee455e480004cbeae7dc716da2a0ddd">who was wounded in a 2011 shooting</a>&nbsp;in her Arizona district.The shooting appeared poised to become part of a spike of political violence that has touched a range of ideologies and representatives of both major parties. The attacks include the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-killed-congress-violence-1e6a061c4265b0136ebb058a2777b85f">assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband</a>&nbsp;at their house in June, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boulder-colorado-attack-soliman-israel-hostages-8110fb3abd3da90f36c3d970f4c26f5b">firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages</a>, and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-governor-mansion-fire-cody-balmer-cd896e2bb8f5a00a73b07b9f1013df93">fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor</a>, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-54f385fbdac215b89c6df047fa399039">shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year</a>.Former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at Wednesday’s event, told the Fox News Channel that he didn’t believe Kirk had enough security.“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.”Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.Despite early misgivings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-turning-point-voter-mobilization-musk-07286c2572b02aafefdda1cda093e788">Turning Point</a>&nbsp;enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.___Richer and Sherman reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver; Michael Biesecker, Brian Slodysko, Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L. Price in Washington; Jesse Bedayn in Orem, Utah; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

Shooter still at large: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated in Utah

JOHNSON COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating felony retail theft released security camera images of the suspects on Wednesday.

Just after 7:p.m. on September 2 and again at 1:14p.m. September 3, 2025, the suspect shown in security camera images entered a retail establishment located at W. 135th and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park and selected athletic apparel before exiting the store without paying, according to Officer john Lacy.

The suspects were seen leaving the business in a gray Honda Accord displaying a Missouri temporary license plate on September 2nd and a maroon Jeep Cherokee displaying a Missouri temporary license plate on September 3rd. 

The Overland Park Police Department is urging anyone with information about the identity of these individuals to please contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-344-8729 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757554046290.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating felony retail theft released security camera images of the suspects on Wednesday.Just after 7:p.m. on September 2 and again at 1:14p.m. September 3, 2025, the suspect shown in security camera images entered a retail establishment located at W. 135th and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park and selected athletic apparel before exiting the store without paying, according to Officer john Lacy.The suspects were seen leaving the business in a gray Honda Accord displaying a Missouri temporary license plate on September 2nd and a maroon Jeep Cherokee displaying a Missouri temporary license plate on September 3rd. The Overland Park Police Department is urging anyone with information about the identity of these individuals to please contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-344-8729 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Police ask for help to ID Kan. felony theft suspects

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Utah Valley University</a>, authorities said.

Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-charlie-kirk-turning-point-afb64a04493ddf44df3b7338536a6524">Turning Point USA</a>&nbsp;and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.

On his social media page,&nbsp;Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and known for his conservative views reacted to Kirk's death.

No one was in custody Thursday morning as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.

“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”

The shooting comes amid a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-reaction-87f6755421938d0a0d7c5905be10767f">attacks on political figures</a>&nbsp;in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757551583450.png" alt="File photo Charlie Kirk in the Oval Office-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo Charlie Kirk in the Oval Office-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Utah Valley University</a>, authorities said.Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-charlie-kirk-turning-point-afb64a04493ddf44df3b7338536a6524">Turning Point USA</a>&nbsp;and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.On his social media page,&nbsp;Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and known for his conservative views reacted to Kirk's death.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you for your strong witness for Christ <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charliekirk11</a>. Thank you for pursuing truth and leading your family as a husband and father. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,…&mdash; Harrison Butker (@buttkicker7) <a href="https://twitter.com/buttkicker7/status/1965882704643416373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>No one was in custody Thursday morning as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”The shooting comes amid a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-reaction-87f6755421938d0a0d7c5905be10767f">attacks on political figures</a>&nbsp;in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.

KC Chiefs' star issues statement on death of Charlie Kirk

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

TOPEKA — Kansas education commissioner Randy Watson announced Wednesday he plans to retire from the position he has held since 2014.

Watson said he will remain in the position until the Kansas State Board of Education hires a new commissioner.

“For 10 years, it’s been my pleasure to serve the board,” Watson said in a news release following Wednesday’s board meeting, where he made the announcement. “They’ve done remarkable work and have had many accomplishments over that time. I’m proud to have been a small part of that.”

Board chair Cathy Hopkins praised Watson for bringing stability to the board.

“He’s always asking, ‘How can I make this board function on behalf of Kansas education as its best possible peak?’ He exemplifies that so well,” Hopkins said.

The news release said Watson helped lead initiatives to improve literacy, strengthen the accreditation system for K-12 schools, and redesign schools to meet student needs and create stronger pathways for post-graduation success. He also visited all 286 school districts multiple times during his time as commissioner, the news release said.

Watson received widespread attention in 2022 for making&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/24/worry-about-the-indians-raiding-kansas-education-commissioner-under-fire-for-conference-joke/">insensitive comments</a>&nbsp;about American Indians during an online education conference. The board suspended him for a month without pay, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/12/kansas-education-commissioner-publicly-apologizes-for-racist-story-on-native-americans/">he apologized</a>&nbsp;for the remarks.

Before he was named education commissioner, Watson was the superintendent for McPherson public schools. His also has experience as a teacher, principal and coach.

The Coffeyville native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a doctorate from Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584484524519.png" alt="File photo Dr. Randy Watson" />
 <figcaption>File photo Dr. Randy Watson</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>rTOPEKA — Kansas education commissioner Randy Watson announced Wednesday he plans to retire from the position he has held since 2014.Watson said he will remain in the position until the Kansas State Board of Education hires a new commissioner.“For 10 years, it’s been my pleasure to serve the board,” Watson said in a news release following Wednesday’s board meeting, where he made the announcement. “They’ve done remarkable work and have had many accomplishments over that time. I’m proud to have been a small part of that.”Board chair Cathy Hopkins praised Watson for bringing stability to the board.“He’s always asking, ‘How can I make this board function on behalf of Kansas education as its best possible peak?’ He exemplifies that so well,” Hopkins said.The news release said Watson helped lead initiatives to improve literacy, strengthen the accreditation system for K-12 schools, and redesign schools to meet student needs and create stronger pathways for post-graduation success. He also visited all 286 school districts multiple times during his time as commissioner, the news release said.Watson received widespread attention in 2022 for making&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/24/worry-about-the-indians-raiding-kansas-education-commissioner-under-fire-for-conference-joke/">insensitive comments</a>&nbsp;about American Indians during an online education conference. The board suspended him for a month without pay, and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/12/kansas-education-commissioner-publicly-apologizes-for-racist-story-on-native-americans/">he apologized</a>&nbsp;for the remarks.Before he was named education commissioner, Watson was the superintendent for McPherson public schools. His also has experience as a teacher, principal and coach.The Coffeyville native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a doctorate from Kansas State University.

Kansas education commissioner announces retirement

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run in Barton County have arrested three juveniles.

Just after 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a reported hit-and-run accident in the 100 block of Chisholm Trail, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. This location is at the extreme southeast corner of the city of Great Bend just outside city limits

First responders discovered a male victim identified as 58-year-old&nbsp;Curtis Scott Cregger of Great Bend. He lived in the area and had&nbsp;been struck by a motor vehicle.

Officers immediately began CPR and other lifesaving measures in an attempt to aid the victim. He was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

Investigation at the scene as well as witness statements indicated the possibility this was an intentional act. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating this incident as a homicide.

At 10:30a.m. Thursday, a Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Broadway at Jackson Street in the city of Great Bend. The vehicle matched the description provided by witnesses in the hit-and-run fatality from last night. Further investigation confirmed this was the vehicle involved. The 17-year-old juvenile driver was taken into custody at the scene. With assistance from the Great Bend Police Department two passengers who were in the vehicle at the time of the collision were also located and arrested. Both are juveniles aged 17 and 14.

After consultation with the Barton County Attorney Colin Reynolds, the driver has been charged with murder in the 2nd degree the two passengers were charged with accessory to murder in the 2nd degree, according to Bellendir.

BARTON COUNTY —Deputies from the Barton County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Great Bend Police Department spent several hours Wednesday evening searching for a vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident near 2nd Street and Chisholm Trail, just outside the east Great Bend city limits.

Deputies initially responded to the incident at approximately 6:40 p.m. One person was found deceased at the scene, and the driver of the suspect vehicle left the scene before officers arrived. 

Authorities checked video cameras from several area businesses and issued a "be on the lookout" for a dark pick-up truck with heavy front-end damage.

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run in Barton County have arrested three juveniles.Just after 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a reported hit-and-run accident in the 100 block of Chisholm Trail, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. This location is at the extreme southeast corner of the city of Great Bend just outside city limitsFirst responders discovered a male victim identified as 58-year-old&nbsp;Curtis Scott Cregger of Great Bend. He lived in the area and had&nbsp;been struck by a motor vehicle.Officers immediately began CPR and other lifesaving measures in an attempt to aid the victim. He was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Investigation at the scene as well as witness statements indicated the possibility this was an intentional act. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating this incident as a homicide.At 10:30a.m. Thursday, a Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Broadway at Jackson Street in the city of Great Bend. The vehicle matched the description provided by witnesses in the hit-and-run fatality from last night. Further investigation confirmed this was the vehicle involved. The 17-year-old juvenile driver was taken into custody at the scene. With assistance from the Great Bend Police Department two passengers who were in the vehicle at the time of the collision were also located and arrested. Both are juveniles aged 17 and 14.After consultation with the Barton County Attorney Colin Reynolds, the driver has been charged with murder in the 2nd degree the two passengers were charged with accessory to murder in the 2nd degree, according to Bellendir.----------BARTON COUNTY —Deputies from the Barton County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Great Bend Police Department spent several hours Wednesday evening searching for a vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident near 2nd Street and Chisholm Trail, just outside the east Great Bend city limits.Deputies initially responded to the incident at approximately 6:40 p.m. One person was found deceased at the scene, and the driver of the suspect vehicle left the scene before officers arrived. Authorities checked video cameras from several area businesses and issued a "be on the lookout" for a dark pick-up truck with heavy front-end damage.Police released no additional details.

Sheriff: Teens arrested in fatal Kansas hit-and-run

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump shares a message on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived &amp; died. The values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law &amp; the patriotic devotion &amp; love of God.” <a href="https://t.co/3fBSgs4Zxa">pic.twitter.com/3fBSgs4Zxa</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1965946655188070750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥President Trump's message on the assassination of Charlie Kirk

SEDGWICK COUNTY — The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has filed formal charges against Clowie Ann McLaughlin, 80, of Augusta, in connection with a deadly crash on August 30 that claimed the lives of two Wichita women.

McLaughlin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, severity level 4 person felonies, in the deaths of 42-year-old LaShea Bell and her daughter, 25-year-old A’Niah Bell.

The crash happened around 9:35 p.m. at the intersection of Central and Webb Road. According to Wichita police, McLaughlin’s black Chevrolet truck collided with a white BMW carrying the Bells and a gray Jeep driven by a 41-year-old man. LaShea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while A’Niah Bell later died at a local hospital. The Jeep driver was treated at the scene and released.

Police said speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the collision. McLaughlin was taken to a hospital for treatment of her own injuries and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail after being medically cleared. She bonded out Sunday evening after posting a $100,000 bond.

McLaughlin is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Monday, September 15, at 10 a.m.

Because the investigation and legal proceedings remain ongoing, authorities say no further details will be released at this time. Officials also reminded the public that all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541241700.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has filed formal charges against Clowie Ann McLaughlin, 80, of Augusta, in connection with a deadly crash on August 30 that claimed the lives of two Wichita women.McLaughlin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, severity level 4 person felonies, in the deaths of 42-year-old LaShea Bell and her daughter, 25-year-old A’Niah Bell.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756722147795.png" alt="Clowie Ann McLaughlin (Photo courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Clowie Ann McLaughlin (Photo courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The crash happened around 9:35 p.m. at the intersection of Central and Webb Road. According to Wichita police, McLaughlin’s black Chevrolet truck collided with a white BMW carrying the Bells and a gray Jeep driven by a 41-year-old man. LaShea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while A’Niah Bell later died at a local hospital. The Jeep driver was treated at the scene and released.Police said speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the collision. McLaughlin was taken to a hospital for treatment of her own injuries and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail after being medically cleared. She bonded out Sunday evening after posting a $100,000 bond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541392417.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>McLaughlin is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Monday, September 15, at 10 a.m.Because the investigation and legal proceedings remain ongoing, authorities say no further details will be released at this time. Officials also reminded the public that all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

80-year-old charged in DUI crash that killed Kan. mother, daughter 

FINNEY COUNTY—The Red Cross is assisting families in southwest Kansas after an apartment fire in Garden City.

Just before 8:30p.m. Sept. 6,&nbsp; the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of a&nbsp; fire in an apartment building in 300 block of College Street in Garden City, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, Command 1 identified a two-story apartment building with heavy smoke and fire visible. Fire crews conducted an offensive fire attack to the upstairs apartments while simultaneously completing primary search and rescue on the apartments with physical fire, followed by surrounding apartments. 

All occupants of the apartments were found to be safely evacuated prior to the arrival of fire crews.

Fire Marshal Robertson responded to the scene for investigation. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. No injuries were reported, and no damage estimates are known at this time.

American Red Cross was requested to respond and assist with the displaced families.

FINNEY COUNTY—The Red Cross is assisting families in southwest Kansas after an apartment fire in Garden City.Just before 8:30p.m. Sept. 6,&nbsp; the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of a&nbsp; fire in an apartment building in 300 block of College Street in Garden City, according to a media release.Upon arrival, Command 1 identified a two-story apartment building with heavy smoke and fire visible. Fire crews conducted an offensive fire attack to the upstairs apartments while simultaneously completing primary search and rescue on the apartments with physical fire, followed by surrounding apartments. All occupants of the apartments were found to be safely evacuated prior to the arrival of fire crews.Fire Marshal Robertson responded to the scene for investigation. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. No injuries were reported, and no damage estimates are known at this time.American Red Cross was requested to respond and assist with the displaced families.

Red Cross assisting families displaced by SW Kan. apartment fire

WASHINGTON­—Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) delivered opening remarks at Tuesday’s hearing titled “<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/restoring-public-trust-through-uap-transparency-and-whistleblower-protection/">Restoring Public Trust Through UFO/UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection</a>.”

In her opening statement, Task Force Chairwoman Luna highlighted the lack of transparency from the federal government and intelligence communities on the research and disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Task Force Chairwoman Luna also reiterated the importance of addressing threats to U.S. national security by (UFOs or now known as UAPs and the need for the federal government to acknowledge them.

Read the Congresswoman's full statement below:

Good morning, and welcome to this hearing regarding UAP disclosures.

For too long, the issue of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena – commonly known as UAPs – has been shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and in some cases outright dismissal.&nbsp;

Today, I want to state clearly: this is not science fiction or creating speculation.&nbsp;

This is about national security, government accountability, and the American people’s right to the truth.

I have now spoken to a number of whistleblowers from the military, to include at the infamous Eglin AFB incident that occurred when myself and former Rep Matt Gaetz as well as Rep Burchett followed up on a lead from multiple active-duty air force pilot whistleblowers that alleged that the USAF was covering up UAP activity at Eglin AFB.&nbsp;

We have heard from a number of whistleblowers, specifically military pilots, that the reason for not coming forward publicly is out of fear that speaking out would cost them their flight status, and potentially their careers.&nbsp;

We cannot protect our airspace if our best-trained observers are silenced.&nbsp;

We cannot advance science if we refuse to ask questions.&nbsp;

And we cannot maintain trust in government if we keep the American people in the dark.

Now, Congress has tried to fix this problem.

Congress tried to create formal channels – through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, also known as AARO and the Intelligence Community Inspector General – for service members and officials to make disclosures.

But the reality: the reports that come in are too often brushed aside, slow-walked, or met with skepticism rather than serious investigation. Recently, the former AARO director known as Sean Kirpatrick attacked our witness and members on this committee. It should be noted that he is a documented liar and brings into question what his purpose at AARO really was if it was not to follow up on investigations and disclose his findings to Members of Congress.&nbsp;

A former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Chris Mellon, described a report published by ARRO that “found no evidence that any USG investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology,” as “the most error-ridden and unsatisfactory government report I can recall reading during or after decades of government service.” Mellon further noted that this was the first ARRO report submitted to Congress without the Director of National Intelligence’s sign-off and seemingly excluded input from “any of the scholars or experts who have studied and written extensively on this topic as would normally be the case in another field.” Mellon determined that the report failed to fulfill the congressional mandate under which it was required, omitted entire agencies with “known investigations or activities relating to UAP,” and omitted any discussion of efforts to hide classified or unclassified information about UAP. Such efforts were unaddressed by the report despite the existence of agency records and investigations concerning them, including at US Customs and Border Protection.

If we set up offices and oversight bodies only to let them become graveyards for testimony or worse yet, ruses for pretending to investigate when in actuality, there was no follow up, then we are not doing our jobs.

In recent months, Congress has also been presented with evidence that points to technologies that to our knowledge, are beyond our current capabilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is our duty as elected representatives to follow the facts, wherever they lead, and to ensure those facts are not buried under classification stamps or bureaucratic excuses.&nbsp;

Let me be clear: whether UAPs represent adversarial technology, natural phenomena, or something beyond current human understanding, Congress has a responsibility to investigate.&nbsp;

If these objects are foreign in origin, they pose a direct threat to our national security.&nbsp;

If they represent something unknown, they demand rigorous scientific inquiry – not ridicule, not secrecy, and not silence.&nbsp;

Adversarial nations are not waiting for us to catch up – they are studying these phenomena aggressively as well and multiple nations have also announced their own parliamentary investigation into this very topic.

If we continue to hide information from ourselves, we risk strategic surprises.&nbsp;

If we continue to ignore our pilots and service members as well as the countless government whistleblowers, we risk losing their trust.&nbsp;

And if we continue to shield the truth from the public, we risk eroding the very foundation of democratic accountability.&nbsp;

This is about demanding basic transparency from the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community and/or military contractors.&nbsp;

It is about asking the questions every American has the right to ask: What do we know? What don’t we know? And why, in a free society are we still being told so little?&nbsp;

A major barrier to the Committee’s inquiry into UAPs has been a lack of cooperation and transparency from the DoD and the Intelligence Community (IC). In preparation for previous UAP hearings, the Committee repeatedly asked DoD to allow Members to view videos and files relating to UAP incidents. Unfortunately, DoD notified Committee staff that due to the Department’s special access program (SAP) rules, only members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC-D) were allowed to be “read in” on such programs. For a non-committee Member to be allowed to view these documents and videos, individual Members must be approved by the Chairman and Ranking Member of both HASC and HAC-D. Independent SAP oversight has presented a consistent problem for Congress as the program’s budgets are classified. Additionally, oversight reporting to Congress is classified, and is only provided to the authorizing and appropriations committees of jurisdiction.

They do not need to be shielded like children from reality.

What they cannot tolerate – what they will not forgive – is a government that withholds the truth and punishes those who dare to speak out.

Future generations will look back on this moment and ask what we did when presented with the unknown.&nbsp;

Did we look away, embarrassed or afraid? Or did we pursue the truth with courage?&nbsp;

I intend to be on the side of truth, transparency, and accountability, and I hope my colleagues on this Task Force will be as well.&nbsp;

Senator Schumer: “Multiple credible sources” allege a constitutional crisis over UFOs.

Senator Rounds: “They are brilliant individuals.”&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“They’re not making this stuff up.”

Our current Secretary of State Rubio: “Very high clearances and high positions within our government.”

Senator McConnell: “Sane,” “Credible”

The witnesses today are not alone, far from it. In fact, 34 senior military, government, and intelligence officials have broken their silence. This includes Senator Rubio, Senator Rounds, Senator Gillibrand, General Jim Clapper, the former director of the Government’s UAP task force, the former head of aviation security on the White House national security council, a former secretary of defense, and many more.&nbsp; To quote&nbsp;Senator Rubio in the upcoming documentary Age of Disclosure: “even presidents have been operating on a need-to-know basis but that begins to spin out of control.” And to quote Senator Gillibrand who went public in a upcoming documentary, “it’s not acceptable to have secret parts of government that no one ever sees.” It is time for the fundamental truths around UAP to be revealed to our nation’s leaders and to the public.

&nbsp;It is time for the US government to exercise transparency.

WASHINGTON­—Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) delivered opening remarks at Tuesday’s hearing titled “<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/restoring-public-trust-through-uap-transparency-and-whistleblower-protection/">Restoring Public Trust Through UFO/UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection</a>.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Below is the video I revealed in our <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPoversight</a> UAP hearing today, made available to the public for the first time. October 30th, 2024: MQ-9 Reaper allegedly tracking orb off coast of Yemen. Greenlight given to engage, missile appears to be ineffective against the target.… <a href="https://t.co/jxJwl0e00S">pic.twitter.com/jxJwl0e00S</a>&mdash; Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepEricBurlison/status/1965438792493355291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🔴 UAP HEARING! Watch as <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepLuna</a> and the Task Force for the Declassification of Federal Secrets hold a hearing on restoring public trust through UAP transparency and whistleblower protection. <a href="https://t.co/TOLaBHHj9Q">https://t.co/TOLaBHHj9Q</a>&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1965412144264151187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In her opening statement, Task Force Chairwoman Luna highlighted the lack of transparency from the federal government and intelligence communities on the research and disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Task Force Chairwoman Luna also reiterated the importance of addressing threats to U.S. national security by (UFOs or now known as UAPs and the need for the federal government to acknowledge them.Read the Congresswoman's full statement below:Good morning, and welcome to this hearing regarding UAP disclosures.For too long, the issue of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena – commonly known as UAPs – has been shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and in some cases outright dismissal.&nbsp;Today, I want to state clearly: this is not science fiction or creating speculation.&nbsp;This is about national security, government accountability, and the American people’s right to the truth.I have now spoken to a number of whistleblowers from the military, to include at the infamous Eglin AFB incident that occurred when myself and former Rep Matt Gaetz as well as Rep Burchett followed up on a lead from multiple active-duty air force pilot whistleblowers that alleged that the USAF was covering up UAP activity at Eglin AFB.&nbsp;We have heard from a number of whistleblowers, specifically military pilots, that the reason for not coming forward publicly is out of fear that speaking out would cost them their flight status, and potentially their careers.&nbsp;That is unacceptable.&nbsp;We cannot protect our airspace if our best-trained observers are silenced.&nbsp;We cannot advance science if we refuse to ask questions.&nbsp;And we cannot maintain trust in government if we keep the American people in the dark.Now, Congress has tried to fix this problem.Congress tried to create formal channels – through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, also known as AARO and the Intelligence Community Inspector General – for service members and officials to make disclosures.But the reality: the reports that come in are too often brushed aside, slow-walked, or met with skepticism rather than serious investigation. Recently, the former AARO director known as Sean Kirpatrick attacked our witness and members on this committee. It should be noted that he is a documented liar and brings into question what his purpose at AARO really was if it was not to follow up on investigations and disclose his findings to Members of Congress.&nbsp;A former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Chris Mellon, described a report published by ARRO that “found no evidence that any USG investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology,” as “the most error-ridden and unsatisfactory government report I can recall reading during or after decades of government service.” Mellon further noted that this was the first ARRO report submitted to Congress without the Director of National Intelligence’s sign-off and seemingly excluded input from “any of the scholars or experts who have studied and written extensively on this topic as would normally be the case in another field.” Mellon determined that the report failed to fulfill the congressional mandate under which it was required, omitted entire agencies with “known investigations or activities relating to UAP,” and omitted any discussion of efforts to hide classified or unclassified information about UAP. Such efforts were unaddressed by the report despite the existence of agency records and investigations concerning them, including at US Customs and Border Protection.If we set up offices and oversight bodies only to let them become graveyards for testimony or worse yet, ruses for pretending to investigate when in actuality, there was no follow up, then we are not doing our jobs.In recent months, Congress has also been presented with evidence that points to technologies that to our knowledge, are beyond our current capabilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is our duty as elected representatives to follow the facts, wherever they lead, and to ensure those facts are not buried under classification stamps or bureaucratic excuses.&nbsp;Let me be clear: whether UAPs represent adversarial technology, natural phenomena, or something beyond current human understanding, Congress has a responsibility to investigate.&nbsp;If these objects are foreign in origin, they pose a direct threat to our national security.&nbsp;If they represent something unknown, they demand rigorous scientific inquiry – not ridicule, not secrecy, and not silence.&nbsp;The stakes are high.&nbsp;Adversarial nations are not waiting for us to catch up – they are studying these phenomena aggressively as well and multiple nations have also announced their own parliamentary investigation into this very topic.If we continue to hide information from ourselves, we risk strategic surprises.&nbsp;If we continue to ignore our pilots and service members as well as the countless government whistleblowers, we risk losing their trust.&nbsp;And if we continue to shield the truth from the public, we risk eroding the very foundation of democratic accountability.&nbsp;That is why this hearing matters.&nbsp;This is not about fueling speculation.This is about demanding basic transparency from the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community and/or military contractors.&nbsp;It is about asking the questions every American has the right to ask: What do we know? What don’t we know? And why, in a free society are we still being told so little?&nbsp;A major barrier to the Committee’s inquiry into UAPs has been a lack of cooperation and transparency from the DoD and the Intelligence Community (IC). In preparation for previous UAP hearings, the Committee repeatedly asked DoD to allow Members to view videos and files relating to UAP incidents. Unfortunately, DoD notified Committee staff that due to the Department’s special access program (SAP) rules, only members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC-D) were allowed to be “read in” on such programs. For a non-committee Member to be allowed to view these documents and videos, individual Members must be approved by the Chairman and Ranking Member of both HASC and HAC-D. Independent SAP oversight has presented a consistent problem for Congress as the program’s budgets are classified. Additionally, oversight reporting to Congress is classified, and is only provided to the authorizing and appropriations committees of jurisdiction.The American people are not fragile.They do not need to be shielded like children from reality.What they cannot tolerate – what they will not forgive – is a government that withholds the truth and punishes those who dare to speak out.I want to close with this:Future generations will look back on this moment and ask what we did when presented with the unknown.&nbsp;Did we look away, embarrassed or afraid? Or did we pursue the truth with courage?&nbsp;I intend to be on the side of truth, transparency, and accountability, and I hope my colleagues on this Task Force will be as well.&nbsp;To quote a few elected officials:Senator Schumer: “Multiple credible sources” allege a constitutional crisis over UFOs.Senator Rounds: “They are brilliant individuals.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“They’re not making this stuff up.”Our current Secretary of State Rubio: “Very high clearances and high positions within our government.”Senator McConnell: “Sane,” “Credible”The witnesses today are not alone, far from it. In fact, 34 senior military, government, and intelligence officials have broken their silence. This includes Senator Rubio, Senator Rounds, Senator Gillibrand, General Jim Clapper, the former director of the Government’s UAP task force, the former head of aviation security on the White House national security council, a former secretary of defense, and many more.&nbsp; To quote&nbsp;Senator Rubio in the upcoming documentary Age of Disclosure: “even presidents have been operating on a need-to-know basis but that begins to spin out of control.” And to quote Senator Gillibrand who went public in a upcoming documentary, “it’s not acceptable to have secret parts of government that no one ever sees.” It is time for the fundamental truths around UAP to be revealed to our nation’s leaders and to the public.&nbsp;It is time for the US government to exercise transparency.