PAWNEE COUNTY&nbsp; — A registered sex offender from Georgia who has been living in Great Bend is going to prison for child sex crimes.

On Tuesday, Pawnee County District Judge Judge Bruce Gatterman sentenced 49-year-old Shelby Lee Star to 26-years in prison in connection with&nbsp;two Jessica’s Law offenses, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

&nbsp;In April, Starr entered an Alford plea of guilt to a single count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a child under the age of 14. In addition, the State agreed to allow Starr to be sentenced pursuant to the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines and dismiss the additional count, and not pursue charges regarding a possible additional victim.

The name, Alford plea, is taken from the case North Carolina v. Alford and is sometimes referred to a "best-interests plea," whereby the defendant registers a formal admission of guilt towards charges in criminal court while simultaneously expressing their innocence toward those same charges. An Alford-type guilty plea means the defendant decided it would be better to take a known sentence than to take their chances in a criminal jury trial.

The crimes were alleged to have occurred at a Larned residence between 2016 and 2017. The Larned Police Department and Kansas Department of Child and Family handled the investigation following a referral by a mandatory reporter in February of 2023.

Prior to sentencing, the Court denied the defendant’s pro se motion to withdraw his plea. The defendant argued in part he did not understand that his juvenile record would be scored as part of his criminal history at the time of sentencing.

At the sentencing, defense counsel requested the Court follow the plea agreement and sentence the defendant pursuant to the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines to the standard sentence of 233 months based on the defendant’s criminal history. Under Jessica’s Law, the defendant faced a life sentence with a mandatory requirement he serve a minimum of 25 years. McNett advised the Court that pursuant to the Kansas Crime Victims’ Act he had consulted with the victim and her family prior to entering into plea negotiations, and that they we in support of the presented plea agreement.

After hearing the arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman on his own motion sentenced Starr to a downward departure sentence of 160 months based on the age of the defendant’s criminal history. However, the Court further found that as a result of the defendant’s prior sex offense conviction which occurred in 1999 that the law required he be sentenced as a persistent sex offender. As such, the sentenced was doubled to 320 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections. The defendant has the ability to earn up to 15% good time credit.

Starr will also be subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688048306418.png" alt="-Starr has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia, according to the Kansas Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>-Starr has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia, according to the Kansas Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY&nbsp; — A registered sex offender from Georgia who has been living in Great Bend is going to prison for child sex crimes.On Tuesday, Pawnee County District Judge Judge Bruce Gatterman sentenced 49-year-old Shelby Lee Star to 26-years in prison in connection with&nbsp;two Jessica’s Law offenses, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.&nbsp;In April, Starr entered an Alford plea of guilt to a single count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a child under the age of 14. In addition, the State agreed to allow Starr to be sentenced pursuant to the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines and dismiss the additional count, and not pursue charges regarding a possible additional victim.The name, Alford plea, is taken from the case North Carolina v. Alford and is sometimes referred to a "best-interests plea," whereby the defendant registers a formal admission of guilt towards charges in criminal court while simultaneously expressing their innocence toward those same charges. An Alford-type guilty plea means the defendant decided it would be better to take a known sentence than to take their chances in a criminal jury trial.The crimes were alleged to have occurred at a Larned residence between 2016 and 2017. The Larned Police Department and Kansas Department of Child and Family handled the investigation following a referral by a mandatory reporter in February of 2023.Prior to sentencing, the Court denied the defendant’s pro se motion to withdraw his plea. The defendant argued in part he did not understand that his juvenile record would be scored as part of his criminal history at the time of sentencing.At the sentencing, defense counsel requested the Court follow the plea agreement and sentence the defendant pursuant to the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines to the standard sentence of 233 months based on the defendant’s criminal history. Under Jessica’s Law, the defendant faced a life sentence with a mandatory requirement he serve a minimum of 25 years. McNett advised the Court that pursuant to the Kansas Crime Victims’ Act he had consulted with the victim and her family prior to entering into plea negotiations, and that they we in support of the presented plea agreement.After hearing the arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman on his own motion sentenced Starr to a downward departure sentence of 160 months based on the age of the defendant’s criminal history. However, the Court further found that as a result of the defendant’s prior sex offense conviction which occurred in 1999 that the law required he be sentenced as a persistent sex offender. As such, the sentenced was doubled to 320 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections. The defendant has the ability to earn up to 15% good time credit.Starr will also be subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.

Georgia sex offender going to prison in Kansas for sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service was incensed at what had happened that July evening. “What I saw made me ashamed,” Ronald Rowe Jr. said. “I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.”

<a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/USSS-HSGAC-Interim-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf">Click here to read </a>the full report

The unguarded roof, easily within shooting distance of the rally stage, is just one of the myriad questions behind the worst Secret Service security failure in decades. The more that investigators unpack from that day, the more missed opportunities that could have prevented the attack are revealed.

As the United States grapples with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">second attempt</a>&nbsp;on Donald Trump’s life, in Florida, there remains a reckoning to be done from the Pennsylvania shooting on July 13 that killed one man and wounded three — the ex-president among them.

The Secret Service is a well-funded, historically elite force with a mission to keep presidents and other higher-ups safe — whether they're out for a bicycle ride, attending a world summit, visiting a war zone or campaigning.

But at the farm show grounds, a young nursing home aide with a rifle he borrowed from his dad outmaneuvered authorities for more than 90 minutes before firing the shots that came millimeters from killing Trump. More than two months later, everyone still wants to know:

—When rallygoers reported a man skittering on the squat rooftop of a nearby building, why didn’t anyone in law enforcement move faster?

—Why did the Secret Service exclude that building from its security perimeter, leaving it to local police, and why did the local force not station someone on the roof?

—Why could local law enforcement agencies not communicate in real time with Secret Service agents when they’re supposed to be working together?

—Why did the Secret Service decline offers by local police to use their surveillance drone at the site? And why did Secret Service agents not deploy a system that would have told them an unauthorized drone was aloft — the gunman's — until it was too late?

One overarching question may never be answered. And in these poisonous times, with the November presidential election closing in and a second attempt on Trump’s life just days in the past, it is urgent: What possessed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to try to kill the former president? The public is no closer to that answer than in the immediate aftermath.

This anatomy of an attempted assassination is based on an AP review of dozens of documents, text messages and video, a congressional report and a Secret Service report on the failures, plus interviews on the record and from law enforcement officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss investigations that are still getting going.

Rowe sat there under the bright lights, his mouth pressed into a thin line. His voice was thick with anger as senators laid into him and his agents — questioning how on Earth some guy was able to get on top of a nearby roof as the rally was going on and fire off eight rounds, grazing Trump’s ear and ripping into three others, killing one of them.

Rowe’s voice grew louder at the July 30 Senate hearing as he squared off with lawmakers who wanted him to fire somebody — anybody — who had been on the ground that day. It wasn’t enough for them that the agency's chief, Kim Cheatle, had resigned a week earlier. But Rowe dug in.

“I will not rush to judgment," he said, snapping at a senator. “People will be held accountable, and I will do so with integrity.”

He wasn’t blaming anyone in particular, though he did throw some not-so-subtle shade at the Pennsylvania police officers who were supposed to be guarding the building complex in question.

But he also wasn’t trying to play down his agency's epic failure as it became slowly clearer to local officers that Crooks wasn’t just an oddball with a backpack. Local police did finger-pointing of their own, citing communications breakdowns that began when the face-to-face meeting the Secret Service said would happen with them before the event never did.

Secret Service agents in the line of duty have been equipped since the 1940s with various gadgets enabling them to communicate remotely in real time. Back when everyday people had to find a phone booth, these agents could be seen wearing wired earbuds or talking up their sleeves.

Yet when a man outside the perimeter of metal detectors and Secret Service scrutiny raised suspicions, then fears, then his rifle on the roof, the agency's local police backups could not get word directly to the agents closest to Trump or the federal snipers on other rooftops in time to hustle him off the stage or take down the gunman.

Last week, the Secret Service released a five-page document summarizing conclusions in a report not yet completed. Among the findings: The Secret Service did not give clear guidance to local law enforcement partners at the rally. It did not correct line-of-sight problems that left Trump open to sniper fire. And some of the agents on duty that day were complacent.

A bipartisan report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee made public Wednesday was more blunt if not scathing. It found “USSS failures in planning, communications, security, and allocation of resources for the July 13, 2024, Butler rally were foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt that day.”

Before the shooting, everything felt typical

It was designed to be a typical Trump rally — outdoors at the Butler Farm Show grounds with big red barns, wide-open fields and bleacher seating.

Butler County, on the western edge of a presidential swing state, is a Trump stronghold. In a place where turnout hovers around an impressive 80%, Trump won with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. The rural area north of Pittsburgh has notoriously bad cell service, which made police communications even worse in the crisis to come. The Secret Service did not bring a system to boost device signals in such places.

Three days after the rally was announced, Crooks registered to attend. He also searched online for “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”

Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, while he was riding in an open convertible. Oswald concealed himself on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The Warren Commission determined he was 265.3 feet from Kennedy when he fired the fatal shot.

Crooks would fire from about double that distance. But guns have evolved since then, and the AR-style weapon Crooks borrowed from his father shoots faster and more easily than anything Oswald had on him.

On July 7, Crooks made the trip from his Bethel Park home, just south of Pittsburgh, to the Butler Farm Show grounds, and was there for about 20 minutes. FBI investigators say he was casing the area. The day before the rally, he practiced shooting at a local sports club.

On July 13, he returned to the grounds and stayed for about 70 minutes before going home. At 1:30 p.m., his dad gave him the rifle, thinking his son was headed back to the club to practice shooting. Twenty-five minutes later Crooks was buying 50 rounds of ammunition.

He parked at a gas station lot about a third of a mile from the rally, dressed in camo shorts, a black belt and a gray T-shirt with the logo of a YouTube channel dedicated to firearms. He rode a bicycle to the grounds and carried a big backpack.

Agents have cracked into his phone, searched his laptop and interviewed hundreds of people. Yet the FBI says his motive remains unknown.

Crooks was described by classmates at Bethel Park High School as smart but standoffish, often seen wearing headphones and sitting alone at lunch looking at his phone. Some said he was often mocked by other students for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, and for wearing a mask even after the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided.

“He sat by himself, didn’t talk to anyone, didn’t even try to make conversation,” said 17-year-old Liam Campbell, echoing the comments of classmates who remembered the shooter. “He was an odd kid,” but nothing about him seemed dangerous, he added. “Just a normal person who seemed like he didn’t like talking to people."

After graduating high school in 2022, Crooks went on to the Community College of Allegheny County, earning an associate’s degree with honors in engineering science this past May. He also worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide.

Crooks had been registered as a Republican voter, according to state records. But there was also a $15 donation to a progressive group recorded under “Thomas Crooks” in January 2021.

Authorities received many reports beforehand

There were roughly 155 law enforcement officers at the rally that day. That included a Secret Service counter-sniper team, a Butler County SWAT team and uniformed officers. Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered to hear him speak.

The FBI says that after Crooks turned up at the site on that sunny Saturday afternoon, he flew a drone for about 11 minutes up and around the area and was getting the view directly on the controller he used. The Secret Service did not deploy its drone-detection system until later in the afternoon. And the advance team that scouts the venue ahead of time requested additional technology before the rally, but those requests were denied.

The first reported sighting of Crooks was at 4:26 p.m., more than 1½ hours before Trump would begin speaking. A Beaver County sniper team member noticed Crooks at a picnic table, thought he was acting suspiciously, and alerted other local snipers who were posted inside the AGR building complex. “He knows you guys are up there,” the sniper texted the others. “He’s sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”

At 5:38 p.m., a Beaver County sniper, stationed inside the building where Crooks would later shoot from the roof, sent photos of Crooks to the local team’s group chat. "I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards the stage. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.” He also said there was a bike with a backpack nearby that wasn’t seen earlier.

Secret Service sniper teams were posted on the roof closest to where Trump was to speak, but officials say the teams were never notified.

At 5:45 p.m., a local sniper recommended that the command post, where team leaders were stationed, be alerted about Crooks. There were two posts; the Secret Service agents were only in one.

“They’re asking for a direction of travel,” one local sniper says.

“Not sure,” Beaver County SWAT sniper Gregory Nicol responded in a message at 6 p.m., about 11 minutes before Crooks would fire. “He was up against the building. If I had to guess toward the back. Away from the event.”

“I assumed that there would be somebody coming out to — you know, to speak with this individual or, you know, find out what’s going on,” Nicol later told ABC News.

The AGR (American Glass Research) complex is a warren of buildings, and Crooks eventually got to the roof of the building closest to the rally site. Nicol was trying to shadow Crooks from within the buildings but lost sight of him.

Footage shows Crooks walking back to his car, parked near where the other local snipers were parked. There were improvised explosive devices inside the car, but no one knew.

Bystanders saw Crooks again shortly after. They took mobile phone video of him pulling himself up to the top of the roof and slithering into position. They called the cops. These rally-goers were on alert for what the authorities either hadn't noticed or hadn't treated with the urgency that might have made a difference. You could say security in this moment was crowdsourced.

By 6:08 p.m., law enforcement had eyes on Crooks again. A Secret Service counter sniper saw law local officers running toward the building with their guns drawn, but he didn't think to alert Trump's protective detail to pull the GOP candidate from the stage.

Three minutes later, a local officer was hoisted up the squat roof by another officer, who saw Crooks with the rifle, laying down and pointing the weapon toward him. “He’s armed,” the officer radioed to his squad. “He’s got a long gun.”

That message did not make it to key Secret Service officials. The shots were fired 30 seconds later.

Trump changed — and didn't — after the attack

Days after the shooting, Trump spent more than 10 minutes of his speech to the Republican National Convention giving vivid detail of what happened to him on the “warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler Township in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The crowd was rapt. Some in it would later don ear bandages like his in a show of support. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics conceded his turn on the stage in Butler had been masterful — raising his fist as blood trickled down his face, mouthing “fight” as he was hustled away.

That episode joins the history books on pages inhabited by Teddy Roosevelt, who was shot in the chest on his way to a campaign address in Milwaukee in 1912 and insisted on giving his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&amp;club_id=991271&amp;module_id=338394">90-minute speech</a>&nbsp;before going to the hospital — an audacious display of Bull Mooseness.

In another 90-minute speech in Milwaukee more than a century later, Trump told his convention “the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life.” It was not an exaggeration, or at least not much of one.

Those who tuned in at the start of his speech saw a man trying, for once, to reach a wider audience than his MAGA millions. “The discord and division in our society must be healed,” Trump said. “We must heal it quickly.”

He proclaimed: “I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.”

That didn't last long. Most of the rest of his speech returned to standard operating procedure — the bombast, the falsehoods, the depictions of a United States rotting under Democrats.

President Joe Biden, who often cast Trump as a threat to democracy given his refusal to accept his 2020 election loss and his stoking of supporters who rampaged at the Capitol, asked Americans to turn the temperature down.

“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy,” Biden said from the Oval Office, but politics should never devolve into a “killing field.”

“While we may disagree, we are not enemies,” Biden went on.

The temperature has not cooled since. After the episode at the golf course, Trump and his allies now are trying to lay blame directly on Democratic rhetoric for making him a literal target.

In that case, officials said, the suspect did not get off any shots, never had Trump in his line of sight and fled from the scene after a Secret Service agent spotted and fired at him. He was later captured.

By those measures, it was a more successful security operation than in Butler. Yet the Secret Service, once again, has much to answer for. The man was able to lurk on the perimeter of Trump's property for nearly 12 hours, police said, evading detection as he lay in wait with a rifle, scope, video camera and food.

Investigators have done more than 1,000 interviews. They’ve fielded more than 2,000 tips. In addition to getting into Crooks' phone, they've searched his home and sent the explosive devices found in his car to a lab for testing.

Yet deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate says authorities have had to grapple with a “general absence of other information to date." That means no motive has been identified, no co-conspirators found. The Secret Service shot and killed the gunman on the scene.

Law enforcement officers are trained to look for and assess suspicious-looking people. But they don’t arrest everyone they deem suspicious; most are harmless. On the day of the rally, they were tracking other people as well.

Crooks’ behavior didn’t rise to the level of alarm at first. Secret Service officers only were told about a suspicious person the local authorities were worried about. The counter sniper who saw the officers running with guns drawn never make the connection to get Trump off the stage. In these moments, officers are listening for escalatory words like “threat” or “gun.”

Such words came later, in the final seconds, but the message didn't land. There was no one radio frequency all the multi-agency officers could hop on. Instead, local officers had to radio the joint command center, where the Secret Service would relay messages to Trump's detail.

Even that failed, Rowe told lawmakers. "None of that information ever made it over our net.”

Jason Woods, team leader for Beaver County’s Emergency Services Unit and SWAT sniper section, told ABC News his people had no contact with the agents on Trump’s security detail. “We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service members whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” Woods said. “So I think that was probably a pivotal point, where I started thinking things were wrong because it never happened. We had no communication — not until after the shooting.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-senate-report-secret-service-50af5692ca1489771144ac399d491e5e">The Senate committee report</a>&nbsp;is only preliminary and promises more details, but plainly states the massive Secret Service failures.

Congressional inquiries are bound to escalate in the hothouse of the presidential campaign and as law enforcement learns more. At the first one, Rowe, the acting Secret Service chief, implied that the local officers might bear some responsibility for the failure, too.

“Controlling high ground is something that’s a must for us whenever we go into a location,” Rowe said. “We made an assumption” that local teams were covering the AGR building.

“If they had just held their post and looked left," Rowe said, his voice trailing off. “Maybe.”

He didn't press the point much. Later, he told a news conference: “This was a Secret Service failure.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727276767876.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service was incensed at what had happened that July evening. “What I saw made me ashamed,” Ronald Rowe Jr. said. “I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.”<a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/USSS-HSGAC-Interim-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf">Click here to read </a>the full reportThe unguarded roof, easily within shooting distance of the rally stage, is just one of the myriad questions behind the worst Secret Service security failure in decades. The more that investigators unpack from that day, the more missed opportunities that could have prevented the attack are revealed.As the United States grapples with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">second attempt</a>&nbsp;on Donald Trump’s life, in Florida, there remains a reckoning to be done from the Pennsylvania shooting on July 13 that killed one man and wounded three — the ex-president among them.The Secret Service is a well-funded, historically elite force with a mission to keep presidents and other higher-ups safe — whether they're out for a bicycle ride, attending a world summit, visiting a war zone or campaigning.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720913971898.png" alt="Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" />
 <figcaption>Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)</figcaption>
 </figure>But at the farm show grounds, a young nursing home aide with a rifle he borrowed from his dad outmaneuvered authorities for more than 90 minutes before firing the shots that came millimeters from killing Trump. More than two months later, everyone still wants to know:—When rallygoers reported a man skittering on the squat rooftop of a nearby building, why didn’t anyone in law enforcement move faster?—Why did the Secret Service exclude that building from its security perimeter, leaving it to local police, and why did the local force not station someone on the roof?—Why could local law enforcement agencies not communicate in real time with Secret Service agents when they’re supposed to be working together?—Why did the Secret Service decline offers by local police to use their surveillance drone at the site? And why did Secret Service agents not deploy a system that would have told them an unauthorized drone was aloft — the gunman's — until it was too late?One overarching question may never be answered. And in these poisonous times, with the November presidential election closing in and a second attempt on Trump’s life just days in the past, it is urgent: What possessed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to try to kill the former president? The public is no closer to that answer than in the immediate aftermath.This anatomy of an attempted assassination is based on an AP review of dozens of documents, text messages and video, a congressional report and a Secret Service report on the failures, plus interviews on the record and from law enforcement officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss investigations that are still getting going.<h2>The Secret Service faces a reckoning</h2>Rowe sat there under the bright lights, his mouth pressed into a thin line. His voice was thick with anger as senators laid into him and his agents — questioning how on Earth some guy was able to get on top of a nearby roof as the rally was going on and fire off eight rounds, grazing Trump’s ear and ripping into three others, killing one of them.Rowe’s voice grew louder at the July 30 Senate hearing as he squared off with lawmakers who wanted him to fire somebody — anybody — who had been on the ground that day. It wasn’t enough for them that the agency's chief, Kim Cheatle, had resigned a week earlier. But Rowe dug in.“I will not rush to judgment," he said, snapping at a senator. “People will be held accountable, and I will do so with integrity.”He wasn’t blaming anyone in particular, though he did throw some not-so-subtle shade at the Pennsylvania police officers who were supposed to be guarding the building complex in question.But he also wasn’t trying to play down his agency's epic failure as it became slowly clearer to local officers that Crooks wasn’t just an oddball with a backpack. Local police did finger-pointing of their own, citing communications breakdowns that began when the face-to-face meeting the Secret Service said would happen with them before the event never did.Secret Service agents in the line of duty have been equipped since the 1940s with various gadgets enabling them to communicate remotely in real time. Back when everyday people had to find a phone booth, these agents could be seen wearing wired earbuds or talking up their sleeves.Yet when a man outside the perimeter of metal detectors and Secret Service scrutiny raised suspicions, then fears, then his rifle on the roof, the agency's local police backups could not get word directly to the agents closest to Trump or the federal snipers on other rooftops in time to hustle him off the stage or take down the gunman.Last week, the Secret Service released a five-page document summarizing conclusions in a report not yet completed. Among the findings: The Secret Service did not give clear guidance to local law enforcement partners at the rally. It did not correct line-of-sight problems that left Trump open to sniper fire. And some of the agents on duty that day were complacent.A bipartisan report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee made public Wednesday was more blunt if not scathing. It found “USSS failures in planning, communications, security, and allocation of resources for the July 13, 2024, Butler rally were foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt that day.”<h2>Before the shooting, everything felt typical</h2>It was designed to be a typical Trump rally — outdoors at the Butler Farm Show grounds with big red barns, wide-open fields and bleacher seating.Butler County, on the western edge of a presidential swing state, is a Trump stronghold. In a place where turnout hovers around an impressive 80%, Trump won with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. The rural area north of Pittsburgh has notoriously bad cell service, which made police communications even worse in the crisis to come. The Secret Service did not bring a system to boost device signals in such places.Three days after the rally was announced, Crooks registered to attend. He also searched online for “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, while he was riding in an open convertible. Oswald concealed himself on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The Warren Commission determined he was 265.3 feet from Kennedy when he fired the fatal shot.Crooks would fire from about double that distance. But guns have evolved since then, and the AR-style weapon Crooks borrowed from his father shoots faster and more easily than anything Oswald had on him.On July 7, Crooks made the trip from his Bethel Park home, just south of Pittsburgh, to the Butler Farm Show grounds, and was there for about 20 minutes. FBI investigators say he was casing the area. The day before the rally, he practiced shooting at a local sports club.On July 13, he returned to the grounds and stayed for about 70 minutes before going home. At 1:30 p.m., his dad gave him the rifle, thinking his son was headed back to the club to practice shooting. Twenty-five minutes later Crooks was buying 50 rounds of ammunition.He parked at a gas station lot about a third of a mile from the rally, dressed in camo shorts, a black belt and a gray T-shirt with the logo of a YouTube channel dedicated to firearms. He rode a bicycle to the grounds and carried a big backpack.Agents have cracked into his phone, searched his laptop and interviewed hundreds of people. Yet the FBI says his motive remains unknown.Crooks was described by classmates at Bethel Park High School as smart but standoffish, often seen wearing headphones and sitting alone at lunch looking at his phone. Some said he was often mocked by other students for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, and for wearing a mask even after the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided.“He sat by himself, didn’t talk to anyone, didn’t even try to make conversation,” said 17-year-old Liam Campbell, echoing the comments of classmates who remembered the shooter. “He was an odd kid,” but nothing about him seemed dangerous, he added. “Just a normal person who seemed like he didn’t like talking to people."After graduating high school in 2022, Crooks went on to the Community College of Allegheny County, earning an associate’s degree with honors in engineering science this past May. He also worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide.Crooks had been registered as a Republican voter, according to state records. But there was also a $15 donation to a progressive group recorded under “Thomas Crooks” in January 2021.<h2>Authorities received many reports beforehand</h2>There were roughly 155 law enforcement officers at the rally that day. That included a Secret Service counter-sniper team, a Butler County SWAT team and uniformed officers. Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered to hear him speak.The FBI says that after Crooks turned up at the site on that sunny Saturday afternoon, he flew a drone for about 11 minutes up and around the area and was getting the view directly on the controller he used. The Secret Service did not deploy its drone-detection system until later in the afternoon. And the advance team that scouts the venue ahead of time requested additional technology before the rally, but those requests were denied.The first reported sighting of Crooks was at 4:26 p.m., more than 1½ hours before Trump would begin speaking. A Beaver County sniper team member noticed Crooks at a picnic table, thought he was acting suspiciously, and alerted other local snipers who were posted inside the AGR building complex. “He knows you guys are up there,” the sniper texted the others. “He’s sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”At 5:38 p.m., a Beaver County sniper, stationed inside the building where Crooks would later shoot from the roof, sent photos of Crooks to the local team’s group chat. "I did see him with a rangefinder looking towards the stage. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.” He also said there was a bike with a backpack nearby that wasn’t seen earlier.Secret Service sniper teams were posted on the roof closest to where Trump was to speak, but officials say the teams were never notified.At 5:45 p.m., a local sniper recommended that the command post, where team leaders were stationed, be alerted about Crooks. There were two posts; the Secret Service agents were only in one.“They’re asking for a direction of travel,” one local sniper says.“Not sure,” Beaver County SWAT sniper Gregory Nicol responded in a message at 6 p.m., about 11 minutes before Crooks would fire. “He was up against the building. If I had to guess toward the back. Away from the event.”“I assumed that there would be somebody coming out to — you know, to speak with this individual or, you know, find out what’s going on,” Nicol later told ABC News.The AGR (American Glass Research) complex is a warren of buildings, and Crooks eventually got to the roof of the building closest to the rally site. Nicol was trying to shadow Crooks from within the buildings but lost sight of him.Footage shows Crooks walking back to his car, parked near where the other local snipers were parked. There were improvised explosive devices inside the car, but no one knew.Bystanders saw Crooks again shortly after. They took mobile phone video of him pulling himself up to the top of the roof and slithering into position. They called the cops. These rally-goers were on alert for what the authorities either hadn't noticed or hadn't treated with the urgency that might have made a difference. You could say security in this moment was crowdsourced.By 6:08 p.m., law enforcement had eyes on Crooks again. A Secret Service counter sniper saw law local officers running toward the building with their guns drawn, but he didn't think to alert Trump's protective detail to pull the GOP candidate from the stage.Three minutes later, a local officer was hoisted up the squat roof by another officer, who saw Crooks with the rifle, laying down and pointing the weapon toward him. “He’s armed,” the officer radioed to his squad. “He’s got a long gun.”That message did not make it to key Secret Service officials. The shots were fired 30 seconds later.<h2>Trump changed — and didn't — after the attack</h2>Days after the shooting, Trump spent more than 10 minutes of his speech to the Republican National Convention giving vivid detail of what happened to him on the “warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler Township in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”The crowd was rapt. Some in it would later don ear bandages like his in a show of support. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics conceded his turn on the stage in Butler had been masterful — raising his fist as blood trickled down his face, mouthing “fight” as he was hustled away.That episode joins the history books on pages inhabited by Teddy Roosevelt, who was shot in the chest on his way to a campaign address in Milwaukee in 1912 and insisted on giving his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&amp;club_id=991271&amp;module_id=338394">90-minute speech</a>&nbsp;before going to the hospital — an audacious display of Bull Mooseness.In another 90-minute speech in Milwaukee more than a century later, Trump told his convention “the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life.” It was not an exaggeration, or at least not much of one.Those who tuned in at the start of his speech saw a man trying, for once, to reach a wider audience than his MAGA millions. “The discord and division in our society must be healed,” Trump said. “We must heal it quickly.”He proclaimed: “I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.”That didn't last long. Most of the rest of his speech returned to standard operating procedure — the bombast, the falsehoods, the depictions of a United States rotting under Democrats.President Joe Biden, who often cast Trump as a threat to democracy given his refusal to accept his 2020 election loss and his stoking of supporters who rampaged at the Capitol, asked Americans to turn the temperature down.“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy,” Biden said from the Oval Office, but politics should never devolve into a “killing field.”“While we may disagree, we are not enemies,” Biden went on.The temperature has not cooled since. After the episode at the golf course, Trump and his allies now are trying to lay blame directly on Democratic rhetoric for making him a literal target.In that case, officials said, the suspect did not get off any shots, never had Trump in his line of sight and fled from the scene after a Secret Service agent spotted and fired at him. He was later captured.By those measures, it was a more successful security operation than in Butler. Yet the Secret Service, once again, has much to answer for. The man was able to lurk on the perimeter of Trump's property for nearly 12 hours, police said, evading detection as he lay in wait with a rifle, scope, video camera and food.<h2>The investigation goes on</h2>Investigators have done more than 1,000 interviews. They’ve fielded more than 2,000 tips. In addition to getting into Crooks' phone, they've searched his home and sent the explosive devices found in his car to a lab for testing.Yet deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate says authorities have had to grapple with a “general absence of other information to date." That means no motive has been identified, no co-conspirators found. The Secret Service shot and killed the gunman on the scene.Law enforcement officers are trained to look for and assess suspicious-looking people. But they don’t arrest everyone they deem suspicious; most are harmless. On the day of the rally, they were tracking other people as well.Crooks’ behavior didn’t rise to the level of alarm at first. Secret Service officers only were told about a suspicious person the local authorities were worried about. The counter sniper who saw the officers running with guns drawn never make the connection to get Trump off the stage. In these moments, officers are listening for escalatory words like “threat” or “gun.”Such words came later, in the final seconds, but the message didn't land. There was no one radio frequency all the multi-agency officers could hop on. Instead, local officers had to radio the joint command center, where the Secret Service would relay messages to Trump's detail.Even that failed, Rowe told lawmakers. "None of that information ever made it over our net.”Jason Woods, team leader for Beaver County’s Emergency Services Unit and SWAT sniper section, told ABC News his people had no contact with the agents on Trump’s security detail. “We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service members whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” Woods said. “So I think that was probably a pivotal point, where I started thinking things were wrong because it never happened. We had no communication — not until after the shooting.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-senate-report-secret-service-50af5692ca1489771144ac399d491e5e">The Senate committee report</a>&nbsp;is only preliminary and promises more details, but plainly states the massive Secret Service failures.Congressional inquiries are bound to escalate in the hothouse of the presidential campaign and as law enforcement learns more. At the first one, Rowe, the acting Secret Service chief, implied that the local officers might bear some responsibility for the failure, too.“Controlling high ground is something that’s a must for us whenever we go into a location,” Rowe said. “We made an assumption” that local teams were covering the AGR building.“If they had just held their post and looked left," Rowe said, his voice trailing off. “Maybe.”He didn't press the point much. Later, he told a news conference: “This was a Secret Service failure.”

Read new report on failures that led to assassination attempt on Trump

WILSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating&nbsp;after human skeletal remains were located in rural Wilson County, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Neodesha Police Department requested KBI assistance after they located skeletal remains in a pasture east of 6554 Ottawa Road in Neodesha. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the area. Investigators confirmed the remains were human.

An autopsy is scheduled. Positive identification may take longer than typical cases due to the condition of the remains.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar." target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.</a>

WILSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating&nbsp;after human skeletal remains were located in rural Wilson County, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Neodesha Police Department requested KBI assistance after they located skeletal remains in a pasture east of 6554 Ottawa Road in Neodesha. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the area. Investigators confirmed the remains were human.An autopsy is scheduled. Positive identification may take longer than typical cases due to the condition of the remains.Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar." target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.</a>

Police: Skeletal remains found in rural Kansas pasture

TOPEKA —Kansas deployed a Type 1 swift water search and rescue team, Kansas Task Force 1, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist the state of Florida and local jurisdictions responding to Hurricane Helene, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

Teams departed the evening of Sept. 24 from Olathe and Wichita. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management received the request from Florida and the task force was sent as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a multistate, mutual aid agreement that facilitates interstate assistance in response and recovery operations during a disaster.

One Type I swift water/flood rescue teams with hard-bottom, and inflatable boats with personnel will be sent from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Derby Fire Department, Junction City Fire Department, Manhattan Fire Department, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, Olathe Fire Department, Sedgwick County Fire District 1, and the Wichita Fire Department.&nbsp;

The teams will conduct search and rescue operations. Their objectives will be: To Search for and rescue individuals, provide basic life support (BLS) medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provide shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.&nbsp;

In accordance with the EMAC agreement, Kansas will be reimbursed for cost associated with the deployment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727296020172.png" alt="Image National Weather Service Miami" />
 <figcaption>Image National Weather Service Miami</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Kansas deployed a Type 1 swift water search and rescue team, Kansas Task Force 1, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist the state of Florida and local jurisdictions responding to Hurricane Helene, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.Teams departed the evening of Sept. 24 from Olathe and Wichita. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management received the request from Florida and the task force was sent as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a multistate, mutual aid agreement that facilitates interstate assistance in response and recovery operations during a disaster.One Type I swift water/flood rescue teams with hard-bottom, and inflatable boats with personnel will be sent from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Derby Fire Department, Junction City Fire Department, Manhattan Fire Department, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, Olathe Fire Department, Sedgwick County Fire District 1, and the Wichita Fire Department.&nbsp;The teams will conduct search and rescue operations. Their objectives will be: To Search for and rescue individuals, provide basic life support (BLS) medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provide shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.&nbsp;In accordance with the EMAC agreement, Kansas will be reimbursed for cost associated with the deployment.

Kansas sends swift-water rescue teams to Florida ahead of hurricane

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a temporary measure that would keep federal agencies funded when the new fiscal year begins next Tuesday while punting final spending decisions for the next budget year until after the Nov. 5 election.

The stopgap measure, approved Wednesday by a 341-82 vote. Kansas First District Representative Tracey Mann and Fourth District Representative Ron Estes voted against the bill.&nbsp; Kansas 2nd District Representative Jake LaTurner and Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted to approve the bill.

The measure generally funds agencies at current levels through Dec. 20. But an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">two assassination attempts</a>&nbsp;against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things.

The bill will next move to the Senate for final approval. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that he had reached agreement ensuring passage will happen quickly.

“This is how things should be done,” Schumer said. “Without brinkmanship, without delay.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing “only what's absolutely necessary," a statement directed at members of his own conference concerned about spending levels.

Still, it's a no-go for some Republicans, which forced House GOP leadership to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill through a process that requires at least two-thirds support from voting members. Johnson said the only alternative to the continuing resolution at this stage would have been a government shutdown.

“It would be political malpractice to shut the government down," Johnson said. "I think everyone understands that.”

The House floor was largely empty during debate on the measure. Lawmakers in both chambers are anxious to return to their home states and districts to campaign, smoothing the path for passage of a temporary funding fix. But more arduous fiscal negotiations await them at the end of the year.

Under terms of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-deal-biden-mccarthy-default-01657c829be119850cd65ab9ffb0626a">previous deal</a>&nbsp;to avoid a federal default and allow the government to continue paying its bills, spending for defense and nondefense programs would rise 1% next year.

The Senate has been charting a course to go above that level, while House Republicans have been voting for steep cuts to many nondefense programs, and they have attached policy mandates to the spending bills that Democrats overwhelmingly oppose. So a final agreement will be difficult to reach.

In the meantime, the temporary bill will mostly fund the government at current levels, with a few exceptions like the funding infusion for the Secret Service.

The $231 million for the Secret Service does come with strings attached. It's contingent upon the agency complying with congressional oversight. The bill also allows the Secret Service to spend its allocations faster if needed.

“Everybody understands that's critically important right now,” Johnson said of the Secret Service money.

Trump thanked lawmakers for the extra Secret Service funding at a campaign event Wednesday. He had earlier called on Republicans not to move forward on a spending bill without also including a requirement that people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-funding-speaker-johnson-b77fc73b1474cbee5213219358985f71">provide proof of citizenship</a>&nbsp;when registering to vote. That legislation failed in the House last week.

In a recent letter, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump’s security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr., also made clear the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.

The continuing resolution is needed because Congress is nowhere close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed zero.

Republicans blame the current impasse on Senate Democrats for not putting the dozen appropriations bills on the Senate floor for a vote, where they then could be reconciled with the House bills during negotiations. But Democrats counter that House Republicans are acting in bad faith, bogging the process down by undercutting an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with the White House over spending caps for the 2024 and 2025 budget years.

Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rosa-delauro">Rosa DeLauro</a>, the top Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, said her party will accept nothing less than the 1% increase specified in that agreement. Also, if Republicans seek more than that for defense, there must be “dollar for dollar parity for nondefense," she said.

“We know where we have to end up. And it is my hope that this bill will provide the bipartisan momentum needed to get there,” DeLauro said.

The White House called on both chambers to pass the stopgap bill, while cautioning that it did not provide adequate funding to help communities recover from natural disasters and failed to include enough funding for health care provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Still, the administration called for swift passage to “avoid a costly, unnecessary Government shutdown" and to ensure adequate time for passing the full-year spending package.

Johnson warned that when the new extension expires in December, he will not support a massive, catchall bill to fund the government, referred to as an omnibus, so another stopgap may be needed that would allow the new president and Congress to have the final say on fiscal year 2025 spending levels.

“I have no intention of going back to that terrible tradition,” Johnson said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a temporary measure that would keep federal agencies funded when the new fiscal year begins next Tuesday while punting final spending decisions for the next budget year until after the Nov. 5 election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>: &quot;So, here we are. We loathe CRs as much as anyone but this is the situation that Senate Democrat leadership put us in. It would be political malpractice to shut the government down.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/p01wieLl51">pic.twitter.com/p01wieLl51</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838587641022857249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The stopgap measure, approved Wednesday by a 341-82 vote. Kansas First District Representative Tracey Mann and Fourth District Representative Ron Estes voted against the bill.&nbsp; Kansas 2nd District Representative Jake LaTurner and Democrat Representative Sharice Davids voted to approve the bill.The measure generally funds agencies at current levels through Dec. 20. But an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-gunshots-florida-f62f8378d3a8ce7b2e99d6a8fb40aba9">two assassination attempts</a>&nbsp;against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things.The bill will next move to the Senate for final approval. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that he had reached agreement ensuring passage will happen quickly.“This is how things should be done,” Schumer said. “Without brinkmanship, without delay.”House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing “only what's absolutely necessary," a statement directed at members of his own conference concerned about spending levels.Still, it's a no-go for some Republicans, which forced House GOP leadership to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill through a process that requires at least two-thirds support from voting members. Johnson said the only alternative to the continuing resolution at this stage would have been a government shutdown.“It would be political malpractice to shut the government down," Johnson said. "I think everyone understands that.”The House floor was largely empty during debate on the measure. Lawmakers in both chambers are anxious to return to their home states and districts to campaign, smoothing the path for passage of a temporary funding fix. But more arduous fiscal negotiations await them at the end of the year.Under terms of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-deal-biden-mccarthy-default-01657c829be119850cd65ab9ffb0626a">previous deal</a>&nbsp;to avoid a federal default and allow the government to continue paying its bills, spending for defense and nondefense programs would rise 1% next year.The Senate has been charting a course to go above that level, while House Republicans have been voting for steep cuts to many nondefense programs, and they have attached policy mandates to the spending bills that Democrats overwhelmingly oppose. So a final agreement will be difficult to reach.In the meantime, the temporary bill will mostly fund the government at current levels, with a few exceptions like the funding infusion for the Secret Service.The $231 million for the Secret Service does come with strings attached. It's contingent upon the agency complying with congressional oversight. The bill also allows the Secret Service to spend its allocations faster if needed.“Everybody understands that's critically important right now,” Johnson said of the Secret Service money.Trump thanked lawmakers for the extra Secret Service funding at a campaign event Wednesday. He had earlier called on Republicans not to move forward on a spending bill without also including a requirement that people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-funding-speaker-johnson-b77fc73b1474cbee5213219358985f71">provide proof of citizenship</a>&nbsp;when registering to vote. That legislation failed in the House last week.In a recent letter, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump’s security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr., also made clear the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.The continuing resolution is needed because Congress is nowhere close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed zero.Republicans blame the current impasse on Senate Democrats for not putting the dozen appropriations bills on the Senate floor for a vote, where they then could be reconciled with the House bills during negotiations. But Democrats counter that House Republicans are acting in bad faith, bogging the process down by undercutting an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with the White House over spending caps for the 2024 and 2025 budget years.Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rosa-delauro">Rosa DeLauro</a>, the top Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, said her party will accept nothing less than the 1% increase specified in that agreement. Also, if Republicans seek more than that for defense, there must be “dollar for dollar parity for nondefense," she said.“We know where we have to end up. And it is my hope that this bill will provide the bipartisan momentum needed to get there,” DeLauro said.The White House called on both chambers to pass the stopgap bill, while cautioning that it did not provide adequate funding to help communities recover from natural disasters and failed to include enough funding for health care provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs.Still, the administration called for swift passage to “avoid a costly, unnecessary Government shutdown" and to ensure adequate time for passing the full-year spending package.Johnson warned that when the new extension expires in December, he will not support a massive, catchall bill to fund the government, referred to as an omnibus, so another stopgap may be needed that would allow the new president and Congress to have the final say on fiscal year 2025 spending levels.“I have no intention of going back to that terrible tradition,” Johnson said.

2 Kan. lawmakers vote yes, 2 no: House passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday resentenced Julie Chrisley to seven years in prison for her conviction on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">bank fraud and tax evasion charges</a>, declining the reality TV star's request for less time in prison than was originally imposed.

Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, gained fame on their show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle. A jury in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">found them guilty</a>&nbsp;of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings.

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-appeal-983ca240f0a631e075ef5dd911ebfe26">upheld the Chrisleys' convictions</a>&nbsp;but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.

Julie Chrisley's attorney, Alex Little, asked the judge to reduce his client's sentence to no more than five years. He argued that she was a minor player in the crimes, that her “scattered offenses” were “dramatic mistakes.” He also noted that she has behaved well and taken advantage of enrichment opportunities during her 20 months in prison so far, receiving more than 70 certificates.

In a court filing, Little had argued that Chrisley's two youngest children are struggling with “day-to-day functioning” because of their mother's absence.

Federal prosecutor Annalise Peters urged the judge to reimpose the seven-year sentence. She argued that prosecutors had been conservative in charging the Chrisleys, that Julie Chrisley was a “core part” of a fraudulent scheme and that she had not apologized, shown remorse or admitted wrongdoing.

Chrisley’s good behavior in prison does not cancel out an “11-year journey of fraud after fraud after fraud,” Peters said.

Peters said she felt sympathy for Chrisley's family but that their suffering was “a natural consequence of this defendant's criminal choices.”

Chrisley, dressed in a navy blue prison uniform and with her formerly blond hair now dark brown, addressed the judge.

“I apologize for my actions and what led me to where I am today,” she said, later adding that her time in prison has been “the most difficult time in my life” and has been hard on her family.

“I cannot ever repay my children for what they have had to go through, and for that I am sorry,” she said.

Before the Chrisleys became reality television stars, they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans, prosecutors said during their trial. They accused the couple of spending lavishly on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel, and using new fraudulent loans to pay off old ones. Todd Chrisley then filed for bankruptcy, according to prosecutors, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross said that when she originally sentenced Chrisley she took into account her age, health and the fact that she was a caretaker for young children and elderly parents. Ross said she imposed a sentence that fell below the guidelines for Chrisley’s crimes and situation and below what prosecutors had requested. That departure from the guidelines was not based on the loss amount or the number of years that Chrisley was involved, so her sentence will not change, Ross said.

The judge noted that many people she has sent to prison have children and most don't have the resources or the support system the Chrisleys have.

“It saddens me every time I see children going through that,” Ross said, later adding that she reminds herself, “I am not the one who made the choices to put the children in that situation.”

Two of Chrisley's adult children, Savannah and Chase, attended the hearing. Savannah Chrisley, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/celebrity-television-u-s-republican-party-national-national-20af762b9afd4412add4f8d8228c79b7">spoke in support of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy</a>&nbsp;at the Republican National Convention in July, told reporters outside the courthouse that the prosecution and sentencing of her parents was politically motivated.

“That's what you get with an Obama-appointed judge,” she said as her mother was led out of the courtroom by U.S. marshals. Ross was appointed to the bench by then-President Barack Obama and took the bench in November 2014.

She said her mother will appeal the new sentence.

Todd Chrisley is serving a sentence of 12 years behind bars. The couple was originally ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution, but Ross said Wednesday that the amount now stands at $4.7 million.

Todd Chrisley, 56, is at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, with a release date in September 2032, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. Julie Chrisley, 51, had been held at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, and is expected to return there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669079805529.png" alt=" Julie Chrisley, right, and her husband Todd Chrisley pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption> Julie Chrisley, right, and her husband Todd Chrisley pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday resentenced Julie Chrisley to seven years in prison for her conviction on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">bank fraud and tax evasion charges</a>, declining the reality TV star's request for less time in prison than was originally imposed.Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, gained fame on their show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their tight-knit family and extravagant lifestyle. A jury in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">found them guilty</a>&nbsp;of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. The Chrisleys were also found guilty of tax evasion by hiding their earnings.A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-appeal-983ca240f0a631e075ef5dd911ebfe26">upheld the Chrisleys' convictions</a>&nbsp;but found a legal error in how the trial judge had calculated Julie Chrisley’s sentence by holding her accountable for the entire bank fraud scheme. The appellate panel sent her case back to the lower court for resentencing.Julie Chrisley's attorney, Alex Little, asked the judge to reduce his client's sentence to no more than five years. He argued that she was a minor player in the crimes, that her “scattered offenses” were “dramatic mistakes.” He also noted that she has behaved well and taken advantage of enrichment opportunities during her 20 months in prison so far, receiving more than 70 certificates.In a court filing, Little had argued that Chrisley's two youngest children are struggling with “day-to-day functioning” because of their mother's absence.Federal prosecutor Annalise Peters urged the judge to reimpose the seven-year sentence. She argued that prosecutors had been conservative in charging the Chrisleys, that Julie Chrisley was a “core part” of a fraudulent scheme and that she had not apologized, shown remorse or admitted wrongdoing.Chrisley’s good behavior in prison does not cancel out an “11-year journey of fraud after fraud after fraud,” Peters said.Peters said she felt sympathy for Chrisley's family but that their suffering was “a natural consequence of this defendant's criminal choices.”Chrisley, dressed in a navy blue prison uniform and with her formerly blond hair now dark brown, addressed the judge.“I apologize for my actions and what led me to where I am today,” she said, later adding that her time in prison has been “the most difficult time in my life” and has been hard on her family.“I cannot ever repay my children for what they have had to go through, and for that I am sorry,” she said.Before the Chrisleys became reality television stars, they and a former business partner submitted false documents to banks in the Atlanta area to obtain fraudulent loans, prosecutors said during their trial. They accused the couple of spending lavishly on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate and travel, and using new fraudulent loans to pay off old ones. Todd Chrisley then filed for bankruptcy, according to prosecutors, walking away from more than $20 million in unpaid loans.U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross said that when she originally sentenced Chrisley she took into account her age, health and the fact that she was a caretaker for young children and elderly parents. Ross said she imposed a sentence that fell below the guidelines for Chrisley’s crimes and situation and below what prosecutors had requested. That departure from the guidelines was not based on the loss amount or the number of years that Chrisley was involved, so her sentence will not change, Ross said.The judge noted that many people she has sent to prison have children and most don't have the resources or the support system the Chrisleys have.“It saddens me every time I see children going through that,” Ross said, later adding that she reminds herself, “I am not the one who made the choices to put the children in that situation.”Two of Chrisley's adult children, Savannah and Chase, attended the hearing. Savannah Chrisley, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/celebrity-television-u-s-republican-party-national-national-20af762b9afd4412add4f8d8228c79b7">spoke in support of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy</a>&nbsp;at the Republican National Convention in July, told reporters outside the courthouse that the prosecution and sentencing of her parents was politically motivated.“That's what you get with an Obama-appointed judge,” she said as her mother was led out of the courtroom by U.S. marshals. Ross was appointed to the bench by then-President Barack Obama and took the bench in November 2014.She said her mother will appeal the new sentence.Todd Chrisley is serving a sentence of 12 years behind bars. The couple was originally ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution, but Ross said Wednesday that the amount now stands at $4.7 million.Todd Chrisley, 56, is at a minimum security federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, with a release date in September 2032, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. Julie Chrisley, 51, had been held at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, and is expected to return there.

Reality TV star resentenced in bank fraud and tax evasion case

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/"></a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Women candidates from Kansas and Missouri gathered September 19, at a Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus event in support of female power and personality in politics.

Gov. Laura Kelly, the keynote speaker, highlighted how she kept her femininity while running for office. She spoke of the advice she got on her campaign — how men told her that women should appear tough and strong while running for office.

“I’m sure of this one piece of advice: Don’t try to be something you’re not,” Kelly said. “In order to convince others you can do a certain job, you’ve got to show them that who you really are is exactly how you will do the job.”

Kelly said women possess traits that make them valuable in office — traits like being good listeners, collaborative, creative problem solvers and able to juggle multiple tasks all at once.

“You see, I believe the traits we as women come by naturally are exactly the traits that make for effective executive leaders,” Kelly said.

Kelly is one of 12 women governors, eight of whom are Democrats. Kelly said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the women governors were in “constant touch.” She said the group of women Democratic governors are close — seeking advice from each other, celebrating each other’s wins and supporting each other in difficult times. This was showcased at the Democratic National Convention, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@demgovs/video/7405758961019850026?lang=en" target="_blank">a video of the eight women</a>&nbsp;went viral on TikTok.

“While we’re really proud that there are 12 female governors, the last time I checked, there are 50 states,” Kelly said. “So do the math. We’ve got some work to do. I believe we will prevail. I am so energized by the next generations of women coming after mine.”

Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin, a Democrat from Leawood, said that women have to prove more to themselves before they run for office. When Poskin was asked to run — after she’d worked in higher education for 20 years, raised seven children, and held a membership in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mensa.org/" target="_blank">Mensa</a>&nbsp;— she responded that she should get her law degree before running. After a few more asks, she was convinced to run.

“People laughed at me, like, ‘You have everything you need! You are so ready,’ ” Poskin said. “And as it turns out, you don’t, of course, have to be a lawyer.”

A<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/09/27/views-of-obstacles-for-women-seeking-high-political-office/" target="_blank">&nbsp;2023 Pew Research study</a>&nbsp;found that the main reason women don’t run for office is because they have to do more to prove themselves than men. Rep. Melissa Oropeza, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, doesn’t believe a female candidate should have to prove herself on the basis of gender.

“Is it on us to educate people in 2024? I think they have to do some soul searching on their own, and evaluation of their own beliefs,” Oropeza said.

Every candidate at the event is an abortion rights advocate. Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, a two-term Democrat from Lenexa, said she originally ran to end gun violence.

“But a lot of women candidates get told not to talk about guns and abortion,” Hoye said. “We know that those are two priority issues on voters’ minds. So keep talking, and keep winning.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727286424687.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly speaks Sept. 19, 2024, at the at a Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus event. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly speaks Sept. 19, 2024, at the at a Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus event. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/"></a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Women candidates from Kansas and Missouri gathered September 19, at a Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus event in support of female power and personality in politics.Gov. Laura Kelly, the keynote speaker, highlighted how she kept her femininity while running for office. She spoke of the advice she got on her campaign — how men told her that women should appear tough and strong while running for office.“I’m sure of this one piece of advice: Don’t try to be something you’re not,” Kelly said. “In order to convince others you can do a certain job, you’ve got to show them that who you really are is exactly how you will do the job.”Kelly said women possess traits that make them valuable in office — traits like being good listeners, collaborative, creative problem solvers and able to juggle multiple tasks all at once.“You see, I believe the traits we as women come by naturally are exactly the traits that make for effective executive leaders,” Kelly said.Kelly is one of 12 women governors, eight of whom are Democrats. Kelly said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the women governors were in “constant touch.” She said the group of women Democratic governors are close — seeking advice from each other, celebrating each other’s wins and supporting each other in difficult times. This was showcased at the Democratic National Convention, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@demgovs/video/7405758961019850026?lang=en" target="_blank">a video of the eight women</a>&nbsp;went viral on TikTok.“While we’re really proud that there are 12 female governors, the last time I checked, there are 50 states,” Kelly said. “So do the math. We’ve got some work to do. I believe we will prevail. I am so energized by the next generations of women coming after mine.”Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin, a Democrat from Leawood, said that women have to prove more to themselves before they run for office. When Poskin was asked to run — after she’d worked in higher education for 20 years, raised seven children, and held a membership in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mensa.org/" target="_blank">Mensa</a>&nbsp;— she responded that she should get her law degree before running. After a few more asks, she was convinced to run.“People laughed at me, like, ‘You have everything you need! You are so ready,’ ” Poskin said. “And as it turns out, you don’t, of course, have to be a lawyer.”A<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/09/27/views-of-obstacles-for-women-seeking-high-political-office/" target="_blank">&nbsp;2023 Pew Research study</a>&nbsp;found that the main reason women don’t run for office is because they have to do more to prove themselves than men. Rep. Melissa Oropeza, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, doesn’t believe a female candidate should have to prove herself on the basis of gender.“Is it on us to educate people in 2024? I think they have to do some soul searching on their own, and evaluation of their own beliefs,” Oropeza said.Every candidate at the event is an abortion rights advocate. Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, a two-term Democrat from Lenexa, said she originally ran to end gun violence.“But a lot of women candidates get told not to talk about guns and abortion,” Hoye said. “We know that those are two priority issues on voters’ minds. So keep talking, and keep winning.”

Women candidates champion authenticity at Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus event

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who authorities say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-florida-fbi-justice-department-1295144a65f46059ce39b4ccd7288fbc">wrote of his desire to kill him</a>&nbsp;was indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Ryan Wesley Routh</a>&nbsp;had been initially charged with two federal firearms offenses. The upgraded charges contained in a five-count indictment reflect the Justice Department's assessment that he methodically plotted to kill the Republican nominee, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery surrounding Trump's West Palm Beach golf course on an afternoon Trump was playing on it. Routh left behind a note in which he described his intention, prosecutors said.

Court records show the case has been assigned to Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed federal judge who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-delay-trial-election-83be6fb5362e7bb2b7aaf6371a9acabf">generated intense scrutiny</a>&nbsp;for her handling of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">criminal case charging Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">She dismissed that case in July</a>, a decision now being appealed by special counsel Jack Smith's team.

The attempted assassination indictment had been foreshadowed during a court hearing Monday in which prosecutors successfully argued for the 58-year-old Routh to remain behind bars as a flight risk and a threat to public safety.

They alleged that he had written of his plans to kill Trump in a handwritten note months before his Sept. 15 arrest in which he referred to his actions as a failed “assassination attempt on Donald Trump” and offered $150,000 for anyone who could “finish the job.” That note was in a box that Routh had apparently dropped off at the home of an unidentified witness months before his arrest.

After the attempted assassination, the person opened the box, took a photograph of the front page of the letter — addressed “Dear World” — and contacted law enforcement.

Prosecutors also said Routh kept in his car a handwritten list of venues at which Trump had appeared or was expected to be present in August, September and October.

The charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence in the event of a conviction. Other charges in the indictment include assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and the two original firearms charges he faced last week.

The potential shooting was thwarted when a member of Trump’s Secret Service protective detail spotted a partially obscured man's face and a rifle barrel protruding through the golf course fence line, ahead of where Trump was playing. The agent fired in the direction of Routh, who sped away and was stopped by law enforcement in a neighboring county.

Routh did not fire any rounds and did not have Trump in his line of sight, officials have said. He left behind a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a plastic bag containing food.

The arrest came two months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-secret-service-assassination-attempt-campaign-7dca5e30730287f46cceaa35437f0d47">The Secret Service has acknowledged failings</a>&nbsp;leading up to that shooting but has said that security worked as it should have to thwart a potential attack in Florida.

The initial charges Routh faced in a criminal complaint accused him of illegally possessing his gun in spite of multiple felony convictions and with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. It is common for prosecutors to bring preliminary and easily provable charges upon an arrest and then add more serious offenses later as the investigation develops.

The FBI had said at the outset that it was investigating the episode as an apparent assassination attempt, but the absence of an immediate charge to that effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-florida-ryan-routh-desantis-f0852cfc0dcb3d66d3d051838e63276c">opened the door for Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;to announce his own state-level investigation that he said could produce more serious charges.

Trump, seeking to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the investigation and the Justice Department more broadly, complained Monday — before the attempted assassination charge was brought — that federal prosecutors were “mishandling and downplaying” the case by bringing charges that were a “slap on the wrist.”

Asked Tuesday at an unrelated press conference about Trump’s criticism, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department “would spare no resources to ensure accountability” in the case.

“All of our top priority should be ensuring that accountability occurs in this case and that those who run for office and their families are safe and protected,” Garland said.

The Justice Department also said Monday that authorities who searched Routh's car found six cellphones, including one that showed a Google search of how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico.

A notebook found in his car was filled with criticism of the Russian and Chinese governments and notes about how to join the war on behalf of Ukraine.

In addition, prosecutors have cited a book authored by Routh last year in which he lambasted Trump’s approach to foreign policy, including in Ukraine. In the book, he wrote that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” for having left the nuclear deal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Routh during his arrest -photo Martin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who authorities say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-florida-fbi-justice-department-1295144a65f46059ce39b4ccd7288fbc">wrote of his desire to kill him</a>&nbsp;was indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2">Ryan Wesley Routh</a>&nbsp;had been initially charged with two federal firearms offenses. The upgraded charges contained in a five-count indictment reflect the Justice Department's assessment that he methodically plotted to kill the Republican nominee, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery surrounding Trump's West Palm Beach golf course on an afternoon Trump was playing on it. Routh left behind a note in which he described his intention, prosecutors said.Court records show the case has been assigned to Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed federal judge who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-delay-trial-election-83be6fb5362e7bb2b7aaf6371a9acabf">generated intense scrutiny</a>&nbsp;for her handling of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">criminal case charging Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">She dismissed that case in July</a>, a decision now being appealed by special counsel Jack Smith's team.The attempted assassination indictment had been foreshadowed during a court hearing Monday in which prosecutors successfully argued for the 58-year-old Routh to remain behind bars as a flight risk and a threat to public safety.They alleged that he had written of his plans to kill Trump in a handwritten note months before his Sept. 15 arrest in which he referred to his actions as a failed “assassination attempt on Donald Trump” and offered $150,000 for anyone who could “finish the job.” That note was in a box that Routh had apparently dropped off at the home of an unidentified witness months before his arrest.After the attempted assassination, the person opened the box, took a photograph of the front page of the letter — addressed “Dear World” — and contacted law enforcement.Prosecutors also said Routh kept in his car a handwritten list of venues at which Trump had appeared or was expected to be present in August, September and October.The charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence in the event of a conviction. Other charges in the indictment include assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and the two original firearms charges he faced last week.The potential shooting was thwarted when a member of Trump’s Secret Service protective detail spotted a partially obscured man's face and a rifle barrel protruding through the golf course fence line, ahead of where Trump was playing. The agent fired in the direction of Routh, who sped away and was stopped by law enforcement in a neighboring county.Routh did not fire any rounds and did not have Trump in his line of sight, officials have said. He left behind a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a plastic bag containing food.The arrest came two months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-secret-service-assassination-attempt-campaign-7dca5e30730287f46cceaa35437f0d47">The Secret Service has acknowledged failings</a>&nbsp;leading up to that shooting but has said that security worked as it should have to thwart a potential attack in Florida.The initial charges Routh faced in a criminal complaint accused him of illegally possessing his gun in spite of multiple felony convictions and with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. It is common for prosecutors to bring preliminary and easily provable charges upon an arrest and then add more serious offenses later as the investigation develops.The FBI had said at the outset that it was investigating the episode as an apparent assassination attempt, but the absence of an immediate charge to that effect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-florida-ryan-routh-desantis-f0852cfc0dcb3d66d3d051838e63276c">opened the door for Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;to announce his own state-level investigation that he said could produce more serious charges.Trump, seeking to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the investigation and the Justice Department more broadly, complained Monday — before the attempted assassination charge was brought — that federal prosecutors were “mishandling and downplaying” the case by bringing charges that were a “slap on the wrist.”Asked Tuesday at an unrelated press conference about Trump’s criticism, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department “would spare no resources to ensure accountability” in the case.“All of our top priority should be ensuring that accountability occurs in this case and that those who run for office and their families are safe and protected,” Garland said.The Justice Department also said Monday that authorities who searched Routh's car found six cellphones, including one that showed a Google search of how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico.A notebook found in his car was filled with criticism of the Russian and Chinese governments and notes about how to join the war on behalf of Ukraine.In addition, prosecutors have cited a book authored by Routh last year in which he lambasted Trump’s approach to foreign policy, including in Ukraine. In the book, he wrote that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” for having left the nuclear deal.

New charges against man who staked out Trump at Florida golf course 

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating another scam in Riley County.

Just before 1p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report of fraud in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.&nbsp;

A 38-year-old man reported he withdrew $4,000 from his bank and deposited it into a CoinStar machine in a scam that involved an unknown subject posing as a lieutenant from Riley County Police Department. &nbsp;

Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating another scam in Riley County.Just before 1p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report of fraud in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.&nbsp;A 38-year-old man reported he withdrew $4,000 from his bank and deposited it into a CoinStar machine in a scam that involved an unknown subject posing as a lieutenant from Riley County Police Department. &nbsp;Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police: Kan. man lost $4,000 in CoinStar, pretend officer scam

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Dodge Charger driven by Jamie Sha'Quoia&nbsp;Gleason, 38, Kansas City, Missouri, was attempting to merge onto northbound Interstate 35 from northbound Interstate 635. 

The car left the roadway and rolled down the hill across the northbound lanes of Interstate 35. The driver was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported Gleason to KU Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

JOHNSON COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.

The patrol reported a vehicle&nbsp;was attempting to merge onto Northbound Interstate 35 from Northbound Interstate 635. The vehicle left the roadway and rolled down the hill across the Northbound lanes of Interstate 35. The driver was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The name of the victim and additional details have not been released.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Dodge Charger driven by Jamie Sha'Quoia&nbsp;Gleason, 38, Kansas City, Missouri, was attempting to merge onto northbound Interstate 35 from northbound Interstate 635. The car left the roadway and rolled down the hill across the northbound lanes of Interstate 35. The driver was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported Gleason to KU Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.-------------JOHNSON COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.The patrol reported a vehicle&nbsp;was attempting to merge onto Northbound Interstate 35 from Northbound Interstate 635. The vehicle left the roadway and rolled down the hill across the Northbound lanes of Interstate 35. The driver was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;The name of the victim and additional details have not been released.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.