SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas will be sentenced next month for her role in a deadly shooting outside of a Wichita strip club.

Last week, a jury found 33-year-old Autumn Metcalf guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Joe Wheeler III, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney' office.

In August of 2020, police responded to a shooting at Baby Dolls in the 4900 Block of North Arkansas in&nbsp; Wichita and found Wheeler dead in his vehicle,&nbsp;according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens.

Investigators learned there was a disturbance in the club that spilled out into the parking lot.  Wheeler was shot while inside his car which was parked in the back business parking area, according to Stephens.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664314804304.png" alt="Metcalf-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Metcalf-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas will be sentenced next month for her role in a deadly shooting outside of a Wichita strip club.Last week, a jury found 33-year-old Autumn Metcalf guilty of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Joe Wheeler III, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney' office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725719889284.png" alt="-Police on the scene of the Aug. 2020 shooting investigation outside a Wichita night club-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Police on the scene of the Aug. 2020 shooting investigation outside a Wichita night club-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>In August of 2020, police responded to a shooting at Baby Dolls in the 4900 Block of North Arkansas in&nbsp; Wichita and found Wheeler dead in his vehicle,&nbsp;according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens.Investigators learned there was a disturbance in the club that spilled out into the parking lot. Wheeler was shot while inside his car which was parked in the back business parking area, according to Stephens.&nbsp;

Jury: Kansas woman guilty in killing outside gentlemen’s club 

Kansas Chamber hosts candidate forum as general election heats up

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Second congressional district candidate Derek Schmidt said this could be a moment in American history when Congress could effectively push back against explosive growth in federal regulation.

Schmidt, a former Kansas attorney general who won the Republican nomination for the open seat, said serious people didn’t argue for elimination of federal agencies or for an end to government regulation. However, he said recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions throttling power of the federal bureaucracy presented an opportunity for Congress to take action to contain power of unelected officials in Washington, D.C.

“Here’s the bottom line: There is a moment to deal with this over-regulation problem that I think is enormous. I hear it everywhere I go in the 2nd District. Took us generations to get it. It’s not going to be headline-grabbing. It’s going to be down in the weeds, roll up your sleeves, do the dirty work of oversight,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt took part in a Kansas Chamber candidate forum Wednesday along with five other major party candidates for Congress. All four GOP nominees and two of four Democratic Party nominees participated in the question-and-answer program. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the 3rd District Democrat, didn’t attend. Nor did the Democrat running against U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of the 4th District in Wichita. Libertarian Party candidates for Congress didn’t take part.

Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, who captured the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas, spoke before her rival Schmidt closed out the event. But Boyda also argued the nation could no longer let fester a persistent problem — the relentless partisanship and division damaging the nation.

“We have so much broken trust. We are so divided,” said Boyda, who cast herself as a political centrist. “I can get the right and the left to speak to each other. That’s just what I’ve been about for 20 years.”

Boyda told members of the Kansas Chamber in the audience that they wouldn’t be fulfilling their roles if they didn’t put pressure on the Kansas congressional delegation to work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of Kansans. She made her point personal, suggesting U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Salina Republican who serves the 1st District, had to find common ground with Democrats in a quest to improve the lives of Kansans.

“Tracey, I expect you to work with me. I expect you to work together, and very visibly. And it will cost you politically and it will cost me,” she said.

Mann, who easily won the 1st District’s GOP nomination, said his attention was focused on underhanded acts by China, the $35 trillion U.S. federal debt and the nation’s drift away from fundamental values of “faith, family and hard work, personal responsibility.” He said the federal government had to create a safe national border and place emphasis on “innovation and not regulation.”

“We have a lot of work to do to get this country back on track,” said Mann, who serves a district ranking No. 3 nationally in terms of agriculture commerce. “I’ve been very frustrated, very vocal with this (Biden) administration’s lack of focus on trade. We’ve got to think about who should our trading partners be in 2040 and 2050, and working to build those relationships today to be less beholden to China and other countries that wish us ill.”

Mann said the Big First included 60 of the state’s 105 counties, and there were more hospitals — 58 — in his U.S. House district than any other district in Congress.

“In the western part of the state,” Mann said, “our hospitals are struggling. This is a problem today. It’s about to become a huge problem.”

He didn’t endorse expansion of eligibility for Medicaid in Kansas, which would add more than 100,000 lower-income people to the joint federal-state health care program and unleash hundreds of millions of dollars annually in federal funding for preventive health care that would have an impact on the bottom line of hospitals. The congressman did argue against the federal government imposing staff mandates on rural hospitals.

First District Democratic nominee Paul Buskirk, who worked for decades in academic counseling of students at University of Kansas, said his conversations with registered Republicans, Democrats and independents revealed deep frustration with the inability of Congress to do its fundamental job.

“They’ve lost sight of that call to service,” Buskirk said. “Politicians tell us what we want to hear. Leaders tell us what we need to know.”

Buskirk said the most important business issue of 2024 was the pledge by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to identify, arrest and deport everyone not legally in the United States. He said one estimate put the number of people living without proper documentation in Kansas at 62,000, but he speculated the total could be twice that figure. He said withdrawing thousands of immigrants from the state’s labor force would cause an economic calamity, especially in the southwest Kansas livestock and meatpacking industry.

“The leader of that (GOP) party believes that they can create more unity out of finding an enemy,” he said. “That could not be more ludicrous.”

Physician Prasanth Reddy, the Republican nominee in the 3rd District, said his experience immigrating to the United States from India as a child left him “very much pro-immigration.” He’s running against Davids, the incumbent.

“Immigrants are the driving engine of this country, right? We are a melting pot,” he said. “The question is: What’s the right policy? The folks who are doing it the right way (legally) are being punished, and we’re letting people kind of jump in line. We got to do better right now for the needs of this country. Work programs, right? Amnesty is not a solution. Geographic convenience shouldn’t be a moral argument for amnest either.”

Estes, the 4th District incumbent, said he filed to run for another two-year term because he was frustrated with the surging federal debt and excessive annual overspending. He said Congress had to make difficult decisions about expenditures on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps.

“At the spending level that we’re at right now, one out of every four dollars that the federal government spends is borrowed. That equates to about $80,000 a second that is being borrowed. We’re borrowing more than the median income of a Kansas household,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725648365265.png" alt=" Former Kansas Attorney General and current Republican nominee for the 2nd District seat in Congress Derek Schmidt, right, said during a Kansas Chamber forum on Wednesday there was a window of opportunity for elected officials in Washington to crack down on the growing federal bureaucracy. He faces Democrat Nancy Boyda in the November general election to decide who replaces retiring U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas Attorney General and current Republican nominee for the 2nd District seat in Congress Derek Schmidt, right, said during a Kansas Chamber forum on Wednesday there was a window of opportunity for elected officials in Washington to crack down on the growing federal bureaucracy. He faces Democrat Nancy Boyda in the November general election to decide who replaces retiring U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas Chamber hosts candidate forum as general election heats up</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/"></a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Second congressional district candidate Derek Schmidt said this could be a moment in American history when Congress could effectively push back against explosive growth in federal regulation.Schmidt, a former Kansas attorney general who won the Republican nomination for the open seat, said serious people didn’t argue for elimination of federal agencies or for an end to government regulation. However, he said recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions throttling power of the federal bureaucracy presented an opportunity for Congress to take action to contain power of unelected officials in Washington, D.C.“Here’s the bottom line: There is a moment to deal with this over-regulation problem that I think is enormous. I hear it everywhere I go in the 2nd District. Took us generations to get it. It’s not going to be headline-grabbing. It’s going to be down in the weeds, roll up your sleeves, do the dirty work of oversight,” Schmidt said.Schmidt took part in a Kansas Chamber candidate forum Wednesday along with five other major party candidates for Congress. All four GOP nominees and two of four Democratic Party nominees participated in the question-and-answer program. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the 3rd District Democrat, didn’t attend. Nor did the Democrat running against U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of the 4th District in Wichita. Libertarian Party candidates for Congress didn’t take part.Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, who captured the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas, spoke before her rival Schmidt closed out the event. But Boyda also argued the nation could no longer let fester a persistent problem — the relentless partisanship and division damaging the nation.“We have so much broken trust. We are so divided,” said Boyda, who cast herself as a political centrist. “I can get the right and the left to speak to each other. That’s just what I’ve been about for 20 years.”Boyda told members of the Kansas Chamber in the audience that they wouldn’t be fulfilling their roles if they didn’t put pressure on the Kansas congressional delegation to work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of Kansans. She made her point personal, suggesting U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Salina Republican who serves the 1st District, had to find common ground with Democrats in a quest to improve the lives of Kansans.“Tracey, I expect you to work with me. I expect you to work together, and very visibly. And it will cost you politically and it will cost me,” she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725648323773.png" alt=" Paul Buskirk, a Lawrence Democrat seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kansas, in the 1st District said during a Kansas Chamber event Wednesday the plan by former President Donald Trump to deport millions of people in the United States illegally was impractical and would significantly harm the Kansas economy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Paul Buskirk, a Lawrence Democrat seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kansas, in the 1st District said during a Kansas Chamber event Wednesday the plan by former President Donald Trump to deport millions of people in the United States illegally was impractical and would significantly harm the Kansas economy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Mann frets about hospitals</h2>Mann, who easily won the 1st District’s GOP nomination, said his attention was focused on underhanded acts by China, the $35 trillion U.S. federal debt and the nation’s drift away from fundamental values of “faith, family and hard work, personal responsibility.” He said the federal government had to create a safe national border and place emphasis on “innovation and not regulation.”“We have a lot of work to do to get this country back on track,” said Mann, who serves a district ranking No. 3 nationally in terms of agriculture commerce. “I’ve been very frustrated, very vocal with this (Biden) administration’s lack of focus on trade. We’ve got to think about who should our trading partners be in 2040 and 2050, and working to build those relationships today to be less beholden to China and other countries that wish us ill.”Mann said the Big First included 60 of the state’s 105 counties, and there were more hospitals — 58 — in his U.S. House district than any other district in Congress.“In the western part of the state,” Mann said, “our hospitals are struggling. This is a problem today. It’s about to become a huge problem.”He didn’t endorse expansion of eligibility for Medicaid in Kansas, which would add more than 100,000 lower-income people to the joint federal-state health care program and unleash hundreds of millions of dollars annually in federal funding for preventive health care that would have an impact on the bottom line of hospitals. The congressman did argue against the federal government imposing staff mandates on rural hospitals.First District Democratic nominee Paul Buskirk, who worked for decades in academic counseling of students at University of Kansas, said his conversations with registered Republicans, Democrats and independents revealed deep frustration with the inability of Congress to do its fundamental job.“They’ve lost sight of that call to service,” Buskirk said. “Politicians tell us what we want to hear. Leaders tell us what we need to know.”Buskirk said the most important business issue of 2024 was the pledge by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to identify, arrest and deport everyone not legally in the United States. He said one estimate put the number of people living without proper documentation in Kansas at 62,000, but he speculated the total could be twice that figure. He said withdrawing thousands of immigrants from the state’s labor force would cause an economic calamity, especially in the southwest Kansas livestock and meatpacking industry.“The leader of that (GOP) party believes that they can create more unity out of finding an enemy,” he said. “That could not be more ludicrous.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725648283707.png" alt=" Republican 3rd District nominee Prasanth Reddy, who immigrated to the United States as a child, said during a Kansas Chamber forum Wednesday that Congress had a duty to embrace immigration policy that respected economic potential of people seeking to legally reside in the United States and avoided simplistic solutions that equated to amnesty for people in the country without permission. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Republican 3rd District nominee Prasanth Reddy, who immigrated to the United States as a child, said during a Kansas Chamber forum Wednesday that Congress had a duty to embrace immigration policy that respected economic potential of people seeking to legally reside in the United States and avoided simplistic solutions that equated to amnesty for people in the country without permission. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Amnesty is not a solution’</h2>Physician Prasanth Reddy, the Republican nominee in the 3rd District, said his experience immigrating to the United States from India as a child left him “very much pro-immigration.” He’s running against Davids, the incumbent.“Immigrants are the driving engine of this country, right? We are a melting pot,” he said. “The question is: What’s the right policy? The folks who are doing it the right way (legally) are being punished, and we’re letting people kind of jump in line. We got to do better right now for the needs of this country. Work programs, right? Amnesty is not a solution. Geographic convenience shouldn’t be a moral argument for amnest either.”Estes, the 4th District incumbent, said he filed to run for another two-year term because he was frustrated with the surging federal debt and excessive annual overspending. He said Congress had to make difficult decisions about expenditures on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps.“At the spending level that we’re at right now, one out of every four dollars that the federal government spends is borrowed. That equates to about $80,000 a second that is being borrowed. We’re borrowing more than the median income of a Kansas household,” he said.

Kansas congressional forum: Schmidt vows to tackle bureaucracy, Boyda calls for bipartisanship

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating a fatal house fire in Kansas City.

Just before 11:30p.m. Friday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire in the 5700 block of Bales in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp; First responders reported smoke and fire showing from the front of the home.

 The fire was quickly brought under control. During the search of the home, crews discovered the body of a man. Kansas City police homicide detectives were notified and responded to investigate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The investigation will be handled by the Kansas City Police Department with assistance from bomb and arson investigators. Police released no additional details early Saturday.

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating a fatal house fire in Kansas City.Just before 11:30p.m. Friday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire in the 5700 block of Bales in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp; First responders reported smoke and fire showing from the front of the home. The fire was quickly brought under control. During the search of the home, crews discovered the body of a man. Kansas City police homicide detectives were notified and responded to investigate.&nbsp;&nbsp;The investigation will be handled by the Kansas City Police Department with assistance from bomb and arson investigators. Police released no additional details early Saturday.

Body of a man found in Kansas City house fire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge on Friday ruled that an abortion-rights campaign did not meet legal requirements to qualify for the November ballot, potentially thwarting a yearslong effort to undo the state's near-total abortion ban.

But Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh stopped short of removing the measure from the ballot. Instead, he gave the abortion-rights campaign a chance to file a last-minute appeal before Tuesday's deadline to make changes to the Missouri ballot.

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom will appeal the decision and hopes for “a swift resolution so that Missourians can vote on November 5 to protect reproductive freedom, including access to abortion, birth control and miscarriage care," campaign manager Rachel Sweet said in a statement.

“The court’s decision to block Amendment 3 from appearing on the ballot is a profound injustice to the initiative petition process and undermines the rights of the 380,000 Missourians who signed our petition demanding a voice on this critical issue,” Sweet said.

In his ruling, Limbaugh said Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not do enough during the signature-gathering process to inform voters that the measure would undo the state’s near-total abortion ban.

“That said, this court also recognizes the gravity of the unique issues involved in this case, and the lack of direct precedent on point,” Limbaugh wrote. “The court therefore will stay execution of issuing an injunction up until September 10, 2024, the statutory deadline for the case to be heard, so that further guidance or rulings can be provided by a reviewing court.”

At least nine&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/051pI/33/">other states</a>&nbsp;will consider constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-election-2024-roe-ballot-4403190b898e501b0834053c3417d072">enshrining abortion rights</a>&nbsp;this fall — Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. Most would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, which is what the Missouri proposal would do.

New York also has a ballot measure that proponents say would protect abortion rights, though there’s a dispute about its impact.

Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions on their ballots since 2022 have sided with abortion-rights supporters.

A group of abortion opponents last month sued to have the Missouri amendment removed from the ballot.

Plaintiff's attorney Mary Catherine Martin during a Friday bench trial said at least some voters would not have signed the petition to put the amendment on the ballot if they had known about all the laws that could be repealed.

“There is no way to know if the proponents of this radical amendment would have gathered enough signatures to place this on the ballot if the truth about the staggering scope of laws Amendment 3 invalidates had been disclosed,” the plaintiffs said in a statement following the judge’s ruling.

Loretta Haggard, a lawyer for the abortion-rights campaign, argued that it will be up to future judges to decide which abortion laws are thrown out if the amendment is adopted.

“Courts should not give ‘advisory opinions’ or speculate whether a particular proposal would, if adopted, violate the law,” lawyers for the campaign wrote in a court brief.

Missouri banned most abortions immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. There is an exception for medical emergencies, but almost no abortions have occurred at Missouri facilities since then.

Missouri’s ACLU branch, local Planned Parenthoods and a group called Abortion Action in Missouri launched a campaign to legalize abortion in response to the ban. Although women who receive abortions are protected from criminal liability in Missouri, anyone who performs an abortion outside the state’s limited exceptions faces felony charges.

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom's proposed amendment would guarantee an individual’s right to get an abortion and make other reproductive health decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714753237039.png" alt="Photo Missourians for Constitutional Freedom&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo Missourians for Constitutional Freedom&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge on Friday ruled that an abortion-rights campaign did not meet legal requirements to qualify for the November ballot, potentially thwarting a yearslong effort to undo the state's near-total abortion ban.But Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh stopped short of removing the measure from the ballot. Instead, he gave the abortion-rights campaign a chance to file a last-minute appeal before Tuesday's deadline to make changes to the Missouri ballot.Missourians for Constitutional Freedom will appeal the decision and hopes for “a swift resolution so that Missourians can vote on November 5 to protect reproductive freedom, including access to abortion, birth control and miscarriage care," campaign manager Rachel Sweet said in a statement.“The court’s decision to block Amendment 3 from appearing on the ballot is a profound injustice to the initiative petition process and undermines the rights of the 380,000 Missourians who signed our petition demanding a voice on this critical issue,” Sweet said.In his ruling, Limbaugh said Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not do enough during the signature-gathering process to inform voters that the measure would undo the state’s near-total abortion ban.“That said, this court also recognizes the gravity of the unique issues involved in this case, and the lack of direct precedent on point,” Limbaugh wrote. “The court therefore will stay execution of issuing an injunction up until September 10, 2024, the statutory deadline for the case to be heard, so that further guidance or rulings can be provided by a reviewing court.”At least nine&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/051pI/33/">other states</a>&nbsp;will consider constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-election-2024-roe-ballot-4403190b898e501b0834053c3417d072">enshrining abortion rights</a>&nbsp;this fall — Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. Most would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, which is what the Missouri proposal would do.New York also has a ballot measure that proponents say would protect abortion rights, though there’s a dispute about its impact.Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions on their ballots since 2022 have sided with abortion-rights supporters.A group of abortion opponents last month sued to have the Missouri amendment removed from the ballot.Plaintiff's attorney Mary Catherine Martin during a Friday bench trial said at least some voters would not have signed the petition to put the amendment on the ballot if they had known about all the laws that could be repealed.“There is no way to know if the proponents of this radical amendment would have gathered enough signatures to place this on the ballot if the truth about the staggering scope of laws Amendment 3 invalidates had been disclosed,” the plaintiffs said in a statement following the judge’s ruling.Loretta Haggard, a lawyer for the abortion-rights campaign, argued that it will be up to future judges to decide which abortion laws are thrown out if the amendment is adopted.“Courts should not give ‘advisory opinions’ or speculate whether a particular proposal would, if adopted, violate the law,” lawyers for the campaign wrote in a court brief.Missouri banned most abortions immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. There is an exception for medical emergencies, but almost no abortions have occurred at Missouri facilities since then.Missouri’s ACLU branch, local Planned Parenthoods and a group called Abortion Action in Missouri launched a campaign to legalize abortion in response to the ban. Although women who receive abortions are protected from criminal liability in Missouri, anyone who performs an abortion outside the state’s limited exceptions faces felony charges.Missourians for Constitutional Freedom's proposed amendment would guarantee an individual’s right to get an abortion and make other reproductive health decisions.

Missouri abortion-rights amendment could be axed from the ballot after ruling

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Ukraine needs the ability to strike deep within Russia now, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told U.S. and allied military leaders Friday as Kyiv more fervently pressed the West to loosen weapons use restrictions and allow it to target Russian air bases and launch sites far from the border.

Zelenskyy made the case during an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He appeared to make inroads with some of the defense leaders from the 50-plus partner nations who regularly gather to coordinate weapons aid for the war.

But he did not appear to sway the ally he needs most. After the talks, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed back on the idea that long-range strikes would be a game-changer.

“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive and I stand by that comment,” Austin said. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he said.

Zelenskyy's request comes after a series of recent deadly Russian airstrikes, including against a Ukrainian military training center that killed more than 50 and wounded hundreds this week. On Friday, the Kremlin fired five ballistic missiles at the city of Pavlohrad in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least 50 people, regional Gov. Serhii Lysak said.

“We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” Zelenskyy said. “We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin.”

The question remained whether Zelenskyy could convince President Joe Biden that the U.S. should ease its restrictions as well. While Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles into Russia in self-defense, the distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat, out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.

At the meeting Friday, multiple countries seemed to be persuaded that Ukraine should get the green light, which could add pressure on the Biden administration.

“Many countries (are) in favor,” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Lithuania's defense minister. “Many, many. But the question is not the number of countries, but countries who give (those) missiles.”

By announcing Lithuania's support, Kasčiūnas said, “I hope it will help to convince other countries.”

Canada's defense minister, Bill Blair, said he hopes other Western allies also get behind the push. Canada does not have long-range munitions it could provide on its own, Blair said.

“One of the things President Zelenskyy and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering significant attacks from air bases and military installations located within Russia,” Blair said. “We support their request for permission, but it's still a decision of our allies.”

Ukraine is now in the midst of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-kursk-incursion-ca6d18d06606794580bdc779d2c98134">first offensive operations of the war</a>&nbsp;while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas, and Kyiv is seeing that its time is running short to shore up ongoing military support before the U.S. presidential election in November.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-incursion-putin-1178b99b32b476816db3a48ffa06b11a">surprise assault inside Russia’s Kursk region</a>&nbsp;has led to the capture of about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory and killed or injured about 6,000 Russian soldiers. But it has not drawn away President Vladimir Putin’s focus from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/donetsk-ukraine-russia-ukraine-war-c2d3cd6e501341f69e8fd05a37bf79d7">taking the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk</a>, which provides critical rail and supply links for the Ukrainian army. Losing Pokrovsk could put additional Ukrainian cities at risk.

While Kursk has put Russia on the defensive, “we know Putin’s malice runs deep,” and Moscow is pressing on, especially around Pokrovsk, Austin said.

The Pentagon chief said the U.S. will provide $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air defense munitions and artillery.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement said that the new package would comprise “urgently needed weapons and equipment” and include "air defense missiles and support, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, anti-tank weapons, and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and other armored vehicles."

“This assistance will be deployed as quickly as possible to bolster Ukraine’s defense of its territory and its people,” Blinken said.

Zelenskyy, however, said promised weapons systems have been too slow to arrive.

“The number of air defense systems that have not yet been delivered is significant,” he said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said those systems, particularly Patriot air defense systems, need to be in Ukraine's hands so it can defend its electrical grid and infrastructure during winter fighting.

As well as resources for air defense and artillery, the meeting aimed to focus on shoring up gains in expanding Ukraine’s own defense industrial base so it could be on more solid footing as Biden's term winds down.

Western partner nations are working with Ukraine to source a substitute missile for its Soviet-era S-300 air defense systems, Austin said.

The U.S. is also focused on resourcing a variety of air-to-ground missiles that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/russia-ukraine-war-ukraine-ukraine-government-russia-united-states-government-d526336e60c042bdbcab019382ce5842">newly delivered F-16 fighter jets</a>&nbsp;can carry, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, which could give Ukraine a longer-range cruise missile option, said Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, who spoke to reporters traveling with Austin.

No decisions on the munition have been made, LaPlante said, noting that policymakers would still have to decide whether to give Ukraine the longer-range capability.

“I would just put JASSM in that category, it’s something that is always being looked at,” LaPlante said. “Anything that’s an air-to-ground weapon is always being looked at.”

For the past two years, members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have met to resource Ukraine’s artillery and air defense needs, ranging from hundreds of millions of rounds of small arms ammunition to some of the West’s most sophisticated air defense systems, and now fighter jets. The request this month was more of the same, but it came in person from Zelenskyy.

Since 2022, the member nations together have provided about $106 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. has provided more than $56 billion of that total.

The German government said Chancellor Olaf Scholz planned to meet Zelenskyy in Frankfurt later Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725656640079.png" alt="Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in Germany-&nbsp;The Pentagon chief said the U.S. will provide $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air defense munitions and artillery. photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in Germany-&nbsp;The Pentagon chief said the U.S. will provide $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air defense munitions and artillery. photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Ukraine needs the ability to strike deep within Russia now, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told U.S. and allied military leaders Friday as Kyiv more fervently pressed the West to loosen weapons use restrictions and allow it to target Russian air bases and launch sites far from the border.Zelenskyy made the case during an in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He appeared to make inroads with some of the defense leaders from the 50-plus partner nations who regularly gather to coordinate weapons aid for the war.But he did not appear to sway the ally he needs most. After the talks, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed back on the idea that long-range strikes would be a game-changer.“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive and I stand by that comment,” Austin said. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he said.Zelenskyy's request comes after a series of recent deadly Russian airstrikes, including against a Ukrainian military training center that killed more than 50 and wounded hundreds this week. On Friday, the Kremlin fired five ballistic missiles at the city of Pavlohrad in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least 50 people, regional Gov. Serhii Lysak said.“We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine, but also on the Russian territory, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” Zelenskyy said. “We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin.”The question remained whether Zelenskyy could convince President Joe Biden that the U.S. should ease its restrictions as well. While Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles into Russia in self-defense, the distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat, out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.At the meeting Friday, multiple countries seemed to be persuaded that Ukraine should get the green light, which could add pressure on the Biden administration.“Many countries (are) in favor,” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Lithuania's defense minister. “Many, many. But the question is not the number of countries, but countries who give (those) missiles.”By announcing Lithuania's support, Kasčiūnas said, “I hope it will help to convince other countries.”Canada's defense minister, Bill Blair, said he hopes other Western allies also get behind the push. Canada does not have long-range munitions it could provide on its own, Blair said.“One of the things President Zelenskyy and his ministers have made very clear to us is that they are suffering significant attacks from air bases and military installations located within Russia,” Blair said. “We support their request for permission, but it's still a decision of our allies.”Ukraine is now in the midst of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-kursk-incursion-ca6d18d06606794580bdc779d2c98134">first offensive operations of the war</a>&nbsp;while facing a significant threat from Russian forces near a key hub in the Donbas, and Kyiv is seeing that its time is running short to shore up ongoing military support before the U.S. presidential election in November.Zelenskyy said Ukraine's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-incursion-putin-1178b99b32b476816db3a48ffa06b11a">surprise assault inside Russia’s Kursk region</a>&nbsp;has led to the capture of about 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory and killed or injured about 6,000 Russian soldiers. But it has not drawn away President Vladimir Putin’s focus from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/donetsk-ukraine-russia-ukraine-war-c2d3cd6e501341f69e8fd05a37bf79d7">taking the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk</a>, which provides critical rail and supply links for the Ukrainian army. Losing Pokrovsk could put additional Ukrainian cities at risk.While Kursk has put Russia on the defensive, “we know Putin’s malice runs deep,” and Moscow is pressing on, especially around Pokrovsk, Austin said.The Pentagon chief said the U.S. will provide $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air defense munitions and artillery.Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement said that the new package would comprise “urgently needed weapons and equipment” and include "air defense missiles and support, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, anti-tank weapons, and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and other armored vehicles."“This assistance will be deployed as quickly as possible to bolster Ukraine’s defense of its territory and its people,” Blinken said.Zelenskyy, however, said promised weapons systems have been too slow to arrive.“The number of air defense systems that have not yet been delivered is significant,” he said.German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said those systems, particularly Patriot air defense systems, need to be in Ukraine's hands so it can defend its electrical grid and infrastructure during winter fighting.As well as resources for air defense and artillery, the meeting aimed to focus on shoring up gains in expanding Ukraine’s own defense industrial base so it could be on more solid footing as Biden's term winds down.Western partner nations are working with Ukraine to source a substitute missile for its Soviet-era S-300 air defense systems, Austin said.The U.S. is also focused on resourcing a variety of air-to-ground missiles that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/russia-ukraine-war-ukraine-ukraine-government-russia-united-states-government-d526336e60c042bdbcab019382ce5842">newly delivered F-16 fighter jets</a>&nbsp;can carry, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, which could give Ukraine a longer-range cruise missile option, said Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, who spoke to reporters traveling with Austin.No decisions on the munition have been made, LaPlante said, noting that policymakers would still have to decide whether to give Ukraine the longer-range capability.“I would just put JASSM in that category, it’s something that is always being looked at,” LaPlante said. “Anything that’s an air-to-ground weapon is always being looked at.”For the past two years, members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have met to resource Ukraine’s artillery and air defense needs, ranging from hundreds of millions of rounds of small arms ammunition to some of the West’s most sophisticated air defense systems, and now fighter jets. The request this month was more of the same, but it came in person from Zelenskyy.Since 2022, the member nations together have provided about $106 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. has provided more than $56 billion of that total.The German government said Chancellor Olaf Scholz planned to meet Zelenskyy in Frankfurt later Friday.

U.S. spending another $250 million on war in Ukraine

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a 2016 cold case in which a 91 year-old woman was raped in her home have a suspect in custody.

Just before 6a.m. Friday Cold Case Detectives, assisted by US Marshals, attempted to serve the warrant for the arrest of&nbsp;Kyle Blake States, 27, at his residence in the 5300 block of Custer, according to a Kansas City Kansas Police.

However, when law enforcement arrived States barricaded himself in the home. Because it was believed that he was armed, KCKPD Special Operations Unit was deployed to the scene. At approximately 9:15a.m., States exited the home and was taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyle Blake States is being held on a $200,000 bond on requested charges of rape/sexual intercourse without consent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725644601913.png" alt="States photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>States photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a 2016 cold case in which a 91 year-old woman was raped in her home have a suspect in custody.Just before 6a.m. Friday Cold Case Detectives, assisted by US Marshals, attempted to serve the warrant for the arrest of&nbsp;Kyle Blake States, 27, at his residence in the 5300 block of Custer, according to a Kansas City Kansas Police.However, when law enforcement arrived States barricaded himself in the home. Because it was believed that he was armed, KCKPD Special Operations Unit was deployed to the scene. At approximately 9:15a.m., States exited the home and was taken into custody without further incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyle Blake States is being held on a $200,000 bond on requested charges of rape/sexual intercourse without consent..

Suspect accused in rape of 91-year-old Kan. woman in her home

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;

On August 31, a sheriff's deputy was on routine patrol in the vicinity of US 75 Highway in rural Brown County stopped a vehicle for speeding, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While making contact with the driver, later identified as 45-year-old Christopher Carr of Elyria, Ohio, it was discovered he had an outstanding&nbsp; Michigan Warrant for Larceny.&nbsp;

 At the conclusion of the traffic stop, the deputies arrested Carr on a requested charge of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp; 

The passenger 29-year-old Laurie Carr of Elyria, Ohio was arrested on requested charges of Possesssion of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725569004004.png" alt="Carr photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Carr photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;On August 31, a sheriff's deputy was on routine patrol in the vicinity of US 75 Highway in rural Brown County stopped a vehicle for speeding, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725568967606.png" alt="Carr photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Carr photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>While making contact with the driver, later identified as 45-year-old Christopher Carr of Elyria, Ohio, it was discovered he had an outstanding&nbsp; Michigan Warrant for Larceny.&nbsp; At the conclusion of the traffic stop, the deputies arrested Carr on a requested charge of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.&nbsp; The passenger 29-year-old Laurie Carr of Elyria, Ohio was arrested on requested charges of Possesssion of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Michigan couple jailed in Kansas for drugs and a warrant

SUMNER COUNTY— Officials in the city of Wellington on Friday released the name of the apprentice lineman who&nbsp;died in a workplace accident at the city’s power plant.

Just before 9:30a.m. Wednesday, 20-year-old Wilson Price died after coming into contact with an energized piece of equipment, according to a media release.

In January, Price joined the Electric Distribution Department at the City of Wellington as an apprentice.

"Wilson had not been with the city long and was quickly becoming an outstanding lineman. His contributions to the reliability of our community’s electric system were invaluable."&nbsp; The entire city family deeply feels his loss, according to Assistant City Manager Jason Newberry.

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-wilson-prices-family-in-their-loss">&nbsp;Click here to view the online fundraiser</a>&nbsp;friends established to assist the Price family.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725654117053.png" alt="Price -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Price -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY— Officials in the city of Wellington on Friday released the name of the apprentice lineman who&nbsp;died in a workplace accident at the city’s power plant.Just before 9:30a.m. Wednesday, 20-year-old Wilson Price died after coming into contact with an energized piece of equipment, according to a media release.In January, Price joined the Electric Distribution Department at the City of Wellington as an apprentice."Wilson had not been with the city long and was quickly becoming an outstanding lineman. His contributions to the reliability of our community’s electric system were invaluable."&nbsp; The entire city family deeply feels his loss, according to Assistant City Manager Jason Newberry.<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-wilson-prices-family-in-their-loss">&nbsp;Click here to view the online fundraiser</a>&nbsp;friends established to assist the Price family.

City releases name of Kan. man who died in workplace accident

NEW YORK (AP) — Another rout hit Wall Street Friday, with formerly high-flying technology stocks again taking the brunt, after a highly anticipated update on the U.S. job market&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">came in weak enough</a>&nbsp;to add to worries about the economy.

The S&amp;P 500 dropped 1.7% to close out its worst week since March 2023. Broadcom, Nvidia and other tech companies led the market lower as worries continue that their prices soared too high in the boom around artificial intelligence, and they dragged the Nasdaq composite down by a market-leading 2.6%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 410 points, or 1%, after erasing a morning gain of 250 points.

Sharp swings also hit the bond market, where Treasury yields tumbled, recovered and then fell again after the jobs report showed U.S. employers hired fewer workers in August than economists expected. It was billed as the most important jobs report of the year, and it showed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">second straight month</a>&nbsp;where hiring came in below forecasts. It also followed recent reports showing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-employment-fed-inflation-growth-aa764f4e90e3a90e892ba3fe5f649031">weakness in manufacturing</a>&nbsp;and some other areas in the economy.

Such a softening of the job market is actually just what the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, have been trying to get in order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">stifle high inflation</a>, “but only to a certain extent and the data is now testing Chair Powell’s stated limits,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Friday’s data raised questions about how much the Federal Reserve will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-prices-inflation-federal-reserve-economy-2cd182eb34a7d6772ff573bec0bcf64d">cut its main interest rate by</a>&nbsp;at its meeting later this month. The Fed is about to turn its focus more toward protecting the job market and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-federal-reserve-interest-rates-consumers-4fe068e15d27fad11419e1cc6a8ed943">preventing a recession</a>&nbsp;after keeping the federal funds rate at a two-decade high for more than a year.

Cuts to interest rates can boost investment prices, but the worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may be moving too late. If a recession does hit, it would undercut corporate profits and erase the benefits from lower rates.

“All is not well with the labor market,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “The Fed wanted the labor market to come into better balance, but any balancing act is unstable.”

Still, the jobs report did include some encouraging data points. For one, the unemployment rate improved to 4.2% from 4.3% a month earlier. That was better than economists expected. And even if August’s hiring was weaker than forecast, it was still better than July’s pace.

Christopher Waller, a member of the Fed’s board of governors,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/waller20240906a.htm">said in a speech</a>&nbsp;after the jobs report’s release that “I believe we should be data dependent, but not overreact to any data point, including the latest data.”

“While the labor market has clearly cooled, based on the evidence I see, I do not believe the economy is in a recession or necessarily headed for one soon,” he said.

While Waller said he thinks a “series of reductions” to rates is appropriate given that a slowing job market now looks like the bigger threat for the economy than high inflation, he said the ultimate pace and depth of those cuts is still to be determined.

All the uncertainty sent Treasury yields on a wild ride in the bond market as traders tried to handicap the Fed’s next moves.

The two-year Treasury yield initially fell as low as 3.64% after the release of the jobs report, before quickly climbing back above 3.76%. It then dropped back to 3.66% following Waller’s comments, down from 3.74% late Thursday.

Wells Fargo Investment Institute’s Wren said he was surprised by the size of markets’ swings. While data has clearly shown a slowdown in the economy, he’s still forecasting growth to continue, “and it’s not the end of the world.” He cautioned investors against panicking and selling their investments in knee-jerk reactions.

Despite its dismal week, the S&amp;P 500 remains just 4.6% below its all-time high set in July. It’s also still up 13.4% for 2024 so far, which counts as a good year.

A big reason for Friday’s sharp drops was weakness for some big tech stocks that had been benefiting from the AI boom.

Broadcom tumbled 10.4% despite reporting profit and revenue for the latest quarter that were above analysts’ forecasts, thanks in part to AI. The chip company said it expects to make $14 billion in revenue this quarter, which was slightly below analysts’ expectations of $14.11 billion, according to FactSet.

Other chip companies also fell, including a 4.1% drop for Nvidia. After soaring earlier this year as its revenue surged on the AI frenzy, Nvidia’s stock has been shaky since mid-July as investors question whether they took it too high. That’s even though Nvidia has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">continued to top analysts’ expectations</a>&nbsp;for growth.

“Earnings growth is going to slow from an incredibly high rate to something slower,” Wren said about Big Tech, “but it’s not going to be terrible.”

On the winning side of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which rose 4.3% after the CEO of rival Cleveland Cliffs told MSNBC that his company would still be interested in acquiring U.S. Steel if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steel-nippon-harris-trump-election-merger-3e277c0cea73efb80443c38b4ad6fde6">White House were to block its proposed sale to Japan’s Nippon Steel</a>.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 94.99 points to 5,408.42. The Dow dropped 410.34 to 40,345.41, and the Nasdaq composite lost 436.83 to 16,690.83.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584366201093.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Another rout hit Wall Street Friday, with formerly high-flying technology stocks again taking the brunt, after a highly anticipated update on the U.S. job market&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">came in weak enough</a>&nbsp;to add to worries about the economy.The S&amp;P 500 dropped 1.7% to close out its worst week since March 2023. Broadcom, Nvidia and other tech companies led the market lower as worries continue that their prices soared too high in the boom around artificial intelligence, and they dragged the Nasdaq composite down by a market-leading 2.6%.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 410 points, or 1%, after erasing a morning gain of 250 points.Sharp swings also hit the bond market, where Treasury yields tumbled, recovered and then fell again after the jobs report showed U.S. employers hired fewer workers in August than economists expected. It was billed as the most important jobs report of the year, and it showed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">second straight month</a>&nbsp;where hiring came in below forecasts. It also followed recent reports showing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-employment-fed-inflation-growth-aa764f4e90e3a90e892ba3fe5f649031">weakness in manufacturing</a>&nbsp;and some other areas in the economy.Such a softening of the job market is actually just what the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, have been trying to get in order to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">stifle high inflation</a>, “but only to a certain extent and the data is now testing Chair Powell’s stated limits,” said Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.Friday’s data raised questions about how much the Federal Reserve will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-prices-inflation-federal-reserve-economy-2cd182eb34a7d6772ff573bec0bcf64d">cut its main interest rate by</a>&nbsp;at its meeting later this month. The Fed is about to turn its focus more toward protecting the job market and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-federal-reserve-interest-rates-consumers-4fe068e15d27fad11419e1cc6a8ed943">preventing a recession</a>&nbsp;after keeping the federal funds rate at a two-decade high for more than a year.Cuts to interest rates can boost investment prices, but the worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may be moving too late. If a recession does hit, it would undercut corporate profits and erase the benefits from lower rates.“All is not well with the labor market,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “The Fed wanted the labor market to come into better balance, but any balancing act is unstable.”Still, the jobs report did include some encouraging data points. For one, the unemployment rate improved to 4.2% from 4.3% a month earlier. That was better than economists expected. And even if August’s hiring was weaker than forecast, it was still better than July’s pace.Christopher Waller, a member of the Fed’s board of governors,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/waller20240906a.htm">said in a speech</a>&nbsp;after the jobs report’s release that “I believe we should be data dependent, but not overreact to any data point, including the latest data.”“While the labor market has clearly cooled, based on the evidence I see, I do not believe the economy is in a recession or necessarily headed for one soon,” he said.While Waller said he thinks a “series of reductions” to rates is appropriate given that a slowing job market now looks like the bigger threat for the economy than high inflation, he said the ultimate pace and depth of those cuts is still to be determined.All the uncertainty sent Treasury yields on a wild ride in the bond market as traders tried to handicap the Fed’s next moves.The two-year Treasury yield initially fell as low as 3.64% after the release of the jobs report, before quickly climbing back above 3.76%. It then dropped back to 3.66% following Waller’s comments, down from 3.74% late Thursday.Wells Fargo Investment Institute’s Wren said he was surprised by the size of markets’ swings. While data has clearly shown a slowdown in the economy, he’s still forecasting growth to continue, “and it’s not the end of the world.” He cautioned investors against panicking and selling their investments in knee-jerk reactions.Despite its dismal week, the S&amp;P 500 remains just 4.6% below its all-time high set in July. It’s also still up 13.4% for 2024 so far, which counts as a good year.A big reason for Friday’s sharp drops was weakness for some big tech stocks that had been benefiting from the AI boom.Broadcom tumbled 10.4% despite reporting profit and revenue for the latest quarter that were above analysts’ forecasts, thanks in part to AI. The chip company said it expects to make $14 billion in revenue this quarter, which was slightly below analysts’ expectations of $14.11 billion, according to FactSet.Other chip companies also fell, including a 4.1% drop for Nvidia. After soaring earlier this year as its revenue surged on the AI frenzy, Nvidia’s stock has been shaky since mid-July as investors question whether they took it too high. That’s even though Nvidia has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-ai-earnings-stock-464d35670b6e91a698751ec7ee157532">continued to top analysts’ expectations</a>&nbsp;for growth.“Earnings growth is going to slow from an incredibly high rate to something slower,” Wren said about Big Tech, “but it’s not going to be terrible.”On the winning side of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which rose 4.3% after the CEO of rival Cleveland Cliffs told MSNBC that his company would still be interested in acquiring U.S. Steel if the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steel-nippon-harris-trump-election-merger-3e277c0cea73efb80443c38b4ad6fde6">White House were to block its proposed sale to Japan’s Nippon Steel</a>.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 94.99 points to 5,408.42. The Dow dropped 410.34 to 40,345.41, and the Nasdaq composite lost 436.83 to 16,690.83.

Wall Street falls sharply to close worst week in nearly 18 months

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

St. Joseph, Missouri Police Chief Paul Luster has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigate an incident in which a young man shot himself while riding with a St. Joseph police officer.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports that the officer provided transportation for a 24-year-old man in a non-criminal matter shortly before 10:30 Thursday night. Shortly after the ride began the man “severely injured himself,” according to the department. The department says the officer rushed the man to the Mosaic Life Care emergency room where he was treated for a life-threatening injury.

The department reports the man is in critical condition.

Police Chief Luster asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control to investigate the matter. The St. Joseph Police Department will also conduct an internal investigation into the matter.

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostSt. Joseph, Missouri Police Chief Paul Luster has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigate an incident in which a young man shot himself while riding with a St. Joseph police officer.The St. Joseph Police Department reports that the officer provided transportation for a 24-year-old man in a non-criminal matter shortly before 10:30 Thursday night. Shortly after the ride began the man “severely injured himself,” according to the department. The department says the officer rushed the man to the Mosaic Life Care emergency room where he was treated for a life-threatening injury.The department reports the man is in critical condition.Police Chief Luster asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control to investigate the matter. The St. Joseph Police Department will also conduct an internal investigation into the matter.

Man critically injured during non-criminal ride with police

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge agreed Friday to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case until after the November election, granting him a hard-won reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the homestretch of his presidential campaign.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is also weighing a defense request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Trump’s sentencing until Nov. 26, several weeks after the final votes are cast in the presidential election.

It had been scheduled for Sept. 18, about seven weeks before Election Day.

Merchan wrote that he was postponing the sentencing “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”

“The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” he added.

Trump’s lawyers pushed for the delay on multiple fronts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25045300-20240814-letter-to-justice-merchan-re-sentencing-adjournment?responsive=1&amp;title=1">petitioning the judge</a>&nbsp;and asking a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-new-york-conviction-sentencing-8389e21c214b79220e6530a395a61192">federal court to intervene</a>. They argued that punishing the former president and current Republican nominee in the thick of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference.

Trump’s lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also allow him time to weigh next steps after Merchan rules on the defense’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">reverse his conviction and dismiss the case</a>&nbsp;because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">presidential immunity ruling</a>.

In his order Friday, Merchan delayed a decision on that until Nov. 12.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-sentencing-new-york-immunity-a905207c7db9fc48d022d68ac6cc12e1">federal judge on Tuesday rejected Trump’s request</a>&nbsp;to have the U.S. District Court in Manhattan seize the case from Merchan’s state court. Had they been successful,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25081863-people-v-trump-federal-court-removal-notice?responsive=1&amp;title=1">Trump’s lawyers said</a>&nbsp;they would have then sought to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds.

Trump is appealing the federal court ruling.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted Trump’s case, deferred to Merchan and did not take a position on the defense’s delay request.

Messages seeking comment were left for Trump's lawyers and the district attorney's office.

Election Day is Nov. 5, but many states allow voters to cast ballots early, with some set to start the process just a few days before or after the date Sept. 18.

Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels claims she and Trump had a sexual encounter a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him during his first presidential campaign. Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses.

Trump maintains that the stories were false, that reimbursements were for legal work and logged correctly, and that the case — brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat — was part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” aimed at damaging his current campaign.

Democrats backing their party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, have made his conviction a focus of their messaging.

In speeches at the party’s conviction in Chicago last month, President Joe Biden called Trump a “convicted felon” running against a former prosecutor. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, labeled Trump a “career criminal, with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it.”

Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, inspired chants of “lock him up” from the convention crowd when she quipped that Trump “fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”

Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars. Other potential sentences include probation, a fine or a conditional discharge, which would require Trump to stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment. Trump is the first ex-president convicted of a crime.

Trump has pledged to appeal, but that cannot happen until he is sentenced.

In seeking the delay, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove argued that the short time between the scheduled immunity ruling on Sept. 16 and sentencing, which was to have taken place two days later, was unfair to Trump.

To prepare for a Sept. 18 sentencing, the lawyers said, prosecutors would be submitting their punishment recommendation while Merchan is still weighing whether to dismiss the case. If Merchan rules against Trump, he would need “adequate time to assess and pursue state and federal appellate options,” they said.

The Supreme Court’s immunity decision reins in prosecutions of ex-presidents for official acts and restricts prosecutors in pointing to official acts as evidence that a president’s unofficial actions were illegal.

Trump’s lawyers argue that in light of the ruling, jurors in the hush money case should not have heard such evidence as former White House staffers describing how the then-president reacted to news coverage of the Daniels deal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713921168558.png" alt="-File Former President Donald Trump in court in April -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>-File Former President Donald Trump in court in April -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A judge agreed Friday to postpone Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush money case until after the November election, granting him a hard-won reprieve as he navigates the aftermath of his criminal conviction and the homestretch of his presidential campaign.Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan, who is also weighing a defense request to overturn the verdict on immunity grounds, delayed Trump’s sentencing until Nov. 26, several weeks after the final votes are cast in the presidential election.It had been scheduled for Sept. 18, about seven weeks before Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725651801837.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Merchan wrote that he was postponing the sentencing “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”“The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” he added.Trump’s lawyers pushed for the delay on multiple fronts,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25045300-20240814-letter-to-justice-merchan-re-sentencing-adjournment?responsive=1&amp;title=1">petitioning the judge</a>&nbsp;and asking a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-new-york-conviction-sentencing-8389e21c214b79220e6530a395a61192">federal court to intervene</a>. They argued that punishing the former president and current Republican nominee in the thick of his campaign to retake the White House would amount to election interference.Trump’s lawyers argued that delaying his sentencing until after the election would also allow him time to weigh next steps after Merchan rules on the defense’s request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">reverse his conviction and dismiss the case</a>&nbsp;because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">presidential immunity ruling</a>.In his order Friday, Merchan delayed a decision on that until Nov. 12.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-sentencing-new-york-immunity-a905207c7db9fc48d022d68ac6cc12e1">federal judge on Tuesday rejected Trump’s request</a>&nbsp;to have the U.S. District Court in Manhattan seize the case from Merchan’s state court. Had they been successful,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25081863-people-v-trump-federal-court-removal-notice?responsive=1&amp;title=1">Trump’s lawyers said</a>&nbsp;they would have then sought to have the verdict overturned and the case dismissed on immunity grounds.Trump is appealing the federal court ruling.The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted Trump’s case, deferred to Merchan and did not take a position on the defense’s delay request.Messages seeking comment were left for Trump's lawyers and the district attorney's office.Election Day is Nov. 5, but many states allow voters to cast ballots early, with some set to start the process just a few days before or after the date Sept. 18.Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels claims she and Trump had a sexual encounter a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him during his first presidential campaign. Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels and was later reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses.Trump maintains that the stories were false, that reimbursements were for legal work and logged correctly, and that the case — brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat — was part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” aimed at damaging his current campaign.Democrats backing their party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, have made his conviction a focus of their messaging.In speeches at the party’s conviction in Chicago last month, President Joe Biden called Trump a “convicted felon” running against a former prosecutor. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, labeled Trump a “career criminal, with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it.”Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, inspired chants of “lock him up” from the convention crowd when she quipped that Trump “fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years behind bars. Other potential sentences include probation, a fine or a conditional discharge, which would require Trump to stay out of trouble to avoid additional punishment. Trump is the first ex-president convicted of a crime.Trump has pledged to appeal, but that cannot happen until he is sentenced.In seeking the delay, Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove argued that the short time between the scheduled immunity ruling on Sept. 16 and sentencing, which was to have taken place two days later, was unfair to Trump.To prepare for a Sept. 18 sentencing, the lawyers said, prosecutors would be submitting their punishment recommendation while Merchan is still weighing whether to dismiss the case. If Merchan rules against Trump, he would need “adequate time to assess and pursue state and federal appellate options,” they said.The Supreme Court’s immunity decision reins in prosecutions of ex-presidents for official acts and restricts prosecutors in pointing to official acts as evidence that a president’s unofficial actions were illegal.Trump’s lawyers argue that in light of the ruling, jurors in the hush money case should not have heard such evidence as former White House staffers describing how the then-president reacted to news coverage of the Daniels deal.

Judge delays Trump’s criminal trial sentencing until after election

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.

Just before 9a.m. Friday, police responded to the 1300 block of SW Western in Topeka on a report of an individual down, according to Police Lt. Matt Danielson.

First responders located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. 

Police have not released the man's name or reported any suspect details. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725645926163.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Topeka.Just before 9a.m. Friday, police responded to the 1300 block of SW Western in Topeka on a report of an individual down, according to Police Lt. Matt Danielson.First responders located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. Police have not released the man's name or reported any suspect details. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.&nbsp;

Homicide: Man found with gunshot wound outside Kan. home

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian Grammy-winning musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83.

The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter, and arranger was confirmed in a statement by his family.

“His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children,” the statement Friday said. “Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”

His composition “Mas que Nada” was one of the songs that helped popularize the Brazilian music genre bossa nova worldwide in the 1960s.

In 2006, a modern version of the song topped US charts, as performed by Black Eyed Peas. It was included in his album “Timeless,” produced by will.i.am and featuring Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and the Black Eyed Peas, among others.

“Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country,” trumpet player Herb Alpert wrote on Facebook, along with a photo from decades ago, sitting next to Mendes at the piano. “He was a true friend and extremely gifted musician who brought Brazilian music in all its iterations to the entire world with elegance.”

Mendes also composed the soundtrack for the film “Pelé,” featuring saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, and even produced an album recorded by the Brazilian legendary soccer player.

Mendes won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for “Brasileiro” and two Latin Grammy Awards. He also received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio,” from the animated film “Rio.”

Mendes’ family said they will provide details regarding funeral and memorial services at a later date.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725639746244.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian Grammy-winning musician whose hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global legend, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83.The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter, and arranger was confirmed in a statement by his family.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BrZBiqK0p9E?si=8ZzHbneJR3-h1Vhh&amp;start=19" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children,” the statement Friday said. “Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona.”His composition “Mas que Nada” was one of the songs that helped popularize the Brazilian music genre bossa nova worldwide in the 1960s.In 2006, a modern version of the song topped US charts, as performed by Black Eyed Peas. It was included in his album “Timeless,” produced by will.i.am and featuring Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and the Black Eyed Peas, among others.“Sergio Mendes was my brother from another country,” trumpet player Herb Alpert wrote on Facebook, along with a photo from decades ago, sitting next to Mendes at the piano. “He was a true friend and extremely gifted musician who brought Brazilian music in all its iterations to the entire world with elegance.”Mendes also composed the soundtrack for the film “Pelé,” featuring saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, and even produced an album recorded by the Brazilian legendary soccer player.Mendes won the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for “Brasileiro” and two Latin Grammy Awards. He also received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio,” from the animated film “Rio.”Mendes’ family said they will provide details regarding funeral and memorial services at a later date.

Sergio Mendes, Brazilian bossa nova legend, dies at 83

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — Israeli soldiers killed an American woman participating in an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank on Friday, another protester who witnessed the shooting told The Associated Press. Two doctors said she was shot in the head.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the death of the 26-year-old woman but did not say whether she had been shot by Israeli troops. He said the U.S. was gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and would have “more to say.”

He and the doctors who treated her released the woman's name, but the activist organization she was volunteering with, the International Solidarity Movement, said her family had asked she not be identified.

The Israeli military said it was looking into reports that troops had killed a foreign national while firing at an “instigator of violent activity” in the area of the protest.

The woman who was fatally shot was attending a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion, protests that have grown violent in the past: A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison was shot in the leg by Israeli forces, he said, as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire.

Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli who was also participating in the protest, said the shooting occurred shortly after dozens of Palestinians and international activists held a communal prayer on a hillside outside the northern West Bank town of Beita overlooking the Israeli settlement of Evyatar.

Soldiers surrounded the prayer, and clashes soon broke out, with Palestinians throwing stones and troops firing tear gas and live ammunition, Pollak said.

The protesters and activists, including Pollak and the woman, retreated from the hill and the clashes subdued, he said. He then watched as two soldiers standing on the roof of a nearby home trained a gun in the group’s direction and shot at them. He saw the flares leave the nozzle of the gun when the shots rang out. He said the woman was about 10 or 15 meters (yards) behind him when the shots were fired.

He then saw her “lying on the ground, next to an olive tree, bleeding to death,” he said.

Two doctors said she had been shot in the head — Dr. Ward Basalat, who administered first aid at the scene and Dr. Fouad Naffa, director of Rafidia Hospital in the nearby city of Nablus where she was taken.

“We tried to save the American citizen, we tried to revive the heart for several stages, but unfortunately, we did not succeed in restoring the heart to function,” Naffa told The AP, adding that she had severe bone fragmentation and damage to brain tissue.

Palestinian officials said the killing reflected how Israel has intensified its repression of Palestinian protests in the territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces rarely use live ammunition to put down protests inside Israel. But in the West Bank, Palestinian demonstrations are frequently met with live fire.

Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghals wrote on X that the “Israeli occupation wanted to kill for the sake of killing."

“A war of extermination in Gaza and a war in the West Bank that eats everything green,” he wrote. “It does not spare a child or any nationality.”

Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, wrote on X that the killing marked “another crime added to the series of crimes committed daily by the occupation forces."

Settlements are overwhelmingly viewed by the international community as illegal under international law.

The settlement of Evyatar was initially an outpost unrecognized under Israeli law but was legalized by the Israeli cabinet last month, in a move the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said was in response to recognition of Palestinian statehood by a number of countries.

Israeli fire has killed over 690 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, Palestinian health officials say. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis in the territory have also increased.

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — Israeli soldiers killed an American woman participating in an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank on Friday, another protester who witnessed the shooting told The Associated Press. Two doctors said she was shot in the head.U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the death of the 26-year-old woman but did not say whether she had been shot by Israeli troops. He said the U.S. was gathering more information about the circumstances of her death and would have “more to say.”He and the doctors who treated her released the woman's name, but the activist organization she was volunteering with, the International Solidarity Movement, said her family had asked she not be identified.The Israeli military said it was looking into reports that troops had killed a foreign national while firing at an “instigator of violent activity” in the area of the protest.The woman who was fatally shot was attending a weekly demonstration against settlement expansion, protests that have grown violent in the past: A month ago, American citizen Amado Sison was shot in the leg by Israeli forces, he said, as he tried to flee tear gas and live fire.Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli who was also participating in the protest, said the shooting occurred shortly after dozens of Palestinians and international activists held a communal prayer on a hillside outside the northern West Bank town of Beita overlooking the Israeli settlement of Evyatar.Soldiers surrounded the prayer, and clashes soon broke out, with Palestinians throwing stones and troops firing tear gas and live ammunition, Pollak said.The protesters and activists, including Pollak and the woman, retreated from the hill and the clashes subdued, he said. He then watched as two soldiers standing on the roof of a nearby home trained a gun in the group’s direction and shot at them. He saw the flares leave the nozzle of the gun when the shots rang out. He said the woman was about 10 or 15 meters (yards) behind him when the shots were fired.He then saw her “lying on the ground, next to an olive tree, bleeding to death,” he said.Two doctors said she had been shot in the head — Dr. Ward Basalat, who administered first aid at the scene and Dr. Fouad Naffa, director of Rafidia Hospital in the nearby city of Nablus where she was taken.“We tried to save the American citizen, we tried to revive the heart for several stages, but unfortunately, we did not succeed in restoring the heart to function,” Naffa told The AP, adding that she had severe bone fragmentation and damage to brain tissue.Palestinian officials said the killing reflected how Israel has intensified its repression of Palestinian protests in the territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces rarely use live ammunition to put down protests inside Israel. But in the West Bank, Palestinian demonstrations are frequently met with live fire.Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghals wrote on X that the “Israeli occupation wanted to kill for the sake of killing."“A war of extermination in Gaza and a war in the West Bank that eats everything green,” he wrote. “It does not spare a child or any nationality.”Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, wrote on X that the killing marked “another crime added to the series of crimes committed daily by the occupation forces."Settlements are overwhelmingly viewed by the international community as illegal under international law.The settlement of Evyatar was initially an outpost unrecognized under Israeli law but was legalized by the Israeli cabinet last month, in a move the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said was in response to recognition of Palestinian statehood by a number of countries.Israeli fire has killed over 690 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, Palestinian health officials say. In that time, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis in the territory have also increased.