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.

White House: Israeli soldiers kill American woman during West Bank protest

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a 7-hour standoff at a Kansas home.

Just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Team which consisted of five deputies and one sergeant responded to a residence in the 8100 block of South Bernice in Haysville attempting to serve an arrest warrant for a 43-year-old Robert Cook and began conducting surveillance on the home, according to statement from Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Deputies conducted interviews and received information confirming that Cook was inside the home. At 2:55pm deputies requested the assistance of a K9 from the Haysville police department to assist with clearing the residence. 

After the K9 cleared the residence, a team of Deputies entered the residence and believed Cook was locked in a bedroom. A K9 from the Wichita Police Department responded and remained outside the residence for the duration of the incident.

A sergeant and two deputies exited the residence and prepared to deploy chemical munitions into the bedroom to end the barricade. At 3:48pm, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times.

Two deputies returned fire. One deputy fired three rounds from a rifle and another fired five rounds from a handgun. Neither Cook nor the involved deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

The combined Wichita Police and Sedgwick County SWAT team and Wichita Police negotiators were activated at 4:03pm.

At 4:41pm, police negotiators contacted Cook by phone. Throughout the ensuing seven-hour negotiation Cook made multiple statements that this was his “last stand” and that he would shoot at officers if they made entry into the home. 

At 9:01pm, after negotiations deteriorated and continued threats by Cook, chemical munitions were deployed into the residence and SWAT operators heard gunshots inside.

Following the deployment of chemical munitions, Cook resumed communication with negotiators, who remained focused on achieving a peaceful resolution. While operators were preparing to introduce a second round of chemical munitions, peacefully surrendered at 11:33pm.

Cook has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested chargers that include three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. 

This investigation is ongoing as detectives are currently serving a search warrant at the incident location to gather additional information. Cook’s charges may be updated as more information is gathered.

The Wichita Police Department does not typically release the names of arrested individuals until formal charges are filed. In this case, the suspect was arrested on an approved arrest warrant stemming from a charged case in Sedgwick County District Court. The warrant was for Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court stemming from an incident where&nbsp; Cook threatened to shoot bail bondsmen when they made an arrest attempt.

The facts of the incident that occurred Wednesday will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration by investigators from the Wichita Police Department ALERT team members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725569911182.png" alt="-During the standoff, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times. Image from police body camera image provided by Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>-During the standoff, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times. Image from police body camera image provided by Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a 7-hour standoff at a Kansas home.Just before 1:30p.m. Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Team which consisted of five deputies and one sergeant responded to a residence in the 8100 block of South Bernice in Haysville attempting to serve an arrest warrant for a 43-year-old Robert Cook and began conducting surveillance on the home, according to statement from Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725586579656.png" alt="Cook photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Cook photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies conducted interviews and received information confirming that Cook was inside the home. At 2:55pm deputies requested the assistance of a K9 from the Haysville police department to assist with clearing the residence. After the K9 cleared the residence, a team of Deputies entered the residence and believed Cook was locked in a bedroom. A K9 from the Wichita Police Department responded and remained outside the residence for the duration of the incident.A sergeant and two deputies exited the residence and prepared to deploy chemical munitions into the bedroom to end the barricade. At 3:48pm, a deputy broke out a bedroom window and Cook fired a gun at the deputies multiple times.Two deputies returned fire. One deputy fired three rounds from a rifle and another fired five rounds from a handgun. Neither Cook nor the involved deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.The combined Wichita Police and Sedgwick County SWAT team and Wichita Police negotiators were activated at 4:03pm.At 4:41pm, police negotiators contacted Cook by phone. Throughout the ensuing seven-hour negotiation Cook made multiple statements that this was his “last stand” and that he would shoot at officers if they made entry into the home. At 9:01pm, after negotiations deteriorated and continued threats by Cook, chemical munitions were deployed into the residence and SWAT operators heard gunshots inside.Following the deployment of chemical munitions, Cook resumed communication with negotiators, who remained focused on achieving a peaceful resolution. While operators were preparing to introduce a second round of chemical munitions, peacefully surrendered at 11:33pm.Cook has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested chargers that include three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. This investigation is ongoing as detectives are currently serving a search warrant at the incident location to gather additional information. Cook’s charges may be updated as more information is gathered.The Wichita Police Department does not typically release the names of arrested individuals until formal charges are filed. In this case, the suspect was arrested on an approved arrest warrant stemming from a charged case in Sedgwick County District Court. The warrant was for Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court stemming from an incident where&nbsp; Cook threatened to shoot bail bondsmen when they made an arrest attempt.The facts of the incident that occurred Wednesday will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration by investigators from the Wichita Police Department ALERT team members.

Gunfight with deputies during standoff at Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating child sex crimes and asking the public for additional information.

On September 3, the Kansas City Police Juvenile Section conducted an investigation into sexual crimes involving minors, which led to the&nbsp; requested charges of Attempted Child Kidnapping, Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child under 15 and Assault against 75-year-old Wesley McGlothlen, according to Kansas City Police.

McGlothen has lived in the Columbus Park area of Kansas City for a substantial amount of time.  The Juvenile Section is seeking public assistance in identifying any additional child victims of McGlothlen.&nbsp; He is in police custody.

If you have relevant information, please contact the Juvenile Section at 816-234-5150.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725563357410.png" alt="McGlothlen-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>McGlothlen-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating child sex crimes and asking the public for additional information.On September 3, the Kansas City Police Juvenile Section conducted an investigation into sexual crimes involving minors, which led to the&nbsp; requested charges of Attempted Child Kidnapping, Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child under 15 and Assault against 75-year-old Wesley McGlothlen, according to Kansas City Police.McGlothen has lived in the Columbus Park area of Kansas City for a substantial amount of time. The Juvenile Section is seeking public assistance in identifying any additional child victims of McGlothlen.&nbsp; He is in police custody.If you have relevant information, please contact the Juvenile Section at 816-234-5150.

KCPD searching for additional child victims after sexual misconduct arrest

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a July homicide have made an arrest.

Just after midnight July 20, police responded to a shooting in the 2900 block of Southwest Topeka Boulevard, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

&nbsp;Officers located a victim later identified as&nbsp; 31-year-old  Earon Cooper of Lawrence suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

On Wednesday, police reported the arrest of 21-year-old Silas Kriner of Baldwin City, Kansas. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery.

This incident is the Topeka Police Department’s 11th homicide investigation of 2024, according to Connell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725543878330.png" alt="Kriner photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kriner photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a July homicide have made an arrest.Just after midnight July 20, police responded to a shooting in the 2900 block of Southwest Topeka Boulevard, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.&nbsp;Officers located a victim later identified as&nbsp; 31-year-old Earon Cooper of Lawrence suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.On Wednesday, police reported the arrest of 21-year-old Silas Kriner of Baldwin City, Kansas. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery.This incident is the Topeka Police Department’s 11th homicide investigation of 2024, according to Connell.

Kansas man accused of murder during robbery in July

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — The father of the teenager accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-high-school-lockdown-3969d34cf6a7adc787facf21c469ef4d">opening fire at a Georgia high school</a>, killing four people and wounding nine, has been arrested on various charges including second-degree murder, authorities said Thursday.

Colin Gray, 54, the father of Colt Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a social media post. No other details were immediately provided, but a news conference was planned for later in the day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725622947526.png" alt="Colin Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Colin Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WINDER, Ga. (AP) — The father of the teenager accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-high-school-lockdown-3969d34cf6a7adc787facf21c469ef4d">opening fire at a Georgia high school</a>, killing four people and wounding nine, has been arrested on various charges including second-degree murder, authorities said Thursday.Colin Gray, 54, the father of Colt Gray, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a social media post. No other details were immediately provided, but a news conference was planned for later in the day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725585758159.png" alt="Colt Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff's office" />
 <figcaption>Colt Gray photo Barrow County Sheriff's office</figcaption>
 </figure>In Georgia, second-degree murder means that a person has caused the death of another person while committing second-degree cruelty to children, regardless of intent. It is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison, while malice murder and felony murder carry a minimum sentence of life.Authorities have charged 14-year-old Colt Gray as an adult with murder in the shootings Wednesday at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta. Arrest warrants obtained by the AP accuse him of using a semiautomatic assault-style rifle in the attack, which killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine other people.The teen denied threatening to carry out a school shooting when authorities interviewed him last year about a menacing post on social media, according to a sheriff’s report obtained Thursday.Conflicting evidence on the post's origin left investigators unable to arrest anyone, the report said. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum said she reviewed the report from May 2023 and found nothing that would have justified bringing charges at the time.“We did not drop the ball at all on this,” Mangum told The Associated Press in an interview. “We did all we could do with what we had at the time.”When a sheriff's investigator from neighboring Jackson County interviewed Gray last year, his father said the boy had struggled with his parents’ separation and often got picked on at school. The teen frequently fired guns and hunted with his father, who photographed him with a deer's blood on his cheeks.“He knows the seriousness of weapons and what they can do, and how to use them and not use them,” Colin Gray said according to a transcript obtained from the sheriff's office.The teen was interviewed after the sheriff received a tip from the FBI that Colt Gray, then 13, “had possibly threatened to shoot up a middle school tomorrow.” The threat was made on Discord, a social media platform popular with video gamers, according to the sheriff's office incident report.The FBI's tip pointed to a Discord account associated with an email address linked to Colt Gray, the report said. But the boy said “he would never say such a thing, even in a joking manner,” according to the investigator's report.The interview transcript quotes the teen as saying: “I promise I would never say something where ...” with the rest of that denial listed as inaudible.The investigator wrote that no arrests were made because of “inconsistent information” on the Discord account, which had profile information in Russian and a digital evidence trail indicating it had been accessed in different Georgia cities as well as Buffalo, New York.The attack was&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/mass-killings/index.html">the latest</a>&nbsp;among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/violence-ee24f46a30d2426089b83bb2897dce4e">Newtown, Connecticut</a>;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-gun-politics-school-boards-nikolas-cruz-44a0da3e406f0c487e5c0a6b0855ee2e">Parkland, Florida</a>; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde, Texas</a>. The classroom killings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to active-shooter drills. But there has been little change to national gun laws.Classes were canceled Thursday at the Georgia high school, though some people came to leave flowers around the flagpole and kneel in the grass with heads bowed.When the suspect slipped out of math class Wednesday, Lyela Sayarath figured her quiet classmate who recently transferred was skipping school again. But he returned later and wanted back into the room. Some students went to open the locked door but instead backed away.“I’m guessing they saw something, but for some reason, they didn’t open the door,” Sayarath said.The teen then opened fire in the hallway, authorities said.Sayarath said she heard a barrage of 10 to 15 gunshots. The students fell to the floor and crawled in search of a safe corner to hide.Two school resource officers confronted the shooter within minutes after the gunshots were reported, Hosey said. The teen immediately surrendered.Gray was being held Thursday at a regional youth detention facility. His first court appearance was scheduled for Friday morning.He has been charged in the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Christina Irimie, 53, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey.At least nine other people — eight students and one teacher at the school in Winder — were wounded and taken to hospitals. All were expected to survive, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said.Authorities have not offered any motive or explained how the suspect obtained the gun and got it into the school of roughly 1,900 students in a rapidly developing area on the edge of metro Atlanta’s ever-expanding sprawl.It was the 30th&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mass-killings-list-14a356281ba8da1d72931cd6f56c41ba">mass killing</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. so far this year, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/mass-killings/index.html">database</a>&nbsp;maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At least 127 people have died in those killings, which are defined as events in which four or more people die within a 24-hour period, not including the killer — the same definition used by the FBI.Prior cases have emerged in which someone who was once on the FBI's radar but was not arrested went on to commit violence.A month before Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at the Parkland, Florida, high school in 2018, the bureau received a warning that he had been talking about committing a mass shooting. The FBI also investigated a tip about the person later convicted in a deadly 2022 shooting at a gay nightclub in Colorado.The pattern underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in trying to determine when concerning behavior crosses into a crime. Investigators sift through tens of thousands of tips every year to try to determine which could yield a viable threat. Cases such as the Georgia school shooting prompt fresh questions about whether more intensive investigative work might have averted the violence.The sheriff's report says investigator Daniel Miller spoke to the boy and his father May 21, 2023. The father said his son had access to guns in the house.“I mean they aren't loaded, but they are down,” Gray's father said, according to the interview transcript.He described a photo on his cellphone from a recent hunting trip with his son: "You see him with blood on his cheeks from shooting his first deer.” Gray's father called it “the greatest day ever.”The teen told Miller he stopped using Discord a few months earlier after his account got hacked.“I gotta take you at your word and I hope you’re being honest with me,” Miller replied.A phone number associated with the account was linked to a different person in another Georgia city, the report said. The account's profile name, written in Russian, translated to Lanza. The investigator noted that Adam Lanza was the perpetrator of the 2012 mass shooting that killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.The sheriff’s office alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the teen. But the investigator concluded that he "could not substantiate the tip I received from the FBI to take further action.”