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

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, accusing the app’s creators of harming teenagers.

He said the company designed the social media platform “with manipulative features that prey on the mental health of our children.” He said Snapchat has been marketed as safe for teens.

He added:&nbsp;“They have prioritized profit over safety, and our lawsuit holds them accountable for the devastating harm caused to Kansas families.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24644&amp;t=638942182987324433" target="_blank">40-page lawsuit</a>, filed in Washington County on Kansas’ northern border, contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app to build its case.

It alleges Snap violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Those violations are based on the app’s age rating in app stores, around 12 years old and up, and app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references.

“In reality, content in all of those categories appears frequently and is intense on Snapchat,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee, who died in 2021of fentanyl poisoning after reportedly purchasing from a drug dealer on Snapchat.

“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale,” the lawsuit said. “Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”

That was the only mention of Washington County residents, of whom there are around 5,500, in the lawsuit.&nbsp;

A Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of users is a top priority. The company didn’t directly address the lawsuit but said it has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception.

“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us,” the statement said. “This is why we continually adapt our strategies to fight against bad actors, who change their tactics to exploit online platforms for their nefarious ends, and this will remain a crucial part of our efforts to help keep Snapchatters safe.”

For the past three years, the company has commissioned research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries, including the United States, on online platforms.

The 2024 surveys asked more than 9,000 people — around 3,000 teens, 3,000 young adults ages 18-24 and 3,000 parents of teenage children — about online risks, digital wellbeing, defense against online threats and sextortion.

The survey found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024. Misinformation, hate speech and bullying, sexual risks, threats of violence, impersonation, extremist content and self-harm were all perceived as more prevalent than in previous years.

Of the Gen Z teens and young adults surveyed, 80% reported experiencing some online risk, a two percentage point increase from 2023. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents said they had some interaction with intimate or sexual imagery.

Of those, 39% received such imagery, 35% were asked for imagery of themselves and 17% shared or distributed content depicting someone else.

Joseph Sciarrotta, the attorney general’s chief deputy who was hired last month, said the office investigated Snap, finding its features “are intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.”

“From Snapstreaks that create immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points, the platform is a digital trap for children,” Sciarrotta said. “This action alleges that the company made deceptive and misleading claims about safety and parental controls that have contributed to an unacceptable mental health crisis among our youth.”

The lawsuit asks for a judge to find Snap in violation of state law, prohibit the company from continuing the violations and force Snap to pay fines, fees and court costs. The attorney general’s office enlisted Washington, D.C.-based firm Cooper and Kirk to help argue its case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758745585926.png" alt="Snapchat logo" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat logo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Snap Inc., the parent company of social media platform Snapchat, accusing the app’s creators of harming teenagers.He said the company designed the social media platform “with manipulative features that prey on the mental health of our children.” He said Snapchat has been marketed as safe for teens.“We allege it is not,” Kobach said.He added:&nbsp;“They have prioritized profit over safety, and our lawsuit holds them accountable for the devastating harm caused to Kansas families.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=24644&amp;t=638942182987324433" target="_blank">40-page lawsuit</a>, filed in Washington County on Kansas’ northern border, contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app to build its case.It alleges Snap violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Those violations are based on the app’s age rating in app stores, around 12 years old and up, and app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references.“In reality, content in all of those categories appears frequently and is intense on Snapchat,” the lawsuit reads.The lawsuit references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee, who died in 2021of fentanyl poisoning after reportedly purchasing from a drug dealer on Snapchat.“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale,” the lawsuit said. “Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”That was the only mention of Washington County residents, of whom there are around 5,500, in the lawsuit.&nbsp;A Snap spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of users is a top priority. The company didn’t directly address the lawsuit but said it has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception.“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us,” the statement said. “This is why we continually adapt our strategies to fight against bad actors, who change their tactics to exploit online platforms for their nefarious ends, and this will remain a crucial part of our efforts to help keep Snapchatters safe.”For the past three years, the company has commissioned research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries, including the United States, on online platforms.The 2024 surveys asked more than 9,000 people — around 3,000 teens, 3,000 young adults ages 18-24 and 3,000 parents of teenage children — about online risks, digital wellbeing, defense against online threats and sextortion.The survey found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024. Misinformation, hate speech and bullying, sexual risks, threats of violence, impersonation, extremist content and self-harm were all perceived as more prevalent than in previous years.Of the Gen Z teens and young adults surveyed, 80% reported experiencing some online risk, a two percentage point increase from 2023. Forty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents said they had some interaction with intimate or sexual imagery.Of those, 39% received such imagery, 35% were asked for imagery of themselves and 17% shared or distributed content depicting someone else.Joseph Sciarrotta, the attorney general’s chief deputy who was hired last month, said the office investigated Snap, finding its features “are intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.”“From Snapstreaks that create immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points, the platform is a digital trap for children,” Sciarrotta said. “This action alleges that the company made deceptive and misleading claims about safety and parental controls that have contributed to an unacceptable mental health crisis among our youth.”The lawsuit asks for a judge to find Snap in violation of state law, prohibit the company from continuing the violations and force Snap to pay fines, fees and court costs. The attorney general’s office enlisted Washington, D.C.-based firm Cooper and Kirk to help argue its case.

Kan. sues social media app Snapchat for harming teenagers’ mental health

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.

On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.

The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.

Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.

Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.

Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758722708367.png" alt="The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The drive through at Solomon State bank in Salina -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement are searching for suspects who committed bank crimes in Salina.On Monday, employees from Solomon State Bank, 605 E. Magnolia in Salina, reported that unknown suspect(s) gained access to their ATM and removed the hard drive from it, according to a statement from Salina Police.The suspect(s) allegedly stole the hard drive valued at $1,500 for the purpose of attempting to download malware onto it for "jackpotting" attacks, which would force&nbsp;the machine to dispense large amounts of cash.Before the crime, there was a report on Sunday, September 21st about a&nbsp;black Honda Fit&nbsp;that was in the area of the 600 block of E. Magnolia. A witness stated there were&nbsp;two men, wearing masks&nbsp;and taking pictures of the area.Later that same day, another report stated there were 'several people messing with an ATM' at the Bank of the Plains on the 1900 block of S. Ohio. Afterwards, these suspects drove to Exchange Bank, 1720 S. Ohio Street.Police have not reported exactly what the suspects committed at Exchange Bank.

Police: Suspects took hard drive from bank ATM in central Kansas

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

Just before 8:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.

The man&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates the victim was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. 

Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;Officer Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 8:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the intersection of Gardiner and N. Chouteau Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri on a reported shooting, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.When officers arrived to the scene, they located a vehicle that had been stopped near the intersection with an unresponsive driver inside. Upon further evaluation, officers determined the individual was suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma, and immediately began rendering medical aid until EMS personnel responded.The man&nbsp; was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries where he was subsequently pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates the victim was inside of the vehicle when he was struck by gunfire. It is undetermined at this time if the suspect was an individual inside of another vehicle, or traveling on foot. Police do not currently have a person of interest identified and there is not anyone in police custody.Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements. This incident is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;Officer Gonzalez.

Homicide: Shooting victim found in vehicle on Kansas City street

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump on Monday promoted ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., an OB/GYN, who delivered more than 5,000 babies, according to his online bio, responded to the White House action plan.

"Autism rates in America are alarming: 1 in 31 children now, up 5x since 2000. It’s about time we launched an NIH Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) to dig deep into causes and solutions." Marshall wrote on social media.

" I’m extremely grateful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for prioritizing this issue. The announcement revealed that Vitamin B9 (folate) shows promise in helping some autism cases per studies.

Some research links CHRONIC acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to increased autism risk."&nbsp;

"While evidence is inconclusive, for all medications, use the shortest duration and minimal dose necessary. Ask your doctor."

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump on Monday promoted ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., an OB/GYN, who delivered more than 5,000 babies, according to his online bio, responded to the White House action plan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> announce the Autism Action Plan. Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/1inEvIecYU">pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970238866394099891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"Autism rates in America are alarming: 1 in 31 children now, up 5x since 2000. It’s about time we launched an NIH Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI) to dig deep into causes and solutions." Marshall wrote on social media." I’m extremely grateful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for prioritizing this issue. The announcement revealed that Vitamin B9 (folate) shows promise in helping some autism cases per studies.

Some research links CHRONIC acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy to increased autism risk."&nbsp;"While evidence is inconclusive, for all medications, use the shortest duration and minimal dose necessary. Ask your doctor." <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy, can be associated with an increased risk of autism: &quot;They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically… <a href="https://t.co/79tNwDW6Ly">pic.twitter.com/79tNwDW6Ly</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231115194757454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kansas U.S. Senator responds to President Trump's autism announcement

KANSAS CITY —Fire crews had to overcome a hydrant issue while fighting an apartment fire in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Just after 8:30a.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3200 Block of St. John Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews reported heavy smoke and fire showing from a three-story occupied apartment building.&nbsp; Heavy fire was located on both the second and third floors. Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported during this operation. On arrival the first hydrant that was secured was found to be inoperable. A second water source was secured in front of the structure on Indiana. 

Fortunately the inoperable hydrant did not hinder operations. It will be reported to the water department for maintenance. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758655949121.png" alt="Photos KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Fire crews had to overcome a hydrant issue while fighting an apartment fire in Kansas City on Tuesday.Just after 8:30a.m., crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3200 Block of St. John Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758655930737.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews reported heavy smoke and fire showing from a three-story occupied apartment building.&nbsp; Heavy fire was located on both the second and third floors. Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported during this operation. On arrival the first hydrant that was secured was found to be inoperable. A second water source was secured in front of the structure on Indiana. Fortunately the inoperable hydrant did not hinder operations. It will be reported to the water department for maintenance. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp;

Hydrant did not work as crews began fight on KC apartment fire

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 19 defendants and over $1.8 million worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the United State's Attorney.

Dontrell A. Powell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 32 and a half years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Powell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2025.

According to court documents, an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization began on Jan. 17, 2024, when a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol searched a vehicle on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Ok. The Trooper found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of a Dodge Magnum. The approximate street value of the drugs was $1,850,000.

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration removed the fentanyl pills from the Dodge Magnum and replaced most of the methamphetamine with sham methamphetamine before conducting a controlled delivery of the vehicle the next morning.

On Jan. 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 28, also of Springfield, Mo., arrived at the parking lot in a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLE, which was registered to Dontrell. Dontrell Powell signed for the Dodge Magnum, which had been shipped from California to Missouri under a false name, and drove it out of the parking lot. Agents followed the Powell brothers and two codefendants to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were all arrested.

When agents searched Dontrell Powell’s residence they found an Anderson Manufacturing multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol, two Glock carrying cases, three high-capacity Glock magazines, including a drum-style magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition, several types of ammunition, and approximately $140,000. Agents also located four more large subwoofer boxes at the residence and a loaded Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the glove box of Dontrell Powell’s Mercedes.

Dontrell Powell is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. His brother, Dreshawn Powell, was sentenced on July 21, 2025, to 190 months in federal prison without parole for one count of aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707704062964.png" alt="Dontrell Powell photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Dontrell Powell photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving 19 defendants and over $1.8 million worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the United State's Attorney.Dontrell A. Powell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 32 and a half years in federal prison without parole for one count each of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Powell pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2025.According to court documents, an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization began on Jan. 17, 2024, when a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol searched a vehicle on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Ok. The Trooper found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of a Dodge Magnum. The approximate street value of the drugs was $1,850,000.Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration removed the fentanyl pills from the Dodge Magnum and replaced most of the methamphetamine with sham methamphetamine before conducting a controlled delivery of the vehicle the next morning.On Jan. 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 28, also of Springfield, Mo., arrived at the parking lot in a 2018 Mercedes Benz GLE, which was registered to Dontrell. Dontrell Powell signed for the Dodge Magnum, which had been shipped from California to Missouri under a false name, and drove it out of the parking lot. Agents followed the Powell brothers and two codefendants to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were all arrested.When agents searched Dontrell Powell’s residence they found an Anderson Manufacturing multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol, two Glock carrying cases, three high-capacity Glock magazines, including a drum-style magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition, several types of ammunition, and approximately $140,000. Agents also located four more large subwoofer boxes at the residence and a loaded Glock, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the glove box of Dontrell Powell’s Mercedes.Dontrell Powell is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. His brother, Dreshawn Powell, was sentenced on July 21, 2025, to 190 months in federal prison without parole for one count of aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Mo. man going to. prison for $1.8 million fentanyl, meth conspiracy

HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.

At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. 

He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.

The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758646833807.png" alt="Cole photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Cole photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY – On September 19, 2025, Trevon Cole, 20, of Salina,&nbsp; entered a guilty plea in Harvey County District Court to one count of Rape, according to the Harvey County District Attorney's office.At the time of the offense, Cole was a student at Bethel College and the crime occurred in the dorms located on the Bethel College campus.Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Chief Judge Marilyn Wilder on December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Cole remains out of custody on bond pending sentencing. He faces a potential prison sentence of 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.The successful prosecution of this case was made possible with the dedicated assistance of the North Newton Police Department.

Former student admits to sex crime in Kan. college dorm

&nbsp;President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;criticized the United Nations during a speech before the general assembly on Tuesday in New York.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758638236501.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;criticized the United Nations during a speech before the general assembly on Tuesday in New York.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Watch in full: President Donald J. Trump&#39;s address to the 80th session of the United Nations Generally Assembly <a href="https://t.co/sJKI6GPkyk">pic.twitter.com/sJKI6GPkyk</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970525758855536854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UaxUrM2zCG">pic.twitter.com/UaxUrM2zCG</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970513791168208929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Trump issues warning to Europe in UN General Assembly speech

Centene subsidiary Ambetter from Home State Health failed to meet Affordable Care Act requirements for medical care spending. The refunds to Missourians will be more than all insurers paid out nationally rebates in 2023

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

Missouri’s biggest individual insurer must rebate almost $90 million to policyholders because it spent too little on care and too much on administration.

Ambetter from Home State Health, a subsidiary of<a href="https://www.centene.com/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Clayton-based Centene Corporation</a>, is mailing checks totaling $87.5 million to customers in Missouri because it violated the<a href="https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/medical-loss-ratio" target="_blank">&nbsp;Medical Loss Ratio</a>&nbsp;requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Letters dated Sept. 10 notifying policyholders of the rebates — equal to more than one month’s premium for each — began arriving in mailboxes over the weekend.&nbsp;

One of Ambetter’s competitors, United Healthcare, is also making rebates to Missouri customers. In a Sept. 5 news release,<a href="https://www.uhc.com/agents-brokers/employer-sponsored-plans/news-strategies/uhc-will-begin-mailing-mlr-premium-rebate-checks-impacted-groups-september" target="_blank">&nbsp;United Healthcare</a>&nbsp;stated that it will rebate $192.2 million nationally for group market plans offered in 31 states and $167.1 million for individual insurance market plans offered in 19 states.&nbsp;

Missourians in both United Healthcare markets will be eligible for rebates but the material supplied by the company did not show the amounts.

The rebates from Ambetter are among the largest for individual insurance companies operating in the Missouri marketplace since the Affordable Care Act began requiring them in 2012. Over 12 years, insurers have rebated $587.1 million to Missouri policyholders, with the most being $192.7 million in 2019.

“This is a standard and required process under the Affordable Care Act that ensures health plans return a portion of premiums to members if spending on medical care falls below federal thresholds,” a prepared statement from Centene stated.

Every year insurers must report their revenue from premiums and spending on health care and activities intended to improve care, such as smoking cessation or other programs. That is compared to the amount spent on administration.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluates the reports and determines the rebate amounts. The data is examined on a three-year rolling basis and Ambetter’s rebates are for the years 2022-2024.

During 2023, CMS directed companies to<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2023-rebates-state.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;rebate $957 million nationally</a>. A report summarizing rebates for 2024 is not yet available.

Each insurer must spend 80% of total premiums — and 85% of money from premium increases — on health care.

During that period, of premiums paid for individual policies, Ambetter told policyholders in the letter that it spent only 71.4% of the approximately $1 billion received in premiums in 2024. Ambetter must refund the 8.6% difference.

Ambetter is the largest individual insurance provider in the state, according to<a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/state-indicator/market-share-and-enrollment-of-largest-three-insurers-individual-market/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">&nbsp;data from KFF</a>, a health policy news and analysis organization. Ambetter covers about 46% of the 270,275 people buying individual plans. Elevance, formerly Anthem, is the second largest, with 28% of the market, followed by United Healthcare, with about 7%.

Along with the rebate checks, customers buying plans from Ambetter will likely see some of the smallest premium increases in the state in the coming year. According to an Aug. 1 news release from the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, Ambetter is seeking an<a href="https://insurance.mo.gov/sites/insurance/files/2025-08/Proposed%20Rates%20for%202026%20Plans.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;average premium increase</a>&nbsp;of 1.9% starting Jan. 1.

Seven of the eight other companies offering plans in all or part of the state are proposing increases averaging from 4.6% to 29.2%. One, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, has said it will cut rates by an average of 4.2%.

“Missourians should expect to see premium increases for many of the individual market plans as well as changes to coverage areas and networks,” the department said in the news release.

The final premium rates for all companies will be announced by Oct. 31.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758652787816.png" alt=" Centene Corp. headquarters in Clayton (photo from Google Maps)." />
 <figcaption> Centene Corp. headquarters in Clayton (photo from Google Maps).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Centene subsidiary Ambetter from Home State Health failed to meet Affordable Care Act requirements for medical care spending. The refunds to Missourians will be more than all insurers paid out nationally rebates in 2023</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s biggest individual insurer must rebate almost $90 million to policyholders because it spent too little on care and too much on administration.Ambetter from Home State Health, a subsidiary of<a href="https://www.centene.com/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Clayton-based Centene Corporation</a>, is mailing checks totaling $87.5 million to customers in Missouri because it violated the<a href="https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/medical-loss-ratio" target="_blank">&nbsp;Medical Loss Ratio</a>&nbsp;requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Letters dated Sept. 10 notifying policyholders of the rebates — equal to more than one month’s premium for each — began arriving in mailboxes over the weekend.&nbsp;One of Ambetter’s competitors, United Healthcare, is also making rebates to Missouri customers. In a Sept. 5 news release,<a href="https://www.uhc.com/agents-brokers/employer-sponsored-plans/news-strategies/uhc-will-begin-mailing-mlr-premium-rebate-checks-impacted-groups-september" target="_blank">&nbsp;United Healthcare</a>&nbsp;stated that it will rebate $192.2 million nationally for group market plans offered in 31 states and $167.1 million for individual insurance market plans offered in 19 states.&nbsp;Missourians in both United Healthcare markets will be eligible for rebates but the material supplied by the company did not show the amounts.The rebates from Ambetter are among the largest for individual insurance companies operating in the Missouri marketplace since the Affordable Care Act began requiring them in 2012. Over 12 years, insurers have rebated $587.1 million to Missouri policyholders, with the most being $192.7 million in 2019.“This is a standard and required process under the Affordable Care Act that ensures health plans return a portion of premiums to members if spending on medical care falls below federal thresholds,” a prepared statement from Centene stated.Every year insurers must report their revenue from premiums and spending on health care and activities intended to improve care, such as smoking cessation or other programs. That is compared to the amount spent on administration.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluates the reports and determines the rebate amounts. The data is examined on a three-year rolling basis and Ambetter’s rebates are for the years 2022-2024.During 2023, CMS directed companies to<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2023-rebates-state.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;rebate $957 million nationally</a>. A report summarizing rebates for 2024 is not yet available.Each insurer must spend 80% of total premiums — and 85% of money from premium increases — on health care.During that period, of premiums paid for individual policies, Ambetter told policyholders in the letter that it spent only 71.4% of the approximately $1 billion received in premiums in 2024. Ambetter must refund the 8.6% difference.Ambetter is the largest individual insurance provider in the state, according to<a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/state-indicator/market-share-and-enrollment-of-largest-three-insurers-individual-market/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">&nbsp;data from KFF</a>, a health policy news and analysis organization. Ambetter covers about 46% of the 270,275 people buying individual plans. Elevance, formerly Anthem, is the second largest, with 28% of the market, followed by United Healthcare, with about 7%.Along with the rebate checks, customers buying plans from Ambetter will likely see some of the smallest premium increases in the state in the coming year. According to an Aug. 1 news release from the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, Ambetter is seeking an<a href="https://insurance.mo.gov/sites/insurance/files/2025-08/Proposed%20Rates%20for%202026%20Plans.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;average premium increase</a>&nbsp;of 1.9% starting Jan. 1.Seven of the eight other companies offering plans in all or part of the state are proposing increases averaging from 4.6% to 29.2%. One, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, has said it will cut rates by an average of 4.2%.“Missourians should expect to see premium increases for many of the individual market plans as well as changes to coverage areas and networks,” the department said in the news release.The final premium rates for all companies will be announced by Oct. 31.

Federal rules force customer rebates for Missouri’s biggest health insurer 

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; 

A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Donald Trump returned to the United Nations to deliver a speech on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: &quot;Bad escalator&quot; President Trump referred to during his address to the U.N. General Assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA80</a> <a href="https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l">https://t.co/S1w9kUOq1l</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ja1JRyfF7m">pic.twitter.com/Ja1JRyfF7m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970544863130399037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NOW - Escalator at UN headquarters immediately stops as Trump and Melania step on it shortly after arriving. <a href="https://t.co/8nlUkDoQxm">pic.twitter.com/8nlUkDoQxm</a>&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1970488216470859859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As the President and the first lady arrived, they encountered challenges. First, the building's escalator stopped working just they stepped on it. They were forced to climb the steps.&nbsp; <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump begins <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly Address: &quot;I don&#39;t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working…Whoever&#39;s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/01t80AL9de">pic.twitter.com/01t80AL9de</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1970492091034734761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A few moments later, the teleprompter President Trump was going to use for his speech was not working. The President gave his speech without it, "that way you speak more from the heart," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;And he also said, "whoever is running the teleprompter is in big trouble.” The teleprompter did finally begin to work.&nbsp;"I ended seven wars and never even received a phone all from the UN. These are the two things I got from the UN, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter." Trump said.

President Trump handles technical problems with humor at UN

NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.

This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.

In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.

While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”

These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634316959.png" alt="Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Sim boxes-photo U.S. Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK –&nbsp;The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s protective operations, according to a media release from the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758637728470.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758634294809.png" alt="Photo Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City. Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network. The U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new section of the agency dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees, is conducting this investigation. This investigation is currently ongoing.The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners, provided valuable technical advice and assistance in support of this investigation.

Secret Service finds network of devices capable of crashing phone network

FRANKLIN COUNTY —A Kansas man is in custody after allegedly firing shots at deputies near his rural home.

Just before 7:30p.m. Sunday, the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center received a port alleging 54-year-old Lester Caleb of rural Ottawa was firing a gun on his property in The 1200 Block of K68-Highway, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.

A neighbor called to check on him and Caleb verbally threatened the caller.&nbsp; Law enforcement was contacted due to Caleb's behavior. As the first responding deputy arrived, he was shot at twice from the area of Caleb's property. Caleb was then observed walking across the driveway toward's his residence and the deputy lost sight of him. The deputy was not struck by the gunfire and not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At this point, officers from the Ottawa Police Special Tactics and Rescue Team, The Miami County Sheriff's Special Response Team and The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area. A KHP helicopter was also used to monitor the area along with drones from local agencies.Neighbors in close. proximity were evacuated.&nbsp; Law enforcement conducted a search and could not find Caleb and asked the public for help to locate him.

During the day on Monday, law enforcement finally reached Caleb by phone and began a conversation. After an hour of discussion, Caleb surrendered to Franklin County Deputies.&nbsp; He was booked into jail just afater 4:30p.m.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release possible charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758535054962.png" alt="Caleb photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Caleb photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —A Kansas man is in custody after allegedly firing shots at deputies near his rural home.Just before 7:30p.m. Sunday, the Franklin County Emergency Communications Center received a port alleging 54-year-old Lester Caleb of rural Ottawa was firing a gun on his property in The 1200 Block of K68-Highway, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.A neighbor called to check on him and Caleb verbally threatened the caller.&nbsp; Law enforcement was contacted due to Caleb's behavior. As the first responding deputy arrived, he was shot at twice from the area of Caleb's property. Caleb was then observed walking across the driveway toward's his residence and the deputy lost sight of him. The deputy was not struck by the gunfire and not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;At this point, officers from the Ottawa Police Special Tactics and Rescue Team, The Miami County Sheriff's Special Response Team and The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area. A KHP helicopter was also used to monitor the area along with drones from local agencies.Neighbors in close. proximity were evacuated.&nbsp; Law enforcement conducted a search and could not find Caleb and asked the public for help to locate him.During the day on Monday, law enforcement finally reached Caleb by phone and began a conversation. After an hour of discussion, Caleb surrendered to Franklin County Deputies.&nbsp; He was booked into jail just afater 4:30p.m.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release possible charges.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of firing gun at deputies is in custody

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat at KU Medical Center.

Just after 6:30p.m Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to assist K.U. Medical police officers on a bomb threat call, according to a media release.

K.U. officers advised KCKPD that an individual arrived to the entrance of the ER with what was told to police to be an explosive device.  KCKPD set a perimeter and the bomb unit of KCKPD was called to the scene. 

 The device was determined not to be explosive. There was no danger to the public. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a bomb threat at KU Medical Center.Just after 6:30p.m Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to assist K.U. Medical police officers on a bomb threat call, according to a media release.K.U. officers advised KCKPD that an individual arrived to the entrance of the ER with what was told to police to be an explosive device. KCKPD set a perimeter and the bomb unit of KCKPD was called to the scene. The device was determined not to be explosive. There was no danger to the public. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

Police investigate bomb threat at KU Medical Center

The vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;

The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.

In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:

Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:

While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.

Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a>

There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.

With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.

Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.

Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.

Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.

The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.

Coalition of Autism ScientistsThe vast majority of autism researchers understand that there is not a singular cause of autism. Our collective body of global research going back decades means that we have encyclopedic knowledge about the risks for autism, its possible causes, and the highly variable experience of autistic individuals. &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces FDA&#39;s new guidance alerting physicians to a potential link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. <a href="https://t.co/ZjVgEAR6MX">pic.twitter.com/ZjVgEAR6MX</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970268144569819420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The September 22 press conference held by U.S. Health and Human Services alarms us researchers who committed our entire careers to better understanding autism. The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/0FdBCOjtZk">pic.twitter.com/0FdBCOjtZk</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970247984106328147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In brief response to this report, <a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/members">the Coalition of Autism Scientists </a>makes the following points:Regarding a possible link between acetaminophen and autism:While a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/12-p9UShCUEOIYXv2znxa0aqkVuAlW2WK3T38wkoNTPgfKSx8WnvjIoTnqn05j82eTwnFO4qRQvfyvd056Wr8P4Vlm8GIHFKVQHGel7LOPtCJLNfJI9EIU7vrL6GibpF7n9sfqgI19H1VoN9hAWeYdLeyuMoBqjSYdNqdyHBVvnUJIv3YuKY5ptdZMUb8gQgRlFDz3dsRFH8XhC3EJBdTAFec4qFO9ywpwg28skFd07aPu5nPXsGbfUp4haQYLVw39r4w4kcTCLkW3pMw2MezeD8ih7YHQrRBeSGMBRKLZ_-RJv1dKo-UBUKG6PDZLMkw0-y1JKaSVDvDljRNpextllv8v2NiGDw-RwBIZLTmdSH09TSedfSa-qtxgWfHDINtQpxL_F2zHvJxRfawXgWmmvhvDcS-8UFTSGm3Dk3dsnCckVfAFE7xE90UBNOGTMXvlHGJCCDbYMr4FzQLvF2rpQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F40804730%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NRiSr_uM%24" target="_blank">summary analysis</a>&nbsp;found some evidence for a weak association, it does not evaluate the quality of the studies informing the analysis. Importantly, these studies fail to address the fact that fevers during pregnancy are known to increase risk for autism, and that’s why mothers take acetaminophen in the first place. Rather, the most recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1F-SP49beOizPL4WGm4SdputO84cITRjShoz9_K0m0WWU4EvEzee34XX1qNQWDuCpynga2ZOFdwTHCy3hWo33WVKUBBPgKXZmqoTfxm0nikIaS8p1c6tQOWOxF1hGG_vXQd2cTnxxz8s3nUwHT2a2VjHVdUXkp0xEJGg1WlETiE6G0orDiwTmftf6KTEybadFVVFq2igmfcxf2teI3v2sIHjbxoPFm9ZBLxv-RIRBqFuOBQmtivm-T8eWbk3MSOWUCUK7Ee249S5k8sBRV7s6JTSvAGs0LZCjqyimjy-p4LmEiu3ZGpFGaCcbqo0dQQZc4UwW4IhVMSCPSSQnw_vX8DlccbMZTQiD6maZBUSqohurPhf2xjA4nUBhuAz1nMpqcJuro-Uz3T9zSVWkh2mYGO9hXtDWrEWVA63CUBdKBQtXyHxybYbdiM516h9Jm3N1FZtnNmzQ7H8r9khuuN0KQQ/https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F38592388%2F__%3B%21%21BZ50a36bapWJ%21phJNivUOy1QcmpRhRfW5EkPBp-NTRftfdwl71wwXMMaSTNweKlOdlsJZvlbcFh-0bx189_kHfJ6DukAILqduukZ_FQ3NbyKdUAo%24" target="_blank">rigorous study</a>&nbsp;that controlled for unmeasured familiar risks found that acetaminophen did not cause autism.Given that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2817406" target="_blank">&nbsp;has not increased</a>&nbsp;(Ahlqvist VH, et al., Fig 2A in reference) over the past two decades alongside rates of autism, it’s clearly not the cause of the increased diagnoses of autism and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees.</a>Regarding folinic acid (leucovorin):There are only a handful of clinical trials of leucovorin and evidence connecting treatment to improvements in outcomes is very weak. (See references) All of them are very small, and the study designs and approaches to statistical analyses of the data are not all of high quality.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is premature to claim that leucovorin is an effective treatment for autism and add autism as a secondary indication. &nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coalitionofautismscientists.org/" target="_blank">Coalition of Autism Scientists</a>&nbsp;reviewed these studies and found that the researchers aren’t using high quality study designs or statistical analysis. Most of these studies test many outcomes, without statistically adjusting for the fact that they are doing so along the way. Some of them use statistics that are inappropriate for a randomized trial (e.g., showing that there is statistically significant change in the intervention group but not in the control group, without actually comparing the groups). Others attempt to conduct analyses separately for children that they say have a gene or antibody that would suggest that they have folate deficiency, meaning that they are conducting the analysis on even smaller groups.With this in mind, we do not support any recommendation from the HHS or FDA regarding increased use of folinic acid. Instead, we call for a well-designed, large scale clinical trial of leucovorin (folinic acid) with all of the rigor needed (biomarkers, proper endpoints) and most importantly a pre-registered analysis plan.Vaccines and Autism:Dozens of studies demonstrate the role vaccination plays to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. There is no evidence that routine vaccinations have any connection to autism at all.Secretary Kennedy is using his position to push forward his well-known anti-vaccination views, which does not align with Americans’ broad support of vaccines. Outbreaks and epidemics are inevitable if access to free, safe vaccines is reduced.Is HHS wants to speed up autism research, then investment in gold-standard, peer-reviewed research – that which was already in progress before the rulebook suddenly changed – must continue. Regarding the grants awarded as part of the Autism Data Science Initiative (ADSI), the Coalition of Autism Scientists calls for an independent external advisory board of autism scientists and community members to support the ADSI and analyze methodologies, which will facilitate earning the trust of researchers and the public.The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about the science that should inform our public understanding of autism and support autistic individuals and their families.References:<ul>
 <li>Prada D, Ritz B, Bauer AZ, Baccarelli AA. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. 2025 Aug 14;24(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12940-025-01208-0. PMID: 40804730; PMCID: PMC12351903.</li><li>Ahlqvist VH, Sjöqvist H, Dalman C, et al. Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. JAMA. 2024;331(14):1205–1214. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3172 (See figure 2A)</li><li>Zhang C, Chen Y, Hou F, Li Y, Wang W, Guo L, Zhang C, Li L, Lu C. Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Folinic Acid in Children with Autism: The Impact of Folate Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms. Nutrients. 2025 May 7;17(9):1602. doi: 10.3390/nu17091602. PMID: 40362912; PMCID: PMC12073535.</li><li>ACOG Response to Consensus Statement on Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy. 9-21-21.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2021/09/response-to-consensus-statement-on-paracetamol-use-during-pregnancy</a></li><li>Panda PK, Sharawat IK, Saha S, Gupta D, Palayullakandi A, Meena K. Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Pediatr. 2024 Nov;183(11):4827-4835. doi: 10.1007/s00431-024-05762-6. Epub 2024 Sep 7. PMID: 39243316.</li><li>Batebi N, Moghaddam HS, Hasanzadeh A, Fakour Y, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Folinic Acid as Adjunctive Therapy in Treatment of Inappropriate Speech in Children with Autism: A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Oct;52(5):928-938. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01072-8. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33029705.</li><li>Renard E, Leheup B, Guéant-Rodriguez RM, Oussalah A, Quadros EV, Guéant JL. Folinic acid improves the score of Autism in the EFFET placebo-controlled randomized trial. Biochimie. 2020 Jun;173:57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.04.019. Epub 2020 May 7. PMID: 32387472.</li><li>Frye RE, Slattery J, Delhey L, Furgerson B, Strickland T, Tippett M, Sailey A, Wynne R, Rose S, Melnyk S, Jill James S, Sequeira JM, Quadros EV. Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;23(2):247-256. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.168. Epub 2016 Oct 18. PMID: 27752075; PMCID: PMC5794882.</li>
 </ul>

Coalition of autism scientists oppose links between Tylenol and Autism; use of Leucovorin

MARIES COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Maries County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge 3500 driven by a 35-year-old Rolla man was southbound on U.S. 63 just south of Highway 68. The truck crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2000 Ford F150 driven by a 69-year-old Vichy man head-on.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A 65-year-old female passenger in the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the Ford driver to University Hospital in Columbia. The other driver was not injured. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage information. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

MARIES COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Maries County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge 3500 driven by a 35-year-old Rolla man was southbound on U.S. 63 just south of Highway 68. The truck crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2000 Ford F150 driven by a 69-year-old Vichy man head-on.&nbsp;&nbsp;A 65-year-old female passenger in the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported the Ford driver to University Hospital in Columbia. The other driver was not injured. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage information. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman dead, man injured after head-on crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after

Just afater 2p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Wabash in Topeka on a report of an individual pouring gasoline in an apartment, according to a media release.

Police evacuated the apartment complex, before entering the suspected unit. One individual, later identified from booking reports as 43-year-old Benjamin Gilbert Brown was taken into custody.

He is being held on requested charges of attempted aggravated arson, aggravated assault, and criminal threat.&nbsp; There were no injured reported&nbsp;and no fire was started. Topeka Fire investigators responded to assist police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758550182143.png" alt="Brown photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations afterJust afater 2p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Wabash in Topeka on a report of an individual pouring gasoline in an apartment, according to a media release.Police evacuated the apartment complex, before entering the suspected unit. One individual, later identified from booking reports as 43-year-old Benjamin Gilbert Brown was taken into custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758491992243.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>He is being held on requested charges of attempted aggravated arson, aggravated assault, and criminal threat.&nbsp; There were no injured reported&nbsp;and no fire was started. Topeka Fire investigators responded to assist police.

Police: Complex evacuated after Kan. man poured gas in apartment

Click below to watch the announcement<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump Makes an Announcement on Medical and Scientific Findings for America&#39;s Children <a href="https://t.co/aTq90Js06I">https://t.co/aTq90Js06I</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970228175528427672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Just a few decades ago, 1 in 10,000 children had autism... now, it is 1 in 31... Since 2000, autism rates have surged by much more than 400%. Instead of attacking those who ask questions, everyone should be grateful for those trying to get the answers...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uacGdsAARC">pic.twitter.com/uacGdsAARC</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970230022263972062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Since 2000, autism rates have surged by 400%. <a href="https://t.co/83eHOWdDRL">pic.twitter.com/83eHOWdDRL</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970229029400911992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOzCMS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOzCMS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> announce the Autism Action Plan. Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/1inEvIecYU">pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1970238866394099891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy, can be associated with an increased risk of autism: &quot;They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically… <a href="https://t.co/79tNwDW6Ly">pic.twitter.com/79tNwDW6Ly</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231115194757454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from Andrea Baccarelli, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: &quot;We found evidence of an association between exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S6ufM03qzj">pic.twitter.com/S6ufM03qzj</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1970231872715415784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Trump, RFK, Jr. link Tylenol with autism, announce action plan

A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;

Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer good

Meanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.

The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;

Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;

ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.

To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.

Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;

She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.

“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.

&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”

The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;

Representatives of ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations arm have repeatedly referred to the Glenn Valley case as a targeted, federal criminal investigation aimed at stopping the widespread use of stolen identifications by foreign-born workers to gain jobs.

“These so-called ‘honest workers’ have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans,” HSI’s Mark Zito has said. “If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”

Court documents track the Omaha raid&nbsp; —&nbsp;the largest immigration enforcement action in Nebraska since 2018 —&nbsp;back to a March subpoena that sought company employment records tying 107 of 177 employees to fraudulent IDs or documents that didn’t authorize them to work in the country.

At least one defrauded U.S. citizen already had lodged identity theft complaints with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. During the raid, agents questioned a worker whose job application matched the name of that complainant — leading to the arrest of Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia.

To date, available federal court records show Cabrera Mejia as the only Glenn Valley employee criminally charged for the alleged use of a stolen ID. Asked how that reconciled with “widespread” criminal activity alleged earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said ICE determines whether to pursue felony criminal charges.&nbsp;

With regard to the Glenn Valley probe, she said, ICE elected “overwhelmingly” to pursue administrative charges in immigration court, a venue and process independent of federal prosecutors.

ICE has said an administrative charge is often a more expedient option, a faster path to deportation. The raid came as federal agencies are under pressure from the Trump administration’s goal of making 3,000 related arrests per day and pursuing mass deportations.&nbsp;

In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen, backed by many legislative Republicans, has pledged resources to help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Among state offerings: turning the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into a Midwestern ICE detention center that federal officials dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink.”&nbsp;

That conversion plan requires the relocation of 186 state inmates elsewhere in a Nebraska correctional system already ranked as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Agencies/Inspector_General_of_the_Nebraska_Correctional_System/600_20250915-155923.pdf" target="_blank">the most crowded</a>&nbsp;in the country, when measured by operational capacity. The decision to offer ICE state assistance sparked protests at the Governor’s Mansion and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/12/conversion-of-mccook-facility-into-ice-detention-hub-draws-overflow-hearing-statewide-concerns/">four-hour public hearing</a>&nbsp;that drew dozens of opponent speakers and no proponents.

Scant details shared about the project is partly what Juarez said spurred her to make the trek west to the jail in North Platte and prison in McCook.&nbsp;

“This isn’t going away,” she said. “They’re amping up enforcement, and I really wanted to see and hear from these families for myself.”

On a day last week, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer accompanied Juarez into separate cell blocs for men and women. The Examiner was allowed as well.

Women set aside Bibles and art materials and huddled around the silver table where the lawmaker sat. An interpreter from a local advocacy group called Hope Esperanza helped bridge any language gaps.

Kramer praised the nonprofit’s founder, North Platte native TinaMaria Fernandez, for having eased stress that came with the sudden swell of inmates whose first language was different from that of his staff.&nbsp;

The arrival of the Glenn Valley group increased the jail population by about 50% at a time the facility was short-staffed, Kramer said. He said the federal government pays the county $74 a day for each ICE detainee and covers transportation and medical expenses.

“If I remember it right, they called to see if we could take them and said they’d be here in three hours,” Kramer said.&nbsp;

Juarez viewed as a positive sign the rapport between Hope Esperanza, Kramer and his team and detainees. She wondered out loud if McCook has a similar community organization able to assist in that town’s future ICE detention operation.

Fernandez said that while McCook is about an hour’s drive away, she didn’t see her team being able to provide similar humanitarian outreach at that facility, since the oversight would be federal versus local county officials.

Most of the women, in response to Juarez’s queries, said they hadn’t visited with family members face-to-face but had been able to communicate via video conferencing.&nbsp;

Jail staff have been respectful and responsive, several said. Another added: “It’s ugly. We’re locked up.”&nbsp;

Isabel Ponce, a 34-year-old mother of three kids who are with their father in Omaha, said anxiety was “pushing my limits.”&nbsp;

For some, legal relief has been grinding or nonexistent.

In Garibo Chona’s case, for example, an immigration judge ordered her removal from the country. She was torn about appealing and leaving her daughters but said the judge told her he would not change his mind if her case came before him six months later. She was removed from the country last week.

Solis Factor said she had a government-issued permit to work while awaiting a court hearing, so she at first was not concerned she’d be detained. But many immigration programs and rules have changed since Trump took office for the second time in January. And a judge ordered her removal.

“I want my children to stay and continue their education and learning English,” she said of her kids, ages 5 and 10.

Indeed, the swiftly-evolving immigration landscape has been playing out in an Omaha courtroom.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon at least nine times has rejected attempts by the federal government to deny the release of Glenn Valley workers on bonds already granted by an immigration court judge.

The three most recent cases were decided Sept. 11 and involved women who had met with Juarez. Among them was Yurenia Genchi Palma, a single mother of three U.S. citizen children who had been in the country more than 20 years.&nbsp;

Though an immigration judge in mid-July granted Genchi Palma’s release on a $7,000 bond, federal attorneys blocked it by filing an “automatic stay.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which represents her, called that a new practice driven by the “interim guidance” leaked in a July 8 internal memo from the Trump administration.&nbsp;

The new approach seeks to make nearly all detained immigrants facing removal proceedings ineligible for release on bond, with an aim of making more of them more likely to self deport, experts say.&nbsp;

ICE has said the changed direction “closes a loophole to our nation’s security” that the Biden administration and others had based on “inaccurate interpretation” of federal law. Such measures are needed, says Trump and other supporters of stepped-up immigration enforcement, to reverse past patterns.

Bataillon ruled the automatic stay provision and prolonged detention unconstitutional despite a Sept. 6 decision days before by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had affirmed the “interim guidance.”&nbsp;

As a federal court judge, Bataillon is not required to follow the decision of the BIA, an administrative body in the executive branch. He questioned the legal rationale behind the analysis but said that wasn’t his concern.&nbsp;

He said his ruling was based only on the lawfulness of the automatic stay.&nbsp;

Grant Friedman of ACLU Nebraska foresees continued legal challenges and noted that the ICE no-bond practice already is being challenged in a separate national class action lawsuit. He said ACLU and other advocates are on heightened alert.

“The immigration landscape is rapidly changing,” Friedman said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure people are being treated fairly, that they have their rights respected.”

Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, which has assisted many Glenn Valley workers, called the current landscape “absolute chaos.”

&nbsp;“We have a system that is punishing individuals we rely on in our workforce and who are just humans who deserve to live their life with freedom,” she said.

Juarez said dealing with immigration-related matters was not something she expected as a state officeholder. She’s the first Latina in the Nebraska Legislature and is serving her first year as a state lawmaker.

A Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, she recently clashed over immigration policy in an email exchange with former Nebraska governor and now U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and plans to urge the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation to push for immigration reform. She toured the&nbsp; McCook jail after leaving North Platte, and vows to monitor the conversion and amplify related budget discussions.&nbsp;

“There’s no doubt I’m going to stand up,” said Juarez. “My community expects that.”

ICE told the Examiner politicians should focus on encouraging their constituents to comply with federal law. It said all migrant detainees are treated humanely and given access to essential services and that any concerns regarding detainee care are taken seriously.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481465874.png" alt=" State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Nebraska lawmaker sheds tears, vows action after visiting jailed migrants in North Platte</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — After three months in ICE detention, legal fees mounting and no release in sight, Nuri Garibo Chona did what she called unimaginable. She left behind four daughters to return to the birthplace where she hadn’t lived for decades. The Omaha mom was here illegally. Her kids are all U.S. citizens, and younger ones now are in the care of her oldest daughter, who is 27.&nbsp;Another woman ensnared in the Glenn Valley Foods immigration raid in Omaha also was removed to Mexico last week without her two children, who remained in Omaha with their dad. On her way out, Leydy Solis Factor said she still was confused about why the work permit she got through proper channels was no longer goodMeanwhile, one of the men still held from the raid in the Lincoln County Jail has hired a local lawyer to replace an out-of-state firm and prays he hasn’t lost a shot at being released on bond. He has a wife and children in Omaha and fears for their safety if he is forced back to Guatemala.The number of Glenn Valley workers detained in this North Platte jail, which is paid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain migrants, has dwindled since the high-profile worksite raid executed June 10 by more than 80 federal and local agents.&nbsp;Shortly after the Nebraska Examiner visited the facility last week, Garibo Chona and Solis Factor were removed from the country, and three other women were released on bond, leaving six from the Glenn Valley raid among those in custody there.&nbsp;ICE officials did not provide specifics when asked this week for an update, but of the original group of roughly 80 arrested, a spokesperson previously said about a dozen were released early and 63 were sent to North Platte. Several of the detainees agreed to voluntarily deport themselves, and many have been released on bond as their lawyers build cases to prevent forced removal.To State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha, their journeys and circumstances have become even more relevant as the state prepares to repurpose a state prison into a&nbsp; 300-bed ICE detention center in McCook, a town of about 7,200 residents about an hour from North Platte.Last week she became the first state lawmaker to sit down with Glenn Valley detainees. The discussion ranged from medical, legal and interpreter services to how their children were faring. After meeting with men and women garbed in black and white stripes, Juarez stepped into a nearby hall and cried.&nbsp;She said she’s on a mission to ensure that federal ICE detainees in Nebraska have access to the same services offered to state inmates in state prisons.“It was really difficult to see the reality, the human faces,” said Juarez, whose South Omaha district includes the Glenn Valley plant and other meatpackers that traditionally have attracted immigrant workers.&nbsp;“These are people locked up away from family,” she said. “We have jailed innocent working people.”* * *&nbsp;The federal government has a different viewpoint.&nbsp;Representatives of ICE and its Homeland Security Investigations arm have repeatedly referred to the Glenn Valley case as a targeted, federal criminal investigation aimed at stopping the widespread use of stolen identifications by foreign-born workers to gain jobs.“These so-called ‘honest workers’ have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans,” HSI’s Mark Zito has said. “If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.”Court documents track the Omaha raid&nbsp; —&nbsp;the largest immigration enforcement action in Nebraska since 2018 —&nbsp;back to a March subpoena that sought company employment records tying 107 of 177 employees to fraudulent IDs or documents that didn’t authorize them to work in the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481173388.png" alt="A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)" />
 <figcaption>A worker gets apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods during the largest Nebraska immigration raid since President Donald Trump took office. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)</figcaption>
 </figure>At least one defrauded U.S. citizen already had lodged identity theft complaints with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. During the raid, agents questioned a worker whose job application matched the name of that complainant — leading to the arrest of Guadalupe Cabrera Mejia.To date, available federal court records show Cabrera Mejia as the only Glenn Valley employee criminally charged for the alleged use of a stolen ID. Asked how that reconciled with “widespread” criminal activity alleged earlier, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said ICE determines whether to pursue felony criminal charges.&nbsp;With regard to the Glenn Valley probe, she said, ICE elected “overwhelmingly” to pursue administrative charges in immigration court, a venue and process independent of federal prosecutors.ICE has said an administrative charge is often a more expedient option, a faster path to deportation. The raid came as federal agencies are under pressure from the Trump administration’s goal of making 3,000 related arrests per day and pursuing mass deportations.&nbsp;In Nebraska, Gov. Jim Pillen, backed by many legislative Republicans, has pledged resources to help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. Among state offerings: turning the McCook-based Work Ethic Camp into a Midwestern ICE detention center that federal officials dubbed the “Cornhusker Clink.”&nbsp;That conversion plan requires the relocation of 186 state inmates elsewhere in a Nebraska correctional system already ranked as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Agencies/Inspector_General_of_the_Nebraska_Correctional_System/600_20250915-155923.pdf" target="_blank">the most crowded</a>&nbsp;in the country, when measured by operational capacity. The decision to offer ICE state assistance sparked protests at the Governor’s Mansion and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/12/conversion-of-mccook-facility-into-ice-detention-hub-draws-overflow-hearing-statewide-concerns/">four-hour public hearing</a>&nbsp;that drew dozens of opponent speakers and no proponents.Scant details shared about the project is partly what Juarez said spurred her to make the trek west to the jail in North Platte and prison in McCook.&nbsp;“This isn’t going away,” she said. “They’re amping up enforcement, and I really wanted to see and hear from these families for myself.”* * *&nbsp;On a day last week, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer accompanied Juarez into separate cell blocs for men and women. The Examiner was allowed as well.Women set aside Bibles and art materials and huddled around the silver table where the lawmaker sat. An interpreter from a local advocacy group called Hope Esperanza helped bridge any language gaps.Kramer praised the nonprofit’s founder, North Platte native TinaMaria Fernandez, for having eased stress that came with the sudden swell of inmates whose first language was different from that of his staff.&nbsp;The arrival of the Glenn Valley group increased the jail population by about 50% at a time the facility was short-staffed, Kramer said. He said the federal government pays the county $74 a day for each ICE detainee and covers transportation and medical expenses.“If I remember it right, they called to see if we could take them and said they’d be here in three hours,” Kramer said.&nbsp;Juarez viewed as a positive sign the rapport between Hope Esperanza, Kramer and his team and detainees. She wondered out loud if McCook has a similar community organization able to assist in that town’s future ICE detention operation.Fernandez said that while McCook is about an hour’s drive away, she didn’t see her team being able to provide similar humanitarian outreach at that facility, since the oversight would be federal versus local county officials.Most of the women, in response to Juarez’s queries, said they hadn’t visited with family members face-to-face but had been able to communicate via video conferencing.&nbsp;Jail staff have been respectful and responsive, several said. Another added: “It’s ugly. We’re locked up.”&nbsp;Isabel Ponce, a 34-year-old mother of three kids who are with their father in Omaha, said anxiety was “pushing my limits.”&nbsp;For some, legal relief has been grinding or nonexistent.In Garibo Chona’s case, for example, an immigration judge ordered her removal from the country. She was torn about appealing and leaving her daughters but said the judge told her he would not change his mind if her case came before him six months later. She was removed from the country last week.Solis Factor said she had a government-issued permit to work while awaiting a court hearing, so she at first was not concerned she’d be detained. But many immigration programs and rules have changed since Trump took office for the second time in January. And a judge ordered her removal.“I want my children to stay and continue their education and learning English,” she said of her kids, ages 5 and 10.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758481326422.png" alt="State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Margo Juarez of South Omaha visits with Glenn Valley Foods workers who were detained during a June 10 immigration raid in Omaha and held in the Lincoln County Jail in North Platte. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Indeed, the swiftly-evolving immigration landscape has been playing out in an Omaha courtroom.U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon at least nine times has rejected attempts by the federal government to deny the release of Glenn Valley workers on bonds already granted by an immigration court judge.The three most recent cases were decided Sept. 11 and involved women who had met with Juarez. Among them was Yurenia Genchi Palma, a single mother of three U.S. citizen children who had been in the country more than 20 years.&nbsp;Though an immigration judge in mid-July granted Genchi Palma’s release on a $7,000 bond, federal attorneys blocked it by filing an “automatic stay.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which represents her, called that a new practice driven by the “interim guidance” leaked in a July 8 internal memo from the Trump administration.&nbsp;The new approach seeks to make nearly all detained immigrants facing removal proceedings ineligible for release on bond, with an aim of making more of them more likely to self deport, experts say.&nbsp;ICE has said the changed direction “closes a loophole to our nation’s security” that the Biden administration and others had based on “inaccurate interpretation” of federal law. Such measures are needed, says Trump and other supporters of stepped-up immigration enforcement, to reverse past patterns.Bataillon ruled the automatic stay provision and prolonged detention unconstitutional despite a Sept. 6 decision days before by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had affirmed the “interim guidance.”&nbsp;As a federal court judge, Bataillon is not required to follow the decision of the BIA, an administrative body in the executive branch. He questioned the legal rationale behind the analysis but said that wasn’t his concern.&nbsp;He said his ruling was based only on the lawfulness of the automatic stay.&nbsp;Grant Friedman of ACLU Nebraska foresees continued legal challenges and noted that the ICE no-bond practice already is being challenged in a separate national class action lawsuit. He said ACLU and other advocates are on heightened alert.“The immigration landscape is rapidly changing,” Friedman said. “We are doing everything we can to make sure people are being treated fairly, that they have their rights respected.”Anne Wurth, associate legal director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, which has assisted many Glenn Valley workers, called the current landscape “absolute chaos.”&nbsp;“We have a system that is punishing individuals we rely on in our workforce and who are just humans who deserve to live their life with freedom,” she said.* * *&nbsp;Juarez said dealing with immigration-related matters was not something she expected as a state officeholder. She’s the first Latina in the Nebraska Legislature and is serving her first year as a state lawmaker.A Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, she recently clashed over immigration policy in an email exchange with former Nebraska governor and now U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and plans to urge the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation to push for immigration reform. She toured the&nbsp; McCook jail after leaving North Platte, and vows to monitor the conversion and amplify related budget discussions.&nbsp;“There’s no doubt I’m going to stand up,” said Juarez. “My community expects that.”ICE told the Examiner politicians should focus on encouraging their constituents to comply with federal law. It said all migrant detainees are treated humanely and given access to essential services and that any concerns regarding detainee care are taken seriously.For Ramirez Jacinto, each day in detention brings worry. Is his daughter able to sleep yet? Are the house bills paid? Will his family in Omaha go with him if he’s deported? How will they escape the violence?“I’d like my family to stay, but who would work?” said Ramirez Jacinto. “I’m the worker.”