PRATT COUNTY—A Pratt man is in custody after a standoff Friday evening in which police said he barricaded himself inside a home and resisted arrest.

Just before 5p.m. September 19, officers responded&nbsp; to a reported disturbance in the 700 block of Champa Street, according to&nbsp;According to the Pratt Police Department. A woman caller identified Jacob Davis, 36, of Pratt, as the suspect and reported there was an active protection-from-abuse order against him.

Police said Davis left the scene in a tan Chevrolet Suburban. A short time later, officers received another report that a vehicle matching that description nearly struck another driver near Champa and Green Street.

By 6 p.m., the reporting party told officers that Davis had driven past her residence honking his horn, and minutes later alleged that he returned and threw mortar-style fireworks toward children in the area. No injuries were reported.

At 6:48 p.m., officers located Davis at his residence at 1002 Champa. Police said he refused commands, retreated into the house and barricaded himself inside after officers used pepper spray to deter two aggressive dogs.

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called to assist. After deploying chemical agents and clearing the home’s main floor and attic, officers discovered a crawl space with two tunnels. Davis was ultimately found there and taken into custody after resisting arrest, police said.

He was booked into the Pratt County Jail on requested charges of violating a protection order, assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement and stalking.

No officers or citizens were injured during the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758469619399.jpeg" alt="Photo Pratt County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Photo Pratt County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>PRATT COUNTY—A Pratt man is in custody after a standoff Friday evening in which police said he barricaded himself inside a home and resisted arrest.Just before 5p.m. September 19, officers responded&nbsp; to a reported disturbance in the 700 block of Champa Street, according to&nbsp;According to the Pratt Police Department. A woman caller identified Jacob Davis, 36, of Pratt, as the suspect and reported there was an active protection-from-abuse order against him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758498462693.png" alt="Davis photo Pratt Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Davis photo Pratt Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Police said Davis left the scene in a tan Chevrolet Suburban. A short time later, officers received another report that a vehicle matching that description nearly struck another driver near Champa and Green Street.By 6 p.m., the reporting party told officers that Davis had driven past her residence honking his horn, and minutes later alleged that he returned and threw mortar-style fireworks toward children in the area. No injuries were reported.At 6:48 p.m., officers located Davis at his residence at 1002 Champa. Police said he refused commands, retreated into the house and barricaded himself inside after officers used pepper spray to deter two aggressive dogs.The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was called to assist. After deploying chemical agents and clearing the home’s main floor and attic, officers discovered a crawl space with two tunnels. Davis was ultimately found there and taken into custody after resisting arrest, police said.He was booked into the Pratt County Jail on requested charges of violating a protection order, assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement and stalking.No officers or citizens were injured during the incident.

Assault suspect found hiding in crawl space of Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —A child was injured in an accident that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A black SUV was northbound on N. Jackson approaching East Windsor Street, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At the same time a boy&nbsp; under the age of 10 was riding a scooter on East Windsor. The child failed to stop at the stop sign causing a collision. 

EMS transported the child to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers. The accident remains under investigation.

KANSAS CITY —A child was injured in an accident that occurred just after 1p.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.A black SUV was northbound on N. Jackson approaching East Windsor Street, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At the same time a boy&nbsp; under the age of 10 was riding a scooter on East Windsor. The child failed to stop at the stop sign causing a collision. EMS transported the child to an area hospital for treatment of critical injuries, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The driver of the SUV remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers. The accident remains under investigation.

Child hospitalized in Kansas City after SUV, scooter crash 

These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.

By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.

The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.

“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”

Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.

That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.

Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.

Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.

Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.

The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.

He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.

“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”

The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.

Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.

“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.

Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.

“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”

The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.

But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.

The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.

Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.

In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.

“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”

And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.

“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.

In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.

DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.

“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”

The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.

In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.

In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.

“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”

But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.

Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.

Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.

Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.

“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.

The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.

During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.

“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.

In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.

An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.

He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.

New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.

In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.

“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757968749466.png" alt=" Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)" />
 <figcaption> Officials celebrated the launch of Maryland’s legal sports betting market at MGM National Harbor in December 2021 in Oxon Hill, Md. As many states legalize sports betting, officials are increasingly eyeing a certain type of wager known as a prop bet for increased regulation. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>These bets can center on an individual athlete or play, raising concerns about integrity, harassment and addiction.</h2>By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>As a bankruptcy attorney, New Jersey Assemblymember Dan Hutchison said he sees clients “all the time” whose betting on football and baseball quickly leads to missed car payments, delinquent mortgages and, ultimately, bankruptcy.The rise of live, in-game bets — in which a gambler could place more than 200 individual bets during a baseball game if they wager on each pitch thrown — has only amplified his misgivings.“And I’m like, are you kidding me? I mean, they’re betting on the next pitch, the next play, and it’s constant,” he said. “There’s no pause. It’s just not healthy.”Worried that those bets can worsen problem gambling and threaten the integrity of sports, Hutchison, a Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.assemblydems.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12727" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;to ban New Jersey gambling licensees from offering live bets on individual plays during sporting events.That bill illustrates growing state interest in regulating proposition bets, commonly called prop bets, a form of sports betting that is popular with fans but worrisome for sports leagues and state officials nationwide.Unlike wagering on which team will win or the point spread of a game,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2537514/2022/01/25/prop-bets-how-to-bet-a-prop-best-prop-bets/" target="_blank">prop bets</a>&nbsp;can center on the performance of an individual player or even a single play that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of a contest. Prop bets can include trivia, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/super-bowl-gatorade-color-odds-prop-bet/" target="_blank">color</a>&nbsp;of the Gatorade dumped over the Super Bowl’s winning coach, or specific stats, like how many touchdowns a certain quarterback will score during a game or which team will score first.Critics say prop bets are easier for athletes to manipulate than the outcome of an entire game. They also make individual players more susceptible to online harassment from gamblers and increase the frequency of betting, thus raising the risk of addiction.Ohio’s Republican governor has called for the nation’s first outright ban on prop betting on professional sports. Already, at least 15 states ban prop betting in collegiate sports, according to data maintained by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.The heightened focus on prop bets comes amid a rapid rise of legal sports gambling, which is operational in 38 states and the District of Columbia. (Missouri plans to launch its new voter-approved program this December.) While legal betting has boosted state revenues and reshaped sports fandom, Hutchison said bankruptcy attorneys across the country are getting a preview of the financial wreckage it can wreak.He said some clients are so distraught, he worries about potential suicides related to out-of-control gambling debts.“That’s the reality of what’s going on. But they don’t make it seem like that when they’re doing these commercials during the football games: It’s normal, everybody does it, if you don’t do it, you’re not enjoying yourself,” he said. “That’s the glamour side of it. I deal with the other side.”<h2>The industry’s rapid rise</h2>The liberalization of sports gambling was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling" target="_blank">decision</a>&nbsp;to strike down a federal law prohibiting gambling.Since then, legal gambling has transformed the fan experience and propelled sportsbooks into major industry players: Americans are expected to wager an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americangaming.org/aga-estimates-30-billion-in-legal-wagering-on-2025-nfl-season/" target="_blank">$30 billion</a>&nbsp;in legal sports betting on the NFL this season, according to the American Gaming Association. With so much money and energy flowing into gambling, academic researchers are increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2024/12/05/growth-of-sports-betting-may-be-linked-to-financial-woes-new-studies-find/">raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about the mental and financial consequences.“The speed at which gambling has been marketed and legalized in this country is way faster than guardrails have been set to protect consumers and to try to give resources for problem gambling,” said Stephen Shapiro, a University of South Carolina professor who researches sports gambling.Shapiro said a potential ban on prop betting in Ohio would prove a “big step” in gambling regulation. But he expects fierce opposition from the industry and consumers alike.“They’re very popular. They’re arguably as — if not more — popular than betting on just individual games,” he said. “ … So I think there’ll be some backlash, but I also think over the next few years … there’s going to be an appetite for setting guardrails.”The American Gaming Association, which represents casinos and sportsbooks, says that such restrictions would only drive gambling to illegal venues such as offshore betting platforms, where consumers have no protections.But some sports leagues are ready for more restrictions on prop bets.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6309803/2025/04/25/ncaa-sports-prop-bet-ban-licensing-agreement/" target="_blank">The NCAA</a>, the governing body for major college athletics, has been pushing federal and state leaders to ban prop betting in college sports.The organization says 1 in 3 high-profile college athletes has received abusive messages from gamblers — the majority directed toward basketball players during tournament season. Just 12 days after North Carolina legalized sports betting last year — including prop bets on players — the University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/5/17/media-center-sports-betting-culture-negatively-impacts-mental-health-ncaa-works-to-support-student-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;receiving more than a hundred abusive social media messages for not accumulating enough rebounds in a game.Women’s basketball student-athletes received about three times the number of threats as men’s basketball student-athletes, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA</a>.In a March awareness&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/3/18/media-center-don-t-be-a-loser-ncaa-launches-sports-betting-anti-harassment-video.aspx" target="_blank">campaign</a>, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the abuse threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the overall environment of college sports.“We need fans to do better,” he said in a statement at the time. “We need states to do better and ban player props that target student-athletes and enable detrimental abuse.”And professional teams have their own concerns. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45987377/nba-union-back-bet-limits-curb-manipulation-athlete-abuse" target="_blank">ESPN reported</a>&nbsp;the NBA and its players union supported further limits on certain prop bets. This summer, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he would like to see some limits on prop bets.“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/manfred-says-mlb-better-position-201627489.html" target="_blank">Yahoo Sports</a>.In late July, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-wants-to-ban-prop-bets-after-gambling-allegations-against-guardians-players/#:~:text=DeWine%20is%20calling%20on%20the,final%20outcome%20of%20the%20game." target="_blank">called on state regulators</a>&nbsp;to outright ban all prop bets — a request he asked the professional sports leagues to support.DeWine’s proposal followed the suspensions of Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are being investigated by MLB. A sports betting integrity firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/cleveland-guardians-luis-ortiz-emmanuel-clase-prop-betting-sports-rcna221850" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;flagged two specific pitches Ortiz threw in early June that coincided with a pair of prop bets.“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine said in a July&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-calls-on-casino-control-commission-to-remove-prop-bets-following-mlb-investigation-previous-player-threats" target="_blank">news release</a>. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly.”The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which regulates sports betting, did not answer Stateline’s questions about the governor’s request. On Aug. 13, the&nbsp;<a href="https://casinocontrol.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79/OCCC+Suspicious+Wagering+Investigation+Ongoing+Release+8-13-25.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CONVERT_TO=url&amp;CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_K9I401S01H7F40QBNJU3SO1F56-616d112b-3c71-4545-b469-e4c859269f79-pyADS1." target="_blank">agency said</a>&nbsp;its investigation into the suspicious betting on the Guardians was ongoing.In a statement responding to DeWine, the American Gaming Association said the Ohio incident is actually evidence that regulated gambling works: “It detects potential misconduct, it reports it, and it helps hold bad actors accountable,” said Joe Maloney, the association’s senior vice president of strategic communications.In an interview, Maloney said eliminating legal prop betting will only move that activity into unregulated markets with no transparency. He said prop bets are a reflection of sports fandom: Bettors like to wager on their favorite players notching touchdowns or 3-pointers.“It increases a fan’s engagement with the game they love, with the player they love. And so the idea that eliminating a legal betting market for someone really interested in increasing the level of engagement is going to prevent that activity, it’s just not the case,” Maloney said. “ … It simply will just move the activity into the shadows.”<h2>Leagues endorse some limits</h2>But the leagues are pushing for certain parts of the game to remain off-limits in legal betting markets.Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-mls.pdf" target="_blank">ban</a>&nbsp;wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty.Similarly, the state in February&nbsp;<a href="https://igb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/igb/documents/sports/1130-requests-orders/igb-sw-1130-order-nfl.pdf" target="_blank">banned prop bets&nbsp;</a>on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league.Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said.“The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.The NFL has pushed for similar rule changes in other states.During a late August news briefing on gambling, David Highhill, the league’s vice president for sports betting, said the NFL has consistently objected to certain bets that raise integrity risks and provide limited fan engagement. Those include bets about officiating or player injuries and bets that are controllable by a single player on a single play.“So things like ‘will this kicker miss a field goal’ are things that we’ve worked collaboratively across the board with operators to make sure those types of wagers are not offered,” he said.In New Jersey, Hutchison said he doesn’t want to ban all sports betting or even all prop bets. And he knows his bill targeting so-called micro bets — those live, play-by-play bets — will face opposition, both from the industry and sports gamblers.An avid sports fan himself, he said he doesn’t waste his money gambling on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles: “They don’t build all of those casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas because they pay out winners,” he said.He said he’s not looking to end legal sports betting, but does think New Jersey needs to instill consumer protections and have a meaningful policy conversation about the societal costs of gambling.New Jersey lawmakers are also considering a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://njleg.gov/bill-search/2024/S3080" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to ban player-specific prop bets on college sports.The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says it has experienced a nearly 300% increase in calls to its problem gambling hotline since the Garden State launched legal sports gambling in 2018.In a July statement, Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the nonprofit council, which contracts with the state on gambling addiction issues, urged lawmakers to approve the bill to ban live, in-game bets. The organization says those high-frequency bets can trigger instant dopamine releases in the brain’s reward system, fostering compulsive behaviors that can lead to addiction.“By limiting the proliferation of micro betting, this legislation takes an essential step toward protecting citizens from the harmful effects of reckless gambling practices,” Del Orbe’s statement said.Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.

Wagers on touchdowns, strikeouts and even penalties: States eye limits on prop bets

President Trump will speak at the memorial for conservative icon Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/pres-trump-others-attend-memorial-service-for-late-charlie-kirk/436577">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the service.

The 31-year-old Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">was fatally shot on Sept. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758379567134.png" alt="Charlie Kirk -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Charlie Kirk -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>President Trump will speak at the memorial for conservative icon Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE NOW: Building A Legacy, Remembering Charlie Kirk <a href="https://t.co/AAuFzwObpi">https://t.co/AAuFzwObpi</a>&mdash; Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1969789899307090080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/pres-trump-others-attend-memorial-service-for-late-charlie-kirk/436577">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the service.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From everyday Americans to Cabinet Members—Charlie Kirk’s voice shaped a movement. Watch the message that inspired them all. ❤️⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/LlL88j53xq">pic.twitter.com/LlL88j53xq</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1969601349642764750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Every seat in this giant arena that isn’t roped off for security is packed to the ceiling. Honored to be here. All for Charlie Kirk. <a href="https://t.co/NDK6sDuqLa">pic.twitter.com/NDK6sDuqLa</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1969820370988658701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 31-year-old Kirk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-university-republicans-8357c3d102de09e3320fde761258131a">was fatally shot on Sept. 10</a>&nbsp;while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.&nbsp;

🎥President Trump, others honor Charlie Kirk at memorial service

SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.

Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.

Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;

Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163504048.png" alt="Batz photo Seward Co." />
 <figcaption>Batz photo Seward Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163443530.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

Search continues: Man in the U.S. illegally wanted for sex crimes in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement including the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating a suspect for multiple allegations after a drug bust in northeast Kansas.

On September 16, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit conducted multiple narcotics related search warrants in the 400 block of SW Western Avenue and the 1200 block of SW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, three firearms and ammunition were located.

Christopher D. Hayes, 42, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribute opiate/opium/narcotic/certain stimulant, Distribute/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactionm Possession of marijuana

The Topeka Police Department (TPD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted with these search warrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758135902003.png" alt="Hayes phhoto Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Hayes phhoto Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement including the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating a suspect for multiple allegations after a drug bust in northeast Kansas.On September 16, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit conducted multiple narcotics related search warrants in the 400 block of SW Western Avenue and the 1200 block of SW Van Buren Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, three firearms and ammunition were located.Christopher D. Hayes, 42, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Distribute opiate/opium/narcotic/certain stimulant, Distribute/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia, Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactionm Possession of marijuanaThe Topeka Police Department (TPD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted with these search warrants.

DEA helps arrest Kansas man accused of selling illegal drugs

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a case of arson and vandalism at the St. Anne’s Catholic school in Olmitz have made an arrest.

Just after 5 p.m. on July 10, the Barton County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to St. Anne's Catholic School in the rural Barton County community of Olmitz, located approximately 17 miles northwest of Great Bend, for a report of vandalism, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Deputies found the school had been broken into. Unknown persons entered the building causing extensive damage to the interior of the building and other property inside the building.

 The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting investigation that involved out-of-state agencies as well as the Russell Kansas Police Department and Russell County Sheriff’s Office.

On September 17, 2025, the Russell County Sheriff’s office arrested 30-year-old Matthew Clampit on requested charges of criminal damage to property, arson and burglary of a non-dwelling for his involvement in the case. 

Clampit is being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond. Three more suspects have been developed, and arrest warrants are being sought by the Barton County Attorney’s office. Further arrests are expected in this case, according to Sheriff Bellendir

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385564810.png" alt="Photos Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a case of arson and vandalism at the St. Anne’s Catholic school in Olmitz have made an arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385524759.png" alt="Photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 5 p.m. on July 10, the Barton County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to St. Anne's Catholic School in the rural Barton County community of Olmitz, located approximately 17 miles northwest of Great Bend, for a report of vandalism, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758377443690.png" alt="Clampit photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Clampit photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies found the school had been broken into. Unknown persons entered the building causing extensive damage to the interior of the building and other property inside the building.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758385725343.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> The Sheriff’s Office has been conducting investigation that involved out-of-state agencies as well as the Russell Kansas Police Department and Russell County Sheriff’s Office.On September 17, 2025, the Russell County Sheriff’s office arrested 30-year-old Matthew Clampit on requested charges of criminal damage to property, arson and burglary of a non-dwelling for his involvement in the case. Clampit is being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond. Three more suspects have been developed, and arrest warrants are being sought by the Barton County Attorney’s office. Further arrests are expected in this case, according to Sheriff Bellendir

Suspect jailed for racist graffiti, vandalism at Kan. Catholic school

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>

The Republican plan to ban most abortions in Missouri can go before voters next year but the ballot title must plainly say its intent, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.

The decision from Circuit Judge Daniel Green concluded that lawmakers properly combined bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors with reproductive rights in the proposed constitutional amendment but misled voters with the ballot language.

Quoting a Western District Court of Appeals ruling from 2020, Green wrote that “it was insufficient and unfair for a summary statement to fail to ‘alert voters to that change in some fashion.’”

And the ballot language, he wrote, fails to alert voters that it would repeal the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++36&amp;bid=54984&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">reproductive rights section</a>&nbsp;of the Missouri Constitution approved in the 2024 election.

In the ruling, Green ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to submit revised language within seven days. Green also found that the “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026BallotMeasures" target="_blank">fair ballot language</a>” summary posted on Hoskins’ office website was misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases, and ordered revisions to be submitted within seven days.

The challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">proposal</a>, which will appear as Amendment 3 on a ballot next year, asked Green to throw it out entirely for combining abortion and gender-affirming care for minors under 18.&nbsp;

During an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/27/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-ballot-ban-cole-county-trial/">August hearing</a>, attorney Chuck Hatfield argued that the inclusion of the gender-affirming health care ban was “ballot candy” meant to win over more voters but is a separate issue from reproductive health care.

Green disagreed in his ruling, saying the two issues are closely related enough to meet constitutional requirements for a single subject. In a footnote, Green pointed to the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-care/our-services" target="_blank">Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic</a>, which lists abortion and gender-affirming care among the services provided.

It is the ballot language that does not mention the abortion rights repeal, that is “insufficient and unfair,” Green wrote.

Republican state Senate leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">shut down a Democratic filibuster</a>&nbsp;in May to push the measure to the ballot.&nbsp;

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would repeal a citizen-led reproductive rights amendment that passed last November legalizing abortion in Missouri until the point of fetal viability and enshrining other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and contraceptives.

The new amendment would reinstate an abortion ban, allowing limited exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomolies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

After Hoskins delivers the revised language, parties in the case will have three days to submit arguments on whether it satisfies legal requirements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746190042115.png" alt="An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>The Republican plan to ban most abortions in Missouri can go before voters next year but the ballot title must plainly say its intent, a Cole County judge ruled Friday.The decision from Circuit Judge Daniel Green concluded that lawmakers properly combined bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors with reproductive rights in the proposed constitutional amendment but misled voters with the ballot language.Quoting a Western District Court of Appeals ruling from 2020, Green wrote that “it was insufficient and unfair for a summary statement to fail to ‘alert voters to that change in some fashion.’”And the ballot language, he wrote, fails to alert voters that it would repeal the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=I++++36&amp;bid=54984&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">reproductive rights section</a>&nbsp;of the Missouri Constitution approved in the 2024 election.In the ruling, Green ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to submit revised language within seven days. Green also found that the “<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026BallotMeasures" target="_blank">fair ballot language</a>” summary posted on Hoskins’ office website was misleading for also failing to state abortion would be banned in most cases, and ordered revisions to be submitted within seven days.The challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf" target="_blank">proposal</a>, which will appear as Amendment 3 on a ballot next year, asked Green to throw it out entirely for combining abortion and gender-affirming care for minors under 18.&nbsp;During an&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/27/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-ballot-ban-cole-county-trial/">August hearing</a>, attorney Chuck Hatfield argued that the inclusion of the gender-affirming health care ban was “ballot candy” meant to win over more voters but is a separate issue from reproductive health care.Green disagreed in his ruling, saying the two issues are closely related enough to meet constitutional requirements for a single subject. In a footnote, Green pointed to the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/get-care/our-services" target="_blank">Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic</a>, which lists abortion and gender-affirming care among the services provided.It is the ballot language that does not mention the abortion rights repeal, that is “insufficient and unfair,” Green wrote.Republican state Senate leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">shut down a Democratic filibuster</a>&nbsp;in May to push the measure to the ballot.&nbsp;If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would repeal a citizen-led reproductive rights amendment that passed last November legalizing abortion in Missouri until the point of fetal viability and enshrining other reproductive rights in the constitution, including in-vitro fertilization and contraceptives.The new amendment would reinstate an abortion ban, allowing limited exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomolies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.After Hoskins delivers the revised language, parties in the case will have three days to submit arguments on whether it satisfies legal requirements.

Judge orders revisions to ballot language for Missouri abortion ban proposal

On Friday, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications to curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security.

American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation.

Voters gave President Trump a resounding mandate to put American workers first, and he has worked every day to deliver on that commitment.

On Friday, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications to curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> signs an Executive Order to create the Gold Card visa program, facilitating expedited immigration for aliens who make significant financial gifts to the United States. <a href="https://t.co/l0kMUdQh3f">pic.twitter.com/l0kMUdQh3f</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969153811705946467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><ul>
 <li>The Proclamation restricts entry for aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in specialty occupations in the H-1B program unless their petition is accompanied by a $100,000 payment.</li><li>It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to restrict approvals for petitions from aliens that are currently outside the United States that are not accompanied by the payment, and allows case-by-case exemptions if in the national interest.</li><li>The Proclamation requires employers to retain documentation of payment remittance, with the Secretary of State verifying payment during the petition process and the Departments of State and Homeland Security denying entry for non-payment for the relevant aliens and taking other relevant steps needed to implement the Proclamation.</li><li>It requires the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to issue joint guidance for verification, enforcement, audits, and penalties.</li><li>The Proclamation directs the Secretary of Labor to initiative rulemaking to revise the prevailing wage levels for the H-1B program and directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to initiate rulemaking to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid H-1B workers.</li>
 </ul><h2>Combating H-1B Abuses</h2>American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation.<ul>
 <li>The share of IT workers with H-1B visas has risen from 32% in FY 2003 to over 65% in recent years.</li><li>Unemployment among recent computer science graduates has reached 6.1% and 7.5% for computer engineering graduates — more than double the rates for biology or art history majors. The number of foreign STEM workers in the United States has more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, while overall STEM employment only increased 44.5% during that time.</li><li>American companies are laying off their American technology workers and seemingly replacing them with H-1B workers:One company was approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY 2025, while laying off roughly 16,000 U.S. employees this year.Another company was approved for 1,698 H-1B workers in FY 2025, yet announced it was laying off 2,400 U.S. workers in Oregon in July.A third company has reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while receiving 25,075 H-1B approvals.Yet another company reportedly cut 1,000 American jobs in February despite receiving 1,137 H-1B approvals for FY 2025.</li><li>One company was approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY 2025, while laying off roughly 16,000 U.S. employees this year.</li><li>Another company was approved for 1,698 H-1B workers in FY 2025, yet announced it was laying off 2,400 U.S. workers in Oregon in July.</li><li>A third company has reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while receiving 25,075 H-1B approvals.</li><li>Yet another company reportedly cut 1,000 American jobs in February despite receiving 1,137 H-1B approvals for FY 2025.</li><li>American IT workers have even been reportedly forced to train their foreign replacements under nondisclosure agreements.</li><li>The H-1B program is creating disincentives for future American workers to choose STEM careers, which threatens our national security.</li><li>President Trump is imposing higher costs on companies seeking to use the H-1B program in order to address the abuse of the program, stop the undercutting of wages, and protect our national security.</li>
 </ul><h2>Prioritizing American Workers</h2>Voters gave President Trump a resounding mandate to put American workers first, and he has worked every day to deliver on that commitment.<ul>
 <li>President Trump has aggressively and successfully negotiated new trade deals to bring manufacturing jobs back home and attract new investments to the U.S.</li><li>President Trump is using tariffs as a strategic tool to rebuild American manufacturing, secure our supply chains, and protect U.S. national security.President Trump has implemented several Section 232 tariffs to protect manufacturing that has been undermined by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity.</li><li>President Trump has implemented several Section 232 tariffs to protect manufacturing that has been undermined by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity.</li><li>Since President Trump returned to office, all employment gains have gone to American-born workers—unlike last year during the same period under President Biden, when all employment gains went to foreign-born workers.</li><li>The Trump Administration issued new guidance to ensure illegal aliens are not allowed access to federal workforce development resources and related grants, protecting job trainings for American workers.</li>
 </ul>

🎥Dramatic new changes Trump made on H-1B visas program

KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives are investigating at the scene of a fatal fire in Kansas City.

Just before 1a.m. Friday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

Crews discovered a victim and removed them from the apartment. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that the death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Crime scene investigators are processing the scene as well for evidence. Detectives will also be working to identify the deceased victim which will give detectives a better idea of what led up to his death, as well as the subsequent fire.

The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758311035022.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Homicide detectives are investigating at the scene of a fatal fire in Kansas City.Just before 1a.m. Friday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4400 Block of Independence in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.Crews discovered a victim and removed them from the apartment. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Fire crews notified Kansas City, Missouri police of the death. Detectives from Violent Crimes Division and Bomb and Arson then responded to the scene for a death investigation, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.&nbsp;Based on some of the evidence located at the scene the, medical examiner and detectives determined that the death may not have been the result of natural causes or fire.Homicide detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Crime scene investigators are processing the scene as well for evidence. Detectives will also be working to identify the deceased victim which will give detectives a better idea of what led up to his death, as well as the subsequent fire.The name of the victim has not been released.

Homicide: Man's body found in burning KC apartment

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/HqmUByvzgD">pic.twitter.com/HqmUByvzgD</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969184320288878719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥US carries out another fatal strike targeting alleged drug-smuggling boat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Missouri man was charged with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney

David Lee Maddox, 59, Callaway County, was charged by indictment with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography on Aug. 5, 2025. The charges were made public this week following the arrest and first appearance in court by Maddox.

The investigation began on Aug. 8, 2023, when the St. Louis Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office received a referral from HSI Portland, Maine, pertaining to the defendant’s apparent communication via Microsoft Skype with known traffickers/sellers of live and recorded child sexual abuse videos operating in the Philippines.&nbsp; 

The investigation showed defendant used Skype to receive “shows” from minor victims in the Philippines and paid for the shows by sending money via money transmittal services.&nbsp; From on or about Sept. 20, 2021, through Dec. 23, 2023, the defendant received “shows” depicting underage females on approximately 20 occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under federal statutes, if convicted, Maddox faces a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years on each count to be served without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is provided by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from Holts Summit, MO Police department and Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758315051314.png" alt="Maddox photo Cole County" />
 <figcaption>Maddox photo Cole County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Missouri man was charged with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography, according to the United State's AttorneyDavid Lee Maddox, 59, Callaway County, was charged by indictment with nine counts of attempted production of child pornography on Aug. 5, 2025. The charges were made public this week following the arrest and first appearance in court by Maddox.The investigation began on Aug. 8, 2023, when the St. Louis Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office received a referral from HSI Portland, Maine, pertaining to the defendant’s apparent communication via Microsoft Skype with known traffickers/sellers of live and recorded child sexual abuse videos operating in the Philippines.&nbsp; The investigation showed defendant used Skype to receive “shows” from minor victims in the Philippines and paid for the shows by sending money via money transmittal services.&nbsp; From on or about Sept. 20, 2021, through Dec. 23, 2023, the defendant received “shows” depicting underage females on approximately 20 occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Under federal statutes, if convicted, Maddox faces a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years on each count to be served without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is provided by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from Holts Summit, MO Police department and Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT).

Indictment: Man paid for “live child sex abuse videos” in the Philippines 

WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Today, Congressman Jimmy Patronis introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives in conjunction with Senator Rick Scott, who filed a similar resolution in the U.S. Senate, to honor the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk.

 The resolution supports the designation of a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk” on Oct. 14 and recognizes Charlie Kirk for his contributions to civic education and public service.&nbsp;The House adopted H. Res. 719 by a vote of 310-58, with 38 voting present.&nbsp;

Original Co-Sponsors include Representatives Mark Alford of Missouri, Greg Steube,&nbsp; Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, Gus Bilirakis, Barry Moore, Maria Salazar, Aaron Bean, Mike Collins, Carlos Gimenez, Austin Scott, and Derrick Van Orden.

Congressman Jimmy Patronis&nbsp;said, “Charlie Kirk was more than a conservative thought leader. He was a fearless warrior of free speech, faith, and the principles that make America the greatest country in the world. He empowered young people to find their voice, defend their values, and embrace their role in shaping the future of our nation. Charlie willingly braved the public square of colleges and universities to remind us all what makes free speech so important and how best we can come together as a nation: through the peaceful and respectful sharing of ideas. By honoring is life with a National Day of Remembrance, we ensure that Charlie’s legacy lives on, inspiring future generations to stand boldly for freedom and the Constitution.”

Senator Rick Scott&nbsp;said, “Charlie was a magnetic leader, a loving father and husband, and a friend and inspiration to so many. His loss is devastating, I’ll always cherish the friendship I had with him. Charlie loved our nation and its founding principles, and believed deeply in his faith, in his family, and in beauty of ideas and discussion. He lived with purpose and conviction, never shying away from hard truths and hard conversations, and always believing that the strength of our ideas and our faith could bring people together. Charlie worked to make our nation a better place in his 31 years before he was lost in an evil act of political violence, and will leave a lasting legacy on our nation. We know what Charlie would want us to do: he’d want us to stand strong by the ideas we believe in, have discussions, carry on with hope, strength and courage, and look to God for guidance. I am proud to lead a resolution honoring Charlie’s legacy as an American patriot by designating October 14th, what would have been his 32nd birthday, as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk – a day to come together, pray, and celebrate Charlie’s impact on the nation.”

Expressing support of the House of Representatives that October 14, 2025, be designated as a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”&nbsp;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was a champion of free speech, civil dialogue, and faith;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk consistently promoted the values of individual liberty, open debate, the importance of civic engagement, and the defense of constitutional principles;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was recognized as one of the leading voices among young leaders in the United States, creating opportunities for civic education, fostering youth leadership, and promoting principles of liberty and democracy across the United States;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization of thousands of chapters across the United States dedicated to educating students about the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk authored multiple national bestselling books, that engage readers in critical conversations about civics, culture, and the future of the United States;&nbsp;

WHEREAS, through Mr. Kirk’s writing, public speaking, and media presence, Charlie Kirk reached millions of United States citizens, inspiring the next generation to become active participants in civic life;&nbsp;

WHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk’s life’s work has contributed to strengthening public discourse, defending constitutional principles, and fostering active citizenship; and

WHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk’s life’s work, especially his efforts to bring these American ideals to life on our college campuses, cost him his life by means of an assassin’s bullet on September 10, 2025: Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives—&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541376269.png" alt="File photo Charlie Kirk courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Charlie Kirk courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Today, Congressman Jimmy Patronis introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives in conjunction with Senator Rick Scott, who filed a similar resolution in the U.S. Senate, to honor the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. The resolution supports the designation of a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk” on Oct. 14 and recognizes Charlie Kirk for his contributions to civic education and public service.&nbsp;The House adopted H. Res. 719 by a vote of 310-58, with 38 voting present.&nbsp;Original Co-Sponsors include Representatives Mark Alford of Missouri, Greg Steube,&nbsp; Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, Gus Bilirakis, Barry Moore, Maria Salazar, Aaron Bean, Mike Collins, Carlos Gimenez, Austin Scott, and Derrick Van Orden.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">BREAKING: AOC just took to the House floor to defend her No vote on the Resolution honoring the life of Charlie Kirk. This is going to make your blood boil. AOC: &quot;We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was... His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated, and sought to… <a href="https://t.co/MMjecCmyk5">pic.twitter.com/MMjecCmyk5</a>&mdash; Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1969061502624653528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 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/RepAOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepAOC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> on House-passed resolution honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk: &quot;Instead of uniting Congress in this tragedy with one of the many bipartisan options to condemn political violence and Kirk&#39;s murder, as we did with the late Melissa Hortman, instead the… <a href="https://t.co/lkx3JGO1gN">pic.twitter.com/lkx3JGO1gN</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1969067634399629430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Congressman Jimmy Patronis&nbsp;said, “Charlie Kirk was more than a conservative thought leader. He was a fearless warrior of free speech, faith, and the principles that make America the greatest country in the world. He empowered young people to find their voice, defend their values, and embrace their role in shaping the future of our nation. Charlie willingly braved the public square of colleges and universities to remind us all what makes free speech so important and how best we can come together as a nation: through the peaceful and respectful sharing of ideas. By honoring is life with a National Day of Remembrance, we ensure that Charlie’s legacy lives on, inspiring future generations to stand boldly for freedom and the Constitution.”Senator Rick Scott&nbsp;said, “Charlie was a magnetic leader, a loving father and husband, and a friend and inspiration to so many. His loss is devastating, I’ll always cherish the friendship I had with him. Charlie loved our nation and its founding principles, and believed deeply in his faith, in his family, and in beauty of ideas and discussion. He lived with purpose and conviction, never shying away from hard truths and hard conversations, and always believing that the strength of our ideas and our faith could bring people together. Charlie worked to make our nation a better place in his 31 years before he was lost in an evil act of political violence, and will leave a lasting legacy on our nation. We know what Charlie would want us to do: he’d want us to stand strong by the ideas we believe in, have discussions, carry on with hope, strength and courage, and look to God for guidance. I am proud to lead a resolution honoring Charlie’s legacy as an American patriot by designating October 14th, what would have been his 32nd birthday, as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk – a day to come together, pray, and celebrate Charlie’s impact on the nation.”RESOLUTIONExpressing support of the House of Representatives that October 14, 2025, be designated as a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”&nbsp;WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was a champion of free speech, civil dialogue, and faith;WHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk consistently promoted the values of individual liberty, open debate, the importance of civic engagement, and the defense of constitutional principles;WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was recognized as one of the leading voices among young leaders in the United States, creating opportunities for civic education, fostering youth leadership, and promoting principles of liberty and democracy across the United States;WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk was the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization of thousands of chapters across the United States dedicated to educating students about the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government;WHEREAS&nbsp;Charlie Kirk authored multiple national bestselling books, that engage readers in critical conversations about civics, culture, and the future of the United States;&nbsp;WHEREAS, through Mr. Kirk’s writing, public speaking, and media presence, Charlie Kirk reached millions of United States citizens, inspiring the next generation to become active participants in civic life;&nbsp;WHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk’s life’s work has contributed to strengthening public discourse, defending constitutional principles, and fostering active citizenship; andWHEREAS&nbsp;Mr. Kirk’s life’s work, especially his efforts to bring these American ideals to life on our college campuses, cost him his life by means of an assassin’s bullet on September 10, 2025: Now, therefore, be itRESOLVED, That the House of Representatives—&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>supports the designation of a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk”;</li><li>recognizes Charlie Kirk for his contributions to civic education and public service; and</li><li>encourages educational institutions, civic organizations, and citizens across the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, activities, prayers, and ceremonies that promote civic engagement and the principles of faith, liberty, and democracy that Charlie Kirk championed.</li>
 </ol>

Mo. Rep. leads effort to pass Charlie Kirk Day resolution in the U.S. House

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/columbiamissourianstaff/">Columbia Missourian staff</a>

A federal judge ruled Friday that Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine can participate in next weekend’s Homecoming parade, as long as they comply with the university’s parade policy.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough noted that while the court finds that the organization must be permitted to participate in the parade, nothing in the order prohibits the University of Missouri from enforcing the requirements of the parade policy.

Earlier this year, the university updated its Homecoming parade policy to exclude political expression. The new policy also denies participation of organizations that don’t adhere to the parade’s “black and gold” theme.

According to the updated policy, “the purpose of the Homecoming parade is to celebrate Mizzou and its supporters. It is not a venue for protests.”

Todd McCubbin, executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association, told the judge during a hearing Tuesday that the organization’s 2025 application would likely be preliminarily approved, and the Office of Alumni Engagement would work with the group to ensure it complied with the parade policy.

Last month, Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine sued Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri System, to secure a place in the parade.

In the lawsuit, the group argued that Choi violated the students’ First Amendment rights by forbidding them to participate in the parade because of their views on Israel and Palestine.

In his ruling, the judge agreed with the organization that there is more than a “fair chance” that Choi’s denial of their participation in the parade violates the First Amendment.

In the Tuesday hearing, Choi ‘s legal team argued that the denial was largely based on safety concerns. They&nbsp; cited two prior incidents involving a member of the group that resulted in a student conduct charge for stalking and a restriction that limits her presence on campus to academic purposes.

The legal team also noted incidents of violence at student protests on other university campuses nationwide as part of Choi’s rationale.

The court agreed that safety is&nbsp;a “significant [governmental] interest,” but aside from the instances involving one group member, could not find that Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine had violated any university policy.

Thus, Choi’s decision to exclude the organization on the basis of safety could not be supported.

According to the ruling, “Dr. Choi’s decision to exclude the organization in its entirety is not narrowly tailored to the stated interest of safety. Dr. Choi ‘could, instead, forbid the specific student(s) giving rise to [safety] concerns’ from participating.”

Thus, assuming the Homecoming parade is an unlimited public forum, the court found Choi’s decision had been too narrowly applied.

Ultimately, the court decided that there was little evidence that the students had been engaged in or connected to any form of violence, and that denying their participation in the Homecoming parade would likely be a violation of the First Amendment’s free speech clause.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758305381450.png" alt="&nbsp;The iconic columns of the University of Missouri-Columbia campus (University of Missouri photo)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The iconic columns of the University of Missouri-Columbia campus (University of Missouri photo).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/columbiamissourianstaff/">Columbia Missourian staff</a>A federal judge ruled Friday that Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine can participate in next weekend’s Homecoming parade, as long as they comply with the university’s parade policy.In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough noted that while the court finds that the organization must be permitted to participate in the parade, nothing in the order prohibits the University of Missouri from enforcing the requirements of the parade policy.Earlier this year, the university updated its Homecoming parade policy to exclude political expression. The new policy also denies participation of organizations that don’t adhere to the parade’s “black and gold” theme.According to the updated policy, “the purpose of the Homecoming parade is to celebrate Mizzou and its supporters. It is not a venue for protests.”Todd McCubbin, executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association, told the judge during a hearing Tuesday that the organization’s 2025 application would likely be preliminarily approved, and the Office of Alumni Engagement would work with the group to ensure it complied with the parade policy.Last month, Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine sued Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri System, to secure a place in the parade.In the lawsuit, the group argued that Choi violated the students’ First Amendment rights by forbidding them to participate in the parade because of their views on Israel and Palestine.In his ruling, the judge agreed with the organization that there is more than a “fair chance” that Choi’s denial of their participation in the parade violates the First Amendment.In the Tuesday hearing, Choi ‘s legal team argued that the denial was largely based on safety concerns. They&nbsp; cited two prior incidents involving a member of the group that resulted in a student conduct charge for stalking and a restriction that limits her presence on campus to academic purposes.The legal team also noted incidents of violence at student protests on other university campuses nationwide as part of Choi’s rationale.The court agreed that safety is&nbsp;a “significant [governmental] interest,” but aside from the instances involving one group member, could not find that Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine had violated any university policy.Thus, Choi’s decision to exclude the organization on the basis of safety could not be supported.According to the ruling, “Dr. Choi’s decision to exclude the organization in its entirety is not narrowly tailored to the stated interest of safety. Dr. Choi ‘could, instead, forbid the specific student(s) giving rise to [safety] concerns’ from participating.”Thus, assuming the Homecoming parade is an unlimited public forum, the court found Choi’s decision had been too narrowly applied.Ultimately, the court decided that there was little evidence that the students had been engaged in or connected to any form of violence, and that denying their participation in the Homecoming parade would likely be a violation of the First Amendment’s free speech clause.

Judge allows Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine to join the Homecoming parade

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City have released the name of the second victim as 17-year-old Delvyon Q. Carmichael, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

Just after&nbsp;7a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of Longview Road on a reported shooting.

Upon arrival officers were directed to the front of a grocery store where they located 49-year-old Gande A. Salamed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. He was suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began to render aid as KCFD Medics simultaneously arrived. He was pronounced deceased on scene.

Other officers arriving were directed to the north side of the grocery store parking lot where they located Carmichael also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, with life threatening injuries. Just before 9 a.m., investigators were notified that he died of his injuries at the hospital.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction outside of the grocery store between multiple individuals just prior to the shots being fired.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757900925738.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a double homicide in Kansas City have released the name of the second victim as 17-year-old Delvyon Q. Carmichael, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'.Just after&nbsp;7a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 6800 block of Longview Road on a reported shooting.Upon arrival officers were directed to the front of a grocery store where they located 49-year-old Gande A. Salamed, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. He was suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began to render aid as KCFD Medics simultaneously arrived. He was pronounced deceased on scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758298352490.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Other officers arriving were directed to the north side of the grocery store parking lot where they located Carmichael also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, with life threatening injuries. Just before 9 a.m., investigators were notified that he died of his injuries at the hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction outside of the grocery store between multiple individuals just prior to the shots being fired.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide, and no one is in custody.

Police ID second victim in KC grocery store parking lot gunfight

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two reports of cattle theft from pasture land in the northwest part of Cowley County, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti.

The sheriff's office received the first report on September 12, and a second report on September 16. In total, approximately 30 head of cattle have been reported stolen.

Deputies are actively investigating both cases and are working closely with neighboring law enforcement agencies, area ranchers, and livestock markets in an effort to track the movement of the stolen cattle.

Sheriff David Falletti urges residents, particularly those in rural and agricultural areas, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving livestock transport or unfamiliar vehicles near pastures.

Anyone with information regarding these thefts is encouraged to contact the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 221-5444 or submit a tip through Cowley County Crime Stoppers at (620) 221-7777. Callers may remain anonymous.

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two reports of cattle theft from pasture land in the northwest part of Cowley County, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti.The sheriff's office received the first report on September 12, and a second report on September 16. In total, approximately 30 head of cattle have been reported stolen.Deputies are actively investigating both cases and are working closely with neighboring law enforcement agencies, area ranchers, and livestock markets in an effort to track the movement of the stolen cattle.Sheriff David Falletti urges residents, particularly those in rural and agricultural areas, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving livestock transport or unfamiliar vehicles near pastures.Anyone with information regarding these thefts is encouraged to contact the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 221-5444 or submit a tip through Cowley County Crime Stoppers at (620) 221-7777. Callers may remain anonymous.

Sheriff investigating more cattle thefts in Kansas

Gov. Mike Kehoe defends the bill as properly drafted, while the ACLU of Missouri and Democrats opposed to the plan say the listing is a fatal flaw

Gov. Mike Kehoe went on the offensive Wednesday against critics of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">new congressional map</a>&nbsp;approved by Missouri lawmakers, issuing a statement seeking to rebut charges that one Kansas City precinct was accidentally placed in two different districts.

The ACLU of Missouri, in a case filed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV29597&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16" target="_blank">last week in Jackson County</a>, argues that the bill approved in a special session improperly designates a voting district of Kansas City to both the 4th Congressional District and the 5th District. While the lawsuit claims that alone should result in the map being thrown out, the ACLU also challenges the map on grounds it splits communities and violates the Missouri Constitution by changing the districts between federal censuses, which occur every 10 years.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1&amp;year=2025&amp;code=S2" target="_blank">new congressional map</a>&nbsp;is awaiting action by Kehoe, who called lawmakers into special session at the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">insistence of President Donald Trump</a>. The goal is to give Republicans seven of the state’s eight congressional districts by redrawing the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat.

In the statement, Kehoe said he intends to sign the bill. The lawsuit’s allegations are wrong, he insists, because there are two distinct geographic areas with the same designation — VTD 811 — in the Census Bureau files used for determining the population of any particular location. That doesn’t mean, he said, the same voters are in two different districts.&nbsp;

“The entire source of confusion is due to the existence of two entirely different VTDs using the same number,” he said.

The ACLU lawsuit is one of&nbsp;three pending cases&nbsp;that are challenging the state’s authority to revise congressional district lines between census reports. One, heard this week in Jefferson City, challenges Kehoe’s authority to call a special session for that purpose.&nbsp;

The other,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#docket" target="_blank">also in Cole County</a>, argues that no authority exists at all for the new map.&nbsp;

The lawsuit filed in Jackson County is in a very early stage and the only hearing date set so far is a routine court appearance on Dec. 29.&nbsp;As she ponders the duplicate designation, Jackson County Circuit Judge&nbsp;Jalilah Otto must determine whether the bill passed by lawmakers provides enough information to know which of the two voting districts with the same name is in which district.

The ACLU contends that because the bill only lists the district, and not the smaller census blocks within the voting district, for the portions in the 4th District and the 5th District, it is flawed and therefore should be thrown out.

If the two areas with the same designation were properly assigned to different districts, the bill should have identified the census blocks that are part of each, the ACLU lawsuit states.

“We believe the double precinct is just one of several legal flaws which is why we are asking the court to prohibit this map or others from going into effect and to declare the 2022 map as Missouri’s lawful congressional map,” ACLU of Missouri spokesman Tom Bastian said in a statement provided by email.&nbsp;

Former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Wolff said the courts must read the language of a bill and cannot add anything that is not included. Fixing any potential errors in the new map, Wolff said, would likely require action by the legislature.&nbsp;

“Drafting errors are supposed to be corrected by new drafts,” Wolff said. “I don’t think you can interpret your way out of this.”

The information the bill does not contain is the geographic coding that the Census Bureau attaches to each of the voter tally districts — commonly known as precincts. Those files designate two precincts in Kansas City as KC811, corresponding with the 11th precinct of Kansas City’s 8th ward. One is assigned to the 4th District in the new map, while the other is assigned to the 5th.

That coding determines which of the two precincts — one containing 32 people, the other 843 — goes into which district, Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, the GOP’s chief redistricting organization, said in an interview with The Independent.

Kincaid said the descriptions are the same ones used in 2022 to redraw Missouri’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;

The bill describing the congressional districts currently in place, passed in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/hlrbillspdf/5799H.02T.pdf" target="_blank">has only one reference</a>&nbsp;to KC 811. That is actually a flaw in that bill, Kincaid contends, and left some voters technically unassigned to a district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757444658128.png" alt="Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago " />
 <figcaption>Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Gov. Mike Kehoe defends the bill as properly drafted, while the ACLU of Missouri and Democrats opposed to the plan say the listing is a fatal flaw</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>Gov. Mike Kehoe went on the offensive Wednesday against critics of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">new congressional map</a>&nbsp;approved by Missouri lawmakers, issuing a statement seeking to rebut charges that one Kansas City precinct was accidentally placed in two different districts.The ACLU of Missouri, in a case filed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV29597&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16" target="_blank">last week in Jackson County</a>, argues that the bill approved in a special session improperly designates a voting district of Kansas City to both the 4th Congressional District and the 5th District. While the lawsuit claims that alone should result in the map being thrown out, the ACLU also challenges the map on grounds it splits communities and violates the Missouri Constitution by changing the districts between federal censuses, which occur every 10 years.The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1&amp;year=2025&amp;code=S2" target="_blank">new congressional map</a>&nbsp;is awaiting action by Kehoe, who called lawmakers into special session at the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">insistence of President Donald Trump</a>. The goal is to give Republicans seven of the state’s eight congressional districts by redrawing the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat.In the statement, Kehoe said he intends to sign the bill. The lawsuit’s allegations are wrong, he insists, because there are two distinct geographic areas with the same designation — VTD 811 — in the Census Bureau files used for determining the population of any particular location. That doesn’t mean, he said, the same voters are in two different districts.&nbsp;“The entire source of confusion is due to the existence of two entirely different VTDs using the same number,” he said.The ACLU lawsuit is one of&nbsp;three pending cases&nbsp;that are challenging the state’s authority to revise congressional district lines between census reports. One, heard this week in Jefferson City, challenges Kehoe’s authority to call a special session for that purpose.&nbsp;The other,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#docket" target="_blank">also in Cole County</a>, argues that no authority exists at all for the new map.&nbsp;The lawsuit filed in Jackson County is in a very early stage and the only hearing date set so far is a routine court appearance on Dec. 29.&nbsp;As she ponders the duplicate designation, Jackson County Circuit Judge&nbsp;Jalilah Otto must determine whether the bill passed by lawmakers provides enough information to know which of the two voting districts with the same name is in which district.The ACLU contends that because the bill only lists the district, and not the smaller census blocks within the voting district, for the portions in the 4th District and the 5th District, it is flawed and therefore should be thrown out.If the two areas with the same designation were properly assigned to different districts, the bill should have identified the census blocks that are part of each, the ACLU lawsuit states.“We believe the double precinct is just one of several legal flaws which is why we are asking the court to prohibit this map or others from going into effect and to declare the 2022 map as Missouri’s lawful congressional map,” ACLU of Missouri spokesman Tom Bastian said in a statement provided by email.&nbsp;Former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Wolff said the courts must read the language of a bill and cannot add anything that is not included. Fixing any potential errors in the new map, Wolff said, would likely require action by the legislature.&nbsp;“Drafting errors are supposed to be corrected by new drafts,” Wolff said. “I don’t think you can interpret your way out of this.”The information the bill does not contain is the geographic coding that the Census Bureau attaches to each of the voter tally districts — commonly known as precincts. Those files designate two precincts in Kansas City as KC811, corresponding with the 11th precinct of Kansas City’s 8th ward. One is assigned to the 4th District in the new map, while the other is assigned to the 5th.That coding determines which of the two precincts — one containing 32 people, the other 843 — goes into which district, Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, the GOP’s chief redistricting organization, said in an interview with The Independent.Kincaid said the descriptions are the same ones used in 2022 to redraw Missouri’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;The bill describing the congressional districts currently in place, passed in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills221/hlrbillspdf/5799H.02T.pdf" target="_blank">has only one reference</a>&nbsp;to KC 811. That is actually a flaw in that bill, Kincaid contends, and left some voters technically unassigned to a district.In that case, “the current congressional or the previous congressional map would have been the one that was unconstitutional,” Kincaid said.A properly written bill should use both designations, Kincadi said.“If the two Kansas City 811s had both been assigned to district five, they would actually appear twice in district five,” Kincaid said. “If they had been assigned twice to district four, they would appear twice in district four. If one of them had been assigned and the other one not assigned, they would only appear once and the other one would have been left out because it was unassigned.”Earlier this month, Kincaid produced a memo for the map’s legislative sponsor, Republican state Rep. Dirk Deaton of Noel, explaining the details of the new districts. But he insists that is not evidence that he had a hand in creating the map, pushing back on Democratic claims that the districts were drawn in Washington, D.C., as opposed to the governor’s office.&nbsp;“I’ll defer to the governor’s office, and what the governor said about the map on that,” Kincaid said. “The governor’s team clearly produced and developed this map.”He said the point of the memo, which was obtained by The Independent, was to provide arguments about why the bill meets constitutional requirements for compact districts with connected geographic areas.“I looked at the way the districts were drawn, and how they were drawn, and I gave a report to the representative about it,” Kincaid said. “I had been asked to do the report. So I did it.”A spokeswoman for Kehoe said the map was drawn by members of the governor’s staff “with extensive knowledge and experience in the redistricting and map drawing process.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757550296708.png" alt=" Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, D-Affton, speaks against proposed Senate rule changes Wednesday during the special session for redistricting (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). " />
 <figcaption> Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, D-Affton, speaks against proposed Senate rule changes Wednesday during the special session for redistricting (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). </figcaption>
 </figure>Democrats who oppose the new map said the duplicated description is an error that should sink the bill.“I hope it is horribly fatal,” said state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Democrat from Kansas City.Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, said the duplication is hard for Republicans to explain.“The president told Missouri Republicans to pass his map ‘as is,’ and they did – with all its flaws,” Beck said. “Now, the governor has to choose between telling the president his ‘as is’ map might be wrong or signing a flawed map into law and hoping a judge doesn’t care. Any Republican who was told to blindly follow their leaders and not ask questions should be feeling pretty ticked off right about now.”&nbsp;Under pressure from Trump, Republicans took just 10 days for the special session. The two bills passed — changes to the majority requirements for passing constitutional amendments by initiative along with redistricting — were sped through the House, then approved in the Senate with no changes from the point they were introduced.The Senate allowed only four hours of debate on redistricting and none on the initiative changes.In 2022, redistricting dominated the entire session. The first bills were introduced in December, before the legislature convened, and the&nbsp;final version wasn’t passed&nbsp;until the last day of work in May.“It is no surprise that the slapdash process in which the legislature engaged — ramming through the bill, failing to publicly release an electronic GIS file that legislators, staff, and the public could view and vet, and instead only releasing the district assignments in PDF to obscure the map from any transparency — resulted in the most basic of errors,” the ACLU lawsuit states.Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City attorney representing opponents in one of the lawsuits in Cole County, said he was not aware of the duplicate designations when he filed his challenge.“Our position is you’re not allowed to draw maps at all,” Hatfield said. “You can’t do that in between censuses. So our position is, we don’t care what this map looks like, you can’t be doing them.”Hatfield said he thought the duplicated designation is a “fatal flaw” in the map.Regardless of where the map was drawn or any potential flaws, Democratic state Sen. Stephen Webber of Columbia said the special session showed Republicans are determined to have complete power in the state and will not tolerate dissent.Senate Republicans shut off debate on both bills passed during the special session, wouldn’t allow any debate on one, refused to consider amendments and removed state Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/14/missouri-gop-senator-slams-party-leaders-for-forcing-vote-on-bills-without-allowing-debate/">chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee</a>&nbsp;after he opposed the bills.“This is about consolidating power,” Webber said, “and having as few people as possible run the state of Missouri.”