By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

A federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.93.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruled Friday</a>&nbsp;against the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Medicaid funds from primarily Planned Parenthood-affiliated abortion providers.

Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani denied the federal government’s motion to lift a block on a new law, rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice’s argument that allowing Planned Parenthood to continue to bill for Medicaid while their lawsuit plays out would cause the government “irreparable injury.” She said the plaintiffs were more likely to suffer injury if the provision went into effect, such as having to close clinics and reduce services.

“Here, Defendants suffer no irreparable harm where Plaintiffs are substantially likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 violates several constitutional provisions,” Talwani wrote in an order, denying the federal government’s request to stay two preliminary injunctions. “[I]t is precisely because Congress targeted only a ‘certain’ group of entities for exclusion from Medicaid programs — all but two of which are Planned Parenthood Federation Members — that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 is unconstitutional.”

Late last month Talwani ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/one-big-beautiful-law-provision-planned-parenthood-funding-partly-blocked-judge" target="_blank">partial</a>&nbsp;and then a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-issues-new-order-protecting-all-planned-parenthood-clinics-medicaid-defunding" target="_blank">full preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-sues-trump-administration-officials-over-defunding-provision-budget-bill" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its Massachusetts and Utah affiliates sued</a>&nbsp;in early July over the new federal reproductive health restriction. After unsuccessfully asking the district court to lift the block, the federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.75.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appealed the preliminary injunctions</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shortly after, the DOJ&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;asking the district court to reconsider the preliminary injunctions. Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.89.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appellate court declined</a>&nbsp;the government’s request, pending the district court’s decision. Defendants are now expected to re-appeal the injunction to the First Circuit.&nbsp;

The provision, set to expire July 4, 2026, would primarily affect health clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, which has estimated it could lose 200 of its 600 clinics, many of which are in rural areas and others that are critical abortion-access points.&nbsp;

But two other affected organizations are Health Imperatives in Massachusetts, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/08/05/massachusetts-abortion-womens-health-federal-cuts?emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">according to WBUR</a>, operates seven clinics and serves about 10,000 patients, and Maine Family Planning, which has also sued over the provision. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker in Maine, an appointee of President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MFP-Decision-August-2025.pdf" target="_blank">denied Maine Family Planning’s motion for a preliminary injunction</a>, despite the organization facing losses up to nearly $2 million, potential layoffs, and disruption of care for about 8,000 patients.

“This ruling is a devastating setback for Mainers who depend on us for basic primary care,” said George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-oks-medicaid-defunding-maines-largest-reproductive-health-care-provider" target="_blank">Maine Morning Star</a>. “The loss of Medicaid funds — which nearly half our patients rely on — threatens our ability to provide life-saving services to communities across the state. Mainers’ health should never be jeopardized by political decisions, and we will continue to fight for them.”

Does the new federal Medicaid rule unlawfully target Planned Parenthood?

Federal funding of abortion is already prohibited in most cases under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-hyde-amendment-and-coverage-for-abortion-services-under-medicaid-in-the-post-roe-era/" target="_blank">Hyde Amendment</a>. But the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text" target="_blank">funding rule</a>&nbsp;would bar from the Medicaid program reproductive health clinics that provide abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal and state Medicaid funding in fiscal year 2023 for health services like birth control, cancer and gender-affirming care.&nbsp;

The legislation has caused confusion throughout the Planned Parenthood network because its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ21/PLAW-119publ21.pdf#page=230" target="_blank">definition of “prohibited entity”</a>&nbsp;includes a barred organization’s “affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics.”

The nonprofit health network comprises its national membership and advocacy organization, PPFA, and nearly 50 independently structured and operated&nbsp;affiliates, some of which do not offer abortion, such as co-plaintiff Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. These organizations are reimbursed after the fact for specific health services covered by Medicaid.&nbsp;

Even though the provision is currently blocked, several Planned Parenthood clinics around the country have already closed, both because of the new rule and the Trump administration’s other restrictions stripping abortion providers of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/limited-judicial-relief-fallout-begins-planned-parenthood-clinics-facing-medicaid-cuts" target="_blank">federal family planning grants</a>.&nbsp;

Many of the recently shuttered clinics did not provide abortion, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ohio-planned-parenthoods-will-remain-closed-despite-federal-success-ongoing-lawsuit" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, and some are in states where abortion is illegal, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-close-louisiana-clinics-landry-murrill-applaud-news" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood’s attorneys have argued that the new federal Medicaid rule violates their equal protection, speech and association rights, because it excludes their clinics from the Medicaid program on the basis of their association to other organizations — in this case organizations that provide abortions and advocate for abortion rights.

“[S]ince this Court issued its decision, the government has now admitted that Section 71113 (the “Defund Provision”) was intended to punish Planned Parenthood for its ‘political advocacy,’” the plaintiffs wrote in a recent brief&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.92.0.pdf" target="_blank">opposing defendants’ motion</a>&nbsp;to lift the injunction.&nbsp;

Plaintiffs referred to a recent public statement made by Andrew G. Nixon, a spokesperson for co-defendant U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;

“States should not be forced to fund organizations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/us/politics/trump-planned-parenthood.html" target="_blank">Nixon said</a>, after the district court’s initial preliminary injunction on July 22.&nbsp;

But in court, the federal government argued the tax and spending cuts law excludes large abortion providers only because they provide abortions. They say they are also excluding smaller or non-abortion-providing affiliates, not because of their speech or advocacy, but because of their “non-expressive activities of corporate control and financing.” Their basic argument is that money to any Planned Parenthood clinic — even for health services unrelated to abortion — is money for abortion.&nbsp;

“[B]ecause money is fungible, extending the funding restriction to affiliates prevents an organization from undermining federal policy not to subsidize abortion providers by shifting funds between entities that do not perform abortions and entities that do,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf#page=6" target="_blank">defendants wrote</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The DOJ has also rejected plaintiffs’ claim that the federal legislation is a&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C3-1/ALDE_00013186/" target="_blank">bill of attainder</a>, which refers to legislation that unconstitutionally imposes punishment on a specific person or group of people without a judicial trial.&nbsp;

“Halting the flow of federal Medicaid funds to those entities bears no resemblance to the forms of punishment that implicate the Bill of Attainder Clause,” reads the DOJ’s motion. “Historically, bills of attainder involved punishments such as ‘death,’ ‘banishment,’ and ‘imprisonment.’”

But Talwani disagrees with the DOJ’s reasoning.

“[T]here is no indication in the record that Planned Parenthood Members share revenues from Medicaid reimbursements,” she wrote. “The result is a restriction on associational freedom that is in no way ‘essential to the furtherance of [Defendants’] interest’ in withholding funds from certain abortion providers … and instead imposes a wholly unwarranted burden.”

While the new federal tax and spending cuts law does not mention Planned Parenthood by name, a bill introduced this year with similar language is explicitly titled, “<a href="https://click.everyaction.com/k/113700862/564667045/-4655086?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9TTldTUi9TTldTUi8xLzEwNTEzMSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI0ZmRmYjMxZS03ZTdlLWYwMTEtYjQ4NC02MDQ1YmRlYjc0MTMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInNyZXNuaWNrQHN0YXRlc25ld3Nyb29tLmNvbSINCn0%3D&amp;hmac=VzdAbS6Oa98XA62IADfNGZ3_6dvqDEvTmiY8Ar8EoZo=&amp;emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2025</a>.” Meanwhile, several state legislatures have successfully stripped funding from the organization. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program in late June after a long legal fight, but the state’s affiliate just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-files-new-challenge-stay-scs-medicaid-list-non-abortion-services" target="_blank">sued again</a>&nbsp;over Medicaid eligibility.

“You have to be living in a cave to believe this isn’t about Planned Parenthood,” said abortion law expert Mary Ziegler. “The reason Planned Parenthood is a target is because it’s a twofer. It’s both the nation’s largest abortion provider and also the nation’s best advocate for abortion rights. … But I think the problem for Planned Parenthood is that disaggregating the two is hard, and proving congressional intent to target one rather than the other is challenging.”

Anti-abortion activists and conservative commentators have accused Talwani, an Obama appointee, of judicial activism.

“Now the abortion industry is suing to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jun/23/poll-shows-voters-support-defunding-planned-parenthood-told/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_campaign=twtnl_x&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank">will of the voters</a>, duly passed by Congress,” wrote Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/08/judicial-activism-wont-restore-planned-parenthoods-federal-funding/" target="_blank">op-ed for National Review</a>. “They argue they’re constitutionally entitled to our tax dollars in perpetuity, and they’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/newsroom/press-releases/sba-slams-activist-ruling-forcing-americans-to-fund-abortion-giant-planned-parenthood" target="_blank">found a single activist judge</a>&nbsp;willing to take their side and impose that view on the entire nation — for now.”

Ziegler said the bill of attainder argument is rarely used, but is plausible in this case.&nbsp;

“Generally, with a bill of attainder, you have to show that there’s no other kind of valid legislative purpose, and that it’s selectively targeting the person who’s suing,” she said. “In this case, it seems pretty clear that there’s some targeting of Planned Parenthood happening. … But I think there being no other purpose is more complicated.”

Ziegler said the case will likely be hard to win if it gets to the majority conservative Supreme Court. But if the injunction holds, Planned Parenthood could run out the clock on the one-year Medicaid restriction. She thinks it might seem too politically risky to renew this provision right before the 2026 midterm elections to more moderate Republicans in the House, like Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.notus.org/republicans/gop-defunding-planned-parenthood-reconciliation" target="_blank">told NOTUS</a>&nbsp;in May, “from the standpoint of providing health care to women, you know, I’m not for taking away people’s health care.”

“They’ll either have to say, ‘All our boasts about defunding Planned Parenthood were not real, because Planned Parenthood is going to get funded again,’ or they’re going to have to make the funding prohibition permanent, which could have the consequences that people like Lawler were afraid of.”

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sofia-resnick/">Sofia Resnick</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>A federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.93.0.pdf" target="_blank">ruled Friday</a>&nbsp;against the Trump administration’s efforts to strip Medicaid funds from primarily Planned Parenthood-affiliated abortion providers.Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani denied the federal government’s motion to lift a block on a new law, rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice’s argument that allowing Planned Parenthood to continue to bill for Medicaid while their lawsuit plays out would cause the government “irreparable injury.” She said the plaintiffs were more likely to suffer injury if the provision went into effect, such as having to close clinics and reduce services.“Here, Defendants suffer no irreparable harm where Plaintiffs are substantially likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 violates several constitutional provisions,” Talwani wrote in an order, denying the federal government’s request to stay two preliminary injunctions. “[I]t is precisely because Congress targeted only a ‘certain’ group of entities for exclusion from Medicaid programs — all but two of which are Planned Parenthood Federation Members — that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed in establishing that Section 71113 is unconstitutional.”Late last month Talwani ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/one-big-beautiful-law-provision-planned-parenthood-funding-partly-blocked-judge" target="_blank">partial</a>&nbsp;and then a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-issues-new-order-protecting-all-planned-parenthood-clinics-medicaid-defunding" target="_blank">full preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-sues-trump-administration-officials-over-defunding-provision-budget-bill" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its Massachusetts and Utah affiliates sued</a>&nbsp;in early July over the new federal reproductive health restriction. After unsuccessfully asking the district court to lift the block, the federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.75.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appealed the preliminary injunctions</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shortly after, the DOJ&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;asking the district court to reconsider the preliminary injunctions. Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.89.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">appellate court declined</a>&nbsp;the government’s request, pending the district court’s decision. Defendants are now expected to re-appeal the injunction to the First Circuit.&nbsp;The provision, set to expire July 4, 2026, would primarily affect health clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, which has estimated it could lose 200 of its 600 clinics, many of which are in rural areas and others that are critical abortion-access points.&nbsp;But two other affected organizations are Health Imperatives in Massachusetts, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/08/05/massachusetts-abortion-womens-health-federal-cuts?emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">according to WBUR</a>, operates seven clinics and serves about 10,000 patients, and Maine Family Planning, which has also sued over the provision. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker in Maine, an appointee of President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MFP-Decision-August-2025.pdf" target="_blank">denied Maine Family Planning’s motion for a preliminary injunction</a>, despite the organization facing losses up to nearly $2 million, potential layoffs, and disruption of care for about 8,000 patients.“This ruling is a devastating setback for Mainers who depend on us for basic primary care,” said George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-oks-medicaid-defunding-maines-largest-reproductive-health-care-provider" target="_blank">Maine Morning Star</a>. “The loss of Medicaid funds — which nearly half our patients rely on — threatens our ability to provide life-saving services to communities across the state. Mainers’ health should never be jeopardized by political decisions, and we will continue to fight for them.”<h2>Does the new federal Medicaid rule unlawfully target Planned Parenthood?</h2>Federal funding of abortion is already prohibited in most cases under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-hyde-amendment-and-coverage-for-abortion-services-under-medicaid-in-the-post-roe-era/" target="_blank">Hyde Amendment</a>. But the new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text" target="_blank">funding rule</a>&nbsp;would bar from the Medicaid program reproductive health clinics that provide abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal and state Medicaid funding in fiscal year 2023 for health services like birth control, cancer and gender-affirming care.&nbsp;The legislation has caused confusion throughout the Planned Parenthood network because its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/plaws/publ21/PLAW-119publ21.pdf#page=230" target="_blank">definition of “prohibited entity”</a>&nbsp;includes a barred organization’s “affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics.”The nonprofit health network comprises its national membership and advocacy organization, PPFA, and nearly 50 independently structured and operated&nbsp;affiliates, some of which do not offer abortion, such as co-plaintiff Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. These organizations are reimbursed after the fact for specific health services covered by Medicaid.&nbsp;Even though the provision is currently blocked, several Planned Parenthood clinics around the country have already closed, both because of the new rule and the Trump administration’s other restrictions stripping abortion providers of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/limited-judicial-relief-fallout-begins-planned-parenthood-clinics-facing-medicaid-cuts" target="_blank">federal family planning grants</a>.&nbsp;Many of the recently shuttered clinics did not provide abortion, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ohio-planned-parenthoods-will-remain-closed-despite-federal-success-ongoing-lawsuit" target="_blank">Ohio</a>, and some are in states where abortion is illegal, like in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-close-louisiana-clinics-landry-murrill-applaud-news" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood’s attorneys have argued that the new federal Medicaid rule violates their equal protection, speech and association rights, because it excludes their clinics from the Medicaid program on the basis of their association to other organizations — in this case organizations that provide abortions and advocate for abortion rights.“[S]ince this Court issued its decision, the government has now admitted that Section 71113 (the “Defund Provision”) was intended to punish Planned Parenthood for its ‘political advocacy,’” the plaintiffs wrote in a recent brief&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.92.0.pdf" target="_blank">opposing defendants’ motion</a>&nbsp;to lift the injunction.&nbsp;Plaintiffs referred to a recent public statement made by Andrew G. Nixon, a spokesperson for co-defendant U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.&nbsp;“States should not be forced to fund organizations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/us/politics/trump-planned-parenthood.html" target="_blank">Nixon said</a>, after the district court’s initial preliminary injunction on July 22.&nbsp;But in court, the federal government argued the tax and spending cuts law excludes large abortion providers only because they provide abortions. They say they are also excluding smaller or non-abortion-providing affiliates, not because of their speech or advocacy, but because of their “non-expressive activities of corporate control and financing.” Their basic argument is that money to any Planned Parenthood clinic — even for health services unrelated to abortion — is money for abortion.&nbsp;“[B]ecause money is fungible, extending the funding restriction to affiliates prevents an organization from undermining federal policy not to subsidize abortion providers by shifting funds between entities that do not perform abortions and entities that do,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.286600/gov.uscourts.mad.286600.85.0.pdf#page=6" target="_blank">defendants wrote</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;The DOJ has also rejected plaintiffs’ claim that the federal legislation is a&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C3-1/ALDE_00013186/" target="_blank">bill of attainder</a>, which refers to legislation that unconstitutionally imposes punishment on a specific person or group of people without a judicial trial.&nbsp;“Halting the flow of federal Medicaid funds to those entities bears no resemblance to the forms of punishment that implicate the Bill of Attainder Clause,” reads the DOJ’s motion. “Historically, bills of attainder involved punishments such as ‘death,’ ‘banishment,’ and ‘imprisonment.’”But Talwani disagrees with the DOJ’s reasoning.“[T]here is no indication in the record that Planned Parenthood Members share revenues from Medicaid reimbursements,” she wrote. “The result is a restriction on associational freedom that is in no way ‘essential to the furtherance of [Defendants’] interest’ in withholding funds from certain abortion providers … and instead imposes a wholly unwarranted burden.”While the new federal tax and spending cuts law does not mention Planned Parenthood by name, a bill introduced this year with similar language is explicitly titled, “<a href="https://click.everyaction.com/k/113700862/564667045/-4655086?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9TTldTUi9TTldTUi8xLzEwNTEzMSIsDQogICJEaXN0cmlidXRpb25VbmlxdWVJZCI6ICI0ZmRmYjMxZS03ZTdlLWYwMTEtYjQ4NC02MDQ1YmRlYjc0MTMiLA0KICAiRW1haWxBZGRyZXNzIjogInNyZXNuaWNrQHN0YXRlc25ld3Nyb29tLmNvbSINCn0%3D&amp;hmac=VzdAbS6Oa98XA62IADfNGZ3_6dvqDEvTmiY8Ar8EoZo=&amp;emci=d5dd797b-0b7e-f011-b481-6045bda9d23e&amp;emdi=4fdfb31e-7e7e-f011-b484-6045bdeb7413&amp;ceid=519099" target="_blank">Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2025</a>.” Meanwhile, several state legislatures have successfully stripped funding from the organization. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program in late June after a long legal fight, but the state’s affiliate just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/planned-parenthood-files-new-challenge-stay-scs-medicaid-list-non-abortion-services" target="_blank">sued again</a>&nbsp;over Medicaid eligibility.“You have to be living in a cave to believe this isn’t about Planned Parenthood,” said abortion law expert Mary Ziegler. “The reason Planned Parenthood is a target is because it’s a twofer. It’s both the nation’s largest abortion provider and also the nation’s best advocate for abortion rights. … But I think the problem for Planned Parenthood is that disaggregating the two is hard, and proving congressional intent to target one rather than the other is challenging.”Anti-abortion activists and conservative commentators have accused Talwani, an Obama appointee, of judicial activism.“Now the abortion industry is suing to block the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jun/23/poll-shows-voters-support-defunding-planned-parenthood-told/?utm_medium=SocialFlow&amp;utm_campaign=twtnl_x&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank">will of the voters</a>, duly passed by Congress,” wrote Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/08/judicial-activism-wont-restore-planned-parenthoods-federal-funding/" target="_blank">op-ed for National Review</a>. “They argue they’re constitutionally entitled to our tax dollars in perpetuity, and they’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/newsroom/press-releases/sba-slams-activist-ruling-forcing-americans-to-fund-abortion-giant-planned-parenthood" target="_blank">found a single activist judge</a>&nbsp;willing to take their side and impose that view on the entire nation — for now.”Ziegler said the bill of attainder argument is rarely used, but is plausible in this case.&nbsp;“Generally, with a bill of attainder, you have to show that there’s no other kind of valid legislative purpose, and that it’s selectively targeting the person who’s suing,” she said. “In this case, it seems pretty clear that there’s some targeting of Planned Parenthood happening. … But I think there being no other purpose is more complicated.”Ziegler said the case will likely be hard to win if it gets to the majority conservative Supreme Court. But if the injunction holds, Planned Parenthood could run out the clock on the one-year Medicaid restriction. She thinks it might seem too politically risky to renew this provision right before the 2026 midterm elections to more moderate Republicans in the House, like Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.notus.org/republicans/gop-defunding-planned-parenthood-reconciliation" target="_blank">told NOTUS</a>&nbsp;in May, “from the standpoint of providing health care to women, you know, I’m not for taking away people’s health care.”“They’ll either have to say, ‘All our boasts about defunding Planned Parenthood were not real, because Planned Parenthood is going to get funded again,’ or they’re going to have to make the funding prohibition permanent, which could have the consequences that people like Lawler were afraid of.”

Judge: Planned Parenthood clinics can remain Medicaid providers while lawsuit continues

Players will have another chance to go for the billion-dollar Powerball® jackpot before the holiday weekend ends! No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Saturday night, pushing the Powerball jackpot to an estimated $1.1 billion for the next drawing on Monday night – the game’s fifth-largest prize ever,&nbsp;according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Monday’s jackpot has an estimated cash value of $498.4 million.

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Nine tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes in last night’s drawing. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in California (4), Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.&nbsp;Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

Three tickets matched all five white balls and increased the $1 million prize to $2 million, because the tickets included the Power Play® option for $1 more. The $2 million-winning tickets were sold in Colorado, Indiana and New Hampshire.

There were also 115 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 27 tickets that won $150,000 prizes.

Monday’s Powerball drawing will be the 40th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025. To date, the longest Powerball jackpot run has been 42 consecutive drawings, which was set on April 6, 2024, with a $1.326 billion jackpot winner in Oregon.

If a player wins Monday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $498.4 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

Players will have another chance to go for the billion-dollar Powerball® jackpot before the holiday weekend ends! No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Saturday night, pushing the Powerball jackpot to an estimated $1.1 billion for the next drawing on Monday night – the game’s fifth-largest prize ever,&nbsp;according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.Monday’s jackpot has an estimated cash value of $498.4 million.“America has waited all year for the chance to play for a billion-dollar jackpot, and what better time than Labor Day for a $1.1 billion Powerball drawing!” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “With just one $2 ticket, you could win it all – all while helping to support good causes close to home.”The winning numbers in the Saturday, Aug 30 drawing were white balls 3, 18, 22, 27, 33 and red Powerball 17. The Power Play® multiplier was 3.Even though the Powerball jackpot rolled, participating lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets to see if they won a lower-tier cash prize.Nine tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes in last night’s drawing. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in California (4), Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.&nbsp;Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.Three tickets matched all five white balls and increased the $1 million prize to $2 million, because the tickets included the Power Play® option for $1 more. The $2 million-winning tickets were sold in Colorado, Indiana and New Hampshire.There were also 115 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 27 tickets that won $150,000 prizes.Monday’s Powerball drawing will be the 40th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025. To date, the longest Powerball jackpot run has been 42 consecutive drawings, which was set on April 6, 2024, with a $1.326 billion jackpot winner in Oregon.If a player wins Monday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $498.4 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 – OR</li><li>$1.1 Billion (estimated) – Sept 1, 2025</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li><li>$754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA</li>
 </ol>

Powerball jackpot rolls to fifth-largest prize ever for Labor Day drawing

LEE COUNTY, Florida —A homeowner in his pajamas is credited with helping fight crime in his neighborhood.

Just after 2a.m. August 27, police responded to a burglary in progress at a home in Southeast Cape Coral, Florida, according to a media release. When officers arrived, they found the suspect already detained — by a neighbor wearing Batman pajamas.

The neighbor, Kyle Myvett, told detectives he had gone to bed when his home security cameras alerted him to someone breaking into his vehicle. Still dressed in his Batman pajamas, Kyle went outside to investigate and saw the suspect rummaging through his truck. Moments later, he found the same suspect in his neighbor’s garage and detained him until officers arrived. 

The suspect was identified as Justin Schimpl, 21,&nbsp; who is known to law enforcement from prior investigations. Detectives determined that Schimpl broke into Kyle’s vehicle, as well as his neighbors, and stole multiple items including two pairs of Ray-Ban sunglasses valued at $300 each, cash, a woman’s wristlet, and more than $500 in gift cards.

Schimpl claimed another man was with him, but the name of that man changed multiple times. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter as well as a Cape Coral Police Department K9 searched the area, but no other suspects were located.

Schimpl was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail on requested charges:–2 counts of Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance (Unarmed), a 3rd Degree Felony–2 counts of Petit Theft Under $750, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor–1 count of Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, a 2nd Degree FelonyThanks to a quick-thinking neighbor in his Batman pajamas, another burglary suspect was put behind bars.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756479561814.png" alt="Schimpi photo Cape Coral PD" />
 <figcaption>Schimpi photo Cape Coral PD</figcaption>
 </figure>LEE COUNTY, Florida —A homeowner in his pajamas is credited with helping fight crime in his neighborhood.Just after 2a.m. August 27, police responded to a burglary in progress at a home in Southeast Cape Coral, Florida, according to a media release. When officers arrived, they found the suspect already detained — by a neighbor wearing Batman pajamas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756479459496.png" alt="Photo Cape Coral Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Cape Coral Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The neighbor, Kyle Myvett, told detectives he had gone to bed when his home security cameras alerted him to someone breaking into his vehicle. Still dressed in his Batman pajamas, Kyle went outside to investigate and saw the suspect rummaging through his truck. Moments later, he found the same suspect in his neighbor’s garage and detained him until officers arrived. The suspect was identified as Justin Schimpl, 21,&nbsp; who is known to law enforcement from prior investigations. Detectives determined that Schimpl broke into Kyle’s vehicle, as well as his neighbors, and stole multiple items including two pairs of Ray-Ban sunglasses valued at $300 each, cash, a woman’s wristlet, and more than $500 in gift cards.Schimpl claimed another man was with him, but the name of that man changed multiple times. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter as well as a Cape Coral Police Department K9 searched the area, but no other suspects were located.Schimpl was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail on requested charges:–2 counts of Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance (Unarmed), a 3rd Degree Felony–2 counts of Petit Theft Under $750, a 1st Degree Misdemeanor–1 count of Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, a 2nd Degree FelonyThanks to a quick-thinking neighbor in his Batman pajamas, another burglary suspect was put behind bars.

Homeowner in Batman pajamas helps catch burglary suspect

By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A lawsuit can go forward challenging a Lincoln city ordinance banning the carrying of weapons – even by those with a state concealed carry permit – in city parks and other city property, the state’s highest court ruled on Friday.

The Nebraska Supreme Court, in a 22-page opinion on Friday, ruled that even though the law had not yet been enforced, four individual gun owners named in a lawsuit could challenge the law because there was a “credible threat” that they could be harmed by the ordinance in the future.

The ruling, written by Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke, agreed partly with a district judge’s prior ruling that the Nebraska Firearm Owners Association, as an organization, lacked the ability to challenge the Lincoln law.

But it stated that the individual firearm owners had legal standing and could sue – thus sending the lawsuit back to the Lancaster District Court for further proceedings.

The gun rights lawsuit was spawned by passage of Legislative Bill 77 in 2023 that eliminated the requirement to obtain a state permit to carry a concealed handgun. It also barred cities and villages from adopting “certain regulation of weapons.” Individuals can still obtain a state concealed carry permit, so they can legally carry in other states.

On the date the law went into effect, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird signed an executive order banning the carrying of “weapons” in “vehicles, buildings, or facilities owned, leased, controlled, or maintained by the city.” The order was later amended slightly, but continued to bar anyone — even those who had passed a gun safety class and obtained a state concealed carry permit — from carrying a weapon on city property, including public parks.

The NFOA and four individuals – Terry Fitzgerald, Dave Kendle, Raymond Bretthauer and D.J. Davis – sued to block the Lincoln order. They also challenged city ordinances that required any firearm purchase in the City of Lincoln to be reported to law enforcement and barred the sale or possession of “multiburst trigger activators and switch-blade knives.” Such trigger activators allow a semi-automatic weapon to significantly increase a gun’s rate of firing.

The individuals, all of whom had state concealed carry permits, argued that they regularly carry concealed guns in city parks and city trails to protect themselves and their families. Three of the plaintiffs said they carried concealed weapons “100% of the time.”

Lancaster County District Court Judge Andrew Jacobsen dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that both the NFOA and the four gun owners lacked standing, or the ability, to challenge a law that had not yet been enforced. The judge said the Nebraska Supreme Court had not yet determined how someone could establish standing to challenge a law who had not yet been impacted by the law.

The Supreme Court, in clarifying who has standing to sue, stated Friday that the individual gun owners, because they faced an “imminent and substantial” threat of harm, had the ability to sue the city. The ruling, however, stated that the NFOA, which claimed membership of 10,000, lacked standing to sue on behalf of its members.

There was one exception – the high court ruled that both the NFOA and the four gun owners lacked standing to challenge one Lincoln ordinance, one regulating the storage of guns in vehicles. Three Supreme Court judges – Lindsey Miller-Lerman, Jonathan Papik and Stephanie Stacy – issued brief concurring opinions to the unanimous ruling.

“We are pleased that now we can challenge these laws on the merits,” said Ryan Morrison, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, which represented the gun owners. “Following this victory, we will show the local governments of Lincoln and Omaha, that their firearms regulations violate the Second Amendment and state law.”

Chris Triebsch, the chief communications officer for the City of Lincoln, said Friday that “public safety” is the top priority for the city and the reason for gun restrictions within the public spaces and city properties. Triebsch said the city stands ready to “demonstrate our case on the merits in district court.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756558800880.png" alt=" The bench of the Nebraska Supreme Court at the Capitol in Lincoln. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The bench of the Nebraska Supreme Court at the Capitol in Lincoln. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A lawsuit can go forward challenging a Lincoln city ordinance banning the carrying of weapons – even by those with a state concealed carry permit – in city parks and other city property, the state’s highest court ruled on Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756558756315.png" alt=" Local restrictions on handguns are at issue in a lawsuit heard in the Nebraska Supreme Court. (Courtesy of Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor)" />
 <figcaption> Local restrictions on handguns are at issue in a lawsuit heard in the Nebraska Supreme Court. (Courtesy of Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Nebraska Supreme Court, in a 22-page opinion on Friday, ruled that even though the law had not yet been enforced, four individual gun owners named in a lawsuit could challenge the law because there was a “credible threat” that they could be harmed by the ordinance in the future.The ruling, written by Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke, agreed partly with a district judge’s prior ruling that the Nebraska Firearm Owners Association, as an organization, lacked the ability to challenge the Lincoln law.But it stated that the individual firearm owners had legal standing and could sue – thus sending the lawsuit back to the Lancaster District Court for further proceedings.The gun rights lawsuit was spawned by passage of Legislative Bill 77 in 2023 that eliminated the requirement to obtain a state permit to carry a concealed handgun. It also barred cities and villages from adopting “certain regulation of weapons.” Individuals can still obtain a state concealed carry permit, so they can legally carry in other states.On the date the law went into effect, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird signed an executive order banning the carrying of “weapons” in “vehicles, buildings, or facilities owned, leased, controlled, or maintained by the city.” The order was later amended slightly, but continued to bar anyone — even those who had passed a gun safety class and obtained a state concealed carry permit — from carrying a weapon on city property, including public parks.The NFOA and four individuals – Terry Fitzgerald, Dave Kendle, Raymond Bretthauer and D.J. Davis – sued to block the Lincoln order. They also challenged city ordinances that required any firearm purchase in the City of Lincoln to be reported to law enforcement and barred the sale or possession of “multiburst trigger activators and switch-blade knives.” Such trigger activators allow a semi-automatic weapon to significantly increase a gun’s rate of firing.The individuals, all of whom had state concealed carry permits, argued that they regularly carry concealed guns in city parks and city trails to protect themselves and their families. Three of the plaintiffs said they carried concealed weapons “100% of the time.”Lancaster County District Court Judge Andrew Jacobsen dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that both the NFOA and the four gun owners lacked standing, or the ability, to challenge a law that had not yet been enforced. The judge said the Nebraska Supreme Court had not yet determined how someone could establish standing to challenge a law who had not yet been impacted by the law.The Supreme Court, in clarifying who has standing to sue, stated Friday that the individual gun owners, because they faced an “imminent and substantial” threat of harm, had the ability to sue the city. The ruling, however, stated that the NFOA, which claimed membership of 10,000, lacked standing to sue on behalf of its members.There was one exception – the high court ruled that both the NFOA and the four gun owners lacked standing to challenge one Lincoln ordinance, one regulating the storage of guns in vehicles. Three Supreme Court judges – Lindsey Miller-Lerman, Jonathan Papik and Stephanie Stacy – issued brief concurring opinions to the unanimous ruling.“We are pleased that now we can challenge these laws on the merits,” said Ryan Morrison, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, which represented the gun owners. “Following this victory, we will show the local governments of Lincoln and Omaha, that their firearms regulations violate the Second Amendment and state law.”Chris Triebsch, the chief communications officer for the City of Lincoln, said Friday that “public safety” is the top priority for the city and the reason for gun restrictions within the public spaces and city properties. Triebsch said the city stands ready to “demonstrate our case on the merits in district court.”

Gun rights lawsuit against Lincoln ordinance can proceed, state’s highest court rules

The Powerball® jackpot just hit an estimated $1 billion for Saturday night’s drawing. After reviewing national ticket sales, game leaders increased the Powerball jackpot estimate Friday morning from $950 million to $1 billion, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. Saturday’s jackpot has an estimated cash value of $453.1 million.

This is the sixth Powerball jackpot to reach the billion-dollar mark in the game’s 33-year history.

“We’re bringing extra excitement to Labor Day Weekend with a Powerball jackpot that’s climbed to a billion dollars!” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “For just $2, every ticket is a chance to win big, while also giving back to public programs and services that benefit communities wherever Powerball is played.”

Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be broadcast live at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. The Powerball drawing will also be live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.

If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $453.1 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

Saturday’s drawing will be the 39th drawing since the Powerball jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025. The summer jackpot streak has already created 62 winning tickets worth $1 million or more, and 608 winning tickets worth $50,000 or more.

The Powerball® jackpot just hit an estimated $1 billion for Saturday night’s drawing. After reviewing national ticket sales, game leaders increased the Powerball jackpot estimate Friday morning from $950 million to $1 billion, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. Saturday’s jackpot has an estimated cash value of $453.1 million.This is the sixth Powerball jackpot to reach the billion-dollar mark in the game’s 33-year history.“We’re bringing extra excitement to Labor Day Weekend with a Powerball jackpot that’s climbed to a billion dollars!” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “For just $2, every ticket is a chance to win big, while also giving back to public programs and services that benefit communities wherever Powerball is played.”Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be broadcast live at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. The Powerball drawing will also be live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $453.1 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.Saturday’s drawing will be the 39th drawing since the Powerball jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025. The summer jackpot streak has already created 62 winning tickets worth $1 million or more, and 608 winning tickets worth $50,000 or more.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 - OR</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$1.0 Billion (estimated) – Aug. 30, 2025</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li><li>$754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA</li>
 </ol>

Powerball soars to sixth largest in game's 33-year history

The Nebraska State Fair welcomed more than 150,000 guests during its opening weekend, fueled by some of the best weather the Fair has seen in years. From Friday through Sunday, fairgoers packed the grounds to enjoy livestock shows, food, rides, and new attractions, leaving the Fair in a strong position heading into its second week.

Overall attendance through the first five days of the Fair reached&nbsp;154,464, with a handful of days remaining until the Fair concludes on Labor Day.

Vendors have reported record numbers during the opening weekend, with large crowds and steady foot traffic driving strong sales. “Saturday and Sunday were both incredible days out here at the Fair,” said Jaime Parr, Executive Director of the Nebraska State Fair. “Across the board the outdoor partners are experiencing an in increase in guest exposure while indoor partners celebrate business as comparable to, or up, compared to previous years.”

Parr said attendance was over 53,000 on Saturday alone – marking a 23% increase over first Saturday of last year’s event. Across the first 5 days overall attendance is up 19%, year over year.

“We saw a surge in sales opening weekend as weather delighted us with sunshine and 75-degree temperatures,” said Parr. “We don’t always get this lucky opening weekend, so our vendors and entertainers were ecstatic to have large crowds spending their entire day out here.”

Parr said she believes the increase in sales is likely attributed to the duration of time spent by guests at the Fair. The Fair reported an average duration of time of guests to be more than 6 hours each day through opening weekend, according to their guest survey.

Additional data gathered from their guest survey shows that 20% of guests who have attended the fair rated their overall experience 4 out of 5 stars while 65% rated their experience 5 out of 5 stars.

The Board of Directors credited the success to the efforts of staff and volunteers coming together to make opening weekend something folks looked forward to. “We’re incredibly proud of the teamwork that goes into making this event possible,” said Tom Schellpeper, Vice Chair of the Nebraska State Fair Board. “Nebraska is lucky to have so many dedicated individuals [superintendents, partners, volunteers, seasonal staff] that come back every year to make the Fair a fun place for families.”

With clear skies and cool August evenings helping set the tone, organizers are optimistic about continued strong attendance throughout the remaining five days. Guests can still look forward to a number of concerts, loads of kids activities and plenty of livestock as FFA takes the stage second weekend. The Fair wraps up on Labor Day at 7 p.m.

Heading into second weekend, guests can also look forward to Nebraska Lottery Outdoor Concert series which kicks off tonight (Aug. 28) with a free Sawyer Brown concert as well as a second drone and fireworks show after concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For schedules, ticket information, and more, visit&nbsp;statefair.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756408424937.jpeg" alt="2025 State Fair" />
 <figcaption>2025 State Fair</figcaption>
 </figure>The Nebraska State Fair welcomed more than 150,000 guests during its opening weekend, fueled by some of the best weather the Fair has seen in years. From Friday through Sunday, fairgoers packed the grounds to enjoy livestock shows, food, rides, and new attractions, leaving the Fair in a strong position heading into its second week.Overall attendance through the first five days of the Fair reached&nbsp;154,464, with a handful of days remaining until the Fair concludes on Labor Day.Vendors have reported record numbers during the opening weekend, with large crowds and steady foot traffic driving strong sales. “Saturday and Sunday were both incredible days out here at the Fair,” said Jaime Parr, Executive Director of the Nebraska State Fair. “Across the board the outdoor partners are experiencing an in increase in guest exposure while indoor partners celebrate business as comparable to, or up, compared to previous years.”Parr said attendance was over 53,000 on Saturday alone – marking a 23% increase over first Saturday of last year’s event. Across the first 5 days overall attendance is up 19%, year over year.“We saw a surge in sales opening weekend as weather delighted us with sunshine and 75-degree temperatures,” said Parr. “We don’t always get this lucky opening weekend, so our vendors and entertainers were ecstatic to have large crowds spending their entire day out here.”Parr said she believes the increase in sales is likely attributed to the duration of time spent by guests at the Fair. The Fair reported an average duration of time of guests to be more than 6 hours each day through opening weekend, according to their guest survey.Additional data gathered from their guest survey shows that 20% of guests who have attended the fair rated their overall experience 4 out of 5 stars while 65% rated their experience 5 out of 5 stars.The Board of Directors credited the success to the efforts of staff and volunteers coming together to make opening weekend something folks looked forward to. “We’re incredibly proud of the teamwork that goes into making this event possible,” said Tom Schellpeper, Vice Chair of the Nebraska State Fair Board. “Nebraska is lucky to have so many dedicated individuals [superintendents, partners, volunteers, seasonal staff] that come back every year to make the Fair a fun place for families.”With clear skies and cool August evenings helping set the tone, organizers are optimistic about continued strong attendance throughout the remaining five days. Guests can still look forward to a number of concerts, loads of kids activities and plenty of livestock as FFA takes the stage second weekend. The Fair wraps up on Labor Day at 7 p.m.Heading into second weekend, guests can also look forward to Nebraska Lottery Outdoor Concert series which kicks off tonight (Aug. 28) with a free Sawyer Brown concert as well as a second drone and fireworks show after concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.For schedules, ticket information, and more, visit&nbsp;statefair.org.

First half of Nebraska State Fair brings more than 150,000 guests through the gates

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

OVERLAND PARK — Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman pushed for deepening relationships and maintaining international growth opportunities for Kansas farmers at a meeting of state political and agricultural leaders Wednesday.&nbsp;

Glickman and U.S. Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids spoke about the effects of tariffs and federal policies on Kansas farmers during a U.S. Global Leadership Coalition luncheon. The event was closed to journalists, but Glickman shared thoughts on the current political climate afterward.&nbsp;

“My theory is pretty much don’t burn bridges, build bridges,” he said. “I got along very well with (Pat) Roberts, (Bob) Dole, (Nancy) Kassebaum. We didn’t try to kill each other.”

Glickman, a Democrat, said Dole, a longtime Republican senator, helped him get the position as secretary of agriculture, which he held from 1995 to 2001 during the Clinton administration.&nbsp;

Politicians need to be able to reach across the aisle and have open discussions and agreements, Glickman said.&nbsp;

“I hope we can create an environment where there’s trust in the system of government generally, because it’s not just agriculture, it’s everything,” he said. “And then we have some predictability in foreign policy, federal farm policy.”

He would also like to see Republicans stand up to the president, something he said he had to do when he served under Clinton.&nbsp;

“I’d like to see the Republicans show more courage and moxie in challenging the president – on the federal side, not so much on the Kansas side – when they think he’s wrong,” Glickman said. “It’s difficult to challenge a president if you’re in their party. When I would say to Clinton, ‘I think you’re wrong,’ I would do it very deliberately but still, I would do it at times, and I don’t see very much happening like that.”

National reports that legislators fear retaliation if they speak up aren’t good, Glickman said.&nbsp;

“I don’t think it’s healthy for democracy. You know, you’ve got to be able to speak out responsibly,” he said.

Building relationships extends beyond domestic politics, and Glickman is concerned international relationships may be impaired because of the way tariffs are being negotiated. He’s not against tariffs in general, he said, but he’s concerned about future trade effects.

“I’ve never been a purist on tariffs and trade,” he said. “I mean, there are some countries that abuse their relationships with us, and that’s why you have tariff agreements and trade agreements, to build those things in there so one country can’t take advantage of another by being too self protective.”&nbsp;

But Glickman said the way trade barriers are being implemented concerns him. Historically, international policies involved collaboration between Congress and the private sector to determine the best way to proceed, he said.

“Because when you put your finger on one set of problems, if you’re not careful, you’re going to create another set of problems,” Glickman said. “Agriculture has often been the whipping boy for those other sets of problems, because of how much we rely on access to global markets. So I guess my real answer is, can we do this carefully, or do we have to do it with a sledgehammer?”

Right now, the country is relying too much on the sledgehammer, Glickman said.

Growth opportunities in agriculture lie in the international market, he said.&nbsp;

“The president said something when he announced the original set of tariffs – ‘American farmers are going to love this, because they can finally take advantage of domestic markets,’ and I’m thinking to myself, no, that’s not where the growth is,” Glickman said. “There’s not really much growth in domestic markets. There might be a little here, a little there. All the growth is global, and so maybe he doesn’t understand it.”

Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, attended the luncheon and agreed with Glickman.&nbsp;

“As Secretary Glickman mentioned, we are becoming less and less of a reliable trading partner to the world,” he said. “Anymore, we are a global market, and you know, you can be upset with another country because maybe they don’t do as much trade with you and all that, but I’ve always believed that the carrot versus the stick does a lot more good.”

Levendofsky said the potential of growing markets such as India are important to Kansas farmers.&nbsp;

“If China is shutting the door on us, we’ve got to find an opening somewhere,” he said. “And that, to me, right now speaks to India.”

Along with international trade, Glickman is watching the future of the Farm Bill. The reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July addressed some policies usually found in the Farm Bill, but it didn’t include all the elements that need to be addressed, he said.&nbsp;

A Farm Bill has not passed this year, and Glickman said expert assessments that this may be the beginning of creating a different process for agricultural legislation is “astute.”

“We’ve had in the last 40 or 50 years, these five-year farm bills,” he said. “But then lately, we’ve been having these extensions every year and with no real fundamental change.”

Recent legislation added $40 to $50 billion of new or enhanced programs over the next 10 years, and also addressed commodity programs, crop insurance and risk management, Glickman said.&nbsp;

He hopes this won’t be the new normal because there were many subjcts not addressed, such as research and nutrition programs.&nbsp;

In his role as a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Council on American Politics at George Washington University, Glickman said he keeps in contact with concerns of farmers and trade groups.

The real worry right now is instability, he said.

“The big story in agriculture is lack of stability, lack of planning, lack of predictability,” Glickman said. “Agriculture is complicated, and then the volatile weather complicates it further. Changes in the weather, plant and animal disease, making sure our research budgets are adequately funded – that’s all part of a new Farm Bill.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756402390112.png" alt=" Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman talked about international trade and diplomacy along with other concerns of Kansas farmers at a Wednesday U.S. Global Leadership Coalition meeting in Overland Park. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman talked about international trade and diplomacy along with other concerns of Kansas farmers at a Wednesday U.S. Global Leadership Coalition meeting in Overland Park. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>OVERLAND PARK — Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman pushed for deepening relationships and maintaining international growth opportunities for Kansas farmers at a meeting of state political and agricultural leaders Wednesday.&nbsp;Glickman and U.S. Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids spoke about the effects of tariffs and federal policies on Kansas farmers during a U.S. Global Leadership Coalition luncheon. The event was closed to journalists, but Glickman shared thoughts on the current political climate afterward.&nbsp;“My theory is pretty much don’t burn bridges, build bridges,” he said. “I got along very well with (Pat) Roberts, (Bob) Dole, (Nancy) Kassebaum. We didn’t try to kill each other.”Glickman, a Democrat, said Dole, a longtime Republican senator, helped him get the position as secretary of agriculture, which he held from 1995 to 2001 during the Clinton administration.&nbsp;Politicians need to be able to reach across the aisle and have open discussions and agreements, Glickman said.&nbsp;“I hope we can create an environment where there’s trust in the system of government generally, because it’s not just agriculture, it’s everything,” he said. “And then we have some predictability in foreign policy, federal farm policy.”He would also like to see Republicans stand up to the president, something he said he had to do when he served under Clinton.&nbsp;“I’d like to see the Republicans show more courage and moxie in challenging the president – on the federal side, not so much on the Kansas side – when they think he’s wrong,” Glickman said. “It’s difficult to challenge a president if you’re in their party. When I would say to Clinton, ‘I think you’re wrong,’ I would do it very deliberately but still, I would do it at times, and I don’t see very much happening like that.”National reports that legislators fear retaliation if they speak up aren’t good, Glickman said.&nbsp;“I don’t think it’s healthy for democracy. You know, you’ve got to be able to speak out responsibly,” he said.<h2>International trade</h2>Building relationships extends beyond domestic politics, and Glickman is concerned international relationships may be impaired because of the way tariffs are being negotiated. He’s not against tariffs in general, he said, but he’s concerned about future trade effects.“I’ve never been a purist on tariffs and trade,” he said. “I mean, there are some countries that abuse their relationships with us, and that’s why you have tariff agreements and trade agreements, to build those things in there so one country can’t take advantage of another by being too self protective.”&nbsp;But Glickman said the way trade barriers are being implemented concerns him. Historically, international policies involved collaboration between Congress and the private sector to determine the best way to proceed, he said.“Because when you put your finger on one set of problems, if you’re not careful, you’re going to create another set of problems,” Glickman said. “Agriculture has often been the whipping boy for those other sets of problems, because of how much we rely on access to global markets. So I guess my real answer is, can we do this carefully, or do we have to do it with a sledgehammer?”Right now, the country is relying too much on the sledgehammer, Glickman said.Growth opportunities in agriculture lie in the international market, he said.&nbsp;“The president said something when he announced the original set of tariffs – ‘American farmers are going to love this, because they can finally take advantage of domestic markets,’ and I’m thinking to myself, no, that’s not where the growth is,” Glickman said. “There’s not really much growth in domestic markets. There might be a little here, a little there. All the growth is global, and so maybe he doesn’t understand it.”Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, attended the luncheon and agreed with Glickman.&nbsp;“As Secretary Glickman mentioned, we are becoming less and less of a reliable trading partner to the world,” he said. “Anymore, we are a global market, and you know, you can be upset with another country because maybe they don’t do as much trade with you and all that, but I’ve always believed that the carrot versus the stick does a lot more good.”Levendofsky said the potential of growing markets such as India are important to Kansas farmers.&nbsp;“If China is shutting the door on us, we’ve got to find an opening somewhere,” he said. “And that, to me, right now speaks to India.”<h2>Farm Bill</h2>Along with international trade, Glickman is watching the future of the Farm Bill. The reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July addressed some policies usually found in the Farm Bill, but it didn’t include all the elements that need to be addressed, he said.&nbsp;A Farm Bill has not passed this year, and Glickman said expert assessments that this may be the beginning of creating a different process for agricultural legislation is “astute.”“We’ve had in the last 40 or 50 years, these five-year farm bills,” he said. “But then lately, we’ve been having these extensions every year and with no real fundamental change.”Recent legislation added $40 to $50 billion of new or enhanced programs over the next 10 years, and also addressed commodity programs, crop insurance and risk management, Glickman said.&nbsp;He hopes this won’t be the new normal because there were many subjcts not addressed, such as research and nutrition programs.&nbsp;In his role as a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Council on American Politics at George Washington University, Glickman said he keeps in contact with concerns of farmers and trade groups.The real worry right now is instability, he said.“The big story in agriculture is lack of stability, lack of planning, lack of predictability,” Glickman said. “Agriculture is complicated, and then the volatile weather complicates it further. Changes in the weather, plant and animal disease, making sure our research budgets are adequately funded – that’s all part of a new Farm Bill.”

Former ag secretary Glickman worries about ‘sledgehammer’ trade policies affecting Kansas farmers

WASHINGTON — In April Health secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;warned that children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with autism at an “alarming rate,” promising to conduct exhaustive studies to identify any environmental factors that may cause the developmental disorder.

During President Trump's Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Kennedy revealed his researchers have identified what could be responsible for Autism.&nbsp;

Autism experts applaud efforts to further understand the condition, but say the number of reported cases began to balloon as the definition of the condition expanded to include mild cases.

“We will have an announcement as promised in September,” Kennedy said. “We’re finding interventions, certain interventions now that are clearly almost certainly causing autism.”

WASHINGTON — In April Health secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;warned that children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with autism at an “alarming rate,” promising to conduct exhaustive studies to identify any environmental factors that may cause the developmental disorder.During President Trump's Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Kennedy revealed his researchers have identified what could be responsible for Autism.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">RFK Jr. just REVEALED he has found the causes of autism. This is the moment MAHA moms have been waiting for. “We’re finding certain interventions that are almost certainly causing autism.” “We will have announcements, as promised, in September.” “In 1970, the biggest… <a href="https://t.co/KQidXc8fOY">pic.twitter.com/KQidXc8fOY</a>&mdash; Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1960398300693074198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Autism experts applaud efforts to further understand the condition, but say the number of reported cases began to balloon as the definition of the condition expanded to include mild cases.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>: &quot;I know what a healthy child is supposed to look like. I’m looking at kids as I walk through the airports today...and I see these kids that are just overburdened with mitochondrial challenges...and I know that’s not how our children are supposed to look.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/b8A2OEphav">pic.twitter.com/b8A2OEphav</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1960802249053233248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We will have an announcement as promised in September,” Kennedy said. “We’re finding interventions, certain interventions now that are clearly almost certainly causing autism.”

🎥The latest promise from RFK Jr. on autism research

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t appear inclined to leave her post, despite the Trump administration announcing Wednesday that she’s no longer running one of the country’s top public health agencies.&nbsp;

Attorneys for Susan Monarez, who received Senate confirmation in late July, posted that she hasn’t been fired or resigned, but didn’t announce whether they plan to sue the administration.&nbsp;

“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda,” wrote Mark S. Zaid and Abbe David Lowell. “For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.”

The statement from Monarez’s attorneys came just hours after the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, wrote on social media that she was no longer running the agency.&nbsp;

“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” the post stated. “We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy" target="_blank">@SecKennedy</a>&nbsp;has full confidence in his team at<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov" target="_blank">@CDCgov</a>&nbsp;who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”

The Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/27/susan-monarez-cdc-director-ousted/" target="_blank">first reported</a>&nbsp;the news.&nbsp;

The U.S. Senate voted along party lines to confirm Monarez as CDC director in late July, giving her just weeks in one of the nation’s top public health roles.

Monarez’s last post on social media from her official account was on Aug. 22, marking the death of a police officer after&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/08/08/police-officer-suspect-are-dead-after-shooting-near-atlanta-based-cdc/" target="_blank">a gunman opened fire</a>&nbsp;at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta.&nbsp;

“A large group of CDC employees and I attended today’s memorial for Officer David Rose, whose Tour of Duty ended on August 8 when he responded to shots fired,” Monarez wrote. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, courage, and service to the community that will never be forgotten.”

The dispute over Monarez’s position as CDC director appeared to potentially mark the beginning of a wave of resignations from other public health officials, including Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Demetre C. Daskalakis.

“I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health,” Daskalakis wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/dr_demetre/status/1960843433473376602" target="_blank">a lengthy social media post.</a>&nbsp;“The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people.”

Monarez was President Donald Trump’s second choice for CDC director. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-unveils-his-lineup-fda-cdc-and-surgeon-general" target="_blank">originally selected</a>&nbsp;former Florida U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon to run the CDC shortly after he secured election to the Oval Office in November. But the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/centers-disease-control-and-prevention-nominee-pulled-white-house" target="_blank">pulled Weldon’s nomination</a>&nbsp;in March, after it appeared he couldn’t secure the votes needed for confirmation.

Later that month, Trump announced his plans to nominate Monarez in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114219231809224627" target="_blank">a social media post</a>.

“Dr. Monarez brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems,” Trump wrote. “She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and PostDoctoral training in Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

“As an incredible mother and dedicated public servant, Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future. Americans have lost confidence in the CDC due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement. Dr. Monarez will work closely with our GREAT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. Together, they will prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic and, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!”

Monarez&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-panel-grills-trump-cdc-nominee-vaccines" target="_blank">testified in front</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in June as part of her confirmation process. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-panel-approves-trump-pick-head-centers-disease-control-and-prevention" target="_blank">committee voted</a>&nbsp;12-11 in July to send her nomination to the Senate floor, where Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-confirms-trump-pick-head-centers-disease-control-and-prevention" target="_blank">approved her to the post</a>&nbsp;later that month.&nbsp;

Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., said during the committee’s markup that he believed&nbsp;Monarez would put science first and help to restore public trust in the agency.&nbsp;

“The United States needs a CDC director who makes decisions rooted in science, a leader who will reform the agency and work to restore public trust in health institutions,” Cassidy said at the time. “With decades of proven experience as a public health official, Dr. Monarez is ready to take on this challenge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756332329820.png" alt="Susan Monarez during her Senate confirmation hearing in June-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Susan Monarez during her Senate confirmation hearing in June-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t appear inclined to leave her post, despite the Trump administration announcing Wednesday that she’s no longer running one of the country’s top public health agencies.&nbsp;Attorneys for Susan Monarez, who received Senate confirmation in late July, posted that she hasn’t been fired or resigned, but didn’t announce whether they plan to sue the administration.&nbsp;“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda,” wrote Mark S. Zaid and Abbe David Lowell. “For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.”The statement from Monarez’s attorneys came just hours after the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, wrote on social media that she was no longer running the agency.&nbsp;“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” the post stated. “We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy" target="_blank">@SecKennedy</a>&nbsp;has full confidence in his team at<a href="https://x.com/CDCgov" target="_blank">@CDCgov</a>&nbsp;who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”The Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/27/susan-monarez-cdc-director-ousted/" target="_blank">first reported</a>&nbsp;the news.&nbsp;The U.S. Senate voted along party lines to confirm Monarez as CDC director in late July, giving her just weeks in one of the nation’s top public health roles.Monarez’s last post on social media from her official account was on Aug. 22, marking the death of a police officer after&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/08/08/police-officer-suspect-are-dead-after-shooting-near-atlanta-based-cdc/" target="_blank">a gunman opened fire</a>&nbsp;at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta.&nbsp;“A large group of CDC employees and I attended today’s memorial for Officer David Rose, whose Tour of Duty ended on August 8 when he responded to shots fired,” Monarez wrote. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, courage, and service to the community that will never be forgotten.”The dispute over Monarez’s position as CDC director appeared to potentially mark the beginning of a wave of resignations from other public health officials, including Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Demetre C. Daskalakis.“I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health,” Daskalakis wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/dr_demetre/status/1960843433473376602" target="_blank">a lengthy social media post.</a>&nbsp;“The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people.”<h2>Monarez second choice after Weldon</h2>Monarez was President Donald Trump’s second choice for CDC director. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-unveils-his-lineup-fda-cdc-and-surgeon-general" target="_blank">originally selected</a>&nbsp;former Florida U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon to run the CDC shortly after he secured election to the Oval Office in November. But the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/centers-disease-control-and-prevention-nominee-pulled-white-house" target="_blank">pulled Weldon’s nomination</a>&nbsp;in March, after it appeared he couldn’t secure the votes needed for confirmation.Later that month, Trump announced his plans to nominate Monarez in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114219231809224627" target="_blank">a social media post</a>.“Dr. Monarez brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems,” Trump wrote. “She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and PostDoctoral training in Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine.“As an incredible mother and dedicated public servant, Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future. Americans have lost confidence in the CDC due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement. Dr. Monarez will work closely with our GREAT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. Together, they will prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic and, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!”<h2>Restoring trust in CDC</h2>Monarez&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-panel-grills-trump-cdc-nominee-vaccines" target="_blank">testified in front</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in June as part of her confirmation process. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-panel-approves-trump-pick-head-centers-disease-control-and-prevention" target="_blank">committee voted</a>&nbsp;12-11 in July to send her nomination to the Senate floor, where Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-confirms-trump-pick-head-centers-disease-control-and-prevention" target="_blank">approved her to the post</a>&nbsp;later that month.&nbsp;Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., said during the committee’s markup that he believed&nbsp;Monarez would put science first and help to restore public trust in the agency.&nbsp;“The United States needs a CDC director who makes decisions rooted in science, a leader who will reform the agency and work to restore public trust in health institutions,” Cassidy said at the time. “With decades of proven experience as a public health official, Dr. Monarez is ready to take on this challenge.”

Trump admin. says CDC chief ousted. Her lawyer says she hasn’t resigned or been fired

The Powerball® jackpot is closing in on the billion-dollar mark. The Powerball jackpot is now estimated at $950 million for the next drawing on Saturday night,&nbsp;according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $428.9 million.

Saturday’s jackpot ranks as the game’s sixth-largest prize and the biggest advertised jackpot in more than a year.

The Powerball jackpot rolled after no ticket matched all six number drawn Wednesday night – white balls 9, 12, 22, 41, 61 and red Powerball 25. The Power Play® multiplier was 4.

Six tickets won prizes worth $1 million or more in Wednesday's Powerball drawing, after matching all five white balls. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in Arizona, New York and Virginia. Three tickets in Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia increased their winnings to $2 million by including the Power Play option for $1 more.

There were also 40 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and ten tickets that won $200,000 prizes.

In the Double Play® drawing, a ticket in South Dakota won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play® is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to play their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>&nbsp;after the main drawing.

Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the 39th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025.

If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $950 million or a lump sum payment estimated at $428.9 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.

The Powerball® jackpot is closing in on the billion-dollar mark. The Powerball jackpot is now estimated at $950 million for the next drawing on Saturday night,&nbsp;according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $428.9 million.Saturday’s jackpot ranks as the game’s sixth-largest prize and the biggest advertised jackpot in more than a year.The Powerball jackpot rolled after no ticket matched all six number drawn Wednesday night – white balls 9, 12, 22, 41, 61 and red Powerball 25. The Power Play® multiplier was 4.Six tickets won prizes worth $1 million or more in Wednesday's Powerball drawing, after matching all five white balls. The $1 million-winning tickets were sold in Arizona, New York and Virginia. Three tickets in Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia increased their winnings to $2 million by including the Power Play option for $1 more.There were also 40 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and ten tickets that won $200,000 prizes.In the Double Play® drawing, a ticket in South Dakota won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play® is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to play their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>&nbsp;after the main drawing.Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the 39th drawing since the jackpot was last won in California on May 31, 2025.If a player wins Saturday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $950 million or a lump sum payment estimated at $428.9 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $36 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 - OR</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$950 Million (estimated) – Aug. 30, 2025</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li><li>$754.6 Million – Feb. 6, 2023 - WA</li>
 </ol>

Powerball closing in on billion-dollar mark

Auditor Mike Foley calls rebate misuse a growing concern of Nebraska governments

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

LINCOLN —&nbsp;The state auditor is calling out an elected official from northeast Nebraska for allegedly using Menards store rebates earned through county purchases for his own benefit.

Questionable buys ranged from a $1 prank whoopee cushion to a $94 load of lumber.

According to an<a href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2025/CO90-08262025-August_26_2025_Wayne_County_Letter.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;eight-page report&nbsp;</a>issued Tuesday by Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley and addressed to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, the auditor’s office had fielded concerns that Commissioner Dean Burbach had redeemed Menards rebates accumulated with county funds.&nbsp;

Wayne County maintains a charge account with Menards to buy general supplies and other items. The store frequently offers 11% rebates on purchases. Information on the rebate is included on the original transaction receipt, and to redeem it, someone fills out a form and mails it along with the rebate section of the original transaction receipt to Menards.

The state auditing team focused on a three-month period last summer, gleaning information through sources such as a “Rebates International” website. According to the letter, findings showed that rebates totalling about $600 were earned from purchases made on the county’s charge account and later were redeemed under Burbach’s name and home address.

Foley said the apparent misuse of Menards rebates intended for public and not personal gain has been a recurring theme in some other state reviews of governmental bodies beyond Wayne County.

“Increasingly we’re finding Menards rebate coupons being abused,” Foley told the Nebraska Examiner. “Many, many instances in just the last year or so.”

Foley’s team asked Burbach about the situation earlier this month. According to the auditor’s report, the commissioner said he “did not recall redeeming in his name any rebates earned from the expenditure of county funds.”

The letter called that response “implausible” and went on to state that “apparent misuse of county property and the seemingly misleading information provided to the APA give rise to the possibility of serious statutory concerns.”

Findings were forwarded to the Nebraska Attorney General, Wayne County Attorney and Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for review.

But when reached by the Examiner, Burbach, a commissioner for 16 years, called the purchases a mistake and said he intended to pay back the county.

“It’s a mistake on my part,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”&nbsp;

Representatives of Wayne County government — which covers about 9,500 residents in an area named after Revolutionary War hero Anthony Wayne — told the audit team that the county had no procedures for tracking rebates earned on county purchases, nor did it have a formal policy for handling such rebates.

Foley’s letter repeated language similar to his office’s other recent reports —&nbsp;that good internal controls require rebates received from vendors through county purchases to be tracked properly and treated as county property to be used only for appropriate public purposes.

Wayne County, in a response included in the auditor report, said it agreed. Moreover, it mentioned questionable purchases beyond those detailed in the report. Among them: Snickers bars, grape jam, Hot Tamales and a wind-up robot toy.

“The county clerk and county attorney are in the process of creating a policy to be included in the employee handbook,” said the county’s written response.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756323369142.png" alt=" The Nebraska Auditor’s report included images of some of the alleged personal items purchased with Menards rebates intended for county use. (Screenshot, auditor report)" />
 <figcaption> The Nebraska Auditor’s report included images of some of the alleged personal items purchased with Menards rebates intended for county use. (Screenshot, auditor report)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Auditor Mike Foley calls rebate misuse a growing concern of Nebraska governments</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;The state auditor is calling out an elected official from northeast Nebraska for allegedly using Menards store rebates earned through county purchases for his own benefit.Questionable buys ranged from a $1 prank whoopee cushion to a $94 load of lumber.According to an<a href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2025/CO90-08262025-August_26_2025_Wayne_County_Letter.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;eight-page report&nbsp;</a>issued Tuesday by Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley and addressed to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, the auditor’s office had fielded concerns that Commissioner Dean Burbach had redeemed Menards rebates accumulated with county funds.&nbsp;Wayne County maintains a charge account with Menards to buy general supplies and other items. The store frequently offers 11% rebates on purchases. Information on the rebate is included on the original transaction receipt, and to redeem it, someone fills out a form and mails it along with the rebate section of the original transaction receipt to Menards.<h2>Rebate abuse beyond Wayne</h2>The state auditing team focused on a three-month period last summer, gleaning information through sources such as a “Rebates International” website. According to the letter, findings showed that rebates totalling about $600 were earned from purchases made on the county’s charge account and later were redeemed under Burbach’s name and home address.Foley said the apparent misuse of Menards rebates intended for public and not personal gain has been a recurring theme in some other state reviews of governmental bodies beyond Wayne County.“Increasingly we’re finding Menards rebate coupons being abused,” Foley told the Nebraska Examiner. “Many, many instances in just the last year or so.”Foley’s team asked Burbach about the situation earlier this month. According to the auditor’s report, the commissioner said he “did not recall redeeming in his name any rebates earned from the expenditure of county funds.”The letter called that response “implausible” and went on to state that “apparent misuse of county property and the seemingly misleading information provided to the APA give rise to the possibility of serious statutory concerns.”Findings were forwarded to the Nebraska Attorney General, Wayne County Attorney and Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for review.But when reached by the Examiner, Burbach, a commissioner for 16 years, called the purchases a mistake and said he intended to pay back the county.“It’s a mistake on my part,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”&nbsp;<h2>County lacked policy</h2>Representatives of Wayne County government — which covers about 9,500 residents in an area named after Revolutionary War hero Anthony Wayne — told the audit team that the county had no procedures for tracking rebates earned on county purchases, nor did it have a formal policy for handling such rebates.Foley’s letter repeated language similar to his office’s other recent reports —&nbsp;that good internal controls require rebates received from vendors through county purchases to be tracked properly and treated as county property to be used only for appropriate public purposes.Wayne County, in a response included in the auditor report, said it agreed. Moreover, it mentioned questionable purchases beyond those detailed in the report. Among them: Snickers bars, grape jam, Hot Tamales and a wind-up robot toy.“The county clerk and county attorney are in the process of creating a policy to be included in the employee handbook,” said the county’s written response.

State auditor alleges county official misused Menards rebates for toy boats, whoopee cushion

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

Two children, ages 8 and 10, are dead Wednesday following a shooting at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis, where students at the Catholic school there gathered for a mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year.

The shooter, a man in his early 20s without an extensive criminal history, appears to have killed himself at the scene, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who gave a news conference near the site.

Another 17 people were injured — 14 of them children. Two of the injured are in citical condition, O’Hara said.

The shooter approached the church from the outside, barricaded the front door with plywood and shot dozens of rounds through the windows, O’Hara said.

Outside the school after the shooting, parents were picking up their children, who wore the green polos that are the school uniform.

Jeremy Graff, 50, lives two blocks from the school and said he’s lived in the south Minneapolis neighborhood his whole life. He said his neighbors messaged him around 8:45 a.m. to say they heard a round of gunshots near the campus. He said he has about a dozen friends with kids who go to the school.

“I would like to say it’s surprising, but it’s really not nowadays,” Graff said.

Officers were sweeping the neighborhood and backyard with dogs and interviewing neighbors.

Jack Freedman, 25, went to the school and lives in the area. He said, “You never think that it’s going to happen at the school you went to, but then you start thinking how naive to believe that. Because it happens everywhere.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol are on the scene.

“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Walz said in a social media post.

Giffords, the national gun control group, released a statement by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot and severely injured in a mass shooting in 2011:&nbsp;“When will enough be enough? I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. No one should have to fear for their lives when attending religious services.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol are on the scene of what he called a “horrific act of violence” at a Catholic Church in south Minneapolis.

The shooting was reported at&nbsp;Annunciation Church, which is also the site of a Catholic school.

A news conference was scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Outside the school, parents were picking up their children, who wore the green polos that are the school uniform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756308874586.png" alt="Police have responded to a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis, which is home to a school as well. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)" />
 <figcaption>Police have responded to a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis, which is home to a school as well. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/michelle/">Michelle Griffith</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>Two children, ages 8 and 10, are dead Wednesday following a shooting at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis, where students at the Catholic school there gathered for a mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Minneapolis <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorFrey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorFrey</a> on Catholic School Shooting: &quot;Don&#39;t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0mPYfQsjWM">pic.twitter.com/0mPYfQsjWM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1960736022410543433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The shooter, a man in his early 20s without an extensive criminal history, appears to have killed himself at the scene, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who gave a news conference near the site.Another 17 people were injured — 14 of them children. Two of the injured are in citical condition, O’Hara said.The shooter approached the church from the outside, barricaded the front door with plywood and shot dozens of rounds through the windows, O’Hara said.Outside the school after the shooting, parents were picking up their children, who wore the green polos that are the school uniform.Jeremy Graff, 50, lives two blocks from the school and said he’s lived in the south Minneapolis neighborhood his whole life. He said his neighbors messaged him around 8:45 a.m. to say they heard a round of gunshots near the campus. He said he has about a dozen friends with kids who go to the school.“I would like to say it’s surprising, but it’s really not nowadays,” Graff said.Officers were sweeping the neighborhood and backyard with dogs and interviewing neighbors.Jack Freedman, 25, went to the school and lives in the area. He said, “You never think that it’s going to happen at the school you went to, but then you start thinking how naive to believe that. Because it happens everywhere.”Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol are on the scene.“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Walz said in a social media post.Giffords, the national gun control group, released a statement by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot and severely injured in a mass shooting in 2011:&nbsp;“When will enough be enough? I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. No one should have to fear for their lives when attending religious services.”-------------------Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol are on the scene of what he called a “horrific act of violence” at a Catholic Church in south Minneapolis.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am heartbroken by the horrific violence at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis this morning. My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families, and I am grateful for the first responders who are on the scene.&mdash; Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/1960714176868852030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m monitoring reports of horrific violence in South Minneapolis. I&#39;m in touch with Chief O&#39;Hara and our emergency response team has been activated. We will share more information as soon as we can. Please give our officers the space they need to respond to the situation.&mdash; Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/1960706399966568507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.&mdash; Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1960706436284985707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’re at the WH monitoring the situation in Minneapolis. Join all of us in praying for the victims!&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1960724538519343129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Walz said in a social media post.The shooting was reported at&nbsp;Annunciation Church, which is also the site of a Catholic school.A news conference was scheduled for Wednesday morning.Outside the school, parents were picking up their children, who wore the green polos that are the school uniform.Jeremy Graff, 50, lives two blocks from the school and said he’s lived in the south Minneapolis neighborhood his whole life. He said his neighbors messaged him around 8:45am to say they heard a round of gunshots near the campus. He said he has about a dozen friends with kids who go to the school.“I would like to say it’s surprising, but it’s really not nowadays,” Graff said.Another neighborhood resident, who declined to give his name, said he lives four blocks away and woke up to about 30 gunshots around 8:20 and came to Annunciation.<figure>
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