SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County have identified the two who died as 61-year-old Adam J. Flores and 42-year-old Deanna M. Flores both of Bangor Maine.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Adam Flores was pushing Deanna Flores in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U.S. 54  and Seward County Road 3 and attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and warning signals were active.

 They were struck by a Union Pacific Train.&nbsp; Both were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Miller Mortuary.&nbsp; The KHP did not report the relationship between the victims.&nbsp; The engineer and and conductor on the train from Texas were not injured.

SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County have identified the two who died as 61-year-old Adam J. Flores and 42-year-old Deanna M. Flores both of Bangor Maine.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Adam Flores was pushing Deanna Flores in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U.S. 54 and Seward County Road 3 and attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and warning signals were active. They were struck by a Union Pacific Train.&nbsp; Both were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Miller Mortuary.&nbsp; The KHP did not report the relationship between the victims.&nbsp; The engineer and and conductor on the train from Texas were not injured.

KHP IDs victims killed pushing wheelchair across train track

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on child sex crime allegations.

On Sept. 26, Olathe Police arrested 69-year-old&nbsp;Carlos A. Rondon of Olathe on an Atchison County District Court warrant charging him with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The charges are the result of an Atchison Police Department investigation that began on July 30, involving three victims that were under the age of 14 at the time of the crimes. 

The crimes against these victims occurred between 2012 and 2020 in Atchison. Rondon was taken to the Johnson County Kansas Jail with a bond set at one million dollars.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727705884029.png" alt="Rondon photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Rondon photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on child sex crime allegations.On Sept. 26, Olathe Police arrested 69-year-old&nbsp;Carlos A. Rondon of Olathe on an Atchison County District Court warrant charging him with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.The charges are the result of an Atchison Police Department investigation that began on July 30, involving three victims that were under the age of 14 at the time of the crimes. The crimes against these victims occurred between 2012 and 2020 in Atchison. Rondon was taken to the Johnson County Kansas Jail with a bond set at one million dollars.

Kansas sex crime suspect held on a $1 million bond

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83.

Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died Monday. Wheatley said his cause and manner of death had not yet been determined.

For fans who came of age in the 1960s and ‘70s, no player was more exciting than the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 14, “Charlie Hustle,” the brash superstar with the shaggy hair, puggish nose and muscular forearms. At the dawn of artificial surfaces, divisional play and free agency, Rose was old school, a conscious, dirt-stained throwback to baseball’s early days. Millions could never forget him crouched and scowling at the plate, running full speed to first even after drawing a walk, or sprinting for the next base and diving headfirst into the bag.

A 17-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Rose played on three World Series winners. He was the National League MVP in 1973 and World Series MVP two years later. He holds the major league record for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890) and the NL record for the longest hitting streak (44). He was the leadoff man for one of baseball’s most formidable lineups with the Reds’ championship teams of 1975 and 1976, with teammates that included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan.

But no milestone approached his 4,256 hits, breaking his hero Ty Cobb’s 4,191 and signifying his excellence no matter the notoriety which followed. It was a total so extraordinary that you could average 200 hits for 20 years and still come up short. Rose’s secret was consistency, and longevity. Over 24 seasons, all but six played entirely with the Reds, Rose had 200 hits or more 10 times, and more than 180 four other times. He batted .303 overall, even while switching from second base to outfield to third to first, and he led the league in hits seven times.

“Every summer, three things are going to happen,” Rose liked to say, “the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.”

Rose was Rookie of the Year in 1963, but he started off 0 for 12 with three walks and a hit by pitch before getting his first major league hit, an eighth-inning triple off Pittsburgh’s Bob Friend. It came in Cincinnati on April 13, 1963, the day before Rose’s 22nd birthday. He reached 1,000 in 1968, 2,000 just five years later and 3,000 just five years after that.

He moved into second place, ahead of Hank Aaron, with hit No. 3,772, in 1982. No. 4,000 was off the Phillies’ Jerry Koosman in 1984, exactly 21 years to the day after his first hit. He caught up with Cobb on Sept. 8, 1985, and surpassed him three days later, in Cincinnati, with Rose’s mother and teenage son, Pete Jr., among those in attendance.

Rose was 44 and the team’s player-manager. Batting left-handed against the San Diego Padres’ Eric Show in the first inning, he smacked a 2-1 slider into left field, a clean single. The crowd of 47,000-plus stood and yelled. The game was halted to celebrate. Rose was given the ball and the first base bag, then wept openly on the shoulder of first base coach and former teammate, Tommy Helms. He told Pete Jr., who would later play briefly for the Reds: "I love you, and I hope you pass me." He thought of his late father, a star athlete himself who had pushed him to play sports since childhood. And he thought of Cobb, the dead-ball era slasher whom Rose so emulated that he named another son Tyler.

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, watching from New York, declared that Rose had “reserved a prominent spot in Cooperstown.” After the game, a 2-0 win for the Reds in which Rose scored both runs, he received a phone call from President Ronald Reagan.

“Your reputation and legacy are secure," Reagan told him. “It will be a long time before anyone is standing in the spot where you're standing now."

On March 20, 1989, Ueberroth (who would soon be succeeded by A. Bartlett Giamatti) announced that his office was conducting a "full inquiry into serious allegations" about Rose. Reports emerged that he had been relying on a network of bookies and friends and others in the gambling world to place bets on baseball games, including some with the Reds. Rose denied any wrongdoing, but the investigation found that the “accumulated testimony of witnesses, together with the documentary evidence and telephone records reveal extensive betting activity by Pete Rose in connection with professional baseball and, in particular, Cincinnati Reds games, during the 1985, 1986, and 1987 baseball seasons.”

Betting on baseball had been a primal sin since 1920, when several members of the Chicago White Sox were expelled for throwing the 1919 World Series — to the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball’s Rule 21, posted in every professional clubhouse, proclaims that “Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.''

In the decades following the 1919 Series, Dodgers manager Leo Durocher and Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain were among those suspended for gambling, and Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were reprimanded for associating with casinos, even though both had retired years earlier. As far back as the 1970s, Bench and others had worried about Rose. By all accounts, he never bet against his own team, but even betting on the Reds left himself open to blackmail and raised questions about whether a given managerial decision was based on his own financial interest.

In August 1989, at a New York press conference, Giamatti spoke some of the saddest words in baseball history: “One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts.” Giamatti announced that Rose had agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball, a decision that in 1991 the Hall of Fame would rule left him ineligible for induction. Rose attempted to downplay the news, insisting that he had never bet on baseball and that he would eventually be reinstated.

Within weeks of his announcement, Giamatti was dead from a heart attack. But the ban remained in place and Rose never made it to the Hall in his lifetime, although he did receive 41 votes in 1992 (when 323 votes were needed), around the time the Hall formally ruled that those banned from the game could never be elected. His status was long debated. Rose’s supporters including Donald Trump, who in 2015, the year before he was elected president, tweeted: “Can’t believe Major League Baseball just rejected @PeteRose_14 for the Hall of Fame. He’s paid the price. So ridiculous — let him in!”

Meanwhile, his story changed. In a November 1989 memoir, written with “The Boys of Summer” author Roger Kahn, Rose again claimed innocence, only to reverse himself in 2004. He desperately wanted to come back, and effectively destroyed his chances. He would continue to spend time at casinos, insisting he was there for promotion, not gambling. He believed he had “messed up” and that his father would have been ashamed, but he still bet on baseball, albeit legally.

“I don’t think betting is morally wrong. I don’t even think betting on baseball is morally wrong,” he wrote in “Play Hungry,” a memoir released in 2019. “There are legal ways, and there are illegal ways, and betting on baseball the way I did was against the rules of baseball.”

His disgrace was all the harder because no one seemed to live for baseball more than Rose did. He remembered details of games from long ago and could quote the most obscure statistics about players from other teams. He was as relentless in spring training as he was in the postseason, when he brawled with the New York Mets’ Buddy Harrelson during the 1973 NL playoffs.

His compulsion was most memorably defined in an otherwise meaningless contest — the 1970 All-Star Game, in Cincinnati.

In the bottom of the 12th inning, the score tied at 4, he singled with two outs and advanced to second on a single by Billy Grabarkewitz. When Jim Hickman followed with a single, Rose raced past third and crashed at home into the Cleveland Indians’ Ray Fosse, scoring the winning run and fracturing Fosse’s shoulder. It was a collision often replayed, and an injury from which the catcher would say years later still pained him.

“Would I do the same thing again today in the same situation? Damn right I would,” Rose wrote in his 2019 memoir. “But would I rather it had all gone down without Ray having suffered an injury that would dog his career? You bet.”

Rose didn’t drink or smoke but indulged himself in other ways. He cared openly about money, vowing to become the first singles hitter to make $100,000 a year and leaving the Reds for the Phillies after declaring free agency at the end of the 1978 season (Rose returned in 1984). He was a longtime womanizer whose two marriages ended in divorce and who acknowledged fathering a child out of wedlock. In 1990, he pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns and served five months in prison, the prosecutor calling his sentencing ″a sad day for those young Americans to whom Pete Rose was an idol.″

In the beginning, it was all about the game. He was a Cincinnati native from a working-class neighborhood whose father, Harry Francis Rose, like the father of Mickey Mantle, taught his son to be a switch hitter. Rose mastered his skills with a broom handle and a rubber ball, thrown to him by his younger brother, Dave.

"I'd let him get as close as he wanted,'' Pete Rose told The Cincinnati Enquirer in 2015. "The closer he got, the harder it was to hit. Hour after hour, he'd try to strike me out. I wore that wall out.''

The Roses attended numerous games at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, where the elder Rose noticed that St. Louis outfielder Enos Slaughter would always run full speed, whether at bat or in the field, and tell his son to do the same.

Pete Rose graduated from high school in June 1960. He flew to Rochester, New York, two days later, and then rode a bus some 45 miles to Geneva, home of the Reds’ level D minor league team. By 1962, he had been promoted to level A, in Macon, Georgia. He batted .330 and vowed to displace Reds second baseman Don Blasingame in 1963, telling a reporter “I’m going to be on his heels.”

Blasingame was with the Washington Senators by midseason and Rose was a phenomenon: “Charlie Hustle,” Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford reportedly called him, mockingly, after watching him hurry to first upon drawing a walk in spring training. Rose hit .273 as a rookie and, starting in 1965, batted .300 or higher 14 out of 15 seasons. He was so dependable that in 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher,” he led the league with a .335 average, one of three batting titles.

“You could see he was going to be something, even in the minor leagues,” Dave Bristol, who managed him in the minors and for the Reds, told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. “You knew he was going to set records at something, if not Cobb’s. All that determination. He didn’t hit a ball, he attacked it. He was like a guy breaking up a dogfight. He loved to hit and hit and hit. You go to his hotel room at night, and he’s hitting the bed post.”

After the 1969 season, when the Reds finished third, Bristol was fired and replaced by a minor league manager, 36-year-old Sparky Anderson. The age of “The Big Red Machine” had arrived. Anderson was known as “Captain Hook” for his willingness to replace pitchers, but he flattered and pampered his hitters, naming Rose team captain and letting Rose practice separately with Morgan, Bench and Perez. Between 1970 and 1976, the Reds won five division titles, four pennants and two World Series.

As much as any player, Rose made the machine run, and not just on offense. With the Reds struggling at the start of the 1975 season, he agreed to move from left field to third base and make room for power hitter George Foster. The Reds were soon unstoppable, finishing 108-54 and sweeping Pittsburgh in the playoffs. In the World Series, one of baseball’s most dramatic, they outlasted the Boston Red Sox in seven games and won their first championship since 1940. Rose batted .370 and enjoyed himself so completely that during Game 6, won by Boston on Carlton Fisk’s 11th-inning homer, he turned to the Red Sox catcher during a previous inning and marveled at what a great game they were in.

The Reds faded after the 1976 season and their World Series sweep against the Yankees, but Rose’s hits continued. In 1978, he batted safely in 44 straight games, placing him second behind Joe DiMaggio’s 56. After leaving for the Phillies in 1979, he surpassed Stan Musial as the National League’s career hit leader and helped lead Philadelphia to its first World Series title in 1980. At age 39, he batted a solid .282 and scored 95 runs, and, always hustling, made one of the World Series’ most memorable defensive plays.

In the decisive Game 6 against Kansas City, the Royals trailed 4-1 going into the ninth inning, but loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tug McGraw. Kansas City’s Frank White then lofted a foul pop fly to the first base side of home plate. Catcher Bob Boone raced under it, only to have the ball pop out of his glove. Rose, sprinting in from first, snatched the ball for the out. McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the game.

Rose played in one more World Series, in 1983, when he batted .313 even as the Phillies fell to the Baltimore Orioles in five games. He signed with the Montreal Expos in 1984, but rejoined the Reds in August as player-manager, replacing the fired Vern Rapp after the Reds acquired him in exchange for a minor leaguer. “There’s no question I’ll make some mistakes,” he told reporters.

Rose had planned to limit himself to pinch-hitting with the Reds, but the trade revived him and he hit .365 over the rest of the season after batting just .259 for Montreal. He retired as a player after the 1986 season and his last game as a manager came two days before his banishment, Aug. 21, 1989, a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs. His career managerial record was 412-373.

In his post-baseball life, he did make it to a few honorary associations. The Reds voted him into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016, the year before a bronze sculpture of Rose’s iconic slide was unveiled outside of Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park.

Rose the man was never inducted into Cooperstown, but his career was well represented. Items at the Baseball Hall include his helmet from his MVP 1973 season, the bat he used in 1978 when his hitting streak reached 44 and the cleats he wore, in 1985, on the day he became the game’s hits king.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739928209.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Reds are heartbroken to learn of the passing of baseball legend Pete Rose. <a href="https://t.co/zOlU9NreWR">pic.twitter.com/zOlU9NreWR</a>&mdash; Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reds/status/1840901336931385371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died Monday. Wheatley said his cause and manner of death had not yet been determined.For fans who came of age in the 1960s and ‘70s, no player was more exciting than the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 14, “Charlie Hustle,” the brash superstar with the shaggy hair, puggish nose and muscular forearms. At the dawn of artificial surfaces, divisional play and free agency, Rose was old school, a conscious, dirt-stained throwback to baseball’s early days. Millions could never forget him crouched and scowling at the plate, running full speed to first even after drawing a walk, or sprinting for the next base and diving headfirst into the bag.A 17-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Rose played on three World Series winners. He was the National League MVP in 1973 and World Series MVP two years later. He holds the major league record for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890) and the NL record for the longest hitting streak (44). He was the leadoff man for one of baseball’s most formidable lineups with the Reds’ championship teams of 1975 and 1976, with teammates that included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Joe Morgan.But no milestone approached his 4,256 hits, breaking his hero Ty Cobb’s 4,191 and signifying his excellence no matter the notoriety which followed. It was a total so extraordinary that you could average 200 hits for 20 years and still come up short. Rose’s secret was consistency, and longevity. Over 24 seasons, all but six played entirely with the Reds, Rose had 200 hits or more 10 times, and more than 180 four other times. He batted .303 overall, even while switching from second base to outfield to third to first, and he led the league in hits seven times.“Every summer, three things are going to happen,” Rose liked to say, “the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.”Rose was Rookie of the Year in 1963, but he started off 0 for 12 with three walks and a hit by pitch before getting his first major league hit, an eighth-inning triple off Pittsburgh’s Bob Friend. It came in Cincinnati on April 13, 1963, the day before Rose’s 22nd birthday. He reached 1,000 in 1968, 2,000 just five years later and 3,000 just five years after that.He moved into second place, ahead of Hank Aaron, with hit No. 3,772, in 1982. No. 4,000 was off the Phillies’ Jerry Koosman in 1984, exactly 21 years to the day after his first hit. He caught up with Cobb on Sept. 8, 1985, and surpassed him three days later, in Cincinnati, with Rose’s mother and teenage son, Pete Jr., among those in attendance.Rose was 44 and the team’s player-manager. Batting left-handed against the San Diego Padres’ Eric Show in the first inning, he smacked a 2-1 slider into left field, a clean single. The crowd of 47,000-plus stood and yelled. The game was halted to celebrate. Rose was given the ball and the first base bag, then wept openly on the shoulder of first base coach and former teammate, Tommy Helms. He told Pete Jr., who would later play briefly for the Reds: "I love you, and I hope you pass me." He thought of his late father, a star athlete himself who had pushed him to play sports since childhood. And he thought of Cobb, the dead-ball era slasher whom Rose so emulated that he named another son Tyler.Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, watching from New York, declared that Rose had “reserved a prominent spot in Cooperstown.” After the game, a 2-0 win for the Reds in which Rose scored both runs, he received a phone call from President Ronald Reagan.“Your reputation and legacy are secure," Reagan told him. “It will be a long time before anyone is standing in the spot where you're standing now."Four years later, he was gone.On March 20, 1989, Ueberroth (who would soon be succeeded by A. Bartlett Giamatti) announced that his office was conducting a "full inquiry into serious allegations" about Rose. Reports emerged that he had been relying on a network of bookies and friends and others in the gambling world to place bets on baseball games, including some with the Reds. Rose denied any wrongdoing, but the investigation found that the “accumulated testimony of witnesses, together with the documentary evidence and telephone records reveal extensive betting activity by Pete Rose in connection with professional baseball and, in particular, Cincinnati Reds games, during the 1985, 1986, and 1987 baseball seasons.”Betting on baseball had been a primal sin since 1920, when several members of the Chicago White Sox were expelled for throwing the 1919 World Series — to the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball’s Rule 21, posted in every professional clubhouse, proclaims that “Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.''In the decades following the 1919 Series, Dodgers manager Leo Durocher and Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain were among those suspended for gambling, and Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were reprimanded for associating with casinos, even though both had retired years earlier. As far back as the 1970s, Bench and others had worried about Rose. By all accounts, he never bet against his own team, but even betting on the Reds left himself open to blackmail and raised questions about whether a given managerial decision was based on his own financial interest.In August 1989, at a New York press conference, Giamatti spoke some of the saddest words in baseball history: “One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts.” Giamatti announced that Rose had agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball, a decision that in 1991 the Hall of Fame would rule left him ineligible for induction. Rose attempted to downplay the news, insisting that he had never bet on baseball and that he would eventually be reinstated.Within weeks of his announcement, Giamatti was dead from a heart attack. But the ban remained in place and Rose never made it to the Hall in his lifetime, although he did receive 41 votes in 1992 (when 323 votes were needed), around the time the Hall formally ruled that those banned from the game could never be elected. His status was long debated. Rose’s supporters including Donald Trump, who in 2015, the year before he was elected president, tweeted: “Can’t believe Major League Baseball just rejected @PeteRose_14 for the Hall of Fame. He’s paid the price. So ridiculous — let him in!”Meanwhile, his story changed. In a November 1989 memoir, written with “The Boys of Summer” author Roger Kahn, Rose again claimed innocence, only to reverse himself in 2004. He desperately wanted to come back, and effectively destroyed his chances. He would continue to spend time at casinos, insisting he was there for promotion, not gambling. He believed he had “messed up” and that his father would have been ashamed, but he still bet on baseball, albeit legally.“I don’t think betting is morally wrong. I don’t even think betting on baseball is morally wrong,” he wrote in “Play Hungry,” a memoir released in 2019. “There are legal ways, and there are illegal ways, and betting on baseball the way I did was against the rules of baseball.”His disgrace was all the harder because no one seemed to live for baseball more than Rose did. He remembered details of games from long ago and could quote the most obscure statistics about players from other teams. He was as relentless in spring training as he was in the postseason, when he brawled with the New York Mets’ Buddy Harrelson during the 1973 NL playoffs.His compulsion was most memorably defined in an otherwise meaningless contest — the 1970 All-Star Game, in Cincinnati.In the bottom of the 12th inning, the score tied at 4, he singled with two outs and advanced to second on a single by Billy Grabarkewitz. When Jim Hickman followed with a single, Rose raced past third and crashed at home into the Cleveland Indians’ Ray Fosse, scoring the winning run and fracturing Fosse’s shoulder. It was a collision often replayed, and an injury from which the catcher would say years later still pained him.“Would I do the same thing again today in the same situation? Damn right I would,” Rose wrote in his 2019 memoir. “But would I rather it had all gone down without Ray having suffered an injury that would dog his career? You bet.”Rose didn’t drink or smoke but indulged himself in other ways. He cared openly about money, vowing to become the first singles hitter to make $100,000 a year and leaving the Reds for the Phillies after declaring free agency at the end of the 1978 season (Rose returned in 1984). He was a longtime womanizer whose two marriages ended in divorce and who acknowledged fathering a child out of wedlock. In 1990, he pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns and served five months in prison, the prosecutor calling his sentencing ″a sad day for those young Americans to whom Pete Rose was an idol.″In the beginning, it was all about the game. He was a Cincinnati native from a working-class neighborhood whose father, Harry Francis Rose, like the father of Mickey Mantle, taught his son to be a switch hitter. Rose mastered his skills with a broom handle and a rubber ball, thrown to him by his younger brother, Dave."I'd let him get as close as he wanted,'' Pete Rose told The Cincinnati Enquirer in 2015. "The closer he got, the harder it was to hit. Hour after hour, he'd try to strike me out. I wore that wall out.''The Roses attended numerous games at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, where the elder Rose noticed that St. Louis outfielder Enos Slaughter would always run full speed, whether at bat or in the field, and tell his son to do the same.Pete Rose graduated from high school in June 1960. He flew to Rochester, New York, two days later, and then rode a bus some 45 miles to Geneva, home of the Reds’ level D minor league team. By 1962, he had been promoted to level A, in Macon, Georgia. He batted .330 and vowed to displace Reds second baseman Don Blasingame in 1963, telling a reporter “I’m going to be on his heels.”Blasingame was with the Washington Senators by midseason and Rose was a phenomenon: “Charlie Hustle,” Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford reportedly called him, mockingly, after watching him hurry to first upon drawing a walk in spring training. Rose hit .273 as a rookie and, starting in 1965, batted .300 or higher 14 out of 15 seasons. He was so dependable that in 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher,” he led the league with a .335 average, one of three batting titles.“You could see he was going to be something, even in the minor leagues,” Dave Bristol, who managed him in the minors and for the Reds, told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. “You knew he was going to set records at something, if not Cobb’s. All that determination. He didn’t hit a ball, he attacked it. He was like a guy breaking up a dogfight. He loved to hit and hit and hit. You go to his hotel room at night, and he’s hitting the bed post.”After the 1969 season, when the Reds finished third, Bristol was fired and replaced by a minor league manager, 36-year-old Sparky Anderson. The age of “The Big Red Machine” had arrived. Anderson was known as “Captain Hook” for his willingness to replace pitchers, but he flattered and pampered his hitters, naming Rose team captain and letting Rose practice separately with Morgan, Bench and Perez. Between 1970 and 1976, the Reds won five division titles, four pennants and two World Series.As much as any player, Rose made the machine run, and not just on offense. With the Reds struggling at the start of the 1975 season, he agreed to move from left field to third base and make room for power hitter George Foster. The Reds were soon unstoppable, finishing 108-54 and sweeping Pittsburgh in the playoffs. In the World Series, one of baseball’s most dramatic, they outlasted the Boston Red Sox in seven games and won their first championship since 1940. Rose batted .370 and enjoyed himself so completely that during Game 6, won by Boston on Carlton Fisk’s 11th-inning homer, he turned to the Red Sox catcher during a previous inning and marveled at what a great game they were in.The Reds faded after the 1976 season and their World Series sweep against the Yankees, but Rose’s hits continued. In 1978, he batted safely in 44 straight games, placing him second behind Joe DiMaggio’s 56. After leaving for the Phillies in 1979, he surpassed Stan Musial as the National League’s career hit leader and helped lead Philadelphia to its first World Series title in 1980. At age 39, he batted a solid .282 and scored 95 runs, and, always hustling, made one of the World Series’ most memorable defensive plays.In the decisive Game 6 against Kansas City, the Royals trailed 4-1 going into the ninth inning, but loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tug McGraw. Kansas City’s Frank White then lofted a foul pop fly to the first base side of home plate. Catcher Bob Boone raced under it, only to have the ball pop out of his glove. Rose, sprinting in from first, snatched the ball for the out. McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the game.Rose played in one more World Series, in 1983, when he batted .313 even as the Phillies fell to the Baltimore Orioles in five games. He signed with the Montreal Expos in 1984, but rejoined the Reds in August as player-manager, replacing the fired Vern Rapp after the Reds acquired him in exchange for a minor leaguer. “There’s no question I’ll make some mistakes,” he told reporters.Rose had planned to limit himself to pinch-hitting with the Reds, but the trade revived him and he hit .365 over the rest of the season after batting just .259 for Montreal. He retired as a player after the 1986 season and his last game as a manager came two days before his banishment, Aug. 21, 1989, a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs. His career managerial record was 412-373.In his post-baseball life, he did make it to a few honorary associations. The Reds voted him into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016, the year before a bronze sculpture of Rose’s iconic slide was unveiled outside of Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park.Rose the man was never inducted into Cooperstown, but his career was well represented. Items at the Baseball Hall include his helmet from his MVP 1973 season, the bat he used in 1978 when his hitting streak reached 44 and the cleats he wore, in 1985, on the day he became the game’s hits king.

Pete Rose, MLB’s controversial all-time hits leader, dead at 83

KANSAS CITY—A ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday celebrated a new bridge named after a Kansas City Champion Buck O’Neil! Thanks to all who helped us celebrate, the bridge is set to open to traffic later in October.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The bridge links downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City&nbsp; and will accomodate over 50,000 vehicles daily, offers a direct connection from I-35 to US-169, a new bike/pedestrian lane, and improved access to the downtown airport, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739430395.png" alt="Photo Missouri Governor Mike Parson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Missouri Governor Mike Parson</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday celebrated a new bridge named after a Kansas City Champion Buck O’Neil! Thanks to all who helped us celebrate, the bridge is set to open to traffic later in October.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727739732143.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;The bridge links downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City&nbsp; and will accomodate over 50,000 vehicles daily, offers a direct connection from I-35 to US-169, a new bike/pedestrian lane, and improved access to the downtown airport, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Kansas City celebrates with ribbon cutting for new Buck O’Neil Bridge 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement have a suspect in custody after he fired a rifle at undercover officers&nbsp;during a surveillance mission tied to recent armed robberies in the area.

On Saturday, Wichita Police Department officers were in an unmarked vehicle n the 1400 block of N. Grove, monitoring a residence connected to the investigation of multiple recent armed robberies, according to Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp; A silver vehicle, suspected to be involved in the crimes, was parked at the residence. 

Officers observed individuals enter the vehicle, drive away, and promptly initiated a traffic stop, detaining the individuals for questioning. 

Meanwhile, officers continued their surveillance of the target residence. As they remained stationed near the northwest corner of 14th and Grove, an unknown man approached the unmarked vehicle, attempting to peer inside. The man then turned back towards the residence, engaging in conversation with another individual.

Shortly thereafter, a second man emerged from the residence carrying a rifle. Without warning, he pointed the weapon in the direction of the officers and fired one round. The officer in the unmarked vehicle immediately retreated, tactically repositioning and establishing a perimeter around the residence.

The suspect, later identified according to Sedgwick County Booking records as 54-year-old Mark K. Maples, armed with a rifle, retreated back inside the home and barricaded himself within the property. Officers on the scene attempted to make verbal contact, urging the Maples to surrender peacefully, but their efforts were initially met with no response. 

SWAT and the Negotiation Team were deployed, and after a standoff, the Maples was taken into custody without further incident. Upon securing the residence, officers recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the incident.&nbsp; Maples is being held on requested charges that include criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727726336829.png" alt="Maples photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Maples photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement have a suspect in custody after he fired a rifle at undercover officers&nbsp;during a surveillance mission tied to recent armed robberies in the area.On Saturday, Wichita Police Department officers were in an unmarked vehicle n the 1400 block of N. Grove, monitoring a residence connected to the investigation of multiple recent armed robberies, according to Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp; A silver vehicle, suspected to be involved in the crimes, was parked at the residence. Officers observed individuals enter the vehicle, drive away, and promptly initiated a traffic stop, detaining the individuals for questioning. Meanwhile, officers continued their surveillance of the target residence. As they remained stationed near the northwest corner of 14th and Grove, an unknown man approached the unmarked vehicle, attempting to peer inside. The man then turned back towards the residence, engaging in conversation with another individual.Shortly thereafter, a second man emerged from the residence carrying a rifle. Without warning, he pointed the weapon in the direction of the officers and fired one round. The officer in the unmarked vehicle immediately retreated, tactically repositioning and establishing a perimeter around the residence.The suspect, later identified according to Sedgwick County Booking records as 54-year-old Mark K. Maples, armed with a rifle, retreated back inside the home and barricaded himself within the property. Officers on the scene attempted to make verbal contact, urging the Maples to surrender peacefully, but their efforts were initially met with no response. SWAT and the Negotiation Team were deployed, and after a standoff, the Maples was taken into custody without further incident. Upon securing the residence, officers recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the incident.&nbsp; Maples is being held on requested charges that include criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.

Kan. armed robbery suspect fired rifle at undercover officers

NEW YORK (AP) —Drake Hogestyn, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-74eb92441f1a6a9a934c46275448166c">“Days of Our Lives”</a>&nbsp;star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, his family confirmed. He was 70.

The actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his family said in a statement that Hogestyn died after “putting up an unbelievable fight” against the disease.

“He was the most amazing husband, father, papa, and actor. He loved performing for the ‘Days’ audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business,” the statement, signed “The Hogestyn Family,” continued. "We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”

Hogestyn died the day before what would have been his 71st birthday.

The actor played the beloved character John Black in over 4,200 episodes of the popular soap opera, joining in 1986. He broke into the television world just four years before with a role in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." He appeared in several other projects throughout his career, but he is most synonymous with his long-running soap opera role.

His final appearance on the show was in an episode that aired on Sept. 9. On "Days of Our Lives,'' Hogestyn's John and Marlena Evans (played by Deidre Hall) were a longtime super couple.

“This is a very difficult one for all of us,” said Ken Corday, the executive producer of “Days of Our Lives.” "Hogey was the ultimate team player and there are not sufficient words to express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on our show, personally and professionally, was profound and will forever remain unmatched."

Hogestyn is survived by his wife Victoria; their four children, Rachael, Ben, Whitney and Alexandra and their partners; and seven grandchildren.

Before his foray into acting, Hogestyn was a baseball player and played for a New York Yankees-affiliated minor league team.

Several “Days of Our Lives” cast members have shared tributes to Hogestyn on social media, including Alison Sweeney, who played Sami Brady until 2014.

“Drake was an incredible man. He was funny, generous and thoughtful. He cared about every single scene, every person. He loved Days, the fans, and shared that passion with everyone on set," Sweeney wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAfFUORPt9E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Instagram</a>. "My heart breaks for his family, they meant everything to him. He was such a huge part of my life at Days. I will miss him terribly and treasure every story, every joke &amp; every hug.”

Kristian Alfonso, who played Hope Williams Brady, shared a video montage featuring photos of her and Hogestyn. In the caption, she wrote that Hogestyn was a “hero” for the cast.

“I’ll always remember you as a loving, loving father, husband and dear friend but mostly an incredible, passionate human being, generous and immensely kind, always,” she wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAfCYXpq4Ue/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Instagram</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727734159022.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Drake Hogestyn, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-74eb92441f1a6a9a934c46275448166c">“Days of Our Lives”</a>&nbsp;star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, his family confirmed. He was 70.The actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his family said in a statement that Hogestyn died after “putting up an unbelievable fight” against the disease.“He was the most amazing husband, father, papa, and actor. He loved performing for the ‘Days’ audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business,” the statement, signed “The Hogestyn Family,” continued. "We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdaysofourlives%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036Lpq3H8iVsUb5j2GFoFaCMv2dBKY7huy355fwHH55AoDbqw27UdDqbZ566HZTad9l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="610" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Hogestyn died the day before what would have been his 71st birthday.The actor played the beloved character John Black in over 4,200 episodes of the popular soap opera, joining in 1986. He broke into the television world just four years before with a role in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." He appeared in several other projects throughout his career, but he is most synonymous with his long-running soap opera role.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdaysofourlives%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0cGPqWXBR1fwFtQdkTWqBksCjydLv8w97SzAQNsMRm4jzhCsiEhDAg1hfFRjk638pl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="590" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>His final appearance on the show was in an episode that aired on Sept. 9. On "Days of Our Lives,'' Hogestyn's John and Marlena Evans (played by Deidre Hall) were a longtime super couple.“This is a very difficult one for all of us,” said Ken Corday, the executive producer of “Days of Our Lives.” "Hogey was the ultimate team player and there are not sufficient words to express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on our show, personally and professionally, was profound and will forever remain unmatched."Hogestyn is survived by his wife Victoria; their four children, Rachael, Ben, Whitney and Alexandra and their partners; and seven grandchildren.Before his foray into acting, Hogestyn was a baseball player and played for a New York Yankees-affiliated minor league team.Several “Days of Our Lives” cast members have shared tributes to Hogestyn on social media, including Alison Sweeney, who played Sami Brady until 2014.“Drake was an incredible man. He was funny, generous and thoughtful. He cared about every single scene, every person. He loved Days, the fans, and shared that passion with everyone on set," Sweeney wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAfFUORPt9E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Instagram</a>. "My heart breaks for his family, they meant everything to him. He was such a huge part of my life at Days. I will miss him terribly and treasure every story, every joke &amp; every hug.”Kristian Alfonso, who played Hope Williams Brady, shared a video montage featuring photos of her and Hogestyn. In the caption, she wrote that Hogestyn was a “hero” for the cast.“I’ll always remember you as a loving, loving father, husband and dear friend but mostly an incredible, passionate human being, generous and immensely kind, always,” she wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAfCYXpq4Ue/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Instagram</a>.

Drake Hogestyn, 'Days of Our Lives' star, dies at 70

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed its latest winning month and quarter with more records on Monday. The drift higher for U.S. stocks followed a wild start to the week for financial markets in Asia, where Japanese stocks tumbled and Chinese indexes soared.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.4% to an all-time high and clinched its fifth straight winning month and fourth straight winning quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 17 points, or less than 0.1%, to its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-japan-4df6b51767d77295182961585e8ca163">record set on Friday</a>. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%.

Wall Street has catapulted to records on hopes the slowing U.S. economy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">can keep growing</a>&nbsp;while the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cuts interest rates</a>&nbsp;to offer it more juice. A big test will arrive Friday, when the U.S. government offers its latest monthly update on the job market.

An overriding worry on Wall Street is whether the economy may already be heading for a recession. Even though the Fed cut rates earlier this month and has indicated more relief is on the way, U.S. employers have already begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">paring back on their hiring</a>. Before this month, the Fed had kept interest rates at a two-decade high in hopes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">slowing the economy</a>&nbsp;enough to stamp out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">high inflation</a>.

“Payrolls remain the biggest catalyst” for the U.S. stock market until the election, strategists and economists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.

At Goldman Sachs, economist David Mericle said he’s expecting Friday’s report to show hiring in September was stronger than the 146,000 growth in payrolls that economists across Wall Street were broadly forecasting.

In the past, a stronger-than-expected number could have hurt the stock market by fanning worries about upward pressure on inflation. Now, though, it would likely be welcomed as a signal that a recession shouldn’t be as big a worry.

Interest rates and the strength of the economy are usually the two main levers that set prices for stocks. In Asia, the levers were pulling in opposite directions.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 4.8% on worries the country’s incoming prime minister will support higher interest rates and other policies that investors see as less market-friendly. Shigeru Ishiba is set to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-kishida-security-05926b50f4f5a83a631f779d906cf06d">take over on Tuesday</a>.

Ishiba has expressed support for the Bank of Japan’s move to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-c-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">pull interest rates away</a>&nbsp;from their near-zero level, which puts upward pressure on the value of the Japanese yen. A stronger yen can hurt profits for Japanese exporters, which make sales in other currencies and then convert them back into yen.

Toyota Motor’s stock fell 7.6% in Tokyo, while Honda Motor’s dropped 7%. Monday.

Stellantis, the company that owns the Jeep brand and others, tumbled 14.7% in Milan after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carmaker-stellantis-forecasts-slump-540f78239aec2841e6c1f4d33a6a8e8f">cutting its forecast for upcoming profit</a>. It cited investments to turn around its U.S. operations and increased Chinese competition.

That in turn helped drag down automakers Ford Motor and General Motors on Wall Street. Ford fell 2%, and GM dropped 3.5%.

A 2.3% rise for Apple helped offset such losses and was the strongest force lifting the S&amp;P 500 to its latest record. After weakening in late July with other Big Tech stocks amid worries their prices had shot too high, Apple’s stock has been climbing back toward its all-time closing high of $234.82. It finished Monday at $233.00.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 24.31 points to 5,762.48. The Dow added 17.15 to 42,330.15, and the Nasdaq gained 69.58 to 18,189.17.

In China, meanwhile, indexes soared 8.1% in Shanghai and 2.4% in Hong Kong following the latest announcements of stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy. It was the best day for Shanghai stocks in nearly 16 years.

China’s central bank announced moves on Sunday to ease mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. That followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-banks-rates-pboc-642053f11cbb9cfa2ca57b38593ce7f8">flurry</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-banks-jinping-communists-politburo-282c04f87725a0ca14a22bd7874aac10">announcements</a>&nbsp;last week from China’s central bank and government intended to prop up the Chinese economy, whose growth has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-plenum-jinping-gdp-34ed1e8bf2c953c3ba799501415c6b26">flagging</a>&nbsp;in part because of the weight of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-property-crisis-consumption-industrial-output-c57b620fbada4d39dfe1d19e2c9f72c3">struggling real-estate sector</a>.

Markets in mainland China will be closed Tuesday through Oct. 7 for a holiday marking 75 years of communist rule.

In the bond market, U.S. Treasury yields rose after investors took&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powell-federal-reserve-interest-rate-cuts-c8eed8640d8bd5b7fcb2a47ec70960e6">comments</a>&nbsp;from Fed Chair Jerome Powell as a hint that coming cuts to interest rates may be more traditional sized.

The Fed began its rate-cutting campaign with a larger-than-usual reduction of half a percentage point, and many traders had built expectations that the next meeting in November could yield a similar sized reduction. That was even though Fed policy makers had already indicated they were planning two more cuts this year of the traditional size of a quarter of a percentage point.

But Powell said again on Monday that rate cuts are not something the Fed needs to work quickly on. After his comments, traders were betting on just a 35% probability the Fed will cut rates by another half a percentage point in November. That’s down from a 53% chance seen the day before, according to data from CME Group.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.78% from 3.75% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with short-term rates, climbed to 3.63% from 3.56%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="File photo(AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
 <figcaption>File photo(AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed its latest winning month and quarter with more records on Monday. The drift higher for U.S. stocks followed a wild start to the week for financial markets in Asia, where Japanese stocks tumbled and Chinese indexes soared.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.4% to an all-time high and clinched its fifth straight winning month and fourth straight winning quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 17 points, or less than 0.1%, to its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-japan-4df6b51767d77295182961585e8ca163">record set on Friday</a>. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%.Wall Street has catapulted to records on hopes the slowing U.S. economy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">can keep growing</a>&nbsp;while the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cuts interest rates</a>&nbsp;to offer it more juice. A big test will arrive Friday, when the U.S. government offers its latest monthly update on the job market.An overriding worry on Wall Street is whether the economy may already be heading for a recession. Even though the Fed cut rates earlier this month and has indicated more relief is on the way, U.S. employers have already begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-bac1b453d3873d5f23f2061344d28fd9">paring back on their hiring</a>. Before this month, the Fed had kept interest rates at a two-decade high in hopes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">slowing the economy</a>&nbsp;enough to stamp out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">high inflation</a>.“Payrolls remain the biggest catalyst” for the U.S. stock market until the election, strategists and economists at Bank of America wrote in a BofA Global Research report.At Goldman Sachs, economist David Mericle said he’s expecting Friday’s report to show hiring in September was stronger than the 146,000 growth in payrolls that economists across Wall Street were broadly forecasting.In the past, a stronger-than-expected number could have hurt the stock market by fanning worries about upward pressure on inflation. Now, though, it would likely be welcomed as a signal that a recession shouldn’t be as big a worry.Interest rates and the strength of the economy are usually the two main levers that set prices for stocks. In Asia, the levers were pulling in opposite directions.Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 4.8% on worries the country’s incoming prime minister will support higher interest rates and other policies that investors see as less market-friendly. Shigeru Ishiba is set to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-kishida-security-05926b50f4f5a83a631f779d906cf06d">take over on Tuesday</a>.Ishiba has expressed support for the Bank of Japan’s move to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-c-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">pull interest rates away</a>&nbsp;from their near-zero level, which puts upward pressure on the value of the Japanese yen. A stronger yen can hurt profits for Japanese exporters, which make sales in other currencies and then convert them back into yen.Toyota Motor’s stock fell 7.6% in Tokyo, while Honda Motor’s dropped 7%. Monday.Stellantis, the company that owns the Jeep brand and others, tumbled 14.7% in Milan after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carmaker-stellantis-forecasts-slump-540f78239aec2841e6c1f4d33a6a8e8f">cutting its forecast for upcoming profit</a>. It cited investments to turn around its U.S. operations and increased Chinese competition.That in turn helped drag down automakers Ford Motor and General Motors on Wall Street. Ford fell 2%, and GM dropped 3.5%.A 2.3% rise for Apple helped offset such losses and was the strongest force lifting the S&amp;P 500 to its latest record. After weakening in late July with other Big Tech stocks amid worries their prices had shot too high, Apple’s stock has been climbing back toward its all-time closing high of $234.82. It finished Monday at $233.00.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 24.31 points to 5,762.48. The Dow added 17.15 to 42,330.15, and the Nasdaq gained 69.58 to 18,189.17.In China, meanwhile, indexes soared 8.1% in Shanghai and 2.4% in Hong Kong following the latest announcements of stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy. It was the best day for Shanghai stocks in nearly 16 years.China’s central bank announced moves on Sunday to ease mortgage rates for existing home loans by Oct. 31. That followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-banks-rates-pboc-642053f11cbb9cfa2ca57b38593ce7f8">flurry</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-banks-jinping-communists-politburo-282c04f87725a0ca14a22bd7874aac10">announcements</a>&nbsp;last week from China’s central bank and government intended to prop up the Chinese economy, whose growth has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-plenum-jinping-gdp-34ed1e8bf2c953c3ba799501415c6b26">flagging</a>&nbsp;in part because of the weight of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-property-crisis-consumption-industrial-output-c57b620fbada4d39dfe1d19e2c9f72c3">struggling real-estate sector</a>.Markets in mainland China will be closed Tuesday through Oct. 7 for a holiday marking 75 years of communist rule.In the bond market, U.S. Treasury yields rose after investors took&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powell-federal-reserve-interest-rate-cuts-c8eed8640d8bd5b7fcb2a47ec70960e6">comments</a>&nbsp;from Fed Chair Jerome Powell as a hint that coming cuts to interest rates may be more traditional sized.The Fed began its rate-cutting campaign with a larger-than-usual reduction of half a percentage point, and many traders had built expectations that the next meeting in November could yield a similar sized reduction. That was even though Fed policy makers had already indicated they were planning two more cuts this year of the traditional size of a quarter of a percentage point.But Powell said again on Monday that rate cuts are not something the Fed needs to work quickly on. After his comments, traders were betting on just a 35% probability the Fed will cut rates by another half a percentage point in November. That’s down from a 53% chance seen the day before, according to data from CME Group.The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.78% from 3.75% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Fed will do with short-term rates, climbed to 3.63% from 3.56%.

Wall Street sets more records to close a winning September and third quarter

NEW YORK (AP) — Some Verizon customers across the U.S. were hit by a service outage Monday.

The issue appeared to knock out cellphone service for tens of thousands of Verizon users. Data from outage tracker DownDetector shows that reports topped 100,000 shortly after 11 a.m. ET — and while that number dropped significantly, nearly 48,000 were still facing issues closer to 4 p.m. ET.

Frustrated users online shared that they didn’t have service in many parts of the country — including the Southeastern U.S., where residents are still reeling from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-asheville-f02869c7d01e68f2d7f0553abb82252f">aftermath of Hurricane Helene</a>. But the outage wasn’t isolated to one region. DownDetector’s map also showed many reports coming from the West Coast, Midwest and Northeast.

In an update posted on social media platform X, New York-based Verizon&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VerizonNews/status/1840780785084985777" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;that it was “aware of an issue impacting service for some customers.” The company added that it had engineers looking into the problem and was “working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”

The Federal Communications Commission also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FCC/status/1840820311161520581" target="_blank">acknowledged</a>&nbsp;the outage later in the day, but didn’t provide further details beyond saying it was looking to determine the cause.

Some Verizon iPhone customers saw SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider’s network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks.

During cell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">service outages like this</a>, one alternative is connecting to nearby Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi calling is also a built-in feature on most Android devices and iPhones and can be turned on under the phone’s settings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727730650405.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Some Verizon customers across the U.S. were hit by a service outage Monday.The issue appeared to knock out cellphone service for tens of thousands of Verizon users. Data from outage tracker DownDetector shows that reports topped 100,000 shortly after 11 a.m. ET — and while that number dropped significantly, nearly 48,000 were still facing issues closer to 4 p.m. ET.Frustrated users online shared that they didn’t have service in many parts of the country — including the Southeastern U.S., where residents are still reeling from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-asheville-f02869c7d01e68f2d7f0553abb82252f">aftermath of Hurricane Helene</a>. But the outage wasn’t isolated to one region. DownDetector’s map also showed many reports coming from the West Coast, Midwest and Northeast.In an update posted on social media platform X, New York-based Verizon&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VerizonNews/status/1840780785084985777" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;that it was “aware of an issue impacting service for some customers.” The company added that it had engineers looking into the problem and was “working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”The Federal Communications Commission also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FCC/status/1840820311161520581" target="_blank">acknowledged</a>&nbsp;the outage later in the day, but didn’t provide further details beyond saying it was looking to determine the cause.Some Verizon iPhone customers saw SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider’s network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks.During cell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">service outages like this</a>, one alternative is connecting to nearby Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi calling is also a built-in feature on most Android devices and iPhones and can be turned on under the phone’s settings.

Many Verizon customers across the US hit by service outage

SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6a.m.&nbsp; Monday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 GMC G1500 van driven by Joseph Bailey&nbsp;Clementi, 34, Wichita, was westbound on Kansas 96 at 151 Street West.

The van left the road, entered the median and struck the trailer of a 2024 Kenworth semi driven by Monica R.&nbsp;Dawes, 57, Emporia, who was stopped at the stop sign, facing south. 

Clementi was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Sedgwick County Forensics Science Center. Dawes was not injured. Clementi was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727719544726.png" alt="First responders on the scene photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6a.m.&nbsp; Monday in Sedgwick County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 GMC G1500 van driven by Joseph Bailey&nbsp;Clementi, 34, Wichita, was westbound on Kansas 96 at 151 Street West.The van left the road, entered the median and struck the trailer of a 2024 Kenworth semi driven by Monica R.&nbsp;Dawes, 57, Emporia, who was stopped at the stop sign, facing south. Clementi was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Sedgwick County Forensics Science Center. Dawes was not injured. Clementi was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after van strikes semi's trailer

‘Farmers will have a tighter situation … than they experienced in the last three years,’ says a University of Missouri researcher

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

The cost of fertilizer is up; crop prices are down. Farmers have struggled through drought, and ranchers sold off huge swaths of their herd.&nbsp;

To top it all off, Congress has yet to pass a new iteration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/farm-bill/">Farm Bill</a>, which expires in a matter of days. And it likely won’t take action on the wide-ranging legislation, which offers everything from nutritional assistance to farm disaster recovery aid, until late this year.

The slow action on the legislation isn’t unusual, but as farm income continues to slide, producers are struggling to make ends meet. Tim Gibbons, communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, noted it currently costs more to raise a bushel of corn than farmers make when they sell it.

The prices farmers receive for major grain crops such as corn and soybeans are down 20 to 40% from highs set in 2022 in the months after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. But that spike was an aberration, Gibbons said.

“We haven’t had really high prices for decades … that really support farmers over the long term,” Gibbons said, “so that not only can they stay on the farm, but pass that farm on to the next generations.”&nbsp;

<a href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-farm-income-update/?utm_campaign=577762_FAPRI%20Farm%20Income%20Report%20%28September%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,CDSY,4NFRO6,1V77U,1" target="_blank">Researchers at the University of Missouri</a>&nbsp;expect farm income to drop by 35% by next year, compared to a high in 2022. While they still expect income to remain above what farmers saw between 2015 and 2020, it’s a steep drop.&nbsp;

“Farmers will have a tighter situation … than they experienced in the last three years, and they’ll have to be much more cognizant about having a very strategic marketing plan in order to make a good cash flow,” said Bob&nbsp;Maltsburger, a senior research economist at the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the university.&nbsp;

The “bleak” state of the farm economy — as U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, put it —&nbsp;has agricultural groups and heartland lawmakers clamoring for an updated Farm Bill. But partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C., and tension over what programs to prioritize in the enormous bill have made it difficult for lawmakers to find common ground.&nbsp;

“We need a Farm Bill in place,”&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/u-s-sen-jerry-moran-begs-colleagues-to-break-political-gridlock-on-farm-bill-legislation/?emci=071765d8-f87a-ef11-991a-6045bdee6681&amp;emdi=8993ee86-1c7b-ef11-991a-6045bdee6681&amp;ceid=116650" target="_blank">Moran said on the Senate floor earlier this month</a>, “even if it’s the current one, but the current one is insufficient to meet the needs of the disaster that is occurring in the incomes of farmers across the country.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/farmbill" target="_blank">Farm Bill</a>, the primary vehicle for food and agriculture policy in the U.S., expires Monday. While some of its banner programs — including crop insurance and nutrition assistance — will continue even if the legislation lapses, lawmakers and farm groups have said it’s essential to get assistance to struggling farmers. Moran urged colleagues to extend the existing Farm Bill while a more thorough rewrite is still pending.

The Farm Bill’s single largest chunk of spending — about 75% — supports a variety of programs to combat food insecurity, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, commonly known as “food stamps.” Its other banner programs include crop insurance and support for farmers when crop prices are low. The legislation also provides funds to encourage conservation and more sustainable farming.&nbsp;

Prominent in this year’s debate is how to permanently increase spending on&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/2022/11/08/climate-funding-could-suffer-in-the-farm-bill-under-gop-control-of-congress/" target="_blank">conservation and climate-friendly practices</a>. Congress previously provided $20 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2023, to help farmers plant cover crops and trees; alternate grazing and resting grassland and restore wetlands.&nbsp;

Andrew Lentz, who leads agriculture policy for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that funding helped more farmers participate in historically underfunded conservation programs. He said his organization hopes Congress takes advantage of the “huge opportunity” to make those funding levels permanent.&nbsp;

While Democrats want to ensure those funds are spent on practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, those requirements weren’t supported in the Republican-controlled U.S. House committee.&nbsp;

“If Congress is able to do that,” Lentz said, “they’ll be able to maintain these elevated funding levels and also maintain the climate focus of those funds in order to address the root causes of climate change and…help farmers tap new markets for lower carbon agricultural goods.”&nbsp;

But Jennifer Ifft, an associate professor at Kansas State University, said Congress can’t increase the federal deficit when it passes a new Farm Bill, creating tension between lawmakers over how to prioritize programs. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives supported increasing funding for the farm safety net, which supports farmers when crop prices are low.

That’s hard enough to do this year, Ifft said, but it will be even more difficult to pull off next year with crop prices projected to keep declining, increasing the cost of the safety net.

“It’s probably not going to get easier to compromise,” Ifft said.

The House Republican version of the bill also cuts $30 billion from nutrition assistance, a nonstarter with Democrats.&nbsp;

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, called that bill and Senate Republicans’ “framework” for a Farm Bill “flawed,” noting it cuts the nutrition budget and “walks away from the progress we have made to address the climate crisis.”

Gibbons said the conversation is missing better options to help with crop prices. He argues managing supply and adjusting decisions to meet market needs is a lower-cost alternative to ensure farmers get a fair price for their crops. But that’s not part of the policy discussions, he said.&nbsp;

“The fight,” Gibbons said, “is once again over, ‘How hard are we going to make it for hungry people in need to get food,’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727697603384.png" alt=" Corn sprouts in long rows in Wichita County, Kansas. With farm incomes on the decline, agricultural groups say a new federal Farm Bill is a must. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Corn sprouts in long rows in Wichita County, Kansas. With farm incomes on the decline, agricultural groups say a new federal Farm Bill is a must. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Farmers will have a tighter situation … than they experienced in the last three years,’ says a University of Missouri researcher</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>The cost of fertilizer is up; crop prices are down. Farmers have struggled through drought, and ranchers sold off huge swaths of their herd.&nbsp;To top it all off, Congress has yet to pass a new iteration of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/farm-bill/">Farm Bill</a>, which expires in a matter of days. And it likely won’t take action on the wide-ranging legislation, which offers everything from nutritional assistance to farm disaster recovery aid, until late this year.The slow action on the legislation isn’t unusual, but as farm income continues to slide, producers are struggling to make ends meet. Tim Gibbons, communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, noted it currently costs more to raise a bushel of corn than farmers make when they sell it.The prices farmers receive for major grain crops such as corn and soybeans are down 20 to 40% from highs set in 2022 in the months after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. But that spike was an aberration, Gibbons said.“We haven’t had really high prices for decades … that really support farmers over the long term,” Gibbons said, “so that not only can they stay on the farm, but pass that farm on to the next generations.”&nbsp;<a href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-farm-income-update/?utm_campaign=577762_FAPRI%20Farm%20Income%20Report%20%28September%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,CDSY,4NFRO6,1V77U,1" target="_blank">Researchers at the University of Missouri</a>&nbsp;expect farm income to drop by 35% by next year, compared to a high in 2022. While they still expect income to remain above what farmers saw between 2015 and 2020, it’s a steep drop.&nbsp;“Farmers will have a tighter situation … than they experienced in the last three years, and they’ll have to be much more cognizant about having a very strategic marketing plan in order to make a good cash flow,” said Bob&nbsp;Maltsburger, a senior research economist at the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the university.&nbsp;The “bleak” state of the farm economy — as U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, put it —&nbsp;has agricultural groups and heartland lawmakers clamoring for an updated Farm Bill. But partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C., and tension over what programs to prioritize in the enormous bill have made it difficult for lawmakers to find common ground.&nbsp;“We need a Farm Bill in place,”&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/u-s-sen-jerry-moran-begs-colleagues-to-break-political-gridlock-on-farm-bill-legislation/?emci=071765d8-f87a-ef11-991a-6045bdee6681&amp;emdi=8993ee86-1c7b-ef11-991a-6045bdee6681&amp;ceid=116650" target="_blank">Moran said on the Senate floor earlier this month</a>, “even if it’s the current one, but the current one is insufficient to meet the needs of the disaster that is occurring in the incomes of farmers across the country.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/farmbill" target="_blank">Farm Bill</a>, the primary vehicle for food and agriculture policy in the U.S., expires Monday. While some of its banner programs — including crop insurance and nutrition assistance — will continue even if the legislation lapses, lawmakers and farm groups have said it’s essential to get assistance to struggling farmers. Moran urged colleagues to extend the existing Farm Bill while a more thorough rewrite is still pending.<h2>Competing for funds</h2>The Farm Bill’s single largest chunk of spending — about 75% — supports a variety of programs to combat food insecurity, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, commonly known as “food stamps.” Its other banner programs include crop insurance and support for farmers when crop prices are low. The legislation also provides funds to encourage conservation and more sustainable farming.&nbsp;Prominent in this year’s debate is how to permanently increase spending on&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/2022/11/08/climate-funding-could-suffer-in-the-farm-bill-under-gop-control-of-congress/" target="_blank">conservation and climate-friendly practices</a>. Congress previously provided $20 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2023, to help farmers plant cover crops and trees; alternate grazing and resting grassland and restore wetlands.&nbsp;Andrew Lentz, who leads agriculture policy for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that funding helped more farmers participate in historically underfunded conservation programs. He said his organization hopes Congress takes advantage of the “huge opportunity” to make those funding levels permanent.&nbsp;While Democrats want to ensure those funds are spent on practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, those requirements weren’t supported in the Republican-controlled U.S. House committee.&nbsp;“If Congress is able to do that,” Lentz said, “they’ll be able to maintain these elevated funding levels and also maintain the climate focus of those funds in order to address the root causes of climate change and…help farmers tap new markets for lower carbon agricultural goods.”&nbsp;But Jennifer Ifft, an associate professor at Kansas State University, said Congress can’t increase the federal deficit when it passes a new Farm Bill, creating tension between lawmakers over how to prioritize programs. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives supported increasing funding for the farm safety net, which supports farmers when crop prices are low.That’s hard enough to do this year, Ifft said, but it will be even more difficult to pull off next year with crop prices projected to keep declining, increasing the cost of the safety net.“It’s probably not going to get easier to compromise,” Ifft said.The House Republican version of the bill also cuts $30 billion from nutrition assistance, a nonstarter with Democrats.&nbsp;U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, called that bill and Senate Republicans’ “framework” for a Farm Bill “flawed,” noting it cuts the nutrition budget and “walks away from the progress we have made to address the climate crisis.”Gibbons said the conversation is missing better options to help with crop prices. He argues managing supply and adjusting decisions to meet market needs is a lower-cost alternative to ensure farmers get a fair price for their crops. But that’s not part of the policy discussions, he said.&nbsp;“The fight,” Gibbons said, “is once again over, ‘How hard are we going to make it for hungry people in need to get food,’”

Farmers struggle with ‘bleak’ situation as Congress waffles on new Farm Bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending a “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon said Monday. The announcement follows word that Israel has already launched limited raids across the border into Lebanon.

The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">increased presence</a>&nbsp;will involve multiple fighter jet and attack aircraft squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. U.S. officials said the total includes small numbers of other troops to augment the presence as well.

It follows recent strikes in Lebanon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-30-2024-83ea5f243688f309754ec74850de4238">the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah</a>, a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.

The additional personnel includes squadrons of F-15E, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets and A-10 attack aircraft, and the personnel needed to support them. The jets were supposed to rotate in and replace the squadrons already there. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the airpower on hand.

On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he was temporarily extending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its embarked air wing in the region. A&nbsp;<a href="http://u.sa/">U.S. official said the extension will be for about a month.</a>&nbsp;A second carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, departed Virginia last week and is enroute to Europe. It will head to the Mediterranean Sea and will again provide a two-carrier presence in the broader region. It's not expected to arrive for at least another week.

At the White House, President Joe Biden said Monday that “I’m more aware than you might know” about reports that Israel is planning a limited ground incursion into Lebanon after nearly a year of fighting with Hezbollah, and said he wants a cease-fire immediately. Asked about the reports, Biden said, “I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722801011505.png" alt="File photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending a “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon said Monday. The announcement follows word that Israel has already launched limited raids across the border into Lebanon.The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">increased presence</a>&nbsp;will involve multiple fighter jet and attack aircraft squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. U.S. officials said the total includes small numbers of other troops to augment the presence as well.It follows recent strikes in Lebanon and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-30-2024-83ea5f243688f309754ec74850de4238">the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah</a>, a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.The additional personnel includes squadrons of F-15E, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets and A-10 attack aircraft, and the personnel needed to support them. The jets were supposed to rotate in and replace the squadrons already there. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the airpower on hand.On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he was temporarily extending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its embarked air wing in the region. A&nbsp;<a href="http://u.sa/">U.S. official said the extension will be for about a month.</a>&nbsp;A second carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, departed Virginia last week and is enroute to Europe. It will head to the Mediterranean Sea and will again provide a two-carrier presence in the broader region. It's not expected to arrive for at least another week.At the White House, President Joe Biden said Monday that “I’m more aware than you might know” about reports that Israel is planning a limited ground incursion into Lebanon after nearly a year of fighting with Hezbollah, and said he wants a cease-fire immediately. Asked about the reports, Biden said, “I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now.”

US sending more troops to the Middle East to defend Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) —A crisis unfolded in Asheville, North Carolina, as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm surpassed 100. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said during a news conference Monday that the death toll in that state had risen from 17 to 25.

A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed there.

Speaking from the White House, Biden said he intends to travel to North Carolina to survey storm damage by Wednesday or Thursday, once his presence would not divert first responders from live-saving search-and-rescue and disaster response missions.

“We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis,” he said. He declined to address former President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Georgia on Monday.

Biden said he expects to have to ask Congress for additional money to cover federal disaster assistance to those who lost their homes and businesses by the “historic” wind, rain and flooding event, but he doesn’t yet know how much will be necessary to cover the damage.

“We know there’s more to do and we’ll continue to surge resources including food, water, communications, and lifesaving equipment,” Biden said. “I’m here to tell every single survivor in these impacted areas that we will be there with you as long as it takes.”

Biden defended his decision to spend the weekend at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, vacation home, rather than at the White House to monitor the storm, telling reporters,

“I was commanding. I was on the phone,” he said

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727712742274.png" alt="Photo Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —A crisis unfolded in Asheville, North Carolina, as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm surpassed 100. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said during a news conference Monday that the death toll in that state had risen from 17 to 25.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on federal response to Hurricane Helene: &quot;We are not leaving until the job is done.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HdODPFtH8y">pic.twitter.com/HdODPFtH8y</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1840777473362940284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727712065578.png" alt="Photo Florida Dept. of Transportation District 7" />
 <figcaption>Photo Florida Dept. of Transportation District 7</figcaption>
 </figure>Speaking from the White House, Biden said he intends to travel to North Carolina to survey storm damage by Wednesday or Thursday, once his presence would not divert first responders from live-saving search-and-rescue and disaster response missions.“We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis,” he said. He declined to address former President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Georgia on Monday.Biden said he expects to have to ask Congress for additional money to cover federal disaster assistance to those who lost their homes and businesses by the “historic” wind, rain and flooding event, but he doesn’t yet know how much will be necessary to cover the damage.“We know there’s more to do and we’ll continue to surge resources including food, water, communications, and lifesaving equipment,” Biden said. “I’m here to tell every single survivor in these impacted areas that we will be there with you as long as it takes.”Biden defended his decision to spend the weekend at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, vacation home, rather than at the White House to monitor the storm, telling reporters,“I was commanding. I was on the phone,” he said

🎥Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to more than 100

KINGMAN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after a standoff at a home in Kingman.

Just after 2p.m. on Sept. 23, police received a call reporting a stabbing in the 300 block of East D Avenue in Kingman, according to Police Chief David Lux.

Officers of the Kingman Police Department and Kingman County Sheriff’s Office pursued a suspect who fled to a residence in the 400 block of East B Avenue. Officers attempted to negotiate the suspects surrender while additional resources were contacted.

Resources and staff from the Kingman County Sheriff, Kansas Highway Patrol, Pratt County Sheriff, Edwards County Sheriff, and Kiowa County Sheriff were utilized in the incident and the suspect identified as 49-year-old Samuel Mitchell of Kingman eventually surrendered at the scene. 

&nbsp;Mitchell remains jailed on a $500,000 bond on requested charges that include Attempted murder in the 2nd degree, Aggravated battery and Interference with law enforcement, according to online jail records.

Two additional suspects identified according to online jail records as 42-year-old Dawn L. Barkley and 48-year-old Ricky Mitchell were arrested on requested charges of obstructing the apprehension of Mitchell. The stabbing victim was treated for his injuries.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727357025638.png" alt="Mitchell -photo Kingman County" />
 <figcaption>Mitchell -photo Kingman County</figcaption>
 </figure>KINGMAN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after a standoff at a home in Kingman.Just after 2p.m. on Sept. 23, police received a call reporting a stabbing in the 300 block of East D Avenue in Kingman, according to Police Chief David Lux.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727187448217.png" alt="SWAT teams on the scene of the standoff Monday night-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>SWAT teams on the scene of the standoff Monday night-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers of the Kingman Police Department and Kingman County Sheriff’s Office pursued a suspect who fled to a residence in the 400 block of East B Avenue. Officers attempted to negotiate the suspects surrender while additional resources were contacted.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727357245715.png" alt="Dawn Barkley-photo Kingman Co." />
 <figcaption>Dawn Barkley-photo Kingman Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Resources and staff from the Kingman County Sheriff, Kansas Highway Patrol, Pratt County Sheriff, Edwards County Sheriff, and Kiowa County Sheriff were utilized in the incident and the suspect identified as 49-year-old Samuel Mitchell of Kingman eventually surrendered at the scene. &nbsp;Mitchell remains jailed on a $500,000 bond on requested charges that include Attempted murder in the 2nd degree, Aggravated battery and Interference with law enforcement, according to online jail records.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727357294061.png" alt="Ricky Mitchell-photo Kingman County" />
 <figcaption>Ricky Mitchell-photo Kingman County</figcaption>
 </figure>Two additional suspects identified according to online jail records as 42-year-old Dawn L. Barkley and 48-year-old Ricky Mitchell were arrested on requested charges of obstructing the apprehension of Mitchell. The stabbing victim was treated for his injuries.&nbsp;

Kansas stabbing suspect faces attempted murder charge

NEW YORK (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/directv">DirecTV</a>&nbsp;is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years, as the company seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant.

DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1, plus the assumption of debt.

The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, with headlines about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dish-directv-shares-rise-on-reported-merger-talk-c6394860a8df4ee499b7ad8f5bc7e82b">reported talks</a>&nbsp;popping up over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2002/10/11/fcc-rejects-merger-of-satellite-tv/31616565007/">blocked</a>&nbsp;their owners’ then-$18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming giants, demand for more traditional satellite continues to shrink. And, although high-profile acquisitions have proven to be particularly tough under the Biden-Harris administration, that may make regulators more inclined to approve DirecTV and Dish’s pairing this time around.

DirecTV said Monday that the transaction will help it bring smaller content packages to consumer at lower prices. It's hoping this will appeal to those who have left satellite video services for streaming. The company said that combined, DirecTV and Dish have collectively lost 63% of their satellite customers since 2016.

“DirecTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement. “With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of tv, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

The current deal could provide a key lifeline for EchoStar. The Colorado-based telecommunications company has reportedly faced the prospect of bankruptcy as it continues to burn through cash and see losses pile up.

In a recent securities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1415404/000155837024011672/tmb-20240630x10q.htm">filing</a>, EchoStar disclosed that it had just $521 million in “cash on hand.” And the company forecast negative cash flows for the remainder of the year — while also pointing to major looming debt payments, with more than $1.98 billion of debt set to mature in November.

“With an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network," EchoStar President and CEO Hamid Akhavan said. “This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace.”

EchoStar's stock climbed nearly 3% before the market open.

The DirecTV and Dish deal is targeted to close in 2025's fourth quarter. The combined company will be based in El Segundo, California.

Shortly before DirecTV made its announcement, AT&amp;T said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/13f7a26443ca22fa53e5921c8c8c130c">selling its remaining stake in DirecTV</a>&nbsp;to private equity firm TPG in a deal valued at about $7.6 billion.

NEW YORK (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/directv">DirecTV</a>&nbsp;is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years, as the company seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant.DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1, plus the assumption of debt.The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, with headlines about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dish-directv-shares-rise-on-reported-merger-talk-c6394860a8df4ee499b7ad8f5bc7e82b">reported talks</a>&nbsp;popping up over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2002/10/11/fcc-rejects-merger-of-satellite-tv/31616565007/">blocked</a>&nbsp;their owners’ then-$18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming giants, demand for more traditional satellite continues to shrink. And, although high-profile acquisitions have proven to be particularly tough under the Biden-Harris administration, that may make regulators more inclined to approve DirecTV and Dish’s pairing this time around.DirecTV said Monday that the transaction will help it bring smaller content packages to consumer at lower prices. It's hoping this will appeal to those who have left satellite video services for streaming. The company said that combined, DirecTV and Dish have collectively lost 63% of their satellite customers since 2016.“DirecTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement. “With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of tv, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”The current deal could provide a key lifeline for EchoStar. The Colorado-based telecommunications company has reportedly faced the prospect of bankruptcy as it continues to burn through cash and see losses pile up.In a recent securities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1415404/000155837024011672/tmb-20240630x10q.htm">filing</a>, EchoStar disclosed that it had just $521 million in “cash on hand.” And the company forecast negative cash flows for the remainder of the year — while also pointing to major looming debt payments, with more than $1.98 billion of debt set to mature in November.“With an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network," EchoStar President and CEO Hamid Akhavan said. “This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace.”EchoStar's stock climbed nearly 3% before the market open.The DirecTV and Dish deal is targeted to close in 2025's fourth quarter. The combined company will be based in El Segundo, California.Shortly before DirecTV made its announcement, AT&amp;T said it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/13f7a26443ca22fa53e5921c8c8c130c">selling its remaining stake in DirecTV</a>&nbsp;to private equity firm TPG in a deal valued at about $7.6 billion.

DirecTV and Dish have agreed to merge

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with an aggravated assault and pursuit in an Amazon delivery vehicle.

Just after 6:30p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a disturbance in the 8800 Block of NE 110th Street in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp;&nbsp;First responders found two victims who had suffered from bodily trauma with critical injuries. 

The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of the officers, however he was located a short distance away. Officers attempted to take him into custody when he presented a firearm and began firing shots. 

The suspect entered an Amazon delivery truck and the vehicle left the area. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, however the driver continued to flee. A vehicle pursuit was authorized due to the assault and the significant danger towards the public. 

Additional shots were fired at officers during the course of the pursuit. The suspect exited the Amazon vehicle and attempted to run near the area of southbound Interstate 35 and 152 Highway. 

The subject was quickly taken into custody without incident and sustained no injuries. The Amazon delivery driver and responding officers were also uninjured during the course of the incident, according to Becchina. No officers fired their weapons at any time.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the suspect or possible charges.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with an aggravated assault and pursuit in an Amazon delivery vehicle.Just after 6:30p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a disturbance in the 8800 Block of NE 110th Street in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp;&nbsp;First responders found two victims who had suffered from bodily trauma with critical injuries. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of the officers, however he was located a short distance away. Officers attempted to take him into custody when he presented a firearm and began firing shots. The suspect entered an Amazon delivery truck and the vehicle left the area. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, however the driver continued to flee. A vehicle pursuit was authorized due to the assault and the significant danger towards the public. Additional shots were fired at officers during the course of the pursuit. The suspect exited the Amazon vehicle and attempted to run near the area of southbound Interstate 35 and 152 Highway. The subject was quickly taken into custody without incident and sustained no injuries. The Amazon delivery driver and responding officers were also uninjured during the course of the incident, according to Becchina. No officers fired their weapons at any time.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the suspect or possible charges.----------

KCPD: Assault suspect captured after chase in Amazon delivery truck

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kris-kristofferson-retires-313554b2e5d8a5be66fae061a819bc39">Kristofferson</a>&nbsp;died at his home on Maui, Hawaii on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.

McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given. He was 88.

Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such classics standards as “Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” "For the Good Times" and "Me and Bobby McGee." Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others, whether Ray Price crooning “For the Good Times” or Janis Joplin belting out “Me and Bobby McGee.”

He also starred opposite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-ellen-burstyn-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-956734980eacaa201f440af076eed2a7">Ellen Burstyn</a>&nbsp;in director Martin Scorsese's 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star Is Born,” and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s “Blade” in 1998.

Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-john-prine-obituaries-music-772a23ead9edf026cde1bbab60124772">John Prine</a>&nbsp;and Tom T. Hall.

"There's no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson," Nelson said during a November 2009 award ceremony for Kristofferson held by BMI. "Everything he writes is a standard and we're all just going to have to live with that."

He was a Golden Gloves boxer and football player in college, received a master’s degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England and turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville. Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a part-time janitor at Columbia Records’ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the seminal “Blonde on Blonde” double album.

At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Johnny Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story of how Kristofferson, a former U.S. Army pilot, landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to give him a tape of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” with a beer in one hand. Over the years in interviews, Kristofferson said with all respect to Cash, while he did land a helicopter at Cash’s house, the Man in Black wasn’t even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one ever actually cut and he certainly couldn’t fly a helicopter holding a beer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727650141368.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kris-kristofferson-retires-313554b2e5d8a5be66fae061a819bc39">Kristofferson</a>&nbsp;died at his home on Maui, Hawaii on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given. He was 88.Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such classics standards as “Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” "For the Good Times" and "Me and Bobby McGee." Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others, whether Ray Price crooning “For the Good Times” or Janis Joplin belting out “Me and Bobby McGee.”He also starred opposite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ny-state-wire-ellen-burstyn-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-956734980eacaa201f440af076eed2a7">Ellen Burstyn</a>&nbsp;in director Martin Scorsese's 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star Is Born,” and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s “Blade” in 1998.Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-john-prine-obituaries-music-772a23ead9edf026cde1bbab60124772">John Prine</a>&nbsp;and Tom T. Hall."There's no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson," Nelson said during a November 2009 award ceremony for Kristofferson held by BMI. "Everything he writes is a standard and we're all just going to have to live with that."He was a Golden Gloves boxer and football player in college, received a master’s degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England and turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville. Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a part-time janitor at Columbia Records’ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the seminal “Blonde on Blonde” double album.At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Johnny Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story of how Kristofferson, a former U.S. Army pilot, landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn to give him a tape of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” with a beer in one hand. Over the years in interviews, Kristofferson said with all respect to Cash, while he did land a helicopter at Cash’s house, the Man in Black wasn’t even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one ever actually cut and he certainly couldn’t fly a helicopter holding a beer.In a 2006 interview with The Associated Press, he said he might not have had a career without Cash.“Shaking his hand when I was still in the Army backstage at the Grand Ole Opry was the moment I’d decided I’d come back,” Kristofferson said. “It was electric. He kind of took me under his wing before he cut any of my songs. He cut my first record that was record of the year. He put me on stage the first time.”One of his most recorded songs, “Me and Bobby McGee,” was written based on a recommendation from Monument Records founder Fred Foster. Foster had a song title in his head called “Me and Bobby McKee,” named after a female secretary in his building. Kristofferson said in an interview in the magazine, “Performing Songwriter,” that he was inspired to write the lyrics about a man and woman on the road together after watching the Frederico Fellini film, “La Strada.”Joplin, who had a close relationship with Kristofferson, changed the lyrics to make Bobby McGee a man and cut her version just days before she died in 1970 from a drug overdose. The recording became a posthumous No. 1 hit for Joplin.Hits that Kristofferson recorded include “Why Me,” “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do),” “Watch Closely Now,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “A Song I’d Like to Sing” and “Jesus Was a Capricorn.”In 1973, he married fellow songwriter Rita Coolidge and together they had a successful duet career that earned them two Grammy awards. They divorced in 1980.He retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage.