By DAVID A. LIEB and M.K. WILDEMAN Associated Press
President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and floods that occurred this spring and summer.
The disaster declarations, announced Thursday, will allow federal funding to flow to Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin, and for tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In each case except Wisconsin, it took Trump more than a month to approve the aid requests from local officials, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief noted by a recent Associated Press analysis.
Trump has now approved more than 30 major natural disaster declarations since taking office in January. Before the latest batch, his approvals had averaged a 34-day wait from the time the relief was requested. For his most recent declarations, that wait ranged from just 15 days following an aid request for Wisconsin flooding in August to 56 days following a tribal request for Montana flooding that occurred in May.
The AP’s analysis showed that delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time, regardless of the party in power. On average, it took less than two weeks for requests for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties. During Trump’s first term in office, it took him an average of 24 days to approve requests.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the AP that Trump is providing “a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before him” to make sure that federal tax dollars are spent wisely.
But delays mean individuals must wait to receive federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary lodging and home repairs. Delays in disaster declarations also can hamper recovery efforts by local officials uncertain whether they will receive federal reimbursement for cleaning up debris and rebuilding infrastructure.
Trump’s latest declarations approved public assistance for local governments and nonprofits in all cases except Wisconsin, where assistance for individuals was approved. But that doesn’t preclude the federal government from later also approving public assistance for Wisconsin.
Preliminary estimates from Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ administration said more than 1,500 residential structures were destroyed or suffered major damage in August flooding at a cost of more than $33 million. There was also more than $43 million in public sector damage over six counties, according to the Evers administration.
Evers requested aid for residents in six counties, but Trump approved it only for three.
“I will continue to urge the Trump Administration to approve the remainder of my request, and I will keep fighting to make sure Wisconsin receives every resource that is needed and available,” Evers said in a statement in which he thanked Democratic officeholders for their efforts, but not Trump or any Republicans.
Trump had announced several of the disaster declarations — including Wisconsin’s — on his social media site while noting his victories in those states and highlighting their Republican officials. He received thanks from Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and Republican officials elsewhere.
Trump’s approval of six major disaster declarations in one day would have been unusual for some presidents but not for him. Trump approved seven disaster requests on July 22 and nine on May 21.
But Trump has not approved requests for hazard mitigation assistance — a once-typical add-on that helps recipients build back with resilience — since February.
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Associated Press writers Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Scott Bauer, Jack Dura and Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report.
These homemade sweet potato fries are the perfect addition to any meal. They’re crispy, warm and the best combination of sweet and savory.
Ingredients
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (3 medium-sized)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 tsp. sea salt
(optional) 1/s tsp. smoked paprika or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f.
2. Prep the potatoes Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into thin, even wedges.
3.Season the fries In a bowl, coat the sweet potato wedges with the oil and toss, then add the salt and/or spices and toss until they are evenly distributed.
4. Bake Line the fries up evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes and take them out to flip. Next, put the fries back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are crispy.
5. Serve and enjoy Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Political analyst Matthew Dowd is out of a job at MSNBC after his on-air comment following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing about “hateful words” leading to “hateful actions.”
MSNBC said Thursday that Dowd, a paid political analyst, is “no longer with the network.” Both MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler and Dowd issued public apologies following his commentary, which drew a heated reaction online.
Dowd said shortly after the shooting Wednesday that Kirk was a divisive figure “who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words which lead to hateful actions. And I think that’s the environment we’re in.”
Kutler posted an online apology for Dowd’s commentary, which she called “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”
“There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise,” she said.
Dowd, on his Bluesky account, noted that he was asked a question by anchor Katy Tur about the nation’s political environment.
“I apologize for my tone and words,” Dowd said. “Let me be clear, I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this attack. Let us all come together and condemn violence of any kind.”
Dowd, once a political strategist for President George W. Bush, joined MSNBC in 2022 following a failed campaign for lieutenant governor in Texas as a Democrat. He spent nearly 15 years as an analyst at ABC News.
The NCAA is investigating potential violations of sports betting rules involving 13 former men’s basketball players who completed for six schools.
Cases include athletes formerly associated with Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley. The schools are not under investigation and are not at risk of being penalized.
The NCAA’s integrity monitoring program and network of sources flagged text messages and direct messages on social media platforms and revealed unusual betting activities around regular-season games. The violations include student-athletes betting on and against their own teams, sharing information with third parties for purposes of sports betting, manipulating scoring or outcomes and/or refusing to participate in the investigation.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has resolved three similar cases, concluding that three men’s basketball student-athletes who played for Fresno State and San Jose State violated the NCAA’s rules against sports betting and manipulated game outcomes. In the case involving Fresno State and San Jose State, the enforcement investigation concluded that Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver bet on one another’s games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so last season. Two manipulated their performances to ensure winning bets. Their eligibility was permanently revoked.
The NCAA said it will not name the athletes in the six cases until after the investigation. None of them are enrolled at their previous NCAA schools.
“The NCAA monitors over 22,000 contests every year and will continue to aggressively pursue competition integrity risks such as these,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. “I am grateful for the NCAA enforcement team’s relentless work and for the schools’ cooperation in these matters.”
Baker said the rise of sports betting is creating more chances to commit violations.
“While legalized sports betting is here to stay, regulators and gaming companies can do more to reduce these integrity risks by eliminating prop bets and giving sports leagues a seat at the table when setting policies,” he said.
Hi, my name is Scully. I’m 3 years old, 60 pounds and possibly a boxer-terrier mix. I’m searching for my forever home or even a foster home for a while. When I was about 6 months old, my brother and I were rescued by Second Chance Pet Adoption. We were neglected and abandoned. It was a scary time for me, but thanks to their love and care, I became all healthy and pretty again and I’ve got the best underbite you’ve ever seen.
I was adopted into a wonderful family with a Mom, Dad, brother, sister and another dog and life was good. I felt safe and loved. Unfortunately, one night during a walk, I was attacked by another dog off leash. I fought hard, got a little banged up, but I healed beautifully and I’m still as pretty as ever. This incident scared me and I become very protective. I started acting out with my canine brother. We tried medication but I never adjusted back to feeling safe and was surrendered back to Second Chance.
My current foster family will be going on a long vacation soon, and I really hope to find a new family or a cozy place to stay. I’m a total love bug—snuggling up, going for walks, and getting excited about life. I don’t pay attention to other dogs unless they bark at me, then I bark back. I’m house trained—no accidents—and I don’t chew things that aren’t mine. I don’t bark at noises unless of course someone rings my doorbell, it would be rude not to answer, right? And I love greeting visitors. There is no jumping or being unruly. Every human I meet, I just want to snuggle or play with. I do very well at the vet, sitting calmly with other animals around and waiting my turn. I love all people, big and small. I walk nicely on leash, love riding in the car and running around in the yard but also love to cuddle and snuggle. I am playful, silly, goofy, affectionate and just love to be loved. I love my toys, treats and rawhide bones. I have been waiting so patiently for a forever home and would be a great addition to any home with no other pets that is willing to give me a chance. If you’re looking for a sweet, affectionate pup who loves to cuddle and bring lots of joy, I’d love to meet you.
Scully is so deserving of a life outside the shelter. As she has known the comforts of living in a home, any day that Scully spends outside the shelter and in a home with people to love on her is a good day. We are truly praying that someone out there finds it in their heart to give Scully girl a chance. You will not be sorry.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a quarter century has passed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but for many, the emotions of the day remain raw as ever.
On Thursday, America marked the 24th anniversary of the deadly attacks with solemn ceremonies at commemorations in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, punctuated by moments of silence, the tolling of bells and the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 killed.
Jennifer Nilsen, whose husband, Troy Nilsen, perished in the World Trade Center, was among those wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with an image of a lost loved one as she attended the commemoration at ground zero in lower Manhattan.
“Even 24 years later, it’s heart wrenching. It feels the same way every year,” she said.
Michelle Pizzo, who also wore a shirt bearing the image of her late husband, Jason DeFazio, who died in the trade center attack, hoped more people could just take one minute to reflect on the day.
“Younger kids don’t realize that you have to remember,” she said.
The remembrances are being held during a time of increased political tensions. The 9/11 anniversary, often promoted as a day of national unity, comes a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a college in Utah.
The reading of names and moments of silence
Kirk’s killing prompted additional security measures around the 9/11 anniversary ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York.
FBI Director Kash Patel was among the dignitaries in attendance. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, had planned to attend but instead are set to visit with Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City, according to a person familiar with Vance’s plans, but not authorized to speak about them publicly.
Many in the ground zero crowd held up photos of lost loved ones as a moment of silence marked the exact time when the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center’s iconic twin towers.
Family members then read aloud the names of the victims, with many giving short remembrances, well wishes and even updates on their lives to their lost loved ones.
Zoe Doyle, daughter of equity trader Frank Joseph Doyle, said her family created a nonprofit in his honor that has built 16 schools in South Africa and feeds and educates thousands of children there each day.
Melissa Pullis, whose husband Edward Pullis died in the towers, said this year is more difficult than others because two of the couple’s three children are getting married.
“You can’t walk your princess down the aisle,” she said through tears. “You are missed everyday. We will always say your name, and we will always fight for justice.”
Ceremonies in Virginia and Pennsylvania honor victims
At the Pentagon in Virginia, the 184 service members and civilians killed when hijackers steered a jetliner into the headquarters of the U.S. military were honored in a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
The president, in his remarks, recounted moments from that day, including snippets of conversations from passengers who were aboard the hijacked airplanes.
“Today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001,” Trump said during the observance, which took place in an internal courtyard of the building rather than its traditional location outside its walls near the building’s 9/11 memorial.
“The enemy will always fail,” he added. “We defy the fear, endure the flames.”
The president, who was expected to attend a New York Yankees game in the Bronx on Thursday evening, also announced Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a “giant of his generation” and a “champion of liberty.”
And in a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a similar ceremony marked by moments of silence, the reading of names and the laying of wreaths, honored the victims of Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed after crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was among those in attendance.
People across the country are also marking the 9/11 anniversary with service projects and charitable works as part of a national day of service. Volunteers will be taking part in food and clothing drives, park and neighborhood cleanups, blood banks and other community events.
Reverberations from attacks persist
In all, the attacks by al-Qaida militants killed 2,977 people, including many financial workers at the World Trade Center and firefighters and police officers who had rushed to the burning buildings trying to save lives.
The attacks reverberated globally and altered the course of U.S. policy, both domestically and overseas. It led to the “ Global War on Terrorism ” and the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and related conflicts that killed hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians.
While the hijackers died in the attacks, the U.S. government has struggled to conclude its long-running legal case against the man accused of masterminding the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The former al-Qaida leader was arrested in Pakistan in 2003 and later taken to a U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but has never received a trial.
The anniversary ceremony in New York was taking place at the National Sept. 11 memorial and Museum, where two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets inscribed with the names of the dead mark the spots where the twin towers once stood.
The Trump administration has been contemplating ways that the federal government might take control of the memorial plaza and its underground museum, which are now run by a public charity.
In the years since the attacks, the U.S. government has also spent billions of dollars providing health care and compensation to tens of thousands of people who were exposed to the toxic dust that billowed over parts of Manhattan when the twin towers collapsed.
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Associated Press reporters Jake Offenhartz and Liseberth Guillaume in New York City, Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey, Michael Hill in Albany, New York, and Michelle L. Price and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this story.
By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press
OREM, Utah (AP) — The sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing one shot and has not been identified, authorities said Thursday in disclosing they have recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the attack and are reviewing video footage of the person they believe was responsible.
The shooter appeared to be of college age and blended in on the university campus where Kirk was killed Wednesday, said Beau Mason, the commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. It remained unclear how far the shooter has traveled, though law enforcement officials say nearby woods where the rifle was found have been secured.
An attendee of the event at a Utah university campus where Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday, said “there wasn’t any security checkpoints.” (AP Video)
Even as law enforcement officials revealed new details about an attack they called targeted, much remained unclear nearly 24 hours later, including the sniper’s identity, motive and whereabouts. Two people detained Wednesday were released after neither was determined to be connected to the shooting, but by Thursday officials expressed confidence they had tracked the shooter’s movements on campus in the run-up to it.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was killed in broad daylight while speaking about social issues at a Utah Valley University campus courtyard. The circumstances brought renewed attention to the escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The killing drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.
The attack was captured on grisly videos circulating on social media that show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out. Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
Trump said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S., while Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were set to visit with Kirk’s family in Salt Lake City. Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s Senate run and ultimately praying after hearing of the shooting. Kirk played a pivotal role in setting up Trump’s second Republican administration, Vance wrote.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
Kirk was taking questions about gun violence
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political youth organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, at the Sorensen Center courtyard on campus. Immediately before the shooting, he took questions from an audience member about gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the person asked. Kirk responded, “Too many.”
The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a shot rang out.
The shooter, who Gov. Spencer Cox pledged would be held accountable in a state with the death penalty, wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away.
Madison Lattin was watching a few dozen feet from Kirk’s left when she heard the bullet hit him.
“Blood is falling and dripping down, and you’re just like so scared, not just for him but your own safety,” she said.
She saw people drop to the ground in an eerie silence pierced immediately by cries. She and others ran. Some fell and were trampled in the stampede.
When Lattin later learned that Kirk had died, she wept, she said, describing him as a role model who had showed her how to fight for the truth.
Trump calls Kirk a ‘martyr for truth’
About 3,000 people were in attendance, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety. The university police department had six officers working the event, along with Kirk’s own security detail, authorities said.
Trump announced Kirk’s death on social media and praised the 31-year-old co-founder and CEO of Turning Point as “Great, and even Legendary.” Later, he released a video in which he called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom.”
Utah Valley University said the campus was evacuated after the shooting and will be closed until Monday.
Meanwhile, armed officers walked around the neighborhood bordering the campus, knocking on doors and asking for any information residents might have on the shooting. Helicopters buzzed overhead.
Wednesday’s event, billed as the first stop on Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour,” had generated a polarizing campus reaction. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”
Condemnation from across the political spectrum
The shooting drew swift bipartisan condemnation as Democratic officials joined Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation, and other Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the violence.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends,” said Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district.
In a joint statement, the Young Democrats of Connecticut and the Connecticut Young Republicans called the shooting “unacceptable.”
“There is no place in our country for such acts regardless of political disagreements,” they said.
Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.
But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.
Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as an aide to Donald Trump Jr. during the general election campaign.
Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.
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Richer and Sherman reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver; Michael Biesecker, Brian Slodysko, Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L. Price in Washington; Jesse Bedayn in Orem, Utah; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., contributed to this report.
This recipe is a quick and easy way to make great-quality bagels from your own kitchen!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
seasonings of choice (everything bagel, cinnamon or garlic powder work great)
(optional) toppings: cream cheese, bacon, egg, or veggies
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.
2. Make the dough In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and Greek yogurt until a sticky dough forms. Then, put the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky.
3. Form the bagels Separate the dough into 4 equal parts. Then, roll each part out and shape it into a circle. Make a small hole in the middle of each bagel.
4. Season the bagels (This step is optional.) Beat an egg and brush over top of the bagels. Then, add a seasoning of choice to flavor your bagel.
5. Bake and enjoy Bake the bagels for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite spread or as a bagel sandwich!
