McPherson

• McPherson County first responders and residents marked the 9/11 anniversary with tributes and the Meadowlark March. →
• McPherson Fire Department ventilated an industrial building on N. Vanguard Street after a failed air compressor filled it with heavy smoke. →
• The McPherson Firefighters Benefit Association drew 67 vehicles to Lakeside Park in McPherson for its annual fundraising car show. →
• The McPherson County Commission will consider raising the county motor vehicle transaction fee to $10 starting in 2027. →
• The McPherson County Commission will review an extended schedule and alcohol permit request for a haunted forest attraction near Galva. →
• The McPherson Board of Public Utilities will consider resolutions of intent for an electric rate increase and system revenue bonds. →
• Expect plenty of sunshine and hot, breezy conditions today with a high near 96°F and wind gusts reaching up to 35 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher clashed over property taxes, data centers and school vouchers in a Sept. 12 debate at the Kansas State Fair. →

• Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton sparred over tariffs, the Iran war and agriculture in a Sept. 12 U.S. Senate debate at the Kansas State Fair. →

• Eleven Kansas hospitals were selected for federal assistance announced Sept. 11 as part of a nearly $25 million program aiding 132 rural hospitals across 13 states. →

• Severe thunderstorm warnings brought hail up to tennis-ball size and winds near 70 mph to parts of drought-stricken Kansas from Sept. 12 into Sept. 13. →

• No. 23 Missouri defeated Kansas 38-21 on Sept. 11, while Kansas State beat Washington State 34-7 on Sept. 12 to improve to 2-0. →

🇺🇸 US

• Consumer prices rose 0.4% in August from July, driven largely by higher gasoline costs, pushing traders to price in a nearly 90% chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike at its Sept. 15-16 meeting. →

• President Donald Trump said Sept. 13 he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, blaming the attacks for diesel shortages that pushed U.S. diesel prices above $6 a gallon on Sept. 11. →

• Saudi Arabia shut its East-West oil pipeline Sept. 11 after drone strikes caused fires and injuries at pumping stations, cutting a route that carries about 5% of global oil supply. →

• Oracle's debt has swelled to $125 billion to fund AI data center expansion, and co-founder Larry Ellison abruptly canceled a planned $7.5 billion stock sale a day after it became public. →

• The U.S. and Mexico announced a two-year Colorado River agreement Sept. 9 that cuts Mexico's water deliveries by 250,000 acre-feet annually in 2027 and 2028, about 17% of its allocation. →

Weather

SEPTEMBER 14, 1814: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY PENS “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER”

On this day during the War of 1812, lawyer Francis Scott Key wrote a poem after watching British forces bombard Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. Seeing the American flag still flying at dawn inspired the verses that would later be set to music and adopted in 1931 as the United States’ national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.