Mizzou players celebrate after Mizzou wide receiver Donovan Olugbode (1) scores a touchdown (copy)

(The Center Square) – As inflation concerns dominate the midterm landscape, the candidates in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race are offering competing solutions to bring costs down.

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is challenging incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, in a race the Cook Political Report rates a toss-up.

Republicans hold a slim 53-45 majority in the Senate, with two independents caucusing with Democrats. To take control of the chamber after the midterms, Democrats would need to flip four seats while maintaining all of their current ones.

Ohio’s race will be central to determining the partisan makeup of the Senate during the last two years of President Donald Trump’s term.

Husted is defending a seat he has held since January 2025, when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to replace newly elected Vice President JD Vance.

Brown, who previously represented Ohio in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, lost his bid for reelection to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in 2024.

Both Husted and Brown have built their campaigns around inflation, the issue voters rank as their top concern going into the midterms, according to new polling by The Center Square.

Where they differ is on how to bring costs down.

Husted sees tax cuts as the quickest way to lower costs for consumers. Since his appointment to the Senate, he has voted in line with the GOP’s economic agenda, including for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he touted as “the largest tax cut in American history for middle-class families” in a campaign ad.

Brown argues Republican tax policy has driven costs up rather than down. As a senator, he voted against the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which he said benefited wealthy taxpayers and large corporations while leaving the middle class behind.

“All they've done is made things worse for Ohioans, handing over your hard-earned money to corporations and to billionaires,” Brown said.

Husted has campaigned on returning manufacturing jobs to the U.S., drawing on his father’s layoff from a machine tool factory in Ohio.

"After 25 years of clocking in every day, he got laid off and the factory closed," Husted said. "It closed because Ohio and America were losing their competitive edge. America's leaders have let China and other countries steal our technology and our jobs."

While Husted has defended the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs as an “important tool for protecting American workers and confronting unfair trade practices,” Brown says the tariffs hinder small businesses rather than protect them.

"[Republicans’] reckless tariffs and economic chaos are increasing prices and threatening the survival of small businesses all across our state,” Brown said.

Brown leads in fundraising with $38.6 million raised and $16.2 million in cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission. Husted has raised $14.4 million with $9.4 million still on hand.

Also running for Senate in Ohio are Libertarian candidate Bill Redpath and independent candidate Gregory Levy.

Ohio voters will choose their next senator at the polls Nov. 3, with early voting beginning Oct. 6.

(The Center Square) – With consumer prices still higher than a year ago, voters disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the economy more than his job overall, rating the economic record his weakest measure, a new national poll found.

Consumer prices rose 3.4% over the 12 months ending in July, and the economy grew at a 1.5% annual rate in the second quarter. As a candidate, Trump vowed to "immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One." In the latest The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, 40% of registered voters said they approve of Trump's handling of the economy and 58% disapprove, a net rating of negative 17. On his job overall, 42% approve and 56% disapprove, a net rating of negative 14.

Both measures improved modestly from the June Voters' Voice Poll, when Trump's economy rating stood at a net negative 23 and his overall job approval at net negative 18. In both surveys, the economy has been his softer number.

Forty-five percent of registered voters said they strongly disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, and the same share strongly disapproves of his job performance overall. In each case, that was the single largest response and outweighed the combined total who somewhat or strongly approve.

The disapproval comes as the Federal Reserve describes the economy as broadly strong. In an Aug. 28 address, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, whom Trump appointed, said he was "impressed by the overall performance of the economy, which appears to have strengthened," citing rising business investment and a jobless rate of 4.1%, "low by historical standards."

Warsh also said inflation remained "more concerning" and above the central bank's 2% target. Federal data shows consumer prices up 3.4% over the 12 months ending in July.

Asked about the poll's findings, White House spokesman Davis Ingle pointed to Trump's election rather than the survey.

"The ultimate poll was November 5th, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda," he told The Center Square.

Ingle said no president in history had accomplished more for the American people, citing work to "create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more," and said the administration's agenda "continues taking effect."

Jessica Riedl, a budget and tax fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the economy has historically been a strength for Trump but that voters now hold him to the standard he set.

"Trump promised that on day one prices would sharply fall and economic growth would soar. Instead, growth is stagnant, interest rates are rising, inflation remains too high," she told The Center Square. "If you brand yourself an immediate deliverer of stunning economic prosperity, voters will expect you to deliver."

Riedl said the gap partly reflects a longstanding pattern.

"It has long been the case that voters rate the broader economy worse than their own current financial condition," she said.

A rising stock market and low unemployment have softened how Americans feel about their own finances, she said, while "rising prices and higher interest rates eating away at their wages" keep their view of the overall economy negative.

The national trend echoes a state-level poll in Wisconsin. The Marquette Law School Poll, conducted Aug. 12-20 and released Aug. 26, found Trump's job approval there at 40%, with 59% disapproving.

Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, highlighted cost-of-living pressures in his analysis: 81% of registered voters said gasoline prices had risen over the prior six months, and the same share said grocery prices had gone up.

The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from Aug. 12-16, surveying 2,533 registered U.S. voters. The sample included 930 Republicans, 930 Democrats, and 673 Independents. Among independent voters, 330 respondents were classified as True Independents, or those who do not lean toward either major party when given the choice. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.0 percentage points.

(The Center Square) – In 1993, Islamic terrorists detonated a truck filled with explosives at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Five years later, a related group, al Qaeda, bombed two U.S. embassies in Africa.

Despite the ominous signs, “none of the measures adopted by the U.S. government disturbed or even delayed the progress of the al Qaeda plot” that culminated in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 Americans.  

“Al Qaeda, for instance, was never treated as the single greatest threat facing the U.S.," he said. "Otherwise, we would have never invaded Iraq."

After the 9/11 reforms, government officials face a different test: whether they can recognize which threats matter most and shift institutional priorities as they change.

Mizzou football looked strong in its season opener, taking down Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54-14. While the 40-point win was impressive, there were several lapses in the second half that need to be cleaned up if the Tigers hope to find similar success against better competition.

“For the second half, we kind of fell off a little bit, and that gives me something to be on our guys about,” coach Eli Drinkwitz told SEC This Morning on Friday. “You (have) got to stay humble and hungry at all times, or you're gonna get embarrassed.”

Here are the top takeaways from Mizzou’s opening win and key notes from across the college football landscape.

Everything went right for Mizzou in the first half, as the Tigers scored 40 points while shutting out the Golden Lions. Quarterback Austin Simmons stole the show, completing 17-of-19 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns in his debut. Simmons pushed the ball down the field with ease, with three touchdowns coming from 20-plus yards out.

Pro Football Focus ranked the quarterback as the Tigers’ top offensive player with a 90.8 rating. Simmons misread a pair of run-pass options for an incompletion and a sack. His other incompletion came on a play-action pass where he threw the ball to Caleb Goodie Sr. on a vertical route instead of hitting Donovan Olugbode on the over.

But these minor mistakes paled in comparison to the number of great throws Simmons made in his first start in nearly a year.

“I thought (in the) first half, our quarterback played pretty well, especially on third down,” Drinkwitz told SEC Today on Friday. “Coming off the situation (he) was (in) last year, where you got a lot of questions to answer (like) your confidence, and you can try to give (a) person confidence all they want, but they got to go out and do it themselves. He really did a nice job of that.”

Defensively, the Tigers stifled Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first half, keeping the Golden Lions scoreless and only allowing 6 total yards.

“I feel like we executed pretty well,” safety Elijah Dotson said after the game. “At the end of the day, you always find something to clean up … but I feel like we did a good job today.”

PFF ranked Dotson as the Tigers’ top player in Week 1 with a grade of 93.6. He ended the game with three tackles and a forced fumble. Doston grabbed an interception as well, but the play was called back after a penalty.

Defensive end Langden Kitchen had big moments with limited time on the field, finishing with one tackle for loss. He was constantly putting pressure on the Golden Lions quarterbacks, ending with a PFF grade of 81.0 in just 10 snaps.

Linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. was a key leader on the defense during the second half. Despite not being listed on the two-deep lineup for the home opener, he made the most of his opportunity on the field. The linebacker ended the day with 1.5 tackles for loss and an 89.9 grade.

However, Mizzou’s second-half defense as a whole left much to be desired. The Tigers allowed two touchdowns on 192 yards, being outgained by the Golden Lions.

“Very disappointed in the third quarter from overall intensity standpoint, a coaching standpoint,” Drinkwitz said after the game. “I’ve got a lot of things to coach on, and I promise you the staff meeting (Friday) will not be a lot of fun.”

Offensively, the Tigers struggled to get the run game going consistently. Mizzou finished the game with 205 yards, but it took them 45 attempts to get there. Jamal Roberts was Mizzou’s leading rusher with 47 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts for a 67.8 PFF grade. Malae Fonoti was the first running back substitution, but he only played five snaps after leaving the game in the second quarter. This gave Xai’Shaun Edwards an extended opportunity, running seven times for 45 yards.

With the running back room already thin, the Tigers still need to find more playmakers to take the workload off Roberts. Right now, Edwards should be the top choice.

Borderwar build-up

Mizzou’s next opponent, Kansas, opened its 2026 campaign Friday night with a 51-6 win over Long Island. The Jayhawks put away the Sharks with 24 points in the second quarter, carrying a 30-0 lead into the break.

Quarterback Isaiah Marshall had a strong first start, completing 14-of-19 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Buffalo transfer Nik McMillian, who reeled in six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Yasin Willis was the Jayhawks’ leading rusher with 72 yards.

This year’s Border War is each team’s first test after starting 1-0 against FCS opponents. This will be the first time Mizzou has played in Lawrence, Kansas, since 2005.

“This week's all about getting better,” Drinkwitz told SEC This Morning. ”If we get too focused on the result, we get too focused on the hype and all that bullcrap, then we're not going to get better this week. And at the end of the day, you know that second half, the sack, the two misses, not good enough. And if we take that bullcrap football over to Kansas, we're going to get our butt whipped. So you know, for me, it ain't about jokes.”

Mizzou squares off against Kansas at 7 p.m. Friday at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which is still under construction. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

Transfer check-in

247Sports ranked Austin Simmons as the No. 9 transfer quarterback entering the 2026 season. Two of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him, Miami’s Darian Mensah and Indiana’s Josh Hoover, played their first games Friday night and Saturday morning, respectively.

Mensah lit up the scoreboard in his debut with a 45-6 road win against Stanford. He ended the game 27-of-30 with 401 yards and five touchdowns. Mensah transferred from Duke as the No. 4 quarterback in the portal.

Hoover had a strong game of his own. The reigning national champions started their season with a 52-16 win over North Texas. The TCU transfer completed 13-of-16 attempts for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Hoover was considered the No. 5 transfer quarterback.

A matchup between Baylor’s DJ Lagway and Auburn’s Byrum Brown headlined the afternoon window. Brown, the No. 8 transfer, led the Tigers to a narrow 17-16 win with 259 yards but threw three interceptions. Lagway was the No. 6 transfer, coming over from Florida. He finished the game with 333 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. 

Oklahoma State’s new quarterback Drew Mestemaker struggled with his new team, falling to Tulsa 24-10. Mestemaker, the No. 2 quarterback transfer, ended the game 29-of-49 with 241 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Dylan Riola was the No. 3 transfer, heading to Oregon from Nebraska. He was named the backup behind a returning Dante Moore. He did not play in the Ducks’ 34-27 win over Boise State.

Rocco Becht followed coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State over to Penn State. Becht showed why he was the No. 8 transfer quarterback by completing 13-of-17 passes for 246 yards and four touchdowns as the Nittany Lions walloped Marshall 45-0.

(The Center Square) - Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of the final sprint toward the 2026 midterm elections, but one U.S. Senate primary matchup is yet to be determined that could influence the balance of power in the upper chamber.

New Hampshire voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to select partisan candidates for U.S. Senate in a seat without Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is not running for reelection. Her open seat brought a slew of candidates from both parties into the New Hampshire race.

Here is a look at the candidates running in the race.

Among Democrats, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., has emerged as a favorite to succeed Shaheen. Pappas first assumed office in 2019 and has focused his campaign on lowering energy costs, and providing more affordable healthcare, housing affordability and grocery costs.

Pappas worked alongside U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to push legislation that would suspend the federal gas tax as prices rose with the U.S. conflict in Iran. He also called for supporting clean energy tax credits, utility assistance for veterans, and protecting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Pappas advocated for reducing healthcare costs by capping pharmaceutical drug prices and reversing cuts to Medicaid made through the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“He’s pushing to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by making tax credits permanent, and he’s standing up to Republican efforts to cut funding for Medicare and Medicaid,” Pappas’ website reads.

Pappas also said he would push for expanding a child tax credit, and support first-time homebuyers throughout the state.

The congressman is facing a challenge from Karishma Manzur, a scientist, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Manzur has touted herself as a progressive Democratic candidate in comparison to Pappas.

She has focused on expanding Medicare for All, banning corporate political donations and rent controls for housing in the Granite State. Manzur also called for an immediate pause on the construction of new AI data centers in New Hampshire.

“We need an immediate pause of artificial intelligence technology and the building of hyperscale AI data centers,” Manzur said. “Powerful corporations are lobbying Congress for their benefit, not the benefit of the American people.”

Republicans are also vying to flip New Hampshire’s senate seat in November. Former U.S. Rep. John Sununu has a considerable lead in polling for the GOP ticket while former Sen. Scott Brown trails far behind.

Sununu and Brown lost against Shaheen in 2008 and 2014, respectively. Sununu, whose brother Chris is the former governor of New Hampshire, has focused his campaign on keeping distance from President Donald Trump, despite his February endorsement, and touting his record as a familiar face in the state’s politics.

He called for ending tariffs on building materials to increase affordable housing and investing in tax credits, supporting efforts to pursue fraud in federal benefit programs, and curbing the president’s executive authority.

“Congress needs to step up, review those powers that they've given to the executive and in a bipartisan way, take back the power that was granted to Congress in the first place,” Sununu said in an interview.

Brown has touted his connection to the president despite his lack of an endorsement. The former senator from Massachusetts also served as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during the first Trump administration.

He has focused on supporting the Trump administration’s border policies, lowering grocery costs and fighting against the rising national debt. Brown said he would introduce legislation for a 10% spending cut across all federal agencies to reduce the debt.

“You can’t tell me that every agency can’t find 10% to save,” Brown said. “Every federal department should be audited.”

Pappas holds an enormous lead in campaign fundraising with more than $15 million in contributions and $4.2 million in cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission. Sununu follows behind with $4.1 million in contributions and $3 million cash on hand.

Brown follows with $2.1 million in contributions and $416,000 cash on hand. He is followed by Manzur, with $415,000 in contributions and $103,000 cash on hand.

Pappas has received more than $1.4 million through ActBlue, an online campaign fundraising platform for Democratic candidates that has come under fire over fraud allegations. Sununu received $5,000 from the Boston Scientific Corporation PAC and $7,000 from Michael O’Reilly, a consultant and former commissioner of the Federal Communication Commission.

Brown received $6,200 from Lloyd Gainsboro, an executive at Dedham Health and Athletic. Manzur received more than $144,000 from ActBlue.

Polls availability varies by municipality in New Hampshire. However, polls are required to be open by 11 a.m. and cannot close before 7 p.m. on Sept. 8. For more information, visit the New Hampshire Secretary of State, at sos.nh.gov. For early results on Election Day, visit thecentersquare.com/newhampshire.

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - A couple seasonal favorites in Great Falls are set to wind down, marking the start of fall this September.

Ryan Island is scheduled to close for the season after Labor Day. The island is reached by a short suspension bridge and will offer a close-up view of the Great Falls.

The island offers visitors historical information about the Corps of Discovery and the history of hydroelectric power. You will still be able to see the Great Falls year-round, but island access is limited to the period from Mother’s Day to Labor Day.

The Great Falls Farmer’s Market will also be entering its final month of the 2026 season. The market will continue through the last Saturday in September and will wrap up on September 26.

Vendors fill both sides of the Great Falls Civic Center and extend into the street. Shoppers will be able to find homemade goods, crafts, art and other items.

Market hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Another event on the calendar will be the 15th annual Arts on Fire at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. It will be scheduled for Saturday, September 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The free event will include food trucks, music and dance performances, artist demonstrations, an artist vendor market, museum exhibitions, pottery demonstrations and the woodcarver’s guild.

More information is available through the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art event page.

(The Center Square) – A majority of American voters agree that a student’s chosen major or field of study should be considered before approving federal student loans, according to a new poll. 

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found that 54% of respondents agree that a student’s chosen major or field of study should be among the factors, while 31% disagree.

The view intersects political affiliations, with 61% of Republicans and 43% of Democrats agreeing with the proposal.

Support also extends across income groups. Among respondents earning $50,000 to $100,000 annually and those earning more than $100,000, 56% agreed that federal loan approval should consider a student’s major. 

Although most voters support considering a student’s major when approving federal loans, many students begin college without a declared major. Between 20% and 50% of students start college undecided, and about 75% change their major at least once before graduating, according to Best Colleges, an online planning tool to help prospective college students. 

Student loan debt remains significant nationwide, with the federal student loan portfolio reaching approximately $1.8 trillion.

Pollster Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, told The Center Square that the cost and value of a college degree can depend heavily on a student’s chosen major.

He noted that the growing number of highly specialized majors can leave graduates with relatively few job opportunities or low-paying positions, particularly in some nonprofit fields. Some graduates are entering the workforce with significant student debt and multiple degrees but little practical experience, Noble added. 

Noble said the student debt situation is partly the result of a generational push toward higher education.

“You had all these groups where they didn't go. It's like 'No, you got to go to college' because they wanted what they didn't have for their kids. So they all did it, and so you had this huge influx,” Noble said. “Now there are so many options … Anyone can start college today and sign off for those loans … But is that person serious? Are they going to go through the program?"

Economists have raised questions about whether federal lending should be tied to the economic value of particular degree programs.

Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the Pasadena, Calif.-based Pacific Research Institute, said taxpayers remain financially responsible for federally backed loans, including those used to finance degrees whose economic returns may not justify their costs.

Winegarden also cautioned against having the federal government make judgments about the value or viability of academic programs.

“I see it is not actually trying to be helpful as much as they're being punitive against things that they don't like, and that's not actually a helpful solution,” Winegarden told The Center Square. “It's not an outsider's perspective to judge the success or the viability of a program based on kind of that type of criteria. Perhaps the three journalism majors have a broader benefit to the university.” 

“It's no place for the federal government to come in and start, kind of getting involved in those decisions,” Winegarden added.  

Similar efforts have already been initiated by the Trump administration. Under the Student Tuition and Transparency System and Earnings Accountability rule announced June 29, undergraduate programs will be required to demonstrate that their graduates earn more than the typical high school diploma holder.

“If a program cannot show that it leaves its graduates financially better off than if they had never enrolled, it should not be underwritten by federal taxpayers,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement.

The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from Aug. 12-16, surveying 2,533 registered U.S. voters. The sample included 930 Republicans, 930 Democrats, and 673 Independents. Among independent voters, 330 respondents were classified as True Independents, or those who do not lean toward either major party when given the choice. The margin of error is +/- 2.0%.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. was no stranger to terror attacks before Sept. 11, 2001, both at home and abroad, but none shaped America and the world quite like the attacks on 9/11, which occurred 25 years ago Friday.

The Sept 11 attacks – in which 19 Islamic terrorists hiijacked four U.S. commercial planes, crashing them into both twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon and a Shanksville, Pennsylvania, field after passengers overtook the hijackers – caused the deaths of 2,996 people, including the terrorists.

Between the 1960s and 1970s, a leftist group, the Weather Underground, terrorized the U.S. government agencies, claiming credit for 25 bombings, including explosions at the U.S. State Department, U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, the California Attorney General’s office and a New York City police station. No innocent people were killed in the attacks, while three of their members were killed in an accidental explosion in a New York City townhouse in 1970.

The 1980s saw a major uptick in Islamic-inspired terror attacks targeting Americans overseas, setting their sights on air travel, especially.

During the Lebanese Civil War, Hezbollah, a terror proxy of Iran, was responsible for the April 18, 1983, bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people and injuring 120.

The same year, the Marine Barracks in Beirut was attacked on Oct. 23, killing 242 and injuring 60 Americans. Up until the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Marine Barracks bombing stood as the deadliest terror attack against the U.S., and the deadliest single-death toll for the Marine Corps since Iwo Jima during World War II in 1945.

A TWA flight flying from Rome to Athens was hijacked by two Hezbollah terrorists on June 14, 1985. One American hostage, a U.S. Navy sailor, Second Class Petty Officer Robert Stethem, was murdered.

A few years later, on April 14, 1988, a car-bomb exploded outside a USO club in Naples, Italy, killing one U.S. sailor, Third Class Petty Officer Angela Simone Santos, and injuring four other American sailors. The group, Jihad Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Later that year, on Dec. 21, a Pan American Airlines flight en route to New York City from London was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 190 Americans, with a total of 259 passengers on board and 11 on the ground. The Libyan government accepted responsibility for the bombing, according to the FBI.

On Feb. 26, 1993, a car bomb exploded in an underground garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing six people and injuring 1,000 – the attack was carried out by Islamic terrorists led by Ramzi Yousef.

On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., was destroyed when a moving truck, laced with explosives, blew up, killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring over 600. The attack carried out by American Timothy McVeigh, with the assistance of Terry Nichols, marked the worst act of homegrown terrorism in history.

The following year marked another deadly one for terrorism. On June 25, 1996, a truck bomb exploded outside the U.S. military’s Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The attack killed 19 U.S. service members, injuring 240 Americans. Investigators have pinned the attack on a Saudi branch of Hezbollah.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in Atlanta, Ga., on July 27, a bomb planted in Centennial Olympic Park exploded, killing one woman and injuring over 100 people. Over the next two years, bombs were planted outside two abortion clinics, one in Sandy Springs, Ga., and the other in Birmingham, Ala., in 1998, killing an off-duty Birmingham police officer, Robert Sanderson, and injuring one nurse. Eric Rudolph, an American, was ultimately found guilty of those attacks.

On Aug.7, 1998, a pair of explosions rocked two U.S. embassies in East Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, was targeted by a bomb, killing 12 American citizens and injuring six. The attack itself killed 32 foreign service nationals and 247 Kenyans, while injuring 13 FSNs and approximately 5,000 Kenyans.

At the same time, an explosion rocked the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing seven FSNs, three Tanzanians, injuring one American, and injuring 76 Tanzanians. The U.S. government found Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda responsible for the dual attacks.

Less than a year before the Sept. 11 attacks, on Oct. 12, 2000, the USS Cole, a Navy destroyer, was attacked when two suicide bombers pulled alongside the ship as it was refueling at a port in Aden, Yemen. The terrorist detonated the explosives, killing 17 American sailors and injuring nearly 40 crew members. Al-Qaeda was found responsible for the attack.

While the U.S. was no stranger to terror attacks before Sept. 11, 2001, the tragic events of that day shaped the overall political, security and cultural landscape of the U.S. more than two decades after the attacks.

Mizzou soccer defended home turf once again, shutting out SEMO 5-0 in a Friday night matchup in Columbia.

Freshmen Lana Adams and Rylie Morse both recorded braces for the Tigers with two goals each. Landis Canada was the other MU goal scorer, capping off the scoring in the 72nd minute.

The Tigers allowed one shot in the contest. Goalkeeper Addison Colangelo came off the bench to make her collegiate debut, saving the lone Redhawk look.

This marks the highest scoring output for the Tigers since their 5-0 win over Youngstown State on Aug. 20, 2025.

Mizzou has now outscored opponents 9-0 in its last two games at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

The Tigers will next be in action when they open their Southeastern Conference slate against Oklahoma at 7 p.m. next Friday in Norman, Oklahoma.

Stephens volleyball loses twice in Kansas

The Stars dropped two games while making a pit stop in McPherson, Kansas, on Friday. They lost the first match to Doane University 3-1, followed by a 3-0 sweep at the hands of McPherson College. 

Stephens opened the game against Doane with a 25-14 first-set win. It was all downhill from there, losing 25-21, 25-9 and 25-13. 

The Stars continued to struggle against McPherson, never scoring more than 13 points in a set. 

Stephens' next matchup is against Loyola University (LA) at 11 a.m. Saturday in McPherson. 

Members of the Missourian staff made contributions to this story.