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Bryan Kohberger judge lifts gag order after Idaho killer's confession

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Bryan Kohberger judge lifts gag order after Idaho killer's confession

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Idaho Judge Steven Hippler vacated the gag order in the Bryan Kohberger quadruple murder case at a hearing Thursday.

Latah County Prosecuting Attorney notified the court in a filing dated Monday that his office would not oppose a motion from a group of media organizations, including FOX News, seeking to have the order lifted in the wake of Kohberger’s guilty pleas to all charges.

The intent of the order was to ensure Kohberger’s right to a fair trial, according to court filings. Now that he has admitted to the slayings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20, attorneys for the media argued that the gag is pointless.

Hippler agreed – but he said that lifting the order would not automatically unseal court documents. Those would be made public in batches, he said, upon review by the court.

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BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADS GUILTY TO IDAHO MURDERS

Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania in advance of highly anticipated extradition hearing. He’s charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)

He said he would go in reverse chronological order, starting with documents he was most familiar with and moving back in time. The case did not arrive in his courtroom until another judge granted a change of venue in September.

In another twist – Hippler also said that although Kohberger’s plea deal requires him to waive his right to appeal, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a right to appeal under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Garza v. Idaho.

“Now, I recognize the plea agreement includes a waiver of the right to appeal,” he said. “But as the parties probably know, the U.S. Supreme Court in Garza versus Idaho has indicated the fact that a defendant waives the right to appeal doesn’t mean they don’t have the right to appeal, and so it may affect the outcome of that appeal, and it may affect, the underlying case and the plea agreement.”

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Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)

Prosecutors initially requested the order remain in place until after Kohberger’s sentencing is made official next week, but they reversed course “upon further reflection,” according to their latest filing. The defense opposed lifting it early.

“Now that the Defendant has pleaded guilty as charged to all five (5) counts of the Indictment, his right to a fair trial on the issue of guilt is no longer at issue,” Thompson wrote. “Nevertheless, out of respect for the integrity of the judicial process and the privacy of the victims and their families as they consider their rights to provide victim impact statements at sentencing, the prosecution team does not intend to make any public statements about this case until after sentencing has concluded.”

IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEA CAPS YEARSLONG QUEST FOR JUSTICE

Idaho student murderer Bryan Kohberger attends a remote hearing over Zoom on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Ada County Court)

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A hearing on the motion is scheduled in Boise, Idaho, for 12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT.

His sentencing is set for July 23. He is expected to receive the maximum penalty under the terms of the plea deal, four consecutive terms of life in prison without parole, plus another 10 years.

He also waived his right to appeal and to seek a sentence reduction.

Kohberger snuck into an off-campus house at 1122 King Road around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, and killed all four students with a Ka-Bar knife, according to prosecutors. He started in an upstairs bedroom, where he killed Mogen and Goncalves. Kernodle was awake on the main floor, and he killed her on the way out. Then he turned the knife on Chapin, who was asleep in her bedroom.

Bryan Kohberger, charged in the murders of four University of Idaho students, pleads guilty to all charges at the Ada County Courthouse, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.  (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)

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He walked within three feet of another roommate, whom he did not attack, and then left.

Separately, a lawyer for the media coalition filed a motion asking the court to unseal nearly 250 documents in the case.

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Arizona

New tractors help University of Arizona modernize farming in Yuma

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New tractors help University of Arizona modernize farming in Yuma


The University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center is upgrading the equipment used on nearly 500 acres of research farmland. Two new tractors will replace aging machines from the 1990s that had become costly to maintain and prone to breakdowns. Center leaders say the $400,000 investment will help with land preparation, field management and future precision tools like GPS and laser leveling. The upgrades are expected to support research focused on water conservation, crop production and the future of Arizona farming. Researchers say the tractors may look basic, but they are critical to modern agriculture in one of the state’s most important farming regions.



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California

2 Northern California universities made U.S. News ‘Best Global’ list

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2 Northern California universities made U.S. News ‘Best Global’ list


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To the surprise of perhaps no Californians, several California universities appeared in the top rankings of the world’s best universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings released on June 16.

Of the more than 2,250 worldwide research institutions that U.S. News & World Report evaluated for this list, six California universities ranked in the top 50 globally, with an even split among Northern and Southern California institutions.

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The 2026 list includes universities from more than 100 countries, with the following countries receiving the most schools in the overall rankings:

  • China: 409
  • United States: 275
  • India: 123
  • United Kingdom: 93
  • Japan: 86

Did your California alma mater appear among the top global universities?

U.S. News and World Report methodology

When determining a university’s placement on the list, U.S. News & World Report considered factors more relevant to research-oriented institutions than to undergraduate-focused metrics like bachelor’s degree graduation rates.

It focused on aspects like academic institutions’ research and reputation, number of publications, the quality of publications and citations. It considers other factors, including location, campus culture, the strength of particular programs, and cost, which are also very important.

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“For students seeking universities with strong academic excellence and global recognition, the Best Global Universities rankings offer an essential comparative resource,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News.

“Our methodology focuses on a school’s research mission and scholarly impact, helping students identify institutions that are truly at the forefront of global knowledge creation.”

Out of the top 10 global universities, two California institutions made the list:

  1. Harvard University
  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  3. Stanford University
  4. University of Oxford
  5. University of Cambridge
  6. Tsinghua University
  7. University of California Berkeley
  8. Yale University
  9. University College London
  10. Columbia University

How did California colleges rank in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Global Universities 2026 list?

Outside of the top 10 universities, California saw a handful of other institutions rank highly on U.S. News & World Report list.

Notably, the University of California – Los Angeles just missed the top 10 list, ultimately ranking as the 11th-best global university and the second-best public institution on the list. It was beaten out as the best public institution by its academic counterpart, the University of California, Berkeley, which was ranked the 7th-best global university.

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Additionally, a number of University of California schools made the top of the list, ultimately reaffirming the quality of the institutions’ public campuses across the state.

“Research from the University of California is vital to work that benefits all Americans, from breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson’s to the science behind previously unimagined successes in fighting cancer and the development of quantum computers that will enable the critical advances of the 21st century,” the University of California said in a press release about its rankings.

Here’s the list of California universities that made the top 100 list:

  • 3. Stanford University
  • 7. University of California Berkeley
  • 11. University of California – Los Angeles
  • 22. University of California – San Francisco
  • 23. (Tied) California Institute of Technology
  • 23. (Tied) University of California – San Diego
  • 74. University of Southern California
  • 95. University of California – Davis
  • 99. University of California – Irvine
  • 100. University of California – Santa Barbara

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.socialSign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.



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Colorado

Pikes Peak or Bust Parade canceled by organizers

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Pikes Peak or Bust Parade canceled by organizers


(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Organizers for the Pikes Peak or Bust Parade announced on Friday, June 19, that due to a lack of resources, the parade has been canceled.

Originally scheduled for July 11 in Downtown Colorado Springs, parade organizers said they could not secure the resources needed to produce the event at the level the community deserves.

“We know many of you were looking forward to the parade, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who offered their time, support, sponsorship, and enthusiasm,” said organizers.

While the parade will no longer be taking place on July 11, organizers said the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo will return on July 14 through July 18, and tickets remain on sale.

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Organizers hope to see the Colorado Springs community at the rodeo, and they remain hopeful that the beloved tradition can return in the future.



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