Neighbors said it started as a typical night enjoying outdoors.

"I heard this loud bang," said Lee White, a resident.

Lee White was among one of the first people scrambling to alert those inside the building that was quickly blanketed in smoke.

"I didn't have time to think about anything else, just the lives of the people that were in here," said White.

The explosive three-alarm fire displaced 16 families from their homes and sent two people to the hospital.

"As we arrived on scene we did get information that there were two people trapped in a second story apartment," said District Chief Scott Douglas with the OKCFD. "We pulled them down the ladder from a second story window, it was an adult male and one adult female."

White explained he didn't grasp the severity of the fire until other neighbors crowded outside.

"It was scary and chaotic, I mean people everywhere," said White.

The remains from the fire now serve as a devastating memory for White.

"I would have never thought in a matter of seconds that these apartments just went up like that," he said.

A spokesman for American Red Cross told News 4 they're working to help the ones displaced.

Several Red Cross disaster workers responded to Penn Station Apartments on Friday night to offer help and hope to residents displaced by a large fire. Our volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives, and our thoughts are with those who were injured. We are currently working with several residents to ensure their immediate needs are met, and we will help guide them through the recovery process.

American Red Cross Oklahoma Region

White said he's happy his neighbors are getting help.

"I hope that the neighbors that I had...that were in here, will come back," said White.

Undersheriff Travis Dinwiddie said Felipe Reyes Wright Jr., 27, was at his mother's house when he approached Charles Rodgers, who was housesitting next door.

An altercation occurred for an unknown reason, and Wright allegedly killed Rodgers by striking him with an axe.

Wright left the scene and called police as he walked down the eastbound lanes of I-40. Police intercepted Wright and took him into custody.

| UPDATE: Two in critical condition after three-alarm fire in NW OKC >

Wright has been booked into the Pottawatomie County Jail on a first-degree murder charge.

Dinwiddie stated that they believe drugs may have been involved, but the cause of the attack is still under investigation.

Nine congressmen have stepped up for the job, or have signaled they may. The new nominee will be the third in as many weeks after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew his Speaker bid before Jordan.

The caucus will meet to find a new nominee in a closed-door meeting on Monday evening.

Amid the crowded group is Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), who officially announced his candidacy just after the meeting where the caucus abandoned Jordan.

Here’s what you need to know about him:

McDonald's magnate

Hern made his start as a McDonald’s operations manager outside Little Rock, Ark., in the late 1990s.

He later purchased a franchise there, before moving to Oklahoma in the early 2000s. 

Hern quickly built a small empire of McDonald’s franchises, owning at least 18 near Tulsa, Okla. His business also expanded to other fields, including a hog farm and a small furniture manufacturer.

The Republican then leaned on his business acumen when running for Congress in 2018.

Elected to Congress

With no prior elected political experience, Hern won a contested Republican primary for an open seat and won election that November.

He currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and as the chair of the Republican Study Committee.

A loyalist to former President Trump, Hern has consistently stood by and defended the former president during his career in Congress — including unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Hern was among 126 Republicans who signed an amicus brief advocating for a Supreme Court case brought by the state of Texas alleging that the election was stolen. The court declined to hear the case.

He later voted against certifying the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, alongside 146 other Republicans in the House.

First potential Speaker bid

Hern considered running for Speaker of the House in January 2023, amid the protracted effort which saw Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) named Speaker after 15 ballots.

He was first nominated by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) on the ninth ballot of that marathon voting session, and received as many as seven votes on the 11th ballot. Each time, Hern voted for McCarthy.

When McCarthy was ousted earlier this month in a historic vote, Hern initially bowed out of consideration, saying a three-man race between himself, Jordan and Scalise would hurt the party.

“I called, texted or met in-person with all 221 members of the House Republican Conference, asking each member what they want to see in the next Speaker and how we can move forward as a Majority,” he said in a statement at the time. “The overwhelming response I heard from you is that we must unify and come out of this situation stronger as a Majority."

"While many of you have emphasized the necessity for new blood in our leadership, the need for unity comes first and foremost," the Oklahoma Republican added.

During Scalise’s attempt at the Speakership, Hern made clear his intention to be named the new Majority Leader, passing out fliers alongside McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches.

Hern announces official run for Speaker

But, on Friday, he officially threw his hat in the ring again — after both Scalise and Jordan failed to get enough support to take the job.

He pitched himself as a unifier.

"It’s pretty obvious that our delegation is looking at something to be different than what we’ve seen so far," he told reporters on Friday when asked why he is running. "I bring a different perspective than possibly anybody else that could be running in this race."

“People want to be heard, they want to be valued, and I think that’s what you’re seeing right now,” he added. “There’s a lot of historical relationships that some are not going to ever be able to work around and I don’t have those negatives out there.”

Lawmakers have until Sunday to declare their candidacy.

The lawsuit filed Friday afternoon said the board is violating the religious liberty of Oklahoma voters.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said members on the board who approve the application for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic virtual school would violate their oath to uphold the Constitution.

Though even with the caution from the Attorney General, three board members still signed.

"With the exception of two of its members who actually take seriously their oath of office, three did not....three have violated their oath, and Oklahoma law," said Drummond.

The statewide virtual charter school board voted 3-2 earlier this year, approving the nation's first ever taxpayer-funded religious school.

Brian Bobek, Dr. Scott Strawn and Nellie Tayloe Sanders voted yes.

William Pearson and Dr. Robert Franklin voted no.

"If we proceed with this contract in violation of the constitution, federal law and state law, then we jeopardize $1.13 billion of funding from the federal government upon through which our educational system is funded," said Drummond.

Tuesday, the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma told News 4 they signed the contract to move forward with the school and they're waiting for the board to sign off.

"I signed an oath that said I would uphold the state's constitution. This contract I feel violates that. It also violates the charter school law," said Robert Franklin, the chairman of the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board.

The lawsuit filed by the Attorney General claims that moving forward is impossible.

"We are prohibited from funding religious education by constitution and to we are prohibited from controlling religious entities, which we would be through the money," said Drummond.

The lawsuit has been expected ever since the board first approved the contract.

Immediately after, Drummond announced he would not represent the state if it were sued in relation to St. Isidore.

In response, the Virtual Charter School Board hired it's own outside legal counsel.

Multiple statements were sent to News 4 on Friday.

The American Civil Liberties Union along with other groups against the school said:

We applaud Attorney General Drummond for his efforts to protect church-state separation and public education in Oklahoma. The law is clear: Charter schools are public schools that must be secular and serve all students. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School plans to discriminate against students, families, and staff and indoctrinate students into one religion. Allowing a religious public charter school like St. Isidore to operate would be a sea change for our democracy. Our clients filed OKPLAC, Inc. v. Statewide Virtual Charter School Board because they are committed to ensuring that our public schools  welcome and serve all Oklahomans. The lawsuit filed today demonstrates that AG Drummond shares this commitment.

American Civil Liberties Union

Governor Kevin Stitt wrote:

This lawsuit is a political stunt and runs counter to our Oklahoma values and the law. AG Drummond seems to lack any firm grasp on the constitutional principle of religious freedom and masks his disdain for the Catholics’ pursuit by obsessing over non-existent schools that don’t neatly align with his religious preference. His discriminatory and ignorant comment concerning a potential Muslim charter is a perfect illustration," said Gov. Stitt. "The creation of St. Isadore’s is a win for religious and education freedom in Oklahoma. We want parents to be able to choose the education that is best for their kids, regardless of income. The state shouldn’t stand in the way.

Governor Kevin Stitt

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said:

The Constitution is crystal clear on religious liberty, but that fundamental truth is lost on some people. Oklahomans hold their faith and their liberty sacred, and atheism should not be the state-sponsored religion. We should not play politics with the future of our kids through this misguided lawsuit. Oklahoma parents know what is best for their kids and deserve the most expansive system of school choice in the country so they can make the right decision for their families. The approval of St. Isidore of Seville is a landmark in the battle for educational and religious freedom, and I am proud that Oklahoma is leading the way. We will never back down.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters

St. Isidore of Seville wrote:

Attorney General Drummond's lawsuit employs the language of fear and discrimination, twists the law of religious liberty beyond recognition, and ignores the very real successes of faith based schools in our country.  Sadly, he also attempts to pit people of different faiths against each other. Religious freedom for all is a cornerstone of our society.   We are optimistic that the court will see this lawsuit for what it is: a baseless attempt to enforce exactly the kind of religious discrimination that the Supreme Court has made clear the First Amendment forbids.  We hope that the lawsuit will resolve quickly so that St. Isidore can focus instead on its critical mission to open the door to a new and innovative learning opportunity to those families and children most in need.

St. Isidore of Seville

Literacy Link received two grants allowing the organization to assist more adults who cannot read or write.

Literacy Link helps people in multiple cities on the eastern side of Oklahoma City. The grant comes at a good time so they can hire more tutors and add to what they can do, because more students continue to sign up.

"So, it's been a year when I started. We had eight students and four tutors," Antonia Walker, Executive Director of Literacy Link said. "We now have nine tutors, including myself, and we have 17 students."

Literacy Link is growing in hopes of lowering the states illiteracy levels. Oklahoma is currently ranked 23rd in the nation.

"When I found out there are all these adults, like the same age as my parents, it kind of hurt my heart because I was just like, that person has gone through majority of their life not knowing how to read properly, and they've covered it up by any means to not let you know that they have what in essence is a disability," Walker said.

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries awarded Literacy Link a $9,600 grant and ProLiteracy awarded them a $3,500 grant to help support their program.

With a rising number of students ranging from 18 to 76 years old, Walker says more tutors are needed.

"It's hard to find tutors," Walker said. "I'm getting a lot of students, but in essence, I need more tutors to come in, and it's not even an hour and a half a week that it takes."

Walker added that she knows it's uncomfortable for adults to come forward saying they can't read or write, so her goal is to put them in a welcoming environment on the road to success.

"We already know that they're coming in, not feeling the best of themselves or feeling that they're judged," Walker said. "The first interaction that I've had with a student is that we just sat there and we just talked. I don't want you to jump into it if you're not ready to do so. Like the first few sessions, it could just be getting to know each other."

If you're interested in becoming a tutor, or want to strengthen your reading and writing skills, you can call Literacy Link at (405) 732-2737 or send an email to litlink@gmail.com.

In Mustang, the Lions Club has opened up a haunted house of their own.

You’ll see some freaky and frightening sites inside—monsters, skeletons and zombies, all kinds of creepy creatures. But this haunted house offers something special that you won't find in many other haunted houses.

“The Paralyzed Veterans of America helped us financially and what we have done is we have created a haunted house that is completely wheelchair accessible," said Rob Estes, president of the Mustang Lions Club.

"All the walkways are four feet wide, so anyone in a wheelchair or a walker or any kind of impediment can get through the haunted house at their pace with nothing to hinder them or stopping them.”

The Lions Club of Mustang adapted their haunted house for people with physical challenges or use a wheelchair to get around. There are plenty of frightening scenes inside and even a zombie daycare center.

The Lions Club haunted house is on the 300 block of north Trade Center Terrace, so go out there and don’t be afraid to be a scaredy cat.

But most of those folks didn't go too far. The No. 1 destination for people leaving the Sooner State was just across the Red River. The Census estimates about 24,000 people made the move from Oklahoma to Texas last year.

Continuing that trend, the second and third most popular states for people leaving Oklahoma were other neighboring states: Kansas and Arkansas. About 6,500 former Oklahoma residents went north, while 6,000 went east.

Even the fourth and fifth most popular destinations share a border with Oklahoma, albeit smaller ones. About 4,500 people moved from Oklahoma to Colorado, and 3,500 moved to Missouri, according to the data.

The least likely destinations for Oklahomans leaving the state were Delaware, Maine, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont.

The new data comes the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The survey happens more frequently than the official Census and gives people a better idea of changes happening in their community year to year.

But even with tens of thousands of people hopping across Oklahoma's many borders, the state saw more people move in than move out last year. An estimated 118,000 people relocated to Oklahoma. Continuing the trend of neighborly love, more than 26,000 new arrivals were from Texas.

"To be targeted and be shot at, it's kind of crazy," said Genaro Sexton, who lives nearby.

Residents at a northwest Oklahoma City apartment complex are relieved the officer was only slightly injured.

Genaro Sexton was walking home from the gym when the chaos unfolded.

"It was very, very hectic," said Sexton.

Documents show the shooting was not random, but that Wilson planned to "pop a cop" in retaliation.

Wilson claims this was for his cousin who was shot by police in Cleveland County.

Sexton served in the Army for seven years and he said he's seen it all, but never expected this.

"I was absolutely floored when I heard it was really targeted that cop," said Sexton.

The arrest affidavit revealed Wilson was on a mission, stating he went to a gas station that day earlier with a friend and stood in line behind a police officer.

According to the document, the friend had to convince Wilson to not shoot the officer.

Hours later, Wilson opened fire and an officer's arm was hit by shrapnel.

"We're very fortunate, very thankful that nobody was seriously injured in this," said MSgt. Gary Knight.

Wilson is now sitting in jail facing multiple charges, including shooting with intent to kill.

Sexton said it brings him major comfort knowing Wilson is in custody.

"It does give you a peace of mind knowing that the coverage of the cops involved did everything they could to catch this criminal and to get them off the street," said Sexton.

| UPDATE: Two in critical condition after three-alarm fire in NW OKC >

The information was shared in a post that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation put on their Facebook page Saturday.

They say 59-year-old Terry Len Hause has been missing for quite some time but did not give details on where he was last seen. OSBI and Harrah Police have started searching for him.

They are asking for anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov.

Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) says that natural gas service has safely been restored to residents at the Penn Station Apartments on Saturday afternoon.

Utilities had been shut off at the apartment complex on Friday night as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.

UPDATE @ 10:00 P.M.

News 4's Ashley Moss provided updates live on the scene following a three-alarm fire at the Penn Station Apartments that left two people with severe injuries on Friday night.

The two adult victims—one man and one woman—were treated for smoke inhalation before being transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Families from 16 units at the apartment complex are currently displaced due to the heavy structural damage.

"When our firefighters were making the rescue, we had a large ball of fire, the ceiling collapsed [and] the majority of the fire was in the attic," said District Chief Scott Douglas with the OKCFD.

Community action organizations, including the American Red Cross, are currently on the scene to help the displaced families find a safe place to sleep for the night.

UPDATE @ 8:33 P.M.

District Chief Scott Douglas with OKCFD says the firefighter who was evaluated for injuries is alert and oriented, and their injuries were due to the flames.

UPDATE @ 8:18 P.M.

OKCFD stated in an update that the fire is officially out and was contained to one building.

Two adult victims who were rescued from a window are being transported to the hospital in critical condition, and one firefighter is currently being evaluated for injuries.

ORIGINAL STORY

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma City Fire Department is responding to a three-alarm apartment fire near North Pennsylvania Avenue and Northwest 122nd Street.

News 4 has a crew at the scene and will provide updates as they become available.

This is a developing story.

"The best thing that can happen from it is conversations,” said the center’s director of collections Jeff Briley. “What are we going to say to each other? What is going to be the end result of this?"

The exhibit is called Trust and Betrayal in Osage Country.

"We wanted to give visitors to the museum a little bit of an overview and an opportunity to discover other resources, but also see some material culture items from the Osage of the last century,” Briley said.

The pocket exhibit as it’s called gives a glimpse into the story of dozens of horrific murders of Osage Native Americans in the 1920s.

Some research suggests hundreds may have been killed as local authorities didn’t investigate most of the crimes. But the exhibit also discusses the paradox of the state at the time of the murders. Specifically, it details that with the creation of our state flag by a young artist from Ponca City named Louise Fluke’s. She entered into a statewide contest to design it. She ended up using Osage leader Black Dog II shield on it in what we see today as Oklahoma’s state flag. The original from well over 100 years ago is also on display.

"So the idea that, on the one hand, we're cherishing the indigenous peoples of Oklahoma and across the county line, the FBI is just into their first year of this investigation of what is horrible on a truly monumental scale,” Briley said.

Other items and narratives are also on display. However, Briley said the goal isn’t to retell the whole reign of terror story over again. As he originally said, it’s only to start conversations and keep them going.

"It will open these pathways to good conversation and a more realistic understanding is everything we want,” he said.

The exhibit will be on display in the ONEOK Inc. gallery until March 1, 2024.

For more information, visit okhistory.org.

| ‘It was scary’: Residents react to fire that destroyed OKC apartments, displacing over a dozen people >

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook asking for help looking for the suspect who is believed to be on foot. They said he is a white man last seen wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans, considered armed and dangerous.

Officials said that the burglary happened near 3380 Road and 880 Road, almost seven miles northwest of Chandler near Bell Cow Lake.

The original call came in around 5 p.m. when police reported they were looking for two suspects thought to be armed.

Around 8 p.m. the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Facebook page reported that one person of interest was detained but was still searching for a suspect.

Officials said that if anyone has information then they are asked to call Lincoln County Communications at 405-258-9933.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said at about 11:20 p.m. Saturday, deputies were called to Deeson Road in Lakeland for a shooting. Investigators said the victim went to a nearby property and met with suspect Shannon Owens, 31, of Winter Haven.

A gunshot was heard in the area shortly after the two individuals met, according to the sheriff's office. Several witnesses saw Owens trying to remove the victim's body — which had an upper body gunshot wound, the sheriff's office said.

Detectives said the witnesses detained Owens until first responders got to the scene.

"I commend the work of our deputies and detectives who worked hard to determine what happened and hold the person responsible for this murder accountable," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

Deputies said Owens faces charges of second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and several out-of-county warrants. Authorities did not release the victim's name but said the investigation is still open and active.

Josephine Wright has faced a lengthy battle with the Bailey Point Investment Group, a Georgia-based firm that wants to construct a 147-unit neighborhood behind her home on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

She claims the company is trying to force her to sell her land by using harassment tactics and a “frivolous lawsuit." Wright said the 1.8-acre parcel of land she owns has been in her family since just after the Civil War. Because of its rich history, Wright doesn't want to give it up.

She previously said that Bailey Point offered to buy her piece of land after the company got approval from the town to develop 29 acres behind her home. After she declined their offer, Wright said the developers started harassing her and eventually filed a lawsuit.

The company alleged in the suit that a corner of her screened-in porch, a shed and a satellite dish encroach on the construction project, the Associate Press reported in August.

Some celebrities have supported Wright throughout this ordeal, including Tyler Perry, who has stepped up to build her a five-bedroom house.

Nexstar's WSAV spoke to her family on Tuesday, and they verified that they have been talking to Perry for a while now about the new house -- which will be built on Wright's land and ultimately replace the current home she and her grandkids live in.

Perry came to Wright's defense back in June when he found out about her legal battle with the Bailey Point Investment Group. The actor-director posted a WSAV story on his Instagram with the following caption: "'I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life,’ said 93-year-old Josephine Wright. Well, that makes two of us. Ms. Wright, please tell [me] where to show up and what you need to help you fight."

His construction crew is expected to begin breaking ground on the home in the forthcoming weeks once all the permits are rectified.

This does not change anything with the lawsuit and property dispute as of now.

At around 11 a.m. Tuesday, authorities responded to the incident along the Silverado Trail in Napa County.

Based on their investigation, the Napa County Sheriff's Office determined the cyclists, identified as Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, were biking north on the roadway when a flatbed truck carrying lumber approached them.

The lumber shifted, striking both cyclists.

Christian Deaton was pronounced deceased at the scene. Michelle Deaton was taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries, the California Highway Patrol said.

The Deatons were visiting from Portland, Oregon, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Michelle and Christian Deaton, two bicyclists who were visiting from Portland, Oregon, and were killed yesterday while riding on Silverado Trail," said the Napa County Bicycle Coalition in a statement. "This enormous, preventable loss is sitting heavy in our hearts and minds, as we know it is for those who ride locally and work towards safer streets. Living here, riding here, and visiting here should be safe for all road users, and we are incredibly saddened that the Deatons were not kept safe."

The driver of the truck, a 55-year-old Vallejo man, remained at the scene and cooperated with officers. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

A group of researchers at Durham University in the UK examined how gender, facial expressions, and video backdrops influence first impressions online.

Their study, published Sept. 27 in the journal Plos One, noted that the way people meet in professional settings is changing as digital platforms like Zoom and Teams grow in popularity thanks, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While you should still dress appropriately during these virtual calls, your clothes are not the only thing colleagues might be looking at. What's on your screen also matters.

“It gives off information about all sorts of stuff -- about how you live, your socioeconomic status, your confidence, your cleanliness levels. These are all things you’re presenting to someone else as a first impression," lead researcher Paddy Ross, told Nexstar. "That’s why we say it’s like the new business suit because it really is as important as that from a presentation point of view."

Ross and his team collected 72 images of 36 people from a photo database. The photos showed each person with either happy or neutral facial expressions. The researchers then superimposed these faces over different virtual backgrounds and edited a Zoom border around them to simulate a videoconferencing call.

The six backgrounds selected for the study included a living room, a blurred version of the same living room, a bookcase, house plants, a blank wall, and a novelty background — which, in this instance, was a walrus on an iceberg.

Then, 167 participants, aged between 19 and 68, completed an online survey about how trustworthy each person pictured seemed to be. Faces with books or plants behind them scored the highest in terms of trustworthiness, followed by the blurred living room and the blank wall. The regular living room and novelty backgrounds were rated least favorably.

"Just showing your living room or a novelty background actually significantly reduced the ratings of trust and competence," Ross said. "We found that just by blurring the living room, it actually raised trust and competence ratings."

Ross, who is also an associate psychology professor at Durham University, said he thought the blurred background would have ranked even lower — but the results surprised him.

"We didn’t find that at all," Ross said. "We actually found that it raised it, and it could just be that it gives the impression that someone has actually put a bit of thought into what they’re presenting.”

When it came to expressions, participants viewed happy faces as more trustworthy than neutral faces. Researchers said this could be because smiling may signal confidence, high self-esteem, and success. As for gender, the women pictured gave off better first impressions than the men overall.

"Female faces were also rated as more trustworthy and more competent, regardless of the background they were using,” the study's authors wrote, adding that more research is needed to address this particular finding.

Ross also said there were some limitations to the study, one being the faces used were not pre-screened on attractiveness, which can influence first impressions. The team also used still images for controllability — researchers didn't want things like tone of voice to impact results — but there are plans to incorporate videos into future research. Next, Ross said he wants to analyze how video backgrounds can affect virtual job interviews.

"What we're going to be doing is shifting away from first impressions and looking more into real-life decisions, hiring decisions," Ross said. "These are things that affect people's livelihoods, their opportunity. And if there is an unconscious bias for backgrounds, then it's something that people need to be trained in."

“If a house looks grubby, is the person literally less likely to get hired than someone who lives in a more affluent-looking house? That would not be very good, but part of me wonders whether that will actually be the case,” Ross added.

Regardless of your opinions toward it, you're likely seeing it on grocery store shelves ahead of Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Before it became the candy corn you've come to love (or hate), the controversial candy had a different reputation.

The beginning of candy corn

George Renniger at Wunderlee Candy Co. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been thought to be the original creator of the treat. While it's said Renniger created the candy in the 1880s, there is no physical proof of it.

Around 1898, Jelly Belly, then known as Goelitz Confectionery Company, began making candy corn inside of their factory in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jelly Belly is said to be the company that has been making the treat the longest.

The company still uses the original recipe to create the tri-color candy.

The name was...what?

Candy corn was originally called "chicken feed," and its target audience was agricultural and rural families.

It was difficult to make - more on that in a moment.

Because of the tedious work, 'chicken feed' was reportedly only available between March and November. It would ultimately become a fall-time treat (though there are different varieties for other holidays as well).

Treat-making process

The orange, white and yellow-colored treat was originally made by hand.

"In order to make a tri-color kernel, a candy-maker, called a 'runner,' made three separate passes with 10 pounds of hot steaming fondant depositing a little bit of candy at just the right rate into cornstarch molded with the kernel shape," Jelly Belly explains.

"These passes required great strength and endurance since the runner had to lift and carry the big buckets called "stringers" of hot cooked candy which appears to come out of the bottom of the bucket in "strings."

The "same essential manner" is still used today to make the candy, but a machine does the work.

While Better Homes & Gardens reports over 17,000 tons of candy corn are created each year, Jelly Belly claims nine billion kernels are sold per year.

Consumers are able to purchase candy corn to celebrate different seasons and holidays, like Reindeer Corn around Christmas and Cupid Corn for Valentine's Day.

If you do enjoy the treat, National Candy Corn Day is celebrated on Monday, Oct. 30.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) late this week secured plea deals from Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, the highest-profile defendants to flip so far in the sprawling racketeering case. Both agreed to testify truthfully against their co-defendants, including Trump.

Legal experts said they weren’t surprised by the deals, arguing they would increase the legal jeopardy facing other defendants and raise the pressure for them to also consider taking plea deals.

“The real import of this plea is the signal it sends to the other defendants,” said Chris Mattei, a former federal prosecutor.

“Number one, that your time is running out for you to cooperate, because as cooperators come in and plead guilty, the prosecution continues to build its case and may not have a need to cooperate with other individuals,” he continued.

The duo’s plea deals came on the eve of their trial, which was scheduled to begin next week. Powell accepted a plea agreement on Thursday, and Chesebro followed suit one day later. The first group of jurors was already summoned to the courthouse.

The pleas followed another one weeks earlier from Scott Hall, a former bail bondsman. 

Hall and Powell were charged over an election office breach in Coffee County, Ga. But Powell notably played a broader role in Trump’s orbit, serving as a key member of his legal team following the 2020 election.

Powell frequently promoted conspiracy theories about voting machines and foreign interference in court filings and media appearances. The Trump campaign ultimately distanced itself from Powell, who continued to independently file election lawsuits. 

“There's a whole number of people that she was dealing with who you would expect she would be able to offer testimony against, including Rudy Giuliani and others,” Mattei said.

The indictment notes Powell’s participation at a Nov. 19, 2020, press conference alongside Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, both former Trump attorneys who are also charged in Georgia. Ellis described the group as an “elite strike force team” to reporters that day. 

Ellis reacted to Powell's deal on X, formerly known as Twitter, reposting a conservative lawyer, who wrote prosecutors “overcharged and they knew it.”

Prosecutors’ indictment also notes Powell’s attendance at a Dec. 18, 2020, White House meeting with Trump, Giuliani and others, during which plans were discussed to seize voting equipment and appoint Powell as special counsel. 

Testimony from several participants suggests the meeting went on for hours, including cursing and yelling at times as White House staffers pushed back against the unfounded fraud claims being advanced by Powell and several others. Axios dubbed it the “craziest meeting” to take place in the Trump White House.

“I think anytime a co-defendant pleads and makes a deal with a prosecutor to testify against co-defendants, that there is potential jeopardy for all of them,” said Gwen Keyes Fleming, who served as district attorney in DeKalb County, Ga.

Fleming added, “We'll have to see what type of witness she is on the stand.”

Like Powell, Chesebro also played a key role following the 2020 election, writing a series of memos devising the Trump campaign’s alternate electors strategy.

The indictment lays out various alleged emails between Chesebro and other charged lawyers, like Giuliani and John Eastman. Three individuals who signed the Electoral College documents in Georgia also face charges.

“It doesn't bode well for those at the top of the chain, like Trump and Giuliani, given that these are two individuals, who based on what we know, were sort of part of that inner circle,” said Anna Cominsky, director of New York Law School's Criminal Defense Clinic.

Both originally faced seven felonies, but Powell instead pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors and Chesebro pleaded guilty to one of his original felony counts.

By doing so, they will avoid a conviction under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which accuses all the defendants of entering an unlawful conspiracy to keep Trump in power and forms the basis of the indictment.

Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead counsel in the case, brushed off Chesebro’s plea.

“It appears to me that the guilty plea to count 15 of the Fulton County indictment was the result of pressure by Fani Willis and her team and the prosecution’s looming threat of prison time,” Sadow said in a statement. 

“However, it is very important for everyone to note that the RICO charge and every other count was dismissed. Once again, I fully expect that truthful testimony would be favorable to my defense strategy.”

Although they face no other criminal charges as of now, Chesebro and Powell are seemingly referenced in charging documents in Trump’s federal election case in D.C. as unindicted co-conspirators.

Powell also still faces legal jeopardy from two defamation lawsuits from voting equipment companies Smartmatic and Dominion. Citing her criminal prosecution, Powell sought to delay both civil lawsuits.

In Georgia, a trial date for Trump and the 15 others is not yet set but is not expected until at least next year — all while Trump continues his White House bid as the frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary. 

Cominsky said the plea agreements leave Trump’s attorneys without the advantage of seeing the duo’s trial, which would’ve enabled his legal team to see prosecutors’ theory of the case and gather impeaching material before facing a jury themselves.

“I don't think anyone should expect Trump or Giuliani to be pleading guilty anytime soon,” Cominsky said. “I think that you should expect them to take these cases to trial and that all of these pleas are not going to change the fact that, in my estimation, they will definitely go full force.”

Mikayla Cowling, who plays for VBW Arka Gdynia, was attacked late Wednesday in a music club in Gdansk, a city in northern Poland, according to the RMF FM broadcaster, which also quoted the club saying the “brutal beating” left her with a fractured eye socket, among other injuries.

Gdansk is a neighboring city to Gdynia on the Baltic coast.

“I am outraged that such a shameful situation has occurred. Violence and aggression are unacceptable and must be opposed,” Gdynia Mayor Wojciech Szczurek said Sunday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Fortunately, the police quickly caught the attacker. We wish the player good health!”

The attack happened after a EuroCup women’s match where the Gdynia team defeated rivals from Switzerland, BCF Elfic Fribourg, 77-47.

The president of the Gdynia club, Boguslaw Witkowski, said in an interview with the Polish state news agency PAP that the player was attacked near the women's restroom by a security guard.

Cowling was hit several times on the head, and when she fell, she was also kicked. The most serious injury was to her face and the athlete has a fractured orbital bone, he said. He added that she is at home under observation and will have additional tests next week.

PAP also quoted a police spokesperson who said the attacker, a 48-year-old man, was arrested on Friday.

Cowling, of Benicia, California, played with the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears from 2014-15 through 2017-18. She was drafted 33rd overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun.

She went on to sign a contract with the Atlanta Dream before playing in France, Greece, Turkey, Israel, New Zealand, and now Poland.

"What we're seeing is a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region," Austin said on ABC's "This Week." "And because of that, we're going to do what's necessary to make sure that our troops are in that position and they were protected and that we have the ability to respond."

He also said that upping the military presence in the region will "send another message to those who would who would seek to widen this conflict." In response to potential attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and from Iran, the administration has told any other groups seeking to get involved "don't."

"If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see. Our advice is don't," he said. "We maintain the right to defend ourselves and we won't hesitate to take the appropriate action."

The United States announced plans to ramp up its military presence in the Middle East as an act of deterrence amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and the militant group Hamas on Saturday. Austin said in the announcement that he redirected the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which is currently stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

He said in the Saturday announcement that the U.S. will deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery in addition to Patriot battalions that will “increase force protection for U.S. forces.” He also said that he ordered more troops to prepare for deployment orders.

The U.S. has vowed to back Israel in its war against the militant group Hamas, which launched an unprecedented, deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that prompted Israel to declare war on the group and launch a series of airstrikes targeting the group’s hotspots. The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.