JOHNSON COUNTY —A man accused in connection with a crash that left a 9-year-old Kansas boy dead has entered a plea in the case.

On Friday, 25-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;Matthew Jacobo, 25,&nbsp; Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to reckless second degree murder and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

He was originally charged with second degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of a firearm while driving under the influence, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

Just before 7p.m. on December 1, 2023, police responded to a crash involving a white truck and a black sedan near Johnson Drive and Bell Road in Shawnee, Kansas, according to a media release.&nbsp; EMS transported nine-year-old Nolan Davidson of Lenexa to Children's Mercy in critical condition. He died December 7, according to a GoFundMe page for the family.

The driver of the truck later identified as Jacobo left the scene.&nbsp; Police tracked him down and made an arrest the night of the crash.

Nolan and his family were on their way from one basketball game to another when they were involved in the crash. The collision, impacted the rear passenger side where Nolan was seated.

Jacobo is scheduled for sentencing on January 7, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702397009027.png" alt="Jacobo-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jacobo-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A man accused in connection with a crash that left a 9-year-old Kansas boy dead has entered a plea in the case.On Friday, 25-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;Matthew Jacobo, 25,&nbsp; Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to reckless second degree murder and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.He was originally charged with second degree murder, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of a firearm while driving under the influence, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702398123562.png" alt="Davidson photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Davidson photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 7p.m. on December 1, 2023, police responded to a crash involving a white truck and a black sedan near Johnson Drive and Bell Road in Shawnee, Kansas, according to a media release.&nbsp; EMS transported nine-year-old Nolan Davidson of Lenexa to Children's Mercy in critical condition. He died December 7, according to a GoFundMe page for the family.The driver of the truck later identified as Jacobo left the scene.&nbsp; Police tracked him down and made an arrest the night of the crash.Nolan and his family were on their way from one basketball game to another when they were involved in the crash. The collision, impacted the rear passenger side where Nolan was seated.Jacobo is scheduled for sentencing on January 7, according to the district attorney's office.

Man enters plea in crash that killed 9-year-old Kansas boy

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect from Texas on drug allegations.

Just after 3:30p.m. November 17, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 75 Highway for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, a narcotics detecting K-9 was deployed and illegal narcotics were located. Maria D.L. Vidal Cruz, 51, of Mount Pleasant, TX was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732118411121.png" alt="Cruz photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Cruz photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect from Texas on drug allegations.Just after 3:30p.m. November 17, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 75 Highway for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, a narcotics detecting K-9 was deployed and illegal narcotics were located. Maria D.L. Vidal Cruz, 51, of Mount Pleasant, TX was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine

Sheriff: Texas woman was transporting meth in Kansas 

SEWARD COUNTY – The former city manager of Liberal, Russell “Rusty” Varnado is under investigation on sex crime allegations, according&nbsp; to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

In August, the Liberal Police Department asked the KBI for assistance investigating when allegations arose. The crimes occurred between March and August of 2024, when Varnado was city manager. Following the allegations, Varnado was fired from his position.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, deputies of the Seward County Sheriff’s Office arrested Varnado, 37, on a KBI warrant for rape, sexual battery, and lewd and lascivious. Varnado was booked into the Seward County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732145460059.png" alt="Varnado photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Varnado photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY – The former city manager of Liberal, Russell “Rusty” Varnado is under investigation on sex crime allegations, according&nbsp; to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.In August, the Liberal Police Department asked the KBI for assistance investigating when allegations arose. The crimes occurred between March and August of 2024, when Varnado was city manager. Following the allegations, Varnado was fired from his position.At 4 p.m. Wednesday, deputies of the Seward County Sheriff’s Office arrested Varnado, 37, on a KBI warrant for rape, sexual battery, and lewd and lascivious. Varnado was booked into the Seward County Jail.&nbsp;

Former city manager in Kansas accused of sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on the panel's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">long-running investigation</a>&nbsp;into President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, former Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz,</a>&nbsp;the top Democrat on the panel said.

Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said the ethics panel, which is evenly split between the two parties, voted at a lengthy closed-door meeting, and no Republican joined Democrats who wanted to release the report.

Wild said she was compelled to speak up after the panel's Republican chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, characterized what had transpired at its session. He had said there was no agreement reached on the matter.

“It was not my intention to make any comment,” Wild said. But she said she did not want "the American public or anyone else to think that Mr. Guest’s characterization of what transpired today would be some sort of indication that the committee had unanimity or consensus on this issue not to release the report.”

The impasse on the panel comes as Gaetz launched an effort to personally secure his embattled nomination, meeting behind closed doors Wednesday with Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaetz-confirmation-senate-ethics-attorney-general-940f8bd0791d51df48b0a4b80f7a323a">senators who have heard questions</a>&nbsp;about the sexual misconduct and other allegations against him.

At least one Republican senator decried the scrutiny as a “lynch mob” forming against Gaetz, who if confirmed would become the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-gaetz-justice-department-852d3096a6f154fcdb23581948f906e6">nation's top law enforcement</a>&nbsp;official.

“I’m not going to legitimize the process to destroy the man because people don’t like his politics,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as he left the private senators' meeting .

“He deserves a chance to make his argument why he should be attorney general,” Graham said. “No rubber stamp, no lynch mob.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who is supportive of Gaetz’s nomination, emerged saying, “If you have concerns, that’s fine. But don’t make up your mind yet. Let the guy testify first.”

As the senators met in the out-of-the-way Strom Thurmond Room, Hawley said Gaetz was in a “cheerful” mood. The former Florida congressman met with different senators over the course of about four hours.

It was the start of a personal push by Gaetz, who has long denied the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">mounting allegations</a>&nbsp;against him, to shore up the Senate support needed to be confirmed as the nation's attorney general. He brings with him wide-ranging proposals to rid the Department of Justice of those perceived by Trump to have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">“weaponized”</a>&nbsp;their work against the president-elect, his allies and conservatives in general.

Trump himself told senators that he hoped "to get Matt across the finish line,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.C, who was with the president-elect and others for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-rocket-launch-3dc51e98b9cc06718839ea4116b59e33">a SpaceX rocket launch Tuesday</a>&nbsp;with billionaire Elon Musk in Texas.

Cramer said from his observation of Trump's plans, “None of these people including Matt Gaetz are nominated as a diversion to the others. He wants them. He knows what he wants, he says what he wants and he’ll see it through to some conclusion.”

Gaetz is being shepherded by Vice President-elect JD Vance, an Ohio senator. His meeting with Senate allies was largely a strategy session where he emphasized the need to get a hearing where he could lay out his and Trump’s vision for the Justice Department.

It follows a meeting Gaetz had at the start of the week with the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have expressed enthusiasm for his approach to wholesale changes, which have instilled a climate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-gaetz-justice-department-852d3096a6f154fcdb23581948f906e6">anxiety and dismay</a>&nbsp;at the department.

Vance reminded the GOP senators that Trump's presidential victory had coattails that boosted their ranks to the majority. “He deserves a Cabinet that is loyal to the agenda he was elected to implement,” the outgoing Ohio senator posted on social media.

Gaetz, however, is also racing the clock against the potential release of the House Ethics Committee's report which would publicly air the allegations against him.

Attorneys involved in a civil case brought by a Gaetz associate were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">notified this week</a>&nbsp;that an unauthorized person accessed a file shared between lawyers that included unredacted depositions from a woman who has said Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17, and a second woman who says she saw the encounter, according to attorney Joel Leppard.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Democrats sent a letter Wednesday asking FBI Director Christopher Wray to provide to the panel “the complete evidentiary file," including the forms memorializing interviews ”in the closed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-9d51501fb6ad5c04b5b4113d3a6a584b">investigation</a>&nbsp;of former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s alleged sex trafficking of minors."

Gaetz has said the department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politicians-in-crisis-refuse-to-resign-16046aff55900e97f59aec9aa5153df6">investigation into sex trafficking allegations</a>&nbsp;involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.

“The grave public allegations against Mr. Gaetz speak directly to his fitness to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government,” wrote Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others on the panel.

While House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the committee should not release the report because Gaetz swiftly resigned his congressional seat after Trump announced the nomination, several GOP senators have indicated they want all information before having to make a decision on how they would vote.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who also met with Gaetz, said of the committee's report, “We didn’t get into a lot of detail as to what he expects to be in there, but he expressed confidence that what is before the committee are a series of false accusations.”

Trump has long had a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">valued ally</a>&nbsp;in Gaetz, who was a star at congressional oversight hearings as he railed against what conservatives claim is favoritism within the Justice Department, which indicted Trump over alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office and for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which lost to Democrat Joe Biden, before the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the Capitol.

But the president-elect's pick has been among the most surprising, and provocative.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a Trump ally, said she had a great meeting with Gaetz and looked forward to “a speedy confirmation for our next attorney general.” She wrote on social media that Trump’s Cabinet ”is going to shake up the D.C. swamp, and we look forward to moving his nominees.”

Cramer still said that Gaetz had a “steep climb” to confirmation.

“Donald Trump is understandably, legitimately and authentically concerned that he has an attorney general that’s willing to do what he wants him to do," Cramer said. “Matt Gaetz is definitely the guy that will not hold on any punches. ”

As soon as the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2025, when Republicans take majority control, senators are expected to begin holding hearings on Trump’s nominees, with voting possible on Inauguration Day Jan. 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731531518225.png" alt="File photo Former Rep. Matt Gaetz photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Former Rep. Matt Gaetz photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on the panel's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">long-running investigation</a>&nbsp;into President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, former Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz,</a>&nbsp;the top Democrat on the panel said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">House Ethics Committee Chair <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMichaelGuest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMichaelGuest</a> departs meeting regarding release of report on Matt Gaetz. <a href="https://t.co/uNOmYPOcYs">pic.twitter.com/uNOmYPOcYs</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1859339653347676657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said the ethics panel, which is evenly split between the two parties, voted at a lengthy closed-door meeting, and no Republican joined Democrats who wanted to release the report.Wild said she was compelled to speak up after the panel's Republican chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, characterized what had transpired at its session. He had said there was no agreement reached on the matter.“It was not my intention to make any comment,” Wild said. But she said she did not want "the American public or anyone else to think that Mr. Guest’s characterization of what transpired today would be some sort of indication that the committee had unanimity or consensus on this issue not to release the report.”The impasse on the panel comes as Gaetz launched an effort to personally secure his embattled nomination, meeting behind closed doors Wednesday with Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaetz-confirmation-senate-ethics-attorney-general-940f8bd0791d51df48b0a4b80f7a323a">senators who have heard questions</a>&nbsp;about the sexual misconduct and other allegations against him.At least one Republican senator decried the scrutiny as a “lynch mob” forming against Gaetz, who if confirmed would become the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-gaetz-justice-department-852d3096a6f154fcdb23581948f906e6">nation's top law enforcement</a>&nbsp;official.“I’m not going to legitimize the process to destroy the man because people don’t like his politics,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as he left the private senators' meeting .“He deserves a chance to make his argument why he should be attorney general,” Graham said. “No rubber stamp, no lynch mob.”Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who is supportive of Gaetz’s nomination, emerged saying, “If you have concerns, that’s fine. But don’t make up your mind yet. Let the guy testify first.”As the senators met in the out-of-the-way Strom Thurmond Room, Hawley said Gaetz was in a “cheerful” mood. The former Florida congressman met with different senators over the course of about four hours.It was the start of a personal push by Gaetz, who has long denied the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">mounting allegations</a>&nbsp;against him, to shore up the Senate support needed to be confirmed as the nation's attorney general. He brings with him wide-ranging proposals to rid the Department of Justice of those perceived by Trump to have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">“weaponized”</a>&nbsp;their work against the president-elect, his allies and conservatives in general.Trump himself told senators that he hoped "to get Matt across the finish line,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.C, who was with the president-elect and others for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-rocket-launch-3dc51e98b9cc06718839ea4116b59e33">a SpaceX rocket launch Tuesday</a>&nbsp;with billionaire Elon Musk in Texas.Cramer said from his observation of Trump's plans, “None of these people including Matt Gaetz are nominated as a diversion to the others. He wants them. He knows what he wants, he says what he wants and he’ll see it through to some conclusion.”Gaetz is being shepherded by Vice President-elect JD Vance, an Ohio senator. His meeting with Senate allies was largely a strategy session where he emphasized the need to get a hearing where he could lay out his and Trump’s vision for the Justice Department.It follows a meeting Gaetz had at the start of the week with the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have expressed enthusiasm for his approach to wholesale changes, which have instilled a climate of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-gaetz-justice-department-852d3096a6f154fcdb23581948f906e6">anxiety and dismay</a>&nbsp;at the department.Vance reminded the GOP senators that Trump's presidential victory had coattails that boosted their ranks to the majority. “He deserves a Cabinet that is loyal to the agenda he was elected to implement,” the outgoing Ohio senator posted on social media.Gaetz, however, is also racing the clock against the potential release of the House Ethics Committee's report which would publicly air the allegations against him.Attorneys involved in a civil case brought by a Gaetz associate were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">notified this week</a>&nbsp;that an unauthorized person accessed a file shared between lawyers that included unredacted depositions from a woman who has said Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17, and a second woman who says she saw the encounter, according to attorney Joel Leppard.The Senate Judiciary Committee's Democrats sent a letter Wednesday asking FBI Director Christopher Wray to provide to the panel “the complete evidentiary file," including the forms memorializing interviews ”in the closed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-9d51501fb6ad5c04b5b4113d3a6a584b">investigation</a>&nbsp;of former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s alleged sex trafficking of minors."Gaetz has said the department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politicians-in-crisis-refuse-to-resign-16046aff55900e97f59aec9aa5153df6">investigation into sex trafficking allegations</a>&nbsp;involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.“The grave public allegations against Mr. Gaetz speak directly to his fitness to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government,” wrote Judiciary Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others on the panel.While House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the committee should not release the report because Gaetz swiftly resigned his congressional seat after Trump announced the nomination, several GOP senators have indicated they want all information before having to make a decision on how they would vote.Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who also met with Gaetz, said of the committee's report, “We didn’t get into a lot of detail as to what he expects to be in there, but he expressed confidence that what is before the committee are a series of false accusations.”Trump has long had a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">valued ally</a>&nbsp;in Gaetz, who was a star at congressional oversight hearings as he railed against what conservatives claim is favoritism within the Justice Department, which indicted Trump over alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office and for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which lost to Democrat Joe Biden, before the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the Capitol.But the president-elect's pick has been among the most surprising, and provocative.Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., a Trump ally, said she had a great meeting with Gaetz and looked forward to “a speedy confirmation for our next attorney general.” She wrote on social media that Trump’s Cabinet ”is going to shake up the D.C. swamp, and we look forward to moving his nominees.”Cramer still said that Gaetz had a “steep climb” to confirmation.“Donald Trump is understandably, legitimately and authentically concerned that he has an attorney general that’s willing to do what he wants him to do," Cramer said. “Matt Gaetz is definitely the guy that will not hold on any punches. ”As soon as the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2025, when Republicans take majority control, senators are expected to begin holding hearings on Trump’s nominees, with voting possible on Inauguration Day Jan. 20.___

🎥House Ethics Committee to keep report on Trump's AG pick hidden

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas robbery and have released details on a suspect.

Just before 8p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of East Santa Fe Street in reference to a robbery that just occurred, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

It was reported that an unknown suspect entered the business, obtained money from the register, then ran from the scene. A thorough neighborhood search was conducted with negative contact with the suspect.

The suspect was described as an adult white male with blue eyes, wearing a grey hoodie, black mask, black puffy coat, jeans and dark shoes. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash and merchandise. No weapon was seen during this incident and no reported injuries.

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas robbery and have released details on a suspect.Just before 8p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of East Santa Fe Street in reference to a robbery that just occurred, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.It was reported that an unknown suspect entered the business, obtained money from the register, then ran from the scene. A thorough neighborhood search was conducted with negative contact with the suspect.The suspect was described as an adult white male with blue eyes, wearing a grey hoodie, black mask, black puffy coat, jeans and dark shoes. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash and merchandise. No weapon was seen during this incident and no reported injuries.

Police: Man in a mask took cash from register at Kan. business 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22CHRISTINA%20A.%20CASSIDY,%20JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20AMY%20BETH%20HANSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY, JOHN HANNA and AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press</a>

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Terry Thompson had an election to run for voters in Cascade County, Montana. Why then, she thought, was her office in Great Falls being sent mailed ballots completed by voters in places such as Wasilla, Alaska, Vancouver, Washington, and Tampa, Florida?

It was only about a dozen ballots total from voters in other states. But she said it still raised concerns about the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to deliver election mail and whether the errant ballots would ever be counted.

“I mean, I would have had to been doing FedEx overnight envelopes to all these states to try to get them where they needed to go,” said Thompson, the county's election administrator.

She received about a half dozen others that should have gone to county election offices in other parts of Montana. For those, she said she “just had to hope and pray” they made it back on time.

While a stray ballot ending up in the wrong place can happen during election season, the number of ballots destined for other states and counties that ended up at Thompson's office is unusual. The Associated Press found it wasn't an anomaly. Election offices in California, Louisiana, New Mexico and elsewhere also reported receiving completed ballots in the mail that should have gone to other states.

To some election officials, it confirms concerns they raised before the Nov. 5 presidential election about the U.S. Postal Service's performance and ability to handle a crush of mail ballots, as early voting has become increasingly popular with voters.

State election officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-mail-ballots-voting-postal-service-985dd6e483fb6dc593d83255b11a9d0a">warned</a>&nbsp;in September that problems with the nation’s mail delivery system threatened to disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election. In a letter to U.S. Postmaster General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/louis-dejoy">Louis DeJoy</a>, the election officials noted problems during the primaries that included mailed ballots postmarked on time but received too late be counted and instances of properly addressed election mail returned as undeliverable.

In Louisiana, state election officials said some 40 to 50 ballots destined for 10 other states ended up being delivered to local election offices, mostly in Orleans Parish. Deputy Secretary of State Joel Watson Jr. said the Secretary of State’s Office had “extraordinary frustration” for the Postal Service’s continued “inconsistencies” and “lack of accountability.”

Dozens of mail ballots from inside the state also were delivered to the wrong local election office, Watson said.

“There were many instances where our staff had to physically take these ballots and drive them to another parish to get them there on time to make sure those votes count,” Watson said. “We had to use time and resources in the hours and days immediately preceding the biggest election we hold to make sure these ballots were delivered to the right places.”

Louisiana law does not permit ballot drop boxes, and Watson indicated his office does not support moving in that direction and would continue to encourage voters to cast their ballots in person. He cited security concerns such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">arson attacks</a>&nbsp;on drop boxes in Washington and Oregon ahead of the Nov. 5 election in which ballots were damaged.

The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement that it had been working closely with local election officials to resolve concerns, but did not address specific questions regarding the misdirected ballots.

“The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system, and to delivering election mail in a timely manner,” Rod Spurgeon, a USPS spokesman, said in an email.

In New Mexico’s Santa Fe County, County Clerk Katharine Clark said seven ballots bound for her office were sent instead to Los Angeles County in Southern California. Those ballots were redirected, Clark said, but did not arrive at her office before the state’s deadline to be counted, which is 7 p.m. on Election Day.

“It does mean that person got denied the right to vote, because the ballots from Los Angeles County -- even though they were sent (to Santa Fe) with a four- or five-day lead time -- they didn’t get to us in time to count,” she said.

In addition, Clark said her office received two ballots destined for Los Angeles County and one for Maricopa County in Arizona that she sent back to the U.S. Postal Service. Nine ballots should have been delivered to other counties within New Mexico.

In addition to the Santa Fe County ballots, Los Angeles County election officials said they also received two ballots that should have been mailed to Torrance County, New Mexico. That county's clerk, Linda Jaramillo, said she did not recall receiving the ballots from Los Angeles County but expressed faith in the nation's mail service.

“There’s going to be a few,” Jaramillo said. "You can’t have perfection.”

The California Secretary of State’s office said about 150 mail ballots from Oregon voters were misdirected to California before being sent back. Officials at the state election office in Springfield, Illinois, somehow ended up with a ballot intended for Massachusetts.

“Yeah, I have no idea how that happens,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, called the incidents “disappointing and heartbreaking."

“Election officials don’t ever want to see misdelivered ballots, but it does happen for variety of reasons, not all of which are USPS’s fault,” Cohen said, noting that voters can sometimes forget to use the outer envelope that contains important address information.

But Cohen said the examples from this past presidential election seem to reflect the issues that election officials had been worried about since 2023 and were highlighted in their September letter to U.S. Postal Service leadership.

“We hope they will get to the bottom of what went wrong to prevent it from happening again in the future and that they will be responsive to the issues escalated by the election community,” Cohen said.

In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, was so frustrated after the August primary with hundreds of mail ballots arriving after the deadline for counting them that he posted on social media, “The Pony Express is more efficient at this point.” Schwab, unlike other Republicans, has touted the use of drop boxes.

There were no reports of ballots misdirected from or to other states, but Schwab said in a statement this week: “I still encourage voters to not use the USPS to mail their ballot unless there is no other option.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22CHRISTINA%20A.%20CASSIDY,%20JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20AMY%20BETH%20HANSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY, JOHN HANNA and AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press</a>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Terry Thompson had an election to run for voters in Cascade County, Montana. Why then, she thought, was her office in Great Falls being sent mailed ballots completed by voters in places such as Wasilla, Alaska, Vancouver, Washington, and Tampa, Florida?It was only about a dozen ballots total from voters in other states. But she said it still raised concerns about the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to deliver election mail and whether the errant ballots would ever be counted.“I mean, I would have had to been doing FedEx overnight envelopes to all these states to try to get them where they needed to go,” said Thompson, the county's election administrator.She received about a half dozen others that should have gone to county election offices in other parts of Montana. For those, she said she “just had to hope and pray” they made it back on time.While a stray ballot ending up in the wrong place can happen during election season, the number of ballots destined for other states and counties that ended up at Thompson's office is unusual. The Associated Press found it wasn't an anomaly. Election offices in California, Louisiana, New Mexico and elsewhere also reported receiving completed ballots in the mail that should have gone to other states.To some election officials, it confirms concerns they raised before the Nov. 5 presidential election about the U.S. Postal Service's performance and ability to handle a crush of mail ballots, as early voting has become increasingly popular with voters.State election officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-mail-ballots-voting-postal-service-985dd6e483fb6dc593d83255b11a9d0a">warned</a>&nbsp;in September that problems with the nation’s mail delivery system threatened to disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election. In a letter to U.S. Postmaster General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/louis-dejoy">Louis DeJoy</a>, the election officials noted problems during the primaries that included mailed ballots postmarked on time but received too late be counted and instances of properly addressed election mail returned as undeliverable.In Louisiana, state election officials said some 40 to 50 ballots destined for 10 other states ended up being delivered to local election offices, mostly in Orleans Parish. Deputy Secretary of State Joel Watson Jr. said the Secretary of State’s Office had “extraordinary frustration” for the Postal Service’s continued “inconsistencies” and “lack of accountability.”Dozens of mail ballots from inside the state also were delivered to the wrong local election office, Watson said.“There were many instances where our staff had to physically take these ballots and drive them to another parish to get them there on time to make sure those votes count,” Watson said. “We had to use time and resources in the hours and days immediately preceding the biggest election we hold to make sure these ballots were delivered to the right places.”Louisiana law does not permit ballot drop boxes, and Watson indicated his office does not support moving in that direction and would continue to encourage voters to cast their ballots in person. He cited security concerns such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">arson attacks</a>&nbsp;on drop boxes in Washington and Oregon ahead of the Nov. 5 election in which ballots were damaged.The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement that it had been working closely with local election officials to resolve concerns, but did not address specific questions regarding the misdirected ballots.“The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system, and to delivering election mail in a timely manner,” Rod Spurgeon, a USPS spokesman, said in an email.In New Mexico’s Santa Fe County, County Clerk Katharine Clark said seven ballots bound for her office were sent instead to Los Angeles County in Southern California. Those ballots were redirected, Clark said, but did not arrive at her office before the state’s deadline to be counted, which is 7 p.m. on Election Day.“It does mean that person got denied the right to vote, because the ballots from Los Angeles County -- even though they were sent (to Santa Fe) with a four- or five-day lead time -- they didn’t get to us in time to count,” she said.In addition, Clark said her office received two ballots destined for Los Angeles County and one for Maricopa County in Arizona that she sent back to the U.S. Postal Service. Nine ballots should have been delivered to other counties within New Mexico.In addition to the Santa Fe County ballots, Los Angeles County election officials said they also received two ballots that should have been mailed to Torrance County, New Mexico. That county's clerk, Linda Jaramillo, said she did not recall receiving the ballots from Los Angeles County but expressed faith in the nation's mail service.“There’s going to be a few,” Jaramillo said. "You can’t have perfection.”The California Secretary of State’s office said about 150 mail ballots from Oregon voters were misdirected to California before being sent back. Officials at the state election office in Springfield, Illinois, somehow ended up with a ballot intended for Massachusetts.“Yeah, I have no idea how that happens,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections.Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, called the incidents “disappointing and heartbreaking."“Election officials don’t ever want to see misdelivered ballots, but it does happen for variety of reasons, not all of which are USPS’s fault,” Cohen said, noting that voters can sometimes forget to use the outer envelope that contains important address information.But Cohen said the examples from this past presidential election seem to reflect the issues that election officials had been worried about since 2023 and were highlighted in their September letter to U.S. Postal Service leadership.“We hope they will get to the bottom of what went wrong to prevent it from happening again in the future and that they will be responsive to the issues escalated by the election community,” Cohen said.In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, was so frustrated after the August primary with hundreds of mail ballots arriving after the deadline for counting them that he posted on social media, “The Pony Express is more efficient at this point.” Schwab, unlike other Republicans, has touted the use of drop boxes.There were no reports of ballots misdirected from or to other states, but Schwab said in a statement this week: “I still encourage voters to not use the USPS to mail their ballot unless there is no other option.”___

Multiple election offices report receiving mailed ballots misdirected from other states

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker.

The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will soon be sworn in as the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/08/21/transgender-congress/" target="_blank">first openly transgender member&nbsp;</a>of Congress. Republicans also have undertaken broader efforts to bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.

“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces,” Mace wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;alongside the resolution she is pushing. “Period. Full stop. End of story.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hres1579/BILLS-118hres1579ih.pdf" target="_blank">resolution would prohibit</a>&nbsp;members of Congress, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities” other than those corresponding to their “biological sex.”

It reads: “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing&nbsp; room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual.”

The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement, according to the resolution, so it appears it would apply only to bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol and not the Senate.

Mace told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/1403136/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-on-why-she-supports-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-compromise-legislation/" target="_blank">Washington Examiner</a>&nbsp;in 2021 that she strongly supports LGBTQ rights and equality and said “no one should be discriminated against.”

The South Carolina Republican co-sponsored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1440/text" target="_blank">Republican alternative</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp; Democratic-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/cosponsors" target="_blank">Equality Act</a>&nbsp;in 2021. The GOP effort sought to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and to protect the free exercise of religion.”&nbsp;

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SarahEMcBride/status/1858671704718868652" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;Monday appearing to respond to Mace’s push, McBride said “every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride added.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Mace’s resolution “doesn’t go far enough” and “we need something more binding” while speaking to reporters Tuesday.

The Georgia Republican, who referred to McBride as a “biological man,” said “America’s fed up with the trans ideology being shoved into our face.”

Greene said she asked U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday “what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this has to be stopped.”

According to Greene, the Louisiana Republican committed to her that McBride “will not be using our restrooms.”

However, at a Tuesday press conference following that GOP meeting, Johnson would not specify how he would respond to Mace’s resolution.

“This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before,” Johnson said, while also noting that “it’s a command that we treat all persons with dignity and respect.”

“We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned House Republicans’ priorities Tuesday regarding Mace’s effort.

“This is your priority — that you want to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so that all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” said the New York Democrat at a Tuesday news conference.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732047919198.png" alt="Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Delaware will become the first openly transgender member of Congress-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Delaware will become the first openly transgender member of Congress-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina led a charge Monday to try to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings, following the election of a transgender lawmaker.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I never thought we would need a sign for this, but women&#39;s restrooms are for BIOLOGICAL women. Not men. <a href="https://t.co/42lOMhqHFT">pic.twitter.com/42lOMhqHFT</a>&mdash; Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858997448418496978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The move, which the House Democratic leader characterized as attempting to “bully” another member, came as Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will soon be sworn in as the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/08/21/transgender-congress/" target="_blank">first openly transgender member&nbsp;</a>of Congress. Republicans also have undertaken broader efforts to bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces. Period. Full stop. End of story. <a href="https://t.co/IhR7kExkBU">pic.twitter.com/IhR7kExkBU</a>&mdash; Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Biological men do not belong in private women’s spaces,” Mace wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/1858659671910817924" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;alongside the resolution she is pushing. “Period. Full stop. End of story.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Is freshman-elect Sarah McBride a man or a woman?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>: &quot;Look, I’m not going to get into this...We treat all persons with dignity and respect. We will. I&#39;m not going to engage is silly debates about this. There&#39;s a concern about uses of restroom facilities...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fMtlV3hYxW">pic.twitter.com/fMtlV3hYxW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1858904341718958328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hres1579/BILLS-118hres1579ih.pdf" target="_blank">resolution would prohibit</a>&nbsp;members of Congress, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities” other than those corresponding to their “biological sex.”It reads: “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing&nbsp; room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual.”The House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement, according to the resolution, so it appears it would apply only to bathrooms on the House side of the Capitol and not the Senate.Mace told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/1403136/exclusive-rep-nancy-mace-on-why-she-supports-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-compromise-legislation/" target="_blank">Washington Examiner</a>&nbsp;in 2021 that she strongly supports LGBTQ rights and equality and said “no one should be discriminated against.”The South Carolina Republican co-sponsored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1440/text" target="_blank">Republican alternative</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp; Democratic-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/cosponsors" target="_blank">Equality Act</a>&nbsp;in 2021. The GOP effort sought to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and to protect the free exercise of religion.”&nbsp;In a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SarahEMcBride/status/1858671704718868652" target="_blank">post on X</a>&nbsp;Monday appearing to respond to Mace’s push, McBride said “every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride added.Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Mace’s resolution “doesn’t go far enough” and “we need something more binding” while speaking to reporters Tuesday.The Georgia Republican, who referred to McBride as a “biological man,” said “America’s fed up with the trans ideology being shoved into our face.”Greene said she asked U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the House GOP conference meeting Tuesday “what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this has to be stopped.”According to Greene, the Louisiana Republican committed to her that McBride “will not be using our restrooms.”However, at a Tuesday press conference following that GOP meeting, Johnson would not specify how he would respond to Mace’s resolution.“This is an issue that Congress has never had to address before,” Johnson said, while also noting that “it’s a command that we treat all persons with dignity and respect.”“We’ll provide appropriate accommodation for every member of Congress,” he added.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned House Republicans’ priorities Tuesday regarding Mace’s effort.“This is your priority — that you want to bully a member of Congress as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so that all of us can work together to get things done and deliver real results for the American people?” said the New York Democrat at a Tuesday news conference.&nbsp;

U.S. House GOP urged to bar transgender women from using women’s bathrooms at the Capitol

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.

Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.

Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”

Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.

Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.

“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”

The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”

Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.

Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.

Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.

Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.

Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.

“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.

Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.

She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.

Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.

The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.

Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.

Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.

Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.

After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.

Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.

Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732127765713.png" alt="Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Laken Riley photo courtesy Poole Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — The Venezuelan man convicted in the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732121539335.png" alt="Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail " />
 <figcaption>Ibarra photo Athens-Clarke County Jail </figcaption>
 </figure>Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.Riley’s family and friends tearfully remembered her and asked the judge to sentence Ibarra to the maximum penalty. Her mother called him a “monster” and her father called him a “truly evil person.”Ibarra did not react as an interpreter relayed their words to him.Before announcing the verdict, Haggard had said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">While Joe Biden continues his apology tour for calling a murderer an illegal… I am here on the floor today with my colleagues, apologizing to Laken Riley’s family and fighting to make sure this can never happen again. Just like so many other unvetted illegal aliens living in… <a href="https://t.co/6YbsUpPJAi">pic.twitter.com/6YbsUpPJAi</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1768313953912856895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.-----------ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan man has been convicted of murder in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-dead-university-georgia-augusta-nursing-student-1e41b14c2d1e7c4889bc509abf5b42df">Georgia nursing student Laken Riley</a>, a case that fueled the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential race.Jose Ibarra was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/laken-riley-university-of-georgia-killing-immigration-1e2283b1a91da9eb939873ccd5702da8">charged with murder and other crimes</a>&nbsp;in Riley’s February death, and the guilty verdict was reached on Wednesday by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra, 26, had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ef36ef9b2bb0a699aa010f096449b051">waived his right to a jury trial</a>, meaning Haggard alone heard and decided the case.Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all 10 counts against him: one count of malice murder; three counts of felony murder; and one count each of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing an emergency call, evidence tampering and being a peeping Tom.After reading the verdict, the judge said he was ready to proceed with sentencing immediately, but prosecutors asked for a break. The judge said he would proceed after an hour-long break. The penalty for a murder conviction in Georgia is life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.Riley's parents, roommates and other friends and family cried as the verdict was read. Ibarra didn't visibly react.Before announcing his decision, the judge said that as he listened to the closing arguments, he wrote down on a legal pad two things the lawyers had said. He noted that prosecutor Sheila Ross called the evidence “overwhelming and powerful” and that defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck reminded him he was “required to set aside my emotions” in making his ruling.Riley's killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-riley-immigrants-crime-63181cbc7a89fe9fe28b1d0cf84c8b9a">added fuel to the national debate</a>&nbsp;over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case. But there was no mention of Ibarra's immigration status during the trial.“Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need” to find Ibarra guilty on all counts, Ross told the judge during her closing. She added that the physical evidence is sufficient and is corroborated by forensic, digital and video evidence to “twist this very powerful knot that this defendant cannot get out of. There is no way out for him.”The evidence shows that Ibarra killed Riley “because she would not let him rape her.”Ross said Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra's were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate, she said.Riley was wearing “tight running clothes that are designed not to move,” Ross said. When her body was found, the waistband of her running tights was pulled down and her jacket, shirt and sports bra were pulled up, evidence that her clothes were displaced by an attempted sexual assault not by dragging, Ross said.Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.Ibarra was “out prowling and hunting females” and when he couldn't get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim, Ross said.Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck told the judge that the evidence is circumstantial and does not definitively prove Ibarra's guilt.“Because the evidence is subject to more than one interpretation, it is not beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.Beck tried to cast doubt on a method of DNA testing used to test some of the evidence. She noted that when a fingerprint found on Riley's phone was entered into a database, Ibarra didn't come back as a match and that a specialist visually matched the prints.She said there was “doubt based on what was tested and on what was not tested” because investigators did not test some of the evidence they had gathered.Throughout their questioning of witnesses and in Beck's closing, defense attorneys tried to create doubt about Jose Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting that his brother, Diego, could not be excluded as a suspect.The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-student-killed-immigration-trump-ba91b8daea0fc9ba6b3fe84bded230f8">told the judge</a>&nbsp;that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22 and killed her during a struggle. Riley, 22, was a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, which also has a campus in Athens, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom throughout the trial.

Illegal immigrant sentenced for killing nursing student Laken Riley

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-coronavirus-pandemic-f71bd0baf4799bb48b7352b8391c4e2d">swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms</a>.

Those one-time stars for Comcast's NBCUniversal cable television networks include USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC. Movie ticketing platform Fandango and the Rotten Tomatoes movie rating site would also become part of the new company.

Comcast telegraphed the potential shift last month as it released quarterly earnings.

<a href="https://apnews.com/53ba3e5f5af3274629fc180e9dab42ed">Peacock</a>&nbsp;will remain with Comcast, as will Bravo, which provides significant content for the Peacock streaming service.

Mark Lazarus, current chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, will serve as the new entity’s chief executive officer. Anand Kini, the current chief financial officer of NBCUniversal, will take on the same title with the new company as well as the chief operating officer role.

"As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment," Lazarus said Wednesday.

Comcast said in the 12-month period ending September 30, the assets that will comprise the new company generated about $7 billion of the company’s approximate $123 billion in revenue.

Comcast expects the new company to have the financial flexibility to be “a potential partner and acquirer of other complementary media businesses.”

The spin-off is targeted for completion in about a year, the entertainment giant said, pending financing and approval from its board and government regulators.

Shares of Comcast, based in Philadelphia, rose 1% to $42.75.

Like other cable companies, Comcast in recent years has shifted its business emphasis away from traditional cable toward streaming and other sources of revenue, such as its movie studio, theme parks and home wireless and internet services.

In its most recent quarter, Comcast reported that paid subscribers to its streaming Peacock channel jumped by 3 million, or 29%, to 36 million subscribers. Peacock’s revenue soared 82% to $1.5 billion in the period.

Peacock was launched in 2020, and after a confusing, glitchy start, has taken off recently, boosted in part by the platform’s success and popularity during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Peacock streamed all 329 medal events and over 5,000 hours of coverage during the Games, with viewers streaming more than 23 billion minutes of Olympic coverage, led by Peacock. That's a 40% increase over all previous Summer and Winter Olympics combined, Comcast said.

Comcast reported revenue of more than $32 billion and profit of $1.12 per share in its most recent quarter, boosted by the summer box-office success of "Despicable Me 4," which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-race-and-ethnicity-coronavirus-pandemic-f71bd0baf4799bb48b7352b8391c4e2d">swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms</a>.Those one-time stars for Comcast's NBCUniversal cable television networks include USA, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, as well as CNBC and MSNBC. Movie ticketing platform Fandango and the Rotten Tomatoes movie rating site would also become part of the new company.Comcast telegraphed the potential shift last month as it released quarterly earnings.<a href="https://apnews.com/53ba3e5f5af3274629fc180e9dab42ed">Peacock</a>&nbsp;will remain with Comcast, as will Bravo, which provides significant content for the Peacock streaming service.Mark Lazarus, current chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, will serve as the new entity’s chief executive officer. Anand Kini, the current chief financial officer of NBCUniversal, will take on the same title with the new company as well as the chief operating officer role."As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment," Lazarus said Wednesday.Comcast said in the 12-month period ending September 30, the assets that will comprise the new company generated about $7 billion of the company’s approximate $123 billion in revenue.Comcast expects the new company to have the financial flexibility to be “a potential partner and acquirer of other complementary media businesses.”The spin-off is targeted for completion in about a year, the entertainment giant said, pending financing and approval from its board and government regulators.Shares of Comcast, based in Philadelphia, rose 1% to $42.75.Like other cable companies, Comcast in recent years has shifted its business emphasis away from traditional cable toward streaming and other sources of revenue, such as its movie studio, theme parks and home wireless and internet services.In its most recent quarter, Comcast reported that paid subscribers to its streaming Peacock channel jumped by 3 million, or 29%, to 36 million subscribers. Peacock’s revenue soared 82% to $1.5 billion in the period.Peacock was launched in 2020, and after a confusing, glitchy start, has taken off recently, boosted in part by the platform’s success and popularity during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.Peacock streamed all 329 medal events and over 5,000 hours of coverage during the Games, with viewers streaming more than 23 billion minutes of Olympic coverage, led by Peacock. That's a 40% increase over all previous Summer and Winter Olympics combined, Comcast said.Comcast reported revenue of more than $32 billion and profit of $1.12 per share in its most recent quarter, boosted by the summer box-office success of "Despicable Me 4," which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Comcast will spinoff NBCUniversal cable channels

KANSAS CITY —One person died in a hit-and-run accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

A silver Chevrolet Cruz was southbound on 71 Highway at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The Chevrolet rear-ended a Chrysler 200 that was stopped for the red traffic control signal at 59th and 71 Highway. 

The unrestrained driver of the Chrysler was pronounced deceased at the scene. The unrestrained front seat passenger of the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was reported in critical condition, according to DiMartino. 

The driver and rear seat passenger of the Chevrolet ran from the crash the scene. 

This is fatality #83 compared to #89 at this time last year in KCMO, according to DiMartino. Police have not released the names of those involved or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732114105245.png" alt="First responders near the crash scene" />
 <figcaption>First responders near the crash scene</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —One person died in a hit-and-run accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.A silver Chevrolet Cruz was southbound on 71 Highway at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD&nbsp;&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The Chevrolet rear-ended a Chrysler 200 that was stopped for the red traffic control signal at 59th and 71 Highway. The unrestrained driver of the Chrysler was pronounced deceased at the scene. The unrestrained front seat passenger of the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was reported in critical condition, according to DiMartino. The driver and rear seat passenger of the Chevrolet ran from the crash the scene. This is fatality #83 compared to #89 at this time last year in KCMO, according to DiMartino. Police have not released the names of those involved or additional details.

KCPD: Driver, passenger ran from fatal rear-end crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-senior-staff-0c65537ce9cd79194f1bcf60aad88f92">former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general</a>, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.

Gaetz, who has been calling senators and is expected to start meeting with some of them as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nation’s top law enforcement official. His nomination creates a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.

The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">a House Ethics investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct — allegations Gaetz denies. He is also deeply unpopular within his own party after leading the push to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.

Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has positioned himself as Trump’s top ally in Congress, said last week that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">“strongly request”</a>&nbsp;that the Ethics committee not release the results of its investigation.

Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who will become Senate majority leader in January, deferred to Johnson, saying Monday that the ethics report is “a House issue.” But several in his conference argued that the Senate should see the report, whether it is released publicly or not.

“There’s nothing about that that would smell right, to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report but none of us want to see it,’” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, said the ethics report is important for the Senate’s “advice and consent” role laid out in the Constitution. “I think the report from the House plays a pivotal role in that,” he said.

Others said the information would come out one way or another, even if it isn't released. “I’m going to honor Speaker Johnson’s position," said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. "I think it’s a reasonable position.”

The simmering clash between the Senate, House and Trump could be just the first of many to come. Trump has made clear he expects next year’s unified Republican Congress to give him broad leeway on his nominees, and has already been making some calls to senators.

Cabinet nominees have traditionally provided a flood of paperwork to Senate committees ahead of their confirmation hearings, participating in background checks by the FBI and filling out lengthy questionnaires that probe every aspect of their lives and careers. But Trump’s transition has already signaled that it might not request the background checks and has so far declined to sign agreements with the White House and the Department of Justice to allow that process to begin.

The documentation, including the criminal background checks and financial vetting, could be key for senators in both parties who have questions about Gaetz and some of Trump's other more controversial nominees, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;for director of national intelligence,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/w">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Defense and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the absence of the traditional process, whether to proceed without an FBI background check would be up to individual committee chairs, who will be under tremendous pressure from Trump and his allies to move his nominees quickly. On Tuesday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the incoming No. 2 Republican under Thune, said the Senate will begin hearings once Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and start holding confirmation votes once Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Republican senators say they will demand that documentation, but it’s unclear how that might work if Trump’s transition doesn’t consent to it.

“I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will serve as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year. “Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions.”

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants a traditional process involving the full FBI background check for Hegseth and the committee’s other nominees. “We should do it by the numbers,” Wicker said.

Democrats are wary, though, that the process could get muddled, or curtailed, as Trump puts the full force of his pressure on Senate Republicans.

“If there’s a cursory background check, like we call 20 people — that’s not going to be appropriate,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who will be the panel’s top Democrat next year.

Meanwhile. Gaetz has already paid a visit to at least one group of potential allies, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, where he outlined for the group “some of the things that that need to be done at the Department of Justice to end the weaponization,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.

Among the ideas Gaetz discussed was “eliminating a lot of the senior staff," Harris said.

As for the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, Harris dismissed them saying, “last time I looked, in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty.” He said he did not believe the House Ethics files on Gaetz should be released.

“We think that the president deserves to get his selections approved for the cabinet, and Mr. Gaetz knows what to do to end the weaponization of the department," Harris said.

Speaker Johnson also made clear his position Tuesday, telling reporters that the Senate should do its job and “sure, take a look, do a deep dive” and then move them along for confirmation so “the president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do.”

“I think President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo,” Johnson said. “And we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731531518225.png" alt="Former Rep. Matt Gaetz image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former Rep. Matt Gaetz image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-senior-staff-0c65537ce9cd79194f1bcf60aad88f92">former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general</a>, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation — and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump has promised that I will be the new Attorney General one way or another. Follow this page for updates.&mdash; Matt Gaetz Attorney General 🇺🇸 Press Commentary (@realgaetzpress) <a href="https://twitter.com/realgaetzpress/status/1858690348479852977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gaetz, who has been calling senators and is expected to start meeting with some of them as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nation’s top law enforcement official. His nomination creates a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attorney-general-matt-gaetz-justice-department-dca401813d9b84638d250f273a2d3942">a House Ethics investigation</a>&nbsp;into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct — allegations Gaetz denies. He is also deeply unpopular within his own party after leading the push to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year.Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has positioned himself as Trump’s top ally in Congress, said last week that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matt-gaetz-ethics-attorney-general-nomination-5960df4fe88bdc39bb9a413f92c38bf8">“strongly request”</a>&nbsp;that the Ethics committee not release the results of its investigation.Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who will become Senate majority leader in January, deferred to Johnson, saying Monday that the ethics report is “a House issue.” But several in his conference argued that the Senate should see the report, whether it is released publicly or not.“There’s nothing about that that would smell right, to say, ‘Hey, there’s a report but none of us want to see it,’” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served in the House with Gaetz, said the ethics report is important for the Senate’s “advice and consent” role laid out in the Constitution. “I think the report from the House plays a pivotal role in that,” he said.Others said the information would come out one way or another, even if it isn't released. “I’m going to honor Speaker Johnson’s position," said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. "I think it’s a reasonable position.”The simmering clash between the Senate, House and Trump could be just the first of many to come. Trump has made clear he expects next year’s unified Republican Congress to give him broad leeway on his nominees, and has already been making some calls to senators.Cabinet nominees have traditionally provided a flood of paperwork to Senate committees ahead of their confirmation hearings, participating in background checks by the FBI and filling out lengthy questionnaires that probe every aspect of their lives and careers. But Trump’s transition has already signaled that it might not request the background checks and has so far declined to sign agreements with the White House and the Department of Justice to allow that process to begin.The documentation, including the criminal background checks and financial vetting, could be key for senators in both parties who have questions about Gaetz and some of Trump's other more controversial nominees, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">Tulsi Gabbard</a>&nbsp;for director of national intelligence,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/w">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Defense and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;for secretary of Health and Human Services.In the absence of the traditional process, whether to proceed without an FBI background check would be up to individual committee chairs, who will be under tremendous pressure from Trump and his allies to move his nominees quickly. On Tuesday, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the incoming No. 2 Republican under Thune, said the Senate will begin hearings once Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and start holding confirmation votes once Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20.Republican senators say they will demand that documentation, but it’s unclear how that might work if Trump’s transition doesn’t consent to it.“I think that if they want a speedy consideration of this nomination we’ve got to have as much transparency as we can have,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will serve as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman next year. “Because you’ve heard my colleagues, especially on the Republican side, say that they have some questions.”Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants a traditional process involving the full FBI background check for Hegseth and the committee’s other nominees. “We should do it by the numbers,” Wicker said.Democrats are wary, though, that the process could get muddled, or curtailed, as Trump puts the full force of his pressure on Senate Republicans.“If there’s a cursory background check, like we call 20 people — that’s not going to be appropriate,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who will be the panel’s top Democrat next year.Meanwhile. Gaetz has already paid a visit to at least one group of potential allies, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, where he outlined for the group “some of the things that that need to be done at the Department of Justice to end the weaponization,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus.Among the ideas Gaetz discussed was “eliminating a lot of the senior staff," Harris said.As for the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz, Harris dismissed them saying, “last time I looked, in America, you’re innocent until proven guilty.” He said he did not believe the House Ethics files on Gaetz should be released.“We think that the president deserves to get his selections approved for the cabinet, and Mr. Gaetz knows what to do to end the weaponization of the department," Harris said.Speaker Johnson also made clear his position Tuesday, telling reporters that the Senate should do its job and “sure, take a look, do a deep dive” and then move them along for confirmation so “the president has the team in place to do what the American people have elected him to do.”“I think President Trump is looking for persons who will shake up the status quo,” Johnson said. “And we got a mandate in this election cycle to do that.”

GOP senators divided on release of ethics report on Trump's AG pick

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv said that they would stay closed Wednesday for security reasons, with the American delegation saying it had received a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.

The precautionary step came after Russian officials promised a response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles — a move that angered the Kremlin.

The U.S. Embassy said its closure and attack warning were issued in the context of ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and anticipated a quick return to regular operations.

The Italian and Greek embassies also shut to the public for the day, but the U.K. government said that its embassy remained open.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">The war</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">reached its 1,000-day milestone</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-north-korea-troops-c8cf9599591e50caf1c48a98b6841fe4">North Korean troops to help Russia</a>&nbsp;on the battlefield — a development which U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">policy shift</a>.

Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using his nuclear arsenal, with the new doctrine announced Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-b5ee115aa2099fa247f630e16da861d8">permitting a potential nuclear response</a>&nbsp;by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.

That could potentially include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S..

Western leaders dismissed the Russian move as an attempt to deter Ukraine’s allies from providing further support to Kyiv, but the escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-japan-china-3a2ce8be3c3743199782c3453053afaf">tension weighed on stock markets</a>&nbsp;after Ukraine used American-made ATACMS longer-range missiles&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">for the first time</a>&nbsp;to strike a target inside Russia.

Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia been stockpiling powerful long-range missiles, possibly in an upcoming effort to crush the Ukrainian power grid as winter settles in.

Military analysts say the U.S. decision on the range over which American-made missiles can be used isn't expected to be a game-changer in the war, but it could help weaken the Russian war effort, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.

“Ukrainian long-range strikes against military objects within Russia’s rear are crucial for degrading Russian military capabilities throughout the theater," it said.

Meanwhile, North Korea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-ukraine-artillery-f16f8a95fc6b4314c52d4a9271c3632d">recently supplied additional artillery systems</a>&nbsp;to Russia, according to South Korea. It said that North Korean soldiers were assigned to Russia’s marine and airborne forces units and some of them have already begun fighting alongside the Russians on the front lines.

Ukraine struck a factory in Russia’s Belgorod region that makes cargo drones for the armed forces in an overnight attack, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counterdisinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council.

He also claimed Ukraine hit an arsenal in Russia’s Novgorod region, near the town of Kotovo, located about 680 kilometers (420 miles) behind the Ukrainian border. The arsenal stored artillery ammunition and various types of missiles, he said.

It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.

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 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv said that they would stay closed Wednesday for security reasons, with the American delegation saying it had received a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.The precautionary step came after Russian officials promised a response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles — a move that angered the Kremlin.<figure>
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 </figure>The U.S. Embassy said its closure and attack warning were issued in the context of ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and anticipated a quick return to regular operations.<figure>
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 </figure>The Italian and Greek embassies also shut to the public for the day, but the U.K. government said that its embassy remained open.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">The war</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">reached its 1,000-day milestone</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-north-korea-troops-c8cf9599591e50caf1c48a98b6841fe4">North Korean troops to help Russia</a>&nbsp;on the battlefield — a development which U.S. officials said prompted Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">policy shift</a>.Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using his nuclear arsenal, with the new doctrine announced Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-b5ee115aa2099fa247f630e16da861d8">permitting a potential nuclear response</a>&nbsp;by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.That could potentially include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S..Western leaders dismissed the Russian move as an attempt to deter Ukraine’s allies from providing further support to Kyiv, but the escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-japan-china-3a2ce8be3c3743199782c3453053afaf">tension weighed on stock markets</a>&nbsp;after Ukraine used American-made ATACMS longer-range missiles&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">for the first time</a>&nbsp;to strike a target inside Russia.Western and Ukrainian officials say Russia been stockpiling powerful long-range missiles, possibly in an upcoming effort to crush the Ukrainian power grid as winter settles in.Military analysts say the U.S. decision on the range over which American-made missiles can be used isn't expected to be a game-changer in the war, but it could help weaken the Russian war effort, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.“Ukrainian long-range strikes against military objects within Russia’s rear are crucial for degrading Russian military capabilities throughout the theater," it said.Meanwhile, North Korea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-ukraine-artillery-f16f8a95fc6b4314c52d4a9271c3632d">recently supplied additional artillery systems</a>&nbsp;to Russia, according to South Korea. It said that North Korean soldiers were assigned to Russia’s marine and airborne forces units and some of them have already begun fighting alongside the Russians on the front lines.Ukraine struck a factory in Russia’s Belgorod region that makes cargo drones for the armed forces in an overnight attack, according to Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counterdisinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council.He also claimed Ukraine hit an arsenal in Russia’s Novgorod region, near the town of Kotovo, located about 680 kilometers (420 miles) behind the Ukrainian border. The arsenal stored artillery ammunition and various types of missiles, he said.It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.___