CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Brazilian woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while she fights potential deportation, an immigration judge ruled Monday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/karoline-leavitt-ice-brother-nephew-8fba196780b422e577fb96b4c196d9ae">Bruna Ferreira,</a>&nbsp;33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by ICE agents in Revere, Massachusetts, on Nov. 12.

Ferreira later was moved to a detention facility in Louisiana, where an immigration judge ordered that she be released on $1,500 bond, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said.

“We argued that she wasn’t a danger or a flight risk,” he said in a text message. “The government stipulated to our argument and never once argued that she was criminal illegal alien and waived appeal.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson in an email Monday called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery, an allegation her attorney denied.

“She will have periodic mandatory check-ins with ICE law enforcement to ensure she is abiding by the terms of her release,” the spokesperson said. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to work to remove all aliens illegally present in the country as quickly as possible.”

Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.

Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-leavitt-white-house-first-press-briefing-5ba5ff116e18c29b04c934a24a8983d1">run for Congress</a>&nbsp;from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765250414500.png" alt="File image White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt- from White House video" />
                        <figcaption>File image White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt- from White House video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Brazilian woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while she fights potential deportation, an immigration judge ruled Monday.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/karoline-leavitt-ice-brother-nephew-8fba196780b422e577fb96b4c196d9ae">Bruna Ferreira,</a>&nbsp;33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by ICE agents in Revere, Massachusetts, on Nov. 12.</p><p>Ferreira later was moved to a detention facility in Louisiana, where an immigration judge ordered that she be released on $1,500 bond, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said.</p><p>“We argued that she wasn’t a danger or a flight risk,” he said in a text message. “The government stipulated to our argument and never once argued that she was criminal illegal alien and waived appeal.”</p><p>A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson in an email Monday called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery, an allegation her attorney denied.</p><p>“She will have periodic mandatory check-ins with ICE law enforcement to ensure she is abiding by the terms of her release,” the spokesperson said. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to work to remove all aliens illegally present in the country as quickly as possible.”</p><p>Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.</p><p>Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-leavitt-white-house-first-press-briefing-5ba5ff116e18c29b04c934a24a8983d1">run for Congress</a>&nbsp;from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.</p>

Judge orders release of an immigrant with ties to White House press secretary 

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Michael G. Weintraub, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just before midnight Sunday, police were dispatched to shooting at a convenience store in the 2900 block of Van Brunt, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Upon arrival officers did not locate a victim but located evidence of a possible crime scene. Just after midnight a call was received from a local hospital that a shooting victim arrived by private vehicle. The victim, later identified as Michael G. Weintraub was suffering from life threatening gun shot wounds. Investigators and crime scene personnel responded to both scenes and were able to determine he was shot in the 2900 block of Van Brunt, and that both shooting calls were related.&nbsp;

Just after 2a.m. Monday, officers were notified Weintraub died of his injuries at the hospital. This is now being investigated as a homicide, and homicide detectives have taken over the case, according to DiMartino. The name of the victim has not been released.

<p>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Michael G. Weintraub, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.</p><p>Just before midnight Sunday, police were dispatched to shooting at a convenience store in the 2900 block of Van Brunt, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.</p><p>Upon arrival officers did not locate a victim but located evidence of a possible crime scene. Just after midnight a call was received from a local hospital that a shooting victim arrived by private vehicle. The victim, later identified as Michael G. Weintraub was suffering from life threatening gun shot wounds. Investigators and crime scene personnel responded to both scenes and were able to determine he was shot in the 2900 block of Van Brunt, and that both shooting calls were related.&nbsp;</p><p>Just after 2a.m. Monday, officers were notified Weintraub died of his injuries at the hospital. This is now being investigated as a homicide, and homicide detectives have taken over the case, according to DiMartino. The name of the victim has not been released.</p>

KCPD: Sunday shooting victim dies at the hospital

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Zoo reported on Monday they recently learned of a potential case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) identified within Sedgwick County. 

While this strain doesn't pose a high risk to human health, it does put many Zoo animals at risk. To ensure their safety, the zoo activated their HPAI action plan. As a result, the Tropics building at the zoo will be temporarily closed.

"Our dedicated animal care staff is working tirelessly to provide the birds with the best care, following strict safety protocols. We appreciate your understanding and support. We'll keep you updated regarding the reopening of this habitat"

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Zoo reported on Monday they recently learned of a potential case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) identified within Sedgwick County. </p><p>While this strain doesn't pose a high risk to human health, it does put many Zoo animals at risk. To ensure their safety, the zoo activated their HPAI action plan. As a result, the Tropics building at the zoo will be temporarily closed.</p><p>"Our dedicated animal care staff is working tirelessly to provide the birds with the best care, following strict safety protocols. We appreciate your understanding and support. We'll keep you updated regarding the reopening of this habitat"</p>

Case of bird flu prompts closure at Kansas zoo

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/bill-barrow">BILL BARROW</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/john-hanna">JOHN HANNA</a>

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the U.S. Senate in Texas, telling President Donald Trump, “I’m coming for you,” and bringing a national profile to what could be a critical race for Democrats’ long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.

Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats, a frequent target of GOP attacks and a Trump target, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. She is seeking the Senate seat held by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-cornyn">Republican John Cornyn</a>, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.

“As a candidate who is constantly attacked and seen as a threat, it’s because I am,” Crockett told supporters in Dallas. “I’m the only one who has gone toe to toe with Donald Trump, and there’s a reason he’s always got my name in his mouth.”

Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to wrest control from Republicans next November, when most of the seats up for reelection are in states like Texas that President Donald Trump won last year. Democrats have long hoped to make Texas more competitive after decades of Republican dominance. Cornyn, first elected to the Senate since 2002, is facing the toughest GOP primary of his career against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton">Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-election-2026-texas-hunt-cornyn-paxton-450ee0f067273ca75de9268cf928d0be">U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt</a>.

Crockett’s announcement came hours after former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-us-senate-cornyn-allred-8d219b9bd7adceec7c82509693561e12">Rep. Colin Allred</a>&nbsp;ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid. She faces a March 3 primary against Democratic state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-talarico-cornyn-paxton-us-senate-texas-1826fe4d6aa162f0bdb8059c58987aa9">Rep. James Talarico</a>, a former teacher with a rising national profile fueled by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jamestalarico/video/7504107443882822958" target="_blank">viral social media posts</a>&nbsp;challenging Republican policies such as private school vouchers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ten-commandments-texas-schools-f16713552035212c4c5430e988dfcf82">requiring the Ten Commandments</a>&nbsp;in classrooms.

“It’s going to be a sprint from now until the primary, but in Texas you have to think about the voter base overall in November, too,” said Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant who has worked for Allred before and worked on other campaigns in Texas. “Who can do the work on the ground? After the primary, who can win in the general?”

GOP hopes to make Crockett’s style a liability

Talarico raised almost $6.3 million in the three weeks after he formally organized his primary campaign committee in September and had nearly $5 million in cash on hand at the end of the month, campaign finance reports showed. Crockett raised about $2.7 million for her House campaign fund from July through September and ended September with $4.6 million.

Crockett could test Democratic voters’ appetite for a blunt communicator who is eager to take on Republicans as Democrats pursue their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.

Republicans were quick Monday to try to turn Crockett’s penchant for public clashes with opponents into liabilities. Paxton called her “Crazy Crockett.”

Cornyn told reporters at the U.S. Capitol he was eager for the chance to face her.

“I think that would be a lot of fun,” he said. “She just says such inflammatory and crazy things.”

Talarico welcomed Crockett to the Democratic primary but pointed to his fundraising and said he has 10,000 volunteers.

“Our movement is rooted in unity over division,” he said in a statement.

Democrats see their best opportunity to pick up the Texas seat if Paxton wins the Republican nomination because he has been shadowed for much of his career by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paxton-mortgages-trump-primary-residence-homestead-deduction-bd259b6bd122afcaf4f11eac5a3a152e">legal and personal issues.</a>&nbsp;Yet Paxton is popular with Trump’s most ardent supporters.

Hunt, who has served two terms representing a Houston-area district,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-election-2026-texas-hunt-cornyn-paxton-450ee0f067273ca75de9268cf928d0be">defied GOP leaders</a>&nbsp;by entering the GOP race.

Crockett told her cheering crowd in Dallas to “tune out” those who say she can’t win in the GOP-dominated state because she is Black, a woman or a Democrat.

Ahead of her 43-minute speech, Crockett’s campaign played a video of her with audio of Trump criticizing her playing over it, mocking the idea that she’s represents the Democratic Party’s future. Trump has called her a “low IQ person.” In response, Crockett said she would agree to take an IQ test against the president.

Crockett addressed the president directly several times.

“You better get to work because I’m coming for you,” she said. “I’m not going away. I’m not giving up.”

Crockett is a civil rights attorney and a former public defender and once the youngest Black Democratic county chair in Texas. She served in the Texas House before winning the first of her two terms in Congress in 2000.

She’s built her national profile with a candid style and viral moments on Capitol Hill. Crockett traded insults with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who announced last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-green-congress-resigns-trump-maga-5f42d4893343babc8e87da1491a0de2b">she would resign in January</a>, and had heated exchanges with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

She also mocked Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who uses a wheelchair —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crockett-abbott-wheelchair-a38d50b41e35cc6e05f5d72ad74ff54f">as “Gov. Hot Wheels.”</a>&nbsp;She later said she was referring to Abbott’s policy of using “planes, trains and automobiles” to send thousands of immigrants in Texas illegally to Democratic-led cities.

Democrats’ best showing in a statewide race in the past three decades was in 2018, when former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-senate-senate-elections-8457f060af45417db0bb91be5fb8cb8f">came within 3 points</a>&nbsp;of ousting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. It was the midterm election of Trump’s first administration, and Democrats believe next year’s race could be similarly favorable to their party.

A former professional football player and civil rights attorney, Allred was among Democrats’ star recruits in 2018.

Allred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ted-cruz-texas-senate-colin-allred-abortion-immigration-91d4b5877fb9d6467fecfe6ff4f1ddcd">lost to Cruz</a>&nbsp;by 8.5 points last year. He is running for the House in a Dallas-Fort Worth area district under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-redistricting-texas-trump-02b07b477b153f23ed5c387f2f9ae0c4">a new map</a>&nbsp;approved this year by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature to meet Trump’s call for more winnable Republican seats. The district has some areas Allred represented for six years before his run for the Senate in 2024.

Allred says he wants to avoid a bruising primary

An internal party battle, Allred said, “would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers.”

Marshall said Crockett is a “solid national figure” who has a large social media following and is a frequent presence on cable news. That could be an advantage with Democratic primary voters, Marshall said, but not necessarily afterward.

Talarico, meanwhile, must raise money and build name recognition to make the leap from the Texas House of Representatives to a strong statewide candidacy, Marshall said.

A winning Democratic candidate in Texas, Marshall said, would have to energize Black voters, mainly in metro Houston and Dallas, win the kind of diverse suburbs and exurbs like those Allred once represented in Congress, and get enough rural votes, especially among Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s about building complicated coalitions in a big state,” Marshall said.

<p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/bill-barrow">BILL BARROW</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/john-hanna">JOHN HANNA</a></p><p>Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the U.S. Senate in Texas, telling President Donald Trump, “I’m coming for you,” and bringing a national profile to what could be a critical race for Democrats’ long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 JUST IN: US Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett royally SCREWED UP by making her campaign launch video Donald Trump calling her &quot;low IQ&quot; on repeat, while she awkwardly stares into the camera.<br><br>Trump won Texas by 14 points.<br><br>Absolute EMBARRASSMENT.<a href="https://t.co/OA1iGl5PRy">pic.twitter.com/OA1iGl5PRy</a></p>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998154602034909403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Announcement <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JasmineForUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JasmineForUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasTough?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasTough</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZpN6pD4kUQ">https://t.co/ZpN6pD4kUQ</a></p>&mdash; Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasmineForUS/status/1998162866629943774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats, a frequent target of GOP attacks and a Trump target, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. She is seeking the Senate seat held by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-cornyn">Republican John Cornyn</a>, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.</p><p>“As a candidate who is constantly attacked and seen as a threat, it’s because I am,” Crockett told supporters in Dallas. “I’m the only one who has gone toe to toe with Donald Trump, and there’s a reason he’s always got my name in his mouth.”</p><p>Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to wrest control from Republicans next November, when most of the seats up for reelection are in states like Texas that President Donald Trump won last year. Democrats have long hoped to make Texas more competitive after decades of Republican dominance. Cornyn, first elected to the Senate since 2002, is facing the toughest GOP primary of his career against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton">Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-election-2026-texas-hunt-cornyn-paxton-450ee0f067273ca75de9268cf928d0be">U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt</a>.</p><p>Crockett’s announcement came hours after former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-us-senate-cornyn-allred-8d219b9bd7adceec7c82509693561e12">Rep. Colin Allred</a>&nbsp;ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid. She faces a March 3 primary against Democratic state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-talarico-cornyn-paxton-us-senate-texas-1826fe4d6aa162f0bdb8059c58987aa9">Rep. James Talarico</a>, a former teacher with a rising national profile fueled by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jamestalarico/video/7504107443882822958" target="_blank">viral social media posts</a>&nbsp;challenging Republican policies such as private school vouchers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ten-commandments-texas-schools-f16713552035212c4c5430e988dfcf82">requiring the Ten Commandments</a>&nbsp;in classrooms.</p><p>“It’s going to be a sprint from now until the primary, but in Texas you have to think about the voter base overall in November, too,” said Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant who has worked for Allred before and worked on other campaigns in Texas. “Who can do the work on the ground? After the primary, who can win in the general?”</p><h2>GOP hopes to make Crockett’s style a liability</h2><p>Talarico raised almost $6.3 million in the three weeks after he formally organized his primary campaign committee in September and had nearly $5 million in cash on hand at the end of the month, campaign finance reports showed. Crockett raised about $2.7 million for her House campaign fund from July through September and ended September with $4.6 million.</p><p>Crockett could test Democratic voters’ appetite for a blunt communicator who is eager to take on Republicans as Democrats pursue their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994.</p><p>Republicans were quick Monday to try to turn Crockett’s penchant for public clashes with opponents into liabilities. Paxton called her “Crazy Crockett.”</p><p>Cornyn told reporters at the U.S. Capitol he was eager for the chance to face her.</p><p>“I think that would be a lot of fun,” he said. “She just says such inflammatory and crazy things.”</p><p>Talarico welcomed Crockett to the Democratic primary but pointed to his fundraising and said he has 10,000 volunteers.</p><p>“Our movement is rooted in unity over division,” he said in a statement.</p><h2>Crockett speaks directly to Trump</h2><p>Democrats see their best opportunity to pick up the Texas seat if Paxton wins the Republican nomination because he has been shadowed for much of his career by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paxton-mortgages-trump-primary-residence-homestead-deduction-bd259b6bd122afcaf4f11eac5a3a152e">legal and personal issues.</a>&nbsp;Yet Paxton is popular with Trump’s most ardent supporters.</p><p>Hunt, who has served two terms representing a Houston-area district,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-election-2026-texas-hunt-cornyn-paxton-450ee0f067273ca75de9268cf928d0be">defied GOP leaders</a>&nbsp;by entering the GOP race.</p><p>Crockett told her cheering crowd in Dallas to “tune out” those who say she can’t win in the GOP-dominated state because she is Black, a woman or a Democrat.</p><p>Ahead of her 43-minute speech, Crockett’s campaign played a video of her with audio of Trump criticizing her playing over it, mocking the idea that she’s represents the Democratic Party’s future. Trump has called her a “low IQ person.” In response, Crockett said she would agree to take an IQ test against the president.</p><p>Crockett addressed the president directly several times.</p><p>“You better get to work because I’m coming for you,” she said. “I’m not going away. I’m not giving up.”</p><h2>Crockett is known for her viral moments</h2><p>Crockett is a civil rights attorney and a former public defender and once the youngest Black Democratic county chair in Texas. She served in the Texas House before winning the first of her two terms in Congress in 2000.</p><p>She’s built her national profile with a candid style and viral moments on Capitol Hill. Crockett traded insults with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who announced last month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-green-congress-resigns-trump-maga-5f42d4893343babc8e87da1491a0de2b">she would resign in January</a>, and had heated exchanges with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.</p><p>She also mocked Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who uses a wheelchair —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crockett-abbott-wheelchair-a38d50b41e35cc6e05f5d72ad74ff54f">as “Gov. Hot Wheels.”</a>&nbsp;She later said she was referring to Abbott’s policy of using “planes, trains and automobiles” to send thousands of immigrants in Texas illegally to Democratic-led cities.</p><p>Democrats’ best showing in a statewide race in the past three decades was in 2018, when former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-senate-senate-elections-8457f060af45417db0bb91be5fb8cb8f">came within 3 points</a>&nbsp;of ousting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. It was the midterm election of Trump’s first administration, and Democrats believe next year’s race could be similarly favorable to their party.</p><p>A former professional football player and civil rights attorney, Allred was among Democrats’ star recruits in 2018.</p><p>Allred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ted-cruz-texas-senate-colin-allred-abortion-immigration-91d4b5877fb9d6467fecfe6ff4f1ddcd">lost to Cruz</a>&nbsp;by 8.5 points last year. He is running for the House in a Dallas-Fort Worth area district under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-redistricting-texas-trump-02b07b477b153f23ed5c387f2f9ae0c4">a new map</a>&nbsp;approved this year by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature to meet Trump’s call for more winnable Republican seats. The district has some areas Allred represented for six years before his run for the Senate in 2024.</p><h2>Allred says he wants to avoid a bruising primary</h2><p>An internal party battle, Allred said, “would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers.”</p><p>Marshall said Crockett is a “solid national figure” who has a large social media following and is a frequent presence on cable news. That could be an advantage with Democratic primary voters, Marshall said, but not necessarily afterward.</p><p>Talarico, meanwhile, must raise money and build name recognition to make the leap from the Texas House of Representatives to a strong statewide candidacy, Marshall said.</p><p>A winning Democratic candidate in Texas, Marshall said, would have to energize Black voters, mainly in metro Houston and Dallas, win the kind of diverse suburbs and exurbs like those Allred once represented in Congress, and get enough rural votes, especially among Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley.</p><p>“It’s about building complicated coalitions in a big state,” Marshall said.</p>

🎥 Jasmine Crockett announces US Senate bid, tells Trump 'I'm coming for you'

CRAWFORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Monday in Crawford County.&nbsp;

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Eric M. Myers, 38, Des Moines, Iowa, was eastbound on U.S. 400 four and one half miles west of Kansas 7.

The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2001 Dodge Dakota driven by Carol S. Sharp, 68, Altoona, head-on. After impact the pickup traveled off the road and rolled into the north ditch.

EMS transported Sharp to Mercy Hospital in Joplin where she was pronouned deceased and Myers to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburg. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<p>CRAWFORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Monday in Crawford County.&nbsp;</p><p>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Eric M. Myers, 38, Des Moines, Iowa, was eastbound on U.S. 400 four and one half miles west of Kansas 7.</p><p>The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2001 Dodge Dakota driven by Carol S. Sharp, 68, Altoona, head-on. After impact the pickup traveled off the road and rolled into the north ditch.</p><p>EMS transported Sharp to Mercy Hospital in Joplin where she was pronouned deceased and Myers to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburg. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.</p>

Kansas woman killed in head-on crash

KANSAS CITY —Pet owners learned have much for which to be thankful after a fire at a boarding facility in the Kansas City metro.

On Sunday night,&nbsp; police assisted fire crews on a smoke alarm call at Lily's Play and Stay 511 Main Street in the city of Belton, according to a media release from the Belton Fire Department.

 Upon arrival, crews discovered smoke and fire inside the building. Fire crews quickly located and extinguished the fire and safely rescued one dog from the affected room. 

The dog was transported by a boarding employee for treatment related to smoke inhalation. Belton Police Officers and Animal Control relocated the remaining 17 animals to ensure their safety.&nbsp; Those animals were taken to Lily’s Rescue Rehab, 1016, north Scott Avenue in Belton. "&nbsp;All pets are safe and accounted for, and our team is working to make sure everyone remains comfortable and cared for," according to the boarding facility.&nbsp; There was no official word on when the boarding facility would reopen or on a cause of the fire.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765225798092.png" alt="Photos Belton Fire Dept." />
                        <figcaption>Photos Belton Fire Dept.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —Pet owners learned have much for which to be thankful after a fire at a boarding facility in the Kansas City metro.</p><p>On Sunday night,&nbsp; police assisted fire crews on a smoke alarm call at Lily's Play and Stay 511 Main Street in the city of Belton, according to a media release from the Belton Fire Department.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765225778375.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p> Upon arrival, crews discovered smoke and fire inside the building. Fire crews quickly located and extinguished the fire and safely rescued one dog from the affected room. </p><p>The dog was transported by a boarding employee for treatment related to smoke inhalation. Belton Police Officers and Animal Control relocated the remaining 17 animals to ensure their safety.&nbsp; Those animals were taken to Lily’s Rescue Rehab, 1016, north Scott Avenue in Belton. "&nbsp;All pets are safe and accounted for, and our team is working to make sure everyone remains comfortable and cared for," according to the boarding facility.&nbsp; There was no official word on when the boarding facility would reopen or on a cause of the fire.</p>

Pets rescued from Kansas City area boarding facility

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A jury last week convicted a Kansas man of shooting a woman, later identified as the mother of his children, outside a Wichita elementary school in 2024.

Vincent Solomon, 46, was found guilty of&nbsp;of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, criminal use of weapons and interference with law enforcement in Judge William Wooley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 9a.m. September 23, 2024, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a news conference.

The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located Solomon who was armed with a handgun. Solomon made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.

Solomon then ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for Solomon to drop his gun and observed Solomon place the gun to the woman's head.

In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. Solomon would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm Solomon physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm Solomon.

Investigators later learned that Solomon and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to Solomon shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw Solomon with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.

EMS transported Somomon and the woman to an area hospital.&nbsp;The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct an investigation. Solomon met the requirement of a $750,000 bond and is no longer in custody.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727347323043.png" alt="Solomon photo Sedgwick Co." />
                        <figcaption>Solomon photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A jury last week convicted a Kansas man of shooting a woman, later identified as the mother of his children, outside a Wichita elementary school in 2024.</p><p>Vincent Solomon, 46, was found guilty of&nbsp;of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, criminal use of weapons and interference with law enforcement in Judge William Wooley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727210527551.png" alt="Image from security camera shows Solomon chasing the woman, after she had been shot, as they approach the entrance to the school.- image from Wichita Police" />
                        <figcaption>Image from security camera shows Solomon chasing the woman, after she had been shot, as they approach the entrance to the school.- image from Wichita Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Just after 9a.m. September 23, 2024, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a news conference.</p><p>The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located Solomon who was armed with a handgun. Solomon made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.</p><p>Solomon then ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for Solomon to drop his gun and observed Solomon place the gun to the woman's head.</p><p>In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. Solomon would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm Solomon physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm Solomon.</p><p>Investigators later learned that Solomon and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to Solomon shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw Solomon with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.</p><p>EMS transported Somomon and the woman to an area hospital.&nbsp;The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct an investigation. Solomon met the requirement of a $750,000 bond and is no longer in custody.</p>

Jury: Man guilty of shooting wife outside Kan. elementary school

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced a $12 billion farm aid package on Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;on China as part of a broader trade war.

He unveiled the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who raise cattle and grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, wheat, and potatoes.

“$12 billion is a lot of money,” Trump said, adding that the additional aid will help provide certainty for farmers. The money is coming from tariff revenue, he said.

Rollins said that $11 billion is being announced on Monday, while another $1 billion is being held back for specialty crops as the administration works to better understand the circumstances for those farmers. The aid will move by the end of next February, Rollins said.

“We looked at how they were hurt, to what extent they were hurt,” Trump said in explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. “We figured out a very exact number, and it was about $12 billion.”

Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-coffee-beef-fruit-4fe084c2724ec6d92096efa263fdcf76">frequently changing tariff rates</a>&nbsp;have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries.

Upwards of $11 billion is set aside for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which the White House says will offer one-time payments to farmers for row crops.

Soybeans and sorghum were hit the hardest by the trade dispute with China because more than half of those crops are exported each year with most of the harvest going to China.

The aid is meant to help farmers who have suffered from trade wars with other nations, inflation, and other market disruptions. The rest of the money will be for farmers who grow crops not covered under the bridge assistance program, according to a White House official who was granted anonymity ahead of the formal announcement to detail the new plan. The money is intended to offer certainty to farmers as they sell their current harvest, as well as plan for next year’s crop.

In October, after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year, plus 25 million metric tons a year in each of the next three years. Soybean farmers have been hit especially hard by Trump’s trade war with China, which is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-tariffs-agriculture-china-d5674c21e240acdc72cde76e474f172a">world’s largest buyer</a>&nbsp;of soybeans.

China has purchased more than 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans since Trump announced the agreement at the end of October. That’s only about one quarter of what administration officials said China had promised, but Bessent has said China is on track to meet its goal by the end of February.

“These prices haven’t come in, because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,” Bessent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” explaining why a “bridge payment” to farmers was needed.

The size of the $12 billion aid package is roughly the value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024 and half of the total exports of U.S. farm goods to China in 2024.

Farmers appreciate the aid package, but they say it’s likely only a down payment on what’s needed and government aid doesn’t solve the fundamental problems farmers are facing of soaring costs and uncertain markets for their crops. During Trump’s first term, he gave farmers more than $22 billion in aid payments in 2019 at the start of his trade war with China and nearly $46 billion in 2020, although that year also included aid related to the COVID pandemic.

But farmers want to make a profit off of selling their crops -- not rely on government aid to survive.

“That’s a start, but I think we need to be looking for some avenues to find other funding opportunities and we need to get our markets going. That’s where we want to be able to make a living from,” said Caleb Ragland, the Kentucky farmer who serves as president of the American Soybean Association.

If farmers can’t make ends meet this year, there will likely be additional consolidation in the industry with giant industrial farms only getting bigger while the number of smaller family farmers continues to shrink. The farmers most at risk are younger farmers and those who rent -- instead of own -- most of the ground they farm because they don’t have much ability to borrow against the equity in their land.

Most established farmers will be able to borrow more to survive the trade war. But older farmers who spent their whole lives building up equity may decide to retire instead of risk everything they built up unless they are trying to help the next generation of farmers get established on their land.

Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt is in a difficult position because he only owns 160 of the 2,000 acres he farms. So he’s selling some of his equipment that’s not essential and looking into whether he can pick up some overnight trucking jobs to help raise some cash.

“It is to the point where I don’t want to saddle my kid with the kind of stress that my wife and I are under right now,” Ewoldt said.

Trump has also been under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-beef-justice-department-c6c57effee6ef1a8c1088d4e5edcc60a">address soaring beef prices</a>, which have hit records for a number of reasons. Demand for beef has been strong at a time when drought has cut U.S. herds and imports from Mexico are down due to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/screwworm-mexico-cattle-tariffs-parasite-nuevo-leon-649a82dedfa81dc215aebba16bb8cc67">resurgence in a parasite</a>. Trump has said he would allow for more imports of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-argentina-us-consumers-prices-f7fadbe1b3fef4646f9c3623f901209a">Argentine beef</a>.

He also had asked the Department of Justice to investigate foreign-owned meat packers he accused of driving up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/beef-prices-rising-us">the price of beef</a>, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims.

On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains — including seed, fertilizer and equipment — and consider taking enforcement actions or developing new regulations.

Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota contributed to this report.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765228441626.jpeg" alt="President Trump with farmers and ranchers in Oval Office Monday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump with farmers and ranchers in Oval Office Monday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced a $12 billion farm aid package on Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;on China as part of a broader trade war.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I&#39;m delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs... We&#39;re going to use that money to provide $12B in economic assistance to American farmers.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/upHPD6a9eP">pic.twitter.com/upHPD6a9eP</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998115240983019905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRollins</a>: As <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> said, we are very pleased to announce that today, we are going to be effectuating a $11B bridge payment to our farmers... by the end of this month, every farmer that is able to apply for it will know exactly what that number looks like. <a href="https://t.co/3cKmFw6OQC">https://t.co/3cKmFw6OQC</a> <a href="https://t.co/hUk5XFmVMd">pic.twitter.com/hUk5XFmVMd</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998118157178069161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &quot;These direct payments will give producers the breathing room they need to market this year’s harvest and plan for next season... thanks to the administration&#39;s pro growth policies, input costs like fuel and fertilizer are easing... Interest rates are coming… <a href="https://t.co/3cKmFw6OQC">https://t.co/3cKmFw6OQC</a> <a href="https://t.co/afbyMM1E89">pic.twitter.com/afbyMM1E89</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998120274764632411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on lowering the cost of farm equipment: &quot;We’re going to take off a lot of the environmental restrictions that they have on machinery... we’re going to take a lot of that nonsense off of the equipment, which is going to reduce [prices].&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bPuKHsgeGA">pic.twitter.com/bPuKHsgeGA</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998119170899136723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces 12 billion in economic assistance to farmers: &quot;We&#39;re going to use that money to provide 12 billion dollars in economic assistance to American farmers&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SR3Yti19GA">pic.twitter.com/SR3Yti19GA</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998125773304066198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces 12 billion in economic assistance to farmers: &quot;We&#39;re going to use that money to provide 12 billion dollars in economic assistance to American farmers&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SR3Yti19GA">pic.twitter.com/SR3Yti19GA</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998125773304066198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Farmers are an indispensable national asset, part of the backbone of America…I’ve always felt it so strongly. They are so important.” <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/hDv28uOrdM">pic.twitter.com/hDv28uOrdM</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1998122795981541672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Meryl Kennedy, Rice, Corn, and Soybean Farmer from Monroe, LA: &quot;The rice industry thanks you sincerely for what you have done for the California rice market into Japan. It has been monumental for our industry.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4tqdnu25Io">pic.twitter.com/4tqdnu25Io</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998124143968145796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cordt Holub, Corn and Soybean Farmer from Dysart, Iowa: &quot;I think you brought Christmas to farmers with this bridge payment... What you&#39;re doing here in D.C. is working... I&#39;ll be able to potentially pass on a farm to my children because of you.&quot; ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/3cKmFw6h14">https://t.co/3cKmFw6h14</a> <a href="https://t.co/aW1qXFws2Q">pic.twitter.com/aW1qXFws2Q</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1998122935828058237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>He unveiled the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who raise cattle and grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, wheat, and potatoes.</p><p>“$12 billion is a lot of money,” Trump said, adding that the additional aid will help provide certainty for farmers. The money is coming from tariff revenue, he said.</p><p>Rollins said that $11 billion is being announced on Monday, while another $1 billion is being held back for specialty crops as the administration works to better understand the circumstances for those farmers. The aid will move by the end of next February, Rollins said.</p><p>“We looked at how they were hurt, to what extent they were hurt,” Trump said in explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. “We figured out a very exact number, and it was about $12 billion.”</p><p>Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-coffee-beef-fruit-4fe084c2724ec6d92096efa263fdcf76">frequently changing tariff rates</a>&nbsp;have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries.</p><p>Upwards of $11 billion is set aside for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which the White House says will offer one-time payments to farmers for row crops.</p><p>Soybeans and sorghum were hit the hardest by the trade dispute with China because more than half of those crops are exported each year with most of the harvest going to China.</p><p>The aid is meant to help farmers who have suffered from trade wars with other nations, inflation, and other market disruptions. The rest of the money will be for farmers who grow crops not covered under the bridge assistance program, according to a White House official who was granted anonymity ahead of the formal announcement to detail the new plan. The money is intended to offer certainty to farmers as they sell their current harvest, as well as plan for next year’s crop.</p><h2>China purchases have been slow</h2><p>In October, after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year, plus 25 million metric tons a year in each of the next three years. Soybean farmers have been hit especially hard by Trump’s trade war with China, which is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-tariffs-agriculture-china-d5674c21e240acdc72cde76e474f172a">world’s largest buyer</a>&nbsp;of soybeans.</p><p>China has purchased more than 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans since Trump announced the agreement at the end of October. That’s only about one quarter of what administration officials said China had promised, but Bessent has said China is on track to meet its goal by the end of February.</p><p>“These prices haven’t come in, because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,” Bessent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” explaining why a “bridge payment” to farmers was needed.</p><p>The size of the $12 billion aid package is roughly the value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024 and half of the total exports of U.S. farm goods to China in 2024.</p><p>Farmers appreciate the aid package, but they say it’s likely only a down payment on what’s needed and government aid doesn’t solve the fundamental problems farmers are facing of soaring costs and uncertain markets for their crops. During Trump’s first term, he gave farmers more than $22 billion in aid payments in 2019 at the start of his trade war with China and nearly $46 billion in 2020, although that year also included aid related to the COVID pandemic.</p><p>But farmers want to make a profit off of selling their crops -- not rely on government aid to survive.</p><p>“That’s a start, but I think we need to be looking for some avenues to find other funding opportunities and we need to get our markets going. That’s where we want to be able to make a living from,” said Caleb Ragland, the Kentucky farmer who serves as president of the American Soybean Association.</p><p>If farmers can’t make ends meet this year, there will likely be additional consolidation in the industry with giant industrial farms only getting bigger while the number of smaller family farmers continues to shrink. The farmers most at risk are younger farmers and those who rent -- instead of own -- most of the ground they farm because they don’t have much ability to borrow against the equity in their land.</p><p>Most established farmers will be able to borrow more to survive the trade war. But older farmers who spent their whole lives building up equity may decide to retire instead of risk everything they built up unless they are trying to help the next generation of farmers get established on their land.</p><p>Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt is in a difficult position because he only owns 160 of the 2,000 acres he farms. So he’s selling some of his equipment that’s not essential and looking into whether he can pick up some overnight trucking jobs to help raise some cash.</p><p>“It is to the point where I don’t want to saddle my kid with the kind of stress that my wife and I are under right now,” Ewoldt said.</p><p>Trump has also been under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-beef-justice-department-c6c57effee6ef1a8c1088d4e5edcc60a">address soaring beef prices</a>, which have hit records for a number of reasons. Demand for beef has been strong at a time when drought has cut U.S. herds and imports from Mexico are down due to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/screwworm-mexico-cattle-tariffs-parasite-nuevo-leon-649a82dedfa81dc215aebba16bb8cc67">resurgence in a parasite</a>. Trump has said he would allow for more imports of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-argentina-us-consumers-prices-f7fadbe1b3fef4646f9c3623f901209a">Argentine beef</a>.</p><p>He also had asked the Department of Justice to investigate foreign-owned meat packers he accused of driving up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/beef-prices-rising-us">the price of beef</a>, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims.</p><p>On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains — including seed, fertilizer and equipment — and consider taking enforcement actions or developing new regulations.</p><p>___</p><p>Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota contributed to this report.</p>

🎥President Trump details the $12B aid package for farmers

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 1a.m.&nbsp;Monday, an officer on patrol conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block South 6th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. The driver 34-year-old Megan McClain, was taken into custody on traffic charges and found to be in possession of controlled substances.

McClain was later booking into the county jail on requested charges of driving while suspended, no vehicle insurance, expired tag, possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of a prescription drugs, according to Wilson.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765207836103.png" alt="Mclain photo Atchison Co." />
                        <figcaption>Mclain photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.</p><p>Just after 1a.m.&nbsp;Monday, an officer on patrol conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block South 6th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. The driver 34-year-old Megan McClain, was taken into custody on traffic charges and found to be in possession of controlled substances.</p><p>McClain was later booking into the county jail on requested charges of driving while suspended, no vehicle insurance, expired tag, possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of a prescription drugs, according to Wilson.</p>

Police: Kansas driver with an expired tag was transporting drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-executive-power-firing-0b2e5e38911f17059187a92eb533b273">control over independent federal agencies</a>, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/25-332">Click here for a replay</a> of the Supreme Court oral argument

The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">90-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members — in part to try to ensure decision making free of political influence — or leave it with only its shell intact.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the crux of the issue is that the officials who direct the agencies “are exercising massive power over individual liberty and billion-dollar industries” without being accountable to anyone.

Liberal justices warned that a ruling sought by the administration to overturn the decision known as Humphrey's Executor would give the president, as Justice Elena Kagan said, “massive unchecked, uncontrolled power.”

Agencies that have been in place for a century or more also would be robbed of their expertise, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said.

“So having a President come in and fire all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the PhDs and replacing them with loyalists and people who don’t know anything is actually not in the best interest of the citizens of the United States,” Jackson said.

No president before Trump has sought to wrest control of the agencies that regulate wide swaths of American life, including nuclear energy, product safety and labor relations. But the six conservatives, including three appointed by Trump, seemed more concerned about issuing a ruling that would endure than handing too much power to Trump.

Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the presidential immunity case in 2024 that allowed Trump to avoid prosecution for his efforts to undo the 2020 election results. The court is writing a decision “for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said then.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who argued the immunity case for Trump, defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president's</a>&nbsp;decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-supreme-court-dbe174d342817e1ae84bce3e9c40bd48">Rebecca Slaughter</a>&nbsp;without cause and called on the court to jettison Humphrey's Executor.

Sauer said the decision “hasn't withstood the test of time” and had enabled a “headless fourth branch” of government, the administrative state that conservatives and business interests have been taking aim at for decades.

Chief Justice John Roberts referred to Humphrey’s Executor as “a dried husk.”

The conservative side of the court already has signaled support for the administration's position, over the liberals' objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

Members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also have been fired by Trump.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-5a48941a9e30017b0ed3e5837492d288">Lisa Cook</a>, a Federal Reserve governor, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-copyright-official-firing-c5ccca29ff5413815347340ffa300f69">Shira Perlmutter</a>, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf">suggested</a>&nbsp;that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">allegations of mortgage fraud</a>. Cook says she did nothing wrong.

A second question in the Slaughter case could affect Cook. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.

Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.

That might affect Cook’s ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court challenge proceeds.

Kavanaugh signaled that he is inclined to side with Cook, describing as an “end run” the idea that an illegally fired official would only be entitled to her salary.

Under Roberts' leadership, the court has issued a series of decisions dating back to 2010 that have steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president’s ability to fire people.

In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that “the President’s removal power is the rule, not the exception” in a decision upholding Trump’s firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphrey’s case.

In the 2024 immunity decision, Roberts included the power to fire among the president’s “conclusive and preclusive” powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.

The court also was dealing with an FTC member who was fired, by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, who preferred his own choice at an agency that would have a lot to say about the New Deal.

William Humphrey refused Roosevelt's request for his resignation. After Humphrey died the next year, the person charged with administering his estate, Humphrey’s executor, sued for back pay.

The justices unanimously upheld the law establishing the FTC and limiting the president to removing a commissioner only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
                        <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday seemed likely to expand presidential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-executive-power-firing-0b2e5e38911f17059187a92eb533b273">control over independent federal agencies</a>, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s firing of board members.</p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/25-332">Click here for a replay</a> of the Supreme Court oral argument</p><p>The court’s conservative majority suggested it would overturn a unanimous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">90-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;that has limited when presidents can fire agencies’ board members — in part to try to ensure decision making free of political influence — or leave it with only its shell intact.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chief Justice Roberts asks whether Humphrey’s Executor is outdated saying it is “vanishingly insignificant has nothing to do with what the FTC looks like today.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YfvDBOdpU0">pic.twitter.com/YfvDBOdpU0</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998111919077478432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justice Jackson argues in favor of giving Congress increased authority in determining an agency&#39;s operations rather than Executive authority. <a href="https://t.co/wj8hNEsnqY">pic.twitter.com/wj8hNEsnqY</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998128563413721422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justice Jackson says that it is the “best interest of the American people to have certain kinds of issues handled by experts” and it is undermined when one person has too much power. Agarwal agrees, saying too much power with one person is problematic. <a href="https://t.co/recl3K6SiV">pic.twitter.com/recl3K6SiV</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998128420396372094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justice Gorsuch asks if Humphrey’s Executor may have been “poorly reasoned.” <a href="https://t.co/N16jL3thL6">pic.twitter.com/N16jL3thL6</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998112641840009570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chief Justice Roberts and other justices asks about Congress’s role in structuring agencies, whether Congress may transform standard executive agencies into independent commissions with removal protections that limit presidential control. <a href="https://t.co/BBJSKwJbq8">pic.twitter.com/BBJSKwJbq8</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998112019354980609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justice Kagan questions the independence of agencies that Congress has given authority w/o control by any single individual.<br><br>Justice Gorsuch asks if Congress has delegated too much legislative authority to agencies. <a href="https://t.co/fn4Oqx6gIM">pic.twitter.com/fn4Oqx6gIM</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998111481217376561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Justice Sotomayor asks U.S. Solicitor General for examples of any court cases that have broken a 90 plus year precedent that overturning Humphrey’s Executor, which limits the president&#39;s ability to fire officials in independent agencies, would do. <a href="https://t.co/seX4rP5fxt">pic.twitter.com/seX4rP5fxt</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1998110912784302256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the crux of the issue is that the officials who direct the agencies “are exercising massive power over individual liberty and billion-dollar industries” without being accountable to anyone.</p><p>Liberal justices warned that a ruling sought by the administration to overturn the decision known as Humphrey's Executor would give the president, as Justice Elena Kagan said, “massive unchecked, uncontrolled power.”</p><p>Agencies that have been in place for a century or more also would be robbed of their expertise, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said.</p><p>“So having a President come in and fire all the scientists and the doctors and the economists and the PhDs and replacing them with loyalists and people who don’t know anything is actually not in the best interest of the citizens of the United States,” Jackson said.</p><p>No president before Trump has sought to wrest control of the agencies that regulate wide swaths of American life, including nuclear energy, product safety and labor relations. But the six conservatives, including three appointed by Trump, seemed more concerned about issuing a ruling that would endure than handing too much power to Trump.</p><p>Their rhetoric was reminiscent of the presidential immunity case in 2024 that allowed Trump to avoid prosecution for his efforts to undo the 2020 election results. The court is writing a decision “for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said then.</p><p>Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who argued the immunity case for Trump, defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president's</a>&nbsp;decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-supreme-court-dbe174d342817e1ae84bce3e9c40bd48">Rebecca Slaughter</a>&nbsp;without cause and called on the court to jettison Humphrey's Executor.</p><p>Sauer said the decision “hasn't withstood the test of time” and had enabled a “headless fourth branch” of government, the administrative state that conservatives and business interests have been taking aim at for decades.</p><p>Chief Justice John Roberts referred to Humphrey’s Executor as “a dried husk.”</p><p>The conservative side of the court already has signaled support for the administration's position, over the liberals' objection, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.</p><p>Members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also have been fired by Trump.</p><p>The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-5a48941a9e30017b0ed3e5837492d288">Lisa Cook</a>, a Federal Reserve governor, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-copyright-official-firing-c5ccca29ff5413815347340ffa300f69">Shira Perlmutter</a>, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf">suggested</a>&nbsp;that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">allegations of mortgage fraud</a>. Cook says she did nothing wrong.</p><p>A second question in the Slaughter case could affect Cook. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.</p><p>Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.</p><p>That might affect Cook’s ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court challenge proceeds.</p><p>Kavanaugh signaled that he is inclined to side with Cook, describing as an “end run” the idea that an illegally fired official would only be entitled to her salary.</p><p>Under Roberts' leadership, the court has issued a series of decisions dating back to 2010 that have steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president’s ability to fire people.</p><p>In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that “the President’s removal power is the rule, not the exception” in a decision upholding Trump’s firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphrey’s case.</p><p>In the 2024 immunity decision, Roberts included the power to fire among the president’s “conclusive and preclusive” powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.</p><p>The court also was dealing with an FTC member who was fired, by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, who preferred his own choice at an agency that would have a lot to say about the New Deal.</p><p>William Humphrey refused Roosevelt's request for his resignation. After Humphrey died the next year, the person charged with administering his estate, Humphrey’s executor, sued for back pay.</p><p>The justices unanimously upheld the law establishing the FTC and limiting the president to removing a commissioner only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”</p>

🎧 Highlights: Supreme Court on expanding presidential powers

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/zohran-mamdani">Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;posted a video to social media on Sunday explaining immigrants’ right to refuse to speak to or comply with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, days after federal agents carried out a raid in Manhattan.

In the video, Mamdani vowed to protect the city’s 3 million immigrants, saying, “We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights.”

He explained that people in the U.S. can chose not to speak to federal immigration agents, film them without interfering and refuse their requests to enter private spaces. ICE agents cannot enter spaces like a home, school or private area of a workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, Mamdani said.

“ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent. If you’re being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you,” said Mamdani, who will be sworn in as mayor on Jan 1.

His comments came a week after demonstrators gathered as ICE attempted to detain people on Canal Street near New York’s Chinatown. A similar immigration sweep in the same neighborhood last October&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-immigration-sweep-chinatown-canal-street-a7f8cc60c128c67a5a7cd6003a0a856d">was also met with protests</a>.

“New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters,” Mamdani said in Sunday’s video.

Weeks earlier, Mamdani had a surprisingly cordial&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mamdani-meeting-new-york-f7d52b3b2deec058424680e922ef1d46">Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;with President Donald Trump, whose administration is carrying out federal immigration enforcement operations in several U.S. cities, most recently in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-new-orleans-online-monitoring-b2c300245ea4ffbef335502245760a1d">New Orleans</a>.

<p>NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/zohran-mamdani">Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;posted a video to social media on Sunday explaining immigrants’ right to refuse to speak to or comply with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, days after federal agents carried out a raid in Manhattan.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Know your rights. Protect your neighbors.<br><br>New York is — and always will be — a city for all immigrants. <a href="https://t.co/nuntRzgEwq">pic.twitter.com/nuntRzgEwq</a></p>&mdash; Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1997711937581510867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In the video, Mamdani vowed to protect the city’s 3 million immigrants, saying, “We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights.”</p><p>He explained that people in the U.S. can chose not to speak to federal immigration agents, film them without interfering and refuse their requests to enter private spaces. ICE agents cannot enter spaces like a home, school or private area of a workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, Mamdani said.</p><p>“ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent. If you’re being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you,” said Mamdani, who will be sworn in as mayor on Jan 1.</p><p>His comments came a week after demonstrators gathered as ICE attempted to detain people on Canal Street near New York’s Chinatown. A similar immigration sweep in the same neighborhood last October&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-immigration-sweep-chinatown-canal-street-a7f8cc60c128c67a5a7cd6003a0a856d">was also met with protests</a>.</p><p>“New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters,” Mamdani said in Sunday’s video.</p><p>Weeks earlier, Mamdani had a surprisingly cordial&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mamdani-meeting-new-york-f7d52b3b2deec058424680e922ef1d46">Oval Office meeting</a>&nbsp;with President Donald Trump, whose administration is carrying out federal immigration enforcement operations in several U.S. cities, most recently in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-new-orleans-online-monitoring-b2c300245ea4ffbef335502245760a1d">New Orleans</a>.</p>

🎥New York mayor-elect tells immigrants how to evade ICE

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas boy is in custody after accidentally shooting himself in Salina.

Just after 3:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a 16-year-old who reportedly suffered a gunshot wound, according to Salina Police Captain Jim Feldman.

Investigators determined the the boy was in a vehicle with other individuals, and was carrying a handgun under his left arm. When the boy&nbsp; reached for the handgun, a shot was fired and he received a superficial wound in his left armpit area.&nbsp; 

The driver of the vehicle transported the boy to Salina Regional Health Center.

Officers conducted a search warrant on the vehicle and confirmed the boy had shot himself. Police did not find the gun but did find marijuana and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The boy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City on requested charges of Criminal Use of a Weapon, Criminal Carrying of a Weapon, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm and Liquor Consumption.

<p>SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas boy is in custody after accidentally shooting himself in Salina.</p><p>Just after 3:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a 16-year-old who reportedly suffered a gunshot wound, according to Salina Police Captain Jim Feldman.</p><p>Investigators determined the the boy was in a vehicle with other individuals, and was carrying a handgun under his left arm. When the boy&nbsp; reached for the handgun, a shot was fired and he received a superficial wound in his left armpit area.&nbsp; </p><p>The driver of the vehicle transported the boy to Salina Regional Health Center.</p><p>Officers conducted a search warrant on the vehicle and confirmed the boy had shot himself. Police did not find the gun but did find marijuana and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The boy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City on requested charges of Criminal Use of a Weapon, Criminal Carrying of a Weapon, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm and Liquor Consumption.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;MID=181918;type=e959fb862;placementID=3072917;setID=524589;channelID=0;CID=0;BID=523374802;TAID=0;place=0;rnd=4753997179;psrtype=api;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fsalinapost.com%2Fposts%2F96d683ba-147c-43e8-a8ef-637109ebfdd6;request_uuid=46cc54ee-cc34-472c-b92f-1fe2e50ea9eb;mt=1765213857623899;hc=b7febe7d5fcae7417c92ab178bd77bf07551aea0" alt="" />
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Kansas boy in custody after accidentally shooting himself

RILEY COUNTY —On Monday, the Riley County Police Department issued an attempt to located for 29-year-old Erick Sanchez-Chavez of Manhattan. 

We’d like to speak to him regarding the death of Mark Rickenbaker in the 800 block of Colorado St on December 6.

&nbsp;Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check and located Rickenbaker who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;

Sanchez-Chavez is described as 5-foot 8,&nbsp; 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Do NOT approach or attempt to apprehend Sanchez-Chavez. 

If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765218730118.png" alt="Sanchez-Chavez-photo RCPD" />
                        <figcaption>Sanchez-Chavez-photo RCPD</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RILEY COUNTY —On Monday, the Riley County Police Department issued an attempt to located for 29-year-old Erick Sanchez-Chavez of Manhattan. </p><p>We’d like to speak to him regarding the death of Mark Rickenbaker in the 800 block of Colorado St on December 6.</p><p>&nbsp;Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check and located Rickenbaker who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;</p><p>Sanchez-Chavez is described as 5-foot 8,&nbsp; 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Do NOT approach or attempt to apprehend Sanchez-Chavez. </p><p>If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.</p>

Police ask for help to locate suspect in Kan. man's murder

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-park-service">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;will offer free admission to U.S. residents on President Donald Trump’s birthday next year — which also happens to be Flag Day — but is eliminating the benefit for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm" target="_blank">new list</a>&nbsp;of free admission days for Americans is the latest example of the Trump administration downplaying America’s civil rights history while also promoting the president’s image, name and legacy.

<a href="https://www.doi.gov/blog/mark-your-calendars-fee-free-days-2025" target="_blank">Last year</a>, the list of free days included Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth — which is June 19 — but not June 14, Trump’s birthday.

The new free-admission policy takes effect Jan. 1 and was one of several changes announced by the Park Service late last month, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-park-fees-international-tourists-557f52a2e3c12540594f19cadbbc8334">higher admission fees</a>&nbsp;for international visitors.

The other days of free park admission in 2026 are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27) and the anniversary of the creation of the Park Service (Aug. 25).

Eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr</a>. Day and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm" target="_blank">Juneteenth</a>, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans were emancipated, removes two of the nation’s most prominent civil rights holidays.

Some civil rights leaders voiced opposition to the change after news about it began spreading over the weekend.

“The raw &amp; rank racism here stinks to high heaven,” Harvard Kennedy School professor Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP, wrote on social media about the new policy.

Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while presidential administrations have tweaked the free days in the past, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is particularly concerning. For one, the day has become a popular day of service for community groups that use the free day to perform volunteer projects at parks.

That will now be much more expensive, said Brengel, whose organization is a nonprofit that advocates for the park system.

“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” Brengel said. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”

Some Democratic lawmakers also weighed in to object to the new policy.

“The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom,” said Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. “Our country deserves better.”

A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday seeking information about the reasons behind the changes.

Since taking office, Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">sought to eliminate</a>&nbsp;programs seen as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">promoting diversity</a>&nbsp;across the federal government, actions that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">erased or downplayed</a>&nbsp;America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-park-service-disparaging-d861b3c902ef68b0184c2bd776f707e4">history of racism</a>&nbsp;as well as the civil rights victories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-history-smithsonian-dei-687fd306dc9c6d7611300d74fe49b8aa">Black Americans</a>.

Self-promotion is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-god-bless-usa-bible-greenwood-2713fda3efdfa297d0f024efb1ca3003">old habit of the president’s</a>&nbsp;and one he has continued in his second term. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-misses-out-on-nobel-peace-prize-729973788d8953da9af1cbc136232e96">unsuccessfully put himself forward</a>&nbsp;for the Nobel Peace Prize,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-institute-of-peace-6545c0101a02b677359f2732b019bf6a">renamed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Institute of Peace after himself, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-commanders-stadium-name-nfl-d229beaf321af4fad2f5ae36b8227c34">put his name</a>&nbsp;on the planned NFL stadium in the nation’s capital and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">a new children’s savings program</a>&nbsp;named after him.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-park-service">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;will offer free admission to U.S. residents on President Donald Trump’s birthday next year — which also happens to be Flag Day — but is eliminating the benefit for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm" target="_blank">new list</a>&nbsp;of free admission days for Americans is the latest example of the Trump administration downplaying America’s civil rights history while also promoting the president’s image, name and legacy.</p><p><a href="https://www.doi.gov/blog/mark-your-calendars-fee-free-days-2025" target="_blank">Last year</a>, the list of free days included Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth — which is June 19 — but not June 14, Trump’s birthday.</p><p>The new free-admission policy takes effect Jan. 1 and was one of several changes announced by the Park Service late last month, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-park-fees-international-tourists-557f52a2e3c12540594f19cadbbc8334">higher admission fees</a>&nbsp;for international visitors.</p><p>The other days of free park admission in 2026 are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27) and the anniversary of the creation of the Park Service (Aug. 25).</p><p>Eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr</a>. Day and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm" target="_blank">Juneteenth</a>, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans were emancipated, removes two of the nation’s most prominent civil rights holidays.</p><p>Some civil rights leaders voiced opposition to the change after news about it began spreading over the weekend.</p><p>“The raw &amp; rank racism here stinks to high heaven,” Harvard Kennedy School professor Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP, wrote on social media about the new policy.</p><p>Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while presidential administrations have tweaked the free days in the past, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is particularly concerning. For one, the day has become a popular day of service for community groups that use the free day to perform volunteer projects at parks.</p><p>That will now be much more expensive, said Brengel, whose organization is a nonprofit that advocates for the park system.</p><p>“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” Brengel said. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”</p><p>Some Democratic lawmakers also weighed in to object to the new policy.</p><p>“The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom,” said Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. “Our country deserves better.”</p><p>A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday seeking information about the reasons behind the changes.</p><p>Since taking office, Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">sought to eliminate</a>&nbsp;programs seen as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">promoting diversity</a>&nbsp;across the federal government, actions that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">erased or downplayed</a>&nbsp;America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-park-service-disparaging-d861b3c902ef68b0184c2bd776f707e4">history of racism</a>&nbsp;as well as the civil rights victories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-history-smithsonian-dei-687fd306dc9c6d7611300d74fe49b8aa">Black Americans</a>.</p><p>Self-promotion is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-god-bless-usa-bible-greenwood-2713fda3efdfa297d0f024efb1ca3003">old habit of the president’s</a>&nbsp;and one he has continued in his second term. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-misses-out-on-nobel-peace-prize-729973788d8953da9af1cbc136232e96">unsuccessfully put himself forward</a>&nbsp;for the Nobel Peace Prize,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-institute-of-peace-6545c0101a02b677359f2732b019bf6a">renamed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Institute of Peace after himself, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-commanders-stadium-name-nfl-d229beaf321af4fad2f5ae36b8227c34">put his name</a>&nbsp;on the planned NFL stadium in the nation’s capital and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">a new children’s savings program</a>&nbsp;named after him.</p>

National parks fee-free calendar drops Juneteenth, MLK Day

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly Labor Day weekend robbery, killing is due back in court Monday.

Lafayette J. Washington, 21, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.

In September, Washington was charged with First degree murder, theft of property and criminal possession of a firearm in the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.

The shooting occurred&nbsp; just after 1:30 a.m. September 1, in the 100 block of Rock Island in Wichita. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting.&nbsp;

Washinton is being held on bond of over $1 million dollars.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756982176005.png" alt="Washington-photo Sedgwick County." />
                        <figcaption>Washington-photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly Labor Day weekend robbery, killing is due back in court Monday.</p><p>Lafayette J. Washington, 21, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.</p><p>In September, Washington was charged with First degree murder, theft of property and criminal possession of a firearm in the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.</p><p>The shooting occurred&nbsp; just after 1:30 a.m. September 1, in the 100 block of Rock Island in Wichita. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.</p><p>Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting.&nbsp;</p><p>Washinton is being held on bond of over $1 million dollars.</p>

Preliminary Hearing for Kansas Labor Day robbery, killing

LAFAYETTE COUNTY —A Kansas man died during a pursuit with law enforcement just before 4a.m. Sunday in Lafayette County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Acura TL driven by a 67-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was westbound on Old Highway 40 at Route M. The driver failed to yield to a sheriff's deputy and a pursuit ensued. The driver failed to negotiate a left turn.&nbsp; The&nbsp; car traveled off the right side of the road, rolled and the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.&nbsp; 

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Stewart-Hoefner Funeral Home.&nbsp; &nbsp;The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

<p>LAFAYETTE COUNTY —A Kansas man died during a pursuit with law enforcement just before 4a.m. Sunday in Lafayette County, Missouri.</p><p>The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Acura TL driven by a 67-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was westbound on Old Highway 40 at Route M. The driver failed to yield to a sheriff's deputy and a pursuit ensued. The driver failed to negotiate a left turn.&nbsp; The&nbsp; car traveled off the right side of the road, rolled and the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.&nbsp; </p><p>The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Stewart-Hoefner Funeral Home.&nbsp; &nbsp;The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.</p>

Kansas driver dies in crash during police chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-acquisition-studio-hbo-streaming-f4884402cadfd07a99af0c8e4353bd83">Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery</a>&nbsp;“could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superman-box-office-dc-james-gunn-e66bcc163a8aebf01a25a8b2e7dc08f4">DC Studios</a>, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president</a>&nbsp;said, “Well that’s the question.”

“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”

Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”

He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.

“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764998770653.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-acquisition-studio-hbo-streaming-f4884402cadfd07a99af0c8e4353bd83">Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery</a>&nbsp;“could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.</p><p>“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the Netflix deal to acquire Warner Bros.: &quot;That&#39;s gotta go through a process, and we&#39;ll see what happens. Netflix is a great company... but it&#39;s a lot of market share, so we&#39;ll have to see what happens.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8xolClLqCn">pic.twitter.com/8xolClLqCn</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997811394096595258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superman-box-office-dc-james-gunn-e66bcc163a8aebf01a25a8b2e7dc08f4">DC Studios</a>, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.</p><p>The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.</p><p>“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”</p><p>Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president</a>&nbsp;said, “Well that’s the question.”</p><p>“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”</p><p>Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”</p><p>He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.</p><p>“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.</p>