WICHITA, Kan. (Hutch Post) — A dog found with its mouth taped shut in Wichita will be headed to a Hutchinson&nbsp;rescue.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wichita police say that their animal services bureau investigated an incident that happened near Kellogg and Main on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

Police say that they have identified the dog's owner, who has been cited for animal cruelty, and that he has surrendered the dog to them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hutchinsons Redemption animal rescue picked up the dog from the Wichita Animal Shelter Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The rescue says that they will take the dog, named lucky, and he will receive vaccinations, microchipping and will be neutered and placed in a foster home before being available for adoption.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wichita police say that they encourage everyone to report concerns about animal abuse directly to them. Timely reporting allows us to respond quickly and verify the safety of the animals involved.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645814991453.png" alt="Wichita Police&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Wichita Police&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (Hutch Post) — A dog found with its mouth taped shut in Wichita will be headed to a Hutchinson&nbsp;rescue.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita police say that their animal services bureau investigated an incident that happened near Kellogg and Main on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;Police say that they have identified the dog's owner, who has been cited for animal cruelty, and that he has surrendered the dog to them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutchinsons Redemption animal rescue picked up the dog from the Wichita Animal Shelter Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;The rescue says that they will take the dog, named lucky, and he will receive vaccinations, microchipping and will be neutered and placed in a foster home before being available for adoption.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita police say that they encourage everyone to report concerns about animal abuse directly to them. Timely reporting allows us to respond quickly and verify the safety of the animals involved.&nbsp;

Hutch animal rescue to receive abused dog from Wichita 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-33a39a2b9dadbd2fb6c6235d4c3bd16c">a Texas law</a>&nbsp;aimed at blocking kids from seeing online pornography, though the justices could still send it back to a lower court for more consideration of how the age verification measure affects adults'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/freedom-of-speech">free-speech rights</a>.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-1122">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argument

Texas is among more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">a dozen states</a>&nbsp;with such laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states argue the laws are necessary as online porn, including hardcore obscene material, has become almost instantaneous to access on smartphones online.

Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the court's conservative majority, raised similar concerns. “Technological access to pornography has exploded, right?” he said.

The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online, making it vulnerable to hacking or tracking. The adult-content website Pornhub has stopped operating in several states, citing the technical and privacy hurdles in complying with the laws.

The Free Speech Coalition agrees that children shouldn't be seeing pornography, but it argues the new law is so broadly written it could also apply to sexual education content or simulated sex scenes in movies.

The law also leaves a loophole by focusing on porn sites rather than the search engines often used to find porn, the group says in court documents. Content filtering is a better alternative to online age checks, it says.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared skeptical, pointing to the growing number of ways kids can get online.

“Content filtering for all those different devices, I can say from personal experience, is difficult to keep up with,” said Barrett, who has seven children.

This isn't the first time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;has confronted the issue. In 1996, the court struck down parts of a law banning explicit material viewable by kids online. In 2004, a divided Supreme Court ruled against a different federal law aimed at stopping kids from being exposed to pornography but said less restrictive measures like content filtering are constitutional.

Texas argues that technology has improved significantly in the last 20 years, allowing online platforms to quickly and easily check users' ages with a quick picture, making it more like ID checks at traditional stores that were upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1960s.

The states won in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a divided panel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pornography-age-verification-texas-unconstitutional-48af1b99434cdfddd12351f555aeab11">overturned a lower court</a>&nbsp;and allowed the age verification requirement to go into effect. The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-9c31eca983bdb30d3696cd4c5891a392">previously refused</a>&nbsp;an emergency appeal asking to put the age verification on hold while the legal fight continues.

Still, some of the nine justices worried that the lower court hadn't applied a strict enough legal standard in determining whether the Texas law and others like that could run afoul of the First Amendment.

“How far can a state go in terms of burdening adults showing how old they are?” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked.

Justice Elena Kagan raised the concerns of a possible “spillover dangers" on other laws touching on free speech, whichever way the court rules.

Some of the justices appeared interested in the Democratic Biden administration's position that they should send the case back to the 5th Circuit for more consideration. The court could even say that such laws, when carefully written, could pass a higher standard since everyone agrees keeping porn away from kids is a worthy goal, said Principal Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher.

Other states with similar laws include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-porn-age-verification-lawsuit-2fdc2563836315c6d4e8eb4d57ab9913">Tennessee</a>, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia.

The Texas law carries fines of up to $10,000 per violation that could be raised to up to $250,000 per violation by a minor.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-33a39a2b9dadbd2fb6c6235d4c3bd16c">a Texas law</a>&nbsp;aimed at blocking kids from seeing online pornography, though the justices could still send it back to a lower court for more consideration of how the age verification measure affects adults'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/freedom-of-speech">free-speech rights</a>.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-1122">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argumentTexas is among more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">a dozen states</a>&nbsp;with such laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states argue the laws are necessary as online porn, including hardcore obscene material, has become almost instantaneous to access on smartphones online.Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the court's conservative majority, raised similar concerns. “Technological access to pornography has exploded, right?” he said.The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online, making it vulnerable to hacking or tracking. The adult-content website Pornhub has stopped operating in several states, citing the technical and privacy hurdles in complying with the laws.The Free Speech Coalition agrees that children shouldn't be seeing pornography, but it argues the new law is so broadly written it could also apply to sexual education content or simulated sex scenes in movies.The law also leaves a loophole by focusing on porn sites rather than the search engines often used to find porn, the group says in court documents. Content filtering is a better alternative to online age checks, it says.Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared skeptical, pointing to the growing number of ways kids can get online.“Content filtering for all those different devices, I can say from personal experience, is difficult to keep up with,” said Barrett, who has seven children.This isn't the first time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;has confronted the issue. In 1996, the court struck down parts of a law banning explicit material viewable by kids online. In 2004, a divided Supreme Court ruled against a different federal law aimed at stopping kids from being exposed to pornography but said less restrictive measures like content filtering are constitutional.Texas argues that technology has improved significantly in the last 20 years, allowing online platforms to quickly and easily check users' ages with a quick picture, making it more like ID checks at traditional stores that were upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1960s.The states won in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a divided panel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pornography-age-verification-texas-unconstitutional-48af1b99434cdfddd12351f555aeab11">overturned a lower court</a>&nbsp;and allowed the age verification requirement to go into effect. The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-9c31eca983bdb30d3696cd4c5891a392">previously refused</a>&nbsp;an emergency appeal asking to put the age verification on hold while the legal fight continues.Still, some of the nine justices worried that the lower court hadn't applied a strict enough legal standard in determining whether the Texas law and others like that could run afoul of the First Amendment.“How far can a state go in terms of burdening adults showing how old they are?” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked.Justice Elena Kagan raised the concerns of a possible “spillover dangers" on other laws touching on free speech, whichever way the court rules.Some of the justices appeared interested in the Democratic Biden administration's position that they should send the case back to the 5th Circuit for more consideration. The court could even say that such laws, when carefully written, could pass a higher standard since everyone agrees keeping porn away from kids is a worthy goal, said Principal Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher.Other states with similar laws include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-porn-age-verification-lawsuit-2fdc2563836315c6d4e8eb4d57ab9913">Tennessee</a>, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia.The Texas law carries fines of up to $10,000 per violation that could be raised to up to $250,000 per violation by a minor.

🎧Supreme Court seems open to age checks for online porn

TOPEKA, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday night in Topeka, Kansas.

The Topeka Police Department (TPD) requested the KBI conduct an investigation on Friday, Jan. 17, at around 9:10 p.m. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.

At around 9 p.m., a Topeka police officer initiated contact with a man riding a bicycle in an alley near 21st&nbsp;St. and SW Buchanan St. The man was later identified as Joseph L. Pham-Gardner, 37, of Topeka.

Preliminary information indicates that when the officer returned to his patrol vehicle to check the man’s information, Pham-Gardner climbed on his bike and fled. The officer gave commands for him to stop and chased him on foot. The TPD officer caught up to Pham-Gardner and a struggle ensued. He fell off his bike. The man threatened to shoot the officer.

During the confrontation, the officer fired multiple times striking Pham-Gardner. After shots were fired, officers and deputies from multiple agencies responded to assist. A K-9 officer from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was deployed so officers could safely secure the handgun near Pham-Gardner and render aid to him. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

EMS transported Pham-Gardner to an area hospital. He was later transported to a Kansas City hospital for surgery. At this time his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after an officer-involved shooting Friday in Topeka.

Just before 9 p.m., police stopped an individual on a bicycle in the area of SW 21st Street and Buchanan Street in Topeka, according to a media release from Topeka Police.

The suspect initiated a foot pursuit and shortly after the suspect reportedly displayed a firearm. The officer then discharged their weapon striking the suspect. 

Investigators found a firearm at the scene. The suspect, an adult male, was transported to a hospital in critical condition. No police officers or other citizens were injured in this incident.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) will investigate the incident. Per policy, the involved Topeka police officer has been placed on administrative leave.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737202280820.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday night in Topeka, Kansas.The Topeka Police Department (TPD) requested the KBI conduct an investigation on Friday, Jan. 17, at around 9:10 p.m. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737253681009.png" alt="Pham-Gardner has previous convictions for theft, aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, interference with law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correction" />
 <figcaption>Pham-Gardner has previous convictions for theft, aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, interference with law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correction</figcaption>
 </figure>At around 9 p.m., a Topeka police officer initiated contact with a man riding a bicycle in an alley near 21st&nbsp;St. and SW Buchanan St. The man was later identified as Joseph L. Pham-Gardner, 37, of Topeka.Preliminary information indicates that when the officer returned to his patrol vehicle to check the man’s information, Pham-Gardner climbed on his bike and fled. The officer gave commands for him to stop and chased him on foot. The TPD officer caught up to Pham-Gardner and a struggle ensued. He fell off his bike. The man threatened to shoot the officer.During the confrontation, the officer fired multiple times striking Pham-Gardner. After shots were fired, officers and deputies from multiple agencies responded to assist. A K-9 officer from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was deployed so officers could safely secure the handgun near Pham-Gardner and render aid to him. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.EMS transported Pham-Gardner to an area hospital. He was later transported to a Kansas City hospital for surgery. At this time his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.----------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after an officer-involved shooting Friday in Topeka.Just before 9 p.m., police stopped an individual on a bicycle in the area of SW 21st Street and Buchanan Street in Topeka, according to a media release from Topeka Police.The suspect initiated a foot pursuit and shortly after the suspect reportedly displayed a firearm. The officer then discharged their weapon striking the suspect. Investigators found a firearm at the scene. The suspect, an adult male, was transported to a hospital in critical condition. No police officers or other citizens were injured in this incident.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) will investigate the incident. Per policy, the involved Topeka police officer has been placed on administrative leave.

Police ID suspect wounded in Kansas officer-involved shooting

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who is a registered sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Bryan Keith Rice, 50, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Rice is required to register as a sex offender due to his prior felony conviction for possessing child pornography.

The federal indictment charges Rice with three counts of transporting child pornography across state lines, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736702284485.png" alt="Rice photo Sex Offender Regisgtry" />
 <figcaption>Rice photo Sex Offender Regisgtry</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who is a registered sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Bryan Keith Rice, 50, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Rice is required to register as a sex offender due to his prior felony conviction for possessing child pornography.The federal indictment charges Rice with three counts of transporting child pornography across state lines, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Kansas City sex offender accused of transporting child porn

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20O%27CONNOR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN O'CONNOR The Associated Press</a>

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Deere &amp; Co. unfairly forces farmers to visit authorized dealers to repair their equipment, resulting in higher prices than if they could fix it themselves or get help from independent shops, the Federal Trade Commission claims in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday with the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota.

The Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer produces repair software that is available only to its dealers, making it impossible for owners to seek less-costly remedies, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rockford, Illinois.

The action comes as the FTC has stepped up enforcement actions in the final days of President Joe Biden's administration. Deere &amp; Co. said in a statement that the lawsuit was based on a “flagrant misrepresentation of the facts and fatally flawed legal theories."

The complaint claims that the “unfair steering practice” has boosted Deere's multibillion-dollar profits on agricultural equipment and parts while burdening practitioners "who rely on affordable and timely repairs,” FTC Chairperson Lina M. Khan said in a prepared statement.

Khan said farmers should be "free to repair their own equipment or use repair shops of their choice — lowering costs, preventing ruinous delays, and promoting fair competition.”

Farmers for decades were able to fix their tractors and combines themselves or take them to nearby repair shops. With increased computerization in the past few decades, Deere, the dominant industry player, made its high-tech repair tool available only to authorized dealers, who invariably eschew generic parts for higher-priced Deere parts, according to the FTC.

The company refuses to share information with independent software developers that's necessary to build their own tools, a common practice in the automotive and trucking industries, the FTC said.

Attorneys General Kwame Raoul of Illinois and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, both Democrats, joined in the lawsuit.

“Deere has made it virtually impossible for farmers themselves or independent repair shops to fully repair Deere equipment, which forces farmers to rely on authorized Deere dealers, which can be more expensive, slower, and for some a long distance away from farms,” Ellison said in a statement.

Deere &amp; Co. asserted the FTC ignored the company's “long-standing commitment to customer self-repair” and announced an addition this week to its “suite of digital solutions” available for customers to do their own repairs.

Deere Vice President Denver Caldwell said in a statement that the company was actively involved in settlement negotiations with the FTC and said it was still answering commission questions when the lawsuit hit.

Those discussions “revealed that the agency still lacked basic information about the industry and John Deere’s business practices and confirmed that the agency was instead relying on inaccurate information and assumptions,” Caldwell said.

Public pressure for self-repair has grown. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-right-to-repair-farming-equipment-1da00ea957fd1057bf522cb4725e62d4">2023 “right to repair” law in Colorado</a>&nbsp;forces manufacturers to provide manuals, software, tools and parts to farmers who want to get their tractors running again themselves.

A similar law that year in Minnesota exempts farm equipment. The Minnesota Farmers Union has been pressing lawmakers to remove that exception, union president Gary Wertish said.

The lawsuit, which the FTC approved on a 3-2 vote, fits a flurry of activity — issuing consumer refunds, taking enforcement actions against companies the agency accuses of deceptive practices and finalizing rules it deems necessary to make the marketplace fairer — leading up to Monday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump has named Andrew Ferguson, one of the FTC’s five commissioners, to be the next chairperson. Ferguson joined Commissioner Melissa Holyoak in voting against the Deere lawsuit, saying it carries "the stench of partisan motivation” and was “taken in haste to beat President Trump into office.”

Associated Press reporter Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20O%27CONNOR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN O'CONNOR The Associated Press</a>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Deere &amp; Co. unfairly forces farmers to visit authorized dealers to repair their equipment, resulting in higher prices than if they could fix it themselves or get help from independent shops, the Federal Trade Commission claims in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday with the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota.The Moline, Illinois-based manufacturer produces repair software that is available only to its dealers, making it impossible for owners to seek less-costly remedies, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rockford, Illinois.The action comes as the FTC has stepped up enforcement actions in the final days of President Joe Biden's administration. Deere &amp; Co. said in a statement that the lawsuit was based on a “flagrant misrepresentation of the facts and fatally flawed legal theories."The complaint claims that the “unfair steering practice” has boosted Deere's multibillion-dollar profits on agricultural equipment and parts while burdening practitioners "who rely on affordable and timely repairs,” FTC Chairperson Lina M. Khan said in a prepared statement.Khan said farmers should be "free to repair their own equipment or use repair shops of their choice — lowering costs, preventing ruinous delays, and promoting fair competition.”Farmers for decades were able to fix their tractors and combines themselves or take them to nearby repair shops. With increased computerization in the past few decades, Deere, the dominant industry player, made its high-tech repair tool available only to authorized dealers, who invariably eschew generic parts for higher-priced Deere parts, according to the FTC.The company refuses to share information with independent software developers that's necessary to build their own tools, a common practice in the automotive and trucking industries, the FTC said.Attorneys General Kwame Raoul of Illinois and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, both Democrats, joined in the lawsuit.“Deere has made it virtually impossible for farmers themselves or independent repair shops to fully repair Deere equipment, which forces farmers to rely on authorized Deere dealers, which can be more expensive, slower, and for some a long distance away from farms,” Ellison said in a statement.Deere &amp; Co. asserted the FTC ignored the company's “long-standing commitment to customer self-repair” and announced an addition this week to its “suite of digital solutions” available for customers to do their own repairs.Deere Vice President Denver Caldwell said in a statement that the company was actively involved in settlement negotiations with the FTC and said it was still answering commission questions when the lawsuit hit.Those discussions “revealed that the agency still lacked basic information about the industry and John Deere’s business practices and confirmed that the agency was instead relying on inaccurate information and assumptions,” Caldwell said.Public pressure for self-repair has grown. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-right-to-repair-farming-equipment-1da00ea957fd1057bf522cb4725e62d4">2023 “right to repair” law in Colorado</a>&nbsp;forces manufacturers to provide manuals, software, tools and parts to farmers who want to get their tractors running again themselves.A similar law that year in Minnesota exempts farm equipment. The Minnesota Farmers Union has been pressing lawmakers to remove that exception, union president Gary Wertish said.The lawsuit, which the FTC approved on a 3-2 vote, fits a flurry of activity — issuing consumer refunds, taking enforcement actions against companies the agency accuses of deceptive practices and finalizing rules it deems necessary to make the marketplace fairer — leading up to Monday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.Trump has named Andrew Ferguson, one of the FTC’s five commissioners, to be the next chairperson. Ferguson joined Commissioner Melissa Holyoak in voting against the Deere lawsuit, saying it carries "the stench of partisan motivation” and was “taken in haste to beat President Trump into office.”___Associated Press reporter Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed.

FTC sued Deere & Co. for monopolizing farm-equipment repair market

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;—Law enforcement continue to investigate after a standoff at a home in Sedgwick County.

Just before 4:30p.m Thursday, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic violence incident involving a handgun in the 8400 block of South Minnesota Circle near Haysville, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

It was reported to deputies that a 79-year-old male suspect threatened his 47-year-old son with a handgun. Witnesses said the suspect pointed the gun at his son during an argument over money and threatened to kill him. After being locked out of the home, the suspect reportedly threatened to shoot through the door to regain entry. He was eventually allowed back inside prior to deputies arriving; no shots were fired.

Deputies secured the area and safely evacuated other family members from the home. The suspect remained inside, allegedly still armed. Despite several attempts to call the suspect out of the house, he refused to surrender. To avoid further escalation and ensure the safety of others, deputies withdrew from the scene after confirming all other individuals were safe and the suspect was the only person that remained inside the home.

On Friday, Jan. 17, detectives contacted the suspect by phone to negotiate his surrender, but he refused. That evening, a search warrant was obtained. Given the seriousness of the situation, the Wichita/Sedgwick County SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in. Negotiations began at about 10:30 p.m. with several phone attempts to contact the suspect, but he continued to refuse to surrender. Chemical munitions were used to encourage compliance, but the efforts did not lead to a peaceful resolution.

Shortly after 6 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, after nearly 7 1/2 hours of negotiation, SWAT members entered the home and found the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

There is no ongoing threat to the public and the investigation into this incident is still ongoing.&nbsp; Names of those involved have not been released.

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;—Law enforcement continue to investigate after a standoff at a home in Sedgwick County.Just before 4:30p.m Thursday, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic violence incident involving a handgun in the 8400 block of South Minnesota Circle near Haysville, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.It was reported to deputies that a 79-year-old male suspect threatened his 47-year-old son with a handgun. Witnesses said the suspect pointed the gun at his son during an argument over money and threatened to kill him. After being locked out of the home, the suspect reportedly threatened to shoot through the door to regain entry. He was eventually allowed back inside prior to deputies arriving; no shots were fired.Deputies secured the area and safely evacuated other family members from the home. The suspect remained inside, allegedly still armed. Despite several attempts to call the suspect out of the house, he refused to surrender. To avoid further escalation and ensure the safety of others, deputies withdrew from the scene after confirming all other individuals were safe and the suspect was the only person that remained inside the home.On Friday, Jan. 17, detectives contacted the suspect by phone to negotiate his surrender, but he refused. That evening, a search warrant was obtained. Given the seriousness of the situation, the Wichita/Sedgwick County SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in. Negotiations began at about 10:30 p.m. with several phone attempts to contact the suspect, but he continued to refuse to surrender. Chemical munitions were used to encourage compliance, but the efforts did not lead to a peaceful resolution.Shortly after 6 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, after nearly 7 1/2 hours of negotiation, SWAT members entered the home and found the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.There is no ongoing threat to the public and the investigation into this incident is still ongoing.&nbsp; Names of those involved have not been released.

Sheriff: Man found dead after standoff at rural Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, making a symbolic statement that's unlikely to alter a decades-long push for gender equality.

"It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people," Biden said. “In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex.”

The Democrat's statement, coming days before he is replaced by Republican Donald Trump, will probably not have any impact. Presidents do not have any role in the amendment process. The leader of the National Archives had previously said that the amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-equal-rights-amendment-women-sex-discrimination-a6ee48bd6e8199839f5a44adb483d59d">cannot be certified</a>&nbsp;because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress.

On Friday, the National Archives reiterated the position by saying “the underlying legal and procedural issues have not changed.”

A senior Biden administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the White House's plans, said Biden was not directing the archivist to certify the amendment, sidestepping what could have become a legal battle over the separation of powers.

Asked why he waited until the end of his term before speaking out about it, Biden said he “needed all the facts."

Activists gathered outside the National Archives to celebrate Biden's statement and call on the archivist to take action.

“Do your job," said Zakiya Thomas, head of the ERA Coalition. "The president has done his.”

Claudia Nachega, a leader in the Young Feminist Party, said certifying the Equal Rights Amendment would signal “the beginning of a new American era that gives us a fighting chance of surviving a second Trump presidency.”

The Equal Rights Amendment, which would prohibit discrimination based on gender, was sent to the states for ratification in 1972. Congress set a deadline of 1979 for three-quarters of state legislatures to ratify the amendment, then extended it to 1982.

But it wasn't until 2020, when Virginia lawmakers passed the amendment, that 38 states had ratified it. The archivist said Congress or the courts must change the deadline to consider the amendment as certified

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, making a symbolic statement that's unlikely to alter a decades-long push for gender equality.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;Today, I affirm the Equal Rights Amendment has cleared all the necessary hurdles to be added to the U.S. Constitution, now! The Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land, now! It&#39;s the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, now!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7MiztbKVRv">pic.twitter.com/7MiztbKVRv</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1880341312987361495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today I&#39;m affirming what I have long believed and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: The 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex. <a href="https://t.co/oZtS6Q89zG">pic.twitter.com/oZtS6Q89zG</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1880271367569895830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people," Biden said. “In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex.”The Democrat's statement, coming days before he is replaced by Republican Donald Trump, will probably not have any impact. Presidents do not have any role in the amendment process. The leader of the National Archives had previously said that the amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-equal-rights-amendment-women-sex-discrimination-a6ee48bd6e8199839f5a44adb483d59d">cannot be certified</a>&nbsp;because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress.On Friday, the National Archives reiterated the position by saying “the underlying legal and procedural issues have not changed.”A senior Biden administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the White House's plans, said Biden was not directing the archivist to certify the amendment, sidestepping what could have become a legal battle over the separation of powers.Asked why he waited until the end of his term before speaking out about it, Biden said he “needed all the facts."Activists gathered outside the National Archives to celebrate Biden's statement and call on the archivist to take action.“Do your job," said Zakiya Thomas, head of the ERA Coalition. "The president has done his.”Claudia Nachega, a leader in the Young Feminist Party, said certifying the Equal Rights Amendment would signal “the beginning of a new American era that gives us a fighting chance of surviving a second Trump presidency.”The Equal Rights Amendment, which would prohibit discrimination based on gender, was sent to the states for ratification in 1972. Congress set a deadline of 1979 for three-quarters of state legislatures to ratify the amendment, then extended it to 1982.But it wasn't until 2020, when Virginia lawmakers passed the amendment, that 38 states had ratified it. The archivist said Congress or the courts must change the deadline to consider the amendment as certified

Biden declares Equal Rights Amendment is law. What happens next is unclear

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against an Obama-era policy to shield immigrants who came to the country illegally as young children, only three days before Donald Trump takes office with pledges of mass deportations.

The unanimous decision by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — two judges appointed by Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and one by Democrat Barack Obama — is the latest blow for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, whose beneficiaries have lived in legal limbo for more than a decade.

It signals no immediate change for its more than 500,000 beneficiaries, who can renew temporary permits to live and work in the United States. But the federal government cannot take new applications, leaving an aging and thinning pool of recipients.

The decision may tee up the policy for a third visit to the Supreme Court. Trump sought to end DACA during his first term, but he also occasionally expressed wishes that beneficiaries be allowed to stay.

Obama introduced DACA in 2012, citing inaction by Congress on legislation aimed at giving those brought to the U.S. as children a path to legal status. Legal battles followed, including two trips to the Supreme Court.

This latest case involves a new version of the rule issued by President Joe Biden in 2022. It represented little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comment as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston said the executive branch had overstepped its authority and barred he government from approving new applications. He left it intact for current beneficiaries while appeals played out in court.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led the challenge on behalf of Republican-led states, called Friday's ruling “a major victory.”

“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that the rule of law is restored, and the illegal immigration crisis is finally stopped,” Paxton said.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment late Friday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against an Obama-era policy to shield immigrants who came to the country illegally as young children, only three days before Donald Trump takes office with pledges of mass deportations.The unanimous decision by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — two judges appointed by Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and one by Democrat Barack Obama — is the latest blow for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, whose beneficiaries have lived in legal limbo for more than a decade.It signals no immediate change for its more than 500,000 beneficiaries, who can renew temporary permits to live and work in the United States. But the federal government cannot take new applications, leaving an aging and thinning pool of recipients.The decision may tee up the policy for a third visit to the Supreme Court. Trump sought to end DACA during his first term, but he also occasionally expressed wishes that beneficiaries be allowed to stay.Obama introduced DACA in 2012, citing inaction by Congress on legislation aimed at giving those brought to the U.S. as children a path to legal status. Legal battles followed, including two trips to the Supreme Court.This latest case involves a new version of the rule issued by President Joe Biden in 2022. It represented little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comment as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston said the executive branch had overstepped its authority and barred he government from approving new applications. He left it intact for current beneficiaries while appeals played out in court.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led the challenge on behalf of Republican-led states, called Friday's ruling “a major victory.”“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that the rule of law is restored, and the illegal immigration crisis is finally stopped,” Paxton said.The U.S. Homeland Security Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment late Friday.

Court rules against policy to shield immigrants who came to US as young children

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died and another is in custody after a two vehicle crash Friday in Johnson County.

Just after 11 p.m. Friday, police responded to the scene of a reported injury crash at the intersection of West 89th Terrace and Park Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.

First responders located two vehicles involved in the collision, a Toyota RAV4 and a Ford Bronco, both of which had come to rest off the roadway in a nearby yard. The Ford Bronco was occupied by two adult females, neither of whom sustained injuries. The driver of the Bronco was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The Toyota RAV4 was occupied by an adult female driver who was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the Lenexa Police Traffic Safety Unit indicates that the Toyota RAV4 was traveling southbound on Park Street when the Ford Bronco, traveling eastbound on West 89th Terrace, failed to stop at a posted stop sign. The Bronco struck the RAV4, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway.

Police have not released the name of the woman who died or the driver in custody as they continue to investigate.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died and another is in custody after a two vehicle crash Friday in Johnson County.Just after 11 p.m. Friday, police responded to the scene of a reported injury crash at the intersection of West 89th Terrace and Park Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.First responders located two vehicles involved in the collision, a Toyota RAV4 and a Ford Bronco, both of which had come to rest off the roadway in a nearby yard. The Ford Bronco was occupied by two adult females, neither of whom sustained injuries. The driver of the Bronco was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.The Toyota RAV4 was occupied by an adult female driver who was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.A preliminary investigation conducted by the Lenexa Police Traffic Safety Unit indicates that the Toyota RAV4 was traveling southbound on Park Street when the Ford Bronco, traveling eastbound on West 89th Terrace, failed to stop at a posted stop sign. The Bronco struck the RAV4, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway.Police have not released the name of the woman who died or the driver in custody as they continue to investigate.

Woman dead, another in custody after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO The Associated Press</a>

With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>

Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.

The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.

“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.

Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.

Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.

Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.

Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.

Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.

“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”

Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”

Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.

In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.

Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”

“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO The Associated Press</a>With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

What will happen to TikTok on Apple and Google's app store on Sunday?

SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man is going to&nbsp; prison for his role in beating a homeless man&nbsp;to death.

On Monday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 34-year-old Abel Molina to 297 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In September, a jury found Molina guilty of second-degree murder and possession of meth.

&nbsp;In February of 2022, police responded to a 911 call in the 600 block of N. Seneca in Wichita after a caller reported a person was being beaten on the Seneca Street bridge, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Officers and EMS responded and located 30-year-old Blake Barnes of Wichita. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and later pronounced deceased.

Officers contacted the witness who was able to direct them to a suspect – identified as&nbsp;64-year-old David Chandler&nbsp; who was reported to have struck Barnes several times with a metal pipe. Police took Chandler into custody while he was walking away from the crime scene.

The witness reported another suspect was also involved but left the scene on a bicycle prior to officers arriving. The second suspect, identified as&nbsp; Abel Molina, was located in the 400 block of N. Seneca, where he was taken into custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645644547356.png" alt="David Chandler-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>David Chandler-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man is going to&nbsp; prison for his role in beating a homeless man&nbsp;to death.On Monday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 34-year-old Abel Molina to 297 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645644648580.png" alt="Molina-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Molina-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>In September, a jury found Molina guilty of second-degree murder and possession of meth.&nbsp;In February of 2022, police responded to a 911 call in the 600 block of N. Seneca in Wichita after a caller reported a person was being beaten on the Seneca Street bridge, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Officers and EMS responded and located 30-year-old Blake Barnes of Wichita. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and later pronounced deceased.Officers contacted the witness who was able to direct them to a suspect – identified as&nbsp;64-year-old David Chandler&nbsp; who was reported to have struck Barnes several times with a metal pipe. Police took Chandler into custody while he was walking away from the crime scene.The witness reported another suspect was also involved but left the scene on a bicycle prior to officers arriving. The second suspect, identified as&nbsp; Abel Molina, was located in the 400 block of N. Seneca, where he was taken into custody.

Prison for role in killing Kansas man with a metal pipe

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who drove a 13-year-old victim from her home in Texas pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography.

Talib Bwana Muhammad, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of producing child pornography.

By pleading guilty, Muhammad admitted that he used a minor victim to produce child pornography from June 9 to 15, 2023. Muhammad met the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad purchased an airline ticket for the child victim but, when she was unable to leave home, he drove to Texas to pick her up and bring her to Kansas City.

Law enforcement was notified when the child victim was missing and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence.

Muhammad and the child victim engaged in sexual contact, which Muhammad video recorded and photographed with a cell phone.

Under federal statutes, Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who drove a 13-year-old victim from her home in Texas pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography.Talib Bwana Muhammad, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of producing child pornography.By pleading guilty, Muhammad admitted that he used a minor victim to produce child pornography from June 9 to 15, 2023. Muhammad met the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad purchased an airline ticket for the child victim but, when she was unable to leave home, he drove to Texas to pick her up and bring her to Kansas City.Law enforcement was notified when the child victim was missing and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence.Muhammad and the child victim engaged in sexual contact, which Muhammad video recorded and photographed with a cell phone.Under federal statutes, Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KC man used subject of Amber Alert to produce child porn

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/17/clemency-recipient-list-8/">Click here to see</a> the complete list

The recent round of clemency gives Biden the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. The Democrat said he is seeking to undo “disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/17/clemency-recipient-list-8/">Click here to see</a> the complete list<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, I&#39;m commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses. This is an important step toward righting historic wrongs and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their communities after far too much time behind bars. <a href="https://t.co/q7mtuyWKl2">pic.twitter.com/q7mtuyWKl2</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1880228578396368918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The recent round of clemency gives Biden the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. The Democrat said he is seeking to undo “disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.”

See the list: Biden grants clemency for 2,500 non-violent drug offenders

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Business Writer</a>

TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.

Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.

The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.

TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:

A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.

What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.

This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.

Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.

The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.

Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?

Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.

The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.

Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.

If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.

U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.

Would I still have access to my favorite videos?

TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.

Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.

If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.

If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.

The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.

TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.

The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.

“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”

Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Business Writer</a>TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:<h2>What happens on Jan. 19?</h2>A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.<h2>Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?</h2>Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.<h2>Would I still have access to my favorite videos?</h2>TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.<h2>Are people going to other apps?</h2>If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.<h2>What is going to happen next?</h2>The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning._______

How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes closed their best week in two months with a flourish on Friday.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1% to clinch its first winning week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-inflation-oil-9d07b54623af91cd7222128e97de25e7">last three</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 334 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.

SLB helped lead the market after the provider of services to oilfields delivered bigger profit and revenue for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. It jumped 6.1% after it also raised its dividend by 3.6% and said it’s returning $2.3 billion to its investors by buying back its own stock.

The most forceful pushes upward came from Big Tech stocks. All the companies in what’s come to be known as the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Magnificent Seven</a>&nbsp;” rose: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Because they’re so massive in size, their movements carry more weight on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.

The Magnificent Seven have been under pressure recently because of criticism their stock prices may have shot too high after leading the market for so many years. Such worries grew after Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-bonds-interest-rates-37c91aa8d1cc4d2a09506d31e9dba99b">yields jumped in the bond market</a>. Higher yields hurt prices for all kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.

But stocks broadly got a lift this week from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">encouraging report on U.S. inflation</a>, which raised hopes that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-economy-93bb50c8d1c727791f6a18075fbab595">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;may deliver more cuts to interest rates this year. More such cuts, which began in September, would ease the brakes off the economy and boost prices for investments, though they can also give inflation more fuel.

Wall Street has been lurching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-rates-jobs-efc5402f914dd7403a8dc108f96e5bb4">down</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-f52917dbab997a2c95fbeb9b83d175f1">up</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks as economic reports pushed traders to revamp their expectations about what the Fed will do with rates. Lower worries about inflation have sent Treasury yields down and stocks up, while worsening worries about inflation have triggered the opposite reaction.

Treasury yields eased sharply this past week, and the 10-year Treasury yield eased further on Friday. It’s at 4.61%, down from 4.62% late Thursday and from 4.76% a week earlier.

Still, even with this week’s better-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">readout on inflation</a>, some on Wall Street remain skeptical about the chances for more cuts. With the U.S. economy in solid overall shape, “you shouldn’t fix what’s not broken,” Bank of America economists Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel said in a BofA Global Research report.

They also pointed to the uncertainties created by “Trumponomics 2.0.” Policies pushed by President-elect Donald Trump could help push up inflation, or at least expectations for it, including widespread tariffs and tax cuts for an economy that’s already growing.

Prices for all kinds of investments from stocks to cryptocurrencies have swung amid the uncertainty following an initial burst after Election Day. On one hand are hopes for stronger profits for companies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crypto-bitcoin-council-reserve-ulbricht-b192e7ddf93ef9bad9d3209832dbb4ac">greater acceptance of crypto</a>. On the other are worries about a potentially swelling U.S. government deficit and upward pressure on inflation.

Wall Street still sees banks as some of the biggest beneficiaries from a second Trump administration. Besides a potentially stronger economy, which would boost profits for lending, investors expect another Trump term to mean less regulation on banks.

Truist Financial rose 5.9% Friday after joining the list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-earnings-profit-38c5a832fdb4503d8483d6115b4a8ee1">banks to report better profits</a>&nbsp;for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. The company said its average deposits rose 1.5% during the quarter, and it followed bigger-than-expected profit reports from large rivals like Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others.

Other smaller, regional banks reported mixed results on Friday. Regions Financial fell 1.3%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services dropped 7.4% for the biggest loss in the S&amp;P 500 after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. Higher equipment and insurance-related costs helped drag on its results.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes closed their best week in two months with a flourish on Friday.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1% to clinch its first winning week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-inflation-oil-9d07b54623af91cd7222128e97de25e7">last three</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 334 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.SLB helped lead the market after the provider of services to oilfields delivered bigger profit and revenue for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. It jumped 6.1% after it also raised its dividend by 3.6% and said it’s returning $2.3 billion to its investors by buying back its own stock.The most forceful pushes upward came from Big Tech stocks. All the companies in what’s come to be known as the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Magnificent Seven</a>&nbsp;” rose: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Because they’re so massive in size, their movements carry more weight on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.The Magnificent Seven have been under pressure recently because of criticism their stock prices may have shot too high after leading the market for so many years. Such worries grew after Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-bonds-interest-rates-37c91aa8d1cc4d2a09506d31e9dba99b">yields jumped in the bond market</a>. Higher yields hurt prices for all kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.But stocks broadly got a lift this week from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">encouraging report on U.S. inflation</a>, which raised hopes that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-economy-93bb50c8d1c727791f6a18075fbab595">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;may deliver more cuts to interest rates this year. More such cuts, which began in September, would ease the brakes off the economy and boost prices for investments, though they can also give inflation more fuel.Wall Street has been lurching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-rates-jobs-efc5402f914dd7403a8dc108f96e5bb4">down</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-f52917dbab997a2c95fbeb9b83d175f1">up</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks as economic reports pushed traders to revamp their expectations about what the Fed will do with rates. Lower worries about inflation have sent Treasury yields down and stocks up, while worsening worries about inflation have triggered the opposite reaction.Treasury yields eased sharply this past week, and the 10-year Treasury yield eased further on Friday. It’s at 4.61%, down from 4.62% late Thursday and from 4.76% a week earlier.Still, even with this week’s better-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">readout on inflation</a>, some on Wall Street remain skeptical about the chances for more cuts. With the U.S. economy in solid overall shape, “you shouldn’t fix what’s not broken,” Bank of America economists Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel said in a BofA Global Research report.They also pointed to the uncertainties created by “Trumponomics 2.0.” Policies pushed by President-elect Donald Trump could help push up inflation, or at least expectations for it, including widespread tariffs and tax cuts for an economy that’s already growing.Prices for all kinds of investments from stocks to cryptocurrencies have swung amid the uncertainty following an initial burst after Election Day. On one hand are hopes for stronger profits for companies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crypto-bitcoin-council-reserve-ulbricht-b192e7ddf93ef9bad9d3209832dbb4ac">greater acceptance of crypto</a>. On the other are worries about a potentially swelling U.S. government deficit and upward pressure on inflation.Wall Street still sees banks as some of the biggest beneficiaries from a second Trump administration. Besides a potentially stronger economy, which would boost profits for lending, investors expect another Trump term to mean less regulation on banks.Truist Financial rose 5.9% Friday after joining the list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-earnings-profit-38c5a832fdb4503d8483d6115b4a8ee1">banks to report better profits</a>&nbsp;for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. The company said its average deposits rose 1.5% during the quarter, and it followed bigger-than-expected profit reports from large rivals like Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others.Other smaller, regional banks reported mixed results on Friday. Regions Financial fell 1.3%.J.B. Hunt Transport Services dropped 7.4% for the biggest loss in the S&amp;P 500 after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. Higher equipment and insurance-related costs helped drag on its results.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 59.32 points to 5,996.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 334.70 to 43,487.83, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 291.91 to 19,630.20.In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied in Europe after finishing mixed in Asia.Chinese indexes rose modestly after authorities said the world’s second-largest economy grew at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-gdp-exports-stimulus-7ae30cf2b48fa82c8e4feeee85483846">5% annual pace</a>&nbsp;last year, hitting the government’s target but slowing from the year before. Stocks rose 0.3% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai.Economists are forecasting a further slowing of growth this year and beyond for the world’s second-largest economy, and Trump’s threats to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have added to Beijing’s challenges as it faces a raft of moves by Washington to limit access to advanced technology, such as computer chips used in artificial intelligence.In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nintendo-switch-2-576de3f217e63ecf4d63f2c7cbfe9635">Nintendo</a>&nbsp;sank 4.3% following the unveiling of its newest console. The company promised more details about the Switch 2 in April and said it will be released this year.