SEDGWICK COUNTY— Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a Thursday afternoon shooting in Wichita.

Just after 1 p.m.,&nbsp; police were alerted by a Raven gunshot detection system to a possible shooting in the 900 Block of North Terrace in Wichita, according to a media release.

 Responding officers determined that a disturbance had occurred between two individuals who were known to each other. During the altercation, one of the individuals was shot and left the scene in a private vehicle.&nbsp;

About an hour later, the victim’s girlfriend called 911. Officers and EMS responded to the 2400 block of South Minnesota, where they located a 47-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his lower leg. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Police took the 53-year-old suspect, according to county arrest records as Darrick D. Reed, into custody. He was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault. 

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762606543255.png" alt="Reed photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Reed photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a Thursday afternoon shooting in Wichita.Just after 1 p.m.,&nbsp; police were alerted by a Raven gunshot detection system to a possible shooting in the 900 Block of North Terrace in Wichita, according to a media release. Responding officers determined that a disturbance had occurred between two individuals who were known to each other. During the altercation, one of the individuals was shot and left the scene in a private vehicle.&nbsp;About an hour later, the victim’s girlfriend called 911. Officers and EMS responded to the 2400 block of South Minnesota, where they located a 47-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his lower leg. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.Police took the 53-year-old suspect, according to county arrest records as Darrick D. Reed, into custody. He was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Suspect arrested after Kan. shooting victim's girlfriend called 911

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first step to end the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.

In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

 Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.

The agreement does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.

A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.

The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flight-cancellations-government-shutdown-what-to-know-dea56ba97690b43397a96289f5f949e8">disrupt flights nationwide</a>, threaten&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-4a6edf5a6dbdf18049f1585bf7b61687">food assistance</a>&nbsp;for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.

“The time to act is now,” Thune said.

Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”

In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.

The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.

The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.

Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.

After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.

Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.

“We will not give up the fight,” he said.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that in last week's elections people voted overwhelmingly Democratic “to urge Democrats to hold firm.”

Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.

The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.

The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.

House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.

Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn't reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.

“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. "Millions of families would pay the price.”

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.

“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.

It's unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.

Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.

Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-air-traffic-shutdown-delays-ae216380cdf694c518bd2a4b0830eaea">canceled more than 2,000 flights</a>&nbsp;on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union" that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn't reopen.

At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">benefits</a>&nbsp;were caught up in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-benefits-trump-administration-demands-undo-states-d433f20df4d461db506e0d327a58d3c1">legal battles</a>&nbsp;related to the shutdown.

And in Washington, home to tens of thousands of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-washington-economy-trump-food-bank-0f54be181fcaca70161a12b869cb619b">providing 8 million more meals</a>&nbsp;ahead of the holidays than it had prepared for this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762738475745.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (bottom left) after casting his vote in favor of the bill Sunday evening-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (bottom left) after casting his vote in favor of the bill Sunday evening-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first step to end the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">shutdown</a>&nbsp;on Sunday after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762740314871.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center) during the Sunday night vote count -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (center) during the Sunday night vote count -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure> Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Senate advances bill to reopen the government, 60-40. <a href="https://t.co/r2CfPUReJV">pic.twitter.com/r2CfPUReJV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1987730780114817278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The agreement does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for almost six weeks. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues.A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called an immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flight-cancellations-government-shutdown-what-to-know-dea56ba97690b43397a96289f5f949e8">disrupt flights nationwide</a>, threaten&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-4a6edf5a6dbdf18049f1585bf7b61687">food assistance</a>&nbsp;for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.“The time to act is now,” Thune said.Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, President Donald Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”<h2>Five Democrats switch votes</h2>In addition to Shaheen, King and Hassan, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to tens of thousands of federal workers, also voted in favor of moving forward on the agreement. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also voted yes.The moderates had expected a larger number of Democrats to vote with them as 10-12 Democratic senators had been part of the negotiations. But in the end, only five Democrats switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed. King, Cortez Masto and Fetterman had already been voting to open the government since Oct. 1.The vote was temporarily delayed on Sunday evening as three conservatives who often criticize spending bills, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, withheld their votes and huddled with Thune at the back of the chamber. They eventually voted yes after speaking to Trump, Lee said.Another Republican, Sen John Cornyn of Texas, had to fly back from Texas to deliver the crucial 60th vote.<h2>Schumer votes no</h2>After Democrats met for over two hours to discuss the proposal, Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support it.Schumer, who received blowback from his party in March when he voted to keep the government open, said that Democrats have now “sounded the alarm” on health care.“We will not give up the fight,” he said.Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said giving up the fight was a “horrific mistake.”Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., agreed, saying that in last week's elections people voted overwhelmingly Democratic “to urge Democrats to hold firm.”<h2>A bipartisan agreement</h2>Democrats had voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they would not negotiate on health care, but GOP leaders have been quietly working with the group of moderates as the contours of an agreement began to emerge.The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to finish additional spending bills.The deal would reinstate federal workers who had received reduction in force, or layoff, notices and reimburse states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January and guarantee federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.<h2>House Democrats push back</h2>House Democrats swiftly criticized the Senate.Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that doesn't reduce health care costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. "Millions of families would pay the price.”Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries blamed Republicans and said Democrats will continue to fight.“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.<h2>Health care debate ahead</h2>It's unclear whether the two parties would be able to find any common ground on the health care subsidies before a promised December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he will not commit to bring it up in his chamber.Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their yearslong criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.<h2>Shutdown effects worsen</h2>Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown have been compounding. U.S. airlines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-air-traffic-shutdown-delays-ae216380cdf694c518bd2a4b0830eaea">canceled more than 2,000 flights</a>&nbsp;on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union" that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday will be “reduced to a trickle” if the government doesn't reopen.At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">benefits</a>&nbsp;were caught up in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-benefits-trump-administration-demands-undo-states-d433f20df4d461db506e0d327a58d3c1">legal battles</a>&nbsp;related to the shutdown.And in Washington, home to tens of thousands of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-washington-economy-trump-food-bank-0f54be181fcaca70161a12b869cb619b">providing 8 million more meals</a>&nbsp;ahead of the holidays than it had prepared for this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.___Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Moran, Marshall help Senate take first step to end gov't shutdown

HENRY COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured just after 3p.m. Saturday when her kayak capsized on Truman Lake.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 45-year-old Olathe woman&nbsp; &nbsp;was overcome by wind and waves&nbsp;about two miles south of the Sparrow Foot Boat Ramp. The boat capsized and she fell into the water. She swam to the nearest shoreline. EMS transported her to Golden Valley Hospital in Clinton.&nbsp;

She was not wearing a safety device, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

HENRY COUNTY —A Kansas woman was injured just after 3p.m. Saturday when her kayak capsized on Truman Lake.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 45-year-old Olathe woman&nbsp; &nbsp;was overcome by wind and waves&nbsp;about two miles south of the Sparrow Foot Boat Ramp. The boat capsized and she fell into the water. She swam to the nearest shoreline. EMS transported her to Golden Valley Hospital in Clinton.&nbsp;She was not wearing a safety device, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Kan. woman hospitalized after kayak capsized on lake

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A cause of a weekend fire that slowed traffic on the Kansas Turnpike is under investigation.

Just after 7a.m. Saturday, fire units were dispatched to a reported Semi Truck on fire on Interstate 35 just north of the Belle Plaine service area, according to Mulvate Fire and Rescue.

Crews found a Cement Mixer truck heavily involved in fire. There were no injuries were reported.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762739935917.png" alt="Photo Mulvane Fire and EMS" />
 <figcaption>Photo Mulvane Fire and EMS</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A cause of a weekend fire that slowed traffic on the Kansas Turnpike is under investigation.Just after 7a.m. Saturday, fire units were dispatched to a reported Semi Truck on fire on Interstate 35 just north of the Belle Plaine service area, according to Mulvate Fire and Rescue.Crews found a Cement Mixer truck heavily involved in fire. There were no injuries were reported.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

Cement mixer fire on Kansas highway

Preliminary tests showed that ByHeart baby formula contained the type of bacteria that produces the toxin linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-botulism-formula-byheart-recall-fda-cdc-91019e385a98a2fceb26a12005ea3fbb">a botulism outbreak</a>, California health officials said.

The outbreak has sickened at least 13 infants in 10 states. No deaths have been reported.

“Consumers in possession of this product should stop using it immediately,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement late Saturday.

More tests of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula are pending as state and federal health officials investigate the outbreak that started in mid-August. The New York-based company this weekend recalled two lots of the powdered product.

Here’s what to know about the outbreak and infant botulism.

The outbreak of infant botulism has sickened babies aged 2 weeks to 5 months since mid-August. All were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart powdered formula, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

ByHeart officials agreed to recall two lots of the company's Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The formula has a best-by date of December 2026.

California health officials tested a can of the powdered formula that was fed to a baby who fell ill. The results “suggest the presence” of the type of bacteria that produces the botulism toxin confirmed in other cases. It can take several days to confirm the results.

ByHeart officials said that “more testing is needed” to know whether the type of bacteria that causes botulism is present. It comes from a large family of bacteria, many of which are found naturally in the environment and don't cause illness, the company said.

“We take this very seriously,” it said in a statement Sunday.

The FDA is investigating reports of 83 cases of infant botulism reported since August including the cases linked to Byheart baby formula.

Infant botulism typically affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. It is caused by a type of bacteria that produces toxins in the large intestine. The bacterium is spread through hardy spores present in the environment that can cause serious illness, including paralysis.

Infants younger than 1 are particularly vulnerable and can be sickened after exposure to the spores in dust, dirt or water or by eating contaminated honey.

Symptoms can take weeks to develop and can include poor feeding, loss of head control, drooping eyelids and a flat facial expression. Babies may feel “floppy” and can have problems swallowing or breathing.

No known outbreaks of infant botulism tied to powdered formula have previously been confirmed, said Dr. Steven Abrams, a University of Texas nutrition expert.

“This would be extremely rare,” he said.

The only treatment is known as BabyBIG, an IV medication made from the pooled blood plasma of adults immunized against botulism. California's Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program developed the product and is the sole source worldwide.

BabyBIG works to shorten hospital stays and decrease the severity of illness in babies with botulism. Because the infection can affect the ability to breathe, infants often need to be placed on ventilators.

All of the children in the ByHeart outbreak have received the medication, the CDC said.

Potential impact on U.S. formula supplies

There is no danger of infant formula shortages because of this outbreak. ByHeart, which was founded in 2016, accounts for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the CDC. The company sells formula through its website and in retail stores nationwide.

That's different from the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.

That product was contaminated with a different germ that can cause severe illness and death in babies. Because Abbott is one of the top manufacturers of infant formula in the U.S., the closure of its manufacturing plant in Michigan triggered massive shortages of formula across the U.S.

In 2022, ByHeart recalled five batches of infant formula after a sample at the company's packaging plant tested positive for cronobacter sakazakii, the germ at the heart of the Abbott crisis. In 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to the company detailing “areas that still require corrective actions.”

Federal health officials have vowed to overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-synthetic-food-dyes-natural-fda-sensient-ad9611b1235f2097469508e711e71094">the U.S. food supply</a>&nbsp;and are taking a new look at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-breastfeeding-1a666d5da95ef605b0a71c48c63e9461">infant formula</a>.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-formula-fda-review-4df7d47ed0d8bb2a16df119e16c5f96d">to review</a>&nbsp;the nutrients and other ingredients in infant formula, which fills the bottles of millions of American babies.

The effort, dubbed “Operation Stork Speed,” is the first deep look at the ingredients since 1998.

FDA officials are reviewing comments from industry, health experts and public to decide next steps.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762681537657.png" alt="Photo FDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health WriterPreliminary tests showed that ByHeart baby formula contained the type of bacteria that produces the toxin linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-botulism-formula-byheart-recall-fda-cdc-91019e385a98a2fceb26a12005ea3fbb">a botulism outbreak</a>, California health officials said.The outbreak has sickened at least 13 infants in 10 states. No deaths have been reported.“Consumers in possession of this product should stop using it immediately,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement late Saturday.More tests of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula are pending as state and federal health officials investigate the outbreak that started in mid-August. The New York-based company this weekend recalled two lots of the powdered product.Here’s what to know about the outbreak and infant botulism.<h2>Infant botulism outbreak</h2>The outbreak of infant botulism has sickened babies aged 2 weeks to 5 months since mid-August. All were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart powdered formula, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.ByHeart officials agreed to recall two lots of the company's Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The formula has a best-by date of December 2026.California health officials tested a can of the powdered formula that was fed to a baby who fell ill. The results “suggest the presence” of the type of bacteria that produces the botulism toxin confirmed in other cases. It can take several days to confirm the results.ByHeart officials said that “more testing is needed” to know whether the type of bacteria that causes botulism is present. It comes from a large family of bacteria, many of which are found naturally in the environment and don't cause illness, the company said.“We take this very seriously,” it said in a statement Sunday.The FDA is investigating reports of 83 cases of infant botulism reported since August including the cases linked to Byheart baby formula.<h2>Causes of infant botulism</h2>Infant botulism typically affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. It is caused by a type of bacteria that produces toxins in the large intestine. The bacterium is spread through hardy spores present in the environment that can cause serious illness, including paralysis.Infants younger than 1 are particularly vulnerable and can be sickened after exposure to the spores in dust, dirt or water or by eating contaminated honey.Symptoms can take weeks to develop and can include poor feeding, loss of head control, drooping eyelids and a flat facial expression. Babies may feel “floppy” and can have problems swallowing or breathing.No known outbreaks of infant botulism tied to powdered formula have previously been confirmed, said Dr. Steven Abrams, a University of Texas nutrition expert.“This would be extremely rare,” he said.<h2>Infant botulism treatment</h2>The only treatment is known as BabyBIG, an IV medication made from the pooled blood plasma of adults immunized against botulism. California's Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program developed the product and is the sole source worldwide.BabyBIG works to shorten hospital stays and decrease the severity of illness in babies with botulism. Because the infection can affect the ability to breathe, infants often need to be placed on ventilators.All of the children in the ByHeart outbreak have received the medication, the CDC said.<h2>Potential impact on U.S. formula supplies</h2>There is no danger of infant formula shortages because of this outbreak. ByHeart, which was founded in 2016, accounts for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the CDC. The company sells formula through its website and in retail stores nationwide.That's different from the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.That product was contaminated with a different germ that can cause severe illness and death in babies. Because Abbott is one of the top manufacturers of infant formula in the U.S., the closure of its manufacturing plant in Michigan triggered massive shortages of formula across the U.S.In 2022, ByHeart recalled five batches of infant formula after a sample at the company's packaging plant tested positive for cronobacter sakazakii, the germ at the heart of the Abbott crisis. In 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to the company detailing “areas that still require corrective actions.”<h2>Reviewing infant formula ingredients</h2>Federal health officials have vowed to overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-synthetic-food-dyes-natural-fda-sensient-ad9611b1235f2097469508e711e71094">the U.S. food supply</a>&nbsp;and are taking a new look at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-breastfeeding-1a666d5da95ef605b0a71c48c63e9461">infant formula</a>.Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-formula-fda-review-4df7d47ed0d8bb2a16df119e16c5f96d">to review</a>&nbsp;the nutrients and other ingredients in infant formula, which fills the bottles of millions of American babies.The effort, dubbed “Operation Stork Speed,” is the first deep look at the ingredients since 1998.FDA officials are reviewing comments from industry, health experts and public to decide next steps.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Tests find germ that causes botulism in recalled baby formula

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run that killed a KU student have made an arrest.

After an extensive investigation, which included examining evidence and responding to numerous tips from the public, on Sunday, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the suspected vehicle and driver involved in Thursday’s hit-and-run crash outside of Lawrence that killed 20-year-old University of Kansas student Elsa McGrain, according to sheriff's department spokesman Officer&nbsp;George Diepenbrock.

Elsa was struck and killed while running in the 1700 block of E 1500 Road, on November 6.&nbsp; After striking Elsa, the suspected driver left the scene. The Sheriff’s Office worked diligently on this case and has made an arrest, according to Diepenbrock.

Detectives are working with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office on charges in the case.

The Sheriff’s Office thanked area law enforcement agencies for their assistance in this investigation, as well as members of the community who responded with possible tips and shared information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762637573361.png" alt="Elsa McGrain courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Elsa McGrain courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run that killed a KU student have made an arrest.After an extensive investigation, which included examining evidence and responding to numerous tips from the public, on Sunday, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the suspected vehicle and driver involved in Thursday’s hit-and-run crash outside of Lawrence that killed 20-year-old University of Kansas student Elsa McGrain, according to sheriff's department spokesman Officer&nbsp;George Diepenbrock.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762637613576.png" alt="Security camera image of the suspect vehicle released by the&nbsp; Douglas Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of the suspect vehicle released by the&nbsp; Douglas Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Elsa was struck and killed while running in the 1700 block of E 1500 Road, on November 6.&nbsp; After striking Elsa, the suspected driver left the scene. The Sheriff’s Office worked diligently on this case and has made an arrest, according to Diepenbrock.Detectives are working with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office on charges in the case.The Sheriff’s Office thanked area law enforcement agencies for their assistance in this investigation, as well as members of the community who responded with possible tips and shared information.

Sheriff: Driver arrested for hit-and-run that killed KU student

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.

According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly-paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmanuel-clase-betting-mlb-865a77fcc796751678d421881449fc8a">Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter,</a>&nbsp;have been on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guardians-ortiz-06134e96597c96df1e76c5a96141de53">non-disciplinary paid leave</a>&nbsp;since July, when Major League Baseball started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.

Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.

Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.

“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.

A lawyer for Clase did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.

Unusual betting activity prompted investigation

Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and “has fully cooperated” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.

In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”

Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).

In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, Clase sent text messages to one of the bettors with images of a man hanging himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy dog face, the indictment said.

Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-business-emmanuel-clase-cleveland-d28bc34ddcadaf8b0b924178e08a7b9d">$20 million, five-year contract</a>. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.

The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged — all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.

Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.

Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps

The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.

Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trail-blazers-chauncey-billups-57c920d0fcace5dbce25cd474468cd40">Chauncey Billups</a>&nbsp;and Miami Heat guard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/terry-rozier">Terry Rozier</a>, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/billups-rozier-mlb-ncaa-sports-betting-scandals-fe51e2ae3b3ea33ef271c764e581a9ee">Sports betting scandals</a>&nbsp;have long been a concern, but a May 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.

Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-gambling-marcano-ban-948cce07c953494e7c7621e47692e1ba">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762728882407.png" alt="Emmanuel Clase- photo Cleveland Guardians" />
 <figcaption>Emmanuel Clase- photo Cleveland Guardians</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly-paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmanuel-clase-betting-mlb-865a77fcc796751678d421881449fc8a">Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter,</a>&nbsp;have been on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guardians-ortiz-06134e96597c96df1e76c5a96141de53">non-disciplinary paid leave</a>&nbsp;since July, when Major League Baseball started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762728812160.png" alt="Luis Ortiz-photo Cleveland Guardians" />
 <figcaption>Luis Ortiz-photo Cleveland Guardians</figcaption>
 </figure>Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.A lawyer for Clase did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.<h2>Unusual betting activity prompted investigation</h2>Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and “has fully cooperated” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, Clase sent text messages to one of the bettors with images of a man hanging himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy dog face, the indictment said.Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-business-emmanuel-clase-cleveland-d28bc34ddcadaf8b0b924178e08a7b9d">$20 million, five-year contract</a>. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged — all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.<h2>Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps</h2>The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trail-blazers-chauncey-billups-57c920d0fcace5dbce25cd474468cd40">Chauncey Billups</a>&nbsp;and Miami Heat guard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/terry-rozier">Terry Rozier</a>, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/billups-rozier-mlb-ncaa-sports-betting-scandals-fe51e2ae3b3ea33ef271c764e581a9ee">Sports betting scandals</a>&nbsp;have long been a concern, but a May 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-gambling-marcano-ban-948cce07c953494e7c7621e47692e1ba">Tucupita Marcano</a>&nbsp;for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000._____

⚾ Gambling scandal: 2 accused of taking bribes to rig pitches for bettors

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump's administration is demanding states “undo” full SNAP benefits paid out under judges' orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans.

The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they authorized before the Supreme Court's stay.

Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general sued to force the Trump administration to maintain the program in November. They won the favorable rulings last week, leading to the swift release of benefits to millions in several states.

But, even before it won a stay on those rulings through an appeal to the Supreme Court on Friday night, the Trump administration balked at reimbursing states for the initial round of SNAP payments. Wisconsin, for example, loaded benefits onto cards for 700,000 residents, but after the U.S. Treasury froze its reimbursements to the state, it anticipates running out of money by Monday, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration warned in a lengthy statement on Sunday.

The lack of money could leave vendors unpaid and trigger escalating legal claims, the states warned. “States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” the filing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals says.

That situation "would risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the States, with a consequent cascade of harms for their residents,” the filing concludes.

That filing arrived as the Department of Agriculture on Saturday told states it would now consider any payments made last week to be “unauthorized.”

“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture, wrote to state SNAP directors. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

Evers issued a quick response to the Trump administration’s demand. “No,” the governor said in a statement.

“Pursuant to and consistent with an active court order, Wisconsin legally loaded benefits to cards, ensuring nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites, including nearly 270,000 kids, had access to basic food and groceries," Evers said. “After we did so, the Trump Administration assured Wisconsin and other states that they were actively working to implement full SNAP benefits for November and would ‘complete the processes necessary to make funds available.’ They have failed to do so to date."

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump's administration is demanding states “undo” full SNAP benefits paid out under judges' orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, marking the latest swing in a seesawing legal battle over the anti-hunger program used by 42 million Americans.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762714399470.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture came as more than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they authorized before the Supreme Court's stay.Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general sued to force the Trump administration to maintain the program in November. They won the favorable rulings last week, leading to the swift release of benefits to millions in several states.But, even before it won a stay on those rulings through an appeal to the Supreme Court on Friday night, the Trump administration balked at reimbursing states for the initial round of SNAP payments. Wisconsin, for example, loaded benefits onto cards for 700,000 residents, but after the U.S. Treasury froze its reimbursements to the state, it anticipates running out of money by Monday, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration warned in a lengthy statement on Sunday.The lack of money could leave vendors unpaid and trigger escalating legal claims, the states warned. “States could face demands to return hundreds of millions of dollars in the aggregate,” the filing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals says.That situation "would risk catastrophic operational disruptions for the States, with a consequent cascade of harms for their residents,” the filing concludes.That filing arrived as the Department of Agriculture on Saturday told states it would now consider any payments made last week to be “unauthorized.”“To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized,” Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary of Agriculture, wrote to state SNAP directors. “Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”Evers issued a quick response to the Trump administration’s demand. “No,” the governor said in a statement.“Pursuant to and consistent with an active court order, Wisconsin legally loaded benefits to cards, ensuring nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites, including nearly 270,000 kids, had access to basic food and groceries," Evers said. “After we did so, the Trump Administration assured Wisconsin and other states that they were actively working to implement full SNAP benefits for November and would ‘complete the processes necessary to make funds available.’ They have failed to do so to date."

Read the memo: USDA demands states 'undo' full SNAP payments

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/scott-bauer">SCOTT BAUER</a>

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Spend enough time along the shores of Lake Superior and it won’t be long before there’s some reminder of what happened “when the gales of November came early.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/edmund-fitzgerald-life-ring-shipwreck-e6b7c52a1da2c6e53786552a0cd43813">Edmund Fitzgerald</a>, the largest and most famous of the estimated 6,500 ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes. But the Fitzgerald is remembered while the others are forgotten, thanks in large part to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gordon-lightfoot-folk-music-dead-4c5f0763797da6a5f3ea8c90947352fc">Gordon Lightfoot’s</a>&nbsp;haunting 1976&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wreck-edmund-fitzgerald-gordon-lightfoot-89a5a5b7420852af1bb76128bd99695d">folk ballad that became a surprise hit</a>.

The Fitzgerald, a 730-foot long freighter named after a Milwaukee insurance company executive, went down in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. All 29 men on board died.

‘A crew and good captain well-seasoned’

The Fitz, as it’s still affectionately called, was the largest ship on the Great Lakes when it launched in 1958 and kept that title until 1971.

On its final voyage, the Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin, on Nov. 9, 1975, carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore along a familiar route to Zug Island in Detroit.

Oliver “Buck” Champeau, 41, was making his first trip on “The Mighty Fitz.”

The U.S. Marine veteran and experienced seaman was drawn by the higher pay that time of year due to increased risk, recalled daughter Debbie Gomez-Felder, who was 17 at the time.

“It was an honor to be on the Fitzgerald,” Gomez-Felder said, speaking in her home outside of Milwaukee adorned with images of her dad and paintings of the famous ship.

Most of the crew members were born and lived in states that border the Great Lakes — Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.

The captain, 63-year-old Ernest M. McSorley, intended to retire after the 1975 season. He was known for his ability to navigate storms on the Great Lakes, but the one that hit on Nov. 10 was unlike any he had encountered.

‘When the waves turn the minutes to hours’

McSorley chose a northerly route across Lake Superior to be protected by highlands along the Canadian shore. Gale warnings were issued the night of Nov. 9. Those worsened to storm warnings in the early morning of Nov. 10.

The crew of the nearby Arthur Anderson, which was trailing the Fitz, reported waves as high as 25 feet. The first mate radioed McSorley, who reported that the Fitz had been damaged by the storm.

“We are holding our own,” McSorley said. That was the last message received from anyone aboard.

Gomez-Felder said she was called out of class the following day and told to go home immediately. Her mom told her that the Fitzgerald was missing.

“I was banging on the church doors at St. Michael’s Church, our home church where I grew up, wanting answers from one of the priests as to how could this happen,” Gomez-Felder said. “I didn’t understand it.”

‘And all that remains is the faces and the names’

There are many theories as to what caused the Fitzgerald to sink so rapidly without a distress call, but the exact reason remains unknown.

Even without an answer, the wreck spurred many “incredible” safety improvements, said Frederick Stonehouse, whose 1977 book “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was the first of dozens written about the tragedy.

Whereas a similar-sized ship would be lost on the lakes every six or seven years before the Fitzgerald, none has gone down since then, he said.

“Every sailor on the Great Lakes that’s sailing today owes a great deal of debt of gratitude to the Fitzgerald,” said Stonehouse, who taught Great Lakes maritime history at Northern Michigan University, located on the shores of Lake Superior.

The Fitzgerald still sits at the bottom of Lake Superior, submerged in 535 feet of water, about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. No bodies have been recovered.

The wreck is protected as a grave site under Canadian law, a status that family members including Gomez-Felder lobbied for. Unauthorized dives or artifact retrieval are barred.

Gomez-Felder said she wants the wreck -- and the bodies entombed within -- to remain undisturbed.

Events around the Great Lakes each year remember the men killed and reunite their family members, and organizers say the 50th anniversary has driven public interest to a new peak.

The Great Lakes Historical Museum in Whitefish Point plans a public event on Nov. 10. A separate ceremony only for the crew’s families will be livestreamed. The Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell, retrieved in 1995 at the request of crew family members, is housed there as a permanent memorial.

Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lake Shipwreck Historical Society, said the museum is on track to see its busiest year ever on the 50th anniversary.

“When we remember the Fitzgerald, I like to think that at the same time we’re remembering all those other shipwrecks,” he said.

The wreck is also remembered in Detroit at the Mariners’ Church, where Rector Richard Ingalls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-lakes-michigan-detroit-5c6cfd6f5071c8a27a3257a42aaa4abc">rang its bell</a>&nbsp;29 times in honor of the crew after receiving word in the predawn hours of Nov. 11, 1975, that the Fitzgerald had sunk.

The tolling bell helped spread the word of what had happened and was memorialized by Lightfoot when he sang “the church bell chimed til it rang twenty-nine times.”

In 2023, after Lightfoot died, they rang the bell a 30th time. The bell will also be rung 30 times this year on the anniversary, with the final toll representing all sailors lost on the Great Lakes.

‘Fellas, it’s been good to know ya’

On this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e5f40a35007858a7f32f94607e5acc3c">50th anniversary</a>, Gomez-Felder said she wants people to remember the Fitzgerald crew’s loved ones.

“It took me a little while to recognize he’s not coming back,” Gomez-Felder said of her father. “He’s not going to be here for my wedding, he is not going to see me graduate, he isn’t going to walk me down the aisle. He has gone.”

She has been comforted by traveling to Whitefish Point each year to be with other families and, for the past 30 years, ringing the Fitzgerald’s bell in memory of her father and the others who died.

“That was the closest thing to my dad,” she said. “That’s the soul of the ship.”

Associated Press reporter Isabella Volmert contributed to this report from Lansing, Michigan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762005364905.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/scott-bauer">SCOTT BAUER</a>MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Spend enough time along the shores of Lake Superior and it won’t be long before there’s some reminder of what happened “when the gales of November came early.”This year marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/edmund-fitzgerald-life-ring-shipwreck-e6b7c52a1da2c6e53786552a0cd43813">Edmund Fitzgerald</a>, the largest and most famous of the estimated 6,500 ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes. But the Fitzgerald is remembered while the others are forgotten, thanks in large part to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gordon-lightfoot-folk-music-dead-4c5f0763797da6a5f3ea8c90947352fc">Gordon Lightfoot’s</a>&nbsp;haunting 1976&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wreck-edmund-fitzgerald-gordon-lightfoot-89a5a5b7420852af1bb76128bd99695d">folk ballad that became a surprise hit</a>.The Fitzgerald, a 730-foot long freighter named after a Milwaukee insurance company executive, went down in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. All 29 men on board died.<h2>‘A crew and good captain well-seasoned’</h2>The Fitz, as it’s still affectionately called, was the largest ship on the Great Lakes when it launched in 1958 and kept that title until 1971.On its final voyage, the Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin, on Nov. 9, 1975, carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore along a familiar route to Zug Island in Detroit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762004989442.png" alt="Route is approximate. Source: U.S. Coast Guard" />
 <figcaption>Route is approximate. Source: U.S. Coast Guard</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762005015443.png" alt="-Route is approximate&nbsp; Source: U.S. Coast Guard" />
 <figcaption>-Route is approximate&nbsp; Source: U.S. Coast Guard</figcaption>
 </figure>Oliver “Buck” Champeau, 41, was making his first trip on “The Mighty Fitz.”The U.S. Marine veteran and experienced seaman was drawn by the higher pay that time of year due to increased risk, recalled daughter Debbie Gomez-Felder, who was 17 at the time.“It was an honor to be on the Fitzgerald,” Gomez-Felder said, speaking in her home outside of Milwaukee adorned with images of her dad and paintings of the famous ship.Most of the crew members were born and lived in states that border the Great Lakes — Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.The captain, 63-year-old Ernest M. McSorley, intended to retire after the 1975 season. He was known for his ability to navigate storms on the Great Lakes, but the one that hit on Nov. 10 was unlike any he had encountered.<h2>‘When the waves turn the minutes to hours’</h2>McSorley chose a northerly route across Lake Superior to be protected by highlands along the Canadian shore. Gale warnings were issued the night of Nov. 9. Those worsened to storm warnings in the early morning of Nov. 10.The crew of the nearby Arthur Anderson, which was trailing the Fitz, reported waves as high as 25 feet. The first mate radioed McSorley, who reported that the Fitz had been damaged by the storm.“We are holding our own,” McSorley said. That was the last message received from anyone aboard.Gomez-Felder said she was called out of class the following day and told to go home immediately. Her mom told her that the Fitzgerald was missing.“I was banging on the church doors at St. Michael’s Church, our home church where I grew up, wanting answers from one of the priests as to how could this happen,” Gomez-Felder said. “I didn’t understand it.”<h2>‘And all that remains is the faces and the names’</h2>There are many theories as to what caused the Fitzgerald to sink so rapidly without a distress call, but the exact reason remains unknown.Even without an answer, the wreck spurred many “incredible” safety improvements, said Frederick Stonehouse, whose 1977 book “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was the first of dozens written about the tragedy.Whereas a similar-sized ship would be lost on the lakes every six or seven years before the Fitzgerald, none has gone down since then, he said.“Every sailor on the Great Lakes that’s sailing today owes a great deal of debt of gratitude to the Fitzgerald,” said Stonehouse, who taught Great Lakes maritime history at Northern Michigan University, located on the shores of Lake Superior.The Fitzgerald still sits at the bottom of Lake Superior, submerged in 535 feet of water, about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. No bodies have been recovered.The wreck is protected as a grave site under Canadian law, a status that family members including Gomez-Felder lobbied for. Unauthorized dives or artifact retrieval are barred.Gomez-Felder said she wants the wreck -- and the bodies entombed within -- to remain undisturbed.<h2>‘The legend lives on’</h2>Events around the Great Lakes each year remember the men killed and reunite their family members, and organizers say the 50th anniversary has driven public interest to a new peak.The Great Lakes Historical Museum in Whitefish Point plans a public event on Nov. 10. A separate ceremony only for the crew’s families will be livestreamed. The Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell, retrieved in 1995 at the request of crew family members, is housed there as a permanent memorial.Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lake Shipwreck Historical Society, said the museum is on track to see its busiest year ever on the 50th anniversary.“When we remember the Fitzgerald, I like to think that at the same time we’re remembering all those other shipwrecks,” he said.The wreck is also remembered in Detroit at the Mariners’ Church, where Rector Richard Ingalls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-lakes-michigan-detroit-5c6cfd6f5071c8a27a3257a42aaa4abc">rang its bell</a>&nbsp;29 times in honor of the crew after receiving word in the predawn hours of Nov. 11, 1975, that the Fitzgerald had sunk.The tolling bell helped spread the word of what had happened and was memorialized by Lightfoot when he sang “the church bell chimed til it rang twenty-nine times.”In 2023, after Lightfoot died, they rang the bell a 30th time. The bell will also be rung 30 times this year on the anniversary, with the final toll representing all sailors lost on the Great Lakes.<h2>‘Fellas, it’s been good to know ya’</h2>On this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e5f40a35007858a7f32f94607e5acc3c">50th anniversary</a>, Gomez-Felder said she wants people to remember the Fitzgerald crew’s loved ones.“It took me a little while to recognize he’s not coming back,” Gomez-Felder said of her father. “He’s not going to be here for my wedding, he is not going to see me graduate, he isn’t going to walk me down the aisle. He has gone.”She has been comforted by traveling to Whitefish Point each year to be with other families and, for the past 30 years, ringing the Fitzgerald’s bell in memory of her father and the others who died.“That was the closest thing to my dad,” she said. “That’s the soul of the ship.”___Associated Press reporter Isabella Volmert contributed to this report from Lansing, Michigan.

‘The legend lives on': Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald resonates 50 years later

GÜIRIA, Venezuela (AP) — One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver.

The men had little in common beyond their Venezuelan seaside hometowns and the fact all four were among the more than 60 people killed since early September when the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">began attacking boats</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration alleges were smuggling drugs. President Donald Trump and top U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">have alleged the craft</a>&nbsp;were being operated by&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115373751811822463" target="_blank">narco-terrorists</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">cartel members</a>&nbsp;bound with deadly drugs for American communities.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-drugs-cocaine-trafficking-e4fcf945e48e36bf2c510f9f111e031c">The Associated Press learned</a>&nbsp;the identities of four of the men – and pieced together details about at least five others – who were slain, providing the first comprehensive account of those who died in the strikes.

In dozens of interviews&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-strike-caribbean-drug-trafficking-trump-1061debe2f983ef7bc9666d3f002b3a0">in villages on Venezuela’s breathtaking northeastern coast</a>, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang.

Most of the nine men were crewing such craft for the first or second time, making at least $500 per trip, residents and relatives said. They were laborers, a fisherman, a motorcycle taxi driver. Two were low-level career criminals. One was a well-known local crime boss who contracted out his smuggling services to traffickers.

The men lived on the Paria Peninsula, in mostly unpainted cinderblock homes that can go weeks without water service and regularly lose power for several hours a day. They awoke to panoramic views of a national park’s tropical forests, the Gulf of Paria’s shallows and the Caribbean’s sparkling sapphire waters. When the time came for their drug runs, they boarded open-hulled fishing skiffs that relied on powerful outboard motors to haul their drugs to nearby Trinidad and other islands.

The residents and relatives interviewed by the AP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-election-maduro-opposition-human-rights-abuses-dd6d0b103adbf88f00fe60b0d781a873">requested anonymity out of fear of reprisals</a>&nbsp;from drug smugglers, the Venezuelan government or the Trump administration. They said they were incensed that the men were killed without due process. In the past, their boats would have been interdicted by the U.S. authorities and the crewmen charged with federal crimes, affording them a day in court.

The U.S. government “should have stopped them,” a man’s relative said.

It has been difficult for relatives to learn much about their dead loved ones because criminal gangs and the Venezuelan government have long repressed the flow of information in the region.

Venezuelan officials have blasted the U.S. government over the strikes, and the nation’s ambassador to the U.N. called the attacks “extrajudicial executions.” They have also steadfastly denied that drug traffickers operate in the country and have yet to acknowledge that any of its citizens have been killed in boat strikes. Spokespeople for Venezuela’s government did not respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration has justified the strikes by declaring drug cartels to be “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">unlawful combatants</a>&nbsp;” and said the U.S. is now in an “armed conflict” with them. Trump has said each sunken boat has saved 25,000 American lives, presumably from overdoses. The boats, however, appear to have been transporting cocaine, not the far more deadly synthetic opioids that kill tens of thousands of Americans each year.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement to the AP that the Defense Department has “consistently said that our intelligence did indeed confirm that the individuals involved in these drug operations were narco-terrorists, and we stand by that assessment.”

So far, the U.S. military has blown up 17 vessels, killing more than 60 people. Nine of the craft were targeted in the Caribbean, and at least three of those had departed from Venezuela, according to the Trump administration. The military is striking the boats at the same time the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-warships-6ffd9e6f4eb738048c816c6d8257a6ef">is applying increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro</a>. The Justice Department doubled a reward for his arrest to $50 million, and the U.S. military has built up an unusually large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">force in the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;and the waters off Venezuela and has flown pairs of supersonic, heavy bombers along the country’s coast.

Relatives and acquaintances said they have confirmed the deaths through word-of-mouth and inexplicit social media posts that sought to convey information about the dead men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-election-arrests-repression-prison-opposition-c07ddb20770f02139e4f4a05d7bc4f60">without drawing the attention of Venezuelan authorities</a>. They have also made what they described as reasonable deductions: The men have not returned phone calls or texts in weeks, or reached out to say they were okay; Venezuelan authorities, residents said, have also searched some of the homes of the dead men.

“I want an answer, but who can I ask?” said a relative of one of the men. “I can’t say anything.”

A native of Güiria, a village on the southeast side of the peninsula, Robert Sánchez dropped out of school as a teenager and like many others in the region became a fisherman like his father, according to friends and relatives. The 42-year-old was considered among the peninsula’s best pilots, they said, having spent the better part of three decades mastering the area’s currents and winds, so much so he could navigate the waters at night without instruments.

As part of hired crews, the father of four spent his days fishing for snapper, kingfish and dogfish. The fisherman wanted to save enough money to buy a 75-horsepower boat engine so he could operate his own boat and not work for others. It was a dream Sánchez knew he was likely to never realize, relatives said: Most of his income — about $100 a month — went to feed his children.

The peninsula is part of Sucre state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-economic-crisis-maduro-food-families-hungry-3e980da7bca693cc3877df0d7647a837">one of Venezuela’s poorest</a>. Sucre was once home to several fish processing plants, an auto assembly plant and a large public university, all of which offered well-paying jobs. Most have shuttered. The peninsula is dotted by the unfulfilled promises of 26 years of a self-described socialist government, including an abandoned shipyard and the rusted infrastructure meant for a natural gas complex.

With its proximity to the Caribbean Sea, the area is a popular transit hub for cocaine making its way from Colombia to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trinidad-us-military-venezuela-strikes-fishing-fcd24c441f58162b811a24b247334fc5">Trinidad and other Caribbean islands</a>&nbsp;before heading to Europe. Colombian cocaine destined for the U.S. is generally smuggled out of Colombia through the Pacific coast.

The larger economic pressures — and Sánchez’s goal of owning a boat engine — are what pushed the fisherman to accept an offer to help traffickers navigate the tricky waters he knew so well, friends and relatives said.

Sánchez had just finished offloading a day’s catch last month when he told his mother he would be taking a short trip and would see her in a couple of days. They had no idea where he was going.

After seeing clips on social media that mentioned his death, relatives broke the news to his mother, but not until after ensuring she had taken her blood pressure medication. Sánchez’s youngest son, a third grader, could not accept for days that his father was gone. He kept asking adults if his father could have survived the explosion, noting he might still be at sea.

No, the adults told the boy. His father was gone.

Luis “Che” Martínez was killed in the first strike. A burly 60-year-old, Martínez was a longtime local crime boss, and he made most of his living smuggling drugs and people across borders, according to several people who knew him.

He had been jailed by Venezuelan authorities on human-trafficking charges after a boat he had operated capsized in December 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-international-news-f8e553486c15efd8fec3415898fe1cc5">killing about two dozen people</a>, law enforcement officials said at the time. Among those who died in the accident were two of his sons and a granddaughter, relatives told the AP. The AP was not able to determine the disposition of his criminal case, but Martínez was eventually released from custody and returned to smuggling people and drugs, according to acquaintances.

Though they detested what he did for a living — and the control Martínez and similar criminals exerted over their villages — several residents said they appreciated how Martínez contributed annually to the town’s festival of the Virgin of the Valley, the patroness of fishermen, and he spent lavishly in local shops and restaurants. He also bet heavily on cockfights, a popular pastime, a bird breeder said.

Martínez was killed, a relative and several acquaintances said, in the first known U.S. strike, which took place Sept. 2. Trump quickly took to social media to claim the vessel had departed from Venezuela and had been carrying drugs. The 11-man crew, the president said, had been members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-tren-aragua-trump-deportations-guantanamo-el-salvador-0e283ba28a6566426da45b21e4fdf9ee">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. He said all men were killed and also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames.

Martínez’s relatives said they did not believe the underworld figure was a member of that gang.

By REGINA GARCIA CANOGÜIRIA, Venezuela (AP) — One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific. The four vessels were known by our intelligence… <a href="https://t.co/UhoFlZ3jPG">pic.twitter.com/UhoFlZ3jPG</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1983164355999883548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The men had little in common beyond their Venezuelan seaside hometowns and the fact all four were among the more than 60 people killed since early September when the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">began attacking boats</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration alleges were smuggling drugs. President Donald Trump and top U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">have alleged the craft</a>&nbsp;were being operated by&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115373751811822463" target="_blank">narco-terrorists</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">cartel members</a>&nbsp;bound with deadly drugs for American communities.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-drugs-cocaine-trafficking-e4fcf945e48e36bf2c510f9f111e031c">The Associated Press learned</a>&nbsp;the identities of four of the men – and pieced together details about at least five others – who were slain, providing the first comprehensive account of those who died in the strikes.In dozens of interviews&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-strike-caribbean-drug-trafficking-trump-1061debe2f983ef7bc9666d3f002b3a0">in villages on Venezuela’s breathtaking northeastern coast</a>, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang.Most of the nine men were crewing such craft for the first or second time, making at least $500 per trip, residents and relatives said. They were laborers, a fisherman, a motorcycle taxi driver. Two were low-level career criminals. One was a well-known local crime boss who contracted out his smuggling services to traffickers.The men lived on the Paria Peninsula, in mostly unpainted cinderblock homes that can go weeks without water service and regularly lose power for several hours a day. They awoke to panoramic views of a national park’s tropical forests, the Gulf of Paria’s shallows and the Caribbean’s sparkling sapphire waters. When the time came for their drug runs, they boarded open-hulled fishing skiffs that relied on powerful outboard motors to haul their drugs to nearby Trinidad and other islands.The residents and relatives interviewed by the AP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-election-maduro-opposition-human-rights-abuses-dd6d0b103adbf88f00fe60b0d781a873">requested anonymity out of fear of reprisals</a>&nbsp;from drug smugglers, the Venezuelan government or the Trump administration. They said they were incensed that the men were killed without due process. In the past, their boats would have been interdicted by the U.S. authorities and the crewmen charged with federal crimes, affording them a day in court.The U.S. government “should have stopped them,” a man’s relative said.It has been difficult for relatives to learn much about their dead loved ones because criminal gangs and the Venezuelan government have long repressed the flow of information in the region.Venezuelan officials have blasted the U.S. government over the strikes, and the nation’s ambassador to the U.N. called the attacks “extrajudicial executions.” They have also steadfastly denied that drug traffickers operate in the country and have yet to acknowledge that any of its citizens have been killed in boat strikes. Spokespeople for Venezuela’s government did not respond to a request for comment.The Trump administration has justified the strikes by declaring drug cartels to be “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">unlawful combatants</a>&nbsp;” and said the U.S. is now in an “armed conflict” with them. Trump has said each sunken boat has saved 25,000 American lives, presumably from overdoses. The boats, however, appear to have been transporting cocaine, not the far more deadly synthetic opioids that kill tens of thousands of Americans each year.Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement to the AP that the Defense Department has “consistently said that our intelligence did indeed confirm that the individuals involved in these drug operations were narco-terrorists, and we stand by that assessment.”So far, the U.S. military has blown up 17 vessels, killing more than 60 people. Nine of the craft were targeted in the Caribbean, and at least three of those had departed from Venezuela, according to the Trump administration. The military is striking the boats at the same time the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-warships-6ffd9e6f4eb738048c816c6d8257a6ef">is applying increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro</a>. The Justice Department doubled a reward for his arrest to $50 million, and the U.S. military has built up an unusually large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">force in the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;and the waters off Venezuela and has flown pairs of supersonic, heavy bombers along the country’s coast.Relatives and acquaintances said they have confirmed the deaths through word-of-mouth and inexplicit social media posts that sought to convey information about the dead men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-election-arrests-repression-prison-opposition-c07ddb20770f02139e4f4a05d7bc4f60">without drawing the attention of Venezuelan authorities</a>. They have also made what they described as reasonable deductions: The men have not returned phone calls or texts in weeks, or reached out to say they were okay; Venezuelan authorities, residents said, have also searched some of the homes of the dead men.“I want an answer, but who can I ask?” said a relative of one of the men. “I can’t say anything.”<h2>The fisherman</h2>A native of Güiria, a village on the southeast side of the peninsula, Robert Sánchez dropped out of school as a teenager and like many others in the region became a fisherman like his father, according to friends and relatives. The 42-year-old was considered among the peninsula’s best pilots, they said, having spent the better part of three decades mastering the area’s currents and winds, so much so he could navigate the waters at night without instruments.As part of hired crews, the father of four spent his days fishing for snapper, kingfish and dogfish. The fisherman wanted to save enough money to buy a 75-horsepower boat engine so he could operate his own boat and not work for others. It was a dream Sánchez knew he was likely to never realize, relatives said: Most of his income — about $100 a month — went to feed his children.He was not alone in that situation.The peninsula is part of Sucre state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-economic-crisis-maduro-food-families-hungry-3e980da7bca693cc3877df0d7647a837">one of Venezuela’s poorest</a>. Sucre was once home to several fish processing plants, an auto assembly plant and a large public university, all of which offered well-paying jobs. Most have shuttered. The peninsula is dotted by the unfulfilled promises of 26 years of a self-described socialist government, including an abandoned shipyard and the rusted infrastructure meant for a natural gas complex.With its proximity to the Caribbean Sea, the area is a popular transit hub for cocaine making its way from Colombia to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trinidad-us-military-venezuela-strikes-fishing-fcd24c441f58162b811a24b247334fc5">Trinidad and other Caribbean islands</a>&nbsp;before heading to Europe. Colombian cocaine destined for the U.S. is generally smuggled out of Colombia through the Pacific coast.The larger economic pressures — and Sánchez’s goal of owning a boat engine — are what pushed the fisherman to accept an offer to help traffickers navigate the tricky waters he knew so well, friends and relatives said.Sánchez had just finished offloading a day’s catch last month when he told his mother he would be taking a short trip and would see her in a couple of days. They had no idea where he was going.After seeing clips on social media that mentioned his death, relatives broke the news to his mother, but not until after ensuring she had taken her blood pressure medication. Sánchez’s youngest son, a third grader, could not accept for days that his father was gone. He kept asking adults if his father could have survived the explosion, noting he might still be at sea.No, the adults told the boy. His father was gone.<h2>One of the first to die</h2>Luis “Che” Martínez was killed in the first strike. A burly 60-year-old, Martínez was a longtime local crime boss, and he made most of his living smuggling drugs and people across borders, according to several people who knew him.He had been jailed by Venezuelan authorities on human-trafficking charges after a boat he had operated capsized in December 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-international-news-f8e553486c15efd8fec3415898fe1cc5">killing about two dozen people</a>, law enforcement officials said at the time. Among those who died in the accident were two of his sons and a granddaughter, relatives told the AP. The AP was not able to determine the disposition of his criminal case, but Martínez was eventually released from custody and returned to smuggling people and drugs, according to acquaintances.Though they detested what he did for a living — and the control Martínez and similar criminals exerted over their villages — several residents said they appreciated how Martínez contributed annually to the town’s festival of the Virgin of the Valley, the patroness of fishermen, and he spent lavishly in local shops and restaurants. He also bet heavily on cockfights, a popular pastime, a bird breeder said.Martínez was killed, a relative and several acquaintances said, in the first known U.S. strike, which took place Sept. 2. Trump quickly took to social media to claim the vessel had departed from Venezuela and had been carrying drugs. The 11-man crew, the president said, had been members of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-tren-aragua-trump-deportations-guantanamo-el-salvador-0e283ba28a6566426da45b21e4fdf9ee">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. He said all men were killed and also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames.Martínez’s relatives said they did not believe the underworld figure was a member of that gang.They said they have been provided no information from the Venezuelan government about his fate. They figured it out when they came across a photo of a body that had washed ashore in Trinidad. The photo had been shared on social media and messaging apps and depicted a badly mutilated body. The people familiar with Martínez said they knew instantly the stout corpse was Martínez because, on his left wrist, was strapped one of his most treasured belongings: an ostentatious watch.<h2>The former cadet and bus driver</h2>Dushak Milovcic, 24, was drawn to crime by the adrenaline rush and money, so much that he dropped out of the country’s National Guard Academy, according to those who knew him. He started as a lookout for smugglers, they said. Though he had no experience at sea, he eventually won a promotion to the more lucrative and coveted jobs on drug-running boats.It’s not clear how many trips he had undertaken before he was killed last month.Juan Carlos “El Guaramero” Fuentes had operated a transit bus for several years but was facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-economy-crisis-maduro-inflation-sanctions-dollar-5250770ae0e79fc69122b820ab8ac13e">dire financial circumstances</a>&nbsp;when it had broken down. The government had been unable — or unwilling — to fix it. That meant he was losing money because bus drivers in Venezuela typically pocket a portion of the fares, making it nearly impossible for him to feed and clothe his family.Villagers said they were not surprised that Fuentes, who had no nautical experience, turned to smuggling to make ends meet. The higher-level traffickers who typically crewed such boats had been staying ashore to avoid being targeted by U.S. missiles. In their place, villagers said, they had been increasingly hiring novices like Fuentes.Fuentes told friends he had been nervous about his first smuggling run, knowing it would be filled with risks from weather, rival gangs, even the U.S. military. The September trip had gone surprisingly smoothly, he told friends, and he readily agreed to join another crew. Fuentes was killed in a missile strike last month, friends said, the precise one unknown.—-Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington.—This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.