BAGHDAD(AP) —The U.S. military struck three facilities in Iraq and two anti-ship missiles in Yemen operated by Iranian-backed militias that have attacked U.S. personnel and ships in the region as the United States tries to keep the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;from spilling over into a wider conflict.

Both the strikes in Iraq and Yemen late on Tuesday targeted sites that the U.S. has said are involved in the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and were threatening U.S. military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the strikes in Iraq were at the direction of President Joe Biden and targeted facilities used by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kataib-hezbollah-drone-strike-us-military-injured-b4b4480e2cae6e7ad26e88eb625ab397">Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia</a>&nbsp;and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq.

“These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against U.S. and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias," Austin said. Those strikes hit militia facilities in Jurf al-Sakhar, which is south of Baghdad, al-Qaim and another unnamed site in western Iraq, two U.S. officials said.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the strikes “blatantly violate Iraq’s sovereignty" and contribute to an "irresponsible escalation," according to a statement from his office. The statement, signed by military spokesman Yahya Rasool, said Iraq considers the strikes “hostile acts” and is taking measures to protect the lives of Iraqis.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, a coalition of armed mostly Shiite groups only nominally under Iraqi military authority, said the strike near the Syrian border killed one of its fighters and wounded two, while the strike south of Baghdad caused material damage.

The U.S. Central Command announced it had also struck two anti-ship missiles belonging to the Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels that were being prepared for launch and were aimed at the southern part of the Red Sea.

“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region,” Central Command said.

Both fronts — land attacks in Iraq and Syria, and sea attacks originating from Yemen — have seen a significant uptick in launches and counterstrikes over the last few days.

The U.S. strikes on the Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq came hours after the U.S. said militiamen fired two one-way attack drones at al-Asad Air Base, injuring U.S. service members and damaging infrastructure. And they followed the militia's most serious attack this year on the air base, when it launched multiple ballistic missiles on Saturday.

U.S. Central Command said it targeted Kataib Hezbollah headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack drone capabilities.

In the drone attacks against al-Asad earlier Tuesday, U.S. defenses were able to intercept the first drone but it crashed on base while the second drone hit the base, U.S. officials said. Injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and smoke inhalation, were reported to be minor. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly.

The strikes on the Houthi missile launch sites in Yemen followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-british-strikes-houthi-yemen-4ca86a7c0f484fcdf9c386cd752c1878">joint operation on Monday night</a>&nbsp;where the U.S. and Britain used warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets to take out Houthi missile storage sites, drones and launchers.

On both fronts, the Iranian-backed militias have employed ballistic missiles to target U.S. bases and ships, which marks an escalation, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who specializes in Iran.

The militias have typically used drones and rockets to attack. Tehran supplied Shiite militias in Iraq with short-range and close-range ballistic missiles in 2019, Taleblu said, but they had not been used until November’s attacks.

During Saturday’s larger-scale attack, multiple ballistic missiles and rockets launched by Iranian-backed militias targeted al-Asad, but most were intercepted by air defense systems there, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday. She said other munitions hit the base.

Al-Asad is a large air base in western Iraq where U.S. troops have trained Iraqi security forces and now coordinate operations to counter the militant Islamic State group.

Singh said Saturday’s attack was a “barrage” — the first time since Nov. 20 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iraq-airstrike-military-iran-d93d861feeef90cfeac3ba85f1f2f36d">Iranian proxy forces in Iraq had fired ballistic missiles at U.S. bases</a>&nbsp;there.

A coalition of militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has taken credit for a number of the attacks on U.S. forces. Kataib Hezbollah is one of the groups within that umbrella organization.

Iran has also supplied the Houthis with ballistic missiles, and that group is the first Iranian proxy to fire medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles, Taleblu said. “With Yemen, think of it as an intensification of the problem.”

Saturday’s ballistic missile attack on al-Asad injured four U.S. service members, all of whom have returned to duty. One member of the Iraqi security forces was also injured.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October, there have been more than 151 attacks on U.S. facilities in Syria and Iraq. According to the Pentagon, two attacks took place on Monday and included multiple rockets fired at U.S. and coalition troops at Mission Support Site Euphrates in Syria and a single rocket fired at the Rumalyn Landing Zone in Syria. Neither attack resulted in casualties or damage.

The U.S. struck back at the militia groups late last month, ordering a round of retaliatory strikes after three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.</a>&nbsp;Kataib Hezbollah claimed credit for the attack, carried out by a one-way attack drone.

The U.S., in response, hit three sites, destroying facilities and likely killing a number of the militia, the White House said at the time.

BAGHDAD(AP) —The U.S. military struck three facilities in Iraq and two anti-ship missiles in Yemen operated by Iranian-backed militias that have attacked U.S. personnel and ships in the region as the United States tries to keep the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;from spilling over into a wider conflict.Both the strikes in Iraq and Yemen late on Tuesday targeted sites that the U.S. has said are involved in the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and were threatening U.S. military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the strikes in Iraq were at the direction of President Joe Biden and targeted facilities used by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kataib-hezbollah-drone-strike-us-military-injured-b4b4480e2cae6e7ad26e88eb625ab397">Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia</a>&nbsp;and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq.“These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against U.S. and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias," Austin said. Those strikes hit militia facilities in Jurf al-Sakhar, which is south of Baghdad, al-Qaim and another unnamed site in western Iraq, two U.S. officials said.Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the strikes “blatantly violate Iraq’s sovereignty" and contribute to an "irresponsible escalation," according to a statement from his office. The statement, signed by military spokesman Yahya Rasool, said Iraq considers the strikes “hostile acts” and is taking measures to protect the lives of Iraqis.The Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, a coalition of armed mostly Shiite groups only nominally under Iraqi military authority, said the strike near the Syrian border killed one of its fighters and wounded two, while the strike south of Baghdad caused material damage.The U.S. Central Command announced it had also struck two anti-ship missiles belonging to the Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels that were being prepared for launch and were aimed at the southern part of the Red Sea.“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region,” Central Command said.Both fronts — land attacks in Iraq and Syria, and sea attacks originating from Yemen — have seen a significant uptick in launches and counterstrikes over the last few days.The U.S. strikes on the Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq came hours after the U.S. said militiamen fired two one-way attack drones at al-Asad Air Base, injuring U.S. service members and damaging infrastructure. And they followed the militia's most serious attack this year on the air base, when it launched multiple ballistic missiles on Saturday.U.S. Central Command said it targeted Kataib Hezbollah headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack drone capabilities.In the drone attacks against al-Asad earlier Tuesday, U.S. defenses were able to intercept the first drone but it crashed on base while the second drone hit the base, U.S. officials said. Injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and smoke inhalation, were reported to be minor. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been announced publicly.The strikes on the Houthi missile launch sites in Yemen followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-british-strikes-houthi-yemen-4ca86a7c0f484fcdf9c386cd752c1878">joint operation on Monday night</a>&nbsp;where the U.S. and Britain used warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets to take out Houthi missile storage sites, drones and launchers.On both fronts, the Iranian-backed militias have employed ballistic missiles to target U.S. bases and ships, which marks an escalation, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who specializes in Iran.The militias have typically used drones and rockets to attack. Tehran supplied Shiite militias in Iraq with short-range and close-range ballistic missiles in 2019, Taleblu said, but they had not been used until November’s attacks.During Saturday’s larger-scale attack, multiple ballistic missiles and rockets launched by Iranian-backed militias targeted al-Asad, but most were intercepted by air defense systems there, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday. She said other munitions hit the base.Al-Asad is a large air base in western Iraq where U.S. troops have trained Iraqi security forces and now coordinate operations to counter the militant Islamic State group.Singh said Saturday’s attack was a “barrage” — the first time since Nov. 20 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iraq-airstrike-military-iran-d93d861feeef90cfeac3ba85f1f2f36d">Iranian proxy forces in Iraq had fired ballistic missiles at U.S. bases</a>&nbsp;there.A coalition of militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has taken credit for a number of the attacks on U.S. forces. Kataib Hezbollah is one of the groups within that umbrella organization.Iran has also supplied the Houthis with ballistic missiles, and that group is the first Iranian proxy to fire medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles, Taleblu said. “With Yemen, think of it as an intensification of the problem.”Saturday’s ballistic missile attack on al-Asad injured four U.S. service members, all of whom have returned to duty. One member of the Iraqi security forces was also injured.Since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October, there have been more than 151 attacks on U.S. facilities in Syria and Iraq. According to the Pentagon, two attacks took place on Monday and included multiple rockets fired at U.S. and coalition troops at Mission Support Site Euphrates in Syria and a single rocket fired at the Rumalyn Landing Zone in Syria. Neither attack resulted in casualties or damage.The U.S. struck back at the militia groups late last month, ordering a round of retaliatory strikes after three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.</a>&nbsp;Kataib Hezbollah claimed credit for the attack, carried out by a one-way attack drone.The U.S., in response, hit three sites, destroying facilities and likely killing a number of the militia, the White House said at the time.

US strikes targets in Iraq, Yemen after American forces wounded

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's Office

An employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.

Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.

She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703285918610.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's OfficeAn employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703802024415.png" alt="Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

Kansas woman accused of murder still hiding from police

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;had rock-solid support from New Hampshire Republicans in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-hampshire-primary-two-candidate-race-72a59c4133879eaeec63d6ed30e91e01">primary victory</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, with even most backers of rival&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;acknowledging the GOP belongs to him.

Yet as Trump’s hold on securing the party’s nomination tightened,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2024-Primaries-VoteCastMethodologyStatement_PreElection-Post.pdf">AP VoteCast</a>&nbsp;found that some voters express concerns that he is too extreme to compete in the November general election. Some also worry about his&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">legal peril</a>&nbsp;in a trio of pending criminal trials.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor and a U.N. ambassador under Trump, performed relatively better with college graduates and moderates, a possible sign that Trump has yet to expand his political base.

The survey found signs that primary voters on the Democratic side rallied around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-new-hampshire-democrats-writein-campaign-597a1208e5a8696a3f6b794a91b9fb00">won in New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;with strong support on the economy, but many have concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">his age</a>&nbsp;– he is 81 — and his handling of the situation in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Middle East.</a>

Only weeks into 2024, voters have already shown an awareness of Trump’s strengths and liabilities. But even as the coronavirus, the major challenge during the 2020 election, has faded from public view, the cultural and social forces of that Biden-Trump matchup have hardened in ways that are testing the country’s sense of itself.

The New Hampshire primaries are unique because undeclared voters –- those not affiliated with either party –- can choose to vote in either party’s primary. This draws in voters who are not necessarily party loyalists.

More than 4 in 10 GOP primary voters were not affiliated with a party, compared with about 2 in 10 in the Democratic primary. Among those affiliated with the Republican Party in the state, Trump won handily.

AP VoteCast is a survey of 1,968 New Hampshire voters who are taking part in the Republican primary and 903 Democratic primary voters. The survey is conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

New Hampshire’s demographics favored Trump.

He won in the small towns and rural communities, where about two-thirds of primary participants say they live. Most GOP voters in the state lack a college degree; about two-thirds of them voted for Trump. He won about 7 in 10 Republican voters who identified as conservatives.

Trump was backed by Republicans who prioritize either immigration or the economy, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-caucus-who-voted-how-poll-votecast-4d1d5eb89b32fbba3afedee90334148c">two top issues among GOP voters in New Hampshire and Iowa</a>, where the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucus-haley-desantis-cold-voting-begins-0af10f1ba21d488af54776b2c8d4028c">won the leadoff caucuses last week</a>.

Among those in New Hampshire who named immigration as their top priority, about three-quarters support Trump. New Hampshire’s primary voters agreed with Trump on the need to limit immigration and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

About half of those who said the economy was the top issue backed Trump.

Haley drew her support from groups that could be crucial in November. But those groups were distinct minorities in the GOP electorate.

She beat Trump among primary participants who were not formally affiliated with any party. About half of Haley’s supporters graduated from college, just as about half of them identify as moderates.

In many cases, her backers were simply uncomfortable with Trump.

Haley performed well among those who said Trump did something illegal in at least one of the criminal cases against him. And in the 2020 presidential election, about half of Haley’s supporters voted for Biden, a Democrat.

Iowa exposed suburban voters as a potential weakness for Trump. While Haley did slightly better in New Hampshire’s suburban communities than she did in other areas, she still didn’t pull ahead of Trump in those areas.

Compared with Iowa caucusgoers, New Hampshire Republican primary voters have slightly more doubts about Trump.

In New Hampshire, about half of GOP voters are very or somewhat concerned that Trump is too extreme to win the general election. Only about one-third say the same about Haley.

Regarding Trump’s criminal indictments, about one-third of GOP participants in New Hampshire believe he has done something illegal related to either his alleged attempt to interfere in the vote count in the 2020 presidential election, his role in what happened at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or the classified documents found at his Florida home after he left the White House.

REPUBLICAN VOTERS EXPECT TRUMP TO BE GOP NOMINEE

The vast majority of Republican voters in New Hampshire, about 8 in 10, believed Trump would win the nomination, a finding that came after his dominant showing in Iowa.

Only about 2 in 10 say Haley will be the nominee. In a blow to a candidate who has pitched herself as a Trump alternative, more than half of Haley’s own supporters think Trump will represent the party on the ballot.

About 8 in 10 say they decided before Iowa which candidate they would support. After the caucuses, three contenders ended their campaigns: biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

About 6 in 10 GOP voters say they had their minds made up more than a month ago, including about 4 in 10 saying they have known all along.

BIDEN'S DEMOCRATIC COALITION COMES INTO FOCUS

Biden’s New Hampshire victory provided key insights into the Democratic coalition.

About half hold a college degree, as education has become a major political dividing line across the country. There was almost universal support among Democratic voters for abortion to be legal in most if not all cases. About three-quarters called discrimination against Black people a major problem.

The polling also suggested that the economy might be evolving into a strength for Biden among his base. High inflation had hurt his approval ratings for most of his presidency, but inflation has eased without disrupting job growth and Democrats are showing newfound support for Biden’s agenda. More than 8 in 10 approved of his economic leadership.

There are limits on what New Hampshire can reveal, as the state is less urban, less suburban and less racially diverse than the rest of the country. Cities, suburbs and non-white voters were crucial elements of Biden's winning 2020 coalition.

Still, not everything Biden does received strong plaudits in New Hampshire. Only about 6 in 10 approve of how he is handling immigration, and only about half approve of his handling of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.

About 4 in 10 say Biden is too old to serve a second term as president.

During his presidency, the Democratic Party has chosen to make South Carolina the first official presidential contest, a choice that has relegated Biden to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-new-hampshire-democrats-race-call-explainer-6cd2136e9b8c77f736e455fb2ad2eca3">write-in status in New Hampshire</a>. Just over half said it is very or somewhat important to them that New Hampshire’s presidential primary is the first in the nation.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, tightening his grip on the Republican presidential nomination and bolstering the likelihood of a rematch later this year against President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.

The result was a setback for former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, who invested significant time and financial resources into winning the state but finished second. She was the last major challenger in the race after Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;ended his presidential bid over the weekend, allowing her to campaign as the sole alternative to Trump. Haley intensified her criticism of the former president, questioning his mental acuity and pitching herself as a unifying candidate who would usher in generational change.

The appeals failed to resonate with enough voters. Trump can now boast of being the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976, a striking sign of how rapidly Republicans have rallied around him to make him their nominee for the third consecutive time.

By posting easy wins in both early states, Trump is demonstrating an ability to unite the GOP’s factions firmly behind him. He’s garnered support from the evangelical conservatives who are influential in Iowa and New Hampshire’s more moderate voters, strength he hopes to replicate as the primary quickly expands to the rest of the U.S.

Haley was unable to capitalize on New Hampshire’s more moderate political tradition. Now, her path to becoming the GOP standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won’t compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary. As the state’s former governor, she’s hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-tuesday">Super Tuesday</a>&nbsp;contests. But in a deeply conservative state where Trump is exceedingly popular, those ambitions may be tough to realize and a home-state loss could prove politically devastating.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, won New Hampshire's Democratic primary via a write-in effort after the state party moved forward with its own contest. Biden did not appear on the ballot but allies helped him beat a series of little-known challengers.

Trump’s position in the contest is remarkable considering he faces&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">91 criminal charges</a>&nbsp;related to everything from seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election to mishandling classified documents and arranging payoffs to a porn actress. He left the White House in 2021 in the grim aftermath of an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol led by his supporters who sought to stop the certification of Biden’s win. And Trump was the first president to be impeached twice.

But Trump has turned those vulnerabilities into an advantage among GOP voters. He has argued that the criminal prosecutions reflect a politicized Justice Department, though there’s no evidence that officials there were pressured by Biden or anyone else in the White House to file charges. Trump has nonetheless repeatedly told his supporters that he’s being prosecuted on their behalf, an argument that appears to have further strengthened his bond with the GOP base.

As Trump begins to pivot his attention to Biden and a general election campaign, the question is whether the former president’s framing of the legal cases will persuade voters beyond the GOP base. Trump lost the popular vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections and has faced particular struggles in suburban communities from Georgia to Pennsylvania to Arizona that could prove decisive in the fall campaign.

Beyond the political vulnerabilities associated with the criminal cases, Trump faces a logistical challenge in balancing trials and campaigning. He has frequently appeared voluntarily at a New York courtroom where a jury is considering whether he should&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-trial-new-york-fdcb7ae15c7120ae008a5fe4f28558dc">pay additional damages</a>&nbsp;to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. He has turned these appearances into campaign events, holding televised news conferences that give him an opportunity to spread his message to a large audience.

He has no choice but to appear in court when the criminal cases begin, which could happen later this spring.

Biden faces his own challenges, though of a different magnitude. There are widespread concerns about his age at 81 years old. Dissent is also building within his party over Biden’s alliance with Israel in its war against Hamas, putting the president’s standing at risk in swing states like Michigan.

Biden championed new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-democrats-dnc-state-parties-ac8fba0ab1117ebf75cc16ebe0c735e4">Democratic National Committee</a>&nbsp;rules that have its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-georgia-2022-midterm-elections-south-carolina-83f6ea9bd64e567bb1ed55d734474b89">2024 primary beginning on Feb. 3 in South Carolina</a>, rather than in Iowa or New Hampshire. That left him in something of an awkward position at the outset of the nomination process.

But Democrats in New Hampshire defied the revamped order and held their primary on Tuesday, same as the Republicans. Biden didn’t campaign, giving the state’s Democrats the chance to support primary challengers including Minnesota Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phillips-2024-presidential-campaign-biden-democratic-challenger-0f38b80ba00566014a4d59fdb516d52c">Dean Phillips</a>&nbsp;and self-help author&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marianne-williamson-president-2024-biden-democratic-primary-14e59754bed9e0c54dad4fdfbbc1fa6b">Marianne Williamson</a>&nbsp;— though many of New Hampshire’s top Democrats backed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-new-hampshire-ballot-primary-shakeup-1df2712ebf31ffecdaf2bceb4c74bb2f">write-in campaign that Biden could still win</a>.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-hampshire-2024-republican-nomination-4661638bf768824d03ea84e5c20d1544">traveled frequently to New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;in the months leading up to the primary but didn’t spend as much time in the state as many of his rivals. That included former New Jersey Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chris-christie">Chris Christie</a>, a fierce Trump critic who enjoyed some popularity in the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christie-presidential-race-5e974cfa407d39af878f066a71af35ad">but suspended his campaign</a>&nbsp;mere days before Iowa’s caucuses in an attempt to blunt the former president’s momentum.

Rather than the traditional approach of greeting voters personally or in small groups, Trump has staged large rallies. He has spent much of his time complaining about the past — including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2020-election-lies-debunked-4fc26546b07962fdbf9d66e739fbb50d">lie that the 2020 election was stolen</a>&nbsp;due to widespread voter fraud.

If he returns to the White House, the former president has promised to enact a hardline immigration agenda that includes stopping migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">reimposing his first-term travel ban</a>&nbsp;that originally targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. He’s also said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">rising number of immigrants</a>&nbsp;entering the United States are “poisoning the blood of our country,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hitler-poison-blood-history-f8c3ff512edd120252596a4743324352">echoing Adolf Hitler’s language</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706063510035.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump celebrated before his victory address-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump celebrated before his victory address-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;had rock-solid support from New Hampshire Republicans in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-hampshire-primary-two-candidate-race-72a59c4133879eaeec63d6ed30e91e01">primary victory</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, with even most backers of rival&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;acknowledging the GOP belongs to him.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Donald Trump: &quot;We won new Hampshire three times now... On Nikki Haley: &quot;She&#39;s doing a speech like she won. She didn&#39;t win. She lost.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6CC62WiB8b">pic.twitter.com/6CC62WiB8b</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1749983498553733129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Yet as Trump’s hold on securing the party’s nomination tightened,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2024-Primaries-VoteCastMethodologyStatement_PreElection-Post.pdf">AP VoteCast</a>&nbsp;found that some voters express concerns that he is too extreme to compete in the November general election. Some also worry about his&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">legal peril</a>&nbsp;in a trio of pending criminal trials.Haley, a former South Carolina governor and a U.N. ambassador under Trump, performed relatively better with college graduates and moderates, a possible sign that Trump has yet to expand his political base.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Nikki Haley: &quot;I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory tonight...New Hampshire is first in the nation, it is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZyEIYGrZWH">pic.twitter.com/ZyEIYGrZWH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1749967537155039727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The survey found signs that primary voters on the Democratic side rallied around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-new-hampshire-democrats-writein-campaign-597a1208e5a8696a3f6b794a91b9fb00">won in New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;with strong support on the economy, but many have concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">his age</a>&nbsp;– he is 81 — and his handling of the situation in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Middle East.</a>Only weeks into 2024, voters have already shown an awareness of Trump’s strengths and liabilities. But even as the coronavirus, the major challenge during the 2020 election, has faded from public view, the cultural and social forces of that Biden-Trump matchup have hardened in ways that are testing the country’s sense of itself.The New Hampshire primaries are unique because undeclared voters –- those not affiliated with either party –- can choose to vote in either party’s primary. This draws in voters who are not necessarily party loyalists.More than 4 in 10 GOP primary voters were not affiliated with a party, compared with about 2 in 10 in the Democratic primary. Among those affiliated with the Republican Party in the state, Trump won handily.AP VoteCast is a survey of 1,968 New Hampshire voters who are taking part in the Republican primary and 903 Democratic primary voters. The survey is conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.HOW TRUMP WON IN NEW HAMPSHIRENew Hampshire’s demographics favored Trump.He won in the small towns and rural communities, where about two-thirds of primary participants say they live. Most GOP voters in the state lack a college degree; about two-thirds of them voted for Trump. He won about 7 in 10 Republican voters who identified as conservatives.Trump was backed by Republicans who prioritize either immigration or the economy, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-caucus-who-voted-how-poll-votecast-4d1d5eb89b32fbba3afedee90334148c">two top issues among GOP voters in New Hampshire and Iowa</a>, where the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucus-haley-desantis-cold-voting-begins-0af10f1ba21d488af54776b2c8d4028c">won the leadoff caucuses last week</a>.Among those in New Hampshire who named immigration as their top priority, about three-quarters support Trump. New Hampshire’s primary voters agreed with Trump on the need to limit immigration and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.About half of those who said the economy was the top issue backed Trump.HOW HALEY’S STRENGTHS FELL SHORTHaley drew her support from groups that could be crucial in November. But those groups were distinct minorities in the GOP electorate.She beat Trump among primary participants who were not formally affiliated with any party. About half of Haley’s supporters graduated from college, just as about half of them identify as moderates.In many cases, her backers were simply uncomfortable with Trump.Haley performed well among those who said Trump did something illegal in at least one of the criminal cases against him. And in the 2020 presidential election, about half of Haley’s supporters voted for Biden, a Democrat.Iowa exposed suburban voters as a potential weakness for Trump. While Haley did slightly better in New Hampshire’s suburban communities than she did in other areas, she still didn’t pull ahead of Trump in those areas.POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES FOR TRUMPCompared with Iowa caucusgoers, New Hampshire Republican primary voters have slightly more doubts about Trump.In New Hampshire, about half of GOP voters are very or somewhat concerned that Trump is too extreme to win the general election. Only about one-third say the same about Haley.Regarding Trump’s criminal indictments, about one-third of GOP participants in New Hampshire believe he has done something illegal related to either his alleged attempt to interfere in the vote count in the 2020 presidential election, his role in what happened at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or the classified documents found at his Florida home after he left the White House.REPUBLICAN VOTERS EXPECT TRUMP TO BE GOP NOMINEEThe vast majority of Republican voters in New Hampshire, about 8 in 10, believed Trump would win the nomination, a finding that came after his dominant showing in Iowa.Only about 2 in 10 say Haley will be the nominee. In a blow to a candidate who has pitched herself as a Trump alternative, more than half of Haley’s own supporters think Trump will represent the party on the ballot.About 8 in 10 say they decided before Iowa which candidate they would support. After the caucuses, three contenders ended their campaigns: biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.About 6 in 10 GOP voters say they had their minds made up more than a month ago, including about 4 in 10 saying they have known all along.BIDEN'S DEMOCRATIC COALITION COMES INTO FOCUSBiden’s New Hampshire victory provided key insights into the Democratic coalition.About half hold a college degree, as education has become a major political dividing line across the country. There was almost universal support among Democratic voters for abortion to be legal in most if not all cases. About three-quarters called discrimination against Black people a major problem.The polling also suggested that the economy might be evolving into a strength for Biden among his base. High inflation had hurt his approval ratings for most of his presidency, but inflation has eased without disrupting job growth and Democrats are showing newfound support for Biden’s agenda. More than 8 in 10 approved of his economic leadership.There are limits on what New Hampshire can reveal, as the state is less urban, less suburban and less racially diverse than the rest of the country. Cities, suburbs and non-white voters were crucial elements of Biden's winning 2020 coalition.Still, not everything Biden does received strong plaudits in New Hampshire. Only about 6 in 10 approve of how he is handling immigration, and only about half approve of his handling of the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.About 4 in 10 say Biden is too old to serve a second term as president.During his presidency, the Democratic Party has chosen to make South Carolina the first official presidential contest, a choice that has relegated Biden to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-new-hampshire-democrats-race-call-explainer-6cd2136e9b8c77f736e455fb2ad2eca3">write-in status in New Hampshire</a>. Just over half said it is very or somewhat important to them that New Hampshire’s presidential primary is the first in the nation.---------------MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, tightening his grip on the Republican presidential nomination and bolstering the likelihood of a rematch later this year against President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.The result was a setback for former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, who invested significant time and financial resources into winning the state but finished second. She was the last major challenger in the race after Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;ended his presidential bid over the weekend, allowing her to campaign as the sole alternative to Trump. Haley intensified her criticism of the former president, questioning his mental acuity and pitching herself as a unifying candidate who would usher in generational change.The appeals failed to resonate with enough voters. Trump can now boast of being the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976, a striking sign of how rapidly Republicans have rallied around him to make him their nominee for the third consecutive time.By posting easy wins in both early states, Trump is demonstrating an ability to unite the GOP’s factions firmly behind him. He’s garnered support from the evangelical conservatives who are influential in Iowa and New Hampshire’s more moderate voters, strength he hopes to replicate as the primary quickly expands to the rest of the U.S.Haley was unable to capitalize on New Hampshire’s more moderate political tradition. Now, her path to becoming the GOP standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won’t compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary. As the state’s former governor, she’s hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-tuesday">Super Tuesday</a>&nbsp;contests. But in a deeply conservative state where Trump is exceedingly popular, those ambitions may be tough to realize and a home-state loss could prove politically devastating.President Joe Biden, meanwhile, won New Hampshire's Democratic primary via a write-in effort after the state party moved forward with its own contest. Biden did not appear on the ballot but allies helped him beat a series of little-known challengers.Trump’s position in the contest is remarkable considering he faces&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">91 criminal charges</a>&nbsp;related to everything from seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election to mishandling classified documents and arranging payoffs to a porn actress. He left the White House in 2021 in the grim aftermath of an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol led by his supporters who sought to stop the certification of Biden’s win. And Trump was the first president to be impeached twice.But Trump has turned those vulnerabilities into an advantage among GOP voters. He has argued that the criminal prosecutions reflect a politicized Justice Department, though there’s no evidence that officials there were pressured by Biden or anyone else in the White House to file charges. Trump has nonetheless repeatedly told his supporters that he’s being prosecuted on their behalf, an argument that appears to have further strengthened his bond with the GOP base.As Trump begins to pivot his attention to Biden and a general election campaign, the question is whether the former president’s framing of the legal cases will persuade voters beyond the GOP base. Trump lost the popular vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections and has faced particular struggles in suburban communities from Georgia to Pennsylvania to Arizona that could prove decisive in the fall campaign.Beyond the political vulnerabilities associated with the criminal cases, Trump faces a logistical challenge in balancing trials and campaigning. He has frequently appeared voluntarily at a New York courtroom where a jury is considering whether he should&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-trial-new-york-fdcb7ae15c7120ae008a5fe4f28558dc">pay additional damages</a>&nbsp;to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. He has turned these appearances into campaign events, holding televised news conferences that give him an opportunity to spread his message to a large audience.He has no choice but to appear in court when the criminal cases begin, which could happen later this spring.Biden faces his own challenges, though of a different magnitude. There are widespread concerns about his age at 81 years old. Dissent is also building within his party over Biden’s alliance with Israel in its war against Hamas, putting the president’s standing at risk in swing states like Michigan.Biden championed new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-democrats-dnc-state-parties-ac8fba0ab1117ebf75cc16ebe0c735e4">Democratic National Committee</a>&nbsp;rules that have its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-georgia-2022-midterm-elections-south-carolina-83f6ea9bd64e567bb1ed55d734474b89">2024 primary beginning on Feb. 3 in South Carolina</a>, rather than in Iowa or New Hampshire. That left him in something of an awkward position at the outset of the nomination process.But Democrats in New Hampshire defied the revamped order and held their primary on Tuesday, same as the Republicans. Biden didn’t campaign, giving the state’s Democrats the chance to support primary challengers including Minnesota Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phillips-2024-presidential-campaign-biden-democratic-challenger-0f38b80ba00566014a4d59fdb516d52c">Dean Phillips</a>&nbsp;and self-help author&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marianne-williamson-president-2024-biden-democratic-primary-14e59754bed9e0c54dad4fdfbbc1fa6b">Marianne Williamson</a>&nbsp;— though many of New Hampshire’s top Democrats backed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-new-hampshire-ballot-primary-shakeup-1df2712ebf31ffecdaf2bceb4c74bb2f">write-in campaign that Biden could still win</a>.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-hampshire-2024-republican-nomination-4661638bf768824d03ea84e5c20d1544">traveled frequently to New Hampshire</a>&nbsp;in the months leading up to the primary but didn’t spend as much time in the state as many of his rivals. That included former New Jersey Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chris-christie">Chris Christie</a>, a fierce Trump critic who enjoyed some popularity in the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christie-presidential-race-5e974cfa407d39af878f066a71af35ad">but suspended his campaign</a>&nbsp;mere days before Iowa’s caucuses in an attempt to blunt the former president’s momentum.Rather than the traditional approach of greeting voters personally or in small groups, Trump has staged large rallies. He has spent much of his time complaining about the past — including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2020-election-lies-debunked-4fc26546b07962fdbf9d66e739fbb50d">lie that the 2020 election was stolen</a>&nbsp;due to widespread voter fraud.If he returns to the White House, the former president has promised to enact a hardline immigration agenda that includes stopping migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">reimposing his first-term travel ban</a>&nbsp;that originally targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. He’s also said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">rising number of immigrants</a>&nbsp;entering the United States are “poisoning the blood of our country,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hitler-poison-blood-history-f8c3ff512edd120252596a4743324352">echoing Adolf Hitler’s language</a>.

🎥 Historic win: Trump defeats Haley in New Hampshire primary

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Two Kansas suspects in a 2021 murder in Kansas have admitted to their role in the death of 21-year-old Christian Willis of Wichita.

Javier Romero, 20, Lawrence pleaded no contest to murder in the second degree and Andrel D. Spates Jr., 21, of Lawrence, pleaded to voluntary manslaughter, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the 1500 block of Kentucky Street in Lawrence on September 8, 2021.&nbsp; Police in Lawrence arrested Romero days after the crime.&nbsp; U.S. Marshals tracked Spates to Tennessee and arrested him the following month.

“Firearm violence is absolutely avoidable and will not be tolerated in our community,” District Attorney Valdez said.

Senior Assistant District Attorney David Greenwald and Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal represented the State of Kansas. The matter was investigated by Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. &nbsp;

Romero’s sentencing is scheduled for March 25 and Spates’ sentencing for April 10, according to the district attorney's office.

Romero faces between 109 and 493 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) and Spates faces between 55 and 247 months in the KDOC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705575983793.png" alt="Romero-photo Douglas Co." />
 <figcaption>Romero-photo Douglas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Two Kansas suspects in a 2021 murder in Kansas have admitted to their role in the death of 21-year-old Christian Willis of Wichita.Javier Romero, 20, Lawrence pleaded no contest to murder in the second degree and Andrel D. Spates Jr., 21, of Lawrence, pleaded to voluntary manslaughter, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633554885919.png" alt="Spates-photo Madison Co. Tennessee Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Spates-photo Madison Co. Tennessee Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the 1500 block of Kentucky Street in Lawrence on September 8, 2021.&nbsp; Police in Lawrence arrested Romero days after the crime.&nbsp; U.S. Marshals tracked Spates to Tennessee and arrested him the following month.“Firearm violence is absolutely avoidable and will not be tolerated in our community,” District Attorney Valdez said.Senior Assistant District Attorney David Greenwald and Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal represented the State of Kansas. The matter was investigated by Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. &nbsp;Romero’s sentencing is scheduled for March 25 and Spates’ sentencing for April 10, according to the district attorney's office.Romero faces between 109 and 493 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) and Spates faces between 55 and 247 months in the KDOC.

Suspect captured in Tennessee admits role in Kansas killing

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting that may be the result of a road-rage incident.

Just before 2a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call in the 1500 block of North Poplar Avenue in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;

First responders discovered a 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported a second victim, an 18-year-old, to an area hospital. He&nbsp;remains in extremely critical condition.

Investigators are speaking with person(s) of interest in connection to the shooting to determine what led to this tragic incident. Preliminary information relayed to investigators suggests all individuals involved know each other and that a possible road rage incident in the 1900 block of Broadway hours prior may have led to the subsequent shooting, according to Rebolledo.

At this time, police do not believe that there are any outstanding individuals and there does not appear to be a threat to the general public.

Police are working to notify all family members before they release names of the victims.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706096810792.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting that may be the result of a road-rage incident.Just before 2a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call in the 1500 block of North Poplar Avenue in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;First responders discovered a 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported a second victim, an 18-year-old, to an area hospital. He&nbsp;remains in extremely critical condition.Investigators are speaking with person(s) of interest in connection to the shooting to determine what led to this tragic incident. Preliminary information relayed to investigators suggests all individuals involved know each other and that a possible road rage incident in the 1900 block of Broadway hours prior may have led to the subsequent shooting, according to Rebolledo.At this time, police do not believe that there are any outstanding individuals and there does not appear to be a threat to the general public.Police are working to notify all family members before they release names of the victims.Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Police: Kan. man dies in possibly road-rage incident

NEW YORK (AP) — Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, was host of the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, has died. He was 91.

CBS reported that Osgood died Tuesday at his home in New Jersey and that the cause was dementia, according to his family.

Osgood was a broadcaster who could write essays and light verse as well as report hard news, and he worked radio and television with equal facility. He often signed off by telling listeners: “I’ll see you on the radio.”

Osgood took over “Sunday Morning” after the beloved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/almanac-charles-kuralt/">Charles Kuralt</a>&nbsp;retired in 1994. Osgood seemingly had an impossible act to follow, but with his folksy erudition and his slightly bookish, bow-tied style, he immediately clicked with viewers who continued to embrace the program as an unhurried TV magazine.

In 1967, he took a job as reporter on the CBS-owned New York news radio station. Then, one fateful weekend, he was summoned to fill in at the anchor desk for the TV network’s Saturday newscast. In 1971, he joined the CBS network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706037411949.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, was host of the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, has died. He was 91.CBS reported that Osgood died Tuesday at his home in New Jersey and that the cause was dementia, according to his family.Osgood was a broadcaster who could write essays and light verse as well as report hard news, and he worked radio and television with equal facility. He often signed off by telling listeners: “I’ll see you on the radio.”Osgood took over “Sunday Morning” after the beloved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/almanac-charles-kuralt/">Charles Kuralt</a>&nbsp;retired in 1994. Osgood seemingly had an impossible act to follow, but with his folksy erudition and his slightly bookish, bow-tied style, he immediately clicked with viewers who continued to embrace the program as an unhurried TV magazine.In 1967, he took a job as reporter on the CBS-owned New York news radio station. Then, one fateful weekend, he was summoned to fill in at the anchor desk for the TV network’s Saturday newscast. In 1971, he joined the CBS network.

Charles Osgood, CBS host on TV and radio has died at 91

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA —&nbsp;Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Monday said the number of children in foster care has dropped, marking some improvement in the state’s long-criticized child welfare system.

(Click below to watch Secretary Howard's report)

“Lots of great progress, but yet we know that we still have some work to do,” Howard said in a presentation to the House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care.

As of Jan. 16, there were 5,895 youths in the system, a decline of 22% since 2019.

In fiscal year 2023, 61% of entries into foster care were attributed to abuse or neglect, and the other 31% were the result of a family in need of assessment, or FINA, case. FINA cases include children with behavior problems, truancy, runaways, and caregiver substance use, among other issues.

Howard said the average length of time youths spend in foster care is 3.41 years.

“Overall, children stay in care too long,” Howard said. “They stay in care too long if they are on the adoption track, they stay in care too long if they’re reintegrated.”

Howard said her agency was working on an action plan to shorten the amount of time youths spend in care. Part of improving outcomes, she said, has been expanding Family First Prevention Services and Family Resource Center programs, which offer support to struggling families to reduce childhood abuse and neglect. The FFPS program has had 4,280 referrals since implementation. According to DCF data, 90% of youths who have reached 12 months since the first referral remained at home without need for foster care.

“A child shouldn’t have to come into custody to get their mental health needs met, and frankly, coming into custody doesn’t necessarily help them get their mental health needs met,” Howard said.

The state still far outstrips national averages for entry into foster care. The national rate of entry into foster care is 2.37 per 1,000 children, but the rate of entry in Kansas is 4.36 per 1,000 children, according to February 2023 data.

Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, questioned Howard on the state’s higher rate of entry.

“Why would our kids go into foster care so much more than other kids?” Waggoner said. “It does strike me really odd, the more I think about it.”

Howard said FINA rates, availability of alternatives to the system, and different states’ criteria for entry were factors, but that there “were a lot of facets” to the state’s heightened rates.

With few community resources available, foster care providers have shouldered the majority of juvenile delinquency cases, without proper resources to handle them, and advocates have warned that children are not receiving needed intervention and oversight.

Rep. Susan Concannon, a Beloit Republican and committee chairwoman, said she had been called by a mother who had to place her daughter into foster care because of uncontrollable behavior.

“There was no abuse or neglect,” Concannon said. “She just couldn’t handle her child and so she got put into foster care.”

Concannon asked if therapeutic family foster homes could help with similar cases to the one she mentioned. Begun as a 2022 initiative, the homes provide 24-hour care for children with higher needs. The state currently has 15 of the homes in place, and the program is set to be expanded using $6 million in allocated funds.

Howard mentioned juvenile crisis centers as another planned option for providing more state mental health resources. The state has millions set aside for juvenile crisis center funding, which would provide about 30 days of treatment for youths experiencing behavioral health crises, but it hasn’t used any of the funding. In 2018, Johnson County applied to create a center, but the state government dropped the project.

Howard said plans were underway again, with licensing regulations for the centers soon to be heard by lawmakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We think both Johnson and Sedgwick County have interest in doing this,” Howard said. “So again, more to come on that but we’re very close to being through the regulatory side of this and being able to move forward.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706024223115.png" alt="Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard during the hearing Monday in House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care-image from the Kan. legislature YouTube channel" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard during the hearing Monday in House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care-image from the Kan. legislature YouTube channel</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA —&nbsp;Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Monday said the number of children in foster care has dropped, marking some improvement in the state’s long-criticized child welfare system.(Click below to watch Secretary Howard's report)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GXLkDcov1Ss?si=dgLTq5o7qk_MV-4J&amp;start=623" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Lots of great progress, but yet we know that we still have some work to do,” Howard said in a presentation to the House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care.As of Jan. 16, there were 5,895 youths in the system, a decline of 22% since 2019.In fiscal year 2023, 61% of entries into foster care were attributed to abuse or neglect, and the other 31% were the result of a family in need of assessment, or FINA, case. FINA cases include children with behavior problems, truancy, runaways, and caregiver substance use, among other issues.Howard said the average length of time youths spend in foster care is 3.41 years.“Overall, children stay in care too long,” Howard said. “They stay in care too long if they are on the adoption track, they stay in care too long if they’re reintegrated.”Howard said her agency was working on an action plan to shorten the amount of time youths spend in care. Part of improving outcomes, she said, has been expanding Family First Prevention Services and Family Resource Center programs, which offer support to struggling families to reduce childhood abuse and neglect. The FFPS program has had 4,280 referrals since implementation. According to DCF data, 90% of youths who have reached 12 months since the first referral remained at home without need for foster care.“A child shouldn’t have to come into custody to get their mental health needs met, and frankly, coming into custody doesn’t necessarily help them get their mental health needs met,” Howard said.The state still far outstrips national averages for entry into foster care. The national rate of entry into foster care is 2.37 per 1,000 children, but the rate of entry in Kansas is 4.36 per 1,000 children, according to February 2023 data.Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, questioned Howard on the state’s higher rate of entry.“Why would our kids go into foster care so much more than other kids?” Waggoner said. “It does strike me really odd, the more I think about it.”Howard said FINA rates, availability of alternatives to the system, and different states’ criteria for entry were factors, but that there “were a lot of facets” to the state’s heightened rates.With few community resources available, foster care providers have shouldered the majority of juvenile delinquency cases, without proper resources to handle them, and advocates have warned that children are not receiving needed intervention and oversight.Rep. Susan Concannon, a Beloit Republican and committee chairwoman, said she had been called by a mother who had to place her daughter into foster care because of uncontrollable behavior.“There was no abuse or neglect,” Concannon said. “She just couldn’t handle her child and so she got put into foster care.”Concannon asked if therapeutic family foster homes could help with similar cases to the one she mentioned. Begun as a 2022 initiative, the homes provide 24-hour care for children with higher needs. The state currently has 15 of the homes in place, and the program is set to be expanded using $6 million in allocated funds.Howard mentioned juvenile crisis centers as another planned option for providing more state mental health resources. The state has millions set aside for juvenile crisis center funding, which would provide about 30 days of treatment for youths experiencing behavioral health crises, but it hasn’t used any of the funding. In 2018, Johnson County applied to create a center, but the state government dropped the project.Howard said plans were underway again, with licensing regulations for the centers soon to be heard by lawmakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We think both Johnson and Sedgwick County have interest in doing this,” Howard said. “So again, more to come on that but we’re very close to being through the regulatory side of this and being able to move forward.”

🎥 Kan. foster care system has seen ‘great progress,’ DCF secretary says

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man has been sentenced in federal court for attempting to engage in abusive sexual contact with two court employees in the parking garage of the Charles Evans Whittaker United States Courthouse in Kansas City, according to the United State's Attorney.

Shane Russell Coy, 23, was sentenced&nbsp; Jan. 19, by U.S. Chief District Judge Eric F. Melgren from the District of Kansas to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Coy to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On Nov. 1, 2023, Coy pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted abusive sexual contact.

Coy admitted that he unlawfully entered the courthouse underground parking garage on March 7, 2023. As Coy was walking outside by the parking garage exit, the overhead door to the garage exit began to open. As it opened, Coy stepped over the vehicle barricade into the garage exit and approached Victim 1, who was in the driver’s seat of her vehicle, stopped at the exit waiting for the overhead door to open and the vehicle barricade to go down so she could drive out of the garage. Because Victim 1 did not exit the garage soon enough, the exit overhead door and barricade closed, preventing her from driving out.

Coy pulled down his pants and began to masturbate, shouting at Victim 1 to get out of her car. Coy attempted to open a passenger door of the vehicle and punched the driver’s side window with a closed fist. Coy admitted that his actions in attempting to break into Victim 1’s vehicle were done with the specific intent to engage in sexual contact with Victim 1 by some level of force.

Coy then began to approach Victim 2, who had walked into the parking garage from the employee internal entryway door. Victim 2 was able to move away from Coy and position herself behind a vehicle. Coy admitted that he intended to engage in sexual contact with Victim 2 by some level of force.

Coy then ran to the employee entrance door and took an elevator up to the first floor, where he found himself within an enclosed vestibule leading out into the main lobby of the federal courthouse. After a brief period of time, law enforcement officers arrived and took Coy into custody without incident.

According to court documents, Coy was convicted of assault in 2020 after he sexually harassed and assaulted an attendant at a convenience store. Within months of being released from confinement for that conviction, Coy was arrested for the attempted sexual abuse of a postal worker while she was delivering mail at an apartment complex. Earlier on the same day, Coy had confronted a woman who was walking her dog. In all three instances, Coy exposed himself to the victims.

Coy has also been charged in Jackson County, Mo., with sexual misconduct and assault for a similar incident at another parking garage on Feb. 21, 2023. Additionally, according to court documents, on March 7, 2023, Coy exposed himself to two other women at the parking garage and chased one of the victims as she drove through the parking garage shortly before he walked over to the federal courthouse and engaged in the criminal conduct in this federal case.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706032539499.png" alt="Coy -photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Coy -photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man has been sentenced in federal court for attempting to engage in abusive sexual contact with two court employees in the parking garage of the Charles Evans Whittaker United States Courthouse in Kansas City, according to the United State's Attorney.Shane Russell Coy, 23, was sentenced&nbsp; Jan. 19, by U.S. Chief District Judge Eric F. Melgren from the District of Kansas to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Coy to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.On Nov. 1, 2023, Coy pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted abusive sexual contact.Coy admitted that he unlawfully entered the courthouse underground parking garage on March 7, 2023. As Coy was walking outside by the parking garage exit, the overhead door to the garage exit began to open. As it opened, Coy stepped over the vehicle barricade into the garage exit and approached Victim 1, who was in the driver’s seat of her vehicle, stopped at the exit waiting for the overhead door to open and the vehicle barricade to go down so she could drive out of the garage. Because Victim 1 did not exit the garage soon enough, the exit overhead door and barricade closed, preventing her from driving out.Coy pulled down his pants and began to masturbate, shouting at Victim 1 to get out of her car. Coy attempted to open a passenger door of the vehicle and punched the driver’s side window with a closed fist. Coy admitted that his actions in attempting to break into Victim 1’s vehicle were done with the specific intent to engage in sexual contact with Victim 1 by some level of force.Coy then began to approach Victim 2, who had walked into the parking garage from the employee internal entryway door. Victim 2 was able to move away from Coy and position herself behind a vehicle. Coy admitted that he intended to engage in sexual contact with Victim 2 by some level of force.Coy then ran to the employee entrance door and took an elevator up to the first floor, where he found himself within an enclosed vestibule leading out into the main lobby of the federal courthouse. After a brief period of time, law enforcement officers arrived and took Coy into custody without incident.According to court documents, Coy was convicted of assault in 2020 after he sexually harassed and assaulted an attendant at a convenience store. Within months of being released from confinement for that conviction, Coy was arrested for the attempted sexual abuse of a postal worker while she was delivering mail at an apartment complex. Earlier on the same day, Coy had confronted a woman who was walking her dog. In all three instances, Coy exposed himself to the victims.Coy has also been charged in Jackson County, Mo., with sexual misconduct and assault for a similar incident at another parking garage on Feb. 21, 2023. Additionally, according to court documents, on March 7, 2023, Coy exposed himself to two other women at the parking garage and chased one of the victims as she drove through the parking garage shortly before he walked over to the federal courthouse and engaged in the criminal conduct in this federal case.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KC man admits attempted sexual contact with court employees

NEW YORK (AP) — After a tumultuous movie year marred by strikes and work stoppages, the Academy Awards&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/oscar-nominations-2024">showered nominations</a>&nbsp;Tuesday on Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, “Oppenheimer,” which came away with a leading 13 nominations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-box-office-success-christopher-nolan-imax-413bc36ac6ae68f422c06c9b1cc0ab0a">Nolan’s three-hour opus</a>, viewed as the best picture frontrunner, received nods for best picture; Nolan’s direction; acting nominations for Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt; and multiple honors for the sweeping craft of the J. Robert Oppenheimer drama. Though Nolan is regarded as the big-canvas auteur of his era, he’s never won an Academy Award, nor have any of his films won best picture. This, though, could be his year.

The year’s biggest hit, “Barbie,” came away with a nominations haul slightly less than its partner in Barbenheimer mania.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greta-gerwig-interview-barbie-ed61b918097f2fc43e024f4872a7225e">Greta Gerwig’s feminist comedy</a>, with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, was nominated for eight awards, including best picture; Ryan Gosling for best supporting actor; and two best-song candidates in “What Was I Made For” and “I’m Just Ken.”

Gerwig was surprisingly left out of the best director field. She was nominated for best director in 2018 for her solo directorial debut, “Lady Bird.” At the time, Gerwig was just the fifth woman nominated for the award.

Read the complete list of Oscar nominations below

“American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest”

Annette Bening, “Nyad”; Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”; Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”; Colman Domingo, “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”; Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”; Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer.”

Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”; Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”; Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”; Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”

Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”; Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”; America Ferrera, “Barbie”; Jodie Foster, “Nyad”; Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”; Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”; Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”

“The Boy and the Heron”; “Elemental”; “Nimona”; “Robot Dreams”; “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

“Four Daughters”;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”;</a>&nbsp;“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”; “The Eternal Memory”; “To Kill a Tiger.”

“Society of the Snow,” (Spain); “The Zone of Interest,” (United Kingdom); “The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany); “Io Capitano” (Italy) ; “Perfect Days” (Japan)

“Barbie”; Killers of the Flower Moon; “Napoleon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”

“American Fiction”; “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”; “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie”; “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”; “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony.

“Golda”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”; “Society of the Snow”

“Barbie”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Napoleon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”

“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”

“Barbie”; “Poor Things”; “American Fiction”; “Oppenheimer”; “The Zone of Interest”

“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Past Lives”; “May December”; “Maestro”

“Letter to a Pig”; “Ninety-Five Senses”; “WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”; “Pachyderme”; “Our Uniform”

“The After”; “Invincible”; “Knight of Fortune”; “Red, White and Blue”; “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”

“El Conde”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”

“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon"; “Oppenheimer,"; “Poor Things.”

“The Creator”; “Godzilla Minus One”; “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”; “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”; “Napoleon”

“Oppenheimer”; “Maestro”; “The Zone of Interest”; “The Creator”; “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”

“The ABCs of Book Banning”; “The Barber of Little Rock”; “Island in Between”; “The Last Repair Shop”; “Nǎi Nai &amp; Wài Pó”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667851376804.jpeg" alt="Image Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Image Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — After a tumultuous movie year marred by strikes and work stoppages, the Academy Awards&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/oscar-nominations-2024">showered nominations</a>&nbsp;Tuesday on Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, “Oppenheimer,” which came away with a leading 13 nominations.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-box-office-success-christopher-nolan-imax-413bc36ac6ae68f422c06c9b1cc0ab0a">Nolan’s three-hour opus</a>, viewed as the best picture frontrunner, received nods for best picture; Nolan’s direction; acting nominations for Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt; and multiple honors for the sweeping craft of the J. Robert Oppenheimer drama. Though Nolan is regarded as the big-canvas auteur of his era, he’s never won an Academy Award, nor have any of his films won best picture. This, though, could be his year.The year’s biggest hit, “Barbie,” came away with a nominations haul slightly less than its partner in Barbenheimer mania.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greta-gerwig-interview-barbie-ed61b918097f2fc43e024f4872a7225e">Greta Gerwig’s feminist comedy</a>, with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, was nominated for eight awards, including best picture; Ryan Gosling for best supporting actor; and two best-song candidates in “What Was I Made For” and “I’m Just Ken.”Gerwig was surprisingly left out of the best director field. She was nominated for best director in 2018 for her solo directorial debut, “Lady Bird.” At the time, Gerwig was just the fifth woman nominated for the award.Read the complete list of Oscar nominations below<h2>BEST PICTURE</h2>“American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest”<h2>BEST ACTRESS</h2>Annette Bening, “Nyad”; Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”; Emma Stone, “Poor Things”<h2>BEST ACTOR</h2>Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”; Colman Domingo, “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”; Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”; Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer.”<h2>SUPPORTING ACTOR</h2>Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”; Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”; Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”; Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”<h2>SUPPORTING ACTRESS</h2>Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”; Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”; America Ferrera, “Barbie”; Jodie Foster, “Nyad”; Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”<h2>DIRECTOR</h2>Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”; Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”; Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”<h2>ANIMATED FILM</h2>“The Boy and the Heron”; “Elemental”; “Nimona”; “Robot Dreams”; “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”<h2>DOCUMENTARY FEATURE</h2>“Four Daughters”;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”;</a>&nbsp;“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”; “The Eternal Memory”; “To Kill a Tiger.”<h2>INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM</h2>“Society of the Snow,” (Spain); “The Zone of Interest,” (United Kingdom); “The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany); “Io Capitano” (Italy) ; “Perfect Days” (Japan)<h2>COSTUME DESIGN</h2>“Barbie”; Killers of the Flower Moon; “Napoleon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”<h2>ORIGINAL SCORE</h2>“American Fiction”; “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”<h2>ORIGINAL SONG</h2>“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”; “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie”; “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”; “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony.<h2>MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING</h2>“Golda”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”; “Society of the Snow”<h2>PRODUCTION DESIGN</h2>“Barbie”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Napoleon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”<h2>FILM EDITING</h2>“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”<h2>ADAPTED SCREENPLAY</h2>“Barbie”; “Poor Things”; “American Fiction”; “Oppenheimer”; “The Zone of Interest”<h2>ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY</h2>“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Past Lives”; “May December”; “Maestro”<h2>ANIMATED SHORT FILM</h2>“Letter to a Pig”; “Ninety-Five Senses”; “WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”; “Pachyderme”; “Our Uniform”<h2>LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM</h2>“The After”; “Invincible”; “Knight of Fortune”; “Red, White and Blue”; “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”<h2>CINEMATOGRAPHY</h2>“El Conde”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Poor Things”<h2>FILM EDITING</h2>“Anatomy of a Fall”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon"; “Oppenheimer,"; “Poor Things.”<h2>VISUAL EFFECTS</h2>“The Creator”; “Godzilla Minus One”; “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”; “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”; “Napoleon”<h2>SOUND</h2>“Oppenheimer”; “Maestro”; “The Zone of Interest”; “The Creator”; “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”<h2>DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM</h2>“The ABCs of Book Banning”; “The Barber of Little Rock”; “Island in Between”; “The Last Repair Shop”; “Nǎi Nai &amp; Wài Pó”

See the full list of nominees for the 2024 Oscars

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who was arrested after he fled a deadly crash and returned to the scene is going to avoid prison.

On Thursday, a judge sentenced 22-year-old&nbsp;Jecarlos Kemp to three years of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On a Sunday afternoon in June of 2023, police responded to the intersection of North Roosevelt and East Douglas in Wichita for an injury hit-and-run collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located a victim later identified as 70-year-old Nancy McDonough-Harmening of Wichita in the street unresponsive and being cared for by good Samaritans. EMS transported her to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.

During the investigation, officers learned McDonough-Harmening was crossing East Douglas from the south side of Roosevelt towards the north when she was struck by a westbound white Mercury Grand Marquis.

The driver 22-year-old Jecarlos Kemp did not stop, according to Rebolledo. Multiple people witnessed the accident and rendered aid to the victim.

The driver of the Mercury Grand Marquis identified as Kemp returned to the scene approximately 20 minutes after the incident and police arrested him.

In addition to probation, the judge required Kemp to take a defensive driving course, an anger management course and a parenting class, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687193284121.png" alt="Kemp-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Kemp-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man who was arrested after he fled a deadly crash and returned to the scene is going to avoid prison.On Thursday, a judge sentenced 22-year-old&nbsp;Jecarlos Kemp to three years of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On a Sunday afternoon in June of 2023, police responded to the intersection of North Roosevelt and East Douglas in Wichita for an injury hit-and-run collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located a victim later identified as 70-year-old Nancy McDonough-Harmening of Wichita in the street unresponsive and being cared for by good Samaritans. EMS transported her to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.During the investigation, officers learned McDonough-Harmening was crossing East Douglas from the south side of Roosevelt towards the north when she was struck by a westbound white Mercury Grand Marquis.The driver 22-year-old Jecarlos Kemp did not stop, according to Rebolledo. Multiple people witnessed the accident and rendered aid to the victim.The driver of the Mercury Grand Marquis identified as Kemp returned to the scene approximately 20 minutes after the incident and police arrested him.In addition to probation, the judge required Kemp to take a defensive driving course, an anger management course and a parenting class, according to the district attorney's office.

Driver fled, then returned after he struck, killed Kan. woman

BARBER COUNTY —A small Barber County community is mourning the loss of a landmark building to fire.

Early Saturday fire crews from across Barber County responded to fight the fire at the old Methodist Church in the city of Isabel. By the time the first responders learned about the fire the structure was fully engulfed and was beyond saving, according to a social media report from the city.&nbsp;

"While we are heartbroken over the loss of this beautiful old building we are so very thankful that no one was injured, it could have been so much worse."

 Firefighters worked in single digit temperatures to insure neighboring houses and residents were safe.&nbsp; The building has not been used as a church since 2002, according to United Methodist online records. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706016547889.png" alt="Photo City of Isabel" />
 <figcaption>Photo City of Isabel</figcaption>
 </figure>BARBER COUNTY —A small Barber County community is mourning the loss of a landmark building to fire.Early Saturday fire crews from across Barber County responded to fight the fire at the old Methodist Church in the city of Isabel. By the time the first responders learned about the fire the structure was fully engulfed and was beyond saving, according to a social media report from the city.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706017854963.png" alt="Photo credit Wandermore in Kansas via city of Isabel" />
 <figcaption>Photo credit Wandermore in Kansas via city of Isabel</figcaption>
 </figure>"While we are heartbroken over the loss of this beautiful old building we are so very thankful that no one was injured, it could have been so much worse."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706016521547.png" alt="Photo city of Isabel" />
 <figcaption>Photo city of Isabel</figcaption>
 </figure> Firefighters worked in single digit temperatures to insure neighboring houses and residents were safe.&nbsp; The building has not been used as a church since 2002, according to United Methodist online records. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Former church in small Kansas town destroyed by fire

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly weekend shooting have identified the victim as&nbsp;15-year-old Brianna Rachelle Higgins of Lawrence, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Just before 11 p.m. Friday, police were contacted at Olathe Medical Center about a 15-year-old girl who had been driven to the hospital with an apparent gunshot wound.

Officers on scene assisted with bringing Higgins into the hospital for life-saving measures, but she was pronounced deceased.

It has since been determined the shooting occurred near the 16900 block of West 127th&nbsp;Street.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At this time, all involved parties have been identified and contacted. Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly weekend shooting have identified the victim as&nbsp;15-year-old Brianna Rachelle Higgins of Lawrence, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Just before 11 p.m. Friday, police were contacted at Olathe Medical Center about a 15-year-old girl who had been driven to the hospital with an apparent gunshot wound.Officers on scene assisted with bringing Higgins into the hospital for life-saving measures, but she was pronounced deceased.It has since been determined the shooting occurred near the 16900 block of West 127th&nbsp;Street.&nbsp;&nbsp;At this time, all involved parties have been identified and contacted. Police have not reported an arrest or suspect information.

Police ID 15-year-old Kan. girl who died in shooting

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is aiming for a commanding victory Tuesday in New Hampshire, securing a sweep of the first two Republican primary races that would make a November rematch with President Joe Biden look more likely than ever.

The biggest question is whether Trump's last major rival, former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, will be able to eat into his margin — or pull off an upset outright. Haley has dedicated significant time and financial resources to New Hampshire, hoping to appeal to its famously independent-minded electorate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705977175994.png" alt="In Oct. of 2018 Haley announced her resignation as UN Ambassador-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>In Oct. of 2018 Haley announced her resignation as UN Ambassador-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is aiming for a commanding victory Tuesday in New Hampshire, securing a sweep of the first two Republican primary races that would make a November rematch with President Joe Biden look more likely than ever.The biggest question is whether Trump's last major rival, former U.N. Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, will be able to eat into his margin — or pull off an upset outright. Haley has dedicated significant time and financial resources to New Hampshire, hoping to appeal to its famously independent-minded electorate.In the first results released early Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dixville-notch-primary-voting-new-hampshire-tuesday-0f7f420054403510364469ad52255270">all six registered voters of tiny Dixville Notch</a>&nbsp;cast their ballots for Haley over Trump. The resort town is the only one in New Hampshire this year that opted to vote at midnight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705958478983.png" alt="It's an uphill battle for the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor-photo courtesy Team Haley" />
 <figcaption>It's an uphill battle for the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor-photo courtesy Team Haley</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump won New Hampshire's Republican primary big during his first run for president in 2016, but some of his allies lost key races during the midterms two years ago. Haley also has to contend with an opponent who has a deep bond with the GOP base and has concentrated on winning the state decisively enough that it would effectively end the competitive phase of the Republican primary.If successful, Trump would be the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976 — a clear sign of his continued grip on the party's most-loyal voters.Trump’s allies are already pressuring Haley to leave the race and those calls will intensify if he wins New Hampshire easily. Were she to drop out, that would effectively decide the GOP primary on its second stop, well before the vast majority of Republican voters across the country have been able to vote.Haley has been campaigning with New Hampshire’s popular Republican governor, Chris Sununu, a Trump critic. She insists she’s in the race for the long run, telling supporters at a VFW hall in Franklin on Monday that “America does not do coronations.”“This is about, do you have more of the same, or do you want someone who’s going to take us forward with new solutions,” Haley told reporters, also saying that, “We can either do the whole thing that we’ve always done and live in that chaos world that we’ve had, or we can go forward with no drama, no vendettas and some results for the American people.”“This is a two-person race,” she added.Haley and Trump were both hoping to capitalize on high-profile recent departures from the race. Haley could get a lift from some supporters of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who campaigned around decrying Trump but ended his bid shortly before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucus-haley-desantis-cold-voting-begins-0af10f1ba21d488af54776b2c8d4028c">Iowa's caucus</a>&nbsp;last week. Trump, meanwhile, may be able to consolidate support from conservative voters who were supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-250c8ed4b49843350e258f0c2754c8ba">who dropped his White House bid</a>&nbsp;on Sunday.Trump, who appeared at a pre-primary rally in Laconia with one of his former primary rivals, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, was already looking ahead to being the race's last Republican candidate. Asked during a Monday interview with Newsmax about Haley possibly abandoning her campaign after New Hampshire, the former president said he’d never call on her to do that but added, “Maybe she’ll be dropping out Tuesday.”Scot Stebbins Sr., who attended Trump's rally in a Make America Great Again baseball cap, called him “the greatest president we’ve had since Abraham Lincoln” adding that Trump “has done nothing but good for our nation.”Stebbins said he thought the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">four criminal cases</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">91 felony counts</a>&nbsp;Trump is facing constituted “a witch hunt” and said Trump would “get rid of all the corrupt politicians who have been in there too long that are getting paid off.”“He can’t be bought,” Stebbins said. “He’s a true American. He always has been.”Democrats were also holding a primary Tuesday, but it was unlike any in recent memory.Biden championed new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-democrats-dnc-state-parties-ac8fba0ab1117ebf75cc16ebe0c735e4">Democratic National Committee</a>&nbsp;rules that have the party's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-georgia-2022-midterm-elections-south-carolina-83f6ea9bd64e567bb1ed55d734474b89">2024 primary process beginning on Feb. 3 in South Carolina</a>, rather than in Iowa or New Hampshire. He argued that Black voters, the party’s most reliable constituency and a critical part of his win in South Carolina that revived his 2020 primary campaign after three opening loses, should have a larger and earlier role in determining its nominee.New Hampshire’s Democrats, citing state laws dictating that their state hold the nation’s first primary after Iowa’s caucus, defied the revamped order and pushed ahead with their primary as scheduled.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-hampshire-democratic-party-biden-writein-phillips-ba0e883caf8402e853a72d775bb22293">Biden didn’t campaign here</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-hampshire-primary-delegates-2024-election-d2bad477a8505d9ae953bb4772f2161b">his name won’t be on the ballot</a>, meaning the state’s Democrats can vote for the president’s two little-known major primary challengers, Minnesota Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phillips-2024-presidential-campaign-biden-democratic-challenger-0f38b80ba00566014a4d59fdb516d52c">Dean Phillips</a>&nbsp;and self-help author&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marianne-williamson-president-2024-biden-democratic-primary-14e59754bed9e0c54dad4fdfbbc1fa6b">Marianne Williamson</a>. Still, many of New Hampshire’s top Democrats backed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-new-hampshire-ballot-primary-shakeup-1df2712ebf31ffecdaf2bceb4c74bb2f">write-in campaign that they expect Biden to handily win</a>.Some voters who might otherwise back Democrats could also vote in the more-competitive Republican primary if they are undeclared.Karen Padgett is an undeclared voter who saw Haley on Monday. She said she’d voted for Trump in the last two elections but didn’t plan to do so again but also is “really annoyed with Joe Biden that he kind of wrote New Hampshire off.”“Her statement is everybody’s so old there, they’re so entrenched,” Padgett said of Haley’s promises to shake up Washington in ways that Trump pledged to, but never did. “Let’s get some new people in there.”Instead of focusing on New Hampshire, Biden was joining Vice President Kamala in northern Virginia for a rally in defense of abortion rights, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-biden-abortion-reproductive-rights-election-3d184285cc6edbe733311b26445db2a0">Democrats see as a winning issue</a>&nbsp;for them across the country in November.There's nonetheless a growing sense of inevitability around November being a reprisal of Biden versus Trump. Both men have been criticized by their opponents over age — Biden is 81, Trump 77 — and each has painted the other as woefully unfit for another White House term.Public opinion polls suggest most Americans oppose a rematch. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in December found that 56% of U.S. adults would be very or somewhat dissatisfied with Biden as the Democratic nominee — and 58% felt the same about Trump as the GOP pick.Some New Hampshire voters expressed similar frustration.Jeff Caira, 66, a Republican from Sanbornton, said he was undecided in the primary but that he wanted a candidate who will tackle “the issues, rather than address the baggage that the other two candidates seem to have.”