DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday paid his respects to two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter who were killed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">an attack in the Syrian desert</a>, joining their grieving families as their remains were brought back to the country they served.

Trump met privately with the families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before the dignified transfer, a solemn ritual conducted in honor of U.S. service members killed in action. The civilian was also included in the transfer.

Trump, who traveled to Dover several times in his first term, once described it as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-ae37de2f1c6b450ab60ce236c8f04450">“the toughest thing I have to do”</a>&nbsp;as president.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-attack-iowa-national-guard-islamic-state-38dd71dca411213f3789ccdb94e37f4e">The two guardsmen</a>&nbsp;killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, and have been hailed as heroes by the Iowa National Guard.

Torres-Tovar’s and Howard’s families were at Dover for the return of their remains, alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, members of Iowa’s congressional delegation and leaders of the Iowa National Guard. Their remains will be taken to Iowa after the transfer.

A U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, identified Tuesday as Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, was also killed. Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were injured in the attack. The Pentagon has not identified them.

They were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

The process of returning service member remains

There is no formal role for a president at a dignified transfer other than to watch in silence, with all thoughts about what happened in the past and what is happening at Dover kept to himself for the moment. There is no speaking by any of the dignitaries who attend, with the only words coming from the military officials who direct the highly choreographed transfers.

Trump arrived without first lady Melania Trump, who had been scheduled to accompany him, according to the president’s public schedule. Her office declined to elaborate, with spokesperson Nick Clemens saying the first lady “was not able to attend today.”

During the process at Dover, transfer cases draped with the American flag that hold the soldiers’ remains are carried from the belly of a hulking C-17 military aircraft to a waiting vehicle under the watchful eyes of grieving family members. The vehicle then transports the remains to the mortuary facility at the base, where the fallen are prepared for burial at their final resting places.

Iowa National Guard members hailed as heroes

Howard’s stepfather, Jeffrey Bunn, has said Howard “loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out.” He said Howard had wanted to be a soldier since he was a boy.

In a social media post, Bunn, who is chief of the Tama, Iowa, police department, said Howard was a loving husband and an “amazing man of faith.” He said Howard’s brother, a staff sergeant in the Iowa National Guard, would escort “Nate” back to Iowa.

Torres-Tovar was remembered as a “very positive” family-oriented person who always put others first, according to fellow Guard members who were deployed with him and issued a statement to the local TV broadcast station WOI.

Dina Qiryaqoz, the daughter of the civilian interpreter who was killed, said Wednesday in a statement that her father worked for the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq from 2003 to 2007. Sakat is survived by his wife and four adult children.

The interpreter was from Bakhdida, Iraq, a small Catholic village southeast of Mosul, and the family immigrated to the U.S. in 2007 on a special visa, Qiryaqoz said. At the time of his death, Sakat was employed as an independent contractor for Virginia-based Valiant Integrated Services.

Sakat’s family was still struggling to believe that he is gone. “He was a devoted father and husband, a courageous interpreter and a man who believed deeply in the mission he served,” Qiryaqoz said.

Trump’s reaction to the attack in Syria

Trump told reporters over the weekend that he was mourning the deaths. He vowed retaliation. The most recent instance of U.S. service members killed in action was in January 2024, when three American troops died in a drone attack in Jordan.

Saturday’s deadly attack followed a rapprochement between the U.S. and Syria, bringing the former pariah state into a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

Trump has forged a relationship with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-sanctions-trump-treasury-state-2ed65c895905e2e7bc385098a6ab1301">interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa</a>, the onetime leader of an Islamic insurgent group who led the ouster of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-816e538565d1ae47e016b5765b044d31">former President Bashar Assad</a>.

Trump, who met with al-Sharaa last month at the White House, said Monday that the attack had nothing to do with the Syrian leader, who Trump said was “devastated by what happened.”

During his first term, Trump visited Dover in 2017 to honor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-d4bccd7dc3a64e56aa51ad75379d1ef6">a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during a raid</a>&nbsp;in Yemen, in 2019 for two Army officers whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-ae37de2f1c6b450ab60ce236c8f04450">helicopter crashed in Afghanistan</a>, and in 2020 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-pays-tribute-to-2-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan-e85a952dbdc71d23f592064073518da3">two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan</a>&nbsp;when a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire.

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday paid his respects to two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter who were killed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb">an attack in the Syrian desert</a>, joining their grieving families as their remains were brought back to the country they served.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Rest in Peace, Heroes. 🙏🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Gb73qEQyNl">pic.twitter.com/Gb73qEQyNl</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2001385127511994405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine and others participate in dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base of two Iowa National Guardsmen and an American civilian interpreter killed in Syria. (Note: Video has no audio) <a href="https://t.co/i37jEAiLAF">pic.twitter.com/i37jEAiLAF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2001387339805835338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> witnesses the dignified transfer of the three American Patriots killed in Syria over the weekend. May God bless their families, may God bless our military, and may God bless the United States of America. <a href="https://t.co/1DUJLF0Wna">pic.twitter.com/1DUJLF0Wna</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001380379098509806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">May God bless the memory of these fallen American Patriots and may God be with their loved ones. Rest in Peace, Heroes. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Uks0MyVWqS">pic.twitter.com/Uks0MyVWqS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001381519190003756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump met privately with the families at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before the dignified transfer, a solemn ritual conducted in honor of U.S. service members killed in action. The civilian was also included in the transfer.Trump, who traveled to Dover several times in his first term, once described it as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-ae37de2f1c6b450ab60ce236c8f04450">“the toughest thing I have to do”</a>&nbsp;as president.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-attack-iowa-national-guard-islamic-state-38dd71dca411213f3789ccdb94e37f4e">The two guardsmen</a>&nbsp;killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, and have been hailed as heroes by the Iowa National Guard.Torres-Tovar’s and Howard’s families were at Dover for the return of their remains, alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, members of Iowa’s congressional delegation and leaders of the Iowa National Guard. Their remains will be taken to Iowa after the transfer.A U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, identified Tuesday as Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, was also killed. Three other members of the Iowa National Guard were injured in the attack. The Pentagon has not identified them.They were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.<h2>The process of returning service member remains</h2>There is no formal role for a president at a dignified transfer other than to watch in silence, with all thoughts about what happened in the past and what is happening at Dover kept to himself for the moment. There is no speaking by any of the dignitaries who attend, with the only words coming from the military officials who direct the highly choreographed transfers.Trump arrived without first lady Melania Trump, who had been scheduled to accompany him, according to the president’s public schedule. Her office declined to elaborate, with spokesperson Nick Clemens saying the first lady “was not able to attend today.”During the process at Dover, transfer cases draped with the American flag that hold the soldiers’ remains are carried from the belly of a hulking C-17 military aircraft to a waiting vehicle under the watchful eyes of grieving family members. The vehicle then transports the remains to the mortuary facility at the base, where the fallen are prepared for burial at their final resting places.<h2>Iowa National Guard members hailed as heroes</h2>Howard’s stepfather, Jeffrey Bunn, has said Howard “loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out.” He said Howard had wanted to be a soldier since he was a boy.In a social media post, Bunn, who is chief of the Tama, Iowa, police department, said Howard was a loving husband and an “amazing man of faith.” He said Howard’s brother, a staff sergeant in the Iowa National Guard, would escort “Nate” back to Iowa.Torres-Tovar was remembered as a “very positive” family-oriented person who always put others first, according to fellow Guard members who were deployed with him and issued a statement to the local TV broadcast station WOI.Dina Qiryaqoz, the daughter of the civilian interpreter who was killed, said Wednesday in a statement that her father worked for the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq from 2003 to 2007. Sakat is survived by his wife and four adult children.The interpreter was from Bakhdida, Iraq, a small Catholic village southeast of Mosul, and the family immigrated to the U.S. in 2007 on a special visa, Qiryaqoz said. At the time of his death, Sakat was employed as an independent contractor for Virginia-based Valiant Integrated Services.Sakat’s family was still struggling to believe that he is gone. “He was a devoted father and husband, a courageous interpreter and a man who believed deeply in the mission he served,” Qiryaqoz said.<h2>Trump’s reaction to the attack in Syria</h2>Trump told reporters over the weekend that he was mourning the deaths. He vowed retaliation. The most recent instance of U.S. service members killed in action was in January 2024, when three American troops died in a drone attack in Jordan.Saturday’s deadly attack followed a rapprochement between the U.S. and Syria, bringing the former pariah state into a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group.Trump has forged a relationship with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-sanctions-trump-treasury-state-2ed65c895905e2e7bc385098a6ab1301">interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa</a>, the onetime leader of an Islamic insurgent group who led the ouster of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-816e538565d1ae47e016b5765b044d31">former President Bashar Assad</a>.Trump, who met with al-Sharaa last month at the White House, said Monday that the attack had nothing to do with the Syrian leader, who Trump said was “devastated by what happened.”During his first term, Trump visited Dover in 2017 to honor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-d4bccd7dc3a64e56aa51ad75379d1ef6">a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during a raid</a>&nbsp;in Yemen, in 2019 for two Army officers whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-ae37de2f1c6b450ab60ce236c8f04450">helicopter crashed in Afghanistan</a>, and in 2020 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-pays-tribute-to-2-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan-e85a952dbdc71d23f592064073518da3">two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan</a>&nbsp;when a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire.——

Trump pays respects to National Guardsmen, interpreter killed in Syria 

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with an ongoing child abuse investigation.

Just after 5:30p.m. Tuesday, police responded to an EMS assist call at a residence in the 5500 block of South Handley in Wichita, according to a media release.

 Upon arrival, officers found a 1-year-old child unresponsive. The child was transported to a medical facility in critical condition and is currently listed as critical but stable.

Five children were in the home at the time of the incident, ranging from 6 months old to 9 years old. In addition to the 1-year-old, the 6-month-old was also taken to the hospital for medical treatment. All five children have been placed in police protective custody.

Wichita police began investigating at the scene, which led to the arrest of the 30-year-old Kevin D. Mitchell, identified according to county booking records.&nbsp;

Police will present their case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for charging consideration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765990410968.png" alt="Mitchell photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mitchell photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with an ongoing child abuse investigation.Just after 5:30p.m. Tuesday, police responded to an EMS assist call at a residence in the 5500 block of South Handley in Wichita, according to a media release. Upon arrival, officers found a 1-year-old child unresponsive. The child was transported to a medical facility in critical condition and is currently listed as critical but stable.Five children were in the home at the time of the incident, ranging from 6 months old to 9 years old. In addition to the 1-year-old, the 6-month-old was also taken to the hospital for medical treatment. All five children have been placed in police protective custody.Wichita police began investigating at the scene, which led to the arrest of the 30-year-old Kevin D. Mitchell, identified according to county booking records.&nbsp;Police will present their case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for charging consideration.

2 children hospitalized, Kansas man arrested for alleged abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/daniel-bongino">FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that he will resign from the bureau next month, ending a brief and tumultuous tenure in which he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-dan-bongino-bondi-trump-fbi-0f02f67b6c97fc50e4d93bc4dbf4c4d0">clashed with the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files</a>&nbsp;and was forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforcement job with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">provocative claims he made in his prior role</a>&nbsp;as a popular podcast host.

The departure would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-george-floyd-kash-patel-72ac540b4d5afd90d6be3199ac808630">coming as the firing of career agents</a>&nbsp;has contributed to upheaval at the FBI and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;faces continued criticism over his use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations.

Bongino announced his departure, which had been expected, in a post on X in which he said he was grateful for the “opportunity to serve with purpose.” He did not say precisely when in January he would leave or reveal his future plans, but President Donald Trump, in response to a question earlier in the day about Bongino's fate, said: “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”

Bongino was always an unconventional pick for the No. 2 job at the FBI, a position that historically has entailed oversight of the bureau’s day-to-day operations and has been typically held by a career agent. Though he had previously worked as a New York City police officer and Secret Service agent, neither he nor Patel had any experience at the FBI before being picked for their jobs. But both came in pledging overhauls to an FBI they insisted had been weaponized against Trump.

Bongino was installed in the role in March by Trump after years as a conservative podcast host, where he used his platform to repeatedly rail against FBI leadership and to encourage conspiracy theories related to the Epstein sex-trafficking case and pipe bombs discovered in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

Once in the job, he used social media to communicate directly to Trump supporters restless over a perceived lack of action by the new FBI leadership to address their concerns. He reassured them the FBI under his watch was giving renewed attention to issues like the pipe bomb case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-leaked-draft-opinion-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in 2022</a>&nbsp;and the discovery of cocaine in the White House during the Biden administration.

Yet he struggled to placate elements of Trump’s base who expected him to quickly deliver the reform he had long said was needed at the FBI and to uncover the truths he claimed had been hidden by the federal government.

On the Epstein case, for instance, he had previously challenged the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">official ruling that the wealthy financier had taken his own life</a>&nbsp;in a New York jail soon after his 2019 arrest. But after his arrival in the bureau, he said in a Fox News interview: “I’ve seen the whole file. He killed himself.”

Bongino had separately speculated as recently as last year that the pipe bombs placed on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot were an “inside job,” the truth shielded by a “massive cover-up.” He was presented with those same comments when the FBI earlier this month arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man with no evident connection to the federal government, promoting skepticism from some that investigators had actually arrested the right person.

“I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions, that's clear,” Bongino said in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity. “And one day, I'll be back in that space but that’s not what I’m paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director and we base investigations on facts.”

Questions about Bongino's future had lingered for months, particular after a tense exchange at the White House last July with Attorney General Pam Bondi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">following the abrupt announcement by the FBI and Justice Department</a>&nbsp;that they would not be releasing any additional records from the Epstein investigation.

After that encounter, Bongino, normally active on social media, went silent from his FBI account for several days. Far-right activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-laura-loomer-national-security-council-959b718b04b240c5c8ba3736b4d8aa62">Laura Loomer</a>, who is close to Trump, posted on X at the time that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future.

In August, the Trump administration took the unusual step of adding a co-deputy director, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740405860491.png" alt="Dan Bongino photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Dan Bongino photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/daniel-bongino">FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that he will resign from the bureau next month, ending a brief and tumultuous tenure in which he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-dan-bongino-bondi-trump-fbi-0f02f67b6c97fc50e4d93bc4dbf4c4d0">clashed with the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files</a>&nbsp;and was forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforcement job with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">provocative claims he made in his prior role</a>&nbsp;as a popular podcast host.The departure would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-george-floyd-kash-patel-72ac540b4d5afd90d6be3199ac808630">coming as the firing of career agents</a>&nbsp;has contributed to upheaval at the FBI and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kash-patel">Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;faces continued criticism over his use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations.Bongino announced his departure, which had been expected, in a post on X in which he said he was grateful for the “opportunity to serve with purpose.” He did not say precisely when in January he would leave or reveal his future plans, but President Donald Trump, in response to a question earlier in the day about Bongino's fate, said: “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”Bongino was always an unconventional pick for the No. 2 job at the FBI, a position that historically has entailed oversight of the bureau’s day-to-day operations and has been typically held by a career agent. Though he had previously worked as a New York City police officer and Secret Service agent, neither he nor Patel had any experience at the FBI before being picked for their jobs. But both came in pledging overhauls to an FBI they insisted had been weaponized against Trump.Bongino was installed in the role in March by Trump after years as a conservative podcast host, where he used his platform to repeatedly rail against FBI leadership and to encourage conspiracy theories related to the Epstein sex-trafficking case and pipe bombs discovered in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.Once in the job, he used social media to communicate directly to Trump supporters restless over a perceived lack of action by the new FBI leadership to address their concerns. He reassured them the FBI under his watch was giving renewed attention to issues like the pipe bomb case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-leaked-draft-opinion-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in 2022</a>&nbsp;and the discovery of cocaine in the White House during the Biden administration.Yet he struggled to placate elements of Trump’s base who expected him to quickly deliver the reform he had long said was needed at the FBI and to uncover the truths he claimed had been hidden by the federal government.On the Epstein case, for instance, he had previously challenged the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">official ruling that the wealthy financier had taken his own life</a>&nbsp;in a New York jail soon after his 2019 arrest. But after his arrival in the bureau, he said in a Fox News interview: “I’ve seen the whole file. He killed himself.”Bongino had separately speculated as recently as last year that the pipe bombs placed on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot were an “inside job,” the truth shielded by a “massive cover-up.” He was presented with those same comments when the FBI earlier this month arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man with no evident connection to the federal government, promoting skepticism from some that investigators had actually arrested the right person.“I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions, that's clear,” Bongino said in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity. “And one day, I'll be back in that space but that’s not what I’m paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director and we base investigations on facts.”Questions about Bongino's future had lingered for months, particular after a tense exchange at the White House last July with Attorney General Pam Bondi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-pam-bondi-03fbcd024f631440f7ed62b3c6927db3">following the abrupt announcement by the FBI and Justice Department</a>&nbsp;that they would not be releasing any additional records from the Epstein investigation.After that encounter, Bongino, normally active on social media, went silent from his FBI account for several days. Far-right activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-laura-loomer-national-security-council-959b718b04b240c5c8ba3736b4d8aa62">Laura Loomer</a>, who is close to Trump, posted on X at the time that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future.In August, the Trump administration took the unusual step of adding a co-deputy director, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.\

FBI Deputy Director Bongino says he plans to resign next month 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Powerball jackpot has grown to an estimated $1.25 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing after lottery officials said no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Monday night.

The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016. Here is a look at the largest U.S. jackpots won and the places where the winning tickets were sold:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacramento-california-los-angeles-business-0a72f926487b51b7a6d60451679f8c76">Los Angeles-area gas station</a>.

2. $1.787 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025. The winning tickets were sold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-winner-4261a3909c9e01dacc0869c50030e198">in Missouri and Texas.</a>

3. $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a liquor store in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-california-6ad701f4a9ebb4df7a3afe8ecee2eb30">tiny California mountain town</a>.

4. $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-jackpot-claimed-florida-8c86594edcd16cdcda7521059ef7c7ed">supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida</a>.

5. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016. The winning tickets were sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e22dde0b7ace4c87b230b84be827a0fe">Los Angeles-area convenience store</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/article60951392.html" target="_blank">Florida supermarket</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-4c8a00811ae84fa49fe25a4035a51fc4">Tennessee grocery store</a>.

6. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6ef692a129b049a8bbf9eb4e77a8b91e">South Carolina convenience store</a>.

7. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-lottery-identity-lawsuit-8cc884a8b0b3e3cbc14629b4d8e2b180">Maine gas station</a>.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Powerball jackpot has grown to an estimated $1.25 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing after lottery officials said no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Monday night.The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016. Here is a look at the largest U.S. jackpots won and the places where the winning tickets were sold:1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacramento-california-los-angeles-business-0a72f926487b51b7a6d60451679f8c76">Los Angeles-area gas station</a>.2. $1.787 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025. The winning tickets were sold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-winner-4261a3909c9e01dacc0869c50030e198">in Missouri and Texas.</a>3. $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a liquor store in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-california-6ad701f4a9ebb4df7a3afe8ecee2eb30">tiny California mountain town</a>.4. $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mega-millions-jackpot-claimed-florida-8c86594edcd16cdcda7521059ef7c7ed">supermarket in Neptune Beach, Florida</a>.5. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016. The winning tickets were sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-e22dde0b7ace4c87b230b84be827a0fe">Los Angeles-area convenience store</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/article60951392.html" target="_blank">Florida supermarket</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-4c8a00811ae84fa49fe25a4035a51fc4">Tennessee grocery store</a>.6. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6ef692a129b049a8bbf9eb4e77a8b91e">South Carolina convenience store</a>.7. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023. The winning ticket was sold at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-lottery-identity-lawsuit-8cc884a8b0b3e3cbc14629b4d8e2b180">Maine gas station</a>.

What are the 10 largest US lottery jackpots ever won?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans.

The stunning move comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republican-house-health-care-plan-obamacare-subsidies-208b30670d0486c8d27ceb59c59003e0">health care bill</a>&nbsp;that does not address the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-tax-credits-affordable-care-act-2b5ae3651ff16783a00e00dc1ce264bf">soaring monthly premiums</a>&nbsp;that millions of people will soon endure when the tax credits for those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act expire at year’s end.

Democrats led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on their bill, which would extend the subsides for three years.

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number of 218. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under House rules.

“Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

Johnson told reporters Wednesday that “I have not lost control of the House” and he noted that Republicans have a razor-thin majority that allows a small number of members to employ procedures that would not usually be successful in getting around leadership.

“These are not normal times,” said Johnson, R-La.

The revolt against GOP leadership came after days of talks centered on the health care subsidies.

Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on bills that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes such as income caps for beneficiaries. But after days of discussions, the leadership sided with the more conservative wing of the party's conference, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up a failed marketplace through the ACA, which is widely known as “Obamacare.”

House Republicans pushed ahead Wednesday a 100-plus-page health care package without the subsidies, instead focusing on long-sought GOP proposals designed to expand insurance coverage options for small businesses and the self-employed.

Fitzpatrick and Lawler tried to add a temporary extension of the subsidies to the bill, but were denied.

“Our only request was a floor vote on this compromise, so that the American People’s voice could be heard on this issue. That request was rejected. Then, at the request of House leadership I, along with my colleagues, filed multiple amendments, and testified at length to those amendments,” Fitzpatrick said. “House leadership then decided to reject every single one of these amendments.

“As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge," Fitzpatrick said.

Lawler, in a social media post, similarly said that “the failure of leadership” to permit a vote had left him with “no choice” but to sign the petition. He urged Johnson to bring the plan up for an immediate floor vote.

Jeffries, for several weeks, had called on Republicans to sign his discharge petition. He particularly challenged Republicans in competitive congressional districts to join the effort if they really wanted to prevent premium increases for their constituents.

“Mike Johnson needs to bring the bill to the floor today,” Jeffries said. “Our position from the very beginning was that we are standing on the right side of the American people who want to see the Affordable Care Act tax credits extended, and we’re appreciative that we now have the bipartisan coalition to get that done.”

Even if the subsidy bill were to pass the House, which is far from assured, it would face an arduous climb in the Republican-led Senate.

Republicans last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-vote-affordable-care-act-obamacare-6ffc1ea9f878c6b3da995589ef8a012c">voted down</a>&nbsp;a three-year extension of the subsidies and proposed an alternative that also failed. But in an encouraging sign for Democrats, four Republican senators crossed party lines to support their proposal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765625556088.png" alt="By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/elisha-brown/">Elisha Brown</a>" />
 <figcaption>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/elisha-brown/">Elisha Brown</a></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans.The stunning move comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republican-house-health-care-plan-obamacare-subsidies-208b30670d0486c8d27ceb59c59003e0">health care bill</a>&nbsp;that does not address the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-tax-credits-affordable-care-act-2b5ae3651ff16783a00e00dc1ce264bf">soaring monthly premiums</a>&nbsp;that millions of people will soon endure when the tax credits for those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act expire at year’s end.Democrats led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York needed 218 signatures to force a floor vote on their bill, which would extend the subsides for three years.Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number of 218. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under House rules.“Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.Johnson told reporters Wednesday that “I have not lost control of the House” and he noted that Republicans have a razor-thin majority that allows a small number of members to employ procedures that would not usually be successful in getting around leadership.“These are not normal times,” said Johnson, R-La.<h2>Origins of a Republican revolt</h2>The revolt against GOP leadership came after days of talks centered on the health care subsidies.Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on bills that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes such as income caps for beneficiaries. But after days of discussions, the leadership sided with the more conservative wing of the party's conference, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up a failed marketplace through the ACA, which is widely known as “Obamacare.”House Republicans pushed ahead Wednesday a 100-plus-page health care package without the subsidies, instead focusing on long-sought GOP proposals designed to expand insurance coverage options for small businesses and the self-employed.Fitzpatrick and Lawler tried to add a temporary extension of the subsidies to the bill, but were denied.“Our only request was a floor vote on this compromise, so that the American People’s voice could be heard on this issue. That request was rejected. Then, at the request of House leadership I, along with my colleagues, filed multiple amendments, and testified at length to those amendments,” Fitzpatrick said. “House leadership then decided to reject every single one of these amendments.“As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge," Fitzpatrick said.Lawler, in a social media post, similarly said that “the failure of leadership” to permit a vote had left him with “no choice” but to sign the petition. He urged Johnson to bring the plan up for an immediate floor vote.Jeffries, for several weeks, had called on Republicans to sign his discharge petition. He particularly challenged Republicans in competitive congressional districts to join the effort if they really wanted to prevent premium increases for their constituents.“Mike Johnson needs to bring the bill to the floor today,” Jeffries said. “Our position from the very beginning was that we are standing on the right side of the American people who want to see the Affordable Care Act tax credits extended, and we’re appreciative that we now have the bipartisan coalition to get that done.”<h2>Path ahead is uncertain</h2>Even if the subsidy bill were to pass the House, which is far from assured, it would face an arduous climb in the Republican-led Senate.Republicans last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-vote-affordable-care-act-obamacare-6ffc1ea9f878c6b3da995589ef8a012c">voted down</a>&nbsp;a three-year extension of the subsidies and proposed an alternative that also failed. But in an encouraging sign for Democrats, four Republican senators crossed party lines to support their proposal.

Republicans defy Speaker to force House vote on extending ACA subsidies

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department says it has upgraded its investigation into Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video where he and other members of Congress told members of the military they didn’t need to follow illegal orders.&nbsp;

“The Office of the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Department of War’s Office of the General Counsel, is escalating the preliminary review of Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.), to an official Command Investigation,” a spokesperson for the department wrote in an email Monday night.&nbsp;

“Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” the spokesperson continued. “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”

Paul J. Fishman, an attorney at the Arnold &amp; Porter law firm who is representing Kelly, wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26379142-ltr-to-secretary-phelan-dec-15-2025/#document/p1" target="_blank">a Monday letter</a>&nbsp;to the secretary of the Navy that “there is no legitimate basis for any type of proceeding against Senator Kelly, and any such effort would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power.”

“If the Executive Branch were to move forward in any forum—criminal, disciplinary, or administrative—we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Fishman wrote.&nbsp;

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had set Dec. 10 as the deadline for the secretary of the Navy to recommend what to do about Kelly’s appearance in the video, but that came and went without any public announcements.

Hegseth also remained silent on the matter after rebuking Kelly weeks ago for posting the video where he and five other Democrats warned against illegal orders.

Kelly said on Dec. 9, one day before the deadline, he hadn’t received any information from the Navy or other administration officials.&nbsp;

“Forget about an update. I haven’t heard anything from the guy,” Kelly told reporters. “That’s a good question for you guys to ask the Navy.”

The secretary of the Navy’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom.&nbsp;

The Department of Defense posted in late November that officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">looking into</a>&nbsp;“serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly for appearing in the video.&nbsp;

It didn’t detail how Kelly might have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice but stated that “a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;

Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">referred</a>&nbsp;the issue to Navy Secretary John Phelan for any “review, consideration, and disposition” he deemed appropriate. Hegseth then asked for a briefing on the outcome of the review “by no later than December 10.”

Kelly said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-kelly-vows-stay-outspoken-despite-threats-over-illegal-order-video" target="_blank">during a press conference</a>&nbsp;in early December the military’s investigation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-threatened-trump-over-video-say-theyre-now-being-probed-fbi" target="_blank">a separate one</a>&nbsp;by the FBI were designed to intimidate the six lawmakers in the video from speaking out against President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The lawmakers in the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">video</a>, who have backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies, told members of those communities they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”

The other Democrats in the video — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, Pennsylvania Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander — are not subject to the military justice system.&nbsp;

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">railed against the video</a>&nbsp;a couple days after it posted, saying the statements represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764097679232.png" alt="Image from the controversial video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the controversial video</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — The Defense Department says it has upgraded its investigation into Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video where he and other members of Congress told members of the military they didn’t need to follow illegal orders.&nbsp;“The Office of the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Department of War’s Office of the General Counsel, is escalating the preliminary review of Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.), to an official Command Investigation,” a spokesperson for the department wrote in an email Monday night.&nbsp;“Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” the spokesperson continued. “Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”Paul J. Fishman, an attorney at the Arnold &amp; Porter law firm who is representing Kelly, wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26379142-ltr-to-secretary-phelan-dec-15-2025/#document/p1" target="_blank">a Monday letter</a>&nbsp;to the secretary of the Navy that “there is no legitimate basis for any type of proceeding against Senator Kelly, and any such effort would be unconstitutional and an extraordinary abuse of power.”“If the Executive Branch were to move forward in any forum—criminal, disciplinary, or administrative—we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Fishman wrote.&nbsp;Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had set Dec. 10 as the deadline for the secretary of the Navy to recommend what to do about Kelly’s appearance in the video, but that came and went without any public announcements.Hegseth also remained silent on the matter after rebuking Kelly weeks ago for posting the video where he and five other Democrats warned against illegal orders.Kelly said on Dec. 9, one day before the deadline, he hadn’t received any information from the Navy or other administration officials.&nbsp;“Forget about an update. I haven’t heard anything from the guy,” Kelly told reporters. “That’s a good question for you guys to ask the Navy.”The secretary of the Navy’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom.&nbsp;The Department of Defense posted in late November that officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">looking into</a>&nbsp;“serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly for appearing in the video.&nbsp;It didn’t detail how Kelly might have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice but stated that “a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">referred</a>&nbsp;the issue to Navy Secretary John Phelan for any “review, consideration, and disposition” he deemed appropriate. Hegseth then asked for a briefing on the outcome of the review “by no later than December 10.”Kelly said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-kelly-vows-stay-outspoken-despite-threats-over-illegal-order-video" target="_blank">during a press conference</a>&nbsp;in early December the military’s investigation and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/democrats-threatened-trump-over-video-say-theyre-now-being-probed-fbi" target="_blank">a separate one</a>&nbsp;by the FBI were designed to intimidate the six lawmakers in the video from speaking out against President Donald Trump.&nbsp;The lawmakers in the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">video</a>, who have backgrounds in the military or intelligence agencies, told members of those communities they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”The other Democrats in the video — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, Pennsylvania Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander — are not subject to the military justice system.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">railed against the video</a>&nbsp;a couple days after it posted, saying the statements represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

Pentagon ‘escalating’ investigation into Sen. Kelly for illegal-orders video

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A driver charged in a crash that killed two Kansas women decided she did not want to return to Judge Rodger Woods courtroom on Monday for a preliminary hearing. Clowie&nbsp; Ann McLaughlin, 80, Augusta, waived her right to the hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

McLaughlin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, severity level 4 person felonies, in the deaths of 42-year-old LaShea Bell and her daughter, 25-year-old A’Niah Bell.

The crash happened around 9:35 p.m.&nbsp; August 30, at the intersection of Central and Webb Road in Wichita

According to Wichita police, McLaughlin’s black Chevrolet truck collided with a white BMW carrying the Bells and a gray Jeep driven by a 41-year-old man. LaShea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while A’Niah Bell later died at a local hospital. The Jeep driver was treated at the scene and released.

Police said speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the collision. McLaughlin was taken to a hospital for treatment of her own injuries and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail after being medically cleared. She bonded out of jail the following day after posting a $100,000 bond. She is scheduled to return to court January 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757541241700.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A driver charged in a crash that killed two Kansas women decided she did not want to return to Judge Rodger Woods courtroom on Monday for a preliminary hearing. Clowie&nbsp; Ann McLaughlin, 80, Augusta, waived her right to the hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756722147795.png" alt="Mclaughlin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Mclaughlin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>McLaughlin is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, severity level 4 person felonies, in the deaths of 42-year-old LaShea Bell and her daughter, 25-year-old A’Niah Bell.The crash happened around 9:35 p.m.&nbsp; August 30, at the intersection of Central and Webb Road in WichitaAccording to Wichita police, McLaughlin’s black Chevrolet truck collided with a white BMW carrying the Bells and a gray Jeep driven by a 41-year-old man. LaShea Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while A’Niah Bell later died at a local hospital. The Jeep driver was treated at the scene and released.Police said speed and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the collision. McLaughlin was taken to a hospital for treatment of her own injuries and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail after being medically cleared. She bonded out of jail the following day after posting a $100,000 bond. She is scheduled to return to court January 8.

Kan. woman avoids preliminary hearing in fatal DUI crash

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Authorities have asked the public for any footage they might have of the gunman who fatally shot two students and wounded nine others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-investigation-b08f1fdf5e71542f6e93bbba05fa043c">at Brown University</a>, even as they released a new video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a possible suspect.

Investigators provided no indication Tuesday that they were any closer to zeroing in on his identity. In all the videos made public, the suspect’s face was masked or turned away, and authorities have only been able to give a vague description of him as being stocky and about 5 feet, 8 inches (173 centimeters) tall.

Officers have been canvassing around Providence in search of clues that might help them figure out who was behind Saturday’s campus shooting.

Surveillance video the FBI posted online before it was removed showed a person in dark clothing walking along multiple sidewalks for about an hour starting shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. The streets were all within a few blocks of the Brown University engineering building where the shooting occurred.

Some clips show the person walking in front of some properties several times. In one, the person abruptly turns around and runs in the other direction when someone approaches.

Two clips taken minutes after the shooting show the person walking away from a parking lot and then along a street.

Police have received about 200 tips, and Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, asked the public on Tuesday to look at their camera systems in the area to see if they have footage that might help officials identify the suspected gunman.

“We’re looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath,” Perez said.

A lack of cameras and clear video of the gunman has continued to frustrate both authorities and the community. While Brown President Christina Paxson confirmed Tuesday that the campus has 1,200 cameras, law enforcement says there is no clear video of the shooter from inside the engineering building.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha defended the investigation as going "really well" as he pleaded for public patience in locating the suspected killer.

Large questions remain, particularly about the shooter's motive. When pressed about a connection to ethnicity, political motive or culture, Neronha said, “That is a dangerous road to go down.”

Brown alumnus Chris Kremer joined about 200 others at a somber church service on campus for the victims Tuesday. He lives a block from the scene and often goes to the building where the shooting happened. Many in the community are thinking how easily they could have been among the shot, he said.

He said it was better to attend the service than to sit alone being sad, depressed and scrolling through his phone.

“It’s always nice to be in a big exalted space when you’re thinking kind of big heavy thoughts," Kremer said. “I guess people for thousands of years have found that to be something of a salve, so I’m hoping that a little bit of that works for me tonight.”

The attack and the shooter’s escape have raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-security-64e1e19e7a4ce2039912107071035247">questions about campus security</a>, including a lack of cameras, and led to calls for better locks on campus doors.

Paxson said the university has two security systems. One system, activated at a time of emergency, sent out text messages, phone calls and emails that reached 20,000 people. The other system features three sirens across the campus and was not activated Saturday, a decision Paxson defended because doing so would have caused people to rush into buildings, including the one where the shooting was happening.

"So that is not a system we would ever use in the case of an active shooter," she said.

Brown's website says the sirens can be used when there is an active shooter, but Paxson said it “depends on the circumstances" and the location of the shooter.

Providence remained tense on Tuesday as additional police were sent to city schools to reassure worried parents that their kids would be safe. Ten state troopers were assigned to support police sent to beef up security at schools, district Superintendent Javier Montañez said.

Providence public schools canceled after-school activities and field trips for the week as a precaution.

Locals expressed fear as well as defiance as the investigation continued Tuesday.

“Of course it feels scary. But at the same time, I think that if the person really wanted to scare us, we shouldn’t allow him or her to win," said Tatjana Stojanovic, a Providence parent who lives next door to the Brown campus.

Others say the attention on security measures does little to address the real issue.

“The issue isn’t the doors, it’s the guns,” said Zoe Kass, a senior who fled the engineering building as police stormed in Saturday.

After spending of her life in schools where every door was locked and school shootings continued to persist, Kass said such security measures only created “the illusion of safety.”

Details have emerged about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-victims-e5b40e867f1a349c5c9b7c4f0e866af8">the victims</a>, who were in the first-floor classroom in the school's engineering building studying for a final.

Two of the wounded students had been released as of Tuesday, Brown spokesperson Amanda McGregor said. Of the seven people that remained hospitalized, Mayor Brett Smiley said one remained in critical condition, five were in critical but stable condition and one was in stable condition.

One of the wounded students, 18-year-old freshman Spencer Yang of New York City, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/us/brown-shooting-witness-spencer-yang.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/12/live-updates-active-shooter-at-brown-university">Brown Daily Herald</a>&nbsp;that there was a mad scramble after the gunman entered the room. Yang said he wound up on the ground between some seats and was shot in the leg.

Jacob Spears, 18, a freshman from Evans, Georgia, was shot in the stomach, “but through sheer adrenaline and courage, he managed to run outside, where he was aided by others," according to a GoFundMe site organized for him.

Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was one of the two students killed, was vice president of the Brown College Republicans and was beloved in her church in Birmingham, Alabama.

The other student killed was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Brandermill, Virginia, who was majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. His family immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan when he was a kid.

Contributing were Associated Press journalists Jennifer McDermott, Matt O'Brien and Robert F. Bukaty in Providence; Brian Slodysko in Washington; Michael Casey in Boston; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Authorities have asked the public for any footage they might have of the gunman who fatally shot two students and wounded nine others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-investigation-b08f1fdf5e71542f6e93bbba05fa043c">at Brown University</a>, even as they released a new video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a possible suspect.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=420&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F872134025201536%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="420" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Investigators provided no indication Tuesday that they were any closer to zeroing in on his identity. In all the videos made public, the suspect’s face was masked or turned away, and authorities have only been able to give a vague description of him as being stocky and about 5 feet, 8 inches (173 centimeters) tall.Officers have been canvassing around Providence in search of clues that might help them figure out who was behind Saturday’s campus shooting.Surveillance video the FBI posted online before it was removed showed a person in dark clothing walking along multiple sidewalks for about an hour starting shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. The streets were all within a few blocks of the Brown University engineering building where the shooting occurred.Some clips show the person walking in front of some properties several times. In one, the person abruptly turns around and runs in the other direction when someone approaches.Two clips taken minutes after the shooting show the person walking away from a parking lot and then along a street.<h2>Authorities ask public for help</h2>Police have received about 200 tips, and Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, asked the public on Tuesday to look at their camera systems in the area to see if they have footage that might help officials identify the suspected gunman.“We’re looking for a moment that is shorter than someone taking a breath,” Perez said.A lack of cameras and clear video of the gunman has continued to frustrate both authorities and the community. While Brown President Christina Paxson confirmed Tuesday that the campus has 1,200 cameras, law enforcement says there is no clear video of the shooter from inside the engineering building.Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha defended the investigation as going "really well" as he pleaded for public patience in locating the suspected killer.Large questions remain, particularly about the shooter's motive. When pressed about a connection to ethnicity, political motive or culture, Neronha said, “That is a dangerous road to go down.”<h2>Seeking solace</h2>Brown alumnus Chris Kremer joined about 200 others at a somber church service on campus for the victims Tuesday. He lives a block from the scene and often goes to the building where the shooting happened. Many in the community are thinking how easily they could have been among the shot, he said.He said it was better to attend the service than to sit alone being sad, depressed and scrolling through his phone.“It’s always nice to be in a big exalted space when you’re thinking kind of big heavy thoughts," Kremer said. “I guess people for thousands of years have found that to be something of a salve, so I’m hoping that a little bit of that works for me tonight.”<h2>Campus security</h2>The attack and the shooter’s escape have raised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-security-64e1e19e7a4ce2039912107071035247">questions about campus security</a>, including a lack of cameras, and led to calls for better locks on campus doors.Paxson said the university has two security systems. One system, activated at a time of emergency, sent out text messages, phone calls and emails that reached 20,000 people. The other system features three sirens across the campus and was not activated Saturday, a decision Paxson defended because doing so would have caused people to rush into buildings, including the one where the shooting was happening."So that is not a system we would ever use in the case of an active shooter," she said.Brown's website says the sirens can be used when there is an active shooter, but Paxson said it “depends on the circumstances" and the location of the shooter.<h2>A city on edge</h2>Providence remained tense on Tuesday as additional police were sent to city schools to reassure worried parents that their kids would be safe. Ten state troopers were assigned to support police sent to beef up security at schools, district Superintendent Javier Montañez said.Providence public schools canceled after-school activities and field trips for the week as a precaution.Locals expressed fear as well as defiance as the investigation continued Tuesday.“Of course it feels scary. But at the same time, I think that if the person really wanted to scare us, we shouldn’t allow him or her to win," said Tatjana Stojanovic, a Providence parent who lives next door to the Brown campus.Others say the attention on security measures does little to address the real issue.“The issue isn’t the doors, it’s the guns,” said Zoe Kass, a senior who fled the engineering building as police stormed in Saturday.After spending of her life in schools where every door was locked and school shootings continued to persist, Kass said such security measures only created “the illusion of safety.”<h2>A fuller picture of the victims emerges</h2>Details have emerged about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-shooting-victims-e5b40e867f1a349c5c9b7c4f0e866af8">the victims</a>, who were in the first-floor classroom in the school's engineering building studying for a final.Two of the wounded students had been released as of Tuesday, Brown spokesperson Amanda McGregor said. Of the seven people that remained hospitalized, Mayor Brett Smiley said one remained in critical condition, five were in critical but stable condition and one was in stable condition.One of the wounded students, 18-year-old freshman Spencer Yang of New York City, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/us/brown-shooting-witness-spencer-yang.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/12/live-updates-active-shooter-at-brown-university">Brown Daily Herald</a>&nbsp;that there was a mad scramble after the gunman entered the room. Yang said he wound up on the ground between some seats and was shot in the leg.Jacob Spears, 18, a freshman from Evans, Georgia, was shot in the stomach, “but through sheer adrenaline and courage, he managed to run outside, where he was aided by others," according to a GoFundMe site organized for him.Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was one of the two students killed, was vice president of the Brown College Republicans and was beloved in her church in Birmingham, Alabama.The other student killed was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Brandermill, Virginia, who was majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience. His family immigrated to the U.S. from Uzbekistan when he was a kid.___Contributing were Associated Press journalists Jennifer McDermott, Matt O'Brien and Robert F. Bukaty in Providence; Brian Slodysko in Washington; Michael Casey in Boston; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu.

Enhanced video released: Brown University gunman still at large

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas sheriff's deputy for alleged crimes.&nbsp;

Just before 2a.m. Monday, 34-year-old Shawn Swanson was booked in the Shawnee County jail on a requested charge of&nbsp; Domestic battery; Knowing or reckless bodily harm to family/person in dating relationship, according to online jail records.

Just before 11a.m. Monday he met the requirement of a $1,000 bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp; He has been placed on administrative leave, according to the sheriff's department.

The Topeka Police Department is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765917626372.png" alt="Swanson photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Swanson photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas sheriff's deputy for alleged crimes.&nbsp;Just before 2a.m. Monday, 34-year-old Shawn Swanson was booked in the Shawnee County jail on a requested charge of&nbsp; Domestic battery; Knowing or reckless bodily harm to family/person in dating relationship, according to online jail records.Just before 11a.m. Monday he met the requirement of a $1,000 bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp; He has been placed on administrative leave, according to the sheriff's department.The Topeka Police Department is in charge of the investigation.

Kansas sheriff's deputy is out of jail after arrest

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

just before 8a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 4000 block of Brooklyn Avenue on two separate calls for reported ShotSpotter activations, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Responding officers canvassed the area for any victims, or damage to property, as a result of potential gunfire. When officers arrived on scene, they located a vehicle that sustained gunshot damage and located a man later identified as 34-year-old Demetrius L. Hall inside, unresponsive, and suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds. 

&nbsp;EMS pronounced him deceased on scene.

Crime scene personnel, and Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin canvassing the area for any evidence and to gather witness statements. There is not any preliminary information currently available that indicates what led up to the shooting, and police do not currently have a subject of interest identified.

This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Roselyn Temple, KC Mothers in Charge, and department social workers responded to the scene to begin providing assistance and resources to those impacted as a result of this incident.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765904192131.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.just before 8a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 4000 block of Brooklyn Avenue on two separate calls for reported ShotSpotter activations, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765904158014.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Responding officers canvassed the area for any victims, or damage to property, as a result of potential gunfire. When officers arrived on scene, they located a vehicle that sustained gunshot damage and located a man later identified as 34-year-old Demetrius L. Hall inside, unresponsive, and suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds. &nbsp;EMS pronounced him deceased on scene.Crime scene personnel, and Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin canvassing the area for any evidence and to gather witness statements. There is not any preliminary information currently available that indicates what led up to the shooting, and police do not currently have a subject of interest identified.This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Roselyn Temple, KC Mothers in Charge, and department social workers responded to the scene to begin providing assistance and resources to those impacted as a result of this incident.&nbsp;

Gunshot detection alert led KCPD to location of homicide victim

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country's economy.

Trump's escalation comes after U.S. forces last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0">seized an oil tanker</a>&nbsp;off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to continue the military buildup until the country gave the U.S. oil, land and assets, though it was not clear why he felt the U.S. had a claim.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”

Pentagon officials referred all questions about the post to the White House.

Venezuela’s government released a statement Tuesday accusing Trump of “violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation” with “a reckless and grave threat” against the South American country.

“On his social media, he assumes that Venezuela’s oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property,” the statement said of Trump’s post. “Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches. The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our nation.”

Maduro’s government, according to the statement, plans to denounce the situation before the United Nations.

(On Dec. 10, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. 

The U.S. buildup has been accompanied by a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-us-military-drugs-pacific-108d10bbd3d19c34b8959602222e22e6">military strikes on boats</a>&nbsp;in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among U.S. lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels.

Trump has for weeks said that the U.S. will move its campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land.

The Trump administration has defended the strikes as a success, saying they have prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and pushed back on concerns that they are stretching the bounds of lawful warfare.

The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the U.S., but Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-wiles-chief-staff-interview-cabinet-bondi-5c995a046318973b1a3dfe8ed89cf3cf">chief of staff Susie Wiles</a>&nbsp;appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro.

Wiles said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”

Tuesday night's announcement seemed to have a similar aim.

Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day, has long relied on oil revenue as a lifeblood of its economy.

Since the Trump administration began imposing oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, Maduro’s government has relied on a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.

The state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, has been locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount in the black market in China.

Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million daily production is exported. Of that, he said, 80% goes to China, 15% to 17% goes to the U.S. through Chevron Corp., and the remainder goes to Cuba.

In October, Trump appeared to confirm reports that Maduro has offered a stake in Venezuela’s oil and other mineral wealth in recent months to try to stave off mounting pressure from the United States.

“He’s offered everything,” Trump said at the time. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f—- around with the United States.”

It wasn't immediately clear how the U.S. planned to enact what Trump called a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

But the U.S. Navy has 11 ships, including an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships, in the region.

Those ships carry a wide complement of aircraft, including helicopters and V-22 Ospreys. Additionally, the Navy has been operating a handful of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the region.

All told, those assets provide the military a significant ability to monitor marine traffic coming in and out of the country.

Trump in his post said that the “Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” but it wasn't clear what he was referring to.

The foreign terrorist organization designation has been historically reserved for non-state actors that do not have sovereign immunities conferred by either treaties or United Nations membership.

In November, the Trump administration announced it was designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The term Cartel de los Soles originally referred to Venezuelan military officers involved in drug-running, but it is not a cartel per se.

Governments that U.S. administrations seek to sanction for financing, otherwise fomenting or tolerating extremist violence are usually designated “state sponsors of terrorism.”

Venezuela is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism">not on that list</a>.

In rare cases, the U.S. has designated an element of a foreign government as an “FTO.” The Trump administration in its first term did so with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an arm of the Iranian government, which had already been designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Matt Le in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755651756653.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country's economy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/QS8Whosuml">pic.twitter.com/QS8Whosuml</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2001076955395797252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump's escalation comes after U.S. forces last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0">seized an oil tanker</a>&nbsp;off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to continue the military buildup until the country gave the U.S. oil, land and assets, though it was not clear why he felt the U.S. had a claim.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765968665337.png" alt="Image from Dept. of Justice video" />
 <figcaption>Image from Dept. of Justice video</figcaption>
 </figure>“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”Pentagon officials referred all questions about the post to the White House.Venezuela’s government released a statement Tuesday accusing Trump of “violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation” with “a reckless and grave threat” against the South American country.“On his social media, he assumes that Venezuela’s oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property,” the statement said of Trump’s post. “Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches. The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our nation.”Maduro’s government, according to the statement, plans to denounce the situation before the United Nations.(On Dec. 10, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple… <a href="https://t.co/dNr0oAGl5x">pic.twitter.com/dNr0oAGl5x</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1998875795151024337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The U.S. buildup has been accompanied by a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-us-military-drugs-pacific-108d10bbd3d19c34b8959602222e22e6">military strikes on boats</a>&nbsp;in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among U.S. lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels.Trump has for weeks said that the U.S. will move its campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land.The Trump administration has defended the strikes as a success, saying they have prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and pushed back on concerns that they are stretching the bounds of lawful warfare.The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the U.S., but Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-wiles-chief-staff-interview-cabinet-bondi-5c995a046318973b1a3dfe8ed89cf3cf">chief of staff Susie Wiles</a>&nbsp;appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro.Wiles said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”Tuesday night's announcement seemed to have a similar aim.Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day, has long relied on oil revenue as a lifeblood of its economy.Since the Trump administration began imposing oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, Maduro’s government has relied on a shadowy fleet of unflagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.The state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, has been locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount in the black market in China.Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, said about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million daily production is exported. Of that, he said, 80% goes to China, 15% to 17% goes to the U.S. through Chevron Corp., and the remainder goes to Cuba.In October, Trump appeared to confirm reports that Maduro has offered a stake in Venezuela’s oil and other mineral wealth in recent months to try to stave off mounting pressure from the United States.“He’s offered everything,” Trump said at the time. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f—- around with the United States.”It wasn't immediately clear how the U.S. planned to enact what Trump called a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”But the U.S. Navy has 11 ships, including an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships, in the region.Those ships carry a wide complement of aircraft, including helicopters and V-22 Ospreys. Additionally, the Navy has been operating a handful of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the region.All told, those assets provide the military a significant ability to monitor marine traffic coming in and out of the country.Trump in his post said that the “Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” but it wasn't clear what he was referring to.The foreign terrorist organization designation has been historically reserved for non-state actors that do not have sovereign immunities conferred by either treaties or United Nations membership.In November, the Trump administration announced it was designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The term Cartel de los Soles originally referred to Venezuelan military officers involved in drug-running, but it is not a cartel per se.Governments that U.S. administrations seek to sanction for financing, otherwise fomenting or tolerating extremist violence are usually designated “state sponsors of terrorism.”Venezuela is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism">not on that list</a>.In rare cases, the U.S. has designated an element of a foreign government as an “FTO.” The Trump administration in its first term did so with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an arm of the Iranian government, which had already been designated a state sponsor of terrorism.___Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Matt Le in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

Trump orders blockade of 'sanctioned oil tankers' into Venezuela

SALINE COUNTY —Out of an abundance of caution, the Salina Animal Shelter was closed to the public for much of Tuesday, according to a social media report from the shelter. The staff is busy working complete additional cleaning and sanitizing protocol after three stray puppies come into care of the shelter on Tuesday that tested positive for Parvovirus (Parvo) upon intake.

Staff remain on-site caring for the animals.

For urgent animal-related needs, please call 785-826-6535. The shelter plans to reopen to the public on Wednesday.

SALINE COUNTY —Out of an abundance of caution, the Salina Animal Shelter was closed to the public for much of Tuesday, according to a social media report from the shelter. The staff is busy working complete additional cleaning and sanitizing protocol after three stray puppies come into care of the shelter on Tuesday that tested positive for Parvovirus (Parvo) upon intake.Staff remain on-site caring for the animals.For urgent animal-related needs, please call 785-826-6535. The shelter plans to reopen to the public on Wednesday.

Temporary closure at Salina animal shelter

KANSAS CITY – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two Kansas City area school districts has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a thirteen-count federal superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City last week. Hernandez was previously charged in a seven-count indictment with five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment includes those charges and six additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to involve twelve minor victims and are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.

<a href="https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/dennishernandezvictims/">Click here to view the FBI information page</a>&nbsp;on Hernendez

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755908167779.png" alt="Hernandez photo" />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two Kansas City area school districts has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a thirteen-count federal superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City last week. Hernandez was previously charged in a seven-count indictment with five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The superseding indictment includes those charges and six additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to involve twelve minor victims and are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.<a href="https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/dennishernandezvictims/">Click here to view the FBI information page</a>&nbsp;on HernendezThe charges contained in this superseding indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.