KANSAS CITY—A pedestrian identified as 46-year-old Phillip D. Castleberry injured in hit-and-run on December 10 in Kansas City died over the weekend, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 6:30p.m. Dec. 10, an unknown vehicle driving Northbound on Troost Avenue on the outside lane struck Castleberry who was crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd terrace.

 The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported Castleberry to a local hospital with life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Police are still asking the public for help with information to help them locate the vehicle involved.

KANSAS CITY—A pedestrian identified as 46-year-old Phillip D. Castleberry injured in hit-and-run on December 10 in Kansas City died over the weekend, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 6:30p.m. Dec. 10, an unknown vehicle driving Northbound on Troost Avenue on the outside lane struck Castleberry who was crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd terrace. The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported Castleberry to a local hospital with life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Police are still asking the public for help with information to help them locate the vehicle involved.

KCPD: Pedestrian dies 9-days after injured in hit-and-run

SANA – U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, on Saturday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

Forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.

During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea.&nbsp;

The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.

The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.

Authorities have not reported if this attack occurred before, after or during the the friendly fire incident involving two U.S. Navy pilots over the Red Sea.

SANA – U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, on Saturday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… <a href="https://t.co/YRWWQJIweP">pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1870576182934323203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea.&nbsp;The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.Authorities have not reported if this attack occurred before, after or during the the friendly fire incident involving two U.S. Navy pilots over the Red Sea.

U.S. airstrikes hit terrorist missile storage and command, control facilities

PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/en/">Panama Canal</a>&nbsp;that the United States “foolishly”&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal">ceded</a>&nbsp;to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-canal-global-trade-routes-drought-climate-change-bd76a77825a2e8e751a24346f8fd54a9">fees</a>&nbsp;to pass through the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/conoce-la-historia-del-canal-de-panama/">vital transportation channel</a>&nbsp;linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-mulino-immigration-darien-gap-31f214b8c9885c6e9f943c5ed9cc9ac1">elected in April</a>&nbsp;on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.

The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to also bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">budget fight</a>&nbsp;on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-speaker-johnson-debt-d8084f6c9c2f7d01845b817430f6f91b">their leader's demands</a>.

Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”

His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday.

House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-shutdown-explainer-22ff94a8f8b188c722ff8fab3f7093d0">debt ceiling</a>, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown.

Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.”

“He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said.

The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.”

Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal.

“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.”

The United States built the Panama canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/panama/">Panama</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.

The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.

With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year.

Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue.

Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.”

“I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”

He did not explain how that would be possible.

A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.

“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.

“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”

The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-turning-point-maga-d08a98e439fa4e902cb756d7e35153db">Charlie Kirk</a>, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men.

”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”

Also Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. He also announced his choice of venture capitalist Scott Kupor to serve as the director of the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s chief human resources agency.

And Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt announced he was donating $1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund to complement the $14 million that he said he already had given to the Make America Great Again Inc. super political action committee — making him one of the president-elect’s top donors.

Pratt is chairman of Pratt Industries, which uses recycled paper and boxes as a raw material in a process that produces new cardboard.

Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/en/">Panama Canal</a>&nbsp;that the United States “foolishly”&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal">ceded</a>&nbsp;to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-canal-global-trade-routes-drought-climate-change-bd76a77825a2e8e751a24346f8fd54a9">fees</a>&nbsp;to pass through the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/conoce-la-historia-del-canal-de-panama/">vital transportation channel</a>&nbsp;linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. commerce and rapid deployment of the Navy from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific. It’s an incredible thing and drastically cuts shipping times down to U.S. ports by days and even weeks.”<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> live at AmFest 2024 <a href="https://t.co/6T7qLmNxLZ">pic.twitter.com/6T7qLmNxLZ</a>&mdash; Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1870901625952641303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734833723345.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-mulino-immigration-darien-gap-31f214b8c9885c6e9f943c5ed9cc9ac1">elected in April</a>&nbsp;on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to also bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">budget fight</a>&nbsp;on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-speaker-johnson-debt-d8084f6c9c2f7d01845b817430f6f91b">their leader's demands</a>.Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday.House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-shutdown-explainer-22ff94a8f8b188c722ff8fab3f7093d0">debt ceiling</a>, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown.Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.”“He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said.The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.”Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal.“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.”The United States built the Panama canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/panama/">Panama</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year.Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue.Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.”“I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”He did not explain how that would be possible.A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-turning-point-maga-d08a98e439fa4e902cb756d7e35153db">Charlie Kirk</a>, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men.”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”Also Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. He also announced his choice of venture capitalist Scott Kupor to serve as the director of the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s chief human resources agency.And Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt announced he was donating $1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund to complement the $14 million that he said he already had given to the Make America Great Again Inc. super political action committee — making him one of the president-elect’s top donors.Pratt is chairman of Pratt Industries, which uses recycled paper and boxes as a raw material in a process that produces new cardboard.___Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

Read President-elect Trump's threat to take back the Panama Canal

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger, forming the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels.

The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses.

Honda's president, Toshihiro Mibe, said Honda and Nissan will pursue unifying their operations under a joint holding company. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. The aim is to have a formal merger agreement by June and to complete the deal and list the holding company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by August 2026, he said.

No dollar value was given and the formal talks are just starting, Mibe said.

There are “points that need to be studied and discussed,” he said. “Frankly speaking, the possibility of this not being implemented is not zero.”

Automakers in Japan have lagged behind their big rivals in electric vehicles and are trying to cut costs and make up for lost time.

A merger could result in a behemoth worth more than $50 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Together, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi would gain scale to compete with Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. Toyota has technology partnerships with Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp.

News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month, with unconfirmed reports saying that the talks on closer collaboration partly were driven by aspirations of Taiwan iPhone maker Foxconn to tie up with Nissan by buying shares from the Japan's company's other alliance partner, Renault SA of France.

Nissan's CEO Makoto Uchida said there had been no direct approach to his company from Foxconn. He also acknowledged that Nissan's situation was “severe.”

Even after a merger Toyota, which rolled out 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, would remain the leading Japanese automaker. If they join, the three smaller companies would make about 8 million vehicles. In 2023, Honda made 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million.

Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/honda-nissan-japan-automakers-evs-mitsubishi-a77b5d50f1cbc07c35ab6a2b68908e47">share components</a>&nbsp;for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes centered around electrification, following a preliminary agreement between Nissan and Honda set in March.

Nissan has struggled following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c58f847fac1840528a1fd6a5351f99db">Carlos Ghosn</a>&nbsp;in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon.

Speaking Monday to reporters in Tokyo via a video link, Ghosn derided the planned merger as a “desperate move.”

From Nissan, Honda could get truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn’t have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, told The Associated Press.

Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said.

But the company said in November that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nissan-japan-renault-automaker-loss-b6fa5d02770a13908ecec11b6a9f8e8f">was slashing 9,000 jobs,</a>&nbsp;or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing its global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million).

It recently reshuffled its management and Makoto Uchida, its chief executive, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nissan-japan-automaker-sustainability-diversity-goals-f97635c4b30d7a5d16ff4fa6f0a18947">to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes</a>, rising costs and other global changes.

“We anticipate that if this integration comes to fruition, we will be able to deliver even greater value to a wider customer base,” Uchida said.

Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan’s credit outlook to “negative,” citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion).

Nissan’s share price also has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain.

On Monday, its Tokyo-traded shares gained 1.6%. They jumped more than 20% after news of the possible merger broke last week.

Honda's shares surged 3.8%.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a09e8d727ca31dacc5398a24a5d66cd7">Honda's</a>&nbsp;net profit slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China.

The merger reflects an industry-wide trend toward consolidation.

At a routine briefing Monday, Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would not comment on details of the automakers' plans, but said Japanese companies need to stay competitive in the fast changing market.

“As the business environment surrounding the automobile industry largely changes, with competitiveness in storage batteries and software is increasingly important, we expect measures needed to survive international competition will be taken," Hayashi said.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger, forming the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels.The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses.Honda's president, Toshihiro Mibe, said Honda and Nissan will pursue unifying their operations under a joint holding company. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. The aim is to have a formal merger agreement by June and to complete the deal and list the holding company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by August 2026, he said.No dollar value was given and the formal talks are just starting, Mibe said.There are “points that need to be studied and discussed,” he said. “Frankly speaking, the possibility of this not being implemented is not zero.”Automakers in Japan have lagged behind their big rivals in electric vehicles and are trying to cut costs and make up for lost time.A merger could result in a behemoth worth more than $50 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Together, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi would gain scale to compete with Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. Toyota has technology partnerships with Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp.News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month, with unconfirmed reports saying that the talks on closer collaboration partly were driven by aspirations of Taiwan iPhone maker Foxconn to tie up with Nissan by buying shares from the Japan's company's other alliance partner, Renault SA of France.Nissan's CEO Makoto Uchida said there had been no direct approach to his company from Foxconn. He also acknowledged that Nissan's situation was “severe.”Even after a merger Toyota, which rolled out 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, would remain the leading Japanese automaker. If they join, the three smaller companies would make about 8 million vehicles. In 2023, Honda made 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million.Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/honda-nissan-japan-automakers-evs-mitsubishi-a77b5d50f1cbc07c35ab6a2b68908e47">share components</a>&nbsp;for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes centered around electrification, following a preliminary agreement between Nissan and Honda set in March.Nissan has struggled following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c58f847fac1840528a1fd6a5351f99db">Carlos Ghosn</a>&nbsp;in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon.Speaking Monday to reporters in Tokyo via a video link, Ghosn derided the planned merger as a “desperate move.”From Nissan, Honda could get truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn’t have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, told The Associated Press.Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said.But the company said in November that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nissan-japan-renault-automaker-loss-b6fa5d02770a13908ecec11b6a9f8e8f">was slashing 9,000 jobs,</a>&nbsp;or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing its global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million).It recently reshuffled its management and Makoto Uchida, its chief executive, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nissan-japan-automaker-sustainability-diversity-goals-f97635c4b30d7a5d16ff4fa6f0a18947">to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes</a>, rising costs and other global changes.“We anticipate that if this integration comes to fruition, we will be able to deliver even greater value to a wider customer base,” Uchida said.Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan’s credit outlook to “negative,” citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion).Nissan’s share price also has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain.On Monday, its Tokyo-traded shares gained 1.6%. They jumped more than 20% after news of the possible merger broke last week.Honda's shares surged 3.8%.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a09e8d727ca31dacc5398a24a5d66cd7">Honda's</a>&nbsp;net profit slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China.The merger reflects an industry-wide trend toward consolidation.At a routine briefing Monday, Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would not comment on details of the automakers' plans, but said Japanese companies need to stay competitive in the fast changing market.“As the business environment surrounding the automobile industry largely changes, with competitiveness in storage batteries and software is increasingly important, we expect measures needed to survive international competition will be taken," Hayashi said.

Nissan, Honda announce plans to merge, creating world's No. 3 automaker

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A retired priest in Jefferson City, Mo., who admitted to writing himself a $200,000 check from the bank account of the Wardsville, Mo., church he pastored, was sentenced in federal court last week for sending his sister a check for $100,000 stolen from the church’s account.

The Rev. Ignazio C. Medina, also known as “Ignatius,” 73, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Medina to pay a fine of $7,500.

On July 9, 2024, Medina pleaded guilty to transporting stolen property across state lines.

Medina, a Catholic priest, was pastor at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Wardsville from 2013 to 2021. Some financial irregularities arose at St. Stanislaus in 2018, and in the course of investigating the diocese discovered the parish had a bank account that was not previously reported on the budget or annual report. Medina was asked to include this bank account in the parish’s annual report, and in 2020 he reported an account balance of about $358,000.

After Medina was transferred to a different parish in 2021, it was discovered that he had emptied that bank account. While some expenditures from the account appeared to be church-related, on June 10, 2021, Medina had written a $100,000 check to his sibling in Tucson, Arizona. The next day, he had also written a $200,000 check payable to himself.

Medina, when confronted, claimed the bank account was funded by donations that were not intended for the parish itself, but rather were intended for his own discretionary use. Donors who had contributed checks deposited into the bank account contradicted Medina’s statement. Several individuals told investigators the checks they wrote to St. Stanislaus were intended for parish purposes, and that they never had any conversations with Medina authorizing a different use of the funds. One donor told investigators he intended his donation to be used in the school in memory of a deceased friend.

Medina also claimed he was refunding donations and that his sibling in Tucson was one of the donors. In fact, his sibling was not a source of donations to the account, and told investigators that Medina had said that the money was intended to care for their ailing mother.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734811256772.png" alt="&nbsp;Rev. Ignazio C. Medina-photo Diocese of Jefferson City&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Rev. Ignazio C. Medina-photo Diocese of Jefferson City&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A retired priest in Jefferson City, Mo., who admitted to writing himself a $200,000 check from the bank account of the Wardsville, Mo., church he pastored, was sentenced in federal court last week for sending his sister a check for $100,000 stolen from the church’s account.The Rev. Ignazio C. Medina, also known as “Ignatius,” 73, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Medina to pay a fine of $7,500.On July 9, 2024, Medina pleaded guilty to transporting stolen property across state lines.Medina, a Catholic priest, was pastor at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Wardsville from 2013 to 2021. Some financial irregularities arose at St. Stanislaus in 2018, and in the course of investigating the diocese discovered the parish had a bank account that was not previously reported on the budget or annual report. Medina was asked to include this bank account in the parish’s annual report, and in 2020 he reported an account balance of about $358,000.After Medina was transferred to a different parish in 2021, it was discovered that he had emptied that bank account. While some expenditures from the account appeared to be church-related, on June 10, 2021, Medina had written a $100,000 check to his sibling in Tucson, Arizona. The next day, he had also written a $200,000 check payable to himself.Medina, when confronted, claimed the bank account was funded by donations that were not intended for the parish itself, but rather were intended for his own discretionary use. Donors who had contributed checks deposited into the bank account contradicted Medina’s statement. Several individuals told investigators the checks they wrote to St. Stanislaus were intended for parish purposes, and that they never had any conversations with Medina authorizing a different use of the funds. One donor told investigators he intended his donation to be used in the school in memory of a deceased friend.Medina also claimed he was refunding donations and that his sibling in Tucson was one of the donors. In fact, his sibling was not a source of donations to the account, and told investigators that Medina had said that the money was intended to care for their ailing mother.

Priest sent his sister $100,000 in stolen church funds

WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials were investigating Sunday what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders.

The gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 70 miles west of Denver, automatically stopped when it detected the crack in a structural piece of the lift just after noon on Saturday, resort spokesperson Jen Miller said. People riding in the gondolas were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours, she said.

No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday ski season.

Ski patrolers entered the cabin of each gondola from above and lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower each of the 174 passengers to the ground, Miller said.

Workers were replacing the section of the lift that cracked Sunday as state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer worked with resort officials to investigate what caused the crack, Miller said. The resort still had 21 other lifts open.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734918983643.png" alt="Photo courtesy KDVR TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KDVR TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials were investigating Sunday what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders.The gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 70 miles west of Denver, automatically stopped when it detected the crack in a structural piece of the lift just after noon on Saturday, resort spokesperson Jen Miller said. People riding in the gondolas were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours, she said.No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday ski season.Ski patrolers entered the cabin of each gondola from above and lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower each of the 174 passengers to the ground, Miller said.Workers were replacing the section of the lift that cracked Sunday as state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer worked with resort officials to investigate what caused the crack, Miller said. The resort still had 21 other lifts open.

Nearly 200 skiers, snowboarders stranded for hours on cracked lift

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A car dealership and its owner have been found in contempt of court, resulting in jail time for the owner, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division filed a show cause motion against 37 Auto Sales LLC, located at 1739 N. Broadway in Wichita and its owner, Jacobs Lucky, arguing they were in contempt of court for continuing to sell cars after being ordered not to do so.

After hearing testimony and reviewing documentary evidence, the Court found the dealership and owner violated the Court’s orders by selling six cars after being prohibited from doing so. 37 Auto Sales had previously been ordered to pay a total of $80,000.00 and Jacobs Lucky $30,000.00 in civil fines and penalties. The Court also previously ordered that 37 Auto Sales, LLC and Jacobs Lucky were prohibited from selling cars in the State of Kansas until those judgments were paid. 

The Consumer Protection Division presented evidence that despite the Court’s orders, the dealership remained open and continued to sell cars. After finding at least six cars had been sold, the Court ordered Jacobs Lucky taken into custody immediately for contempt of court and held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility for a term of six months. The Court ordered that payment of the full $110,000.00 would be required to purge the contempt to allow for Mr. Lucky’s release.

Judge Faith Johnson entered the judgment against 37 Auto Sales, LLC, and Mr. Lucky on November 26. He remains in jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734745659780.png" alt="Lucky photo Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Lucky photo Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A car dealership and its owner have been found in contempt of court, resulting in jail time for the owner, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division filed a show cause motion against 37 Auto Sales LLC, located at 1739 N. Broadway in Wichita and its owner, Jacobs Lucky, arguing they were in contempt of court for continuing to sell cars after being ordered not to do so.After hearing testimony and reviewing documentary evidence, the Court found the dealership and owner violated the Court’s orders by selling six cars after being prohibited from doing so. 37 Auto Sales had previously been ordered to pay a total of $80,000.00 and Jacobs Lucky $30,000.00 in civil fines and penalties. The Court also previously ordered that 37 Auto Sales, LLC and Jacobs Lucky were prohibited from selling cars in the State of Kansas until those judgments were paid. The Consumer Protection Division presented evidence that despite the Court’s orders, the dealership remained open and continued to sell cars. After finding at least six cars had been sold, the Court ordered Jacobs Lucky taken into custody immediately for contempt of court and held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility for a term of six months. The Court ordered that payment of the full $110,000.00 would be required to purge the contempt to allow for Mr. Lucky’s release.Judge Faith Johnson entered the judgment against 37 Auto Sales, LLC, and Mr. Lucky on November 26. He remains in jail.

Judge sends Kansas car dealership owner to jail

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Civil rights activists in Kansas are staffing up and engaging with local officials to prepare for a second Donald Trump presidency, the ACLU of Kansas said Friday.&nbsp;

Executive director Micah Kubic told reporters the organization has a three-part strategy for Trump’s second term, including attempting to expand civil rights protections at the local level, preparing for ultra-conservative bills in the Kansas Legislature and filing strategic lawsuits to stop “extremist” policies.

Working proactively at the local level to expand voting rights and other civil liberties, Kubic said, will be more effective than simply reacting to Trump policies the ACLU opposes.&nbsp;

“It really does show folks that we need not live in a defensive crouch,” Kubic said. “We need not be despondent about attacks that we may see from Washington, but instead that we have some control over our own destiny, we can make lives better here.”

That will let “those in power know to not collaborate in the extremism,” Kubic said.

Kubic said he anticipates that Trump’s second term, which begins in January, will bring “more attacks on civil liberties and civil rights … than any of us have seen in our lifetimes,” including policies about immigration, voting, LGBTQ rights and abortion access.

Working at the local level, Kubic said, will help if the federal government seeks to compel local officials to assist with policies like mass deportations.

“When the Trump administration comes calling,” Kubic said, “we want there to be a firewall in place at the local level from elected officials who know that is not something that their own voters, their own constituents, the residents of their places want them to do.”&nbsp;

At the same time, Kubic said, the ACLU will keep working to mobilize state lawmakers to block legislation the organization opposes. He said the organization had success defeating “attacks on voting rights” and a proposed ban on gender-affirming healthcare.

Kubic said he also expected abortion rights to be an issue in the Kansas Legislature, despite the state’s 2022 vote to keep abortion enshrined in the Kansas Constitution.

“We’re able to defeat them because there is a large number of Kansans who don’t want that stuff. … Regardless of how they voted on Election Day, we know that Kansans don’t want bodily autonomy to be restricted,” he said.&nbsp;

The ACLU of Kansas’ fledgling political action committee, Kansans United for Civil Liberties, will continue, Kubic said. The ACLU spent money educating voters in opposition to candidates in 10 legislative races in November, but only one of those candidates was defeated.

The ACLU’s most prominent work, its litigation efforts, will also continue, he said.

“We will sue anybody who needs suing when the time comes,” Kubic said. “ … We have been preparing for the Trump administration in particular for a very long time.”&nbsp;

While the ACLU’s views on those issues often align with those of Democrats, Kubic said the organization has worked to pursue its priorities no matter who is in power. He noted the ACLU criticized Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, for signing legislation stopping Wyandotte County from issuing identification cards to undocumented immigrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734885001428.png" alt="Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, speaks to reporters on Friday about the civil rights' organization's strategy to contend with President-elect Donald Trump's second term. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, speaks to reporters on Friday about the civil rights' organization's strategy to contend with President-elect Donald Trump's second term. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>Civil rights activists in Kansas are staffing up and engaging with local officials to prepare for a second Donald Trump presidency, the ACLU of Kansas said Friday.&nbsp;Executive director Micah Kubic told reporters the organization has a three-part strategy for Trump’s second term, including attempting to expand civil rights protections at the local level, preparing for ultra-conservative bills in the Kansas Legislature and filing strategic lawsuits to stop “extremist” policies.Working proactively at the local level to expand voting rights and other civil liberties, Kubic said, will be more effective than simply reacting to Trump policies the ACLU opposes.&nbsp;“It really does show folks that we need not live in a defensive crouch,” Kubic said. “We need not be despondent about attacks that we may see from Washington, but instead that we have some control over our own destiny, we can make lives better here.”That will let “those in power know to not collaborate in the extremism,” Kubic said.Kubic said he anticipates that Trump’s second term, which begins in January, will bring “more attacks on civil liberties and civil rights … than any of us have seen in our lifetimes,” including policies about immigration, voting, LGBTQ rights and abortion access.Working at the local level, Kubic said, will help if the federal government seeks to compel local officials to assist with policies like mass deportations.“When the Trump administration comes calling,” Kubic said, “we want there to be a firewall in place at the local level from elected officials who know that is not something that their own voters, their own constituents, the residents of their places want them to do.”&nbsp;At the same time, Kubic said, the ACLU will keep working to mobilize state lawmakers to block legislation the organization opposes. He said the organization had success defeating “attacks on voting rights” and a proposed ban on gender-affirming healthcare.Kubic said he also expected abortion rights to be an issue in the Kansas Legislature, despite the state’s 2022 vote to keep abortion enshrined in the Kansas Constitution.“We’re able to defeat them because there is a large number of Kansans who don’t want that stuff. … Regardless of how they voted on Election Day, we know that Kansans don’t want bodily autonomy to be restricted,” he said.&nbsp;The ACLU of Kansas’ fledgling political action committee, Kansans United for Civil Liberties, will continue, Kubic said. The ACLU spent money educating voters in opposition to candidates in 10 legislative races in November, but only one of those candidates was defeated.The ACLU’s most prominent work, its litigation efforts, will also continue, he said.“We will sue anybody who needs suing when the time comes,” Kubic said. “ … We have been preparing for the Trump administration in particular for a very long time.”&nbsp;While the ACLU’s views on those issues often align with those of Democrats, Kubic said the organization has worked to pursue its priorities no matter who is in power. He noted the ACLU criticized Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, for signing legislation stopping Wyandotte County from issuing identification cards to undocumented immigrants.

ACLU of Kansas prepares for second Trump term and ‘attacks on civil liberties’

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

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-workers-strike-teamsters-packages-39b86c286d67219e42309566f3975cba">Amazon delivery drivers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-strike-holidays-b0376dbbb388a3cfdfe92297a7a41a35">Starbucks baristas</a>&nbsp;are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.

The strikes that started Thursday and Friday followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unions-labor-strike-corporations-activism-3376e71e9d21d5f74d9e9c5df6deda14">other recent standoffs</a>&nbsp;between corporate America and organized labor. Large and established labor unions secured meaningful employer concessions this year following strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-contract-vote-strike-machinists-union-5237a31660b0a06381457e33f9a72369">Boeing factory workers</a>, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.

But workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands still are fighting for their first contracts. Amazon refuses to acknowledge the organizing efforts of drivers and warehouse workers — many of whom have voted to unionize — even though the powerful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/international-brotherhood-of-teamsters">Teamsters union</a>&nbsp;says it represents them. Starbucks long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-labor-law-violations-schultz-d83a3277080b491e623b7e279f9b33ac">resisted the unionization</a>&nbsp;of its stores, but had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">agreed to negotiate</a>&nbsp;a contract by the end of the year.

Strikes — particularly ones that happen during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holidays">the holidays</a>, a time of high economic activity — can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or flex their muscles by garnering support from workers and sympathetic consumers.

Both Amazon and Starbucks saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joint-employer-nlrb-mcdonalds-labor-franchisees-amazon-rule-de968c9479de5845e3e0e422404ff6f3">a wave of organizing efforts</a>&nbsp;following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic focused attention on front-line workers and the impact of economic inequality on the lives of wage-earning Americans.

Employees organized at bookstores, where unions are rare, and were successful with campaigns at some stores run by Apple,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-york-manhattan-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-b4d8e2183d61eb9d5335c98ac171ff72">outdoor equipment company REI</a>.

But turning those wins into contracts can be a challenge. At Amazon and Starbucks, which were not unionized before the pandemic, workers have yet to secure an agreement with the e-commerce and coffee giants, which both have their headquarters in Seattle.

John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, said he thinks the Amazon and Starbucks workers are “desperate” to make progress before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;gets to appoint a Republican majority to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-labor-relations-board">National Labor Relations Board</a>, which is expected to be less friendly to unions during his administration.

“The unions want to make these disputes public and bring political pressures on the companies,” Logan said in a written statement. “If these disputes drag on until next year, and if they are fought largely through the labor board and the courts, the unions and workers will almost certainly lose. This might be their last, best chance to pressure the companies in public before Trump comes into office.”

However, Trump has also given some signs that he might be friendlier to labor during his second term compared to his first term. Last month, he picked Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-staff-picks-stefanik-wiles-stephen-miller-tom-homan-243d73610b03a3ee18c4d5f68756af7c">his new administration</a>, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions, including the Teamsters. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien also spoke at the Republican National Convention this past summer.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wa-state-wire-technology-business-27b00770b2189ddbd8ddcb64e5bad96c">The Teamsters</a>&nbsp;say workers at Amazon are striking at seven delivery stations in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta and Skokie, Illinois, because the company ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers will also strike at a prominent warehouse in New York, which voted to join the fledgling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-labor-union-election-35b63f38aa1c7f82bc86c21936e02a78">Amazon Labor Union</a>&nbsp;in 2022 and have since elected to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-union-teamsters-labor-warehouse-0d0d751d6800495ed0296e33b4f5835e">affiliate with the Teamsters</a>.

The prominent labor group says it’s fighting for higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions for Amazon employees, many of whom experience economic insecurity while working for a company worth $2.3 trillion. It has not said how many Amazon warehouse workers or drivers are joining the striking.

The union has mainly focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-teamsters-delivery-union-ups-0b9a9e2fc06dbb18cb23c476e0c19230">organizing delivery drivers</a>, which the company says are not its workers because they are directly employed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-small-business-retail-delivery-248c1a69bc786105783a5fc75045a75b">contractors Amazon recruited</a>&nbsp;to handle package deliveries.

That type of setup gives the Amazon more cover from unionization attempts in an industry — transportation and trucking — that’s dominated by the Teamsters. However, the union has argued before the National Labor Relations Board that the drivers, who wear Amazon’s ubiquitous gray-blue vests and drive similarly colored vans, should be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-nlrb-delivery-drivers-3214680ef8c8b060184964412f378128">classified as company employees</a>.

Meanwhile, the online retailer has accused the union of pushing a “false narrative” about the thousands of workers it claims to represent. Amazon has also touted its pay, saying it provides warehouse and transportation employees a base wage of $22 per hour plus benefits. It also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-delivery-drivers-pay-c9683ed7fb0abab9476bd6f0bc9481e5">recently boosted hourly pay</a>&nbsp;for the subcontracted delivery drivers.

In September, the NLRB, which has taken a more pro-labor stance under President Joe Biden, filed a complaint that found the drivers to be joint employees of Amazon. The agency also accused Amazon of unlawfully failing to bargain with the Teamsters on a contract for drivers at a California delivery hub.

The Teamsters union says it also represents Amazon warehouse workers, including thousands of employees at the major New York City fulfillment center who voted to be represented by the Amazon Labor Union.

Amazon objected to the 2022 warehouse election results, alleging the Amazon Labor Union and the federal labor board had tainted the vote. A regional NLRB director issued a complaint last year that accused Amazon of violating the law by refusing to bargain with the union.

Amazon, in turn, is challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB in federal court along with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In June, the Supreme Court made it harder for the agency to win court orders in labor disputes, siding with Starbucks in a case brought by the company.

Unlike Amazon, contract negotiation have been underway at Starbucks.

But Starbucks Workers United, the union that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5">organized workers</a>&nbsp;at 535 company-owned U.S. stores since 2021, said the company has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year.

The union also wants Starbucks to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">unfair labor practice charges</a>&nbsp;that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency also has opened or settled hundreds of charges against Amazon.

In launching the strikes that started Friday in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, Workers United said Starbucks proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for unionized baristas now and a 1.5% increase in future years.

Union leaders said the strikes expanded on Saturday to include stores in Denver, Pittsburgh and Columbus Ohio with plans for baristas to join the picket lines in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis on Sunday.

Without providing a specific number, labor leaders said dozens of Starbucks stores are now affected by the strike.

Starbucks said Workers United prematurely ended a bargaining session this week. The company also says it already offers pay and benefits worth $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week.

Starbucks workers walked off the job on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/strikes-starbucks-corp-labor-chicago-juniper-schweitzer-1a50c2041a9342549e84b55b1b7d00fe">two occasions</a>&nbsp;last year. Workers United has said the latest strikes could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve.

Patricia Campos-Medina, who recently ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in New Jersey and leads Cornell University’s Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said she expects there to be more union activity before Trump takes office.

Trump’s reactions will give the public a chance to see what his “commitments are to the working class,” Campos-Medina said.

Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734883615147.png" alt="Starbucks Workers United" />
 <figcaption>Starbucks Workers United</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-workers-strike-teamsters-packages-39b86c286d67219e42309566f3975cba">Amazon delivery drivers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-strike-holidays-b0376dbbb388a3cfdfe92297a7a41a35">Starbucks baristas</a>&nbsp;are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.The strikes that started Thursday and Friday followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unions-labor-strike-corporations-activism-3376e71e9d21d5f74d9e9c5df6deda14">other recent standoffs</a>&nbsp;between corporate America and organized labor. Large and established labor unions secured meaningful employer concessions this year following strikes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-contract-vote-strike-machinists-union-5237a31660b0a06381457e33f9a72369">Boeing factory workers</a>, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨Union baristas are calling on EVERYONE to NOT buy from ANY Starbucks store during the duration of our ULP strikes. 🧵<a href="https://t.co/LOItQyneJb">https://t.co/LOItQyneJb</a> <a href="https://t.co/EhYd3wWZjc">pic.twitter.com/EhYd3wWZjc</a>&mdash; Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBWorkersUnited/status/1870629809153589499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands still are fighting for their first contracts. Amazon refuses to acknowledge the organizing efforts of drivers and warehouse workers — many of whom have voted to unionize — even though the powerful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/international-brotherhood-of-teamsters">Teamsters union</a>&nbsp;says it represents them. Starbucks long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-labor-law-violations-schultz-d83a3277080b491e623b7e279f9b33ac">resisted the unionization</a>&nbsp;of its stores, but had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">agreed to negotiate</a>&nbsp;a contract by the end of the year.<h2>Why are the strikes happening now?</h2>Strikes — particularly ones that happen during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holidays">the holidays</a>, a time of high economic activity — can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or flex their muscles by garnering support from workers and sympathetic consumers.Both Amazon and Starbucks saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joint-employer-nlrb-mcdonalds-labor-franchisees-amazon-rule-de968c9479de5845e3e0e422404ff6f3">a wave of organizing efforts</a>&nbsp;following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic focused attention on front-line workers and the impact of economic inequality on the lives of wage-earning Americans.Employees organized at bookstores, where unions are rare, and were successful with campaigns at some stores run by Apple,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-york-manhattan-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-b4d8e2183d61eb9d5335c98ac171ff72">outdoor equipment company REI</a>.But turning those wins into contracts can be a challenge. At Amazon and Starbucks, which were not unionized before the pandemic, workers have yet to secure an agreement with the e-commerce and coffee giants, which both have their headquarters in Seattle.John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, said he thinks the Amazon and Starbucks workers are “desperate” to make progress before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;gets to appoint a Republican majority to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-labor-relations-board">National Labor Relations Board</a>, which is expected to be less friendly to unions during his administration.“The unions want to make these disputes public and bring political pressures on the companies,” Logan said in a written statement. “If these disputes drag on until next year, and if they are fought largely through the labor board and the courts, the unions and workers will almost certainly lose. This might be their last, best chance to pressure the companies in public before Trump comes into office.”However, Trump has also given some signs that he might be friendlier to labor during his second term compared to his first term. Last month, he picked Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-staff-picks-stefanik-wiles-stephen-miller-tom-homan-243d73610b03a3ee18c4d5f68756af7c">his new administration</a>, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions, including the Teamsters. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien also spoke at the Republican National Convention this past summer.<h2>Teamster-led strikes at Amazon</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/wa-state-wire-technology-business-27b00770b2189ddbd8ddcb64e5bad96c">The Teamsters</a>&nbsp;say workers at Amazon are striking at seven delivery stations in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta and Skokie, Illinois, because the company ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers will also strike at a prominent warehouse in New York, which voted to join the fledgling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-labor-union-election-35b63f38aa1c7f82bc86c21936e02a78">Amazon Labor Union</a>&nbsp;in 2022 and have since elected to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-union-teamsters-labor-warehouse-0d0d751d6800495ed0296e33b4f5835e">affiliate with the Teamsters</a>.The prominent labor group says it’s fighting for higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions for Amazon employees, many of whom experience economic insecurity while working for a company worth $2.3 trillion. It has not said how many Amazon warehouse workers or drivers are joining the striking.The union has mainly focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-teamsters-delivery-union-ups-0b9a9e2fc06dbb18cb23c476e0c19230">organizing delivery drivers</a>, which the company says are not its workers because they are directly employed by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-small-business-retail-delivery-248c1a69bc786105783a5fc75045a75b">contractors Amazon recruited</a>&nbsp;to handle package deliveries.That type of setup gives the Amazon more cover from unionization attempts in an industry — transportation and trucking — that’s dominated by the Teamsters. However, the union has argued before the National Labor Relations Board that the drivers, who wear Amazon’s ubiquitous gray-blue vests and drive similarly colored vans, should be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-nlrb-delivery-drivers-3214680ef8c8b060184964412f378128">classified as company employees</a>.Meanwhile, the online retailer has accused the union of pushing a “false narrative” about the thousands of workers it claims to represent. Amazon has also touted its pay, saying it provides warehouse and transportation employees a base wage of $22 per hour plus benefits. It also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-delivery-drivers-pay-c9683ed7fb0abab9476bd6f0bc9481e5">recently boosted hourly pay</a>&nbsp;for the subcontracted delivery drivers.In September, the NLRB, which has taken a more pro-labor stance under President Joe Biden, filed a complaint that found the drivers to be joint employees of Amazon. The agency also accused Amazon of unlawfully failing to bargain with the Teamsters on a contract for drivers at a California delivery hub.The Teamsters union says it also represents Amazon warehouse workers, including thousands of employees at the major New York City fulfillment center who voted to be represented by the Amazon Labor Union.Amazon objected to the 2022 warehouse election results, alleging the Amazon Labor Union and the federal labor board had tainted the vote. A regional NLRB director issued a complaint last year that accused Amazon of violating the law by refusing to bargain with the union.Amazon, in turn, is challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB in federal court along with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In June, the Supreme Court made it harder for the agency to win court orders in labor disputes, siding with Starbucks in a case brought by the company.<h2>Contract negotiations at Starbucks</h2>Unlike Amazon, contract negotiation have been underway at Starbucks.But Starbucks Workers United, the union that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-union-lawsuit-israel-palestinian-f212a994fef67f122854a4df7e5d13f5">organized workers</a>&nbsp;at 535 company-owned U.S. stores since 2021, said the company has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year.The union also wants Starbucks to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">unfair labor practice charges</a>&nbsp;that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency also has opened or settled hundreds of charges against Amazon.In launching the strikes that started Friday in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, Workers United said Starbucks proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for unionized baristas now and a 1.5% increase in future years.Union leaders said the strikes expanded on Saturday to include stores in Denver, Pittsburgh and Columbus Ohio with plans for baristas to join the picket lines in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis on Sunday.Without providing a specific number, labor leaders said dozens of Starbucks stores are now affected by the strike.Starbucks said Workers United prematurely ended a bargaining session this week. The company also says it already offers pay and benefits worth $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week.Starbucks workers walked off the job on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/strikes-starbucks-corp-labor-chicago-juniper-schweitzer-1a50c2041a9342549e84b55b1b7d00fe">two occasions</a>&nbsp;last year. Workers United has said the latest strikes could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve.Patricia Campos-Medina, who recently ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in New Jersey and leads Cornell University’s Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said she expects there to be more union activity before Trump takes office.Trump’s reactions will give the public a chance to see what his “commitments are to the working class,” Campos-Medina said.<h2>___</h2>Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this story.

Why Starbucks and Amazon workers are on strike now

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;will travel to Italy next month to meet with Pope Francis and top Italian officials for what is expected to be the final international trip of his presidency.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden will also meet with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella during the Jan. 9-12 trip.

Biden accepted Francis’ invitation to visit the Vatican during a phone call Thursday, according to the White House.

“The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms,” the White House said in a statement.

Jean-Pierre said Biden and Francis will “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.” She said Biden intends to use his final meeting with Meloni to “discuss important challenges facing the world” and to thank her for Italy’s leadership as the country’s winds up its yearlong, rotating presidency at the Group of Seven.

Overseas visits this late in a U.S. presidency aren’t typical. The last president to travel overseas in the final month of his presidency was fellow one-termer George H.W. Bush, who traveled in early January 1993 to Moscow to sign a nuclear treaty and to Paris for talks with French President François Mitterrand about the Bosnian war, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/bush-george-h-w" target="_blank">State Department historical records.</a>

Biden, a practicing Roman Catholic, last met privately with Francis earlier this year while in Italy for the G7 leaders meeting.

He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pope-francis-business-poverty-rome-b4675e7b3115c5f3ddd3a735f9ee1e25">met with Francis</a>&nbsp;at the Vatican in 2021, when they had a wide-ranging conversation about climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic. Their warm conversation also touched on the loss of the president’s adult son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015, and included jokes about aging well.

Biden’s support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion.

But following the Vatican meeting in 2021, Biden said Francis called him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pope-francis-business-poverty-rome-b4675e7b3115c5f3ddd3a735f9ee1e25">a “good Catholic”</a>&nbsp;who should keep receiving Communion.

Biden is set to arrive soon after the Vatican begins the Holy Year, which officially opens on Christmas Eve.

Holy Years are generally celebrated every 25 to 50 years, and over the centuries have been used to encourage the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and obtain an indulgence — the ancient church tradition related to the forgiveness of sins that roughly amounts to a “get out of Purgatory free” card.

Pilgrims who pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica can obtain the indulgence, and the Vatican is expecting some 32 million people will flock to Rome over 2025 to participate in the pilgrimage.

Winfield reported from Rome. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718390089588.png" alt="President Biden greeted Pope Francis at the G7 conference in June-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden greeted Pope Francis at the G7 conference in June-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;will travel to Italy next month to meet with Pope Francis and top Italian officials for what is expected to be the final international trip of his presidency.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden will also meet with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella during the Jan. 9-12 trip.Biden accepted Francis’ invitation to visit the Vatican during a phone call Thursday, according to the White House.“The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms,” the White House said in a statement.Jean-Pierre said Biden and Francis will “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.” She said Biden intends to use his final meeting with Meloni to “discuss important challenges facing the world” and to thank her for Italy’s leadership as the country’s winds up its yearlong, rotating presidency at the Group of Seven.Overseas visits this late in a U.S. presidency aren’t typical. The last president to travel overseas in the final month of his presidency was fellow one-termer George H.W. Bush, who traveled in early January 1993 to Moscow to sign a nuclear treaty and to Paris for talks with French President François Mitterrand about the Bosnian war, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/bush-george-h-w" target="_blank">State Department historical records.</a>Biden, a practicing Roman Catholic, last met privately with Francis earlier this year while in Italy for the G7 leaders meeting.He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pope-francis-business-poverty-rome-b4675e7b3115c5f3ddd3a735f9ee1e25">met with Francis</a>&nbsp;at the Vatican in 2021, when they had a wide-ranging conversation about climate change, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic. Their warm conversation also touched on the loss of the president’s adult son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015, and included jokes about aging well.Biden’s support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage has put him at odds with many U.S. bishops, some of whom have suggested he should be denied Communion.But following the Vatican meeting in 2021, Biden said Francis called him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pope-francis-business-poverty-rome-b4675e7b3115c5f3ddd3a735f9ee1e25">a “good Catholic”</a>&nbsp;who should keep receiving Communion.Biden is set to arrive soon after the Vatican begins the Holy Year, which officially opens on Christmas Eve.Holy Years are generally celebrated every 25 to 50 years, and over the centuries have been used to encourage the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and obtain an indulgence — the ancient church tradition related to the forgiveness of sins that roughly amounts to a “get out of Purgatory free” card.Pilgrims who pass through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica can obtain the indulgence, and the Vatican is expecting some 32 million people will flock to Rome over 2025 to participate in the pilgrimage.<h2>___</h2>Winfield reported from Rome. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

Biden to make one final international trip of his presidency

Several laws, such as the 72-hour waiting period, were temporarily blocked. But Planned Parenthood says enough restrictions remain in place to prevent abortion services from resuming

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/"></a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A Missouri judge on Friday temporarily struck down several laws that Planned Parenthood clinics have said made access to abortion all but impossible across the state.&nbsp;

Among the laws Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang blocked include a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion and a mandate that physicians performing abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

But abortions will not yet restart in the state because licensure requirements remain in place.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers and the ACLU of Missouri in a joint statement Friday evening said the state’s several clinics remain unlicensed.

“As a result of today’s mixed decision,” they wrote. “Missourians continue to be deprived of time-sensitive, essential, and constitutionally protected health care, despite voting in favor of a constitutional right to abortion.”

After more than two years of a near-total abortion ban, Missourians voted to legalize the procedure in November.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri immediately sued</a>&nbsp;the state in the hopes of invalidating dozens of abortion regulations they believed were now unconstitutional.&nbsp;

On Friday afternoon,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/2416-CV31931.COMP%20HEALTH.Prelim%20Injuction%20ORDER_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=16&amp;di=26642271" target="_blank">Zhang granted some of Planned Parenthood’s requests and denied others</a>. This means that for the time being at least, some of the state’s strictest “targeted regulation of abortion providers,” or TRAP, laws are not enforceable.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri did not immediately say how soon they may begin offering abortion as a result of the judge’s order.

State officials, including Attorney General Andrew Bailey, agreed Amendment 3 makes null and void the state’s current ban on abortion, which only allows exceptions for medical emergencies.&nbsp;

But&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">during a Dec. 4 hearing</a>, Bailey’s office panned Planned Parenthood’s arguments that current TRAP laws cause irreparable harm and are unnecessary.&nbsp;

The state asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that because abortion is still accessible by mail or by leaving the state, Planned Parenthood didn’t have the standing to ask for an emergency injunction.

In her Friday order, Zhang wrote that, “as plaintiffs argue, they and their patients are suffering serious harm, whereas defendants only stand to lose the ability temporarily to enforce some laws that are likely to be held unconstitutional and which further no valid compelling state interest.”

She went on to temporarily strike down the following TRAP laws as unconstitutional:&nbsp;

Zhang kept in place the following TRAP laws:

After the court hearing but before Friday’s decision, a spokeswoman with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the department continued to view the state’s TRAP laws as constitutional but declined to comment on specific aspects of the lawsuit as the litigation is ongoing.

“Our regulations remain in place,” Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the department, said on Dec. 11. “We believe those regulations are not overly burdensome and establish necessary safety standards for these procedures. We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time.”

Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, said in a statement Friday that his organization will be closely monitoring the licensing process of any abortion clinics in Missouri.

“We are gratified that the court has rightly decided to retain licensing requirements for abortion facilities and doctors who perform abortions,” Westbrook said. “Even while we mourn the loss of protections that are vital to the safety of women and the protection of preborn children.”

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">On Nov. 5, Missourians narrowly approved Amendment 3</a>, which&nbsp;states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;

The constitutional amendment officially took effect Dec. 6.

Had all the challenged TRAP laws been struck down, Planned Parenthood clinics said they were prepared to immediately begin offering abortions at some of their locations.

“It is unacceptable that tomorrow, just like for the past two weeks, Missourians will have a constitutional right that cannot be realized in their home state,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement. “We’re relieved the court recognized and enjoined many oppressive laws on the books that serve no purpose except to put abortion out of reach. Unfortunately, a key tool weaponized by anti-abortion politicians — the licensure process — remains in effect, and we are unable to restore care.”

The plaintiffs in a statement said they are evaluating their legal options. A spokesperson for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zhang’s order is temporary until a trial litigating the challenged laws takes place. The next case management conference is scheduled for late February in Kansas City.

<a href="https://www.whatsnext4mo.org/home/#CTA" target="_blank">“What’s Next,”&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;an Amendment 3 accountability group made up organizers and activists who previously called for a constitutional amendment with no restrictions on abortion, said the ruling was far from a win.

“‘Ending the ban’ is window dressing as long as restrictions such as facility license requirements designed to keep clinics closed are in effect and access to care is not a reality for abortion seekers and providers,” they wrote. “This is what we warned about and our fears are unfolding exactly how we predicted.”

<h2>Several laws, such as the 72-hour waiting period, were temporarily blocked. But Planned Parenthood says enough restrictions remain in place to prevent abortion services from resuming</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/"></a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A Missouri judge on Friday temporarily struck down several laws that Planned Parenthood clinics have said made access to abortion all but impossible across the state.&nbsp;Among the laws Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang blocked include a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion and a mandate that physicians performing abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.But abortions will not yet restart in the state because licensure requirements remain in place.Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers and the ACLU of Missouri in a joint statement Friday evening said the state’s several clinics remain unlicensed.“As a result of today’s mixed decision,” they wrote. “Missourians continue to be deprived of time-sensitive, essential, and constitutionally protected health care, despite voting in favor of a constitutional right to abortion.”After more than two years of a near-total abortion ban, Missourians voted to legalize the procedure in November.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri immediately sued</a>&nbsp;the state in the hopes of invalidating dozens of abortion regulations they believed were now unconstitutional.&nbsp;On Friday afternoon,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/2416-CV31931.COMP%20HEALTH.Prelim%20Injuction%20ORDER_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=16&amp;di=26642271" target="_blank">Zhang granted some of Planned Parenthood’s requests and denied others</a>. This means that for the time being at least, some of the state’s strictest “targeted regulation of abortion providers,” or TRAP, laws are not enforceable.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri did not immediately say how soon they may begin offering abortion as a result of the judge’s order.State officials, including Attorney General Andrew Bailey, agreed Amendment 3 makes null and void the state’s current ban on abortion, which only allows exceptions for medical emergencies.&nbsp;But&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-amendment-3-missouri-jackson-county/">during a Dec. 4 hearing</a>, Bailey’s office panned Planned Parenthood’s arguments that current TRAP laws cause irreparable harm and are unnecessary.&nbsp;The state asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that because abortion is still accessible by mail or by leaving the state, Planned Parenthood didn’t have the standing to ask for an emergency injunction.In her Friday order, Zhang wrote that, “as plaintiffs argue, they and their patients are suffering serious harm, whereas defendants only stand to lose the ability temporarily to enforce some laws that are likely to be held unconstitutional and which further no valid compelling state interest.”She went on to temporarily strike down the following TRAP laws as unconstitutional:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>A requirement that physicians providing abortions have admitting privileges at hospitals with obstetric or gynecological care within 30 miles or a 15-minute drive.&nbsp;</li><li>A mandatory 72-hour waiting period between an initial abortion consultation and the abortion procedure.</li><li>The state’s informed consent requirement, which includes access to the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">informed consent booklet</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>In cases of medication abortions, a requirement that the medication be administered in the presence of the doctor who prescribed it. Planned Parenthood refers to this as a “telemedicine ban,” which prevents doctors from prescribing a medication in-person but allowing the patient to take the medication at home or in the presence of another medical professional.</li><li>A requirement that before administering medication abortion, providers must have a complication plan in place, which includes access to an on-call OB-GYN who is available at any time, in the case of a complication. Zhang wrote that this law was not helpful to those traveling from rural Missouri to an urban Planned Parenthood clinic, for example.&nbsp;</li><li>A law requiring all fetal tissue removed from the uterus during an abortion be sent to a pathologist.</li>
 </ul>Zhang kept in place the following TRAP laws:<ul>
 <li>A requirement that patients must first see a doctor for an in-person appointment to confirm gestational age before prescribing the pills used in medication abortions.</li><li>A law stating that abortions can only be performed by physicians, and not physicians assistants or other advanced practice clinicians.&nbsp;</li><li>A law allowing the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to place separate regulations and standards that apply to ambulatory surgical centers on abortion clinics, including size requirements for hallways, room and doors.&nbsp;This law also requires clinics to keep a written plan for managing medical emergencies, including a transfer plan for patients to a nearby hospital. Zhang said she was denying the injunction related to these licensure requirements because the statutes “pertain to the actual licensure of the facilities rather than the rights of individuals seeking reproductive care.”</li>
 </ul>After the court hearing but before Friday’s decision, a spokeswoman with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the department continued to view the state’s TRAP laws as constitutional but declined to comment on specific aspects of the lawsuit as the litigation is ongoing.“Our regulations remain in place,” Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the department, said on Dec. 11. “We believe those regulations are not overly burdensome and establish necessary safety standards for these procedures. We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time.”Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, said in a statement Friday that his organization will be closely monitoring the licensing process of any abortion clinics in Missouri.“We are gratified that the court has rightly decided to retain licensing requirements for abortion facilities and doctors who perform abortions,” Westbrook said. “Even while we mourn the loss of protections that are vital to the safety of women and the protection of preborn children.”<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">On Nov. 5, Missourians narrowly approved Amendment 3</a>, which&nbsp;states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;The constitutional amendment officially took effect Dec. 6.Had all the challenged TRAP laws been struck down, Planned Parenthood clinics said they were prepared to immediately begin offering abortions at some of their locations.“It is unacceptable that tomorrow, just like for the past two weeks, Missourians will have a constitutional right that cannot be realized in their home state,” Emily Wales, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement. “We’re relieved the court recognized and enjoined many oppressive laws on the books that serve no purpose except to put abortion out of reach. Unfortunately, a key tool weaponized by anti-abortion politicians — the licensure process — remains in effect, and we are unable to restore care.”The plaintiffs in a statement said they are evaluating their legal options. A spokesperson for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Zhang’s order is temporary until a trial litigating the challenged laws takes place. The next case management conference is scheduled for late February in Kansas City.<a href="https://www.whatsnext4mo.org/home/#CTA" target="_blank">“What’s Next,”&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;an Amendment 3 accountability group made up organizers and activists who previously called for a constitutional amendment with no restrictions on abortion, said the ruling was far from a win.“‘Ending the ban’ is window dressing as long as restrictions such as facility license requirements designed to keep clinics closed are in effect and access to care is not a reality for abortion seekers and providers,” they wrote. “This is what we warned about and our fears are unfolding exactly how we predicted.”

Missouri judge strikes down abortion ban, but clinics say access remains blocked

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year.

The bipartisan bill, which next heads to President Joe Biden, will eliminate longtime reductions to Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from work in federal, state and local government, or public service jobs like teachers, firefighters and police officers. Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put further strain on Social Security Trust Funds.

The legislation has been decades in the making but the push to pass it came together in the final weeks — and was completed in the final minutes — that lawmakers were in Washington before Congress resets next year. All Senate Democrats, as well as 27 Republicans, voted for the bill, giving it a final tally of 76-20. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

“Millions of retired teachers and firefighters and letter carriers and state and local workers have waited decades for this moment. No longer will public retirees see their hard-earned Social Security benefits robbed from them,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The bill repeals two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for certain recipients if they receive retirement payments from other sources such as the public retirement program for a state or local government.

“Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class. It’s retirement security that Americans pay into and earn over a lifetime," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who has pushed for the proposal for years and will leave Congress after losing reelection.

He added that the current restrictions make “no sense. These workers serve the public. They protect our communities. They teach our kids. They pay into Social Security just like everyone else."

People who currently have reductions in their Social Security benefits under the exceptions would soon see a boost in their monthly payments. But those increased payments would also add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2024-09/hr82.pdf">Congressional Budget Office</a>.

<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/trust-funds-summary.html">Social Security Trust Funds</a>&nbsp;were already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035, and the change will hasten the program’s insolvency date by about half a year. A typical dual-income couple retiring in 2033 would see an additional $25,000 lifetime reduction in their benefits, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year.The bipartisan bill, which next heads to President Joe Biden, will eliminate longtime reductions to Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from work in federal, state and local government, or public service jobs like teachers, firefighters and police officers. Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put further strain on Social Security Trust Funds.The legislation has been decades in the making but the push to pass it came together in the final weeks — and was completed in the final minutes — that lawmakers were in Washington before Congress resets next year. All Senate Democrats, as well as 27 Republicans, voted for the bill, giving it a final tally of 76-20. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.“Millions of retired teachers and firefighters and letter carriers and state and local workers have waited decades for this moment. No longer will public retirees see their hard-earned Social Security benefits robbed from them,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.The bill repeals two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for certain recipients if they receive retirement payments from other sources such as the public retirement program for a state or local government.“Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class. It’s retirement security that Americans pay into and earn over a lifetime," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who has pushed for the proposal for years and will leave Congress after losing reelection.He added that the current restrictions make “no sense. These workers serve the public. They protect our communities. They teach our kids. They pay into Social Security just like everyone else."People who currently have reductions in their Social Security benefits under the exceptions would soon see a boost in their monthly payments. But those increased payments would also add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2024-09/hr82.pdf">Congressional Budget Office</a>.<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/trust-funds-summary.html">Social Security Trust Funds</a>&nbsp;were already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035, and the change will hasten the program’s insolvency date by about half a year. A typical dual-income couple retiring in 2033 would see an additional $25,000 lifetime reduction in their benefits, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.Many of the bill's opponents acknowledged that the current reductions are not fair to public service retirees, but said they could not support the bill when the entire program faces challenges.“We caved to the pressure of the moment instead of doing this on a sustainable basis,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who opposed the bill.The policy changes will also heap more work on the Social Security Administration when the agency is already at its lowest staffing level in 50 years. The agency currently has a staff of about 56,400 — the lowest level since 1972, according to an agency spokesperson — even as it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/securitystat">serves more people than ever</a>. The stopgap government funding bill that also passed early Saturday did not include increased funding for the agency, which is currently in a hiring freeze.Still, Republican supporters of the bill said there was a rare opportunity to address what they described as an unfair section of federal law that hurts public service retirees.“They have earned these benefits. This is an unfair, inequitable penalty,” said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.GOP supporters of the bill also said they would return to work on larger fixes to Social Security. President-elect Donald Trump, however, has said he will not touch the benefits, even as his administration looks to make deep budget cuts elsewhere.Senate Republicans are nonetheless working on ideas that would put the program on better financial footing, but also inevitably require a scale-back in benefits. One fiscal hawk, Sen. Rand Paul, pushed Friday for a proposal to gradually raise the Social Security retirement age to 70, although a vote to add that provision to the bill only received three votes in favor of it.“There's so much riding on us getting this right and having the courage to fix Social Security over the next few years,” Tillis said. “We will rue the day that we failed to do it.”