WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a defense bill Wednesday that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members.

The annual defense authorization bill usually gains strong bipartisan support and has not failed to pass Congress in nearly six decades, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-military-nominations-holds-tommy-tuberville-e38d853526de044ac59338d32d7a0e10">the Pentagon policy measure in recent years</a>&nbsp;has become a battleground for cultural issues. Republicans this year sought to tack on to the legislation priorities for social conservatives, contributing to a months-long negotiation over the bill and a falloff in support from Democrats.

Still, the bill passed comfortably 85-14, sending it to President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>. Eleven senators who caucus with Democrats, as well as three Republicans, voted against the legislation. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

The bill "isn't perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for,” said Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>, D-N.Y., in a floor speech. “It has strong provisions to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party here on a national security basis.”

In the House, a majority of Democrats voted against the bill last week after House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;insisted on adding the provision to ban the military health system from providing transgender medical care for children. The legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pay-raise-transgender-care-defense-bill-53c929ef534d906f721426f41b23a53c">easily passed by a vote</a>&nbsp;of 281-140.

Senate Republican leaders argued that its 1% increase for defense spending was not enough, especially at a time of global unrest and challenges to American dominance. Senate Republicans had argued for a generational boost to defense spending this year, but are planning another push for more defense funding once they control the White House and Congress next year.

“We are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moments since World War II,” said Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who will chair the Senate Armed Services Committee next year. He has pushed for larger boosts to defense funding that would break spending caps that were agreed to in the bipartisan deal to suspend the nation's debt ceiling last year.

The annual defense authorization bill directs key Pentagon policy, but it would still need to be backed up with an appropriations package.

Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;of Kentucky said in a floor speech this week that without the topline increase “major bill provisions like a pay raise for enlisted servicemembers will come at the expense of investments in the critical weapons systems and munitions that deter conflict and keep them safe.”

The legislation provides for a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others. Lawmakers said those were key to improving the quality of life of service members at a time when many military families rely on food banks and other government assistance programs to make ends meet.

“It includes major quality of life improvements, enhancing things like childcare, housing, medical services, employment support for military spouses and much more,” said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-reed">Jack Reed</a>, D-R.I., who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The legislation also directs resources towards a more confrontational approach to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-military-taiwan-corruption-defense-9c1f0e145a250f2b8bd7f6f3dd4b7083">China</a>, including establishing a fund that could be used to send military resources to Taiwan in much the same way that the U.S. has backed Ukraine. It also invests in new military technologies, including artificial intelligence, and bolsters the U.S. production of ammunition.

The U.S. has also moved in recent years to ban the military from purchasing Chinese products, and the defense bill extended that with prohibitions on Chinese goods from garlic in military commissaries to drone technology.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded to that move last week by calling the bans laughable.

“I don’t think it could ever occur to garlic that it would pose a ‘major threat’ to the U.S.,” said Mao Ning, a ministry spokeswoman. “From drones to cranes, from refrigerators to garlic, more and more Chinese-made products have been accused by the US of ‘posing national security risks’. But has the US shown any reliable evidence or rationale to back up those accusations?”

But in Congress, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been mostly united in their stance that China is a rising threat. Instead, it was culture war issues that divided lawmakers on the bill, which took months to negotiate.

The Republican-controlled House had passed a version of the bill in June that would have banned the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pentagon-tuberville-military-access-aee3557cd6bf6cb6a72852a10c4563e1"></a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">Defense Department's policy</a>&nbsp;of reimbursing costs for service members who travel to another state for an abortion, ended gender affirming care for transgender troops and weeded out diversity initiatives in the military.

Most of those provisions did not make it into the final package, though Republicans are expecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pete-hegseth-defense-pentagon-transition-74d056e44c3cd14a1a9ae97704cda53e">Donald Trump to make sweeping</a>&nbsp;changes to Pentagon policy when he enters office in January.

The bill also still prohibits funding for teaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-critical-race-theory-08f5d0a0489c7d6eab7d9a238365d2c1">critical race theory</a>&nbsp;in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in “sterilization.”

Mike Zamore, the director of policy and government affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union, urged Biden to veto the bill, saying it was “forcing thousands of active-duty service members to choose between their careers in the military and the future of their transgender children.”

In a floor speech, Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tammy-baldwin">Tammy Baldwin</a>, D-Wis., said she has always voted for the NDAA, but would not do so this year. She said that the policy change for transgender children would affect between 6,000 and 7,000 families, according to estimates her office has received.

“The NDAA has embodied the idea that there is more that brings us together than separates us, that our service members and national defense are not to be politicized. That we put our country over a party when the chips are on the table," she said. “Unfortunately, this year that was ignored — all to gut the rights of our service members to get the health care they need for their children.”

Associated Press writer Didi Tang contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734556522043.png" alt="File photo The Department of Defense logo&nbsp; (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)" />
 <figcaption>File photo The Department of Defense logo&nbsp; (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a defense bill Wednesday that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members.The annual defense authorization bill usually gains strong bipartisan support and has not failed to pass Congress in nearly six decades, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-military-nominations-holds-tommy-tuberville-e38d853526de044ac59338d32d7a0e10">the Pentagon policy measure in recent years</a>&nbsp;has become a battleground for cultural issues. Republicans this year sought to tack on to the legislation priorities for social conservatives, contributing to a months-long negotiation over the bill and a falloff in support from Democrats.Still, the bill passed comfortably 85-14, sending it to President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>. Eleven senators who caucus with Democrats, as well as three Republicans, voted against the legislation. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.The bill "isn't perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for,” said Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>, D-N.Y., in a floor speech. “It has strong provisions to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party here on a national security basis.”In the House, a majority of Democrats voted against the bill last week after House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;insisted on adding the provision to ban the military health system from providing transgender medical care for children. The legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pay-raise-transgender-care-defense-bill-53c929ef534d906f721426f41b23a53c">easily passed by a vote</a>&nbsp;of 281-140.Senate Republican leaders argued that its 1% increase for defense spending was not enough, especially at a time of global unrest and challenges to American dominance. Senate Republicans had argued for a generational boost to defense spending this year, but are planning another push for more defense funding once they control the White House and Congress next year.“We are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moments since World War II,” said Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who will chair the Senate Armed Services Committee next year. He has pushed for larger boosts to defense funding that would break spending caps that were agreed to in the bipartisan deal to suspend the nation's debt ceiling last year.The annual defense authorization bill directs key Pentagon policy, but it would still need to be backed up with an appropriations package.Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;of Kentucky said in a floor speech this week that without the topline increase “major bill provisions like a pay raise for enlisted servicemembers will come at the expense of investments in the critical weapons systems and munitions that deter conflict and keep them safe.”The legislation provides for a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others. Lawmakers said those were key to improving the quality of life of service members at a time when many military families rely on food banks and other government assistance programs to make ends meet.“It includes major quality of life improvements, enhancing things like childcare, housing, medical services, employment support for military spouses and much more,” said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-reed">Jack Reed</a>, D-R.I., who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.The legislation also directs resources towards a more confrontational approach to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-military-taiwan-corruption-defense-9c1f0e145a250f2b8bd7f6f3dd4b7083">China</a>, including establishing a fund that could be used to send military resources to Taiwan in much the same way that the U.S. has backed Ukraine. It also invests in new military technologies, including artificial intelligence, and bolsters the U.S. production of ammunition.The U.S. has also moved in recent years to ban the military from purchasing Chinese products, and the defense bill extended that with prohibitions on Chinese goods from garlic in military commissaries to drone technology.The Chinese foreign ministry responded to that move last week by calling the bans laughable.“I don’t think it could ever occur to garlic that it would pose a ‘major threat’ to the U.S.,” said Mao Ning, a ministry spokeswoman. “From drones to cranes, from refrigerators to garlic, more and more Chinese-made products have been accused by the US of ‘posing national security risks’. But has the US shown any reliable evidence or rationale to back up those accusations?”But in Congress, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been mostly united in their stance that China is a rising threat. Instead, it was culture war issues that divided lawmakers on the bill, which took months to negotiate.The Republican-controlled House had passed a version of the bill in June that would have banned the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pentagon-tuberville-military-access-aee3557cd6bf6cb6a72852a10c4563e1"></a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">Defense Department's policy</a>&nbsp;of reimbursing costs for service members who travel to another state for an abortion, ended gender affirming care for transgender troops and weeded out diversity initiatives in the military.Most of those provisions did not make it into the final package, though Republicans are expecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pete-hegseth-defense-pentagon-transition-74d056e44c3cd14a1a9ae97704cda53e">Donald Trump to make sweeping</a>&nbsp;changes to Pentagon policy when he enters office in January.The bill also still prohibits funding for teaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-critical-race-theory-08f5d0a0489c7d6eab7d9a238365d2c1">critical race theory</a>&nbsp;in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in “sterilization.”Mike Zamore, the director of policy and government affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union, urged Biden to veto the bill, saying it was “forcing thousands of active-duty service members to choose between their careers in the military and the future of their transgender children.”In a floor speech, Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tammy-baldwin">Tammy Baldwin</a>, D-Wis., said she has always voted for the NDAA, but would not do so this year. She said that the policy change for transgender children would affect between 6,000 and 7,000 families, according to estimates her office has received.“The NDAA has embodied the idea that there is more that brings us together than separates us, that our service members and national defense are not to be politicized. That we put our country over a party when the chips are on the table," she said. “Unfortunately, this year that was ignored — all to gut the rights of our service members to get the health care they need for their children.”___Associated Press writer Didi Tang contributed to this report.

Moran, Marshall vote yes: Senate sends $895 billion defense bill to Biden

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Agriculture has identified highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two game bird operations — one in Rooks County and one in Doniphan County, according to a media release from the agency.

 These mark the first commercial operations with HPAI in Kansas since early spring of 2024, although the virus has been confirmed this fall in wild birds across the state and some backyard flocks.

KDA is working with the operations with assistance from local officials to respond at the affected premises. Those premises have been placed under quarantine and the birds will be humanely depopulated and disposed of in an approved manner to prevent the spread of the disease.

In addition, KDA will be establishing a surveillance zone around the infected premises, and other farms or properties with poultry that fall within that zone will not be allowed to move birds or poultry products on or off their property without permission from KDA. The animal health team is working to locate all poultry owners in the area to ensure they know the symptoms of HPAI and are taking critical steps to protect their birds. If you own poultry and live in Doniphan or Rooks counties, please contact KDA at 833-765-2006 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDA.HPAI@ks.gov">KDA.HPAI@ks.gov</a>. You can also self-report your birds at&nbsp;<a href="https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html">https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html</a>.

KDA has been reminding poultry owners of the increased risk of HPAI as a result of the fall migration season. Testing continues to reinforce that migratory wild birds, particularly waterfowl, are the primary source of the spread of HPAI, so a critical part of protecting your flock is to establish separation between your domestic birds and wild birds as they migrate through your region. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza">agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza</a>.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds. Poultry owners should attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.

If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.&nbsp;

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/?splash=https%3a%2f%2fgcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2f%3furl%3dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdc.gov%252Fflu%252Favianflu%252Fspotlights%252F2021-2022%252Fbird-flu-poses-low-risk-public.htm%26data%3d04%257C01%257CHeather.Lansdowne%2540ks.gov%257Cdcfca033eb9449ca399708da038ec6b5%257Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%257C0%257C0%257C637826209006215717%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C3000%26sdata%3dc7SUuX%252BX44iSBrUj1crcW5Ao0hsggmJrjVpe1bf1Lk0%253D%26reserved%3d0&amp;____isexternal=true">do not present an immediate public health concern</a>&nbsp;or a food safety concern.&nbsp; As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

For more information about HPAI, including more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza">agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza</a>&nbsp;or call KDA at 833-765-2006.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Agriculture has identified highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two game bird operations — one in Rooks County and one in Doniphan County, according to a media release from the agency. These mark the first commercial operations with HPAI in Kansas since early spring of 2024, although the virus has been confirmed this fall in wild birds across the state and some backyard flocks.KDA is working with the operations with assistance from local officials to respond at the affected premises. Those premises have been placed under quarantine and the birds will be humanely depopulated and disposed of in an approved manner to prevent the spread of the disease.In addition, KDA will be establishing a surveillance zone around the infected premises, and other farms or properties with poultry that fall within that zone will not be allowed to move birds or poultry products on or off their property without permission from KDA. The animal health team is working to locate all poultry owners in the area to ensure they know the symptoms of HPAI and are taking critical steps to protect their birds. If you own poultry and live in Doniphan or Rooks counties, please contact KDA at 833-765-2006 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDA.HPAI@ks.gov">KDA.HPAI@ks.gov</a>. You can also self-report your birds at&nbsp;<a href="https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html">https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html</a>.KDA has been reminding poultry owners of the increased risk of HPAI as a result of the fall migration season. Testing continues to reinforce that migratory wild birds, particularly waterfowl, are the primary source of the spread of HPAI, so a critical part of protecting your flock is to establish separation between your domestic birds and wild birds as they migrate through your region. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza">agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza</a>.Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds. Poultry owners should attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.&nbsp;According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/?splash=https%3a%2f%2fgcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%2f%3furl%3dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdc.gov%252Fflu%252Favianflu%252Fspotlights%252F2021-2022%252Fbird-flu-poses-low-risk-public.htm%26data%3d04%257C01%257CHeather.Lansdowne%2540ks.gov%257Cdcfca033eb9449ca399708da038ec6b5%257Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%257C0%257C0%257C637826209006215717%257CUnknown%257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%253D%257C3000%26sdata%3dc7SUuX%252BX44iSBrUj1crcW5Ao0hsggmJrjVpe1bf1Lk0%253D%26reserved%3d0&amp;____isexternal=true">do not present an immediate public health concern</a>&nbsp;or a food safety concern.&nbsp; As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.For more information about HPAI, including more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza">agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza</a>&nbsp;or call KDA at 833-765-2006.

Bird flu found in two more counties in Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tumbled to one of their worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve hinted Wednesday it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-loan-rates-economy-prices-7474747d890c0fdcc87454fd4c80aaa4">may deliver fewer shots of adrenaline</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. economy in 2025 than earlier thought.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 2.9%, just shy of its biggest loss for the year from the summer, to pull further from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-jobs-china-bitcoin-f066b9725ca1eaf8de1fa700555920e4">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,123 points, or 2.6%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 3.6%.

The Fed said Wednesday it’s cutting its main interest rate for a third time this year, continuing the sharp turnaround begun in September when it started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">lowering rates</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-economy-inflation-unemployment-federal-reserve-bb2c2cf596ffe8b080c45e98cdaeebc4">job market</a>. That cut, though, was widely expected.

The bigger question centers on how much more the Fed will cut next year. A lot is riding on it, particularly after expectations for a series of cuts in 2025 helped the U.S. stock market set an all-time high at least 57 times in 2024.

Fed officials released projections on Wednesday showing the median expectation among them is for two more cuts to the federal funds rate in 2025, or half a percentage point’s worth. That’s down from the four cuts expected just three months ago.

“We are in a new phase of the process,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said after the central bank quickly eased its main interest rate since September by a full percentage point to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%.

Asked why Fed officials are looking to slow their cuts, Powell pointed to how the job market looks to be performing well overall and how recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-223c3a826318d142e283839f9d8581a2">inflation</a>&nbsp;readings have picked up. He also cited uncertainties that will require policy makers to react to upcoming, to-be-determined changes in the economy.

While lower rates can offer a boost to the economy by making it cheaper to borrow and boosting prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.

Powell said some Fed officials, but not all, are also already trying to incorporate uncertainties inherent in a new administration coming into the White House. Worries are rising on Wall Street that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;preference for tariffs and other policies could further juice inflation, along with economic growth.

“When the path is uncertain, you go a little slower,” Powell said. It’s “not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture. You just slow down.”

One official, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, thought the central bank should not have even cut rates this time around. She was the lone vote against Wednesday’s rate cut.

The reduced expectations for 2025 rate cuts sent Treasury yields rising in the bond market, squeezing the stock market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.50% from 4.40% late Tuesday, which is a notable move for the bond market. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed to 4.35% from 4.25%.

On Wall Street, stocks of companies that can feel the most pressure from higher interest rates fell to some of the worst losses.

Stocks of smaller companies did poorly, for example. Many need to borrow to fuel their growth, meaning they can feel more pain when having to pay higher interest rates for loans. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks tumbled 4.4%.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, General Mills dropped 3.1% despite reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The maker of Progresso soups and Cheerios said it will increase its investments in brands to help them grow, which pushed it to cut its forecast for profit this fiscal year.

Nvidia, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-market-value-stock-price-revenue-chips-fe1d0d081191d5168332bf1c9ea3b85f">superstar</a>&nbsp;responsible for a chunk of Wall Street’s rally to records in recent years, fell 1.1% to extend its weekslong funk. It has dropped more than 13% from its record set last month and fallen in nine of the last 10 days as its big momentum slows.

On the winning end of Wall Street, Jabil jumped 7.3% to help lead the market after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The electronics company also raised its forecast for revenue for its full fiscal year.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 178.45 points to 5,872.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,123.03 to 42,326.87, and the Nasdaq composite skidded 716.37 to 19,392.69.

In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 edged up by less than 0.1% after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-economy-inflation-interest-rates-05d118699b71950480206efd92e112a8">inflation accelerated to 2.6%</a>&nbsp;in November, its highest level in eight months. The Bank of England is also meeting on interest rates this week and will announce its decision on Thursday.

In Japan, where the Bank of Japan will wrap up its own policy meeting on Friday, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7%. That was despite a 23.7% jump for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-nissan-honda-merger-evs-56199be5bf5b99b0c739acfb1a9244dd">Nissan Motor Corp.,</a>&nbsp;which said it was in talks on closer collaboration with Honda Motor Co., though no decision had been made on a possible merger. Honda Motor’s stock lost 3%.

Nissan, Honda and Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. agreed in August to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation.

The Fed’s 19 policymakers projected that they will cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point just twice in 2025, down from their estimate in September of four rate cuts. Their new projections suggest that consumers may not enjoy much lower rates next year for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing.

Fed officials have underscored that they are slowing their rate reductions as their benchmark rate nears a level that policymakers refer to as “neutral” — the level that is thought to neither spur nor hinder the economy. Wednesday's projections suggest that the policymakers may think they are not very far from that level. Their benchmark rate stands at 4.3% after Wednesday’s move, which followed a steep half-point reduction in September and a quarter-point cut last month.

“I think that a slower pace of (rate) cuts really reflects both the higher inflation readings we’ve had this year and the expectations that inflation will be higher" in 2025, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. "We’re closer to the neutral rate, which is another reason to be cautious about further moves.”

“Nonetheless,” Powell said, "we see ourselves as still on track to cut.”

This year’s Fed rate reductions have marked a reversal after more than two years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">high rates</a>, which largely helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.

But now, the Fed is facing a variety of challenges as it seeks to complete a “soft landing” for the economy, whereby high rates manage to curb inflation without causing a recession. Chief among them is that inflation remains sticky: According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, annual “core” inflation, which excludes the most volatile categories, was 2.8% in October. That is still persistently above the central bank’s 2% target.

At the same time, the economy is growing briskly, which suggests that higher rates haven’t much restrained the economy. As a result, some economists — and some Fed officials — have argued that borrowing rates shouldn’t be reduced much more for fear of overheating the economy and re-igniting inflation. On the other hand, the pace of hiring has cooled significantly since 2024 began, a potential worry because one of the Fed’s mandates is to achieve maximum employment.

“We don’t think we need further cooling in the labor market to get inflation below 2%,” Powell said at his news conference.

The unemployment rate, while still low at 4.2%, has risen nearly a full percentage point in the past two years. Concern over rising unemployment contributed to the Fed’s decision in September to cut its key rate by a larger-than-usual half point.

On top of that, President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a range of tax cuts — on Social Security benefits, tipped income and overtime income — as well as a scaling-back of regulations. Collectively, these moves could stimulate growth. At the same time, Trump has threatened to impose a variety of tariffs and to seek mass deportations of migrants, which could accelerate inflation.

Powell and other Fed officials have said they won’t be able to assess how Trump’s policies might affect the economy or their own rate decisions until more details are made available and it becomes clearer how likely it is that the president-elect’s proposals will actually be enacted. Until then, the outcome of the presidential election has mostly heightened the uncertainty surrounding the economy.

“I’ve got the least amount of conviction about what will happen with the economy over the next 12 months than I’ve had in years,” said Subadra Rajappa, head of U.S. rates strategy at Societe Generale. “This is going to be a work in progress as things evolve.”

Such uncertainty was underscored by the quarterly economic projections the Fed issued Wednesday. The policymakers now expect overall inflation, as measured by their preferred gauge, to rise slightly from 2.3% now to 2.5% by the end of 2025. Inflation by their measure is now far below its peak of 7.2% in June 2022. Even so, the prospect of slightly higher inflation makes it harder for the Fed to reduce borrowing costs because high interest rates are its principal weapon against inflation.

The officials also expect the unemployment rate to inch up by the end of next year, from 4.2% now to a still-low 4.3%. That slight increase might not be enough, by itself, to justify many more rate cuts.

Most other central banks around the world are also cutting their benchmark rates. Last week, the European Central Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-economy-interest-rates-trump-tariffs-e1a234e129e1263bfb0defaa2fe0e7ee">lowered its key rate</a>&nbsp;for the fourth time this year to 3% from 3.25%, as inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro has fallen to 2.3% from a peak of 10.6% in late 2022. The Bank of Canada also cut its rate by a quarter-point last week, as did the Bank of England&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-interest-rates-inflation-budget-economy-trump-fe403194312288214f583e3444e08516">last month</a>.

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, dissented from Wednesday’s Fed decision because she preferred to keep rates unchanged. It was the first dissent by a Fed committee member since September.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tumbled to one of their worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve hinted Wednesday it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-loan-rates-economy-prices-7474747d890c0fdcc87454fd4c80aaa4">may deliver fewer shots of adrenaline</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. economy in 2025 than earlier thought.The S&amp;P 500 fell 2.9%, just shy of its biggest loss for the year from the summer, to pull further from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-jobs-china-bitcoin-f066b9725ca1eaf8de1fa700555920e4">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,123 points, or 2.6%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 3.6%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Fed Chair Powell announces the Fed has cut interest rates by .25%, down to 4.25%. This was the third interest rate cut for the year. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4">https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4</a> <a href="https://t.co/2kJCiFjQhI">pic.twitter.com/2kJCiFjQhI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1869476913518927924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed said Wednesday it’s cutting its main interest rate for a third time this year, continuing the sharp turnaround begun in September when it started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">lowering rates</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-economy-inflation-unemployment-federal-reserve-bb2c2cf596ffe8b080c45e98cdaeebc4">job market</a>. That cut, though, was widely expected.The bigger question centers on how much more the Fed will cut next year. A lot is riding on it, particularly after expectations for a series of cuts in 2025 helped the U.S. stock market set an all-time high at least 57 times in 2024.Fed officials released projections on Wednesday showing the median expectation among them is for two more cuts to the federal funds rate in 2025, or half a percentage point’s worth. That’s down from the four cuts expected just three months ago.“We are in a new phase of the process,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said after the central bank quickly eased its main interest rate since September by a full percentage point to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%.Asked why Fed officials are looking to slow their cuts, Powell pointed to how the job market looks to be performing well overall and how recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-223c3a826318d142e283839f9d8581a2">inflation</a>&nbsp;readings have picked up. He also cited uncertainties that will require policy makers to react to upcoming, to-be-determined changes in the economy.While lower rates can offer a boost to the economy by making it cheaper to borrow and boosting prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.Powell said some Fed officials, but not all, are also already trying to incorporate uncertainties inherent in a new administration coming into the White House. Worries are rising on Wall Street that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;preference for tariffs and other policies could further juice inflation, along with economic growth.“When the path is uncertain, you go a little slower,” Powell said. It’s “not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture. You just slow down.”One official, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, thought the central bank should not have even cut rates this time around. She was the lone vote against Wednesday’s rate cut.The reduced expectations for 2025 rate cuts sent Treasury yields rising in the bond market, squeezing the stock market.The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.50% from 4.40% late Tuesday, which is a notable move for the bond market. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed to 4.35% from 4.25%.On Wall Street, stocks of companies that can feel the most pressure from higher interest rates fell to some of the worst losses.Stocks of smaller companies did poorly, for example. Many need to borrow to fuel their growth, meaning they can feel more pain when having to pay higher interest rates for loans. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks tumbled 4.4%.Elsewhere on Wall Street, General Mills dropped 3.1% despite reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The maker of Progresso soups and Cheerios said it will increase its investments in brands to help them grow, which pushed it to cut its forecast for profit this fiscal year.Nvidia, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-market-value-stock-price-revenue-chips-fe1d0d081191d5168332bf1c9ea3b85f">superstar</a>&nbsp;responsible for a chunk of Wall Street’s rally to records in recent years, fell 1.1% to extend its weekslong funk. It has dropped more than 13% from its record set last month and fallen in nine of the last 10 days as its big momentum slows.On the winning end of Wall Street, Jabil jumped 7.3% to help lead the market after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The electronics company also raised its forecast for revenue for its full fiscal year.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 178.45 points to 5,872.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,123.03 to 42,326.87, and the Nasdaq composite skidded 716.37 to 19,392.69.In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 edged up by less than 0.1% after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-economy-inflation-interest-rates-05d118699b71950480206efd92e112a8">inflation accelerated to 2.6%</a>&nbsp;in November, its highest level in eight months. The Bank of England is also meeting on interest rates this week and will announce its decision on Thursday.In Japan, where the Bank of Japan will wrap up its own policy meeting on Friday, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7%. That was despite a 23.7% jump for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-nissan-honda-merger-evs-56199be5bf5b99b0c739acfb1a9244dd">Nissan Motor Corp.,</a>&nbsp;which said it was in talks on closer collaboration with Honda Motor Co., though no decision had been made on a possible merger. Honda Motor’s stock lost 3%.Nissan, Honda and Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. agreed in August to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell announces the Fed has cut interest rates by .25%, down to 4.25%. This was the third interest rate cut for the year. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4">https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4</a> <a href="https://t.co/2kJCiFjQhI">pic.twitter.com/2kJCiFjQhI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1869476913518927924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed’s 19 policymakers projected that they will cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point just twice in 2025, down from their estimate in September of four rate cuts. Their new projections suggest that consumers may not enjoy much lower rates next year for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing.Fed officials have underscored that they are slowing their rate reductions as their benchmark rate nears a level that policymakers refer to as “neutral” — the level that is thought to neither spur nor hinder the economy. Wednesday's projections suggest that the policymakers may think they are not very far from that level. Their benchmark rate stands at 4.3% after Wednesday’s move, which followed a steep half-point reduction in September and a quarter-point cut last month.“I think that a slower pace of (rate) cuts really reflects both the higher inflation readings we’ve had this year and the expectations that inflation will be higher" in 2025, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. "We’re closer to the neutral rate, which is another reason to be cautious about further moves.”“Nonetheless,” Powell said, "we see ourselves as still on track to cut.”This year’s Fed rate reductions have marked a reversal after more than two years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">high rates</a>, which largely helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.But now, the Fed is facing a variety of challenges as it seeks to complete a “soft landing” for the economy, whereby high rates manage to curb inflation without causing a recession. Chief among them is that inflation remains sticky: According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, annual “core” inflation, which excludes the most volatile categories, was 2.8% in October. That is still persistently above the central bank’s 2% target.At the same time, the economy is growing briskly, which suggests that higher rates haven’t much restrained the economy. As a result, some economists — and some Fed officials — have argued that borrowing rates shouldn’t be reduced much more for fear of overheating the economy and re-igniting inflation. On the other hand, the pace of hiring has cooled significantly since 2024 began, a potential worry because one of the Fed’s mandates is to achieve maximum employment.“We don’t think we need further cooling in the labor market to get inflation below 2%,” Powell said at his news conference.The unemployment rate, while still low at 4.2%, has risen nearly a full percentage point in the past two years. Concern over rising unemployment contributed to the Fed’s decision in September to cut its key rate by a larger-than-usual half point.On top of that, President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a range of tax cuts — on Social Security benefits, tipped income and overtime income — as well as a scaling-back of regulations. Collectively, these moves could stimulate growth. At the same time, Trump has threatened to impose a variety of tariffs and to seek mass deportations of migrants, which could accelerate inflation.Powell and other Fed officials have said they won’t be able to assess how Trump’s policies might affect the economy or their own rate decisions until more details are made available and it becomes clearer how likely it is that the president-elect’s proposals will actually be enacted. Until then, the outcome of the presidential election has mostly heightened the uncertainty surrounding the economy.“I’ve got the least amount of conviction about what will happen with the economy over the next 12 months than I’ve had in years,” said Subadra Rajappa, head of U.S. rates strategy at Societe Generale. “This is going to be a work in progress as things evolve.”Such uncertainty was underscored by the quarterly economic projections the Fed issued Wednesday. The policymakers now expect overall inflation, as measured by their preferred gauge, to rise slightly from 2.3% now to 2.5% by the end of 2025. Inflation by their measure is now far below its peak of 7.2% in June 2022. Even so, the prospect of slightly higher inflation makes it harder for the Fed to reduce borrowing costs because high interest rates are its principal weapon against inflation.The officials also expect the unemployment rate to inch up by the end of next year, from 4.2% now to a still-low 4.3%. That slight increase might not be enough, by itself, to justify many more rate cuts.Most other central banks around the world are also cutting their benchmark rates. Last week, the European Central Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-economy-interest-rates-trump-tariffs-e1a234e129e1263bfb0defaa2fe0e7ee">lowered its key rate</a>&nbsp;for the fourth time this year to 3% from 3.25%, as inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro has fallen to 2.3% from a peak of 10.6% in late 2022. The Bank of Canada also cut its rate by a quarter-point last week, as did the Bank of England&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-interest-rates-inflation-budget-economy-trump-fe403194312288214f583e3444e08516">last month</a>.Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, dissented from Wednesday’s Fed decision because she preferred to keep rates unchanged. It was the first dissent by a Fed committee member since September.

🎥US stocks: 2nd-worst drop of the year after bad news on interest rates

GRAHAM COUNTY —Law enforcement investigated an alleged school threat in Hill City.

On Tuesday, the Hill City Police department learned of an alleged threat of violence made to the school, according to a media release from the police department.

Police contacted the subject and after investigating determined the threat was not credible.

As a precaution, officers were in the area of the school on Wednesday. Officers saw the subject walking in the area of the school property and made contact.&nbsp; The subject complied with officers. Police found no weapons or illegal items on the subject. The subject also agreed to let police search their residence.&nbsp; Officers searched the residence and did not locate any weapons, illegal items or any other harmful items. "There is no threat to public safety or to the school."

GRAHAM COUNTY —Law enforcement investigated an alleged school threat in Hill City.On Tuesday, the Hill City Police department learned of an alleged threat of violence made to the school, according to a media release from the police department.Police contacted the subject and after investigating determined the threat was not credible.As a precaution, officers were in the area of the school on Wednesday. Officers saw the subject walking in the area of the school property and made contact.&nbsp; The subject complied with officers. Police found no weapons or illegal items on the subject. The subject also agreed to let police search their residence.&nbsp; Officers searched the residence and did not locate any weapons, illegal items or any other harmful items. "There is no threat to public safety or to the school."

Police investigate alleged school threat in NW Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/robinopsahl/">ROBIN OPSAHL</a>

President-elect Donald Trump is suing The Des Moines Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer for publishing a poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading in Iowa in the days before the 2024 election, claiming the poll amounted to “fraud and election interference.”

The lawsuit, filed in the Polk County District Court Monday, seeks unspecified damages and “accountability for brazen election interference” under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act. The defendants are the Register and its owner, Gannett; Selzer and Selzer &amp; Co.

The lawsuit alleges that the poll, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/iowa-poll/2024/11/02/iowa-poll-kamala-harris-leads-donald-trump-2024-presidential-race/75354033007/" target="_blank">showed Harris leading Trump</a>&nbsp;among likely Iowa voters&nbsp; 47% to 44%, was published three days before the election as an attempt to “create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential&nbsp;Election.”

Trump won Iowa with 56% of the vote to Harris’ 43%. The lawsuit alleges that the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll was not merely an inaccurate poll, but was an intentional move with “corrupt intent” to aid Democrats.

“Selzer — who had prided herself on a mainstream reputation for accuracy&nbsp;despite several far less publicized egregious polling misses in favor of Democrats — …&nbsp;would have the public believe it was merely a coincidence that one of the worst polling&nbsp;misses of her career came just days before the most consequential election in memory, was leaked,&nbsp;and&nbsp;happened to go against the Republican candidate,” the lawsuit states. “The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an&nbsp;attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election.”

Trump said<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/16/dc/trump-at-press-conference-backs-polio-vaccine-but-wont-commit-to-others-attacks-media/" target="_blank">&nbsp;during a Monday news conference</a>&nbsp;that he was filing a lawsuit because he felt he had “an obligation to.”

“I’m going to be bringing one against the people in Iowa, their newspaper, which had a very, very good pollster who got me right all the time, and then just before the election, she said I was going to lose by 3 or 4 points,” Trump said.

The president-elect also said he would likely file lawsuits against the news show “60 Minutes” as well as the Pulitzer Prize organization for giving awards to the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Selzer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2024/11/17/ann-selzer-conducts-iowa-poll-ending-election-polling-moving-to-other-opportunities/76334909007/" target="_blank">announced shortly after the election</a>&nbsp;that she would be retiring from election polling. In an<a href="https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowapress/iowa-press/episode/11885/j-ann-selzer" target="_blank">“Iowa Press”</a>&nbsp;interview in aired Dec. 13, Selzer denied allegations of election interference or of intentionally releasing inaccurate results.

“They’re saying that this was election interference, which is a crime,” Selzer said. “So, the idea that I intentionally set up to deliver this response, when I’ve never done that before, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to do it, it’s not my ethic. But to suggest without a single shred of evidence that I was in cahoots with somebody, I was being paid by somebody, it’s all just kind of, it’s hard to pay too much attention to it except that they are accusing me of a crime.”

Lark-Marie Anton, a spokesperson for The Des Moines Register, also said in a statement that the organization believes the lawsuit is without merit.

“We have acknowledged that the Selzer/Des Moines Register pre-election poll did not reflect the ultimate margin of President Trump’s Election Day victory in Iowa by releasing the poll’s full demographics, crosstabs, weighted and unweighted data, as well as a technical explanation from pollster Ann Selzer,” Anton said. “We stand by our reporting on the matter and believe this lawsuit is without merit.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/17/trump-sues-des-moines-register-pollster-over-preelection-iowa-poll/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730464867837.png" alt="File photo from CSPAN video" />
 <figcaption>File photo from CSPAN video</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/robinopsahl/">ROBIN OPSAHL</a>President-elect Donald Trump is suing The Des Moines Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer for publishing a poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading in Iowa in the days before the 2024 election, claiming the poll amounted to “fraud and election interference.”The lawsuit, filed in the Polk County District Court Monday, seeks unspecified damages and “accountability for brazen election interference” under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act. The defendants are the Register and its owner, Gannett; Selzer and Selzer &amp; Co.The lawsuit alleges that the poll, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/iowa-poll/2024/11/02/iowa-poll-kamala-harris-leads-donald-trump-2024-presidential-race/75354033007/" target="_blank">showed Harris leading Trump</a>&nbsp;among likely Iowa voters&nbsp; 47% to 44%, was published three days before the election as an attempt to “create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential&nbsp;Election.”Trump won Iowa with 56% of the vote to Harris’ 43%. The lawsuit alleges that the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll was not merely an inaccurate poll, but was an intentional move with “corrupt intent” to aid Democrats.“Selzer — who had prided herself on a mainstream reputation for accuracy&nbsp;despite several far less publicized egregious polling misses in favor of Democrats — …&nbsp;would have the public believe it was merely a coincidence that one of the worst polling&nbsp;misses of her career came just days before the most consequential election in memory, was leaked,&nbsp;and&nbsp;happened to go against the Republican candidate,” the lawsuit states. “The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an&nbsp;attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election.”Trump said<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/16/dc/trump-at-press-conference-backs-polio-vaccine-but-wont-commit-to-others-attacks-media/" target="_blank">&nbsp;during a Monday news conference</a>&nbsp;that he was filing a lawsuit because he felt he had “an obligation to.”“I’m going to be bringing one against the people in Iowa, their newspaper, which had a very, very good pollster who got me right all the time, and then just before the election, she said I was going to lose by 3 or 4 points,” Trump said.The president-elect also said he would likely file lawsuits against the news show “60 Minutes” as well as the Pulitzer Prize organization for giving awards to the New York Times and the Washington Post.Selzer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2024/11/17/ann-selzer-conducts-iowa-poll-ending-election-polling-moving-to-other-opportunities/76334909007/" target="_blank">announced shortly after the election</a>&nbsp;that she would be retiring from election polling. In an<a href="https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowapress/iowa-press/episode/11885/j-ann-selzer" target="_blank">“Iowa Press”</a>&nbsp;interview in aired Dec. 13, Selzer denied allegations of election interference or of intentionally releasing inaccurate results.“They’re saying that this was election interference, which is a crime,” Selzer said. “So, the idea that I intentionally set up to deliver this response, when I’ve never done that before, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to do it, it’s not my ethic. But to suggest without a single shred of evidence that I was in cahoots with somebody, I was being paid by somebody, it’s all just kind of, it’s hard to pay too much attention to it except that they are accusing me of a crime.”Lark-Marie Anton, a spokesperson for The Des Moines Register, also said in a statement that the organization believes the lawsuit is without merit.“We have acknowledged that the Selzer/Des Moines Register pre-election poll did not reflect the ultimate margin of President Trump’s Election Day victory in Iowa by releasing the poll’s full demographics, crosstabs, weighted and unweighted data, as well as a technical explanation from pollster Ann Selzer,” Anton said. “We stand by our reporting on the matter and believe this lawsuit is without merit.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/17/trump-sues-des-moines-register-pollster-over-preelection-iowa-poll/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

Trump sues Des Moines Register, pollster over pre-election Iowa poll

WYANDOTTE COUNTY — The suspect in the November 30th shooting death of 17-year-old, Nicholas Brooks, has now been charged in Wyandotte County.

Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department took the suspect 42-year-old Sean Lyle Marshall, Kansas City, Kan., into custody last week after he barricaded himself inside a home near McGrew Grove and Quindaro Blvd., according to police.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney has now charged Marshall with aggravated endangering of a child under 18; criminal possession of a firearm by a felon; and intentional 2nd degree murder. 

He is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734435581017.png" alt="Marshall photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Marshall photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY — The suspect in the November 30th shooting death of 17-year-old, Nicholas Brooks, has now been charged in Wyandotte County.Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department took the suspect 42-year-old Sean Lyle Marshall, Kansas City, Kan., into custody last week after he barricaded himself inside a home near McGrew Grove and Quindaro Blvd., according to police.The Wyandotte County District Attorney has now charged Marshall with aggravated endangering of a child under 18; criminal possession of a firearm by a felon; and intentional 2nd degree murder. He is currently being held in the Wyandotte County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Man charged in death of 17-year-old Kansas boy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bytedance-tiktok-ban-court-trump-2f8c86057073f9412ddb7e5b3a427e0a">federal law that could ban TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the United States if its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">Chinese parent company</a>&nbsp;doesn't sell it.

The justices will hear arguments Jan. 10 about whether the law impermissibly restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d">The law</a>, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or else face a ban in the United States. The popular social media platform has more than 170 million users in the U.S.

It's unclear how quickly the high court might issue a decision.

Lawyers for the company and China-based ByteDance had urged the justices to step in before Jan. 19. The high court also will hear arguments from content creators who rely on the platform for income and some TikTok users.

The timing of the arguments means that the outgoing Biden administration's Justice Department will make the case in defense of the law that passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in April.

The incoming Republican administration might not have the same view of the law.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-congress-president-282d8df7b91dce270316509badd39978">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, who once supported a ban but then pledged during the campaign to “save TikTok,” has said his administration would take a look at the situation. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.

The companies have said that a shutdown lasting just a month would cause TikTok to lose about one-third of its daily users in the U.S. and significant advertising revenue.

The case pits free speech rights against the government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">stated aims of protecting national security</a>, while raising novel issues about social media platforms.

A panel of federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-court-ruling-china-6bfd505295ad44126df0544fc083d6a6">unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;the law on Dec. 6, then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-sale-bytedance-504a7b4a13184ab171415d3800017fa7">denied</a>&nbsp;an emergency plea to delay the law's implementation.

Without court action, the law would take effect Jan. 19 and expose app stores that offer TikTok and internet hosting services that support it to potential fines.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bytedance-tiktok-ban-court-trump-2f8c86057073f9412ddb7e5b3a427e0a">federal law that could ban TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the United States if its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">Chinese parent company</a>&nbsp;doesn't sell it.The justices will hear arguments Jan. 10 about whether the law impermissibly restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d">The law</a>, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or else face a ban in the United States. The popular social media platform has more than 170 million users in the U.S.It's unclear how quickly the high court might issue a decision.Lawyers for the company and China-based ByteDance had urged the justices to step in before Jan. 19. The high court also will hear arguments from content creators who rely on the platform for income and some TikTok users.The timing of the arguments means that the outgoing Biden administration's Justice Department will make the case in defense of the law that passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in April.The incoming Republican administration might not have the same view of the law.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-congress-president-282d8df7b91dce270316509badd39978">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, who once supported a ban but then pledged during the campaign to “save TikTok,” has said his administration would take a look at the situation. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.The companies have said that a shutdown lasting just a month would cause TikTok to lose about one-third of its daily users in the U.S. and significant advertising revenue.The case pits free speech rights against the government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">stated aims of protecting national security</a>, while raising novel issues about social media platforms.A panel of federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-court-ruling-china-6bfd505295ad44126df0544fc083d6a6">unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;the law on Dec. 6, then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-sale-bytedance-504a7b4a13184ab171415d3800017fa7">denied</a>&nbsp;an emergency plea to delay the law's implementation.Without court action, the law would take effect Jan. 19 and expose app stores that offer TikTok and internet hosting services that support it to potential fines.

TikTok win: Supreme Court agrees to hear case over ban 

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6ef6cfdd5dd6508da22b3c3a1d2f6718">mysterious drones</a>&nbsp;have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating.

Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-new-jersey-1bf2b36e8617d46da711dae602708be2">don’t appear to be a threat to public safety</a>, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky.

Federal authorities said Monday evening that the reported drone sightings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drone-plane-new-jersey-57a0d051a2a94d21787089ceaf47b175">have been identified</a>&nbsp;as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. Officials said that assessment was based on technical data and tips.

The House Intelligence Committee grilled federal law enforcement and intelligence officials about the drones during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut told CNN. Authorities told the panel there still is no evidence of public safety or national security threats, Himes said.

Dozens of witnesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-sightings-central-new-jersey-cd8866c9c2568216759007716990decf">have reported seeing drones</a>&nbsp;statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.

Murphy, a Democrat, said Monday that drone-detection equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even disable the drones, though he said that’s not legal on U.S. soil.

Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones.

Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey state police warned against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-new-jersey-8bfe84cf2678400181292b75f9193395">growing anxiety</a>&nbsp;among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from any of the reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or even stars.

“There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.”

The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.

About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.

Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it's unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. And he repeated Tuesday that the drones being reported are not being operated by the Department of Defense.

Asked whether military contractors might be operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rebuffed the notion, saying there are “no military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor.”

Ryder said additional drone-detecting technology was being moved to some military installations, including the Picatinny Arsenal and at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, where drones also have been reported.

Two men have been charged with trespassing, breaking and entering and violating a municipal ordinance or bylaw after police said a drone was flown “dangerously close” to Boston's Logan International Airport on Saturday night.

An officer used drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators on an island in Boston Harbor.

The Boston-area men pleaded not guilty to all charges in court Monday and were released pending a Feb. 6 court date. The judge banned them from flying drones. A third suspect is at large.

Authorities said the men broke into an abandoned hospital campus on the island. One of the men admitted to police he had been flying a drone and said it was in his backpack. An investigation of the drone's serial number produced data that shows it was flown six times on Saturday.

Michael Martin, a lawyer for one of the men, said his client is a drone hobbyist who is interested in abandoned buildings and that the drone footage will support this.

Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying.

“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on Truth Social.

Kim said he’s heard nothing to support the notion that the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga.

“Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be “shot down."

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said members of the public must not try to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws.

Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Tara Copp in Washington, D.C.; and Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky contributed.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6ef6cfdd5dd6508da22b3c3a1d2f6718">mysterious drones</a>&nbsp;have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden on drones: &quot;Nothing nefarious apparently. But they’re checking it all out...there’s a lot of drones authorized up there. I think one started and they all got, everybody wanted to get in the deal. But I&#39;m - we&#39;re following it closely. So far no sense of a danger&quot; <a href="https://t.co/aHjMXNZ7vF">pic.twitter.com/aHjMXNZ7vF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1869381993470775575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating.Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-new-jersey-1bf2b36e8617d46da711dae602708be2">don’t appear to be a threat to public safety</a>, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky.Federal authorities said Monday evening that the reported drone sightings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drone-plane-new-jersey-57a0d051a2a94d21787089ceaf47b175">have been identified</a>&nbsp;as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. Officials said that assessment was based on technical data and tips.The House Intelligence Committee grilled federal law enforcement and intelligence officials about the drones during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut told CNN. Authorities told the panel there still is no evidence of public safety or national security threats, Himes said.<h2>What has been seen in New Jersey?</h2>Dozens of witnesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-sightings-central-new-jersey-cd8866c9c2568216759007716990decf">have reported seeing drones</a>&nbsp;statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.Murphy, a Democrat, said Monday that drone-detection equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even disable the drones, though he said that’s not legal on U.S. soil.Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones.Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey state police warned against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones.<h2>But do the drones pose a threat?</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-new-jersey-8bfe84cf2678400181292b75f9193395">growing anxiety</a>&nbsp;among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively.White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from any of the reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or even stars.“There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.”The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.<h2>Who is operating the drones?</h2>Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it's unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. And he repeated Tuesday that the drones being reported are not being operated by the Department of Defense.Asked whether military contractors might be operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rebuffed the notion, saying there are “no military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor.”Ryder said additional drone-detecting technology was being moved to some military installations, including the Picatinny Arsenal and at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, where drones also have been reported.<h2>Drone operators charged</h2>Two men have been charged with trespassing, breaking and entering and violating a municipal ordinance or bylaw after police said a drone was flown “dangerously close” to Boston's Logan International Airport on Saturday night.An officer used drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators on an island in Boston Harbor.The Boston-area men pleaded not guilty to all charges in court Monday and were released pending a Feb. 6 court date. The judge banned them from flying drones. A third suspect is at large.Authorities said the men broke into an abandoned hospital campus on the island. One of the men admitted to police he had been flying a drone and said it was in his backpack. An investigation of the drone's serial number produced data that shows it was flown six times on Saturday.Michael Martin, a lawyer for one of the men, said his client is a drone hobbyist who is interested in abandoned buildings and that the drone footage will support this.<h2>Officials urge action against the drones</h2>Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump on drones: &quot;They happen to be over Bedminster. They&#39;re very close to Bedminster. I think maybe I won&#39;t spend the weekend in Bedminster. I&#39;ve decided to cancel my trip.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/twHoUM2lLw">pic.twitter.com/twHoUM2lLw</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1868835001409667172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on Truth Social.Kim said he’s heard nothing to support the notion that the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga.“Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday.Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be “shot down."Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said members of the public must not try to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws.___Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Tara Copp in Washington, D.C.; and Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky contributed.

🎥President Biden breaks silence on mystery drones

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stuck-astronauts-nasa-boeing-starliner-1929d955463291701b99d4862b2c45ef">two stuck astronauts</a>&nbsp;just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-boeing-starliner-92dca67a1fbecf05f5f0e6e2e79afc3b">Boeing’s Starliner capsule</a>.

NASA announced the latest delay in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-astronauts-nasa-space-566cc98e9b77df9c12c4206445c7c112">Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.

Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.

A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been bumped more than a month, according to the space agency.

NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March.

NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. But it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.

NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.

Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734529321843.png" alt="NASA Astronaut Suni Williams on a tread mill on the International Space station on June 6, 2024. -image from NASA video" />
 <figcaption>NASA Astronaut Suni Williams on a tread mill on the International Space station on June 6, 2024. -image from NASA video</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stuck-astronauts-nasa-boeing-starliner-1929d955463291701b99d4862b2c45ef">two stuck astronauts</a>&nbsp;just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-boeing-starliner-92dca67a1fbecf05f5f0e6e2e79afc3b">Boeing’s Starliner capsule</a>.NASA announced the latest delay in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-astronauts-nasa-space-566cc98e9b77df9c12c4206445c7c112">Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been bumped more than a month, according to the space agency.NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March.NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. But it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.___

NASA's 2 stuck astronauts forced to stay in space even longer

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, police in Kechi&nbsp;assisted by Park City police executed a search warrant at Junk in the Trunk Emporium,&nbsp;4535 E 61st Street in Kechi, according to a media release.

 Kechi police department received information leading to a search warrant on the business and surrounding buildings. Officers seized distribution quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.&nbsp;

They also found a loaded 9mm firearm and numerous other “Realistic” BB pistols. Three arrests were made, charges are pending.&nbsp; Police did not release names of the suspects.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734457775695.png" alt="Photo Kechi Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kechi Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, police in Kechi&nbsp;assisted by Park City police executed a search warrant at Junk in the Trunk Emporium,&nbsp;4535 E 61st Street in Kechi, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734457747812.png" alt="Photo Kechi Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kechi Police</figcaption>
 </figure> Kechi police department received information leading to a search warrant on the business and surrounding buildings. Officers seized distribution quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.&nbsp;They also found a loaded 9mm firearm and numerous other “Realistic” BB pistols. Three arrests were made, charges are pending.&nbsp; Police did not release names of the suspects.

Police seize fentanyl, guns during search of Kansas antique store

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have unveiled a stopgap spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states and local communities recover from Hurricanes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Helene</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-milton">Milton</a>&nbsp;and other natural disasters.

Kansas Senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran wrote on social media, "If there is no assistance for our farmers and ranchers in the Continuing Resolution, I will not support the bill."

The measure would prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday. It would kick final decisions on this budget year's spending levels to a new Republican-led Congress and President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>. The continuing resolution generally continues current spending levels for agencies.

Passage of the measure is one of the final actions that lawmakers will consider this week before adjourning for the holidays and making way for the next Congress. It's the second short-term funding measure the lawmakers have taken up this fall as they struggled to pass the dozen annual appropriations bills before the new fiscal year began Oct. 1, as they typically do.

The bill will provide $100.4 billion in disaster relief, with an additional $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers struggling with low commodity prices and high input costs.

“We have to be able to help those who are in these dire straits,” said House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;told reporters.

Net farm income is projected to decline 4.1% this year after falling 19.4% the year before from the record highs reached in 2022. Johnson indicated more farm aid could be delivered in the next Congress, saying “we can't do all it right now.”

“Congress is doing the best it can under difficult circumstances, and I think it will be a big boost for the industry,” Johnson said.

Rep. Glenn Thompson, the Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he was hoping for more economic relief for farmers, but “it’s a great start.”

“I think it’s going to send the right signal to the markets that most farmers and ranchers are going to be able to get eligible for the credit they need to borrow in order to plant a crop or raise a herd,” Thompson said.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has sought about $114 billion in disaster aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-emergency-disaster-aid-helene-milton-hurricanes-10dab08476e9a798219878baeeb76e31">submitting</a>&nbsp;a $99 billion request in November, telling lawmakers the funding was “urgently needed.” The administration subsequently updated its request to include funding to repair federal facilities damaged due to natural disasters.

The largest share of the money, about $29 billion, will go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors. About $21 billion goes to help farmers who have experienced crop or livestock losses.

Another $8 billion will go to help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. And some $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $2.2 billion would go to low-interest loans for businesses, nonprofits and homeowners trying to rebuild after a disaster.

As it typically does, Congress is expected to act just before another shutdown deadline. House Republicans generally give lawmakers 72 hours to review text of the legislation, which would push a vote on final passage to Friday if they follow through on that rule. The Senate is not known for acting speedily, but many lawmakers are anxious to adjourn for the year and make way for the next Congress.

Since the bill is the last must-pass legislation of the current Congress, lawmakers have worked to get certain priorities included. On the health care front, the legislation seeks to extend coverage of telehealth appointments for Medicare enrollees and rein in how much money pharmacy benefits managers — the companies that negotiate how and what drugs are covered by insurance plans — make off those deals.

The bill also includes provisions focused on countering China, including expanding on a Biden executive order that seeks to restrict investments into countries that pose a national security threat to the United States. Blocking China’s high-tech ambitions is one of the few issues that enjoys broad support in Washington from both Republicans and Democrats.

There's also a provision to transfer the land that is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-rfk-stadium-e82cb3c504dc700b30b34f8ca6924c21">site of the old RFK Stadium</a>&nbsp;from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.

The legislation also provides full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse">collapsed</a>&nbsp;when struck by a cargo ship that reported losing power just before the crash. Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation.

Associated Press staff writers Stephen Groves and Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734474980545.png" alt="The 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree -photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol" />
 <figcaption>The 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree -photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have unveiled a stopgap spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states and local communities recover from Hurricanes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Helene</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-milton">Milton</a>&nbsp;and other natural disasters.Kansas Senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran wrote on social media, "If there is no assistance for our farmers and ranchers in the Continuing Resolution, I will not support the bill."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If there is no assistance for our farmers and ranchers in the Continuing Resolution, I will not support the bill. Through no fault of their own, Kansas farm families are struggling to keep their heads above water, and it is critical they receive assistance as soon as possible to…&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1868700617914319004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The measure would prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday. It would kick final decisions on this budget year's spending levels to a new Republican-led Congress and President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>. The continuing resolution generally continues current spending levels for agencies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734522095390.png" alt="1,547 page spending bill-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>1,547 page spending bill-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Passage of the measure is one of the final actions that lawmakers will consider this week before adjourning for the holidays and making way for the next Congress. It's the second short-term funding measure the lawmakers have taken up this fall as they struggled to pass the dozen annual appropriations bills before the new fiscal year began Oct. 1, as they typically do.The bill will provide $100.4 billion in disaster relief, with an additional $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers struggling with low commodity prices and high input costs.“We have to be able to help those who are in these dire straits,” said House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;told reporters.Net farm income is projected to decline 4.1% this year after falling 19.4% the year before from the record highs reached in 2022. Johnson indicated more farm aid could be delivered in the next Congress, saying “we can't do all it right now.”“Congress is doing the best it can under difficult circumstances, and I think it will be a big boost for the industry,” Johnson said.Rep. Glenn Thompson, the Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he was hoping for more economic relief for farmers, but “it’s a great start.”“I think it’s going to send the right signal to the markets that most farmers and ranchers are going to be able to get eligible for the credit they need to borrow in order to plant a crop or raise a herd,” Thompson said.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has sought about $114 billion in disaster aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-emergency-disaster-aid-helene-milton-hurricanes-10dab08476e9a798219878baeeb76e31">submitting</a>&nbsp;a $99 billion request in November, telling lawmakers the funding was “urgently needed.” The administration subsequently updated its request to include funding to repair federal facilities damaged due to natural disasters.The largest share of the money, about $29 billion, will go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors. About $21 billion goes to help farmers who have experienced crop or livestock losses.Another $8 billion will go to help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. And some $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $2.2 billion would go to low-interest loans for businesses, nonprofits and homeowners trying to rebuild after a disaster.As it typically does, Congress is expected to act just before another shutdown deadline. House Republicans generally give lawmakers 72 hours to review text of the legislation, which would push a vote on final passage to Friday if they follow through on that rule. The Senate is not known for acting speedily, but many lawmakers are anxious to adjourn for the year and make way for the next Congress.Since the bill is the last must-pass legislation of the current Congress, lawmakers have worked to get certain priorities included. On the health care front, the legislation seeks to extend coverage of telehealth appointments for Medicare enrollees and rein in how much money pharmacy benefits managers — the companies that negotiate how and what drugs are covered by insurance plans — make off those deals.The bill also includes provisions focused on countering China, including expanding on a Biden executive order that seeks to restrict investments into countries that pose a national security threat to the United States. Blocking China’s high-tech ambitions is one of the few issues that enjoys broad support in Washington from both Republicans and Democrats.There's also a provision to transfer the land that is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-rfk-stadium-e82cb3c504dc700b30b34f8ca6924c21">site of the old RFK Stadium</a>&nbsp;from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.The legislation also provides full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse">collapsed</a>&nbsp;when struck by a cargo ship that reported losing power just before the crash. Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation.____Associated Press staff writers Stephen Groves and Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.

Kan. U.S. Senator demands Merry Christmas for farmers in budget deal

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.

Just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 100 block of West 39th Street in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

FIrst arriving crews reported smoke showing from the first floor of the three-story apartment building. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The first and third floors were vacant, however there were occupied apartments on the second floor. 

The damage was limited to the first-floor apartments. After an initial Red Cross request it was determined that the second-floor residence would be able to occupy their apartments after the electrical for the first floor was isolated.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734476281012.png" alt="Photos KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building in Kansas City.Just after 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the 100 block of West 39th Street in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734476185880.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FIrst arriving crews reported smoke showing from the first floor of the three-story apartment building. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The first and third floors were vacant, however there were occupied apartments on the second floor. The damage was limited to the first-floor apartments. After an initial Red Cross request it was determined that the second-floor residence would be able to occupy their apartments after the electrical for the first floor was isolated.&nbsp;

Authorities investigate cause of KC apartment fire

ELLIS COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 9p.m. Tuesday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Toyota Tundra driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Brandon L.&nbsp; Frick, 40, Hays, was southbound on U183 at Munjor Road.

The pickup crossed the center line and struck a northbound semi driven by Jesse W. Crum, 34, Colorado. After impact, both vehicles traveled into the west ditch and came to rest on their wheels.

&nbsp;Frick was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Brock's- Keithley Funeral Home. Crum was not injured.&nbsp; Frick was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

ELLIS COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 9p.m. Tuesday in Ellis County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Toyota Tundra driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Brandon L.&nbsp; Frick, 40, Hays, was southbound on U183 at Munjor Road.The pickup crossed the center line and struck a northbound semi driven by Jesse W. Crum, 34, Colorado. After impact, both vehicles traveled into the west ditch and came to rest on their wheels.&nbsp;Frick was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Brock's- Keithley Funeral Home. Crum was not injured.&nbsp; Frick was properly restrained, according to the KHP.