WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;used a raucous rally Sunday on the eve of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/associated-press-inauguration-trump-biden-898f999243fc4a43170d6191fa355ea7">his inauguration</a>&nbsp;to promise swift Day 1 action remaking the federal government, shifting federal priorities at breakneck speed and ensuring that “the curtain closes on four long years of American decline.”

Supporters filled nearly all of the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington for a “Make America Great” victory celebration, and cheered as Trump said he’d take quick action on everything from cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border to promoting oil drilling, reining in the federal workforce and eradicating diversity programs.

“We’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history,” said Trump, who also promised to roll back executive actions by his predecessor, outgoing President Joe Biden, “within hours.”

In an unusual move, Trump entered at the arena’s concourse level and deliberately made his way down the stairs before his speech, stopping frequently to pump his fist and pose for pictures with rallygoers. It was even more surreal after he finished speaking, when the Village People took the stage and the president-elect sang — and even briefly danced — along to “YMCA,” an unofficial anthem of his campaign.

Trump said he'd jump start his agenda with a series of unilateral actions from the White House, telling the crowd, “You’re going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them.”

Sunday was Trump’s first full day back in Washington since his Election Day victory and gave him a chance to energize core supporters before the official pomp of Inauguration Day. Unlike when Trump helped spark a mob of his supporters to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack the Capitol</a>&nbsp;and tried&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-trump-election-certification-capitol-b8284b9b6b22f78ab7f23f8c8b3c3da3">to retain power</a>&nbsp;in 2021 after his loss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>, officials did not expect massive protests, unrest or violence.

Instead, jubilant crowds reveled in Trump’s coming second term and MAGA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-9a38fb935f94ac1e3f5cdcef621a39ca">total control</a>&nbsp;of the Republican Party.

Yet even with a comfortable Electoral College victory and his party in full — albeit narrow — control of Congress, the incoming president is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history, with nearly as many fierce detractors as ardent supporters. That means it could be difficult for Trump to fulfill postelection&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-turning-point-speech-panama-canal-933065fd25f1847b0dc3210f8b2195f5">pledges</a>&nbsp;to promote bipartisanship while healing political differences.

Trump has nonetheless insisted that unity will be a theme of his inauguration speech Monday, along with strength and fairness — despite spending months as a candidate saying that if elected he would seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-violent-rhetoric-retribution-authoritarians-2024-39e090680a33c0869312e79bcef106e8">retribution against political enemies</a>.

That was the theme of much of his rally speech Sunday, when Trump returned to the greatest hits of his campaign — as if the race against Vice President Kamala Harris weren’t already long decided. Trump denounced “migrant crime” by evoking one of his favorite fictional characters, Hannibal Lecter, and promised to stamp out “woke” policies and oppose transgender rights.

“Tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride,” Trump said, adding, “Once and for all, we’re going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington."

The event also featured a performance by Kid Rock, who performed “All Summer Long” despite a cold mix of rain and snow falling outside. Others taking the stage included singer Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the USA” is a Trump favorite.

Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk — who Trump has tasked with helping run a special commission to make the federal government more efficient — took the stage and said “we’re looking forward to making a lot of changes.” Jon Voight, an actor named by Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood, declared the president-elect “our hero. A man who never gave up on the American people, and we the people never gave up on him.”

Stephen Miller, Trump’s pick to be deputy chief of staff and a key architect of the administration’s promised hard-line immigration polices, vowed that “justice is coming.”

“We are about to get our country back and our democracy back,” Miller said, adding “Donald J. Trump is about to save this country.”

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">frigid temperatures</a>&nbsp;expected Monday, Trump directed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">most of Monday’s outdoor events to be moved indoors</a>, and officials held a rehearsal Sunday for his swearing-in in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda, which holds only 600 people compared to the 250,000-plus guests who had tickets to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.

Also Sunday, Trump had breakfast privately with Republican senators at&nbsp;<a href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/blair/index.htm">Blair House</a>, the president’s official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and took to his social media site to comment on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-01-19-2025-437f7f1bf49c9d2936718cf78bdf272c">ceasefire between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;and the U.S. ban on TikTok.

“Hostages starting to come out today!." Trump wrote.

Overnight, millions of U.S. users of TikTok lost the ability to watch videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the social media platform</a>&nbsp;as a federal ban on the app took effect. Though the site later began working again for some users, the disruptions reflected a new law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest for national security reasons.

The company made a personal appeal to Trump to intervene, posting a message saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office."

Trump subsequently posted, “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!" He promised to issue an executive order Monday "to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” The president-elect also wrote that he was interested in the U.S. owning 50% of TikTok in a “joint venture” model, though he did not offer much detail on what that would look like.

Another stop for Trump on Sunday were snow-covered graves at Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect JD Vance — each wearing dark overcoats and red ties — walked together to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a wreath-laying ceremony that included the playing of taps. Trump mouthed “thank you” after placing the wreath.

The pair later spent nearly half an hour in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, talking with families of soldiers who died&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1">in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing</a>.

The scene was far different than in August, when two Trump campaign staff members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-arlington-cemetery-altercation-afghanistan-3f0331e9209336a9b696ec164be7eb1c">reportedly</a>&nbsp;verbally “abused and pushed” aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737332211025.png" alt="During the Sunday Victory Rally, the Village People took the stage and the president-elect sang — and even briefly danced — along to “YMCA,” an unofficial anthem of his campaign. Image courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President" />
 <figcaption>During the Sunday Victory Rally, the Village People took the stage and the president-elect sang — and even briefly danced — along to “YMCA,” an unofficial anthem of his campaign. Image courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;used a raucous rally Sunday on the eve of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/associated-press-inauguration-trump-biden-898f999243fc4a43170d6191fa355ea7">his inauguration</a>&nbsp;to promise swift Day 1 action remaking the federal government, shifting federal priorities at breakneck speed and ensuring that “the curtain closes on four long years of American decline.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump: &quot;In the coming days, we are going to make public remaining records relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EyBXDJvlx5">pic.twitter.com/EyBXDJvlx5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1881117719778525486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Supporters filled nearly all of the 20,000-plus-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington for a “Make America Great” victory celebration, and cheered as Trump said he’d take quick action on everything from cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border to promoting oil drilling, reining in the federal workforce and eradicating diversity programs.“We’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history,” said Trump, who also promised to roll back executive actions by his predecessor, outgoing President Joe Biden, “within hours.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Epic entrance into Capital One Arena by President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/WtZrLaqNeP">pic.twitter.com/WtZrLaqNeP</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@margomartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/margomartin/status/1881107755433644190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In an unusual move, Trump entered at the arena’s concourse level and deliberately made his way down the stairs before his speech, stopping frequently to pump his fist and pose for pictures with rallygoers. It was even more surreal after he finished speaking, when the Village People took the stage and the president-elect sang — and even briefly danced — along to “YMCA,” an unofficial anthem of his campaign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> dancing to YMCA on Inauguration Eve 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/7RWt66TndQ">pic.twitter.com/7RWt66TndQ</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@margomartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/margomartin/status/1881121771761647737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump said he'd jump start his agenda with a series of unilateral actions from the White House, telling the crowd, “You’re going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them.”Sunday was Trump’s first full day back in Washington since his Election Day victory and gave him a chance to energize core supporters before the official pomp of Inauguration Day. Unlike when Trump helped spark a mob of his supporters to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack the Capitol</a>&nbsp;and tried&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-trump-election-certification-capitol-b8284b9b6b22f78ab7f23f8c8b3c3da3">to retain power</a>&nbsp;in 2021 after his loss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>, officials did not expect massive protests, unrest or violence.Instead, jubilant crowds reveled in Trump’s coming second term and MAGA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-9a38fb935f94ac1e3f5cdcef621a39ca">total control</a>&nbsp;of the Republican Party.Yet even with a comfortable Electoral College victory and his party in full — albeit narrow — control of Congress, the incoming president is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history, with nearly as many fierce detractors as ardent supporters. That means it could be difficult for Trump to fulfill postelection&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-turning-point-speech-panama-canal-933065fd25f1847b0dc3210f8b2195f5">pledges</a>&nbsp;to promote bipartisanship while healing political differences.Trump has nonetheless insisted that unity will be a theme of his inauguration speech Monday, along with strength and fairness — despite spending months as a candidate saying that if elected he would seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-violent-rhetoric-retribution-authoritarians-2024-39e090680a33c0869312e79bcef106e8">retribution against political enemies</a>.That was the theme of much of his rally speech Sunday, when Trump returned to the greatest hits of his campaign — as if the race against Vice President Kamala Harris weren’t already long decided. Trump denounced “migrant crime” by evoking one of his favorite fictional characters, Hannibal Lecter, and promised to stamp out “woke” policies and oppose transgender rights.“Tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride,” Trump said, adding, “Once and for all, we’re going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment in Washington."The event also featured a performance by Kid Rock, who performed “All Summer Long” despite a cold mix of rain and snow falling outside. Others taking the stage included singer Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the USA” is a Trump favorite.Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk — who Trump has tasked with helping run a special commission to make the federal government more efficient — took the stage and said “we’re looking forward to making a lot of changes.” Jon Voight, an actor named by Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood, declared the president-elect “our hero. A man who never gave up on the American people, and we the people never gave up on him.”Stephen Miller, Trump’s pick to be deputy chief of staff and a key architect of the administration’s promised hard-line immigration polices, vowed that “justice is coming.”“We are about to get our country back and our democracy back,” Miller said, adding “Donald J. Trump is about to save this country.”With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">frigid temperatures</a>&nbsp;expected Monday, Trump directed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">most of Monday’s outdoor events to be moved indoors</a>, and officials held a rehearsal Sunday for his swearing-in in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda, which holds only 600 people compared to the 250,000-plus guests who had tickets to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.Also Sunday, Trump had breakfast privately with Republican senators at&nbsp;<a href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/blair/index.htm">Blair House</a>, the president’s official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and took to his social media site to comment on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-01-19-2025-437f7f1bf49c9d2936718cf78bdf272c">ceasefire between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;and the U.S. ban on TikTok.“Hostages starting to come out today!." Trump wrote.Overnight, millions of U.S. users of TikTok lost the ability to watch videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the social media platform</a>&nbsp;as a federal ban on the app took effect. Though the site later began working again for some users, the disruptions reflected a new law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest for national security reasons.The company made a personal appeal to Trump to intervene, posting a message saying, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office."Trump subsequently posted, “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!" He promised to issue an executive order Monday "to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” The president-elect also wrote that he was interested in the U.S. owning 50% of TikTok in a “joint venture” model, though he did not offer much detail on what that would look like.Another stop for Trump on Sunday were snow-covered graves at Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect JD Vance — each wearing dark overcoats and red ties — walked together to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a wreath-laying ceremony that included the playing of taps. Trump mouthed “thank you” after placing the wreath.The pair later spent nearly half an hour in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, talking with families of soldiers who died&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-france-evacuations-kabul-9e457201e5bbe75a4eb1901fedeee7a1">in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing</a>.The scene was far different than in August, when two Trump campaign staff members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-arlington-cemetery-altercation-afghanistan-3f0331e9209336a9b696ec164be7eb1c">reportedly</a>&nbsp;verbally “abused and pushed” aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60.

🎥Trump pledges a series of Day 1 executive actions 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump spent the eve of his inauguration in a series of Washington events that celebrate his return to power as he prepares to move back into the White House at a time of deep national political divisions.

Trump appeared solemn as he placed a wreath on an easel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Moments later, Vance did the same.

After he placing the wreaths, Trump, Vance and their wives met with families of soldiers buried at Section 60 in Arlington National Cemetery, a burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Trump greeted each family individually at the gravestones of their loved ones and appeared to place challenge coins on their headstones.

Trump family members,&nbsp;Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, Ivanka Trump and his picks for several Cabinet positions were also at Arlington National Cemetery including Pete Hegseth, his pick for defense secretary, Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for director of national intelligence and Elise Stefanik, his pick for United Nations ambassador. JD Vance’s spouse, Usha Vance, was also in attendance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737312137074.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump spent the eve of his inauguration in a series of Washington events that celebrate his return to power as he prepares to move back into the White House at a time of deep national political divisions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President-Elect Trump Participates in Wreath-Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery - LIVE on C-SPAN <a href="https://t.co/ZcvIfDNfXB">https://t.co/ZcvIfDNfXB</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1881047349553963293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump appeared solemn as he placed a wreath on an easel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Moments later, Vance did the same.After he placing the wreaths, Trump, Vance and their wives met with families of soldiers buried at Section 60 in Arlington National Cemetery, a burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737312296523.png" alt="Photo courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump greeted each family individually at the gravestones of their loved ones and appeared to place challenge coins on their headstones.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737319892231.png" alt="Photo courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Margo Martin, Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump family members,&nbsp;Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, Ivanka Trump and his picks for several Cabinet positions were also at Arlington National Cemetery including Pete Hegseth, his pick for defense secretary, Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for director of national intelligence and Elise Stefanik, his pick for United Nations ambassador. JD Vance’s spouse, Usha Vance, was also in attendance.

🎥Trump and wounded warrior lay wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery

Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are released from claims of fraud, with statute of limitations impacting sexual abuse survivor’s right to sue

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Christian summer camp Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are not liable after allegedly concealing knowledge of sexual misconduct at its camp, a judge in Christian County Circuit Court ruled Friday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">case was brought by Logan Yandell, a survivor</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director Pete Newman. Yandell alleged the camp’s CEO lied to his parents, which influenced them to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.

Yandell says his family relied on statements made by camp CEO Joe White on a phone call that “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman)” when settling in 2010.

Yandell’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/18/judge-weighs-whether-missouri-based-kanakuk-defrauded-abuse-survivors-family/">attorney Reed Martens argued</a>&nbsp;in a November proceeding that the camp’s insurer, ACE American Insurance Co., influenced White to cover up his knowledge, saying White was acting as an agent of the insurance company during the phone conversation.

Judge Raymond Gross, who typically serves in Ozark County but was brought in to oversee the case, dismissed Yandell’s claims of fraud, saying he lacked the “right to rely” on a misstatement by White after newspapers reported that Kanakuk “knew of inappropriate behavior since 2003” and a public sentencing referenced the camp’s knowledge.

Yandell said he didn’t realize White had not told the truth until 2021, but Gross ruled that there were occasions he should have learned of the camp’s negligence years prior.

The statute of limitations in Missouri restricts fraud claims to five years after the fraud is discovered. Yandell should have known about the misstatement more than five years before he filed his claim, Gross wrote, making him ineligible to bring the claim.

Gross also rejected ACE Insurance as responsible for White’s statement, writing: “There is no evidence that ACE vested White with any power to speak or act on its behalf.”

The ruling did not mention a letter that the camp drafted to send to families that ACE “strongly recommended not to send.” This occurred after the phone call with the misstatement.

Gross wrote that there was no evidence of ACE pressuring White “prior to or during the phone call.”

The trial scheduled for July is now canceled. Attorneys for Yandell could not be immediately reached for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026482190.png" alt="&nbsp;The Christian County Justice Center, as photographed Nov. 18, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Christian County Justice Center, as photographed Nov. 18, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are released from claims of fraud, with statute of limitations impacting sexual abuse survivor’s right to sue</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Christian summer camp Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are not liable after allegedly concealing knowledge of sexual misconduct at its camp, a judge in Christian County Circuit Court ruled Friday.The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">case was brought by Logan Yandell, a survivor</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director Pete Newman. Yandell alleged the camp’s CEO lied to his parents, which influenced them to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026447363.png" alt="Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>Yandell says his family relied on statements made by camp CEO Joe White on a phone call that “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman)” when settling in 2010.Yandell’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/18/judge-weighs-whether-missouri-based-kanakuk-defrauded-abuse-survivors-family/">attorney Reed Martens argued</a>&nbsp;in a November proceeding that the camp’s insurer, ACE American Insurance Co., influenced White to cover up his knowledge, saying White was acting as an agent of the insurance company during the phone conversation.Judge Raymond Gross, who typically serves in Ozark County but was brought in to oversee the case, dismissed Yandell’s claims of fraud, saying he lacked the “right to rely” on a misstatement by White after newspapers reported that Kanakuk “knew of inappropriate behavior since 2003” and a public sentencing referenced the camp’s knowledge.Yandell said he didn’t realize White had not told the truth until 2021, but Gross ruled that there were occasions he should have learned of the camp’s negligence years prior.The statute of limitations in Missouri restricts fraud claims to five years after the fraud is discovered. Yandell should have known about the misstatement more than five years before he filed his claim, Gross wrote, making him ineligible to bring the claim.Gross also rejected ACE Insurance as responsible for White’s statement, writing: “There is no evidence that ACE vested White with any power to speak or act on its behalf.”The ruling did not mention a letter that the camp drafted to send to families that ACE “strongly recommended not to send.” This occurred after the phone call with the misstatement.Gross wrote that there was no evidence of ACE pressuring White “prior to or during the phone call.”The trial scheduled for July is now canceled. Attorneys for Yandell could not be immediately reached for comment.

Judge rules summer camp not liable for CEO statements about sexual misconduct

<a href="mailto:rwilson@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By RON WILSON </a>K-State Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“Voice of the Wildcats.” That title belongs to the legendary sportscasters who have broadcast Kansas State University football and basketball games through the years.

Wyatt Thompson is the current and longtime Voice of the Cats, which he especially appreciates because of his roots in rural Kansas. Thompson became Voice of the Wildcats in 2002. He grew up in rural Kansas near Solomon.

Among his interests was livestock judging in high school FFA, which included two elements: One, placing a class of livestock in the desired order; and two, stating oral reasons to a judge to describe the reasons for that placing.

This process required him to make quick judgments and to state his observations articulately and accurately. In a sense, those skills also serve him well as a sportscaster.

Thompson continued livestock judging at Colby Community College but found himself drawn to sports broadcasting. He made the change. In 1976, he began his career, spending time at radio stations in Great Bend and Abilene. He was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Play-by-Play Award in 1982.

From 1985 until 1989, Thompson worked at KAYS in Hays where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. He won the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.

Then Thompson moved to Denver. He was the play-by-play voice for Colorado State's football and men's basketball teams for five years. In addition to his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter on radio and host of the Countdown to Kickoff show for the Denver Broncos.

Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play announcer in 2000.

In 2002, he moved to K-State to become the Voice of the Wildcat, a position he still holds today. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of legendary broadcasters who have previously served as Voice of the Wildcats:&nbsp;Dev Nelson, Mitch Holthus, Steve Physioc and Greg Sharpe.

Today, Thompson is senior director of broadcasting for the K-State Athletic Department as well as Voice of the Wildcats. He&nbsp;serves as host of the Chris Klieman and Jerome Tang coaches’ shows on television and radio. In addition, he is heavily involved in various Catbacker Club, alumni and athletic department functions, frequently serving as a keynote speaker.

In an era of NIL -- Name, Image, Likeness -- and the transfer portal, it seems remarkable that he is observing local players from Kansas making an impact for their home state team. 

For example, in football, he sees Sam Hecht from Shawnee snap the ball to Avery Johnson, who went to Maize, who then might hand off the ball to Dylan Edwards from Wichita or D.J. Giddens from Junction City – and they just might be led by a block from Hadley Panzer of Lakin.

An estimated 55 Kansans are on the K-State football roster – far more than any other state.

It is especially exciting to see such in-state talent perform well. According to the K-State athletic department, since 1990 K-State’s all-conference selections have come from 37 cities in Kansas.

“I love broadcasting K-State sports for so many reasons,” Thompson said. “At the top of the list would be the amazing coaches and players that I get to work with daily.”

He also relishes the game day experience. “You can just feel the excitement for each game, and the love this fan base has for Kansas State University and the Cats,” Thompson said.

Thompson won the Hod Humiston Award for sports broadcasting from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in 2011. Over the course of his career, Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year six times. He ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards won, and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.

In 2022 he was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

It's an impressive record for a farm kid from the rural community of Solomon, population 993 people. Now, that’s rural.

Voice of the Wildcats. We commend Wyatt Thompson for making a difference by sharing the excitement of Power 4 football and basketball with fans across Kansas and beyond. We’re always thankful to hear his voice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737038548828.jpeg" alt="Wyatt Thompson, voice of the Kansas State University Wildcats, is the former voice of the Fort Hays State University Tigers. Photo courtesy K-State" />
 <figcaption>Wyatt Thompson, voice of the Kansas State University Wildcats, is the former voice of the Fort Hays State University Tigers. Photo courtesy K-State</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:rwilson@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By RON WILSON </a>K-State Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development “Voice of the Wildcats.” That title belongs to the legendary sportscasters who have broadcast Kansas State University football and basketball games through the years.Wyatt Thompson is the current and longtime Voice of the Cats, which he especially appreciates because of his roots in rural Kansas. Thompson became Voice of the Wildcats in 2002. He grew up in rural Kansas near Solomon.Among his interests was livestock judging in high school FFA, which included two elements: One, placing a class of livestock in the desired order; and two, stating oral reasons to a judge to describe the reasons for that placing.This process required him to make quick judgments and to state his observations articulately and accurately. In a sense, those skills also serve him well as a sportscaster.Thompson continued livestock judging at Colby Community College but found himself drawn to sports broadcasting. He made the change. In 1976, he began his career, spending time at radio stations in Great Bend and Abilene. He was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Play-by-Play Award in 1982.From 1985 until 1989, Thompson worked at KAYS in Hays where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. He won the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.Then Thompson moved to Denver. He was the play-by-play voice for Colorado State's football and men's basketball teams for five years. In addition to his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter on radio and host of the Countdown to Kickoff show for the Denver Broncos.Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play announcer in 2000.In 2002, he moved to K-State to become the Voice of the Wildcat, a position he still holds today. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of legendary broadcasters who have previously served as Voice of the Wildcats:&nbsp;Dev Nelson, Mitch Holthus, Steve Physioc and Greg Sharpe.Today, Thompson is senior director of broadcasting for the K-State Athletic Department as well as Voice of the Wildcats. He&nbsp;serves as host of the Chris Klieman and Jerome Tang coaches’ shows on television and radio. In addition, he is heavily involved in various Catbacker Club, alumni and athletic department functions, frequently serving as a keynote speaker.In an era of NIL -- Name, Image, Likeness -- and the transfer portal, it seems remarkable that he is observing local players from Kansas making an impact for their home state team. For example, in football, he sees Sam Hecht from Shawnee snap the ball to Avery Johnson, who went to Maize, who then might hand off the ball to Dylan Edwards from Wichita or D.J. Giddens from Junction City – and they just might be led by a block from Hadley Panzer of Lakin.An estimated 55 Kansans are on the K-State football roster – far more than any other state.It is especially exciting to see such in-state talent perform well. According to the K-State athletic department, since 1990 K-State’s all-conference selections have come from 37 cities in Kansas.“I love broadcasting K-State sports for so many reasons,” Thompson said. “At the top of the list would be the amazing coaches and players that I get to work with daily.”He also relishes the game day experience. “You can just feel the excitement for each game, and the love this fan base has for Kansas State University and the Cats,” Thompson said.Thompson won the Hod Humiston Award for sports broadcasting from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in 2011. Over the course of his career, Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year six times. He ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards won, and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.In 2022 he was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.It's an impressive record for a farm kid from the rural community of Solomon, population 993 people. Now, that’s rural.Voice of the Wildcats. We commend Wyatt Thompson for making a difference by sharing the excitement of Power 4 football and basketball with fans across Kansas and beyond. We’re always thankful to hear his voice.

Wyatt Thompson, Voice of the Wildcats, former Voice of FHSU Tigers

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

With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>

Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.

The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.

“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.

Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.

Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.

Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.

Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.

Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.

“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”

Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”

Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.

In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.

Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”

“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO The Associated Press</a>With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

What will happen to TikTok on Apple and Google's app store on Sunday?

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

TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.

Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.

The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.

TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:

A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.

What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.

This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.

Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.

The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.

Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?

Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.

The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.

Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.

If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.

U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.

Would I still have access to my favorite videos?

TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.

Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.

If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.

If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.

The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.

TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.

The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.

“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”

Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Business Writer</a>TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:<h2>What happens on Jan. 19?</h2>A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.<h2>Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?</h2>Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.<h2>Would I still have access to my favorite videos?</h2>TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.<h2>Are people going to other apps?</h2>If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.<h2>What is going to happen next?</h2>The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning._______

How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content

Blueprint features aid for water, education, child-care and other priorities

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education.

Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide.

Adam Proffitt, the governor’s budget director, briefed the House and Senate budget committees Thursday on a budget outline that held base budget spending increases at 2%. The governor’s budget wouldn’t substantially deflate the robust balances of $1.2 billion in the general state treasury and $1.7 billion in a separate state emergency fund, he said.

“With the limited resources that we have available this year for enhancements, the governor has focused on high-impact policy areas,” Proffitt said.

In the governor’s State of the State speech on Wednesday night, she warned the Legislature not to push ahead with unsustainable tax reductions on heels of the 2024 law cutting $1.2 billion in taxes over three years. Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, expressed keen interest in reducing property taxes through passage of legislation and a state constitutional amendment.

Kansas governors must adhere to a constitutional requirement to annually submit a balanced budget bill to the Legislature. This year, however, the Republican-led House and Senate worked in late 2024 on their own budget plan that has been introduced in bill form for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. It’s unclear whether state lawmakers would stick with their own plan by ignoring Kelly’s spending priorities.

The Legislature’s leadership has taken the unusual step of asking state agencies to prepare lists of potential budget cuts to match a 7.5% reduction in funding. Not since 2020 has the Kelly administration asked agencies under its direction to compile a roster of budget-cut targets.

“I’m a fiscal conservative, which is why, once again, I’m proposing a budget that is balanced, maintains fiscal stability in the future and ensures Kansans have access to the services their government has promised them,” Kelly said in a statement.

Her approach to the new budget recognized the state enjoyed several years of robust revenue collections, in part due to the surge of $1.6 billion in federal dollars, and the expectation state revenue growth would return to normal levels of 1.5% to 2% annually.

Proffitt said the governor endorsed a 2.5% pay adjustment for most state employees. The amount was designed to align with inflation and would cost the state treasury $37 million. A separate provision for state prison and hospital workers would permit 5% increases to incentivize recruitment and retention of staff.

“This body has recognized that state employees work hard,” Proffitt said.

Kelly’s outline didn’t include enhancements to address specific state government jobs that had fallen behind market rates, he said.

In terms of public education, Proffitt said the governor’s budget would for the seventh year fully fund K-12 schools — an achievement following decades of school-finance litigation. Her K-12 budget also included expenditure of $5.5 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch meals for 36,000 low-income students who currently paid a reduced rate of 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch at school.

Kelly proposed allocating $500,000 to waive the Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students taking those pre-college tests.

The Democratic governor urged the Legislature to advance a multi-year plan that would bring the state into compliance with a law requiring the state to pay 92% of the extra cost borne by local school districts when educating students in special-education programs.

In 2024, the addition of $73 million in state aid brought the contribution percentage to 75%, leaving local school districts to absorb the remaining expense. Kelly said the Legislature should continue with this effort over four consecutive years to bring Kansas into compliance in the 2029 fiscal year.

The governor’s budget earmarked a $10 million, one-time appropriation for infrastructure and cybersecurity projects at public universities and community colleges.

Proffitt said the budget included $35 million promised by the Legislature for water resource investments. Kelly also suggested the state develop a 10-year program — modeled after the state highway programs — to bring better organize and direct water initiatives. She recommended appropriating $30 million in seed money to begin that effort and would pay for it by drawing upon interest earnings from the state’s rainy-day fund. That special fund generates about $70 million annually in interest income for the state.

Under the governor’s recommendations, the Legislature should vote to approve expansion of eligibility for Medicaid. Her idea would be to initiate benefits for about 150,000 Kansans on Jan. 1.

Due to legislative opposition in the past decade, Kansas remained among 10 states to not expand Medicaid offerings. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Nebraska agreed to extend Medicaid services to secure additional federal resources.

“Kansas is quite literally an island. Kansas is one of three states west of the Mississippi that has not yet expanded Medicaid,” Proffitt said.

He said concerns about the state’s cost share were overblown because federal incentives would provide Kansas, if expansion occurred, with an additional $450 million in supplemental Medicaid funding. That influx of federal dollars to the state would pay for expansion costs for years, he said.

In addition, the governor’s budget included a request for $9 million for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to make up the loss of funds that have historically been redirected to the agency from foster children eligible for Social Security benefits. Instead of pulling that money into the state agency, Kelly signed an executive order directed the cash go into special accounts created for children in the foster care system.

Kelly’s budget didn’t include $114 million for construction of a new headquarters for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to replace administrative buildings in Topeka. KBI officials have asked the Legislature to appropriate funding to develop a more efficient and secure campus for the law enforcement agency.

Republican leaders of the Legislature indicated they wanted to end the 2025 session by mid-April, which would be before the state typically produced revised tax revenue forecasts. Typically, the session wraps up after publication of the adjusted revenue estimates to prevent lawmakers from overspending.

“I will say this is the first time in my five years as budget director that I’ve seen a proposal for sine die adjournment prior to April revenue estimates,” Proffitt said. “It would be beneficial, I think, to have a full picture of revenues.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737140155499.png" alt="Adam Proffitt, budget director for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlined for members of the Kansas Legislature the Democratic governor’s blueprint for a new state budget. The package included spending on schools, water and child-care priorities. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Adam Proffitt, budget director for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlined for members of the Kansas Legislature the Democratic governor’s blueprint for a new state budget. The package included spending on schools, water and child-care priorities. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Blueprint features aid for water, education, child-care and other priorities</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education.Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide.Adam Proffitt, the governor’s budget director, briefed the House and Senate budget committees Thursday on a budget outline that held base budget spending increases at 2%. The governor’s budget wouldn’t substantially deflate the robust balances of $1.2 billion in the general state treasury and $1.7 billion in a separate state emergency fund, he said.“With the limited resources that we have available this year for enhancements, the governor has focused on high-impact policy areas,” Proffitt said.In the governor’s State of the State speech on Wednesday night, she warned the Legislature not to push ahead with unsustainable tax reductions on heels of the 2024 law cutting $1.2 billion in taxes over three years. Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, expressed keen interest in reducing property taxes through passage of legislation and a state constitutional amendment.Kansas governors must adhere to a constitutional requirement to annually submit a balanced budget bill to the Legislature. This year, however, the Republican-led House and Senate worked in late 2024 on their own budget plan that has been introduced in bill form for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. It’s unclear whether state lawmakers would stick with their own plan by ignoring Kelly’s spending priorities.The Legislature’s leadership has taken the unusual step of asking state agencies to prepare lists of potential budget cuts to match a 7.5% reduction in funding. Not since 2020 has the Kelly administration asked agencies under its direction to compile a roster of budget-cut targets.“I’m a fiscal conservative, which is why, once again, I’m proposing a budget that is balanced, maintains fiscal stability in the future and ensures Kansans have access to the services their government has promised them,” Kelly said in a statement.Her approach to the new budget recognized the state enjoyed several years of robust revenue collections, in part due to the surge of $1.6 billion in federal dollars, and the expectation state revenue growth would return to normal levels of 1.5% to 2% annually.<h2>Pay hikes, education</h2>Proffitt said the governor endorsed a 2.5% pay adjustment for most state employees. The amount was designed to align with inflation and would cost the state treasury $37 million. A separate provision for state prison and hospital workers would permit 5% increases to incentivize recruitment and retention of staff.“This body has recognized that state employees work hard,” Proffitt said.Kelly’s outline didn’t include enhancements to address specific state government jobs that had fallen behind market rates, he said.In terms of public education, Proffitt said the governor’s budget would for the seventh year fully fund K-12 schools — an achievement following decades of school-finance litigation. Her K-12 budget also included expenditure of $5.5 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch meals for 36,000 low-income students who currently paid a reduced rate of 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch at school.Kelly proposed allocating $500,000 to waive the Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students taking those pre-college tests.The Democratic governor urged the Legislature to advance a multi-year plan that would bring the state into compliance with a law requiring the state to pay 92% of the extra cost borne by local school districts when educating students in special-education programs.In 2024, the addition of $73 million in state aid brought the contribution percentage to 75%, leaving local school districts to absorb the remaining expense. Kelly said the Legislature should continue with this effort over four consecutive years to bring Kansas into compliance in the 2029 fiscal year.The governor’s budget earmarked a $10 million, one-time appropriation for infrastructure and cybersecurity projects at public universities and community colleges.Proffitt said the budget included $35 million promised by the Legislature for water resource investments. Kelly also suggested the state develop a 10-year program — modeled after the state highway programs — to bring better organize and direct water initiatives. She recommended appropriating $30 million in seed money to begin that effort and would pay for it by drawing upon interest earnings from the state’s rainy-day fund. That special fund generates about $70 million annually in interest income for the state.<h2>Medicaid expansion</h2>Under the governor’s recommendations, the Legislature should vote to approve expansion of eligibility for Medicaid. Her idea would be to initiate benefits for about 150,000 Kansans on Jan. 1.Due to legislative opposition in the past decade, Kansas remained among 10 states to not expand Medicaid offerings. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Nebraska agreed to extend Medicaid services to secure additional federal resources.“Kansas is quite literally an island. Kansas is one of three states west of the Mississippi that has not yet expanded Medicaid,” Proffitt said.He said concerns about the state’s cost share were overblown because federal incentives would provide Kansas, if expansion occurred, with an additional $450 million in supplemental Medicaid funding. That influx of federal dollars to the state would pay for expansion costs for years, he said.In addition, the governor’s budget included a request for $9 million for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to make up the loss of funds that have historically been redirected to the agency from foster children eligible for Social Security benefits. Instead of pulling that money into the state agency, Kelly signed an executive order directed the cash go into special accounts created for children in the foster care system.Kelly’s budget didn’t include $114 million for construction of a new headquarters for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to replace administrative buildings in Topeka. KBI officials have asked the Legislature to appropriate funding to develop a more efficient and secure campus for the law enforcement agency.Republican leaders of the Legislature indicated they wanted to end the 2025 session by mid-April, which would be before the state typically produced revised tax revenue forecasts. Typically, the session wraps up after publication of the adjusted revenue estimates to prevent lawmakers from overspending.“I will say this is the first time in my five years as budget director that I’ve seen a proposal for sine die adjournment prior to April revenue estimates,” Proffitt said. “It would be beneficial, I think, to have a full picture of revenues.”

Gov. Laura Kelly presented new state budget to Republican-led House, Senate

BUHLER, Kan. — (Buhler High Journalism Department) &nbsp;

On Jan. 9 Buhler High School Agriculture Education teacher Rylie Sanders learned she was a recipient of the Kansas Horizon Award. She later received a call from Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Commissioner of Education, congratulating her on this distinguished award.&nbsp;

Horizon nominees must be in their second year of full-time teaching. Nominees are selected by district and building administration.&nbsp;Only 32 teachers across Kansas who rise above other novice teachers earn this award.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As second year teacher Mrs. Sanders worked through a lesson with her students she was surprised to see her family, colleagues, and administration walk into her room. They came together to share the news of her award with her.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;“I was joyed and surprised to see my biggest supporters from different areas of life all together - my husband, my parents, my colleagues, and my administrators,” said Sanders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Superintendent Cindy Couchman spoke highly of Sanders and her impact on others.&nbsp;“We are so blessed to have Mrs. Sanders in our district. She is a phenomenal FFA sponsor and Ag teacher for us at Buhler. It is a testament to the hours and hours she puts into the Ag program and her students. She pours her heart into them,”.&nbsp;

Buhler High School Principal Michael Ellegood echoed Mrs. Sanders’ impact at BHS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Mrs. Sanders is wise beyond her years. She brings expertise. She isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions,” said Ellegood.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Buhler USD 313 makes sure to nominate teachers for Kansas Teacher of the Year and the Horizon Award and places great value in these programs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It is important to convey the value that we place in teachers. We make an investment when we hire teachers. They make an investment when they choose our school district,” said Dr. Paul Erickson, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 6-12 for USD 313.&nbsp;“Elevating them for this type of recognition is symbolic of the value we have of teachers. We place tremendous value in teachers the caliber of Rylie.”&nbsp;

Mrs. Sanders will receive her award with the other Horizon educators on Feb. 14 in Topeka at the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network annual conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“She is a joy to work with, she’s always got a smile on her face,” said Ellegood.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I truly believe I chose the best place to start my teaching career. The support and encouragement provided by USD 313 and my colleagues in the Agricultural Education Department have been exceptional,” said Sanders.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737047276747.jpeg" alt="Dr. Paul Erickson, Michael Ellegood, Rylie Sanders, and Cindy Couchman. Photo by Samantha Neill - Courtesy USD 313." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Paul Erickson, Michael Ellegood, Rylie Sanders, and Cindy Couchman. Photo by Samantha Neill - Courtesy USD 313.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUHLER, Kan. — (Buhler High Journalism Department) &nbsp;On Jan. 9 Buhler High School Agriculture Education teacher Rylie Sanders learned she was a recipient of the Kansas Horizon Award. She later received a call from Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Commissioner of Education, congratulating her on this distinguished award.&nbsp;Horizon nominees must be in their second year of full-time teaching. Nominees are selected by district and building administration.&nbsp;Only 32 teachers across Kansas who rise above other novice teachers earn this award.&nbsp;&nbsp;As second year teacher Mrs. Sanders worked through a lesson with her students she was surprised to see her family, colleagues, and administration walk into her room. They came together to share the news of her award with her.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I was joyed and surprised to see my biggest supporters from different areas of life all together - my husband, my parents, my colleagues, and my administrators,” said Sanders.&nbsp;&nbsp;Superintendent Cindy Couchman spoke highly of Sanders and her impact on others.&nbsp;“We are so blessed to have Mrs. Sanders in our district. She is a phenomenal FFA sponsor and Ag teacher for us at Buhler. It is a testament to the hours and hours she puts into the Ag program and her students. She pours her heart into them,”.&nbsp;Buhler High School Principal Michael Ellegood echoed Mrs. Sanders’ impact at BHS.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Mrs. Sanders is wise beyond her years. She brings expertise. She isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions,” said Ellegood.&nbsp;&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 makes sure to nominate teachers for Kansas Teacher of the Year and the Horizon Award and places great value in these programs.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It is important to convey the value that we place in teachers. We make an investment when we hire teachers. They make an investment when they choose our school district,” said Dr. Paul Erickson, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 6-12 for USD 313.&nbsp;“Elevating them for this type of recognition is symbolic of the value we have of teachers. We place tremendous value in teachers the caliber of Rylie.”&nbsp;Mrs. Sanders will receive her award with the other Horizon educators on Feb. 14 in Topeka at the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network annual conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;“She is a joy to work with, she’s always got a smile on her face,” said Ellegood.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I truly believe I chose the best place to start my teaching career. The support and encouragement provided by USD 313 and my colleagues in the Agricultural Education Department have been exceptional,” said Sanders.&nbsp;

Buhler ag teacher named Kansas Horizon Award recipient  

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

Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">was shut down</a>&nbsp;last year after a deadly outbreak of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-recall-deli-meat-97292bfefa1693b25e393efdc58ed608">listeria poisoning</a>, federal records show.

Newly released reports from Boar's Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.

The U.S. Agriculture Department released the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia/frequently-requested-records">inspection records</a>&nbsp;in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The problems documented at the three factories echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant linked to the food poisoning outbreak. The newly released reports describe:

— Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019.

— “Dry crusted meat from the previous day's production” and “dark, stinky residue” left behind in 2020.

— A doorway covered in “dried meat juices and grime” in 2021.

— Green mold and flaking paint in 2022.

— “Unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects” in 2023.

— A puddle of “blood, debris and trash” in 2024.

Boar's Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented in the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company's remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising “excellence that stands apart in every bite.”

Records from a fourth Boar’s Head plant in Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.

Boar's Head stopped making liverwurst and shuttered its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after listeria poisoning tied to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, including 10 who died.

Health officials in Maryland initially discovered listeria contamination in a package of unopened liverwurst. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-ebff78f4d6e5dad8483a6063623cd9a1">recalled more than 7 million pounds</a>&nbsp;of ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry sold nationwide. About 2.6 million pounds was eventually recovered, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The conditions revealed at the other Boar's Head plants are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“It's reasonable for some people to decide they don't want to eat deli meat,” he said. “Companies like Boar's Head, they should have to earn consumers' trust.”

Boar’s Head faces multiple lawsuits connected to the outbreak.

“This makes me extremely angry and sad,” said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, died in July after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. She had cancer, and liverwurst was one of the few foods she would eat, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.

“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely revamp their program at all of their facilities," Dorman said in an email. "Boar's Head needs to put the welfare of people as their highest priority.”

Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company, despite documentation of repeated problems. The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency's handling of the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.

“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.”

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/review-boars-head-listeria-monocytogenes-outbreak-january-2025">a report released Friday</a>, USDA officials said “inadequate sanitation practices” at the Jarratt plant contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural problem in the buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">the AP previously reported</a>.

USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in plants that make ready-to-eat foods, including broader testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more food safety reviews and stronger oversight of state inspectors who act on behalf of the agency.

Boar's Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” according to Frank Yiannas, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who is now advising the company.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736908106320.png" alt="Image USDA" />
 <figcaption>Image USDA</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JONEL%20ALECCIA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer</a>Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-recall-liverwurst-listeria-83176dfc193c16afd949ffefc827aec2">was shut down</a>&nbsp;last year after a deadly outbreak of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/listeria-boars-head-recall-deli-meat-97292bfefa1693b25e393efdc58ed608">listeria poisoning</a>, federal records show.Newly released reports from Boar's Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.The U.S. Agriculture Department released the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia/frequently-requested-records">inspection records</a>&nbsp;in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.The problems documented at the three factories echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant linked to the food poisoning outbreak. The newly released reports describe:— Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019.— “Dry crusted meat from the previous day's production” and “dark, stinky residue” left behind in 2020.— A doorway covered in “dried meat juices and grime” in 2021.— Green mold and flaking paint in 2022.— “Unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects” in 2023.— A puddle of “blood, debris and trash” in 2024.Boar's Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented in the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company's remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising “excellence that stands apart in every bite.”Records from a fourth Boar’s Head plant in Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.Boar's Head stopped making liverwurst and shuttered its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after listeria poisoning tied to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, including 10 who died.Health officials in Maryland initially discovered listeria contamination in a package of unopened liverwurst. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-deli-meat-ebff78f4d6e5dad8483a6063623cd9a1">recalled more than 7 million pounds</a>&nbsp;of ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry sold nationwide. About 2.6 million pounds was eventually recovered, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.The conditions revealed at the other Boar's Head plants are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.“It's reasonable for some people to decide they don't want to eat deli meat,” he said. “Companies like Boar's Head, they should have to earn consumers' trust.”Boar’s Head faces multiple lawsuits connected to the outbreak.“This makes me extremely angry and sad,” said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, died in July after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. She had cancer, and liverwurst was one of the few foods she would eat, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely revamp their program at all of their facilities," Dorman said in an email. "Boar's Head needs to put the welfare of people as their highest priority.”Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company, despite documentation of repeated problems. The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency's handling of the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.”In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/review-boars-head-listeria-monocytogenes-outbreak-january-2025">a report released Friday</a>, USDA officials said “inadequate sanitation practices” at the Jarratt plant contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural problem in the buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boars-head-listeria-recall-fcde06b66dca38d53361c92495a7cfed">the AP previously reported</a>.USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in plants that make ready-to-eat foods, including broader testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more food safety reviews and stronger oversight of state inspectors who act on behalf of the agency.Boar's Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” according to Frank Yiannas, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who is now advising the company.___

USDA documented insects and slime at deli meat plants, records show

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans' rights and the future of democracy. (click below to watch)

Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, Biden seized what is likely to be his final opportunity to address the country before he departs the White House to spotlight the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small few.

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden said, drawing attention to "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”

Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office in 1961, Biden added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings of an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and of a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans' rights and the future of democracy. (click below to watch)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">LIVE --&gt; President Biden Farewell Address to the Nation <a href="https://t.co/WMh6VRwwHF">https://t.co/WMh6VRwwHF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879695529359053134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking from the Oval Office as he prepares to hand over power Monday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>, Biden seized what is likely to be his final opportunity to address the country before he departs the White House to spotlight the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small few.“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden said, drawing attention to "a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people. Dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”Invoking President Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex when he left office in 1961, Biden added, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers to our country as well.”Biden used his 15-minute address to offer a model for a peaceful transfer of power and — without mentioning Trump by name — raise concerns about his successor.It marked a striking admonition by Biden, who is departing the national stage after more than 50 years in public life, as he has struggled to define his legacy against the return of Trump to the Oval Office. The president warned Americans to be on guard for their freedoms and their institutions during a turbulent era of rapid technological and economic change.His speech in the Oval Office is the latest in a series of remarks on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-record-pandemic-inflation-economy-infrastructure-5f7d6b35e6fbc8d7fa2d8e0f24331d06">domestic policy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-foreign-policy-afghanistan-mideast-ukraine-russia-c774c706bdd2bf377dce6aaa0b90d841">foreign relations</a>&nbsp;that were intended to cement his legacy and reshape Americans’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-low-ratings-obama-trump-390f25a858bf4cdec28719a2fe17b525">grim views</a>&nbsp;on his term. Earlier in the day, he heralded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">a long awaited ceasefire agreement</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Hamas, which could end more than a year of bloodshed in the Middle East.“It’ll take time to feel the full impact of what we’ve done together but the seeds are planted and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” Biden said, tacitly acknowledging that many Americans say they have yet to feel the impacts of his trillions of dollars in domestic initiatives.Biden sounded the alarm about oligarchy as some of the world’s richest individuals and titans of its technology industry have flocked to Trump’s side in recent months, particularly after his November victory. Billionaire Elon Musk spent more than $100 million on helping Trump get elected, and executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have donated to Trump’s inaugural committee and made pilgrimages to Trump’s private club in Florida for audiences with the president-elect.While Biden criticized social media companies for retreating from fact-checking on their platforms, Trump’s incoming communications director and press secretary were sharing posts on X that falsely claimed it was a prerecorded speech. The incumbent president has blamed his poor standing among the public on misinformation on social media and the challenges he has faced reaching voters in the disaggregated modern media ecosystem.Biden isn’t leaving the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-legacy-1a4498e8cd5f764e92e73412d9dfefaa">in the way that he hoped.</a>&nbsp;He tried to run for reelection, brushing aside voters’ concerns that he would be 86 years old at the end of a second term. After stumbling in a debate with Republican Donald Trump, Biden dropped out of the race under pressure from his own party, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.The speech Wednesday night capped not Biden’s presidency but his five decades in politics. He was once the country’s youngest senator at 30 years old after being elected to represent his home state of Delaware in 1972.Biden pursued the presidency in 1988 and 2008 before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president. After serving two terms, Biden was considered to be retired from politics. But he returned to center stage as the unlikely Democratic nominee in 2020, successfully ousting Trump from the White House.As he highlighted his own commitment to ensuring a peaceful transition of power, including holding briefings with Trump's team and coordinating with the incoming administration on the Middle East negotiations, Biden also called for a constitutional amendment to end immunity for sitting presidents. That came in response to a Supreme Court ruling last year that granted Trump sweeping protections from criminal liability over his role in trying to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden.Biden spoke from the Resolute desk, photos of his family visible behind him in the Oval Office. First lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, some of his grandchildren, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, sat watching.As Biden spoke about Harris, saying she’d become like family, the first lady reached over and grabbed her hand.