From all of us at Eagle Media we want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We are spreading Christmas Cheer all day with Christmas music on all of our radio stations! 

Power Hits 97.5,&nbsp;Q-Country 103.5, 107.9 FM / 1420 AM KJCK, and Country Rewind 92.7.&nbsp;

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

GEARY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Chevy Equinox driven by Joshua Mercer, 26, Newton, was southbound on U.S. 77 just north of Lyon Creek Road.&nbsp; The SUV left the roadway to the west, continued southbound in the ditch where it came to rest.

EMS transported Mercer&nbsp;Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills in Junction City. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man hospitalized in Junction City after SUV accident

The Food Pantry of Geary County moved to a new and larger facility at 700A West 7th Street in 2025. Director Debbie Johns observed, "I think the most amazing thing is seeing how the community supported the Food Pantry." That support came in the form of money and donations from churches and schools.

The new building doubled the size of the Food Pantry. In 2025 there was also a large increase in the number of people served. Some of that increase occurred during the federal government shutdown.

To obtain food clients need a photo ID, proof of Geary County residency and they need to fill out an intake form. If one of those items is missing there is an alternate way to get food. "They're always welcome to come to our food hub and get some items out of there,"said Johns, who added that no one is turned away without food.

In November the Food Pantry served 2,900 people and there were 382 new clients. A total of 652 children were served.

Due to the holidays the facility was closed Dec. 24 and will be Dec. 25 -26, along with Dec. 30-Jan..1. 

Normal hours during the week are Monday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. until noon, Tuesday from 5:30 -&nbsp; 6:30 p.m. and there is Fresh Food Friday at 9:45 a.m. until the food is gone. School Night at the Pantry is scheduled the first Thursday of the month when families can also get food.

Big year for the Food Pantry of Geary County

RILEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Riley County

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage driven by John Franklin&nbsp;Harris, 68, St. George, was northbound on Tuttle Creek Boulevard crossing the intersection of Bluemont Street. The car struck a pedestrian identified as Thalonda Marie&nbsp;Lashley, 45, Junction City,&nbsp;who was wearing dark clothing and walking north in the driving lane of Tuttle Creek Boulevard.

Lashley was transported to&nbsp;Via Christi-Manhattan where she was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Harris was not injured and properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RILEY COUNTY —The Kansas HIghway Patrol is investigating a fatal pedestrian accident that occurred just after 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Riley County.

The Patrol reported a vehicle was northbound on Tuttle Creek Boulevard crossing the intersection of Bluemont Street. The vehicle struck a pedestrian who was wearing dark clothing and walking north in the driving lane of Tuttle Creek Boulevard.

The Patrol released no additional details early Wednesday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KHP: Junction City woman killed after struck by a car 

The Army has announced Winter Holiday hours at Fort Riley Access Control Points and Visitor Control Center:

--VCC: Holiday hours 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Dec 24-26&nbsp;&nbsp;

Winter holiday hours for Fort Riley Access Control Points

DICKINSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Chevy Equinox driven by Benjamin John&nbsp;Shafer, 26, Abilene, was&nbsp;&nbsp;westbound on Kansas 18 one half mile east of Mink Road.

The SUV rear-ended a 2017 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;Hock, Matthew Warren Hock, 43, Abilene, who was&nbsp;slowing to turn north into a driveway.

EMS transported Shafer to Memorial Health System. Hock was not injured. Shafer was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man hospitalized after rear-end crash

Geary County officials have dealt with numerous topics in 2025, including the planning for a potential new jail. County Commission Chairman Keith Ascher noted that two options are under consideration but there has not been any final decision. "What do we need for an adequate jail that is safe for inmates, as well as safe for the employees, the staff?" The sites being considered are in the Ninth, Tenth and Franklin Street area in Junction City near the current jail site and County Office Building parking lot.

Ascher feels that a working group or task force from the public will probably be put together to help with the project. A bond issue could be necessary and the proposal would probably have to go to an election. He estimated that a&nbsp; jail could be finished in the 2029 - 2030&nbsp; time frame.

Other county highlights cited by Ascher for 2025 included the seating of&nbsp; Commissioner Kathy Tremont and Sheriff Nate Boeckman, completion of an updated comprehensive plan, the Sheriff's and Public Works Departments were nearly fully staffed, the annual county budget preparation and the beginning of the I-70 - K-18 interchange project.

There is also an effort to put cameras in public works equipment for safety and production. You will be able to see how the County is doing on snow removal, snow routes that have been bladed and where they're headed next.

Recapping 2025 for Geary County

DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT TO 11 AM CST WEDNESDAY...* 

Geary County Emergency Management passed along information from the National Weather Service. WHAT...Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, north central, and  northeast Kansas.* WHEN...From midnight Tuesday night to 11 AM CST Wednesday.* 

IMPACTS...Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...If driving, slow down, use your low beam headlights, and leaveplenty of distance ahead of you.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dense Fog Advisory

Due to cost increases with waste disposal, customers of the Geary County Transfer Station will see a price increase effective January 1, 2026. 

The County reported that the new tipping fee rate will be $76.00 per ton. The minimum fee of 500 pounds or less will increase to $19.00.The cost for commercial tree trimming companies for the disposal of trees and brush will remain the same at $15.00 per ton. One ton minimum.

Please contact their office if you have any questions at 785-238-3612 or visit our website at <a href="https://www.gearycounty.org/183/Transfer-Station?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExUVF0eWtJU2F2S0gyY3l6YXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5tsw26OzDNDc8JC14zhpyFpUYZ2IsEdRqupA7XBns34q2rpqr0POe-8xqEMA_aem__gpRSID8tXeP-J_53Pb5AQ" target="_blank">https://www.gearycounty.org/183/Transfer-Station</a> for more information&nbsp;&nbsp;

Price increase will go into effect at the Couny Transfer Station in 2026

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (Dec. 23, 2025) – To ensure patients receive timely care during the holiday season, Stormont Vail Health is adjusting hours for its Walk-in Services in Junction City, located inside the Flint Hills Rural Health Clinic, 1102 St. Marys Rd.. 

Modified 2025 Holiday Hours: • Christmas Eve (12/24): 8 a.m.–12 p.m. • Christmas Day (12/25): CLOSED • New Year’s Day (1/1): CLOSED Flint Hills Campus Lab Services • Christmas Eve (12/24): Regular business hours • Christmas Day (12/25): CLOSED • New Year’s Day (1/1): CLOSED Stormont Vail.

&nbsp;Stormont Vail encourages patients to plan ahead for their care needs. In case of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.&nbsp;

Stormont Vail Health Announces Holiday Hours for Flint Hills Campus Walk-in, Lab Services 

&nbsp;Donna Porter, Library Director

The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library will be closed December 24-26 as well as December 31st and January 1st for the winter holidays.

During the winter closing, the book drop attached to the wall on the north (parking lot) side of the building will remain open. As always, our digital library is open and patrons can checkout material with Libby and/or Hoopla, even when the library is closed.

Questions? Contact the Donna Porter, Library Director at 785-238-4311.

Dorothy Bramlage Public Library - Holiday Closure

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jonathan-j-cooper">JONATHAN J. COOPER</a>

The Mint abandoned designs developed during Joe Biden’s presidency that highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights advancements, favoring classical depictions of America over progress toward a more inclusive society.

A series of celebrations are planned next year under the banner America 250, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins show the year they were minted, but those made next year will also display 1776.

Trump, at least for now, isn’t getting a coin

No design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TreasurerBeach/status/1974156375891804229" target="_blank">one showcasing Trump was in the works</a>. A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.

By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.

Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.

The new designs depict classical Americana

New designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.

The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.

Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.

The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.

The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.

A half dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.

The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.

Prices for collectible coins were not released. The Mint sells a variety of noncirculating coins on its website, with a vast range of prices reflecting their rarity.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps founding, for example, a commemorative half dollar coin is available for $61, while a commemorative $5 gold coin goes for $1,262. Up to 750,000 copies of the former will be minted, but no more than 50,000 of the latter.

Congress authorized commemorative coins in 2021. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose designs depicting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights.

Those designs included depictions of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges, who was escorted to school by the National Guard at age 6 years amid opposition to racial integration at public schools.

Those designs represented “continued progress toward ‘a more perfect union,’” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, quoting a phrase from the preamble to the Constitution.

“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.

See the coins that will commemorate 250th anniversary of American independence

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Wednesday that it may need a “few more weeks” to release all of its records on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after suddenly discovering more than a million potentially relevant documents, further delaying compliance with last Friday’s congressionally mandated deadline.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here to see</a>&nbsp;the files and do a search

The Christmas Eve announcement came hours after a dozen U.S. senators called on the Justice Department’s watchdog to examine its failure to meet the deadline. The group, 11 Democrats and a Republican, told Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume in a letter that victims “deserve full disclosure” and the “peace of mind” of an independent audit.

The Justice Department said in a social media post that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI “have uncovered over a million more documents” that could be related to the Epstein case — a stunning 11th hour development after department officials suggested months ago that they had undertaken a comprehensive review that accounted for the vast universe of Epstein-related materials.

In March, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that a “truckload of evidence” had been delivered to her after she ordered the Justice Department to “deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office” — a directive she said she made after learning from an unidentified source that the FBI in New York was “in possession of thousands of pages of documents.”

In July, the FBI and Justice Department indicated in an unsigned memo that they had undertaken an “exhaustive review” and had determined that no additional evidence should be released — an extraordinary about face from the Trump administration, which for months had pledged maximum transparency. The memo did not raise the possibility that additional evidence existed that officials were unaware of or had not reviewed.

Wednesday’s post did not say when the Justice Department was informed of the newly uncovered files.

In a letter last week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Manhattan federal prosecutors already had more than 3.6 million records from sex trafficking investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, though many were copies of material already turned over by the FBI.

The Justice Department said its lawyers are “working around the clock” to review the documents and remove victims names and other identifying information as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that requires the government to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be">open its files</a>&nbsp;on Epstein and Maxwell.

“We will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.”

The announcement came amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-epstein-files-trump-nassar-justice-department-101ba03107c32ba88869bc37e1d01849">increasing scrutiny on the Justice Department’s staggered release</a>&nbsp;of Epstein-related records, including from Epstein victims and members of Congress.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, one of the chief authors of the law mandating the document release, posted Wednesday on X: “DOJ did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline.” Another architect of the law, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he and Massie will “continue to keep the pressure on” and noted that the Justice Department was releasing more documents after lawmakers threatened contempt.

“A Christmas Eve news dump of ‘a million more files’ only proves what we already know: Trump is engaged in a massive coverup,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after DOJ’s announcement. “The question Americans deserve answered is simple: WHAT are they hiding -- and WHY?”

The White House on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein records.

“President Trump has assembled the greatest cabinet in American history, which includes Attorney General Bondi and her team — like Deputy Attorney General Blanche — who are doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

After releasing an initial wave of records on Friday, the Justice Department posted more batches to its website over the weekend and on Tuesday. The Justice Department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.

Records that have been released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. Records that hadn’t been seen before include transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.

Other records made public in recent days include a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known and emails between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial “A.” They contain other references that suggest the writer was Britain’s former Prince Andrew. In one, “A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

The senators’ call Wednesday for an inspector general audit comes days after Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the disclosure and deadline requirements. In a statement, he called the staggered, heavily redacted release “a blatant cover-up.”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in leading the call for an inspector general audit. Others signing the letter were Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota., Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

“Given the (Trump) Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,” the senators wrote. Full transparency, they said, “is essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes.”

Sisak reported from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Why the DOJ says it needs a 'few more weeks' to finish release of Epstein files 

Missouri was already unlikely to ever collect a dime, legal experts agree, and the countersuit could expose U.S. assets to retaliation

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has cast news that she is being sued by the Chinese government as a badge of honor, pointing to the lawsuit as proof that her&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-wants-to-seize-chinese-assets-to-recover-24-billion-judgment-in-covid-case/">aggressive push to collect on a roughly $25 billion</a>&nbsp;court judgment tied to the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact.

But experts in international law say the lawsuit, filed in China earlier this year and announced last week by Hanaway, is more likely to do the opposite — making an already remote chance that Missouri will ever collect that money even slimmer, while potentially exposing U.S. assets abroad to retaliation.

Hanaway said last week in a news release that China is demanding a public apology from the state in a complaint filed in the Intermediate People’s Court of Wuhan, along with damages equivalent to $50.5 billion, legal fees and the right to seek additional compensation.

“This lawsuit is a stalling tactic and tells me that we have been on the right side of this issue all along,” Hanaway said.

The suit was filed after Missouri secured a default judgment earlier this year in a federal case alleging that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the early months of the pandemic. A judge ruled for Missouri after China declined to participate in the trial, awarding the state roughly $25 billion in damages.

Hanaway has since asked the U.S. State Department to notify China that Missouri intends to pursue assets with full or partial Chinese government ownership to satisfy the judgment. Her office is also assembling a list of Chinese properties that could be targeted, focusing on assets owned outright by the Chinese government or by companies in which it has a stake.

Legal scholars say those efforts face steep, and likely insurmountable, obstacles.

Chimène Keitner, director of the U.C. Davis Center for International Law &amp; Policy, said government-owned property is generally protected by sovereign immunity — meaning Chinese government assets in the United States are shielded from seizure, just as U.S. government property is protected abroad.

China’s countersuit, she said, also appears unlikely to result in any recovery. But it carries legal and diplomatic implications that could further complicate Missouri’s case.

International law recognizes a doctrine known as “countermeasures,” Keitner said, which allows a country to take actions it otherwise could not as a way of pressuring another country to comply with international law.

If the U.S. government were to authorize Missouri’s efforts to seize Chinese assets, she said, it could expose American property in China to reciprocal action.

“So if Missouri violates China’s sovereign immunity,” Keitner said, “China could have a good argument for doing the same thing — not just against Missouri, but against the United States as a whole.”

William Dodge, a law professor at George Washington University who specializes in international law a, said neither lawsuit “has a prayer of being enforced.”

Even if Missouri were allowed to pursue assets, Dodge said, the scope would be narrow. Only property owned by the defendants named in the lawsuit — including the Chinese government, the Communist Party of China, several national agencies, provincial and local governments around Wuhan and the Wuhan Institute of Virology — could potentially be targeted.

And the state would still have to show that those specific entities were involved in hoarding personal protective equipment, he said.

Dodge, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://tlblog.org/author/william-dodge/" target="_blank">written extensively about Missouri’s lawsuit and a similar effort in Mississippi</a>, agreed that China’s complaint further reduces the already slim likelihood that Missouri will be able to collect because it raises the risk of retaliation.

“China’s law has a reciprocity provision,” he said. “It basically says that if a foreign country gives China less immunity than Chinese law provides, China can respond by giving that foreign country less immunity. In other words: whatever the U.S. does to us, we can do to them.”

U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh initially dismissed Missouri’s lawsuit in 2022, ruling that the state could not sue China. An appeals court later allowed one claim to proceed — the allegation that China hoarded items such as respirator masks, medical gowns and gloves.

After Chinese officials failed to respond, Limbaugh accepted Missouri’s estimate of past and future damages of more than $8 billion, tripled it as federal law allows, and added 3.91% interest until the judgment is paid.

In an emailed statement last month, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said China’s pandemic response involved “acts of national sovereignty” that are not subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

China will not pay, Liu said, and “will retaliate if necessary.”

The lawsuit filed in China accuses Missouri of “fabricating enormous disinformation” and spreading “stigmatizing and discriminating slanders” that it says have damaged China’s reputation.

“We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court,” she said.

Neither side’s claims are likely to result in any tangible recovery, Keitner said, leaving the dispute largely symbolic.

“Unfortunately, this all seems to be a lot of unhelpful political theater,” she said, “with no clear off-ramp for either side to save face.”

China’s lawsuit makes Missouri’s $25 billion COVID judgment even harder to collect

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. —A Jackson County sheriff's deputy struck by a car while investigating an accident was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve, according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'. 

Just after 6p.m. December 17, a 2012 Mercedes driven by a 69-year-old Lee's Summit woman was southbound at South Buckner Tarsney at E. Ryan Road. The vehicle traveled into the crash scene and struck the the 53-year-old deputy, according to the MSHP.

Central Jackson County EMS transported the deputy to Centerpoint Medical Center where he underwnt several medical procedures.

"He’s in good spirits, has a positive mindset, and is expected to fully recover.&nbsp; He’s blessed to be surrounded by a caring family," according to Forte'

Merry Christmas: Deputy struck by a car released from hospital

The Powerball® jackpot has been won in Arkansas, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. A single ticket sold in Arkansas matched all six numbers drawn last night to win a $1.817 billion jackpot. The jackpot has a cash option of $834.9 million.

The winning numbers in the Wednesday, Dec. 24 Powerball drawing were white balls 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and red Powerball 19. The Power Play® multiplier was 2.

With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot reached $1.817 billion, making it the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won and the largest Powerball prize this year.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak – every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”

This marks the second time the Powerball® jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas; the first was in 2010.

The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $1.817 billion or a lump sump payment of $834.9 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many tickets won cash prizes in last night’s drawing.

Nationwide, eight tickets matched all five white balls. The winning Match 5 tickets were sold in California, Indiana, Michigan, New York (2), Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The Match 5 prize is a set cash prize of $1 million except in California, where prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

The drawing also produced 114 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 31 tickets that won $100,000 prizes.

In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets sold in Colorado and South Carolina won $500,000 prizes after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. The Double Play drawing is live streamed on<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">&nbsp;Powerball.com</a>&nbsp;following the main Powerball drawing.

Last night’s Powerball drawing was the 47th in the jackpot run – a game record for the most drawings in a jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was previously won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.

For the next drawing on Saturday night, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million. The Power Play® 10X multiplier will be available for play since the advertised jackpot is below $150 million.

Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

Single ticket wins $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging two Indian nationals with allegedly defrauding a victim while posing as federal law enforcement officials.&nbsp;

According to court documents, Venkateswara Reddy Chagamreddy, 27, of San Antonio, Texas, and Sai Praveen Kommana, 29, of Frisco, Texas, were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of interference with commerce by threat.

From May 2025 through September 2025, Chagamreddy and Kommana are accused of conspiring with others to defraud a victim in Kansas. The members of this conspiracy posed as agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They allegedly convinced the individual to purchase $255,287 in gold and give it them, falsely thinking it was going to a government agency for safe keeping.

The members of this conspiracy, including the indicted men, allegedly primarily target elderly retired individuals, falsely asserting they are with a government agency and telling victims that their identity has been compromised in ways that could result in jail time and major financial loss for victims. Prosecutors accuse the members of this conspiracy of convincing victims to transfer their assets, primarily in gold, to the federal government to protect themselves against further crimes.

The FBI will never call, email or otherwise contact private citizens to demand payment, threaten arrest, or request personal or sensitive information. Fraud can be reported via<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/home">&nbsp;tips.fbi.gov&nbsp;</a>or 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI encourages people who have been victims of internet crimes and/or financial fraud and schemes to report via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/">ic3.gov</a>.&nbsp;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a&nbsp;

2 accused of posing as FBI agents to scam Kansans

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after&nbsp; 7:00 a.m. Dec. 18, a Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives served a search warrant at the residence of 16399 R. Road, just north of the City of Mayetta, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse. In October law enforcement responded to a shooting at the same address.

 The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received information late Tuesday evening reporting a domestic altercation and criminal damage to a vehicle at the location.&nbsp; On Wednesday, deputies served the search warrant taking two men into custody.

Deputies arrested 22-year-old Cody M. Smith and 21-year-old Cole Alexander Thompson both of Mayetta.

Deputies seized cocaine and weapons from the residence. Smith was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thompson was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

Sheriff: Suspects were selling cocaine from Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 33-year-old Johntrel L Vickers, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

just before 4:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the intersection of Admiral and Paseo on a reported shooting, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

First responders found Vickers lying in the street near the intersection, unresponsive, and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene&nbsp; and pronounced him deceased.

There is no preliminary information indicating what led up to the shooting and a subject of interest has not been identified.

Police ID homicide victim found on Kansas City street

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed higher and reached more records Wednesday on a holiday-shortened trading day.

The S&amp;P 500 index rose 22.26 points, or 0.3%, to 6,932.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 288.75, or 0.6%, to close at 48,731.16, and the Nasdaq composite added 51.46, or 0.2%, to 23,613.31

Trading was extremely light as markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will be closed for Christmas Thursday. Roughly 1.8 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, which is roughly a third of the average trading day.

Markets will reopen for a full day of trading on Friday; however volumes are expected to remain light this week with most investors having closed out their positions for the year.

The S&amp;P 500 is up more than 17%&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-bonds-crypto-tariffs-ai-539ae5ec338d19f52116e97d38300c28">this year</a>, as investors have embraced the deregulatory policies of the Trump administration and been optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence in helping boost profits for not only technology companies but also for Corporate America. Some of the strongest performers this year include Nvidia and Micron Technologies, both companies that make chips or other components that power the proliferation of data centers across the country.

Much of the focus for investors for the next few weeks will be on where the U.S. economy is heading and where the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-economy-inflation-jobs-442de589de9b99bb811f76e402b00948">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;will move interest rates. Investors are betting the Fed will hold steady on interest rates at its January meeting.

The U.S. economy grew at a surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the most rapid expansion in two years, driven by consumers who continue to spend in the face of ongoing inflation. There have also been recent reports showing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-55a603a497c5885745b87de8fc5f7821">shaky confidence among consumers</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-economy-inflation-groceries-costs-trump-affordability-d27635d279b27e5e2c19700c006ebb1d">worried about high prices</a>. The labor market&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-economy-trump-unemployment-federal-reserve-cf1280a8466d92fbbc1b5ace7b80bffc">has been slowing</a>&nbsp;and retail sales&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-industry-inflation-cd9c68bb96ea0f1bfc6a3c0be6be1a90">have weakened</a>.

The number of Americans applying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-ba15107bd53911c23c1a694c3dd09f18">unemployment benefits</a>&nbsp;fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels despite some signs that the labor market is weakening.

U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 20 fell by 10,000 to 214,000 from the previous week’s 224,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. That’s below the 232,000 new applications forecast of analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.

Dynavax Technologies soared 38.2% after Sanofi said it was acquiring the California-based vaccine maker in a deal worth $2.2 billion. The French drugmaker will add Dynavax’s hepatitis B vaccines to its portfolio, as well as a shingles vaccine that is still in development.

Novo Nordisk's shares rose 1.8% after the weight-loss drug company got approval from U.S. regulators for a pill version of its blockbuster drug Wegovy. However, Novo Nordisk shares are still down almost 40% this year as the company has faced increased competition for weight-loss medications, particularly from Eli Lilly. Shares of Eli Lilly are up 40% this year.

European markets moved between slight gains and losses. Asian markets were also quiet, with Hong Kong moving up 0.2% while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.1%

US stocks drift to more records on a holiday-shortened day of trading

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/john-hanna">JOHN HANNA</a> Associated Press

The University of Oklahoma has fired an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/university-oklahoma-gender-bible-essay-demonic-0fd51985c123737cd372ba609b730541">a failing grade</a>&nbsp;on a psychology paper in which she cited the Bible and argued that promoting a “belief in multiple genders” was “demonic.”

The university said in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/UofOklahoma/status/2003209457195741653" target="_blank">a statement</a>&nbsp;posted Monday on X that its investigation found the graduate teaching assistant had been “arbitrary” in giving 20-year-old junior Samantha Fulnecky zero points on the assignment. The university declined to comment beyond its statement, which said the instructor had been removed from teaching.

Through her attorney, the instructor, Mel Curth, denied Tuesday that she had “engaged in any arbitrary behavior regarding the student’s work.” The attorney, Brittany Stewart, said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press that Curth is “considering all of her legal remedies.”

Conservative groups, commentators and others quickly made Fulnecky’s failing grade an online cause, highlighting her argument that she’d been punished for expressing conservative Christian views. Her case became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over academic freedom on college campuses as President Donald Trump pushes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-critical-race-theory-colleges-diversity-db8317ad37931558dd5a396cf5ab3d42">end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives</a>, and restrict how campuses discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-compact-higher-education-trump-b883cf9c23eaed7ee1ba9819430d33d8">race, gender and sexuality.</a>

Fulnecky appealed her grade on the assignment, which was worth 3% of the final grade in the class, and the university said the assignment would not count. It also placed Curth on leave, and Oklahoma’s conservative Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, declared the situation “deeply concerning.

“The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in both its faculty’s rights to teach with academic freedom and integrity and its students’ right to receive an education that is free from a lecturer’s impermissible evaluative standards,” the university’s statement said. “We are committed to teaching students how to think, not what to think.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-dei-education-379c55d6a9487381d48d8450a639bd13">A law approved this year</a>&nbsp;by Oklahoma’s Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Stitt prohibits state universities from using public funds to finance DEI programs or positions or mandating DEI training. However, the law says it does not apply to scholarly research or “the academic freedom of any individual faculty member.”

Home telephone listings for Fulnecky in the Springfield, Missouri, area had been disconnected, and her mother — an attorney, podcaster and radio host — did not immediately respond Tuesday to a Facebook message seeking comment about the university’s action.

Fulnecky’s failing grade came in an assignment for a psychology class on lifespan development. Curth directed students to write a 650-word response to an academic study that examined whether conformity with gender norms was associated with popularity or bullying among middle school students.

Fulnecky wrote that she was frustrated by the premise of the assignment because she does not believe that there are more than two genders based on her understanding of the Bible, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qxnVi_yaJ-Fb9u1-A1Vy2vQT3Aiw8Nix/preview" target="_blank">a copy of her essay</a>&nbsp;provided&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/education/2025/11/25/ou-oklahoma-samantha-fulnecky-read-essay-gender-bible/87463858007/" target="_blank">to The Oklahoman</a>.

“Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth,” she wrote, adding that it would lead society “farther from God’s original plan for humans.”

In feedback obtained by the newspaper, Curth said the paper did “not answer the questions for the assignment,” contradicted itself, relied on “personal ideology” over evidence and “is at times offensive.”

“Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs,” Curth wrote.

OU instructor fired after giving failing grade to a Bible-based essay on gender

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tre White and Flory Bidunga each had 18 points and eight rebounds as No. 17 Kansas used balanced scoring to beat Davidson 90-61 on Monday night.

Six players finished in double figures for the Jayhawks (10-3), including all five starters. Bryson Tiller added 11 points and Jamari McDowell scored 10. Melvin Council Jr. had 10 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Kohl Rosario provided 13 points off the bench as Kansas shot 58% from the field, including 11 for 21 (52%) on 3-pointers. The Jayhawks had 27 assists on 37 baskets and outrebounded Davidson 42-31. White nabbed four of the team's 13 steals.

Roberts Blums was the only player in double figures for the Wildcats (8-4) with 13 points off the bench. Davidson was limited to 36% shooting from the floor and went 2 for 6 at the free-throw line.

Kansas played its second consecutive game without Darryn Peterson. The freshman star, who missed seven straight games earlier this season due to injury, is averaging 25 points in four games.

Kansas led by 19 before Davidson went on a 10-2 run to trim it to 36-25. The Wildcats hit six straight shots during one stretch, though they never cut the deficit to single digits. When White hit his fourth 3 of the first half, the lead was back up to 46-26.

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