KANSAS CITY —A man already serving time in the Kansas Department of corrections is facing new charges in connection with two fatal fentanyl overdoses that took place in 2023.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2750/Esparza-Redacted-Complaint-1">Angel B. Esparza</a>, 32,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Felony Murder, one count of 1st Degree Involuntary Manslaughter, and one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2749/Esparza-Redacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, two coworkers died from fentanyl overdoses in October 2023—one in their Lee’s Summit residence and another in their Belton residence.&nbsp;

The Jackson County Drug Task Force has led the investigation of the deaths over the past couple years, leading to the identification of Esparza.

Detectives found paraphernalia at the first victim’s home which tested positive for fentanyl. &nbsp;They also found messages between the victims indicating the use of fentanyl.

In 2024, detectives found Facebook messages and Cash App records indicating the defendant sold fentanyl to the second victim the night before the first victim’s death. Additional Facebook messages revealed the defendant had sold drugs, including fentanyl, to other individuals as well.&nbsp;

The defendant is currently serving a prison sentence in the Kansas Department of Corrections for an unrelated conviction. Esparza has seven previous convictions in Kansas. His bond has been set at $250,000.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761594937474.png" alt="Esparza photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
                        <figcaption>Esparza photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —A man already serving time in the Kansas Department of corrections is facing new charges in connection with two fatal fentanyl overdoses that took place in 2023.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2750/Esparza-Redacted-Complaint-1">Angel B. Esparza</a>, 32,&nbsp;faces one count of 2nd Degree Felony Murder, one count of 1st Degree Involuntary Manslaughter, and one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.</p><p><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2749/Esparza-Redacted-Probable-Cause-2">According to court records</a>, two coworkers died from fentanyl overdoses in October 2023—one in their Lee’s Summit residence and another in their Belton residence.&nbsp;</p><p>The Jackson County Drug Task Force has led the investigation of the deaths over the past couple years, leading to the identification of Esparza.</p><p>Detectives found paraphernalia at the first victim’s home which tested positive for fentanyl. &nbsp;They also found messages between the victims indicating the use of fentanyl.</p><p>In 2024, detectives found Facebook messages and Cash App records indicating the defendant sold fentanyl to the second victim the night before the first victim’s death. Additional Facebook messages revealed the defendant had sold drugs, including fentanyl, to other individuals as well.&nbsp;</p><p>The defendant is currently serving a prison sentence in the Kansas Department of Corrections for an unrelated conviction. Esparza has seven previous convictions in Kansas. His bond has been set at $250,000.</p>

Man in Kansas prison accused of fentanyl deaths in 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is forging ahead with plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-public-service-changes-trump-69243c5b83f3fe42c56744004a1a27fe" rel="nofollow">eject some nonprofits</a>&nbsp;from a popular student loan forgiveness program if their work is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose” — a move that could cut off some teachers, doctors and other public workers from federal loan cancellation.

New rules finalized Thursday give the Education Department expanded power to ban organizations from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The Trump administration said it’s necessary to block taxpayer money from lawbreakers. Critics say it turns the program into a tool of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-public-service-trump-145f6a07a477e5c82f4374bc89e1eea7" rel="nofollow">political retribution</a>.

Set to take effect in July, the policy is aimed primarily at organizations that work with immigrants and transgender youth.

It grants the education secretary power to exclude groups from the program if they engage in activities including the trafficking or “chemical castration” of children, illegal immigration and supporting terrorist organizations. “Chemical castration” is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty — gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens.

It amounts to a major reworking of a program that has canceled loans for more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-debt-774b0ee69f911f68f646a066031ee604" rel="nofollow">1 million Americans</a>&nbsp;and was created by Congress in 2007 to steer more college graduates into lower-paying public sector jobs. The Trump administration has yet to identify specific groups it intends to target, but it estimates fewer than 10 would be barred per year.

The program “was meant to support Americans who dedicate their careers to public service – not to subsidize organizations that violate the law, whether by harboring illegal immigrants or performing prohibited medical procedures that attempt to transition children away from their biological sex,” Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said in a statement.

The legal nonprofit Student Defense said it will sue to challenge the rules, arguing the administration is illegally “punishing public servants for their employers’ perceived political views.”

The program has rewarded a wide range of public service careers

The program promises to cancel federal student loans for government employees and many nonprofit workers after they have made 10 years of payments. It has long been open to government workers, teachers, firefighters and employees of public hospitals. Eligibility rules laid out by Congress focus mostly on nonprofits’ tax status and their field of work.

The benefit has gone to workers at organizations across the political spectrum. Yet in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-service-student-loan-forgiveness-trump-457a24f8dba3c52dfe58f1e72ba61fa4" rel="nofollow">March action</a>&nbsp;demanding new limits, President Donald Trump said it has “misdirected tax dollars into activist organizations that not only fail to serve the public interest, but actually harm our national security and American values, sometimes through criminal means.”

A central concern of critics is the wide latitude the department is giving itself to determine if an organization’s work should be considered to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”

Employers across state and local government as well as nonprofits can be expelled from the program if a state or federal court rules against them, or if they agree to a legal settlement that includes admission of guilt. Performing gender-affirming care in the 27 states that outlaw it, for example, appears to be grounds for expulsion.

Even without a legal finding, the education secretary will be able to independently determine that an organization should be barred. The secretary would weigh whether the “preponderance of the evidence” leans against the employer.

The department dismissed concerns from many who said that bar is too low.

“It ensures decisions are grounded in fact, not speculation, and allows the Department to act promptly to protect both borrowers and taxpayers,” federal officials wrote.

Critics see an opening for decisions based on ideology

Among those opposing the proposal were prominent associations in higher education, health care and legal professions. In public comments submitted to the department, many called it an illegal overstep and said it would undermine an incentive that has helped address work shortages in high-demand fields.

The American Bar Association said it could decrease the ranks of public defenders and those in public interest law. Thousands of people will lose access to representation, the association said, “simply because those attorneys’ jobs were deemed politically unfavorable by the Secretary.”

The National Council of Nonprofits said the policy would allow future administrations from any political party to change eligibility rules “based on their own priorities or ideology.”

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the overhaul will prevent taxpayers from covering loan relief for employees at “radical organizations that violate state and federal laws.”

Under the new rules, employers can only be sanctioned for activities that take place on or after July 1, 2026. Those barred from the program can reapply for eligibility after 10 years or rejoin sooner if they follow a “corrective action plan” approved by the secretary.

Documents from the department indicate that a single violation of the law may or may not be enough to get an employer barred, depending on the circumstances. Not all organizations that break the law have a “substantial illegal purpose,” the agency said, and it ultimately comes down to the secretary’s analysis of the evidence.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753487786830.png" alt=". (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)" />
                        <figcaption>. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is forging ahead with plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-public-service-changes-trump-69243c5b83f3fe42c56744004a1a27fe" rel="nofollow">eject some nonprofits</a>&nbsp;from a popular student loan forgiveness program if their work is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose” — a move that could cut off some teachers, doctors and other public workers from federal loan cancellation.</p><p>New rules finalized Thursday give the Education Department expanded power to ban organizations from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The Trump administration said it’s necessary to block taxpayer money from lawbreakers. Critics say it turns the program into a tool of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-public-service-trump-145f6a07a477e5c82f4374bc89e1eea7" rel="nofollow">political retribution</a>.</p><p>Set to take effect in July, the policy is aimed primarily at organizations that work with immigrants and transgender youth.</p><p>It grants the education secretary power to exclude groups from the program if they engage in activities including the trafficking or “chemical castration” of children, illegal immigration and supporting terrorist organizations. “Chemical castration” is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty — gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens.</p><p>It amounts to a major reworking of a program that has canceled loans for more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-debt-774b0ee69f911f68f646a066031ee604" rel="nofollow">1 million Americans</a>&nbsp;and was created by Congress in 2007 to steer more college graduates into lower-paying public sector jobs. The Trump administration has yet to identify specific groups it intends to target, but it estimates fewer than 10 would be barred per year.</p><p>The program “was meant to support Americans who dedicate their careers to public service – not to subsidize organizations that violate the law, whether by harboring illegal immigrants or performing prohibited medical procedures that attempt to transition children away from their biological sex,” Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said in a statement.</p><p>The legal nonprofit Student Defense said it will sue to challenge the rules, arguing the administration is illegally “punishing public servants for their employers’ perceived political views.”</p><h2>The program has rewarded a wide range of public service careers</h2><p>The program promises to cancel federal student loans for government employees and many nonprofit workers after they have made 10 years of payments. It has long been open to government workers, teachers, firefighters and employees of public hospitals. Eligibility rules laid out by Congress focus mostly on nonprofits’ tax status and their field of work.</p><p>The benefit has gone to workers at organizations across the political spectrum. Yet in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-service-student-loan-forgiveness-trump-457a24f8dba3c52dfe58f1e72ba61fa4" rel="nofollow">March action</a>&nbsp;demanding new limits, President Donald Trump said it has “misdirected tax dollars into activist organizations that not only fail to serve the public interest, but actually harm our national security and American values, sometimes through criminal means.”</p><p>A central concern of critics is the wide latitude the department is giving itself to determine if an organization’s work should be considered to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”</p><p>Employers across state and local government as well as nonprofits can be expelled from the program if a state or federal court rules against them, or if they agree to a legal settlement that includes admission of guilt. Performing gender-affirming care in the 27 states that outlaw it, for example, appears to be grounds for expulsion.</p><p>Even without a legal finding, the education secretary will be able to independently determine that an organization should be barred. The secretary would weigh whether the “preponderance of the evidence” leans against the employer.</p><p>The department dismissed concerns from many who said that bar is too low.</p><p>“It ensures decisions are grounded in fact, not speculation, and allows the Department to act promptly to protect both borrowers and taxpayers,” federal officials wrote.</p><h2>Critics see an opening for decisions based on ideology</h2><p>Among those opposing the proposal were prominent associations in higher education, health care and legal professions. In public comments submitted to the department, many called it an illegal overstep and said it would undermine an incentive that has helped address work shortages in high-demand fields.</p><p>The American Bar Association said it could decrease the ranks of public defenders and those in public interest law. Thousands of people will lose access to representation, the association said, “simply because those attorneys’ jobs were deemed politically unfavorable by the Secretary.”</p><p>The National Council of Nonprofits said the policy would allow future administrations from any political party to change eligibility rules “based on their own priorities or ideology.”</p><p>Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the overhaul will prevent taxpayers from covering loan relief for employees at “radical organizations that violate state and federal laws.”</p><p>Under the new rules, employers can only be sanctioned for activities that take place on or after July 1, 2026. Those barred from the program can reapply for eligibility after 10 years or rejoin sooner if they follow a “corrective action plan” approved by the secretary.</p><p>Documents from the department indicate that a single violation of the law may or may not be enough to get an employer barred, depending on the circumstances. Not all organizations that break the law have a “substantial illegal purpose,” the agency said, and it ultimately comes down to the secretary’s analysis of the evidence.</p><p>___</p>

New rule bars student loan relief for public workers tied to ‘illegal’ activity

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Kelvin Burgett, 28, Prescott Valley, Arizona was sentenced Thursday in Sedgwick County District Court for the 2022 vehicular crash that resulted in the death of Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Sidnee Carter.

Judge William Woolley sentenced Burgett to 3 and one half year or&nbsp; 42 months in prison after previously pleading no contest to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter while driving under the influence of THC.

In October of 2022, a&nbsp;2016 Dodge Charger driven by Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Sidnee Carter, 22, Bel Aire, was southbound on 135th Street at 29th Street north one mile west of Northwest Wichita and Maize responding to a disturbance, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.

A westbound 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Burgett failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the drivers side of the Dodge Charger, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Deputy Carter was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Burgett to a local hospital.

Deputy Carter had only worked in the field alone for a week, according to Sheriff Easter. She began field training in the summer of 2022 and completed that training Oct. 1.&nbsp;

Deputy Carter had served the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office for one and a half years in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility before transferring to the Law Enforcement Bureau in February 2022. She graduated the Law Enforcement Academy on July 21, 2022.&nbsp;

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Woolley also ordered Burgett to serve 36 months of post-release supervision.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680091672733.png" alt="Burgett-photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Burgett-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Kelvin Burgett, 28, Prescott Valley, Arizona was sentenced Thursday in Sedgwick County District Court for the 2022 vehicular crash that resulted in the death of Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Sidnee Carter.</p><p>Judge William Woolley sentenced Burgett to 3 and one half year or&nbsp; 42 months in prison after previously pleading no contest to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter while driving under the influence of THC.</p><p>In October of 2022, a&nbsp;2016 Dodge Charger driven by Sedgwick County Sheriff's Deputy Sidnee Carter, 22, Bel Aire, was southbound on 135th Street at 29th Street north one mile west of Northwest Wichita and Maize responding to a disturbance, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.</p><p>A westbound 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Burgett failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the drivers side of the Dodge Charger, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.</p><p>Deputy Carter was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Burgett to a local hospital.</p><p>Deputy Carter had only worked in the field alone for a week, according to Sheriff Easter. She began field training in the summer of 2022 and completed that training Oct. 1.&nbsp;</p><p>Deputy Carter had served the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office for one and a half years in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility before transferring to the Law Enforcement Bureau in February 2022. She graduated the Law Enforcement Academy on July 21, 2022.&nbsp;</p><p>During the sentencing hearing, Judge Woolley also ordered Burgett to serve 36 months of post-release supervision.</p>

Prison for man in DUI crash that killed Kansas Deputy

KANSAS CITY — A Kansas City area teen is facing charges for bringing a loaded gun to a school.

On Tuesday, a Belton Police Department School Resource Officer received information regarding a student bringing a firearm to night courses, according to a media release from Belton Police. The school resource officer team developed a plan to stop the student before he could enter the Scott School, 310 S Scott Avenue, in Belton for his night classes. 

 At 4p.m., a School Resource Officer observed this student identified as 18-year-old Cameron Kopfer of Belton arriving at the school and heading toward the entrance.  Officers stopped him without incident before he could enter the school, at which time he was detained for further investigation.   The investigation revealed a loaded pistol in the student’s backpack. 

Kopfer was arrested and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold. On Wednesday, the Cass County Prosecutor's Office charged Kopfer with one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class E Felony) with a cash only bond of $10,000.

The Belton School District and the Belton Police Department place the safety of our students, teachers and school staff as our highest priority.  We are grateful for the courage of an individual to report a tip in hopes of preventing a more tragic outcome. This tip directly resulted in keeping a firearm out of a public school.If you see something......SAY SOMETHING!!!!

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761840189479.png" alt="Kopfer photo Belton Police" />
                        <figcaption>Kopfer photo Belton Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY — A Kansas City area teen is facing charges for bringing a loaded gun to a school.</p><p>On Tuesday, a Belton Police Department School Resource Officer received information regarding a student bringing a firearm to night courses, according to a media release from Belton Police. The school resource officer team developed a plan to stop the student before he could enter the Scott School, 310 S Scott Avenue, in Belton for his night classes. </p><p> At 4p.m., a School Resource Officer observed this student identified as 18-year-old Cameron Kopfer of Belton arriving at the school and heading toward the entrance.  Officers stopped him without incident before he could enter the school, at which time he was detained for further investigation.   The investigation revealed a loaded pistol in the student’s backpack. </p><p>Kopfer was arrested and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold. On Wednesday, the Cass County Prosecutor's Office charged Kopfer with one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Class E Felony) with a cash only bond of $10,000.</p><p>The Belton School District and the Belton Police Department place the safety of our students, teachers and school staff as our highest priority.  We are grateful for the courage of an individual to report a tip in hopes of preventing a more tragic outcome. This tip directly resulted in keeping a firearm out of a public school.If you see something......SAY SOMETHING!!!!</p>

Student arrested after classmate reports loaded gun at school

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a><br><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"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA — A recent report examining the Kansas foster care agency’s performance in 2024 improved from last year, the agency head said, but one region is especially struggling to meet expectations.

The agency’s annual progress is measured by benchmarks outlined in a 2021 federal court settlement that holds the state to certain promises, including lowering the number of times a child is moved, eliminating overnight stays in offices and offering timely mental health services. A neutral third party released&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/wake-up-call-kansas-foster-care-system-makes-minimal-progress-toward-promises-made-in-court/">the report analyzing 2024’s progress</a>&nbsp;in September.

Laura Howard, secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said at a Monday committee hearing in Topeka that improvement plans look different in each part of the state.

“We can’t just look at the aggregate,” she said. “We have to look at what’s happening in each area in each part of the state. What’s going well? What still needs to improve?”

Five private foster care providers serve eight areas in Kansas, and those organizations are also bound by the requirements of the settlement agreement. One in four Kansas kids in foster care lives in Sedgwick County, which is now served by EmberHope Connections after it replaced Saint Francis Ministries in 2024.

That county, which is home to Wichita, has had the most significant struggles in meeting the settlement requirements.&nbsp;

In 2024, 100 kids experienced more than 200 instances of spending nights in unsuitable places, such as offices. About 83% of those instances were in the Wichita area. It is the only region in the state that continues to have significant issues with placement, Howard said.

The state will no longer be monitored for one metric that ensures placements don’t exceed a home’s licensed capacity. It also improved in decreasing the number of children who had delayed mental health services, but still hasn’t met the settlement’s benchmark.

The one outcome the state did not improve upon was the failure to place measure, which refers to a child sleeping in an office, hotel or other unlicensed setting.

“While we’re seeing progress, and this is definitely a better report than last year’s report, where we saw some declines in performance, it’s just important that we continue to really place the focus on plans for improvement,” Howard said.

Brenda Watkins, president of EmberHope, said her organization is facing three main challenges: high acuity children, the rising cost of liability insurance and struggles to recruit and retain a qualified workforce.

Other Kansas organizations said the same thing at Monday’s hearing, and Watkins said other states are facing similar issues.

In Sedgwick County, EmberHope struggles to find placements for children because, often, no placements are available, Watkins said.

“Truly, there is no placement,” she said.

That means either no beds exist or households and facilities are not willing or able to take a child, she said.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/03/as-foster-care-system-continues-to-lag-sedgwick-county-sounds-alarm-on-placement-crisis/">One 6-year-old boy spent 48 nights in an EmberHope office</a>&nbsp;and 40 nights in a hospital in a three-month span.

“He has been wrapped around with community services and supports to meet his needs,” Watkins said.

The boy, who was eventually diagnosed with a neurological condition, has been living in a residential psychiatric treatment facility and is expected to soon be discharged into a therapeutic foster home, Watkins said.

“When the system comes together across the shared parts to share the client that we serve, which is the child and the family, we can be very successful,” she said. “However, that doesn’t happen all the time, and we do need to continue to increase our focus on how we can coordinate care (and) achieve better outcomes for kids in care.”

In fiscal year 2025, which stretches from July 2024 to June 2025, EmberHope had 450 total instances of failure to place in Sedgwick County. In the first four months of the 2026 fiscal year, there have been 527 instances among 75 children, Watkins said.

Organizations are required under the terms of the settlement agreement to end all instances of failure to place by February 2026.

Watkins said the situation in Sedgwick County is at a crisis level. She described “pandemonium,” staff and child injuries and security troubles. One security company fired EmberHope, and off-duty Wichita Police Department officers now help in place of private security guards.

Watkins was among several organization representatives who asked legislators for help in covering the rising cost of liability insurance.

The cost of liability insurance for Cornerstones of Care, which serves foster children in the Kansas City region, is going up 131% in 2026 compared to 2025, said Justin Horton, the chief programs and innovation officer for the organization. Compared to 2022 costs, it is up 235%.

The issue is not unique to Kansas, he said.

“But, nonetheless, if you license foster homes, if you case manage foster homes, (if) you run a residential facility — and I check all three of those boxes — it’s very costly,” Horton said.

Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat, speculated that finding liability insurance carriers willing to cover foster care organizations was also an issue. Horton affirmed.

“I would hate to see insurance dictate how we serve our kids,” Ruiz said, “but it seems like in this kind of scenario, that’s what we’re looking at.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761841195839.png" alt=" Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard, speaking here at a June 10, 2025, hearing before the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, is in charge of overseeing the state’s five foster care contractors, which are subject to the terms of a federal settlement. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard, speaking here at a June 10, 2025, hearing before the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, is in charge of overseeing the state’s five foster care contractors, which are subject to the terms of a federal settlement. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a><br><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"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA — A recent report examining the Kansas foster care agency’s performance in 2024 improved from last year, the agency head said, but one region is especially struggling to meet expectations.</p><p>The agency’s annual progress is measured by benchmarks outlined in a 2021 federal court settlement that holds the state to certain promises, including lowering the number of times a child is moved, eliminating overnight stays in offices and offering timely mental health services. A neutral third party released&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/22/wake-up-call-kansas-foster-care-system-makes-minimal-progress-toward-promises-made-in-court/">the report analyzing 2024’s progress</a>&nbsp;in September.</p><p>Laura Howard, secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said at a Monday committee hearing in Topeka that improvement plans look different in each part of the state.</p><p>“We can’t just look at the aggregate,” she said. “We have to look at what’s happening in each area in each part of the state. What’s going well? What still needs to improve?”</p><p>Five private foster care providers serve eight areas in Kansas, and those organizations are also bound by the requirements of the settlement agreement. One in four Kansas kids in foster care lives in Sedgwick County, which is now served by EmberHope Connections after it replaced Saint Francis Ministries in 2024.</p><p>That county, which is home to Wichita, has had the most significant struggles in meeting the settlement requirements.&nbsp;</p><p>In 2024, 100 kids experienced more than 200 instances of spending nights in unsuitable places, such as offices. About 83% of those instances were in the Wichita area. It is the only region in the state that continues to have significant issues with placement, Howard said.</p><p>The state will no longer be monitored for one metric that ensures placements don’t exceed a home’s licensed capacity. It also improved in decreasing the number of children who had delayed mental health services, but still hasn’t met the settlement’s benchmark.</p><p>The one outcome the state did not improve upon was the failure to place measure, which refers to a child sleeping in an office, hotel or other unlicensed setting.</p><p>“While we’re seeing progress, and this is definitely a better report than last year’s report, where we saw some declines in performance, it’s just important that we continue to really place the focus on plans for improvement,” Howard said.</p><p>Brenda Watkins, president of EmberHope, said her organization is facing three main challenges: high acuity children, the rising cost of liability insurance and struggles to recruit and retain a qualified workforce.</p><p>Other Kansas organizations said the same thing at Monday’s hearing, and Watkins said other states are facing similar issues.</p><p>In Sedgwick County, EmberHope struggles to find placements for children because, often, no placements are available, Watkins said.</p><p>“Truly, there is no placement,” she said.</p><p>That means either no beds exist or households and facilities are not willing or able to take a child, she said.</p><p><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/03/as-foster-care-system-continues-to-lag-sedgwick-county-sounds-alarm-on-placement-crisis/">One 6-year-old boy spent 48 nights in an EmberHope office</a>&nbsp;and 40 nights in a hospital in a three-month span.</p><p>“He has been wrapped around with community services and supports to meet his needs,” Watkins said.</p><p>The boy, who was eventually diagnosed with a neurological condition, has been living in a residential psychiatric treatment facility and is expected to soon be discharged into a therapeutic foster home, Watkins said.</p><p>“When the system comes together across the shared parts to share the client that we serve, which is the child and the family, we can be very successful,” she said. “However, that doesn’t happen all the time, and we do need to continue to increase our focus on how we can coordinate care (and) achieve better outcomes for kids in care.”</p><p>In fiscal year 2025, which stretches from July 2024 to June 2025, EmberHope had 450 total instances of failure to place in Sedgwick County. In the first four months of the 2026 fiscal year, there have been 527 instances among 75 children, Watkins said.</p><p>Organizations are required under the terms of the settlement agreement to end all instances of failure to place by February 2026.</p><p>Watkins said the situation in Sedgwick County is at a crisis level. She described “pandemonium,” staff and child injuries and security troubles. One security company fired EmberHope, and off-duty Wichita Police Department officers now help in place of private security guards.</p><p>Watkins was among several organization representatives who asked legislators for help in covering the rising cost of liability insurance.</p><p>The cost of liability insurance for Cornerstones of Care, which serves foster children in the Kansas City region, is going up 131% in 2026 compared to 2025, said Justin Horton, the chief programs and innovation officer for the organization. Compared to 2022 costs, it is up 235%.</p><p>The issue is not unique to Kansas, he said.</p><p>“But, nonetheless, if you license foster homes, if you case manage foster homes, (if) you run a residential facility — and I check all three of those boxes — it’s very costly,” Horton said.</p><p>Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat, speculated that finding liability insurance carriers willing to cover foster care organizations was also an issue. Horton affirmed.</p><p>“I would hate to see insurance dictate how we serve our kids,” Ruiz said, “but it seems like in this kind of scenario, that’s what we’re looking at.”</p>

Wichita’s foster care woes tinge Kansas’ court-mandated progress report

WASHINGTON (AP) —With federal SNAP food assistance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-benefits-government-shutdown-democrats-0cb0858eca47c90e2379f823d360083b">set to run dry</a>&nbsp;this weekend amid the protracted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">U.S. government shutdown</a>, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont became the latest states Wednesday to announce help for low-income households that rely on the funds to eat.

They join states from New York to Nevada in scrambling to find ways to get food to people who are increasingly anxious and will otherwise go hungry without their normal monthly payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

In Louisiana, where nearly one in five residents receive SNAP benefits, lawmakers authorized $150 million in state funding Wednesday to help avoid Saturday's expected interruption. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry backed a bipartisan measure to allow most of the state’s nearly 800,000 SNAP recipients to receive their full monthly benefit amount.

“Our priorities are specific, we’re going to protect the most vulnerable population in Louisiana — which is our kids, disabled and elderly,” Landry said.

But officials said that while program details are still incomplete, the effort will likely exclude “able bodied” adults who aren’t caring for children or don’t share a household with elderly or disabled members — about 53,000 recipients.

Elsewhere, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that her state will provide $30 million in emergency food assistance to residents through EBT cards, backfilling SNAP benefits temporarily. The Democrat leads a state where 21% of the population relies on SNAP — the highest rate in the nation. Officials said the benefit would cover about 30% of what residents usually see at the start of the month.

New Mexico held a two-day special legislative session at the outset of the shutdown to shore up food banks and pantries with $8 million in new funding, along with $17.5 million in SNAP-related costs to offset cuts under President Donald Trump’s spending and tax cut bill.

The emergency funding is expected to last about 10 days, while Democratic state House Speaker Javier Martínez said the Legislature is positioned to approve more if necessary because “children going without basic food staples is an emergency.”

Lujan Grisham said state officials are aware that 10 days isn't enough but they are prepared to deal with the issue for as long as they can.

“We're not going to let food insecurity creep into this state," she said.

In Vermont, Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic legislative leaders approved using $6.3 million in state funds to cover 15 days of SNAP benefits and provide $250,000 to food banks. The Legislature had previously put $50 million aside for such emergencies.

So far, state responses have been mixed. Some, like Rhode Island, say they will funnel reserve federal welfare funds directly onto the debit cards issued to people who buy groceries with SNAP. States including Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, West Virginia plan to boost funds to food pantries to help cover for low-income families needing food. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo are both seeking to direct $30 million in state funds to cover food assistance.

Other states such as Alabama, Texas, Kansas and Florida have not acted.

In Nebraska, the state Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement Tuesday announcing it would pause SNAP benefits the next day. It said it is “actively coordinating with food banks, nonprofit partners, and community organizations,” and listed area food banks for those seeking help.

Leaving people to fend for themselves will mean the most vulnerable — like children and the elderly — will go hungry, said Tashara Leak, a registered dietitian and nutritional researcher and professor at Cornell University. She also serves on New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy that routinely meets with New York's governor.

“The panic is already starting,” Leak said, adding families with limited resources are "already rationing food in preparation to not receive benefits on Nov. 1.”

States can't do what the federal government can

Despite the best efforts of states, local governments and food charities, it won't be enough to cover what the federal government does under SNAP. Even states with fat budget surpluses couldn't cover the SNAP tab much beyond November. That tab nationwide totaled about $100 billion in 2024.

“There’s no way for the states to be able to fill in the gap for the month of November, especially with such short notice,” Leak said.

Democrats have called on the Trump administration to release contingency funding to ensure uninterrupted SNAP payments, but it has declined to do so.

Recently, a group of Democratic state officials filed suit, asking a judge to require the Trump administration to keep funding SNAP benefits. They say that the government is required to use one contingency fund, which has around $5 billion, for that purpose and that another larger reserve fund of about $23 billion is also available. A hearing is set for Thursday in federal court in Boston.

Delays in benefits are nearly certain for most beneficiaries whose debit cards are replenished early in the month — even in states that are planning to pay for benefits or if a judge orders the federal government to load the cards immediately.

The legal filing asserted that in California, for instance, there will be a one-day delay in benefits available for every day after Oct. 23 that the process of putting money on cards hasn’t begun. That means that if a judge orders the program to continue on Thursday, the first cards would likely not be ready until around Nov. 10.

Christopher Bosso, a Northeastern University professor of public policy and political science who has published a book about SNAP, said even a delay would be deeply felt. Beneficiaries often stock up on groceries at the start of the month, and stores often hold sales then that encourage shoppers to do so.

“We’re about to find out how much this program matters, in ways that people hadn’t realized,” Bosso said.

AP writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) —With federal SNAP food assistance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-benefits-government-shutdown-democrats-0cb0858eca47c90e2379f823d360083b">set to run dry</a>&nbsp;this weekend amid the protracted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">U.S. government shutdown</a>, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont became the latest states Wednesday to announce help for low-income households that rely on the funds to eat.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a>: &quot;There is no such legal avenue to give SNAP funding now. It doesn&#39;t exist…The president has lamented this, he has informed USDA and everybody, do as best you can, but the money doesn&#39;t exist to do it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pbuyfAQBz7">pic.twitter.com/pbuyfAQBz7</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1983907891485528507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>They join states from New York to Nevada in scrambling to find ways to get food to people who are increasingly anxious and will otherwise go hungry without their normal monthly payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If there are any Democrats out there who care about the damage this shutdown is doing, then I have a bill at the desk:<br><br>A clean, nonpartisan CR to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay, air traffic controller pay, farm programs, housing assistance, national defense, and more. <a href="https://t.co/kpLazyBqPX">pic.twitter.com/kpLazyBqPX</a></p>&mdash; Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1983922057675977215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Several states take action Wednesday</h2><p>In Louisiana, where nearly one in five residents receive SNAP benefits, lawmakers authorized $150 million in state funding Wednesday to help avoid Saturday's expected interruption. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry backed a bipartisan measure to allow most of the state’s nearly 800,000 SNAP recipients to receive their full monthly benefit amount.</p><p>“Our priorities are specific, we’re going to protect the most vulnerable population in Louisiana — which is our kids, disabled and elderly,” Landry said.</p><p>But officials said that while program details are still incomplete, the effort will likely exclude “able bodied” adults who aren’t caring for children or don’t share a household with elderly or disabled members — about 53,000 recipients.</p><p>Elsewhere, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that her state will provide $30 million in emergency food assistance to residents through EBT cards, backfilling SNAP benefits temporarily. The Democrat leads a state where 21% of the population relies on SNAP — the highest rate in the nation. Officials said the benefit would cover about 30% of what residents usually see at the start of the month.</p><p>New Mexico held a two-day special legislative session at the outset of the shutdown to shore up food banks and pantries with $8 million in new funding, along with $17.5 million in SNAP-related costs to offset cuts under President Donald Trump’s spending and tax cut bill.</p><p>The emergency funding is expected to last about 10 days, while Democratic state House Speaker Javier Martínez said the Legislature is positioned to approve more if necessary because “children going without basic food staples is an emergency.”</p><p>Lujan Grisham said state officials are aware that 10 days isn't enough but they are prepared to deal with the issue for as long as they can.</p><p>“We're not going to let food insecurity creep into this state," she said.</p><p>In Vermont, Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic legislative leaders approved using $6.3 million in state funds to cover 15 days of SNAP benefits and provide $250,000 to food banks. The Legislature had previously put $50 million aside for such emergencies.</p><h2>Different strokes for different states</h2><p>So far, state responses have been mixed. Some, like Rhode Island, say they will funnel reserve federal welfare funds directly onto the debit cards issued to people who buy groceries with SNAP. States including Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, West Virginia plan to boost funds to food pantries to help cover for low-income families needing food. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo are both seeking to direct $30 million in state funds to cover food assistance.</p><p>Other states such as Alabama, Texas, Kansas and Florida have not acted.</p><p>In Nebraska, the state Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement Tuesday announcing it would pause SNAP benefits the next day. It said it is “actively coordinating with food banks, nonprofit partners, and community organizations,” and listed area food banks for those seeking help.</p><p>Leaving people to fend for themselves will mean the most vulnerable — like children and the elderly — will go hungry, said Tashara Leak, a registered dietitian and nutritional researcher and professor at Cornell University. She also serves on New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy that routinely meets with New York's governor.</p><p>“The panic is already starting,” Leak said, adding families with limited resources are "already rationing food in preparation to not receive benefits on Nov. 1.”</p><h2>States can't do what the federal government can</h2><p>Despite the best efforts of states, local governments and food charities, it won't be enough to cover what the federal government does under SNAP. Even states with fat budget surpluses couldn't cover the SNAP tab much beyond November. That tab nationwide totaled about $100 billion in 2024.</p><p>“There’s no way for the states to be able to fill in the gap for the month of November, especially with such short notice,” Leak said.</p><p>Democrats have called on the Trump administration to release contingency funding to ensure uninterrupted SNAP payments, but it has declined to do so.</p><p>Recently, a group of Democratic state officials filed suit, asking a judge to require the Trump administration to keep funding SNAP benefits. They say that the government is required to use one contingency fund, which has around $5 billion, for that purpose and that another larger reserve fund of about $23 billion is also available. A hearing is set for Thursday in federal court in Boston.</p><p>Delays in benefits are nearly certain for most beneficiaries whose debit cards are replenished early in the month — even in states that are planning to pay for benefits or if a judge orders the federal government to load the cards immediately.</p><p>The legal filing asserted that in California, for instance, there will be a one-day delay in benefits available for every day after Oct. 23 that the process of putting money on cards hasn’t begun. That means that if a judge orders the program to continue on Thursday, the first cards would likely not be ready until around Nov. 10.</p><p>Christopher Bosso, a Northeastern University professor of public policy and political science who has published a book about SNAP, said even a delay would be deeply felt. Beneficiaries often stock up on groceries at the start of the month, and stores often hold sales then that encourage shoppers to do so.</p><p>“We’re about to find out how much this program matters, in ways that people hadn’t realized,” Bosso said.</p><p>___</p><p>AP writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.</p>

🎥House Speaker: Legal avenue to give SNAP funding now does not exist

KANSAS CITY —A passenger injured in an accident on Wednesday in Kansas City has died.

Just after 12:30 a.m., a silver Dodge Journey was southbound on Broadway in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The driver of the Dodge suffered a possible medical emergency and accelerated through the intersection of Linwood and Broadway. 

The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the right, struck an unoccupied parked Lexus and traveled up onto the sidewalk. The Dodge then struck a steel light pole, the Vietnam Memorial and continued traveling southbound through the grass and struck the side of the VFW building.

EMS transported both the driver and front seat passenger of the of the Dodge to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Both were reported in very critical condition.

The passenger of the Dodge Journey, an adult female,  was pronounced deceased at the Wednesday night, according to Becchina.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including the name of the victim.

This is fatality #55 compared to #80 last year in Kansas City, Missouri.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761833620367.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY —A passenger injured in an accident on Wednesday in Kansas City has died.</p><p>Just after 12:30 a.m., a silver Dodge Journey was southbound on Broadway in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The driver of the Dodge suffered a possible medical emergency and accelerated through the intersection of Linwood and Broadway. </p><p>The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the right, struck an unoccupied parked Lexus and traveled up onto the sidewalk. The Dodge then struck a steel light pole, the Vietnam Memorial and continued traveling southbound through the grass and struck the side of the VFW building.</p><p>EMS transported both the driver and front seat passenger of the of the Dodge to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Both were reported in very critical condition.</p><p>The passenger of the Dodge Journey, an adult female,  was pronounced deceased at the Wednesday night, according to Becchina.&nbsp; Police released no additional details including the name of the victim.</p><p>This is fatality #55 compared to #80 last year in Kansas City, Missouri.</p>

KCPD: Passenger injured in SUV crash has died

KANSAS CITY—Authorities investigating the death of an inmate in Jackson County, Missouri have released his name.&nbsp;

On October 21, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that 44-year-old Billy Joe Hercules, who had been transported to a local hospital on October 19, had died, according to a statement from Sheriff Daryl Forte'. Hercules is from Independence, Missouri.

Preliminary findings continue to indicate that no physical interaction occurred between Hercules and corrections officers prior to his death.

The cause and manner of death remain under investigation by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office, which has not yet issued its official report. Hercules was being held for the Johnson County Kansas sheriff's office, according to online jail records. Authorities releas

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761782026243.png" alt="Hercules photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Hercules photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY—Authorities investigating the death of an inmate in Jackson County, Missouri have released his name.&nbsp;</p><p>On October 21, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that 44-year-old Billy Joe Hercules, who had been transported to a local hospital on October 19, had died, according to a statement from Sheriff Daryl Forte'. Hercules is from Independence, Missouri.</p><p>Preliminary findings continue to indicate that no physical interaction occurred between Hercules and corrections officers prior to his death.</p><p>The cause and manner of death remain under investigation by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office, which has not yet issued its official report. Hercules was being held for the Johnson County Kansas sheriff's office, according to online jail records. Authorities releas</p>

Sheriff: Investigation on cause of death of inmate continues 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump's comments Thursday suggesting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nuclear-weapons-testing-7a4626d2f9f8df62aa250b2acded51fd">the United States will restart its testing of nuclear weapons</a>&nbsp;upends decades of American policy in regards to the bomb, but come as Washington's rivals have been conducting their own atomic tests and expanding their arsenals.

Nuclear weapons policy, once thought to be a relic of the Cold War, increasingly has come to the fore as Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-nato-moscow-b7696dca6ca1d517f59179f981a57c56">has made repeated atomic threats</a>&nbsp;to both the U.S. and Europe during its war on Ukraine. Moscow also acknowledged this week testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-missile-nuclear-test-launch-drills-burevestnik-dd6a424d6c545ad42848416b77e93619">a nuclear-powered-and-capable cruise missile</a>&nbsp;called the Burevestnik, code-named Skyfall by NATO,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-nuclear-poseidon-drone-burevestnik-missile-6c0d55d4d1a56e60ce750f8abe5eccab">and a nuclear-armed underwater drone</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-europe-business-science-china-79388639f73d8c8835001982bcb016d6">China is building more ground-based nuclear missile silos.</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, North Korea just unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-kim-jong-un-8a6b9f3498d50effe3f72969bfe9c842">a new intercontinental ballistic missile it plans to test,</a>&nbsp;part of a nuclear-capable arsenal likely able to reach the continental U.S.

The threat is starting to bleed into popular culture as well, most recently with director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-arts-and-entertainment-d87d1268a80544949b28980107956b40">Kathryn Bigelow</a>&nbsp;'s new film&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-of-dynamite-movie-kathryn-bigelow-interview-e0dff7fbedd3f5076d975762e608e50c">“A House of Dynamite.”</a>

But what does Trump's announcement mean and how would it affect what's happening now with nuclear tensions? Here's what to know.

Trump’s remarks came before meeting with China’s Xi

Trump’s comments came in a post on his Truth Social website just before meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In it, Trump noted other countries testing weapons and wrote: “I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”

The president’s post raised immediate questions. America’s nuclear arsenal is maintained by the Energy Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency within it — not the Defense Department. The Energy Department has overseen testing of nuclear weapons since its creation in 1977. Two other agencies before it — not the Defense Department — conducted tests.

Trump also claimed the U.S. “has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.” Russia is believed to have 5,580 nuclear warheads, according to the Washington-based Arms Control Association, while the U.S. has 5,225. Those figures include so-called “retired” warheads waiting to be dismantled.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute further breaks the warhead total down, with the U.S. having 1,770 deployed warheads with 2,591 in reserve. Russia has 1,718 deployed warheads and 1,930 in reserve.

The two countries account for nearly 90% of the world’s atomic warheads.

U.S. last carried out a nuclear test in 1992

From the time America conducted its “Trinity” nuclear bomb detonation in 1945 to 1992, the U.S. detonated 1,030 atomic bombs in tests — the most of any country. Those figures do not include the two nuclear weapons America used against Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

The first American tests were atmospheric, but they were then moved underground to limit nuclear fallout. Scientists have come to refer to such tests as “shots.” The last such “shot,” called Divider as part of Operation Julin, took place Sept. 23, 1992, at the Nevada National Security Sites, a sprawling compound some 105 kilometers (65 miles) from Las Vegas.

America halted its tests for a couple of reasons. The first was the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. The U.S. also signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1996. There have been tests since the treaty, however — by India, North Korea and Pakistan, the world's newest nuclear powers. The United Kingdom and France also have nuclear weapons, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-dimona-nuclear-weapons-construction-reactor-3f5cbd0aaf25e2c087b881f6352d7de4">Israel long has been suspected of possessing atomic bombs</a>.

But broadly speaking, the U.S. also had decades of data from tests, allowing it to use computer modeling and other techniques to determine whether a weapon would successfully detonate. Every president since Barack Obama has backed plans to modernize America's nuclear arsenal, whose maintenance and upgrading will cost nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The U.S. relies on the so-called “nuclear triad” — ground-based silos, aircraft-carried bombs and nuclear-tipped missiles in submarines at sea — to deter others from launching their weapons against America.

Restarting testing raises additional questions

If the U.S. restarted nuclear weapons testing, it isn't immediately clear what the goal would be. Nonproliferation experts have warned any scientific objective likely would be eclipsed by the backlash to a test — and possibly be a starting gun for other major nuclear powers to begin their own widespread testing.

“Restarting the U.S. nuclear testing program could be one of the most consequential policy actions the Trump administration undertakes — a U.S. test could set off an uncontrolled chain of events, with other countries possibly responding with their own nuclear tests, destabilizing global security, and accelerating a new arms race,” experts warned in a February article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

“The goal of conducting a fast-tracked nuclear test can only be political, not scientific. ... It would give Russia, China and other nuclear powers free rein to restart their own nuclear testing programs, essentially without political and economic fallout.”

Any future U.S. test likely would take place in Nevada at the testing sites, but a lot of work likely would need to go into the sites to prepare them given it's been over 30 years since the last test. A series of slides made for a presentation at Los Alamos National Laboratories in 2018 laid out the challenges, noting that in the 1960s the city of Mercury, Nevada, — at the testing grounds — had been the second-largest city in Nevada.

On average, 20,000 people had been on site to organize and prepare for the tests. That capacity has waned in the decades since.

“One effects shot would require from two to four years to plan and execute,” the presentation reads. “These were massive undertakings.”

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carnegie.org/">the Carnegie Corporation of New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://outrider.org/">Outrider Foundation</a>. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761820813647.png" alt="President Trump's remarks came just before he met with&nbsp;Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday-image from White House video" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump's remarks came just before he met with&nbsp;Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday-image from White House video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump's comments Thursday suggesting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nuclear-weapons-testing-7a4626d2f9f8df62aa250b2acded51fd">the United States will restart its testing of nuclear weapons</a>&nbsp;upends decades of American policy in regards to the bomb, but come as Washington's rivals have been conducting their own atomic tests and expanding their arsenals.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761820003060.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Nuclear weapons policy, once thought to be a relic of the Cold War, increasingly has come to the fore as Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-nato-moscow-b7696dca6ca1d517f59179f981a57c56">has made repeated atomic threats</a>&nbsp;to both the U.S. and Europe during its war on Ukraine. Moscow also acknowledged this week testing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-missile-nuclear-test-launch-drills-burevestnik-dd6a424d6c545ad42848416b77e93619">a nuclear-powered-and-capable cruise missile</a>&nbsp;called the Burevestnik, code-named Skyfall by NATO,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-nuclear-poseidon-drone-burevestnik-missile-6c0d55d4d1a56e60ce750f8abe5eccab">and a nuclear-armed underwater drone</a>.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-europe-business-science-china-79388639f73d8c8835001982bcb016d6">China is building more ground-based nuclear missile silos.</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, North Korea just unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-kim-jong-un-8a6b9f3498d50effe3f72969bfe9c842">a new intercontinental ballistic missile it plans to test,</a>&nbsp;part of a nuclear-capable arsenal likely able to reach the continental U.S.</p><p>The threat is starting to bleed into popular culture as well, most recently with director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-arts-and-entertainment-d87d1268a80544949b28980107956b40">Kathryn Bigelow</a>&nbsp;'s new film&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-of-dynamite-movie-kathryn-bigelow-interview-e0dff7fbedd3f5076d975762e608e50c">“A House of Dynamite.”</a></p><p>But what does Trump's announcement mean and how would it affect what's happening now with nuclear tensions? Here's what to know.</p><h2>Trump’s remarks came before meeting with China’s Xi</h2><p>Trump’s comments came in a post on his Truth Social website just before meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In it, Trump noted other countries testing weapons and wrote: “I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”</p><p>The president’s post raised immediate questions. America’s nuclear arsenal is maintained by the Energy Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency within it — not the Defense Department. The Energy Department has overseen testing of nuclear weapons since its creation in 1977. Two other agencies before it — not the Defense Department — conducted tests.</p><p>Trump also claimed the U.S. “has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.” Russia is believed to have 5,580 nuclear warheads, according to the Washington-based Arms Control Association, while the U.S. has 5,225. Those figures include so-called “retired” warheads waiting to be dismantled.</p><p>The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute further breaks the warhead total down, with the U.S. having 1,770 deployed warheads with 2,591 in reserve. Russia has 1,718 deployed warheads and 1,930 in reserve.</p><p>The two countries account for nearly 90% of the world’s atomic warheads.</p><h2>U.S. last carried out a nuclear test in 1992</h2><p>From the time America conducted its “Trinity” nuclear bomb detonation in 1945 to 1992, the U.S. detonated 1,030 atomic bombs in tests — the most of any country. Those figures do not include the two nuclear weapons America used against Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761819774893.png" alt="Associated Press" />
                        <figcaption>Associated Press</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The first American tests were atmospheric, but they were then moved underground to limit nuclear fallout. Scientists have come to refer to such tests as “shots.” The last such “shot,” called Divider as part of Operation Julin, took place Sept. 23, 1992, at the Nevada National Security Sites, a sprawling compound some 105 kilometers (65 miles) from Las Vegas.</p><p>America halted its tests for a couple of reasons. The first was the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. The U.S. also signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1996. There have been tests since the treaty, however — by India, North Korea and Pakistan, the world's newest nuclear powers. The United Kingdom and France also have nuclear weapons, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-dimona-nuclear-weapons-construction-reactor-3f5cbd0aaf25e2c087b881f6352d7de4">Israel long has been suspected of possessing atomic bombs</a>.</p><p>But broadly speaking, the U.S. also had decades of data from tests, allowing it to use computer modeling and other techniques to determine whether a weapon would successfully detonate. Every president since Barack Obama has backed plans to modernize America's nuclear arsenal, whose maintenance and upgrading will cost nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.</p><p>The U.S. relies on the so-called “nuclear triad” — ground-based silos, aircraft-carried bombs and nuclear-tipped missiles in submarines at sea — to deter others from launching their weapons against America.</p><h2>Restarting testing raises additional questions</h2><p>If the U.S. restarted nuclear weapons testing, it isn't immediately clear what the goal would be. Nonproliferation experts have warned any scientific objective likely would be eclipsed by the backlash to a test — and possibly be a starting gun for other major nuclear powers to begin their own widespread testing.</p><p>“Restarting the U.S. nuclear testing program could be one of the most consequential policy actions the Trump administration undertakes — a U.S. test could set off an uncontrolled chain of events, with other countries possibly responding with their own nuclear tests, destabilizing global security, and accelerating a new arms race,” experts warned in a February article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.</p><p>“The goal of conducting a fast-tracked nuclear test can only be political, not scientific. ... It would give Russia, China and other nuclear powers free rein to restart their own nuclear testing programs, essentially without political and economic fallout.”</p><p>Any future U.S. test likely would take place in Nevada at the testing sites, but a lot of work likely would need to go into the sites to prepare them given it's been over 30 years since the last test. A series of slides made for a presentation at Los Alamos National Laboratories in 2018 laid out the challenges, noting that in the 1960s the city of Mercury, Nevada, — at the testing grounds — had been the second-largest city in Nevada.</p><p>On average, 20,000 people had been on site to organize and prepare for the tests. That capacity has waned in the decades since.</p><p>“One effects shot would require from two to four years to plan and execute,” the presentation reads. “These were massive undertakings.”</p><p>___</p><p>The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carnegie.org/">the Carnegie Corporation of New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://outrider.org/">Outrider Foundation</a>. The AP is solely responsible for all content.</p>

Read what President Trump said about testing nuclear weapons 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a><br>Associated Press

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/halloween-tech-tip-tracking-safety-d99d0649e2dea5da94da0bdcc4806dbf" rel="nofollow">Trick-or-treaters</a>&nbsp;may find more fruity candy than chocolate among their Halloween handouts this year. That should be fine with younger consumers, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gum-chewing-popularity-mars-wrigley-ac8251d03c5248d3716988fe144d2333" rel="nofollow">have been gravitating for years</a>&nbsp;toward non-chocolate candies like gummies, freeze-dried treats and other sweets that come in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors.

Last year, 52% of the total volume of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/halloween-costumes-tariffs-prices-34d069ab28bc01e600599e2f935f1b72" rel="nofollow">Halloween</a>&nbsp;candy sold in the U.S. was made of chocolate, according to Dan Sadler, a principal for client insights at the market research company Circana. But in the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of the Halloween candy sold in the U.S.

Prices may be part of it. Global cocoa prices more than quadrupled between January 2023 and January 2025 due to poor harvests in West Africa, where 70% of cocoa is produced. Chocolate candy is lot more expensive as a result.

Chocolate Halloween candy in the U.S. cost an average of $8.02 per pound in the 12 weeks ahead of Oct. 5, while non-chocolate candy cost an average of $5.77 per pound, Sadler said.

Here’s a look at Halloween candy by the numbers:

The amount Americans spent on Halloween candy in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. That was 18% of all candy sales last year.

The number of M&amp;M’s that Mars Inc. makes each day at the facility in Topeka that produces its Halloween candy.

The price for a metric ton of cocoa in January, which was an all-time high. Cocoa prices have fallen since then, but Sadler said it will take months for consumers to see the impact of those lower prices.

Miles between Topeka and New York. If you stretched out all the Snickers bars that Mars makes annually in Topeka, you could make that trip seven times.

Percentage of U.S. consumers who bought candy for trick-or-treaters last year, according to Hershey. Hershey said 45% of consumers reported buying Halloween candy for themselves.

Market share for Hershey in Halloween candy last year, making it the top performer. Hershey said its Halloween assortment — which includes Reese’s, Kit Kat and Almond Joy — was the top seller last Halloween.

Date which Mars started rolling Halloween candy out to U.S. stores this year. Mars makes Snickers, M&amp;Ms, Skittles, Starburst and other candies.

Growth in dollar sales of non-chocolate candy in the U.S. in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. Chocolate candy sales, in comparison, grew 0.4%.

Average number of weeks ahead of Halloween that Americans buy Halloween candy, according to Mars. Generation Z buys it sooner, around 4.5 weeks in advance.

Amount of time Mars takes to plan for a Halloween season.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761414251525.jpg" alt="Image courtesy Pixaby" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy Pixaby</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a><br>Associated Press</p><p>Ghouls, goblins … and gummy bears.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/halloween-tech-tip-tracking-safety-d99d0649e2dea5da94da0bdcc4806dbf" rel="nofollow">Trick-or-treaters</a>&nbsp;may find more fruity candy than chocolate among their Halloween handouts this year. That should be fine with younger consumers, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gum-chewing-popularity-mars-wrigley-ac8251d03c5248d3716988fe144d2333" rel="nofollow">have been gravitating for years</a>&nbsp;toward non-chocolate candies like gummies, freeze-dried treats and other sweets that come in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors.</p><p>Last year, 52% of the total volume of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/halloween-costumes-tariffs-prices-34d069ab28bc01e600599e2f935f1b72" rel="nofollow">Halloween</a>&nbsp;candy sold in the U.S. was made of chocolate, according to Dan Sadler, a principal for client insights at the market research company Circana. But in the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of the Halloween candy sold in the U.S.</p><p>Prices may be part of it. Global cocoa prices more than quadrupled between January 2023 and January 2025 due to poor harvests in West Africa, where 70% of cocoa is produced. Chocolate candy is lot more expensive as a result.</p><p>Chocolate Halloween candy in the U.S. cost an average of $8.02 per pound in the 12 weeks ahead of Oct. 5, while non-chocolate candy cost an average of $5.77 per pound, Sadler said.</p><p>Here’s a look at Halloween candy by the numbers:</p><h2>$7.4 billion</h2><p>The amount Americans spent on Halloween candy in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. That was 18% of all candy sales last year.</p><h2>30 million</h2><p>The number of M&amp;M’s that Mars Inc. makes each day at the facility in Topeka that produces its Halloween candy.</p><h2>$10,710</h2><p>The price for a metric ton of cocoa in January, which was an all-time high. Cocoa prices have fallen since then, but Sadler said it will take months for consumers to see the impact of those lower prices.</p><h2>1,254</h2><p>Miles between Topeka and New York. If you stretched out all the Snickers bars that Mars makes annually in Topeka, you could make that trip seven times.</p><h2>61%</h2><p>Percentage of U.S. consumers who bought candy for trick-or-treaters last year, according to Hershey. Hershey said 45% of consumers reported buying Halloween candy for themselves.</p><h2>40.8%</h2><p>Market share for Hershey in Halloween candy last year, making it the top performer. Hershey said its Halloween assortment — which includes Reese’s, Kit Kat and Almond Joy — was the top seller last Halloween.</p><h2>July 5</h2><p>Date which Mars started rolling Halloween candy out to U.S. stores this year. Mars makes Snickers, M&amp;Ms, Skittles, Starburst and other candies.</p><h2>4.9%</h2><p>Growth in dollar sales of non-chocolate candy in the U.S. in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. Chocolate candy sales, in comparison, grew 0.4%.</p><h2>3.6</h2><p>Average number of weeks ahead of Halloween that Americans buy Halloween candy, according to Mars. Generation Z buys it sooner, around 4.5 weeks in advance.</p><h2>2 years</h2><p>Amount of time Mars takes to plan for a Halloween season.</p>

By the Numbers: Why trick-or-treaters may bag more gummy candy this Halloween

MEADE COUNTY—Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a new social media challenge and have issued a warning to those involved.

Last weekend, law enforcement took mutiple reports of trespassing, criminal damage and disorderly conduct at homes where individuals were kicking doors of homes while taking videos of themselves, according to a statement from the Meade County Sheriff.&nbsp;

Many of he incidents resulted in damage to the home's screen door and front entry doors,&nbsp; some of which are possible felonies due to the extent of the damage. Deputies later learned of a social media challenge promoting the act of kicking random doors while taking a video and sharing it for attention.&nbsp;

Deputies continue investigating and are seeking help from the community with information on the 'Door kick Challenge' in the county. The Sheriff's Office also advised parents of the inherent, potential life-threatening risk of kicking random doors of homes. Any reasonable homeowner may interpret the act of kicking their door as a&nbsp; &nbsp;perceived threat and take action to protect their property and family.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596206214739.png" alt="File photo-&nbsp;U.S. Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General" />
                        <figcaption>File photo-&nbsp;U.S. Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>MEADE COUNTY—Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a new social media challenge and have issued a warning to those involved.</p><p>Last weekend, law enforcement took mutiple reports of trespassing, criminal damage and disorderly conduct at homes where individuals were kicking doors of homes while taking videos of themselves, according to a statement from the Meade County Sheriff.&nbsp;</p><p>Many of he incidents resulted in damage to the home's screen door and front entry doors,&nbsp; some of which are possible felonies due to the extent of the damage. Deputies later learned of a social media challenge promoting the act of kicking random doors while taking a video and sharing it for attention.&nbsp;</p><p>Deputies continue investigating and are seeking help from the community with information on the 'Door kick Challenge' in the county. The Sheriff's Office also advised parents of the inherent, potential life-threatening risk of kicking random doors of homes. Any reasonable homeowner may interpret the act of kicking their door as a&nbsp; &nbsp;perceived threat and take action to protect their property and family.</p>

Sheriff warns about door kick social media challenge in Kansas

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

Just before 12:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the 3000 block of Bellefontaine in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Officers were led inside the residence where they located a shooting victim unresponsive. Officers called for EMS who responded to the scene and transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary information indicates the shooting appears to have taken place inside or near the front of the residence there. There is no known suspect information at this time, according to Becchina. Police did not release the name of the victim.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761775665872.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.</p><p>Just before 12:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the 3000 block of Bellefontaine in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761775636955.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Officers were led inside the residence where they located a shooting victim unresponsive. Officers called for EMS who responded to the scene and transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.</p><p>Preliminary information indicates the shooting appears to have taken place inside or near the front of the residence there. There is no known suspect information at this time, according to Becchina. Police did not release the name of the victim.</p>

KCPD: Homicide victim found near front of residence

During his meeting with President Trump, China's President Xi agreed to buy 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually for next 3 years, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

&nbsp;Bessent added that as part of the deal President Trump struck with Xi, China will start by purchasing 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. between now and January.

“So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.”

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans.

The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%

“I guess on the scale from 0 to 10, with ten being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12,” Trump said. “I think it was a 12.”

Trump said that he would go to China in April and Xi would come to the U.S. “some time after that.” The president said they also discussed the export of more advanced computer chips to China, saying that Nvidia would be in talks with Chinese officials.

Trump said he could sign a trade deal with China “pretty soon.”

Xi said Washington and Beijing would work to finalize their agreements to provide “peace of mind” to both countries and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting distributed by state media.

“Both sides should take the long-term perspective into account, focusing on the benefits of cooperation rather than falling into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation,” he said.

Despite Trump’s optimism after a 100-minute meeting with Xi in South Korea, there continues to be the potential for major tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Both nations are seeking dominant places in manufacturing, developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and shaping world affairs like Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term, combined with China’s retaliatory limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-trump-tariff-sanction-export-controls-3224a28221243f0569f065a18dd645e2" rel="nofollow">exports of rare earth elements</a>, gave the meeting newfound urgency. There is a mutual recognition that neither side wants to risk blowing up the world economy in ways that could jeopardize their own country’s fortunes.

When the two were seated at the start of the meeting, Xi read prepared remarks that stressed a willingness to work together despite differences.

“Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other,” he said through a translator. “It is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.”

There was a slight difference in translation as China’s Xinhua News Agency reported Xi as telling Trump that having some differences is inevitable.

The leaders met in Busan, South Korea, a port city about 76 kilometers (47 miles) south from Gyeongju, the main venue for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-trump-xi-apec-tariffs-gyeongju-2f757a6ea64284fb6bf792aba8b214fb" rel="nofollow">Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation</a>&nbsp;summit.

In the days leading up to the meeting, U.S. officials signaled that Trump did not intend to make good on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-china-cc47e258cfc6336dfddcc20fa67a3642" rel="nofollow">recent threat</a>&nbsp;to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods, and China showed signs it was willing to relax its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-earths-exports-trump-dad99d532f858f04d750d0b8c50e5ed6" rel="nofollow">export controls on rare earths</a>&nbsp;and also buy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soybeans-trade-tariff-china-united-states-export-025792707c4e4e91d975f8558edae1d8" rel="nofollow">soybeans from America</a>.

Officials from both countries met earlier this week in Kuala Lumpur to lay the groundwork for their leaders. Afterward, China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang said they had reached a “preliminary consensus,” a statement affirmed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who said there was “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-china-tariffs-rare-earths-soybeans-exports-efa3b57ce5cd94ee5bfcad1988d9fccd" rel="nofollow">a very successful framework</a>.”

Shortly before the meeting on Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the meeting would be the “G2,” a recognition of America and China’s status as the world’s biggest economies. The Group of Seven and Group of 20 are other forums of industrialized nations.

But while those summits often happen at luxury spaces, this meeting took place in humbler surroundings: Trump and Xi met in a small gray building with a blue roof on a military base adjacent to Busan’s international airport.

The anticipated detente has given investors and businesses caught between the two nations a sense of relief. The U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-trump-china-7d7150df20283db5a295abc64d225a63" rel="nofollow">stock market</a>&nbsp;has climbed on the hopes of a trade framework coming out of the meeting.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761790245424.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
                        <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>During his meeting with President Trump, China's President Xi agreed to buy 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually for next 3 years, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent</p><p>&nbsp;Bessent added that as part of the deal President Trump struck with Xi, China will start by purchasing 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. between now and January.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump on trade truce with China. <a href="https://t.co/MN2IMj0OWD">pic.twitter.com/MN2IMj0OWD</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1983892551850737782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.”</p><p>------------------</p><p>ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LETS GOOO!!! Soybeans! Sorghum! 🇺🇸🚜 BIG news out of President Trump’s historic meeting with President Xi!<br><br>More details coming soon. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT!!! <a href="https://t.co/5hHpKbX70F">pic.twitter.com/5hHpKbX70F</a></p>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1983836244263235996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LETS GOOO!!! Soybeans! Sorghum! 🇺🇸🚜 BIG news out of President Trump’s historic meeting with President Xi!<br><br>More details coming soon. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT!!! <a href="https://t.co/5hHpKbX70F">pic.twitter.com/5hHpKbX70F</a></p>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1983836244263235996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has arrived for his big meeting with President Xi in South Korea <a href="https://t.co/eIeCaGwjBz">pic.twitter.com/eIeCaGwjBz</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983711359172034608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">President Xi’s motorcade arrives <a href="https://t.co/AFnI2qI9zE">pic.twitter.com/AFnI2qI9zE</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1983715683444613541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;We&#39;re going to have a very successful meeting, I have no doubt.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> greets Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. <a href="https://t.co/Wdr5HgzNhx">pic.twitter.com/Wdr5HgzNhx</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983718490759688266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump and President Xi shake hands <a href="https://t.co/rGCGFDbWK5">pic.twitter.com/rGCGFDbWK5</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1983752956521365684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> shakes hands with China&#39;s President Xi after their historic meeting in South Korea. <a href="https://t.co/O3DOxWIJ7d">pic.twitter.com/O3DOxWIJ7d</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983745894693601644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since 2019: &quot;It&#39;s a great honor... I think we&#39;re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time — and it&#39;s an honor to have you with us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ueW2gvMcCy">pic.twitter.com/ueW2gvMcCy</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983720399910367276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>“I guess on the scale from 0 to 10, with ten being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12,” Trump said. “I think it was a 12.”</p><p>Trump said that he would go to China in April and Xi would come to the U.S. “some time after that.” The president said they also discussed the export of more advanced computer chips to China, saying that Nvidia would be in talks with Chinese officials.</p><p>Trump said he could sign a trade deal with China “pretty soon.”</p><p>Xi said Washington and Beijing would work to finalize their agreements to provide “peace of mind” to both countries and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting distributed by state media.</p><p>“Both sides should take the long-term perspective into account, focusing on the benefits of cooperation rather than falling into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation,” he said.</p><h2>Sources of tension remain</h2><p>Despite Trump’s optimism after a 100-minute meeting with Xi in South Korea, there continues to be the potential for major tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Both nations are seeking dominant places in manufacturing, developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and shaping world affairs like Russia’s war in Ukraine.</p><p>Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term, combined with China’s retaliatory limits on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-trump-tariff-sanction-export-controls-3224a28221243f0569f065a18dd645e2" rel="nofollow">exports of rare earth elements</a>, gave the meeting newfound urgency. There is a mutual recognition that neither side wants to risk blowing up the world economy in ways that could jeopardize their own country’s fortunes.</p><p>When the two were seated at the start of the meeting, Xi read prepared remarks that stressed a willingness to work together despite differences.</p><p>“Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other,” he said through a translator. “It is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.”</p><p>There was a slight difference in translation as China’s Xinhua News Agency reported Xi as telling Trump that having some differences is inevitable.</p><h2>Finding ways to lower the temperature</h2><p>The leaders met in Busan, South Korea, a port city about 76 kilometers (47 miles) south from Gyeongju, the main venue for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-trump-xi-apec-tariffs-gyeongju-2f757a6ea64284fb6bf792aba8b214fb" rel="nofollow">Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation</a>&nbsp;summit.</p><p>In the days leading up to the meeting, U.S. officials signaled that Trump did not intend to make good on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-china-cc47e258cfc6336dfddcc20fa67a3642" rel="nofollow">recent threat</a>&nbsp;to impose an additional 100% import tax on Chinese goods, and China showed signs it was willing to relax its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-earths-exports-trump-dad99d532f858f04d750d0b8c50e5ed6" rel="nofollow">export controls on rare earths</a>&nbsp;and also buy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soybeans-trade-tariff-china-united-states-export-025792707c4e4e91d975f8558edae1d8" rel="nofollow">soybeans from America</a>.</p><p>Officials from both countries met earlier this week in Kuala Lumpur to lay the groundwork for their leaders. Afterward, China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang said they had reached a “preliminary consensus,” a statement affirmed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who said there was “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-china-tariffs-rare-earths-soybeans-exports-efa3b57ce5cd94ee5bfcad1988d9fccd" rel="nofollow">a very successful framework</a>.”</p><p>Shortly before the meeting on Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the meeting would be the “G2,” a recognition of America and China’s status as the world’s biggest economies. The Group of Seven and Group of 20 are other forums of industrialized nations.</p><p>But while those summits often happen at luxury spaces, this meeting took place in humbler surroundings: Trump and Xi met in a small gray building with a blue roof on a military base adjacent to Busan’s international airport.</p><p>The anticipated detente has given investors and businesses caught between the two nations a sense of relief. The U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-nikkei-trump-china-7d7150df20283db5a295abc64d225a63" rel="nofollow">stock market</a>&nbsp;has climbed on the hopes of a trade framework coming out of the meeting.</p><h2>Pressure points remain for both US and China</h2><p>Trump has outward confidence that the grounds for a deal are in place, but previous negotiations with China this year in Geneva, Switzerland and London had a start-stop quality to them. The initial promise of progress has repeatedly given way to both countries seeking a better position against the other.</p><p>“The proposed deal on the table fits the pattern we’ve seen all year: short-term stabilization dressed up as strategic progress,” said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Both sides are managing volatility, calibrating just enough cooperation to avert crisis while the deeper rivalry endures.”</p><p>The U.S. and China have each shown they believe they have levers to pressure the other, and the past year has demonstrated that tentative steps forward can be short-lived.</p><p>For Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-united-states-trump-xi-timeline-tariffs-adc2c2c00f13d8dcd4ecc92251b11533" rel="nofollow">that pressure comes from tariffs</a>.</p><p>China had faced new tariffs this year totaling 30%, of which 20% were tied to its role in fentanyl production. But the tariff rates have been volatile. In April, he announced plans to jack the rate on Chinese goods to 145%, only to abandon those plans as markets recoiled.</p><p>Then, on Oct. 10, Trump threatened a 100% import tax because of China’s rare earth restrictions. That figure, including past tariffs, would now be 47% “effective immediately,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.</p><p>Xi has his own chokehold on the world economy because China is the top producer and processor of the rare earth minerals needed to make fighter jets, robots, electric vehicles and other high-tech products.</p><p>China had tightened export restrictions on Oct. 9, repeating a cycle in which each nation jockeys for an edge only to back down after more trade talks.</p><p>What might also matter is what happens directly after their talks. Trump plans to return to Washington, while Xi plans to stay on in South Korea to meet with regional leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which officially begins on Friday.</p><p>“Xi sees an opportunity to position China as a reliable partner and bolster bilateral and multilateral relations with countries frustrated by the U.S. administration’s tariff policy,” said Jay Truesdale, a former State Department official who is CEO of TD International, a risk and intelligence advisory firm.</p><p>___</p><p>Ken Moritsugu in Beijing and Seung Min Kim and Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this report. Boak reported from Tokyo and Megerian reported from Busan, South Korea.</p>