WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.

As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. 

Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.

In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.

“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”

“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.

“Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714043354777.png" alt="Flanagin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Flanagin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.“Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Kan. CPA, creator of ‘Middle Finger Ranch,’ fraud scheme is going to prison

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose near their record levels on Wednesday as mixed data on the economy kept alive hopes that a cut to interest rates is coming soon.

The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.3% and pulled within 0.6% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investors-401k-what-to-do-bb0663da4643e8c3dbe08a4092482aa5">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in late October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 408 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.

The biggest jump in the S&amp;P 500 came from Microchip Technology, which leaped 12.2% after saying it expects sales and profit for the final months of the year to come in at the high end of the forecasted ranges it earlier gave. CEO Steve Sanghi said business is doing better than expected, and it’s reducing inventory levels.

Marvell Technology was another winner and rose 7.9% after the supplier of semiconductor products delivered a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Matt Murphy credited demand for its data center products, while also announcing a purchase of Celestial AI to bolster its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;infrastructure business. The deal’s price tag could top $3.25 billion.

Stocks broadly got a lift from easing Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields fell after a report suggested U.S. employers outside of the government may have cut more jobs in November than they added.

While the surprisingly weak report from ADP may be discouraging for people looking for jobs, it also bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week. If the Fed does, that would be the third cut of the year in hopes of helping the slowing job market.

Investors love lower interest rates because they boost prices for investments and can charge up the economy.

A separate report Wednesday on activity for U.S. services business was more encouraging. It said growth was stronger last month than expected for businesses in the retail, finance, insurance and other industries.

The report from the Institute for Supply Management’s survey also said that prices were increasing at their slowest rate since April. That’s important because the main argument against cutting interest rates is that it could worsen inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.06% from 4.09% late Tuesday.

Lower interest rates can boost prices for all kinds of investments, and bitcoin climbed above $93,000 following its scary downward run in recent weeks. It briefly plunged below $81,000 last month.

On Wall Street, American Eagle Outfitters rallied 15.1% after the retailer reported a better profit than expected. Its CEO, Jay Schottenstein, said it also saw a strong start to the holiday shopping season with an acceleration in demand across its brands during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Capricor Therapeutics surged 371.1% after the biotech company reported encouraging results for its potential therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

On the losing end of Wall Street were relatively few companies, including one out of every three stocks in the S&amp;P 500 index. But among them were some of the market’s most influential stocks, which kept indexes in check.

Microsoft fell 2.5% and was the heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/macys-comparable-sales-consumers-economy-inflation-04d1e70be1d6137443b14c509739ea38">Macy’s</a>&nbsp;lost 1.1% after flipping between losses and gains through the day. It reported a profit for the latest quarter that was much better than the loss that analysts were expecting, but its stock had already come into the day with a gain for the year so far that more than doubled the S&amp;P 500’s.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 20.35 points to 6,849.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 408.44 to 47,882.90, and the Nasdaq composite gained 40.42 to 23,454.09.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were close to flat in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.1% on gains for technology stocks like Tokyo Electron. SoftBank Group Corp. leaped 6.4% following reports that its founder, Masayoshi Son, regretted having to sell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-softbank-son-nvidia-ai-chips-d8a10172850628c317a214280a4d94c9">shares in computer chipmaker Nvidia</a>&nbsp;to help pay for other investments.

Chinese indexes sank following the release of data showing weaker factory activity. Stocks fell 1.3% in Hong Kong and 0.5% in Shanghai.

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

By STAN CHOE AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose near their record levels on Wednesday as mixed data on the economy kept alive hopes that a cut to interest rates is coming soon.The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.3% and pulled within 0.6% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investors-401k-what-to-do-bb0663da4643e8c3dbe08a4092482aa5">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in late October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 408 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.The biggest jump in the S&amp;P 500 came from Microchip Technology, which leaped 12.2% after saying it expects sales and profit for the final months of the year to come in at the high end of the forecasted ranges it earlier gave. CEO Steve Sanghi said business is doing better than expected, and it’s reducing inventory levels.Marvell Technology was another winner and rose 7.9% after the supplier of semiconductor products delivered a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Matt Murphy credited demand for its data center products, while also announcing a purchase of Celestial AI to bolster its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;infrastructure business. The deal’s price tag could top $3.25 billion.Stocks broadly got a lift from easing Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields fell after a report suggested U.S. employers outside of the government may have cut more jobs in November than they added.While the surprisingly weak report from ADP may be discouraging for people looking for jobs, it also bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week. If the Fed does, that would be the third cut of the year in hopes of helping the slowing job market.Investors love lower interest rates because they boost prices for investments and can charge up the economy.A separate report Wednesday on activity for U.S. services business was more encouraging. It said growth was stronger last month than expected for businesses in the retail, finance, insurance and other industries.The report from the Institute for Supply Management’s survey also said that prices were increasing at their slowest rate since April. That’s important because the main argument against cutting interest rates is that it could worsen inflation.The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.06% from 4.09% late Tuesday.Lower interest rates can boost prices for all kinds of investments, and bitcoin climbed above $93,000 following its scary downward run in recent weeks. It briefly plunged below $81,000 last month.On Wall Street, American Eagle Outfitters rallied 15.1% after the retailer reported a better profit than expected. Its CEO, Jay Schottenstein, said it also saw a strong start to the holiday shopping season with an acceleration in demand across its brands during the Thanksgiving weekend.Capricor Therapeutics surged 371.1% after the biotech company reported encouraging results for its potential therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.On the losing end of Wall Street were relatively few companies, including one out of every three stocks in the S&amp;P 500 index. But among them were some of the market’s most influential stocks, which kept indexes in check.Microsoft fell 2.5% and was the heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/macys-comparable-sales-consumers-economy-inflation-04d1e70be1d6137443b14c509739ea38">Macy’s</a>&nbsp;lost 1.1% after flipping between losses and gains through the day. It reported a profit for the latest quarter that was much better than the loss that analysts were expecting, but its stock had already come into the day with a gain for the year so far that more than doubled the S&amp;P 500’s.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 20.35 points to 6,849.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 408.44 to 47,882.90, and the Nasdaq composite gained 40.42 to 23,454.09.In stock markets abroad, indexes were close to flat in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.1% on gains for technology stocks like Tokyo Electron. SoftBank Group Corp. leaped 6.4% following reports that its founder, Masayoshi Son, regretted having to sell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-softbank-son-nvidia-ai-chips-d8a10172850628c317a214280a4d94c9">shares in computer chipmaker Nvidia</a>&nbsp;to help pay for other investments.Chinese indexes sank following the release of data showing weaker factory activity. Stocks fell 1.3% in Hong Kong and 0.5% in Shanghai.___AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Wall Street pulls near its all-time high

MCPHERSON COUNTY —Roads are open and crews have cleaned up the acid spill from an overturned semi in McPherson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday, the incident scene was cleared and all roadways were reopened, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry.. A remediation contractor returned&nbsp; Wednesday morning to complete the removal of contaminated soil adjacent to the intersection. One lane was closed to make room for the work to be completed. The intersection at&nbsp;Kansas Ave. and Old 81.Streets will be open while the work is being completed.

Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Mayberry.

 The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.&nbsp;

All residents and businesses in the area were evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas Avenue and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.

 The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. 

McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team&nbsp; made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701824032.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —Roads are open and crews have cleaned up the acid spill from an overturned semi in McPherson.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday, the incident scene was cleared and all roadways were reopened, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry.. A remediation contractor returned&nbsp; Wednesday morning to complete the removal of contaminated soil adjacent to the intersection. One lane was closed to make room for the work to be completed. The intersection at&nbsp;Kansas Ave. and Old 81.Streets will be open while the work is being completed.Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Mayberry. The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701800784.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>All residents and businesses in the area were evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas Avenue and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.<ol>
 <li>Highway 56 at 8th Avenue</li><li>Kansas Avenue at Hickory&nbsp;</li><li>Old Highway 81 at the 153 Spur from K-61</li><li>Old Highway 81 at First Avenue</li>
 </ol> The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team&nbsp; made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

Hydrochloric acid spill cleaned up in McPherson

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-trial-52ca87ef616e39ef0270733900361c92">a federal bribery and conspiracy case</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system.

Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump, a Republican, said in a social media post that Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”

Federal authorities had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan-ddb1dea393ba88d8d823557ec6c0d93a">charged Cuellar</a>&nbsp;and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.

Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial had been set to begin next April.

“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in his social media post announcing the pardon. “Your nightmare is finally over!”

The Cuellars' attorneys and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Cuellar still faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-house-ethics-committee-azerbaijan-justice-department-f126c9adcd361b2c8b279974a87abfbc">an Ethics Committee investigation</a>&nbsp;in the House. It began in May 2024 shortly after his indictment and was reauthorized in July. The committee said it was in contact with the Justice Department about mitigating the risks associated with dual investigations while still meeting its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.

Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party when it comes to immigration and firearms.

He was among the most vocal critics of the Biden administration’s response to a record number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He also is one of the last Democrats in Congress who opposes abortion rights.

Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich</a>, five years after he had commuted his sentence in a political corruption case.

Like in Cuellar’s case, Trump suggested that New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, faced federal corruption charges because he made comments critical of Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">drop the case</a>&nbsp;against the mayor, who had begun working with the Republican administration on immigration issues.

A top Justice Department official, who was also Trump’s defense lawyer in several of his cases, stepped in to seek dismissal in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764782105173.png" alt="File. photo: Rep. Henry Cuellar-from his social media page" />
 <figcaption>File. photo: Rep. Henry Cuellar-from his social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-trial-52ca87ef616e39ef0270733900361c92">a federal bribery and conspiracy case</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas. This pardon gives us a… <a href="https://t.co/ajNvHq6rG0">pic.twitter.com/ajNvHq6rG0</a>&mdash; Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar/status/1996254124354986003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.Trump, a Republican, said in a social media post that Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”Federal authorities had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan-ddb1dea393ba88d8d823557ec6c0d93a">charged Cuellar</a>&nbsp;and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial had been set to begin next April.“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in his social media post announcing the pardon. “Your nightmare is finally over!”The Cuellars' attorneys and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Cuellar still faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-house-ethics-committee-azerbaijan-justice-department-f126c9adcd361b2c8b279974a87abfbc">an Ethics Committee investigation</a>&nbsp;in the House. It began in May 2024 shortly after his indictment and was reauthorized in July. The committee said it was in contact with the Justice Department about mitigating the risks associated with dual investigations while still meeting its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party when it comes to immigration and firearms.He was among the most vocal critics of the Biden administration’s response to a record number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He also is one of the last Democrats in Congress who opposes abortion rights.Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich</a>, five years after he had commuted his sentence in a political corruption case.Like in Cuellar’s case, Trump suggested that New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, faced federal corruption charges because he made comments critical of Biden’s immigration policies.Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">drop the case</a>&nbsp;against the mayor, who had begun working with the Republican administration on immigration issues.A top Justice Department official, who was also Trump’s defense lawyer in several of his cases, stepped in to seek dismissal in the case.

Why President Trump just pardoned a Democrat Congressman 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject

A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.

Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;

Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>

On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;

But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”

They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;

All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.

Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.

The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>

The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.

“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;

“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”

The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.

“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.

Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;

However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764777739881.png" alt=" Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject</h2>A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”The ballot language reads:“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li><li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;</li><li>Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’</li><li>and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

Appeals court takes up fight over wording of Missouri abortion ban ballot measure

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita is going to prison.

On Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 25-year-old Jose Velazquez-Carillo to&nbsp;165 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He must also serve 3-years of post release supervision and pay $16,000 in restitution

In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.

Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom for sentencing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.

In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses

The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.

Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita.&nbsp; Just before 8p.m., in collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of&nbsp; Velazquez-Carillo and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa during a vehicle stop near 13th and Hydraulic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708119236620.png" alt="Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita is going to prison.On Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 25-year-old Jose Velazquez-Carillo to&nbsp;165 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He must also serve 3-years of post release supervision and pay $16,000 in restitutionIn October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.----------------SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom for sentencing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764762680804.png" alt="Candace Amack-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Candace Amack-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764762200935.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita.&nbsp; Just before 8p.m., in collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of&nbsp; Velazquez-Carillo and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa during a vehicle stop near 13th and Hydraulic.

Sentencing Day for murder of Kan. woman found outside her home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from recipients in Kansas and other Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about those receiving the assistance.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of aid recipients. She said the cooperation is needed to root out fraud in the program. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement, saying they verify eligibility for SNAP beneficiaries and that they never share large swaths of sensitive data on the program with the federal government.

Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was skeptical about whether funding will really be taken away.

“We no longer take the Trump Administration’s words at face value — we’ll see what they actually do in reality,” she said in a statement. “Cutting programs that feed American children is morally repugnant.”

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-snap-trump-usda-8da2d74038ede32b65059f96c07a50ef">previously sued</a>&nbsp;over the request for information, which was initially made in February. A San Francisco-based federal judge has barred the administration, at least for now, from collecting the information from those states.

The federal government last week sent the states a letter saying that it was time to comply, as other states have, but the parties all agreed to give the states until Dec. 8 to respond.

Administration says data is needed to spot fraud

About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day.

Rollins has cited information provided by states that have complied, saying it shows that 186,000 deceased people are receiving SNAP benefits and that 500,000 are getting benefits more than once.

“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” Rollins said, “but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”

Her office has not released detailed data, including on how much in benefits obtained by error or fraud are being used.

It's also not clear which states have handed over the information. Rollins said 29 have complied and 21 have not. But 22 have sued to block the order.

Additionally, Kansas, which was not part of the lawsuit, has not provided it. The USDA told the state in September that SNAP funds would be cut off. The state asked the agency to reverse the action. A spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said there had not yet been a reply as of Tuesday. North Carolina appears to be the only state with a Democratic governor that has handed over the information.

Experts say that while there is certainly fraud in a $100 billion-a-year program, the far bigger problems are organized crime efforts to steal the benefit cards or get them in the name of made-up people — not wrongdoing by beneficiaries.

Democratic officials question administration's motives

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation to undo recent SNAP changes, said Rollins is trying to make changes without transparency — or without a role for Congress — and that she is mischaracterizing the program.

“Individuals who are just trying to buy food, those aren’t the ones who are gaming the system in the way that the administration is trying to portray,” Hayes said in an interview on Tuesday before Rollins announced her intention.

Democratic officials responded to Rollins' announcement by blasting the administration.

“The Governor wishes President Trump would be a president for all Americans rather than taking out his political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most," said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. "Whether it’s threatening highway funding or food assistance, the President is making malicious decisions that will raise prices and harm families.”

In response to Rollins’ comments, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”

The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year.

As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people between the ages of 55 and 64, homeless people and others.

And amid the recent federal government shutdown, the administration planned not to fund the benefits for November. There was a back-and-forth in the courts about whether they could do so, but then the government reopened and benefits resumed before the final word.

In the meantime, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-food-states-6cef598c92000bdff8384a9da1bfd23c">states scrambled to fund benefits</a>&nbsp;on their own and most increased or accelerated money for food banks.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from recipients in Kansas and other Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about those receiving the assistance.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple. If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding. Let’s see which states stand for accountability and which are just protecting their bribery schemes. 🤔💸 <a href="https://t.co/Y1UXXDOoao">pic.twitter.com/Y1UXXDOoao</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1995933975211397454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of aid recipients. She said the cooperation is needed to root out fraud in the program. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement, saying they verify eligibility for SNAP beneficiaries and that they never share large swaths of sensitive data on the program with the federal government.Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was skeptical about whether funding will really be taken away.“We no longer take the Trump Administration’s words at face value — we’ll see what they actually do in reality,” she said in a statement. “Cutting programs that feed American children is morally repugnant.”Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-snap-trump-usda-8da2d74038ede32b65059f96c07a50ef">previously sued</a>&nbsp;over the request for information, which was initially made in February. A San Francisco-based federal judge has barred the administration, at least for now, from collecting the information from those states.The federal government last week sent the states a letter saying that it was time to comply, as other states have, but the parties all agreed to give the states until Dec. 8 to respond.<h2>Administration says data is needed to spot fraud</h2>About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day.Rollins has cited information provided by states that have complied, saying it shows that 186,000 deceased people are receiving SNAP benefits and that 500,000 are getting benefits more than once.“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” Rollins said, “but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”Her office has not released detailed data, including on how much in benefits obtained by error or fraud are being used.It's also not clear which states have handed over the information. Rollins said 29 have complied and 21 have not. But 22 have sued to block the order.Additionally, Kansas, which was not part of the lawsuit, has not provided it. The USDA told the state in September that SNAP funds would be cut off. The state asked the agency to reverse the action. A spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said there had not yet been a reply as of Tuesday. North Carolina appears to be the only state with a Democratic governor that has handed over the information.Experts say that while there is certainly fraud in a $100 billion-a-year program, the far bigger problems are organized crime efforts to steal the benefit cards or get them in the name of made-up people — not wrongdoing by beneficiaries.<h2>Democratic officials question administration's motives</h2>U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation to undo recent SNAP changes, said Rollins is trying to make changes without transparency — or without a role for Congress — and that she is mischaracterizing the program.“Individuals who are just trying to buy food, those aren’t the ones who are gaming the system in the way that the administration is trying to portray,” Hayes said in an interview on Tuesday before Rollins announced her intention.Democratic officials responded to Rollins' announcement by blasting the administration.“The Governor wishes President Trump would be a president for all Americans rather than taking out his political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most," said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. "Whether it’s threatening highway funding or food assistance, the President is making malicious decisions that will raise prices and harm families.”In response to Rollins’ comments, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”<h2>SNAP has been in the spotlight recently</h2>The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year.As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people between the ages of 55 and 64, homeless people and others.And amid the recent federal government shutdown, the administration planned not to fund the benefits for November. There was a back-and-forth in the courts about whether they could do so, but then the government reopened and benefits resumed before the final word.In the meantime, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-food-states-6cef598c92000bdff8384a9da1bfd23c">states scrambled to fund benefits</a>&nbsp;on their own and most increased or accelerated money for food banks.___Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed.

🎥 Why USDA may withhold SNAP food aid from Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Police investigating a shooting that left two dead in Topeka have identified the victim as 76-year-old as Melvin Gerstenkorn and the deceased suspect is identified as&nbsp; 51-year-old Dallas Dehart both are from Topeka.

Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 23,&nbsp; police responded to report of a shooting at McDonalds restaurant in the 1200 block of SW Gage Boulevard in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Jayme Green.

At the scene, first responders located&nbsp;Gerstenkorn and Dehart&nbsp; who were&nbsp;deceased. EMS transported a third victim identified as a 22-year-old man to a hospital with life-threatening injuries

On Nov. 26, police reported they were investigating this incident as a murder-suicide. Gerstenkorn died from apparent gunshot wound. The 22-year-old&nbsp; had a life-threatening gunshot injury and remains hospitalized, according to a statement from police on Tuesday.

Dehart died from what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764000702973.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Police investigating a shooting that left two dead in Topeka have identified the victim as 76-year-old as Melvin Gerstenkorn and the deceased suspect is identified as&nbsp; 51-year-old Dallas Dehart both are from Topeka.Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 23,&nbsp; police responded to report of a shooting at McDonalds restaurant in the 1200 block of SW Gage Boulevard in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Jayme Green.At the scene, first responders located&nbsp;Gerstenkorn and Dehart&nbsp; who were&nbsp;deceased. EMS transported a third victim identified as a 22-year-old man to a hospital with life-threatening injuriesOn Nov. 26, police reported they were investigating this incident as a murder-suicide. Gerstenkorn died from apparent gunshot wound. The 22-year-old&nbsp; had a life-threatening gunshot injury and remains hospitalized, according to a statement from police on Tuesday.Dehart died from what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

Police ID victims in deadly shooting near Kan. fast-food restaurant

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforce are alerting drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights, every single time.

On Monday, while working a crash on Interstate 435, a passing vehicle struck a Trooper’s patrol car, according to a social media report from the KHP.

At the time of the collision, the Trooper was inside his vehicle, parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights on. He sustained only minor injuries and has since been treated and released back to full duty.

This could have ended much worse. Do your part, slow down and move over. Give first responders the space they need to stay safe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764732515906.png" alt="Photos Kansas Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforce are alerting drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights, every single time.On Monday, while working a crash on Interstate 435, a passing vehicle struck a Trooper’s patrol car, according to a social media report from the KHP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764732533040.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>At the time of the collision, the Trooper was inside his vehicle, parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights on. He sustained only minor injuries and has since been treated and released back to full duty.This could have ended much worse. Do your part, slow down and move over. Give first responders the space they need to stay safe.

Kan. Trooper injured when his vehicle was struck while working a crash

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday said he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S., saying residents of the war-ravaged eastern African country are too reliant on U.S. social safety net and add little to the United States.

Trump’s contemptuous description of the entire immigrant community is the latest example of him pointedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">attacking the Somali diaspora</a>&nbsp;in the United States. Somalis have been coming to Minnesota and other states, often as refugees, since the 1990s. The president made no distinction between citizens and non-citizens.

The president’s comment came days after his administration announced it is halting all asylum decisions following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington. The suspect in last week’s incident is originally from Afghanistan but Trump has used the moment to raise questions about immigrants from other nations, including Somalia.

“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country,” Trump told reporters near the end of a lengthy Cabinet meeting. He added: “Their country is no good for a reason. Your country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.”

Trump for years has criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who emigrated from Somalia in 1995 as a child. But he picked up the pace of his attacks on Somalis on social media last week after Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, published unsubstantiated allegations in a magazine called City Journal, citing unnamed sources, that money stolen from Minnesota programs has gone to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia.

Trump vowed last week in a social media post to send Somalis “back to where they came from,” and alleged Minnesota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">home to the largest Somali</a>&nbsp;community in the United States, is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” On Tuesday, the president said Somalis in the U.S. should “go back to where they came from and fix it.”

He specifically pledged to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e595731327be6ca37a27a28397a7d826">terminate temporary legal protections</a>&nbsp;for Somalis living in Minnesota, a move that is triggering fear in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e75404860523512ffc5af7363664d168">state’s deeply-rooted immigrant community</a>, along with doubts about whether the White House has the legal authority to enact the directive as described.

The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and immigration experts, who characterized Trump’s declaration as a legally dubious effort to sow suspicion toward Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">Somali community</a>.

The move would affect only a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of Somalis living in Minnesota. A report produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by Temporary Protected Status at just 705 nationwide.

Trump also renewed his criticism of Omar, whose family fled the civil war in Somalia and spent several years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the U.S.

“We can go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way, if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said. “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”

On Tuesday, Omar punched back at Trump on social media, saying: “His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”

Trump added about Somali immigrants: “These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, c’mon. Let’s make this place great.’ These are people that do nothing but complain.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Trump’s message “wrong” and said Somali immigrants have helped improve his community.

“They have started businesses and created jobs. They have added to the cultural fabric of what Minneapolis is,” Frey said. “To again, villainize an entire group is ridiculous under any circumstances. And the way that Donald Trump is consistent in doing it, I think calls into question major constitutional violations. And it certainly violates the moral fabric of what we stand by in this country as Americans.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday said he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S., saying residents of the war-ravaged eastern African country are too reliant on U.S. social safety net and add little to the United States.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> tells it like it is about ungrateful Somali refugees amid the Minnesota fraud scandal: &quot;When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch — we don&#39;t want them in our country. Let &#39;em go back to where they came from and fix it.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/fuaAKP8VsW">pic.twitter.com/fuaAKP8VsW</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995933974171189565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump’s contemptuous description of the entire immigrant community is the latest example of him pointedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">attacking the Somali diaspora</a>&nbsp;in the United States. Somalis have been coming to Minnesota and other states, often as refugees, since the 1990s. The president made no distinction between citizens and non-citizens.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 HOLY CRAP! President Trump calls Somalians and 3rd worlders &quot;GARBAGE&quot; who do &quot;nothing but B*TCH&quot; &quot;We keep taking in GARBAGE to our country. Ilhan Omar is GARBAGE. Her friends are garbage...these people come from hell, complain, and do nothing but B*TCH.&quot; &quot;WE DON&#39;T WANT &#39;EM!… <a href="https://t.co/TCIoEOFLoS">pic.twitter.com/TCIoEOFLoS</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1995934758073667785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president’s comment came days after his administration announced it is halting all asylum decisions following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington. The suspect in last week’s incident is originally from Afghanistan but Trump has used the moment to raise questions about immigrants from other nations, including Somalia.“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country,” Trump told reporters near the end of a lengthy Cabinet meeting. He added: “Their country is no good for a reason. Your country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.”Trump for years has criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who emigrated from Somalia in 1995 as a child. But he picked up the pace of his attacks on Somalis on social media last week after Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, published unsubstantiated allegations in a magazine called City Journal, citing unnamed sources, that money stolen from Minnesota programs has gone to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia.Trump vowed last week in a social media post to send Somalis “back to where they came from,” and alleged Minnesota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">home to the largest Somali</a>&nbsp;community in the United States, is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” On Tuesday, the president said Somalis in the U.S. should “go back to where they came from and fix it.”He specifically pledged to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e595731327be6ca37a27a28397a7d826">terminate temporary legal protections</a>&nbsp;for Somalis living in Minnesota, a move that is triggering fear in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-minnesota-somali-immigrants-temporary-protective-status-e75404860523512ffc5af7363664d168">state’s deeply-rooted immigrant community</a>, along with doubts about whether the White House has the legal authority to enact the directive as described.The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and immigration experts, who characterized Trump’s declaration as a legally dubious effort to sow suspicion toward Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-somalia-refugee-5ebb043e13023188cdd4e6baebd1f42c">Somali community</a>.The move would affect only a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of Somalis living in Minnesota. A report produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by Temporary Protected Status at just 705 nationwide.Trump also renewed his criticism of Omar, whose family fled the civil war in Somalia and spent several years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the U.S.“We can go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way, if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said. “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”On Tuesday, Omar punched back at Trump on social media, saying: “His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”Trump added about Somali immigrants: “These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, c’mon. Let’s make this place great.’ These are people that do nothing but complain.”Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Trump’s message “wrong” and said Somali immigrants have helped improve his community.“They have started businesses and created jobs. They have added to the cultural fabric of what Minneapolis is,” Frey said. “To again, villainize an entire group is ridiculous under any circumstances. And the way that Donald Trump is consistent in doing it, I think calls into question major constitutional violations. And it certainly violates the moral fabric of what we stand by in this country as Americans.”——

🎥What President Trump said about Somali immigrants in the U.S.

House Speaker Mike Johnson lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;A fourth grade Nevada student who won an essay contest joined Johnson in lighting the tree.

This year's tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.

The tree lights will be on each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. now through early January 2026.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764724883980.png" alt="Image from AP video" />
 <figcaption>Image from AP video</figcaption>
 </figure>House Speaker Mike Johnson lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;A fourth grade Nevada student who won an essay contest joined Johnson in lighting the tree.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> (R-LA) lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening. This year&#39;s tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. <a href="https://t.co/HFd0n12YuS">pic.twitter.com/HFd0n12YuS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995994486623871294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This year's tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.The tree lights will be on each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. now through early January 2026.&nbsp;

4th grader joins House speaker in lighting U.S. Capitol Christmas tree

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Four suspects are in custody after they stole at least $2,500 worth of gaming equipment from Best Buy, 2020 West 31st Street in Lawrence on Sunday and then left town. 

Police with the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the store’s asset manage tracked them down. 

Just after 9p.m. November 30, police were called to the store after the thieves bypassed an employee, went behind the counter, grabbed boxes of games, and quickly took off. 

 They were only in the store for about two minutes. They left a vehicle running out front while four men went into the store just as it was closing.

The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Sedgwick County. The investigating officer sent a message to surrounding agencies and a KHP Trooper pulled the car over just north of Emporia.

The group was transported back to Douglas County. One was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and the others to the Douglas County Correctional Facility.The trooper turned over a total of seven gaming consoles found in the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764675704042.png" alt="Photo of the recovered gaming equipment- Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo of the recovered gaming equipment- Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Four suspects are in custody after they stole at least $2,500 worth of gaming equipment from Best Buy, 2020 West 31st Street in Lawrence on Sunday and then left town. Police with the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the store’s asset manage tracked them down. Just after 9p.m. November 30, police were called to the store after the thieves bypassed an employee, went behind the counter, grabbed boxes of games, and quickly took off. They were only in the store for about two minutes. They left a vehicle running out front while four men went into the store just as it was closing.The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Sedgwick County. The investigating officer sent a message to surrounding agencies and a KHP Trooper pulled the car over just north of Emporia.The group was transported back to Douglas County. One was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and the others to the Douglas County Correctional Facility.The trooper turned over a total of seven gaming consoles found in the vehicle.

KHP helps track down brazen electronic store theft suspects 

NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">tax and spending legislation</a>.

The historic gift has little precedent, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bloomberg-philanthropy-john-hopkins-university-53ed82c14c4d4b07cb2675a9ca1829f9">few single charitable commitments</a>&nbsp;in the past 25 years exceeding $1 billion, much less multiple billions. Announced on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-giving-tuesday-when-is-giving-tuesday-nonprofit-donations-c8feb2d45382ea7ea6885e3d58a6efbe">GivingTuesday</a>, the Dells believe it’s the largest single private commitment made to U.S. children.

Its structure is also unusual. Essentially, it builds on the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-bonds-trump-child-poverty-8503180dc5c57a2f20dd59d7ece01d6a">Trump Accounts</a>&nbsp;" program, where the U.S. Department of the Treasury will deposit $1,000 into investment accounts set up by Treasury for American children born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028. The Dells' gift will use the “Trump Accounts” infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 10.

“We believe that if every child can see a future worth saving for, this program will build something far greater than an account. It will build hope and opportunity and prosperity for generations to come,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-trump-ellison-dell-murdoch-algorithm-c175ddc4bdeaa269543870f1227cd0d9">Michael Dell</a>, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies whose estimated net worth is $148 billion, according to Forbes.

Though the “Trump Accounts” became law as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">president's signature legislation</a>&nbsp;in July, the Dells say the accounts will not launch until July 4, 2026. Michael Dell said they wanted to mark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-america-250th-birthday-iowa-e6fb5df832cdba107ae4e9c62f2577e9">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;of U.S. independence.

“We want these kids to know that not only do their families care, but their communities care, their government, their country cares about them,” said Susan Dell. “And we’re all rooting for them to have a wonderful future, a bright future, and that that’s available to them.”

Under the new law, “Trump Accounts” are available to any American child under 18 with a Social Security number and their families can fund the accounts, which must be invested in an index fund that tracks the overall stock market. When the children turn 18, they can withdraw the funds to put toward their education, to buy a home or to start a business.

The Dells will put money into the accounts of children 10 and younger who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury. The Dells hope their gift will encourage families to claim the accounts and deposit more money into it, even small amounts, so it will grow over time along with the stock market.

President Trump plans to celebrate the commitment later on Tuesday and a White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the Dell's gift will be the first of many new pledges to fund the accounts.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill’s Trump Accounts are a revolutionary investment by the federal government into the next generation of American children,” Desai said. “It’s also President Trump’s call to action for American businesses and philanthropists to do their part, too."

“It’s hard to give effective dollars away at scale, particularly to the country’s neediest kids in a way that you have confidence that those dollars are going to compound with the upside of the U.S. economy," Brad Gerstner, a venture capitalist, who advocated for the passage of this legislation. "And so, this is a unique platform that’s being created by the government that I think can unlock major giving.”

Gerstner is also the founder of Invest America Charitable Foundation, which is supporting the Treasury in launching the accounts. He said the goal of the accounts is to give young people funds to jump start their lives but also to help them benefit from the growth of the U.S. economy through investing in stocks.

“Fundamentally, we need to include everybody in the upside of the American experiment. Otherwise, it won’t last. And so, at its core, we think it can re-energize people’s belief in free market, capitalist democracy,”″ Gerstner said of the accounts.

About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/data-research/statistics-data-visualizations/us-households-participation-capital-markets">58% of U.S. households</a>&nbsp;held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBST01122">wealthiest 1%</a>&nbsp;owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year and the bottom 50% owned about&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBSB50203">1% of stocks</a>.

In 2024, about 13% of children and young people in the U.S. lived in poverty, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and experts link the high child poverty rates to the lack of social supports for new parents, like paid parental leave.

While the funds in the Trump Accounts may help young adults whose families or employers can contribute to them over time, they won’t immediately help to diminish childhood poverty. Cuts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">Medicaid, food stamps and child care</a>&nbsp;that were also included in the spending package are likely to reduce the support children from low-income families receive.

Ray Boshara, senior policy advisor with both the Aspen Institute and Washington University in St. Louis, said he is excited about the idea that the Trump Accounts will be able to receive contributions from the business, philanthropic and governmental sectors.

“We would like to see this idea continue and get better over time, just like any big policy,’ said Boshara, who co-edited the book “The Future of Building Wealth.” "The ACA, Social Security – they start off fairly flawed, but get much better and more progressive and inclusive over time. And that’s how we think about Trump Accounts. It’s a down payment on a big idea that deserves to be improved and there’s bipartisan interest in improving them."

Through the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, the Dell's have reported giving $2.9 billion since 1999, with a large focus on education.

Michael Dell said they had not initially envisioned committing so much to boost the child investment accounts, but Susan Dell said over time, they decided to increase the size of their commitment.

“We’re thrilled to be spearheading this in the philanthropy sector and are so excited because we know that more people are going to jump on board because really, we can’t think of a better idea and better way to help America’s children,” she said.

AP writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">tax and spending legislation</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/LpRHm2TYhK">pic.twitter.com/LpRHm2TYhK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995955384201195680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Makes an Announcement, Dec. 2, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/p39M5Ke4LV">https://t.co/p39M5Ke4LV</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1995945069031960820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">$6.25 billion. 25 million children. $250 each. Susan and I believe the smartest investment we can make is in children. That’s why we’re so excited to contribute $6.25 billion from our charitable funds to help 25 million children start building a strong financial foundation… <a href="https://t.co/4Bcv3RKp0q">pic.twitter.com/4Bcv3RKp0q</a>&mdash; Michael Dell 🇺🇸 (@MichaelDell) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelDell/status/1995835745806786973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The historic gift has little precedent, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bloomberg-philanthropy-john-hopkins-university-53ed82c14c4d4b07cb2675a9ca1829f9">few single charitable commitments</a>&nbsp;in the past 25 years exceeding $1 billion, much less multiple billions. Announced on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-giving-tuesday-when-is-giving-tuesday-nonprofit-donations-c8feb2d45382ea7ea6885e3d58a6efbe">GivingTuesday</a>, the Dells believe it’s the largest single private commitment made to U.S. children.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC">https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC</a> <a href="https://t.co/YT9J2eA4XQ">pic.twitter.com/YT9J2eA4XQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995946698129252834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC">https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpAccounts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrumpAccounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wsym6SuigS">pic.twitter.com/Wsym6SuigS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995952304688955888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Its structure is also unusual. Essentially, it builds on the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-bonds-trump-child-poverty-8503180dc5c57a2f20dd59d7ece01d6a">Trump Accounts</a>&nbsp;" program, where the U.S. Department of the Treasury will deposit $1,000 into investment accounts set up by Treasury for American children born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028. The Dells' gift will use the “Trump Accounts” infrastructure to give $250 to each qualified child under 10.“We believe that if every child can see a future worth saving for, this program will build something far greater than an account. It will build hope and opportunity and prosperity for generations to come,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-trump-ellison-dell-murdoch-algorithm-c175ddc4bdeaa269543870f1227cd0d9">Michael Dell</a>, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies whose estimated net worth is $148 billion, according to Forbes.Though the “Trump Accounts” became law as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">president's signature legislation</a>&nbsp;in July, the Dells say the accounts will not launch until July 4, 2026. Michael Dell said they wanted to mark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-america-250th-birthday-iowa-e6fb5df832cdba107ae4e9c62f2577e9">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;of U.S. independence.“We want these kids to know that not only do their families care, but their communities care, their government, their country cares about them,” said Susan Dell. “And we’re all rooting for them to have a wonderful future, a bright future, and that that’s available to them.”Under the new law, “Trump Accounts” are available to any American child under 18 with a Social Security number and their families can fund the accounts, which must be invested in an index fund that tracks the overall stock market. When the children turn 18, they can withdraw the funds to put toward their education, to buy a home or to start a business.The Dells will put money into the accounts of children 10 and younger who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury. The Dells hope their gift will encourage families to claim the accounts and deposit more money into it, even small amounts, so it will grow over time along with the stock market.President Trump plans to celebrate the commitment later on Tuesday and a White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the Dell's gift will be the first of many new pledges to fund the accounts.“The One Big Beautiful Bill’s Trump Accounts are a revolutionary investment by the federal government into the next generation of American children,” Desai said. “It’s also President Trump’s call to action for American businesses and philanthropists to do their part, too."“It’s hard to give effective dollars away at scale, particularly to the country’s neediest kids in a way that you have confidence that those dollars are going to compound with the upside of the U.S. economy," Brad Gerstner, a venture capitalist, who advocated for the passage of this legislation. "And so, this is a unique platform that’s being created by the government that I think can unlock major giving.”Gerstner is also the founder of Invest America Charitable Foundation, which is supporting the Treasury in launching the accounts. He said the goal of the accounts is to give young people funds to jump start their lives but also to help them benefit from the growth of the U.S. economy through investing in stocks.“Fundamentally, we need to include everybody in the upside of the American experiment. Otherwise, it won’t last. And so, at its core, we think it can re-energize people’s belief in free market, capitalist democracy,”″ Gerstner said of the accounts.About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/data-research/statistics-data-visualizations/us-households-participation-capital-markets">58% of U.S. households</a>&nbsp;held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBST01122">wealthiest 1%</a>&nbsp;owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year and the bottom 50% owned about&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBSB50203">1% of stocks</a>.In 2024, about 13% of children and young people in the U.S. lived in poverty, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and experts link the high child poverty rates to the lack of social supports for new parents, like paid parental leave.While the funds in the Trump Accounts may help young adults whose families or employers can contribute to them over time, they won’t immediately help to diminish childhood poverty. Cuts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">Medicaid, food stamps and child care</a>&nbsp;that were also included in the spending package are likely to reduce the support children from low-income families receive.Ray Boshara, senior policy advisor with both the Aspen Institute and Washington University in St. Louis, said he is excited about the idea that the Trump Accounts will be able to receive contributions from the business, philanthropic and governmental sectors.“We would like to see this idea continue and get better over time, just like any big policy,’ said Boshara, who co-edited the book “The Future of Building Wealth.” "The ACA, Social Security – they start off fairly flawed, but get much better and more progressive and inclusive over time. And that’s how we think about Trump Accounts. It’s a down payment on a big idea that deserves to be improved and there’s bipartisan interest in improving them."Through the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, the Dell's have reported giving $2.9 billion since 1999, with a large focus on education.Michael Dell said they had not initially envisioned committing so much to boost the child investment accounts, but Susan Dell said over time, they decided to increase the size of their commitment.“We’re thrilled to be spearheading this in the philanthropy sector and are so excited because we know that more people are going to jump on board because really, we can’t think of a better idea and better way to help America’s children,” she said.___AP writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.___

🎥Historic $6.25 billion gift for millions of kids in America

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 2:40a.m. on Tuesday, police conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.. During the stop the driver, 55-year-old Paul Surber, was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.

Police arrested Surber on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and dug paraphernalia and&nbsp;Possession of stimulant; Unlawful sell of prescription drug and Possession with intent to sell, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764687069856.png" alt="Surber photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Surber photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 2:40a.m. on Tuesday, police conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.. During the stop the driver, 55-year-old Paul Surber, was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.Police arrested Surber on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and dug paraphernalia and&nbsp;Possession of stimulant; Unlawful sell of prescription drug and Possession with intent to sell, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of illegally selling prescription drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday cited the “fog of war” in defending a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea in early September.

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. ... This is called the fog of war.”

Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the Sept. 2 mission following the initial strike and the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second hit, which he “had complete authority to do.”

Lawmakers have opened investigations following a Washington Post report that Hegseth issued a verbal order to “kill everybody” on the boat, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">first vessel hit</a>&nbsp;in the Trump administration’s counterdrug campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that has grown to over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">20 known strikes and more than 80 dead</a>.

The U.S. also has built up its largest military presence in the region in generations, and many see the actions as a tactic to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">While several legal experts have told</a>&nbsp;The Associated Press they believed the second strike violated peacetime laws and those governing armed conflict, the Pentagon’s own manual on the laws of armed conflict also specifically cites striking survivors of a sunken ship as being patently illegal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764640848301.png" alt="U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War" />
 <figcaption>U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday cited the “fog of war” in defending a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">follow-up strike on an alleged drug-carrying boat</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea in early September.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a>: &quot;This is called the fog of war. This is what you in the press don&#39;t understand. You sit in you air conditioned offices or up on Capitol hill, and you nit-pick and you plant fake stories...and then you want to throw out really irresponsible terms about American heroes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TNAUjTd4ag">pic.twitter.com/TNAUjTd4ag</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995931807674773554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Hegseth said he did not see any survivors in the water, saying the vessel “exploded in fire, smoke, you can’t see anything. ... This is called the fog of war.”Hegseth also said he “didn’t stick around” for the remainder of the Sept. 2 mission following the initial strike and the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second hit, which he “had complete authority to do.”Lawmakers have opened investigations following a Washington Post report that Hegseth issued a verbal order to “kill everybody” on the boat, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">first vessel hit</a>&nbsp;in the Trump administration’s counterdrug campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that has grown to over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">20 known strikes and more than 80 dead</a>.The U.S. also has built up its largest military presence in the region in generations, and many see the actions as a tactic to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For your Christmas wish list… <a href="https://t.co/pLXzg20SaL">pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL</a>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1995291042346852861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Hegseth: &quot;We&#39;ve only just begun striking narco boats...We&#39;ve had a bit of a pause, because it&#39;s hard to find boats to strike right now.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YwKbVuuHMy">pic.twitter.com/YwKbVuuHMy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995908101862486021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">While several legal experts have told</a>&nbsp;The Associated Press they believed the second strike violated peacetime laws and those governing armed conflict, the Pentagon’s own manual on the laws of armed conflict also specifically cites striking survivors of a sunken ship as being patently illegal.“Orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal,” the manual says.President Donald Trump on Tuesday distanced himself from the secondary strike, which the news report said killed two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;As far as the attack is concerned, I still haven&#39;t gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete...I didn&#39;t know about the second strike...&quot; Secretary Hegseth on Admiral Bradley: &quot;It was the right call. We have his back.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ClTUtAY7mb">pic.twitter.com/ClTUtAY7mb</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995932265239425224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump said he “didn’t know anything” and that he “still hasn’t gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete,” referencing Hegseth, when asked if he supported the second strike.“I didn’t know anything about people. I wasn’t involved in it,” he added.Hegseth, sitting next to Trump at the Cabinet meeting, said Trump has empowered “commanders to do what is necessary, which is dark and difficult things in the dead of night on behalf of the American people.”Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said earlier in the day that all of the strikes have been “presidentially directed and the chain of command functions as it should.”“At the end of the day, the secretary and the president are the ones directing these strikes,” Wilson said while speaking to handpicked outlets at an event at the Pentagon.The Trump administration has suggested that the admiral overseeing the operation made the actual decision to conduct a second strike. Trump called him an “extraordinary person” on Tuesday and said “I want those boats taken out, and if we have to, will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-us-trump-deportation-flights-c8de53d34483533ec8e58a165f5f63fd">attack on land also</a>, just like we attack on sea.”The White House said Monday that Navy Vice Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley acted “within&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">his authority and the law”</a>&nbsp;when he ordered the second strike, while Hegseth said on social media that he stood by Bradley “and the combat decisions he has made.”Bradley is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military.