WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;on Monday welcomed this year’s official White House Christmas tree, a white fir from a farm in Michigan that arrived by horse-drawn carriage.

The tree, which came from Korson’s Tree Farms, arrived on the North Portico. It was delivered by a pair of Clydesdales named Logan and Ben in a carriage driven by one of three men, all wearing top hats, who were on board.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” the first lady said as she circled the carriage and posed for pictures.

Wearing a cream-colored overcoat and dark red gloves, she shook hands with one of the drivers and a woman who was standing with the horses.

The 18 1/2-foot tree will be displayed in the Blue Room.

Korson’s Tree Farms secured the honor by winning the National Christmas Tree Association’s national tree contest. The winner of that contest has produced the official White House Christmas tree since 1966.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;on Monday welcomed this year’s official White House Christmas tree, a white fir from a farm in Michigan that arrived by horse-drawn carriage.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">First Lady Melania Trump receives the 2025 White House Christmas Tree 🌲 <a href="https://t.co/exxZAN5Qf6">pic.twitter.com/exxZAN5Qf6</a>&mdash; Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstLadyOffice/status/1993045306116866403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan, and it’s starting today” <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> ❤️🎄 <a href="https://t.co/bfAMYzQjSQ">pic.twitter.com/bfAMYzQjSQ</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1993006026782826922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">First Lady Melania Trump (<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>) receives White House Christmas Tree. <a href="https://t.co/jGFkc8IJH8">pic.twitter.com/jGFkc8IJH8</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1993005187934347329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The tree, which came from Korson’s Tree Farms, arrived on the North Portico. It was delivered by a pair of Clydesdales named Logan and Ben in a carriage driven by one of three men, all wearing top hats, who were on board.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan, and it’s starting today” <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> ❤️🎄 <a href="https://t.co/bfAMYzQjSQ">pic.twitter.com/bfAMYzQjSQ</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1993006026782826922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s a beautiful tree,” the first lady said as she circled the carriage and posed for pictures.Wearing a cream-colored overcoat and dark red gloves, she shook hands with one of the drivers and a woman who was standing with the horses.The 18 1/2-foot tree will be displayed in the Blue Room.Korson’s Tree Farms secured the honor by winning the National Christmas Tree Association’s national tree contest. The winner of that contest has produced the official White House Christmas tree since 1966.

🎥First lady welcomes Christmas tree to the White House

SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in a 3-vehicle accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.

&nbsp;The Segwick County sheriff's office reported three vehicles, an Amazon delivery van, a Dodge Ram pickup and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. were southbound on 135th Street West at 63rd Street South between K-42 Highway and Clearwater.

The Amazon van’s driver began a U-turn at 63rd Street South in front of the Dodge Ram and the motorcycle, triggering a chain-reaction crash.

First responders found the motorcycle’s driver, 63-year-old Dwayne Wesley Evers of Clearwater, and his passenger, a 58-year-old Clearwater woman, with critical injuries.

Despite life-saving measures, Evers died at the scene. EMS transported the woman motorcycle passenger to a Wichita hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the Dodge Ram, a 70-year-old Clearwater man, was also taken by EMS to a Wichita hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. The Amazon van’s driver, a 25-year-old Wichita man, was not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Investigators do not suspect speed or impairment as a cause of the accident.

After completing the reconstruction, the Sheriff’s Office will forward the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for review.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—One person died in a 3-vehicle accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.&nbsp;The Segwick County sheriff's office reported three vehicles, an Amazon delivery van, a Dodge Ram pickup and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. were southbound on 135th Street West at 63rd Street South between K-42 Highway and Clearwater.The Amazon van’s driver began a U-turn at 63rd Street South in front of the Dodge Ram and the motorcycle, triggering a chain-reaction crash.First responders found the motorcycle’s driver, 63-year-old Dwayne Wesley Evers of Clearwater, and his passenger, a 58-year-old Clearwater woman, with critical injuries.Despite life-saving measures, Evers died at the scene. EMS transported the woman motorcycle passenger to a Wichita hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the Dodge Ram, a 70-year-old Clearwater man, was also taken by EMS to a Wichita hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. The Amazon van’s driver, a 25-year-old Wichita man, was not injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;Investigators do not suspect speed or impairment as a cause of the accident.After completing the reconstruction, the Sheriff’s Office will forward the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Kansas motorcyclist killed in crash with Amazon van, pickup

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year.

Trump made the announcement a few hours after speaking with Xi on the phone on Monday morning. He said the two men discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl, and soybeans. The phone call came nearly one month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-trade-tiktok-tariffs-semiconductors-7934c7772af030ba246ba200adf7bf8b">the two met in person</a>&nbsp;in the South Korean city of Busan.

“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump said.

Beijing, which announced the phone call first, said nothing about the state visits but said the two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan and Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761820813647.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year.Trump made the announcement a few hours after speaking with Xi on the phone on Monday morning. He said the two men discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl, and soybeans. The phone call came nearly one month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-trade-tiktok-tariffs-semiconductors-7934c7772af030ba246ba200adf7bf8b">the two met in person</a>&nbsp;in the South Korean city of Busan.“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump said.Beijing, which announced the phone call first, said nothing about the state visits but said the two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan and Ukraine.

President Trump says he will visit Beijing in April

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/nicky-forster">NICKY FORSTER</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season is starting slowly, and it’s unclear if it will be as bad as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-flu-season-cdc-a640e8fe0bffa4a8f6bdbd7ea8e5608a">last winter’s</a>, but some health experts are worried as U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Friday shows a new version of the virus has emerged.

An early analysis suggests current vaccines may still be somewhat effective against the new version of the flu, which has been the main driver of recent infections, CDC data shows.

Some scientists and medical professionals are more worried about disappointing vaccination rates, a main reason why flu hospitalizations and deaths were unusually bad during last year’s flu season — one of the deadliest this century.

“I think we’re going to see a really severe season,” said Asefeh Faraz Covelli of the George Washington University School of Nursing.

Last winter, the overall flu hospitalization rate was the highest seen since the H1N1 flu pandemic 15 years ago. Flu was the underlying or a contributing cause of more than 18,000 deaths, and one seven-day stretch early this year saw more than 1,800 deaths — the highest one-week spike in at least a decade.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flu-deaths-children-cdc-e79b1e4169d629ad4bc1095d95d82110">Child flu deaths</a>&nbsp;also were far higher than usual.

CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/usmap.html" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday showed low flu activity so far, with only one state — Louisiana — reporting moderate activity. Most of the reported infections have been in children, said the CDC’s Alicia Budd, who tracks flu infections for the Atlanta-based agency.

Most also have been a new version of the type A H3N2 virus that historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. That type is responsible for most flu infections so far this year, and more than half have been a new subclade K variant that is different from the strain this year’s flu shots were built to fight.

A preliminary&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691349457a0ccd6a3aad7fa9/_Flu_interimVE_2526_.pdf" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the United Kingdom suggests the shots do provide at least partial protection, although it will take some time for scientists to know exactly how effective they are. Experts say any protection that softens the blow of a flu infection is important to get.

Flu seasons tend to get bad between December and February, and illnesses likely will accelerate as people travel and gather for Thanksgiving, Covelli said.

“I think it’s going to start picking up here,” she said. “This is the ideal time to get vaccinated.”

Researchers this year have been facing an unusual struggle to get a handle on how respiratory infection and vaccination rates have been trending.

They usually rely on the CDC for data, but a recent government shutdown halted data collection and reporting just as respiratory infections started ramping up.

Meanwhile, government efforts to promote disease-preventing shots have been more limited since U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was put in charge of the CDC and other federal health agencies. Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist, has fostered uncertainty about the safety of vaccines, including flu shots that contained a preservative called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-flu-vaccine-thimerosal-c5696bbc19f345323153d5336cb5e798">thimerosal</a>.

Indeed, vaccination rates against COVID-19 clearly continue to plummet, with about 6% of children and 14% of adults up to date on their shots, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/vaccination-trends.html" target="_blank">other CDC data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday. Each figure is about 3 percentage points less than it was at this point last fall.

For the flu, vaccination trends are a little muddier. Some sources have suggested flu vaccinations are down. Over two million fewer flu shots were given at U.S. pharmacies through the end of October compared to last year, according to data from IQVIA, a health information and research company.

But the latest CDC data indicates that for children, the vaccination rate this year is about the same as it was at this point last fall, at 34%. And the vaccination rate for adults is up a few percentage points to about 37%, according to the CDC data, which relies on survey information.

It is early in the season and too early to know if the increase will be sustained or what is causing it, CDC officials said.

As of the beginning of November, the U.S. flu hospitalization rate is about the same as it was at the same point in 2024. Hospitalization rates for COVID-19 and another respiratory virus, RSV, are lower so far this season, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/index.html" target="_blank">another set</a>&nbsp;of CDC data.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764001939646.png" alt="CDC Flu map Nov. 15, 2025" />
 <figcaption>CDC Flu map Nov. 15, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/nicky-forster">NICKY FORSTER</a>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season is starting slowly, and it’s unclear if it will be as bad as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-flu-season-cdc-a640e8fe0bffa4a8f6bdbd7ea8e5608a">last winter’s</a>, but some health experts are worried as U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Friday shows a new version of the virus has emerged.An early analysis suggests current vaccines may still be somewhat effective against the new version of the flu, which has been the main driver of recent infections, CDC data shows.Some scientists and medical professionals are more worried about disappointing vaccination rates, a main reason why flu hospitalizations and deaths were unusually bad during last year’s flu season — one of the deadliest this century.“I think we’re going to see a really severe season,” said Asefeh Faraz Covelli of the George Washington University School of Nursing.Last winter, the overall flu hospitalization rate was the highest seen since the H1N1 flu pandemic 15 years ago. Flu was the underlying or a contributing cause of more than 18,000 deaths, and one seven-day stretch early this year saw more than 1,800 deaths — the highest one-week spike in at least a decade.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/flu-deaths-children-cdc-e79b1e4169d629ad4bc1095d95d82110">Child flu deaths</a>&nbsp;also were far higher than usual.CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/usmap.html" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday showed low flu activity so far, with only one state — Louisiana — reporting moderate activity. Most of the reported infections have been in children, said the CDC’s Alicia Budd, who tracks flu infections for the Atlanta-based agency.Most also have been a new version of the type A H3N2 virus that historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. That type is responsible for most flu infections so far this year, and more than half have been a new subclade K variant that is different from the strain this year’s flu shots were built to fight.A preliminary&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/691349457a0ccd6a3aad7fa9/_Flu_interimVE_2526_.pdf" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the United Kingdom suggests the shots do provide at least partial protection, although it will take some time for scientists to know exactly how effective they are. Experts say any protection that softens the blow of a flu infection is important to get.Flu seasons tend to get bad between December and February, and illnesses likely will accelerate as people travel and gather for Thanksgiving, Covelli said.“I think it’s going to start picking up here,” she said. “This is the ideal time to get vaccinated.”Researchers this year have been facing an unusual struggle to get a handle on how respiratory infection and vaccination rates have been trending.They usually rely on the CDC for data, but a recent government shutdown halted data collection and reporting just as respiratory infections started ramping up.Meanwhile, government efforts to promote disease-preventing shots have been more limited since U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was put in charge of the CDC and other federal health agencies. Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist, has fostered uncertainty about the safety of vaccines, including flu shots that contained a preservative called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-flu-vaccine-thimerosal-c5696bbc19f345323153d5336cb5e798">thimerosal</a>.Indeed, vaccination rates against COVID-19 clearly continue to plummet, with about 6% of children and 14% of adults up to date on their shots, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/vaccination-trends.html" target="_blank">other CDC data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday. Each figure is about 3 percentage points less than it was at this point last fall.For the flu, vaccination trends are a little muddier. Some sources have suggested flu vaccinations are down. Over two million fewer flu shots were given at U.S. pharmacies through the end of October compared to last year, according to data from IQVIA, a health information and research company.But the latest CDC data indicates that for children, the vaccination rate this year is about the same as it was at this point last fall, at 34%. And the vaccination rate for adults is up a few percentage points to about 37%, according to the CDC data, which relies on survey information.It is early in the season and too early to know if the increase will be sustained or what is causing it, CDC officials said.As of the beginning of November, the U.S. flu hospitalization rate is about the same as it was at the same point in 2024. Hospitalization rates for COVID-19 and another respiratory virus, RSV, are lower so far this season, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/index.html" target="_blank">another set</a>&nbsp;of CDC data.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Health experts worry about a new strain of flu and vaccination rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday dismissed the criminal cases against former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-justice-department-trump-pam-bondi-3da6cd432be74bab32b2ecbfb2e2b451">New York Attorney General Letitia James</a>, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie halt at least for now a pair of prosecutions that had hastened concerns that the Justice Department was being weaponized to pursue the president’s political adversaries and amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration's legal maneuvering to install a loyal, and inexperienced, prosecutor willing to file the cases.

The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed. Both defendants had asked for the cases to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning that the Justice Department would not be able to bring them again. But the judge instead dismissed them without prejudice, though it was not immediately clear if or how the Justice Department might attempt to revive the prosecutions.

The challenge to Halligan's appointment was one piece of a multiprong assault on the indictments by both Comey and James, who had each sought to have their cases dismissed on grounds that the prosecutions were vindictive. Comey's lawyers had also seized on irregularities in the grand jury process in seeking to get the prosecution thrown out. Each of those requests remains pending.

Monday's order deals exclusively with the mechanism the Trump administration employed to appoint Halligan, a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience, to lead one of the Justice Department’s most elite and important offices.

Halligan was named to the job in September after a different interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out amid pressure from the Trump administration to file charges against Comey and James.

After Siebert resigned, Comey’s lawyers argued, the judges of the federal court district should have had exclusive say over who got to fill the vacancy. Instead, Trump nominated Halligan while publicly imploring Bondi in a social media post to take action against his political opponents, saying in a Truth Social post that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Comey was indicted days later on charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress, and James was charged soon after that in a mortgage fraud investigation.

In a statement, James said, “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country.”

“I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day,” the New York attorney general, a Democrat, said.

Judges have separately disqualified interim U.S. attorneys in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Nevada, but have permitted cases brought under their watch to move forward. But lawyers for Comey and James had argued that Currie’s ruling needed to go even further because Halligan was the sole signer of the indictments and the driving force behind them.

Comey has for years been one of Trump’s chief antagonists. Appointed to the job in 2013 by President Barack Obama, Comey, at the time of Trump’s 2016 election, was overseeing an investigation into whether his presidential campaign had conspired with Russia to sway the outcome of the race. Furious over that investigation, Trump fired Comey in May 2017 and the two officials have verbally sparred in the years since.

James has also been a frequent target of Trump’s ire, especially since she won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-letitia-james-new-york-engoron-38bc3a7f2ccb22555c026e9bf70fd5bb">a staggering judgment</a>&nbsp;against him and the Trump Organization in a lawsuit alleging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements. An appeals court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-appeal-db39d93feff322eeeeedbc1ff75ccaf3">overturned the fine</a>, which had ballooned to more than $500 million with interest, but upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump had committed fraud.

Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Lindsay Whitehurst and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758848907803.png" alt="Image from former FBI Director James Comey's&nbsp; Instagram" />
 <figcaption>Image from former FBI Director James Comey's&nbsp; Instagram</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday dismissed the criminal cases against former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-comey-charged-lying-congress-a2c72e1a5bb73d588f3af7fdb56caa82">FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-justice-department-trump-pam-bondi-3da6cd432be74bab32b2ecbfb2e2b451">New York Attorney General Letitia James</a>, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764011114494.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie halt at least for now a pair of prosecutions that had hastened concerns that the Justice Department was being weaponized to pursue the president’s political adversaries and amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration's legal maneuvering to install a loyal, and inexperienced, prosecutor willing to file the cases.The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed. Both defendants had asked for the cases to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning that the Justice Department would not be able to bring them again. But the judge instead dismissed them without prejudice, though it was not immediately clear if or how the Justice Department might attempt to revive the prosecutions.The challenge to Halligan's appointment was one piece of a multiprong assault on the indictments by both Comey and James, who had each sought to have their cases dismissed on grounds that the prosecutions were vindictive. Comey's lawyers had also seized on irregularities in the grand jury process in seeking to get the prosecution thrown out. Each of those requests remains pending.Monday's order deals exclusively with the mechanism the Trump administration employed to appoint Halligan, a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience, to lead one of the Justice Department’s most elite and important offices.Halligan was named to the job in September after a different interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out amid pressure from the Trump administration to file charges against Comey and James.After Siebert resigned, Comey’s lawyers argued, the judges of the federal court district should have had exclusive say over who got to fill the vacancy. Instead, Trump nominated Halligan while publicly imploring Bondi in a social media post to take action against his political opponents, saying in a Truth Social post that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”Comey was indicted days later on charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress, and James was charged soon after that in a mortgage fraud investigation.In a statement, James said, “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country.”“I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day,” the New York attorney general, a Democrat, said.Judges have separately disqualified interim U.S. attorneys in New Jersey, Los Angeles and Nevada, but have permitted cases brought under their watch to move forward. But lawyers for Comey and James had argued that Currie’s ruling needed to go even further because Halligan was the sole signer of the indictments and the driving force behind them.Comey has for years been one of Trump’s chief antagonists. Appointed to the job in 2013 by President Barack Obama, Comey, at the time of Trump’s 2016 election, was overseeing an investigation into whether his presidential campaign had conspired with Russia to sway the outcome of the race. Furious over that investigation, Trump fired Comey in May 2017 and the two officials have verbally sparred in the years since.James has also been a frequent target of Trump’s ire, especially since she won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-letitia-james-new-york-engoron-38bc3a7f2ccb22555c026e9bf70fd5bb">a staggering judgment</a>&nbsp;against him and the Trump Organization in a lawsuit alleging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements. An appeals court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-appeal-db39d93feff322eeeeedbc1ff75ccaf3">overturned the fine</a>, which had ballooned to more than $500 million with interest, but upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump had committed fraud.____Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak in New York and Lindsay Whitehurst and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

Cases dismissed against former FBI Director and NY Attorney General

WILSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 1a.m. Monday in Wilson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Ram ProMaster van driven by Bradley&nbsp;Plec, 32,&nbsp; Graniteville, South Carolina was westbound on U.S. 400 nine and one half miles north west of Fredonia. The van veered left of center into the eastbound lane and struck a 2025 Volvo semi driven by Sergiu&nbsp; Ionas, 50, Morton Grove, Illinois,&nbsp;head-on near the eastbound shoulder.

Plec was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Ionas to the hospital in Fredonia. Plec was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

WILSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 1a.m. Monday in Wilson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Ram ProMaster van driven by Bradley&nbsp;Plec, 32,&nbsp; Graniteville, South Carolina was westbound on U.S. 400 nine and one half miles north west of Fredonia. The van veered left of center into the eastbound lane and struck a 2025 Volvo semi driven by Sergiu&nbsp; Ionas, 50, Morton Grove, Illinois,&nbsp;head-on near the eastbound shoulder.Plec was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Ionas to the hospital in Fredonia. Plec was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Driver killed after van, semi head-on crash on Kansas highway

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged scam that cost a Kansas woman nearly $10,000.

On November, 22, a 72-year-old Salina woman reported receiving an email reportedly from PayPal indicating she had spent $399.99 in Bitcoin purchases on October 29, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman.

 There was a number attached to the email indicating if she did not make the purchase to call. The victim called and the person they spoke with asked for access to their computer which was granted. 

The suspect advised she had been hacked and he needed to fix the account. A short time later the victim received an email saying the $399.99 was being returned but they had accidentally sent $40,000 to her account. 

When the victim looked at her checking account she observed $40,000. The email asked her to return the money. The person the victim was communicating with asked for a “good Faith” payment of $20,000. The victim refused, then the suspect asked for $9,900. The suspect told her to download Whatsapp and the Bitcoin app for communication purposes.

 The victim also sent pictures of her driver’s license and provided her social security number. The suspect then had the victim drive to Snak Attack at 1619 W. Magnolia in Salina and deposit $9,900 in the Bitcoin machine. The suspect was on the phone with the victim the entire time, according to Captain Feldman.

It was determined the suspect had been able to access the victim’s bank account and move funds to make it look like $40,000 had been transferred into her account. The suspect was reported to have a foreign accent. Total loss was valued at $9,900.

The Salina Police Department remind citizens to not allow anyone to access your computer or provide personal information. If you receive suspicious emails please do not reply or call the numbers attached to the emails. If you have any concerns please call your local police department or contact your bank directly.

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged scam that cost a Kansas woman nearly $10,000.On November, 22, a 72-year-old Salina woman reported receiving an email reportedly from PayPal indicating she had spent $399.99 in Bitcoin purchases on October 29, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. There was a number attached to the email indicating if she did not make the purchase to call. The victim called and the person they spoke with asked for access to their computer which was granted. The suspect advised she had been hacked and he needed to fix the account. A short time later the victim received an email saying the $399.99 was being returned but they had accidentally sent $40,000 to her account. When the victim looked at her checking account she observed $40,000. The email asked her to return the money. The person the victim was communicating with asked for a “good Faith” payment of $20,000. The victim refused, then the suspect asked for $9,900. The suspect told her to download Whatsapp and the Bitcoin app for communication purposes. The victim also sent pictures of her driver’s license and provided her social security number. The suspect then had the victim drive to Snak Attack at 1619 W. Magnolia in Salina and deposit $9,900 in the Bitcoin machine. The suspect was on the phone with the victim the entire time, according to Captain Feldman.It was determined the suspect had been able to access the victim’s bank account and move funds to make it look like $40,000 had been transferred into her account. The suspect was reported to have a foreign accent. Total loss was valued at $9,900.The Salina Police Department remind citizens to not allow anyone to access your computer or provide personal information. If you receive suspicious emails please do not reply or call the numbers attached to the emails. If you have any concerns please call your local police department or contact your bank directly.

Police: Kan. woman lost nearly $10,000 in computer scam

CHELSEA, Mich. (AP) — Old Brick Farm, where Larry Doll raises chickens, turkeys and ducks, was fortunate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/labubu-stranger-things-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-floats-unveiled-cbd2dfc34ff349e4b40df3bcd67a2f1a">this Thanksgiving season</a>.

Doll’s small farm west of Detroit had no cases of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, despite an ongoing outbreak that killed more than 2 million U.S. turkeys in the last three months alone. He also avoided another disease, avian metapneumovirus, which causes turkeys to lay fewer eggs.

“I try to keep the operation as clean as possible, and not bringing other animals in from other farms helps mitigate that risk as well,” said Doll, whose farm has been in his family for five generations.

But Doll still saw the impact as those diseases shrank the U.S. turkey flock to a 40-year low this year. The hatchery where he gets his turkey chicks had fewer available this year. He plans to order another 100 hatchlings soon, even though they won’t arrive until July.

“If you don’t get your order in early, you’re not going to get it,” he said.

The shrinking population is expected to cause wholesale turkey prices to rise 44% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the increase, many stores are offering discounted or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-turkeys-dropped-from-airplanes-9865b07e98826a77dd3570c679600f1a">free turkeys</a>&nbsp;to soften the potential blow to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/grocery-chains-vie-for-a-place-on-thanksgiving-tables-with-turkey-dinner-deals-and-store-brands/" target="_blank">Thanksgiving meal budgets</a>. But even if the bird is cheaper than last year, the ingredients to prepare the rest of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-safety-holidays-3584c4cf4d6a7c8bf9d5d6b55e3af66b">the holiday feast</a>&nbsp;may not be.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steel-aluminum-tariffs-trump-70479a1206f9d57a3b65747c17f46b52">Tariffs on imported steel</a>, for example, have increased prices for canned goods.

As of Nov. 17, a basket of 11 Thanksgiving staples — including a 10-pound frozen turkey, 10 Russet potatoes, a box of stuffing and cans of corn, green beans and cranberry sauce – cost $58.81, or 4.1% more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/thanksgiving-dinner-inflation-groceries-buying-power/">than last year</a>, according to Datasembly, a market research company that surveys weekly prices at 150,000 U.S. stores. That’s higher than the average price increase for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-coffee-beef-fruit-4fe084c2724ec6d92096efa263fdcf76">food eaten at home</a>, which rose 2.7% in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Datasembly showed a 2% decline in the retail price of a 10-pound turkey as of Nov. 17. Pricing out Thanksgiving meals isn’t an exact science, and the firm’s tally differed from other estimates.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/news-release/cost-of-thanksgiving-dinner-declines" target="_blank">American Farm Bureau Federation</a>, which uses volunteer shoppers in all 50 states to survey prices, reported that Thanksgiving dinner for 10 would cost $55.16 this year, or 5% less than last year. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/insights/agri-food-intelligence/thanksgiving-food-report/" target="_blank">Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute</a>, using NielsenIQ data from September, estimated that feeding 10 people on Thursday using store-brand products would cost $80 this year, which is 2% to 3% lower than last year’s estimate.

Grocery chains are also offering deals to attract shoppers. Discount grocer Aldi is advertising a $40 meal for 10 with 21 items. Kroger said shoppers could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vegetarian-vegan-thanksgiving-tips-19dc237fa13270d9c8fb87b4e9991d8e">feed 10 people</a>&nbsp;for under $50 with its menu of store-brand products.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump touted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-thanksgiving-meal-cost-discounts-0005c70022b7701e0ec0531220673942">Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal basket</a>, which he said was 25% cheaper than last year. But that was because Walmart included a different assortment and fewer products overall this year.

“We’re seeing some promotions being implemented in an effort to draw customers into the store,” David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University, said.

That’s despite a sharp increase in wholesale turkey prices since August. In the second week of November, frozen 8-16 pound hens were averaging $1.77 per pound, up 81% from the same period last year, according to Mark Jordan, the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, which closely follows the poultry and livestock markets.

Avian viruses are the main culprit. But another reason for turkey’s higher wholesale prices has been an increase in consumer demand as other meats have gotten more expensive, Jordan said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/beef-prices-rising-us">Beef prices</a>&nbsp;were up 14% in September compared to last year, for example.

“For a big chunk of the population, they look at steak cuts and say, ‘I can’t or I don’t want to pay $30 a pound,’” Jordan said.

That’s the case for Paul Nadeau, a retired consultant from Austin, Texas, who plans to smoke a turkey this week. Nadeau said he usually smokes a brisket over Thanksgiving weekend, but the beef brisket he buys would now cost more than $100. Turkey prices are also up at his local H-E-B supermarket, he said, but not by as much.

“I don’t know of anything that’s down in price since last year except for eggs,” Nadeau said.

Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are also raising prices. Farok Contractor, a distinguished professor of management and global business at the Rutgers Business School, said customers are paying 10 cents to 40 cents more per can when companies pass on the full cost of tariffs.

Tariffs may be partly to blame for the increased cost of jellied cranberry sauce, which was up 38% from last year in Datasembly’s survey. But weather was also a factor.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cranberries-bog-conservation-wetlands-massachusetts-wisconsin-harvest-ea0af5630d7234d78b361d72d228717f">U.S. cranberry production</a>&nbsp;is expected to be down 9% this year, hurt by drought conditions in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In Illinois, where most of the country’s canning pumpkins are grown, dry weather actually helped pumpkins avoid diseases that are more prevalent in wet conditions, said Raghela Scavuzzo, an associate director of food systems development at the Illinois Farm Bureau and the executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. Datasembly found that a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix cost 5% less than last year.

Back at Old Brick Farm, which has been in his family since 1864, Doll walked among his turkeys the week before Thanksgiving, patting their heads as they waddled between their warm barn and an open pasture. In a few days, he planned to deliver them to an Amish butcher.

Doll sold all 92 turkeys he raised this year, with customers paying $6.50 per pound for what many tell him is the best turkey they’ve ever tasted. He enjoys a little profit, he said, and the good feeling of supplying a holiday meal.

“I just love it, to think that, you know, not only are we providing them food, but the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763981972972.png" alt="Image courtesy Dillons" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Dillons</figcaption>
 </figure>CHELSEA, Mich. (AP) — Old Brick Farm, where Larry Doll raises chickens, turkeys and ducks, was fortunate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/labubu-stranger-things-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-floats-unveiled-cbd2dfc34ff349e4b40df3bcd67a2f1a">this Thanksgiving season</a>.Doll’s small farm west of Detroit had no cases of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, despite an ongoing outbreak that killed more than 2 million U.S. turkeys in the last three months alone. He also avoided another disease, avian metapneumovirus, which causes turkeys to lay fewer eggs.“I try to keep the operation as clean as possible, and not bringing other animals in from other farms helps mitigate that risk as well,” said Doll, whose farm has been in his family for five generations.But Doll still saw the impact as those diseases shrank the U.S. turkey flock to a 40-year low this year. The hatchery where he gets his turkey chicks had fewer available this year. He plans to order another 100 hatchlings soon, even though they won’t arrive until July.“If you don’t get your order in early, you’re not going to get it,” he said.<h2>Thanksgiving costs vary</h2>The shrinking population is expected to cause wholesale turkey prices to rise 44% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the increase, many stores are offering discounted or even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-turkeys-dropped-from-airplanes-9865b07e98826a77dd3570c679600f1a">free turkeys</a>&nbsp;to soften the potential blow to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/grocery-chains-vie-for-a-place-on-thanksgiving-tables-with-turkey-dinner-deals-and-store-brands/" target="_blank">Thanksgiving meal budgets</a>. But even if the bird is cheaper than last year, the ingredients to prepare the rest of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-safety-holidays-3584c4cf4d6a7c8bf9d5d6b55e3af66b">the holiday feast</a>&nbsp;may not be.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steel-aluminum-tariffs-trump-70479a1206f9d57a3b65747c17f46b52">Tariffs on imported steel</a>, for example, have increased prices for canned goods.As of Nov. 17, a basket of 11 Thanksgiving staples — including a 10-pound frozen turkey, 10 Russet potatoes, a box of stuffing and cans of corn, green beans and cranberry sauce – cost $58.81, or 4.1% more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/thanksgiving-dinner-inflation-groceries-buying-power/">than last year</a>, according to Datasembly, a market research company that surveys weekly prices at 150,000 U.S. stores. That’s higher than the average price increase for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-coffee-beef-fruit-4fe084c2724ec6d92096efa263fdcf76">food eaten at home</a>, which rose 2.7% in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Datasembly showed a 2% decline in the retail price of a 10-pound turkey as of Nov. 17. Pricing out Thanksgiving meals isn’t an exact science, and the firm’s tally differed from other estimates.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/news-release/cost-of-thanksgiving-dinner-declines" target="_blank">American Farm Bureau Federation</a>, which uses volunteer shoppers in all 50 states to survey prices, reported that Thanksgiving dinner for 10 would cost $55.16 this year, or 5% less than last year. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/insights/agri-food-intelligence/thanksgiving-food-report/" target="_blank">Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute</a>, using NielsenIQ data from September, estimated that feeding 10 people on Thursday using store-brand products would cost $80 this year, which is 2% to 3% lower than last year’s estimate.<h2>Tempting turkey prices</h2>Grocery chains are also offering deals to attract shoppers. Discount grocer Aldi is advertising a $40 meal for 10 with 21 items. Kroger said shoppers could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vegetarian-vegan-thanksgiving-tips-19dc237fa13270d9c8fb87b4e9991d8e">feed 10 people</a>&nbsp;for under $50 with its menu of store-brand products.Earlier this month, President Donald Trump touted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-thanksgiving-meal-cost-discounts-0005c70022b7701e0ec0531220673942">Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal basket</a>, which he said was 25% cheaper than last year. But that was because Walmart included a different assortment and fewer products overall this year.“We’re seeing some promotions being implemented in an effort to draw customers into the store,” David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University, said.That’s despite a sharp increase in wholesale turkey prices since August. In the second week of November, frozen 8-16 pound hens were averaging $1.77 per pound, up 81% from the same period last year, according to Mark Jordan, the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, which closely follows the poultry and livestock markets.Avian viruses are the main culprit. But another reason for turkey’s higher wholesale prices has been an increase in consumer demand as other meats have gotten more expensive, Jordan said.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/us-news/beef-prices-rising-us">Beef prices</a>&nbsp;were up 14% in September compared to last year, for example.“For a big chunk of the population, they look at steak cuts and say, ‘I can’t or I don’t want to pay $30 a pound,’” Jordan said.That’s the case for Paul Nadeau, a retired consultant from Austin, Texas, who plans to smoke a turkey this week. Nadeau said he usually smokes a brisket over Thanksgiving weekend, but the beef brisket he buys would now cost more than $100. Turkey prices are also up at his local H-E-B supermarket, he said, but not by as much.“I don’t know of anything that’s down in price since last year except for eggs,” Nadeau said.<h2>Tariffs and weather</h2>Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are also raising prices. Farok Contractor, a distinguished professor of management and global business at the Rutgers Business School, said customers are paying 10 cents to 40 cents more per can when companies pass on the full cost of tariffs.Tariffs may be partly to blame for the increased cost of jellied cranberry sauce, which was up 38% from last year in Datasembly’s survey. But weather was also a factor.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cranberries-bog-conservation-wetlands-massachusetts-wisconsin-harvest-ea0af5630d7234d78b361d72d228717f">U.S. cranberry production</a>&nbsp;is expected to be down 9% this year, hurt by drought conditions in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.In Illinois, where most of the country’s canning pumpkins are grown, dry weather actually helped pumpkins avoid diseases that are more prevalent in wet conditions, said Raghela Scavuzzo, an associate director of food systems development at the Illinois Farm Bureau and the executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. Datasembly found that a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix cost 5% less than last year.<h2>Farm to table</h2>Back at Old Brick Farm, which has been in his family since 1864, Doll walked among his turkeys the week before Thanksgiving, patting their heads as they waddled between their warm barn and an open pasture. In a few days, he planned to deliver them to an Amish butcher.Doll sold all 92 turkeys he raised this year, with customers paying $6.50 per pound for what many tell him is the best turkey they’ve ever tasted. He enjoys a little profit, he said, and the good feeling of supplying a holiday meal.“I just love it, to think that, you know, not only are we providing them food, but the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving dinner,” he said.___

Stores keep prices down in a tough year for Thanksgiving turkey

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend hit-and-run have made an arrest.

Just after 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, officers responded to a call about a pedestrian hit near Central and Hillside in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders found a a man who had been struck by multiple vehicles. Wichita Fire Department personnel extricated the victim and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Initial investigation indicated the pedestrian was hit by three different vehicles. Two drivers stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The third vehicle fled but was later located by officers. The driver, identified in booking records as 27-year-old Chance M. Flores-Leach was initially outstanding but was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of Felony Hit and Run Resulting in a Death.&nbsp;

Anyone with more information is urged to contact Accident Follow-Up detectives at 316-350-3686. Tips can also be anonymously submitted to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763948742947.png" alt="Photo Courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend hit-and-run have made an arrest.Just after 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, officers responded to a call about a pedestrian hit near Central and Hillside in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders found a a man who had been struck by multiple vehicles. Wichita Fire Department personnel extricated the victim and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763983059541.png" alt="FLORES-LEACH -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>FLORES-LEACH -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Initial investigation indicated the pedestrian was hit by three different vehicles. Two drivers stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The third vehicle fled but was later located by officers. The driver, identified in booking records as 27-year-old Chance M. Flores-Leach was initially outstanding but was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of Felony Hit and Run Resulting in a Death.&nbsp;Anyone with more information is urged to contact Accident Follow-Up detectives at 316-350-3686. Tips can also be anonymously submitted to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Fatal crash: Pedestrian struck by 3 vehicles, 1 Kan. driver arrested

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an incident involving three individuals who entered private property without authorization, climbed a secured tower, and parachuted from the structure, according to a statement from the Shawnee County Sheriff.

"While no injuries were reported, this type of activity is extremely dangerous and illegal."

"Climbing restricted towers poses significant risks, including electrocution, falls from great heights, and structural failures."

"Unauthorized parachute jumps endanger not only the individuals involved but also nearby residents and first responders who must address the situation."

The sheriff's office reminded the public that trespassing on private or secured property is a criminal offense, and high-risk stunts like this can quickly turn deadly.

If you have any information on this incident or if you see suspicious activity, please notify law enforcement immediately.Thank you for helping us keep Shawnee County safe!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763859634187.png" alt="Image from security camera provided by the Shawnee County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Image from security camera provided by the Shawnee County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an incident involving three individuals who entered private property without authorization, climbed a secured tower, and parachuted from the structure, according to a statement from the Shawnee County Sheriff."While no injuries were reported, this type of activity is extremely dangerous and illegal."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763859280555.png" alt="Image Shwnee County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Image Shwnee County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>"Climbing restricted towers poses significant risks, including electrocution, falls from great heights, and structural failures.""Unauthorized parachute jumps endanger not only the individuals involved but also nearby residents and first responders who must address the situation."The sheriff's office reminded the public that trespassing on private or secured property is a criminal offense, and high-risk stunts like this can quickly turn deadly.If you have any information on this incident or if you see suspicious activity, please notify law enforcement immediately.Thank you for helping us keep Shawnee County safe!

Sheriff: 3 parachute from secured Kan. tower on private property

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam” and starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81.

His family posted a message Monday on his social media sites that he died from a “seizure followed by pneumonia.” Additional information was not immediately available.

“”To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career,” the announcement reads in part. “He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”

Cliff was a native Jamaican with a spirited tenor and a gift for catchphrases and topical lyrics who joined Kingston’s emerging music scene in his teens and helped lead a movement in the 1960s that included such future stars as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert and Peter Tosh. By the early 1970s, he had accepted director Perry Henzell’s offer to star in a film about an aspiring reggae musician, Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, who turns to crime when his career stalls. Henzell named the movie “The Harder They Come” after suggesting the title as a possible song for Cliff.

“Ivanhoe was a real-life character for Jamaicans,” Cliff told Variety in 2022, upon the film’s 50th anniversary. “When I was a little boy, I used to hear about him as being a bad man. A real bad man. No one in Jamaica, at that time, had guns. But he had guns and shot a policeman, so he was someone to be feared. However, being a hero was the manner in which Perry wanted to make his name — an anti-hero in the way that Hollywood turns its bad guys into heroes.”

“The Harder They Come,” delayed for some two years because of sporadic funding, was the first major commercial release to come out of Jamaica. It sold few tickets in its initial run, despite praise from Roger Ebert and other critics. But it now stands as a cultural touchstone, with a soundtrack widely cited as among the greatest ever and as a turning point in reggae’s worldwide rise.

For a brief time, Cliff rivaled Marley as the genre’s most prominent artist. On an album that included Toots and the Maytals, the Slickers and Desmond Dekker, Cliff was the featured artist on four out of 11 songs, all well placed in the reggae canon.

“Sitting in Limbo” was a moody, but hopeful take on a life in restless motion. “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and the title song were calls for action and vows of final payments: “The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all.” Cliff otherwise lets out a weary cry on “Many Rivers to Cross,” a gospel-style testament that he wrote after confronting racism in England in the 1960s.

“It was a very frustrating time. I came to England with very big hopes, and I saw my hopes fading,” he told Rolling Stone in 2012.

Cliff’s career peaked with “The Harder They Come,” but, after a break in the late 1970s, he worked steadily for decades, whether session work with the Rolling Stones or collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Sting and Annie Lennox among others. Meanwhile, his early music lived on. The Sandinistas in Nicaragua used “You Can Get it If You Really Want” as a campaign theme and Bruce Springsteen helped expand Cliff’s U.S. audience with his live cover of the reggae star’s “Trapped,” featured on the million-selling charity album from 1985, “We Are the World.” Others performing his songs included John Lennon, Cher and UB40.

Cliff was nominated for seven Grammys and won twice for best reggae album: in 1986 for “Cliff Hanger” and in 2012 for the well-named “Rebirth,” widely regarded as his best work in years. His other albums included the Grammy-nominated “The Power and the Glory,” “Humanitarian” and the 2022 release “Refugees.” He also performed on Steve Van Zandt’s protest anthem, “Sun City,” and acted in the Robin Williams comedy “Club Paradise,” for which he contributed a handful of songs to the soundtrack and sang with Elvis Costello on the rocker “Seven Day Weekend.”

In 2010, Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He was born James Chambers in suburban Saint James and, like Ivan Martin in “The Harder They Come,” moved to Kingston in his youth to become a musician. In the early 1960s, Jamaica was gaining its independence from Britain and the early sounds of reggae — first called ska and rocksteady — were catching on. Calling himself Jimmy Cliff, he had a handful of local hits, including “King of Kings” and “Miss Jamaica,” and, after overcoming the kinds of barriers that upended Martin, was called on to help represent his country at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.

“(Reggae) is a pure music. It was born of the poorer class of people,” he told Spin in 2022. “It came from the need for recognition, identity and respect.”

His popularity grew over the second half of the 1960s, and he signed with Island Records, the world’s leading reggae label. Island founder Chris Blackwell tried in vain to market him to rock audiences, but Cliff still managed to reach new listeners. He had a hit with a cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” and reached the top 10 in the UK with the uplifting “Wonderful World, Beautiful People.” Cliff’s widely heard protest chant, “Vietnam,” was inspired in part by a friend who had served in the war and returned damaged beyond recognition.

His success as a recording artist and concert performer led Henzell to seek a meeting with him and flatter him into accepting the part: “You know, I think you’re a better actor than singer,” Cliff remembered him saying. Aware that “The Harder They Come” could be a breakthrough for Jamaican cinema, he openly wished for stardom, although Cliff remained surprised by how well known he became.

“Back in those days there were few of us African descendants who came through the cracks to get any kind of recognition,′ he told The Guardian in 2021. “It was easier in music than movies. But when you start to see your face and name on the side of the buses in London that was like: ‘Wow, what’s going on?’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763990503543.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached joy, defiance and resilience in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam” and starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81.His family posted a message Monday on his social media sites that he died from a “seizure followed by pneumonia.” Additional information was not immediately available.“”To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career,” the announcement reads in part. “He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”Cliff was a native Jamaican with a spirited tenor and a gift for catchphrases and topical lyrics who joined Kingston’s emerging music scene in his teens and helped lead a movement in the 1960s that included such future stars as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert and Peter Tosh. By the early 1970s, he had accepted director Perry Henzell’s offer to star in a film about an aspiring reggae musician, Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin, who turns to crime when his career stalls. Henzell named the movie “The Harder They Come” after suggesting the title as a possible song for Cliff.“Ivanhoe was a real-life character for Jamaicans,” Cliff told Variety in 2022, upon the film’s 50th anniversary. “When I was a little boy, I used to hear about him as being a bad man. A real bad man. No one in Jamaica, at that time, had guns. But he had guns and shot a policeman, so he was someone to be feared. However, being a hero was the manner in which Perry wanted to make his name — an anti-hero in the way that Hollywood turns its bad guys into heroes.”“The Harder They Come,” delayed for some two years because of sporadic funding, was the first major commercial release to come out of Jamaica. It sold few tickets in its initial run, despite praise from Roger Ebert and other critics. But it now stands as a cultural touchstone, with a soundtrack widely cited as among the greatest ever and as a turning point in reggae’s worldwide rise.For a brief time, Cliff rivaled Marley as the genre’s most prominent artist. On an album that included Toots and the Maytals, the Slickers and Desmond Dekker, Cliff was the featured artist on four out of 11 songs, all well placed in the reggae canon.“Sitting in Limbo” was a moody, but hopeful take on a life in restless motion. “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and the title song were calls for action and vows of final payments: “The harder they come, the harder they fall, one and all.” Cliff otherwise lets out a weary cry on “Many Rivers to Cross,” a gospel-style testament that he wrote after confronting racism in England in the 1960s.“It was a very frustrating time. I came to England with very big hopes, and I saw my hopes fading,” he told Rolling Stone in 2012.<h2>The music lives on</h2>Cliff’s career peaked with “The Harder They Come,” but, after a break in the late 1970s, he worked steadily for decades, whether session work with the Rolling Stones or collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Sting and Annie Lennox among others. Meanwhile, his early music lived on. The Sandinistas in Nicaragua used “You Can Get it If You Really Want” as a campaign theme and Bruce Springsteen helped expand Cliff’s U.S. audience with his live cover of the reggae star’s “Trapped,” featured on the million-selling charity album from 1985, “We Are the World.” Others performing his songs included John Lennon, Cher and UB40.Cliff was nominated for seven Grammys and won twice for best reggae album: in 1986 for “Cliff Hanger” and in 2012 for the well-named “Rebirth,” widely regarded as his best work in years. His other albums included the Grammy-nominated “The Power and the Glory,” “Humanitarian” and the 2022 release “Refugees.” He also performed on Steve Van Zandt’s protest anthem, “Sun City,” and acted in the Robin Williams comedy “Club Paradise,” for which he contributed a handful of songs to the soundtrack and sang with Elvis Costello on the rocker “Seven Day Weekend.”In 2010, Cliff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.He was born James Chambers in suburban Saint James and, like Ivan Martin in “The Harder They Come,” moved to Kingston in his youth to become a musician. In the early 1960s, Jamaica was gaining its independence from Britain and the early sounds of reggae — first called ska and rocksteady — were catching on. Calling himself Jimmy Cliff, he had a handful of local hits, including “King of Kings” and “Miss Jamaica,” and, after overcoming the kinds of barriers that upended Martin, was called on to help represent his country at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.“(Reggae) is a pure music. It was born of the poorer class of people,” he told Spin in 2022. “It came from the need for recognition, identity and respect.”<h2>Approaching stardom</h2>His popularity grew over the second half of the 1960s, and he signed with Island Records, the world’s leading reggae label. Island founder Chris Blackwell tried in vain to market him to rock audiences, but Cliff still managed to reach new listeners. He had a hit with a cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” and reached the top 10 in the UK with the uplifting “Wonderful World, Beautiful People.” Cliff’s widely heard protest chant, “Vietnam,” was inspired in part by a friend who had served in the war and returned damaged beyond recognition.His success as a recording artist and concert performer led Henzell to seek a meeting with him and flatter him into accepting the part: “You know, I think you’re a better actor than singer,” Cliff remembered him saying. Aware that “The Harder They Come” could be a breakthrough for Jamaican cinema, he openly wished for stardom, although Cliff remained surprised by how well known he became.“Back in those days there were few of us African descendants who came through the cracks to get any kind of recognition,′ he told The Guardian in 2021. “It was easier in music than movies. But when you start to see your face and name on the side of the buses in London that was like: ‘Wow, what’s going on?’”

Jimmy Cliff, reggae legend, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer dead at 81

CARACAS (AP) — International airlines increasingly canceled flights to Venezuela on Sunday after t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-airline-pilots-warning-trump-military-1a612d86f5271c2f99ee9446680a2198">he U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots</a>&nbsp;to use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity.

Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated Press that six carriers have indefinitely suspended flights: TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean. Turkish Airlines suspended flights from Nov. 24 to 28.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote Sunday on X that “there must be regular flights to all Latin American countries and from Latin America and the world.”

“Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity,” Petro added.

On Friday, the FAA warned pilots that unspecified threats “could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes” as well planes taking off and landing in the country and even aircraft on the ground.

The warning came as the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. military has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-supersonic-bombers-03b246ca6cf7ed9fa6d39e1f716b1754">conducted bomber flights</a>&nbsp;up to the coast of Venezuela, sometimes as part of a training exercise to simulate an attack, and sent the aircraft carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-venezuela-trump-ford-strikes-drugs-241ea9e039d717b9f80f793922cb7cc9">USS Gerald R. Ford into the region</a>.

The Ford aircraft carrier and several destroyers were just the latest addition to the largest U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">force assembled in the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;near Venezuela in generations. The Trump administration does not see Maduro, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.</a>, as the legitimate leader of the South American country.

The Trump administration also has carried out a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that it accuses of ferrying drugs to the U.S., killing over 80 people in total since the campaign began in early September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763334754276.png" alt="The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), front, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), right, USS Mahan (DDG 72), left, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025. U.S. military forces, like the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, are deployed in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. -Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Basisage" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), front, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), right, USS Mahan (DDG 72), left, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025. U.S. military forces, like the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, are deployed in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. -Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Basisage</figcaption>
 </figure>CARACAS (AP) — International airlines increasingly canceled flights to Venezuela on Sunday after t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-airline-pilots-warning-trump-military-1a612d86f5271c2f99ee9446680a2198">he U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots</a>&nbsp;to use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity.Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated Press that six carriers have indefinitely suspended flights: TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol and Caribbean. Turkish Airlines suspended flights from Nov. 24 to 28.Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote Sunday on X that “there must be regular flights to all Latin American countries and from Latin America and the world.”“Countries are not blocked, because blocking countries means blocking people, and that is a crime against humanity,” Petro added.On Friday, the FAA warned pilots that unspecified threats “could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes” as well planes taking off and landing in the country and even aircraft on the ground.The warning came as the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. military has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-supersonic-bombers-03b246ca6cf7ed9fa6d39e1f716b1754">conducted bomber flights</a>&nbsp;up to the coast of Venezuela, sometimes as part of a training exercise to simulate an attack, and sent the aircraft carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-venezuela-trump-ford-strikes-drugs-241ea9e039d717b9f80f793922cb7cc9">USS Gerald R. Ford into the region</a>.The Ford aircraft carrier and several destroyers were just the latest addition to the largest U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">force assembled in the Caribbean Sea</a>&nbsp;near Venezuela in generations. The Trump administration does not see Maduro, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.</a>, as the legitimate leader of the South American country.The Trump administration also has carried out a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that it accuses of ferrying drugs to the U.S., killing over 80 people in total since the campaign began in early September.___

Airlines cancel flights after FAA warns of military activity in Venezuela

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at an apartment fire in Kansas&nbsp; City.

Just before 6p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 10604 E. 98th Terrace, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

&nbsp;Crews reported smoke showing from a three-story apartment building. Interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The fire was contained to a single apartment on the third floor; however multiple apartments received water and smoke damage.&nbsp;

There were no injuries reported&nbsp; Red Cross is assisting a number of those who were displaced.

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at an apartment fire in Kansas&nbsp; City.Just before 6p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 10604 E. 98th Terrace, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;Crews reported smoke showing from a three-story apartment building. Interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines. Searches of the structure came back all clear. The fire was contained to a single apartment on the third floor; however multiple apartments received water and smoke damage.&nbsp;There were no injuries reported&nbsp; Red Cross is assisting a number of those who were displaced.

Residents displaced after fire in 3-story KC apartment building

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On November 20, Police&nbsp;were dispatched to a home in Salina, for the report where a household member who had been accessing a laptop that other family members had access to, acccording to Salina Police&nbsp;Lt. Andrew Zeigler.

Reportedly, members of the home discovered "suspicious material" on the laptop relating to under aged children.

&nbsp;the "suspicious Child Sexual Abuse Material.

Officers confirmed the material was&nbsp;Child Sexual Abuse Material and further made contact with the suspect identified as 41-year-old Cody Pacheco. When officers questioned him, he admitted to being responsible for the material.

Police&nbsp;seized the computer to be sent for further examination according to Lt. Zeigler. Officers arrested Pacheco on&nbsp;requested charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Possession of Media Child (less than 18), Unlawful Visual Depiction of a Child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763762004958.png" alt="Pacheco photo Saline Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Pacheco photo Saline Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.On November 20, Police&nbsp;were dispatched to a home in Salina, for the report where a household member who had been accessing a laptop that other family members had access to, acccording to Salina Police&nbsp;Lt. Andrew Zeigler.Reportedly, members of the home discovered "suspicious material" on the laptop relating to under aged children.&nbsp;the "suspicious Child Sexual Abuse Material.Officers confirmed the material was&nbsp;Child Sexual Abuse Material and further made contact with the suspect identified as 41-year-old Cody Pacheco. When officers questioned him, he admitted to being responsible for the material.Police&nbsp;seized the computer to be sent for further examination according to Lt. Zeigler. Officers arrested Pacheco on&nbsp;requested charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Possession of Media Child (less than 18), Unlawful Visual Depiction of a Child.

Family member reported child sex abuse images on home computer

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an injury crash that critically injured two.

Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday, a&nbsp;white, four-door sedan was westbound on Ward Parkway from the Plaza in Kansas City at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

The driver failed to negotiate the curve transitioning to the southbound lanes. The vehicle vaulted over the guardrail and came to rest upside down in Brush Creek.

EMS transported both occupants to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763914090050.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an injury crash that critically injured two.Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday, a&nbsp;white, four-door sedan was westbound on Ward Parkway from the Plaza in Kansas City at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.The driver failed to negotiate the curve transitioning to the southbound lanes. The vehicle vaulted over the guardrail and came to rest upside down in Brush Creek.EMS transported both occupants to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police released no additional details.

2 critically injured after car flips into Kansas City creek 

MIAME COUNTY —A Kansas felon is back in custody after an arrest in rural Miami County Kansas.

Just before 1p.m. November 20,&nbsp;the Miami County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 28980 Osawatomie Road, with assistance from the Osawatomie Police Department, according to. media release.

The search warrant resulted from an Osawatomie Police Department investigation into stolen property that led officers to the rural Miami County residence. During the search of the home, numerous items of stolen property were recovered related to an Osawatomie Police Department case, estimated to be valued at approximately $3,000. 

Additional stolen property belonging to victims in rural Miami County was also recovered, valued at around $500. Deputies additionally seized 1,076.5 grams (2.37 pounds) of marijuana from the property.

Larry Arthur Poage Jr., 56, was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Marijuana – and transported to the Miami County Jail. While inside the jail, additional drug paraphernalia was located on his person, resulting in two additional requested felony charges that include Trafficking Contraband into a Correctional Facility. As the investigations continue, additional charges may be filed. Poage has previous drug and driving convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763582371025.png" alt="Poag photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Poag photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAME COUNTY —A Kansas felon is back in custody after an arrest in rural Miami County Kansas.Just before 1p.m. November 20,&nbsp;the Miami County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 28980 Osawatomie Road, with assistance from the Osawatomie Police Department, according to. media release.The search warrant resulted from an Osawatomie Police Department investigation into stolen property that led officers to the rural Miami County residence. During the search of the home, numerous items of stolen property were recovered related to an Osawatomie Police Department case, estimated to be valued at approximately $3,000. Additional stolen property belonging to victims in rural Miami County was also recovered, valued at around $500. Deputies additionally seized 1,076.5 grams (2.37 pounds) of marijuana from the property.Larry Arthur Poage Jr., 56, was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Marijuana – and transported to the Miami County Jail. While inside the jail, additional drug paraphernalia was located on his person, resulting in two additional requested felony charges that include Trafficking Contraband into a Correctional Facility. As the investigations continue, additional charges may be filed. Poage has previous drug and driving convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon caught with stolen property and 2 pounds of pot

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/collin-binkley">COLLIN BINKLEY</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/makiya-seminera">MAKIYA SEMINERA</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign students enrolled at U.S. colleges in strong numbers this fall despite fears that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visas-trump-uk-dubai-6fd432398ce4c87f49a89c9c39421dec">Trump administration crackdown</a>&nbsp;would trigger a nosedive, yet there are signs of turbulence as fewer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-enrollment-visa-trump-ebece1b2ba81dd512aca161fd794a3b6">new, first-time students</a>&nbsp;arrived from other countries, according to a new report.

Overall, U.S. campuses saw a 1% decrease in international enrollment this fall compared with last year, according to a survey from the Institute of International Education. But that figure is propped up by large numbers of students who stayed in the U.S. for temporary work after graduating. The number of new students entering the United States for the first time fell by 17%, the sharpest decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some universities are seeing backslides that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-f1-student-visa-trump-college-3f10a430b4ee48342ecb62d47c53cfbc">punched big holes</a>&nbsp;in tuition revenue, but overall the falloff is less severe than some industry groups had forecast. Researchers credit colleges for helping students navigate visa issues through the summer.

“I think colleges and universities did absolutely everything in their power to advocate to get these students to the United States,” said Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for the institute.

At DePaul University, a Catholic university in Chicago, the number of international graduate students fell by almost 62% this fall, a driving factor in recent spending cuts. The university president blamed student visa troubles and declining interest to study in the U.S., calling it a “massive” disruption.

Overall, nearly 60% of colleges reported a decrease in new foreign students this fall, the survey found, while 30% saw increases and others held even. More than 800 schools responded to the survey, which offers an early look at trends before full data is released next year.

Trump administration has pressed for reductions in foreign enrollment

The Trump administration has sought to reduce America’s reliance on foreign students. The White House is pushing colleges to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-trump-deal-00eef5dca9f003e593d2cb151f5cce17">cap enrollment of foreign students</a>&nbsp;and enroll more from the U.S. In June, the State Department began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-visas-trump-social-media-6632a2c585245edcd6a63594345dd8c7">screening visa applications more closely</a>&nbsp;after temporarily halting all interviews.

Visa processing has continued to lag in some countries, including India, the largest source of America’s foreign students. Education firms have reported that future college students are now showing decreased interest in the U.S. and more in Europe and Asia. While international enrollment remained relatively steady, there are concerns about its sustainability.

“There are warning signs for future years, and I’m really concerned about what this portends for fall ’26 and ’27,” said Clay Harmon, the executive director of AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management, which represents colleges and recruitment agencies.

Foreign students make up about 6% of America’s college students but they play an outsize role in campus budgets. Most pay higher tuition rates and don’t get financial aid, effectively subsidizing U.S. students. Their numbers are far higher at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-harvard-columbia-ivy-league-cb330dbf66d4b035e66ea160e4ede856">elite campuses</a>, often making up a quarter or more of the student body.

International students at the graduate level saw the biggest backslide this fall, with a 12% drop. That was mostly offset by rising numbers of students participating in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opt-international-student-visa-f1-h1b-77095c8abefe0e03a4d26673becbd85b">Optional Practical Training</a>, which allows students to stay in the U.S. for temporary work after graduating. Undergraduate numbers ticked up slightly.

Graduate students make up the biggest share of foreign students in the U.S., often coming for science, math and business programs. Numbers had already started leveling off last year after a post-pandemic surge, but the recent turmoil appears to have accelerated the downturn. In the survey, colleges that saw decreases cite factors including visa issues and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-ban-trump-college-international-students-2b23373c85cafbdcfc7a2498d66cb83d">travel restrictions</a>.

Drops lead to budget cuts at some colleges

Many smaller and regional colleges have reported downswings, especially among master’s and doctoral students.

In a recent campus address, the president of the University at Albany said a decrease in foreign graduate students was having a “disproportionate impact” on the school’s budget. At Kent State University in Ohio, falling international numbers required an additional $4 million in cuts to balance the budget, the president wrote in an October update.

Even the biggest public universities weren’t immune. The University of Illinois’ flagship campus saw its international numbers dip, fueled by a 6% drop in graduate students. At the University of Michigan, foreign graduate enrollment fell by a similar share. Arizona State University, which has more foreign students than any other public campus, saw its overall numbers fall by 3%.

Universities are offering wider flexibility to students who couldn’t make it to campus this fall, according to the survey. Almost three-quarters are allowing foreign students to defer their enrollment to the spring term, and more than half are allowing deferrals until fall 2026.

Colleges in other countries, meanwhile, have sought to capitalize on the disruption, said Joann Ng Hartmann, senior impact officer at NAFSA, an agency that promotes international education. In Germany, Canada and some other countries, colleges are ramping up efforts to recruit students who might be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-reshaping-of-higher-education-tests-americas-appeal-for-international-students/" target="_blank">rethinking college in the U.S.</a>

“They have friendlier policies, and students realize that,” she said. “They have friendlier messaging for students that welcomes them.”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761050707809.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/collin-binkley">COLLIN BINKLEY</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/makiya-seminera">MAKIYA SEMINERA</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign students enrolled at U.S. colleges in strong numbers this fall despite fears that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-visas-trump-uk-dubai-6fd432398ce4c87f49a89c9c39421dec">Trump administration crackdown</a>&nbsp;would trigger a nosedive, yet there are signs of turbulence as fewer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-enrollment-visa-trump-ebece1b2ba81dd512aca161fd794a3b6">new, first-time students</a>&nbsp;arrived from other countries, according to a new report.Overall, U.S. campuses saw a 1% decrease in international enrollment this fall compared with last year, according to a survey from the Institute of International Education. But that figure is propped up by large numbers of students who stayed in the U.S. for temporary work after graduating. The number of new students entering the United States for the first time fell by 17%, the sharpest decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic.Some universities are seeing backslides that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-f1-student-visa-trump-college-3f10a430b4ee48342ecb62d47c53cfbc">punched big holes</a>&nbsp;in tuition revenue, but overall the falloff is less severe than some industry groups had forecast. Researchers credit colleges for helping students navigate visa issues through the summer.“I think colleges and universities did absolutely everything in their power to advocate to get these students to the United States,” said Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for the institute.At DePaul University, a Catholic university in Chicago, the number of international graduate students fell by almost 62% this fall, a driving factor in recent spending cuts. The university president blamed student visa troubles and declining interest to study in the U.S., calling it a “massive” disruption.Overall, nearly 60% of colleges reported a decrease in new foreign students this fall, the survey found, while 30% saw increases and others held even. More than 800 schools responded to the survey, which offers an early look at trends before full data is released next year.<h2>Trump administration has pressed for reductions in foreign enrollment</h2>The Trump administration has sought to reduce America’s reliance on foreign students. The White House is pushing colleges to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-trump-deal-00eef5dca9f003e593d2cb151f5cce17">cap enrollment of foreign students</a>&nbsp;and enroll more from the U.S. In June, the State Department began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-visas-trump-social-media-6632a2c585245edcd6a63594345dd8c7">screening visa applications more closely</a>&nbsp;after temporarily halting all interviews.Visa processing has continued to lag in some countries, including India, the largest source of America’s foreign students. Education firms have reported that future college students are now showing decreased interest in the U.S. and more in Europe and Asia. While international enrollment remained relatively steady, there are concerns about its sustainability.“There are warning signs for future years, and I’m really concerned about what this portends for fall ’26 and ’27,” said Clay Harmon, the executive director of AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management, which represents colleges and recruitment agencies.Foreign students make up about 6% of America’s college students but they play an outsize role in campus budgets. Most pay higher tuition rates and don’t get financial aid, effectively subsidizing U.S. students. Their numbers are far higher at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-students-harvard-columbia-ivy-league-cb330dbf66d4b035e66ea160e4ede856">elite campuses</a>, often making up a quarter or more of the student body.International students at the graduate level saw the biggest backslide this fall, with a 12% drop. That was mostly offset by rising numbers of students participating in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opt-international-student-visa-f1-h1b-77095c8abefe0e03a4d26673becbd85b">Optional Practical Training</a>, which allows students to stay in the U.S. for temporary work after graduating. Undergraduate numbers ticked up slightly.Graduate students make up the biggest share of foreign students in the U.S., often coming for science, math and business programs. Numbers had already started leveling off last year after a post-pandemic surge, but the recent turmoil appears to have accelerated the downturn. In the survey, colleges that saw decreases cite factors including visa issues and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-ban-trump-college-international-students-2b23373c85cafbdcfc7a2498d66cb83d">travel restrictions</a>.<h2>Drops lead to budget cuts at some colleges</h2>Many smaller and regional colleges have reported downswings, especially among master’s and doctoral students.In a recent campus address, the president of the University at Albany said a decrease in foreign graduate students was having a “disproportionate impact” on the school’s budget. At Kent State University in Ohio, falling international numbers required an additional $4 million in cuts to balance the budget, the president wrote in an October update.Even the biggest public universities weren’t immune. The University of Illinois’ flagship campus saw its international numbers dip, fueled by a 6% drop in graduate students. At the University of Michigan, foreign graduate enrollment fell by a similar share. Arizona State University, which has more foreign students than any other public campus, saw its overall numbers fall by 3%.Universities are offering wider flexibility to students who couldn’t make it to campus this fall, according to the survey. Almost three-quarters are allowing foreign students to defer their enrollment to the spring term, and more than half are allowing deferrals until fall 2026.Colleges in other countries, meanwhile, have sought to capitalize on the disruption, said Joann Ng Hartmann, senior impact officer at NAFSA, an agency that promotes international education. In Germany, Canada and some other countries, colleges are ramping up efforts to recruit students who might be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-reshaping-of-higher-education-tests-americas-appeal-for-international-students/" target="_blank">rethinking college in the U.S.</a>“They have friendlier policies, and students realize that,” she said. “They have friendlier messaging for students that welcomes them.”___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Foreign enrollment at US colleges holds steady despite Trump's visa crackdown

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

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Justice Larkin Walsh is not in her seat because of a predetermined plan or politics.

She is there because of people, she said in her first moments after being formally sworn in as the state’s newest justice. Walsh pledged to be the type of justice all Kansans deserve.

“And that is someone who, with a clear understanding of the legal issues, will faithfully interpret and impartially apply the law to the facts of each unique case, irrespective of popular opinion or political wins, and all while maintaining a humble awareness of each decision’s impact on people and on history,” she said.

Roughly 200 people gathered Friday in the Kansas Supreme Court in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka. Family, friends, colleagues, former justices and members of all three branches of government watched as Walsh said her first words from her new chair.

“I’m mindful of the climate and the context in which I am joining this court. This is without a doubt a critical time for the judiciary. But that has always been true,” Walsh said, “and that is because the judicial branch is so critical to our democracy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763828076795.png" alt=" Justice Larkin Walsh speaks after her official swearing-in on Nov. 21, 2025, Topeka, becoming the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest addition. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Justice Larkin Walsh speaks after her official swearing-in on Nov. 21, 2025, Topeka, becoming the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest addition. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Justice Larkin Walsh is not in her seat because of a predetermined plan or politics.She is there because of people, she said in her first moments after being formally sworn in as the state’s newest justice. Walsh pledged to be the type of justice all Kansans deserve.“And that is someone who, with a clear understanding of the legal issues, will faithfully interpret and impartially apply the law to the facts of each unique case, irrespective of popular opinion or political wins, and all while maintaining a humble awareness of each decision’s impact on people and on history,” she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763828003078.png" alt="Justice Larkin Walsh is sworn in as the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest addition on Nov. 21, 2025, in Topeka. She previously worked in private practice, litigating at all levels of the judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Justice Larkin Walsh is sworn in as the Kansas Supreme Court’s newest addition on Nov. 21, 2025, in Topeka. She previously worked in private practice, litigating at all levels of the judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Roughly 200 people gathered Friday in the Kansas Supreme Court in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka. Family, friends, colleagues, former justices and members of all three branches of government watched as Walsh said her first words from her new chair.“I’m mindful of the climate and the context in which I am joining this court. This is without a doubt a critical time for the judiciary. But that has always been true,” Walsh said, “and that is because the judicial branch is so critical to our democracy.”Former Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier and Walsh’s husband, Matt, introduced her to the court, and acting Chief Justice Eric Rosen swore her in. Walsh’s four children helped her shrug on what was once Beier’s robe.Walsh applied to work for Beier as a fresh graduate of the University of Kansas Law School. Beier said a professor told her Walsh would be “the best hire I ever made.”Beier was skeptical.“I thought no new graduate could possibly deliver the performance he promised,” she said. “I have never been so happy to be so wrong.”Beier added: “Like Athena, born from the head of Zeus, she was fully formed as a discerning intellect and an unusually mature lawyer and adviser.”Walsh, the youngest justice on the court, began her duties two months ago after an informal swearing-in ceremony. She succeeded former Justice Evelyn Wilson, who retired in July following a Lou Gehrig’s disease diagnosis.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who was present at the ceremony, appointed Walsh in August from a slate of&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/10/kansas-commission-nominates-two-judges-private-attorney-for-vacancy-on-supreme-court/">three nominees</a>.In her remarks, Walsh characterized the judicial selection process she endured as rigorous and transparent, a subtle nod to the recent challenges to the state’s merit-based approach. In August 2026, a constitutional amendment will appear on voters’ ballots asking whether they’d like to switch to a popular-vote approach.Walsh spent the past dozen years in private practice, focusing on civil rights, workers’ rights, consumer protection and complex class actions, according to Kansas Judicial Branch spokesperson Lisa Taylor. Walsh, a Leawood resident, was most recently senior counsel at Stueve Siegel Hanson.She has worked on at least two class action cases defending victims of sexual abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-897.html" target="_blank">One</a>&nbsp;was against Ohio State University for failing to protect hundreds of male student athletes from&nbsp;<a href="https://straussinvestigation.osu.edu/" target="_blank">Richard Strauss</a>’ systemic abuse. The case rose to the U.S. Supreme Court but wasn’t accepted for review.She was also part of a Kansas legal team that represented&nbsp;<a href="https://lawrencekstimes.com/2025/04/17/lmh-ku-health-lawsuit/" target="_blank">a group of women who in April sued</a>&nbsp;Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the University of Kansas Hospital Authority after a KU physical therapist accessed their medical files, which included images and body measurements. The physical therapist had never treated the women and accessed images for approximately two years without detection, according to court filings. The case is ongoing in federal court, and Walsh withdrew as an attorney in August. Walsh withdrew from the&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/07/11/in-new-documentary-former-ohio-state-wrestlers-say-u-s-rep-jim-jordan-knew-about-strauss-abuse/" target="_blank">ongoing</a>&nbsp;Ohio case in January 2024.She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, majoring in art and English. She is a 2004 graduate of the University of Kansas law school. In addition to her time as a research attorney for Beier, Walsh clerked for U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia. She served two five-year terms on the Kansas Board of Law Examiners and has been involved with the Kansas Bar Association’s Annual Survey of Law for 20 years, beginning as co-chair and transitioning to editor, a role she still holds.After one year in office, new justices undergo a retention vote to continue holding a seat on the court. Subsequent retention votes occur every six years.In public interviews during the judicial selection process, Walsh said she was not a “self-promoter.” She said at the time that ego can hinder effective justice, and she emphasized adherence to law and careful consideration and examination of facts and issues.Her parents, relatives and friends attended the ceremony, and Matt Walsh thanked many of them, while praising Larkin Walsh for her abilities as a mother, lawyer and new justice.Matt Walsh and Beier spoke of her positivity, empathy, dignity and humility.“Larkin knows exactly what court service demands,” Beier said. “She embraces the responsibility and she has crafted a record of achievement and service made to measure.”