By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a>

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in nearly 10 months, giving prospective homebuyers a sorely needed boost in purchasing power that could help inject life into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">stagnant housing market.</a>

The long-term rate fell to 6.58% from 6.63% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.49%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also fell. The average rate dropped to 5.71% from 5.75% last week. A year ago, it was 5.66%, Freddie Mac said.

Elevated mortgage rates have helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump since early 2022, when rates started to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">Home sales sank last year</a>&nbsp;to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.

This is the fourth week in a row that rates have come down. The latest average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now at its lowest level since Oct. 24, when it averaged 6.54%.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.

The main barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.29% at midday Thursday, up slightly from 4.24% late Wednesday.

The yield has come down the last couple of weeks after weaker-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-federal-reserve-68a15f89d68793a6cf88a522ff33246c">July U.S. job market data</a>&nbsp;fueled speculation that the Fed will cut its main short-term interest rate next month.

A Fed rate cut could give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it could also fuel inflation just as President Trump’s tariff policies risk raising prices for U.S. consumers.

Meanwhile, a new inflation report Thursday showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-trump-tariffs-economy-0f6613cc6f9e1b76939fdcf2c9ad8d03">prices at the U.S. wholesale level jumped 3.3% last month from a year earlier.</a>&nbsp;That’s was well above the 2.5% rate that economists had forecast, and it could hint at higher inflation ahead.

Earlier this week, the Labor Department said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-consumer-prices-jerome-powell-fed-interest-rates-7956da9c097730929b12c269f8c08399">consumer prices rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier</a>, unchanged from June.

Higher inflation could push bond yields higher, driving mortgage rates upward in turn, even if the Fed cuts its key rate.

Economists generally expect the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain above 6% this year. Recent forecasts by Realtor.com and Fannie Mae project the average rate will ease to around 6.4% by the end of this year.

That may not be low enough to make a difference. While trends like declining home listing prices and more properties on the market in the Sunbelt and West now favor buyers, affordability remains a major hurdle for many aspiring homeowners.

Home price growth has slowed nationally, but the median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home still climbed to an all-time high of $435,300 in June.

“Homebuyers who have been relegated to the sidelines by high financing costs got some encouragement in the past two weeks, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to get more of them back in the game,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.

The recent drop in mortgage rates has spurred many homeowners to refinance, however.

Mortgage applications jumped 10.9% last week from the previous week as rates eased, boosted by homeowners seeking to refinance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home loan refinance applications made up nearly 47% of all mortgage applications. Refi loan applications jumped 23% from a week earlier -- the strongest showing since April.

Meanwhile, applications for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, soared 25% to their highest level since 2022, MBA said.

Many homeowners aren’t waiting for rates to ease further before refinancing.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-equity-refinance-mortgage-rates-housing-a4cf2e131f7b4ad6224d1f5e363ed78c">Cash-out home refinancing activity surged to a nearly three-year high in the April-June quarter</a>, as homeowners tapped some of the equity gains built up after years of soaring home prices.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659001075252.jpeg" alt="AP photo&nbsp;" />
                        <figcaption>AP photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alex-veiga">ALEX VEIGA</a></p><p>The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in nearly 10 months, giving prospective homebuyers a sorely needed boost in purchasing power that could help inject life into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-64769d50ce9c16dee9ffb90c01735071">stagnant housing market.</a></p><p>The long-term rate fell to 6.58% from 6.63% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.49%.</p><p>Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also fell. The average rate dropped to 5.71% from 5.75% last week. A year ago, it was 5.66%, Freddie Mac said.</p><p>Elevated mortgage rates have helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump since early 2022, when rates started to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">Home sales sank last year</a>&nbsp;to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.</p><p>This is the fourth week in a row that rates have come down. The latest average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now at its lowest level since Oct. 24, when it averaged 6.54%.</p><p>Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.</p><p>The main barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.29% at midday Thursday, up slightly from 4.24% late Wednesday.</p><p>The yield has come down the last couple of weeks after weaker-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-economy-trump-federal-reserve-68a15f89d68793a6cf88a522ff33246c">July U.S. job market data</a>&nbsp;fueled speculation that the Fed will cut its main short-term interest rate next month.</p><p>A Fed rate cut could give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it could also fuel inflation just as President Trump’s tariff policies risk raising prices for U.S. consumers.</p><p>Meanwhile, a new inflation report Thursday showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/producer-prices-inflation-trump-tariffs-economy-0f6613cc6f9e1b76939fdcf2c9ad8d03">prices at the U.S. wholesale level jumped 3.3% last month from a year earlier.</a>&nbsp;That’s was well above the 2.5% rate that economists had forecast, and it could hint at higher inflation ahead.</p><p>Earlier this week, the Labor Department said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-consumer-prices-jerome-powell-fed-interest-rates-7956da9c097730929b12c269f8c08399">consumer prices rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier</a>, unchanged from June.</p><p>Higher inflation could push bond yields higher, driving mortgage rates upward in turn, even if the Fed cuts its key rate.</p><p>Economists generally expect the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain above 6% this year. Recent forecasts by Realtor.com and Fannie Mae project the average rate will ease to around 6.4% by the end of this year.</p><p>That may not be low enough to make a difference. While trends like declining home listing prices and more properties on the market in the Sunbelt and West now favor buyers, affordability remains a major hurdle for many aspiring homeowners.</p><p>Home price growth has slowed nationally, but the median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home still climbed to an all-time high of $435,300 in June.</p><p>“Homebuyers who have been relegated to the sidelines by high financing costs got some encouragement in the past two weeks, but it remains to be seen if it’s enough to get more of them back in the game,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.</p><p>The recent drop in mortgage rates has spurred many homeowners to refinance, however.</p><p>Mortgage applications jumped 10.9% last week from the previous week as rates eased, boosted by homeowners seeking to refinance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.</p><p>Home loan refinance applications made up nearly 47% of all mortgage applications. Refi loan applications jumped 23% from a week earlier -- the strongest showing since April.</p><p>Meanwhile, applications for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, soared 25% to their highest level since 2022, MBA said.</p><p>Many homeowners aren’t waiting for rates to ease further before refinancing.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-equity-refinance-mortgage-rates-housing-a4cf2e131f7b4ad6224d1f5e363ed78c">Cash-out home refinancing activity surged to a nearly three-year high in the April-June quarter</a>, as homeowners tapped some of the equity gains built up after years of soaring home prices.</p>

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage drops to lowest level in months

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alicia-rancilio">ALICIA RANCILIO</a>

Tristan Rogers, who played legacy character Robert Scorpio on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-hospital-60-years-soap-opera-120ba44b08ac517a56b94257b294a678">ABC’s “General Hospital,”</a>&nbsp;died Friday, less than one month after he made a special appearance on the soap opera. He was 79.

“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing,” said Frank Valentini, the show’s executive producer, in a statement. “Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio).”

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rogers’ first foray into performing was in his early twenties and playing drums in a rock band with a group of friends. They weren’t successful so Rogers turned to commercial work and modeling to earn some money. When the band dissolved, Rogers decided to give acting a try. After various roles in Australia, he also worked as a DJ and eventually moved to Los Angeles to try to break into Hollywood. He said casting directors were initially turned off by his accent but he eventually landed a two-day role on “General Hospital” in 1980.

“I had no idea at the point how big the show was,” Rogers told fellow “General Hospital” actor Maurice Benard on the YouTube show, “State of Mind with Maurice Benard” in 2022.

“I had no name. I was brought in expressly to beat up the hero, Luke, (played by Anthony Geary), and then disappear,” Rogers said. His first day was half-over when then-executive producer Gloria Monty asked if he would like to stay on. They had no character written for him so for three weeks Monty asked him to just appear in scenes “looking furtive, looking suspicious” until they came up with a storyline. It was decided he would play a spy known as “CK8” and eventually he was given the name Robert Scorpio. The character would remain a fixture in Port Charles for the rest of Rogers’ life, even when he wasn’t a current cast member.

Scorpio’s on again/off again romance with Emma Samms’ character, Holly Sutton, remained a favorite among fans. Scorpio also had a romance, and many storylines with another spy, Anna Devane, played by Finola Hughes. Scorpio and Devane shared a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough. Samms returned to the show for a stint last fall where it was revealed that Scorpio was the father of her adult daughter, Sasha Gilmore (played by Sofia Mattson.)&nbsp;

Rogers and Samms left the show together in November 2024 in scenes taped with a nod to “Casablanca.” He returned to the show in July for one episode when Sasha arrived to his home in France with her new baby. It was then revealed that Rogers had lung cancer&nbsp;

Rogers’ other acting credits include “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young &amp; the Restless” and “Studio City,” which won him outstanding supporting actor in a digital drama series at the Daytime Emmy Awards. He is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson, and a daughter and a son.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755357806642.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/alicia-rancilio">ALICIA RANCILIO</a></p><p>Tristan Rogers, who played legacy character Robert Scorpio on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-hospital-60-years-soap-opera-120ba44b08ac517a56b94257b294a678">ABC’s “General Hospital,”</a>&nbsp;died Friday, less than one month after he made a special appearance on the soap opera. He was 79.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgeneralhospital%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02GxJ7QzE3EBwEfpnQn4b9bv1SkAHEN8rWUGj6QQ1kQqSV4W41c3B6YE6tC7dHcmhsl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><p>“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken to hear of Tristan Rogers’ passing,” said Frank Valentini, the show’s executive producer, in a statement. “Tristan has captivated our fans for 45 years and Port Charles will not be the same without him (or Robert Scorpio).”</p><p>Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rogers’ first foray into performing was in his early twenties and playing drums in a rock band with a group of friends. They weren’t successful so Rogers turned to commercial work and modeling to earn some money. When the band dissolved, Rogers decided to give acting a try. After various roles in Australia, he also worked as a DJ and eventually moved to Los Angeles to try to break into Hollywood. He said casting directors were initially turned off by his accent but he eventually landed a two-day role on “General Hospital” in 1980.</p><p>“I had no idea at the point how big the show was,” Rogers told fellow “General Hospital” actor Maurice Benard on the YouTube show, “State of Mind with Maurice Benard” in 2022.</p><p>“I had no name. I was brought in expressly to beat up the hero, Luke, (played by Anthony Geary), and then disappear,” Rogers said. His first day was half-over when then-executive producer Gloria Monty asked if he would like to stay on. They had no character written for him so for three weeks Monty asked him to just appear in scenes “looking furtive, looking suspicious” until they came up with a storyline. It was decided he would play a spy known as “CK8” and eventually he was given the name Robert Scorpio. The character would remain a fixture in Port Charles for the rest of Rogers’ life, even when he wasn’t a current cast member.</p><p>Scorpio’s on again/off again romance with Emma Samms’ character, Holly Sutton, remained a favorite among fans. Scorpio also had a romance, and many storylines with another spy, Anna Devane, played by Finola Hughes. Scorpio and Devane shared a daughter, Robin, played by Kimberly McCullough. Samms returned to the show for a stint last fall where it was revealed that Scorpio was the father of her adult daughter, Sasha Gilmore (played by Sofia Mattson.)&nbsp;</p><p>Rogers and Samms left the show together in November 2024 in scenes taped with a nod to “Casablanca.” He returned to the show in July for one episode when Sasha arrived to his home in France with her new baby. It was then revealed that Rogers had lung cancer&nbsp;</p><p>Rogers’ other acting credits include “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young &amp; the Restless” and “Studio City,” which won him outstanding supporting actor in a digital drama series at the Daytime Emmy Awards. He is survived by his wife, Teresa Parkerson, and a daughter and a son.</p>

Longtime ‘General Hospital’ star Tristan Rogers dies at 79

<b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

TOPEKA— Firefighters responded to an Thursday night fire outside headquarters of the Johnson County Republican Party in Overland Park that resulted in no injuries.

The incident inspired inflammatory comments by the leader of the Kansas GOP, who placed responsibility on liberals. In a statement, she offered no evidence the fire, which didn’t cause significant damage, was linked to partisan ideology.

“Extreme liberals can’t do anything right, including arson,” said Danedri Herbert, who serves as chair of the Kansas Republican Party and spokesperson for Attorney General Kris Kobach. “Their hateful attempt to intimidate Republicans will also fail.”

Johnson County Republican Party chair Sue Huff said she was grateful no one was hurt in the “vicious attack.”

Overland Park firefighters responded to the county’s GOP headquarters near West 105th and Mastin Street around 12:45 a.m. Friday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2025/08/15/possible-arson-outside-johnson-county-gop-headquarters-under-investigation/" target="_blank">KCTV 5 reported the department</a>&nbsp;reported the fire was confined to the doorstep of the building.

Jeanna Repass, chair of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement acts of violence should play no role in resolving political differences. She said it was a relief no one was hurt in the “senseless act.”

“We stand with law enforcement as they pursue justice in this matter,” Repass said. “We will never be able to solve political differences with acts of violence, and we send our thoughts to the Johnson County GOP and the Kansas GOP.”

Repass said she was confident Overland Park investigators would hold to account anyone responsible for the fire.

“Violence anywhere, whether at a local party headquarters or our U.S. Capitol, undermines our democracy and must be condemned in full. Real progress cannot be made through fear, intimidation or destruction,” she said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755306983787.png" alt="File Photo Overland Park Fire" />
                        <figcaption>File Photo Overland Park Fire</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a><br></b><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><p>TOPEKA— Firefighters responded to an Thursday night fire outside headquarters of the Johnson County Republican Party in Overland Park that resulted in no injuries.</p><p>The incident inspired inflammatory comments by the leader of the Kansas GOP, who placed responsibility on liberals. In a statement, she offered no evidence the fire, which didn’t cause significant damage, was linked to partisan ideology.</p><p>“Extreme liberals can’t do anything right, including arson,” said Danedri Herbert, who serves as chair of the Kansas Republican Party and spokesperson for Attorney General Kris Kobach. “Their hateful attempt to intimidate Republicans will also fail.”</p><p>Johnson County Republican Party chair Sue Huff said she was grateful no one was hurt in the “vicious attack.”</p><p>Overland Park firefighters responded to the county’s GOP headquarters near West 105th and Mastin Street around 12:45 a.m. Friday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2025/08/15/possible-arson-outside-johnson-county-gop-headquarters-under-investigation/" target="_blank">KCTV 5 reported the department</a>&nbsp;reported the fire was confined to the doorstep of the building.</p><p>Jeanna Repass, chair of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement acts of violence should play no role in resolving political differences. She said it was a relief no one was hurt in the “senseless act.”</p><p>“We stand with law enforcement as they pursue justice in this matter,” Repass said. “We will never be able to solve political differences with acts of violence, and we send our thoughts to the Johnson County GOP and the Kansas GOP.”</p><p>Repass said she was confident Overland Park investigators would hold to account anyone responsible for the fire.</p><p>“Violence anywhere, whether at a local party headquarters or our U.S. Capitol, undermines our democracy and must be condemned in full. Real progress cannot be made through fear, intimidation or destruction,” she said.</p>

Fire outside Johnson Co. GOP headquarters prompts condemnation of political liberals

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas home daycare provider who admitted to abuse of a child is going to prison.

On Friday Judge Quinten Pittman sentenced 29-year-old Ija Hall, the owner of His Loving Hands Home Childcare, 357 N. Erie in Wichita, to 61 months in prison followed by 36 months of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

In July Hall pleaded guilty to&nbsp;child abuse.&nbsp; In June she told the court she would face a jury but changed her mind.

In September of 2024, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment suspended Hall's day care&nbsp; license after an incident involving a child she was fostering. A protective order was issued during her first court appearance, according to the district attorney's office. She was not to have contact with the victim in the case or any child under the age of 12.

One of her foster children was burned in a bathtub, according to the KDHE. A second foster child had bruises and missing teeth.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755346737318.png" alt="Hall photo Sedgwick County" />
                        <figcaption>Hall photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas home daycare provider who admitted to abuse of a child is going to prison.</p><p>On Friday Judge Quinten Pittman sentenced 29-year-old Ija Hall, the owner of His Loving Hands Home Childcare, 357 N. Erie in Wichita, to 61 months in prison followed by 36 months of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.</p><p>In July Hall pleaded guilty to&nbsp;child abuse.&nbsp; In June she told the court she would face a jury but changed her mind.</p><p>In September of 2024, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment suspended Hall's day care&nbsp; license after an incident involving a child she was fostering. A protective order was issued during her first court appearance, according to the district attorney's office. She was not to have contact with the victim in the case or any child under the age of 12.</p><p>One of her foster children was burned in a bathtub, according to the KDHE. A second foster child had bruises and missing teeth.</p>

Prison for Kansas daycare owner who abused children in her care

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">border czar Tom Homan</a>&nbsp;visited Capitol Hill just weeks after Inauguration Day, with other administration officials and a singular message: They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-border-security-defense-senate-budget-plan-4549502882410e4cf1caf99bc04419df">needed money</a>&nbsp;for the White House's border security and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">mass deportation agenda</a>.

By summer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">Congress delivered</a>.

The Republican Party’s big bill of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">tax breaks and spending cuts</a>&nbsp;that Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sign-tax-cut-bill-july-4-3804df732e461a626fd8c2b43413c3f0">signed into law July 4</a>&nbsp;included what's arguably the biggest boost of funds yet to the Department of Homeland Security —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">nearly $170 billion</a>, almost double its annual budget.

The staggering sum is powering the nation's sweeping new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-immigration-crime-ice-criminal-dangerous-violent-99557d9d68642004193a9f4b7668162e">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;operations, delivering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-raids-detainee-families-los-angeles-651d8bba4752553a67eb53db084677b2">gripping scenes</a>&nbsp;of people being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-arrests-ice-los-angeles-0de11b5bc6ef962b79e084fb9e648a87">pulled off city streets</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-farm-immigration-raid-cannabis-fbcf4620675523aa7630599331777ec5">from job sites</a>&nbsp;across the nation — the cornerstone of Trump's promise for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-california-immigration-customs-enforcement-newsom-0482a8935419d88986b890b18db5cc03">the largest domestic deportation operation</a>&nbsp;in American history. Homeland Security confirmed over the weekend ICE is working to set up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-detention-deportation-kristi-noem-a27916786c732c8f784a1d388a10e752">detention sites at certain military bases</a>.

“We’re getting them out at record numbers,” Trump said at the White House bill signing ceremony. “We have an obligation to, and we’re doing it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-bill-deportations-asylum-fee-68e358a73e01941af50984de8c85ea31">The crush of new money</a>&nbsp;is setting off alarms in Congress and beyond, raising questions from lawmakers in both major political parties who are expected to provide oversight. The bill text provided general funding categories — almost $30 billion for ICE officers, $45 billion for detention facilities, $10 billion for the office of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;— but few policy details or directives. Homeland Security recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-hiring-trump-border-mass-deportations-ed1580c3f5c0c2a2b5c1ebd621574365">$50,000 ICE hiring bonuses</a>.

And it’s not just the big bill’s fresh infusion of funds fueling the president's agenda of 1 million deportations a year.

In the months since Trump took office, his administration has been shifting as much as $1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other accounts to pay for immigration enforcement and deportation operations, lawmakers said.

“Your agency is out of control,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Noem during a Senate committee hearing in the spring.

The senator warned that Homeland Security would “go broke” by July.

Noem quickly responded that she always lives within her budget.

But Murphy said later in a letter to Homeland Security, objecting to its repurposing funds, that ICE was being directed to spend at an “indefensible and unsustainable rate to build a mass deportation army,” often without approval from Congress.

This past week, the new Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York, along with a subcommittee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, requested a briefing from Noem on the border security components of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA, which included $46 billion over the next four years for Trump’s long-sought U.S.-Mexico border wall.

“We write today to understand how the Department plans to outlay this funding to deliver a strong and secure homeland for years to come,” the GOP lawmakers said in a letter to the homeland security secretary, noting border apprehensions are at record lows.

“We respectfully request that you provide Committee staff with a briefing on the Department’s plan to disburse OBBBA funding," they wrote, seeking a response by Aug. 22.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Associated Press the department is in daily discussions with the committee “to honor all briefing requests including the spend plan for the funds allocated" through the new law.

“ICE is indeed pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity,” she said. “This process does include housing detainees at certain military bases, including Fort Bliss.”

All together, it’s what observers on and off Capitol Hill see as a fundamental shift in immigration policy — enabling DHS to reach far beyond the U.S. southern border and deep into communities to conduct raids and stand up detention facilities as holding camps for immigrants.

The Defense Department, the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies are being enlisted in what Kathleen Bush-Joseph, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, calls a “whole of government” approach.

“They’re orienting this huge shift,” Bush-Joseph said, as deportation enforcement moves "inward."

The flood of cash comes when Americans'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-polling-trump-deportation-d138992f803e2d0b5b399aa9eaa36581">views on immigration are shifting</a>. Polling showed 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a “good thing” for the country, having jumped substantially from 64% a year ago, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/692522/surge-concern-immigration-abated.aspx">Gallup</a>. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say immigration is a bad thing right now.

At the same time, Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-approval-rating-on-immigration-and-government-spending-has-slipped-new-ap-norc-poll-finds/">approval rating</a>&nbsp;on immigration has slipped. According to a July&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-approval-rating-on-immigration-and-government-spending-has-slipped-new-ap-norc-poll-finds/">AP-NORC poll</a>, 43% of U.S. adults said they approved of his handling of immigration, down slightly from 49%&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-poll-immigration-tariffs-trade-b7a430909606d6b8b27cfbc5049a32b4">in March</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-arrests-ice-los-angeles-0de11b5bc6ef962b79e084fb9e648a87">Americans are watching</a>&nbsp;images of often masked officers arresting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/badar-khan-suri-georgetown-immigration-case-c598f7ff6a7bda7a948e793b14770a43">college students</a>, people at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-los-angeles-trojan-horse-penske-1b86bc5f2ff716b89f4aba3320a96979">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;lots,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-mothers-deported-d8c5c0353c18e9ee0c228ea15e02d759">parents</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arrest-landscaper-marine-son-orange-county-304c7e5b1ac240d640b95ffe2e3cac9d">workers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-california-tunisian-musician-04b368eefbdad48ce76df3612a59be61">a Tunisian musician</a>. Stories abound of people being whisked off to detention facilities, often without allegations of wrongdoing beyond being unauthorized to remain in the U.S.

Detention centers are being stood up, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-immigration-alligator-alcatraz-8d0b59a59251a79136667dc2804d107c">“Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida</a>&nbsp;to the repurposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-centers-ice-deportations-trump-e92b67a388f041b84593d7a29fd93c54">federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas,</a>&nbsp;and the proposed new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pato-oward-indycar-ice-106baa57f854ffcf86c654f0ff8987b7">“Speedway Slammer” in Indiana</a>. Flights are ferrying migrants not just home or to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison but far away to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-sudan-djibouti-deport-supreme-court-50f9162cff680b5c8729873e11d514e9">Africa</a>&nbsp;and beyond.

Homan has insisted in recent interviews those being detained and deported are the “worst of the worst,” and he dismissed as “garbage” the reports showing many of those being removed have not committed violations beyond their irregular immigration status.

“There’s no safe haven here,” Homan said recently outside the White House. “We’re going to do exactly what President Trump has promised the American people he’d do.”

Back in February, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the Republican chairman of the Budget Committee, emerged from their private meeting saying Trump administration officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-border-security-defense-senate-budget-plan-4549502882410e4cf1caf99bc04419df">“begging for money.”</a>

As Graham got to work, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a leading deficit hawk, proposed an alternative border package, at $39 billion, a fraction of the size.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750038378079.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">border czar Tom Homan</a>&nbsp;visited Capitol Hill just weeks after Inauguration Day, with other administration officials and a singular message: They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-border-security-defense-senate-budget-plan-4549502882410e4cf1caf99bc04419df">needed money</a>&nbsp;for the White House's border security and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">mass deportation agenda</a>.</p><p>By summer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">Congress delivered</a>.</p><p>The Republican Party’s big bill of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inside-trump-republican-spending-bill-provisions-details-06eb10bad4fd2a7ea2ac236e6535e61d">tax breaks and spending cuts</a>&nbsp;that Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sign-tax-cut-bill-july-4-3804df732e461a626fd8c2b43413c3f0">signed into law July 4</a>&nbsp;included what's arguably the biggest boost of funds yet to the Department of Homeland Security —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-budget-congress-trump-bill-e37bb0a5c5ca883438db349239a6c251">nearly $170 billion</a>, almost double its annual budget.</p><p>The staggering sum is powering the nation's sweeping new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-immigration-crime-ice-criminal-dangerous-violent-99557d9d68642004193a9f4b7668162e">Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>&nbsp;operations, delivering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-raids-detainee-families-los-angeles-651d8bba4752553a67eb53db084677b2">gripping scenes</a>&nbsp;of people being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-arrests-ice-los-angeles-0de11b5bc6ef962b79e084fb9e648a87">pulled off city streets</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-farm-immigration-raid-cannabis-fbcf4620675523aa7630599331777ec5">from job sites</a>&nbsp;across the nation — the cornerstone of Trump's promise for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-california-immigration-customs-enforcement-newsom-0482a8935419d88986b890b18db5cc03">the largest domestic deportation operation</a>&nbsp;in American history. Homeland Security confirmed over the weekend ICE is working to set up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-detention-deportation-kristi-noem-a27916786c732c8f784a1d388a10e752">detention sites at certain military bases</a>.</p><p>“We’re getting them out at record numbers,” Trump said at the White House bill signing ceremony. “We have an obligation to, and we’re doing it.”</p><h2>Money flows, and so do questions</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-bill-deportations-asylum-fee-68e358a73e01941af50984de8c85ea31">The crush of new money</a>&nbsp;is setting off alarms in Congress and beyond, raising questions from lawmakers in both major political parties who are expected to provide oversight. The bill text provided general funding categories — almost $30 billion for ICE officers, $45 billion for detention facilities, $10 billion for the office of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;— but few policy details or directives. Homeland Security recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-hiring-trump-border-mass-deportations-ed1580c3f5c0c2a2b5c1ebd621574365">$50,000 ICE hiring bonuses</a>.</p><p>And it’s not just the big bill’s fresh infusion of funds fueling the president's agenda of 1 million deportations a year.</p><p>In the months since Trump took office, his administration has been shifting as much as $1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other accounts to pay for immigration enforcement and deportation operations, lawmakers said.</p><p>“Your agency is out of control,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Noem during a Senate committee hearing in the spring.</p><p>The senator warned that Homeland Security would “go broke” by July.</p><p>Noem quickly responded that she always lives within her budget.</p><p>But Murphy said later in a letter to Homeland Security, objecting to its repurposing funds, that ICE was being directed to spend at an “indefensible and unsustainable rate to build a mass deportation army,” often without approval from Congress.</p><p>This past week, the new Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York, along with a subcommittee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, requested a briefing from Noem on the border security components of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA, which included $46 billion over the next four years for Trump’s long-sought U.S.-Mexico border wall.</p><p>“We write today to understand how the Department plans to outlay this funding to deliver a strong and secure homeland for years to come,” the GOP lawmakers said in a letter to the homeland security secretary, noting border apprehensions are at record lows.</p><p>“We respectfully request that you provide Committee staff with a briefing on the Department’s plan to disburse OBBBA funding," they wrote, seeking a response by Aug. 22.</p><p>DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Associated Press the department is in daily discussions with the committee “to honor all briefing requests including the spend plan for the funds allocated" through the new law.</p><p>“ICE is indeed pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity,” she said. “This process does include housing detainees at certain military bases, including Fort Bliss.”</p><h2>Deportations move deep into communities</h2><p>All together, it’s what observers on and off Capitol Hill see as a fundamental shift in immigration policy — enabling DHS to reach far beyond the U.S. southern border and deep into communities to conduct raids and stand up detention facilities as holding camps for immigrants.</p><p>The Defense Department, the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies are being enlisted in what Kathleen Bush-Joseph, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, calls a “whole of government” approach.</p><p>“They’re orienting this huge shift,” Bush-Joseph said, as deportation enforcement moves "inward."</p><p>The flood of cash comes when Americans'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-polling-trump-deportation-d138992f803e2d0b5b399aa9eaa36581">views on immigration are shifting</a>. Polling showed 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a “good thing” for the country, having jumped substantially from 64% a year ago, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/692522/surge-concern-immigration-abated.aspx">Gallup</a>. Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say immigration is a bad thing right now.</p><p>At the same time, Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-approval-rating-on-immigration-and-government-spending-has-slipped-new-ap-norc-poll-finds/">approval rating</a>&nbsp;on immigration has slipped. According to a July&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trumps-approval-rating-on-immigration-and-government-spending-has-slipped-new-ap-norc-poll-finds/">AP-NORC poll</a>, 43% of U.S. adults said they approved of his handling of immigration, down slightly from 49%&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-poll-immigration-tariffs-trade-b7a430909606d6b8b27cfbc5049a32b4">in March</a>.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-arrests-ice-los-angeles-0de11b5bc6ef962b79e084fb9e648a87">Americans are watching</a>&nbsp;images of often masked officers arresting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/badar-khan-suri-georgetown-immigration-case-c598f7ff6a7bda7a948e793b14770a43">college students</a>, people at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-raids-los-angeles-trojan-horse-penske-1b86bc5f2ff716b89f4aba3320a96979">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;lots,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-mothers-deported-d8c5c0353c18e9ee0c228ea15e02d759">parents</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arrest-landscaper-marine-son-orange-county-304c7e5b1ac240d640b95ffe2e3cac9d">workers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-california-tunisian-musician-04b368eefbdad48ce76df3612a59be61">a Tunisian musician</a>. Stories abound of people being whisked off to detention facilities, often without allegations of wrongdoing beyond being unauthorized to remain in the U.S.</p><h2>A new era of detention centers</h2><p>Detention centers are being stood up, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-immigration-alligator-alcatraz-8d0b59a59251a79136667dc2804d107c">“Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida</a>&nbsp;to the repurposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-centers-ice-deportations-trump-e92b67a388f041b84593d7a29fd93c54">federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas,</a>&nbsp;and the proposed new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pato-oward-indycar-ice-106baa57f854ffcf86c654f0ff8987b7">“Speedway Slammer” in Indiana</a>. Flights are ferrying migrants not just home or to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison but far away to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-sudan-djibouti-deport-supreme-court-50f9162cff680b5c8729873e11d514e9">Africa</a>&nbsp;and beyond.</p><p>Homan has insisted in recent interviews those being detained and deported are the “worst of the worst,” and he dismissed as “garbage” the reports showing many of those being removed have not committed violations beyond their irregular immigration status.</p><p>“There’s no safe haven here,” Homan said recently outside the White House. “We’re going to do exactly what President Trump has promised the American people he’d do.”</p><p>Back in February, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the Republican chairman of the Budget Committee, emerged from their private meeting saying Trump administration officials were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-border-security-defense-senate-budget-plan-4549502882410e4cf1caf99bc04419df">“begging for money.”</a></p><p>As Graham got to work, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a leading deficit hawk, proposed an alternative border package, at $39 billion, a fraction of the size.</p>

Trump's big bill is powering mass deportations. Congress is starting to ask questions

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before midnight August 9, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop for an alleged traffic infraction on a Hyundai Elantra traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 75, near 142nd&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver, Clifton Wabaunsee, 44, of Topeka was arrested at the scene and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.&nbsp; He has previous convictions for aggravated battery and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754918054048.png" alt="Wabaunsee-photo Jackson County" />
                        <figcaption>Wabaunsee-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.</p><p>Just before midnight August 9, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop for an alleged traffic infraction on a Hyundai Elantra traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 75, near 142nd&nbsp;Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.</p><p>The driver, Clifton Wabaunsee, 44, of Topeka was arrested at the scene and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.&nbsp; He has previous convictions for aggravated battery and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</p>

Kansas felon is back in jail on new drug allegations

SEDGWICK COUNTY– Wichita police took Gauge Brasher, 19, into custody shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in the 3100 block of E. Range Road, according to a statement from Wichita Police.

 Earlier Friday, police investigators presented the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and Brasher was charged with second-degree murder in the Aug. 13, crash that killed Jackson Nzabonimpa, 14.&nbsp;

Brasher will be booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police are investigating a fatal crash at Harry and Rock Road in Wichita that killed 14-year-old Jackson Nzabonimpa and still searching for the driver.

Around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a nearby Kansas Highway Patrol trooper in the area saw the aftermath of the accident and saw two men running from a black BMW that had crashed. After a short foot pursuit, both men were apprehended.

The preliminary investigation indicates the BMW was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit a power pole and then a utility box. The impact forced the power pole and utility box into Nzabonimpa, who died on scene from his injuries.&nbsp;

Witnesses at the intersection identified the 19-year-old suspect Gauge Brasher, who fled as the driver. He is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. The investigation indicated that impairment and speed were likely contributing factors in the collision. Brasher was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment and later left the hospital. The passenger is a 24-year-old man who was detained and later released with no charges.&nbsp;

Wichita police are following up on leads to locate and arrest Brasher.

Wichita Police does not typically identify suspects who have not been formally charged. In this case, police believe the alleged recklessness of Brasher’s actions make him a danger to the&nbsp; community. Wichita Police Accident Follow-Up Unit (AFU) is continuing to investigate what led to this incident. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for charging.

“This was not an accident. It was a series of reckless choices,” Chief Joe Sullivan said. “When you mix extreme speed with suspected impairment, you turn a vehicle into a weapon. We will pursue full accountability for the death of this young man and his family, and the danger brought to our community.”&nbsp;

Anyone who has information on the location of Gauge Brasher is asked to call 911 immediately. To provide information related to this incident please call AFU investigators at 316-350-3685. To remain anonymous, you can submit a tip through Crime Stoppers at (316)-267-2111.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755212957933.png" alt="View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY– Wichita police took Gauge Brasher, 19, into custody shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in the 3100 block of E. Range Road, according to a statement from Wichita Police.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755346851465.png" alt="Brasher photo Sedgwick Co." />
                        <figcaption>Brasher photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p> Earlier Friday, police investigators presented the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and Brasher was charged with second-degree murder in the Aug. 13, crash that killed Jackson Nzabonimpa, 14.&nbsp;</p><p>Brasher will be booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.</p><p>----------</p><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police are investigating a fatal crash at Harry and Rock Road in Wichita that killed 14-year-old Jackson Nzabonimpa and still searching for the driver.</p><p>Around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a nearby Kansas Highway Patrol trooper in the area saw the aftermath of the accident and saw two men running from a black BMW that had crashed. After a short foot pursuit, both men were apprehended.</p><p>The preliminary investigation indicates the BMW was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit a power pole and then a utility box. The impact forced the power pole and utility box into Nzabonimpa, who died on scene from his injuries.&nbsp;</p><p>Witnesses at the intersection identified the 19-year-old suspect Gauge Brasher, who fled as the driver. He is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. The investigation indicated that impairment and speed were likely contributing factors in the collision. Brasher was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment and later left the hospital. The passenger is a 24-year-old man who was detained and later released with no charges.&nbsp;</p><p>Wichita police are following up on leads to locate and arrest Brasher.</p><p>Wichita Police does not typically identify suspects who have not been formally charged. In this case, police believe the alleged recklessness of Brasher’s actions make him a danger to the&nbsp; community. Wichita Police Accident Follow-Up Unit (AFU) is continuing to investigate what led to this incident. The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for charging.</p><p>“This was not an accident. It was a series of reckless choices,” Chief Joe Sullivan said. “When you mix extreme speed with suspected impairment, you turn a vehicle into a weapon. We will pursue full accountability for the death of this young man and his family, and the danger brought to our community.”&nbsp;</p><p>Anyone who has information on the location of Gauge Brasher is asked to call 911 immediately. To provide information related to this incident please call AFU investigators at 316-350-3685. To remain anonymous, you can submit a tip through Crime Stoppers at (316)-267-2111.</p>

Police capture suspect wanted for fatal Kansas hit-and-run 

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President Donald Trump said he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;didn’t reach a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after meeting on Friday — despite Putin saying they had come to “an understanding” — as the two leaders offered scant details on what was discussed while heaping praise on each other.

In brief remarks as they shared a stage after meeting for about 2 ½ hours in Alaska, Putin said he and Trump had reached an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”

But Trump then said, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal” and said he planned to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon, to brief them on the discussions.

“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Trump said. “And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”

He continued: “We didn’t get there.”

The high-profile summit ended without a deal to end, or even pause, the brutal conflict — the largest land war in Europe since 1945 — which has raged for more than three years.

It was an abrupt ending to an otherwise friendly meeting in which a red carpet was rolled out for Putin as he landed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The two leaders greeted each other with a handshake and a smile, and Putin even got a ride in the presidential limousine — an unusually warm reception for a U.S. adversary.

While the two leaders were still on the tarmac, reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” Russia’s leader put his hand up to his ear as though to indicate he couldn’t hear them. Trump and Putin then shared the U.S. presidential limo known as “The Beast” for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.

Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putin’s discussions, and Ukraine’s president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a “strong position from the U.S.”

“Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war,” he said, later adding, “The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war.”

Trump had both raised and lowered expectations for the summit, at turns characterizing it as a “feel-out meeting” but also warning of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin didn’t agree to end the war.

He boasted before taking office that he could end the war in 24 hours, a comment he later said was in jest. The opportunity to talk to Putin face-to-face gave him his best chance to date to get the fighting to stop, but he came up short.

Putin suggests in English that next meeting could be held in Moscow

Trump has spoken repeatedly in recent days about wanting to have a second meeting after the Alaska summit.

As they wrapped their statements after the summit, Putin said to Trump in English, “Next time in Moscow.”

Trump responded, “I could see it possibly happening.”

Neither leader announced that a second meeting would be held before they left the room without answering questions from reporters.

Trump and Putin did not take questions after giving joint statements

After their nearly three-hour-long meeting, neither Trump nor Putin took questions from reporters after giving brief remarks. Putin said the two leaders had reached an “understanding,” but neither offered further details.

Trump says he will fill Zelenskyy in on Putin meeting

The U.S. president also said he would call European and NATO leaders to give them updates from his meeting with Putin.

Trump said “some great progress” was made in his bilateral meeting with the Russian president, saying “many points were agreed to,” with just a “very few” remaining.

Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska summit.

Putin says there would no be war in Ukraine if Trump had been president in 2022

Trump has long claimed that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if he had still be in the White House — and the Russian leader confirmed that argument at a news conference after their meeting.

Putin criticized former President Joe Biden without naming him and referenced Trump’s argument about his presence being sufficient to stop the war.

“I can confirm that,” Putin said through a translator.

Putin speaks first at joint news conference with Trump

Speaking in Russian, the president said he had greeted Trump as “dear neighbor,” thankful to see him in good health.

Putin also said he and Trump “have very good, direct contact.”

As Putin spoke, Trump stood about 6 or 7 feet (1.8 or 2.1 meters) away from him, at his own podium.

Putin said the U.S. and Russia are close neighbors, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755307816617.png" alt="White House photo" />
                        <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President Donald Trump said he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;didn’t reach a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine after meeting on Friday — despite Putin saying they had come to “an understanding” — as the two leaders offered scant details on what was discussed while heaping praise on each other.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Donald Trump: &quot;There&#39;s no deal until there&#39;s a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate and I&#39;ll of course call up President Zelensky and tell him about today&#39;s meeting. It&#39;s ultimately up to them.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ur3kxRIgM4">pic.twitter.com/ur3kxRIgM4</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1956496911503937682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>In brief remarks as they shared a stage after meeting for about 2 ½ hours in Alaska, Putin said he and Trump had reached an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”</p><p>But Trump then said, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal” and said he planned to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon, to brief them on the discussions.</p><p>“We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Trump said. “And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there.”</p><p>He continued: “We didn’t get there.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇷🇺🇺🇸 The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Anchorage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Anchorage</a> talks between Presidents <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> have concluded. <a href="https://t.co/AcctLQQDGI">pic.twitter.com/AcctLQQDGI</a></p>&mdash; MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1956502931257053275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The high-profile summit ended without a deal to end, or even pause, the brutal conflict — the largest land war in Europe since 1945 — which has raged for more than three years.</p><p>It was an abrupt ending to an otherwise friendly meeting in which a red carpet was rolled out for Putin as he landed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The two leaders greeted each other with a handshake and a smile, and Putin even got a ride in the presidential limousine — an unusually warm reception for a U.S. adversary.</p><p>While the two leaders were still on the tarmac, reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” Russia’s leader put his hand up to his ear as though to indicate he couldn’t hear them. Trump and Putin then shared the U.S. presidential limo known as “The Beast” for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.</p><p>Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putin’s discussions, and Ukraine’s president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a “strong position from the U.S.”</p><p>“Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war,” he said, later adding, “The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war.”</p><p>Trump had both raised and lowered expectations for the summit, at turns characterizing it as a “feel-out meeting” but also warning of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin didn’t agree to end the war.</p><p>He boasted before taking office that he could end the war in 24 hours, a comment he later said was in jest. The opportunity to talk to Putin face-to-face gave him his best chance to date to get the fighting to stop, but he came up short.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: I believe we had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on... There&#39;s no deal until there&#39;s a deal. I will call up NATO... I&#39;ll of course call up President Zelensky and tell him about today&#39;s meeting... We really made some great progress. <a href="https://t.co/qEnZHW5D9i">pic.twitter.com/qEnZHW5D9i</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956493139868369139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I&#39;m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened, but we had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/p9MAivEbB6">pic.twitter.com/p9MAivEbB6</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956493746414997647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“We had an extremely productive meeting.” President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/aIEWqkYYgN">pic.twitter.com/aIEWqkYYgN</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1956493879953563767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump and President Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. <a href="https://t.co/d9DKQ0OtPa">pic.twitter.com/d9DKQ0OtPa</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1956441780544516497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">B-2 Stealth Bomber flies over President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and President Putin <a href="https://t.co/HaAqyHLftx">pic.twitter.com/HaAqyHLftx</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1956443298400510377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Putin having to deal with a free press for the first time in years and he doesn’t seem amused. <a href="https://t.co/CI8iwqAQJM">pic.twitter.com/CI8iwqAQJM</a></p>&mdash; OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1956447061043527837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇷🇺🇺🇸 The meeting between President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> has begun in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Anchorage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Anchorage</a>.<br><br>Also taking part in the talks are Russian FM Sergey <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lavrov?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lavrov</a>, Presidential Aide Yuri <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ushakov?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ushakov</a>, US Secretary of State <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcorubio</a> &amp; US Presidential Special Envoy <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveWitkoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SteveWitkoff</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussiaUSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussiaUSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/6jW6MmSrkr">pic.twitter.com/6jW6MmSrkr</a></p>&mdash; MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1956444614271103120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> sits down with President Putin 🇺🇸🇷🇺 <a href="https://t.co/PJfqsvXdkI">pic.twitter.com/PJfqsvXdkI</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1956439512806207706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pursuing Peace. 🇺🇸🇷🇺 <a href="https://t.co/d9VqKzpF6g">pic.twitter.com/d9VqKzpF6g</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956446335261175865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> begins his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://t.co/hpR641t8pJ">pic.twitter.com/hpR641t8pJ</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956441246513467393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HAPPENING NOW! <a href="https://t.co/5OBEWIttVv">https://t.co/5OBEWIttVv</a> <a href="https://t.co/s9KIftc3ZW">pic.twitter.com/s9KIftc3ZW</a></p>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1956435635818070211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🤝 <a href="https://t.co/Tru212XRcu">pic.twitter.com/Tru212XRcu</a></p>&mdash; MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1956450765121396775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and Russian President Vladimir Putin end the day&#39;s historic summit in Alaska <a href="https://t.co/80SsqP2Di8">pic.twitter.com/80SsqP2Di8</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956494156487856548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Putin suggests in English that next meeting could be held in Moscow</h2><p>Trump has spoken repeatedly in recent days about wanting to have a second meeting after the Alaska summit.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Next time in Moscow” President Putin on the next meeting with President Trump <a href="https://t.co/Eomwp1zs7S">pic.twitter.com/Eomwp1zs7S</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1956496289056653652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>As they wrapped their statements after the summit, Putin said to Trump in English, “Next time in Moscow.”</p><p>Trump responded, “I could see it possibly happening.”</p><p>Neither leader announced that a second meeting would be held before they left the room without answering questions from reporters.</p><h2>Trump and Putin did not take questions after giving joint statements</h2><p>After their nearly three-hour-long meeting, neither Trump nor Putin took questions from reporters after giving brief remarks. Putin said the two leaders had reached an “understanding,” but neither offered further details.</p><h2>Trump says he will fill Zelenskyy in on Putin meeting</h2><p>The U.S. president also said he would call European and NATO leaders to give them updates from his meeting with Putin.</p><p>Trump said “some great progress” was made in his bilateral meeting with the Russian president, saying “many points were agreed to,” with just a “very few” remaining.</p><p>Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska summit.</p><h2>Putin says there would no be war in Ukraine if Trump had been president in 2022</h2><p>Trump has long claimed that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if he had still be in the White House — and the Russian leader confirmed that argument at a news conference after their meeting.</p><p>Putin criticized former President Joe Biden without naming him and referenced Trump’s argument about his presence being sufficient to stop the war.</p><p>“I can confirm that,” Putin said through a translator.</p><h2>Putin speaks first at joint news conference with Trump</h2><p>Speaking in Russian, the president said he had greeted Trump as “dear neighbor,” thankful to see him in good health.</p><p>Putin also said he and Trump “have very good, direct contact.”</p><p>As Putin spoke, Trump stood about 6 or 7 feet (1.8 or 2.1 meters) away from him, at his own podium.</p><p>Putin said the U.S. and Russia are close neighbors, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska.</p>

🎥Trump: No deal on ending war in Ukraine; Putin says there was an 'understanding'

HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/7aeaf800-fb59-44d2-8983-9179d6701101">After months of being out-of-network</a>, Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas have reached a new agreement that will bring the clinic back into the BCBSKS network starting Sept. 1.

In a joint statement, the two organizations said:

<i>“We are pleased to announce Hutchinson Clinic will return to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas network on September 1st, 2025. We understand how important it is for our patients to have access to local providers and services they know and trust."</i>

Hutchinson Clinic, a physician-owned practice serving Reno County and surrounding areas, had previously been an in-network provider for BCBS members for many years. That changed on Jan. 1, 2025, when contract negotiations broke down over reimbursement rates, and the clinic left the BCBS Marketplace network. The move prompted concern from patients, many of whom faced higher out-of-pocket costs to continue seeing their longtime providers.

Clinic leaders at the time cited unsustainable payment rates as the reason for the departure, while reaffirming their commitment to keeping care local. The clinic’s Patient Advocacy Center worked with BCBSKS members to help them understand their costs and options.

Starting September 1, BCBSKS members will again be able to receive in-network benefits at Hutchinson Clinic locations. The change applies to both existing patients and new BCBSKS members seeking care from the clinic’s physicians and specialists.

<p>MARC JACOBS<br>Hutch Post</p><p>HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/7aeaf800-fb59-44d2-8983-9179d6701101">After months of being out-of-network</a>, Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas have reached a new agreement that will bring the clinic back into the BCBSKS network starting Sept. 1.</p><p>In a joint statement, the two organizations said:</p><p><i>“We are pleased to announce Hutchinson Clinic will return to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas network on September 1st, 2025. We understand how important it is for our patients to have access to local providers and services they know and trust."</i></p><p>Hutchinson Clinic, a physician-owned practice serving Reno County and surrounding areas, had previously been an in-network provider for BCBS members for many years. That changed on Jan. 1, 2025, when contract negotiations broke down over reimbursement rates, and the clinic left the BCBS Marketplace network. The move prompted concern from patients, many of whom faced higher out-of-pocket costs to continue seeing their longtime providers.</p><p>Clinic leaders at the time cited unsustainable payment rates as the reason for the departure, while reaffirming their commitment to keeping care local. The clinic’s Patient Advocacy Center worked with BCBSKS members to help them understand their costs and options.</p><p>Starting September 1, BCBSKS members will again be able to receive in-network benefits at Hutchinson Clinic locations. The change applies to both existing patients and new BCBSKS members seeking care from the clinic’s physicians and specialists.</p>

Hutchinson Clinic, BCBSKS announce return to network

TOPEKA&nbsp; – Juan Doroteo Morales, 38, will serve life in prison for the 2021 murder of Camilo Ramirez, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced on Friday.

&nbsp;Saline County District Court Judge Jacob Peterson sentenced Morales on Friday.&nbsp; In May, a Saline County jury convicted Morales for first-degree, premediated murder, aggravated assault, and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

On Aug. 23, 2021, Salina police officers responded to a 911 call of a man shot at the intersection of Iron and Front streets in Salina. First responders found Ramirez, 25, unconscious with a bullet wound to the head. They initiated live-saving measures and transported Ramirez to the hospital, where Ramirez succumbed to his injuries the following day. Investigators learned that Morales and three other individuals, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart, lured Ramirez to a laundromat in Salina. &nbsp;

When Ramirez and his dog walked to the meeting place near the intersection of Iron and Front Street, the four defendants – Morales, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart – arrived via car. Morales and Jacob exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at Ramirez. After the shooting, the pair got back in the car and were driven away by Jamie. Ramirez’s dog was also killed in the shooting.

Stewart entered guilty pleas to second-degree intentional murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery on Oct. 18, 2022. Stewart testified during Morales’s trial. &nbsp;On May 16, 2025, she was sentenced to serve 187 months in prison. &nbsp;Jaime Leos entered guilty pleas to voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree on July 29. &nbsp;

On May 16, 2025, he was sentenced to prison for 287 months. &nbsp;Jacob Leos entered guilty pleas to intentional murder in the second degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, and aggravated assault on May 2. &nbsp;On May 20, 2025, Jacob was sentenced to serve 284 months in prison. &nbsp;The Salina Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746639820085.png" alt="Morales photo Saline County" />
                        <figcaption>Morales photo Saline County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TOPEKA&nbsp; – Juan Doroteo Morales, 38, will serve life in prison for the 2021 murder of Camilo Ramirez, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced on Friday.</p><p>&nbsp;Saline County District Court Judge Jacob Peterson sentenced Morales on Friday.&nbsp; In May, a Saline County jury convicted Morales for first-degree, premediated murder, aggravated assault, and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. </p><p>On Aug. 23, 2021, Salina police officers responded to a 911 call of a man shot at the intersection of Iron and Front streets in Salina. First responders found Ramirez, 25, unconscious with a bullet wound to the head. They initiated live-saving measures and transported Ramirez to the hospital, where Ramirez succumbed to his injuries the following day. Investigators learned that Morales and three other individuals, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart, lured Ramirez to a laundromat in Salina. &nbsp;</p><p>When Ramirez and his dog walked to the meeting place near the intersection of Iron and Front Street, the four defendants – Morales, Jamie Leos, Jacob Leos and Kiera Stewart – arrived via car. Morales and Jacob exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at Ramirez. After the shooting, the pair got back in the car and were driven away by Jamie. Ramirez’s dog was also killed in the shooting.</p><p>Stewart entered guilty pleas to second-degree intentional murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery on Oct. 18, 2022. Stewart testified during Morales’s trial. &nbsp;On May 16, 2025, she was sentenced to serve 187 months in prison. &nbsp;Jaime Leos entered guilty pleas to voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree on July 29. &nbsp;</p><p>On May 16, 2025, he was sentenced to prison for 287 months. &nbsp;Jacob Leos entered guilty pleas to intentional murder in the second degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, and aggravated assault on May 2. &nbsp;On May 20, 2025, Jacob was sentenced to serve 284 months in prison. &nbsp;The Salina Police Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.</p>

Life in prison for Kansas man who lured victim to his death

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-shares-japan-bessent-wall-street-02e8aa1fa772ad3570249dc81f917325">record levels</a>&nbsp;on Friday in a quiet finish to another winning week.

The S&amp;P 500 slipped 0.3% from the all-time high it set the day before, as it closed its fourth winning week in the last five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with its own record, which was set in December, before ending just below the mark with a rise of 34 points, or 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite dipped 0.4%, though it’s still near its record set on Wednesday.

The U.S. stock market reached all-time highs this past week as expectations built that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-trump-federal-reserve-10b69ac47322e412d667f3d44ccd62b7">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;will deliver a cut to interest rates at its next meeting in September. Lower rates can boost investment prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-3bba3f6f23c277b000493bdc6bb86f20">borrow to buy houses</a>, cars or equipment, but they also risk worsening inflation.

A disappointing report about inflation at the U.S. wholesale level made traders pare back bets for coming cuts to interest rates on Thursday, but they’re still overwhelmingly expecting them. Such anticipation has sent Treasury yields lower in the bond market, though they inched higher Friday following some mixed updates on the economy.

One said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-inflation-economy-4c3fd1a7a82ed2ec52a9dfa3ec569076">shoppers boosted their spending</a>&nbsp;at U.S. retailers last month, as economists expected, while another said that manufacturing in New York state unexpectedly grew. A third said industrial production across the country shrank last month, when economists were looking for modest growth.

Another report suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is worsening because of worries about inflation, when economists expected to see a slight improvement.

“Overall, consumers are no longer bracing for the worst-case scenario for the economy feared in April,” when President Donald Trump announced his stunning set of worldwide tariffs, according to Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s surveys of consumers. “However, consumers continue to expect both inflation and unemployment to deteriorate in the future.”

On Wall Street, UnitedHealth Group jumped 12% after famed investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-lennar-nucor-drhorton-8ded0e379e9e29dab9af66a88dc1e9a2">bought nearly 5 million shares of the insurer</a>&nbsp;during the spring, valued at $1.57 billion. Buffett is known for trying to buy good stocks at affordable prices, and UnitedHealth’s halved for the year by the end of July because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealth-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-0e3cad5d2a9efa01ba9605674a513092">a run of struggles</a>.

Berkshire Hathaway’s own stock slipped 0.4%.

Applied Materials helped lead Wall Street lower with a decline of 14.1% even though it reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The focus was on the company’s forecast for a drop in revenue during the current quarter.

Its products help manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays, and CEO Gary Dickerson pointed to a “dynamic macroeconomic and policy environment, which is creating increased uncertainty and lower visibility in the near term, including for our China business.”

Sandisk fell 4.6% despite reporting a profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. Investors focused instead on the data storage company’s forecast for profit in the current quarter, which came up short of Wall Street’s.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 18.74 points to 6,449.80. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 34.86 to 44,946.12, and the Nasdaq composite sank 87.69 to 21,622.98.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose 0.8% in Shanghai but fell 1% in Hong Kong after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-property-trump-tariffs-65f886fe432f007e02871bf484b28656">China’s economy may have slowed in July</a>&nbsp;under pressure from uncertainty surrounding Trump’s tariffs.

“Chinese economic activity slowed across the board in July, with retail sales, fixed asset investment, and value added of industry growth all reaching the lowest levels of the year. After a strong start, several months of cooling momentum suggest that the economy may need further policy support,” ING Economics said in a market commentary.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.7% after the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-tariffs-trump-economy-gdp-4ed873e4162c84dafc3befc81b49c6e6">its economy grew at a better-than-expected pace</a>&nbsp;in the latest quarter.

European stock indexes finished mixed before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Trump began his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>, which could dictate where the war in Ukraine is heading.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722962507580.png" alt="File(AP Photo/Richard Drew)" />
                        <figcaption>File(AP Photo/Richard Drew)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-shares-japan-bessent-wall-street-02e8aa1fa772ad3570249dc81f917325">record levels</a>&nbsp;on Friday in a quiet finish to another winning week.</p><p>The S&amp;P 500 slipped 0.3% from the all-time high it set the day before, as it closed its fourth winning week in the last five. The Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with its own record, which was set in December, before ending just below the mark with a rise of 34 points, or 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite dipped 0.4%, though it’s still near its record set on Wednesday.</p><p>The U.S. stock market reached all-time highs this past week as expectations built that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-trump-federal-reserve-10b69ac47322e412d667f3d44ccd62b7">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;will deliver a cut to interest rates at its next meeting in September. Lower rates can boost investment prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-3bba3f6f23c277b000493bdc6bb86f20">borrow to buy houses</a>, cars or equipment, but they also risk worsening inflation.</p><p>A disappointing report about inflation at the U.S. wholesale level made traders pare back bets for coming cuts to interest rates on Thursday, but they’re still overwhelmingly expecting them. Such anticipation has sent Treasury yields lower in the bond market, though they inched higher Friday following some mixed updates on the economy.</p><p>One said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-inflation-economy-4c3fd1a7a82ed2ec52a9dfa3ec569076">shoppers boosted their spending</a>&nbsp;at U.S. retailers last month, as economists expected, while another said that manufacturing in New York state unexpectedly grew. A third said industrial production across the country shrank last month, when economists were looking for modest growth.</p><p>Another report suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is worsening because of worries about inflation, when economists expected to see a slight improvement.</p><p>“Overall, consumers are no longer bracing for the worst-case scenario for the economy feared in April,” when President Donald Trump announced his stunning set of worldwide tariffs, according to Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s surveys of consumers. “However, consumers continue to expect both inflation and unemployment to deteriorate in the future.”</p><p>On Wall Street, UnitedHealth Group jumped 12% after famed investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-lennar-nucor-drhorton-8ded0e379e9e29dab9af66a88dc1e9a2">bought nearly 5 million shares of the insurer</a>&nbsp;during the spring, valued at $1.57 billion. Buffett is known for trying to buy good stocks at affordable prices, and UnitedHealth’s halved for the year by the end of July because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealth-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-0e3cad5d2a9efa01ba9605674a513092">a run of struggles</a>.</p><p>Berkshire Hathaway’s own stock slipped 0.4%.</p><p>Applied Materials helped lead Wall Street lower with a decline of 14.1% even though it reported better results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The focus was on the company’s forecast for a drop in revenue during the current quarter.</p><p>Its products help manufacture semiconductors and advanced displays, and CEO Gary Dickerson pointed to a “dynamic macroeconomic and policy environment, which is creating increased uncertainty and lower visibility in the near term, including for our China business.”</p><p>Sandisk fell 4.6% despite reporting a profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. Investors focused instead on the data storage company’s forecast for profit in the current quarter, which came up short of Wall Street’s.</p><p>All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 18.74 points to 6,449.80. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 34.86 to 44,946.12, and the Nasdaq composite sank 87.69 to 21,622.98.</p><p>In stock markets abroad, indexes rose 0.8% in Shanghai but fell 1% in Hong Kong after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-property-trump-tariffs-65f886fe432f007e02871bf484b28656">China’s economy may have slowed in July</a>&nbsp;under pressure from uncertainty surrounding Trump’s tariffs.</p><p>“Chinese economic activity slowed across the board in July, with retail sales, fixed asset investment, and value added of industry growth all reaching the lowest levels of the year. After a strong start, several months of cooling momentum suggest that the economy may need further policy support,” ING Economics said in a market commentary.</p><p>Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.7% after the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-tariffs-trump-economy-gdp-4ed873e4162c84dafc3befc81b49c6e6">its economy grew at a better-than-expected pace</a>&nbsp;in the latest quarter.</p><p>European stock indexes finished mixed before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1">Trump began his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>, which could dictate where the war in Ukraine is heading.</p>

US stocks fade as Wall Street closes out another winning week

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-sandwich-assault-f579ab8649ae0f40d03cd4fdb58ed5e9">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;kicked off their Alaska summit with a warm handshake on Friday, greeting each other like old friends before heading into hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.

After descending from Air Force One, Trump applauded the Russian leader as Putin approached, walking along red carpets that had been placed for each leader. They gripped hands for an extended period of time, with both men smiling, and Putin eventually grinned and pointed skyward while their hands were still clasped.

Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew over to mark the moment.

Reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” and Putin put his hand up to his ear but didn’t answer. Trump and Putin both climbed in the U.S. presidential limo, with Putin grinning widely as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is now a three-on-three meeting that will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin will be joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin first met privately just with their interpreters for two hours.

Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit.

The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">bring the slaughter to a close</a>&nbsp;— something he used to boast he could do quickly.

For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://volodymyr%20zelenskyy/">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European leaders aren't invited.

There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil — America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre — the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">his invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyy's exclusion from Trump and Putin's first meeting is a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.

Any success is far from assured because Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.

"HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One.

On his way to the meeting, Putin stopped in Magadan, in Russia’s Far East, where he visited a factory producing omega-3 fish oil capsules, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Putin used the flight to review materials on Ukraine, tensions with the U.S., economic cooperation and global affairs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV.

Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting.

Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putin’s longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-sandwich-assault-f579ab8649ae0f40d03cd4fdb58ed5e9">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;arrived in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal summit with Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.

Trump was scheduled to meet Russia’s president at his plane shortly. A large “Alaska 2025” sign, flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets, was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders’ arrival. Trump and Putin have shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-0237e6b133b14b74acf4a2021272ecec">closely watched handshakes before</a>&nbsp;— but the one they are expected to have Friday will be as scrutinized as any, as will any body language or hints about how each is feeling.

The Kremlin said Trump and Putin will have a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over “a working breakfast.” The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference.

Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals

Trump previously characterized the sit-down as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-strike-575aa4ce590256d50a9d73911f681269">really a feel-out meeting</a>.” But he's also warned of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-13-2025">“very severe consequences”</a>&nbsp;for Russia if Putin doesn't agree to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>.

Trump said Friday that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions.

“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump told reporters traveling with him to Alaska.

Trump said there’s “a possibility” of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.” Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.

Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv’s head.

On his way to Alaska, Trump sat for an interview on Air Force One with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier. In a clip posted online, he said he thought the meeting would “work out very well — and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast.”

“I would walk, yeah,” he added, after a follow up question.

Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putin's willingness to negotiate in good faith. His European allies, who’ve held increasingly urgent meetings with U.S. leaders over the past week, have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks.

Political commentators in Moscow, meanwhile, have relished that the summit leaves Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines.

Dmitry Suslov, a pro-Kremlin voice, expressed hope that the summit will “deepen a trans-Atlantic rift and weaken Europe’s position as the toughest enemy of Russia.”

The summit could have far-reaching implications

Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships.

<p>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-sandwich-assault-f579ab8649ae0f40d03cd4fdb58ed5e9">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;kicked off their Alaska summit with a warm handshake on Friday, greeting each other like old friends before heading into hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/tpRtgKjweY">pic.twitter.com/tpRtgKjweY</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1956430058043977743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Air Force One is officially wheels down at Joint Base Elmendorf in Anchorage, Alaska <a href="https://t.co/neVcTFdjJj">pic.twitter.com/neVcTFdjJj</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956422322761425059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Air Force One has arrived in Anchorage, Alaska. <br><br>Watch LIVE coverage on C-SPAN --&gt; <a href="https://t.co/ZZOekqHPFM">https://t.co/ZZOekqHPFM</a> <a href="https://t.co/udDBMfnuV4">pic.twitter.com/udDBMfnuV4</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1956422403266908553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and President Putin riding in The Beast together 🇺🇸🇷🇺 <a href="https://t.co/wBpVN30Mmm">pic.twitter.com/wBpVN30Mmm</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1956436029222850783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>After descending from Air Force One, Trump applauded the Russian leader as Putin approached, walking along red carpets that had been placed for each leader. They gripped hands for an extended period of time, with both men smiling, and Putin eventually grinned and pointed skyward while their hands were still clasped.</p><p>Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew over to mark the moment.</p><p>Reporters nearby yelled, “President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?” and Putin put his hand up to his ear but didn’t answer. Trump and Putin both climbed in the U.S. presidential limo, with Putin grinning widely as the vehicle rolled past the cameras.</p><p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is now a three-on-three meeting that will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin will be joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin first met privately just with their interpreters for two hours.</p><p>Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit.</p><p>The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">bring the slaughter to a close</a>&nbsp;— something he used to boast he could do quickly.</p><p>For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://volodymyr%20zelenskyy/">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European leaders aren't invited.</p><p>There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil — America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre — the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">his invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyy's exclusion from Trump and Putin's first meeting is a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.</p><p>Any success is far from assured because Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.</p><p>"HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One.</p><p>On his way to the meeting, Putin stopped in Magadan, in Russia’s Far East, where he visited a factory producing omega-3 fish oil capsules, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Putin used the flight to review materials on Ukraine, tensions with the U.S., economic cooperation and global affairs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV.</p><p>Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting.</p><p>Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putin’s longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities.</p><p>----------------</p><p>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-sandwich-assault-f579ab8649ae0f40d03cd4fdb58ed5e9">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;arrived in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal summit with Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orthodox-christians-prayers-trump-putin-alaska-dbced54d9faa7d230d3df03405491542">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.</p><p>Trump was scheduled to meet Russia’s president at his plane shortly. A large “Alaska 2025” sign, flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets, was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders’ arrival. Trump and Putin have shared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-0237e6b133b14b74acf4a2021272ecec">closely watched handshakes before</a>&nbsp;— but the one they are expected to have Friday will be as scrutinized as any, as will any body language or hints about how each is feeling.</p><p>The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">bring the slaughter to a close</a>&nbsp;— something he used to boast he could do quickly.</p><p>For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://volodymyr%20zelenskyy/">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and European leaders aren't invited.</p><p>There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil — America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre — the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">his invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyy's exclusion from Trump and Putin's first meeting is a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.</p><p>Any success is far from assured because Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755264031202.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>"HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One.</p><p>On his way to the meeting, Putin stopped in Magadan, in Russia’s Far East, where he visited a factory producing omega-3 fish oil capsules, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Putin used the flight to review materials on Ukraine, tensions with the U.S., economic cooperation and global affairs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV.</p><p>Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting.</p><p>Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putin’s longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities.</p><p>The Kremlin said Trump and Putin will have a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over “a working breakfast.” The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference.</p><h2>Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals</h2><p>Trump previously characterized the sit-down as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-strike-575aa4ce590256d50a9d73911f681269">really a feel-out meeting</a>.” But he's also warned of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-13-2025">“very severe consequences”</a>&nbsp;for Russia if Putin doesn't agree to end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>.</p><p>Trump said Friday that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions.</p><p>“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they’ll make a proper decision,” Trump told reporters traveling with him to Alaska.</p><p>Trump said there’s “a possibility” of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.” Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.</p><p>Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv’s head.</p><p>On his way to Alaska, Trump sat for an interview on Air Force One with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier. In a clip posted online, he said he thought the meeting would “work out very well — and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast.”</p><p>“I would walk, yeah,” he added, after a follow up question.</p><p>Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putin's willingness to negotiate in good faith. His European allies, who’ve held increasingly urgent meetings with U.S. leaders over the past week, have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks.</p><p>Political commentators in Moscow, meanwhile, have relished that the summit leaves Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines.</p><p>Dmitry Suslov, a pro-Kremlin voice, expressed hope that the summit will “deepen a trans-Atlantic rift and weaken Europe’s position as the toughest enemy of Russia.”</p><h2>The summit could have far-reaching implications</h2><p>Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships.</p><p>The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources.</p><p>Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russia’s much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line.</p><p>Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said U.S. antagonists like China, Iran and North Korea will be paying attention to Trump's posture to see “whether or not the threats that he continues to make against Putin are indeed credible.”</p><p>“Or, if has been the past track record, he continues to back down and look for ways to wiggle out of the kind of threats and pressure he has promised to apply,” said Kendall-Taylor, who is a former senior intelligence officer.</p><p>While some have objected to the location of the summit, Trump has said he thought it was “very respectful” of Putin to come to the U.S. instead of a meeting in Russia.</p><p>Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst, observed that the choice of Alaska as the summit’s venue “underlined the distancing from Europe and Ukraine.”</p><p>Being on a military base allows the leaders to avoid protests and meet more securely, but the location carries its own significance because of its history and location.</p><p>Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line.</p><p>Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace.</p><p>___</p><p>Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.</p>