SEDGWICK COUNTY —The wife of a newly elected Sedgwick County Commissioner is accused of electioneering.

On Tuesday afternoon, the State v. Meghan Blubaugh was e-filed in Sedgwick County District Court, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Complaint alleges one count of Electioneering in violation of K.S.A. 25-2430(a)(1)(A)(d), a class A misdemeanor, alleged to have occurred on October 29, 2024 and includes "wearing, displaying, or distributing materials that clearly identify a candidate and influence voters at a polling place."

Meghan Blubaugh is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on December 17, according to the district attorney's office.

Republican Jeff Blubaugh won the race for District 2 seat on the commission against incumbent Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732103072923.png" alt="Jeff Blubaugh photo from his campaign website" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Blubaugh photo from his campaign website</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The wife of a newly elected Sedgwick County Commissioner is accused of electioneering.On Tuesday afternoon, the State v. Meghan Blubaugh was e-filed in Sedgwick County District Court, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Complaint alleges one count of Electioneering in violation of K.S.A. 25-2430(a)(1)(A)(d), a class A misdemeanor, alleged to have occurred on October 29, 2024 and includes "wearing, displaying, or distributing materials that clearly identify a candidate and influence voters at a polling place."Meghan Blubaugh is scheduled to make a first appearance in court on December 17, according to the district attorney's office.Republican Jeff Blubaugh won the race for District 2 seat on the commission against incumbent Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez.

Wife of county commissioner-elect accused of electioneering

JACKSON COUNTY— A child waiting for a school bus was injured in an accident on Tuesday in the Jackson County community of Grain Valley, approximately 20 minutes east of Kansas City.

The accident occurred early Tuesday on Woodbury Road, west of Buckner Tarsney when a vehicle left the roadway and struck the juvenile pedestrian, according to a social media report from Grain Valley Police.

EMS transported the child&nbsp; to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment. The driver remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation.

Police are working closely with the Grain Valley School District to "investigate the accident, ensure the family is receiving support, and taking care of the students who may have found themselves navigating their emotions."&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

JACKSON COUNTY— A child waiting for a school bus was injured in an accident on Tuesday in the Jackson County community of Grain Valley, approximately 20 minutes east of Kansas City.The accident occurred early Tuesday on Woodbury Road, west of Buckner Tarsney when a vehicle left the roadway and struck the juvenile pedestrian, according to a social media report from Grain Valley Police.EMS transported the child&nbsp; to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment. The driver remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation.Police are working closely with the Grain Valley School District to "investigate the accident, ensure the family is receiving support, and taking care of the students who may have found themselves navigating their emotions."&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Police: Vehicle struck child waiting at Kansas City area school bus stop

WICHITA COUNTY —For the second time this week, a semi hauling a section of wind turbine tower lost its load and the incident shut down the roadway.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas 96 near Leoti in Wichita County was reduced to one lane due to an oversized load rollover.&nbsp; KDOT had crews on-site flagging traffic through the scene.

On Monday, Kansas 156 highway east of Jetmore between U.S. 283 and U.S. 183 (4 miles east of the Rozel area)was closed after a trailer lost an oversized load wind turbine tower section, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

As a result Hodgeman County Schools were closed Tuesday, according to a social media report from USD 227.&nbsp;

Officials were forced to use a crane to remove it from under the transmission line, according to the Hodgeman County Sheriff.&nbsp; Kansas 156 reopened just after 4p.m. Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732071879378.png" alt="Photo KDOT" />
 <figcaption>Photo KDOT</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA COUNTY —For the second time this week, a semi hauling a section of wind turbine tower lost its load and the incident shut down the roadway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732072179297.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas 96 near Leoti in Wichita County was reduced to one lane due to an oversized load rollover.&nbsp; KDOT had crews on-site flagging traffic through the scene.On Monday, Kansas 156 highway east of Jetmore between U.S. 283 and U.S. 183 (4 miles east of the Rozel area)was closed after a trailer lost an oversized load wind turbine tower section, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732072370055.png" alt="Photo Hodgeman Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hodgeman Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result Hodgeman County Schools were closed Tuesday, according to a social media report from USD 227.&nbsp;Officials were forced to use a crane to remove it from under the transmission line, according to the Hodgeman County Sheriff.&nbsp; Kansas 156 reopened just after 4p.m. Tuesday.

2nd semi hauling wind turbine tower lost load in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.

The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.

In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.

U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.

One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.

Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.

A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.

The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.

The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.

Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.

The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.

Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.

“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”

In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.

As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.

The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”

Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.

“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.

He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726238871572.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY LOLITA C. BALDOR AND MATTHEW LEEWASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, U.S. officials said Tuesday, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">help Kyiv fight back against Russia</a>&nbsp;before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;takes office.The latest tranche of weapons comes as worries grow about an escalation in the conflict, with both sides pushing to gain any advantage that they can exploit if Trump demands a quick end to the war — as he has vowed to do.In rapid succession this week, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">authority to fire longer-range missiles</a>&nbsp;deeper into Russia and then Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">threshold for using nuclear weapons</a>.U.S. officials contend that Russia’s change in nuclear doctrine was expected, but Moscow is warning that Ukraine’s new use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-1000-days-attack-06002c8c50bfb2fc622f446a8580bc0e">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, inside Russia on Tuesday could trigger a strong response.One American official said the U.S. is seeing no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been made public.Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively.A U.S. official said Ukraine fired about eight ATACM missiles into Russia on Tuesday, and just two were intercepted. The official said the U.S. is still assessing the damage but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, in the Bryansk region.The weapons in the new package of aid for Ukraine include an infusion of air defense, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Javelin anti-armor munitions and other equipment and spare parts, U.S. officials say.The weapons will be provided through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">presidential drawdown authority</a>, which allows the Pentagon quickly to pull supplies from its shelves to speed them to Ukraine’s front line.Trump’s upcoming move to the White House has triggered a scramble by the Biden administration to ensure all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-tiktok-senate-8fe738b17e5c4b2636bc0de11b2620b7">congressionally approved funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;gets delivered and that Kyiv is in a strong position going into the winter.The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons from the Pentagon’s stockpiles to spend all of those funds before Trump is sworn in. That includes $4.3 billion from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-funding-russia-war-congress-delay-8367ea60d9ed2740a6f097aa58ff2f10">foreign aid bill passed by Congress</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and $2.8 billion still on the books in savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent.Asked if the department can get that done before Jan. 20, when Trump takes office, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said officials are working to get Ukraine what it needs. She would not confirm the latest drawdown totals.“We are committed to using that full authority that Congress has allotted to us,” Singh said. “The only way we can do that also is to make sure that our shelves are fully backfilled and stocked. So as our shelves continue to get stocked with equipment and capabilities that are needed, we draw down from those and send those to Ukraine.”In addition to the weapons in the Pentagon drawdown, the State Department said Tuesday that it had authorized the sale to Ukraine of $100 million in unspecified defense equipment and services, including vehicle refurbishment, technical assistance, training and “other related elements of logistics and program support.” In contrast to the drawdown, the government of Ukraine will pay for these.As part of the wider effort to boost Ukraine, the administration also is on track to disperse its portion of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-frozen-assets-g7-loan-billion-37e9c0ec55e0c3ad0bf8d906e2852e69">$50 billion loan to Ukraine</a>, backed by frozen Russian assets, before Biden leaves the White House, according to two senior administration officials.The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the U.S. and Ukraine are now in “advanced stages” in discussing terms of the loan and are looking to complete the process for the $20 billion portion of the mammoth loan that the U.S. is backing.The goal is to get it done before the end of the year, one official said. The remaining $30 billion will come from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, among others.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-ukraine-russia-trump-harris-white-house-ff4edf4a804eedae5958d3a674c5c2d1">Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “salesman” while also praising Putin and touting his good relationship with him. The president-elect has claimed — without explaining how — that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">end the war in in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;before his inauguration on Jan. 20, saying he will “get it resolved very quickly.”Last week, when he addressed supporters from a golden ballroom at a his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump returned to that pledge but again offered little information before changing the subject.“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said.He has suggested that Ukraine give up at least some of its Russian-occupied territory to settle the war, saying at a rally in late September that “if they made a bad deal, it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”<h2>____</h2>

US spending another $275 million on new weapons for Ukraine

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week sentenced a Kansas City man to 23 years in prison for his actions in a March 2013 fatal shooting of Abdullahi Yussuf in a vehicle driven by the defendant, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Ibrahim Abdikarim Sharif Ahmed, 39, was sentenced to 18 years after he pleaded guilty to Murder in the 2nd Degree and 5 years after he pleaded guilty to Armed Criminal Action. The judge on Friday set the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 23 years in prison. The defendant entered an Alford plea due to his intoxication at the time of the crime.

According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched late on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to the area of Independence and Garfield avenues in Kansas City, where witnesses told police that a Dodge Challenger or Charger had driven down Independence Avenue when the driver shoved someone out of the vehicle in motion. 

The victim was Abdullahi Yussuf who was pronounced deceased at an area hospital. KCPD analysts matched the Dodge vehicle's license plate to the defendant. Officers took defendant into custody. A witness told police she was in the vehicle during the shooting. She heard shots from inside the car and observed the victim with blood on his face. While driving the defendant told the witness to get the victim out of the vehicle. The witness later notified police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679153467691.png" alt="Ahmed photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ahmed photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge last week sentenced a Kansas City man to 23 years in prison for his actions in a March 2013 fatal shooting of Abdullahi Yussuf in a vehicle driven by the defendant, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Ibrahim Abdikarim Sharif Ahmed, 39, was sentenced to 18 years after he pleaded guilty to Murder in the 2nd Degree and 5 years after he pleaded guilty to Armed Criminal Action. The judge on Friday set the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 23 years in prison. The defendant entered an Alford plea due to his intoxication at the time of the crime.According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched late on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to the area of Independence and Garfield avenues in Kansas City, where witnesses told police that a Dodge Challenger or Charger had driven down Independence Avenue when the driver shoved someone out of the vehicle in motion. The victim was Abdullahi Yussuf who was pronounced deceased at an area hospital. KCPD analysts matched the Dodge vehicle's license plate to the defendant. Officers took defendant into custody. A witness told police she was in the vehicle during the shooting. She heard shots from inside the car and observed the victim with blood on his face. While driving the defendant told the witness to get the victim out of the vehicle. The witness later notified police.

Witness: Kansas City man shot, pushed victim out of moving car

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

Just after 11:00p.m. on Monday an officer on patrol in Atchison observed 34-year-old Cinnamon Cash walking in the area of 10th and Main Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

&nbsp; She was taken into custody on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court. She was subsequently found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732022198302.png" alt="Cash photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Cash photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegationsJust after 11:00p.m. on Monday an officer on patrol in Atchison observed 34-year-old Cinnamon Cash walking in the area of 10th and Main Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; She was taken into custody on a Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court. She was subsequently found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.

Kan. woman who skipped court caught with methamphetamine

Lawsuit alleges Kanakuk Ministries and ACE American Insurance Company lied to conceal former director’s abuse

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

OZARK — Attorneys argued about culpability in Christian County Circuit Court Monday morning in a lawsuit involving a Branson-area Christian summer camp accused of conspiring with its insurer to trick a family into signing a non-disclosure agreement by concealing prior knowledge of sexual misconduct.

Logan Yandell, a survivor of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 alleging misstatements by the camp’s CEO led his parents to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.

Yandell’s attorney, Reed Martens, told Judge Raymond Gross on Monday that his client’s parents signed a release in December of 2010 under pressure from Kanakuk CEO Joe White, who was their family friend.

During a call in September of 2009, Martens said, the Yandell family asked White if he knew of other abuse allegations involving former Kanakuk camp director Peter Newman. He allegedly said “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman),” but an<a href="https://factsaboutkanakuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Yandell-Petition.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;affidavit</a>&nbsp;by Newman’s former supervisor disclosed that the camp had been aware of misconduct as early as 1999.

The lawsuit also names ACE American Insurance Company as a defendant, arguing it influenced the camp’s decision to conceal information.

Gross asked if there was “correspondence of any kind” between the camp and ACE prior to White’s phone call with the Yandells.

David Mayer, who is also representing Yandell, said the insurance company was aware of abuse allegations “in March or April” prior to the call.

White testified that he did not speak to ACE before the alleged misstatement, said Manuel Mungia, an attorney for ACE, and the company wasn’t even notified of the statement.

“There is no evidence that ACE was aware of a fraudulent statement,” he said.

Yandell’s attorneys provided evidence of the company attempting to influence White months later when the camp drafted a letter to send to 8,000 families outlining what it knew about Newman.

ACE, in response, “strongly recommended not to send the letter” and sent a reservation of rights letter, which could exempt the company from covering related legal matters, Martens said.

So the email remained unreleased. This lawsuit has unearthed the draft and ACE’s response to the camp, Martens said, and it “gives rise to the concealment and conspiracy.”

Another matter Gross will have to consider is whether media reports of Newman’s arrest could nullify the case under the statute of limitations for fraud.

In Missouri, claims must be brought within five years of discovering the fraud, and victims have 10 years for discovery.

Bryan Wade, an attorney for Kanakuk, said there were court cases and news articles published over five years ago that the Yandell family had access to. Access to the information, he argued, is the same as knowledge, according to other cases.

Yandell’s parents didn’t have the responsibility to seek out the other court cases or media reports, Marten said, because of their close personal relationship with White. He said because their friend had “superior knowledge of the facts,” they were exempt from ordinary standards of diligence.

Another survivor of Newman’s abuse, in a deposition, told attorneys that he, White and Yandell discussed Newman’s misconduct years ago, Wade said. Importantly, Yandell is the case’s plaintiff — not his parents.

But Yandell’s parents told attorneys their discovery of the allegations of abuse was in 2021, when a<a href="https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/they-arent-who-you-think-they-are/" target="_blank">&nbsp;national news article</a>&nbsp;labeled Kanakuk’s situation the “worst Christian sex abuse scandal.”

If Gross accepts that 2021 is the year of discovery, the case is still within the statute of limitations.

He told attorneys his goal is to submit his judgment “by the end of the year,” though he had a large workload.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026482190.png" alt=" Attorneys representing Kanakuk Ministries and a survivor of abuse by the Christian summer camp's former director argued for summary judgment in a fraud case at Christian County Justice Center Monday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Attorneys representing Kanakuk Ministries and a survivor of abuse by the Christian summer camp's former director argued for summary judgment in a fraud case at Christian County Justice Center Monday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lawsuit alleges Kanakuk Ministries and ACE American Insurance Company lied to conceal former director’s abuse</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>OZARK — Attorneys argued about culpability in Christian County Circuit Court Monday morning in a lawsuit involving a Branson-area Christian summer camp accused of conspiring with its insurer to trick a family into signing a non-disclosure agreement by concealing prior knowledge of sexual misconduct.Logan Yandell, a survivor of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 alleging misstatements by the camp’s CEO led his parents to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026447363.png" alt="Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>Yandell’s attorney, Reed Martens, told Judge Raymond Gross on Monday that his client’s parents signed a release in December of 2010 under pressure from Kanakuk CEO Joe White, who was their family friend.During a call in September of 2009, Martens said, the Yandell family asked White if he knew of other abuse allegations involving former Kanakuk camp director Peter Newman. He allegedly said “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman),” but an<a href="https://factsaboutkanakuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Yandell-Petition.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;affidavit</a>&nbsp;by Newman’s former supervisor disclosed that the camp had been aware of misconduct as early as 1999.The lawsuit also names ACE American Insurance Company as a defendant, arguing it influenced the camp’s decision to conceal information.Gross asked if there was “correspondence of any kind” between the camp and ACE prior to White’s phone call with the Yandells.David Mayer, who is also representing Yandell, said the insurance company was aware of abuse allegations “in March or April” prior to the call.White testified that he did not speak to ACE before the alleged misstatement, said Manuel Mungia, an attorney for ACE, and the company wasn’t even notified of the statement.“There is no evidence that ACE was aware of a fraudulent statement,” he said.Yandell’s attorneys provided evidence of the company attempting to influence White months later when the camp drafted a letter to send to 8,000 families outlining what it knew about Newman.ACE, in response, “strongly recommended not to send the letter” and sent a reservation of rights letter, which could exempt the company from covering related legal matters, Martens said.So the email remained unreleased. This lawsuit has unearthed the draft and ACE’s response to the camp, Martens said, and it “gives rise to the concealment and conspiracy.”Another matter Gross will have to consider is whether media reports of Newman’s arrest could nullify the case under the statute of limitations for fraud.In Missouri, claims must be brought within five years of discovering the fraud, and victims have 10 years for discovery.Bryan Wade, an attorney for Kanakuk, said there were court cases and news articles published over five years ago that the Yandell family had access to. Access to the information, he argued, is the same as knowledge, according to other cases.Yandell’s parents didn’t have the responsibility to seek out the other court cases or media reports, Marten said, because of their close personal relationship with White. He said because their friend had “superior knowledge of the facts,” they were exempt from ordinary standards of diligence.Another survivor of Newman’s abuse, in a deposition, told attorneys that he, White and Yandell discussed Newman’s misconduct years ago, Wade said. Importantly, Yandell is the case’s plaintiff — not his parents.But Yandell’s parents told attorneys their discovery of the allegations of abuse was in 2021, when a<a href="https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/they-arent-who-you-think-they-are/" target="_blank">&nbsp;national news article</a>&nbsp;labeled Kanakuk’s situation the “worst Christian sex abuse scandal.”If Gross accepts that 2021 is the year of discovery, the case is still within the statute of limitations.He told attorneys his goal is to submit his judgment “by the end of the year,” though he had a large workload.The case is set for trial in July 2025.

Judge weighs whether Missouri-based Kanakuk defrauded abuse survivor’s family

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has promised to provide more hospital beds for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3df19ed1b2db0247cff89f62c2020e1b">mentally ill criminal defendants</a>&nbsp;to settle a federal lawsuit filed over defendants waiting months for evaluations of whether they were fit for a trial.

The agreement between state officials and representatives of five defendants requires the state to “use its best efforts”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/state-hospitals/south-central-regional-psychiatric-hospital">to open a new psychiatric hospital</a>&nbsp;by January 2027 in Wichita, the state's largest city. Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at its psychiatric hospital in Larned in western Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.

The agreement was announced this week by the two groups pursuing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project, based in the Seattle area. The groups sued in 2022 on behalf of attorneys for four defendants and the mother of a fifth. The accused were identified only by their initials.

The state operates two psychiatric hospitals, but only the one in Larned has a unit for evaluating whether mentally ill criminal defendants can understand their cases and participate in their own defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Larned State Hospital has had fewer than 80 beds for defendants awaiting evaluation.

The state Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the Larned facility, acknowledged before the lawsuit was filed that defendants were waiting an average of about 11 months to be evaluated. The lawsuit said defendants remained in county jails that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-health-kansas-lawrence-d3ede575eff20302e7fc0b5ad4006c72">weren't providing adequate treatment</a>, making the inmates' conditions worse and violating their rights. The lawsuit also said the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against people with mental health problems.

“This settlement is more than a legal agreement; it’s a lifeline for those who have been lost in the system, a promise that their dignity and humanity will no longer be ignored,” said Lauren Bonds, the police accountability group's executive director.

One of the five defendants covered by the lawsuit had been held in a county jail for 13 months facing criminal threat charges when the lawsuit was filed. That's longer than the maximum prison sentence for a conviction on that charge.

“Remaining in the jail environment is devastating and deeply harmful even for those whose mental health is not in question, and condemning Kansans to languish across the state in their county jails was contradictory to our values of justice," said Monica Bennett, the ACLU of Kansas' legal director.

State officials argued that they already had been addressing the long waits. The state began having Larned State Hospital officials operate a mobile evaluation unit in 2019; and in 2022, the Legislature passed a law to allow other qualified hospitals and organizations to examine criminal defendants.

The state and Wichita's home county hope to start construction early next year on a secure, $101.5 million psychiatric hospital with 104 beds, half of them set aside for the state. Federal COVID-19 relief dollars provided part of the funding.

KDADS spokesperson Cara Sloan-Ramos said the department and Gov. Laura Kelly are committed to reducing wait times.

Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens, chair of the House committee handling criminal justice issues, was pleased that the state could settle the lawsuit.

“We’ve certainly been aware of this issue and have been working on solutions," Owens said Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575316797715.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has promised to provide more hospital beds for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3df19ed1b2db0247cff89f62c2020e1b">mentally ill criminal defendants</a>&nbsp;to settle a federal lawsuit filed over defendants waiting months for evaluations of whether they were fit for a trial.The agreement between state officials and representatives of five defendants requires the state to “use its best efforts”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/state-hospitals/south-central-regional-psychiatric-hospital">to open a new psychiatric hospital</a>&nbsp;by January 2027 in Wichita, the state's largest city. Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at its psychiatric hospital in Larned in western Kansas, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of Wichita.The agreement was announced this week by the two groups pursuing the lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project, based in the Seattle area. The groups sued in 2022 on behalf of attorneys for four defendants and the mother of a fifth. The accused were identified only by their initials.The state operates two psychiatric hospitals, but only the one in Larned has a unit for evaluating whether mentally ill criminal defendants can understand their cases and participate in their own defense. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Larned State Hospital has had fewer than 80 beds for defendants awaiting evaluation.The state Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the Larned facility, acknowledged before the lawsuit was filed that defendants were waiting an average of about 11 months to be evaluated. The lawsuit said defendants remained in county jails that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-health-kansas-lawrence-d3ede575eff20302e7fc0b5ad4006c72">weren't providing adequate treatment</a>, making the inmates' conditions worse and violating their rights. The lawsuit also said the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against people with mental health problems.“This settlement is more than a legal agreement; it’s a lifeline for those who have been lost in the system, a promise that their dignity and humanity will no longer be ignored,” said Lauren Bonds, the police accountability group's executive director.One of the five defendants covered by the lawsuit had been held in a county jail for 13 months facing criminal threat charges when the lawsuit was filed. That's longer than the maximum prison sentence for a conviction on that charge.“Remaining in the jail environment is devastating and deeply harmful even for those whose mental health is not in question, and condemning Kansans to languish across the state in their county jails was contradictory to our values of justice," said Monica Bennett, the ACLU of Kansas' legal director.State officials argued that they already had been addressing the long waits. The state began having Larned State Hospital officials operate a mobile evaluation unit in 2019; and in 2022, the Legislature passed a law to allow other qualified hospitals and organizations to examine criminal defendants.The state and Wichita's home county hope to start construction early next year on a secure, $101.5 million psychiatric hospital with 104 beds, half of them set aside for the state. Federal COVID-19 relief dollars provided part of the funding.KDADS spokesperson Cara Sloan-Ramos said the department and Gov. Laura Kelly are committed to reducing wait times.Republican state Rep. Stephen Owens, chair of the House committee handling criminal justice issues, was pleased that the state could settle the lawsuit.“We’ve certainly been aware of this issue and have been working on solutions," Owens said Tuesday.

Kansas agrees to increase hospital beds for mentally ill defendants

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are seeking information about a sexual assault and theft that occurred Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.

The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description. The suspect is stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap. 

EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. If you have any information to assist with this investigation, please contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-890-1413.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732041800750.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are seeking information about a sexual assault and theft that occurred Tuesday morning.The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description. The suspect is stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap. EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. If you have any information to assist with this investigation, please contact the Overland Park Police Department at 913-890-1413.&nbsp;

Police investigating sex assault, theft at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans and selected Wall Street executive Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department.

“Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country,” Trump said in a statement. “He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”

Oz, who ran a failed 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, has been an outspoken support of Trump and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for the nation’s top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.

As the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Oz would report to Kennedy. If confirmed by the Senate, Oz would be responsible for the programs — Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act — that more than half the country relies on for health insurance. Medicaid provides nearly-free health care coverage to millions of the poorest children and adults in the U.S. while Medicare gives older Americans and the disabled access to health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is the Obama-era program that offers health insurance plans to millions of Americans who do not qualify for government-assisted health insurance, but do not get insurance through their employer.

“Americans need better research on healthy lifestyle choices from unbiased scientists, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/robertfkennedyjr/">@robertfkennedyjr</a>&nbsp;can help as HHS secretary,” Oz shared in a post on Instagram last week, along with a photo of him and Kennedy together.

Oz has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-mehmet-oz-political-career-2022-midterm-f6ecd9ac9f0e95cda41193adc13c8437">accused</a>&nbsp;of hawking dubious medical treatments and products on his defunct TV show. And during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hydroxychloroquine-covid-treatment-campaign-8f136d7e9dc52fd2d8da8854680d6004">pressured</a>&nbsp;government officials to make hydroxychloroquine widely available, despite unresolved questions about its safety and effectiveness.

Lutnick, meanwhile, will have a key role carrying out Trump's plan to raise and enforce tariffs as commerce secretary, Trump said on Tuesday. Lutnick is a cryptocurrency enthusiast and head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.

Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the post, Trump said Lutnick “will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."

Lutnick is a co-chair of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-transition-security-e9b282a5861c67573d19ad3667580448">Trump’s transition team</a>, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration.

The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial.

An advocate for imposing wide-ranging tariffs, Lutnick told CNBC in September that “tariffs are an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker." Trump on the campaign trail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">proposed a 60% tariff on goods from China</a>&nbsp;— and a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports.

Mainstream economists are generally skeptical of tariffs, considering them a mostly inefficient way for governments to raise money and promote prosperity.

Lutnick had been considered for treasury secretary, a role that has been at the center of high-profile jockeying within the Trump world. At the same time, the treasury position is closely watched in financial circles, where a disruptive nominee could have immediate negative consequences on the stock market, which Trump watches closely.

The news also comes after billionaire Elon Musk and others in Trump’s orbit called on Trump to dump previous front-runner for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in favor of Lutnick. Musk said in his post that “Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change.”

Lutnick joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and rose through the ranks to be appointed president and CEO in 1991.

Lutnick also chairs financial technology company BGC Group, Inc. and the commercial real estate services firm Newmark Group, Inc.

Lutnick has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, and once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice.” He has become a part of the president-elect’s inner circle, and has shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including a rally at Madison Square Garden.

He came under criticism in the campaign’s final days for an interview with CNN in which he repeated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s debunked criticisms of vaccines.

— Associated Press writer Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732052071521.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former television talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans and selected Wall Street executive Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department.“Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so we get the best results in the World for every dollar we spend on Healthcare in our Great Country,” Trump said in a statement. “He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732051989242.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>Oz, who ran a failed 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, has been an outspoken support of Trump and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for the nation’s top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.As the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Oz would report to Kennedy. If confirmed by the Senate, Oz would be responsible for the programs — Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act — that more than half the country relies on for health insurance. Medicaid provides nearly-free health care coverage to millions of the poorest children and adults in the U.S. while Medicare gives older Americans and the disabled access to health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is the Obama-era program that offers health insurance plans to millions of Americans who do not qualify for government-assisted health insurance, but do not get insurance through their employer.“Americans need better research on healthy lifestyle choices from unbiased scientists, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/robertfkennedyjr/">@robertfkennedyjr</a>&nbsp;can help as HHS secretary,” Oz shared in a post on Instagram last week, along with a photo of him and Kennedy together.Oz has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dr-mehmet-oz-political-career-2022-midterm-f6ecd9ac9f0e95cda41193adc13c8437">accused</a>&nbsp;of hawking dubious medical treatments and products on his defunct TV show. And during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hydroxychloroquine-covid-treatment-campaign-8f136d7e9dc52fd2d8da8854680d6004">pressured</a>&nbsp;government officials to make hydroxychloroquine widely available, despite unresolved questions about its safety and effectiveness.Lutnick, meanwhile, will have a key role carrying out Trump's plan to raise and enforce tariffs as commerce secretary, Trump said on Tuesday. Lutnick is a cryptocurrency enthusiast and head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the post, Trump said Lutnick “will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative."Lutnick is a co-chair of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-transition-security-e9b282a5861c67573d19ad3667580448">Trump’s transition team</a>, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration.The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial.An advocate for imposing wide-ranging tariffs, Lutnick told CNBC in September that “tariffs are an amazing tool for the president to use — we need to protect the American worker." Trump on the campaign trail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">proposed a 60% tariff on goods from China</a>&nbsp;— and a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports.Mainstream economists are generally skeptical of tariffs, considering them a mostly inefficient way for governments to raise money and promote prosperity.Lutnick had been considered for treasury secretary, a role that has been at the center of high-profile jockeying within the Trump world. At the same time, the treasury position is closely watched in financial circles, where a disruptive nominee could have immediate negative consequences on the stock market, which Trump watches closely.The news also comes after billionaire Elon Musk and others in Trump’s orbit called on Trump to dump previous front-runner for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in favor of Lutnick. Musk said in his post that “Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas @howardlutnick will actually enact change.”Lutnick joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and rose through the ranks to be appointed president and CEO in 1991.Lutnick also chairs financial technology company BGC Group, Inc. and the commercial real estate services firm Newmark Group, Inc.Lutnick has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, and once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice.” He has become a part of the president-elect’s inner circle, and has shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including a rally at Madison Square Garden.He came under criticism in the campaign’s final days for an interview with CNN in which he repeated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s debunked criticisms of vaccines.— Associated Press writer Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed.

Trump chooses TV doctor to lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, officials said Tuesday, marking the first time Kyiv used the weapons that way in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-1000-days-ade5a60cf2345d694871f85df162d08a">1,000 days of war</a>.

The use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">formally lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. That could include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S.

A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The Associated Press could not independently verify the date and location the video was filmed.

According to a U.S. official, Ukraine fired about eight of the missiles, and just two were intercepted by the Russians. The official said that the U.S. was still assessing battle damage, but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, a city of about 18,000 people in Russia's Bryansk region. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments.

The developments marked a worrying escalation in the conflict that has repeatedly ratcheted up international tensions. U.S. officials recently expressed dismay at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-north-korea-war-735ab717dcf92a718adcb68bfbddc653">Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops</a>&nbsp;to help it fight Ukraine, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-missile-attack-sumy-5cd4f9fe2cee1ae8aed67d63c22b0703">Moscow seethed</a>&nbsp;when Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">eased restrictions</a>&nbsp;on the ATACMS in recent days.

The 1,000-day mark has magnified scrutiny of how the war is unfolding and how it might end, amid signs that a turning point may be coming with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump entering the White House in about two months’ time. Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war and has criticized the amount the U.S. has spent on supporting Ukraine.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine can sustain the war for a long time, analysts say, though Russia would be able to keep going for longer due to its vaster resources.

Ukraine’s forces are under severe Russian pressure on the battlefield at places on the about 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">its army is stretched thin</a>. Ukrainian civilians, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-missile-strike-85dea3d9af59589d372333a23de9130a">have repeatedly been attacked</a>&nbsp;by Russian drones and missiles.

Ukraine claimed Tuesday that it hit a military weapons depot in Russia's Bryansk region overnight, though it didn't specify what weapons it used. The Ukrainian General Staff said multiple explosions and detonations were heard in the targeted area around Karachev.

Asked at a news conference if Ukraine had struck the Bryansk region ammunition depot with ATACMS, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined to provide any details. However, he said, “Ukraine has long-range capabilities, including domestically produced long-range drones … and now we have ATACMS as well."

In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the Russian Defense Ministry said the military shot down five&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/atacms-ukraine-longrange-missiles-5fd95f32449d14da22b82d57d6ccab22">ATACMS</a>&nbsp;missiles and damaged one more. The fragments fell on the territory of an unspecified military facility and sparked a fire, but didn’t cause any damage or casualties, it said.

Neither side's claims could be independently verified.

Karachev is roughly 115 kilometers (70 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukraine in the course of the war has been able to reach much deeper into the vast country — but with drones rather than missiles. For instance, Russian officials have reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over Moscow, which is about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the border and most recently Izhevsk, a city about 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) from the frontier.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported a third Russian strike in as many days on a residential area in Ukraine killed at least 12 people, including a child.

The strike by a Shahed drone in the northern Sumy region late Monday hit a dormitory of an educational facility in the town of Hlukhiv and wounded 11 others, including two children, authorities said, adding that more people could be trapped under the rubble.

On Sunday, a Russian ballistic missile with cluster munitions struck a residential area of Sumy in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people and wounding 84 others. On Monday, a Russian missile barrage sparked apartment fires in the southern port of Odesa, killing at least 10 people and wounding 43.

Zelenskyy said that the series of aerial strikes proved that Putin wasn't interested in ending the war.

“Each new attack by Russia only confirms Putin’s true intentions. He wants the war to continue. Talks about peace are not interesting to him. We must force Russia to a just peace by force,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy told European Union lawmakers in a speech via video link that Russia has deployed about 11,000 North Korean troops along Ukraine’s borders and that the number could swell to 100,000.

He appeared in person at the Ukrainian parliament, where he presented what he called a “resilience plan” to dig in against the relentless Russian onslaught. He said he expects pivotal moments to occur in the war next year.

The plan outlines new approaches to army management, including the creation of a military ombudsman position and a new system of handling military contracts.

There are no plans to lower the mobilization age from the current 25, even though Ukraine is short-handed on the front line, especially in infantry.

Ukraine urgently needs to tackle its manpower difficulties on the front, but it can use the longer-range missiles in the meantime to slow the tempo of Russia’s recent advances, said Jack Watling, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank.

“Ukraine’s partners can do little to change the character of the fighting on the line of contact, but by targeting capabilities that are currently giving Russia a battlefield advantage, time can be bought,” Watling wrote Tuesday.

Next year, Zelenskyy said, Ukraine plans to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones and aims to manufacture 3,000 long-range missiles, reducing its dependence on Western military support.

A fuller version of the plan will be presented next month, he said.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Western countries are debating further help for Ukraine — “more aid, more money we have to make available to them, particularly now that the North Koreans have come on board,” he said in Brussels.

Meanwhile, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola led a special plenary session on Ukraine marking “one thousand days of terror, suffering and unimaginable loss. One thousand days of courage, resilience and unbreakable spirits.”

“Your people are an inspiration to all who value freedom around the world,” she told Zelenskyy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732047530088.png" alt="On Tuesday, Zelenskyy addressed the participants of an extraordinary session of the European Parliament marking the 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>On Tuesday, Zelenskyy addressed the participants of an extraordinary session of the European Parliament marking the 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, officials said Tuesday, marking the first time Kyiv used the weapons that way in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-1000-days-ade5a60cf2345d694871f85df162d08a">1,000 days of war</a>.The use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-biden-what-are-atacms-missiles-8d8621321af8c673bd42a5693c2ad1f4">Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS</a>, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-91f20e0c9b0f9e5eaa3ed97c35789898">formally lowered the threshold</a>&nbsp;for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. That could include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S.A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The Associated Press could not independently verify the date and location the video was filmed.According to a U.S. official, Ukraine fired about eight of the missiles, and just two were intercepted by the Russians. The official said that the U.S. was still assessing battle damage, but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, a city of about 18,000 people in Russia's Bryansk region. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments.The developments marked a worrying escalation in the conflict that has repeatedly ratcheted up international tensions. U.S. officials recently expressed dismay at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-north-korea-war-735ab717dcf92a718adcb68bfbddc653">Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops</a>&nbsp;to help it fight Ukraine, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-missile-attack-sumy-5cd4f9fe2cee1ae8aed67d63c22b0703">Moscow seethed</a>&nbsp;when Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">eased restrictions</a>&nbsp;on the ATACMS in recent days.The 1,000-day mark has magnified scrutiny of how the war is unfolding and how it might end, amid signs that a turning point may be coming with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump entering the White House in about two months’ time. Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war and has criticized the amount the U.S. has spent on supporting Ukraine.Neither Russia nor Ukraine can sustain the war for a long time, analysts say, though Russia would be able to keep going for longer due to its vaster resources.Ukraine’s forces are under severe Russian pressure on the battlefield at places on the about 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">its army is stretched thin</a>. Ukrainian civilians, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-missile-strike-85dea3d9af59589d372333a23de9130a">have repeatedly been attacked</a>&nbsp;by Russian drones and missiles.Ukraine claimed Tuesday that it hit a military weapons depot in Russia's Bryansk region overnight, though it didn't specify what weapons it used. The Ukrainian General Staff said multiple explosions and detonations were heard in the targeted area around Karachev.Asked at a news conference if Ukraine had struck the Bryansk region ammunition depot with ATACMS, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declined to provide any details. However, he said, “Ukraine has long-range capabilities, including domestically produced long-range drones … and now we have ATACMS as well."In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the Russian Defense Ministry said the military shot down five&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/atacms-ukraine-longrange-missiles-5fd95f32449d14da22b82d57d6ccab22">ATACMS</a>&nbsp;missiles and damaged one more. The fragments fell on the territory of an unspecified military facility and sparked a fire, but didn’t cause any damage or casualties, it said.Neither side's claims could be independently verified.Karachev is roughly 115 kilometers (70 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukraine in the course of the war has been able to reach much deeper into the vast country — but with drones rather than missiles. For instance, Russian officials have reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over Moscow, which is about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the border and most recently Izhevsk, a city about 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) from the frontier.Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported a third Russian strike in as many days on a residential area in Ukraine killed at least 12 people, including a child.The strike by a Shahed drone in the northern Sumy region late Monday hit a dormitory of an educational facility in the town of Hlukhiv and wounded 11 others, including two children, authorities said, adding that more people could be trapped under the rubble.On Sunday, a Russian ballistic missile with cluster munitions struck a residential area of Sumy in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people and wounding 84 others. On Monday, a Russian missile barrage sparked apartment fires in the southern port of Odesa, killing at least 10 people and wounding 43.Zelenskyy said that the series of aerial strikes proved that Putin wasn't interested in ending the war.“Each new attack by Russia only confirms Putin’s true intentions. He wants the war to continue. Talks about peace are not interesting to him. We must force Russia to a just peace by force,” Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy told European Union lawmakers in a speech via video link that Russia has deployed about 11,000 North Korean troops along Ukraine’s borders and that the number could swell to 100,000.He appeared in person at the Ukrainian parliament, where he presented what he called a “resilience plan” to dig in against the relentless Russian onslaught. He said he expects pivotal moments to occur in the war next year.The plan outlines new approaches to army management, including the creation of a military ombudsman position and a new system of handling military contracts.There are no plans to lower the mobilization age from the current 25, even though Ukraine is short-handed on the front line, especially in infantry.Ukraine urgently needs to tackle its manpower difficulties on the front, but it can use the longer-range missiles in the meantime to slow the tempo of Russia’s recent advances, said Jack Watling, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank.“Ukraine’s partners can do little to change the character of the fighting on the line of contact, but by targeting capabilities that are currently giving Russia a battlefield advantage, time can be bought,” Watling wrote Tuesday.Next year, Zelenskyy said, Ukraine plans to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones and aims to manufacture 3,000 long-range missiles, reducing its dependence on Western military support.A fuller version of the plan will be presented next month, he said.NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Western countries are debating further help for Ukraine — “more aid, more money we have to make available to them, particularly now that the North Koreans have come on board,” he said in Brussels.Meanwhile, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola led a special plenary session on Ukraine marking “one thousand days of terror, suffering and unimaginable loss. One thousand days of courage, resilience and unbreakable spirits.”“Your people are an inspiration to all who value freedom around the world,” she told Zelenskyy.

U.S. confirms Ukraine fires first US-made longer-range missiles into Russia 

NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors oppose any effort to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction, but they expressed some openness Tuesday to delaying sentencing until after his impending second term.

In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Trump's forthcoming presidency isn't grounds for dropping a case that was already tried. But “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests," prosecutors said, “consideration must be given” to potentially freezing the case until after he's out of office.

The former and future president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted in May</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.

His sentencing had been set for Nov. 26. But after Trump's election win this month, his lawyers urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to throw out the case. They wrote that it must be scrapped “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice.”

Merchan gave prosecutors until Tuesday to weigh in on how to proceed.

Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday they “are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency” and realize that Trump’s return to the White House “will raise unprecedented legal questions.”

“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” they added.

No decision has been made, and Merchan has not said when he will rule. Still, Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung cast Tuesday's filing from prosecutors as “a total and definitive victory for President Trump” in a case that he has long deplored as a “witch hunt.”

“President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” Cheung said in a statement.

The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-immunity-ruling-1b555b96443f38d35e995b8b4853a32c">last week delayed</a>&nbsp;ruling on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-merchan-stormy-daniels-02e54baf65b233ad7f6875536fb998ea">Trump’s earlier bid to reverse his conviction</a>&nbsp;because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record as well as a possible prison sentence.

Merchan could also decide to delay the case for some other length of time, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">$130,000 hush money payment</a>&nbsp;to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. The payment was made shortly before the 2016 election.

Trump says they did not have sex and denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged.

Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work.

Trump’s lawyers have been fighting for months to reverse his conviction.

A month after the verdict, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to</a>&nbsp;argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-immunity-a6662f61014a7f47400a4af163e01eb3">Prosecutors disagreed</a>&nbsp;and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.

After Trump’s election win, his lawyers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25289985-people-v-djt-joint-application-for-adjournment-11-12-24">redoubled their efforts</a>, arguing that dismissing the case “in the interests of justice” was warranted both under the immunity ruling and because of his status as president-elect.

If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies.

Some of Trump’s supporters embraced his conviction, showing up to campaign rallies in T-shirts with slogans like “Free Trump” and “I’m Voting For the Convicted Felon.”

Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.

The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.

Special counsel Jack Smith is taking steps to wind down his two federal cases against the president-elect. One centers on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, the other on allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold.

Trump, a Republican, has decried the hush money verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result. He has claimed, without evidence, that the case brought by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg was part of a Democrat-led “witch hunt” meant to harm his presidential campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713453574310.png" alt="File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors oppose any effort to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction, but they expressed some openness Tuesday to delaying sentencing until after his impending second term.In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Trump's forthcoming presidency isn't grounds for dropping a case that was already tried. But “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests," prosecutors said, “consideration must be given” to potentially freezing the case until after he's out of office.The former and future president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted in May</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.His sentencing had been set for Nov. 26. But after Trump's election win this month, his lawyers urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to throw out the case. They wrote that it must be scrapped “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice.”Merchan gave prosecutors until Tuesday to weigh in on how to proceed.Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday they “are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency” and realize that Trump’s return to the White House “will raise unprecedented legal questions.”“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” they added.No decision has been made, and Merchan has not said when he will rule. Still, Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung cast Tuesday's filing from prosecutors as “a total and definitive victory for President Trump” in a case that he has long deplored as a “witch hunt.”“President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” Cheung said in a statement.The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-immunity-ruling-1b555b96443f38d35e995b8b4853a32c">last week delayed</a>&nbsp;ruling on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-merchan-stormy-daniels-02e54baf65b233ad7f6875536fb998ea">Trump’s earlier bid to reverse his conviction</a>&nbsp;because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record as well as a possible prison sentence.Merchan could also decide to delay the case for some other length of time, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">$130,000 hush money payment</a>&nbsp;to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. The payment was made shortly before the 2016 election.Trump says they did not have sex and denies any wrongdoing.Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged.Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work.Trump’s lawyers have been fighting for months to reverse his conviction.A month after the verdict, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to</a>&nbsp;argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-immunity-a6662f61014a7f47400a4af163e01eb3">Prosecutors disagreed</a>&nbsp;and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.After Trump’s election win, his lawyers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25289985-people-v-djt-joint-application-for-adjournment-11-12-24">redoubled their efforts</a>, arguing that dismissing the case “in the interests of justice” was warranted both under the immunity ruling and because of his status as president-elect.If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies.Some of Trump’s supporters embraced his conviction, showing up to campaign rallies in T-shirts with slogans like “Free Trump” and “I’m Voting For the Convicted Felon.”Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.Special counsel Jack Smith is taking steps to wind down his two federal cases against the president-elect. One centers on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, the other on allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold.Trump, a Republican, has decried the hush money verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result. He has claimed, without evidence, that the case brought by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg was part of a Democrat-led “witch hunt” meant to harm his presidential campaign.

Sentencing in President-elect Trump's criminal case delayed again

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

A 57-year-old Ellis County man was recently sentenced to more
than 19 years in prison for the murder of his brother in 2022.

In September, Monte Joe Wilson pleaded no contest to voluntary
manslaughter in the death of 54-year-old Mark Wilson on Sept. 19, 2022.

Monte Wilson was initially arrested and charged with second-degree
murder and aggravated battery.

According to court documents, Mark Wilson was found beaten
to death at a home in the 200 block of West Sixth in Hays on the night of Sept. 19, 2022.&nbsp; Monte Wilson was located and arrested at the scene.

Thursday, Ellis County District Court Judge Glenn Braun sentenced Monte Wilson to 233 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter. 

Monte Wilson’s attorney filed a motion for a downward departure at
sentencing.&nbsp; He argued&nbsp; Monte Wilson deserved a lesser sentence due to
several factors. Among those were his age, his lack of a recent criminal
history and his acceptance of responsibility in the case. Braun denied the motion.

Braun called Monte Wilson an “experienced criminal defendant” with
nine prior felony convictions ranging from theft and drug possession to aggravated
battery.

The judge also said there are more aggravating factors than
what would allow the court to consider a downward departure.&nbsp; Braun said Mark Wilson’s disability was also a factor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732034618096.png" alt="Wilson photo Ellis County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Wilson photo Ellis County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostA 57-year-old Ellis County man was recently sentenced to more
than 19 years in prison for the murder of his brother in 2022.In September, Monte Joe Wilson pleaded no contest to voluntary
manslaughter in the death of 54-year-old Mark Wilson on Sept. 19, 2022.Monte Wilson was initially arrested and charged with second-degree
murder and aggravated battery.According to court documents, Mark Wilson was found beaten
to death at a home in the 200 block of West Sixth in Hays on the night of Sept. 19, 2022.&nbsp; Monte Wilson was located and arrested at the scene.Thursday, Ellis County District Court Judge Glenn Braun sentenced Monte Wilson to 233 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter. Monte Wilson’s attorney filed a motion for a downward departure at
sentencing.&nbsp; He argued&nbsp; Monte Wilson deserved a lesser sentence due to
several factors. Among those were his age, his lack of a recent criminal
history and his acceptance of responsibility in the case. Braun denied the motion.Braun called Monte Wilson an “experienced criminal defendant” with
nine prior felony convictions ranging from theft and drug possession to aggravated
battery.The judge also said there are more aggravating factors than
what would allow the court to consider a downward departure.&nbsp; Braun said Mark Wilson’s disability was also a factor.

NW Kansas man going to prison for killing his brother

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.

On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.

The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. 

During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.

Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.

Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

SW Kan. teen attempted to strike officer during investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.

On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731957172859.png" alt="Roark photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Roark photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671545735044.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;