WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-citizens-permanent-legal-residents-trapped-gaza-3d1dda48bed40c8b3e0dc2efa11caf9a">mother and American uncle</a>&nbsp;of a U.S. service member were safe outside of Gaza after being rescued from the fighting in a secret operation coordinated by the U.S., Israel, Egypt and others, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

It is the only known operation of its kind to extract American citizens and their close family members during the months of devastating ground fighting and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. The vast majority of people who have made it out of northern and central Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt fled south in the initial weeks of the war. An escape from the heart of the Palestinian territory through intense combat has become far more perilous and difficult since.

Zahra Sckak, 44, made it out of Gaza on New Year's Eve, along with her brother-in-law, Farid Sukaik, an American citizen, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the rescue, which had been kept quiet for security reasons.

Sckak’s husband, Abedalla Sckak, was shot earlier in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-03-2024-fc2394531bef8238e86879dd98ea435b">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;as the family fled from a building hit by an airstrike. He died days later. One of her three American sons, Spec. Ragi A. Sckak, 24, serves as an infantryman in the U.S. military.

The extraction involved the Israeli military and local Israeli officials who oversee Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the U.S. official said. There was no indication that American officials were on the ground in Gaza.

“The United States played solely a liaison and coordinating role between the Sckak family and the governments of Israel and Egypt,” the official said.

A family member and U.S.-based lawyers and advocates working on the family's behalf had described Sckak and Sukaik as pinned down in a building surrounded by combatants, with little or no food and with only water from sewers to drink.

There were few immediate details of the on-the-ground operation. It took place after extended appeals from Sckak's family and U.S.-based citizens groups for help from Congress members and the Biden administration.

The State Department has said some 300 American citizens, legal permanent residents and their immediate family members remain in Gaza, at risk from ground fighting, airstrikes and widening starvation and thirst in the besieged territory.

With no known official U.S. presence on the ground, those still left in the territory face a dangerous and sometimes impossible trip to Egypt's border crossing out of Gaza, and a bureaucratic struggle for U.S., Egyptian and Israeli approval to get themselves, their parents and young children out of Gaza.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-citizens-permanent-legal-residents-trapped-gaza-3d1dda48bed40c8b3e0dc2efa11caf9a">mother and American uncle</a>&nbsp;of a U.S. service member were safe outside of Gaza after being rescued from the fighting in a secret operation coordinated by the U.S., Israel, Egypt and others, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.It is the only known operation of its kind to extract American citizens and their close family members during the months of devastating ground fighting and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. The vast majority of people who have made it out of northern and central Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt fled south in the initial weeks of the war. An escape from the heart of the Palestinian territory through intense combat has become far more perilous and difficult since.Zahra Sckak, 44, made it out of Gaza on New Year's Eve, along with her brother-in-law, Farid Sukaik, an American citizen, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the rescue, which had been kept quiet for security reasons.Sckak’s husband, Abedalla Sckak, was shot earlier in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-03-2024-fc2394531bef8238e86879dd98ea435b">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;as the family fled from a building hit by an airstrike. He died days later. One of her three American sons, Spec. Ragi A. Sckak, 24, serves as an infantryman in the U.S. military.The extraction involved the Israeli military and local Israeli officials who oversee Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the U.S. official said. There was no indication that American officials were on the ground in Gaza.“The United States played solely a liaison and coordinating role between the Sckak family and the governments of Israel and Egypt,” the official said.A family member and U.S.-based lawyers and advocates working on the family's behalf had described Sckak and Sukaik as pinned down in a building surrounded by combatants, with little or no food and with only water from sewers to drink.There were few immediate details of the on-the-ground operation. It took place after extended appeals from Sckak's family and U.S.-based citizens groups for help from Congress members and the Biden administration.The State Department has said some 300 American citizens, legal permanent residents and their immediate family members remain in Gaza, at risk from ground fighting, airstrikes and widening starvation and thirst in the besieged territory.With no known official U.S. presence on the ground, those still left in the territory face a dangerous and sometimes impossible trip to Egypt's border crossing out of Gaza, and a bureaucratic struggle for U.S., Egyptian and Israeli approval to get themselves, their parents and young children out of Gaza.

Secret operation: Mother and uncle of a US serviceman rescued from Gaza 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/miami-dolphins-disaster-planning-and-response-nfl-football-fires-television-b95ac7ae820c4ebdb03fc0df647bdbca">fire at the $6.9 million home owned by Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill</a>&nbsp;was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter in a bedroom, a fire official said Thursday.

“It was an accidental fire,” Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor told The Associated Press.

Taylor did not provide the age of the child, or the amount of damage caused by the fire. He said the investigation is now closed.

Hill was at Dolphins practice for the upcoming regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills when the fire broke out. He left practice when he got word about the blaze.

The house is located in Southwest Ranches, which is about 30 miles northwest of Miami, and was purchased by Hill in May 2022 shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphins-nfl-sports-tyreek-hill-96ac74152f8139d4f0f498a70732129d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Kansas%20City,his%20position%20in%20NFL%20history.">traded him to the Dolphins</a>.

Miami television station WSVN showed a large amount of black smoke coming from the roof as firefighters doused the house with water. Firefighters appeared to be working on the highest parts of the structure. Many of the bedrooms, a home theatre and a den were among the rooms upstairs, according to the property listing.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told reporters gathered outside the house on Wednesday that some family members were home at the time of the fire.

“He and his family are safe,” Rosenhaus said. “No one was injured No. 1, no pets, so for that, we’re very grateful. We’re very grateful to the firefighters that put the fire out. Thankfully, the fire was contained to a limited area in the home. Obviously, there’ll be some smoke and water damage. It’s very difficult for anybody obviously to have your home catch on fire, but Tyreek was handling it, he and his family, with as much poise as you could hope.”

Hill has not yet commented on the matter.

Hill is currently the NFL's leader in receiving yards with 1,717. He is the only player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 yards in multiple seasons. He is hoping to help lead the Dolphins to a win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. A victory would clinch the AFC East for Miami for the first time since 2008.

Hill's teammates expressed their concern and support for him.

“You don’t think that it’s ever going to happen to you until it does,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “It’s something as a team, we’ve got to be able to come together and make sure that we can reach out to Tyreek and be human beings with him and make sure everything is squared away and we can do everything we possibly can to help our teammate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704391761585.png" alt="The house is located in Southwest Ranches, which is about 30 miles northwest of Miami, and was purchased by Hill in May 2022 shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphins-nfl-sports-tyreek-hill-96ac74152f8139d4f0f498a70732129d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Kansas%20City,his%20position%20in%20NFL%20history.">traded him to the Dolphins</a>. photo courtesy WSVN" />
 <figcaption>The house is located in Southwest Ranches, which is about 30 miles northwest of Miami, and was purchased by Hill in May 2022 shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphins-nfl-sports-tyreek-hill-96ac74152f8139d4f0f498a70732129d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Kansas%20City,his%20position%20in%20NFL%20history.">traded him to the Dolphins</a>. photo courtesy WSVN</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/miami-dolphins-disaster-planning-and-response-nfl-football-fires-television-b95ac7ae820c4ebdb03fc0df647bdbca">fire at the $6.9 million home owned by Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill</a>&nbsp;was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter in a bedroom, a fire official said Thursday.“It was an accidental fire,” Davie Fire Marshal Robert Taylor told The Associated Press.Taylor did not provide the age of the child, or the amount of damage caused by the fire. He said the investigation is now closed.Hill was at Dolphins practice for the upcoming regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills when the fire broke out. He left practice when he got word about the blaze.The house is located in Southwest Ranches, which is about 30 miles northwest of Miami, and was purchased by Hill in May 2022 shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphins-nfl-sports-tyreek-hill-96ac74152f8139d4f0f498a70732129d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Kansas%20City,his%20position%20in%20NFL%20history.">traded him to the Dolphins</a>.Miami television station WSVN showed a large amount of black smoke coming from the roof as firefighters doused the house with water. Firefighters appeared to be working on the highest parts of the structure. Many of the bedrooms, a home theatre and a den were among the rooms upstairs, according to the property listing.Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told reporters gathered outside the house on Wednesday that some family members were home at the time of the fire.“He and his family are safe,” Rosenhaus said. “No one was injured No. 1, no pets, so for that, we’re very grateful. We’re very grateful to the firefighters that put the fire out. Thankfully, the fire was contained to a limited area in the home. Obviously, there’ll be some smoke and water damage. It’s very difficult for anybody obviously to have your home catch on fire, but Tyreek was handling it, he and his family, with as much poise as you could hope.”Hill has not yet commented on the matter.Hill is currently the NFL's leader in receiving yards with 1,717. He is the only player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 yards in multiple seasons. He is hoping to help lead the Dolphins to a win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. A victory would clinch the AFC East for Miami for the first time since 2008.Hill's teammates expressed their concern and support for him.“You don’t think that it’s ever going to happen to you until it does,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “It’s something as a team, we’ve got to be able to come together and make sure that we can reach out to Tyreek and be human beings with him and make sure everything is squared away and we can do everything we possibly can to help our teammate.”

Child playing with lighter started fire at home of former KC Chief Tyreek Hill 

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a Christmas week 2022 double murder.

On Wednesday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 40-year-old Kenneth Jackson to just more than 18-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County district attorney's office 

Just before 10p.m. Dec. 23, 2022 police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of South Mission in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

At the scene, police located two victims,&nbsp;a 22-year-0ld man and a 42-year-old man, with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported them to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;

During the initial contact, officers learned that two additional victims were inside an apartment near where the two men had been shot. Officers entered the apartment and located a man and woman later identified as&nbsp;39-year-old Jose Alvarez and 22-year-old Neosha Allen unconscious and not breathing. They were pronounced deceased on the scene.

Due to the lack of cooperation from some of the victims and witnesses, investigators were not initially able to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting.&nbsp;

Police reported Jackson's arrest on Dec. 28.&nbsp;In September 2023 he pleaded guilty  to voluntary manslaughter, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699565351146.png" alt="Jackson-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Jackson-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a Christmas week 2022 double murder.On Wednesday Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 40-year-old Kenneth Jackson to just more than 18-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County district attorney's office Just before 10p.m. Dec. 23, 2022 police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of South Mission in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.At the scene, police located two victims,&nbsp;a 22-year-0ld man and a 42-year-old man, with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported them to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;During the initial contact, officers learned that two additional victims were inside an apartment near where the two men had been shot. Officers entered the apartment and located a man and woman later identified as&nbsp;39-year-old Jose Alvarez and 22-year-old Neosha Allen unconscious and not breathing. They were pronounced deceased on the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671890141036.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Due to the lack of cooperation from some of the victims and witnesses, investigators were not initially able to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting.&nbsp;Police reported Jackson's arrest on Dec. 28.&nbsp;In September 2023 he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. man sentenced for Christmas week 2022 double-murder

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson led about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit Wednesday to the Mexican border to demand hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">President Joe Biden's emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine</a>. He expressed serious doubts about whether he would support a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">bipartisan compromise</a>.'

The trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-law-border-b0100138a88a0d034ae8e68787ef41b7">Eagle Pass, Texas</a>, came as the Senate engages in delicate negotiations in hopes of striking a deal on border policies that could unlock Senate GOP support for Biden’s $110 billion package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. security priorities.

But Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press during the border tour that he was holding firmly to the policies of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-immigration-bill-255921c69678468580d0d106282623f0">bill</a>&nbsp;passed by House Republicans in May without a single Democratic vote. The bill, H.R. 2, would revive many of the policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, build more of the border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers. Democrats called the legislation “cruel” and “anti-immigrant,” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-immigration-biden-d62168665ba1581fc75651abc0409071">Biden promised a veto.</a>

“If it looks like H.R. 2, we'll talk about it,” Johnson said of any border legislation that emerges from the Senate.

With the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">number of illegal crossings</a>&nbsp;into the United States topping 10,000 on several days last month, Eagle Pass has been at the center of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">Operation Lone Star</a>, his nearly $10 billion initiative that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-immigration-greg-abbott-civil-rights-violations-bcbfef0901b375c9301ade01a59eb1c9">tested the federal government’s authority</a>&nbsp;over immigration and elevated the political fight over the issue.

The GOP House members touted their event as the largest congressional border trip ever. They traveled in two large buses beneath an international bridge in Eagle Pass where just two weeks ago illegal crossings prompted a large federal response that included closing railroad traffic and creating a large field for processing migrants. By Wednesday, the field sat empty with only stakes in the ground and orange fencing.

At a news conference, Johnson suggested he could use a looming government funding deadline as further leverage.

“If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin with defending America’s national security," he said. Johnson added: “We want to get the border closed and secured first."

Biden has expressed willingness to make policy compromises as the historic number of migrants crossing the border is an increasing challenge for his 2024 reelection campaign. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House staff have been involved in the Senate negotiations.

“We’ve got to do something," Biden told reporters Tuesday night. He said Congress should approve his national security proposal because it also includes money for managing the influx of migrants. "They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border,” he said.

Administration officials have criticized Johnson's trip as a political ploy that will do little to solve the problem. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Republicans were compromising national security by threatening to shut down the government and delaying approval of funding for additional border security.

“When they’re at the border, they’re going to see the magnitude of the problem and why we have said now for about three decades, their broken immigration system is in desperate need of legislative reform,” Mayorkas told CNN on Wednesday. “So we are focused on the solutions, and we hope that they will return to Washington and focus on the solutions as well.”

House Republicans also contend that Mayorkas' management of the border has amounted to a dereliction of his duties and they are moving ahead with rare impeachment proceedings against a Cabinet member, with a first committee hearing on the matter scheduled for next week. Mayorkas told MSNBC he would cooperate with an inquiry.

During parts of December, border crossings in Eagle Pass, as well as other locations, swamped the resources of Customs and Border Protection officials. Authorities closed cargo rail crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso for five days and shut down border crossings in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lukeville-arizona-border-crossing-closed-ae04e8c861a95e98dbfc8d49244cf092">Arizona city of Lukeville.</a>

Authorities say the numbers of migrants eased over the December holidays as part of a seasonal pattern. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lukeville-arizona-border-crossing-reopens-d6921b6d157952036c65e38ba4aac43d">border crossings are reopening</a>, and arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico fell to about 2,500 on Monday, from more than 10,000 on several days in December, officials said.

“We need to fix the border. There’s virtually unanimous agreement among Democrats and Republicans about that,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. He added: “Everyone’s going to have to give something to get this done.”

Republicans are pressuring Biden and Democrats to accept strict border measures, and they see the high number of migrants arriving at the border as a political weakness for the president.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters in Kentucky on Tuesday that in a conversation with 81-year-old Biden, he made the case: “You can’t do anything about how old you are, you can’t do anything about inflation, but this is something that’s measurable that you could claim credit for.”

McConnell also said he was approaching the talks with “optimism that somehow we will get this all together and we’re giving it our best shot.”

Sen. James Lankford, the Oklahoma Republican negotiating the Senate agreement, called H.R. 2 “a great bill,” but said it was not realistic to expect the president or Senate Democrats to support the measures.

Senate negotiators have focused on tougher asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>, bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems, and enforcement measures that would kick in if the number of daily crossings passed a certain threshold.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Lankford met Wednesday afternoon and said they were trying to agree on legislative text they could present to their colleagues. Sinema said the group was “closing in" on an agreement, but technical work remained before Congress returns to Washington next week.

“We’re going to work out a bill, if we’re successful, that will have Republican and Democratic votes,” said Murphy, the chief Democratic negotiator.

Murphy has raised concern that the longer the talks draw out, the longer it leaves Ukraine's defenses hanging without assured support from the U.S. in the war with Russia.

The Pentagon in late December announced what officials say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-funding-weapons-2153375d4394d5783fad73858b51e993">could be the final package of military aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine if Congress does not approve Biden's funding request. The weapons, worth up to $250 million, include air munitions and other missiles, artillery, anti-armor systems, ammunition, demolition and medical equipment and parts.

Russia has unleashed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kharkiv-kyiv-2b23b1163c859a645b485d5c38035369">flurry of missile and drone strikes</a>&nbsp;on Ukraine in the new year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704366649599.png" alt="Kansas Rep. Ron Estes at the border on Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Rep. Ron Estes at the border on Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson led about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit Wednesday to the Mexican border to demand hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">President Joe Biden's emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine</a>. He expressed serious doubts about whether he would support a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">bipartisan compromise</a>.'<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-vAl1RBwecw?si=KTGRG6xQjW5_pjjG&amp;start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today I joined <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> in Eagle Pass, Texas, where, even with cameras rolling and 60 members of Congress present, we saw migrants try to illegally enter our country. That is how bad Biden&#39;s open border policies are. Our country needs the solutions in H.R. 2. <a href="https://t.co/rHNZIUT9SO">pic.twitter.com/rHNZIUT9SO</a>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1742689156567093660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The trip to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-law-border-b0100138a88a0d034ae8e68787ef41b7">Eagle Pass, Texas</a>, came as the Senate engages in delicate negotiations in hopes of striking a deal on border policies that could unlock Senate GOP support for Biden’s $110 billion package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. security priorities.But Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press during the border tour that he was holding firmly to the policies of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-immigration-bill-255921c69678468580d0d106282623f0">bill</a>&nbsp;passed by House Republicans in May without a single Democratic vote. The bill, H.R. 2, would revive many of the policies pursued by former President Donald Trump, build more of the border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers. Democrats called the legislation “cruel” and “anti-immigrant,” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-immigration-biden-d62168665ba1581fc75651abc0409071">Biden promised a veto.</a>“If it looks like H.R. 2, we'll talk about it,” Johnson said of any border legislation that emerges from the Senate.With the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">number of illegal crossings</a>&nbsp;into the United States topping 10,000 on several days last month, Eagle Pass has been at the center of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-border-buoys-wire-abbott-5f138e354e88fc319f46c55344d7335c">Operation Lone Star</a>, his nearly $10 billion initiative that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-immigration-greg-abbott-civil-rights-violations-bcbfef0901b375c9301ade01a59eb1c9">tested the federal government’s authority</a>&nbsp;over immigration and elevated the political fight over the issue.The GOP House members touted their event as the largest congressional border trip ever. They traveled in two large buses beneath an international bridge in Eagle Pass where just two weeks ago illegal crossings prompted a large federal response that included closing railroad traffic and creating a large field for processing migrants. By Wednesday, the field sat empty with only stakes in the ground and orange fencing.At a news conference, Johnson suggested he could use a looming government funding deadline as further leverage.“If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin with defending America’s national security," he said. Johnson added: “We want to get the border closed and secured first."Biden has expressed willingness to make policy compromises as the historic number of migrants crossing the border is an increasing challenge for his 2024 reelection campaign. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House staff have been involved in the Senate negotiations.“We’ve got to do something," Biden told reporters Tuesday night. He said Congress should approve his national security proposal because it also includes money for managing the influx of migrants. "They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border,” he said.Administration officials have criticized Johnson's trip as a political ploy that will do little to solve the problem. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Republicans were compromising national security by threatening to shut down the government and delaying approval of funding for additional border security.“When they’re at the border, they’re going to see the magnitude of the problem and why we have said now for about three decades, their broken immigration system is in desperate need of legislative reform,” Mayorkas told CNN on Wednesday. “So we are focused on the solutions, and we hope that they will return to Washington and focus on the solutions as well.”House Republicans also contend that Mayorkas' management of the border has amounted to a dereliction of his duties and they are moving ahead with rare impeachment proceedings against a Cabinet member, with a first committee hearing on the matter scheduled for next week. Mayorkas told MSNBC he would cooperate with an inquiry.During parts of December, border crossings in Eagle Pass, as well as other locations, swamped the resources of Customs and Border Protection officials. Authorities closed cargo rail crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso for five days and shut down border crossings in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lukeville-arizona-border-crossing-closed-ae04e8c861a95e98dbfc8d49244cf092">Arizona city of Lukeville.</a>Authorities say the numbers of migrants eased over the December holidays as part of a seasonal pattern. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lukeville-arizona-border-crossing-reopens-d6921b6d157952036c65e38ba4aac43d">border crossings are reopening</a>, and arrests for illegal crossings from Mexico fell to about 2,500 on Monday, from more than 10,000 on several days in December, officials said.“We need to fix the border. There’s virtually unanimous agreement among Democrats and Republicans about that,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. He added: “Everyone’s going to have to give something to get this done.”Republicans are pressuring Biden and Democrats to accept strict border measures, and they see the high number of migrants arriving at the border as a political weakness for the president.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters in Kentucky on Tuesday that in a conversation with 81-year-old Biden, he made the case: “You can’t do anything about how old you are, you can’t do anything about inflation, but this is something that’s measurable that you could claim credit for.”McConnell also said he was approaching the talks with “optimism that somehow we will get this all together and we’re giving it our best shot.”Sen. James Lankford, the Oklahoma Republican negotiating the Senate agreement, called H.R. 2 “a great bill,” but said it was not realistic to expect the president or Senate Democrats to support the measures.Senate negotiators have focused on tougher asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>, bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems, and enforcement measures that would kick in if the number of daily crossings passed a certain threshold.Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Lankford met Wednesday afternoon and said they were trying to agree on legislative text they could present to their colleagues. Sinema said the group was “closing in" on an agreement, but technical work remained before Congress returns to Washington next week.“We’re going to work out a bill, if we’re successful, that will have Republican and Democratic votes,” said Murphy, the chief Democratic negotiator.Murphy has raised concern that the longer the talks draw out, the longer it leaves Ukraine's defenses hanging without assured support from the U.S. in the war with Russia.The Pentagon in late December announced what officials say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-funding-weapons-2153375d4394d5783fad73858b51e993">could be the final package of military aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine if Congress does not approve Biden's funding request. The weapons, worth up to $250 million, include air munitions and other missiles, artillery, anti-armor systems, ammunition, demolition and medical equipment and parts.Russia has unleashed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kharkiv-kyiv-2b23b1163c859a645b485d5c38035369">flurry of missile and drone strikes</a>&nbsp;on Ukraine in the new year.___

🎥Kan. congressman joins lawmakers' border trip to slam Biden on immigration

BAGHDAD (AP) — A U.S. airstrike on the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad on Thursday killed a high-ranking militia commander, militia officials said.

Thursday’s strike comes amid mounting regional tensions fueled by the Israel-Hamas war and fears that it could spill over into surrounding countries. It also coincides with a push by Iraqi officials for US-led coalition forces to leave the country.

The Popular Mobilization Force, or PMF, a coalition of militias that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military, announced in a statement that its deputy head of operations in Baghdad, Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, or “Abu Taqwa,” had been killed “as a result of brutal American aggression.”

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been publicly released confirmed that U.S. forces conducted a strike on a vehicle in Baghdad on Monday against the group Harakat al-Nujaba. The group, one of the militias within PMF, was designated a terrorist organization by Washington in 2019.

Iraqi military spokesman Yehia Rasool said in a statement that the Iraqi army blames the U.S.-led International Coalition Forces for the “unprovoked attack on an Iraqi security body operating in accordance with the powers granted to it by” the Iraqi military.

The primary mission of the U.S.-led coalition is to fight the Islamic State, the Sunni extremist militant group that continues to carry out periodic attacks in Iraq despite having lost its hold on the territory it once controlled in 2017. Since then, the coalition has transitioned from a combat role to an advisory and training mission.

The PMF, a group of Iranian-backed, primarily Shiite militias, were also key in the fight against Islamic State after it overran much of Iraq in 2014. The PMF is officially under the command of the Iraqi army, but in practice the militias operate independently.

Thursday’s strike killed two people and wounded five, according to two militia officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

One of the officials said al-Saidi was driving into the garage of the headquarters affiliated with the Harakat al-Nujaba militia, along with another militia official, when the car was hit, killing both.

Heavy security was deployed around the location of the strike on Baghdad’s Palestine Street, and Iraqi war planes could be seen flying overhead. An Associated Press photographer was eventually allowed access to the scene of the strike, where he saw the remains of the charred car.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, a group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 100 attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

The group has said the attacks are in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;that has killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, and that they aim to push U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Thursday’s strike is likely to increase calls for a U.S. departure.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani — who came to power with the backing of Iran-linked political factions but has also attempted to maintain good relations with the U.S. — said that his government is “is proceeding to end the presence of the international coalition forces.”

The strike also comes two days after a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-03-2024-fc2394531bef8238e86879dd98ea435b" target="_blank">Israeli drone strike</a>&nbsp;in the suburbs of Beirut killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri.

Asked whether Israel had involvement in Thursday’s strike in Baghdad, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A U.S. airstrike on the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad on Thursday killed a high-ranking militia commander, militia officials said.Thursday’s strike comes amid mounting regional tensions fueled by the Israel-Hamas war and fears that it could spill over into surrounding countries. It also coincides with a push by Iraqi officials for US-led coalition forces to leave the country.The Popular Mobilization Force, or PMF, a coalition of militias that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military, announced in a statement that its deputy head of operations in Baghdad, Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, or “Abu Taqwa,” had been killed “as a result of brutal American aggression.”A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide information that has not yet been publicly released confirmed that U.S. forces conducted a strike on a vehicle in Baghdad on Monday against the group Harakat al-Nujaba. The group, one of the militias within PMF, was designated a terrorist organization by Washington in 2019.Iraqi military spokesman Yehia Rasool said in a statement that the Iraqi army blames the U.S.-led International Coalition Forces for the “unprovoked attack on an Iraqi security body operating in accordance with the powers granted to it by” the Iraqi military.The primary mission of the U.S.-led coalition is to fight the Islamic State, the Sunni extremist militant group that continues to carry out periodic attacks in Iraq despite having lost its hold on the territory it once controlled in 2017. Since then, the coalition has transitioned from a combat role to an advisory and training mission.The PMF, a group of Iranian-backed, primarily Shiite militias, were also key in the fight against Islamic State after it overran much of Iraq in 2014. The PMF is officially under the command of the Iraqi army, but in practice the militias operate independently.Thursday’s strike killed two people and wounded five, according to two militia officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.One of the officials said al-Saidi was driving into the garage of the headquarters affiliated with the Harakat al-Nujaba militia, along with another militia official, when the car was hit, killing both.Heavy security was deployed around the location of the strike on Baghdad’s Palestine Street, and Iraqi war planes could be seen flying overhead. An Associated Press photographer was eventually allowed access to the scene of the strike, where he saw the remains of the charred car.Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, a group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 100 attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.The group has said the attacks are in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;that has killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, and that they aim to push U.S. forces out of Iraq.Thursday’s strike is likely to increase calls for a U.S. departure.Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani — who came to power with the backing of Iran-linked political factions but has also attempted to maintain good relations with the U.S. — said that his government is “is proceeding to end the presence of the international coalition forces.”The strike also comes two days after a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-03-2024-fc2394531bef8238e86879dd98ea435b" target="_blank">Israeli drone strike</a>&nbsp;in the suburbs of Beirut killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri.Asked whether Israel had involvement in Thursday’s strike in Baghdad, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment.————

U.S. airstrike kills militia leader blamed for Iraq attacks 

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were shot at the city's high school Thursday, early on students' first day back in classes after their annual winter break.

Two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, about 40 miles&nbsp; southeast of Perry, a community of about 8,000 people. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting occurred before school was set to start, so there were few students and faculty in Perry High School.

The suspect in the shooting has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican presidential candidates were campaigning.

An active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, Infante said. He added during a news conference that officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn't confirm how many there were or their conditions. A spokeperson for UnityPoint Health, which operates the Des Moines hospital, confirmed the two gunshot victims arriving there.

An enormous number of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses both the town's middle school and high school.

Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.

Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.

Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.

“We all just jumped,” Kares said. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran.”

Kares and many others from the school ran out past the football field, as she heard people yelling, “Get out! Get out!” She said she heard additional shots as she ran, but didn’t know how many. She was more concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.

“At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son,” she said.

FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office were on scene to help with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

“There are a bunch of speculative numbers floating around,” said Dirk Cavanaugh, Perry’s mayor. “We have no confirmed numbers of who was involved yet.”

Erica Jolliff said that her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.

“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff said. “They won’t tell me nothing.”

Jasmine Augustine, 18, was at the high school shortly after everything happened Thursday morning. She said she was dropping off a friend at the high school and his brother, who goes to the town's elementary school about a mile (1.61 kilometers) away.

“I was at Casey’s convenience store and saw one car speed by. I thought it was just someone getting pulled over," she said.

Augustine said that when she pulled in at the high school, someone told her there was an active shooter “and then we hurried up and left.”

“After that, there’s just tons and tons and tons of cops who came,” said Augustine, whose sister attends the high school but wasn’t near what happened. Jasmine and her dad picked up her sister from the armory afterward.

The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. The town of Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole, with census figures showing that 31% of the residents are Hispanic, compared to less than 7% for the state. Those figures also show that nearly 19% of the town's residents were born outside the U.S.

The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican candidates were campaigning.

Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were injured in a shooting at the city's high school, on students' first day back in classes after their annual winter break.

An active shooter was reported at Perry High School at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. Infante said officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn't confirm how many there were or their conditions.

Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice at 8:37 a.m. — she had just looked at her watch — when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.

The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry, with about 8,000 residents, is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of the state capital of Des Moines.

Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704382094941.png" alt="First responders at the scene early Thursday photo courtesy KCCI TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene early Thursday photo courtesy KCCI TV</figcaption>
 </figure>PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were shot at the city's high school Thursday, early on students' first day back in classes after their annual winter break.Two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, about 40 miles&nbsp; southeast of Perry, a community of about 8,000 people. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting occurred before school was set to start, so there were few students and faculty in Perry High School.The suspect in the shooting has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican presidential candidates were campaigning.An active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, Infante said. He added during a news conference that officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn't confirm how many there were or their conditions. A spokeperson for UnityPoint Health, which operates the Des Moines hospital, confirmed the two gunshot victims arriving there.An enormous number of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses both the town's middle school and high school.Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.“We all just jumped,” Kares said. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran.”Kares and many others from the school ran out past the football field, as she heard people yelling, “Get out! Get out!” She said she heard additional shots as she ran, but didn’t know how many. She was more concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.“At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son,” she said.FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office were on scene to help with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.“There are a bunch of speculative numbers floating around,” said Dirk Cavanaugh, Perry’s mayor. “We have no confirmed numbers of who was involved yet.”Erica Jolliff said that her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff said. “They won’t tell me nothing.”Jasmine Augustine, 18, was at the high school shortly after everything happened Thursday morning. She said she was dropping off a friend at the high school and his brother, who goes to the town's elementary school about a mile (1.61 kilometers) away.“I was at Casey’s convenience store and saw one car speed by. I thought it was just someone getting pulled over," she said.Augustine said that when she pulled in at the high school, someone told her there was an active shooter “and then we hurried up and left.”“After that, there’s just tons and tons and tons of cops who came,” said Augustine, whose sister attends the high school but wasn’t near what happened. Jasmine and her dad picked up her sister from the armory afterward.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. The town of Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole, with census figures showing that 31% of the residents are Hispanic, compared to less than 7% for the state. Those figures also show that nearly 19% of the town's residents were born outside the U.S.The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican candidates were campaigning.Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned-----------------------PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, say multiple people were injured in a shooting at the city's high school, on students' first day back in classes after their annual winter break.An active shooter was reported at Perry High School at 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning and officers arrived seven minutes later, according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. Infante said officers located multiple people with injuries, but couldn't confirm how many there were or their conditions.An enormous number of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses both the town's middle school and high school.Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice at 8:37 a.m. — she had just looked at her watch — when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.“We all just jumped,” Kares said. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">All DMACC Campuses and Centers - Perry Center closed today Thu Jan 4, 2024 DMACC is aware of an active violence situation that occurred at Perry High School this morning. The DMACC Perry Center is closed and classes are cancelled for today. Reports are that all DMACC personnel <a href="https://t.co/Kl6tcbTorY">pic.twitter.com/Kl6tcbTorY</a>&mdash; DMACC (@DMACC_Bears) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMACC_Bears/status/1742918910947504470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kares and many others from the school ran out past the football field, as she heard people yelling, “Get out! Get out!” She said she heard additional shots as she ran, but didn’t know how many. She was more concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.“At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son,” she said.FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office were on scene to help with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.“There are a bunch of speculative numbers floating around,” said Dirk Cavanaugh, Perry’s mayor. “We have no confirmed numbers of who was involved yet.”Erica Jolliff said that her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff said. “They won’t tell me nothing.”Jasmine Augustine, 18, was at the high school shortly after everything happened Thursday morning. She said she was dropping off a friend at the high school and his brother, who goes to the town's elementary school about a mile (1.61 kilometers) away.“I was at Casey’s convenience store and saw one car speed by. I thought it was just someone getting pulled over," she said.Augustine said that when she pulled in at the high school, someone told her there was an active shooter “and then we hurried up and left.”“After that, there’s just tons and tons and tons of cops who came,” said Augustine, whose sister attends the high school but wasn’t near what happened. Jasmine and her dad picked up her sister from the armory afterward.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry, with about 8,000 residents, is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of the state capital of Des Moines.The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican candidates were campaigning.Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned.

Officials: Suspect in shooting at high school in Iowa is dead

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspicious death have made an arrest.

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a welfare check in the 600 Block of SW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Upon arrival, the Officers located an individual who was found deceased. On Wednesday, police reported they were&nbsp; investigating this death as a homicide and investigators believe the incident occurred sometime on December 28. 

Police identified a suspect and arrested 22-year-old as Daniel V. Hesler of Topeka and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges: 1st Degree Murder and robbery, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704317558256.png" alt="Hesler photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hesler photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspicious death have made an arrest.Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a welfare check in the 600 Block of SW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Upon arrival, the Officers located an individual who was found deceased. On Wednesday, police reported they were&nbsp; investigating this death as a homicide and investigators believe the incident occurred sometime on December 28. Police identified a suspect and arrested 22-year-old as Daniel V. Hesler of Topeka and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges: 1st Degree Murder and robbery, according to online jail records.

Suspect accused in Dec. 28 murder at Kansas home

MEADE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), with assistance from the Iola Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested two suspects who possessed two pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 2,500 pills presumed to contain fentanyl, according to a media release from the KBI.

In September 2023, information was developed by the Iola Police Department about methamphetamine being distributed in southeast Kansas by subjects in Wichita. The Iola Police Department and the KBI began investigating.

On Wednesday, Jan. 3, KBI agents located the subjects they believed were involved. KHP troopers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the suspects. The traffic stop took place on U.S. Highway 54 in Meade County, Kansas. The fentanyl pills and methamphetamine were located soon after.

On Jan. 3, at approximately 8 a.m., Jeffrey A. Filley, 47, of Wichita and Theresa R. West, 32, of Wichita, were arrested on requested charges that incloude distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, distribution or possession of a controlled substance using a communication facility, and conspiracy. West was also booked for driving while suspended and for committing several traffic violations.

The suspects were booked into the Meade County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704332315677.png" alt="Filley-photo Meade Co." />
 <figcaption>Filley-photo Meade Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MEADE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), with assistance from the Iola Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested two suspects who possessed two pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 2,500 pills presumed to contain fentanyl, according to a media release from the KBI.In September 2023, information was developed by the Iola Police Department about methamphetamine being distributed in southeast Kansas by subjects in Wichita. The Iola Police Department and the KBI began investigating.On Wednesday, Jan. 3, KBI agents located the subjects they believed were involved. KHP troopers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the suspects. The traffic stop took place on U.S. Highway 54 in Meade County, Kansas. The fentanyl pills and methamphetamine were located soon after.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704332247132.png" alt="West-photo Meade County" />
 <figcaption>West-photo Meade County</figcaption>
 </figure>On Jan. 3, at approximately 8 a.m., Jeffrey A. Filley, 47, of Wichita and Theresa R. West, 32, of Wichita, were arrested on requested charges that incloude distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, distribution or possession of a controlled substance using a communication facility, and conspiracy. West was also booked for driving while suspended and for committing several traffic violations.The suspects were booked into the Meade County Jail.&nbsp;

Kansas couple accused of selling fentanyl and meth

THOMAS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Ford LNB driven by Yancy J. Sowers, 45, Oberlin, was northbound on U.S highway 83 at the Interstate 70 Junction. 

A 2024 Peterbilt semi driven by John W. Adier, 48, West Plains, Missouri&nbsp;was exiting westbound Interstate 70.

Adier failed to yield to traffic on U.S. Highway 83 and pulled out in front of the Ford.&nbsp; The Ford struck the Peterbilt's cattle trailer.

Sowers was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Baalman Mortuary in Colby.&nbsp;Adier was not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

THOMAS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2p.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Ford LNB driven by Yancy J. Sowers, 45, Oberlin, was northbound on U.S highway 83 at the Interstate 70 Junction. A 2024 Peterbilt semi driven by John W. Adier, 48, West Plains, Missouri&nbsp;was exiting westbound Interstate 70.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704365886893.png" alt="Image by Trooper Tod Heilman KHP" />
 <figcaption>Image by Trooper Tod Heilman KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>Adier failed to yield to traffic on U.S. Highway 83 and pulled out in front of the Ford.&nbsp; The Ford struck the Peterbilt's cattle trailer.Sowers was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Baalman Mortuary in Colby.&nbsp;Adier was not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

Kansas man dies after crash with semi's cattle trailer

NEW YORK (AP) — Amid great hype, a court began to release a new batch of previously secret court documents late Wednesday related to Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253239-1324-epstein-documents-943-pages">Click here to read</a> the documents (caution: adult content)

Social media has been rife in recent weeks with posts speculating that the documents would include a list of rich and powerful men who were Epstein’s “clients” or “co-conspirators.”

There was no such list. The initial collection of around 40 documents made public largely contained material that had been released previously, or exhaustively been covered in nearly two decades’ worth of newspaper stories, TV documentaries, interviews, books about the Epstein scandal.

Still, the records — which included transcripts of interviews with some of Epstein’s victims — included reminders that Epstein surrounded himself with famous and powerful figures, including a few who have also been accused of misconduct.

They included mentions of Epstein’s past friendship with Bill Clinton — who is not accused of any wrongdoing — and of Britain’s Prince Andrew, who previously settled a lawsuit accusing him of having sex with a 17-year-old girl who traveled with Epstein.

The documents being unsealed are related to a lawsuit filed in 2015 by one of Epstein’s victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>. She is one of the dozens of women who sued Epstein saying he had abused them at his homes in Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New Mexico. This particular suit was against Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of helping recruit Epstein’s victims and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">serving a 20-year prison term</a>.

Epstein, a millionaire known for associating with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and academic stars, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on a sex trafficking charge.

Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell was settled in 2017, but the court had kept some court documents blacked-out or sealed because of concerns about the privacy rights of Epstein’s victims and other people whose names had come up during the legal battle.

Only around 40 of those documents were made public Wednesday. More will be released in the coming days.

The records included the depositions of several of Epstein's victims, many of whom have told their stories publicly previously.

Giuffre said the summer she turned 17, she was lured away from a job as a spa attendant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to become a “masseuse” for Epstein — a job that involved performing sexual acts.

She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled a lawsuit against Prince Andrew</a>&nbsp;in 2022 in which she claimed he had sexually abused her during a trip to London. That same year, Giuffre withdrew an accusation she had made against Epstein’s former attorney, the law professor Alan Dershowitz, saying she “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-new-york-lawsuits-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-2a7202e552c38ed03c5fe39d6a29721b">may have made a mistake</a>” in identifying him as an abuser.

The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253239-1324-epstein-documents-943-pages">records released Wednesday</a> included many references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent close to Epstein who was awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Giuffre was among the women who had accused Brunel of sexual abuse.

Clinton's name came up because Guiffre was questioned by Maxwell’s lawyers about inaccuracies in newspaper stories about her time with Epstein, including a story quoting her as saying she had ridden in a helicopter with Clinton and flirted with Donald Trump. Giuffre said neither of those things actually happened.

The judge said a handful of names should remain blacked out in the documents because they would identify people who were sexually abused. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Giuffre has done.

Even before the documents were released, misinformation about what was in them abounded.&nbsp;

The judge hasn’t set a target for when all of the documents should be made public, but more documents are expected to come in the next few days.

Here’s what we know about the documents:

A millionaire known for associating with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and academic stars, Epstein was initially arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Dozens of other underage girls described similar sexual abuse, but prosecutors ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">allowed the financier to plead guilty</a>&nbsp;in 2008 to a charge involving a single victim. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.

Some famous acquaintances abandoned Epstein after his conviction, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, but many did not. Epstein continued to mingle with the rich and famous for another decade, often through philanthropic work.

Reporting by the Miami Herald renewed interest in the scandal, and federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein in 2019 with sex trafficking. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-department-of-justice-investigation-50c229b7953096f0301bfa1e7f0b7703">killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;while awaiting trial.

The U.S. attorney in Manhattan then prosecuted Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, for helping recruit his underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">serving a 20-year prison term</a>.

The documents being unsealed are part of a lawsuit filed against Maxwell in 2015 by one of Epstein’s victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>. She is one of the dozens of women who sued Epstein saying he had abused them at his homes in Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New Mexico.

Giuffre also claimed she was pressured into having sex with men in Epstein's social orbit, most famously with Britain's Prince Andrew. All of those men said her accounts were fabricated. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled a lawsuit against Prince Andrew</a>&nbsp;in 2022. That same year, Giuffre withdrew an accusation she had made against Epstein's former attorney, the law professor Alan Dershowitz, saying she “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-new-york-lawsuits-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-2a7202e552c38ed03c5fe39d6a29721b">may have made a mistake</a>&nbsp;” in identifying him as an abuser.

Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell was settled in 2017, but the Miami Herald went to court to access court papers initially filed under seal, including transcripts of interviews the lawyers did with potential witnesses.

About 2,000 pages were unsealed by a court in 2019. Additional documents were released in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

This next batch of around 250 records had sections that were blacked out or were sealed entirely because of concerns about the privacy rights of Epstein’s victims and other people whose names had come up during the legal battle but weren’t complicit in his crimes.

U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who evaluated the documents to decide what should be unsealed, said in her December order that she was ordering the records released because much of the information within them is already public.

Some records have been released, either in part or in full, in other court cases. Much of the rest involve topics and people who have been exhaustively covered in nearly two decades' worth of newspaper stories, TV documentaries, interviews, books and testimony at Maxwell’s criminal trial.

The people named in the records include many of Epstein's accusers, members of his staff who told their stories to tabloid newspapers, people who served as witnesses at Maxwell's trial, people who were mentioned in passing during depositions but aren't accused of anything salacious, and people who investigated Epstein, including prosecutors, a journalist and a detective.

There are also boldface names of public figures known to have associated with Epstein over the years, but whose relationships with him have already been well documented elsewhere, the judge said.

One of them is Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent close to Epstein who was awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Giuffre was among the women who had accused Brunel of sexual abuse.

Clinton and Trump both factor in the court file, partly because Giuffre was questioned by Maxwell's lawyers about inaccuracies in newspaper stories about her time with Epstein. One story quoted her as saying she had ridden in a helicopter with Clinton and flirted with Trump. Giuffre said neither of those things actually happened. She hasn't accused either former president of wrongdoing.

On Dec. 18, the judge gave the people whose names appear in the records 14 days to appeal, then directed the lawyers to confer, prepare the documents for unsealing and post them on the docket.

Two people whose name appears in the records have been given additional time to make arguments to the court as to why their names should stay redacted.

A small batch of documents was made available publicly on Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Jeffrey Epstein New York Sex Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey Epstein New York Sex Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Amid great hype, a court began to release a new batch of previously secret court documents late Wednesday related to Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253239-1324-epstein-documents-943-pages">Click here to read</a> the documents (caution: adult content)Social media has been rife in recent weeks with posts speculating that the documents would include a list of rich and powerful men who were Epstein’s “clients” or “co-conspirators.”There was no such list. The initial collection of around 40 documents made public largely contained material that had been released previously, or exhaustively been covered in nearly two decades’ worth of newspaper stories, TV documentaries, interviews, books about the Epstein scandal.Still, the records — which included transcripts of interviews with some of Epstein’s victims — included reminders that Epstein surrounded himself with famous and powerful figures, including a few who have also been accused of misconduct.They included mentions of Epstein’s past friendship with Bill Clinton — who is not accused of any wrongdoing — and of Britain’s Prince Andrew, who previously settled a lawsuit accusing him of having sex with a 17-year-old girl who traveled with Epstein.The documents being unsealed are related to a lawsuit filed in 2015 by one of Epstein’s victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>. She is one of the dozens of women who sued Epstein saying he had abused them at his homes in Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New Mexico. This particular suit was against Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of helping recruit Epstein’s victims and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">serving a 20-year prison term</a>.Epstein, a millionaire known for associating with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and academic stars, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on a sex trafficking charge.Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell was settled in 2017, but the court had kept some court documents blacked-out or sealed because of concerns about the privacy rights of Epstein’s victims and other people whose names had come up during the legal battle.Only around 40 of those documents were made public Wednesday. More will be released in the coming days.The records included the depositions of several of Epstein's victims, many of whom have told their stories publicly previously.Giuffre said the summer she turned 17, she was lured away from a job as a spa attendant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to become a “masseuse” for Epstein — a job that involved performing sexual acts.She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled a lawsuit against Prince Andrew</a>&nbsp;in 2022 in which she claimed he had sexually abused her during a trip to London. That same year, Giuffre withdrew an accusation she had made against Epstein’s former attorney, the law professor Alan Dershowitz, saying she “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-new-york-lawsuits-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-2a7202e552c38ed03c5fe39d6a29721b">may have made a mistake</a>” in identifying him as an abuser.The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253239-1324-epstein-documents-943-pages">records released Wednesday</a> included many references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent close to Epstein who was awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Giuffre was among the women who had accused Brunel of sexual abuse.Clinton's name came up because Guiffre was questioned by Maxwell’s lawyers about inaccuracies in newspaper stories about her time with Epstein, including a story quoting her as saying she had ridden in a helicopter with Clinton and flirted with Donald Trump. Giuffre said neither of those things actually happened.The judge said a handful of names should remain blacked out in the documents because they would identify people who were sexually abused. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Giuffre has done.Even before the documents were released, misinformation about what was in them abounded.&nbsp;The judge hasn’t set a target for when all of the documents should be made public, but more documents are expected to come in the next few days.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704331774729.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s what we know about the documents:WHO IS JEFFREY EPSTEIN?A millionaire known for associating with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and academic stars, Epstein was initially arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex.Dozens of other underage girls described similar sexual abuse, but prosecutors ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">allowed the financier to plead guilty</a>&nbsp;in 2008 to a charge involving a single victim. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.Some famous acquaintances abandoned Epstein after his conviction, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, but many did not. Epstein continued to mingle with the rich and famous for another decade, often through philanthropic work.Reporting by the Miami Herald renewed interest in the scandal, and federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein in 2019 with sex trafficking. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-department-of-justice-investigation-50c229b7953096f0301bfa1e7f0b7703">killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;while awaiting trial.The U.S. attorney in Manhattan then prosecuted Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, for helping recruit his underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">serving a 20-year prison term</a>.WHAT ARE THESE RECORDS ABOUT?The documents being unsealed are part of a lawsuit filed against Maxwell in 2015 by one of Epstein’s victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>. She is one of the dozens of women who sued Epstein saying he had abused them at his homes in Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New Mexico.Giuffre said the summer she turned 17, she was lured away from a job as a spa attendant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to become a “masseuse” for Epstein — a job that involved performing sexual acts.Giuffre also claimed she was pressured into having sex with men in Epstein's social orbit, most famously with Britain's Prince Andrew. All of those men said her accounts were fabricated. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled a lawsuit against Prince Andrew</a>&nbsp;in 2022. That same year, Giuffre withdrew an accusation she had made against Epstein's former attorney, the law professor Alan Dershowitz, saying she “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-new-york-lawsuits-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-2a7202e552c38ed03c5fe39d6a29721b">may have made a mistake</a>&nbsp;” in identifying him as an abuser.Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell was settled in 2017, but the Miami Herald went to court to access court papers initially filed under seal, including transcripts of interviews the lawyers did with potential witnesses.About 2,000 pages were unsealed by a court in 2019. Additional documents were released in 2020, 2021 and 2022.This next batch of around 250 records had sections that were blacked out or were sealed entirely because of concerns about the privacy rights of Epstein’s victims and other people whose names had come up during the legal battle but weren’t complicit in his crimes.WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE?U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who evaluated the documents to decide what should be unsealed, said in her December order that she was ordering the records released because much of the information within them is already public.Some records have been released, either in part or in full, in other court cases. Much of the rest involve topics and people who have been exhaustively covered in nearly two decades' worth of newspaper stories, TV documentaries, interviews, books and testimony at Maxwell’s criminal trial.The people named in the records include many of Epstein's accusers, members of his staff who told their stories to tabloid newspapers, people who served as witnesses at Maxwell's trial, people who were mentioned in passing during depositions but aren't accused of anything salacious, and people who investigated Epstein, including prosecutors, a journalist and a detective.There are also boldface names of public figures known to have associated with Epstein over the years, but whose relationships with him have already been well documented elsewhere, the judge said.One of them is Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent close to Epstein who was awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022. Giuffre was among the women who had accused Brunel of sexual abuse.Clinton and Trump both factor in the court file, partly because Giuffre was questioned by Maxwell's lawyers about inaccuracies in newspaper stories about her time with Epstein. One story quoted her as saying she had ridden in a helicopter with Clinton and flirted with Trump. Giuffre said neither of those things actually happened. She hasn't accused either former president of wrongdoing.The judge said a handful of names should remain blacked out in the documents because they would identify people who were sexually abused. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Giuffre has done.WHEN WILL THE DOCUMENTS BE MADE PUBLIC?On Dec. 18, the judge gave the people whose names appear in the records 14 days to appeal, then directed the lawyers to confer, prepare the documents for unsealing and post them on the docket.Two people whose name appears in the records have been given additional time to make arguments to the court as to why their names should stay redacted.A small batch of documents was made available publicly on Wednesday.

Read the unsealed Jeffrey Epstein court documents 

JERUSALEM (AP) —The Israeli military says a hostage taken captive by Hamas was killed in a failed rescue attempt in Gaza.

The hostage, 25-year-old Sahar Baruch, had been previously reported to have been killed, but Israel initially blamed Hamas, while Hamas said Israeli forces killed him in a raid.

The military said Wednesday it was not possible to determine whether Baruch died from Israeli fire or from Hamas in the rescue mission, which took place in early December.

The announcement about Baruch comes weeks after Israel said its forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-15-2023-072436cece0f2351fadfed892e985554">accidentally killed three hostages</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip. Some relatives of hostages have said the protracted fighting puts the remaining captives at risk.

Following a hostage release deal in late November, some 129 hostages remain, although about 20 are said to have died in captivity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704314489369.png" alt="Baruch&nbsp; photo courtesy&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/">Hostages and Missing Families Forum</a>" />
 <figcaption>Baruch&nbsp; photo courtesy&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/">Hostages and Missing Families Forum</a></figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) —The Israeli military says a hostage taken captive by Hamas was killed in a failed rescue attempt in Gaza.The hostage, 25-year-old Sahar Baruch, had been previously reported to have been killed, but Israel initially blamed Hamas, while Hamas said Israeli forces killed him in a raid.The military said Wednesday it was not possible to determine whether Baruch died from Israeli fire or from Hamas in the rescue mission, which took place in early December.The announcement about Baruch comes weeks after Israel said its forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-15-2023-072436cece0f2351fadfed892e985554">accidentally killed three hostages</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip. Some relatives of hostages have said the protracted fighting puts the remaining captives at risk.Following a hostage release deal in late November, some 129 hostages remain, although about 20 are said to have died in captivity.

Israel: Hostage killed in failed rescue attempt in Gaza 

MEADE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are recognizing their hard working K9 officer Zero after a traffic stop.

On, January 2, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079481046822&amp;__cft__[0]=AZVglGbR5PubkEWGoyrnwCkGfs7H5qTZsMIO-D-HqspH0HMk2-g4qhpyyIuyfg7ArCjzg8KjG5ZWd0wFUg_SNI1gtI3TFR4ujIRIr5aifgHewxOw99MsgbYYmJKxycqW3L3XHfBJi1B2UTCWPlopYrE_LOK7p8-XbMt3Crt8fobUJPx-7zM1ba0Gm-py1jJvxR4&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Meade County Kansas Sheriff</a>'s Office K-9 Zero indicated on a pickup truck that there were illegal narcotics inside, according to a social media report.

The K9's effort led to a search warrant and the discovery of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.

The sheriff's office did not report the name of suspects or possible charges in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704316005464.png" alt="photo Meade Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo Meade Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MEADE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are recognizing their hard working K9 officer Zero after a traffic stop.On, January 2, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079481046822&amp;__cft__[0]=AZVglGbR5PubkEWGoyrnwCkGfs7H5qTZsMIO-D-HqspH0HMk2-g4qhpyyIuyfg7ArCjzg8KjG5ZWd0wFUg_SNI1gtI3TFR4ujIRIr5aifgHewxOw99MsgbYYmJKxycqW3L3XHfBJi1B2UTCWPlopYrE_LOK7p8-XbMt3Crt8fobUJPx-7zM1ba0Gm-py1jJvxR4&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Meade County Kansas Sheriff</a>'s Office K-9 Zero indicated on a pickup truck that there were illegal narcotics inside, according to a social media report.The K9's effort led to a search warrant and the discovery of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.The sheriff's office did not report the name of suspects or possible charges in the case.

SW Kan. sheriff's K9 helps deputies discover 20 pounds of meth

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.

Just after 11a.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy responded to a Topeka hospital on a report of a sexual crime that occurred in the 2100 Block of SE 102nd Street, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.

After a preliminary investigation at the hospital, investigators proceeded to the crime address in an attempt to locate suspect identified as 46-year-old Wayne&nbsp; Partridge of Berryton.&nbsp; Deputies found him there and took him into custody on requested charges of rape, indecent liberties with a child, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704234357422.png" alt="Partridge-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Partridge-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.Just after 11a.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy responded to a Topeka hospital on a report of a sexual crime that occurred in the 2100 Block of SE 102nd Street, according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Wanamaker.After a preliminary investigation at the hospital, investigators proceeded to the crime address in an attempt to locate suspect identified as 46-year-old Wayne&nbsp; Partridge of Berryton.&nbsp; Deputies found him there and took him into custody on requested charges of rape, indecent liberties with a child, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy.

Call to Kansas hospital led to arrest of child sex crime suspect

Prosecutors in Kansas on Wednesday dismissed three felony charges related to accusations that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">Jackson Mahomes</a>&nbsp;— the younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will.

Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens had filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss three counts of aggravated sexual battery. Jackson Mahomes appeared at a hearing Wednesday and the felony charges were dropped. A fourth charge — misdemeanor battery — remains, and Jackson Mahomes pleaded not guilty to that charge.

The court filing cited a lack of cooperation from the alleged victim.

Jackson Mahomes' attorney, Brandan Davies, said in a statement that his client “has done nothing wrong. We had full confidence that the truth of the matter would ultimately be revealed.”

The original charges accused Jackson Mahomes, a 23-year-old social media influencer, of crimes that occurred Feb. 25 at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.

Investigators said Mahomes shoved a waiter who tried to come into a room where he was with the restaurant's owner, Aspen Vaughn. After the waiter left, Mahomes grabbed Vaughn by the throat and forcefully kissed her three different times without her consent, prosecutors alleged.

Vaughn told police Mahomes was a friend of her stepdaughter, and had caused trouble and been asked to leave the restaurant in the past.

Vaughn closed the restaurant in August, saying her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case. She told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/openings-closings/article277866288.html">Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;at the time that she endured death threats and harassment and the restaurant was vandalized in the aftermath of the charges.

Tuesday's court filing said prosecutors were presented with an affidavit from Vaughn's attorneys stating that she would refuse to testify. The filing said prosecutors still planned to move ahead with the case, noting that surveillance video captured the encounter.

But the filing also said subpoenas meant for Vaughn, who was referred to in court documents by her initials, were not delivered.

“Indeed, it has become clear to the State, through conversations with more than one person in contact with her, that A.R. is actively thwarting attempts to serve her to avoid coming to court,” Ahsens wrote.

The misdemeanor battery charge remains because that charge involved the alleged shoving of the waiter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684270297047.png" alt="Mahomes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">charged</a>&nbsp;with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of battery after the incident at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, on Feb. 25.&nbsp;photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Mahomes was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">charged</a>&nbsp;with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of battery after the incident at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, on Feb. 25.&nbsp;photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors in Kansas on Wednesday dismissed three felony charges related to accusations that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">Jackson Mahomes</a>&nbsp;— the younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will.Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens had filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss three counts of aggravated sexual battery. Jackson Mahomes appeared at a hearing Wednesday and the felony charges were dropped. A fourth charge — misdemeanor battery — remains, and Jackson Mahomes pleaded not guilty to that charge.The court filing cited a lack of cooperation from the alleged victim.Jackson Mahomes' attorney, Brandan Davies, said in a statement that his client “has done nothing wrong. We had full confidence that the truth of the matter would ultimately be revealed.”The original charges accused Jackson Mahomes, a 23-year-old social media influencer, of crimes that occurred Feb. 25 at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.Investigators said Mahomes shoved a waiter who tried to come into a room where he was with the restaurant's owner, Aspen Vaughn. After the waiter left, Mahomes grabbed Vaughn by the throat and forcefully kissed her three different times without her consent, prosecutors alleged.Vaughn told police Mahomes was a friend of her stepdaughter, and had caused trouble and been asked to leave the restaurant in the past.Vaughn closed the restaurant in August, saying her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case. She told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/openings-closings/article277866288.html">Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;at the time that she endured death threats and harassment and the restaurant was vandalized in the aftermath of the charges.Tuesday's court filing said prosecutors were presented with an affidavit from Vaughn's attorneys stating that she would refuse to testify. The filing said prosecutors still planned to move ahead with the case, noting that surveillance video captured the encounter.But the filing also said subpoenas meant for Vaughn, who was referred to in court documents by her initials, were not delivered.“Indeed, it has become clear to the State, through conversations with more than one person in contact with her, that A.R. is actively thwarting attempts to serve her to avoid coming to court,” Ahsens wrote.The misdemeanor battery charge remains because that charge involved the alleged shoving of the waiter.A spokesperson for the district attorney's office declined comment.-------------------KANSAS CITY (AP) —Prosecutors in Kansas are asking a judge to drop three felony charges related to accusations that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-brother-charges-chiefs-812506d230c0964df8ff7feecf4c359f">Jackson Mahomes</a>&nbsp;— the younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will.Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss three counts of aggravated sexual battery. A fourth charge — misdemeanor battery — would remain.The court filing cited a lack of cooperation from the alleged victim.Jackson Mahomes' attorney, Brandan Davies, said in a statement that his client “has done nothing wrong. We had full confidence that the truth of the matter would ultimately be revealed.”The original charges accused Jackson Mahomes, a 23-year-old social media influencer, of crimes that occurred Feb. 25 at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.Investigators said Mahomes shoved a waiter who tried to come into a room where he was with the restaurant's owner, Aspen Vaughn. After the waiter left, Mahomes grabbed Vaughn by the throat and forcefully kissed her three different times without her consent, prosecutors alleged.Vaughn told police Mahomes was a friend of her stepdaughter, and had caused trouble and been asked to leave the restaurant in the past.Vaughn closed the restaurant in August, saying her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case. She told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/openings-closings/article277866288.html">Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;at the time that she endured death threats and harassment and the restaurant was vandalized in the aftermath of the charges.Tuesday's court filing said prosecutors were presented with an affidavit from Vaughn's attorneys stating that she would refuse to testify. The filing said prosecutors still planned to move ahead with the case, noting that surveillance video captured the encounter.But the filing also said subpoenas meant for Vaughn, who was referred to in court documents by her initials, have not been delivered.“Indeed, it has become clear to the State, through conversations with more than one person in contact with her, that A.R. is actively thwarting attempts to serve her to avoid coming to court,” Ahsens wrote.The misdemeanor battery charge remains because that charge involved the alleged shoving of the waiter.A spokesperson for the district attorney's office declined comment.