WASHINGTON (AP) — With eyes across the globe focused on 48 balls being plucked from four bowls, next year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/world-cup-draw-2026-updates">World Cup</a>&nbsp;came into focus Friday when a draw determined Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their title defense against Algeria and the U.S. will open against Paraguay.

Teams from five-time champion Brazil to newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan learned their group stage opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“Exciting for the island, for the people there. They’re so proud,” said Dick Advoccat, the 78-year-old Dutchman leading Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation with a population of 150,000, into an opener against four-time champion Germany.

The ceremony included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-world-cup-fifa-peace-prize-e14f95b8adaa197c869cad407b6ef604">U.S. President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;receiving a peace prize awarded by FIFA. Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney selected the balls of their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Sheinbaum drew more applause than Trump.

The lead-in show was almost as long as a soccer match, with the actual draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament starting in the 87th minute. Balls with team names were plucked by famous North American athletes Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky.

Three-time champion Argentina opens on June 16 at either Kansas City, Missouri, or Santa Clara, California. Specific sites for all group stage games and kickoff times were to be announced Saturday. The Albiceleste then face Austria and Jordan in Group J. Argentina surprisingly lost its 2022 opener to Saudi Arabia before going on to win the final over France on penalty kicks.

The U.S., which reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and the quarterfinals in 2002, starts Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans play Australia six days later at Seattle, then face Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.

The Americans had friendlies against Turkey in June and Paraguay last month.

“We know them but they know us,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “The most important is the evolution and keep improving.”

Mexico hosts the tournament opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 against South Africa in Group A, a rematch of the 2010 opener in Johannesburg, a 1-1 draw. El Tri then meets South Korea and closes the first round against the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia.

Forty-two of the teams have been determined and 22 are competing in playoffs for six berths that will be decided March 31.

Winners and second-place nations from the 12 groups advance to the new round of 32 along with the top eight third-place teams. All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., culminating in the July 19 final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

England, which won its only title in 1966, plays Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, and five-time champion Brazil meets Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C.

Top-ranked Spain, the 2010 champion, faces Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, while four-time champion Germany plays Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.

Two-time champion France starts June 16 against Senegal at East Rutherford, New Jersey, or Foxborough, Massachusetts. With Les Bleus coming off their first world title, they lost to Senegal 1-0 in the 2002 opener. France then faces Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname in Group I.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi expected to play in a record sixth World Cup, has Group K matches against Uzbekistan, Colombia and Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia. If Portugal and Argentina win their groups, Ronaldo and Messi could meet in a quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium.

B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales or Northern Ireland

F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden, Ukraine, Albania and Poland

No team has repeated as champion since Brazil in 1958 and ’62 and only eight nations have won soccer’s biggest prize. Italy has four titles and Uruguay two.

On a wintry day with snow falling, soccer officials and celebrities filled the hall, 189 days before the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored peace prize trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump hung around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.

“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With eyes across the globe focused on 48 balls being plucked from four bowls, next year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/world-cup-draw-2026-updates">World Cup</a>&nbsp;came into focus Friday when a draw determined Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their title defense against Algeria and the U.S. will open against Paraguay.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> has taken the stage at the Kennedy Center for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw <a href="https://t.co/Isn0E0qzlO">pic.twitter.com/Isn0E0qzlO</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997000901404541215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw: When you look at what has happened to soccer in the United States... who would have thought it would&#39;ve come to this level... I just want to congratulate you. What an incredible leap this has been. Congratulations to FIFA. <a href="https://t.co/hWEM3xYzj1">pic.twitter.com/hWEM3xYzj1</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997002498511720540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> draws USA! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ZtRXySviZq">pic.twitter.com/ZtRXySviZq</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997002992092922336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> poses for a photo with the leaders of Canada and Mexico after completing the first draw at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw <a href="https://t.co/PUeWdvjxw1">pic.twitter.com/PUeWdvjxw1</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997003227951255604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Teams from five-time champion Brazil to newcomers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan learned their group stage opponents in the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.“Exciting for the island, for the people there. They’re so proud,” said Dick Advoccat, the 78-year-old Dutchman leading Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation with a population of 150,000, into an opener against four-time champion Germany.The ceremony included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-world-cup-fifa-peace-prize-e14f95b8adaa197c869cad407b6ef604">U.S. President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;receiving a peace prize awarded by FIFA. Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney selected the balls of their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Sheinbaum drew more applause than Trump.The lead-in show was almost as long as a soccer match, with the actual draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament starting in the 87th minute. Balls with team names were plucked by famous North American athletes Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky.Three-time champion Argentina opens on June 16 at either Kansas City, Missouri, or Santa Clara, California. Specific sites for all group stage games and kickoff times were to be announced Saturday. The Albiceleste then face Austria and Jordan in Group J. Argentina surprisingly lost its 2022 opener to Saudi Arabia before going on to win the final over France on penalty kicks.The U.S., which reached the semifinals at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and the quarterfinals in 2002, starts Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans play Australia six days later at Seattle, then face Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.The Americans had friendlies against Turkey in June and Paraguay last month.“We know them but they know us,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “The most important is the evolution and keep improving.”Mexico hosts the tournament opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 against South Africa in Group A, a rematch of the 2010 opener in Johannesburg, a 1-1 draw. El Tri then meets South Korea and closes the first round against the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia.Forty-two of the teams have been determined and 22 are competing in playoffs for six berths that will be decided March 31.Winners and second-place nations from the 12 groups advance to the new round of 32 along with the top eight third-place teams. All games from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., culminating in the July 19 final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.England, which won its only title in 1966, plays Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, and five-time champion Brazil meets Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C.Top-ranked Spain, the 2010 champion, faces Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, while four-time champion Germany plays Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.Two-time champion France starts June 16 against Senegal at East Rutherford, New Jersey, or Foxborough, Massachusetts. With Les Bleus coming off their first world title, they lost to Senegal 1-0 in the 2002 opener. France then faces Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname in Group I.Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi expected to play in a record sixth World Cup, has Group K matches against Uzbekistan, Colombia and Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia. If Portugal and Argentina win their groups, Ronaldo and Messi could meet in a quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium.Other groups include:G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New ZealandB: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales or Northern IrelandF: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and Sweden, Ukraine, Albania and PolandNo team has repeated as champion since Brazil in 1958 and ’62 and only eight nations have won soccer’s biggest prize. Italy has four titles and Uruguay two.On a wintry day with snow falling, soccer officials and celebrities filled the hall, 189 days before the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament.FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump a large gold-colored peace prize trophy and a gold-colored medal hanging from a blue ribbon, which Trump hung around his neck. Standing next to Trump, Infantino lavished praise.“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said.

US learns who they will face first to open World Cup play

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

TOPEKA — Two-term Rep. Silas Miller was selected by the Sedgwick County Democratic Party to fill a vacancy in the Kansas Senate created by the resignation of Sen. Mary Ware.

Miller, elected to the House in 2022 and reelected without opposition in 2024, prevailed in a vote Thursday among Senate precinct committee members. He&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/02/longtime-lgbtq-advocate-returns-to-public-stage-as-candidate-for-kansas-senate-seat/">defeated Tom Witt</a>, a former executive director of Equality Kansas who retired from Statehouse lobbying in 2022, on a vote of 16-5.

Miller said he appreciated Ware as a political colleague and that he would have “big shoes to fill” while completing her unexpired term in the 25th District.

“Silas Miller is a forward-thinking leader who brings a wealth of life and legislative experience to the table,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Johnson County Democrat. “We’re grateful that he has decided to step into the Senate chamber in this new capacity.”

Miller serves on the House education, election and insurance committees. He’s been the ranking Democrat on the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. In 2024, Miller proposed an unsuccessful amendment to a bill that would have removed cannabis from a list of illegal drugs in Kansas.

Ware, a retail store owner,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senator-from-wichita-retires-opening-democratic-seat-ahead-of-legislative-session/">announced her decision to resign</a>&nbsp;Nov. 13. In 2018, she replaced Sen. Lynn Rogers in a precinct committee election. Rogers had stepped down after elected lieutenant governor on a ticket with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Ware was elected to a full term in the Senate during 2020 and reelected 2024. Last November, she carried the district with 57% of the vote against Republican Keenen Smith. She served on tax, commerce and agriculture committees in the Senate.

“While my time in the Senate is at an end, I will remain an involved private citizen and an advocate for the people of Wichita in this next era of my life,” Ware said.

Kristi Kirk, chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, said Ware was known for her involvement with the community and as a unifying force in the Democratic Party.

“Mary could always be counted on to support not only her constituents, but was a champion for creating a full and safe future for Kansas children since joining the Senate,” Kirk said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764945122448.png" alt="Kansas Rep. Silas Miller, a Wichita Democrat, will replace retiring Sen. Mary Ware, also of Wichita. During a precinct election on Thursday, Miller won a majority of votes in a contest against Tom Witt, the former executive director of Kansas Equality. This image of Miller is from February 2023. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Rep. Silas Miller, a Wichita Democrat, will replace retiring Sen. Mary Ware, also of Wichita. During a precinct election on Thursday, Miller won a majority of votes in a contest against Tom Witt, the former executive director of Kansas Equality. This image of Miller is from February 2023. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Two-term Rep. Silas Miller was selected by the Sedgwick County Democratic Party to fill a vacancy in the Kansas Senate created by the resignation of Sen. Mary Ware.Miller, elected to the House in 2022 and reelected without opposition in 2024, prevailed in a vote Thursday among Senate precinct committee members. He&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/02/longtime-lgbtq-advocate-returns-to-public-stage-as-candidate-for-kansas-senate-seat/">defeated Tom Witt</a>, a former executive director of Equality Kansas who retired from Statehouse lobbying in 2022, on a vote of 16-5.Miller said he appreciated Ware as a political colleague and that he would have “big shoes to fill” while completing her unexpired term in the 25th District.“Silas Miller is a forward-thinking leader who brings a wealth of life and legislative experience to the table,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Johnson County Democrat. “We’re grateful that he has decided to step into the Senate chamber in this new capacity.”Miller serves on the House education, election and insurance committees. He’s been the ranking Democrat on the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. In 2024, Miller proposed an unsuccessful amendment to a bill that would have removed cannabis from a list of illegal drugs in Kansas.Ware, a retail store owner,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senator-from-wichita-retires-opening-democratic-seat-ahead-of-legislative-session/">announced her decision to resign</a>&nbsp;Nov. 13. In 2018, she replaced Sen. Lynn Rogers in a precinct committee election. Rogers had stepped down after elected lieutenant governor on a ticket with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.Ware was elected to a full term in the Senate during 2020 and reelected 2024. Last November, she carried the district with 57% of the vote against Republican Keenen Smith. She served on tax, commerce and agriculture committees in the Senate.“While my time in the Senate is at an end, I will remain an involved private citizen and an advocate for the people of Wichita in this next era of my life,” Ware said.Kristi Kirk, chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, said Ware was known for her involvement with the community and as a unifying force in the Democratic Party.“Mary could always be counted on to support not only her constituents, but was a champion for creating a full and safe future for Kansas children since joining the Senate,” Kirk said.

Kansas House Democrat chosen to complete term of former state senator

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a> AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born.

A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of the panel, whose current members were all appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a leading anti-vaccine activist before this year becoming the nation’s top health official.

“This is the group that can’t shoot straight,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert who for decades has been involved with ACIP and its workgroups.

For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.

But Kennedy’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mom wasn’t tested.

For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/upcoming.html">to decide</a>&nbsp;if a birth dose is appropriate. The committee voted to suggest that when a family decides not to get a birth dose, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.

“We are doing harm by changing this wording, and I vote no," said committee member Dr. Cody Meissner.

The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim O’Neill, is expected to decide later whether to accept the committee’s recommendation.

The decision marks a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago.

Asked why the newly-appointed committee moved quickly to reexamine the recommendation, committee member Vicky Pebsworth on Thursday cited “pressure from stakeholder groups wanting the policy to be revisited.” She did not say who was pressuring the committee, and a spokesman for Kennedy did not respond to a question about it.

Committee members said the risk of infection for most babies is very low and that earlier research that found the shots were safe for infants was inadequate.

They also worried that in many cases, doctors and nurses don’t have full conversations with parents about the pros and cons of the birth-dose vaccination.

The committee members voiced interest in hearing the input from public health and medical professionals, but chose to ignore the experts’ repeated pleas to leave the recommendations alone.

Dr. Peter Hotez of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in Houston declined to present before the group “because ACIP appears to have shifted its mission away from science and evidence-based medicine,” he said in an email to The Associated Press.

The committee gives advice to the director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-susan-monarez-50dfbec849b53b4593755d2e6e616687">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;on how approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always adopted the committee’s recommendations, which were widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs. But the agency currently has no director, leaving acting director O’Neill to decide.

In June, Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-cdc-acip-vaccines-3790c89f45b6314c5c7b686db0e3a8f9">fired the entire 17-member</a>&nbsp;panel earlier this year and replaced it with a group that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76">several anti-vaccine voices</a>.

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that, for most people, lasts less than six months. But for some, especially infants and children, it can become a long-lasting problem that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and scarring called cirrhosis.

In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection drug use. But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby.

In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Experts say quick immunization is crucial to prevent infection from taking root. And, indeed, cases in children have plummeted.

Still, several members of Kennedy’s committee voiced discomfort with vaccinating all newborns. They argued that past safety studies of the vaccine in newborns was limited and it’s possible that larger, long-term studies could uncover a problem with the birth dose.

But two members said they saw no documented evidence of harm from the birth doses and suggested concern was based on speculation.

The panel was to vote Thursday, but voted to postpone after some members said they had just received the densely-worded vote proposals and wanted clarification and more time to consider it.

Three panel members asked about the scientific basis for saying that the first dose should be delayed for two months for many babies.

“This is unconscionable,” said committee member Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, who repeatedly voiced opposition to the proposal during the sometimes-heated two-day meeting.

The committee’s chair, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, said two months was chosen as a point where infants had matured beyond the neonatal stage. Hibbeln countered that there was no data presented that two months is an appropriate cut-off.

Meissner also questioned a second proposal — which passed 6-4 — that said parents should talk to pediatricians about blood tests meant to measure whether hep B shots have created protective antibodies.

Such testing is not standard pediatric practice after vaccination, but proponents said it could be a new way to see if fewer shots are adequate.

A CDC hepatitis expert, Adam Langer, said results could vary from child to child and would be an erratic way to assess if fewer doses work. He also noted there’s no good evidence that three shots pose harm to kids.

Meissner attacked the proposal, saying the language “is kind of making things up.”

“It’s like never-neverland,” he said.

Health experts have noted Kennedy’s hand-picked committee is focused on the pros and cons of shots for the individual getting vaccinated, and has turned away from seeing vaccinations as a way to stop the spread of preventable diseases among the public.

The second proposal “is right at the center of this paradox,” said committee member Dr. Robert Malone.

Some observers criticized the meeting, noting recent changes in how they are conducted. CDC scientists no longer present vaccine safety and effectiveness data to the committee. Instead, people who have been prominent voices in anti-vaccine circles were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-vaccine-committee-hepatitis-b-f5e0cd8dad2c3d07c0ab0beb96b481ff">given those slots</a>.

The committee “is no longer a legitimate scientific body,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, a member of Defend Public Health, an advocacy group of researchers and others that has opposed Trump administration health policies.

In a statement, she described the meeting this week as “an epidemiological crime scene” — a slaughter of how disease control professionals usually examine and act on evidence.

AP writer Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764949875763.png" alt="CDC Vaccine panel during the meeting Friday morning-image from CDC video" />
 <figcaption>CDC Vaccine panel during the meeting Friday morning-image from CDC video</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mike-stobbe">MIKE STOBBE</a> AP Medical WriterNEW YORK (AP) — A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born.A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of the panel, whose current members were all appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a leading anti-vaccine activist before this year becoming the nation’s top health official.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764950336378.png" alt="Retif Levi, Ph.D., Professor of Operations Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, Leading expert in Healthcare Analytics and Catherine M. Stein, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Population &amp; Quantitative Health, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.&nbsp; Two of the members of the vaccine committee during Friday's meeting- image from CDC video" />
 <figcaption>Retif Levi, Ph.D., Professor of Operations Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, Leading expert in Healthcare Analytics and Catherine M. Stein, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Population &amp; Quantitative Health, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.&nbsp; Two of the members of the vaccine committee during Friday's meeting- image from CDC video</figcaption>
 </figure>“This is the group that can’t shoot straight,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert who for decades has been involved with ACIP and its workgroups.For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.But Kennedy’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mom wasn’t tested.For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/upcoming.html">to decide</a>&nbsp;if a birth dose is appropriate. The committee voted to suggest that when a family decides not to get a birth dose, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.The vote passed 8-3.“We are doing harm by changing this wording, and I vote no," said committee member Dr. Cody Meissner.The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim O’Neill, is expected to decide later whether to accept the committee’s recommendation.The decision marks a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago.Asked why the newly-appointed committee moved quickly to reexamine the recommendation, committee member Vicky Pebsworth on Thursday cited “pressure from stakeholder groups wanting the policy to be revisited.” She did not say who was pressuring the committee, and a spokesman for Kennedy did not respond to a question about it.Committee members said the risk of infection for most babies is very low and that earlier research that found the shots were safe for infants was inadequate.They also worried that in many cases, doctors and nurses don’t have full conversations with parents about the pros and cons of the birth-dose vaccination.The committee members voiced interest in hearing the input from public health and medical professionals, but chose to ignore the experts’ repeated pleas to leave the recommendations alone.Dr. Peter Hotez of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in Houston declined to present before the group “because ACIP appears to have shifted its mission away from science and evidence-based medicine,” he said in an email to The Associated Press.The committee gives advice to the director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-director-susan-monarez-50dfbec849b53b4593755d2e6e616687">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;on how approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors almost always adopted the committee’s recommendations, which were widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs. But the agency currently has no director, leaving acting director O’Neill to decide.In June, Kennedy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-cdc-acip-vaccines-3790c89f45b6314c5c7b686db0e3a8f9">fired the entire 17-member</a>&nbsp;panel earlier this year and replaced it with a group that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76">several anti-vaccine voices</a>.Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that, for most people, lasts less than six months. But for some, especially infants and children, it can become a long-lasting problem that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and scarring called cirrhosis.In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection drug use. But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby.In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Experts say quick immunization is crucial to prevent infection from taking root. And, indeed, cases in children have plummeted.Still, several members of Kennedy’s committee voiced discomfort with vaccinating all newborns. They argued that past safety studies of the vaccine in newborns was limited and it’s possible that larger, long-term studies could uncover a problem with the birth dose.But two members said they saw no documented evidence of harm from the birth doses and suggested concern was based on speculation.The panel was to vote Thursday, but voted to postpone after some members said they had just received the densely-worded vote proposals and wanted clarification and more time to consider it.Three panel members asked about the scientific basis for saying that the first dose should be delayed for two months for many babies.“This is unconscionable,” said committee member Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, who repeatedly voiced opposition to the proposal during the sometimes-heated two-day meeting.The committee’s chair, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, said two months was chosen as a point where infants had matured beyond the neonatal stage. Hibbeln countered that there was no data presented that two months is an appropriate cut-off.Meissner also questioned a second proposal — which passed 6-4 — that said parents should talk to pediatricians about blood tests meant to measure whether hep B shots have created protective antibodies.Such testing is not standard pediatric practice after vaccination, but proponents said it could be a new way to see if fewer shots are adequate.A CDC hepatitis expert, Adam Langer, said results could vary from child to child and would be an erratic way to assess if fewer doses work. He also noted there’s no good evidence that three shots pose harm to kids.Meissner attacked the proposal, saying the language “is kind of making things up.”“It’s like never-neverland,” he said.Health experts have noted Kennedy’s hand-picked committee is focused on the pros and cons of shots for the individual getting vaccinated, and has turned away from seeing vaccinations as a way to stop the spread of preventable diseases among the public.The second proposal “is right at the center of this paradox,” said committee member Dr. Robert Malone.Some observers criticized the meeting, noting recent changes in how they are conducted. CDC scientists no longer present vaccine safety and effectiveness data to the committee. Instead, people who have been prominent voices in anti-vaccine circles were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-vaccine-committee-hepatitis-b-f5e0cd8dad2c3d07c0ab0beb96b481ff">given those slots</a>.The committee “is no longer a legitimate scientific body,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, a member of Defend Public Health, an advocacy group of researchers and others that has opposed Trump administration health policies.In a statement, she described the meeting this week as “an epidemiological crime scene” — a slaughter of how disease control professionals usually examine and act on evidence.___AP writer Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CDC vaccine panel votes to stop recommending birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a gun fight that sent three to area hospital.

Just after 11:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a report of gunshots in the 2000 block of SW Tara Avenue in Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;Sergeant Chris Janes.

First responders found two men&nbsp; suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. American Medical Response transported both to an area hospital. Both are listed in critical condition. 

Just after 2a.m. Friday, another man arrived by personal vehicle to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. He was suffering from gunshot wounds. It is believed all 3 men were injured during the same incident.

Police released no additional details early Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764940858013.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a gun fight that sent three to area hospital.Just after 11:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a report of gunshots in the 2000 block of SW Tara Avenue in Topeka, according to Police&nbsp;Sergeant Chris Janes.First responders found two men&nbsp; suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. American Medical Response transported both to an area hospital. Both are listed in critical condition. Just after 2a.m. Friday, another man arrived by personal vehicle to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. He was suffering from gunshot wounds. It is believed all 3 men were injured during the same incident.Police released no additional details early Friday.

Police: 3 hospitalized after Kansas gun fight

Streamlining reflects nuance in student enrollment, inflation in operational costs

TOPEKA — Wichita State University president Richard Muma alerted faculty Thursday to prepare for a minimum 3% budget reduction and likely dismissal of campus employees despite celebrating the overall highest enrollment in university history.

Muma said in a message to the university community that nearly six months of internal debate on the budget centered on ramifications of a crash in international student enrollment, the nationwide decline in high school graduates, failure of state funding to keep pace with rising operational costs, the increasingly competitive fight for research funding and surging monetary demands of collegiate athletics.

He indicated budget adjustments at WSU would be targeted and occur in the current fiscal year as well as the the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026. The Kansas Board of Regents, which has authority over WSU and other public state universities in Kansas, submitted a reduced budget request to the 2026 Kansas Legislature in response to political pressure to hold down expenditures in the upcoming fiscal year.

“We are projecting a minimum 3% general use budget reduction,” Muma said. “While the specific steps will differ across (WSU’s) divisions, this will likely require a reduction in our workforce in some areas.”

Muma’s disclosures about WSU’s budget follow statements by University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod about plans to cut spending by $32 million on the Lawrence campus and reduce spending by $39 million on the KU Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas.

Approximately half of the reduction on the Lawrence campus would be rolled into bringing compensation for some faculty or staff closer to market rates of pay, he said. For example, he said, the Board of Regents approved KU’s proposal to provide maintenance workers on the main campus in Lawrence and a satellite campus in Overland Park with at least a 4% pay raise.

Girod said the 2026 session of the Legislature would be important, and early indications were that it would result in another tight budget year for state universities in Kansas.

The announcement by Muma came on heels of Wichita State’s Oct. 1 report that touted “record-breaking enrollment this fall, continuing a decade of extraordinary growth.” He said the student headcount at WSU and WSU Tech hit 25,147 this fall. He said the tally reflected five consecutive years of growth at WSU.

“This surge in enrollment reflects what we’ve known all along,” Muma said two months ago. “When you prioritize access, affordability and student success, students will choose Wichita State.”

In Thursday’s statement, however, Muma said the reality of higher enrollment was “headcount alone does not always translate into revenue growth.” He said WSU wasn’t the only university in the region experiencing comparable challenges.

In the commentary shared with WSU personnel, Muma emphasized the erosion of international student enrollment at WSU and linked it to problems with securing student visas. WSU typically enrolled graduate students from about 100 countries but recently placed an emphasis on recruiting engineering students from India.

“Because of changes in the way student visas are issued, we have experienced declines in international students and are predicting an acceleration of this dynamic for the foreseeable future,” Muma said.

The administration of President Donald Trump made it more difficult to obtain a student visa in 2025, and the change had an influence on first-time graduate student enrollment in the United States. The Institute of International Education’s survey of 800 U.S. higher education institutions said enrollment by new international students fell 17% this fall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764934364276.png" alt="Wichita State University president Richard Muma says the campus needs to prepare for a 3% budget reduction and likely staff cuts. He said WSU is celebrating record fall semester enrollment, but warns “headcount alone does not always translate into revenue growth.” It’s likely public universities in Kansas face comparable budget constraints. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Wichita State University president Richard Muma says the campus needs to prepare for a 3% budget reduction and likely staff cuts. He said WSU is celebrating record fall semester enrollment, but warns “headcount alone does not always translate into revenue growth.” It’s likely public universities in Kansas face comparable budget constraints. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Streamlining reflects nuance in student enrollment, inflation in operational costs</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Wichita State University president Richard Muma alerted faculty Thursday to prepare for a minimum 3% budget reduction and likely dismissal of campus employees despite celebrating the overall highest enrollment in university history.Muma said in a message to the university community that nearly six months of internal debate on the budget centered on ramifications of a crash in international student enrollment, the nationwide decline in high school graduates, failure of state funding to keep pace with rising operational costs, the increasingly competitive fight for research funding and surging monetary demands of collegiate athletics.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611092644532.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>He indicated budget adjustments at WSU would be targeted and occur in the current fiscal year as well as the the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026. The Kansas Board of Regents, which has authority over WSU and other public state universities in Kansas, submitted a reduced budget request to the 2026 Kansas Legislature in response to political pressure to hold down expenditures in the upcoming fiscal year.“We are projecting a minimum 3% general use budget reduction,” Muma said. “While the specific steps will differ across (WSU’s) divisions, this will likely require a reduction in our workforce in some areas.”Muma’s disclosures about WSU’s budget follow statements by University of Kansas chancellor Doug Girod about plans to cut spending by $32 million on the Lawrence campus and reduce spending by $39 million on the KU Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas.Approximately half of the reduction on the Lawrence campus would be rolled into bringing compensation for some faculty or staff closer to market rates of pay, he said. For example, he said, the Board of Regents approved KU’s proposal to provide maintenance workers on the main campus in Lawrence and a satellite campus in Overland Park with at least a 4% pay raise.Girod said the 2026 session of the Legislature would be important, and early indications were that it would result in another tight budget year for state universities in Kansas.The announcement by Muma came on heels of Wichita State’s Oct. 1 report that touted “record-breaking enrollment this fall, continuing a decade of extraordinary growth.” He said the student headcount at WSU and WSU Tech hit 25,147 this fall. He said the tally reflected five consecutive years of growth at WSU.“This surge in enrollment reflects what we’ve known all along,” Muma said two months ago. “When you prioritize access, affordability and student success, students will choose Wichita State.”In Thursday’s statement, however, Muma said the reality of higher enrollment was “headcount alone does not always translate into revenue growth.” He said WSU wasn’t the only university in the region experiencing comparable challenges.In the commentary shared with WSU personnel, Muma emphasized the erosion of international student enrollment at WSU and linked it to problems with securing student visas. WSU typically enrolled graduate students from about 100 countries but recently placed an emphasis on recruiting engineering students from India.“Because of changes in the way student visas are issued, we have experienced declines in international students and are predicting an acceleration of this dynamic for the foreseeable future,” Muma said.The administration of President Donald Trump made it more difficult to obtain a student visa in 2025, and the change had an influence on first-time graduate student enrollment in the United States. The Institute of International Education’s survey of 800 U.S. higher education institutions said enrollment by new international students fell 17% this fall.

Wichita State president preparing campus for budget cuts, staff reductions

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

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

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

Just after 4p..m. February 15, 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708119236620.png" alt="Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Velazquez-Carillo-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita is going to prison.On Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 25-year-old Jose Velazquez-Carillo to&nbsp;165 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He must also serve 3-years of post release supervision and pay $16,000 in restitution In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.Just after 4p..m. February 15, 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764762680804.png" alt="Candace Amack-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Candace Amack-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The victim, identified as 42-year-old Candace Amack of Wichita, was found outside of a residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was&nbsp; was pronounced deceased on the scene.Employing FLOCK, cutting-edge technology, Wichita Police Officers were able to identify a possible suspect vehicle leaving the area after the reported shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764762200935.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers quickly identified and located the vehicle at a residence in the 1300 block of North Jackson in Wichita.&nbsp; Just before 8p.m., in collaboration with the Kansas Highway Patrol air section, the Wichita Police Department coordinated efforts resulting in the safe apprehension of&nbsp; Velazquez-Carillo and 33-year-old Martin Velazquez-Villa during a vehicle stop near 13th and Hydraulic.

Prison: Man killed Kan. woman in broad daylight at her home

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-cowboys-score-28f74d6cd4ced96030eeeed7fbf11002">Dallas Cowboys' 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;on Thanksgiving Day averaged 57.23 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history.

The early game between Green Bay and Detroit —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/packers-lions-score-2216db5c2c12605ba533ed0fea438460">won by the Packers 31-24</a>&nbsp;— averaged 47.7 million, making it the second most-watched in league history and the most-watched regular-season game since Fox began carrying the NFL in 1994.

The three games, including the Thanksgiving night matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, averaged 44.7 million. That surpasses the previous high of 34.5 million set last season and is the fourth consecutive year the league has set a viewership record on the holiday.

“It’s probably a bigger number than we projected, but again, I think we’re now measuring an audience that wasn’t measured before, which is obviously helpful,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We also had great matchups and great games all the way through the weekend. We’re going to have a weekend that will be the most-viewed weekend in the history of the NFL. So we’re thrilled by that.”

Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. Nielsen began using its&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nielsen.com%2Fnews-center%2F2025%2F2025-the-media-rating-council-accredits-nielsens-innovative-big-data-panel-national-tv-measurement%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DNielsen%2520is%2520the%2520first%2520accredited%2Csaid%2520Karthik%2520Rao%252C%2520Nielsen%2520CEO.&amp;data=05%7C02%7CJReedy%40ap.org%7Cac055d3889084538cb2108dddf367c66%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638912147302469917%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q9UpatTN7WnANY3urUEYX%2FUUgqEtCXxdr2jcuhUvGgE%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big Data + Panel</a>&nbsp;methodology for all events on Sept. 1.

Earlier this year, Nielsen began measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska, along with including data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.

Nielsen previously measured just the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.

“I think some of the work that Nielsen’s did with their initial out-of-home rollout, we saw a big step forward and this next step of capturing the entire country was the next step in that evolution that we think gets to the most accurate view of what our audiences are,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “We still think there’s more opportunity once the big data element gets captured by Nielsen appropriately and captured in a way to reflect our audiences.”

Schroeder also said on a conference call Wednesday that overall ratings are up 6% through the first 12 weeks of the season.

The Cowboys-Chiefs game shattered by 36% the previous league record, which was 42.06 million for the New York Giants-Cowboys game on Fox in 2022. It was also a 47% increase over last year's late afternoon Thanksgiving game between the Giants and Cowboys (38.84 million).

The audience peaked at 61.36 million for the game's conclusion.

The previous regular-season mark on CBS was 41.76 million for the 2023 Thanksgiving game between the Washington Commanders and the Cowboys.

“It’s typically the most-viewed time slot every year and we decided to go big. Credit to Hans here for pushing,” CBS Sports President and CEO David Berson said. “It's the biggest brands the game has now with the Chiefs and the Cowboys. It so happens they were both coming off last-second, come-from-behind victories and they’re fighting for their playoff lives. It was a close game down to the wire. It was a perfect recipe for record-breaking viewership.”

The audience for the Green Bay-Detroit game peaked at 57.96 million. Fox will have next year's Dallas game, which could set up an interesting decision on which opponent the league and network both choose. The handicapping on that will begin when the teams know their home and away opponents at the conclusion of the regular season.

“I think it was entirely strategically correct to really go for it this year and try to get the biggest number. I think next year we’re going to have to think about how aggressive we want to be, because at some level it is a little bit zero sum,” said Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports president, insight and analytics. “There will have to be some thought given to not necessarily going with the biggest game available, but going with something that’s going to drive a lot of viewership and drive revenue."

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bengals-score-96b227ea2d112813efbb9e1b96bc24c6">Bengals' 32-14 win over the Ravens</a>&nbsp;also set a mark for the most-watched Thanksgiving night game. Joe Burrow's return to the Bengals lineup averaged 28.4 million on NBC. The previous record was 27.8 million when Chicago faced Green Bay in 2015 when Brett Favre's jersey was retired at halftime.

“Football’s had a phenomenal season, so it’s not just a one-day exercise where we see these record ratings. We are in our 20th season of ‘Sunday Night Football’ and this is the highest season we’ve ever had. We’re up 10% on last year, and so the NFL has never been stronger,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764292683557.jpeg" alt="Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis, right, scores on a touchdown run past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) and defensive back Jaden Hicks (21) during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)" />
 <figcaption>Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis, right, scores on a touchdown run past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) and defensive back Jaden Hicks (21) during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOE REEDY AP Sports WriterThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-cowboys-score-28f74d6cd4ced96030eeeed7fbf11002">Dallas Cowboys' 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;on Thanksgiving Day averaged 57.23 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history.The early game between Green Bay and Detroit —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/packers-lions-score-2216db5c2c12605ba533ed0fea438460">won by the Packers 31-24</a>&nbsp;— averaged 47.7 million, making it the second most-watched in league history and the most-watched regular-season game since Fox began carrying the NFL in 1994.The three games, including the Thanksgiving night matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, averaged 44.7 million. That surpasses the previous high of 34.5 million set last season and is the fourth consecutive year the league has set a viewership record on the holiday.“It’s probably a bigger number than we projected, but again, I think we’re now measuring an audience that wasn’t measured before, which is obviously helpful,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We also had great matchups and great games all the way through the weekend. We’re going to have a weekend that will be the most-viewed weekend in the history of the NFL. So we’re thrilled by that.”Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. Nielsen began using its&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nielsen.com%2Fnews-center%2F2025%2F2025-the-media-rating-council-accredits-nielsens-innovative-big-data-panel-national-tv-measurement%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DNielsen%2520is%2520the%2520first%2520accredited%2Csaid%2520Karthik%2520Rao%252C%2520Nielsen%2520CEO.&amp;data=05%7C02%7CJReedy%40ap.org%7Cac055d3889084538cb2108dddf367c66%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638912147302469917%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q9UpatTN7WnANY3urUEYX%2FUUgqEtCXxdr2jcuhUvGgE%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big Data + Panel</a>&nbsp;methodology for all events on Sept. 1.Earlier this year, Nielsen began measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska, along with including data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.Nielsen previously measured just the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.“I think some of the work that Nielsen’s did with their initial out-of-home rollout, we saw a big step forward and this next step of capturing the entire country was the next step in that evolution that we think gets to the most accurate view of what our audiences are,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “We still think there’s more opportunity once the big data element gets captured by Nielsen appropriately and captured in a way to reflect our audiences.”Schroeder also said on a conference call Wednesday that overall ratings are up 6% through the first 12 weeks of the season.The Cowboys-Chiefs game shattered by 36% the previous league record, which was 42.06 million for the New York Giants-Cowboys game on Fox in 2022. It was also a 47% increase over last year's late afternoon Thanksgiving game between the Giants and Cowboys (38.84 million).The audience peaked at 61.36 million for the game's conclusion.The previous regular-season mark on CBS was 41.76 million for the 2023 Thanksgiving game between the Washington Commanders and the Cowboys.“It’s typically the most-viewed time slot every year and we decided to go big. Credit to Hans here for pushing,” CBS Sports President and CEO David Berson said. “It's the biggest brands the game has now with the Chiefs and the Cowboys. It so happens they were both coming off last-second, come-from-behind victories and they’re fighting for their playoff lives. It was a close game down to the wire. It was a perfect recipe for record-breaking viewership.”The audience for the Green Bay-Detroit game peaked at 57.96 million. Fox will have next year's Dallas game, which could set up an interesting decision on which opponent the league and network both choose. The handicapping on that will begin when the teams know their home and away opponents at the conclusion of the regular season.“I think it was entirely strategically correct to really go for it this year and try to get the biggest number. I think next year we’re going to have to think about how aggressive we want to be, because at some level it is a little bit zero sum,” said Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports president, insight and analytics. “There will have to be some thought given to not necessarily going with the biggest game available, but going with something that’s going to drive a lot of viewership and drive revenue."The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bengals-score-96b227ea2d112813efbb9e1b96bc24c6">Bengals' 32-14 win over the Ravens</a>&nbsp;also set a mark for the most-watched Thanksgiving night game. Joe Burrow's return to the Bengals lineup averaged 28.4 million on NBC. The previous record was 27.8 million when Chicago faced Green Bay in 2015 when Brett Favre's jersey was retired at halftime.“Football’s had a phenomenal season, so it’s not just a one-day exercise where we see these record ratings. We are in our 20th season of ‘Sunday Night Football’ and this is the highest season we’ve ever had. We’re up 10% on last year, and so the NFL has never been stronger,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said.

Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving matchup on CBS set a record

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Southern Command announced that it had conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, following a pause of almost three weeks.

It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">the 22nd strike the U.S. military</a>&nbsp;has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs.

There were four casualties in Thursday’s strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people.

In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke.

The strike was conducted the same day Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-strikes-boats-drugs-caribbean-hegseth-congress-93c513e28f38688f5582150c7675c072">began an investigation</a>&nbsp;into the very first strike carried out by the military on Sept. 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands.

Bradley told lawmakers there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Hegseth</a>, but a stark video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions.

Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.

Bradley spoke to lawmakers alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, in a classified session. His testimony provided fresh information at a crucial moment as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">Hegseth’s leadership comes under scrutiny</a>, but it did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers.

Lawmakers offered differing accounts of what they saw on the video.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said he saw the survivors “trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”

“You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel,” he said, adding they “were killed by the United States.”

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Southern Command announced that it had conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, following a pause of almost three weeks.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On Dec. 4, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and… <a href="https://t.co/pqksvxM3HP">pic.twitter.com/pqksvxM3HP</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/1996726797086457886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">the 22nd strike the U.S. military</a>&nbsp;has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs.There were four casualties in Thursday’s strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people.In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke.The strike was conducted the same day Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-strikes-boats-drugs-caribbean-hegseth-congress-93c513e28f38688f5582150c7675c072">began an investigation</a>&nbsp;into the very first strike carried out by the military on Sept. 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands.Bradley told lawmakers there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Hegseth</a>, but a stark video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions.Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.Bradley spoke to lawmakers alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, in a classified session. His testimony provided fresh information at a crucial moment as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">Hegseth’s leadership comes under scrutiny</a>, but it did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers.Lawmakers offered differing accounts of what they saw on the video.Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said he saw the survivors “trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”“You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel,” he said, adding they “were killed by the United States.”Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”

🎥After 3 week pause, US military strikes another drug boat

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Thursday evening allowed first lady to light the National Christmas Tree.

“The first lady is going to do the honors,” Trump said.

He counted down from five to zero, and Melania Trump stepped forward and pressed a button that made the tree behind them sparkle with gold-toned lights.

In brief remarks, he touched on the peace deal signed earlier Thursday between Rwanda and Congo, mentioned false claims about the 2020 election being “rigged,” and said he’s happy his terms weren’t consecutive because he will be in office when the World Cup and the Summer Olympics are held in the United States next year.

Trump also offered thanks to those who serve people in need as well as police and other law enforcement officers, first responders and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents.

The president also discussed the two National Guard members who were shot, one fatally, near the White House the day before Thanksgiving.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764904009350.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Thursday evening allowed first lady to light the National Christmas Tree.“The first lady is going to do the honors,” Trump said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump and The First Lady Participate in the National Christmas Tree Lighting <a href="https://t.co/np5QSKP7eA">https://t.co/np5QSKP7eA</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1996723239284883938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">MERRY CHRISTMAS!<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> light the beautiful National Christmas Tree ✨🎄 <a href="https://t.co/Um3Qf1pEIo">pic.twitter.com/Um3Qf1pEIo</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1996734857943437453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He counted down from five to zero, and Melania Trump stepped forward and pressed a button that made the tree behind them sparkle with gold-toned lights.“It’s a beauty,” Trump said.In brief remarks, he touched on the peace deal signed earlier Thursday between Rwanda and Congo, mentioned false claims about the 2020 election being “rigged,” and said he’s happy his terms weren’t consecutive because he will be in office when the World Cup and the Summer Olympics are held in the United States next year.Trump also offered thanks to those who serve people in need as well as police and other law enforcement officers, first responders and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents.The president also discussed the two National Guard members who were shot, one fatally, near the White House the day before Thanksgiving.

First lady lights the National Christmas Tree

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an armed disturbance that left a woman seriously injured.

Just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a grocery store in 14600 block of West 119th&nbsp;Street in Olathe, regarding an armed disturbance involving a blunt force object, according to Sergeant John Moncayo.

Upon arrival, officers located an 85-year-old woman with serious injuries. The woman was ultimately transported to an area hospital in serious condition. A suspect was located on scene and taken into custody.&nbsp; Christopher A. Brewer, 50,&nbsp; who according to court documents used a hammer in the attack, is being held on a $35,000 bond on charges of aggravated battery, reckless bodily harm. He made his first court appearance Monday afternoon and is due back in court Dec. 11, according ton online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764620311539.png" alt="Brewer photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Brewer photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an armed disturbance that left a woman seriously injured.Just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a grocery store in 14600 block of West 119th&nbsp;Street in Olathe, regarding an armed disturbance involving a blunt force object, according to Sergeant John Moncayo.Upon arrival, officers located an 85-year-old woman with serious injuries. The woman was ultimately transported to an area hospital in serious condition. A suspect was located on scene and taken into custody.&nbsp; Christopher A. Brewer, 50,&nbsp; who according to court documents used a hammer in the attack, is being held on a $35,000 bond on charges of aggravated battery, reckless bodily harm. He made his first court appearance Monday afternoon and is due back in court Dec. 11, according ton online jail records.

Suspect accused of hammer attack on 85-year-old Kan. woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday came to the rescue of Texas Republicans, allowing next year’s elections to be held under the state’s congressional redistricting plan favorable to the GOP and pushed by President Donald Trump despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-map-blocked-lawsuit-trump-ab4dc519717c6661c63e116c9f26d899">a lower-court ruling</a>&nbsp;that the map likely discriminates on the basis of race.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26338616/25a608-order.pdf">Click here to read the 20 page </a>ruling

With conservative justices in the majority, the court acted on an emergency request from Texas for quick action because qualifying in the new districts already has begun, with primary elections in March.

The Supreme Court’s order puts the 2-1 ruling blocking the map on hold at least until after the high court issues a final decision in the case. Justice Samuel Alito had previously temporarily blocked the order while the full court considered the Texas appeal.

The justices cast doubt on the lower-court finding that race played a role in the new map, saying in an unsigned statement that Texas lawmakers had “avowedly partisan goals.”

In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal justices that her colleagues should not have intervened at this point. Doing so, she wrote, “ensures that many Texas citizens, for no good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race. And that result, as this Court has pronounced year in and year out, is a violation of the Constitution.”

The high court's vote “is a green light for there to be even more re-redistricting, and a strong message to lower courts to butt out,” Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Los Angeles law school, wrote on the Election Law Blog.

The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congressional-map-882eae23a280a68dd6e0fc5a3bf11a0d">The Texas congressional map</a>&nbsp;enacted last summer at Trump’s urging was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.

The effort to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year’s elections touched off a nationwide redistricting battle.

Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-redistricting-jd-vance-mike-braun-25e5f8245d54b42d39deb921cc857735">an expanding national battle</a>&nbsp;over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">California voters approved a ballot initiative</a>&nbsp;to give Democrats an additional five seats there.

The redrawn maps are facing court challenges in California and Missouri. A three-judge panel allowed the new North Carolina map to be used in the 2026 elections.

The Trump administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-justice-department-lawsuit-025b00f0b3490a5fa8219c4376bcb9d2">suing to block the new California maps</a>, but it called for the Supreme Court to keep the redrawn Texas districts in place.

The justices are separately considering a case from Louisiana that could further limit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-louisiana-race-963c002fcb8a35afe36b2e14111cb88e">race-based districts</a>&nbsp;under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It’s unclear how the current round of redistricting would be affected by the outcome in the Louisiana case.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Supreme Court's order "defended Texas’s fundamental right to draw a map that ensures we are represented by Republicans.” He called the redistricting law “the Big Beautiful Map.”

“Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state,” Paxton said in a statement. “This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying: “We won! Texas is officially — and legally — more red."

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that the court's decision “to allow Texas Republicans’ rigged, racially gerrymandered maps to go into effect is wrong — both morally and legally. Once again, the Supreme Court gave Trump exactly what he wanted: a rigged map to help Republicans avoid accountability in the midterms for turning their backs on the American people.”

In the Texas case, U.S. District Judges Jeffrey V. Brown and David Guaderrama concluded that the redistricting plan likely dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters in violation of the Constitution. Trump appointed Brown in his first term while President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Guaderrama.

“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map,” Brown wrote. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”

The majority opinion provoked a vituperative dissent from Judge Jerry Smith, an appeals court judge on the panel.

Smith accused Brown of “pernicious judicial misbehavior” for not giving Smith sufficient time before issuing the majority opinion. Smith, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, also disagreed strenuously with the substance of the opinion, saying it would be a candidate for the “Nobel Prize for Fiction,” if there were such an award.

“The main winners from Judge Brown’s opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom,” Smith wrote, referring to the liberal megadonor and California’s Democratic governor. “The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Thursday's Supreme Court stay, posting on X, “Federal courts have no right to interfere with a State’s decision to redraw legislative maps for partisan reasons.”

The new map eliminated five of the state’s nine “coalition” districts, where no minority group has a majority but together they outnumber non-Hispanic white voters. The total number of congressional districts in which minorities make up a majority of voting-age citizens dropped from 16 to 14.

Yet Republicans argued the map is better for minority voters. There’s a new, eighth Hispanic-majority district, and two Black-majority districts instead of none.

But critics consider that the Hispanic or Black majority in each district is so slim that white voters, who tend to turn out in larger percentages, will control election results.

Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764898399072.png" alt="\" />
 <figcaption>\</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday came to the rescue of Texas Republicans, allowing next year’s elections to be held under the state’s congressional redistricting plan favorable to the GOP and pushed by President Donald Trump despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-map-blocked-lawsuit-trump-ab4dc519717c6661c63e116c9f26d899">a lower-court ruling</a>&nbsp;that the map likely discriminates on the basis of race.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26338616/25a608-order.pdf">Click here to read the 20 page </a>rulingWith conservative justices in the majority, the court acted on an emergency request from Texas for quick action because qualifying in the new districts already has begun, with primary elections in March.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755030421448.png" alt="Justices Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson voted against the map" />
 <figcaption>Justices Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson voted against the map</figcaption>
 </figure>The Supreme Court’s order puts the 2-1 ruling blocking the map on hold at least until after the high court issues a final decision in the case. Justice Samuel Alito had previously temporarily blocked the order while the full court considered the Texas appeal.The justices cast doubt on the lower-court finding that race played a role in the new map, saying in an unsigned statement that Texas lawmakers had “avowedly partisan goals.”In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal justices that her colleagues should not have intervened at this point. Doing so, she wrote, “ensures that many Texas citizens, for no good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race. And that result, as this Court has pronounced year in and year out, is a violation of the Constitution.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We won! Texas is officially—and legally—more red. The Supreme Court restored the congressional redistricting maps passed by Texas that add 5 more Republican seats. The new maps better align our representation in D.C. with the values of Texas. <a href="https://t.co/dsxH0XgNGs">https://t.co/dsxH0XgNGs</a>&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1996731423034925457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The high court's vote “is a green light for there to be even more re-redistricting, and a strong message to lower courts to butt out,” Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Los Angeles law school, wrote on the Election Law Blog.The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-redistricting-congressional-map-882eae23a280a68dd6e0fc5a3bf11a0d">The Texas congressional map</a>&nbsp;enacted last summer at Trump’s urging was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.The effort to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year’s elections touched off a nationwide redistricting battle.Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-redistricting-jd-vance-mike-braun-25e5f8245d54b42d39deb921cc857735">an expanding national battle</a>&nbsp;over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">California voters approved a ballot initiative</a>&nbsp;to give Democrats an additional five seats there.The redrawn maps are facing court challenges in California and Missouri. A three-judge panel allowed the new North Carolina map to be used in the 2026 elections.The Trump administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-justice-department-lawsuit-025b00f0b3490a5fa8219c4376bcb9d2">suing to block the new California maps</a>, but it called for the Supreme Court to keep the redrawn Texas districts in place.The justices are separately considering a case from Louisiana that could further limit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-louisiana-race-963c002fcb8a35afe36b2e14111cb88e">race-based districts</a>&nbsp;under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It’s unclear how the current round of redistricting would be affected by the outcome in the Louisiana case.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Supreme Court's order "defended Texas’s fundamental right to draw a map that ensures we are represented by Republicans.” He called the redistricting law “the Big Beautiful Map.”“Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state,” Paxton said in a statement. “This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits.”Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying: “We won! Texas is officially — and legally — more red."Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that the court's decision “to allow Texas Republicans’ rigged, racially gerrymandered maps to go into effect is wrong — both morally and legally. Once again, the Supreme Court gave Trump exactly what he wanted: a rigged map to help Republicans avoid accountability in the midterms for turning their backs on the American people.”In the Texas case, U.S. District Judges Jeffrey V. Brown and David Guaderrama concluded that the redistricting plan likely dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters in violation of the Constitution. Trump appointed Brown in his first term while President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Guaderrama.“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map,” Brown wrote. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”The majority opinion provoked a vituperative dissent from Judge Jerry Smith, an appeals court judge on the panel.Smith accused Brown of “pernicious judicial misbehavior” for not giving Smith sufficient time before issuing the majority opinion. Smith, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, also disagreed strenuously with the substance of the opinion, saying it would be a candidate for the “Nobel Prize for Fiction,” if there were such an award.“The main winners from Judge Brown’s opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom,” Smith wrote, referring to the liberal megadonor and California’s Democratic governor. “The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law.”U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Thursday's Supreme Court stay, posting on X, “Federal courts have no right to interfere with a State’s decision to redraw legislative maps for partisan reasons.”The new map eliminated five of the state’s nine “coalition” districts, where no minority group has a majority but together they outnumber non-Hispanic white voters. The total number of congressional districts in which minorities make up a majority of voting-age citizens dropped from 16 to 14.Yet Republicans argued the map is better for minority voters. There’s a new, eighth Hispanic-majority district, and two Black-majority districts instead of none.But critics consider that the Hispanic or Black majority in each district is so slim that white voters, who tend to turn out in larger percentages, will control election results.___Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka, Kansas.

Read the ruling: Supreme Court allows Texas to use map favoring GOP

By STEPHEN GROVES and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy admiral commanding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">U.S. military strikes</a>&nbsp;on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth</a>, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinizes the campaign that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">killed two survivors</a>.

Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-strikes-boats-drugs-caribbean-hegseth-congress-93c513e28f38688f5582150c7675c072">conduct an investigation</a>&nbsp;after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Hegesth’s demands. Legal experts have said such a strike could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.

“Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, as he exited a classified briefing.

While Cotton, R-Ark., defended the attack, Democrats who were also briefed and saw video of the survivors being killed questioned the Trump administration’s rationale and said the incident was deeply concerning.

“The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat,” said Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Smith, who is demanding further investigation, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”

The classified sessions with Bradley, alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, provided fresh information at a crucial moment as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">Hegseth's leadership comes under scrutiny</a>. But they did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers. So far more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">80 people have been killed in some 20 strikes</a>.

Lawmakers have not yet specifically authorized the use of military force against the alleged drug boats, and the Republican-controlled Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-war-power-congress-2c8c491f88836249801b6b15b19217b5">turned back attempts</a>&nbsp;to put a check on Trump’s power to engage in the missile campaign, which Hegseth has vowed will continue. Several Democrats have called for Hegseth to resign.

Congressional investigation gets underway

Lawmakers want a full accounting of the Sept. 2 strike, which was the first in what has become a monthslong series of U.S. military attacks on vessels believed to be ferrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. The Washington Post had reported that Bradley ordered the follow-on attack on the survivors.

But lawmakers who lead the House and Senate's national security committees in Congress came away with different descriptions of what the two survivors were doing when they were killed.

Cotton said he saw them "trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”

He said there were “several minutes” between the first and second attacks, which consisted of four missile strikes. He said it was “gratifying” that the U.S. military was taking “the battle” to cartels.

But Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764640848301.png" alt="U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War" />
 <figcaption>U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN GROVES and LISA MASCARO Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy admiral commanding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">U.S. military strikes</a>&nbsp;on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth</a>, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinizes the campaign that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">killed two survivors</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Was there a &#39;kill all&#39; order from Secretary Hegseth?&quot; .<a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTomCotton</a>: &quot;No. Admiral Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order to, to give no quarter or kill them all.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZqLPkCyHSd">pic.twitter.com/ZqLPkCyHSd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1996648857174745129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-strikes-boats-drugs-caribbean-hegseth-congress-93c513e28f38688f5582150c7675c072">conduct an investigation</a>&nbsp;after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Hegesth’s demands. Legal experts have said such a strike could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764875553664.jpeg" alt="U.S. Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley walks to a meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley walks to a meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, as he exited a classified briefing.While Cotton, R-Ark., defended the attack, Democrats who were also briefed and saw video of the survivors being killed questioned the Trump administration’s rationale and said the incident was deeply concerning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRickCrawford?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepRickCrawford</a>&#39;s statement following the briefing with the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command, Admiral Frank Bradley, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, on the legal strikes against narco-terrorists in the… <a href="https://t.co/TXbkB4wIMK">pic.twitter.com/TXbkB4wIMK</a>&mdash; House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel/status/1996641823096471722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The order was basically: Destroy the drugs, kill the 11 people on the boat,” said Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.Smith, who is demanding further investigation, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”The classified sessions with Bradley, alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, provided fresh information at a crucial moment as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">Hegseth's leadership comes under scrutiny</a>. But they did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers. So far more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">80 people have been killed in some 20 strikes</a>.Lawmakers have not yet specifically authorized the use of military force against the alleged drug boats, and the Republican-controlled Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-war-power-congress-2c8c491f88836249801b6b15b19217b5">turned back attempts</a>&nbsp;to put a check on Trump’s power to engage in the missile campaign, which Hegseth has vowed will continue. Several Democrats have called for Hegseth to resign.<h2>Congressional investigation gets underway</h2>Lawmakers want a full accounting of the Sept. 2 strike, which was the first in what has become a monthslong series of U.S. military attacks on vessels believed to be ferrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. The Washington Post had reported that Bradley ordered the follow-on attack on the survivors.But lawmakers who lead the House and Senate's national security committees in Congress came away with different descriptions of what the two survivors were doing when they were killed.Cotton said he saw them "trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”He said there were “several minutes” between the first and second attacks, which consisted of four missile strikes. He said it was “gratifying” that the U.S. military was taking “the battle” to cartels.But Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “what I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service.”“You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel," he said, and who "were killed by the United States."The survivors did not issue any distress call or other communications, though lawmakers were told it appeared the people had a hand raised, “waving” at one point during the attacks, Smith said.Smith acknowledged there was likely cocaine on the boat, but he objects to the Republican administration’s rationale for continued attacks on alleged drug runners who may or may not be heading to the United States. “That’s really the core of the problem with all of this,” he said. “That incredibly broad definition, I think, is what sets in motion all of these problems about using lethal force and using the military.”<h2>Who is Adm. Bradley?</h2>At the time of the attack, Bradley was the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, overseeing coordinated operations between the military's elite special operations units out of Fort Bragg in North Carolina. About a month after the strike, he was promoted to commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.His military career, spanning more than three decades, was mostly spent serving in the elite Navy SEALs and commanding joint operations. He was among the first special forces officers to deploy to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. His latest promotion to admiral was approved by unanimous voice vote in the Senate this year, and Democratic and Republican senators praised his record.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has described Bradley as among those who are “rock solid” and “the most extraordinary people that have ever served in the military.”But lawmakers like Tillis have also made it clear they expect a reckoning if it is found that survivors were targeted. “Anybody in the chain of command that was responsible for it, that had vision of it, needs to be held accountable,” he said.<h2>What else are lawmakers seeking?</h2>Underpinning Trump’s campaign against suspected traffickers is his argument that drug cartels amount to armed combatants because their cargo poses a threat to American lives.Democrats are demanding the release of the full video of the Sept. 2 attack, as well as written records of the orders and any directives about the mission from Hegseth. None of the written orders or audio of verbal commands was shared with the lawmakers.A White House Office of Legal Counsel memo providing a rationale for the strikes was dated after the fact, on Sept. 5. That memo remains undisclosed, and Democrats want it released.Obtaining further information, though, will largely depend on action from Republican lawmakers, who have majority control of the committees, a potentially painful prospect for them if it puts them at odds with the president.Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said that he and the Senate Armed Services Committee chair, GOP Sen. Roger Wicker, have formally requested the executive orders authorizing the operations and the complete videos from the strikes, among other items. The Trump administration has repeatedly denied their requests for basic information about the operation, Reed said.Republican lawmakers who are close to Trump have largely stood by Hegseth and the administration's decision to conduct the strikes.___Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.