SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a DUI crash that killed a teen.

&nbsp;On Friday Judge Quinton Pittman sentenced 43-year-old Trisha Greer of Derby to 42 months in prison for the DUI crash that&nbsp; killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio in May of 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman will learn her fate for a deadly DUI crash that killed a teen.

Trisha Greer, 43, will appear in Judge Quinton Pittman's courtroom for sentencing on Friday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In October, Greer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence before Judge Pittman. She originally pleading not guilty in June and was to face a jury trial.

Just after 11p.m. May 14, 2024, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.

Greer was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records. She met the requirements of bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp;Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717510102482.png" alt="Greer -photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Greer -photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman is going to prison for a DUI crash that killed a teen.&nbsp;On Friday Judge Quinton Pittman sentenced 43-year-old Trisha Greer of Derby to 42 months in prison for the DUI crash that&nbsp; killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio in May of 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.--------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman will learn her fate for a deadly DUI crash that killed a teen.Trisha Greer, 43, will appear in Judge Quinton Pittman's courtroom for sentencing on Friday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In October, Greer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence before Judge Pittman. She originally pleading not guilty in June and was to face a jury trial.Just after 11p.m. May 14, 2024, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.Greer was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records. She met the requirements of bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp;Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, according to the district attorney's office.

Prison for Kan. woman in DUI crash that killed teen 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 3p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6600 block of Monroe Avenue, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez. While officers were responding to the scene, several additional calls for a sound of shots were reported.

Upon arrival, officers observed a group of people summoning responding officers to the rear of an apartment complex building. An unidentified male victim, believed to be&nbsp;an&nbsp;adult, was located lying in a parking lot, unresponsive and suffering from believed gunshot trauma. EMS responded shortly behind officers and declared the victim deceased on scene.

Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction that took place between the victim and several unknown males. That interaction escalated into gunfire and resulted in the victim being struck. The unidentified suspects left the scene in an unknown direction occupying an unidentified vehicle. Police do not have any subjects of interest identified and no one is in police custody at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767922675376.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 3p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6600 block of Monroe Avenue, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez. While officers were responding to the scene, several additional calls for a sound of shots were reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767922640577.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers observed a group of people summoning responding officers to the rear of an apartment complex building. An unidentified male victim, believed to be&nbsp;an&nbsp;adult, was located lying in a parking lot, unresponsive and suffering from believed gunshot trauma. EMS responded shortly behind officers and declared the victim deceased on scene.Preliminary information indicates there was an interaction that took place between the victim and several unknown males. That interaction escalated into gunfire and resulted in the victim being struck. The unidentified suspects left the scene in an unknown direction occupying an unidentified vehicle. Police do not have any subjects of interest identified and no one is in police custody at this time.

Homicide: Man found dead in parking lot of KC apartment complex

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">target sanctioned tankers</a>&nbsp;traveling to and from Venezuela.

The pre-dawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.

Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.

In her social media post, Noem said the ship was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade U.S. forces."

The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-reserves-trump-exxon-8a6462e76315c7d1a6e6a5a879f98c16">the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products</a>&nbsp;globally following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">a surprise nighttime raid</a>.

U.S. government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, and flagged in Panama.

While records show the Olina is now flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is listed in the international shipping registry as having a false flag, meaning the registration it is claiming is not valid. In July, the owner and manager of the ship on its registration was changed to a company in Hong Kong.

According to ship tracking databases, the Olina last transmitted its location in November in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coast. Since then, however, the ship has been running dark with its location beacon turned off.

While Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law, other officials in the Trump administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash to fund U.S. goals in Venezuela.

In an early morning post on his social media network, Trump said the U.S. and Venezuela “are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”

The administration said it expects to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds to go to both the U.S. and Venezuelan people. But the president expects the arrangement to continue indefinitely as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-oil-chevron-exxonmobil-conocophillips-0e0619a991e92fd546504f1a613161e7">meets on Friday</a>&nbsp;with executives from 17 oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution.

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News this week that the U.S. can “control” Venezuela’s “purse strings” by dictating where its oil can be sold.

The Olina has a listed cargo capacity of up to 890,000 barrels of oil. While it is unclear if the tanker was full or empty, at the current market price of about $60 a barrel, a full cargo of oil from the tanker would be worth about $53 million.

Associated Press writers Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Josh Boak in Washington contributed reporting.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration continues to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131">target sanctioned tankers</a>&nbsp;traveling to and from Venezuela.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: “there is no safe haven for criminals.” In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R.… <a href="https://t.co/StHo4ufcdx">pic.twitter.com/StHo4ufcdx</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2009632097858711656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">The world’s criminals are on notice. Early this morning, the <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a> executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. As another &quot;ghost fleet&quot; tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed… <a href="https://t.co/vvS3u3nrvl">pic.twitter.com/vvS3u3nrvl</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2009628070047604976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The pre-dawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.In her social media post, Noem said the ship was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade U.S. forces."The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-reserves-trump-exxon-8a6462e76315c7d1a6e6a5a879f98c16">the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products</a>&nbsp;globally following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-maduro-what-to-know-a57528ff315a7f70ed51a1721f5e0bc2">a surprise nighttime raid</a>.U.S. government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, and flagged in Panama.While records show the Olina is now flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is listed in the international shipping registry as having a false flag, meaning the registration it is claiming is not valid. In July, the owner and manager of the ship on its registration was changed to a company in Hong Kong.According to ship tracking databases, the Olina last transmitted its location in November in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coast. Since then, however, the ship has been running dark with its location beacon turned off.While Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law, other officials in the Trump administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash to fund U.S. goals in Venezuela.In an early morning post on his social media network, Trump said the U.S. and Venezuela “are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”The administration said it expects to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds to go to both the U.S. and Venezuelan people. But the president expects the arrangement to continue indefinitely as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-oil-chevron-exxonmobil-conocophillips-0e0619a991e92fd546504f1a613161e7">meets on Friday</a>&nbsp;with executives from 17 oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution.Vice President JD Vance told Fox News this week that the U.S. can “control” Venezuela’s “purse strings” by dictating where its oil can be sold.The Olina has a listed cargo capacity of up to 890,000 barrels of oil. While it is unclear if the tanker was full or empty, at the current market price of about $60 a barrel, a full cargo of oil from the tanker would be worth about $53 million.___Associated Press writers Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Josh Boak in Washington contributed reporting.

🎥 US intercepts another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflecto</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes will run for state insurance commissioner, vowing to decline any campaign contributions from the insurance industry.

Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, announced her intention Thursday to challenge House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a previously uncontested Republican from Wichita with decades of experience in insurance.

She described a platform focused on lowering costs, consumer protection and holding “big insurance companies accountable.”

“It’s simple: The cost of health insurance in Kansas is simply out of control,” Sykes said in the announcement. “Families and consumers can’t afford to keep up with the rise in premiums — on health care, auto, property or any other kind of insurance for that matter.”

She said she will not “take a single dime from the insurance industry.”

Sykes was elected to the Senate in 2016 as a Republican, switching parties during her first term. She was elected minority leader in 2020 and has held the position since. Before her tenure in the Legislature, Sykes ran her own business as a personal chef and a PTA president. She is a mother to two boys and married.

Hawkins announced his candidacy in May, rooting it in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/13/kansas-house-speaker-launches-campaign-for-insurance-commissioner-with-pro-trump-rhetoric-1/">conservative values and deregulating the state’s insurance marketplace</a>, which he speculated could lower costs and make insurance easier to navigate.

The insurance commissioner oversees the Kansas Insurance Department, which regulates insurance companies operating in the state. The current commissioner, Vicki Schmidt, is running for the Republican nomination for governor.

Hawkins said in a statement he and Sykes have a good working relationship, and he welcomed a spirited campaign. But, he said, “we arrive at things from a very different perspective politically and quite frankly, fiscally.” He said his focus is on increasing competition, easing marketplace navigation issues and ensuring people are not wrongly denied coverage.

He liked Sykes’ policy focus to “Zohran Mamdani-like woke politics,” referencing the newly elected Democratic mayor of New York City.

Former insurance commissioner and Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and former insurance commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican, threw their support behind Sykes.

“As long as I’ve known Dinah, she’s stood up for what’s right and fought for Kansas families,” Sebelius said in the announcement.

Praeger said Sykes is a practical leader, focused on garnering results over partisanship.

“Kansans want leaders who will listen to them and fight against unfair and discriminatory practices by the industry,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767903972683.png" alt=" Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, talks to reporters Dec. 2, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka following a meeting with her caucus. She announced on Jan 8, 2026, her candidacy for state insurance commissioner. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, talks to reporters Dec. 2, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka following a meeting with her caucus. She announced on Jan 8, 2026, her candidacy for state insurance commissioner. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflecto</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes will run for state insurance commissioner, vowing to decline any campaign contributions from the insurance industry.Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, announced her intention Thursday to challenge House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a previously uncontested Republican from Wichita with decades of experience in insurance.She described a platform focused on lowering costs, consumer protection and holding “big insurance companies accountable.”“It’s simple: The cost of health insurance in Kansas is simply out of control,” Sykes said in the announcement. “Families and consumers can’t afford to keep up with the rise in premiums — on health care, auto, property or any other kind of insurance for that matter.”She said she will not “take a single dime from the insurance industry.”Sykes was elected to the Senate in 2016 as a Republican, switching parties during her first term. She was elected minority leader in 2020 and has held the position since. Before her tenure in the Legislature, Sykes ran her own business as a personal chef and a PTA president. She is a mother to two boys and married.Hawkins announced his candidacy in May, rooting it in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/13/kansas-house-speaker-launches-campaign-for-insurance-commissioner-with-pro-trump-rhetoric-1/">conservative values and deregulating the state’s insurance marketplace</a>, which he speculated could lower costs and make insurance easier to navigate.The insurance commissioner oversees the Kansas Insurance Department, which regulates insurance companies operating in the state. The current commissioner, Vicki Schmidt, is running for the Republican nomination for governor.Hawkins said in a statement he and Sykes have a good working relationship, and he welcomed a spirited campaign. But, he said, “we arrive at things from a very different perspective politically and quite frankly, fiscally.” He said his focus is on increasing competition, easing marketplace navigation issues and ensuring people are not wrongly denied coverage.He liked Sykes’ policy focus to “Zohran Mamdani-like woke politics,” referencing the newly elected Democratic mayor of New York City.Former insurance commissioner and Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and former insurance commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican, threw their support behind Sykes.“As long as I’ve known Dinah, she’s stood up for what’s right and fought for Kansas families,” Sebelius said in the announcement.Praeger said Sykes is a practical leader, focused on garnering results over partisanship.“Kansans want leaders who will listen to them and fight against unfair and discriminatory practices by the industry,” she said.

Kansas Senate minority leader challenges GOP House speaker for state insurance commissioner

SEDGWICK COUNTY– A 49-year-old Wichita man was sentenced Thursday for the shooting of a teenager in a Goddard parking lot in May 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Judge Seth Rundle sentenced Ruben Contreras to 43 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. This sentence represents the maximum term of imprisonment allowed under Kansas law for the conviction.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Rundle ordered Contreras to serve 36 months of post-release supervision and required him to register as a violent offender for 15 years.

In November 2025, a Sedgwick County jury found Contreras guilty of one count of aggravated battery. The jury acquitted him of a separate charge of attempted first-degree murder.

The charges stemmed from an incident on May 11, 2024, at Walmart in Goddard, Kansas.&nbsp; Contreras shot 18-year-old Anakin Zehring following an altercation in the parking lot. Zehring was struck by gunfire and left paralyzed.

The case was prosecuted by the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767959698810.png" alt="Contreras photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Contreras photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– A 49-year-old Wichita man was sentenced Thursday for the shooting of a teenager in a Goddard parking lot in May 2024, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Judge Seth Rundle sentenced Ruben Contreras to 43 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. This sentence represents the maximum term of imprisonment allowed under Kansas law for the conviction.In addition to the prison term, Judge Rundle ordered Contreras to serve 36 months of post-release supervision and required him to register as a violent offender for 15 years.In November 2025, a Sedgwick County jury found Contreras guilty of one count of aggravated battery. The jury acquitted him of a separate charge of attempted first-degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715641692899.png" alt="Contreras as shown in his Sedgwick Co. booking photo from May of 2024" />
 <figcaption>Contreras as shown in his Sedgwick Co. booking photo from May of 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>The charges stemmed from an incident on May 11, 2024, at Walmart in Goddard, Kansas.&nbsp; Contreras shot 18-year-old Anakin Zehring following an altercation in the parking lot. Zehring was struck by gunfire and left paralyzed.The case was prosecuted by the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Kansas.

Maximum sentence for shooting Kan. teen in Walmart parking lot

Flu cases are surging in Kansas City. For Dec 21–27, cases doubled from the previous week—marking the 4th-highest weekly total in 15 years, according to a statement from the Kansas City, Missouri health Department.

Missouri is now at very high flu activity. The CDC’s Influenza-Like Illness Activity Map for Missouri has increased from low to very high, highlighting the need for preventive actions. “It is crucial that we take preventive measures to keep our loved ones, friends, and community safe. This includes staying at home from work, school, and social gatherings when sick. Our health impacts everything in our daily lives, including the ability to go to work, school, family functions, and so many other aspects of life,” says Dr. Marvia Jones, Director of Health for the Kansas City Health Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767660552159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Flu cases are surging in Kansas City. For Dec 21–27, cases doubled from the previous week—marking the 4th-highest weekly total in 15 years, according to a statement from the Kansas City, Missouri health Department.Missouri is now at very high flu activity. The CDC’s Influenza-Like Illness Activity Map for Missouri has increased from low to very high, highlighting the need for preventive actions. “It is crucial that we take preventive measures to keep our loved ones, friends, and community safe. This includes staying at home from work, school, and social gatherings when sick. Our health impacts everything in our daily lives, including the ability to go to work, school, family functions, and so many other aspects of life,” says Dr. Marvia Jones, Director of Health for the Kansas City Health Department.

Number of flu cases in Kansas City doubled in a week

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made another arrest.

Just before 1a.m. on November 22, police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th St. and SE Adams Street in Topeka, according to media release. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. That individual later identified as 16-year-old Kingston Scott of Topeka.

On Thursday, police booked a second 16-year-old Topeka boy into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony,&nbsp; Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon

On December 5, police booked a 16-year-old boy from Topeka into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Murder in the 1st degree, in the commission of a felony, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764973228137.png" alt="Kingston Scott -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Kingston Scott -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made another arrest.Just before 1a.m. on November 22, police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th St. and SE Adams Street in Topeka, according to media release. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. That individual later identified as 16-year-old Kingston Scott of Topeka.On Thursday, police booked a second 16-year-old Topeka boy into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony,&nbsp; Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weaponOn December 5, police booked a 16-year-old boy from Topeka into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Murder in the 1st degree, in the commission of a felony, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Second Kansas boy accused in murder of 16-year-old

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —A day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">officer shot</a>&nbsp;and killed 37-year-old mother of three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;as she tried to drive away on a snowy Minneapolis street, tensions remained high, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">dozens of protesters</a>&nbsp;venting their outrage outside of a federal facility that’s serving as a hub for the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major city.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not publicly identified the officer who shot Good. But she spoke of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">incident last June</a>&nbsp;in which the same officer was injured when he was dragged by another driver’s fleeing vehicle. A Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed Noem was referring to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Court records from that case identify the officer who was dragged and injured as Jonathan Ross.

Court documents say Ross got his arm stuck in a vehicle’s window as a driver fled arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota. The officer was dragged 100 yards (91 meters) and cuts to his arm required 50 stitches.

The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to locate a phone number or address for Ross, and ICE no longer has a union that might comment on his behalf.

Meanwhile, two people were shot and wounded Thursday afternoon by federal immigration authorities in Portland, Oregon, the FBI’s Portland office said. The conditions of the victims were not immediately known. The shootings escalated tensions in Portland, a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-portland-chicago-los-angeles-cd6e585615422461d7088b8ed04bb974">failed effort to deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in the city.

The scene of the Portland shooting three hours later

Yellow police tape cordoned off the area of the shooting at a medical complex in southeast Portland. Officers from different agencies, including the FBI and Portland police, were at the scene.

William Reznicek, a 36-year-old Portland resident, came to see the scene after reading about the shooting online.

“I’m sad that this is happening in America,” he said, expressing concern that such violence would continue to occur under Trump’s administration.

DHS says Portland shooting occurred during targeted vehicle stop

The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle’s passenger as “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland.

When U.S. Border Patrol agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.

“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” the statement said. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”

There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants. During prior shootings involving agents involved in Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, including Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">video evidence cast doubt</a>&nbsp;on the administration’s initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.

Portland city council member: ‘This is tyranny’

Portland City Councilor Jamie Dunphy said in an interview with local NBC station KGW8 that the shooting on Thursday afternoon indicated “a pattern that is starting to emerge” and accused the federal government of “trying to escalate across the nation.”

He also said that he expected Portland residents would protest the shooting.

“We’re going to let our voices be known that this is not the kind of acceptable behavior from the federal government that Portlanders expect. This is tyranny,” Dunphy said.

What is known about the Portland shooting

At 2:18 p.m., Portland police initially responded to a report of a shooting where federal agents were involved. The location appeared to be near a hospital, according to a map released by police.

A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a different area a couple miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.

Portland police have secured both scenes pending investigation.

“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”

Mayor calls for federal immigration officers to end operations in Portland until the shooting is fully investigated

“We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” reads a joint statement from Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”

The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We’ll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents’ civil and human rights.”

They urged residents to show up with “calm and purpose during this difficult time.”

“We response with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767879206786.png" alt="People protest as law enforcement officers attend to the scene of the shooting involving federal law enforcement agents, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)" />
 <figcaption>People protest as law enforcement officers attend to the scene of the shooting involving federal law enforcement agents, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —A day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">officer shot</a>&nbsp;and killed 37-year-old mother of three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;as she tried to drive away on a snowy Minneapolis street, tensions remained high, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-crackdown-woman-shot-5158ce0838305b491c95db97b970cd03">dozens of protesters</a>&nbsp;venting their outrage outside of a federal facility that’s serving as a hub for the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major city.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP Vance: &quot;That guy&#39;s protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job. The idea that Tim Walz and a bunch of radicals in Minneapolis are going to go after and make this guy&#39;s life miserable because he was doing the job that he was asked to do is preposterous.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/mAUs4nVJrV">pic.twitter.com/mAUs4nVJrV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2009340406958350550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP JD Vance: &quot;That woman is part of a broader left-wing network to attack, to dox, to assault and to make it impossible for our ICE officers to do their job.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5vOWnDA7KI">pic.twitter.com/5vOWnDA7KI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2009338011230650867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not publicly identified the officer who shot Good. But she spoke of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">incident last June</a>&nbsp;in which the same officer was injured when he was dragged by another driver’s fleeing vehicle. A Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed Noem was referring to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota.Court records from that case identify the officer who was dragged and injured as Jonathan Ross.Court documents say Ross got his arm stuck in a vehicle’s window as a driver fled arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota. The officer was dragged 100 yards (91 meters) and cuts to his arm required 50 stitches.The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to locate a phone number or address for Ross, and ICE no longer has a union that might comment on his behalf.Meanwhile, two people were shot and wounded Thursday afternoon by federal immigration authorities in Portland, Oregon, the FBI’s Portland office said. The conditions of the victims were not immediately known. The shootings escalated tensions in Portland, a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-portland-chicago-los-angeles-cd6e585615422461d7088b8ed04bb974">failed effort to deploy National Guard troops</a>&nbsp;in the city.<h2>The scene of the Portland shooting three hours later</h2>Yellow police tape cordoned off the area of the shooting at a medical complex in southeast Portland. Officers from different agencies, including the FBI and Portland police, were at the scene.William Reznicek, a 36-year-old Portland resident, came to see the scene after reading about the shooting online.“I’m sad that this is happening in America,” he said, expressing concern that such violence would continue to occur under Trump’s administration.<h2>DHS says Portland shooting occurred during targeted vehicle stop</h2>The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle’s passenger as “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland.When U.S. Border Patrol agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” the statement said. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants. During prior shootings involving agents involved in Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, including Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-shooting-immigration-842b1d92cb93f2326171f139686e8b0f">video evidence cast doubt</a>&nbsp;on the administration’s initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.<h2>Portland city council member: ‘This is tyranny’</h2>Portland City Councilor Jamie Dunphy said in an interview with local NBC station KGW8 that the shooting on Thursday afternoon indicated “a pattern that is starting to emerge” and accused the federal government of “trying to escalate across the nation.”He also said that he expected Portland residents would protest the shooting.“We’re going to let our voices be known that this is not the kind of acceptable behavior from the federal government that Portlanders expect. This is tyranny,” Dunphy said.<h2>What is known about the Portland shooting</h2>At 2:18 p.m., Portland police initially responded to a report of a shooting where federal agents were involved. The location appeared to be near a hospital, according to a map released by police.A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a different area a couple miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.Portland police have secured both scenes pending investigation.“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”<h2>Mayor calls for federal immigration officers to end operations in Portland until the shooting is fully investigated</h2>“We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” reads a joint statement from Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We’ll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents’ civil and human rights.”They urged residents to show up with “calm and purpose during this difficult time.”“We response with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”

ICE officer who shot woman in Minneapolis identified in court records

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating alleged vandalism in Brown County have identified two suspects.

Just after 2:30 p.m. December 27, two individuals were caught on surveillance camera vandalizing a vehicle belonging to USD #430 in Everest, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The windshield was broken due to rock or objects being intentionally thrown at the vehicle as well as verbage scratched into the paint.&nbsp;

Neither of the juvenile suspects are residents of Brown County. The public had a huge impact on solving the case, according to Merchant.

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating alleged vandalism in Brown County have identified two suspects.Just after 2:30 p.m. December 27, two individuals were caught on surveillance camera vandalizing a vehicle belonging to USD #430 in Everest, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.The windshield was broken due to rock or objects being intentionally thrown at the vehicle as well as verbage scratched into the paint.&nbsp;Neither of the juvenile suspects are residents of Brown County. The public had a huge impact on solving the case, according to Merchant.

Sheriff: Suspects identified in Kan. school district vandalism

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 1a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to&nbsp; a shooting reported in the area of 16th Street and Fremont Avenue, according to Officer Alyana Gonzalez.

First responders found an adult male victim inside of a vehicle unresponsive and suffering from gunshot trauma. Officers attempted to render medical aid until EMS personnel responded and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment. The victim ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.

Preliminary information indicates the victim was outside working on a vehicle when an interaction between the victim and another adult male escalated into gunfire. The suspect left the scene prior to police arrival. Police do not have suspect details and did not report the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 1a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to&nbsp; a shooting reported in the area of 16th Street and Fremont Avenue, according to Officer Alyana Gonzalez.First responders found an adult male victim inside of a vehicle unresponsive and suffering from gunshot trauma. Officers attempted to render medical aid until EMS personnel responded and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment. The victim ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.Preliminary information indicates the victim was outside working on a vehicle when an interaction between the victim and another adult male escalated into gunfire. The suspect left the scene prior to police arrival. Police do not have suspect details and did not report the name of the victim.

Homicide: Man working on vehicle in Kansas City was shot 

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for allegedly selling drugs in the Kansas City area.

On January 3,&nbsp;&nbsp;the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Apprehension Unit executed a search warrant on N. Armstrong Street in Pleasant Hill following an extensive investigation, according to a media release.

During the execution of the warrant, deputies located drug paraphernalia and a large sum of U.S. currency.

As a result, 65-year-old Robin Harrison was taken into custody. Harrison has been charged with four felonies: two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance in a Prohibited Location (Class A), Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Class C) and Unlawful Use of a Weapon involving a controlled substance (Class E). 

Harrison is currently being held at the Cass County Jail with no bond allowed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767737263083.png" alt="Deputies found a large sum of currency -photo Cass County" />
 <figcaption>Deputies found a large sum of currency -photo Cass County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for allegedly selling drugs in the Kansas City area.On January 3,&nbsp;&nbsp;the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Apprehension Unit executed a search warrant on N. Armstrong Street in Pleasant Hill following an extensive investigation, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767737237284.png" alt="Harrison photo Cass County" />
 <figcaption>Harrison photo Cass County</figcaption>
 </figure>During the execution of the warrant, deputies located drug paraphernalia and a large sum of U.S. currency.As a result, 65-year-old Robin Harrison was taken into custody. Harrison has been charged with four felonies: two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance in a Prohibited Location (Class A), Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Class C) and Unlawful Use of a Weapon involving a controlled substance (Class E). Harrison is currently being held at the Cass County Jail with no bond allowed.

KC area drug dealer caught with 'large sum of cash'

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a man for an alleged attack on his mother.

Just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a residence located in the 1700 block of Morton Street in Great Bend in response to a report of an aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.

While responding to the call, officers were advised that a family member reported to 911 that a son was holding his mother at knife point inside of the residence. 

Upon arrival, officers attempted to make contact with the residents inside of the home but were unable to do so. Great Bend police officers, with assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol, quickly surrounded the residence, while a search warrant was drafted.

Upon the execution of the warrant, officers located and apprehended Patton Mills, 33, who was taken into custody without incident. A female victim was located inside the residence with multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. The victim was transported by EMS for further medical treatment.

Mills was booked into the Barton County Detention Facility on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery (Domestic Violence), and for an outstanding Warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767904689361.png" alt="Mills -photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Mills -photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a man for an alleged attack on his mother.Just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a residence located in the 1700 block of Morton Street in Great Bend in response to a report of an aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.While responding to the call, officers were advised that a family member reported to 911 that a son was holding his mother at knife point inside of the residence. Upon arrival, officers attempted to make contact with the residents inside of the home but were unable to do so. Great Bend police officers, with assistance from the Kansas Highway Patrol, quickly surrounded the residence, while a search warrant was drafted.Upon the execution of the warrant, officers located and apprehended Patton Mills, 33, who was taken into custody without incident. A female victim was located inside the residence with multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. The victim was transported by EMS for further medical treatment.Mills was booked into the Barton County Detention Facility on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery (Domestic Violence), and for an outstanding Warrant.

Kansas man accused of violent attack on his mother

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday proposed setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.”

Trump called for the massive surge in spending days after he ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-trump-updates-01-07-2026">U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;and spirit him out of the country to face drug trafficking charges in the United States. U.S. forces continue to mass in the Caribbean Sea.

The 2026 military budget is set&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-congress-trump-dd67d203accfb65b7604072ebb5da153">at $901 billion.</a>

Trump in recent days has also called for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-greenland-trump-russia-deterrence-threat-07d6c18ed968c25736eca2c25d935edb">taking over the Danish territory of Greenland</a>&nbsp;for national security reasons and has suggested he’s open to carrying out military operations in Colombia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ominously warned that longtime adversary Cuba “is in trouble.”

“This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump said in a posting on Truth Social announcing his proposal.

The military just received a large boost of some $175 billion in the GOP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">“big, beautiful bill”</a>&nbsp;of tax breaks and spending reductions that Trump signed into law last year.

Insisting on more funding for the Pentagon is almost certain to run into resistance from Democrats who work to maintain parity between changes in defense and non-defense spending. But it’s also sure to draw objections from the GOP’s deficit hawks who have pushed back against larger military spending.

But Trump said he feels comfortable surging spending on the military because of increased revenue created by his administration through tariffs imposed on friends and foes around the globe since his return to office.

The U.S. government collected gross revenues of $288.5 billion last year from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-economy-3096dec0bb6bc49f3b965f64fce70bfa">tariffs</a>&nbsp;and other excise taxes, up from $98.3 billion in 2024, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. That’s a meaningful increase in revenues from taxing imports. But it’s not enough to cover the various promises made by Trump, who has said the tariffs can also cover dividends to taxpayers, pay down the national debt and, now, cover increased spending on the military.

Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday also threatened to cut off Pentagon purchases from Raytheon, one of the biggest U.S. defense contractors, if the company did not end the practice of stock buybacks and invest more profits into building out its weapons manufacturing capacity.

“Either Raytheon steps up, and starts investing in more upfront Investment like Plants and Equipment, or they will no longer be doing business with Department of War,” Trump said on social media. “Also, if Raytheon wants further business with the United States Government, under no circumstances will they be allowed to do any additional Stock Buybacks, where they have spent Tens of Billions of Dollars, until they are able to get their act together.”

The threat came as the president issued an executive order calling on the Pentagon to begin a review to spot defense contractors who are underperforming on fulfilling contracts and insufficiently investing in building manufacturing but are still engaging in stock buybacks or distributing dividends to shareholders.

The order also calls for the Pentagon to take steps to ensure future contracts with any new or existing defense contractor contain a provision prohibiting stock buybacks during a period of underperformance on U.S. government contracts. The order also calls for the Pentagon to stipulate in future contracts that executive incentive compensation is not tied to short-term financial metrics.

Trump in recent months has repeatedly complained broadly that defense companies have been woefully behind on deliveries of critical weaponry, yet continue to mete out dividends and stock buybacks to investors and offering eye-popping salaries to top executives.

The criticism of Raytheon, however, was the most pointed to date of a particular contractor.

The company is responsible for making some of the military’s most widely used and notable missiles, including the Tomahawk cruise missile, the shoulder-launched Javelin and Stinger missiles, and the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

Raytheon also owns Pratt and Whitney, a company that is responsible for manufacturing a host of jet engines that power aircraft for all the military branches, including the newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

On Wall Street, shares of defense contractors fell, with Northrop Grumman dropping 5.5%, Lockheed Martin declining 4.8% and RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, slipping 2.5%.

Raytheon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday proposed setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.”Trump called for the massive surge in spending days after he ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/us-trump-updates-01-07-2026">U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;and spirit him out of the country to face drug trafficking charges in the United States. U.S. forces continue to mass in the Caribbean Sea.The 2026 military budget is set&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-congress-trump-dd67d203accfb65b7604072ebb5da153">at $901 billion.</a>Trump in recent days has also called for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-greenland-trump-russia-deterrence-threat-07d6c18ed968c25736eca2c25d935edb">taking over the Danish territory of Greenland</a>&nbsp;for national security reasons and has suggested he’s open to carrying out military operations in Colombia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ominously warned that longtime adversary Cuba “is in trouble.”“This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump said in a posting on Truth Social announcing his proposal.The military just received a large boost of some $175 billion in the GOP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">“big, beautiful bill”</a>&nbsp;of tax breaks and spending reductions that Trump signed into law last year.Insisting on more funding for the Pentagon is almost certain to run into resistance from Democrats who work to maintain parity between changes in defense and non-defense spending. But it’s also sure to draw objections from the GOP’s deficit hawks who have pushed back against larger military spending.But Trump said he feels comfortable surging spending on the military because of increased revenue created by his administration through tariffs imposed on friends and foes around the globe since his return to office.The U.S. government collected gross revenues of $288.5 billion last year from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-economy-3096dec0bb6bc49f3b965f64fce70bfa">tariffs</a>&nbsp;and other excise taxes, up from $98.3 billion in 2024, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. That’s a meaningful increase in revenues from taxing imports. But it’s not enough to cover the various promises made by Trump, who has said the tariffs can also cover dividends to taxpayers, pay down the national debt and, now, cover increased spending on the military.Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday also threatened to cut off Pentagon purchases from Raytheon, one of the biggest U.S. defense contractors, if the company did not end the practice of stock buybacks and invest more profits into building out its weapons manufacturing capacity.“Either Raytheon steps up, and starts investing in more upfront Investment like Plants and Equipment, or they will no longer be doing business with Department of War,” Trump said on social media. “Also, if Raytheon wants further business with the United States Government, under no circumstances will they be allowed to do any additional Stock Buybacks, where they have spent Tens of Billions of Dollars, until they are able to get their act together.”The threat came as the president issued an executive order calling on the Pentagon to begin a review to spot defense contractors who are underperforming on fulfilling contracts and insufficiently investing in building manufacturing but are still engaging in stock buybacks or distributing dividends to shareholders.The order also calls for the Pentagon to take steps to ensure future contracts with any new or existing defense contractor contain a provision prohibiting stock buybacks during a period of underperformance on U.S. government contracts. The order also calls for the Pentagon to stipulate in future contracts that executive incentive compensation is not tied to short-term financial metrics.Trump in recent months has repeatedly complained broadly that defense companies have been woefully behind on deliveries of critical weaponry, yet continue to mete out dividends and stock buybacks to investors and offering eye-popping salaries to top executives.The criticism of Raytheon, however, was the most pointed to date of a particular contractor.The company is responsible for making some of the military’s most widely used and notable missiles, including the Tomahawk cruise missile, the shoulder-launched Javelin and Stinger missiles, and the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.Raytheon also owns Pratt and Whitney, a company that is responsible for manufacturing a host of jet engines that power aircraft for all the military branches, including the newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.On Wall Street, shares of defense contractors fell, with Northrop Grumman dropping 5.5%, Lockheed Martin declining 4.8% and RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, slipping 2.5%.Raytheon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.—

Dangerous times: Trump proposes massive increase in defense spending

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday, 230-196, that would extend&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/%E2%80%9CNo%20matter%20the%20issue,%20if%20the%20House%20puts%20forward%20relatively%20strong,%20bipartisan%20support,%20it%20makes%20it%20easier%20for%20the%20senators%20to%20get%20there.%E2%80%9D">expired health care subsidies</a>&nbsp;for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as renegade GOP lawmakers joined essentially all Democrats in voting for the measure.

Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed on to a so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-aca-speaker-johnson-1087a9f64168d66b2acf9082af16c253">“discharge petition”</a>&nbsp;to unlock debate, bypassing objections from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a similar bipartisan compromise.

Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-vote-affordable-care-act-obamacare-6ffc1ea9f878c6b3da995589ef8a012c">resolve the standoff</a>&nbsp;over the enhanced tax credits that were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis but expired late last year after no agreement was reached during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-signs-government-funding-bill-ending-shutdown-after-record-43-day-disruption-ap-explains-6f25ef5b692c418cbed5bbdb26b796d7">government shutdown</a>.

“The affordability crisis is not a ‘hoax,’ it is very real — despite what Donald Trump has had to say,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, invoking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-affordability-pennsylvania-speech-6a7884b814f448ab6b17b9d924a356ba">the president's remarks</a>.

“Democrats made clear before the government was shut down that we were in this affordability fight until we win this affordability fight,” he said. “Today we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step forward.”

Ahead of voting, the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimated that the bill, which would provide a three-year extension of the subsidy, would increase the nation's deficit by about $80.6 billion over the decade. At the same time, it would increase the number of people with health insurance by 100,000 this year, 3 million in 2027, 4 million in 2028 and 1.1 million in 2029, the CBO said.

Growing support for extending ACA subsidies

Johnson, R-La., worked for months to prevent this situation. His office argued Thursday that the federal health care funding from the COVID-19 era is ripe with fraud, pointing to an investigation in Minnesota, and urged a no vote.

On the floor, Republicans argued that the subsidies as structured have contributed to fraud and that the chamber should be focused on lowering health insurance costs for the broader population.

“Only 7% of the population relies on Obamacare marketplace plans. This chamber should be about helping 100% of Americans,” said Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

While the momentum from the vote shows the growing support for the tax breaks that have helped some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-care-act-enrollment-subsidies-health-90ad8b27a6693c5aa03a9ca841048479">22 million Americans</a>&nbsp;have access to health insurance, the Senate would be under no requirement to take up the House bill.

Instead, a small group of senators from both parties has been working on an alternative plan that could find support in both chambers and become law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that for any plan to find support in his chamber, it will need to have income limits to ensure that the financial aid is focused on those who most need the help. He and other Republicans also want to ensure that beneficiaries would have to at least pay a nominal amount for their coverage.

Finally, Thune said there would need to be some expansion of health savings accounts, which allow people to save money and withdraw it tax-free as long as the money is spent on qualified medical expenses.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is part of the negotiations on reforms and subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, said there is agreement on addressing fraud in health care.

“We recognize that we have millions of people in this country who are going to lose — are losing, have lost — their health insurance because they can’t afford the premiums,” Shaheen said. “And so we’re trying to see if we can’t get to some agreement that’s going to help, and the sooner we can do that, the better.”

Trump has pushed Republicans to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can bypass the federal government and handle insurance on their own. Democrats largely reject this idea as insufficient for covering the high costs of health care.

The action by Republicans to force a vote has been an affront to Johnson and his leadership team, who essentially lost control of what comes to the House floor as the Republican lawmakers joined Democrats for the workaround.

After last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-signs-government-funding-bill-ending-shutdown-after-record-43-day-disruption-ap-explains-6f25ef5b692c418cbed5bbdb26b796d7">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;failed to resolve the issue, Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on another health care bill that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes.

But after days of discussions, Johnson and the GOP leadership sided with the more conservative wing, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up ACA, which they consider a failed government program. He offered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republican-house-health-care-plan-obamacare-subsidies-208b30670d0486c8d27ceb59c59003e0">modest proposal of health care reforms</a>&nbsp;that was approved, but has stalled.

It was then that rank-and-file lawmakers took matters into their own hands, as many of their constituents faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-aca-speaker-johnson-1087a9f64168d66b2acf9082af16c253">soaring health insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;beginning this month.

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York, signed the Democrats’ petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 needed to force a House vote. All four represent key swing districts whose races will help determine which party takes charge of the House next year.

Trump encourages GOP to take on health care issue

What started as a long shot effort by Democrats to offer a discharge petition has become a political vindication of the Democrats’ government shutdown strategy as they fought to preserve the health care funds.

Democrats are making clear that the higher health insurance costs many Americans are facing will be a political centerpiece of their efforts to retake the majority in the House and Senate in the fall elections.

Trump, during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-house-republicans-meeting-kennedy-center-ad8705ea228a8a4591567fb51f87edb3">lengthy speech</a>&nbsp;this week to House GOP lawmakers, encouraged his party to take control of the health care debate — an issue that has stymied Republicans since he tried, and failed, to repeal Obamacare during his first term.

Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767912685915.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Thursday news conference -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Thursday news conference -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday, 230-196, that would extend&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/%E2%80%9CNo%20matter%20the%20issue,%20if%20the%20House%20puts%20forward%20relatively%20strong,%20bipartisan%20support,%20it%20makes%20it%20easier%20for%20the%20senators%20to%20get%20there.%E2%80%9D">expired health care subsidies</a>&nbsp;for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as renegade GOP lawmakers joined essentially all Democrats in voting for the measure.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> on House Voting to Pass ACA Subsidies 3-year extension bill: “The people&#39;s house has just delivered a decisive victory for the American people ... The cynics said it was impossible to do but where I&#39;m from, difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week.” <a href="https://t.co/wSHz2XSEt0">pic.twitter.com/wSHz2XSEt0</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2009395112497815792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed on to a so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-aca-speaker-johnson-1087a9f64168d66b2acf9082af16c253">“discharge petition”</a>&nbsp;to unlock debate, bypassing objections from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a similar bipartisan compromise.Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-vote-affordable-care-act-obamacare-6ffc1ea9f878c6b3da995589ef8a012c">resolve the standoff</a>&nbsp;over the enhanced tax credits that were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis but expired late last year after no agreement was reached during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-signs-government-funding-bill-ending-shutdown-after-record-43-day-disruption-ap-explains-6f25ef5b692c418cbed5bbdb26b796d7">government shutdown</a>.“The affordability crisis is not a ‘hoax,’ it is very real — despite what Donald Trump has had to say,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, invoking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-affordability-pennsylvania-speech-6a7884b814f448ab6b17b9d924a356ba">the president's remarks</a>.“Democrats made clear before the government was shut down that we were in this affordability fight until we win this affordability fight,” he said. “Today we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step forward.”Ahead of voting, the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbo-big-beautiful-bill-trump-republican-deficit-debt-d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimated that the bill, which would provide a three-year extension of the subsidy, would increase the nation's deficit by about $80.6 billion over the decade. At the same time, it would increase the number of people with health insurance by 100,000 this year, 3 million in 2027, 4 million in 2028 and 1.1 million in 2029, the CBO said.<h2>Growing support for extending ACA subsidies</h2>Johnson, R-La., worked for months to prevent this situation. His office argued Thursday that the federal health care funding from the COVID-19 era is ripe with fraud, pointing to an investigation in Minnesota, and urged a no vote.On the floor, Republicans argued that the subsidies as structured have contributed to fraud and that the chamber should be focused on lowering health insurance costs for the broader population.“Only 7% of the population relies on Obamacare marketplace plans. This chamber should be about helping 100% of Americans,” said Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.While the momentum from the vote shows the growing support for the tax breaks that have helped some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/affordable-care-act-enrollment-subsidies-health-90ad8b27a6693c5aa03a9ca841048479">22 million Americans</a>&nbsp;have access to health insurance, the Senate would be under no requirement to take up the House bill.Instead, a small group of senators from both parties has been working on an alternative plan that could find support in both chambers and become law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that for any plan to find support in his chamber, it will need to have income limits to ensure that the financial aid is focused on those who most need the help. He and other Republicans also want to ensure that beneficiaries would have to at least pay a nominal amount for their coverage.Finally, Thune said there would need to be some expansion of health savings accounts, which allow people to save money and withdraw it tax-free as long as the money is spent on qualified medical expenses.Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is part of the negotiations on reforms and subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, said there is agreement on addressing fraud in health care.“We recognize that we have millions of people in this country who are going to lose — are losing, have lost — their health insurance because they can’t afford the premiums,” Shaheen said. “And so we’re trying to see if we can’t get to some agreement that’s going to help, and the sooner we can do that, the better.”Trump has pushed Republicans to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can bypass the federal government and handle insurance on their own. Democrats largely reject this idea as insufficient for covering the high costs of health care.<h2>Republicans go around their leaders</h2>The action by Republicans to force a vote has been an affront to Johnson and his leadership team, who essentially lost control of what comes to the House floor as the Republican lawmakers joined Democrats for the workaround.After last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-signs-government-funding-bill-ending-shutdown-after-record-43-day-disruption-ap-explains-6f25ef5b692c418cbed5bbdb26b796d7">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;failed to resolve the issue, Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on another health care bill that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes.But after days of discussions, Johnson and the GOP leadership sided with the more conservative wing, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up ACA, which they consider a failed government program. He offered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republican-house-health-care-plan-obamacare-subsidies-208b30670d0486c8d27ceb59c59003e0">modest proposal of health care reforms</a>&nbsp;that was approved, but has stalled.It was then that rank-and-file lawmakers took matters into their own hands, as many of their constituents faced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-aca-speaker-johnson-1087a9f64168d66b2acf9082af16c253">soaring health insurance premiums</a>&nbsp;beginning this month.Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York, signed the Democrats’ petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 needed to force a House vote. All four represent key swing districts whose races will help determine which party takes charge of the House next year.<h2>Trump encourages GOP to take on health care issue</h2>What started as a long shot effort by Democrats to offer a discharge petition has become a political vindication of the Democrats’ government shutdown strategy as they fought to preserve the health care funds.Democrats are making clear that the higher health insurance costs many Americans are facing will be a political centerpiece of their efforts to retake the majority in the House and Senate in the fall elections.Trump, during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-house-republicans-meeting-kennedy-center-ad8705ea228a8a4591567fb51f87edb3">lengthy speech</a>&nbsp;this week to House GOP lawmakers, encouraged his party to take control of the health care debate — an issue that has stymied Republicans since he tried, and failed, to repeal Obamacare during his first term.___Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.

House approves 3-year extension of expired health care subsidies

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting in Kansas City have identified the man who died as 32-year-old Keithlin Royster, according to KCPD Officer Alanya Gonzalez

Just before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting on southbound 71 Highway and Blue River Road.

First responders located a vehicle stopped on the side of the highway and a woman asking for help. At that time, officers observed Royster unresponsive inside of the vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene and pronounce him deceased at that scene.

Preliminary information indicates this may be a road rage incident. It is believed two unidentified men were occupying an unknown vehicle when shots were fired, striking the victim. It is not currently known where the start of the altercation began, and where exactly the shooting occurred. 

A subject of interest turned himself in to police late Wednesday regarding this incident and he was questioned by detectives for further investigation. Detectives are not currently seeking any additional suspects, and the case has been presented to prosecutors for consideration of applicable charges, according to Gonzalez.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767817392964.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged road rage shooting in Kansas City have identified the man who died as 32-year-old Keithlin Royster, according to KCPD Officer Alanya GonzalezJust before 11:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting on southbound 71 Highway and Blue River Road.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767817154645.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located a vehicle stopped on the side of the highway and a woman asking for help. At that time, officers observed Royster unresponsive inside of the vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. EMS responded to the scene and pronounce him deceased at that scene.Preliminary information indicates this may be a road rage incident. It is believed two unidentified men were occupying an unknown vehicle when shots were fired, striking the victim. It is not currently known where the start of the altercation began, and where exactly the shooting occurred. A subject of interest turned himself in to police late Wednesday regarding this incident and he was questioned by detectives for further investigation. Detectives are not currently seeking any additional suspects, and the case has been presented to prosecutors for consideration of applicable charges, according to Gonzalez.

Police: Suspect in deadly KC road-rage killing turns himself in

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jan. 26 marks the official start date of the 2026 tax filing season, when the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. April 15 is the filing deadline to avoid penalties and interest.

Tax season is the annual period when taxpayers prepare and submit their income tax returns for the previous calendar year to the IRS and most U.S. citizens and permanent residents need to file a tax return if they make more than a certain amount of money for the year.

Tax experts, including the IRS’ independent watchdog, have warned that this year’s filing season could be hampered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-doge-layoffs-tax-season-0659e4b439400bf66023273f6a532fa0">loss of tens of thousands of tax collection workers</a>&nbsp;who left the agency through planned layoffs and buyouts spurred by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-irs-bessent-bisignano-e58cfaf2c88299e728d9783c8f5476fa">named to the new role in October</a>, said “the IRS workforce remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission to serve the American taxpaying public. At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season.”

Bisignano is also commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

The IRS will also be responsible for implementing major provisions of Republicans’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions" target="_blank">tax and spending package</a>&nbsp;signed into law last summer. Several provisions in the law retroactively affect the 2025 tax year, likely leading to more questions from taxpayers and requiring the IRS to update tax forms.

“President Trump is committed to the taxpayers of this country and improving upon the successful tax filing season in 2025,” said acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent in a news release. “I am confident in our ability to deliver results and drive growth for businesses and consumers alike.”

The IRS expects to receive roughly 164 million individual income tax returns this year, which is on par with what it received last year.

The average refund amount was $3,167, according to IRS data. Bessent has said on several occasions that the effects of Republican tax law will result in bigger tax refunds in 2026.

The latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-season-irs-audits-watchdog-report-fb5a1ecec7424362e34e9502270f1e21">National Taxpayer Advocate report</a>&nbsp;to Congress published in June states that the IRS workforce has fallen from 102,113 workers at the end of the Biden administration to 75,702. The IRS website does not include the latest employment numbers on the agency’s workforce.

IRS employees involved in last year’s tax season were not allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline of April 15, 2025.

The June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/" target="_blank">National Taxpayer Advocate</a>&nbsp;report to Congress warned that the 2026 season could be rocky.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jan. 26 marks the official start date of the 2026 tax filing season, when the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. April 15 is the filing deadline to avoid penalties and interest.Tax season is the annual period when taxpayers prepare and submit their income tax returns for the previous calendar year to the IRS and most U.S. citizens and permanent residents need to file a tax return if they make more than a certain amount of money for the year.Tax experts, including the IRS’ independent watchdog, have warned that this year’s filing season could be hampered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-doge-layoffs-tax-season-0659e4b439400bf66023273f6a532fa0">loss of tens of thousands of tax collection workers</a>&nbsp;who left the agency through planned layoffs and buyouts spurred by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-irs-bessent-bisignano-e58cfaf2c88299e728d9783c8f5476fa">named to the new role in October</a>, said “the IRS workforce remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission to serve the American taxpaying public. At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season.”Bisignano is also commissioner of the Social Security Administration.The IRS will also be responsible for implementing major provisions of Republicans’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions" target="_blank">tax and spending package</a>&nbsp;signed into law last summer. Several provisions in the law retroactively affect the 2025 tax year, likely leading to more questions from taxpayers and requiring the IRS to update tax forms.“President Trump is committed to the taxpayers of this country and improving upon the successful tax filing season in 2025,” said acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent in a news release. “I am confident in our ability to deliver results and drive growth for businesses and consumers alike.”The IRS expects to receive roughly 164 million individual income tax returns this year, which is on par with what it received last year.The average refund amount was $3,167, according to IRS data. Bessent has said on several occasions that the effects of Republican tax law will result in bigger tax refunds in 2026.The latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-season-irs-audits-watchdog-report-fb5a1ecec7424362e34e9502270f1e21">National Taxpayer Advocate report</a>&nbsp;to Congress published in June states that the IRS workforce has fallen from 102,113 workers at the end of the Biden administration to 75,702. The IRS website does not include the latest employment numbers on the agency’s workforce.IRS employees involved in last year’s tax season were not allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline of April 15, 2025.The June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/" target="_blank">National Taxpayer Advocate</a>&nbsp;report to Congress warned that the 2026 season could be rocky.

IRS announces when they will begin accepting 2025 tax returns

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;ability to conduct further&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">attacks against Venezuela</a>, sounding a note of disapproval for the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-european-union-greenland-denmark-rubio-frederiksen-4d18970667b130d293ccaf4c0d55c300">expanding ambitions</a>&nbsp;in the Western Hemisphere.

Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote tally and ensure a later vote for final passage. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the resolution.

It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the House, but it’s still a significant gesture that shows unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-capture-trump-attack-military-ceb21da088f0a06b1813e66922def9a3">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;in a surprise nighttime raid.

Two Republicans flip on Venezuela war powers resolution vote

The Senate is voting on a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, and the vote tally is looking to be razor-thin.

Two Republicans who previously voted against similar resolutions — Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine — are now voting for the resolution. It’s still not clear what the final vote outcome would be.

A majority vote would set up a later vote on passage for the resolution. It still has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it, but the vote outcome showed how some Republicans are uneasy with the Trump administration’s military action against Venezuela.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767893848066.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran arriving to vote against the resolution-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran arriving to vote against the resolution-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;ability to conduct further&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">attacks against Venezuela</a>, sounding a note of disapproval for the president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-european-union-greenland-denmark-rubio-frederiksen-4d18970667b130d293ccaf4c0d55c300">expanding ambitions</a>&nbsp;in the Western Hemisphere.Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote tally and ensure a later vote for final passage. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the resolution.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/V7DVNISEau">pic.twitter.com/V7DVNISEau</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2009321883444089212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the House, but it’s still a significant gesture that shows unease among some Republicans after the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-capture-trump-attack-military-ceb21da088f0a06b1813e66922def9a3">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;in a surprise nighttime raid.<h2>Two Republicans flip on Venezuela war powers resolution vote</h2>The Senate is voting on a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, and the vote tally is looking to be razor-thin.Two Republicans who previously voted against similar resolutions — Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine — are now voting for the resolution. It’s still not clear what the final vote outcome would be.A majority vote would set up a later vote on passage for the resolution. It still has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it, but the vote outcome showed how some Republicans are uneasy with the Trump administration’s military action against Venezuela.<h2>Some Republicans insist on congressional approval for war</h2>Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally, said on Air Force One on Sunday that he’s comfortable with Trump taking over other countries — including Greenland — without congressional approval. “The commander in chief is the commander in chief. They can use military force,” Graham said.But some others are voicing opposition. Asked whether he’d support putting troops on the ground in Venezuela, Thom Tillis of North Carolina responded: “Not without congressional authorization.”Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, an outspoken proponent of war powers resolutions, acknowledged that Maduro is seen as a “bad guy” and “a socialist and an autocrat.” But, Paul added, “The question is about who has the power to take the country to war?”Paul said Republicans discussed Trump’s plans for Greenland at their Wednesday luncheon and he heard “zero support” for taking military action to seize it.<h2>Sen. Tim Kaine: ‘It’s time for Congress to assert its control over military action of this kind’</h2>“It’s time to get this out of secrecy and put it in the light,” the Virginia Democrat said after forcing a Thursday Senate vote on a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to strike Venezuela militarily again.Kaine said a resolution on Greenland would soon be filed, in addition to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Nigeria.Republican leaders have said they had no advance notification of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-presidential-palace-blowtorches-7969152ae48510003fe9cbde92f3c102">raid early morning Saturday</a>&nbsp;to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, but they’ve backed Trump, and mostly expressed satisfaction this week as top administration officials provided classified briefings on the operation.“I think the president has demonstrated at least already a very strong commitment to peace through strength, especially in this hemisphere,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I think Venezuela got that message loudly and clearly.”