By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, JOSHUA GOODMAN and JOHN HANNA

MAYETTA, Kan. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/potawatomi-illinois-treaty-reservation-805f5030d9abbac93ce3da3cec18a636">Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation</a>, whose ancestors were uprooted by the U.S. from the Great Lakes region in the 1830s, are facing outrage from fellow Native Americans over plans to profit from another forced removal: President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-family-separation-law-enforcement-detention-deportation-76e1c6239c1522aae010590195f97db3">mass deportation campaign</a>.

A newly established tribal business entity quietly signed a nearly $30 million federal contract in October to come up with an early design for immigrant detention centers across the U.S. Amid the backlash, the tribe says it's trying to get out of it.

Tribal leaders and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security haven’t responded to detailed questions about why the firm was selected for such a big contract without having to compete for the work as federal contracting normally requires. A former naval officer — who markets himself as the “go-to" adviser for tribes and affiliated companies seeking to land federal contracts — established the affiliate, KPB Services LLC, in April.

The criticism has been so intense that the 4,500-member tribe said it fired the economic development leaders who brokered the deal.

“We are known across the nation now as traitors and treasonous to another race of people,” said Ray Rice, a 74-year-old who said he and other tribal members were blindsided. “We are brown and they’re brown.”

Tribal Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick promised “full transparency” about what he described as an “evolving situation." In a video message to tribal members Friday, he said the tribe is talking with legal counsel about ways to end the contract.

He alluded to the time when federal agents forcibly removed hundreds of Prairie Band Potawatomi families from their homes and ultimately corralled them on a reservation just north of Topeka.

“We know our Indian reservations were the government’s first attempts at detention centers,” Rupnick said in the video message. “We were placed here because we were prisoners of war. So we must ask ourselves why we would ever participate in something that mirrors the harm and the trauma once done to our people.”

The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-stops-los-angeles-trump-57cc1f85ceafda0f11052b326c8b7173">cleared the way in September for federal agents</a>&nbsp;to conduct sweeping immigration raids and use apparent ethnicity as a relevant factor for a stop. With some Native Americans being swept up and detained in recent raids, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s overtures to tribes and even longstanding deals are generating extra scrutiny.

An LLC owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama also has a multimillion dollar contract with ICE to provide financial and administrative services. Meanwhile, some shareholders of an Alaska Native corporation say their values don't align with the corporation's federal contracting division, Akima, to provide security at several ICE detention facilities.

“I’m shocked that there is any tribal nation that’s willing to assist the U.S. government in that,” said Brittany McKane, a 29-year-old Muscogee Nation citizen who attends the tribe’s college in Oklahoma.

Some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-lawsuit-miccosukee-tribe-florida-immigration-164069ac7e4cddc1f7278b218b9cf8f7">tribal nations</a>&nbsp;have advised their citizens to carry tribal IDs.

Last month, actor Elaine Miles said she was stopped by ICE agents who alleged her ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon was fake.

Economic pressure increases as federal funding decreases

The economic arms of tribes, which can be run by non-Natives, are under increasing pressure to generate revenue because of decreased&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-donald-trump-es-joe-biden-education-funding-jeff-merkley-7ab2ffa8bcd98a0ddff8c513b684a2ee">federal funding</a>, high inflation and competition from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-online-sports-gambling-c96b4565db5d99dee96be0530f8af473">online gambling</a>, said Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights attorney based in Seattle.

But the economic opportunities presented to tribes don't always align with their values, said Galanda, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in northern California.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi has a range of businesses that provide health care management staffing, general contracting and even interior design.

The tribal offshoot hired by ICE — KPB Services LLC — was established in Holton, Kansas, and is not listed on the tribe's website. It previously qualified along with dozens of other companies to provide logistical support to the U.S. Navy although, to date, it hasn't performed any work for the federal government.

The ICE contract initially was awarded in October for $19 million for unspecified “due diligence and concept designs” for processing centers and detention centers throughout the U.S., according to a one-sentence description of the work on the federal government's real time contracting database. It was modified a month later to increase the payout ceiling to $29.9 million. Sole-source contracts above $30 million require additional justification under federal contracting rules.

The contract raises a number of questions and seems to go against the Trump administration's stated of goal of cleaning up waste, fraud and abuse, said Attorney Joshua Schnell, who specializes in federal contracting law.

“The public’s trust in the federal procurement system depends on transparency and competition,” said Schnell. “Although there is a role within this system for multimillion dollar sole-source contracts, these contracts are an exception to statutory competition requirements, and taxpayers are entitled to know how the government is spending their money.”

Backlash swift as news about the ICE contract spread

It's unclear what the Tribal Council knew about the contract. A spokesperson for the Tribal Council did not respond to repeated requests from the AP for details, including who was terminated.

What is known is that KPB was registered by Ernest C. Woodward Jr., a retired U.S. naval officer with degrees in engineering and business who is a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, according to a website for his one-time consulting firm, Burton Woodward Partners LLC.

The website described Woodward as a serial entrepreneur and tribal adviser on mergers and acquisitions, accessing capital and landing federal contracts. The consulting firm was registered to an office park in Sarasota, Florida, in 2017 but was delisted two years later after it failed to file an annual report.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in a 2017 news release said Woodward’s firm advised it on its acquisition of another government contractor, Mill Creek LLC, which specializes in outfitting federal buildings and the military with office furniture and medical equipment.

Woodward also is listed as the chief operating officer of the Florida branch of Prairie Band Construction Inc., which was registered in September.

Attempts to locate Woodward were unsuccessful. The phone number listed on Burton Woodward Partners was disconnected, and he did not respond to an email sent to another consulting firm he’s affiliated with, Virginia-based Chinkapin Partners LLC.

Carole Cadue-Blackwood, who has Prairie Band Potawatomi ancestry and is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, hopes the contract dies. She has been part of the fight against an ICE detention center opening in Leavenworth, Kansas, and works for a social service agency for Native Americans.

“I’m in just utter disbelief that this has happened," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765665971387.png" alt="A sign on a road off of U.S. Highway 75 welcomes motorists to the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation, outside Mayetta, Kan., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Hanna)" />
 <figcaption>A sign on a road off of U.S. Highway 75 welcomes motorists to the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation, outside Mayetta, Kan., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Hanna)</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, JOSHUA GOODMAN and JOHN HANNAMAYETTA, Kan. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/potawatomi-illinois-treaty-reservation-805f5030d9abbac93ce3da3cec18a636">Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation</a>, whose ancestors were uprooted by the U.S. from the Great Lakes region in the 1830s, are facing outrage from fellow Native Americans over plans to profit from another forced removal: President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-family-separation-law-enforcement-detention-deportation-76e1c6239c1522aae010590195f97db3">mass deportation campaign</a>.A newly established tribal business entity quietly signed a nearly $30 million federal contract in October to come up with an early design for immigrant detention centers across the U.S. Amid the backlash, the tribe says it's trying to get out of it.Tribal leaders and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security haven’t responded to detailed questions about why the firm was selected for such a big contract without having to compete for the work as federal contracting normally requires. A former naval officer — who markets himself as the “go-to" adviser for tribes and affiliated companies seeking to land federal contracts — established the affiliate, KPB Services LLC, in April.The criticism has been so intense that the 4,500-member tribe said it fired the economic development leaders who brokered the deal.“We are known across the nation now as traitors and treasonous to another race of people,” said Ray Rice, a 74-year-old who said he and other tribal members were blindsided. “We are brown and they’re brown.”<h2>ICE deals with tribes generate scrutiny</h2>Tribal Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick promised “full transparency” about what he described as an “evolving situation." In a video message to tribal members Friday, he said the tribe is talking with legal counsel about ways to end the contract.He alluded to the time when federal agents forcibly removed hundreds of Prairie Band Potawatomi families from their homes and ultimately corralled them on a reservation just north of Topeka.“We know our Indian reservations were the government’s first attempts at detention centers,” Rupnick said in the video message. “We were placed here because we were prisoners of war. So we must ask ourselves why we would ever participate in something that mirrors the harm and the trauma once done to our people.”The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-stops-los-angeles-trump-57cc1f85ceafda0f11052b326c8b7173">cleared the way in September for federal agents</a>&nbsp;to conduct sweeping immigration raids and use apparent ethnicity as a relevant factor for a stop. With some Native Americans being swept up and detained in recent raids, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s overtures to tribes and even longstanding deals are generating extra scrutiny.An LLC owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama also has a multimillion dollar contract with ICE to provide financial and administrative services. Meanwhile, some shareholders of an Alaska Native corporation say their values don't align with the corporation's federal contracting division, Akima, to provide security at several ICE detention facilities.“I’m shocked that there is any tribal nation that’s willing to assist the U.S. government in that,” said Brittany McKane, a 29-year-old Muscogee Nation citizen who attends the tribe’s college in Oklahoma.Some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alligator-alcatraz-lawsuit-miccosukee-tribe-florida-immigration-164069ac7e4cddc1f7278b218b9cf8f7">tribal nations</a>&nbsp;have advised their citizens to carry tribal IDs.Last month, actor Elaine Miles said she was stopped by ICE agents who alleged her ID from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon was fake.<h2>Economic pressure increases as federal funding decreases</h2>The economic arms of tribes, which can be run by non-Natives, are under increasing pressure to generate revenue because of decreased&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-donald-trump-es-joe-biden-education-funding-jeff-merkley-7ab2ffa8bcd98a0ddff8c513b684a2ee">federal funding</a>, high inflation and competition from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-online-sports-gambling-c96b4565db5d99dee96be0530f8af473">online gambling</a>, said Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights attorney based in Seattle.But the economic opportunities presented to tribes don't always align with their values, said Galanda, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in northern California.The Prairie Band Potawatomi has a range of businesses that provide health care management staffing, general contracting and even interior design.The tribal offshoot hired by ICE — KPB Services LLC — was established in Holton, Kansas, and is not listed on the tribe's website. It previously qualified along with dozens of other companies to provide logistical support to the U.S. Navy although, to date, it hasn't performed any work for the federal government.The ICE contract initially was awarded in October for $19 million for unspecified “due diligence and concept designs” for processing centers and detention centers throughout the U.S., according to a one-sentence description of the work on the federal government's real time contracting database. It was modified a month later to increase the payout ceiling to $29.9 million. Sole-source contracts above $30 million require additional justification under federal contracting rules.The contract raises a number of questions and seems to go against the Trump administration's stated of goal of cleaning up waste, fraud and abuse, said Attorney Joshua Schnell, who specializes in federal contracting law.“The public’s trust in the federal procurement system depends on transparency and competition,” said Schnell. “Although there is a role within this system for multimillion dollar sole-source contracts, these contracts are an exception to statutory competition requirements, and taxpayers are entitled to know how the government is spending their money.”<h2>Backlash swift as news about the ICE contract spread</h2>It's unclear what the Tribal Council knew about the contract. A spokesperson for the Tribal Council did not respond to repeated requests from the AP for details, including who was terminated.What is known is that KPB was registered by Ernest C. Woodward Jr., a retired U.S. naval officer with degrees in engineering and business who is a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, according to a website for his one-time consulting firm, Burton Woodward Partners LLC.The website described Woodward as a serial entrepreneur and tribal adviser on mergers and acquisitions, accessing capital and landing federal contracts. The consulting firm was registered to an office park in Sarasota, Florida, in 2017 but was delisted two years later after it failed to file an annual report.The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in a 2017 news release said Woodward’s firm advised it on its acquisition of another government contractor, Mill Creek LLC, which specializes in outfitting federal buildings and the military with office furniture and medical equipment.Woodward also is listed as the chief operating officer of the Florida branch of Prairie Band Construction Inc., which was registered in September.Attempts to locate Woodward were unsuccessful. The phone number listed on Burton Woodward Partners was disconnected, and he did not respond to an email sent to another consulting firm he’s affiliated with, Virginia-based Chinkapin Partners LLC.Carole Cadue-Blackwood, who has Prairie Band Potawatomi ancestry and is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, hopes the contract dies. She has been part of the fight against an ICE detention center opening in Leavenworth, Kansas, and works for a social service agency for Native Americans.“I’m in just utter disbelief that this has happened," she said.

Native Americans in Kan. draw shocked response over contract to design immigration detention centers

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a deadly shooting in Ford County.

Just before 6p.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies responded to a home north of Dodge City, according to a media release. First responders including Dodge City Police and Ford County EMS found a man dead from a gunshot wound.

Investigators are questioning those who were inside the home. The sheriff's office has not reported an arrest or additional details including the name of the victim.

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a deadly shooting in Ford County.Just before 6p.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies responded to a home north of Dodge City, according to a media release. First responders including Dodge City Police and Ford County EMS found a man dead from a gunshot wound.Investigators are questioning those who were inside the home. The sheriff's office has not reported an arrest or additional details including the name of the victim.

Sheriff investigating deadly shooting in southwest Kansas

The billion-dollar Powerball® jackpot is on the rise. The jackpot has reached an estimated $1.1 billion for Monday night’s drawing, with an estimated cash value of $503.4 million, according to a statement from the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Monday’s jackpot ranks as the sixth largest in Powerball history.

“This jackpot streak is bringing people together to dream big during this festive time of year,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “Please play responsibly. Just one $2 Powerball® ticket gives you a chance to win this jackpot while also supporting good causes in your community.”

The Powerball jackpot rolled last night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 1, 28, 31, 57, 58 and red Powerball 16. The Power Play® multiplier was 2X.

Although there was no jackpot winner, U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many may still have won cash prizes.

Nationwide, seven tickets won cash prizes worth $1 million or more in last night’s Powerball® drawing. Five tickets, sold in California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia, matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes.

Two tickets, sold in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, matched all five white balls and, because the players added the Power Play® option for $1 more, the $1 million prize increased to $2 million for each ticket.

The drawing also produced 49 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 12 tickets that won $100,000 prizes.

Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets, sold in Colorado and North Carolina, each won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>&nbsp;following the main Powerball drawing.

Monday’s Powerball drawing will be the 43rd in the current jackpot run, setting a game record for most consecutive drawings in a single jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.

If a player wins Monday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $503.4 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.

Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

The billion-dollar Powerball® jackpot is on the rise. The jackpot has reached an estimated $1.1 billion for Monday night’s drawing, with an estimated cash value of $503.4 million, according to a statement from the Multi-State Lottery Association.Monday’s jackpot ranks as the sixth largest in Powerball history.“This jackpot streak is bringing people together to dream big during this festive time of year,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “Please play responsibly. Just one $2 Powerball® ticket gives you a chance to win this jackpot while also supporting good causes in your community.”The Powerball jackpot rolled last night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 1, 28, 31, 57, 58 and red Powerball 16. The Power Play® multiplier was 2X.Although there was no jackpot winner, U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many may still have won cash prizes.Nationwide, seven tickets won cash prizes worth $1 million or more in last night’s Powerball® drawing. Five tickets, sold in California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia, matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes.Two tickets, sold in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, matched all five white balls and, because the players added the Power Play® option for $1 more, the $1 million prize increased to $2 million for each ticket.The drawing also produced 49 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 12 tickets that won $100,000 prizes.Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets, sold in Colorado and North Carolina, each won a $500,000 prize after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. Double Play drawings are live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>&nbsp;following the main Powerball drawing.Monday’s Powerball drawing will be the 43rd in the current jackpot run, setting a game record for most consecutive drawings in a single jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.If a player wins Monday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.1 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $503.4 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powerball.com/watch-drawing">Powerball.com</a>.The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.Top Ten Powerball® Jackpots<ol>
 <li>$2.04 Billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA</li><li>$1.787 Billion – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX</li><li>$1.765 Billion – Oct. 11, 2023 - CA</li><li>$1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN</li><li>$1.326 Billion – April 6, 2024 – OR</li><li>$1.1 Billion est. – Dec. 15, 2025</li><li>$1.08 Billion – July 19, 2023 – CA</li><li>$842.4 Million – January 1, 2024 – MI</li><li>$768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI</li><li>$758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA</li>
 </ol>

Powerball jackpot grows to 6th largest in history after Saturday drawing

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A southwestern Kansas county plans to sue the state for more than $2 million after nearly a decade of mistaken payments, mounting concern for democratic processes.

Voters in Morton County, which borders the Oklahoma panhandle and Colorado, approved a countywide sales tax in 2015 that directed funds to their local hospital. But an early administrative error that the county tried to fix resulted in the Kansas Department of Revenue sending checks to the county’s cities, which spent the money.

The hospital was short more than $1.8 million over those nine years, and the county took on new debt as it tried to cover the struggling hospital’s missing costs, according to the commissioners. In addition to the misappropriated payments, the county is suing the revenue department for an additional $295,000 to pay for the interest and legal fees from the new debt.

Morton County’s board of commissioners decided Monday it “will not compromise on recovering the full $2,152,421.36 and ensuring the financial future of our hospital,” the board said in a Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://mtcoks.com/" target="_blank">announcement</a>.

“The liability rests with the state of Kansas,” said the board, which comprises commissioners Ed Anderson, Jim Tucker and chairman J.W. Finn.

The revenue department declined to comment because of the involvement of litigation, said Zach Denney, a department spokesperson.

At a Dec. 2 legislative hearing in Topeka, the department’s chief counsel, Ted Smith, said the department fixed the sales tax revenue’s appropriation earlier this year, following an opinion from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office that underlined the voters’ intent to give funds to the hospital.&nbsp;

The hospital began receiving full checks after ten years of partial funds.&nbsp;

The Morton County attorney, David Thompson, tried at the hearing to make a claim against the state to recover the funds through a legislative process. But lawmakers did not immediately accept. The committee arrived at two options. Legislators said they could forward the issue to a larger group of lawmakers, who would take it up in January, or the county could take legal action.&nbsp;

The county had yet to file a lawsuit as of Thursday.

As passed, Morton County voters approved a general sales tax provision instead of one specifically for health care services because of a clerical error. The question on voters’ ballots cited the wrong subparagraph in state law. As it was voted on, Smith said, the department was bound by statute to formulaically distribute the sales tax revenue to Morton County and its three cities.

The county fixed the error within months, passing ordinances to divert the sales tax revenue to the county, which would then be passed along to the local hospital.

But the department continued to send checks as was dictated by the initial wording. The county gave the money it received to the hospital, but the cities, who have not been involved in the county’s efforts to reclaim the funds, spent their checks.&nbsp;

The board of commissioners emphasized unity over conflict between the county and its cities — Elkhart, Rolla and Richfield — which the board said “were simply the unintended recipients of checks sent monthly by the state agency.”

“The county views our municipalities as essential partners, not as adversaries,” the board said.

The department had known about the mistake a decade ago.&nbsp;

Thompson, the county attorney, said at the legislative hearing that it was staff at the state revenue department who advised the county on how to fix its initial error. But the department said it must abide by the statute to which an issue is tied, as a matter of policy.

“The result of this policy can be classified as nothing less than administrative voter nullification and is repugnant to our democratic processes,” the county commissioners said.

In hindsight, Smith said, the county should have taken the issue to court in 2015.

“If anything unfortunate happened back in 2015, (it) is when Morton County and the Department of Revenue (were) dealing with this issue after the vote,” Smith said. “I think both parties sort of just shrugged their shoulders.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765663630160.png" alt=" Morton County attorney David Thompson, left, and counsel for the Kansas Department of Revenue Ted Smith, right, tell legislators at a Dec. 2, 2025, meeting in Topeka, Kansas, that the state and county knew of a mistake in local sales tax revenue distribution, but it took ten years to correct it. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption> Morton County attorney David Thompson, left, and counsel for the Kansas Department of Revenue Ted Smith, right, tell legislators at a Dec. 2, 2025, meeting in Topeka, Kansas, that the state and county knew of a mistake in local sales tax revenue distribution, but it took ten years to correct it. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A southwestern Kansas county plans to sue the state for more than $2 million after nearly a decade of mistaken payments, mounting concern for democratic processes.Voters in Morton County, which borders the Oklahoma panhandle and Colorado, approved a countywide sales tax in 2015 that directed funds to their local hospital. But an early administrative error that the county tried to fix resulted in the Kansas Department of Revenue sending checks to the county’s cities, which spent the money.The hospital was short more than $1.8 million over those nine years, and the county took on new debt as it tried to cover the struggling hospital’s missing costs, according to the commissioners. In addition to the misappropriated payments, the county is suing the revenue department for an additional $295,000 to pay for the interest and legal fees from the new debt.Morton County’s board of commissioners decided Monday it “will not compromise on recovering the full $2,152,421.36 and ensuring the financial future of our hospital,” the board said in a Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://mtcoks.com/" target="_blank">announcement</a>.The county was emphatic.“The liability rests with the state of Kansas,” said the board, which comprises commissioners Ed Anderson, Jim Tucker and chairman J.W. Finn.The revenue department declined to comment because of the involvement of litigation, said Zach Denney, a department spokesperson.At a Dec. 2 legislative hearing in Topeka, the department’s chief counsel, Ted Smith, said the department fixed the sales tax revenue’s appropriation earlier this year, following an opinion from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office that underlined the voters’ intent to give funds to the hospital.&nbsp;The hospital began receiving full checks after ten years of partial funds.&nbsp;The Morton County attorney, David Thompson, tried at the hearing to make a claim against the state to recover the funds through a legislative process. But lawmakers did not immediately accept. The committee arrived at two options. Legislators said they could forward the issue to a larger group of lawmakers, who would take it up in January, or the county could take legal action.&nbsp;The county had yet to file a lawsuit as of Thursday.<h2>Costly shoulder shrugging</h2>As passed, Morton County voters approved a general sales tax provision instead of one specifically for health care services because of a clerical error. The question on voters’ ballots cited the wrong subparagraph in state law. As it was voted on, Smith said, the department was bound by statute to formulaically distribute the sales tax revenue to Morton County and its three cities.The county fixed the error within months, passing ordinances to divert the sales tax revenue to the county, which would then be passed along to the local hospital.But the department continued to send checks as was dictated by the initial wording. The county gave the money it received to the hospital, but the cities, who have not been involved in the county’s efforts to reclaim the funds, spent their checks.&nbsp;The board of commissioners emphasized unity over conflict between the county and its cities — Elkhart, Rolla and Richfield — which the board said “were simply the unintended recipients of checks sent monthly by the state agency.”“The county views our municipalities as essential partners, not as adversaries,” the board said.The department had known about the mistake a decade ago.&nbsp;Thompson, the county attorney, said at the legislative hearing that it was staff at the state revenue department who advised the county on how to fix its initial error. But the department said it must abide by the statute to which an issue is tied, as a matter of policy.“The result of this policy can be classified as nothing less than administrative voter nullification and is repugnant to our democratic processes,” the county commissioners said.In hindsight, Smith said, the county should have taken the issue to court in 2015.“If anything unfortunate happened back in 2015, (it) is when Morton County and the Department of Revenue (were) dealing with this issue after the vote,” Smith said. “I think both parties sort of just shrugged their shoulders.”

Small Kansas county to sue state for $2M meant for local hospital

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police in Rhode Island said early Sunday that they had a person of interest in custody over the shooting at Brown University campus that killed two people and wounded nine others.

Police spokesperson Kristy dosReis confirmed the information. A news conference was called for 7 a.m. to provide more details.

Hundreds of police officers had been scouring the Brown University campus along with nearby neighborhoods and poring over video in the hunt for the shooter who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-active-shooter-c7c9d1c7da19a76c2a27685c7e63d6da">opened fire in a classroom</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/brown-university-shooting-photos-9b517a673845e52fd9a91eea40ece6e4">The shooting erupted</a>&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams.

Surveillance video released by police shows the suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away from the scene. His face is not visible and investigators said it wasn't clear whether the suspect is a student.

The suspect was last seen leaving the engineering building and some witnesses told police the suspect, who could be in his 30s, may have been wearing a camouflage mask, Providence Police Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said.

University President Christina Paxson said she was told 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting but it was not clear if the victim was a student, she said.

The search for the shooter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deadly-campus-shootings-aea218f6d4d2b1fea4a0fc38160b1c17">paralyzed the campus</a>, the nearby neighborhoods filled with stately brick homes and the downtown in Rhode Island's capital city. Streets normally bustling with activity on weekends were eerily quiet.

Students sheltered in place for hours into the night. Officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom. Outer doors of the building were unlocked but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

He encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside or not return home until a shelter-in-place order was lifted.

“The Brown community’s heart is breaking and Providence’s heart is breaking along with it,” Smiley said.

Authorities believe the shooter used a handgun, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee vowed that all resources were being deployed to catch the suspect. Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S.

Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were not getting worse and two were stable, hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan said.

Engineering design exams were underway when the shooting occurred in the Barus &amp; Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she sheltered for several hours.

Former ‘Survivor’ contestant just left the building

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/neurodiversity-alliance-x-games-alex-hackel-survivor-eva-erickson-c86492878ab0a3c774808ce98ec9d290">Eva Erickson</a>, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was working on a final research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside.

“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as armed officers surrounded his dorm.

Students in a nearby lab turned off the lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert about the shooting, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away from the scene.

Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City, was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.

Brown, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing and other fees run to nearly $100,000 per year, according to the university.

Associated Press journalists Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police in Rhode Island said early Sunday that they had a person of interest in custody over the shooting at Brown University campus that killed two people and wounded nine others.Police spokesperson Kristy dosReis confirmed the information. A news conference was called for 7 a.m. to provide more details.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F841246018776308%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Hundreds of police officers had been scouring the Brown University campus along with nearby neighborhoods and poring over video in the hunt for the shooter who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brown-university-active-shooter-c7c9d1c7da19a76c2a27685c7e63d6da">opened fire in a classroom</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/brown-university-shooting-photos-9b517a673845e52fd9a91eea40ece6e4">The shooting erupted</a>&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in the engineering building of the Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, during final exams.Surveillance video released by police shows the suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away from the scene. His face is not visible and investigators said it wasn't clear whether the suspect is a student.The suspect was last seen leaving the engineering building and some witnesses told police the suspect, who could be in his 30s, may have been wearing a camouflage mask, Providence Police Deputy Chief Timothy O’Hara said.University President Christina Paxson said she was told 10 people who were shot were students. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting but it was not clear if the victim was a student, she said.The search for the shooter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deadly-campus-shootings-aea218f6d4d2b1fea4a0fc38160b1c17">paralyzed the campus</a>, the nearby neighborhoods filled with stately brick homes and the downtown in Rhode Island's capital city. Streets normally bustling with activity on weekends were eerily quiet.Students sheltered in place for hours into the night. Officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center where they waited. Others arrived at the shelter on buses without jackets or any belongings.<h2>Mayor advised people to stay home</h2>Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom. Outer doors of the building were unlocked but rooms being used for final exams required badge access, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.He encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside or not return home until a shelter-in-place order was lifted.“The Brown community’s heart is breaking and Providence’s heart is breaking along with it,” Smiley said.Authorities believe the shooter used a handgun, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.Democratic Gov. Dan McKee vowed that all resources were being deployed to catch the suspect. Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S.Nine people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where one was in critical condition. Six required intensive care but were not getting worse and two were stable, hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan said.<h2>Exams were underway during shooting</h2>Engineering design exams were underway when the shooting occurred in the Barus &amp; Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she sheltered for several hours.<h2>Former ‘Survivor’ contestant just left the building</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/neurodiversity-alliance-x-games-alex-hackel-survivor-eva-erickson-c86492878ab0a3c774808ce98ec9d290">Eva Erickson</a>, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was working on a final research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside.“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as armed officers surrounded his dorm.<h2>Students hid under desks</h2>Students in a nearby lab turned off the lights and hid under desks after receiving an alert about the shooting, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away from the scene.Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City, was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.Brown, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students. Tuition, housing and other fees run to nearly $100,000 per year, according to the university.___Associated Press journalists Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Seung Min Kim in Washington, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

Person of interest in custody for Brown University deadly shooting

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges for a shooting that took place in a parking lot over the summer.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2779/Marshall-Complaint-Red">Marvillie Marshall</a>&nbsp;,19, is charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 2nd Degree Assault, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2780/Marshall-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, a business reported to Kansas City police that a shooting had been captured on their surveillance cameras on June 29. Detectives reviewed the footage and saw about 150 vehicles in and around the business parking lot, then observed firearm muzzle flashes from two different guns. As people ran to their vehicles, a man, later identified as Marshall, wearing a gray hoodie, black Nike shoes, black jeans, and a full-face mask appeared from the top of the screen, running and hopping from east to west through the parking lot, shooting over multiple vehicles and about two dozen uninvolved parties.

 It appeared he was shooting with his left hand because his right hand looked injured, wrapped with medical supplies.&nbsp;

There were more than 100 shell casings recovered from the scene. There were no reported injuries.

Detectives were able to identify Marshall through social media, as he had a post with the exact clothing he was wearing during the incident and detectives had access to multiple videos of Marshall's injured arm/hand wrapped with the same medical supplies from the surveillance video.&nbsp;

Marshall had previously been identified by SAVE KC, but did not attend a call-in.&nbsp;

A Jackson County judge set a $25,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765560813883.png" alt="Marshall photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Marshall photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces charges for a shooting that took place in a parking lot over the summer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2779/Marshall-Complaint-Red">Marvillie Marshall</a>&nbsp;,19, is charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and 2nd Degree Assault, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2780/Marshall-REDACT-PC">According to court records</a>, a business reported to Kansas City police that a shooting had been captured on their surveillance cameras on June 29. Detectives reviewed the footage and saw about 150 vehicles in and around the business parking lot, then observed firearm muzzle flashes from two different guns. As people ran to their vehicles, a man, later identified as Marshall, wearing a gray hoodie, black Nike shoes, black jeans, and a full-face mask appeared from the top of the screen, running and hopping from east to west through the parking lot, shooting over multiple vehicles and about two dozen uninvolved parties. It appeared he was shooting with his left hand because his right hand looked injured, wrapped with medical supplies.&nbsp;There were more than 100 shell casings recovered from the scene. There were no reported injuries.Detectives were able to identify Marshall through social media, as he had a post with the exact clothing he was wearing during the incident and detectives had access to multiple videos of Marshall's injured arm/hand wrapped with the same medical supplies from the surveillance video.&nbsp;Marshall had previously been identified by SAVE KC, but did not attend a call-in.&nbsp;A Jackson County judge set a $25,000 cash-only bond.&nbsp;

Social media helped police ID Kansas City parking lot shooting suspect

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 11a.m. on December 7,&nbsp;a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Hyundai Sonata that was heading southbound on U.S. Highway 75 near 126th Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The driver of the vehicle, D’Angelo Martez Crosby, 44, of Sabetha, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.

The passenger, Debbie Diane Shefferd, 68, of Sabetha, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765676785661.png" alt="Crosby photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Crosby photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after 11a.m. on December 7,&nbsp;a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Hyundai Sonata that was heading southbound on U.S. Highway 75 near 126th Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The driver of the vehicle, D’Angelo Martez Crosby, 44, of Sabetha, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765676767563.png" alt="Shefferd photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Shefferd photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The passenger, Debbie Diane Shefferd, 68, of Sabetha, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas couple caught transporting cocaine, marijuana 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man who admitted he stole and desroyed a decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita is going to prison.

On Friday, a Sedgwick County District Pro Tem Judge sentenced 38-year-old Gordon Pierce to 53 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; In October he pleaded guilty to felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property, according to the district attorney's office.

On April 3, police were notified of the theft of the decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita, according to Officer Brad Wright.

Wichita Police immediately notified&nbsp; Patrol Officers, Property Crimes Task Force Officers and Detectives. Around 5:00pm police located the cannon at a residence in the 2000 Block of N Woodland. The cannon was significantly damaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;This cannon was gifted to the City in 1900 and was a priceless fixture in the community.

The investigation led to the identification of Pierce as the suspect and he was arrested in the 2300 block of N Amidon in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;

In addition to the more than four years in prison he is also required to&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;pay $320,500 in restitution to the City of Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743766394986.png" alt="Pierce photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Pierce photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man who admitted he stole and desroyed a decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita is going to prison.On Friday, a Sedgwick County District Pro Tem Judge sentenced 38-year-old Gordon Pierce to 53 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; In October he pleaded guilty to felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property, according to the district attorney's office.On April 3, police were notified of the theft of the decorative cannon from the Spanish American War Memorial in Riverside Park in Wichita, according to Officer Brad Wright.Wichita Police immediately notified&nbsp; Patrol Officers, Property Crimes Task Force Officers and Detectives. Around 5:00pm police located the cannon at a residence in the 2000 Block of N Woodland. The cannon was significantly damaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;This cannon was gifted to the City in 1900 and was a priceless fixture in the community.The investigation led to the identification of Pierce as the suspect and he was arrested in the 2300 block of N Amidon in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;In addition to the more than four years in prison he is also required to&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;pay $320,500 in restitution to the City of Wichita.

Prison for Kan. man who stole and destroyed priceless cannon

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed and three other people wounded in an ambush on Saturday by a lone member of the Islamic State group in central&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/syria">Syria</a>, the the U.S. military’s Central Command said.

The attack on U.S. troops in Syria is the first to inflict casualties since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago.

Central Command said in a post on X that as a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.

U.S. Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;posted on X: “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

The shooting took place near historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/syria-palmyra-ruins-historic-site-heritage-8f47dbe20c64a3de99cec50ad2a06680">Palmyra</a>, according to the state-run SANA news agency, which earlier said two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-base-syria-drone-attacks-0909cb5b2717963dfd6c4e93522c5ae8">al-Tanf garrison</a>&nbsp;near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

SANA said the attacker was killed, without providing further details.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.

The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-caliphate-10th-anniversary-iraq-syria-e25a9ca36ef9c0ed8f743ac9584d50f9">Islamic State</a>&nbsp;group.

Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-coalition-islamic-state-79ceed4666aef43465221734fca899d5">Syria joined</a>&nbsp;the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-anniversary-assad-fall-a22746c8b8351b02d77cb62a6260c87e"></a>when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.

The U.S. had no diplomatic relations with Syria under Assad, but ties have warmed since the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule. The interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-syria-sharaa-first-visit-cf01c5d6c9af7e47ec0bae585634d845">historic visit</a>&nbsp;to Washington last month where he held talks with President Donald Trump.

IS was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019 but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country. The United Nations says the group still has between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-fighters-syria-iraq-875d5ee8a0978f3b28aeec210b33cd5f">5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq</a>.

U.S. troops, which have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria — including Al-Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs — to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij when a blast killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians as well as others from Syria while conducting a patrol.

By SAMAR KASSABALI and BASSEM MROUEDAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed and three other people wounded in an ambush on Saturday by a lone member of the Islamic State group in central&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/syria">Syria</a>, the the U.S. military’s Central Command said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> addresses the ISIS attack on U.S. forces in Syria: “We mourn the loss of 3 great patriots in Syria… we pray for them, and their parents, and their loved ones… We will retaliate.” <a href="https://t.co/S3BA8zxKAt">pic.twitter.com/S3BA8zxKAt</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1999919394495906290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well. This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous… <a href="https://t.co/uK3t5dlMfL">pic.twitter.com/uK3t5dlMfL</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1999917084424249674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces. Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. <a href="https://t.co/P7D9NrWpAL">https://t.co/P7D9NrWpAL</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1999882265355227392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The attack on U.S. troops in Syria is the first to inflict casualties since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago.Central Command said in a post on X that as a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.U.S. Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;posted on X: “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”The shooting took place near historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/syria-palmyra-ruins-historic-site-heritage-8f47dbe20c64a3de99cec50ad2a06680">Palmyra</a>, according to the state-run SANA news agency, which earlier said two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-base-syria-drone-attacks-0909cb5b2717963dfd6c4e93522c5ae8">al-Tanf garrison</a>&nbsp;near the border with Iraq and Jordan.SANA said the attacker was killed, without providing further details.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-caliphate-10th-anniversary-iraq-syria-e25a9ca36ef9c0ed8f743ac9584d50f9">Islamic State</a>&nbsp;group.Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-coalition-islamic-state-79ceed4666aef43465221734fca899d5">Syria joined</a>&nbsp;the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-anniversary-assad-fall-a22746c8b8351b02d77cb62a6260c87e"></a>when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.The U.S. had no diplomatic relations with Syria under Assad, but ties have warmed since the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule. The interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-syria-sharaa-first-visit-cf01c5d6c9af7e47ec0bae585634d845">historic visit</a>&nbsp;to Washington last month where he held talks with President Donald Trump.IS was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019 but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country. The United Nations says the group still has between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-fighters-syria-iraq-875d5ee8a0978f3b28aeec210b33cd5f">5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq</a>.U.S. troops, which have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria — including Al-Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs — to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij when a blast killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians as well as others from Syria while conducting a patrol.____Mroue reported from Beirut.

Trump responds on Isis ambush that killed US soldiers in Syria

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rod-mcguirk">ROD MCGUIRK</a>

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Riley Allen, a 15-year-old schoolboy living on an Outback sheep ranch, doesn’t know how he’ll keep in touch with his circle of far-flung friends once Australia’s world-first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">social media ban</a>&nbsp;takes effect on Wednesday.

Riley’s family lives 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Wudinna, a community of just over 1,000 in South Australia state. But some of his school friends live as far as 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.

“I don’t think the impact will be very positive for us. We don’t have a lot out here to get in contact with each other,” Riley said.

“I’m not sure how we’re going to keep in touch over the holidays with each other,” he said, referring to the Southern Hemisphere summer break that starts on Thursday.

Riley and others younger than 16 will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-reddit-kick-e6ae0be8c6b2571edd94d0318f47cb14">banned</a>&nbsp;by law from holding accounts with Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch from Wednesday. The platforms face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-media-ban-children-australia-334458608b809a26cc07ea74e39b9b7b">first tech giant to react</a>, beginning to exclude suspected young children from last week.

Riley holds accounts with most of the age-restricted platforms and had been asked by some to verify that he is at least 16. But by Monday, he had not been ousted by any.

Mom won’t help 15-year-old son bypass social media ban

Riley’s schoolteacher mother, Sonia Allen, said she wouldn’t help her son get around the ban, but suspects other parents will.

“I wouldn’t. I do know there are other people that would. If the rule is there, the rule is there. But I know what kids are like, and I’ve been a kid before, and they’re going to get around it if they can,” she said.

While the law allows parents no discretion to allow their children to hold social media accounts, Allen said there was a role for parents in regulating their children’s social media use.

A year ago, she banned Riley from social media for several weeks.

“In the past with Riley, we’ve had to take measures to limit his usage because we found him on social media at midnight and he wasn’t getting his homework done and things like that. We ended up taking it off him for a couple of months,” Allen said. “From that, he’s learned to use it a more responsibly.”

Riley, who turns 16 in April, said he understood the ban’s objectives, but there are other ways to achieve them. He suggested a 10 p.m. enforced social media curfew for young children to prevent them losing sleep.

Teens challenge the ban in Australia’s highest court

Riley has an ally in Australia’s largest city, Sydney: schoolboy Noah Jones, who turns 16 in August.

Noah is one of two 15-year-old plaintiffs in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-children-social-media-ban-court-challenge-5c85493f58c2869505431f101af17f35">constitutional challenge</a>&nbsp;to the law in the High Court. The other in the case brought by the Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project is schoolgirl Macy Neyland.

They claim the law improperly robs 2.6 million young Australians of a right to freedom of political communication implied in Australia’s constitution.

The Australian government is committed to defeating the challenge on behalf of what they say is an overwhelming majority of parents who demand government action against social media harms.

Many restricted children have told media they welcome their exclusion from platforms with design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens while also serving up content that can harm their health and well-being.

The parents’ group Heaps Up Alliance, which lobbied for the social media age restriction, backs the theory behind the blanket ban that “when everybody misses out, nobody misses out.”

Before Parliament passed the ban last year, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/young-and-resilient/news/in_media/young_and_resilient_research_centre_joins_chorus_of_nearly_150_australian_and_international_experts_opposing_social_media_ban_for_u16s" target="_blank">140 Australian and international academics</a>&nbsp;with expertise in fields related to technology and child welfare signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opposing a social media age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.”

Noah said the ban would lead to young Australians swapping from age-restricted platforms to more dangerous, less regulated options.

“I’m against this social media ban because as young Australians, we’ll be completely silenced and cut off from our country and the rest of the world,” Noah said. “We’ve just grown up with this our entire lives, and now it’s just being taken away from us all of a sudden. We wouldn’t even know what else we could do.”

His mother, Renee Jones, is also involved in the court case as her son’s litigation guardian, because as a child he can’t make legal decisions himself.

She considers herself a relatively strict parent on social media, and never allowed Noah or his two older brothers to take devices into their bedrooms. But she supports Noah’s stance.

“My parents would never have dreamed that my children could be so fortunate to have this library of knowledge,” Jones said.

“But I really credit Noah as a young person who recognizes the dangers of social media. It’s not all sunshine and lollypops,” she added.

A plaintiff says tech giants’ money would be welcome

Digital Freedom Project president John Ruddick, who is also a state lawmaker for the minor Libertarian Party, said he had initially intended to apply for a court injunction in a bid to prevent the ban taking effect on Wednesday. But his lawyers advised against it.

A directions hearing will be held in late February to set a hearing date for the constitutional challenge that will be heard by the full bench of seven judges.

Ruddick said the case wasn’t funded by any tech giant, but they would be “extremely welcome” to make a financial contribution.

Ruddick expected children would get around the ban by means including using virtual private networks to make them appear to be offshore.

“They’re going to get around it so they’re then going to be on an underground social media and, to make it worse, without parental supervision,” Ruddick said.

“It’s much better for it to be out in the open and for parents to play a very, very active role … in monitoring what they’re doing on social media,” he added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758981317980.jpg" alt="Instagram image courtesy Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Instagram image courtesy Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rod-mcguirk">ROD MCGUIRK</a>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Riley Allen, a 15-year-old schoolboy living on an Outback sheep ranch, doesn’t know how he’ll keep in touch with his circle of far-flung friends once Australia’s world-first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">social media ban</a>&nbsp;takes effect on Wednesday.Riley’s family lives 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Wudinna, a community of just over 1,000 in South Australia state. But some of his school friends live as far as 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.“I don’t think the impact will be very positive for us. We don’t have a lot out here to get in contact with each other,” Riley said.“I’m not sure how we’re going to keep in touch over the holidays with each other,” he said, referring to the Southern Hemisphere summer break that starts on Thursday.Riley and others younger than 16 will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-reddit-kick-e6ae0be8c6b2571edd94d0318f47cb14">banned</a>&nbsp;by law from holding accounts with Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch from Wednesday. The platforms face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts.Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-media-ban-children-australia-334458608b809a26cc07ea74e39b9b7b">first tech giant to react</a>, beginning to exclude suspected young children from last week.Riley holds accounts with most of the age-restricted platforms and had been asked by some to verify that he is at least 16. But by Monday, he had not been ousted by any.<h2>Mom won’t help 15-year-old son bypass social media ban</h2>Riley’s schoolteacher mother, Sonia Allen, said she wouldn’t help her son get around the ban, but suspects other parents will.“I wouldn’t. I do know there are other people that would. If the rule is there, the rule is there. But I know what kids are like, and I’ve been a kid before, and they’re going to get around it if they can,” she said.While the law allows parents no discretion to allow their children to hold social media accounts, Allen said there was a role for parents in regulating their children’s social media use.A year ago, she banned Riley from social media for several weeks.“In the past with Riley, we’ve had to take measures to limit his usage because we found him on social media at midnight and he wasn’t getting his homework done and things like that. We ended up taking it off him for a couple of months,” Allen said. “From that, he’s learned to use it a more responsibly.”Riley, who turns 16 in April, said he understood the ban’s objectives, but there are other ways to achieve them. He suggested a 10 p.m. enforced social media curfew for young children to prevent them losing sleep.<h2>Teens challenge the ban in Australia’s highest court</h2>Riley has an ally in Australia’s largest city, Sydney: schoolboy Noah Jones, who turns 16 in August.Noah is one of two 15-year-old plaintiffs in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-children-social-media-ban-court-challenge-5c85493f58c2869505431f101af17f35">constitutional challenge</a>&nbsp;to the law in the High Court. The other in the case brought by the Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project is schoolgirl Macy Neyland.They claim the law improperly robs 2.6 million young Australians of a right to freedom of political communication implied in Australia’s constitution.The Australian government is committed to defeating the challenge on behalf of what they say is an overwhelming majority of parents who demand government action against social media harms.Many restricted children have told media they welcome their exclusion from platforms with design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens while also serving up content that can harm their health and well-being.The parents’ group Heaps Up Alliance, which lobbied for the social media age restriction, backs the theory behind the blanket ban that “when everybody misses out, nobody misses out.”Before Parliament passed the ban last year, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/young-and-resilient/news/in_media/young_and_resilient_research_centre_joins_chorus_of_nearly_150_australian_and_international_experts_opposing_social_media_ban_for_u16s" target="_blank">140 Australian and international academics</a>&nbsp;with expertise in fields related to technology and child welfare signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opposing a social media age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.”Noah said the ban would lead to young Australians swapping from age-restricted platforms to more dangerous, less regulated options.“I’m against this social media ban because as young Australians, we’ll be completely silenced and cut off from our country and the rest of the world,” Noah said. “We’ve just grown up with this our entire lives, and now it’s just being taken away from us all of a sudden. We wouldn’t even know what else we could do.”His mother, Renee Jones, is also involved in the court case as her son’s litigation guardian, because as a child he can’t make legal decisions himself.She considers herself a relatively strict parent on social media, and never allowed Noah or his two older brothers to take devices into their bedrooms. But she supports Noah’s stance.“My parents would never have dreamed that my children could be so fortunate to have this library of knowledge,” Jones said.“But I really credit Noah as a young person who recognizes the dangers of social media. It’s not all sunshine and lollypops,” she added.<h2>A plaintiff says tech giants’ money would be welcome</h2>Digital Freedom Project president John Ruddick, who is also a state lawmaker for the minor Libertarian Party, said he had initially intended to apply for a court injunction in a bid to prevent the ban taking effect on Wednesday. But his lawyers advised against it.A directions hearing will be held in late February to set a hearing date for the constitutional challenge that will be heard by the full bench of seven judges.Ruddick said the case wasn’t funded by any tech giant, but they would be “extremely welcome” to make a financial contribution.Ruddick expected children would get around the ban by means including using virtual private networks to make them appear to be offshore.“They’re going to get around it so they’re then going to be on an underground social media and, to make it worse, without parental supervision,” Ruddick said.“It’s much better for it to be out in the open and for parents to play a very, very active role … in monitoring what they’re doing on social media,” he added.

World-first social media ban leaves teen worried about losing touch with friends

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A shooting in the engineering building at Brown University on the second day of final exams left at least two people dead and eight injured and in critical but stable condition Saturday, Providence's mayor said. The Ivy League school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter.

Police did not immediately release details about the number of victims, their conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.

University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.

“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” said Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus. “As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”

The reported shooting occurred near the Barus &amp; Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.

Engineering design exams were underway in the building when the shooting occurred.

President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he has been briefed on the shooting.

“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he said on his social media site.

Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. A police officer warned media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.

Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.

Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence. The FBI said it was assisting in the response.

Brown is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Multiple people were shot Saturday in the area of Brown University, police said, as the school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.

Police did not immediately release details about the victims’ conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.

Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.

Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence.

Brown is a private, nonprofit Ivy League institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765666489718.png" alt="Photo courtesy WJAR TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WJAR TV</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A shooting in the engineering building at Brown University on the second day of final exams left at least two people dead and eight injured and in critical but stable condition Saturday, Providence's mayor said. The Ivy League school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter.Police did not immediately release details about the number of victims, their conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” said Providence Councilmember John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus. “As a Brown alum, someone who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”The reported shooting occurred near the Barus &amp; Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.Engineering design exams were underway in the building when the shooting occurred.President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he has been briefed on the shooting.“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he said on his social media site.Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. A police officer warned media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence. The FBI said it was assisting in the response.Brown is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.--------------------PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Multiple people were shot Saturday in the area of Brown University, police said, as the school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.Police did not immediately release details about the victims’ conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.The reported shooting occurred near the Barus &amp; Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence.Brown is a private, nonprofit Ivy League institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.