KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 27-year-old Jerome A. Hawkins, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Just before 1:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 2500 block of Hardesty on an ambulance in route call for service. Call notes indicated there was an individual lying on the ground, unresponsive. 

As officers arrived they located Hawkins on the sidewalk. He appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds. KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously and pronounced Hawkins deceased on scene. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide and there is no one in custody, according to DiMartino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764776496783.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 27-year-old Jerome A. Hawkins, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Just before 1:30a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 2500 block of Hardesty on an ambulance in route call for service. Call notes indicated there was an individual lying on the ground, unresponsive. As officers arrived they located Hawkins on the sidewalk. He appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds. KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously and pronounced Hawkins deceased on scene. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide and there is no one in custody, according to DiMartino.

KCPD: Man found on the ground died of gunshot wounds 

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal vaccine advisory committee this week is expected to discuss whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine — the first shot found to prevent cancer.

Federal health recommendations now suggest that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection in their first day of life, but U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s committee on Thursday is expected to change that — contradicting previous public health advice.

It’s not clear exactly what the committee is considering, but the American Academy of Pediatrics will still urge a birth dose, said the organization’s Dr. Sean O’Leary.

“We are going to continue to recommend it because it saves lives,” he said.

Here’s a look at the disease, the vaccine and the debate over changing the recommendations.

Liver disease can cause lifelong health issues

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

In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection-drug use.

But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby. As many as 90% of infants who contract hepatitis B go on to have chronic infections, meaning their immune systems don’t completely clear the virus.

As many as 2.4 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have hepatitis B, and as many as half are unaware they are infected, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Baruch Blumberg, a federal scientist, identified the virus behind the infection in 1965. He won the Nobel Prize for the discovery, which led to tests and vaccines. The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in the U.S. in 1981.

Shots for newborns have been recommended for years

For decades, the nation’s vaccine guidance has been influenced by a government-appointed panel of experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Its recommendations have usually been adopted as national guidance that is widely heeded by doctors.

In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The guidance was modified a little over the years and currently suggests a dose within 24 hours of birth for all medically stable infants who weigh at least 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms), plus follow-up shots to be given at about 1 month and 6 months.

Why a dose right at birth? Health officials used to rely on screening expectant mothers to find babies that might have been exposed to the virus. But many cases were missed, experts say, because some women weren’t tested or test results were incorrect. Also, the virus can live on surfaces for more than seven days at room temperature, so unvaccinated children living with a person with a chronic infection can catch it.

Newborn hepatitis B vaccinations are widely considered to be a public health success story. Over about 30 years, cases among children fell from about 18,000 per year to about 2,200.

A collaboration of public health researchers, the Vaccine Integrity Project, this week released its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project/hepatitis-b" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;of more than 400 studies and reports spanning 40 years. The group concluded the birth dose is safe, and is an important reason U.S. pediatric hepatitis B infections have fallen.

Committee revisits the newborn recommendation

Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-cdc-acip-vaccines-3790c89f45b6314c5c7b686db0e3a8f9">fired all 17 members</a>&nbsp;of ACIP earlier this year and replaced them with a group that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76">several anti-vaccine voices</a>.

The panel has raised concerns about giving a vaccine to a baby so early in life.

“Are we asking our babies to solve an adult problem?” committee member Dr. Evelyn Griffin asked at a September meeting.

Peppered with questions about why a change was necessary, committee member Dr. Robert Malone said: “The signal that is prompting this is not one of safety. It’s one of trust. ... It’s one of parents uncomfortable with this medical procedure being performed at birth in a rather unilateral fashion without significant informed consent.”

The committee tabled a vote at the September meeting, but it’s slated to be acted on during Thursday’s meeting, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-12-01-508.pdf" target="_blank">the agenda</a>. Federal officials have not answered questions about exactly how much of a delay is being proposed, or disclosed what research is being used as a basis for such a decision.

What would happen if the shots are delayed?

Not knowing what the committee is contemplating makes it difficult to guess the potential impact. But some have tried.

This week, public health researchers collaborating with hepatitis-focused advocacy organizations released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.25340907v1" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;estimating that delaying the birth dose to 2 months could result in at least 1,400 hepatitis B infections in children and 480 deaths. The report — which has yet to be peer reviewed or published in a medical journal — estimated the toll would be higher if the first dose was given even later.

But an ACIP change to the recommendation may have limited impact, O’Leary said.

The committee’s most direct power comes over what’s covered by the government Vaccines for Children program, which pays for shots for uninsured children from low-income families. Hepatitis B shots often have been bundled into the final hospital bill for childbirth. So a new ACIP recommendation likely would not be an economic obstacle for the current practice continuing at many hospitals, he said.

But any change stands to confuse and frighten parents, he added.

“If it scares, it shares” on social media, O’Leary said.

Several medical and public health organizations — and even some state government officials — have said, in advance of the meeting, that changing the recommendation is a terrible idea. Among them is a recently formed coalition of government leaders from several Northeastern states, which this week issued a statement saying they would continue to urge families to get a birth dose within 24 hours of delivery.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, this week called on Congress to compel Kennedy to appear at a hearing and explain ACIP’s actions.

“Ending the decades-long recommendation that babies born in the U.S. get vaccinated against hepatitis B is a heartless choice to allow babies to die,” Murray said in a statement.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755810413215.png" alt="U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -image from HHS video" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -image from HHS video</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A federal vaccine advisory committee this week is expected to discuss whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine — the first shot found to prevent cancer.Federal health recommendations now suggest that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection in their first day of life, but U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s committee on Thursday is expected to change that — contradicting previous public health advice.It’s not clear exactly what the committee is considering, but the American Academy of Pediatrics will still urge a birth dose, said the organization’s Dr. Sean O’Leary.“We are going to continue to recommend it because it saves lives,” he said.Here’s a look at the disease, the vaccine and the debate over changing the recommendations.<h2>Liver disease can cause lifelong health issues</h2>Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that for most people lasts less than six months. But for some — especially infants and children — it can become a long-lasting problem that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and scarring called cirrhosis.In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection-drug use.But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby. As many as 90% of infants who contract hepatitis B go on to have chronic infections, meaning their immune systems don’t completely clear the virus.As many as 2.4 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have hepatitis B, and as many as half are unaware they are infected, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Dr. Baruch Blumberg, a federal scientist, identified the virus behind the infection in 1965. He won the Nobel Prize for the discovery, which led to tests and vaccines. The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in the U.S. in 1981.<h2>Shots for newborns have been recommended for years</h2>For decades, the nation’s vaccine guidance has been influenced by a government-appointed panel of experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Its recommendations have usually been adopted as national guidance that is widely heeded by doctors.In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The guidance was modified a little over the years and currently suggests a dose within 24 hours of birth for all medically stable infants who weigh at least 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms), plus follow-up shots to be given at about 1 month and 6 months.Why a dose right at birth? Health officials used to rely on screening expectant mothers to find babies that might have been exposed to the virus. But many cases were missed, experts say, because some women weren’t tested or test results were incorrect. Also, the virus can live on surfaces for more than seven days at room temperature, so unvaccinated children living with a person with a chronic infection can catch it.Newborn hepatitis B vaccinations are widely considered to be a public health success story. Over about 30 years, cases among children fell from about 18,000 per year to about 2,200.A collaboration of public health researchers, the Vaccine Integrity Project, this week released its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project/hepatitis-b" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;of more than 400 studies and reports spanning 40 years. The group concluded the birth dose is safe, and is an important reason U.S. pediatric hepatitis B infections have fallen.<h2>Committee revisits the newborn recommendation</h2>Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-cdc-acip-vaccines-3790c89f45b6314c5c7b686db0e3a8f9">fired all 17 members</a>&nbsp;of ACIP earlier this year and replaced them with a group that includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76">several anti-vaccine voices</a>.The panel has raised concerns about giving a vaccine to a baby so early in life.“Are we asking our babies to solve an adult problem?” committee member Dr. Evelyn Griffin asked at a September meeting.Peppered with questions about why a change was necessary, committee member Dr. Robert Malone said: “The signal that is prompting this is not one of safety. It’s one of trust. ... It’s one of parents uncomfortable with this medical procedure being performed at birth in a rather unilateral fashion without significant informed consent.”The committee tabled a vote at the September meeting, but it’s slated to be acted on during Thursday’s meeting, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-12-01-508.pdf" target="_blank">the agenda</a>. Federal officials have not answered questions about exactly how much of a delay is being proposed, or disclosed what research is being used as a basis for such a decision.<h2>What would happen if the shots are delayed?</h2>Not knowing what the committee is contemplating makes it difficult to guess the potential impact. But some have tried.This week, public health researchers collaborating with hepatitis-focused advocacy organizations released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.25340907v1" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;estimating that delaying the birth dose to 2 months could result in at least 1,400 hepatitis B infections in children and 480 deaths. The report — which has yet to be peer reviewed or published in a medical journal — estimated the toll would be higher if the first dose was given even later.But an ACIP change to the recommendation may have limited impact, O’Leary said.The committee’s most direct power comes over what’s covered by the government Vaccines for Children program, which pays for shots for uninsured children from low-income families. Hepatitis B shots often have been bundled into the final hospital bill for childbirth. So a new ACIP recommendation likely would not be an economic obstacle for the current practice continuing at many hospitals, he said.But any change stands to confuse and frighten parents, he added.“If it scares, it shares” on social media, O’Leary said.Several medical and public health organizations — and even some state government officials — have said, in advance of the meeting, that changing the recommendation is a terrible idea. Among them is a recently formed coalition of government leaders from several Northeastern states, which this week issued a statement saying they would continue to urge families to get a birth dose within 24 hours of delivery.U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, this week called on Congress to compel Kennedy to appear at a hearing and explain ACIP’s actions.“Ending the decades-long recommendation that babies born in the U.S. get vaccinated against hepatitis B is a heartless choice to allow babies to die,” Murray said in a statement.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Why federal officials are targeting the hepatitis B shot for newborns

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Police investigating a fatal Thanksgiving weekend crash have identified the victim as 65-year-old&nbsp;Toby Maestas of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas police.

&nbsp;just before 7a.m. Saturday, an SUV driven by Maestro was northbound in the 1300 Block of N 38th Street. The vehicle veered off the road into a parking lot and struck two posts.

First responders pronounced Maestro deceased at the scene.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation by the KCK Police Traffic division.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Police investigating a fatal Thanksgiving weekend crash have identified the victim as 65-year-old&nbsp;Toby Maestas of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas police.&nbsp;just before 7a.m. Saturday, an SUV driven by Maestro was northbound in the 1300 Block of N 38th Street. The vehicle veered off the road into a parking lot and struck two posts.First responders pronounced Maestro deceased at the scene.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation by the KCK Police Traffic division.

Police ID Kansas man who died in parking lot crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY– A Kansas teacher, accused of sex crimes involving a student was back in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

A Sedgwick County Judge determined&nbsp; there was enough evidence against 30-year-old&nbsp; Nicole Morgan Baird Hernandez to go to trial, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In May, she was charged with four counts of unlawful sexual relations with a student, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She was an art teacher at Wichita North High School, according to the school web site.&nbsp;The student involved was over the age of 16, according to the arrest report.

On May 22, police arrested her in the 300 Block of West Tyler in Wichita. She met the requirement for bond and was released from custody the following day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749221483052.png" alt="Hernandez photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– A Kansas teacher, accused of sex crimes involving a student was back in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.A Sedgwick County Judge determined&nbsp; there was enough evidence against 30-year-old&nbsp; Nicole Morgan Baird Hernandez to go to trial, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In May, she was charged with four counts of unlawful sexual relations with a student, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; She was an art teacher at Wichita North High School, according to the school web site.&nbsp;The student involved was over the age of 16, according to the arrest report.On May 22, police arrested her in the 300 Block of West Tyler in Wichita. She met the requirement for bond and was released from custody the following day.

Kan. art teacher accused of sex crime with student will face a trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;in the weeks before the “Friends” star’s overdose death was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday.

Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence plus two years of probation to 44-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-arrests-doctor-assistant-3a9230ff6658e6b478751c8c1ec3e430">Dr. Salvador Plasencia</a>&nbsp;in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.

The judge emphasized that Plasencia didn’t provide the ketamine that killed Perry, but told him, “You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction.”

“You exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction for your own profit,” she said.

Plasencia was led from the courtroom in handcuffs as his mother cried loudly in the audience. He might have arranged a date to surrender, but his lawyers said he was prepared to do it today.

Perry’s mother and two half sisters gave tearful victim impact statements before the sentencing.

“The world mourns my brother,” Madeleine Morrison said. “He was everyone’s favorite friend."

“My brother’s death turned my world upside down,” Morrison said, crying. “It punched a crater in my life. His absence is everywhere.”

Plasencia was the first to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death at age 54 in 2023.

The doctor admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a “moron” who could be exploited for money, according to court filings.

Prosecutors had asked for three years in prison, while the defense sought just a day in prison plus probation.

Perry’s mother talked about the things he overcame in life and the strength he showed.

“I used to think he couldn’t die,” Suzanne Perry said as her husband, “Dateline” journalist Keith Morrison, stood at the podium with her.

“You called him a ‘moron,’” she said. “There is nothing moronic about that man. He was even a successful drug addict.”

She spoke eloquently and apologized for rambling before getting tearful at the end, saying, “this was a bad thing you did!” as she cried.

Plasencia also spoke before the sentencing, breaking into tears as he imagined the day he would have to tell his now 2-year-old son “about the time I didn’t protect another mother’s son. It hurts me so much. I can’t believe I’m here.”

He apologized directly to Perry’s family. “I should have protected him,” he said.

Perry had been taking the surgical anesthetic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-matthew-perry-death-charges-drug-1f6bc37573a44408146e42260b689de4">ketamine</a>&nbsp;legally as a treatment for depression. But when his regular doctor wouldn't provide it in the amounts he wanted, he turned to Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling to Perry and knowing he was a struggling addict.

Plasencia’s lawyers tried to give a sympathetic portrait of him as a man who rose out of poverty to become a doctor beloved by his patients, some of whom provided testimonials about him for the court.

The attorneys called his selling to Perry “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life.”

Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Prosecutors agreed to drop five different counts. The agreement came with no sentencing guarantees, and legally Garnett can give him up to 40 years.

The other four defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matthew-perry">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;in the weeks before the “Friends” star’s overdose death was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday.Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence plus two years of probation to 44-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-arrests-doctor-assistant-3a9230ff6658e6b478751c8c1ec3e430">Dr. Salvador Plasencia</a>&nbsp;in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.The judge emphasized that Plasencia didn’t provide the ketamine that killed Perry, but told him, “You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction.”“You exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction for your own profit,” she said.Plasencia was led from the courtroom in handcuffs as his mother cried loudly in the audience. He might have arranged a date to surrender, but his lawyers said he was prepared to do it today.Perry’s mother and two half sisters gave tearful victim impact statements before the sentencing.“The world mourns my brother,” Madeleine Morrison said. “He was everyone’s favorite friend."“My brother’s death turned my world upside down,” Morrison said, crying. “It punched a crater in my life. His absence is everywhere.”Plasencia was the first to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death at age 54 in 2023.The doctor admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a “moron” who could be exploited for money, according to court filings.Prosecutors had asked for three years in prison, while the defense sought just a day in prison plus probation.Perry’s mother talked about the things he overcame in life and the strength he showed.“I used to think he couldn’t die,” Suzanne Perry said as her husband, “Dateline” journalist Keith Morrison, stood at the podium with her.“You called him a ‘moron,’” she said. “There is nothing moronic about that man. He was even a successful drug addict.”She spoke eloquently and apologized for rambling before getting tearful at the end, saying, “this was a bad thing you did!” as she cried.Plasencia also spoke before the sentencing, breaking into tears as he imagined the day he would have to tell his now 2-year-old son “about the time I didn’t protect another mother’s son. It hurts me so much. I can’t believe I’m here.”He apologized directly to Perry’s family. “I should have protected him,” he said.Perry had been taking the surgical anesthetic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketamine-matthew-perry-death-charges-drug-1f6bc37573a44408146e42260b689de4">ketamine</a>&nbsp;legally as a treatment for depression. But when his regular doctor wouldn't provide it in the amounts he wanted, he turned to Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling to Perry and knowing he was a struggling addict.Plasencia’s lawyers tried to give a sympathetic portrait of him as a man who rose out of poverty to become a doctor beloved by his patients, some of whom provided testimonials about him for the court.The attorneys called his selling to Perry “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life.”Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Prosecutors agreed to drop five different counts. The agreement came with no sentencing guarantees, and legally Garnett can give him up to 40 years.The other four defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months.

Prison for doctor who sold ketamine to ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The rationale for the second strike was that it was needed to sink the vessel, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly. The Trump administration says all 11 people aboard were killed.

What remains unclear was who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved, one of the people said. That will be part of a classified congressional briefing Thursday with the commander that the Trump administration says ordered the second strike, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley.

Hegseth has defended the second strike as emerging in the “fog of war,” saying he didn’t see any survivors but also “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the mission.

Hegseth is under growing scrutiny over the military strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Legal experts and some lawmakers say a strike that killed survivors would have violated the laws of armed conflict.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764640848301.png" alt="U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War" />
 <figcaption>U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike, according to two people familiar with the matter.The rationale for the second strike was that it was needed to sink the vessel, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly. The Trump administration says all 11 people aboard were killed.What remains unclear was who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved, one of the people said. That will be part of a classified congressional briefing Thursday with the commander that the Trump administration says ordered the second strike, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley.Hegseth has defended the second strike as emerging in the “fog of war,” saying he didn’t see any survivors but also “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the mission.Hegseth is under growing scrutiny over the military strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Legal experts and some lawmakers say a strike that killed survivors would have violated the laws of armed conflict.

AP: Pentagon knew boat attack left survivors, still launched follow-on strike

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.

As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. 

Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.

In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.

“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”

“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.

“Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714043354777.png" alt="Flanagin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Flanagin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas accountant was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months in prison for defrauding clients of his accounting firm, who were also his relatives, of more than $400,000, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.As a certified public accountant (CPA), Flanagin used his status as a signatory on his clients’ business account and trust account to make unauthorized transactions. Between December 2021 and August 2022, he wrote checks and initiated wire transfers totaling $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch, a fictitious name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. He wrote false verbiage in the memo lines indicating the transactions to be payments for farm operations. Flanagin then used the stolen money to help pay for the construction on his new home.In October 2022, after his victims noticed discrepancies and confronted him, Flanagin took several actions to conceal his crimes including removing Middle Finger Ranch from his personal account. Federal investigators later found a note Flanagin wrote stating that prosecutors couldn’t prove who input the check for processing and that he could likely feign innocence and say his company wasn’t monitoring the account.“The name of Mr. Flanagin’s fictitious ranch speaks for itself. After stabbing his family in the back, Flanagin lied to their faces. When the victims directly questioned him about accounting inconsistencies, he fabricated convoluted flowcharts and blamed third parties for the fraudulent checks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “In his hubris, Flanagin thought he could outsmart federal investigators and forensic accountants. He was wrong. My office will continue to use the full force of the federal government to prosecute financial crimes.”“Mr. Flanagin was entrusted with a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of the victims in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.“Instead of acting with integrity and in the interest of his clients, the defendant used his position to personally benefit from the scheme. Today’s sentencing reiterates the severity of the case and the seriousness by which the FBI takes financial fraud schemes.”The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Kan. CPA, creator of ‘Middle Finger Ranch,’ fraud scheme is going to prison

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose near their record levels on Wednesday as mixed data on the economy kept alive hopes that a cut to interest rates is coming soon.

The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.3% and pulled within 0.6% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investors-401k-what-to-do-bb0663da4643e8c3dbe08a4092482aa5">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in late October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 408 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.

The biggest jump in the S&amp;P 500 came from Microchip Technology, which leaped 12.2% after saying it expects sales and profit for the final months of the year to come in at the high end of the forecasted ranges it earlier gave. CEO Steve Sanghi said business is doing better than expected, and it’s reducing inventory levels.

Marvell Technology was another winner and rose 7.9% after the supplier of semiconductor products delivered a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Matt Murphy credited demand for its data center products, while also announcing a purchase of Celestial AI to bolster its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;infrastructure business. The deal’s price tag could top $3.25 billion.

Stocks broadly got a lift from easing Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields fell after a report suggested U.S. employers outside of the government may have cut more jobs in November than they added.

While the surprisingly weak report from ADP may be discouraging for people looking for jobs, it also bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week. If the Fed does, that would be the third cut of the year in hopes of helping the slowing job market.

Investors love lower interest rates because they boost prices for investments and can charge up the economy.

A separate report Wednesday on activity for U.S. services business was more encouraging. It said growth was stronger last month than expected for businesses in the retail, finance, insurance and other industries.

The report from the Institute for Supply Management’s survey also said that prices were increasing at their slowest rate since April. That’s important because the main argument against cutting interest rates is that it could worsen inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.06% from 4.09% late Tuesday.

Lower interest rates can boost prices for all kinds of investments, and bitcoin climbed above $93,000 following its scary downward run in recent weeks. It briefly plunged below $81,000 last month.

On Wall Street, American Eagle Outfitters rallied 15.1% after the retailer reported a better profit than expected. Its CEO, Jay Schottenstein, said it also saw a strong start to the holiday shopping season with an acceleration in demand across its brands during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Capricor Therapeutics surged 371.1% after the biotech company reported encouraging results for its potential therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

On the losing end of Wall Street were relatively few companies, including one out of every three stocks in the S&amp;P 500 index. But among them were some of the market’s most influential stocks, which kept indexes in check.

Microsoft fell 2.5% and was the heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/macys-comparable-sales-consumers-economy-inflation-04d1e70be1d6137443b14c509739ea38">Macy’s</a>&nbsp;lost 1.1% after flipping between losses and gains through the day. It reported a profit for the latest quarter that was much better than the loss that analysts were expecting, but its stock had already come into the day with a gain for the year so far that more than doubled the S&amp;P 500’s.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 20.35 points to 6,849.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 408.44 to 47,882.90, and the Nasdaq composite gained 40.42 to 23,454.09.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were close to flat in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.1% on gains for technology stocks like Tokyo Electron. SoftBank Group Corp. leaped 6.4% following reports that its founder, Masayoshi Son, regretted having to sell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-softbank-son-nvidia-ai-chips-d8a10172850628c317a214280a4d94c9">shares in computer chipmaker Nvidia</a>&nbsp;to help pay for other investments.

Chinese indexes sank following the release of data showing weaker factory activity. Stocks fell 1.3% in Hong Kong and 0.5% in Shanghai.

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

By STAN CHOE AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose near their record levels on Wednesday as mixed data on the economy kept alive hopes that a cut to interest rates is coming soon.The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.3% and pulled within 0.6% of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/investors-401k-what-to-do-bb0663da4643e8c3dbe08a4092482aa5">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set in late October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 408 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.The biggest jump in the S&amp;P 500 came from Microchip Technology, which leaped 12.2% after saying it expects sales and profit for the final months of the year to come in at the high end of the forecasted ranges it earlier gave. CEO Steve Sanghi said business is doing better than expected, and it’s reducing inventory levels.Marvell Technology was another winner and rose 7.9% after the supplier of semiconductor products delivered a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Matt Murphy credited demand for its data center products, while also announcing a purchase of Celestial AI to bolster its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;infrastructure business. The deal’s price tag could top $3.25 billion.Stocks broadly got a lift from easing Treasury yields in the bond market. Yields fell after a report suggested U.S. employers outside of the government may have cut more jobs in November than they added.While the surprisingly weak report from ADP may be discouraging for people looking for jobs, it also bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week. If the Fed does, that would be the third cut of the year in hopes of helping the slowing job market.Investors love lower interest rates because they boost prices for investments and can charge up the economy.A separate report Wednesday on activity for U.S. services business was more encouraging. It said growth was stronger last month than expected for businesses in the retail, finance, insurance and other industries.The report from the Institute for Supply Management’s survey also said that prices were increasing at their slowest rate since April. That’s important because the main argument against cutting interest rates is that it could worsen inflation.The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.06% from 4.09% late Tuesday.Lower interest rates can boost prices for all kinds of investments, and bitcoin climbed above $93,000 following its scary downward run in recent weeks. It briefly plunged below $81,000 last month.On Wall Street, American Eagle Outfitters rallied 15.1% after the retailer reported a better profit than expected. Its CEO, Jay Schottenstein, said it also saw a strong start to the holiday shopping season with an acceleration in demand across its brands during the Thanksgiving weekend.Capricor Therapeutics surged 371.1% after the biotech company reported encouraging results for its potential therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.On the losing end of Wall Street were relatively few companies, including one out of every three stocks in the S&amp;P 500 index. But among them were some of the market’s most influential stocks, which kept indexes in check.Microsoft fell 2.5% and was the heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/macys-comparable-sales-consumers-economy-inflation-04d1e70be1d6137443b14c509739ea38">Macy’s</a>&nbsp;lost 1.1% after flipping between losses and gains through the day. It reported a profit for the latest quarter that was much better than the loss that analysts were expecting, but its stock had already come into the day with a gain for the year so far that more than doubled the S&amp;P 500’s.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 20.35 points to 6,849.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 408.44 to 47,882.90, and the Nasdaq composite gained 40.42 to 23,454.09.In stock markets abroad, indexes were close to flat in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia.Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.1% on gains for technology stocks like Tokyo Electron. SoftBank Group Corp. leaped 6.4% following reports that its founder, Masayoshi Son, regretted having to sell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-softbank-son-nvidia-ai-chips-d8a10172850628c317a214280a4d94c9">shares in computer chipmaker Nvidia</a>&nbsp;to help pay for other investments.Chinese indexes sank following the release of data showing weaker factory activity. Stocks fell 1.3% in Hong Kong and 0.5% in Shanghai.___AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Wall Street pulls near its all-time high

MCPHERSON COUNTY —Roads are open and crews have cleaned up the acid spill from an overturned semi in McPherson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday, the incident scene was cleared and all roadways were reopened, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry.. A remediation contractor returned&nbsp; Wednesday morning to complete the removal of contaminated soil adjacent to the intersection. One lane was closed to make room for the work to be completed. The intersection at&nbsp;Kansas Ave. and Old 81.Streets will be open while the work is being completed.

Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Mayberry.

 The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.&nbsp;

All residents and businesses in the area were evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas Avenue and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.

 The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. 

McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team&nbsp; made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701824032.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —Roads are open and crews have cleaned up the acid spill from an overturned semi in McPherson.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 11:30p.m. Tuesday, the incident scene was cleared and all roadways were reopened, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry.. A remediation contractor returned&nbsp; Wednesday morning to complete the removal of contaminated soil adjacent to the intersection. One lane was closed to make room for the work to be completed. The intersection at&nbsp;Kansas Ave. and Old 81.Streets will be open while the work is being completed.Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Mayberry. The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701800784.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>All residents and businesses in the area were evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas Avenue and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.<ol>
 <li>Highway 56 at 8th Avenue</li><li>Kansas Avenue at Hickory&nbsp;</li><li>Old Highway 81 at the 153 Spur from K-61</li><li>Old Highway 81 at First Avenue</li>
 </ol> The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team&nbsp; made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

Hydrochloric acid spill cleaned up in McPherson

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-trial-52ca87ef616e39ef0270733900361c92">a federal bribery and conspiracy case</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system.

Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump, a Republican, said in a social media post that Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”

Federal authorities had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan-ddb1dea393ba88d8d823557ec6c0d93a">charged Cuellar</a>&nbsp;and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.

Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial had been set to begin next April.

“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in his social media post announcing the pardon. “Your nightmare is finally over!”

The Cuellars' attorneys and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Cuellar still faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-house-ethics-committee-azerbaijan-justice-department-f126c9adcd361b2c8b279974a87abfbc">an Ethics Committee investigation</a>&nbsp;in the House. It began in May 2024 shortly after his indictment and was reauthorized in July. The committee said it was in contact with the Justice Department about mitigating the risks associated with dual investigations while still meeting its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.

Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party when it comes to immigration and firearms.

He was among the most vocal critics of the Biden administration’s response to a record number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He also is one of the last Democrats in Congress who opposes abortion rights.

Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich</a>, five years after he had commuted his sentence in a political corruption case.

Like in Cuellar’s case, Trump suggested that New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, faced federal corruption charges because he made comments critical of Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">drop the case</a>&nbsp;against the mayor, who had begun working with the Republican administration on immigration issues.

A top Justice Department official, who was also Trump’s defense lawyer in several of his cases, stepped in to seek dismissal in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764782105173.png" alt="File. photo: Rep. Henry Cuellar-from his social media page" />
 <figcaption>File. photo: Rep. Henry Cuellar-from his social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-trial-52ca87ef616e39ef0270733900361c92">a federal bribery and conspiracy case</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, citing what he called a “weaponized” justice system.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas. This pardon gives us a… <a href="https://t.co/ajNvHq6rG0">pic.twitter.com/ajNvHq6rG0</a>&mdash; Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar/status/1996254124354986003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.Trump, a Republican, said in a social media post that Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “simply for speaking the TRUTH.”Federal authorities had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan-ddb1dea393ba88d8d823557ec6c0d93a">charged Cuellar</a>&nbsp;and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial had been set to begin next April.“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in his social media post announcing the pardon. “Your nightmare is finally over!”The Cuellars' attorneys and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Cuellar still faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-house-ethics-committee-azerbaijan-justice-department-f126c9adcd361b2c8b279974a87abfbc">an Ethics Committee investigation</a>&nbsp;in the House. It began in May 2024 shortly after his indictment and was reauthorized in July. The committee said it was in contact with the Justice Department about mitigating the risks associated with dual investigations while still meeting its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party when it comes to immigration and firearms.He was among the most vocal critics of the Biden administration’s response to a record number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He also is one of the last Democrats in Congress who opposes abortion rights.Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-rod-blagojevich-ea52b9bd10ee8120934c434e5c75e406">pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich</a>, five years after he had commuted his sentence in a political corruption case.Like in Cuellar’s case, Trump suggested that New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, faced federal corruption charges because he made comments critical of Biden’s immigration policies.Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">drop the case</a>&nbsp;against the mayor, who had begun working with the Republican administration on immigration issues.A top Justice Department official, who was also Trump’s defense lawyer in several of his cases, stepped in to seek dismissal in the case.

Why President Trump just pardoned a Democrat Congressman 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject

A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.

Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;

Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>

On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;

But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”

They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;

All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.

Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.

The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>

The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.

“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;

“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”

The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.

“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.

Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;

However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764777739881.png" alt=" Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject</h2>A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”The ballot language reads:“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li><li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;</li><li>Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’</li><li>and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

Appeals court takes up fight over wording of Missouri abortion ban ballot measure

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

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

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

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man found guilty in the murder of a woman in Wichita will learn his fate Wednesday.

Jose Velazquez-Carillo, now 25, will appear in Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom for sentencing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury convicted Velazquez-Carillo of second degree murder.

In February of 2024, police responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd. in&nbsp; Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses

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

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

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

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

Sentencing Day for murder of Kan. woman found outside her home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from recipients in Kansas and other Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about those receiving the assistance.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of aid recipients. She said the cooperation is needed to root out fraud in the program. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement, saying they verify eligibility for SNAP beneficiaries and that they never share large swaths of sensitive data on the program with the federal government.

Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was skeptical about whether funding will really be taken away.

“We no longer take the Trump Administration’s words at face value — we’ll see what they actually do in reality,” she said in a statement. “Cutting programs that feed American children is morally repugnant.”

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-snap-trump-usda-8da2d74038ede32b65059f96c07a50ef">previously sued</a>&nbsp;over the request for information, which was initially made in February. A San Francisco-based federal judge has barred the administration, at least for now, from collecting the information from those states.

The federal government last week sent the states a letter saying that it was time to comply, as other states have, but the parties all agreed to give the states until Dec. 8 to respond.

Administration says data is needed to spot fraud

About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day.

Rollins has cited information provided by states that have complied, saying it shows that 186,000 deceased people are receiving SNAP benefits and that 500,000 are getting benefits more than once.

“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” Rollins said, “but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”

Her office has not released detailed data, including on how much in benefits obtained by error or fraud are being used.

It's also not clear which states have handed over the information. Rollins said 29 have complied and 21 have not. But 22 have sued to block the order.

Additionally, Kansas, which was not part of the lawsuit, has not provided it. The USDA told the state in September that SNAP funds would be cut off. The state asked the agency to reverse the action. A spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said there had not yet been a reply as of Tuesday. North Carolina appears to be the only state with a Democratic governor that has handed over the information.

Experts say that while there is certainly fraud in a $100 billion-a-year program, the far bigger problems are organized crime efforts to steal the benefit cards or get them in the name of made-up people — not wrongdoing by beneficiaries.

Democratic officials question administration's motives

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation to undo recent SNAP changes, said Rollins is trying to make changes without transparency — or without a role for Congress — and that she is mischaracterizing the program.

“Individuals who are just trying to buy food, those aren’t the ones who are gaming the system in the way that the administration is trying to portray,” Hayes said in an interview on Tuesday before Rollins announced her intention.

Democratic officials responded to Rollins' announcement by blasting the administration.

“The Governor wishes President Trump would be a president for all Americans rather than taking out his political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most," said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. "Whether it’s threatening highway funding or food assistance, the President is making malicious decisions that will raise prices and harm families.”

In response to Rollins’ comments, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”

The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year.

As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people between the ages of 55 and 64, homeless people and others.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Tuesday that it will move to withhold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from recipients in Kansas and other Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless those states provide information about those receiving the assistance.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple. If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding. Let’s see which states stand for accountability and which are just protecting their bribery schemes. 🤔💸 <a href="https://t.co/Y1UXXDOoao">pic.twitter.com/Y1UXXDOoao</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1995933975211397454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the action is looming because those states are refusing to provide data the department requested such as the names and immigration status of aid recipients. She said the cooperation is needed to root out fraud in the program. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement, saying they verify eligibility for SNAP beneficiaries and that they never share large swaths of sensitive data on the program with the federal government.Marissa Saldivar, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was skeptical about whether funding will really be taken away.“We no longer take the Trump Administration’s words at face value — we’ll see what they actually do in reality,” she said in a statement. “Cutting programs that feed American children is morally repugnant.”Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-deportation-snap-trump-usda-8da2d74038ede32b65059f96c07a50ef">previously sued</a>&nbsp;over the request for information, which was initially made in February. A San Francisco-based federal judge has barred the administration, at least for now, from collecting the information from those states.The federal government last week sent the states a letter saying that it was time to comply, as other states have, but the parties all agreed to give the states until Dec. 8 to respond.<h2>Administration says data is needed to spot fraud</h2>About 42 million lower-income Americans, or 1 in 8, rely on SNAP to help buy groceries. The average monthly benefit is about $190 per person, or a little over $6 a day.Rollins has cited information provided by states that have complied, saying it shows that 186,000 deceased people are receiving SNAP benefits and that 500,000 are getting benefits more than once.“We asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” Rollins said, “but also to ensure that the American taxpayer is protected.”Her office has not released detailed data, including on how much in benefits obtained by error or fraud are being used.It's also not clear which states have handed over the information. Rollins said 29 have complied and 21 have not. But 22 have sued to block the order.Additionally, Kansas, which was not part of the lawsuit, has not provided it. The USDA told the state in September that SNAP funds would be cut off. The state asked the agency to reverse the action. A spokesperson for Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said there had not yet been a reply as of Tuesday. North Carolina appears to be the only state with a Democratic governor that has handed over the information.Experts say that while there is certainly fraud in a $100 billion-a-year program, the far bigger problems are organized crime efforts to steal the benefit cards or get them in the name of made-up people — not wrongdoing by beneficiaries.<h2>Democratic officials question administration's motives</h2>U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Connecticut Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation to undo recent SNAP changes, said Rollins is trying to make changes without transparency — or without a role for Congress — and that she is mischaracterizing the program.“Individuals who are just trying to buy food, those aren’t the ones who are gaming the system in the way that the administration is trying to portray,” Hayes said in an interview on Tuesday before Rollins announced her intention.Democratic officials responded to Rollins' announcement by blasting the administration.“The Governor wishes President Trump would be a president for all Americans rather than taking out his political vendettas on the people who need these benefits the most," said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. "Whether it’s threatening highway funding or food assistance, the President is making malicious decisions that will raise prices and harm families.”In response to Rollins’ comments, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, “Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?”<h2>SNAP has been in the spotlight recently</h2>The program is not normally in the political spotlight, but it has been this year.As part of Trump's big tax and policy bill earlier in the year, work requirements are expanding to include people between the ages of 55 and 64, homeless people and others.And amid the recent federal government shutdown, the administration planned not to fund the benefits for November. There was a back-and-forth in the courts about whether they could do so, but then the government reopened and benefits resumed before the final word.In the meantime, some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-food-states-6cef598c92000bdff8384a9da1bfd23c">states scrambled to fund benefits</a>&nbsp;on their own and most increased or accelerated money for food banks.___Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed.