TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House's top Republican on Tuesday dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymandering-voting-maps-congress-trump-2ba53ae1f492f8e293f0fa261604e8c6">battle for partisan advantage</a>&nbsp;in the 2026 elections.

On social media, Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids, the target of the redistricting effort, responded to the news.

The announcement by House Speaker Dan Hawkins ended a weekslong push by GOP lawmakers to circumvent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and call themselves into a special session on redistricting, which would have convened Friday.

A session would have targeted four-term U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s four-person House delegation.

Republicans still could draw a map designed to oust her after the GOP-supermajority Legislature convenes its next regular annual session in January. Indeed, state Senate President Ty Masterson promised immediately after Hawkins' announcement that redistricting would be “a top priority” early next year.

Kansas Republicans were trying to answer President Donald Trump's call for states to redraw their maps to give the GOP more winnable seats ahead of the 2026 midterms so the party stands a better chance of keeping its slim House majority.

The Kansas constitution allowed Republicans to bypass Kelly’s refusal to call a special session by having two-thirds of the members of both chambers sign a petition. The GOP has the necessary supermajorities in both chambers, and enough GOP senators were on board, but a few House Republicans would not sign.

Some GOP critics opposed a mid-decade redistricting, while others feared that changes could make the three other Republican-held districts more competitive for Democrats.

“Planning a Special Session is always going to be an uphill battle with multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts and many unseen factors at play,” Hawkins said in a statement.

Davids conceded that the fight over a new Kansas map isn't over.

“We've won the first round in this fight against gerrymandering,” she said in a statement.

Kansas lawmakers haven’t done a mid-decade congressional redistricting since 1965, following federal court rulings requiring congressional and legislative districts to be as nearly equal in population as possible as a matter of fairness to all voters.

Most of Davids' district is in the Kansas City area, dominated by Johnson County, the state's most populous county. It is highly likely that Republicans would have to split Johnson County between at least two districts to hurt Davids enough for her to lose in 2026 — and that could alienate voters there.

Laurel Burchfield, advocacy director for the Mainstream Coalition, which opposes a mid-decade redistricting, said Kansas residents want GOP lawmakers to focus on economic issues and lowering costs for families.

“Changing the maps mid-decade to rig the system in their favor is wrong,” Burchfield said in a statement texted to The Associated Press.

GOP lawmakers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-elections-2026-trump-5e67fa8cccda52c4c4af22178db6a2de">Texas,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;have heeded the president's call for new maps, creating seven additional Republican seats among them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-california-redistricting-proposal-ad-c3961c1de1c93a57904e7b8df9a1a3fb">California</a>&nbsp;countered with an initiative on Tuesday's ballot to pick up five Democratic seats there.

In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore announced Tuesday that he has formed a commission to consider mid-cycle redistricting despite the state Senate president saying last week that his chamber would not move forward with redistricting. Democrats hold seven of eight House seats there.

In Kansas, it would have been only the second time in the state's 164-year history that lawmakers bypassed the governor for a special session. The only previous time was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-religion-eadf501664c90e87c9949d6a3adecc0f">in 2021,</a>&nbsp;when Republicans sought to challenge federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates. GOP leaders circulated this year's petition for weeks.

Hawkins' statement was titled, “Countdown to January 12th,” the date lawmakers open their next annual session. Hawkins said in his statement that most Republicans “wish to have a conversation about redistricting.”

GOP lawmakers would still have time to get a new map into law. The state's candidate filing deadline isn't until June 1, and the primary election is Aug. 4.

Davids has said she expects to challenge a new congressional map in court. She also is considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year against incumbent Republican Roger Marshall if her district is redrawn.

“Every option is on the table, including a statewide race,” Davids said during a recent Zoom news conference.

Associated Press journalist Brian Witte contributed reporting from Annapolis, Maryland.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House's top Republican on Tuesday dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymandering-voting-maps-congress-trump-2ba53ae1f492f8e293f0fa261604e8c6">battle for partisan advantage</a>&nbsp;in the 2026 elections.On social media, Kansas Democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids, the target of the redistricting effort, responded to the news.<div> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">(2/2) They’ve made it clear they’ll do anything to hold onto power, but I’ve been just as clear: voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. <a href="https://t.co/W1rUi5aOH2">https://t.co/W1rUi5aOH2</a>&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1985925636956045804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The announcement by House Speaker Dan Hawkins ended a weekslong push by GOP lawmakers to circumvent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and call themselves into a special session on redistricting, which would have convened Friday.A session would have targeted four-term U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s four-person House delegation.Republicans still could draw a map designed to oust her after the GOP-supermajority Legislature convenes its next regular annual session in January. Indeed, state Senate President Ty Masterson promised immediately after Hawkins' announcement that redistricting would be “a top priority” early next year.Kansas Republicans were trying to answer President Donald Trump's call for states to redraw their maps to give the GOP more winnable seats ahead of the 2026 midterms so the party stands a better chance of keeping its slim House majority.The Kansas constitution allowed Republicans to bypass Kelly’s refusal to call a special session by having two-thirds of the members of both chambers sign a petition. The GOP has the necessary supermajorities in both chambers, and enough GOP senators were on board, but a few House Republicans would not sign.Some GOP critics opposed a mid-decade redistricting, while others feared that changes could make the three other Republican-held districts more competitive for Democrats.“Planning a Special Session is always going to be an uphill battle with multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts and many unseen factors at play,” Hawkins said in a statement.Davids conceded that the fight over a new Kansas map isn't over.“We've won the first round in this fight against gerrymandering,” she said in a statement.Kansas lawmakers haven’t done a mid-decade congressional redistricting since 1965, following federal court rulings requiring congressional and legislative districts to be as nearly equal in population as possible as a matter of fairness to all voters.Most of Davids' district is in the Kansas City area, dominated by Johnson County, the state's most populous county. It is highly likely that Republicans would have to split Johnson County between at least two districts to hurt Davids enough for her to lose in 2026 — and that could alienate voters there.Laurel Burchfield, advocacy director for the Mainstream Coalition, which opposes a mid-decade redistricting, said Kansas residents want GOP lawmakers to focus on economic issues and lowering costs for families.“Changing the maps mid-decade to rig the system in their favor is wrong,” Burchfield said in a statement texted to The Associated Press.GOP lawmakers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-elections-2026-trump-5e67fa8cccda52c4c4af22178db6a2de">Texas,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;have heeded the president's call for new maps, creating seven additional Republican seats among them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-california-redistricting-proposal-ad-c3961c1de1c93a57904e7b8df9a1a3fb">California</a>&nbsp;countered with an initiative on Tuesday's ballot to pick up five Democratic seats there.In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore announced Tuesday that he has formed a commission to consider mid-cycle redistricting despite the state Senate president saying last week that his chamber would not move forward with redistricting. Democrats hold seven of eight House seats there.In Kansas, it would have been only the second time in the state's 164-year history that lawmakers bypassed the governor for a special session. The only previous time was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-religion-eadf501664c90e87c9949d6a3adecc0f">in 2021,</a>&nbsp;when Republicans sought to challenge federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates. GOP leaders circulated this year's petition for weeks.Hawkins' statement was titled, “Countdown to January 12th,” the date lawmakers open their next annual session. Hawkins said in his statement that most Republicans “wish to have a conversation about redistricting.”GOP lawmakers would still have time to get a new map into law. The state's candidate filing deadline isn't until June 1, and the primary election is Aug. 4.Davids has said she expects to challenge a new congressional map in court. She also is considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year against incumbent Republican Roger Marshall if her district is redrawn.“Every option is on the table, including a statewide race,” Davids said during a recent Zoom news conference.___Associated Press journalist Brian Witte contributed reporting from Annapolis, Maryland.

Kan. Congresswoman responds after Kan. GOP abandons special session on redistricting 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-strike-drug-smugglers-caribbean-44e98087294f015dc77e17025ecbb5e8">another deadly strike on a boat</a>&nbsp;accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, coming the same day an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-hegseth-drugs-boat-strikes-6c3316b2852723e26c39dc701bba9d52">aircraft carrier began heading to the region</a>&nbsp;in a new expansion of military firepower.

The attack Tuesday killed two people aboard the vessel, Hegseth said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">bringing the death toll</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration’s campaign in South American waters up to at least 66 people in at least 16 strikes.

President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;and claiming the boats are operated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">foreign terror organizations</a>. The administration has not provided evidence or more details.

“We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens,” Hegseth posted while on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-south-korea-hegseth-military-1ab1d56e81073bde4661ea72959885f2">trip to Asia</a>.

Lawmakers from both parties have pressed the Trump administration for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-boat-strikes-trump-cartels-democrats-briefing-40cd5b30897ba97de824af7b76f22b46">more information on who is being targeted</a>&nbsp;and the legal justification for the strikes given that Congress has not authorized military action. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-military-strikes-south-america-ed0ce092af5ad2c64b34ed51f8ab59cc">called for the U.S. to halt the attacks</a>&nbsp;and “prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”

The latest strike comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7">USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;has left the Mediterranean Sea on its way to the Caribbean after Hegseth ordered it to the region more than a week ago. It will join an already robust buildup of American planes, ships and thousands of troops in Latin America.

A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements, confirmed that the Ford and the destroyer USS Bainbridge crossed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic on Tuesday.

The Ford originally deployed with five destroyers, but it’s not clear if all of them will go to the Caribbean. Two of the other destroyers in the Ford’s strike group, the USS Winston Churchill and the USS Mahan, are in the Mediterranean now, with the Mahan in port at Rota, Spain.

The other two destroyers, the USS Forrest Sherman and the USS Mitchener, are in the Red Sea, the official said.

With the strikes and military assets in the region expanding, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States, has said the U.S. government is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-warship-maduro-uss-gerald-ford-21cc3ac03f755a657c0541667246c007">“fabricating” a war</a>&nbsp;against him.

During a interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Trump was asked if the U.S. was going to war with Venezuela. He responded: “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs.”

Norah O’Donnell, in the interview conducted Friday, also asked Trump if Maduro’s days were numbered.

“I would say yeah. I think so, yeah,” the president said. Trump would not say whether or not he would order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peacemaker-wars-legacy-7017f99ef27c15aac727928395c853c1">land strikes in Venezuela</a>.

In the latest strike, a video Hegseth posted to social media has a gray box obscuring a boat that appears in the water before it’s blown up. The footage then cuts to the vessel engulfed by flames.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-strike-drug-smugglers-caribbean-44e98087294f015dc77e17025ecbb5e8">another deadly strike on a boat</a>&nbsp;accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, coming the same day an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-hegseth-drugs-boat-strikes-6c3316b2852723e26c39dc701bba9d52">aircraft carrier began heading to the region</a>&nbsp;in a new expansion of military firepower.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known… <a href="https://t.co/OsQuHrYLMp">pic.twitter.com/OsQuHrYLMp</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1985863010376642677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The attack Tuesday killed two people aboard the vessel, Hegseth said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">bringing the death toll</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration’s campaign in South American waters up to at least 66 people in at least 16 strikes.President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;and claiming the boats are operated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">foreign terror organizations</a>. The administration has not provided evidence or more details.“We will find and terminate EVERY vessel with the intention of trafficking drugs to America to poison our citizens,” Hegseth posted while on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-south-korea-hegseth-military-1ab1d56e81073bde4661ea72959885f2">trip to Asia</a>.Lawmakers from both parties have pressed the Trump administration for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-boat-strikes-trump-cartels-democrats-briefing-40cd5b30897ba97de824af7b76f22b46">more information on who is being targeted</a>&nbsp;and the legal justification for the strikes given that Congress has not authorized military action. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-military-strikes-south-america-ed0ce092af5ad2c64b34ed51f8ab59cc">called for the U.S. to halt the attacks</a>&nbsp;and “prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”The latest strike comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7">USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;has left the Mediterranean Sea on its way to the Caribbean after Hegseth ordered it to the region more than a week ago. It will join an already robust buildup of American planes, ships and thousands of troops in Latin America.A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements, confirmed that the Ford and the destroyer USS Bainbridge crossed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic on Tuesday.The Ford originally deployed with five destroyers, but it’s not clear if all of them will go to the Caribbean. Two of the other destroyers in the Ford’s strike group, the USS Winston Churchill and the USS Mahan, are in the Mediterranean now, with the Mahan in port at Rota, Spain.The other two destroyers, the USS Forrest Sherman and the USS Mitchener, are in the Red Sea, the official said.With the strikes and military assets in the region expanding, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charged with narcoterrorism</a>&nbsp;in the United States, has said the U.S. government is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-warship-maduro-uss-gerald-ford-21cc3ac03f755a657c0541667246c007">“fabricating” a war</a>&nbsp;against him.During a interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Trump was asked if the U.S. was going to war with Venezuela. He responded: “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs.”Norah O’Donnell, in the interview conducted Friday, also asked Trump if Maduro’s days were numbered.“I would say yeah. I think so, yeah,” the president said. Trump would not say whether or not he would order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-peacemaker-wars-legacy-7017f99ef27c15aac727928395c853c1">land strikes in Venezuela</a>.In the latest strike, a video Hegseth posted to social media has a gray box obscuring a boat that appears in the water before it’s blown up. The footage then cuts to the vessel engulfed by flames.

🎥US military kills 2 in new strike on drug-running boat

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector&nbsp;

TOPEKA — The former CEO and founder of the Beneficient investment firm that was granted a unique bank charter on orders of the Kansas Legislature was arrested and jailed Tuesday following indictment for an alleged scheme to loot more than $150 million from a company forced into bankruptcy.

Brad Heppner, who was taken into custody at his home by the Irving Police Department in Texas, was indicted in federal court in New York on counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, making false statements to auditors, and falsification of records. Prosecutors say he misled investors and auditors, and they said he obstructed an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

He has for years been at the center of a flurry of civil lawsuits alleging financial misconduct. The criminal case was worked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the SEC.

“Heppner abused his role as a public company executive to loot the company and to funnel money into his own pockets,” said Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “When executives like Heppner lie and cheat to enrich themselves at the expense of everyday investors, they corrupt the integrity of our public markets.”

Interest in Heppner’s business activities has been relevant to Kansans because Beneficient, the company he founded, has held a Kansas banking license since 2021.

Heppner was accused in the indictment, unsealed Tuesday, of misappropriating at least $150 million from the publicly traded, now-bankrupt GWG Holdings through a series of self-serving transactions tied to Beneficient and Highland Consolidated Limited Partnership. He was simultaneously chairman of GWG and Beneficient, and secretly controlled HCLP, according to the indictment.

“Though Heppner repeatedly described HCLP as an independent entity, it was, in fact, a shell company controlled by Heppner and operated for his benefit,” the indictment said. “Once Heppner exhausted his ability to siphon GWG’s assets for himself, he separated himself from GWG. GWG filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter, causing losses exceeding $1 billion to thousands of investors and bondholders.”

Financial damage resulting from the catastrophe at GWG primarily fell on retail investors, “many of them retirees,” the indictment says.

The indictment says Heppner used the money for personal expenses, including $40 million for renovation of a Dallas mansion and a ranch in Montalba, Texas. He allegedly spent $10 million on upkeep, expansion and IT services on those properties as well as $10 million to cover credit card debt and private aviation expenditures. He purportedly used $20 million to pay tax expenses and bought jewelry valued at more than $500,000.

The indictment seeks to force Heppner to surrender ill-gotten cash as well as the properties in Dallas and Montalba.

Heppner, 59, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the fraud, false statement and false record counts. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

In June, Heppner resigned from Dallas-headquartered Beneficient rather than cooperate with an audit committee looking into financial irregularities. In 2021, Heppner left GWG and structurally separated Beneficient from GWG. GWG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022.

Dan Callahan, a spokesperson representing Beneficient, issued a company statement in wake of the indictment: “Beneficient parted ways with Mr. Heppner earlier this year, immediately after learning facts related to his alleged fraud on the company and others. Beneficient will continue to pursue its own claims against Mr. Heppner on behalf of its shareholders. Beneficient has and continues to cooperate with the government’s investigation of Mr. Heppner.”

Heppner was the face of Beneficient before and after it landed a Kansas banking charter for a Beneficient subsidiary. Legislation that guaranteed Beneficient received the charter was championed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican now in the midst of a campaign for governor. Masterson made the motion in support of the charter during a 2021 interim legislative committee hearing. The legislation was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

While lobbying Kansas legislators in pursuit of a bank charter, Heppner allegedly continued with the covert effort to hide the funneling of $150 million from GWG to Beneficient and to HCLP.

Beneficient made financial contributions to the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats in Kansas. It’s unclear whether those donations were made with cash Heppner allegedly transferred from GWG.

David Herndon, the Kansas state banking commissioner, opposed the charter for Beneficient and repeatedly urged the Legislature to repeal the law allowing Beneficient to anchor its asset-swap business to Kansas.

The business linked to the state charter was designed to allow Beneficient to work with investors to cash out or trade for stock their illiquid assets, including venture capital and private equity. To entice Kansas to deliver the charter, Beneficient agreed to funnel money into a Kansas foundation that was to help revitalize Hesston and support economic development in other rural communities. Heppner grew up in Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762351195715.jpeg" alt="Brad Heppner, former CEO of Beneficient in Texas, is arrested and indicted in Texas on securities and wire fraud, making false statements and falsification of records. (Photo by Irving Police Department)" />
 <figcaption>Brad Heppner, former CEO of Beneficient in Texas, is arrested and indicted in Texas on securities and wire fraud, making false statements and falsification of records. (Photo by Irving Police Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector&nbsp;TOPEKA — The former CEO and founder of the Beneficient investment firm that was granted a unique bank charter on orders of the Kansas Legislature was arrested and jailed Tuesday following indictment for an alleged scheme to loot more than $150 million from a company forced into bankruptcy.Brad Heppner, who was taken into custody at his home by the Irving Police Department in Texas, was indicted in federal court in New York on counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, making false statements to auditors, and falsification of records. Prosecutors say he misled investors and auditors, and they said he obstructed an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.He has for years been at the center of a flurry of civil lawsuits alleging financial misconduct. The criminal case was worked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the SEC.“Heppner abused his role as a public company executive to loot the company and to funnel money into his own pockets,” said Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “When executives like Heppner lie and cheat to enrich themselves at the expense of everyday investors, they corrupt the integrity of our public markets.”Interest in Heppner’s business activities has been relevant to Kansans because Beneficient, the company he founded, has held a Kansas banking license since 2021.Heppner was accused in the indictment, unsealed Tuesday, of misappropriating at least $150 million from the publicly traded, now-bankrupt GWG Holdings through a series of self-serving transactions tied to Beneficient and Highland Consolidated Limited Partnership. He was simultaneously chairman of GWG and Beneficient, and secretly controlled HCLP, according to the indictment.“Though Heppner repeatedly described HCLP as an independent entity, it was, in fact, a shell company controlled by Heppner and operated for his benefit,” the indictment said. “Once Heppner exhausted his ability to siphon GWG’s assets for himself, he separated himself from GWG. GWG filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter, causing losses exceeding $1 billion to thousands of investors and bondholders.”Financial damage resulting from the catastrophe at GWG primarily fell on retail investors, “many of them retirees,” the indictment says.The indictment says Heppner used the money for personal expenses, including $40 million for renovation of a Dallas mansion and a ranch in Montalba, Texas. He allegedly spent $10 million on upkeep, expansion and IT services on those properties as well as $10 million to cover credit card debt and private aviation expenditures. He purportedly used $20 million to pay tax expenses and bought jewelry valued at more than $500,000.The indictment seeks to force Heppner to surrender ill-gotten cash as well as the properties in Dallas and Montalba.Heppner, 59, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the fraud, false statement and false record counts. The conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.In June, Heppner resigned from Dallas-headquartered Beneficient rather than cooperate with an audit committee looking into financial irregularities. In 2021, Heppner left GWG and structurally separated Beneficient from GWG. GWG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022.Dan Callahan, a spokesperson representing Beneficient, issued a company statement in wake of the indictment: “Beneficient parted ways with Mr. Heppner earlier this year, immediately after learning facts related to his alleged fraud on the company and others. Beneficient will continue to pursue its own claims against Mr. Heppner on behalf of its shareholders. Beneficient has and continues to cooperate with the government’s investigation of Mr. Heppner.”Heppner was the face of Beneficient before and after it landed a Kansas banking charter for a Beneficient subsidiary. Legislation that guaranteed Beneficient received the charter was championed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican now in the midst of a campaign for governor. Masterson made the motion in support of the charter during a 2021 interim legislative committee hearing. The legislation was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.While lobbying Kansas legislators in pursuit of a bank charter, Heppner allegedly continued with the covert effort to hide the funneling of $150 million from GWG to Beneficient and to HCLP.Beneficient made financial contributions to the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats in Kansas. It’s unclear whether those donations were made with cash Heppner allegedly transferred from GWG.David Herndon, the Kansas state banking commissioner, opposed the charter for Beneficient and repeatedly urged the Legislature to repeal the law allowing Beneficient to anchor its asset-swap business to Kansas.The business linked to the state charter was designed to allow Beneficient to work with investors to cash out or trade for stock their illiquid assets, including venture capital and private equity. To entice Kansas to deliver the charter, Beneficient agreed to funnel money into a Kansas foundation that was to help revitalize Hesston and support economic development in other rural communities. Heppner grew up in Kansas.

Former CEO who acquired unique Kansas bank charter indicted on fraud charges

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;power to unilaterally impose far-reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;was before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a pivotal test of executive power with trillion-dollar implications for the global economy.

The Republican administration is trying to defend the tariffs central to Trump’s economic agenda after lower courts ruled the emergency law he invoked doesn’t give him near-limitless power to set and change duties on imports.

The Constitution says Congress has the power to levy tariffs. But the Trump administration argues that in emergency situations the president can regulate importation taxes like tariffs. Trump has called the case one of the most important in the country’s history and said a ruling against him would be “catastrophic” for the economy.

The challengers argue the 1977 emergency-powers law Trump used doesn’t even mention tariffs, and no president before has used it to impose them. A collection of small businesses say the uncertainty is driving them to the brink of bankruptcy.

The case centers on two sets of tariffs. The first came in February on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carney-canada-trump-tariff-ad-81450969892ac525d4ce21942f3fe973">imports from Canada</a>, China and Mexico after Trump declared a national emergency over drug trafficking. The second involves the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries that Trump announced in April.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the tariffs, and the court will hear suits filed by Democratic-leaning states and small businesses focused on everything from plumbing supplies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-terry-cycling-lawsui-supreme-court-b3215d8ca2edfb40b58ad374bd580d1f">women’s cycling apparel.</a>

Lower courts have struck down the bulk of his tariffs as an illegal use of emergency power, but the nation’s highest court may see it differently.

Trump helped shape the conservative-majority court, naming three of the justices in his first term. The justices have so far been reluctant to check his extraordinary flex of executive power, handing him a series of wins on its emergency docket.

Still, those have been short-term orders — little of Trump’s wide-ranging conservative agenda has been fully argued before the nation’s highest court. That means the outcome could set the tone for wider legal pushback against his policies.

The justices have been skeptical of executive power claims before, such as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-7c44eedbf32bec35fc638e9953db2aeb">then-President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;tried to forgive $400 billion in student loans under a different law dealing with national emergencies. The Supreme Court found the law didn’t clearly give him the power to enact a program with such a big economic impact, a legal principle known as the major questions doctrine.

The challengers say Trump’s tariffs should get the same treatment, since they’ll have a much greater economic effect, raising some $3 trillion over the next decade. The government, on the other hand, says the tariffs are different because they’re a major part of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-foreign-policy-21337d2c11e629da3f187cdeb381d58b">approach to foreign affairs</a>, an area where the courts should not be second-guessing the president.

The challengers are also trying to channel the conservative justices’ skepticism about whether the Constitution allows other parts of the government to use powers reserved for Congress, a concept known as the nondelegation doctrine. Trump’s interpretation of the law could mean anyone who can “regulate” can also impose taxes, they say.

The Justice Department counters that legal principle is for governmental agencies, not for the president.

If he eventually loses at the high court, Trump could impose tariffs under other laws, but those have more limitations on the speed and severity with which he could act. The aftermath of a ruling against him also could be complicated, if the government must issue refunds for the tariffs that had collected $195 billion in revenue as of September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;power to unilaterally impose far-reaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">tariffs</a>&nbsp;was before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a pivotal test of executive power with trillion-dollar implications for the global economy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Sotomayor asks about tariffs being a kind of tax on Americans and compares President Trump&#39;s emergency tariff Executive Orders to President Biden&#39;s student loan forgiveness policy and a hypothetical climate emergency. <a href="https://t.co/nD0MYgVjv3">pic.twitter.com/nD0MYgVjv3</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1986099084961227180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Barrett asks if &quot;Regulate&quot; means power to tariff. While U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer responds, Justice Sotomayor: &quot;Could you just answer the justice&#39;s question?&quot; Barrett: &quot;Can you identify any statute that used that phrase...?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SOMhHSGZBm">pic.twitter.com/SOMhHSGZBm</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1986101612272640338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Gorsuch: &quot;What&#39;s the reason to accept the notion that Congress can hand off the power to declare war to the president?&quot; U.S. Solicitor General Sauer: &quot;Well, we don&#39;t contend that.&quot; Gorsuch: &quot;You do, you say it&#39;s unreviewable…you&#39;ve backed off that position?&quot; Sauer:… <a href="https://t.co/tuPdf7295s">pic.twitter.com/tuPdf7295s</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1986105831675371866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Barrett asks about refunding tariff revenue should President Trump lose the case: &quot;If you win, tell me how the reimbursement process would work. Would it be a complete mess?&quot; Neal Katyal: &quot;We don&#39;t deny that it&#39;s difficult.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WsiVGTyBO9">pic.twitter.com/WsiVGTyBO9</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1986124253369147787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Justice Kavanaugh asks why the president may not be able to issue tariffs but can set trade embargoes, which sets off a debate among the justices and a series of questions about presidential power. <a href="https://t.co/tLDMi2MPm6">pic.twitter.com/tLDMi2MPm6</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1986131942094319755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Republican administration is trying to defend the tariffs central to Trump’s economic agenda after lower courts ruled the emergency law he invoked doesn’t give him near-limitless power to set and change duties on imports.The Constitution says Congress has the power to levy tariffs. But the Trump administration argues that in emergency situations the president can regulate importation taxes like tariffs. Trump has called the case one of the most important in the country’s history and said a ruling against him would be “catastrophic” for the economy.The challengers argue the 1977 emergency-powers law Trump used doesn’t even mention tariffs, and no president before has used it to impose them. A collection of small businesses say the uncertainty is driving them to the brink of bankruptcy.The case centers on two sets of tariffs. The first came in February on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carney-canada-trump-tariff-ad-81450969892ac525d4ce21942f3fe973">imports from Canada</a>, China and Mexico after Trump declared a national emergency over drug trafficking. The second involves the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on most countries that Trump announced in April.Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the tariffs, and the court will hear suits filed by Democratic-leaning states and small businesses focused on everything from plumbing supplies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-terry-cycling-lawsui-supreme-court-b3215d8ca2edfb40b58ad374bd580d1f">women’s cycling apparel.</a>Lower courts have struck down the bulk of his tariffs as an illegal use of emergency power, but the nation’s highest court may see it differently.Trump helped shape the conservative-majority court, naming three of the justices in his first term. The justices have so far been reluctant to check his extraordinary flex of executive power, handing him a series of wins on its emergency docket.Still, those have been short-term orders — little of Trump’s wide-ranging conservative agenda has been fully argued before the nation’s highest court. That means the outcome could set the tone for wider legal pushback against his policies.The justices have been skeptical of executive power claims before, such as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-7c44eedbf32bec35fc638e9953db2aeb">then-President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;tried to forgive $400 billion in student loans under a different law dealing with national emergencies. The Supreme Court found the law didn’t clearly give him the power to enact a program with such a big economic impact, a legal principle known as the major questions doctrine.The challengers say Trump’s tariffs should get the same treatment, since they’ll have a much greater economic effect, raising some $3 trillion over the next decade. The government, on the other hand, says the tariffs are different because they’re a major part of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-foreign-policy-21337d2c11e629da3f187cdeb381d58b">approach to foreign affairs</a>, an area where the courts should not be second-guessing the president.The challengers are also trying to channel the conservative justices’ skepticism about whether the Constitution allows other parts of the government to use powers reserved for Congress, a concept known as the nondelegation doctrine. Trump’s interpretation of the law could mean anyone who can “regulate” can also impose taxes, they say.The Justice Department counters that legal principle is for governmental agencies, not for the president.If he eventually loses at the high court, Trump could impose tariffs under other laws, but those have more limitations on the speed and severity with which he could act. The aftermath of a ruling against him also could be complicated, if the government must issue refunds for the tariffs that had collected $195 billion in revenue as of September.

🎧History: Supreme Court oral arguments on Trump tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-longest-trump-democrats-senate-filibuster-1f147746aab58daffd8a8cb578df0b81">longest ever</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/government-shutdown-photos-trump-congress-fa2b017fa487ec2e7e732319087092cd">disrupting the lives</a>&nbsp;of millions of Americans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-aid-snap-health-care-government-shutdown-41f4bb2b838c738e0d56e620bf396c8f">federal program cuts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-flights-delays-shutdown-538fcee7931eefed1acc50b104a67d1f">flight delays</a>&nbsp;and federal workers nationwide left&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/furlough-federal-workers-unemployment-government-shutdown-e0c73357aab61c7a6162cfb26c659c03">without paychecks</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their demands to salvage expiring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">health insurance subsidies</a>&nbsp;until they agree to reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican president will keep his word, particularly after the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-government-shutdown-court-order-b354aa0b596dcb8bfc6dc59a3382e811">restricted SNAP food aid</a>, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">court orders</a>&nbsp;to ensure funds are available to prevent hunger.

Trump, whose first term at the White House set the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">previous government shutdown record</a>, is set to meet early Wednesday for breakfast with GOP senators. But no talks have been scheduled with the Democrats.

“Why is this happening? We’re in a shutdown because our colleagues are unwilling to come to the table to talk about one simple thing: health care premiums,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in a late evening speech.

“Stop this mess, come to the table, negotiate it,” she said.

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-business-normal-cebf7f8d2ff64a98328460d4a0a8deb3">Trump largely on the sidelines</a>, talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the stalemate. Expectations are high that the logjam would break once election results were fully tallied in Tuesday’s off-year races that were widely watched as a gauge of voter sentiment over Trump’s second term in the White House. Democrats swept key contests for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City mayor, certain to shake up the political assessments.

But earlier in the afternoon, Senate Democrats left an hours-long private meeting stone-faced, with no certain path forward.

“We’re exploring all the options,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;said afterward.

Trump’s approach to this shutdown stands in marked contrast to his first term, when the government was partially closed for 35 days over his demands for funds to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-2cb11c3652bb4f18a760216bf53b58ed">the U.S.-Mexico border wall</a>. At that time, he met publicly and negotiated with congressional leaders, but unable to secure the funds, he relented in 2019.

This time, it’s not just Trump declining to engage in talks. The congressional leaders are at a standoff and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson,</a>&nbsp;R-La., sent lawmakers home in September after they approved their own funding bill, refusing further negotiations.

In the meantime, food aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">child care funds</a>&nbsp;and countless other government services are being seriously interrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or expected to come to work without pay.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted there could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers-duffy-delays-9afedfa9e5000510c77465808404c830">chaos in the skies</a>&nbsp;next week if air traffic controllers miss another paycheck. Labor unions put pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this has been not only the longest shutdown but also “the most severe shutdown on record.”

The Republican leader has urged the Democrats to accept his overtures to vote on the health care issue and keep negotiating a solution once the government reopens, arguing that no one wins politically from the standoff.

Central to any endgame will be a series of agreements that would need to be upheld not only by the Senate, but also the House, and the White House, which is not at all certain in Washington.

First of all, senators from both parties, particularly the powerful members of the Appropriations Committee, are pushing to ensure the normal government funding process in Congress can be put back on track.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., along with several Democrats, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware, are among those working behind the scenes.

“The pace of talks have increased,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has been involved in conversations.

Among the goals is guaranteeing upcoming votes on a smaller package of bills where there is already widespread bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects of government, like agricultural programs and military construction projects at bases.

“I certainly think that three-bill package is primed to do a lot of good things for the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has also been in talks.

More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some resolution to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.

With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of Americans are experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of enhanced federal subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and come in the form of tax credits, are expected to leave many people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aca-credits-health-care-subsidies-government-shutdown-7f7a3609bf78dd7e43be9a041a090220">unable to buy health insurance.</a>

Republicans are reluctant to fund the health care program, also known as Obamacare, without reforms, but negotiating a compromise with Democrats is expected to take time, if a deal can be reached at all.

Thune has promised Democrats at least a vote on their preferred health care proposal, on a date certain, as part of any deal to reopen government. But that’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care deadlock as part of their broader concerns with Trump’s direction for the country.

The White House says its position remains unchanged and that Democrats must vote to fund the government before talks over health care can begin. White House officials are in close contact with GOP senators who have been quietly speaking with key Senate Democrats, according to a senior White House official. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.

Trump’s demands to end the filibuster fall flat

The president has been pushing the senators to nuke the filibuster — the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation — as a way to reopen the government.

The GOP senators have panned Trump’s demands to end the filibuster, in a rare public break with the president. Thune and others argue the Senate rule, while infuriating at times, ensures the minority party can be a check on the administration, which is important when power shifts in Washington.

But in the current Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, 53-47, Democrats have been able to block the House-passed bill that would fund the government, having voted more than a dozen times against.

Trump has said that doing away with the filibuster would be one way the Republicans could bypass the Democrats and end the shutdown on their own. Republican senators are trying to avoid that outcome.

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Seung Min Kim and Matt Brown contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315687610.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-longest-trump-democrats-senate-filibuster-1f147746aab58daffd8a8cb578df0b81">longest ever</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/government-shutdown-photos-trump-congress-fa2b017fa487ec2e7e732319087092cd">disrupting the lives</a>&nbsp;of millions of Americans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-aid-snap-health-care-government-shutdown-41f4bb2b838c738e0d56e620bf396c8f">federal program cuts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-flights-delays-shutdown-538fcee7931eefed1acc50b104a67d1f">flight delays</a>&nbsp;and federal workers nationwide left&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/furlough-federal-workers-unemployment-government-shutdown-e0c73357aab61c7a6162cfb26c659c03">without paychecks</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their demands to salvage expiring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e">health insurance subsidies</a>&nbsp;until they agree to reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican president will keep his word, particularly after the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-government-shutdown-court-order-b354aa0b596dcb8bfc6dc59a3382e811">restricted SNAP food aid</a>, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">court orders</a>&nbsp;to ensure funds are available to prevent hunger.Trump, whose first term at the White House set the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/30769167ab7a4ef9adf880d020b775dd">previous government shutdown record</a>, is set to meet early Wednesday for breakfast with GOP senators. But no talks have been scheduled with the Democrats.“Why is this happening? We’re in a shutdown because our colleagues are unwilling to come to the table to talk about one simple thing: health care premiums,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in a late evening speech.“Stop this mess, come to the table, negotiate it,” she said.With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-government-business-normal-cebf7f8d2ff64a98328460d4a0a8deb3">Trump largely on the sidelines</a>, talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the stalemate. Expectations are high that the logjam would break once election results were fully tallied in Tuesday’s off-year races that were widely watched as a gauge of voter sentiment over Trump’s second term in the White House. Democrats swept key contests for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City mayor, certain to shake up the political assessments.But earlier in the afternoon, Senate Democrats left an hours-long private meeting stone-faced, with no certain path forward.“We’re exploring all the options,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;said afterward.<h2>Trump sets another shutdown record</h2>Trump’s approach to this shutdown stands in marked contrast to his first term, when the government was partially closed for 35 days over his demands for funds to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-2cb11c3652bb4f18a760216bf53b58ed">the U.S.-Mexico border wall</a>. At that time, he met publicly and negotiated with congressional leaders, but unable to secure the funds, he relented in 2019.This time, it’s not just Trump declining to engage in talks. The congressional leaders are at a standoff and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson,</a>&nbsp;R-La., sent lawmakers home in September after they approved their own funding bill, refusing further negotiations.In the meantime, food aid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">child care funds</a>&nbsp;and countless other government services are being seriously interrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or expected to come to work without pay.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted there could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers-duffy-delays-9afedfa9e5000510c77465808404c830">chaos in the skies</a>&nbsp;next week if air traffic controllers miss another paycheck. Labor unions put pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this has been not only the longest shutdown but also “the most severe shutdown on record.”The Republican leader has urged the Democrats to accept his overtures to vote on the health care issue and keep negotiating a solution once the government reopens, arguing that no one wins politically from the standoff.“Shutdowns are stupid,” Thune said.<h2>Senators search for potential deal</h2>Central to any endgame will be a series of agreements that would need to be upheld not only by the Senate, but also the House, and the White House, which is not at all certain in Washington.First of all, senators from both parties, particularly the powerful members of the Appropriations Committee, are pushing to ensure the normal government funding process in Congress can be put back on track.Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., along with several Democrats, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware, are among those working behind the scenes.“The pace of talks have increased,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has been involved in conversations.Among the goals is guaranteeing upcoming votes on a smaller package of bills where there is already widespread bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects of government, like agricultural programs and military construction projects at bases.“I certainly think that three-bill package is primed to do a lot of good things for the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has also been in talks.<h2>Health care costs skyrocket for millions</h2>More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some resolution to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of Americans are experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of enhanced federal subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and come in the form of tax credits, are expected to leave many people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aca-credits-health-care-subsidies-government-shutdown-7f7a3609bf78dd7e43be9a041a090220">unable to buy health insurance.</a>Republicans are reluctant to fund the health care program, also known as Obamacare, without reforms, but negotiating a compromise with Democrats is expected to take time, if a deal can be reached at all.Thune has promised Democrats at least a vote on their preferred health care proposal, on a date certain, as part of any deal to reopen government. But that’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care deadlock as part of their broader concerns with Trump’s direction for the country.The White House says its position remains unchanged and that Democrats must vote to fund the government before talks over health care can begin. White House officials are in close contact with GOP senators who have been quietly speaking with key Senate Democrats, according to a senior White House official. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.<h2>Trump’s demands to end the filibuster fall flat</h2>The president has been pushing the senators to nuke the filibuster — the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation — as a way to reopen the government.The GOP senators have panned Trump’s demands to end the filibuster, in a rare public break with the president. Thune and others argue the Senate rule, while infuriating at times, ensures the minority party can be a check on the administration, which is important when power shifts in Washington.But in the current Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, 53-47, Democrats have been able to block the House-passed bill that would fund the government, having voted more than a dozen times against.Trump has said that doing away with the filibuster would be one way the Republicans could bypass the Democrats and end the shutdown on their own. Republican senators are trying to avoid that outcome.___Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Seung Min Kim and Matt Brown contributed to this report.

 Government shutdown now the longest on record as fallout spreads nationwide

RENO COUNTY —Voters in Hutchinson overwhelmingly rejected USD 308's $109 million dollar bond issue for facility upgrades, a middle school redesign and athletic field relocation.&nbsp;If approved, the district’s mill levy would have risen from about 52 to 57 mills, according to the school district.

Voters in Russell, Wellington, Rock Hills and St. John Hudson also rejected school bond issues on Tuesday.

Voters in Oakley, Goodland, Arkansas City and Mulvane all approved their school bond issues.

RENO COUNTY —Voters in Hutchinson overwhelmingly rejected USD 308's $109 million dollar bond issue for facility upgrades, a middle school redesign and athletic field relocation.&nbsp;If approved, the district’s mill levy would have risen from about 52 to 57 mills, according to the school district.Voters in Russell, Wellington, Rock Hills and St. John Hudson also rejected school bond issues on Tuesday.Voters in Oakley, Goodland, Arkansas City and Mulvane all approved their school bond issues.

Voters reject $109M school bond issue in Hutchinson

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including homicide after a standoff at a home in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just after 8:30a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance at a home in the 1400 block of Oakland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

The reporting party told officers an armed subject entered his home and was inside holding his adult son against his will at gunpoint. 

Police negotiators were able to have the victim released from the residence. Just before 2 p.m. the Kansas City, Kansas polic Special Operations Unit made entry in the residence and took the suspect into custody without incident. The suspect is being held on numerous requested felony charges and was wanted in connection with a homicide from Kansas City, Missouri.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including homicide after a standoff at a home in Kansas City, Kansas.Just after 8:30a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance at a home in the 1400 block of Oakland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.The reporting party told officers an armed subject entered his home and was inside holding his adult son against his will at gunpoint. Police negotiators were able to have the victim released from the residence. Just before 2 p.m. the Kansas City, Kansas polic Special Operations Unit made entry in the residence and took the suspect into custody without incident. The suspect is being held on numerous requested felony charges and was wanted in connection with a homicide from Kansas City, Missouri.

Murder suspect arrested after standoff at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;returned to the White House.

And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump’s inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump’s GOP heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections.

Democrats on Tuesday won governor’s races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-first-female-governor-earlesears-spanberger-01f9854a94fdab6e5719096664ee9be1">Virginia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mikie-sherrill-jack-ciattarelli-new-jersey-governor-44af948914dd2c6fbe7bb0687c54f99d">New Jersey</a>, the only states electing new chief executives this year. They also swept a trio of state Supreme Court contests in swing-state Pennsylvania and ballots measures from Colorado to Maine.

Trump was largely absent from the campaign trail, but GOP candidates closely aligned themselves with the president, betting that his big win last year could provide a path to victory this time. They were wrong.

Democrats are hoping the off-year romp offers a new winning playbook, but some caution may be warranted. Tuesday’s elections were limited to a handful of states, most of which lean blue, and the party that holds the White House typically struggles in off-year elections.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington may be more excited than Democrats that a self-described democratic socialist will become New York City’s next mayor.

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger will become Virginia’s next governor — and its first female chief executive — while Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey governor’s office by running campaigns focused largely on the economy, public safety and health care.

Early results showed Democrats outperforming their margins from four years ago in fast-growing suburbs, rural areas and even places with high concentrations of military voters.

The Democrats won by actively distancing themselves from some of the Democratic Party’s far-left policies and emphasized what Spanberger described in her victory speech as “pragmatism over partisanship.”

A growing collection of Democratic leaders believe the moderate approach holds the key to the party’s revival after the GOP won the White House and both congressional chambers last year.

Above all, the Democrats in both states focused on rising costs such as groceries, energy and health care, which Trump has struggled to control.

In addition to tacking to the middle on economic issues, Spanberger and Sherrill downplayed their support for progressive priorities, including LGBTQ rights and resistance against Trump’s attack on American institutions. Spanberger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">rarely even mentioned Trump’s name</a>&nbsp;on the campaign trail.

Both also have resumes that appealed to the middle.

Spanberger is a former CIA case officer who spent years abroad working undercover, while Sherrill spent a decade as an active-duty helicopter pilot for the Navy before entering Congress. Both played up their public safety backgrounds as a direct response to the GOP’s attack that Democrats are soft on crime.

Trump and his Republican allies have been especially focused on immigration, crime and conservative cultural issues.

But voters who decided Tuesday’s top elections were more concerned about the economy, jobs and costs of living. That’s according to the AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggesting that many voters felt they can’t get ahead financially in today’s economy.

Ironically, the same economic anxieties helped propel Trump to the White House just one year ago. Now, the economic concerns appear to be undermining his party’s political goals in 2025 — and could be more problematic for the GOP in next year’s midterm elections, which will decide the balance of power for Trump’s final two years in office.

That’s even as Trump regularly brags about stock prices booming and boasted about leading a new renaissance of American manufacturing.

About half of Virginia voters said the economy was the most important issue facing their state while most New Jersey voters said either taxes or the economy were the top issue in their state. Just over half of New York City voters said cost of living was their top concern.

It was unclear whether kitchen table concerns weighing so heavily on voters might help break the impasse that has prompted the government shutdown, which has spanned more than a month.

This was the first election since Trump’s return to the presidency and voters rejected candidates and causes aligned with his Republican Party from Virginia and Pennsylvania to Maine and New Jersey. It was, in fact, difficult to point to any significant victory for Trump’s party.

They also expressed strong feelings about the direction of the country under his leadership.

About 6 in 10 voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today, according to the AP Voter Poll. Just one-third said they are “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.”

In a sign of the extent of the GOP’s struggles, Republicans lost the Virginia attorney general’s race to Democrat Jay Jones, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-attorney-general-race-ce4caf21a7b3f6a819363653c83a2830">forced to apologize</a>&nbsp;after text messages surfaced weeks before Election Day in which he depicted the murder of political opponents.

Fearing a bad night, Trump tried to distance himself from the election results.

The president endorsed Ciattarelli in New Jersey but held only a pair of tele-town halls on his behalf, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-jersey-virginia-governors-dd89da11b680ab562d385ae972c340be">one Monday night</a>. Trump also did a Monday night tele-town hall for Virginia Republican candidates, but he focused mostly in favor of the GOP candidate for attorney general, who also lost.

Despite Trump’s distance, his policies — including his “big, beautiful” budget bill and his massive cuts to the federal workforce — played a central role in Virginia, New Jersey and even New York City’s mayoral contest. And the Republicans in each refused to distance themselves from the president or his agenda.

The results left the president ducking blame.

“TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” according to pollsters, he posted on his social media account.

Trump planned to have breakfast Wednesday at the White House with Senate Republicans who have so far opposed his calls to end the shutdown by abandoning the legislative filibuster, the 60-vote minimum needed to pass most major legislation though the Senate.

A new star for Democrats (and Republicans) in New York City

Moderates won in Virginia and New Jersey. But it was a self-described democratic socialist who cruised to victory in New York City.

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator who backs radical changes to address economic inequality, will serve as the next mayor of the nation’s largest city.

His bold agenda and inspirational approach helped generate the largest turnout in a New York City mayoral race in at least three decades. It also spooked some business leaders and voices in the Jewish community, who otherwise support Democrats but oppose some of Mamdani’s past statements about personal wealth accumulation and Israel.

Trump, who actually endorsed Mamdani’s independent opponent, former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, falsely called Mamdani a communist on the eve of the election.

Some Republicans in Washington were quietly rooting for a Mamdani victory. Even before his win was final, Republican campaign committees launched attack ads against more than a dozen vulnerable House Democrats in New York and New Jersey linking them to Mamdani and his far-left politics.

The ad campaign is expected to extend to Democrats across the country ahead of next year’s midterms.

The Democratic successes extended beyond Virginia, New Jersey and New York.

In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept all three elections for state supreme court justices. The wins could have implications for key cases involving redistricting and balloting for midterm elections — and the 2028 presidential race — in the nation’s most populous swing state.

Conservative causes struggled on ballot questions in other states as well.

Maine voters defeated a measure that would have mandated showing an ID at the polls while approving a “red flag” rule meant to make it easier for family members to petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person’s access to guns.

Colorado approved raising taxes on people earning more than $300,000 to fund school meal programs and food assistance for low-income state residents.

And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, frequently mentioned as a 2028 presidential hopeful, led a triumphant charge to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">redraw congressional maps</a>&nbsp;to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections.

The push is the centerpiece of a Democratic effort to counter new Republican maps in Texas and elsewhere that were drawn to boost the GOP’s chances in next year’s fight to control Congress. For the new maps to count in 2026, however, Californians had to vote on a yes-or-no ballot question known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-special-election-ballot-redistricting-congress-newsom-cf866378e5d98de7e9c7506b6979678d">Proposition 50</a>. It was easily approved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762340690333.png" alt="Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;returned to the White House.And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump’s inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump’s GOP heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (D): &quot;Just a few minutes ago Adam said to our daughters, &#39;You&#39;re mom&#39;s going to be the governor of Virginia.&#39; I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/XrLLSR8nQk">pic.twitter.com/XrLLSR8nQk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985889537042890955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (D): &quot;We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025 Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our Commonwealth over chaos. You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VizrFv4SzE">pic.twitter.com/VizrFv4SzE</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985886298939211839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democrats on Tuesday won governor’s races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-first-female-governor-earlesears-spanberger-01f9854a94fdab6e5719096664ee9be1">Virginia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mikie-sherrill-jack-ciattarelli-new-jersey-governor-44af948914dd2c6fbe7bb0687c54f99d">New Jersey</a>, the only states electing new chief executives this year. They also swept a trio of state Supreme Court contests in swing-state Pennsylvania and ballots measures from Colorado to Maine.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;We can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him it is the city that gave rise to him...So,… <a href="https://t.co/Vt7pmuIGpd">pic.twitter.com/Vt7pmuIGpd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985931014498062675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;We have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life but let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Pf0j4I1TDK">pic.twitter.com/Pf0j4I1TDK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985927747638632471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump was largely absent from the campaign trail, but GOP candidates closely aligned themselves with the president, betting that his big win last year could provide a path to victory this time. They were wrong.Democrats are hoping the off-year romp offers a new winning playbook, but some caution may be warranted. Tuesday’s elections were limited to a handful of states, most of which lean blue, and the party that holds the White House typically struggles in off-year elections.Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington may be more excited than Democrats that a self-described democratic socialist will become New York City’s next mayor.Here’s some top takeaways:<h2>A new Democratic playbook emerges</h2>Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger will become Virginia’s next governor — and its first female chief executive — while Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey governor’s office by running campaigns focused largely on the economy, public safety and health care.Early results showed Democrats outperforming their margins from four years ago in fast-growing suburbs, rural areas and even places with high concentrations of military voters.The Democrats won by actively distancing themselves from some of the Democratic Party’s far-left policies and emphasized what Spanberger described in her victory speech as “pragmatism over partisanship.”A growing collection of Democratic leaders believe the moderate approach holds the key to the party’s revival after the GOP won the White House and both congressional chambers last year.Above all, the Democrats in both states focused on rising costs such as groceries, energy and health care, which Trump has struggled to control.In addition to tacking to the middle on economic issues, Spanberger and Sherrill downplayed their support for progressive priorities, including LGBTQ rights and resistance against Trump’s attack on American institutions. Spanberger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">rarely even mentioned Trump’s name</a>&nbsp;on the campaign trail.Both also have resumes that appealed to the middle.Spanberger is a former CIA case officer who spent years abroad working undercover, while Sherrill spent a decade as an active-duty helicopter pilot for the Navy before entering Congress. Both played up their public safety backgrounds as a direct response to the GOP’s attack that Democrats are soft on crime.<h2>It’s (still) the economy, stupid</h2>Trump and his Republican allies have been especially focused on immigration, crime and conservative cultural issues.But voters who decided Tuesday’s top elections were more concerned about the economy, jobs and costs of living. That’s according to the AP Voter Poll, an expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggesting that many voters felt they can’t get ahead financially in today’s economy.Ironically, the same economic anxieties helped propel Trump to the White House just one year ago. Now, the economic concerns appear to be undermining his party’s political goals in 2025 — and could be more problematic for the GOP in next year’s midterm elections, which will decide the balance of power for Trump’s final two years in office.That’s even as Trump regularly brags about stock prices booming and boasted about leading a new renaissance of American manufacturing.About half of Virginia voters said the economy was the most important issue facing their state while most New Jersey voters said either taxes or the economy were the top issue in their state. Just over half of New York City voters said cost of living was their top concern.It was unclear whether kitchen table concerns weighing so heavily on voters might help break the impasse that has prompted the government shutdown, which has spanned more than a month.<h2>A referendum on Trump</h2>This was the first election since Trump’s return to the presidency and voters rejected candidates and causes aligned with his Republican Party from Virginia and Pennsylvania to Maine and New Jersey. It was, in fact, difficult to point to any significant victory for Trump’s party.They also expressed strong feelings about the direction of the country under his leadership.About 6 in 10 voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today, according to the AP Voter Poll. Just one-third said they are “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.”In a sign of the extent of the GOP’s struggles, Republicans lost the Virginia attorney general’s race to Democrat Jay Jones, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-attorney-general-race-ce4caf21a7b3f6a819363653c83a2830">forced to apologize</a>&nbsp;after text messages surfaced weeks before Election Day in which he depicted the murder of political opponents.Fearing a bad night, Trump tried to distance himself from the election results.The president endorsed Ciattarelli in New Jersey but held only a pair of tele-town halls on his behalf, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-jersey-virginia-governors-dd89da11b680ab562d385ae972c340be">one Monday night</a>. Trump also did a Monday night tele-town hall for Virginia Republican candidates, but he focused mostly in favor of the GOP candidate for attorney general, who also lost.Despite Trump’s distance, his policies — including his “big, beautiful” budget bill and his massive cuts to the federal workforce — played a central role in Virginia, New Jersey and even New York City’s mayoral contest. And the Republicans in each refused to distance themselves from the president or his agenda.The results left the president ducking blame.“TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,” according to pollsters, he posted on his social media account.Trump planned to have breakfast Wednesday at the White House with Senate Republicans who have so far opposed his calls to end the shutdown by abandoning the legislative filibuster, the 60-vote minimum needed to pass most major legislation though the Senate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762340001697.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A new star for Democrats (and Republicans) in New York City</h2>Moderates won in Virginia and New Jersey. But it was a self-described democratic socialist who cruised to victory in New York City.Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator who backs radical changes to address economic inequality, will serve as the next mayor of the nation’s largest city.His bold agenda and inspirational approach helped generate the largest turnout in a New York City mayoral race in at least three decades. It also spooked some business leaders and voices in the Jewish community, who otherwise support Democrats but oppose some of Mamdani’s past statements about personal wealth accumulation and Israel.Trump, who actually endorsed Mamdani’s independent opponent, former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, falsely called Mamdani a communist on the eve of the election.Some Republicans in Washington were quietly rooting for a Mamdani victory. Even before his win was final, Republican campaign committees launched attack ads against more than a dozen vulnerable House Democrats in New York and New Jersey linking them to Mamdani and his far-left politics.The ad campaign is expected to extend to Democrats across the country ahead of next year’s midterms.<h2>More Democratic wins</h2>The Democratic successes extended beyond Virginia, New Jersey and New York.In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept all three elections for state supreme court justices. The wins could have implications for key cases involving redistricting and balloting for midterm elections — and the 2028 presidential race — in the nation’s most populous swing state.Conservative causes struggled on ballot questions in other states as well.Maine voters defeated a measure that would have mandated showing an ID at the polls while approving a “red flag” rule meant to make it easier for family members to petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person’s access to guns.Colorado approved raising taxes on people earning more than $300,000 to fund school meal programs and food assistance for low-income state residents.And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, frequently mentioned as a 2028 presidential hopeful, led a triumphant charge to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">redraw congressional maps</a>&nbsp;to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections.The push is the centerpiece of a Democratic effort to counter new Republican maps in Texas and elsewhere that were drawn to boost the GOP’s chances in next year’s fight to control Congress. For the new maps to count in 2026, however, Californians had to vote on a yes-or-no ballot question known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-special-election-ballot-redistricting-congress-newsom-cf866378e5d98de7e9c7506b6979678d">Proposition 50</a>. It was easily approved.

🎥Democrats dominate on Election Day as economic woes take a toll on GOP

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; — A Kansas&nbsp; woman accused in the stabbing death of her mother on Halloween made her first court appearance Tuesday.

Angelynn Elizabeth Mock, 47, was charged with first-degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders located Mock outside the home.

&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found 80-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.

Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; She is due back in court November 14, according to the district attorney's office. She is being held on a one-million dollar bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944840018.png" alt="Police on the sene early Friday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the sene early Friday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; — A Kansas&nbsp; woman accused in the stabbing death of her mother on Halloween made her first court appearance Tuesday.Angelynn Elizabeth Mock, 47, was charged with first-degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1761994823380.png" alt="Mock photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mock photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police. First responders located Mock outside the home.&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found 80-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; She is due back in court November 14, according to the district attorney's office. She is being held on a one-million dollar bond.----------

Halloween homicide: Kan. woman accused of killing her mom faced a judge

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-mayoral-democratic-primary-zohran-mamdani-f87ea9d5b649cea8335ca7df6399c1f0">Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;was elected mayor of New York on Tuesday, capping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-zohran-mamdani-mayor-policies-background-81760b3d0fcf5c0cd556ab8de5a0335e">a stunning ascent</a>&nbsp;for the 34-year-old, far-left state lawmaker, who promised to transform city government to restore power to the working class and fight back against a hostile Trump administration.

In a victory for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-sanders-aoc-nyc-mayor-cuomo-689da72b6214d255019f9acd1df62f74">Democratic party’s progressive wing</a>, Mamdani defeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/andrew-cuomo">former Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/curtis-sliwa">Republican Curtis Sliwa</a>. Mamdani must now navigate the unending demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious — skeptics say unrealistic — campaign promises.

With his commanding win,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayor-election-cuomo-59f6a66cd40d4c2b750fdfd06a4f5da1">the democratic socialist</a>&nbsp;will etch his place in history as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-mayors-race-936dd6bd228dbae7b85ee30f2d8c88e7">the city’s first Muslim mayor</a>, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa. He will also become New York's youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.

“The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party.

He cast his win as a boon for blue-collar workers struggling to get by. “New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change,” he said, vowing to ”wake up each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it was the day before.”

More than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the contest, the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years, according to the city’s Board of Elections. With roughly 90% of the votes counted, Mamdani held an approximately 9 percentage point lead over Cuomo.

Mamdani’s unlikely rise gives credence to Democrats who have urged the party to embrace more progressive candidates instead of rallying behind centrists in hopes of winning back swing voters who have abandoned the party.

He has already faced scrutiny from national Republicans, including President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who have eagerly cast him as a threat and the face of a more radical Democratic Party that is out of step with mainstream America. Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to the city — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zohran-mamdani-new-york-communism-attacks-nyc-mayor-c66707800e55eb4e72b06af5e159a680">even take it over</a>&nbsp;— if Mamdani won.

At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani supporters cheered and embraced, some tearfully, after The Associated Press called the race. Campaign posters flew through the air, as one person hoisted the official flag of New York City and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bad-bunny">Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;played from the speakers.

The mood was far more muted at Cuomo’s party at a midtown Manhattan theater. In his concession speech, a defiant Cuomo called his campaign “a caution flag that we are headed down a dangerous, dangerous road" and noted that “almost half of New Yorkers did not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot be met."

Still, he corrected his supporters when they began to boo at the mention of Mamdani's name.

“No, that is not right," he said, offering to help the incoming mayor in any way. “Tonight was their night.”

Mamdani’s grassroots campaign centered on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns-17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34">resigned</a>&nbsp;four years ago following allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his past throughout the race and was criticized for running a negative campaign.

Mamdani will also have to deal with Trump, who not only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zohran-mamdani-new-york-communism-attacks-nyc-mayor-c66707800e55eb4e72b06af5e159a680">threatened retribution against the city</a>&nbsp;but also suggested he might try to arrest and deport Mamdani if he won. Mamdani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uganda-zohran-mamdani-mayor-election-new-york-d41260eeef2438498a3aa04118fbd2df">was born in Uganda</a>, where he spent his early childhood, but was raised in New York City and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

In his speech, Mamdani addressed Trump head on.

“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant," he said, adding that, "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”

Trump appeared to acknowledge Mamdani’s challenges, posting ”…AND SO IT BEGINS!” on his Truth Social site.

New mayor will pursue an ambitious agenda

Mamdani, who was criticized throughout the campaign for his thin resume, will now have to begin staffing his incoming administration and planning how to accomplish the ambitious but polarizing agenda that drove him to victory.

Among the campaign’s promises are free child care, free city bus service, city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would send mental health care workers to handle certain emergency calls rather than police officers. It is unclear how Mamdani will pay for such initiatives, given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steadfast opposition to his calls to raise taxes on wealthy people.

His decisions around the leadership of the New York Police Department will also be closely watched. Mamdani was a fierce critic of the department in 2020, calling for “this rogue agency” to be defunded and slamming it as “racist, anti-queer &amp; a major threat to public safety.” He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mamdani-mayor-nyc-cuomo-trump-b58f8d312f8ed67b01bfb7a3a078387c">since apologized</a>&nbsp;for those comments and has said he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to stay on the job.

Mamdani’s campaign was driven by his optimistic view of the city and his promises to improve the quality of life for its middle and lower classes.

Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-israel-11e3f9c7b9ad37dfd356a0177f3a080a">vehement criticism of Israel</a>&nbsp;’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mamdani won over the city while Cuomo faltered

Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.

Going into the Democratic primary, Cuomo was the presumed favorite, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections. Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">federal corruption case</a>.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-mayoral-democratic-primary-zohran-mamdani-f87ea9d5b649cea8335ca7df6399c1f0">Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;was elected mayor of New York on Tuesday, capping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-zohran-mamdani-mayor-policies-background-81760b3d0fcf5c0cd556ab8de5a0335e">a stunning ascent</a>&nbsp;for the 34-year-old, far-left state lawmaker, who promised to transform city government to restore power to the working class and fight back against a hostile Trump administration.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Mamdani: So Donald Trump, since I know you&#39;re watching, I have four words for you: TURN THE VOLUME UP. We will hold landlords to account because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far to comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to corruption that… <a href="https://t.co/eCXh6VCPQB">pic.twitter.com/eCXh6VCPQB</a>&mdash; Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ronxyz00/status/1985931708416328138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;We can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him it is the city that gave rise to him...So,… <a href="https://t.co/Vt7pmuIGpd">pic.twitter.com/Vt7pmuIGpd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985931014498062675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;We have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life but let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Pf0j4I1TDK">pic.twitter.com/Pf0j4I1TDK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1985927747638632471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a victory for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-sanders-aoc-nyc-mayor-cuomo-689da72b6214d255019f9acd1df62f74">Democratic party’s progressive wing</a>, Mamdani defeated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/andrew-cuomo">former Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/curtis-sliwa">Republican Curtis Sliwa</a>. Mamdani must now navigate the unending demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious — skeptics say unrealistic — campaign promises.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/cpPF3SPl5g">pic.twitter.com/cpPF3SPl5g</a>&mdash; Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1985899742044262838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With his commanding win,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayor-election-cuomo-59f6a66cd40d4c2b750fdfd06a4f5da1">the democratic socialist</a>&nbsp;will etch his place in history as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-mayors-race-936dd6bd228dbae7b85ee30f2d8c88e7">the city’s first Muslim mayor</a>, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa. He will also become New York's youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.“The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party.He cast his win as a boon for blue-collar workers struggling to get by. “New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change,” he said, vowing to ”wake up each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it was the day before.”More than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the contest, the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years, according to the city’s Board of Elections. With roughly 90% of the votes counted, Mamdani held an approximately 9 percentage point lead over Cuomo.Mamdani’s unlikely rise gives credence to Democrats who have urged the party to embrace more progressive candidates instead of rallying behind centrists in hopes of winning back swing voters who have abandoned the party.He has already faced scrutiny from national Republicans, including President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who have eagerly cast him as a threat and the face of a more radical Democratic Party that is out of step with mainstream America. Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to the city — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zohran-mamdani-new-york-communism-attacks-nyc-mayor-c66707800e55eb4e72b06af5e159a680">even take it over</a>&nbsp;— if Mamdani won.<h2>A commanding win</h2>At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani supporters cheered and embraced, some tearfully, after The Associated Press called the race. Campaign posters flew through the air, as one person hoisted the official flag of New York City and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bad-bunny">Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;played from the speakers.The mood was far more muted at Cuomo’s party at a midtown Manhattan theater. In his concession speech, a defiant Cuomo called his campaign “a caution flag that we are headed down a dangerous, dangerous road" and noted that “almost half of New Yorkers did not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot be met."Still, he corrected his supporters when they began to boo at the mention of Mamdani's name.“No, that is not right," he said, offering to help the incoming mayor in any way. “Tonight was their night.”Mamdani’s grassroots campaign centered on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns-17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34">resigned</a>&nbsp;four years ago following allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his past throughout the race and was criticized for running a negative campaign.Mamdani will also have to deal with Trump, who not only&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zohran-mamdani-new-york-communism-attacks-nyc-mayor-c66707800e55eb4e72b06af5e159a680">threatened retribution against the city</a>&nbsp;but also suggested he might try to arrest and deport Mamdani if he won. Mamdani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uganda-zohran-mamdani-mayor-election-new-york-d41260eeef2438498a3aa04118fbd2df">was born in Uganda</a>, where he spent his early childhood, but was raised in New York City and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.In his speech, Mamdani addressed Trump head on.“New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant," he said, adding that, "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”Trump appeared to acknowledge Mamdani’s challenges, posting ”…AND SO IT BEGINS!” on his Truth Social site.<h2>New mayor will pursue an ambitious agenda</h2>Mamdani, who was criticized throughout the campaign for his thin resume, will now have to begin staffing his incoming administration and planning how to accomplish the ambitious but polarizing agenda that drove him to victory.Among the campaign’s promises are free child care, free city bus service, city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would send mental health care workers to handle certain emergency calls rather than police officers. It is unclear how Mamdani will pay for such initiatives, given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steadfast opposition to his calls to raise taxes on wealthy people.His decisions around the leadership of the New York Police Department will also be closely watched. Mamdani was a fierce critic of the department in 2020, calling for “this rogue agency” to be defunded and slamming it as “racist, anti-queer &amp; a major threat to public safety.” He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mamdani-mayor-nyc-cuomo-trump-b58f8d312f8ed67b01bfb7a3a078387c">since apologized</a>&nbsp;for those comments and has said he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to stay on the job.Mamdani’s campaign was driven by his optimistic view of the city and his promises to improve the quality of life for its middle and lower classes.Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-andrew-cuomo-israel-11e3f9c7b9ad37dfd356a0177f3a080a">vehement criticism of Israel</a>&nbsp;’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<h2>Mamdani won over the city while Cuomo faltered</h2>Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known even within New York City.Going into the Democratic primary, Cuomo was the presumed favorite, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections. Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-charges-ff3730a2e870cd219e8fead8899118b1">federal corruption case</a>.But as the race progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm, catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energized voters in the notoriously expensive city. He also began drawing outside attention as his name recognition grew.Mamdani trounced Cuomo in the primary by about 13 points.The former governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-zohran-mamdani-new-york-mayor-b51061b3b88ff52b44ffebbbf952554d">relaunched his campaign as an independent candidate</a>&nbsp;for the general election, vowing to hit the streets with a more energetic approach. However, much of his campaign continued to focus on attacking opponents. In the race’s final stretch, he claimed Mamdani’s election would make Jews feel unsafe.Meanwhile, supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-sanders-aoc-nyc-mayor-cuomo-689da72b6214d255019f9acd1df62f74">packed Mamdani’s rallies</a>, and he held whimsical events, including a scavenger hunt and a community soccer tournament.Cuomo also juxtaposed his deep experience in government with Mamdani’s less than five years in the state Legislature. But the former governor also faced his own political baggage, as his opponents dredged up the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation, as well as his decisions during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.Sliwa, the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, also had his moments — mostly in the form of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-cuomo-mamdani-sliwa-mayor-election-b0e465db9066d102c8eaf61695ffdacf">funny quips</a>&nbsp;on the debate stage — but had difficulty gaining traction as a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic city.He conceded the race about a half hour after the polls closed, wishing Mamdani "good luck because if he does well, we do well.”But he also issued a warning: “If you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we will become the mayor-elect and his supporters' worst enemies."___Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Philip Marcelo and Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.