SEDGWICK COUNTY– A 49-year-old Wichita man was sentenced Thursday for the shooting of a teenager in a Goddard parking lot in May 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is scheduled for sentencing Thursday for shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot.

&nbsp;In November a jury found 47-year-old Ruben Contreras of Wichita guilty of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He had originally been charged with attempted first-degree murder.

&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Seth Rundle's courtroom for the sentencing. In July Contreras plead not guilty to the charges.

Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. First responders located an 18-year-old, later identified as Anakin Zehring, in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.

Zehring and some friends were firing a&nbsp;toy gel blaster in the parking lot&nbsp;when they hit a girl, according to a court document. Investigators say she called her father, Contreras, who came to the scene and shot Zehring. EMS transported Zehring to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp; He continues to recover at a hospital in Nebraska, according to an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-support-my-sons-recovery-journey?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link&amp;mibextid=xfxF2i">&nbsp;online fundraiser.</a>

A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.

Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715641692899.png" alt="Contreras photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Contreras photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– A 49-year-old Wichita man was sentenced Thursday for the shooting of a teenager in a Goddard parking lot in May 2024.Judge Seth Rundle sentenced Ruben Contreras to 43 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. This sentence represents the maximum term of imprisonment allowed under Kansas law for the conviction.In addition to the prison term, Judge Rundle ordered Contreras to serve 36 months of post-release supervision and required him to register as a violent offender for 15 years.In November 2025, a Sedgwick County jury found Contreras guilty of one count of aggravated battery. The jury acquitted him of a separate charge of attempted first-degree murder.The charges stemmed from an incident on May 11, 2024, at Walmart in Goddard, Kansas.&nbsp; Contreras shot 18-year-old Anakin Zehring following an altercation in the parking lot. Zehring was struck by gunfire and left paralyzed.The case was prosecuted by the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Kansas.-------------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is scheduled for sentencing Thursday for shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot.&nbsp;In November a jury found 47-year-old Ruben Contreras of Wichita guilty of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. He had originally been charged with attempted first-degree murder.&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Seth Rundle's courtroom for the sentencing. In July Contreras plead not guilty to the charges.Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. First responders located an 18-year-old, later identified as Anakin Zehring, in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.Zehring and some friends were firing a&nbsp;toy gel blaster in the parking lot&nbsp;when they hit a girl, according to a court document. Investigators say she called her father, Contreras, who came to the scene and shot Zehring. EMS transported Zehring to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp; He continues to recover at a hospital in Nebraska, according to an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-support-my-sons-recovery-journey?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link&amp;mibextid=xfxF2i">&nbsp;online fundraiser.</a>A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

Years in prison: Kan. man shot teen in Walmart parking lot

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted of a violent attack in the fall of 2020, on a teen, later identified as his girlfriend, is going to prison,

Judgw William Wooley sentencd 24-year-old Dominic Thomas to 180 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted of a violent attack in the fall of 2020, on a teen, later identified as his girlfriend, is scheduled to learn his fate Wednesday.

Sentencing for&nbsp;24-year-old Dominic Thomas is scheduled in Judge William Wolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

 In November of 2024, a jury convicted Thomas, who was 19 at the time of the crime, of attempted first-degree murder.

Just after 10 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2020 police responded to an assault report at a home in the 3900 block of North Litchfield in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 17-year-old girl who was visibly shaken and wet. The investigation revealed 19-year-old Dominic Thomas and the victim were talking near a pond at 37th Street North and Sullivan when a disturbance occurred.

During the disturbance, Thomas battered the girl, drug her to a nearby pond and held her head under the water. Thomas then released her and fled. Officers later located Thomas, and he was arrested without further incident.&nbsp; He has been held in the Sedgwick County Jail since July of 2024, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765505981091.png" alt="Thomas-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted of a violent attack in the fall of 2020, on a teen, later identified as his girlfriend, is going to prison,Judgw William Wooley sentencd 24-year-old Dominic Thomas to 180 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.-------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted of a violent attack in the fall of 2020, on a teen, later identified as his girlfriend, is scheduled to learn his fate Wednesday.Sentencing for&nbsp;24-year-old Dominic Thomas is scheduled in Judge William Wolley's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In November of 2024, a jury convicted Thomas, who was 19 at the time of the crime, of attempted first-degree murder.Just after 10 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2020 police responded to an assault report at a home in the 3900 block of North Litchfield in Wichita, according to officer Charley DavidsonUpon arrival, officers contacted a 17-year-old girl who was visibly shaken and wet. The investigation revealed 19-year-old Dominic Thomas and the victim were talking near a pond at 37th Street North and Sullivan when a disturbance occurred.During the disturbance, Thomas battered the girl, drug her to a nearby pond and held her head under the water. Thomas then released her and fled. Officers later located Thomas, and he was arrested without further incident.&nbsp; He has been held in the Sedgwick County Jail since July of 2024, according to online jail records.

 Kan. man who tried to drown pregnant girlfriend is going to prison

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<a href="https://apnews.com/video/powerball-lottery-players-dream-big-as-jackpot-reaches-1-6-billion-6ff5647e15794b4c890f1fd5d3e111a5">Powerball</a>&nbsp;will be drawing its winning lottery numbers Monday night for a record 46th time since its last jackpot was claimed, as a string of failed sweepstakes ballooned the top prize to $1.6 billion.

So far, it's the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ec46e188305c9425cb555eef00a89d37">5th-largest jackpot</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history after more than three months without a Powerball winner. The game's long odds created a massive windfall that has enticed people to splurge on $2 tickets ahead of the live drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET Monday night.

Lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-f3d841745b774492a03983e8f4bdc719">made the odds tougher</a>&nbsp;in 2015 to create these humongous jackpots and draw more attention, while also making it easier to win smaller prizes.

Experts say it’s a sign the lottery is operating exactly as designed, and that no one should really expect to match all six numbers and make a killing. Still, somebody will likely win at some point, and many players are hoping to be that lucky winner.

“Everybody wants to be a millionaire,” said Saqi Anwer, an Atlanta gas station manager who sold $800 worth of tickets on Saturday.

Monday's estimated $1.6 billion jackpot has a cash value of $735.3 million.

That means a winner can choose to be paid the whole amount&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity,</a>&nbsp;with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Winners almost always opt for the up-front cash value, however both eye-popping figures are before taxes.

The last time someone won the Powerball top prize was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-winner-4261a3909c9e01dacc0869c50030e198">$1.787 billion</a>&nbsp;— the second-highest jackpot in U.S. history.

Matt Strawn, who chairs the Powerball Product Group, said in an interview that nothing special predated back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots this year other than the odds of the game. Still, he said it would be magical for a winning ticket to be cashed in during the holidays.

“Imagine if someone is giving the gift of a winning Powerball ticket away, whether it’s in a stocking or a thank-you note to your mail carrier,” Strawn said.

How does the prize rank among the largest jackpots ever?

Monday’s potential bounty now tops the existing 5th-biggest jackpot of a $1.586 billion drawn on Jan. 13, 2016.

Four other jackpots, all from the past three years, have bested the current prize. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022.

That lotto winner bought the ticket at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacramento-california-los-angeles-business-0a72f926487b51b7a6d60451679f8c76">Los Angeles-area gas station</a>&nbsp;and opted for a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million.

In Atlanta on Sunday, players were lining up to get their tickets ahead of Monday's drawing.

“My wife encourages me to buy a ticket because she wants to go on a big trip and she wants to do something good in society,” Bob Wehner said outside a car wash. “And she thought, ‘Well, we can do both if we win, for crying out loud!’”

Ronan Farrell, a middle schooler, speculated about buying an Xbox and a Lamborghini if his family won.

“With an Xbox controller as well,” he added.

The odds of winning Monday’s jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Before the switch a decade ago, the odds were 1 in 175 million. Players now have a 1 in 24.9 chance overall of winning some kind of prize.

Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor, said he's never bought a lottery ticket despite knowing those odds inside and out.

“Picking a winning lottery ticket is equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high — roughly the height of more than 115 Statues of Liberty,” or 30 kilometers, Chartier said.

“If you have the funds and you enjoy dreaming about a billionaire life, enjoy the ride. Of course, you could win,” Chartier said. “But when the numbers don’t fall your way, recognize that the odds were never in your favor — and that the twinkle of possibility is what made the journey worth the almost-certain letdown.”

Associated Press videojournalist Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

By OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/video/powerball-lottery-players-dream-big-as-jackpot-reaches-1-6-billion-6ff5647e15794b4c890f1fd5d3e111a5">Powerball</a>&nbsp;will be drawing its winning lottery numbers Monday night for a record 46th time since its last jackpot was claimed, as a string of failed sweepstakes ballooned the top prize to $1.6 billion.So far, it's the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ec46e188305c9425cb555eef00a89d37">5th-largest jackpot</a>&nbsp;in U.S. history after more than three months without a Powerball winner. The game's long odds created a massive windfall that has enticed people to splurge on $2 tickets ahead of the live drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET Monday night.Lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-f3d841745b774492a03983e8f4bdc719">made the odds tougher</a>&nbsp;in 2015 to create these humongous jackpots and draw more attention, while also making it easier to win smaller prizes.Experts say it’s a sign the lottery is operating exactly as designed, and that no one should really expect to match all six numbers and make a killing. Still, somebody will likely win at some point, and many players are hoping to be that lucky winner.“Everybody wants to be a millionaire,” said Saqi Anwer, an Atlanta gas station manager who sold $800 worth of tickets on Saturday.<h2>How much would the winner take home?</h2>Monday's estimated $1.6 billion jackpot has a cash value of $735.3 million.That means a winner can choose to be paid the whole amount&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity,</a>&nbsp;with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Winners almost always opt for the up-front cash value, however both eye-popping figures are before taxes.The last time someone won the Powerball top prize was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-winner-4261a3909c9e01dacc0869c50030e198">$1.787 billion</a>&nbsp;— the second-highest jackpot in U.S. history.Matt Strawn, who chairs the Powerball Product Group, said in an interview that nothing special predated back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots this year other than the odds of the game. Still, he said it would be magical for a winning ticket to be cashed in during the holidays.“Imagine if someone is giving the gift of a winning Powerball ticket away, whether it’s in a stocking or a thank-you note to your mail carrier,” Strawn said.<h2>How does the prize rank among the largest jackpots ever?</h2>Monday’s potential bounty now tops the existing 5th-biggest jackpot of a $1.586 billion drawn on Jan. 13, 2016.Four other jackpots, all from the past three years, have bested the current prize. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022.That lotto winner bought the ticket at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sacramento-california-los-angeles-business-0a72f926487b51b7a6d60451679f8c76">Los Angeles-area gas station</a>&nbsp;and opted for a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million.In Atlanta on Sunday, players were lining up to get their tickets ahead of Monday's drawing.“My wife encourages me to buy a ticket because she wants to go on a big trip and she wants to do something good in society,” Bob Wehner said outside a car wash. “And she thought, ‘Well, we can do both if we win, for crying out loud!’”Ronan Farrell, a middle schooler, speculated about buying an Xbox and a Lamborghini if his family won.“With an Xbox controller as well,” he added.<h2>What are the odds of winning? Not good</h2>The odds of winning Monday’s jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Before the switch a decade ago, the odds were 1 in 175 million. Players now have a 1 in 24.9 chance overall of winning some kind of prize.Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor, said he's never bought a lottery ticket despite knowing those odds inside and out.“Picking a winning lottery ticket is equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high — roughly the height of more than 115 Statues of Liberty,” or 30 kilometers, Chartier said.“If you have the funds and you enjoy dreaming about a billionaire life, enjoy the ride. Of course, you could win,” Chartier said. “But when the numbers don’t fall your way, recognize that the odds were never in your favor — and that the twinkle of possibility is what made the journey worth the almost-certain letdown.”___Associated Press videojournalist Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.___Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

You could be a billionaire before Christmas: Powerball Monday night

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer

Elon Musk, already the world's richest man, scored another huge windfall Friday when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018 as an incentive for its CEO to steer the automaker to new heights.

Besides padding Musk's current fortune of $679 billion, the restoration of the 2018 pay package vindicates his long-held belief that the Delaware legal system had overstepped its bounds in January 2024 when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-compensation-pay-shareholders-e75687178d1175fba36ca55bd9c4c805">Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick rescinded</a>&nbsp;the compensation in a case brought by a disgruntled Tesla shareholder.

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.

McCormick's ruling so incensed Musk that it spurred him to spurn Delaware and reincorporate Tesla in Texas. That decision also caused Tesla's board to scramble for ways to keep its CEO happy, including a successful effort to persuade the company's shareholders to reaffirm the pay package, which was valued at $44.9 billion at the time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-elon-musk-pay-package-shareholder-vote-8b6cce1a1aa460dbbaac69eb73e0e5e7">of the second vote 18 months ago</a>.

With Musk still signaling discontent, Tesla upped the ante again this year by crafting another pay package that could pay him $1 trillion if he can lead the automaker down a road during the next decade that lifts the company's market value from its current $1.6 trillion to $8.5 trillion. Shareholders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-trillion-pay-stock-f2140db92e8032121f4c114234059165">approved that pay package last month,</a>&nbsp;to Musk's delight.

That may sound like a difficult task, but it also appeared like a long shot for Musk to hit all the targets to qualify for the payout that was dangled in the 2018 package. At that time, Tesla was still struggling to expand its production of electric vehicles and burning through cash.

At the time the 2018 pay package was drawn up, Tesla's market value was hovering in the $50 billion to $75 billion range. But then the company's manufacturing problems eased, enabling it to start meeting hot demand for its vehicles, which in turn pumped up its sales and stock price to a level that qualified Musk for the big payout that had been promised him.

But based on evidence that included Musk's testimony during a 2022 trial, McCormick ruled the pay package had been crafted by a board that was too cozy and beholden to the hard-charging Musk.

In its 49-page ruling, the Delaware Supreme Court cited a variety of errors in McCormick's 2024 decision and declared the 2018 pay package should be restored. It also awarded Tesla $1 in nominal damages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741300124075.png" alt="File photo Elon Musk-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Elon Musk-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business WriterElon Musk, already the world's richest man, scored another huge windfall Friday when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018 as an incentive for its CEO to steer the automaker to new heights.Besides padding Musk's current fortune of $679 billion, the restoration of the 2018 pay package vindicates his long-held belief that the Delaware legal system had overstepped its bounds in January 2024 when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-compensation-pay-shareholders-e75687178d1175fba36ca55bd9c4c805">Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick rescinded</a>&nbsp;the compensation in a case brought by a disgruntled Tesla shareholder.Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.McCormick's ruling so incensed Musk that it spurred him to spurn Delaware and reincorporate Tesla in Texas. That decision also caused Tesla's board to scramble for ways to keep its CEO happy, including a successful effort to persuade the company's shareholders to reaffirm the pay package, which was valued at $44.9 billion at the time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-elon-musk-pay-package-shareholder-vote-8b6cce1a1aa460dbbaac69eb73e0e5e7">of the second vote 18 months ago</a>.With Musk still signaling discontent, Tesla upped the ante again this year by crafting another pay package that could pay him $1 trillion if he can lead the automaker down a road during the next decade that lifts the company's market value from its current $1.6 trillion to $8.5 trillion. Shareholders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-trillion-pay-stock-f2140db92e8032121f4c114234059165">approved that pay package last month,</a>&nbsp;to Musk's delight.That may sound like a difficult task, but it also appeared like a long shot for Musk to hit all the targets to qualify for the payout that was dangled in the 2018 package. At that time, Tesla was still struggling to expand its production of electric vehicles and burning through cash.At the time the 2018 pay package was drawn up, Tesla's market value was hovering in the $50 billion to $75 billion range. But then the company's manufacturing problems eased, enabling it to start meeting hot demand for its vehicles, which in turn pumped up its sales and stock price to a level that qualified Musk for the big payout that had been promised him.But based on evidence that included Musk's testimony during a 2022 trial, McCormick ruled the pay package had been crafted by a board that was too cozy and beholden to the hard-charging Musk.In its 49-page ruling, the Delaware Supreme Court cited a variety of errors in McCormick's 2024 decision and declared the 2018 pay package should be restored. It also awarded Tesla $1 in nominal damages.

World's richest man recovers $55 billion pay package in court ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department faces a Friday deadline to release its files on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a convicted sex offender and wealthy financier known for his connections to some of the world’s most influential people, including Donald Trump, who as president had tried to keep the files sealed.

The Justice Department hasn’t said when during the day it intends to make the records public. The total volume is also unclear, though Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Fox News Channel interview that he expected the department to release “several hundred thousand” records Friday and then several hundred thousand more in the coming weeks.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be">The records</a>&nbsp;could contain the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-investigation-records-timeline-545c371ee3dd3142355a26d27829c188">investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of young women and underage girls.

Their release has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein’s rich and powerful associates knew about — or participated in — the abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">Epstein’s accusers</a>&nbsp;have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008.

Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on Nov. 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">30 days to release most of its files</a>&nbsp;and communications related to Epstein, including information about the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">Epstein's death in a federal jail</a>.

The law’s passage was a remarkable display of bipartisanship that overcame months of opposition from Trump and Republican leadership.

That law allows for redactions about the victims or ongoing investigations but makes clear no records shall be withheld or redacted due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Nov. 14 that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-clinton-investigation-justice-department-d0ce8385cb7f42705ac068310e3231be">ordered a top federal prosecutor</a>&nbsp;to investigate Epstein’s ties to Trump’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi acted after Trump pressed for such an inquiry, though he did not explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men Trump mentioned in a social media post demanding the investigation has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.

In July, Trump dismissed some of his own supporters as “weaklings” for falling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supporters-epstein-sex-trafficking-investigation-bondi-47370e63060d79af64b0b8ac70b970a4">“the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”</a>&nbsp;But both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., failed to prevent the legislation from coming to a vote.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted that the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the Republican agenda and that releasing the records was the best way to move on.

Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after the family of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at his mansion. The FBI joined the investigation, and authorities gathered testimony from multiple underage girls who said they had been hired to give Epstein sexual massages.

Ultimately, though, prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">gave Epstein a deal</a>&nbsp;that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. He pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges involving someone under age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Epstein’s accusers then spent years in civil litigation trying to get that plea deal set aside. One of those women, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters, starting at age 17, with numerous other men, including billionaires, famous academics, U.S. politicians and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Prince Andrew</a>.

All of those men denied the allegations. Prosecutors never brought charges in connection with Giuffre’s claims, but her account fueled conspiracy theories about supposed government plots to protect the powerful.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Giuffre died</a>&nbsp;by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April at age 41.

Federal prosecutors in New York brought new sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">he killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;a month after his arrest. Prosecutors then charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, with recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.

Maxwell was convicted in late 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, though she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">was interviewed</a>&nbsp;over the summer by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Her lawyers argued that she never should have been tried or convicted.

The Justice Department in July said it had not found any information that could support prosecuting anyone else.

Lots of Epstein records were already public

After nearly two decades of court action and prying by reporters, a voluminous number of records related to Epstein is already public, including flight logs, address books, email correspondence, police reports, grand jury records, courtroom testimony and transcripts of depositions of his accusers, his staffers and others.

Yet the public’s appetite for more records has been insatiable, particularly for anything related to Epstein’s associations with famous people including Trump, Mountbatten-Windsor and Clinton.

Trump was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out. Neither he nor Clinton has ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.

Mountbatten-Windsor denied ever having sex with Giuffre, but King Charles III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-royals-andrew-prince-title-removed-c1538b68893cb1395073e1ca6b9468f4">stripped him of his royal titles</a>&nbsp;this year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-guiffre-jeffrey-epstein-memoir-983e88151ce72ac5428fd7940ad19d1e">Giuffre’s memoir</a>&nbsp;was published after she died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754485085876.png" alt="File photo U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi- Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi- Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department faces a Friday deadline to release its files on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a convicted sex offender and wealthy financier known for his connections to some of the world’s most influential people, including Donald Trump, who as president had tried to keep the files sealed.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pam Bondi must release the files by midnight tomorrow. If not, I lay out the consequences. <a href="https://t.co/MRIB437bHP">pic.twitter.com/MRIB437bHP</a>&mdash; Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRoKhanna/status/2001757853908885997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Justice Department hasn’t said when during the day it intends to make the records public. The total volume is also unclear, though Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Fox News Channel interview that he expected the department to release “several hundred thousand” records Friday and then several hundred thousand more in the coming weeks.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-release-justice-department-32cbc21a6ae8189dccd00455dc83d2be">The records</a>&nbsp;could contain the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-investigation-records-timeline-545c371ee3dd3142355a26d27829c188">investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of young women and underage girls.Their release has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein’s rich and powerful associates knew about — or participated in — the abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-survivors-react-a7cceac935feda8d94b8fa59e13b01fa">Epstein’s accusers</a>&nbsp;have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008.Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on Nov. 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59">30 days to release most of its files</a>&nbsp;and communications related to Epstein, including information about the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">Epstein's death in a federal jail</a>.The law’s passage was a remarkable display of bipartisanship that overcame months of opposition from Trump and Republican leadership.<h2>What the law allows</h2>That law allows for redactions about the victims or ongoing investigations but makes clear no records shall be withheld or redacted due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Nov. 14 that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-clinton-investigation-justice-department-d0ce8385cb7f42705ac068310e3231be">ordered a top federal prosecutor</a>&nbsp;to investigate Epstein’s ties to Trump’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi acted after Trump pressed for such an inquiry, though he did not explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men Trump mentioned in a social media post demanding the investigation has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.In July, Trump dismissed some of his own supporters as “weaklings” for falling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supporters-epstein-sex-trafficking-investigation-bondi-47370e63060d79af64b0b8ac70b970a4">“the Jeffrey Epstein hoax.”</a>&nbsp;But both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., failed to prevent the legislation from coming to a vote.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted that the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the Republican agenda and that releasing the records was the best way to move on.<h2>The Epstein investigations</h2>Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after the family of a 14-year-old girl reported she had been molested at his mansion. The FBI joined the investigation, and authorities gathered testimony from multiple underage girls who said they had been hired to give Epstein sexual massages.Ultimately, though, prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-florida-e2a4431f7319afd037023d9a586aa291">gave Epstein a deal</a>&nbsp;that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution. He pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges involving someone under age 18 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.Epstein’s accusers then spent years in civil litigation trying to get that plea deal set aside. One of those women, Virginia Giuffre, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters, starting at age 17, with numerous other men, including billionaires, famous academics, U.S. politicians and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Britain’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Prince Andrew</a>.All of those men denied the allegations. Prosecutors never brought charges in connection with Giuffre’s claims, but her account fueled conspiracy theories about supposed government plots to protect the powerful.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-roberts-giuffre-obit-778c4fdd6fac2522133ca3d79244bccd">Giuffre died</a>&nbsp;by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April at age 41.Federal prosecutors in New York brought new sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">he killed himself in jail</a>&nbsp;a month after his arrest. Prosecutors then charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, with recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.Maxwell was convicted in late 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, though she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-justice-department-prison-27d53cd22f8c53d9f2b5012cea32eb5e">moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida</a>&nbsp;to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-justice-department-interview-transcripts-1d38a010e72b5b58cca944cb3bbb0e6a">was interviewed</a>&nbsp;over the summer by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Her lawyers argued that she never should have been tried or convicted.The Justice Department in July said it had not found any information that could support prosecuting anyone else.<h2>Lots of Epstein records were already public</h2>After nearly two decades of court action and prying by reporters, a voluminous number of records related to Epstein is already public, including flight logs, address books, email correspondence, police reports, grand jury records, courtroom testimony and transcripts of depositions of his accusers, his staffers and others.Yet the public’s appetite for more records has been insatiable, particularly for anything related to Epstein’s associations with famous people including Trump, Mountbatten-Windsor and Clinton.Trump was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling-out. Neither he nor Clinton has ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.Mountbatten-Windsor denied ever having sex with Giuffre, but King Charles III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-royals-andrew-prince-title-removed-c1538b68893cb1395073e1ca6b9468f4">stripped him of his royal titles</a>&nbsp;this year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-guiffre-jeffrey-epstein-memoir-983e88151ce72ac5428fd7940ad19d1e">Giuffre’s memoir</a>&nbsp;was published after she died.___Sisak reported from New York.

🎥Congressman explains consequences if AG does not release Epstein files

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/macy-byars">MACY BYARS</a> <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-12-05/for-seniors-on-medicare-advantage-lower-costs-can-mean-gambling-with-health-care">Midwest Newsroom</a>

Medicare Advantage, a private alternative to traditional Medicare, offers extra benefits and low monthly premiums. However, prior authorizations and claim denials complicate this increasingly popular — and profitable — program for Medicare beneficiaries and their health care providers.

On a mid-November morning, Rick Cuddeford talked with Medicare-eligible Nebraskans about their options at the Saving Seniors Money office in Lincoln. His one-on-one discussions were timely, as the year’s open enrollment period ended on Dec. 7.

“We don’t push people one way or the other,” Cuddeford said. “Our job is to educate people about both options, and then whatever they are comfortable with, we go with for their coverage.”

Cuddeford said Saving Seniors Money —&nbsp;a group of independent insurance agents specializing in Medicare options&nbsp;— has helped over 5,000 households find Medicare options that work for them through educational seminars, one-on-one meetings and phone calls.

“When you do a good job, your name gets out there, and that’s how we grow,” Cuddeford said.

There are two paths that older Americans can take to secure health care insurance: traditional Medicare or a private Medicare Advantage plan.

Offering extra benefits and low monthly premiums, the lower upfront costs of Medicare Advantage plans can be appealing. But critics say choosing Medicare Advantage, which is seeing increased enrollment, can come with financial and health risks for many older Americans.

Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, is wary of Medicare Advantage.

“With a lot of Medicare Advantage plans, you’re taking more of a financial risk,” Nordquist said. “You may pay less up front, but you’re taking a bigger financial risk as you age and move forward.”

Nordquist said private insurance companies, including Medicare Advantage plan providers, typically require approval before certain medical services are provided and covered. This can take time, and doctors and insurers don’t always agree. Nordquist said prior authorization procedures can delay timely access to care.

Around 2.8 million people across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri are on Medicare Advantage plans this year. Nationwide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/July2025_MedPAC_DataBook_Sec9_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">62 million people</a>&nbsp;are eligible for Medicare Advantage. About 36 million are using it.

In a 2025&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraskahospitals.org/welcome.html?ss360Query=medicare%20advantage%20report%202025" target="_blank">Nebraska Hospital Association survey</a>, 83% of member hospitals reported care was denied to their Medicare Advantage patients. A majority of member hospitals also reported negative financial consequences related to dealing with Medicare Advantage companies, such as lost time for medical staff or low reimbursement rates.

Nordquist said seniors can also be stuck in the hospital when plans don’t cover skilled nursing or post-acute care.

About half of the Nebraska Hospital Association’s member hospitals no longer contract with certain Medicare Advantage plan providers. Around 10% of member hospitals – all in rural areas – no longer accept any Medicare Advantage plans.

“We’ve heard so many horror stories,” Nordquist said. “One that really sticks out to me was a cancer patient. It took the doctor seven months – the doctor knew, in their medical judgment, this service was medically necessary for the patient – seven months to get a cancer patient the treatment they needed, because the insurance company and Medicare-Advantage-plan-slash-insurance-company continued to deny that coverage.”

Providers also need to be “in network” with the Medicare Advantage plan, which could create a mismatch between an enrollee’s preferred providers and the plan’s covered providers. Most health systems accept traditional Medicare, giving those beneficiaries a larger pool of providers to choose from.

Nordquist said Medicare Advantage is better for seniors with few health issues.

“If you don’t think you’re going to need health care – great,” Nordquist said. “But very few seniors are healthy enough to avoid that, so they need to know these challenges up front.”

While traditional Medicare does not use prior authorization, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-launches-new-model-target-wasteful-inappropriate-services-original-medicare" target="_blank">pilot program</a>&nbsp;will test it out in six states starting in January 2026. A list of expensive services flagged as “unnecessary and often costly” will be subject to prior authorization under the pilot.

In traditional Medicare, provided by the federal government, enrollees typically start with Part A hospital insurance and Part B outpatient, home health and preventative care coverage. Enrollees can also add Part D drug coverage and “Medigap” supplement plans from private companies. Part A is free, Part B has an income-based monthly premium, and Part D drug and supplement plan costs vary.

Medicare Advantage enrollees pay their Part B premium and the plan’s monthly premium, which is typically free or low cost. Dental, vision or hearing coverage – which are not included with traditional Medicare – are commonly offered as extra benefits. Some plans even offer gym memberships or grocery vouchers.

However, unlike traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage enrollees typically have co-pays and a maximum out-of-pocket amount tacked onto their coverage. Traditional Medicare enrollees pay 20% of their health care costs after they’ve met their deductible, unless they have a supplement that kicks in.

Cuddeford compared Medicare Advantage plans to the health insurance plans most people under age 65 are familiar with.

“Your health care insurance you have right now – it’s basically an Advantage plan,” Cuddeford said. “It works the same way. You probably have a deductible, then you probably have co-pays and cost shares up to a max out of pocket. That’s exactly what an Advantage plan is.”

In 2011, 26% of Medicare beneficiaries were on a Medicare Advantage plan, according to a report from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/July2025_MedPAC_DataBook_Sec9_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a>&nbsp;(CMS). Now, in 2025, about 55% of Medicare beneficiaries use Medicare Advantage.

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has increased steadily for more than a decade.

KFF is a nonprofit health education and policy organization. Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, associate director of KFF’s program on Medicare policy, said it’s difficult to know how many claims are denied by Medicare Advantage insurers.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have data to really say how often there was a misalignment between what people’s providers, their doctors and their families thought that they needed and what the insurer said,” Fuglesten Biniek said. “We’ve just heard stories where people have faced these challenges at a time when they’re actually pretty vulnerable.”

The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services does track how often claims are denied on plans offered through Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges, but not all Medicare Advantage plans are required to report why they denied claims.

“There’s just a disconnect or a difference in what is required in the different insurance markets,” Fuglesten Biniek said.

Fuglesten Biniek said Medicare Advantage plan providers use prior authorization, referrals and provider networks to control costs.

“Most insurers will tell you that it is a tool that they need in order to make sure that people don’t get inappropriate care and there’s not wasteful spending,” Fuglesten Biniek said. “But they have talked about doing it better, using it for fewer services that are really the higher-risk services.”

With free or low-cost monthly premiums, Cuddeford said many of his clients choose Medicare Advantage plans as a more affordable alternative to steadily rising Medicare supplement costs.

“I had a gentleman call me. It’s been a couple years ago now,” Cuddeford said. “It’s the biggest one I ever found. His supplement was $750 a month,” Cuddeford said.

When the man said he would soon have to choose between health care and putting food on the table, Cuddeford recommended a Medicare Advantage plan.

“He has not had any medical issues in the last two years. Nothing major to speak of,” Cuddeford said. “He has saved nearly $20,000 by being on a Medicare Advantage plan.”

With&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles" target="_blank">Part B premiums increasing</a>&nbsp;9.7% next year, a standard Medicare enrollee’s bill can add up quickly. Supplement premiums can range from $30 to well over $600. As the cost of traditional Medicare rises, a larger share of Americans are turning to Medicare Advantage.

“All of a sudden, it’s a viable offer, especially when that supplement premium is unaffordable for someone who’s living off Social Security,” Cuddeford said.

The federal government pays Medicare Advantage plan providers per person each month to distribute an enrollee’s Medicare benefits. Cuddeford said those payments used to be lower, but as enrollment climbed, so did government payments. More insurance companies entered the Medicare Advantage market, using television commercials, mailers and online advertisements to push extra benefits and $0 premiums while leaving out crucial details like network requirements and co-pay information.

“It’s easy to sell free,” Cuddeford said.

The Saving Seniors Money team is made up of independent insurance agents that contract with multiple insurance companies to sell their products.

<a href="https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-drug-plans/managed-care-marketing/medicare-marketing-guidelines/agent-broker-compensation" target="_blank">According to Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services data,</a>&nbsp;agent commissions for selling a Medicare Advantage plan to a first-time enrollee ranged from $92 to $780 in 2025, though caps on commission amounts vary by state. Commissions for Medicare Advantage plans and Part D plans are regulated and capped by Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, but this is not the case for Medicare supplement providers that cover copays and deductibles under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/ready-to-buy/how#:~:text=Medicare%20Supplement%20Insurance%20sold%20by,gaps%E2%80%9D%20in%20Original%20Medicare%20coverage." target="_blank">MediGap</a>.

According to KFF, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/key-facts-about-medigap-enrollment-and-premiums-for-medicare-beneficiaries/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#777bab66-1392-428d-8638-e855deb77c13--premiums-vary-across-medigap-policies" target="_blank">average monthly premium of a Medigap supplement</a>&nbsp;in 2023 was $217, making $520 an average agent’s commission. Medigap supplement commissions for a first-time enrollee are typically around 20% of the plan’s annual premium, which can vary by insurance provider and plan type. Commissions go down each year that an enrollee stays on a Medicare Advantage, Part D or supplemental plan.

In 2024, the federal government spent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/trustees-report-trust-funds" target="_blank">$1.1 trillion</a>&nbsp;on the Medicare program as a whole. Around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/July2025_MedPAC_DataBook_Sec9_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">$494 billion</a>&nbsp;was paid out to Medicare Advantage plan providers – nearly 45% of total Medicare expenditures. That dollar amount has more than quadrupled since 2011.

Payments will rise again this year. In April, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services announced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-finalizes-2026-payment-policy-updates-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-programs" target="_blank">rates would rise 5.06%</a>&nbsp;for 2026.

When Medicare Advantage was introduced in 1997 as Medicare+Choice, it was intended to provide more options to seniors while saving the federal government money through partial privatization of the Medicare program.

However, Great Plains Health CEO Ivan Mitchell doubts the program’s original intentions are being carried out.

“I think we’re to a point where we need to start over and scrap the program,” Mitchell said.

Recently, Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services’ Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that payments to Medicare Advantage plans are about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mar25_Ch11_MedPAC_Report_To_Congress_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">20% higher</a>&nbsp;than spending for similar enrollees in traditional Medicare, adding up to $84 billion in payments to insurance companies for 2025 alone.

KFF’s Fuglesten Biniek said extra benefits offered by Medicare Advantage plans could partially account for the higher cost.

“It’s not exactly apples to apples in terms of what the person is getting, and it is quite possible that the higher spending and Medicare Advantage is delivering value to the enrollee that justifies the cost,” Fuglesten Biniek said.

Studies have been commissioned by insurance companies or groups with a vested interest in the success of Medicare Advantage. There is not unbiased or comprehensive data on how Medicare Advantage plans’ extra benefits affect enrollee health.

Fuglesten Biniek said the government is also aware of prior authorization concerns.

“[Health and Human Services] did an analysis of this and actually found that Medicare Advantage plans were denying services in cases where it was likely traditional Medicare would have covered it,” Fuglesten Biniek said. “[Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services] issued new regulations clarifying that they were supposed to be covering services in these cases.”

The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services uses “a five-star rating system” to rate plan quality and consumer satisfaction of Part D, Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans, based on 40 measurement criteria and consumer satisfaction. Plans with high star ratings get bonus payments from the government. Plans with low star ratings can be sanctioned and not allowed to enroll new members.

For 2026, about 40% of plans are rated at four or more stars, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2026-star-ratings-fact-sheet.pdf" target="_blank">a CMS fact sheet.</a>&nbsp;Weighted by enrollment, 64% of enrollees are currently on plans that earned four or more stars as their 2026 rating.

Notably, a Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/12/2023-07115/medicare-program-contract-year-2024-policy-and-technical-changes-to-the-medicare-advantage-program" target="_blank">rule from 2023</a>&nbsp;decreased the weight of patient experiences for calculating star ratings. In 2024, Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services was the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/lawsuits-against-cms-on-stars-show-the-system-is-breaking/" target="_blank">several lawsuits</a>&nbsp;from Medicare Advantage providers alleging inaccurate or unfair calculations of star ratings.

A practice called “upcoding” also factors into higher government payments. If a plan has many patients with severe medical issues, chronic conditions or complications, the plan has a higher “risk score.” The higher the risk score, the higher the payments from the government.

“One of the ways in which plans collect diagnosis codes to increase their risk scores is through something called chart reviews, where they can take an artificial intelligence and they go through all the medical records and find diagnoses that were not submitted as part of that encounter with the provider, but they think there’s evidence of,” Fuglesten Biniek said.

MedPAC reported Medicare Advantage plan risk scores were 17% higher on average compared with traditional Medicare beneficiaries. While Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is required by law to reduce MA plan risk scores to bring payments closer to traditional Medicare costs, risk scores are still high after adjustment.

Those chart reviews cost the government $24 billion in 2023, around 6% of total Medicare Advantage payments that year.

“That started to get a lot of bipartisan attention,” Fuglesten Biniek said. “I don’t know what that will mean in terms of specific policy changes, but it’s an area that both people in the [Trump] administration and Congress are interested in, and both Republicans and Democrats are interested in. It’s not often that something has all of those things aligned.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-pushes-for-answers-on-unitedhealth-groups-medicare-advantage-billing-practices" target="_blank">criticized</a>&nbsp;Medicare Advantage earlier this year following a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/unitedhealth-medicare-doj-diagnosis-investigation-66b9f1db?msockid=11bf9ab3740b6ef53e478fc875aa6fac" target="_blank">February Wall Street Journal report</a>&nbsp;on a Department of Justice investigation into UnitedHealth Group’s billing practices.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1816/text" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;in May increasing transparency by requiring Medicare Advantage plans to report to the government how many claims are denied each year. The bill has 63 bipartisan co-sponsors, including all four Nebraska and Missouri senators, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran. An identical version was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3514/cosponsors?q=%7B%22cosponsor-state%22%3A%22Kansas%22%7D" target="_blank">introduced in the House</a>&nbsp;with widespread support, but no action has been taken on the House or Senate version since May.

A “No Upcode Act” has bipartisan support in the Senate, according to Fuglesten Biniek, and a House member proposed a bill to extend ACA tax credits by changing how risk scores are calculated.

Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has also expressed problems with upcoding and lack of transparency from Medicare Advantage plans. Oz was previously a staunch supporter of Medicare Advantage on the “Dr. Oz Show” and throughout his failed bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022.

Issues of delayed care, prior authorization and time lost to paperwork have led to tough decisions for health care providers. And all the while, more people are learning about Medicare Advantage.

“We’ve started to see more advertising, more outreach, more engagement in rural areas, and that, I think, is creating some of the pushback from our members saying it’s bad for patients,” said Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. “When a big, out-of-state insurance company comes in and tries to force us to take a contract, you don’t, as a small hospital, have any real leverage to negotiate on that, other than it’s take it or leave it.”

Major health systems such as Mayo Clinic and Scripps have stopped accepting Medicare Advantage plans. Across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/20-health-systems-dropping-medicare-advantage-plans-2025/" target="_blank">Becker’s Hospital Review reports</a>&nbsp;33 health systems have announced they will not accept some or all MA plans past 2025, including Iowa’s MercyOne, Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas-based LMH Health and Kimball Health Services in Nebraska.

<a href="https://www.gphealth.org/" target="_blank">Great Plains Health</a>, a small health system in North Platte, announced it would no longer take any Medicare Advantage plans starting on Jan. 1, 2025.

“The largest employer in our community, at the end of 2023, sent a letter to their retirees saying that they were going to switch them all to a Medicare Advantage plan that we were not in network with, versus a traditional Medicare plan with a supplement,” Great Plains Health CEO Ivan Mitchell said.

Mitchell said Great Plains Health had already seen issues during its limited adoption of Medicare Advantage plans. The employer assured the health system that patients could be served on an out-of-network basis with no prior authorizations.

“We said, ‘OK, well, we don’t really believe you, but we’re going to go ahead and give it a shot,’” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said problems started almost immediately. As an example of Great Plains Health’s issues with Medicare Advantage plans, he shared a patient’s story.

The patient had an infection that went septic. The patient was put on a ventilator at Great Plains Health, and eventually, their condition improved. For a full recovery, the patient needed rehabilitative care. In order to get a spot at the rehabilitation hospital, the patient needed prior authorization from their Medicare Advantage plan.

Care was denied multiple times. Doctors sat on hold. The patient stayed an extra six weeks at Great Plains Health.

“If you look at keeping this patient here an additional six weeks, that was an additional 10 patients that could have been admitted to our hospital that were not able to be admitted here,” Mitchell said. “And the next closest hospital to us that provides the same level of care is 100 miles away.”

Mitchell said that wasn’t the only case. As more issues arose, he said doctors were spending precious time that could be used caring for patients on the phone, fighting with the insurance company.

“According to statute, they are supposed to follow traditional Medicare guidelines,” Mitchell said. “I can tell you that they don’t, and there are clearly patients that would have received care that were denied it and not given any rationale that said they didn’t meet Medicare guidelines.”

After Great Plains Health stopped taking Medicare Advantage plans, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services granted a special enrollment period to patients so they could enroll in traditional Medicare with a supplement or find a different option. Great Plains Health still accepts Medicare Advantage patients who need emergency care, but those patients won’t be able to schedule regular appointments.

Even with all the turmoil behind the scenes, Mitchell said, denying Medicare Advantage patients was a tough decision to land on.

“Running a hospital, the last thing you want to do is not accept care,” Mitchell said. “And it does really bother me that there’s around 400 members in our county that can’t access Great Plains Health for their routine specialty care. It looked to me to be a choice of being shot or stabbed, and I think we had to pick the best of the worst options.”

Generally, Mitchell said, Great Plains Health can serve its community better with space and time freed up from dealing with Medicare Advantage insurers. He doesn’t see a future where Medicare Advantage works for everyone.

“We basically raided the Medicare trust fund with these for-profit insurance companies that, in my opinion, have been extremely unethical in what they’ve done,” Mitchell said.

For seniors on Medicare Advantage, lower costs can mean gambling with health care 

Kansas State University will see more than 1,500 candidates for graduation this fall at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/graduation/">commencement ceremonies</a>&nbsp;set for Friday, Dec. 12, in Manhattan and Salina and Saturday, Dec. 13, in Manhattan. Candidates from both the summer 2025 and fall 2025 semesters will be recognized.

Ceremony information, including parking, accommodations and a livestream of the Manhattan campus ceremonies, will be available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/graduation/">K-State graduation website.</a>

The university will award approximately 1,050 bachelor's degrees, 350 master's degrees and 100 doctorates this fall. Seventy students will be earning multiple degrees and majors. The graduates-to-be also include more than 300 students who are earning their degrees through a K-State Online program.

By hosting graduates from multiple academic colleges in three combined ceremonies on Saturday, in addition to an Army ROTC commissioning ceremony, the university aims to amplify the best of its commencement traditions.

Schedule and speakers for Friday, Dec. 12 ceremonies

• 1 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum: Graduate School. Regent John Dicus will represent the Kansas Board of Regents at the ceremony. J. Ernest Minton, professor of animal sciences and industry, will be the speaker. • 7 p.m., Student Life Center, Salina: K-State Salina. Lt. Col. Matthew Shelly, U.S. Air Force, will be the speaker.

Schedule and speakers for Saturday, Dec. 13 ceremonies

• 8:30 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum: College of Architecture, Planning &amp; Design; College of Arts and Sciences; and College of Education. The student speakers will be Tinashe Sekabanja, bachelor's candidate in statistics,&nbsp;Kampala, Uganda, and Jordan White, bachelor's candidate in secondary education and chemistry,&nbsp;Shawnee. • 10 a.m., Forum Hall, K-State Student Union: Army ROTC Wildcat Battalion commissioning ceremony. The commissioning officer and guest speaker is U.S. Army Col. Dallas McMullen, Brigade Commander of the 69th Troop Command, Kansas Army National Guard. • Noon, Bramlage Coliseum: College of Agriculture and College of Business Administration. Mike Leikam, '87, the president and chief executive officer of Centralized Supply Chain Services, LLC, will be the speaker. Weston Schrader, bachelor's candidate in animal sciences and industry,&nbsp;Minneapolis, Kansas, and Max Roberts, bachelor's candidate in finance,&nbsp;Olathe, will be the student speakers. • 3:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum: Carl R. Ice College of Engineering and College of Health and Human Sciences. The student speakers are Robert Holt, bachelor's candidate in mechanical engineering,&nbsp;Overland Park, and Cara Johnson, bachelor's candidate in communication sciences and disorders,&nbsp;Lenexa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764946286410.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas State University" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas State University</figcaption>
 </figure>KSU News ServiceKansas State University will see more than 1,500 candidates for graduation this fall at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/graduation/">commencement ceremonies</a>&nbsp;set for Friday, Dec. 12, in Manhattan and Salina and Saturday, Dec. 13, in Manhattan. Candidates from both the summer 2025 and fall 2025 semesters will be recognized.Ceremony information, including parking, accommodations and a livestream of the Manhattan campus ceremonies, will be available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/graduation/">K-State graduation website.</a>The university will award approximately 1,050 bachelor's degrees, 350 master's degrees and 100 doctorates this fall. Seventy students will be earning multiple degrees and majors. The graduates-to-be also include more than 300 students who are earning their degrees through a K-State Online program.By hosting graduates from multiple academic colleges in three combined ceremonies on Saturday, in addition to an Army ROTC commissioning ceremony, the university aims to amplify the best of its commencement traditions.<h2>Schedule and speakers for Friday, Dec. 12 ceremonies</h2>• 1 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum: Graduate School. Regent John Dicus will represent the Kansas Board of Regents at the ceremony. J. Ernest Minton, professor of animal sciences and industry, will be the speaker. • 7 p.m., Student Life Center, Salina: K-State Salina. Lt. Col. Matthew Shelly, U.S. Air Force, will be the speaker.<h2>Schedule and speakers for Saturday, Dec. 13 ceremonies</h2>• 8:30 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum: College of Architecture, Planning &amp; Design; College of Arts and Sciences; and College of Education. The student speakers will be Tinashe Sekabanja, bachelor's candidate in statistics,&nbsp;Kampala, Uganda, and Jordan White, bachelor's candidate in secondary education and chemistry,&nbsp;Shawnee. • 10 a.m., Forum Hall, K-State Student Union: Army ROTC Wildcat Battalion commissioning ceremony. The commissioning officer and guest speaker is U.S. Army Col. Dallas McMullen, Brigade Commander of the 69th Troop Command, Kansas Army National Guard. • Noon, Bramlage Coliseum: College of Agriculture and College of Business Administration. Mike Leikam, '87, the president and chief executive officer of Centralized Supply Chain Services, LLC, will be the speaker. Weston Schrader, bachelor's candidate in animal sciences and industry,&nbsp;Minneapolis, Kansas, and Max Roberts, bachelor's candidate in finance,&nbsp;Olathe, will be the student speakers. • 3:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum: Carl R. Ice College of Engineering and College of Health and Human Sciences. The student speakers are Robert Holt, bachelor's candidate in mechanical engineering,&nbsp;Overland Park, and Cara Johnson, bachelor's candidate in communication sciences and disorders,&nbsp;Lenexa.

K-State's fall 2025 commencement ceremonies celebrate Wildcat excellence

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts has led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;'s conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency, starting well before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's time in the White House</a>.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/25-332">Click here for a replay</a>&nbsp;of the Supreme Court oral argument

The justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for a unanimous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">90-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;limiting executive authority to be overturned.

The court's conservatives, liberal Justice Elena Kagan noted in September, seem to be “raring to take that action.”

They already have allowed Trump, in the opening months of the Republican's second term, to fire almost everyone he has wanted, despite the court's 1935 decision in&nbsp;<a href="https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep295/usrep295602/usrep295602.pdf">Humphrey's Executor</a>&nbsp;that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause.

The officials include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-supreme-court-dbe174d342817e1ae84bce3e9c40bd48">Rebecca Slaughter</a>, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-firings-bedoya-slaughter-488bfe5419e48d5acbd95d3f9401404b">firing</a>&nbsp;from the Federal Trade Commission is at issue in the current case, as well as officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-5a48941a9e30017b0ed3e5837492d288">Lisa Cook</a>, a Federal Reserve governor, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-copyright-official-firing-c5ccca29ff5413815347340ffa300f69">Shira Perlmutter</a>, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court already has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf">suggested</a>&nbsp;that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">allegations of mortgage fraud</a>. Cook says she did nothing wrong.

Humphrey's Executor has long been a target of the conservative legal movement that has embraced an expansive view of presidential power known as the unitary executive.

The case before the high court involves the same agency, the FTC, that was at issue in 1935. The justices established that presidents — Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time — could not fire the appointed leaders of the alphabet soup of federal agencies without cause.

The decision ushered in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the air waves and much else.

Proponents of the unitary executive theory have said the modern administrative state gets the Constitution all wrong: Federal agencies that are part of the executive branch answer to the president, and that includes the ability to fire their leaders at will.

As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in a 1988 dissent that has taken on mythical status among conservatives, “this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power.”

Since 2010 and under Roberts' leadership, the Supreme Court has steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president's ability to fire people.

In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that “the President’s removal power is the rule, not the exception” in a decision upholding Trump’s firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphrey’s case.

In the 2024 immunity decision that spared Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Roberts included the power to fire among the president's “conclusive and preclusive” powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764798462400.png" alt="&nbsp;President Trump in the Oval Office last week -File image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;President Trump in the Oval Office last week -File image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts has led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;'s conservative majority on a steady march of increasing the power of the presidency, starting well before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's time in the White House</a>.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/25-332">Click here for a replay</a>&nbsp;of the Supreme Court oral argumentThe justices could take the next step in a case being argued Monday that calls for a unanimous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/humphreys-executor-supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies-8facfe6107fa94b28f391734d1620fe4">90-year-old decision</a>&nbsp;limiting executive authority to be overturned.The court's conservatives, liberal Justice Elena Kagan noted in September, seem to be “raring to take that action.”They already have allowed Trump, in the opening months of the Republican's second term, to fire almost everyone he has wanted, despite the court's 1935 decision in&nbsp;<a href="https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep295/usrep295602/usrep295602.pdf">Humphrey's Executor</a>&nbsp;that prohibits the president from removing the heads of independent agencies without cause.The officials include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-supreme-court-dbe174d342817e1ae84bce3e9c40bd48">Rebecca Slaughter</a>, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ftc-firings-bedoya-slaughter-488bfe5419e48d5acbd95d3f9401404b">firing</a>&nbsp;from the Federal Trade Commission is at issue in the current case, as well as officials from the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-5a48941a9e30017b0ed3e5837492d288">Lisa Cook</a>, a Federal Reserve governor, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-copyright-official-firing-c5ccca29ff5413815347340ffa300f69">Shira Perlmutter</a>, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court already has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf">suggested</a>&nbsp;that it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants her out because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">allegations of mortgage fraud</a>. Cook says she did nothing wrong.Humphrey's Executor has long been a target of the conservative legal movement that has embraced an expansive view of presidential power known as the unitary executive.The case before the high court involves the same agency, the FTC, that was at issue in 1935. The justices established that presidents — Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time — could not fire the appointed leaders of the alphabet soup of federal agencies without cause.The decision ushered in an era of powerful independent federal agencies charged with regulating labor relations, employment discrimination, the air waves and much else.Proponents of the unitary executive theory have said the modern administrative state gets the Constitution all wrong: Federal agencies that are part of the executive branch answer to the president, and that includes the ability to fire their leaders at will.As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in a 1988 dissent that has taken on mythical status among conservatives, “this does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power.”Since 2010 and under Roberts' leadership, the Supreme Court has steadily whittled away at laws restricting the president's ability to fire people.In 2020, Roberts wrote for the court that “the President’s removal power is the rule, not the exception” in a decision upholding Trump’s firing of the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau despite job protections similar to those upheld in Humphrey’s case.In the 2024 immunity decision that spared Trump from being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Roberts included the power to fire among the president's “conclusive and preclusive” powers that Congress lacks the authority to restrict.But according to legal historians and even a prominent proponent of the originalism approach to interpreting the Constitution that is favored by conservatives, Roberts may be wrong about the history underpinning the unitary executive.“Both the text and the history of Article II are far more equivocal than the current Court has been suggesting,” wrote Caleb Nelson, a University of Virginia law professor who once served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas.Jane Manners, a Fordham University law professor, said she and other historians filed briefs with the court to provide history and context about the removal power in the country's early years that also could lead the court to revise its views. “I'm not holding my breath,” she said.Slaughter's lawyers embrace the historians' arguments, telling the court that limits on Trump's power are consistent with the Constitution and U.S. history.The Justice Department argues Trump can fire board members for any reason as he works to carry out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-campaign-promise-tracker/">his agenda</a>&nbsp;and that the precedent should be tossed aside.“Humphrey’s Executor was always egregiously wrong,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote.A second question in the case could affect Cook, the Fed governor. Even if a firing turns out to be illegal, the court wants to decide whether judges have the power to reinstate someone.Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote earlier this year that fired employees who win in court can likely get back pay, but not reinstatement.That might affect Cook's ability to remain in her job. The justices have seemed wary about the economic uncertainty that might result if Trump can fire the leaders of the central bank. The court will hear separate arguments in January about whether Cook can remain in her job as her court case challenging her firing proceeds.

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