WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.

Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">addressing supporters in Florida</a>&nbsp;during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys.

“President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.

Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.

A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take over power on Jan. 20, 2025, had not begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to ramp up later in the week, as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.

Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients reached out to Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in beginning a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive transition planning.

The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potential Trump administration national security appointees, which could limit the number of his staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. It also means they can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.

The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, and require the president-elect’s team to agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations. Congress, in the act, set a deadline of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office on Jan. 20.

Lutnick and McMahon released a statement late Wednesday saying Trump will be selecting personnel for his administration in the “days and weeks ahead," but did not address the agreements with the Biden administration.

“As he chooses the best people to join his team and best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda starting on Day 1,” they said.

The White House announced that Biden had spoken to the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together.

Biden also called Harris to salute her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke on a call where the president-elect "acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.

Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;’s office said he called Trump and the pair had a “warm and cordial” conversation while also also discussing the ”Iranian threat.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of U.S. aid and arms to his nation in its fight against Russia's nearly three-year-old invasion. “I praised his family and team for their great work," Zelenskyy said. "We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump, too, as did Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman,</a>&nbsp;who spoke to the president-elect to express "the kingdom’s aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under his excellency’s leadership,” according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry.

Trump made his first foreign trip as president during his first term to Saudi Arabia. He stood by the kingdom then, even as ties became strained over the killing of Washington Post columnist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi operatives in Istanbul.

The president-elect has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-netanyahu-israel-gaza-iran-wars-2e37305522d19bdc34e956586cce99bd">vowed to bring peace to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has recently traded fire with Iran. Trump, who was a staunch supporter of Israel during his previous term, has not said how he'd accomplish that.

Meanwhile, U.S. markets, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by outspoken Trump supporter Elon Musk, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House.

Trump got more potential good news with word that special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against</a>&nbsp;the president-elect before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. The latter case had already been dismissed. But Trump’s election victory means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.

Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Tom Beamont and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719509357152.png" alt="Inage courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Inage courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">addressing supporters in Florida</a>&nbsp;during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys.“President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take over power on Jan. 20, 2025, had not begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to ramp up later in the week, as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients reached out to Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in beginning a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive transition planning.The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potential Trump administration national security appointees, which could limit the number of his staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. It also means they can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, and require the president-elect’s team to agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations. Congress, in the act, set a deadline of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office on Jan. 20.Lutnick and McMahon released a statement late Wednesday saying Trump will be selecting personnel for his administration in the “days and weeks ahead," but did not address the agreements with the Biden administration.“As he chooses the best people to join his team and best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda starting on Day 1,” they said.The White House announced that Biden had spoken to the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together.Biden also called Harris to salute her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke on a call where the president-elect "acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;’s office said he called Trump and the pair had a “warm and cordial” conversation while also also discussing the ”Iranian threat.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of U.S. aid and arms to his nation in its fight against Russia's nearly three-year-old invasion. “I praised his family and team for their great work," Zelenskyy said. "We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump, too, as did Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman,</a>&nbsp;who spoke to the president-elect to express "the kingdom’s aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under his excellency’s leadership,” according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry.Trump made his first foreign trip as president during his first term to Saudi Arabia. He stood by the kingdom then, even as ties became strained over the killing of Washington Post columnist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi operatives in Istanbul.The president-elect has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-netanyahu-israel-gaza-iran-wars-2e37305522d19bdc34e956586cce99bd">vowed to bring peace to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has recently traded fire with Iran. Trump, who was a staunch supporter of Israel during his previous term, has not said how he'd accomplish that.Meanwhile, U.S. markets, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by outspoken Trump supporter Elon Musk, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House.Trump got more potential good news with word that special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against</a>&nbsp;the president-elect before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. The latter case had already been dismissed. But Trump’s election victory means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.__Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Tom Beamont and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

Biden invites Trump to meeting at the White House

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old boy dead have arrested a 19-year-old woman, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp;

Carrice Profit, identified from Sedgwick County booking records, is being held in the the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 2nd Degree Murder.

&nbsp;Jermall Campbell, 19, identified as the female suspect’s cousin, has been charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Battery, and multiple counts of Aggravated Assault in connection to the homicide. Campbell remains at large, and a warrant will be issued for his arrest.Campbell is considered armed and dangerous.

Just after 10:30p.m. October 31, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.

The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.

Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.

&nbsp;If anyone has information about Campbell's whereabouts, please call 911 immediately. To remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730979564649.png" alt="Profit-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Profit-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old boy dead have arrested a 19-year-old woman, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730567909379.png" alt="Campbell photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Campbell photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Carrice Profit, identified from Sedgwick County booking records, is being held in the the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 2nd Degree Murder.&nbsp;Jermall Campbell, 19, identified as the female suspect’s cousin, has been charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Battery, and multiple counts of Aggravated Assault in connection to the homicide. Campbell remains at large, and a warrant will be issued for his arrest.Campbell is considered armed and dangerous.Just after 10:30p.m. October 31, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730455429350.png" alt="Police on the scene Thursday evening -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene Thursday evening -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.&nbsp;If anyone has information about Campbell's whereabouts, please call 911 immediately. To remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

1 jailed for Halloween killing of 13-year-old, 1 still hiding from police 

The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>

The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;

Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.

A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.

“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”

The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;

Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;

The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;

It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;

The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.

Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>

Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;

“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”

Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.

Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>

When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.

On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;

“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;

Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.

“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”

Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;

While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;

For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.

Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.

In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;

Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”

“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728400594576.png" alt=" The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades</h2>Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Requirements that abortion clinics be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.&nbsp;</li><li>A 72-hour waiting period between a patient’s initial visit with a doctor and their abortion procedure.</li><li>Mandates that abortion clinics be located within 30 miles of a hospital where they have admitting privileges.&nbsp;</li><li>The required submission of all tissue removed during an abortion be submitted to a pathologist.&nbsp;</li><li>Rules requiring abortion providers report all abortions and abortion complications to the state.&nbsp;</li><li>Requirements that the same physician who initially sees a patient must also be the physician who performs the abortion procedure.</li><li>Current law requiring only physicians can perform abortions, excluding physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

Lawsuit challenges Missouri’s abortion restrictions hours after voters approve Amendment 3

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas man is under investigation after a fight near&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday led to confrontations with&nbsp; school security and Salina police officers.

Just before 4p.m. on November 2, following the Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp; football game, three people were walking to their car when they encountered 25-year-old Donovan Green of Salina who was reportedly yelling profanities at a person passing nearby, according to Salina. Police Captain James Feldman.

 Green allegedly turned his attention toward the group and then directed his remarks at them. The group warned Green to back off, but Green reportedly charged a 25-year-old man from Fairfax, Virginia, in an attempt to tackle him.

The man from Virginia managed to take Green to the ground and restrained him until school security and police arrived.

Officers reported that Green was uncooperative and continued to escalate the situation. According to Feldman, Green spat in an officer’s face as they attempted to take him into custody. When officers used a restraint device known as a wrap to secure him, Green allegedly head-butted another officer while being placed in the patrol car.

Green was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges including battery, two counts of battery against a law enforcement officer, interference, and disorderly conduct. The officer was not injured, according to Feldman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730980031521.png" alt="Green photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Green photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas man is under investigation after a fight near&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday led to confrontations with&nbsp; school security and Salina police officers.Just before 4p.m. on November 2, following the Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp; football game, three people were walking to their car when they encountered 25-year-old Donovan Green of Salina who was reportedly yelling profanities at a person passing nearby, according to Salina. Police Captain James Feldman. Green allegedly turned his attention toward the group and then directed his remarks at them. The group warned Green to back off, but Green reportedly charged a 25-year-old man from Fairfax, Virginia, in an attempt to tackle him.The man from Virginia managed to take Green to the ground and restrained him until school security and police arrived.Officers reported that Green was uncooperative and continued to escalate the situation. According to Feldman, Green spat in an officer’s face as they attempted to take him into custody. When officers used a restraint device known as a wrap to secure him, Green allegedly head-butted another officer while being placed in the patrol car.Green was booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges including battery, two counts of battery against a law enforcement officer, interference, and disorderly conduct. The officer was not injured, according to Feldman.

Kan. man accused of fight after football game, spitting on officers

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military judge has ruled that plea agreements struck by alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants are valid, voiding an order by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-guantanamo-plea-bargain-austin-d1ea80cf69649927d85b638f9913c76f">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to throw out the deals</a>, a government official said Wednesday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the order by the judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, has not yet been posted publicly or officially announced.

The plea agreements would spare Mohammed and the others the risk of the death penalty in exchange for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-guantanamo-76a2dc11440cf9c4c287ee69bd742aa3">guilty pleas in the long-running 9/11 case</a>. Government prosecutors had negotiated the deals with defense attorneys under government auspices, and the top official for the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had approved them.

The plea deals in the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people spurred immediate political blowback by Republican lawmakers and others when announced in late July.

The agreements, and Austin's attempt to reverse them, have been one of the most fraught episodes in a U.S. prosecution marked by delays and legal difficulties, including years of ongoing pretrial hearings to determine the admissibility of statements by the defendants given their years of torture in CIA custody.

Within days of the deals becoming public this summer, Austin issued a brief order saying he was nullifying them. Plea bargains in possible death penalty cases tied to one of the gravest crimes ever carried out on U.S. soil were a momentous step that should only be decided by the defense secretary, Austin said at the time.

The Pentagon is reviewing the judge's decision and had no immediate further comment, said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.

The New York Times first reported the ruling.

Military officials have yet to post the judge's decision on the Guantanamo military commission's online site.

However, a legal blog that long has covered the prosecutions from the Guantanamo courtroom said McCall's 29-page ruling concludes that Austin lacked the authority to toss out the plea deals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722465359811.jpeg" alt="FILE - This Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 courtroom drawing by artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. military, shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, center, and co-defendant Walid Bin Attash, left, attending a pre-trial session at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The man accused of being the main plotter in al-Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has agreed to plead guilty, The Defense Department said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 courtroom drawing by artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. military, shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, center, and co-defendant Walid Bin Attash, left, attending a pre-trial session at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The man accused of being the main plotter in al-Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has agreed to plead guilty, The Defense Department said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A military judge has ruled that plea agreements struck by alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants are valid, voiding an order by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-guantanamo-plea-bargain-austin-d1ea80cf69649927d85b638f9913c76f">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to throw out the deals</a>, a government official said Wednesday.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the order by the judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, has not yet been posted publicly or officially announced.The plea agreements would spare Mohammed and the others the risk of the death penalty in exchange for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-guantanamo-76a2dc11440cf9c4c287ee69bd742aa3">guilty pleas in the long-running 9/11 case</a>. Government prosecutors had negotiated the deals with defense attorneys under government auspices, and the top official for the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had approved them.The plea deals in the Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people spurred immediate political blowback by Republican lawmakers and others when announced in late July.The agreements, and Austin's attempt to reverse them, have been one of the most fraught episodes in a U.S. prosecution marked by delays and legal difficulties, including years of ongoing pretrial hearings to determine the admissibility of statements by the defendants given their years of torture in CIA custody.Within days of the deals becoming public this summer, Austin issued a brief order saying he was nullifying them. Plea bargains in possible death penalty cases tied to one of the gravest crimes ever carried out on U.S. soil were a momentous step that should only be decided by the defense secretary, Austin said at the time.The Pentagon is reviewing the judge's decision and had no immediate further comment, said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.The New York Times first reported the ruling.Military officials have yet to post the judge's decision on the Guantanamo military commission's online site.However, a legal blog that long has covered the prosecutions from the Guantanamo courtroom said McCall's 29-page ruling concludes that Austin lacked the authority to toss out the plea deals.

Plea deals revived for alleged 9/11 mastermind, 2 others

JOHNSON COUNTY —A man from Arkansas who admitted his role in a violent knife attack in Kansas is going to prison.

This week Johnson County Judge Thomas M. Sutherland sentenced&nbsp;35-year-old&nbsp;Amanjit Singh to nearly 24-years in prison for attempted first degree murder, according to Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In September Singh pleaded no contest to attempted First Degree Murder. In June of 2023, police responded to Stonebridge Liquors at W. 67th Street and Nieman Road in the city of Shawnee.&nbsp;&nbsp;The victim told investigators a man walked into the liquor store as she worked and attacked her with a knife.

Court documents say Singh stabbed the victim multiple times.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726179537432.png" alt="Singh-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Singh-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A man from Arkansas who admitted his role in a violent knife attack in Kansas is going to prison.This week Johnson County Judge Thomas M. Sutherland sentenced&nbsp;35-year-old&nbsp;Amanjit Singh to nearly 24-years in prison for attempted first degree murder, according to Johnson County District Attorney's office.In September Singh pleaded no contest to attempted First Degree Murder. In June of 2023, police responded to Stonebridge Liquors at W. 67th Street and Nieman Road in the city of Shawnee.&nbsp;&nbsp;The victim told investigators a man walked into the liquor store as she worked and attacked her with a knife.Court documents say Singh stabbed the victim multiple times.

Prison for violent knife attack on Kan. liquor store employee

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating

(JASO) – Sheriff Tim Morse reports that on November 2, 2024,

Shortly after 4a.m. November 4, Sheriff's Deputies and police responded to a report of domestic violence at 619 ½ Vermont Ave. in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the course of the investigation the Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence. William Daniel Collins, 39, of Holton, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic battery. 

 Samantha Leighanne Gresham, 33, of Morrill, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730900695414.png" alt="Collins photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Collins photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating(JASO) – Sheriff Tim Morse reports that on November 2, 2024,Shortly after 4a.m. November 4, Sheriff's Deputies and police responded to a report of domestic violence at 619 ½ Vermont Ave. in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730900662437.png" alt="Gresham photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Gresham photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>During the course of the investigation the Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for the residence. William Daniel Collins, 39, of Holton, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and domestic battery. Samantha Leighanne Gresham, 33, of Morrill, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Drug bust after violent incident at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;before the president-elect takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">Trump's election defeat of Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.

The person familiar with Smith's plans was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

By moving to wind down the cases before the inauguration in January, Smith and the Justice Department would be averting a potential showdown with Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fire-special-counsel-jack-smith-b0d3d24286fbe0c461a901a33ec78d62">said as recently as last month</a>&nbsp;that he would fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office. It would also mean Trump would enter the White House without the legal cloud of federal criminal prosecutions that once carried the potential for felony convictions and prison sentences.

Smith’s two cases charge Trump in a conspiracy to undo the election results in the run-up to the Capitol riot, and with retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing FBI efforts to recover them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">He was appointed to the position in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland.</a>

The classified documents case has been stalled since July when a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">dismissed it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed</a>. Smith has appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the request to revive the case is pending. Even as Smith looks to withdraw the documents case against Trump, he would seem likely to continue to challenge Cannon's ruling on the legality of his appointment given the precedent such a ruling would create.

In the 2020 election interference case, Trump was scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been convicted of charges for their roles in the Capitol riot. But the case was halted as Trump pursued his sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump could be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling in July,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">which granted former presidents expansive immunity from prosecution</a>&nbsp;for acts taken in the White House and explicitly put off-limits any alleged conduct involving Trump’s discussions with the Justice Department. That included his efforts to use the Justice Department to conduct sham election fraud investigations as part of his bid to stay in power.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which of the other allegations in the indictment, if any, could move forward to trial.

In response,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-jack-smith-a4b4d7821c1a6d1f5076ec68f5ba7170">Smith’s team last month filed a 165-page brief</a>&nbsp;laying out new evidence to persuade the judge that the actions alleged in the indictment were taken in Trump's private capacity as a candidate — not as commander-in-chief — and therefore can remain part of the case. Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to file their response later this month.

In New York, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-merchan-hush-money-sentencing-immunity-a4635cbd1a619b00588d1ebcc3c7b9cc">Trump is fighting to overturn his felony conviction</a>&nbsp;and stave off a potential prison sentence for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. It is the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.

A judge is expected to rule next week on whether to uphold or toss the verdict in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents have broad protections from prosecution.

Judge Juan M. Merchan has said he will issue a ruling on Trump’s dismissal request on Nov. 12, one week after Election Day. The judge has penciled in Nov. 26 for sentencing, “if necessary.” Punishments range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.

Though Trump technically has no authority as president to shut down a state-level prosecution like the one in New York, his victory nonetheless calls into question that case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fulton-county-fani-willis-trump-courtney-kramer-105147df7e97766e311e5e2a12a17c90">as well as a separate pending case in Fulton County, Georgia</a>&nbsp;charging him with plotting to subvert that state’s election in 2020.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI at President elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI at President elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;before the president-elect takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">Trump's election defeat of Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.The person familiar with Smith's plans was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.By moving to wind down the cases before the inauguration in January, Smith and the Justice Department would be averting a potential showdown with Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fire-special-counsel-jack-smith-b0d3d24286fbe0c461a901a33ec78d62">said as recently as last month</a>&nbsp;that he would fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office. It would also mean Trump would enter the White House without the legal cloud of federal criminal prosecutions that once carried the potential for felony convictions and prison sentences.NBC News first reported Smith's plans.Smith’s two cases charge Trump in a conspiracy to undo the election results in the run-up to the Capitol riot, and with retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing FBI efforts to recover them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">He was appointed to the position in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland.</a>The classified documents case has been stalled since July when a Trump-appointed judge, Aileen Cannon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">dismissed it on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed</a>. Smith has appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the request to revive the case is pending. Even as Smith looks to withdraw the documents case against Trump, he would seem likely to continue to challenge Cannon's ruling on the legality of his appointment given the precedent such a ruling would create.In the 2020 election interference case, Trump was scheduled to stand trial in March in Washington, where more than 1,000 of his supporters have been convicted of charges for their roles in the Capitol riot. But the case was halted as Trump pursued his sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution that ultimately landed before the U.S. Supreme Court.Trump could be emboldened by the Supreme Court’s ruling in July,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2024/supreme-court-rules-ex-presidents-have-broad-immunity-dimming-chance-of-a-pre-election-trump-trial/">which granted former presidents expansive immunity from prosecution</a>&nbsp;for acts taken in the White House and explicitly put off-limits any alleged conduct involving Trump’s discussions with the Justice Department. That included his efforts to use the Justice Department to conduct sham election fraud investigations as part of his bid to stay in power.The conservative-majority Supreme Court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which of the other allegations in the indictment, if any, could move forward to trial.In response,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-jack-smith-a4b4d7821c1a6d1f5076ec68f5ba7170">Smith’s team last month filed a 165-page brief</a>&nbsp;laying out new evidence to persuade the judge that the actions alleged in the indictment were taken in Trump's private capacity as a candidate — not as commander-in-chief — and therefore can remain part of the case. Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to file their response later this month.In New York, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-merchan-hush-money-sentencing-immunity-a4635cbd1a619b00588d1ebcc3c7b9cc">Trump is fighting to overturn his felony conviction</a>&nbsp;and stave off a potential prison sentence for falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. It is the only one of his criminal cases to go to trial.A judge is expected to rule next week on whether to uphold or toss the verdict in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents have broad protections from prosecution.Judge Juan M. Merchan has said he will issue a ruling on Trump’s dismissal request on Nov. 12, one week after Election Day. The judge has penciled in Nov. 26 for sentencing, “if necessary.” Punishments range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.Though Trump technically has no authority as president to shut down a state-level prosecution like the one in New York, his victory nonetheless calls into question that case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fulton-county-fani-willis-trump-courtney-kramer-105147df7e97766e311e5e2a12a17c90">as well as a separate pending case in Fulton County, Georgia</a>&nbsp;charging him with plotting to subvert that state’s election in 2020.

Dept. of Justice will end their criminal cases against Donald Trump

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a death that occurred at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.

The KBI was contacted on Tuesday to investigate the death of a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City. The teen had been at the detention facility since early August as a result of a child in need of care case. KBI agents responded to the facility to investigate.

By statute, the KBI investigates the deaths of prisoners in the custody of Kansas jails and prisons, and juveniles in state, county, or city custody, unless the person who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy.

The investigation indicates that personnel found the 17-year-old unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and began life-saving measures. Geary County EMS responded and continued resuscitation efforts during transport to a local hospital. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel around 7:40 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

GEARY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating a death that occurred at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City, according to a media release from the agency.The KBI was contacted on Tuesday to investigate the death of a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City. The teen had been at the detention facility since early August as a result of a child in need of care case. KBI agents responded to the facility to investigate.By statute, the KBI investigates the deaths of prisoners in the custody of Kansas jails and prisons, and juveniles in state, county, or city custody, unless the person who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy.The investigation indicates that personnel found the 17-year-old unresponsive around 6:50 a.m., and began life-saving measures. Geary County EMS responded and continued resuscitation efforts during transport to a local hospital. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel around 7:40 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled. The investigation is ongoing.

KBI: Teen in custody of Regional Juvenile Detention Center dies

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that “we must accept the results of this election” as she encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country after her loss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue "in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”

“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” she said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

Harris delivered her remarks at Howard University, her alma mater and one of the country's most prominent historically Black schools, in the same spot where she hoped to give a victory speech.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was in the audience. So were Reps. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and Barbara Lee, both from Harris’ home state of California.

Before her speech, Harris called Trump to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory. She said, “We will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”

Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;'s reelection campaign stalled, is reckoning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">a profound rejection</a>&nbsp;by American voters in this year's presidential election.

She trailed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">every battleground state</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>, a man she described as an existential danger to the country's foundational institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to overturn his previous election loss.

Biden plans to address the election results on Thursday. The White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday, and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.

David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, said campaign staffers “left it all on the field for their country.”

“We dug out of a deep hole but not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss."

In a bitter footnote for Harris, as the sitting vice president she is expected to oversee Congress' ceremonial certification of the election.

It's the same role Mike Pence played four years ago, when Trump directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol. Although critics said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the violent insurrection</a>&nbsp;crystallized Trump's threat to American democracy, that ultimately did not dissuade voters from electing him again.

Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86 years old, stumbled badly in his June 27 debate with Trump.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">He dropped out of the race</a>&nbsp;on July 21 and endorsed his vice president, who swiftly unified the Democratic Party around her candidacy.

It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years earlier, her own presidential campaign had flamed out and revealed the political limitations of someone once dubbed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnSG7515hWo">“the female Barack Obama.”</a>&nbsp;Even though Biden chose Harris as his running mate, she languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Some Democrats started writing her off when they pondered the party's future after Biden. But Harris found fresh purpose after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022, and she became the White House's leading advocate for abortion rights.

Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could serve her down the road. The moment arrived sooner than she anticipated, and she was catapulted into the presidential race with Biden's departure only a month before the Democratic National Convention.

Harris instantly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-donald-trump-election-90b9d5c6dc5553703af88dfa442a6bac">reset the terms of the contest</a>&nbsp;with Trump. She was 18 years younger and a former courtroom prosecutor going up against the first major presidential candidate convicted of crimes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-donald-trump-1cc8b3e7b308b6178c04931d0fa1e79b">Her candidacy energized Democrats</a>&nbsp;who feared they were destined for defeat with Biden at the top of the ticket.

But she also faced steep odds from the beginning. She inherited Biden's political operation with just 107 days until the end of the election, and she faced a restless electorate that was eager for change.

Although Harris pitched “a new way forward," she struggled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-biden-legacy-question-83f3d9128ff9e916ff5832e269da1f1e">to meaningfully differentiate herself</a>&nbsp;from the unpopular sitting president. In addition, she had limited time to introduce herself to skeptical voters, who never cast a ballot for her in a presidential primary.

Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during a second Trump presidency, and it's unclear what role Harris will play in her party's future.

“The work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump Presidency starts now," wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris' campaign chair, in a letter to staff. "I know the Vice President isn’t finished in this fight, and I know the very people on this email are also going to be leaders in this collective mission.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730928890800.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;said Wednesday that “we must accept the results of this election” as she encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country after her loss to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Watch Vice President Kamala Harris&#39; complete concession speech here: <a href="https://t.co/iAnYEZYd0z">https://t.co/iAnYEZYd0z</a> <a href="https://t.co/j8r6WMlrYC">pic.twitter.com/j8r6WMlrYC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1854351315012370542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue "in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.”“Sometimes the fight takes a while,” she said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.”Harris delivered her remarks at Howard University, her alma mater and one of the country's most prominent historically Black schools, in the same spot where she hoped to give a victory speech.“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said.Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was in the audience. So were Reps. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and Barbara Lee, both from Harris’ home state of California.Before her speech, Harris called Trump to concede the election and congratulate him on his victory. She said, “We will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”Harris, once viewed as a potential savior for the Democratic Party after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;'s reelection campaign stalled, is reckoning with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">a profound rejection</a>&nbsp;by American voters in this year's presidential election.She trailed in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">every battleground state</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>, a man she described as an existential danger to the country's foundational institutions. And Trump appeared on track to win the popular vote for the first time in his three campaigns for the White House — even after two impeachments, felony convictions and his attempt to overturn his previous election loss.Biden plans to address the election results on Thursday. The White House said he spoke with Harris and Trump on Wednesday, and he invited the president-elect to meet with him soon.David Plouffe, a top Harris adviser, said campaign staffers “left it all on the field for their country.”“We dug out of a deep hole but not enough,” he said. “A devastating loss."In a bitter footnote for Harris, as the sitting vice president she is expected to oversee Congress' ceremonial certification of the election.It's the same role Mike Pence played four years ago, when Trump directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol. Although critics said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the violent insurrection</a>&nbsp;crystallized Trump's threat to American democracy, that ultimately did not dissuade voters from electing him again.Harris became the Democratic candidate after Biden, who was already struggling to convince voters that he could serve as president until he was 86 years old, stumbled badly in his June 27 debate with Trump.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">He dropped out of the race</a>&nbsp;on July 21 and endorsed his vice president, who swiftly unified the Democratic Party around her candidacy.It was a remarkable twist of fate for Harris. Four years earlier, her own presidential campaign had flamed out and revealed the political limitations of someone once dubbed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnSG7515hWo">“the female Barack Obama.”</a>&nbsp;Even though Biden chose Harris as his running mate, she languished in the role after taking office as the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.Some Democrats started writing her off when they pondered the party's future after Biden. But Harris found fresh purpose after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;in 2022, and she became the White House's leading advocate for abortion rights.Harris also made a more concerted effort to network with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures, forging connections that could serve her down the road. The moment arrived sooner than she anticipated, and she was catapulted into the presidential race with Biden's departure only a month before the Democratic National Convention.Harris instantly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-donald-trump-election-90b9d5c6dc5553703af88dfa442a6bac">reset the terms of the contest</a>&nbsp;with Trump. She was 18 years younger and a former courtroom prosecutor going up against the first major presidential candidate convicted of crimes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-donald-trump-1cc8b3e7b308b6178c04931d0fa1e79b">Her candidacy energized Democrats</a>&nbsp;who feared they were destined for defeat with Biden at the top of the ticket.But she also faced steep odds from the beginning. She inherited Biden's political operation with just 107 days until the end of the election, and she faced a restless electorate that was eager for change.Although Harris pitched “a new way forward," she struggled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-biden-legacy-question-83f3d9128ff9e916ff5832e269da1f1e">to meaningfully differentiate herself</a>&nbsp;from the unpopular sitting president. In addition, she had limited time to introduce herself to skeptical voters, who never cast a ballot for her in a presidential primary.Democrats now face the prospect of picking up the pieces during a second Trump presidency, and it's unclear what role Harris will play in her party's future.“The work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump Presidency starts now," wrote Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris' campaign chair, in a letter to staff. "I know the Vice President isn’t finished in this fight, and I know the very people on this email are also going to be leaders in this collective mission.”

🎥Vice President Kamala Harris' complete concession speech

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-stock-trump-election-b54454aaabd4cbe1e1e1c9754649b869">Tesla</a>, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday as investors made bets on what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-presidential-election-takeaways-d0e4677f4cd53b4d2d8d18d674be5bf4">Donald Trump’s return to the White House</a>&nbsp;will mean for the economy and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-trump-global-reaction-7f7d4c5f6b84f263d7c49bb4978ab418">world</a>. Among the losers the market sees: the renewable-energy industry and potentially anyone worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-tariffs-taxes-immigration-federal-reserve-a18de763fcc01557258c7f33cab375ed">higher inflation</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks.

The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-stocks-volatility-bonds-economy-retirement-59201a39bffd596b253021a6526a4b60">regardless of which party wins</a>&nbsp;the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wins-second-term-policies-de3dcf0f173b42602b258042fd7aaafb">higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation</a>&nbsp;that Trump favors will mean.

“The markets are scrambling to figure out what happens next, but for the time being, the market is pricing in a higher growth and higher inflation outlook,” Peter Esho of Esho Capital said.

Of course, how much change Trump effects in his second term will likely depend on whether his fellow Republicans win control of Congress, and that’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-election-2024-house-golden-theriault-a40d15b56af47193171e6da358d591c2">still to be determined</a>. That could leave room for snaps back in some of Wednesday’s big knee-jerk movements.

Nevertheless, the market is cleaving between rather clear winners and losers following Trump’s dramatic win. Among them:

Bank stocks led the market higher, in part on hopes that a stronger economy would mean more customers getting loans and paying them back with interest. They also rallied on hopes for lighter regulation from a Republican White House. JPMorgan Chase soared 11.5%, and financial stocks had the biggest gain by far among the 11 sectors that make up the S&amp;P 500. Capital One Financial climbed 15%, and Discover Financial jumped 20.2% for some of the market's biggest gains on speculation their pending merger will more easily get federal clearance under Trump.

Trump has pledged to make the country “the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-elections-crypto-cryptocurrency-treasury-blockchain-29df24818d03e557c6c434533052b33c">crypto capital</a>&nbsp;of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. The price of bitcoin hit an all-time high above $76,480, according to CoinDesk, and was recently just under $76,100. Companies in the crypto industry also jumped, including trading platform Coinbase’s 31.1% leap.

Musk has become a close ally of Trump, exhorting the former president’s run. While Trump may end up hurting the electric-vehicle industry broadly by limiting government subsidies, analysts say Tesla could gain somewhat of an advantage by already being such a big player in the industry. Tesla revved 14.8% higher, while rival Rivian Automotive fell 8.3%.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-stock-musk-x-social-5328feb1a782cc65bd05b7e30756b8db">company behind Trump’s Truth Social</a>&nbsp;platform rose 5.9% after earlier nearly 35% earlier in the day. It regularly trades more on Trump’s popularity than on prospects for its profits. Its rise came even after it filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-media-earnings-d2cf7bd5483660080f678ba74deb6c52">unaudited financial documents</a>&nbsp;with regulators on Tuesday saying it lost $19.2 million during the latest quarter and that its sales weakened from a year earlier.

A Trump-led Washington could push for tougher enforcement of the nation’s borders, which could mean more business for companies that work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. GEO Group, which runs ICE processing centers, surged 42.1%.

Trump’s America-First policies could help companies that focus on customers within the United States, rather than big multinationals that could be hurt by increased tariffs and protectionism. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks, which are seen as more domestically focused than the big stocks in the S&amp;P 500, jumped 5.8%. That was more than double the S&amp;P 500’s gain.

Investors see Trump’s policies potentially leading to stronger economic growth, which helps push prices down for Treasurys and their yields up. Tax cuts under Trump could also further swell the U.S. government’s deficit, which would increase its borrowing needs and force yields even higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.43% from 4.29% late Tuesday, which is a major move for the bond market. It’s up substantially from August, when it was below 4%.

Investors also see Trump’s policies likely adding to future inflation, particularly tariffs, which can add costs to U.S. households’ bills.

“Trump keeps openly telling people that he will increase tariffs not just on China but with every trade partner,” said Andrzej Skiba, head of BlueBay U.S. Fixed Income at RBC Global Asset Management. “We’re talking 10% tariffs across all global partners. This is a big deal because this could add 1% to inflation. If you add 1% to next year’s inflation numbers, we should say bye to rate cuts.”

A drop-off in immigration could also mean a crunch of available workers for employers, which could force companies to raise wages for workers faster and put more upward pressure on inflation.

Expectations for interest rate cuts, MUDDLED

Much of Wall Street’s run to records this year was built on expectations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-economy-prices-rates-302de435f48e4de701a15dc99880fc9d">coming cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve</a>, now that inflation seems to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-cd6d9712bfd484d6e1bc4ccb958dcf23">heading back down to its 2% target</a>. Easier interest rates help boost the economy, but they can also give inflation more fuel.

The Fed will announce its latest decision on interest rates Thursday, where the expectation is still for a cut, according to data from CME Group. But traders are already paring back forecasts for how many cuts the Fed will provide through the middle of next year.

Foreign currencies, DOWN against the dollar

Trump has vowed to sharply hike tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and other countries, raising worries about trade wars and disruptions to the global economy. A measure of the U.S. dollar’s value against several major currencies climbed 1.6%, which means that those other currencies fell.

The euro sank 1.5%, and the South Korean won fell 1.2% The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">Mexican peso</a>, which has been falling against the dollar since the summer, in part on worries about a possible Trump re-election, fell early in the day but then pared its loss.

Trump is a fan of fossil fuels, encouraging production of oil and natural gas. His win sent solar stocks sharply lower, including a 10.1% fall for First Solar and 16.8% slide for Enphase Energy.

The only stock with a bigger loss in the S&amp;P 500 was Super Micro Computer, which said its sales for the latest quarter could come in below its prior forecast. Its stock sank 18.1%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 146.28 points to 5,929.04. The Dow surged 1,508.05 to 43,729.93, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 544.29 to 18,983.47.

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;are all storming higher Wednesday as investors bet on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and world. Among the losers the market sees: the value of the Mexican peso and potentially anyone worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-tariffs-taxes-immigration-federal-reserve-a18de763fcc01557258c7f33cab375ed">higher inflation</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 was jumping by 2.1% in early trading and on track to top its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,292 points, or 3.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 2.1% higher.

The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-stocks-volatility-bonds-economy-retirement-59201a39bffd596b253021a6526a4b60">regardless of which party wins</a>&nbsp;the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winners and losers underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean.

Of course, how much change Trump will be able to effect will likely depend on whether his fellow Republicans win control of Congress, and that’s still to be determined. That could leave room for snaps back in some of Wednesday’s big knee-jerk movements. Nevertheless, the market is cleaving between rather clear winners and losers following Trump’s dramatic win. Among them:

Bank stocks led the market higher, in part on hopes that a stronger economy would mean more customers getting loans and paying them back with interest. They also rallied on hopes for lighter regulation from a Republican White House, which could also spur more mergers and buyouts where investment banks could earn fees. JPMorgan Chase rose 8.3%, and the 5.1% jump for financial stocks in the S&amp;P 500 was by far the biggest gain among the index’s 11 sectors.

Trump has pledged to make the country “the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-elections-crypto-cryptocurrency-treasury-blockchain-29df24818d03e557c6c434533052b33c">crypto capital</a>&nbsp;of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. The price of bitcoin hit an all-time high above $75,000, according to Coindesk, and was recently up 7% at nearly $74,000. Other cryptocurrencies also rallied, including dogecoin, which is a favorite of Musk. Companies in the crypto industry jumped, including trading platform Coinbase’s 19.4% leap.

Musk has become a close ally of Trump, exhorting the former president’s run. While Trump may end up hurting the electric-vehicle industry broadly by pulling government subsidies, analysts say Tesla could gain somewhat of an advantage by already being such a big player in an industry. Tesla revved 15.1% higher, while rival Rivian Automotive fell 7.3%

Investors see Trump's policies potentially leading to stronger economic growth, which helps to push prices down and yields up for Treasurys. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.29% late Tuesday, which is a major move for the bond market. It's up substantially from August, when it was below 4%.

Investors also see Trump's policies adding to future inflation, which likewise pushes up Treasury yields.

“Trump keeps openly telling people that he will increase tariffs not just on China but with every trade partner," said Andrzej Skiba, Head of BlueBay U.S. Fixed Income at RBC Global Asset Management. "We’re talking 10% tariffs across all global partners. This is a big deal because this could add 1% to inflation. If you add 1% to next year’s inflation numbers, we should say bye to rate cuts.”

Much of Wall Street's run to records this year was built on expectations for coming cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve, now that inflation seems to be heading back down to its 2% target. The Fed will announce its latest decision on interest rates on Thursday, where the expectation is still for a cut, according to data from CME Group.

But traders are already paring back their expectations for how many cuts the Fed will make through the middle of next year.

FOREIGN CURRENCY VALUES, down against the dollar

Trump has talked about raising tariffs, which would likely mean Trump has also vowed to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and other countries, darkening the outlook for Chinese exporters at a time when Beijing has relied heavily on ramping up manufacturing to try to revive its slowing economy. The value of the Mexican peso fell another 2.3% against the dollar.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730904710641.png" alt="File photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-stock-trump-election-b54454aaabd4cbe1e1e1c9754649b869">Tesla</a>, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday as investors made bets on what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-presidential-election-takeaways-d0e4677f4cd53b4d2d8d18d674be5bf4">Donald Trump’s return to the White House</a>&nbsp;will mean for the economy and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-election-trump-global-reaction-7f7d4c5f6b84f263d7c49bb4978ab418">world</a>. Among the losers the market sees: the renewable-energy industry and potentially anyone worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-tariffs-taxes-immigration-federal-reserve-a18de763fcc01557258c7f33cab375ed">higher inflation</a>.The S&amp;P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks.The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-stocks-volatility-bonds-economy-retirement-59201a39bffd596b253021a6526a4b60">regardless of which party wins</a>&nbsp;the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wins-second-term-policies-de3dcf0f173b42602b258042fd7aaafb">higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation</a>&nbsp;that Trump favors will mean.“The markets are scrambling to figure out what happens next, but for the time being, the market is pricing in a higher growth and higher inflation outlook,” Peter Esho of Esho Capital said.Of course, how much change Trump effects in his second term will likely depend on whether his fellow Republicans win control of Congress, and that’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-election-2024-house-golden-theriault-a40d15b56af47193171e6da358d591c2">still to be determined</a>. That could leave room for snaps back in some of Wednesday’s big knee-jerk movements.Nevertheless, the market is cleaving between rather clear winners and losers following Trump’s dramatic win. Among them:<h2>Bank stocks, UP</h2>Bank stocks led the market higher, in part on hopes that a stronger economy would mean more customers getting loans and paying them back with interest. They also rallied on hopes for lighter regulation from a Republican White House. JPMorgan Chase soared 11.5%, and financial stocks had the biggest gain by far among the 11 sectors that make up the S&amp;P 500. Capital One Financial climbed 15%, and Discover Financial jumped 20.2% for some of the market's biggest gains on speculation their pending merger will more easily get federal clearance under Trump.<h2>Crypto, UP</h2>Trump has pledged to make the country “the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-elections-crypto-cryptocurrency-treasury-blockchain-29df24818d03e557c6c434533052b33c">crypto capital</a>&nbsp;of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. The price of bitcoin hit an all-time high above $76,480, according to CoinDesk, and was recently just under $76,100. Companies in the crypto industry also jumped, including trading platform Coinbase’s 31.1% leap.<h2>Tesla, UP</h2>Musk has become a close ally of Trump, exhorting the former president’s run. While Trump may end up hurting the electric-vehicle industry broadly by limiting government subsidies, analysts say Tesla could gain somewhat of an advantage by already being such a big player in the industry. Tesla revved 14.8% higher, while rival Rivian Automotive fell 8.3%.<h2>Trump Media &amp; Technology Group, UP</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-stock-musk-x-social-5328feb1a782cc65bd05b7e30756b8db">company behind Trump’s Truth Social</a>&nbsp;platform rose 5.9% after earlier nearly 35% earlier in the day. It regularly trades more on Trump’s popularity than on prospects for its profits. Its rise came even after it filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-media-earnings-d2cf7bd5483660080f678ba74deb6c52">unaudited financial documents</a>&nbsp;with regulators on Tuesday saying it lost $19.2 million during the latest quarter and that its sales weakened from a year earlier.<h2>Private-prison operators, UP</h2>A Trump-led Washington could push for tougher enforcement of the nation’s borders, which could mean more business for companies that work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. GEO Group, which runs ICE processing centers, surged 42.1%.<h2>Stocks of smaller companies, UP</h2>Trump’s America-First policies could help companies that focus on customers within the United States, rather than big multinationals that could be hurt by increased tariffs and protectionism. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks, which are seen as more domestically focused than the big stocks in the S&amp;P 500, jumped 5.8%. That was more than double the S&amp;P 500’s gain.<h2>Treasury bond prices, DOWN</h2>Investors see Trump’s policies potentially leading to stronger economic growth, which helps push prices down for Treasurys and their yields up. Tax cuts under Trump could also further swell the U.S. government’s deficit, which would increase its borrowing needs and force yields even higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.43% from 4.29% late Tuesday, which is a major move for the bond market. It’s up substantially from August, when it was below 4%.<h2>Inflation worries, UP</h2>Investors also see Trump’s policies likely adding to future inflation, particularly tariffs, which can add costs to U.S. households’ bills.“Trump keeps openly telling people that he will increase tariffs not just on China but with every trade partner,” said Andrzej Skiba, head of BlueBay U.S. Fixed Income at RBC Global Asset Management. “We’re talking 10% tariffs across all global partners. This is a big deal because this could add 1% to inflation. If you add 1% to next year’s inflation numbers, we should say bye to rate cuts.”A drop-off in immigration could also mean a crunch of available workers for employers, which could force companies to raise wages for workers faster and put more upward pressure on inflation.<h2>Expectations for interest rate cuts, MUDDLED</h2>Much of Wall Street’s run to records this year was built on expectations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-economy-prices-rates-302de435f48e4de701a15dc99880fc9d">coming cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve</a>, now that inflation seems to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-cd6d9712bfd484d6e1bc4ccb958dcf23">heading back down to its 2% target</a>. Easier interest rates help boost the economy, but they can also give inflation more fuel.The Fed will announce its latest decision on interest rates Thursday, where the expectation is still for a cut, according to data from CME Group. But traders are already paring back forecasts for how many cuts the Fed will provide through the middle of next year.<h2>Foreign currencies, DOWN against the dollar</h2>Trump has vowed to sharply hike tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and other countries, raising worries about trade wars and disruptions to the global economy. A measure of the U.S. dollar’s value against several major currencies climbed 1.6%, which means that those other currencies fell.The euro sank 1.5%, and the South Korean won fell 1.2% The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-taxes-imports-inflation-consumers-prices-c2eef295a078a76ce2bb7fedb0c5e58c">Mexican peso</a>, which has been falling against the dollar since the summer, in part on worries about a possible Trump re-election, fell early in the day but then pared its loss.<h2>Rewnewable energy stocks, DOWN</h2>Trump is a fan of fossil fuels, encouraging production of oil and natural gas. His win sent solar stocks sharply lower, including a 10.1% fall for First Solar and 16.8% slide for Enphase Energy.The only stock with a bigger loss in the S&amp;P 500 was Super Micro Computer, which said its sales for the latest quarter could come in below its prior forecast. Its stock sank 18.1%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 146.28 points to 5,929.04. The Dow surged 1,508.05 to 43,729.93, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 544.29 to 18,983.47.------------NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market, Elon Musk’s Tesla, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;are all storming higher Wednesday as investors bet on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and world. Among the losers the market sees: the value of the Mexican peso and potentially anyone worried about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-tariffs-taxes-immigration-federal-reserve-a18de763fcc01557258c7f33cab375ed">higher inflation</a>.The S&amp;P 500 was jumping by 2.1% in early trading and on track to top its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,292 points, or 3.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 2.1% higher.The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-stocks-volatility-bonds-economy-retirement-59201a39bffd596b253021a6526a4b60">regardless of which party wins</a>&nbsp;the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winners and losers underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean.“The markets are scrambling to figure out what happens next, but for the time being, the market is pricing in a higher growth and higher inflation outlook,” Peter Esho of Esho Capital said.Of course, how much change Trump will be able to effect will likely depend on whether his fellow Republicans win control of Congress, and that’s still to be determined. That could leave room for snaps back in some of Wednesday’s big knee-jerk movements. Nevertheless, the market is cleaving between rather clear winners and losers following Trump’s dramatic win. Among them:BANK STOCKS, upBank stocks led the market higher, in part on hopes that a stronger economy would mean more customers getting loans and paying them back with interest. They also rallied on hopes for lighter regulation from a Republican White House, which could also spur more mergers and buyouts where investment banks could earn fees. JPMorgan Chase rose 8.3%, and the 5.1% jump for financial stocks in the S&amp;P 500 was by far the biggest gain among the index’s 11 sectors.CRYPTO, upTrump has pledged to make the country “the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-elections-crypto-cryptocurrency-treasury-blockchain-29df24818d03e557c6c434533052b33c">crypto capital</a>&nbsp;of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. The price of bitcoin hit an all-time high above $75,000, according to Coindesk, and was recently up 7% at nearly $74,000. Other cryptocurrencies also rallied, including dogecoin, which is a favorite of Musk. Companies in the crypto industry jumped, including trading platform Coinbase’s 19.4% leap.TESLA, upMusk has become a close ally of Trump, exhorting the former president’s run. While Trump may end up hurting the electric-vehicle industry broadly by pulling government subsidies, analysts say Tesla could gain somewhat of an advantage by already being such a big player in an industry. Tesla revved 15.1% higher, while rival Rivian Automotive fell 7.3%TREASURY BOND PRICES, downInvestors see Trump's policies potentially leading to stronger economic growth, which helps to push prices down and yields up for Treasurys. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.47% from 4.29% late Tuesday, which is a major move for the bond market. It's up substantially from August, when it was below 4%.INFLATION WORRIES, upInvestors also see Trump's policies adding to future inflation, which likewise pushes up Treasury yields.“Trump keeps openly telling people that he will increase tariffs not just on China but with every trade partner," said Andrzej Skiba, Head of BlueBay U.S. Fixed Income at RBC Global Asset Management. "We’re talking 10% tariffs across all global partners. This is a big deal because this could add 1% to inflation. If you add 1% to next year’s inflation numbers, we should say bye to rate cuts.”Much of Wall Street's run to records this year was built on expectations for coming cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve, now that inflation seems to be heading back down to its 2% target. The Fed will announce its latest decision on interest rates on Thursday, where the expectation is still for a cut, according to data from CME Group.But traders are already paring back their expectations for how many cuts the Fed will make through the middle of next year.FOREIGN CURRENCY VALUES, down against the dollarTrump has talked about raising tariffs, which would likely mean Trump has also vowed to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and other countries, darkening the outlook for Chinese exporters at a time when Beijing has relied heavily on ramping up manufacturing to try to revive its slowing economy. The value of the Mexican peso fell another 2.3% against the dollar.RENEWABLE ENERGY STOCKS, down

U.S. stocks stormed to records, bitcoin jumps after Trump's victory 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Far-right Republicans were poised to win two of five seats up for election on the Kansas State Board of Education, shifting the board’s power to a conservative bloc.

With moderate board members on their way out and four conservatives already in place, the board is positioned for an ideological shake-up. Candidates differentiated themselves along the campaign trail on issues like parental rights, public school funding and school safety.

Democrats appeared to maintain three positions on the board, based on unofficial results late Tuesday from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.

Incumbent Democrat Melanie Haas appeared to win reelection in the 2nd District with 62% of the votes in a three-way race and all precincts reporting.

She faced Republican challenger Fred Postlewait and independent Kiel Corkran for the seat that represents public school districts in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

“Kansans were actually doing their homework,” Haas said by phone from a watch party in Overland Park. “They realized Democrats are the ones who are supporting their public schools.”

The conservative bloc of candidates used “issues like culture wars to try to kind of pick a fight,” without a “background in professional education,” said Haas, who was first elected in 2020 and is the board’s current chair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730918802942.png" alt="Five seats on the mostly moderate Kansas Board of Education were up for election in 2024 positioning the board for an ideological shake-up. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Five seats on the mostly moderate Kansas Board of Education were up for election in 2024 positioning the board for an ideological shake-up. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Far-right Republicans were poised to win two of five seats up for election on the Kansas State Board of Education, shifting the board’s power to a conservative bloc.With moderate board members on their way out and four conservatives already in place, the board is positioned for an ideological shake-up. Candidates differentiated themselves along the campaign trail on issues like parental rights, public school funding and school safety.Democrats appeared to maintain three positions on the board, based on unofficial results late Tuesday from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.Incumbent Democrat Melanie Haas appeared to win reelection in the 2nd District with 62% of the votes in a three-way race and all precincts reporting.She faced Republican challenger Fred Postlewait and independent Kiel Corkran for the seat that represents public school districts in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.“Kansans were actually doing their homework,” Haas said by phone from a watch party in Overland Park. “They realized Democrats are the ones who are supporting their public schools.”The conservative bloc of candidates used “issues like culture wars to try to kind of pick a fight,” without a “background in professional education,” said Haas, who was first elected in 2020 and is the board’s current chair.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730918754527.png" alt=" Kansas State Board of Education candidate Melanie Haas poses for a portrait at the Democratic watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, in Overland Park. (Chloe Anderson for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas State Board of Education candidate Melanie Haas poses for a portrait at the Democratic watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, in Overland Park. (Chloe Anderson for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In the northeastern 4th District, Republican Connie O’Brien and Democrat Kris Meyer were embroiled in a close race most of the night. O’Brien led Meyer by 2 percentage points, according to preliminary results.O’Brien did not respond to Kansas Reflector’s request for comment.Meyer said the results did not look good “for the future of Kansas education,” as “ultra conservative candidates that are looking to eradicate public schools” are positioned to take over majority voting power on the board.“But we’ll keep working hard in the field to support our teachers and make sure our local boards are prepared for what is down the road,” she said.Democrat Beryl New, a former Topeka educator, led Republican Bruce Schultz, a retired professor of anatomy and physiology at Kansas State University, with about 57% of votes for the 6th District seat, which encompasses school districts in the Lawrence and Topeka areas, according to early results. The current board member, Republican Deena Horst, chose not to seek reelection.&nbsp;“There are conversations about vouchers, about privatizing education, and I know people have reasons for their agendas, but what we ought to always remember is that there are young people whose families cannot afford anything other than public education,” New said Tuesday.New also said she recognizes the reasons for school vouchers and privatizing education, but public schools are often the only option for families.“So to keep that opportunity safe, we have to keep all our resources going in that direction to make sure every child, whether their parents are millionaires or their parents live in the rescue mission, that they can be guaranteed a high-quality public education with all the resources they need, with public funding going directly in public schools,” she said.&nbsp;In the Wichita-area 8th District, Democratic incumbent Betty Arnold led Republican Jason Carmichael with 54% of votes, per early results.In the 10th District in south-central Kansas, early results show Debby Potter, a conservative Republican, leading Jeffrey Jarman, a Democrat, with 60% of votes in a three-way race.“This is a seat that normally runs unopposed,” Potter said.&nbsp;She said she has been visiting Topeka for the past three years in preparation for a seat on the board.“I’m just ready to do what I’ve been preparing for for the past three years,” she said.This year’s early Republican winners align with the current board’s conservative faction on issues like strengthening religion in schools, arming teachers, installing parental oversight of instructional and functional decisions and reevaluating public school funding.&nbsp;The Democratic candidates have promoted fully funding public schools and rejecting voucher programs that could detract from that funding.In the 4th District, O’Brien, a former teacher and state representative, beat out two other Republican hopefuls in the August primary to clinch the general election nomination. Her Democratic opponent, Meyer, has been outspoken about the board’s current conservative members. Those four board members — Danny Zeck, Michelle Dombrosky, Cathy Hopkins and Dennis Hershberger — are not up for reelection until 2026. O’Brien has characterized herself in the past as a conservative.The 4th District seat is being vacated by Democrat Ann Mah, who didn’t seek reelection. She said she worries a shift to the right could mean a continued rejection of federal funding, inadequate mental health resources for students and further departure from technical education opportunities.“I think we’ve been doing some good things for kids that would be put at risk if the board changes direction,” she said.The 10th District in south-central Kansas was contested in a three-way race. Jarman, a Democrat and professor, Potter, a conservative Republican, and Kent Rowe, an independent and active Green Party member, vied for the position vacated by moderate Republican Jim McNiece.The state board is tasked with oversight of the Kansas State Department of Education and supervision of public schools, but it has little control over state funding, a responsibility of the legislative branch.Election totals have not yet been finalized, and 3,447 of Kansas’ 4,126 precincts were reporting preliminary results as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.