WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-republicans-leadership-mcconnell-thune-cornyn-scott-d17b341874cb6627f1d75d7051feebe4">pick their new leader</a>, President-elect Donald Trump is pressuring the candidates to change the rules and empower him to appoint some nominees without a Senate vote.

Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida are running in a secret ballot election Wednesday to lead the GOP conference and replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader-stepping-down-ba478d570a4561aa7baf91a204d7e366">stepping aside</a>&nbsp;from the job after almost two decades. All three have courted Trump's support in the race, vying to show who is the closest to the president-elect as they campaign to become majority leader.

Trump has not endorsed in the race, but on Sunday he made clear that he expects the new leader to go around regular Senate order, if necessary, to allow him to fill his Cabinet quickly. In a statement on X and Truth Social, Trump said that the next leader “must agree” to allow him to make appointments when the chamber is on recess, bypassing a confirmation vote.

“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump posted, adding that positions should be filled “IMMEDIATELY!”

The Senate has not allowed presidents to make so-called recess appointments since a 2014 Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/supreme-court-of-the-united-states-22b9146b48764deb9d07d94ea6fe075b">limited the president’s power to do so</a>. Since then, the Senate has held brief “pro-forma” sessions when it is out of town for more than 10 days so that a president cannot take advantage of the absence and start filling posts that have not been confirmed.

But with Trump’s approval paramount in the race, all three candidates quickly suggested that they might be willing to reconsider the practice. Scott replied to Trump, “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.” And Thune said in a statement that they must “quickly and decisively” act to get nominees in place and that “all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments.”

Cornyn said that “It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>&nbsp;’s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent.” He noted that recess appointments are allowed under the Constitution.

The social media exchange on Sunday became a first test for the three candidates since Trump was decisively elected last week to a second term.

Trump’s relationship with Congress — especially the advice and consent role afforded to the Senate when it comes to nominations — was tumultuous in his first term as he chafed at resistance to his selections and sought ways to work around lawmakers. With Trump now entering a second term emboldened by his sweeping election victory, he is already signaling that he expects Senate Republicans, and by extension, their new leader, to fall in line behind his Cabinet selections.

Trump also posted on Sunday that the Senate should not approve any judges in the weeks before Republicans take power next year — a more difficult demand to fulfill as Democrats will control the floor, and hold the majority of votes, until the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. Trump posted that “Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”

With days to go, the race for Senate Republican leader is deeply in flux.

Thune and Cornyn are both well-liked, longtime senators who have served as deputies to McConnell and have been seen as the front-runners, despite past statements criticizing Trump. Scott — a longtime friend of Trump’s and fierce ally — has been seen as more of a longshot, but he has mounted an aggressive campaign in recent days on social media and elsewhere with the aim of getting Trump’s endorsement.

Senators who are close to Trump, such as Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, have endorsed Scott, as have tech mogul Elon Musk and other people who have Trump’s ear.

“We have to be the change,” Scott said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures." “That’s what Donald Trump got elected to do, to be the change.”

All three candidates are promising that they will be more open and transparent than McConnell was and that they would give senators more power to get their priorities to the floor. They have also tried to make clear that they would have a much different relationship with Trump than McConnell, who once called the former president a “despicable human being”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-biography-election-0a861001d95287e689336504abc2281f">behind closed doors</a>.

As the Senate haggles over how to fill Trump’s Cabinet, many of his allies are campaigning for the nominations. Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on ABC’s “This Week” that there are “a couple of great options on the table.” Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan between 2017 and 2019, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that one of his greatest honors was to represent the Trump administration overseas. He said he would advance “the positions that President Trump has articulated.”

“I’ll do that in whatever role necessary,” said Hagerty, who has endorsed Scott in the leadership race.

While Trump has made only one personnel move public so far, naming Susie Wiles his chief of staff, he has already ruled out two names for top positions.

Trump said Saturday that he would not be inviting Mike Pompeo, his former U.S. Secretary of State and CIA chief, and Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as his U.N. ambassador and challenged him for the GOP nomination. Pompeo rallied with Trump on the night before Election Day.

“I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country,” Trump posted on his network Truth Social.

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., reposted on X a message by podcaster Dave Smith suggesting to put pressure to “keep all neocons and war hawks out of the Trump administration.”

“The ‘stop Pompeo’ movement is great, but it’s not enough,” Smith posted on X. “America First: screw the war machine!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721096414787.png" alt="File photo&nbsp; Courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp; Courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-republicans-leadership-mcconnell-thune-cornyn-scott-d17b341874cb6627f1d75d7051feebe4">pick their new leader</a>, President-elect Donald Trump is pressuring the candidates to change the rules and empower him to appoint some nominees without a Senate vote.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner. Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is…&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1855692242981155259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida are running in a secret ballot election Wednesday to lead the GOP conference and replace longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader-stepping-down-ba478d570a4561aa7baf91a204d7e366">stepping aside</a>&nbsp;from the job after almost two decades. All three have courted Trump's support in the race, vying to show who is the closest to the president-elect as they campaign to become majority leader.Trump has not endorsed in the race, but on Sunday he made clear that he expects the new leader to go around regular Senate order, if necessary, to allow him to fill his Cabinet quickly. In a statement on X and Truth Social, Trump said that the next leader “must agree” to allow him to make appointments when the chamber is on recess, bypassing a confirmation vote.“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump posted, adding that positions should be filled “IMMEDIATELY!”The Senate has not allowed presidents to make so-called recess appointments since a 2014 Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/supreme-court-of-the-united-states-22b9146b48764deb9d07d94ea6fe075b">limited the president’s power to do so</a>. Since then, the Senate has held brief “pro-forma” sessions when it is out of town for more than 10 days so that a president cannot take advantage of the absence and start filling posts that have not been confirmed.But with Trump’s approval paramount in the race, all three candidates quickly suggested that they might be willing to reconsider the practice. Scott replied to Trump, “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.” And Thune said in a statement that they must “quickly and decisively” act to get nominees in place and that “all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments.”Cornyn said that “It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>&nbsp;’s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent.” He noted that recess appointments are allowed under the Constitution.The social media exchange on Sunday became a first test for the three candidates since Trump was decisively elected last week to a second term.Trump’s relationship with Congress — especially the advice and consent role afforded to the Senate when it comes to nominations — was tumultuous in his first term as he chafed at resistance to his selections and sought ways to work around lawmakers. With Trump now entering a second term emboldened by his sweeping election victory, he is already signaling that he expects Senate Republicans, and by extension, their new leader, to fall in line behind his Cabinet selections.Trump also posted on Sunday that the Senate should not approve any judges in the weeks before Republicans take power next year — a more difficult demand to fulfill as Democrats will control the floor, and hold the majority of votes, until the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. Trump posted that “Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”With days to go, the race for Senate Republican leader is deeply in flux.Thune and Cornyn are both well-liked, longtime senators who have served as deputies to McConnell and have been seen as the front-runners, despite past statements criticizing Trump. Scott — a longtime friend of Trump’s and fierce ally — has been seen as more of a longshot, but he has mounted an aggressive campaign in recent days on social media and elsewhere with the aim of getting Trump’s endorsement.Senators who are close to Trump, such as Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, have endorsed Scott, as have tech mogul Elon Musk and other people who have Trump’s ear.“We have to be the change,” Scott said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures." “That’s what Donald Trump got elected to do, to be the change.”All three candidates are promising that they will be more open and transparent than McConnell was and that they would give senators more power to get their priorities to the floor. They have also tried to make clear that they would have a much different relationship with Trump than McConnell, who once called the former president a “despicable human being”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-biography-election-0a861001d95287e689336504abc2281f">behind closed doors</a>.As the Senate haggles over how to fill Trump’s Cabinet, many of his allies are campaigning for the nominations. Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on ABC’s “This Week” that there are “a couple of great options on the table.” Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan between 2017 and 2019, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that one of his greatest honors was to represent the Trump administration overseas. He said he would advance “the positions that President Trump has articulated.”“I’ll do that in whatever role necessary,” said Hagerty, who has endorsed Scott in the leadership race.While Trump has made only one personnel move public so far, naming Susie Wiles his chief of staff, he has already ruled out two names for top positions.Trump said Saturday that he would not be inviting Mike Pompeo, his former U.S. Secretary of State and CIA chief, and Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as his U.N. ambassador and challenged him for the GOP nomination. Pompeo rallied with Trump on the night before Election Day.“I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country,” Trump posted on his network Truth Social.Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., reposted on X a message by podcaster Dave Smith suggesting to put pressure to “keep all neocons and war hawks out of the Trump administration.”“The ‘stop Pompeo’ movement is great, but it’s not enough,” Smith posted on X. “America First: screw the war machine!”___

Trump sets demands for new GOP leadership of the U.S. Senate

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a series of homicides over the weekend in Kansas City.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 75th and Paseo, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responders were directed towards a vehicle that was stopped in the southbound lanes of Paseo. As they approached the vehicle, they located a shooting victim later identified as 66-year-old Dennis R. Griffin unresponsive inside the vehicle. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported Griffin to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. At the hospital he was declared deceased, according to Becchina.

Just after 6p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 2700 block of Garfield, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responders were directed into a residence on the block there. Inside that residence officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS into the scene who declared the victim deceased.There were multiple individuals at the scene when officers arrived.

One of those, an adult male, was detained as a subject of interest for further investigation.

On Sunday, officers responded to the area of&nbsp; Truman and Ewing on a shooting, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.&nbsp; A male victim was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police did did have not released his name or report an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731123731422.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a series of homicides over the weekend in Kansas City.Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 75th and Paseo, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were directed towards a vehicle that was stopped in the southbound lanes of Paseo. As they approached the vehicle, they located a shooting victim later identified as 66-year-old Dennis R. Griffin unresponsive inside the vehicle. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported Griffin to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. At the hospital he was declared deceased, according to Becchina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731289601993.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 6p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 2700 block of Garfield, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were directed into a residence on the block there. Inside that residence officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS into the scene who declared the victim deceased.There were multiple individuals at the scene when officers arrived.One of those, an adult male, was detained as a subject of interest for further investigation.On Sunday, officers responded to the area of&nbsp; Truman and Ewing on a shooting, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.&nbsp; A male victim was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police did did have not released his name or report an arrest.

Deadly weekend: Police respond to 3 killings in Kansas City

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A three hour standoff at 9th and Delaware in Lawrence ended safely Sunday morning, according to Lawrence Police.

Just after 5;30a.m. a neighbor called after hearing a gunshot. When officers arrived they heard another shot from inside. The man would not come out of 2nd floor apartment. 

 Officers checked on residents attached to the apartment to be sure no one was hit while negotiating with the man.&nbsp; About 8:30a.m., a team eventually entered the apartment and safely arrested him without injury. Police did not release the name of the suspect or possible charges.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A three hour standoff at 9th and Delaware in Lawrence ended safely Sunday morning, according to Lawrence Police.Just after 5;30a.m. a neighbor called after hearing a gunshot. When officers arrived they heard another shot from inside. The man would not come out of 2nd floor apartment. Officers checked on residents attached to the apartment to be sure no one was hit while negotiating with the man.&nbsp; About 8:30a.m., a team eventually entered the apartment and safely arrested him without injury. Police did not release the name of the suspect or possible charges.

Kan. man jailed after gunshots, 3-hour standoff at apartment

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an armed disturbance that injured an man on a construction site.

Just after 8:30p.m. November 7, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the area of West 167th&nbsp;Street and South US 169 Highway in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant&nbsp;John Moncayo.

A reporting party stated unknown subjects dressed in all black and armed with handguns entered a warehouse under construction. It was also reported that there was an employee inside that was tied up. Officers arrived and secured the perimeter of the warehouse. The adult male employee was subsequently located, and officers were able to safely remove him from the scene. The man was treated by medical personnel for non-life-threatening injuries.

A search of the warehouse was completed, and no one was located inside. The police department is currently following up on active leads.

This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an armed disturbance that injured an man on a construction site.Just after 8:30p.m. November 7, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the area of West 167th&nbsp;Street and South US 169 Highway in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant&nbsp;John Moncayo.A reporting party stated unknown subjects dressed in all black and armed with handguns entered a warehouse under construction. It was also reported that there was an employee inside that was tied up. Officers arrived and secured the perimeter of the warehouse. The adult male employee was subsequently located, and officers were able to safely remove him from the scene. The man was treated by medical personnel for non-life-threatening injuries.A search of the warehouse was completed, and no one was located inside. The police department is currently following up on active leads.This case remains under investigation by the Olathe Police Department. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

Police: Gunmen tied up employee at Kan. warehouse under construction

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three Kansas teens remain hospitalized after they were injured in a drive by shooting.

Just after 7p.m. Friday, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting at the intersection of 12th and Holyoke in Wichita, according to Police Department Spokesman Andrew Ford. 

Officers discovered that three juveniles, aged 16, 15, and 14, had suffered gunshot wounds. Two of the victims were still at the scene and were taken to a local hospital, while the third juvenile was transported to the hospital by a private vehicle.

Investigators continue to work and learn what led to the shooting. All three victims were listed in critical but stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries on Sunday, according to Ford.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or possible suspect information.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three Kansas teens remain hospitalized after they were injured in a drive by shooting.Just after 7p.m. Friday, police&nbsp;responded to a shooting at the intersection of 12th and Holyoke in Wichita, according to Police Department Spokesman Andrew Ford. Officers discovered that three juveniles, aged 16, 15, and 14, had suffered gunshot wounds. Two of the victims were still at the scene and were taken to a local hospital, while the third juvenile was transported to the hospital by a private vehicle.Investigators continue to work and learn what led to the shooting. All three victims were listed in critical but stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries on Sunday, according to Ford.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or possible suspect information.

3 Kansas teens remain hospitalized after drive-by shooting

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/david-bauder">DAVID BAUDER</a>

NEW YORK (AP) —The idea of grabbing some popcorn and watching television to see who America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024">chosen for its next president</a>&nbsp;was far less appealing this year than in the past.

The Nielsen company said that 42.3 million people watched election night returns between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pour in Tuesday night. That’s down sharply from the 56.9 million who watched in 2020, when Trump competed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, and the 71.4 million who tuned in on election night 2016, Nielsen said.

Election night is often known as the Super Bowl for TV news, but this year even the NFL’s conference championship games were watched by more people.

Television viewership in general has slipped over the past decade with people cutting cable and satellite subscriptions, so it’s hard to know how much this downturn reflects people turning elsewhere for news that night, or simply less interest in following the results.

The three largest cable news networks — CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC — accounted for just over 10 million of the lost audience.

Fox News Channel was the most-watched network on Tuesday, with 9.8 million people watching the returns between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern, Nielsen said. News outlets didn’t begin calling the race until after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, but the likelihood of Trump’s victory was becoming apparent much earlier.

Fox had 13.7 million viewers on election night 2020, when it was also the most popular outlet.

CNN had 4.7 million viewers this year, essentially half of the 9.1 million who watched four years earlier. MSNBC had 5.5 million viewers, down from 7.3 million in 2020, Nielsen said.

Of the broadcast networks, ABC had 5.7 million viewers this year, NBC had 5.3 million and CBS had 3.5 million, Nielsen said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730904888553.png" alt="Election night photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Election night photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/david-bauder">DAVID BAUDER</a>NEW YORK (AP) —The idea of grabbing some popcorn and watching television to see who America has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024">chosen for its next president</a>&nbsp;was far less appealing this year than in the past.The Nielsen company said that 42.3 million people watched election night returns between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pour in Tuesday night. That’s down sharply from the 56.9 million who watched in 2020, when Trump competed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, and the 71.4 million who tuned in on election night 2016, Nielsen said.Election night is often known as the Super Bowl for TV news, but this year even the NFL’s conference championship games were watched by more people.Television viewership in general has slipped over the past decade with people cutting cable and satellite subscriptions, so it’s hard to know how much this downturn reflects people turning elsewhere for news that night, or simply less interest in following the results.The three largest cable news networks — CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC — accounted for just over 10 million of the lost audience.Fox News Channel was the most-watched network on Tuesday, with 9.8 million people watching the returns between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern, Nielsen said. News outlets didn’t begin calling the race until after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, but the likelihood of Trump’s victory was becoming apparent much earlier.Fox had 13.7 million viewers on election night 2020, when it was also the most popular outlet.CNN had 4.7 million viewers this year, essentially half of the 9.1 million who watched four years earlier. MSNBC had 5.5 million viewers, down from 7.3 million in 2020, Nielsen said.Of the broadcast networks, ABC had 5.7 million viewers this year, NBC had 5.3 million and CBS had 3.5 million, Nielsen said.

Election night television viewership drops sharply from 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department will appeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mc.mil/Portals/0/pdfs/KSM2/KSM%20II%20(AE957I(Ruling)).p">military judge's ruling</a>&nbsp;that plea agreements struck by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and two of his co-defendants are valid, a defense official said Saturday.

The ruling this past week voided Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-guantanamo-plea-bargain-austin-d1ea80cf69649927d85b638f9913c76f">order to throw out the deals</a>&nbsp;and concluded that the plea agreements were valid. The judge granted the three motions to enter guilty pleas and said he would schedule them for a future date to be determined by the military commission.

The department will also seek a postponement of any hearing on the pleas, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss legal matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. Rear Adm. Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor, sent a letter Friday to the families of 9/11 victims informing them of the decision.

The ruling by the judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, allowed the three 9/11 defendants to enter guilty pleas in the U.S. military courtroom at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and would spare them the risk of the death penalty. The pleas by Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi would be a key step toward closing out the long-running and legally troubled government prosecution in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Government prosecutors had negotiated the deals with defense lawyers under government auspices, and the top official for the military commission at Guantanamo had approved the agreements. But the deals were immediately slammed by Republican lawmakers and others when they were made public this summer.

Within days, Austin issued an order saying he was nullifying them. He said 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.

The judge had ruled that Austin lacked the legal authority to toss out the plea deals.

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

While families of some of the victims and others are adamant that the 9/11 prosecutions continue until trial and possible death sentences, legal experts say it is not clear that could ever happen. If the 9/11 cases ever clear the hurdles of trial, verdicts and sentencings, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit would likely hear many of the issues in the course of any death penalty appeals.

The issues include the CIA destruction of videos of interrogations, whether Austin’s plea deal reversal constituted unlawful interference and whether the torture of the men tainted subsequent interrogations by “clean teams” of FBI agents that did not involve violence.

<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 agreed to plead guilty. (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 agreed to plead guilty. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department will appeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mc.mil/Portals/0/pdfs/KSM2/KSM%20II%20(AE957I(Ruling)).p">military judge's ruling</a>&nbsp;that plea agreements struck by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and two of his co-defendants are valid, a defense official said Saturday.The ruling this past week voided Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-guantanamo-plea-bargain-austin-d1ea80cf69649927d85b638f9913c76f">order to throw out the deals</a>&nbsp;and concluded that the plea agreements were valid. The judge granted the three motions to enter guilty pleas and said he would schedule them for a future date to be determined by the military commission.The department will also seek a postponement of any hearing on the pleas, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss legal matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. Rear Adm. Aaron Rugh, the chief prosecutor, sent a letter Friday to the families of 9/11 victims informing them of the decision.The ruling by the judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, allowed the three 9/11 defendants to enter guilty pleas in the U.S. military courtroom at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and would spare them the risk of the death penalty. The pleas by Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi would be a key step toward closing out the long-running and legally troubled government prosecution in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.Government prosecutors had negotiated the deals with defense lawyers under government auspices, and the top official for the military commission at Guantanamo had approved the agreements. But the deals were immediately slammed by Republican lawmakers and others when they were made public this summer.Within days, Austin issued an order saying he was nullifying them. He said 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.The judge had ruled that Austin lacked the legal authority to toss out the plea deals.The agreements, and Austin’s attempt to reverse them, have made for one of the most fraught episodes in a U.S. prosecution marked by delays and legal difficulties. That includes years of ongoing pretrial hearings to determine the admissibility of statements by the defendants, given their torture in CIA custody.While families of some of the victims and others are adamant that the 9/11 prosecutions continue until trial and possible death sentences, legal experts say it is not clear that could ever happen. If the 9/11 cases ever clear the hurdles of trial, verdicts and sentencings, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit would likely hear many of the issues in the course of any death penalty appeals.The issues include the CIA destruction of videos of interrogations, whether Austin’s plea deal reversal constituted unlawful interference and whether the torture of the men tainted subsequent interrogations by “clean teams” of FBI agents that did not involve violence.

US will appeal ruling that 9/11 mastermind can enter plea, avoid death penalty

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;MICHELLE L. PRICE&nbsp;AND ALEX CONNOR

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will return to the White House accompanied by a crew of longtime friends and aides as well as newfound, splashy allies.

The Republican president-elect has barely begun naming key figures in his administration, but he has kept a rotation of associates with him on and off the campaign trail in recent weeks who joined him on stage early Wednesday as he declared victory.

Here’s a look at some key figures in Trump’s orbit as he prepares once again to occupy the White House.

For the second time, Trump has won the White House with a woman steering his campaign. Wiles, who joined his 2024 effort early, served in effect as his campaign manager and was named Thursday as his new chief of staff. She’s been credited with being a steadfast and quiet power behind Trump’s third White House campaign, running a largely disciplined and ultimately winning operation.

Wiles is a longtime Florida-based Republican strategist who ran Trump’s campaign in the state in 2016 and 2020. Before that, she ran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rick-scott">Rick Scott</a>&nbsp;’s 2010 campaign for Florida governor and briefly served as the manager of former Utah Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jon-huntsman-jr">Jon Huntsman</a>&nbsp;’s 2012 presidential campaign.

Wiles is the daughter of the late NFL player-turned-broadcaster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pat-summerall">Pat Summerall</a>.

Both in business and in government, Trump has always kept relatives in key roles. If physical proximity is any sign of power, it’s worth noting the person standing to Trump’s right at his victory party was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lara-trump">Lara Trump</a>.

She is married to the former president’s middle son, Eric, and since the spring has been Donald Trump’s handpicked choice to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Lara Trump, a former television producer, was a prominent campaigner for her father-in-law and contemplated her own campaign in 2022, weighing a run for Senate in her home state of North Carolina, before deciding against a bid.

At the RNC, she’s been a TV-ready advocate for the former president and tasked with boosting fundraising, expanding outreach to voters and the party’s “election integrity” initiative. She’s also explored a side venture as a singer, releasing several songs, which sometimes feature political imagery.

White is the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Trump’s longtime friend. They go back to 2001, when White hosted a UFC battle at the Republican’s former Trump Taj Mahal casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Trump has appeared at UFC matches over the years with White, especially in his 2024 campaign as he sought to appeal to younger male voters.

White, in turn, has had speaking roles at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican conventions and appeared on stage at Trump’s victory party Wednesday, even speaking briefly to the crowd.

McMahon, who serves as the other co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team, has been Trump’s longtime friend.

She and her husband, Vince, founded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-wrestling-entertainment-inc">World Wrestling Entertainment</a>, growing the organization into a powerhouse. Trump participated in some WWE events over the years, and McMahon was one of his most generous benefactors in his 2016 campaign.

Trump tapped her to lead the Small Business Administration during his first term in office. She left to work on his reelection campaign and spent the years since he left office as one of the leaders of the America First Policy Institute strategizing for another Trump term.

Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, co-chairs of Donald Trump’s transition team, are among the crew of longtime friends, aides and new allies attending an election night watch party for Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon; AP Illustration by Alex Connor)

Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is the co-chair of Trump’s transition team helping to find the team that will work in the next administration.

Lutnick has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice,” and has become a part of the president-elect’s inner circle. He shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including the rally at Madison Square Garden.

He came under criticism in the campaign’s final days for an interview with CNN in which he repeated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s debunked criticisms of vaccines.

Epshteyn is a lawyer and longtime aide to Trump who was a key surrogate in his 2016 campaign. Epshteyn briefly served as an adviser in Trump’s White House and as an on-screen political analyst for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sinclair-broadcast-group-inc">Sinclair Broadcast Group</a>.

After Trump refused to accept his loss in 2020, Epshteyn worked with former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>&nbsp;on efforts to overturn the result. He was accused of carrying out a scheme with Giuliani to submit fake electors for Trump in Arizona and obstruct the certification of the results by Congress. He has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges in Arizona related to the case.

Epshteyn has also appeared at Trump’s side during his court appearances.

Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of the former president’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018. Miller helped craft many of Trump’s hardline speeches and plans on immigration.

Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/union">American Civil Liberties Union</a>, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security.

He is expected to take a leading role in Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and promised largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

Grenell is Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence who has remained a key foreign policy adviser and political aide. He’s expected to be at the top of Trump’s list to serve as secretary of state.

Throughout the campaign, Grenell played a role in events featuring Trump’s wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Melania%20Trump" target="_blank">Melania Trump</a>, and the Log Cabin Republicans. He was a key broker in Trump’s outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan and joined Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>.

Grenell developed a reputation as a pro-Trump antagonist in Berlin. Trump has joked about former German Chancellor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/angela-merkel">Angela Merkel</a>&nbsp;‘s happiness when he moved Grenell from his ambassador’s post to place him in the intelligence position.

One of the most powerful figures in Trump’s orbit these days is Musk, the billionaire head of car maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX.

Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and transformed it into X, boosting conservative and far-right voices on the platform. Having once endorsed President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/obama">Barack Obama</a>, Musk has moved to the right and emerged as a leading voice among American conservatives. He endorsed Trump after the Republican survived an assassination attempt in July and poured more than $119 million into backing Trump’s campaign, including a $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in Pennsylvania.

Trump praises Musk frequently and tells crowds about his awe watching SpaceX rocket landings. Trump has said he will give Musk, a major government contractor, a role in his administration running an efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government.

Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, is a Democratic Party scion whose rise in Trump’s orbit was among the surprises of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Kennedy entered the race as a Democratic candidate, left the party to run as an independent before abandoning his bid, then endorsed Trump with the promise to have an impact on health policy in a future administration.

In recent weeks, he has talked about exercising control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or gaining the power to “reorganize” federal health agencies. He has said Trump upon taking office would push local water systems to remove fluoride from drinking water — one of the great public health achievements of the last century — and allow him to investigate the safety of vaccines, about which he has long promoted debunked theories.

Rollins is another longtime associate who is seen as a potential hire in the incoming administration. She is Trump’s former domestic policy chief who has served as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.

America First Policy flew under the radar compared with the Heritage Foundation, which ran the Project 2025 effort that Democrats frequently attacked to the chagrin of Trump’s campaign, which insisted that Project 2025 and Heritage did not speak for it.

Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rick-perry">Rick Perry</a>&nbsp;and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731100201525.png" alt="File photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;MICHELLE L. PRICE&nbsp;AND ALEX CONNORWASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will return to the White House accompanied by a crew of longtime friends and aides as well as newfound, splashy allies.The Republican president-elect has barely begun naming key figures in his administration, but he has kept a rotation of associates with him on and off the campaign trail in recent weeks who joined him on stage early Wednesday as he declared victory.Here’s a look at some key figures in Trump’s orbit as he prepares once again to occupy the White House.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731020614290.png" alt="Photo courtesy Susie Wiles" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Susie Wiles</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Susie Wiles</h2>For the second time, Trump has won the White House with a woman steering his campaign. Wiles, who joined his 2024 effort early, served in effect as his campaign manager and was named Thursday as his new chief of staff. She’s been credited with being a steadfast and quiet power behind Trump’s third White House campaign, running a largely disciplined and ultimately winning operation.Wiles is a longtime Florida-based Republican strategist who ran Trump’s campaign in the state in 2016 and 2020. Before that, she ran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rick-scott">Rick Scott</a>&nbsp;’s 2010 campaign for Florida governor and briefly served as the manager of former Utah Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jon-huntsman-jr">Jon Huntsman</a>&nbsp;’s 2012 presidential campaign.Wiles is the daughter of the late NFL player-turned-broadcaster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pat-summerall">Pat Summerall</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730904888553.png" alt="Election night photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Election night photo courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lara Trump</h2>Both in business and in government, Trump has always kept relatives in key roles. If physical proximity is any sign of power, it’s worth noting the person standing to Trump’s right at his victory party was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lara-trump">Lara Trump</a>.She is married to the former president’s middle son, Eric, and since the spring has been Donald Trump’s handpicked choice to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.Lara Trump, a former television producer, was a prominent campaigner for her father-in-law and contemplated her own campaign in 2022, weighing a run for Senate in her home state of North Carolina, before deciding against a bid.At the RNC, she’s been a TV-ready advocate for the former president and tasked with boosting fundraising, expanding outreach to voters and the party’s “election integrity” initiative. She’s also explored a side venture as a singer, releasing several songs, which sometimes feature political imagery.<h2>Dana White</h2>White is the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Trump’s longtime friend. They go back to 2001, when White hosted a UFC battle at the Republican’s former Trump Taj Mahal casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Trump has appeared at UFC matches over the years with White, especially in his 2024 campaign as he sought to appeal to younger male voters.White, in turn, has had speaking roles at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Republican conventions and appeared on stage at Trump’s victory party Wednesday, even speaking briefly to the crowd.<h2>Linda McMahon</h2>McMahon, who serves as the other co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team, has been Trump’s longtime friend.She and her husband, Vince, founded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-wrestling-entertainment-inc">World Wrestling Entertainment</a>, growing the organization into a powerhouse. Trump participated in some WWE events over the years, and McMahon was one of his most generous benefactors in his 2016 campaign.Trump tapped her to lead the Small Business Administration during his first term in office. She left to work on his reelection campaign and spent the years since he left office as one of the leaders of the America First Policy Institute strategizing for another Trump term.Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, co-chairs of Donald Trump’s transition team, are among the crew of longtime friends, aides and new allies attending an election night watch party for Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon; AP Illustration by Alex Connor)<h2>Howard Lutnick</h2>Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is the co-chair of Trump’s transition team helping to find the team that will work in the next administration.Lutnick has donated to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, once appeared on Trump’s NBC reality show, “The Apprentice,” and has become a part of the president-elect’s inner circle. He shared the stage with Trump at events in the closing days of his campaign, including the rally at Madison Square Garden.He came under criticism in the campaign’s final days for an interview with CNN in which he repeated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s debunked criticisms of vaccines.<h2>Boris Epshteyn</h2>Epshteyn is a lawyer and longtime aide to Trump who was a key surrogate in his 2016 campaign. Epshteyn briefly served as an adviser in Trump’s White House and as an on-screen political analyst for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sinclair-broadcast-group-inc">Sinclair Broadcast Group</a>.After Trump refused to accept his loss in 2020, Epshteyn worked with former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>&nbsp;on efforts to overturn the result. He was accused of carrying out a scheme with Giuliani to submit fake electors for Trump in Arizona and obstruct the certification of the results by Congress. He has pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges in Arizona related to the case.Epshteyn has also appeared at Trump’s side during his court appearances.<h2>Stephen Miller</h2>Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term and has been a central figure in many of the former president’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families as a deterrence program in 2018. Miller helped craft many of Trump’s hardline speeches and plans on immigration.Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/union">American Civil Liberties Union</a>, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security.He is expected to take a leading role in Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and promised largest deportation operation in U.S. history.<h2>Richard Grenell</h2>Grenell is Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence who has remained a key foreign policy adviser and political aide. He’s expected to be at the top of Trump’s list to serve as secretary of state.Throughout the campaign, Grenell played a role in events featuring Trump’s wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Melania%20Trump" target="_blank">Melania Trump</a>, and the Log Cabin Republicans. He was a key broker in Trump’s outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan and joined Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>.Grenell developed a reputation as a pro-Trump antagonist in Berlin. Trump has joked about former German Chancellor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/angela-merkel">Angela Merkel</a>&nbsp;‘s happiness when he moved Grenell from his ambassador’s post to place him in the intelligence position.<h2>Elon Musk</h2>One of the most powerful figures in Trump’s orbit these days is Musk, the billionaire head of car maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX.Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and transformed it into X, boosting conservative and far-right voices on the platform. Having once endorsed President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/obama">Barack Obama</a>, Musk has moved to the right and emerged as a leading voice among American conservatives. He endorsed Trump after the Republican survived an assassination attempt in July and poured more than $119 million into backing Trump’s campaign, including a $1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in Pennsylvania.Trump praises Musk frequently and tells crowds about his awe watching SpaceX rocket landings. Trump has said he will give Musk, a major government contractor, a role in his administration running an efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729085039877.png" alt="Robert F. Kennedy Jr. courtesy phhoto" />
 <figcaption>Robert F. Kennedy Jr. courtesy phhoto</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</h2>Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, is a Democratic Party scion whose rise in Trump’s orbit was among the surprises of the 2024 presidential campaign.Kennedy entered the race as a Democratic candidate, left the party to run as an independent before abandoning his bid, then endorsed Trump with the promise to have an impact on health policy in a future administration.In recent weeks, he has talked about exercising control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or gaining the power to “reorganize” federal health agencies. He has said Trump upon taking office would push local water systems to remove fluoride from drinking water — one of the great public health achievements of the last century — and allow him to investigate the safety of vaccines, about which he has long promoted debunked theories.<h2>Brooke Rollins</h2>Rollins is another longtime associate who is seen as a potential hire in the incoming administration. She is Trump’s former domestic policy chief who has served as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.America First Policy flew under the radar compared with the Heritage Foundation, which ran the Project 2025 effort that Democrats frequently attacked to the chagrin of Trump’s campaign, which insisted that Project 2025 and Heritage did not speak for it.Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rick-perry">Rick Perry</a>&nbsp;and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation.<h2>__</h2>

A guide to key figures in Donald Trump’s orbit

KANSAS CITY —Just after 6p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 2700 block of Garfield, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responders were directed into a residence on the block there. Inside that residence officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS into the scene who declared the victim deceased.There were multiple individuals at the scene when officers arrived. 

One of those, an adult male, was detained as a subject of interest for further investigation.Detectives are not searching for any additional suspects at this time.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was inside the residence when he had an interaction with a suspect that escalated and led to gunfire and the victim was struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731209737157.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Just after 6p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 2700 block of Garfield, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were directed into a residence on the block there. Inside that residence officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS into the scene who declared the victim deceased.There were multiple individuals at the scene when officers arrived. One of those, an adult male, was detained as a subject of interest for further investigation.Detectives are not searching for any additional suspects at this time.Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was inside the residence when he had an interaction with a suspect that escalated and led to gunfire and the victim was struck.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim.

Police: Altercation led to killing in a Kansas City home

WORTH COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Saturday in Worth County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge Caravan was stopped on private property at 301 West Street in Grant City.&nbsp; A 72-year-old driver left the vehicle in drive and turned it off. As the driver attempted to exit the van, it began to roll backwards down a hill.&nbsp;

The open van door struck the driver and she fell to the ground. The van continued backwards across West Street, continued downhill and struck a parked 2015 Toyota Camry at 303 West 4th Street.

Worth County EMS transported the woman to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph for treatment of serious injuries. The Patrol did not release the woman's name. Grant City is located two hours north of Kansas City.

WORTH COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Saturday in Worth County, Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Dodge Caravan was stopped on private property at 301 West Street in Grant City.&nbsp; A 72-year-old driver left the vehicle in drive and turned it off. As the driver attempted to exit the van, it began to roll backwards down a hill.&nbsp;The open van door struck the driver and she fell to the ground. The van continued backwards across West Street, continued downhill and struck a parked 2015 Toyota Camry at 303 West 4th Street.Worth County EMS transported the woman to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph for treatment of serious injuries. The Patrol did not release the woman's name. Grant City is located two hours north of Kansas City.

Woman seriously injured after run over by her own van

WASHINGTON (AP) — As it became clear Donald Trump was returning to the White House, the Florida man who posed for photos with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Capitol riot popped a bottle of Trump-branded sparkling wine. “Y’all are in trouble,” he said after taking a sip in a video&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lecternleader/status/1854052008518402450">shared on social media</a>.

Rioters who stormed the Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">Jan. 6, 2021</a>, are celebrating Trump’s victory and hoping he makes good on his campaign trail promise to pardon them.

Trump didn’t mention the Jan. 6 defendants, whom he has called “hostages” and “patriots,” during his victory speech on Wednesday. But his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris throws into doubt the future of the largest prosecution in Justice Department history over the unprecedented assault on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">seat of American democracy.</a>

More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-takeaways-56cf44f8809cc76632f91f5c7910ec81">met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory</a>. More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.

Trump's praise of Jan. 6 defendants was a centerpiece of his campaign, with rallies honoring them as heroes featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea">a song</a>&nbsp;he collaborated on with a group of jailed rioters. Trump hasn't explained how he will decide who gets pardoned. But he has suggested he would consider granting them even for those accused of assault as well as the former Proud Boys leader convicted of orchestrating a violent plot in 2020 to keep Trump in power.

During his first term as president, Trump deployed his pardon power in overtly political ways, granting clemency in his final days in office to a broad range of political allies -- including five defendants convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation -- as well as celebrities, Republican members of Congress and the father of Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964.1.1.pdf">Jacob Lang</a>, a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”

“There will be no bitterness in my heart as I walk out of these doors in 75 days on inauguration day,” Lang wrote.

Lawyers for some Jan. 6 defendants cited Trump's victory in requests to hold off on sentencing their clients.

Defense attorney Marina Medvin said her client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654.110.0_1.pdf">Christopher Carnell</a>, is “expecting to be relieved of the criminal prosecution that he is currently facing when the new administration takes office.” Michelle Peterson, an assistant federal public defender, argued it would be "fundamentally unfair" to sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209.82.0.pdf">a client</a>&nbsp;whose case may be dismissed by Trump's Justice Department.

Judges swiftly denied both requests and refused to delay separate hearings for their respective cases on Friday.

Other defense attorneys on Wednesday asked for a Jan. 6 defendant's trial to be postponed. They argued that their client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119.1.1.pdf">Mitchell Bosch</a>, cannot receive a fair trial in Washington so soon after the election given that voters in the nation's capital overwhelmingly supported Harris over Trump.

“Mr. Bosch understands that the President-elect’s proclamations of stolen elections and pardons for patriots are not relevant evidence in his trial. However, they are highly relevant to the ability of the jury pool to be fair and impartial,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118.54.0.pdf">the lawyers wrote</a>.

A trial is scheduled to start next week for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-baker-blaze-news-capitol-riot-88004e2ce919d39cc84e1b2922840fc2">Steve Baker</a>, a writer charged with Capitol riot-related misdemeanors. Baker, who has written articles about the Jan. 6 riot for the conservative outlet Blaze News, posted a photo of a press credential for him to cover Congress.

"I plan on covering J6, 2025 ‘inside’ the Capitol," he wrote on Wednesday, adding a winking face emoji.

Of the more than 1,000 convicted rioters who have been sentenced, over 650 have received prison time ranging from a few days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb">22 years</a>. Hundreds of people who went into the Capitol but did not attack police or damage the building were charged only with misdemeanors. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">violence and destruction</a>&nbsp;by other members of the mob have been documented in videos and other evidence heard in court, including testimony from police officers about being beaten and scared for their lives as they defended the Capitol.

Trump has said he would issue pardons to Capitol rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency. He told&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6972022/donald-trump-transcript-2024-election/">Time Magazine</a>&nbsp;he would consider pardoning all of the Jan. 6 defendants, though later added: “If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently.” He told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-pardon-abortion-putin-59460113ce82ce6f6140d47856261a56">NBC's “Meet the Press”</a>&nbsp;last year that he would consider pardoning former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump said Tarrio was treated “horribly.”

When pressed during an event in July, Trump said he “absolutely” would pardon rioters accused of assaulting police — if they were “innocent.” When the interviewer noted she was talking about convicted rioters, Trump replied that they were convicted “by a very tough system.”

<a href="https://kimberlywehle.com/">Kim Wehle</a>, a University of Baltimore law professor and author of a book about presidential pardons, said presidents have the unfettered power to issue mass pardons.

“The pardon system is set up for winners and losers. Who gets them and who doesn’t get them is completely subjective. It’s completely arbitrary and based on the whims of the president,” Wehle said. “Donald Trump could fashion the pardon however he wants to fashion the pardon, and the general public wouldn’t be able to challenge it.”

Presidents have used their power to issue mass pardons for the sake of promoting national unity. George Washington pardoned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/whiskey-rebellion">Whiskey Rebellion</a>&nbsp;rebels. Abraham Lincoln pardoned former Confederate soldiers after the Civil War. Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft dodgers.

Many of those expressing support for Jan. 6 defendants also echoed Trump's campaign talk of seeking retribution against political foes. Julie Kelly, a right-wing political commentator who calls herself a “J6 conspiracy theorist” on her social media profile, posted that Washington-based U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves' “reign of terror is going to end soon."

“Then we turn the tables,” Kelly wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731016401408.png" alt="Jacob Lang&nbsp;a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”-image Justice Department" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Lang&nbsp;a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”-image Justice Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As it became clear Donald Trump was returning to the White House, the Florida man who posed for photos with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Capitol riot popped a bottle of Trump-branded sparkling wine. “Y’all are in trouble,” he said after taking a sip in a video&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lecternleader/status/1854052008518402450">shared on social media</a>.Rioters who stormed the Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">Jan. 6, 2021</a>, are celebrating Trump’s victory and hoping he makes good on his campaign trail promise to pardon them.Trump didn’t mention the Jan. 6 defendants, whom he has called “hostages” and “patriots,” during his victory speech on Wednesday. But his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris throws into doubt the future of the largest prosecution in Justice Department history over the unprecedented assault on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">seat of American democracy.</a>More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-takeaways-56cf44f8809cc76632f91f5c7910ec81">met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory</a>. More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.Trump's praise of Jan. 6 defendants was a centerpiece of his campaign, with rallies honoring them as heroes featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea">a song</a>&nbsp;he collaborated on with a group of jailed rioters. Trump hasn't explained how he will decide who gets pardoned. But he has suggested he would consider granting them even for those accused of assault as well as the former Proud Boys leader convicted of orchestrating a violent plot in 2020 to keep Trump in power.During his first term as president, Trump deployed his pardon power in overtly political ways, granting clemency in his final days in office to a broad range of political allies -- including five defendants convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation -- as well as celebrities, Republican members of Congress and the father of Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964/gov.uscourts.dcd.226964.1.1.pdf">Jacob Lang</a>, a Capitol riot defendant who's jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington, posted within hours of Trump's victory that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”“There will be no bitterness in my heart as I walk out of these doors in 75 days on inauguration day,” Lang wrote.Lawyers for some Jan. 6 defendants cited Trump's victory in requests to hold off on sentencing their clients.Defense attorney Marina Medvin said her client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654/gov.uscourts.dcd.254654.110.0_1.pdf">Christopher Carnell</a>, is “expecting to be relieved of the criminal prosecution that he is currently facing when the new administration takes office.” Michelle Peterson, an assistant federal public defender, argued it would be "fundamentally unfair" to sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209/gov.uscourts.dcd.257209.82.0.pdf">a client</a>&nbsp;whose case may be dismissed by Trump's Justice Department.Judges swiftly denied both requests and refused to delay separate hearings for their respective cases on Friday.Other defense attorneys on Wednesday asked for a Jan. 6 defendant's trial to be postponed. They argued that their client,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119/gov.uscourts.dcd.268119.1.1.pdf">Mitchell Bosch</a>, cannot receive a fair trial in Washington so soon after the election given that voters in the nation's capital overwhelmingly supported Harris over Trump.“Mr. Bosch understands that the President-elect’s proclamations of stolen elections and pardons for patriots are not relevant evidence in his trial. However, they are highly relevant to the ability of the jury pool to be fair and impartial,”&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118/gov.uscourts.dcd.268118.54.0.pdf">the lawyers wrote</a>.A trial is scheduled to start next week for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-baker-blaze-news-capitol-riot-88004e2ce919d39cc84e1b2922840fc2">Steve Baker</a>, a writer charged with Capitol riot-related misdemeanors. Baker, who has written articles about the Jan. 6 riot for the conservative outlet Blaze News, posted a photo of a press credential for him to cover Congress."I plan on covering J6, 2025 ‘inside’ the Capitol," he wrote on Wednesday, adding a winking face emoji.Of the more than 1,000 convicted rioters who have been sentenced, over 650 have received prison time ranging from a few days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-da60222b3e1e54902db2bbbb219dc3fb">22 years</a>. Hundreds of people who went into the Capitol but did not attack police or damage the building were charged only with misdemeanors. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">violence and destruction</a>&nbsp;by other members of the mob have been documented in videos and other evidence heard in court, including testimony from police officers about being beaten and scared for their lives as they defended the Capitol.Trump has said he would issue pardons to Capitol rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency. He told&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/6972022/donald-trump-transcript-2024-election/">Time Magazine</a>&nbsp;he would consider pardoning all of the Jan. 6 defendants, though later added: “If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently.” He told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-pardon-abortion-putin-59460113ce82ce6f6140d47856261a56">NBC's “Meet the Press”</a>&nbsp;last year that he would consider pardoning former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy. Trump said Tarrio was treated “horribly.”When pressed during an event in July, Trump said he “absolutely” would pardon rioters accused of assaulting police — if they were “innocent.” When the interviewer noted she was talking about convicted rioters, Trump replied that they were convicted “by a very tough system.”<a href="https://kimberlywehle.com/">Kim Wehle</a>, a University of Baltimore law professor and author of a book about presidential pardons, said presidents have the unfettered power to issue mass pardons.“The pardon system is set up for winners and losers. Who gets them and who doesn’t get them is completely subjective. It’s completely arbitrary and based on the whims of the president,” Wehle said. “Donald Trump could fashion the pardon however he wants to fashion the pardon, and the general public wouldn’t be able to challenge it.”Presidents have used their power to issue mass pardons for the sake of promoting national unity. George Washington pardoned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/whiskey-rebellion">Whiskey Rebellion</a>&nbsp;rebels. Abraham Lincoln pardoned former Confederate soldiers after the Civil War. Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft dodgers.Many of those expressing support for Jan. 6 defendants also echoed Trump's campaign talk of seeking retribution against political foes. Julie Kelly, a right-wing political commentator who calls herself a “J6 conspiracy theorist” on her social media profile, posted that Washington-based U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves' “reign of terror is going to end soon."“Then we turn the tables,” Kelly wrote.

Rioters who stormed Capitol after Trump's 2020 defeat celebrate his return

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a shooting that has left one person dead.

Just after 5p.m. Friday officers were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the area of N. 6th Street and Splitlog Avenue, according to a media release.

&nbsp;When officers arrived on scene, they discovered an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on scene. The suspect was located and taken into custody. Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details.

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time. ###

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a shooting that has left one person dead.Just after 5p.m. Friday officers were dispatched to a shooting at a residence in the area of N. 6th Street and Splitlog Avenue, according to a media release.&nbsp;When officers arrived on scene, they discovered an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on scene. The suspect was located and taken into custody. Police have not released the name of the victim or additional details.This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time. ###

Police: Suspect in custody after deadly shooting in Kansas home

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

LAWRENCE — The delayed rollout last year of a federal aid form left Kansas college students unsure of what their financial assistance would look like for months longer than previous years.

But the U.S. Department of Education now is testing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form with a goal of delivering information to schools by Dec. 1.

At the University of Kansas, last year’s problems with the form made it difficult for students to understand what their financial aid options were in the timeline many expected, said Leah Nicholson, associate director of financial aid and scholarships at KU. The delay also caused the university to release financial aid offers much later compared to previous years, she said.

“I think that when the FAFSA is available to everyone in December that it’ll have a much smoother rollout than it was last year,” Nicholson said. “I think the efforts of testing and the updates that they have been providing about the testing process have been far and above what we experienced last year.”

Nicholson said she hopes for not only positive user experience but also ease on the other end when applications are sent to schools like KU.

“I hope that on the back end they fix the glitches that are happening on the processing side of when the file gets sent to us. But that’s a little bit more complicated and takes a little bit more time,” Nicholson said. “But if they can at least get the front end user part fixed, that would be a huge accomplishment.”

For Kate Haney, a KU freshman from Kansas, the form was confusing to fill out with her parents.

“Some of the questions were worded odd,” Haney said. “I had a ton of friends impacted by the delay though. It was an inconvenience for me because I just wanted to get it completed and then just kept having to wait.”

Simeon Moulton, a Drake University freshman from Kansas, said the delay made it difficult to decide which school to attend.

“It made it really stressful for me, and I was one of the people who had a secondary delay,” Moulton said. “I was just waiting to see if I could afford to go to school.”

The U.S. Department of Education responded to students’ concerns by launching a beta testing program this fall with the goal of improving the user experience when filling out the form. The agency intends to expand testing to thousands of high school students across the country, improve usability of the form and increase transparency with any potential problems going forward.

“Testing the FAFSA system with real students and institutions in a wide range of contexts is critical to ensuring a successful launch by Dec. 1,” said FAFSA executive adviser Jeremy Singer. “We are grateful to the many organizations that will help us achieve this goal.”

The Education Department brought Singer on as executive adviser because of his experience with technology innovation within education and his previous work at the College Board. Singer was named the FAFSA executive adviser at the Office of Federal Student Aid after taking a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2024/06/14/education-dept-taps-college-board-president-oversee" target="_blank">temporary leave</a>&nbsp;from the College Board this summer.

Moulton said that while testing now is a good idea, the department should have taken more responsibility for the mistakes made last year. For students like Moulton, delays not only prolonged college decisions but also caused stress among families.

“It felt like every time they announced a new delay they were just apologetic and did not take responsibility for the effect that the delays were having on students,” Moulton said. “I think it’s good they are being a little more proactive earlier on, but I still think they need to have the FAFSA fully fleshed out before it is expected to be used.”

The U.S. Department of Education in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-successful-beta-1-testing-2025-26" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;said the first round of beta testing was successful, with 650 students being able to submit their form without any “critical bugs.” Testing will continue into the fall in more states, with an emphasis on students with diverse backgrounds economically, geographically and educationally.

Although there is no testing site planned for Kansas, the department intends to continue sharing updates with students and families to make the FAFSA process as accessible as possible. Singer said the department is on track for a complete launch by Dec. 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700516528497.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> LAWRENCE — The delayed rollout last year of a federal aid form left Kansas college students unsure of what their financial assistance would look like for months longer than previous years.But the U.S. Department of Education now is testing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form with a goal of delivering information to schools by Dec. 1.At the University of Kansas, last year’s problems with the form made it difficult for students to understand what their financial aid options were in the timeline many expected, said Leah Nicholson, associate director of financial aid and scholarships at KU. The delay also caused the university to release financial aid offers much later compared to previous years, she said.“I think that when the FAFSA is available to everyone in December that it’ll have a much smoother rollout than it was last year,” Nicholson said. “I think the efforts of testing and the updates that they have been providing about the testing process have been far and above what we experienced last year.”Nicholson said she hopes for not only positive user experience but also ease on the other end when applications are sent to schools like KU.“I hope that on the back end they fix the glitches that are happening on the processing side of when the file gets sent to us. But that’s a little bit more complicated and takes a little bit more time,” Nicholson said. “But if they can at least get the front end user part fixed, that would be a huge accomplishment.”For Kate Haney, a KU freshman from Kansas, the form was confusing to fill out with her parents.“Some of the questions were worded odd,” Haney said. “I had a ton of friends impacted by the delay though. It was an inconvenience for me because I just wanted to get it completed and then just kept having to wait.”Simeon Moulton, a Drake University freshman from Kansas, said the delay made it difficult to decide which school to attend.“It made it really stressful for me, and I was one of the people who had a secondary delay,” Moulton said. “I was just waiting to see if I could afford to go to school.”The U.S. Department of Education responded to students’ concerns by launching a beta testing program this fall with the goal of improving the user experience when filling out the form. The agency intends to expand testing to thousands of high school students across the country, improve usability of the form and increase transparency with any potential problems going forward.“Testing the FAFSA system with real students and institutions in a wide range of contexts is critical to ensuring a successful launch by Dec. 1,” said FAFSA executive adviser Jeremy Singer. “We are grateful to the many organizations that will help us achieve this goal.”The Education Department brought Singer on as executive adviser because of his experience with technology innovation within education and his previous work at the College Board. Singer was named the FAFSA executive adviser at the Office of Federal Student Aid after taking a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2024/06/14/education-dept-taps-college-board-president-oversee" target="_blank">temporary leave</a>&nbsp;from the College Board this summer.Moulton said that while testing now is a good idea, the department should have taken more responsibility for the mistakes made last year. For students like Moulton, delays not only prolonged college decisions but also caused stress among families.“It felt like every time they announced a new delay they were just apologetic and did not take responsibility for the effect that the delays were having on students,” Moulton said. “I think it’s good they are being a little more proactive earlier on, but I still think they need to have the FAFSA fully fleshed out before it is expected to be used.”The U.S. Department of Education in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-successful-beta-1-testing-2025-26" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;said the first round of beta testing was successful, with 650 students being able to submit their form without any “critical bugs.” Testing will continue into the fall in more states, with an emphasis on students with diverse backgrounds economically, geographically and educationally.Although there is no testing site planned for Kansas, the department intends to continue sharing updates with students and families to make the FAFSA process as accessible as possible. Singer said the department is on track for a complete launch by Dec. 1.

Kansas college students expect aid on time after FAFSA application beta testing

PHOENIX (AP) —Donald Trump won Arizona on Saturday, returning the state and its 11 electoral votes to the Republican column after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. The win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris marks Trump's second in Arizona since 2016. 

Trump campaigned on border security and the economy, tying Harris to inflation and record illegal border crossings during Biden’s administration. 

Trump’s victory dims the hopes of Arizona Democrats, who sought to continue their ascendance, which began with the 2018 flip of a longtime GOP-held Senate seat and continued in 2020 and 2022. Biden was the second Democrat to win Arizona in 70 years. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 9:21 p.m. EST.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731207341242.png" alt="Image Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Image Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) —Donald Trump won Arizona on Saturday, returning the state and its 11 electoral votes to the Republican column after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. The win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris marks Trump's second in Arizona since 2016. Trump campaigned on border security and the economy, tying Harris to inflation and record illegal border crossings during Biden’s administration. Trump’s victory dims the hopes of Arizona Democrats, who sought to continue their ascendance, which began with the 2018 flip of a longtime GOP-held Senate seat and continued in 2020 and 2022. Biden was the second Democrat to win Arizona in 70 years. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 9:21 p.m. EST.

Trump wins Arizona to sweep swing states, secure 312 electoral votes

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for producing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Leonardo Leon, 25, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Leon on Oct. 14.

The federal indictment alleges that Leon used a minor victim to produce child pornography from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, 2024. The indictment also charges Leon with distributing child pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were dispatched to Children’s Mercy Hospital shortly after midnight on Sept. 3, 2024, when a 15-year-old victim suffered a fatal drug overdose. In the course of their investigation, officers learned that Leon had been communicating on Instagram with the child victim’s best friend. This witness told officers that Leon was having sex with the child victim and, about a week after the child victim’s death, had sent her a video of them having sex.

Investigators searched Leon’s Instagram account, the affidavit says, and found three video clips he had sent to the witness of himself engaging in sex with the child victim.

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for producing child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Leonardo Leon, 25, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Leon on Oct. 14.The federal indictment alleges that Leon used a minor victim to produce child pornography from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, 2024. The indictment also charges Leon with distributing child pornography.According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were dispatched to Children’s Mercy Hospital shortly after midnight on Sept. 3, 2024, when a 15-year-old victim suffered a fatal drug overdose. In the course of their investigation, officers learned that Leon had been communicating on Instagram with the child victim’s best friend. This witness told officers that Leon was having sex with the child victim and, about a week after the child victim’s death, had sent her a video of them having sex.Investigators searched Leon’s Instagram account, the affidavit says, and found three video clips he had sent to the witness of himself engaging in sex with the child victim.

15-year-old's fatal drug overdose in KC led to child sex crime indictment

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

Just before 3:30p.m. November 6, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2005 Ford F150 at 118th Road on U.S. 75 Highway for multiple alleged traffic infractions, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Lisa Rene McKinney, 58, and the passenger was identified as Antonio Ramirez, 60, both of Hiawatha. A search was conducted of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

McKinney and Ramirez were arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730934687198.png" alt="McKinney photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>McKinney photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730934741762.png" alt="Ramirez photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ramirez photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 3:30p.m. November 6, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2005 Ford F150 at 118th Road on U.S. 75 Highway for multiple alleged traffic infractions, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver of the vehicle was identified as Lisa Rene McKinney, 58, and the passenger was identified as Antonio Ramirez, 60, both of Hiawatha. A search was conducted of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia.McKinney and Ramirez were arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas couple caught transporting  methamphetamine 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

First responders were directed towards a vehicle that was stopped in the southbound lanes of Paseo. As they approached the vehicle, they located a shooting victim unresponsive inside the vehicle. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported the man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. At the hospital, the victim was declared deceased, according to Becchina.

Homicide detectives and Crime Scene investigators are here at the scene processing for evidence and canvassing for any potential witnesses.Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was in his vehicle when he was shot by an unknown suspect from outside of the vehicle.

If anyone heard or saw anything in this area or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731123731422.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 75th and Paseo, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were directed towards a vehicle that was stopped in the southbound lanes of Paseo. As they approached the vehicle, they located a shooting victim unresponsive inside the vehicle. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported the man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. At the hospital, the victim was declared deceased, according to Becchina.Homicide detectives and Crime Scene investigators are here at the scene processing for evidence and canvassing for any potential witnesses.Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was in his vehicle when he was shot by an unknown suspect from outside of the vehicle.If anyone heard or saw anything in this area or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.