By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress has roughly two months to find bipartisan agreement to curb rising health insurance costs if lawmakers want to avoid another government shutdown.

That herculean task would be difficult in the best circumstances, but is much more challenging after lawmakers spent the last 43 days criticizing each other instead of building the types of trust that are usually needed for large deals. Democrats maintained they wanted to address skyrocketing premiums for individual health care plans, while Republicans insisted those talks had to occur when the government was open.

At the same time, congressional leaders will try to wrap up work on the nine full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law before Oct. 1 and weren’t included in the package that reopened the government.&nbsp;

Congress must pass all of those bills or another stopgap measure before the new Jan. 30 deadline, regardless of how well or disastrous talks on a health care bill turn out.&nbsp;

The two-track negotiations will push party leaders to compromise on issues they’d rather not, especially as next year’s November midterm elections inch closer.&nbsp;

House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a Wednesday night press conference the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of the year are a “boondoggle” and that “Republicans would demand a lot of reforms” before agreeing to extend those in any way.&nbsp;

“We currently have 433 members of the House of Representatives. There’s a lot of opinions in this building. And on our side, certainly, a lot of opinions on how to fix health care and make it more affordable. I have to allow that process to play out,” Johnson, R-La., said.&nbsp;

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made a commitment to hold a vote on a health care bill before the end of December to conclude the shutdown, Johnson has avoided giving a timeline for when he would bring any similar legislation to the floor.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump, aside from throwing insults at Democrats, largely stayed on the sidelines of the shutdown fight, though he suggested the funds used for the tax credits should in some way go directly to individuals instead of large insurance companies.

The shutdown highlighted the stark differences Republicans and Democrats hold on health care as prices for insurance continue to spike, forcing millions of Americans to choose between taking care of themselves and breaking their budgets, States Newsroom found in interviews with members of Congress.&nbsp;

GOP leaders held together throughout the funding lapse and didn’t negotiate on the expiring ACA marketplace tax credits, or anything else.&nbsp;

Now that it’s over, Republicans will need to put something forward.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said her sense is that Congress will “probably be in the same place on January 30th that we are now.”

“We have two parties here, two sides,” DeLauro said. “In the past … we’ve had serious negotiation back and forth, and that’s what we need to do, and that’s not happening.”

While Republicans have unified control of government, major legislation needs the support of at least 60 senators to advance in that chamber. Republicans hold 53 seats at the moment, meaning at least some Democrats must support a bill for it to pass.&nbsp;

DeLauro did not rule out another shutdown, saying Democrats plan to take the next few months “one day at a time,” while closely watching what Republicans are willing to do on the nine full-year appropriations bills and health care costs.&nbsp;

Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, former House majority leader and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said Republican leaders keeping that chamber in recess for nearly two months leading up to and during the shutdown significantly delayed work on the full-year government funding bills.&nbsp;

Hoyer said that scheduling decision was a clear “indication they’re not interested in solving the problem.”

“If they were, they would have had members here working on appropriation bills,” Hoyer said. “And the only way you’re going to ultimately solve this problem is to pass appropriation bills.”

Hoyer said the real question facing Congress now isn’t whether there is time to work out agreement on the remaining nine government spending bills, but whether there’s a will to make the types of compromises needed.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/government-reopens-after-43-days-trump-signs-bill-ending-record-shutdown" target="_blank">spending package that reopened the government</a>&nbsp;included three of the dozen full-year bills, funding the Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration, Legislative Branch, military construction projects and Department of Veterans Affairs.

The remaining appropriations bills will be considerably tougher to resolve, especially because the House and Senate have yet to agree on how much they want to spend across the thousands of programs. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-asks-congress-cut-163b-non-defense-spending-ax-dozens-programs" target="_blank">proposed major cutbacks</a>&nbsp;in multiple programs in his budget request earlier this year that Democrats have strongly resisted.

The Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education and State-Foreign Operations bills will be some of the more difficult to settle.&nbsp;

Congress could always lean on another stopgap spending bill to keep funding relatively flat for the departments and agencies not covered by a full-year bill before Jan. 30. But lawmakers will need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate.

Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Republicans don’t seem to grasp how much Americans are struggling with the cost of living, including for health insurance and health care.&nbsp;

“My constituents are already telling me that they’re making that choice between having health insurance or having a house to live in, and they’re going to choose the house,” Jayapal said.&nbsp;

Whether or not a partial government shutdown begins in early 2026 will likely depend on whether Republican lawmakers from swing districts force bipartisanship on a health care bill.&nbsp;

“I really don’t know,” Jayapal said. “I think it depends on these vulnerable House Republicans, who are not going to be able to go back to their constituents without telling them that they’ve done something on health care.”

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said she wouldn’t be surprised if Congress is unable to strike a deal on government funding and winds up in a partial shutdown by February.&nbsp;

“Do I think that the Republicans have the political juice to get … the rest of their appropriation bills across the finish line and a health care deal? No,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;

She added that she hopes a handful of Republicans decide to join Democrats on the discharge petition bill that would force a floor vote on a bill to extend the ACA marketplace subsidies for three years.&nbsp;

“We gotta find a few brave Republicans who still have a backbone and some guts to stand up to this administration and actually care for their constituents,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;

But any bipartisan deal to extend those health care tax credits seems fraught, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed Republicans as having “zero credibility on this issue.”

He pointed to Republicans trying several times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including their last attempt in 2017, when GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and the late John McCain of Arizona crossed party lines to vote against repealing the 2010 law.

“There’s no evidence that they’re serious about extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries, of New York, said. “Republicans have zero interest in fixing the health care crisis that they’ve created.”

When Democrats controlled both chambers, temporary health care subsidies were originally passed as part of the COVID-19-era American Rescue Plan in 2021 for two years.&nbsp;

With Democrats still controlling both chambers, lawmakers approved the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2022 signature climate policy bill from the Biden administration, that extended those health care subsidies for three years, expiring at the end of December 2025.

The outcome of the just concluded shutdown is shaping some House Democrats’ views.

Virginia Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott said if there is a new shutdown come February, Senate Democrats will have to decide whether they’re going to “cave again, or at least engage in negotiations.”&nbsp;

“When the (Senate) Democrats say: ‘Our strategy wasn’t working,’ it wasn’t working because they assume you’re going to cave, which you just proved,” Scott told States Newsroom. “Their strategy worked — trying to get them to negotiate and talk to you doesn’t because they know you’re going to cave.”

Scott said “there’s no point in taking 41 days to cave,” pointing to the eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus who broke ranks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-advances-bill-end-record-breaking-government-shutdown" target="_blank">to advance</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-bipartisan-vote-passes-bill-end-record-breaking-shutdown-house-next" target="_blank">later approve</a>&nbsp;the package to reopen the government.&nbsp;

“Why don’t you just cave right at the beginning, on February 2nd?” he said. “If the Republican strategy is: ‘We’re not going to negotiate at all because you’re going to cave,’ you have to show them that you’re not going to cave, then you can have a discussion.”

Scott said the same health care issues will still exist if nothing happens between now and the package’s Jan. 30 government funding deadline.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“By then, we’ll know that several million people don’t have health insurance, we’ll know that rural hospitals are beginning to suffer,” Scott said.&nbsp;

Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride said that “from today through November (2026) and after, we will continue to be talking about health care, to be fighting for health care.”

“I think what you’ve seen over the last several months, you will continue to see from us through November and then, God willing, once we’re in a majority, we’ll do all that we can to reverse these cuts and restore care and expand access to it,” she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763246330614.png" alt="Image Office of&nbsp; U.S. Senate Democrat Leade" />
 <figcaption>Image Office of&nbsp; U.S. Senate Democrat Leade</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — Congress has roughly two months to find bipartisan agreement to curb rising health insurance costs if lawmakers want to avoid another government shutdown.That herculean task would be difficult in the best circumstances, but is much more challenging after lawmakers spent the last 43 days criticizing each other instead of building the types of trust that are usually needed for large deals. Democrats maintained they wanted to address skyrocketing premiums for individual health care plans, while Republicans insisted those talks had to occur when the government was open.At the same time, congressional leaders will try to wrap up work on the nine full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law before Oct. 1 and weren’t included in the package that reopened the government.&nbsp;Congress must pass all of those bills or another stopgap measure before the new Jan. 30 deadline, regardless of how well or disastrous talks on a health care bill turn out.&nbsp;The two-track negotiations will push party leaders to compromise on issues they’d rather not, especially as next year’s November midterm elections inch closer.&nbsp;Early signs were not good.House Speaker Mike Johnson said during a Wednesday night press conference the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of the year are a “boondoggle” and that “Republicans would demand a lot of reforms” before agreeing to extend those in any way.&nbsp;“We currently have 433 members of the House of Representatives. There’s a lot of opinions in this building. And on our side, certainly, a lot of opinions on how to fix health care and make it more affordable. I have to allow that process to play out,” Johnson, R-La., said.&nbsp;While Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made a commitment to hold a vote on a health care bill before the end of December to conclude the shutdown, Johnson has avoided giving a timeline for when he would bring any similar legislation to the floor.&nbsp;President Donald Trump, aside from throwing insults at Democrats, largely stayed on the sidelines of the shutdown fight, though he suggested the funds used for the tax credits should in some way go directly to individuals instead of large insurance companies.<h2>Pessimism over progress</h2>The shutdown highlighted the stark differences Republicans and Democrats hold on health care as prices for insurance continue to spike, forcing millions of Americans to choose between taking care of themselves and breaking their budgets, States Newsroom found in interviews with members of Congress.&nbsp;GOP leaders held together throughout the funding lapse and didn’t negotiate on the expiring ACA marketplace tax credits, or anything else.&nbsp;Now that it’s over, Republicans will need to put something forward.Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said her sense is that Congress will “probably be in the same place on January 30th that we are now.”“We have two parties here, two sides,” DeLauro said. “In the past … we’ve had serious negotiation back and forth, and that’s what we need to do, and that’s not happening.”While Republicans have unified control of government, major legislation needs the support of at least 60 senators to advance in that chamber. Republicans hold 53 seats at the moment, meaning at least some Democrats must support a bill for it to pass.&nbsp;DeLauro did not rule out another shutdown, saying Democrats plan to take the next few months “one day at a time,” while closely watching what Republicans are willing to do on the nine full-year appropriations bills and health care costs.&nbsp;Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, former House majority leader and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said Republican leaders keeping that chamber in recess for nearly two months leading up to and during the shutdown significantly delayed work on the full-year government funding bills.&nbsp;Hoyer said that scheduling decision was a clear “indication they’re not interested in solving the problem.”“If they were, they would have had members here working on appropriation bills,” Hoyer said. “And the only way you’re going to ultimately solve this problem is to pass appropriation bills.”Hoyer said the real question facing Congress now isn’t whether there is time to work out agreement on the remaining nine government spending bills, but whether there’s a will to make the types of compromises needed.&nbsp;<h2>Untangling spending bills</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/government-reopens-after-43-days-trump-signs-bill-ending-record-shutdown" target="_blank">spending package that reopened the government</a>&nbsp;included three of the dozen full-year bills, funding the Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration, Legislative Branch, military construction projects and Department of Veterans Affairs.The remaining appropriations bills will be considerably tougher to resolve, especially because the House and Senate have yet to agree on how much they want to spend across the thousands of programs. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-asks-congress-cut-163b-non-defense-spending-ax-dozens-programs" target="_blank">proposed major cutbacks</a>&nbsp;in multiple programs in his budget request earlier this year that Democrats have strongly resisted.The Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education and State-Foreign Operations bills will be some of the more difficult to settle.&nbsp;Congress could always lean on another stopgap spending bill to keep funding relatively flat for the departments and agencies not covered by a full-year bill before Jan. 30. But lawmakers will need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate.Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Republicans don’t seem to grasp how much Americans are struggling with the cost of living, including for health insurance and health care.&nbsp;“My constituents are already telling me that they’re making that choice between having health insurance or having a house to live in, and they’re going to choose the house,” Jayapal said.&nbsp;Whether or not a partial government shutdown begins in early 2026 will likely depend on whether Republican lawmakers from swing districts force bipartisanship on a health care bill.&nbsp;“I really don’t know,” Jayapal said. “I think it depends on these vulnerable House Republicans, who are not going to be able to go back to their constituents without telling them that they’ve done something on health care.”<h2>Political juice and a backbone</h2>Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said she wouldn’t be surprised if Congress is unable to strike a deal on government funding and winds up in a partial shutdown by February.&nbsp;“Do I think that the Republicans have the political juice to get … the rest of their appropriation bills across the finish line and a health care deal? No,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;She added that she hopes a handful of Republicans decide to join Democrats on the discharge petition bill that would force a floor vote on a bill to extend the ACA marketplace subsidies for three years.&nbsp;“We gotta find a few brave Republicans who still have a backbone and some guts to stand up to this administration and actually care for their constituents,” Stansbury said.&nbsp;But any bipartisan deal to extend those health care tax credits seems fraught, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed Republicans as having “zero credibility on this issue.”He pointed to Republicans trying several times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including their last attempt in 2017, when GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and the late John McCain of Arizona crossed party lines to vote against repealing the 2010 law.“There’s no evidence that they’re serious about extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries, of New York, said. “Republicans have zero interest in fixing the health care crisis that they’ve created.”<h2>‘No point in taking 41 days to cave’</h2>When Democrats controlled both chambers, temporary health care subsidies were originally passed as part of the COVID-19-era American Rescue Plan in 2021 for two years.&nbsp;With Democrats still controlling both chambers, lawmakers approved the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2022 signature climate policy bill from the Biden administration, that extended those health care subsidies for three years, expiring at the end of December 2025.The outcome of the just concluded shutdown is shaping some House Democrats’ views.Virginia Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott said if there is a new shutdown come February, Senate Democrats will have to decide whether they’re going to “cave again, or at least engage in negotiations.”&nbsp;“When the (Senate) Democrats say: ‘Our strategy wasn’t working,’ it wasn’t working because they assume you’re going to cave, which you just proved,” Scott told States Newsroom. “Their strategy worked — trying to get them to negotiate and talk to you doesn’t because they know you’re going to cave.”Scott said “there’s no point in taking 41 days to cave,” pointing to the eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus who broke ranks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-advances-bill-end-record-breaking-government-shutdown" target="_blank">to advance</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-bipartisan-vote-passes-bill-end-record-breaking-shutdown-house-next" target="_blank">later approve</a>&nbsp;the package to reopen the government.&nbsp;“Why don’t you just cave right at the beginning, on February 2nd?” he said. “If the Republican strategy is: ‘We’re not going to negotiate at all because you’re going to cave,’ you have to show them that you’re not going to cave, then you can have a discussion.”Scott said the same health care issues will still exist if nothing happens between now and the package’s Jan. 30 government funding deadline.&nbsp;&nbsp;“By then, we’ll know that several million people don’t have health insurance, we’ll know that rural hospitals are beginning to suffer,” Scott said.&nbsp;Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride said that “from today through November (2026) and after, we will continue to be talking about health care, to be fighting for health care.”“I think what you’ve seen over the last several months, you will continue to see from us through November and then, God willing, once we’re in a majority, we’ll do all that we can to reverse these cuts and restore care and expand access to it,” she said.&nbsp;

As health costs spike, a sour and divided Congress escapes one shutdown to face another

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A medium-sized SUV was northbound from Raytown and struck a pedestrian at 46th and Blue Ridge Cut Off, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The pedestrian was either walking along the roadway or attempting to cross it.

EMS pronounced the pedestrian deceased at the scene. The driver remained on scene and is fully cooperating with the investigation. 

This incident represents Fatality #58 for the year, compared to #82 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.A medium-sized SUV was northbound from Raytown and struck a pedestrian at 46th and Blue Ridge Cut Off, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. The pedestrian was either walking along the roadway or attempting to cross it.EMS pronounced the pedestrian deceased at the scene. The driver remained on scene and is fully cooperating with the investigation. This incident represents Fatality #58 for the year, compared to #82 at this time last year, according to DiMartino.

KCPD: Pedestrian struck and killed by SUV

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just before 8p.m. Nov. 13, Sheriff's Deputies were attempting to locate a wanted Kansas man at 133 W. 13th Street in Horton, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

 A search warrant was granted for the residence and deputies&nbsp; executed the Warrant a short time later.&nbsp; &nbsp;Deputies found 45-year-old Gerald Adams of Horton hiding in a closet.&nbsp; He was arrested on a Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant and is facing a charge of Felony Obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763138131977.png" alt="Adams photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Adams photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just before 8p.m. Nov. 13, Sheriff's Deputies were attempting to locate a wanted Kansas man at 133 W. 13th Street in Horton, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant. A search warrant was granted for the residence and deputies&nbsp; executed the Warrant a short time later.&nbsp; &nbsp;Deputies found 45-year-old Gerald Adams of Horton hiding in a closet.&nbsp; He was arrested on a Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant and is facing a charge of Felony Obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas suspect found hiding in closet

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after midnight Friday in Wyandotte County.

Kansas City, Kansas police reported a vehicle was northbound in the 300 Block of North James Street at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control at a curve and continued over the bridge.

EMS transported one occupant to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The second occupant was pronounced dead at the scene.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after midnight Friday in Wyandotte County.Kansas City, Kansas police reported a vehicle was northbound in the 300 Block of North James Street at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control at a curve and continued over the bridge.EMS transported one occupant to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The second occupant was pronounced dead at the scene.

One dead, one injured after vehicle travels off Kansas bridge

CARBONDALE, Kan. (AP) — Four law enforcement officers were shot Saturday morning while responding to a residence in a rural area south of Topeka, Kansas.

(Click below to watch the news conference with&nbsp;KBI Director Tony Mattivi)

The shooting was around 10:30 a.m. Three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot, Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood said.

Their conditions are “still very fluid,” Underwood said.

A male suspect died from gunshot wounds, leaders from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and state Highway Patrol said. One other male was injured and taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, officials said.

Deputies and troopers were responding to a domestic violence incident north of Carbondale. They were on scene for several minutes when gunfire erupted, authorities said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the call of the shooting, officials said.

The area of the shooting is a rural region close to U.S. Highway 75. There is no active threat to the public, Underwood said.

--------------- OSAGE COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to a fatal officer-involved shooting where multiple law enforcement officers were shot.&nbsp;

The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., at a residence north of 113th Street and S Topeka Boulevard, just north of Carbondale in Osage County, according to a media release from the KBI.

 The injured officers include three Osage County Sheriff's deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.&nbsp;&nbsp;The deputies and the State Trooper were transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka. The Trooper was later transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center for further treatment.

One male suspect in the home died. A second individual in the home was wounded. The KBI did not release the names of those involved.

This is a developing story. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763236712505.png" alt="Photo by Aja Carter courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Aja Carter courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>CARBONDALE, Kan. (AP) — Four law enforcement officers were shot Saturday morning while responding to a residence in a rural area south of Topeka, Kansas.(Click below to watch the news conference with&nbsp;KBI Director Tony Mattivi)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKBIKansas%2Fvideos%2F1352056169782758%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The shooting was around 10:30 a.m. Three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot, Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood said.Their conditions are “still very fluid,” Underwood said.A male suspect died from gunshot wounds, leaders from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and state Highway Patrol said. One other male was injured and taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, officials said.Deputies and troopers were responding to a domestic violence incident north of Carbondale. They were on scene for several minutes when gunfire erupted, authorities said.Multiple law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the call of the shooting, officials said.The area of the shooting is a rural region close to U.S. Highway 75. There is no active threat to the public, Underwood said.--------------- OSAGE COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded to a fatal officer-involved shooting where multiple law enforcement officers were shot.&nbsp;The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., at a residence north of 113th Street and S Topeka Boulevard, just north of Carbondale in Osage County, according to a media release from the KBI. The injured officers include three Osage County Sheriff's deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.&nbsp;&nbsp;The deputies and the State Trooper were transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka. The Trooper was later transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center for further treatment.One male suspect in the home died. A second individual in the home was wounded. The KBI did not release the names of those involved.This is a developing story. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

🎥New details in shooting that injured 3 deputies, KHP Trooper

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Trump administration is working to push out pay for federal workers that had been on hold because of the government shutdown by the middle of next week.

The money will go out in four separate tranches, depending on the agency, according to a senior administration official. The varied dates are because agencies are on different pay schedules and payroll providers.

The White House had pushed federal agencies to expedite backpay for employees, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss the administration’s plans.

The schedule is as follows: —Nov. 15: Employees at the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management will be paid a “supercheck” that covers the period of Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 —Nov. 16: Employees at the Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1, as well as civilian employees at the Pentagon. —Nov. 17: Employees at the Departments of Education, State, Interior, and Transportation, as well as those at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Science Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Social Security Administration will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1. —Nov. 19: Employees from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Treasury and the Small Business Administration will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759875394137.png" alt="Photo by (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>Photo by (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Trump administration is working to push out pay for federal workers that had been on hold because of the government shutdown by the middle of next week.The money will go out in four separate tranches, depending on the agency, according to a senior administration official. The varied dates are because agencies are on different pay schedules and payroll providers.The White House had pushed federal agencies to expedite backpay for employees, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss the administration’s plans.The schedule is as follows: —Nov. 15: Employees at the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management will be paid a “supercheck” that covers the period of Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 —Nov. 16: Employees at the Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1, as well as civilian employees at the Pentagon. —Nov. 17: Employees at the Departments of Education, State, Interior, and Transportation, as well as those at the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, National Science Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Social Security Administration will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1. —Nov. 19: Employees from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Treasury and the Small Business Administration will be paid for the period from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15.

Gov't shutdown back pay for some federal workers still days away

FORD COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) trooper following a domestic violence investigation, according to a media release from the agency.

Just before 9p.m. Friday, KBI agents served an arrest warrant for Dillon Keller, 34, of Dodge City, at his residence. Keller was arrested on requested charges that include one count of kidnapping, one count of forgery, two counts of criminal threat, and two counts of domestic battery.

On July 2 of this year, the Dodge City Police Department requested the KBI investigate an off-duty KHP trooper and allegations of domestic violence. The alleged incidents occurred over several months leading up to the start of the investigation.

Following the arrest, Keller was booked into the Ford County Jail. He met the requirement for bond and was released just before 11p.m. Friday, according to online jail records.

The case is expected to be prosecuted by Kiowa County Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763224247700.png" alt="Keller photo Ford County" />
 <figcaption>Keller photo Ford County</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) trooper following a domestic violence investigation, according to a media release from the agency.Just before 9p.m. Friday, KBI agents served an arrest warrant for Dillon Keller, 34, of Dodge City, at his residence. Keller was arrested on requested charges that include one count of kidnapping, one count of forgery, two counts of criminal threat, and two counts of domestic battery.On July 2 of this year, the Dodge City Police Department requested the KBI investigate an off-duty KHP trooper and allegations of domestic violence. The alleged incidents occurred over several months leading up to the start of the investigation.Following the arrest, Keller was booked into the Ford County Jail. He met the requirement for bond and was released just before 11p.m. Friday, according to online jail records.The case is expected to be prosecuted by Kiowa County Attorney’s Office.

KHP Trooper accused of kidnapping, forgery and domestic battery

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol continues investigating a deadly crash during a police chase in Wichita and released new details on the cause of death of the driver.

On October 31, 2025, the Wichita Police Department requested assistance from the Patrol to investigate an injury crash resulting from a police pursuit at 8th and Edgemoor in Wichita.

Officers attempted to stop a vehicle near Central and Oliver and a brief pursuit ensued. The fleeing vehicle struck another vehicle at low speed near 8th and Edgemoor. Four of the five occupants fled the suspect vehicle on foot following the crash. Three of the occupants that fled were located and taken into custody by the Wichita Police Department.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle, 16-year-old Dreshawn Hardyway, sustained critical injuries from an airbag deployment during the crash. He was provided immediate life-saving measures by officers on scene until emergency medical services arrived. Hardyway was transported to a Wichita hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on November 3, 2025.

A firearm was recovered from the suspect vehicle. Injuries to the driver were initially believed to be a gunshot wound; however, medical examinations and evidence recovered during the crash investigation confirmed otherwise.

An investigation of the crash by Kansas Highway Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Reconstruction Team (CHART) is ongoing.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas teen injured in a Halloween night chase and crash in Wichita died days after the incident.

On Halloween night, police were in the area of Central and Oliver in Wichita to monitor a crowd gathering after receiving unverified information suggesting potential violence in the area for a balloon release related to a homicide that occurred on Halloween in 2024.

While monitoring the event, officers observed a man they recognized as violating his probation conditions enter a vehicle with several others. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and it attempted to flee.

A brief pursuit ensued and concluded at 8th Street and Edgemoor, where the suspect vehicle was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained minor injuries.

Four people exited the suspect vehicle and fled on foot. Officers were able to detain three of the individuals, who were subsequently booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) for obstruction. A fourth suspect remained at large.

A fifth male, who was the driver identified as 16-year-old&nbsp;Dreshawn A Hardyway, was found inside the vehicle with what was initially believed to be a gunshot wound. Officers provided immediate life-saving measures until EMS arrived. He was transported to a local hospital died November 3.&nbsp;Police recovered a firearm from the vehicle.&nbsp;

In accordance with Wichita Police Department policy related to vehicle pursuits resulting in crashes, the Kansas Highway Patrol was called in to investigate the traffic collision.

All five individuals in the suspect vehicle were juveniles including two 16-year-old boys, two 15-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported police were in pursuit of a southbound 2008 Chevy Malibu driven by Dreshawn A&nbsp;Hardyway, 16, Wichita, in the 800 Block of North Edgemoor Street. The Malibu turned west on East 8th Street and struck a 2021 Chrysler Voyager driven by Christopher B.&nbsp;Paramo, 23, Wichita, who was&nbsp;&nbsp;stopped waiting to turn onto North Edgemoor Street.

EMS transported Hardyway to Wesley Medical Center where he died November 3.&nbsp; Two 14-year-olds were not injured. Paramo was not injured. The drivers and occupants in both vehicles were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762033663437.png" alt="View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>View of the crash scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol continues investigating a deadly crash during a police chase in Wichita and released new details on the cause of death of the driver.On October 31, 2025, the Wichita Police Department requested assistance from the Patrol to investigate an injury crash resulting from a police pursuit at 8th and Edgemoor in Wichita.Officers attempted to stop a vehicle near Central and Oliver and a brief pursuit ensued. The fleeing vehicle struck another vehicle at low speed near 8th and Edgemoor. Four of the five occupants fled the suspect vehicle on foot following the crash. Three of the occupants that fled were located and taken into custody by the Wichita Police Department.The driver of the fleeing vehicle, 16-year-old Dreshawn Hardyway, sustained critical injuries from an airbag deployment during the crash. He was provided immediate life-saving measures by officers on scene until emergency medical services arrived. Hardyway was transported to a Wichita hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on November 3, 2025.A firearm was recovered from the suspect vehicle. Injuries to the driver were initially believed to be a gunshot wound; however, medical examinations and evidence recovered during the crash investigation confirmed otherwise.An investigation of the crash by Kansas Highway Patrol’s Critical Highway Accident Reconstruction Team (CHART) is ongoing.-----------------SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas teen injured in a Halloween night chase and crash in Wichita died days after the incident.On Halloween night, police were in the area of Central and Oliver in Wichita to monitor a crowd gathering after receiving unverified information suggesting potential violence in the area for a balloon release related to a homicide that occurred on Halloween in 2024.While monitoring the event, officers observed a man they recognized as violating his probation conditions enter a vehicle with several others. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and it attempted to flee.A brief pursuit ensued and concluded at 8th Street and Edgemoor, where the suspect vehicle was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained minor injuries.Four people exited the suspect vehicle and fled on foot. Officers were able to detain three of the individuals, who were subsequently booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) for obstruction. A fourth suspect remained at large.A fifth male, who was the driver identified as 16-year-old&nbsp;Dreshawn A Hardyway, was found inside the vehicle with what was initially believed to be a gunshot wound. Officers provided immediate life-saving measures until EMS arrived. He was transported to a local hospital died November 3.&nbsp;Police recovered a firearm from the vehicle.&nbsp;In accordance with Wichita Police Department policy related to vehicle pursuits resulting in crashes, the Kansas Highway Patrol was called in to investigate the traffic collision.All five individuals in the suspect vehicle were juveniles including two 16-year-old boys, two 15-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported police were in pursuit of a southbound 2008 Chevy Malibu driven by Dreshawn A&nbsp;Hardyway, 16, Wichita, in the 800 Block of North Edgemoor Street. The Malibu turned west on East 8th Street and struck a 2021 Chrysler Voyager driven by Christopher B.&nbsp;Paramo, 23, Wichita, who was&nbsp;&nbsp;stopped waiting to turn onto North Edgemoor Street.EMS transported Hardyway to Wesley Medical Center where he died November 3.&nbsp; Two 14-year-olds were not injured. Paramo was not injured. The drivers and occupants in both vehicles were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

KHP updates details in death of teen in Halloween chase, crash

The Kansas City, Missouri Health Department was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;resident who&nbsp;was present&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;terminal&nbsp;at the Kansas City International Airport&nbsp;(MCI)&nbsp;on November 5 from approximately 2 a.m.&nbsp;until noon,&nbsp;and&nbsp;on November 10,&nbsp;from&nbsp;2 a.m. until 4&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus.&nbsp;Measles&nbsp;is spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Measles can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Measles cannot be spread to others by&nbsp;an&nbsp;exposed&nbsp;person&nbsp;unless that person develops&nbsp;measles&nbsp;disease&nbsp;symptoms.&nbsp;

If you are up to date on your Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, your risk of getting sick is&nbsp;very low.&nbsp;The best way to prevent measles is to get your MMR vaccination. Those not vaccinated or infants under the age of 1 who are too young to be vaccinated are at the highest risk for contracting measles.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We want people to stay calm but stay aware,”&nbsp;said Dr. Marvia Jones, Director of the Kansas City Health Department.&nbsp;“Measles is highly contagious, but vaccination offers strong protection. If you&nbsp;haven’t&nbsp;received your MMR vaccine, now is the time to get it.&nbsp;I also&nbsp;urge&nbsp;people to avoid travel if they&nbsp;haven’t&nbsp;been vaccinated.”&nbsp;

Any exposed person would be expected to develop symptoms between November 12&nbsp;-&nbsp;December 1. The symptoms of measles&nbsp;generally include&nbsp;a rash that appears 7-21 days&nbsp;after exposure. Measles symptoms typically begin with:&nbsp;

Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash typically appears. The rash typically appears as flat, red spots that initially break out on the face, near the hairline, and then spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.&nbsp;

We are urging people who are ill or exhibiting symptoms similar to measles to stay home unless they are seeking medical attention.&nbsp;Before visiting a healthcare provider, please call ahead and let the provider know of the measles exposure so that steps can be taken to protect other patients and staff, especially if you have a fever and rash.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/measles" target="_blank">Click here for more information about measles.</a>&nbsp;

Residents can receive Measles vaccinations at the Kansas City Health Department Immunization Clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;through&nbsp;Friday.&nbsp;The&nbsp;measles&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;are free for children under 18.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Community members unsure of their vaccination status or in need of vaccines are encouraged to&nbsp;contact their primary care provider&nbsp;or&nbsp;call the Health Department at 816-513-6008.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908251964.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas City, Missouri Health Department was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;resident who&nbsp;was present&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;terminal&nbsp;at the Kansas City International Airport&nbsp;(MCI)&nbsp;on November 5 from approximately 2 a.m.&nbsp;until noon,&nbsp;and&nbsp;on November 10,&nbsp;from&nbsp;2 a.m. until 4&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;Measles is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a virus.&nbsp;Measles&nbsp;is spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Measles can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Measles cannot be spread to others by&nbsp;an&nbsp;exposed&nbsp;person&nbsp;unless that person develops&nbsp;measles&nbsp;disease&nbsp;symptoms.&nbsp;If you are up to date on your Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, your risk of getting sick is&nbsp;very low.&nbsp;The best way to prevent measles is to get your MMR vaccination. Those not vaccinated or infants under the age of 1 who are too young to be vaccinated are at the highest risk for contracting measles.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We want people to stay calm but stay aware,”&nbsp;said Dr. Marvia Jones, Director of the Kansas City Health Department.&nbsp;“Measles is highly contagious, but vaccination offers strong protection. If you&nbsp;haven’t&nbsp;received your MMR vaccine, now is the time to get it.&nbsp;I also&nbsp;urge&nbsp;people to avoid travel if they&nbsp;haven’t&nbsp;been vaccinated.”&nbsp;Any exposed person would be expected to develop symptoms between November 12&nbsp;-&nbsp;December 1. The symptoms of measles&nbsp;generally include&nbsp;a rash that appears 7-21 days&nbsp;after exposure. Measles symptoms typically begin with:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>A high fever&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Cough&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Runny nose&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Red, watery eyes&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash typically appears. The rash typically appears as flat, red spots that initially break out on the face, near the hairline, and then spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.&nbsp;We are urging people who are ill or exhibiting symptoms similar to measles to stay home unless they are seeking medical attention.&nbsp;Before visiting a healthcare provider, please call ahead and let the provider know of the measles exposure so that steps can be taken to protect other patients and staff, especially if you have a fever and rash.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/measles" target="_blank">Click here for more information about measles.</a>&nbsp;Residents can receive Measles vaccinations at the Kansas City Health Department Immunization Clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;through&nbsp;Friday.&nbsp;The&nbsp;measles&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;are free for children under 18.&nbsp;&nbsp;Community members unsure of their vaccination status or in need of vaccines are encouraged to&nbsp;contact their primary care provider&nbsp;or&nbsp;call the Health Department at 816-513-6008.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Health department: Potential measles exposure at KCI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7">is expected to reach the waters</a>&nbsp;off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">Venezuela</a>&nbsp;in days, a flex of American military power not seen in Latin America for generations.

Experts disagree on the possibility that American warplanes will catapult off the USS Gerald R. Ford to bomb targets inside Venezuela and further pressure authoritarian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicolas-maduro">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;to step down. Still, whether it may serve that purpose or only patrols the Caribbean as the U.S. blows up boats it accuses of trafficking drugs, the presence of the 100,000-ton warship alone is sending a message.

“This is the anchor of what it means to have U.S. military power once again in Latin America,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for the Andes region. “And it has raised a lot of anxieties in Venezuela but also throughout the region. I think everyone is watching this with sort of bated breath to see just how willing the U.S. is to really use military force.”

The Ford’s impending arrival is a major moment in the Trump administration’s campaign in South America, which it describes as a counterdrug operation. It escalates the already massive buildup of military firepower in the region, with added pressure from bomber training runs near the Venezuelan coast, CIA operations that have been publicly authorized inside the country and boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that have killed over 75 people.

The U.S. has long used aircraft carriers as tools of deterrence to pressure and influence other nations, often without employing any force at all. They carry thousands of sailors and dozens of warplanes that can strike targets deep inside another country.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday formally named the mission Operation Southern Spear, emphasizing the growing significance and permanence of the military’s presence in the region. Once the Ford arrives, the mission will encompass nearly a dozen Navy ships as well 12,000 sailors and Marines.

Trump administration says it’s focused on fighting drug trafficking

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists that President Donald Trump is focused on stopping drugs from entering the U.S. by combatting “organized criminal narcoterrorists.”

“That’s what he’s authorized. That’s what the military’s doing. That’s why our assets are there,” he told reporters Wednesday after meeting his counterparts from the Group of Seven democracies in Canada.

But Rubio also says the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-election-tally-sheets-actas-oas-carter-center-41d1000926d0ab99e522e53bf6c2b916">widely accused of stealing last year’s election</a>, as the leader of Venezuela and called the government a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with those trafficking drugs toward the U.S.

Some experts say deploying the Ford appears to be geared more toward a government change in Venezuela than drug trafficking.

“There’s nothing that an aircraft carrier brings that is useful for combating the drug trade,” Dickinson said. “I think it’s clearly a message that is much more geared toward pressuring Caracas.”

Bryan Clark, a former Navy submariner and defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, said the Trump administration would not have deployed the Ford “if they didn’t intend to use it.”

“I think this administration is very open to using military force to accomplish particular objectives,” Clark said. “I think they’re going to want to actually do some military operations unless Maduro steps down in the next month or so.”

After Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-congress-6163b24e940dd74005fc3cb78751f92a">briefed lawmakers last week</a>, Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said they gave no indication that the strikes would be stopping but also indicated that they were targeting cocaine traffickers and not overtly intending to overthrow Maduro.

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, expects U.S. warships to launch missiles from other ships before launching any American warplanes. He said Venezuela has relatively sophisticated missile defense systems from Russia that could put American pilots at risk.

“Because they have so many systems, some are relatively new, and all are mobile, we probably wouldn’t get them all,” Cancian said. “So there’s some risk that we could lose some aircraft.”

Venezuela’s government this week touted a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against possible U.S. attacks. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said in a statement that “land, air, naval, riverine, and missile assets” would be part of a two-day readiness effort “to confront imperialist threats.”

State television showed members of the military, police and militias standing in formations across the country. Padrino also delivered remarks, broadcast on state television, standing by a surface-to-air missile system in a military base in the capital, Caracas.

Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S., has insisted the Trump administration’s intentions are to force him from power. Venezuela’s U.S.-backed political opposition has renewed its promise of an imminent government change.

David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who has studied Venezuela for more than 30 years, said the U.S. military does not have enough manpower in the region, even with the aircraft carrier, for an invasion.

“It’s consistent with this desire to demonstrate credible force, which they had already,” Smilde said of the carrier. “It doesn’t change the equation. I don’t think that the fact that it is there means that they necessarily have to strike. It just means that Trump and Hegseth have not forgotten about this, and they are still onboard in trying to generate a regime change through a show of force.”

Smilde said Venezuela’s political opposition has long told U.S. officials that “just a credible threat of force” would cause Maduro’s government to crumble. For Trump, he said, that would be the best outcome of this operation.

The U.S. actions have faced pushback in the region, in Congress and among rights organizations. However, Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-strikes-congress-6c0061bf5a9c417e66f76fcc6ee57405">voted last week</a>&nbsp;to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-colombia-petro-sanctions-drug-trafficking-1b6ead338ec266b3df40859db6ee2d8d">hit with U.S. sanctions</a>&nbsp;over allegations of aiding the drug trade, on Tuesday announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-trump-drug-strikes-intelligence-2424e84a97f3a584a491143627dfdaa7">cutting off intelligence sharing</a>&nbsp;with the longtime North American ally until the strikes stop. But he softened his stance the following day, saying the sharing would continue as long as agencies guarantee it won’t be used in actions that jeopardize human rights.

Rubio pushed back on reports that the United Kingdom has halted some intelligence sharing in the region over concerns about the strikes, saying U.S. assets in the region provide such information.

The U.S. is not “asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing — in any realm. And that includes the military,” he said.

Mexico, however, is stepping up its cooperation with the U.S. in targeting drug trafficking. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her administration made an agreement with the U.S. for Mexico’s navy to intercept boats in international waters near Mexico that the U.S. alleges are carrying drugs to avoid any more strikes off its coast.

‘A use-it-or-lose-it kind of situation’

The Ford, originally deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, was within the U.S. Southern Command region but not yet in the Caribbean. The carrier was in the mid-Atlantic on Thursday, a defense official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter said on condition of anonymity.

Clark said sending the Ford to South America would have a minimal impact on costs and readiness in the short term because it still has a month or two left on its regularly scheduled deployment.

Cancian, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the U.S. can’t afford to have the Ford “dawdling around the Caribbean” for long. It’s such a powerful military asset that it may be needed elsewhere, such as the Middle East.

“It’s a use-it-or-lose-it kind of situation,” he said.

Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763168183685.png" alt="The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), front, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), right, USS Mahan (DDG 72), left, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025.&nbsp;U.S. military forces, like the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, are deployed in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. -Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Basisage" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), front, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), right, USS Mahan (DDG 72), left, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, Nov. 13, 2025.&nbsp;U.S. military forces, like the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, are deployed in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. -Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Basisage</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carriers-trump-venezuela-middle-east-a458b9c4f1a5690e19d7c532dd6b7fd7">is expected to reach the waters</a>&nbsp;off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela">Venezuela</a>&nbsp;in days, a flex of American military power not seen in Latin America for generations.Experts disagree on the possibility that American warplanes will catapult off the USS Gerald R. Ford to bomb targets inside Venezuela and further pressure authoritarian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nicolas-maduro">Nicolás Maduro</a>&nbsp;to step down. Still, whether it may serve that purpose or only patrols the Caribbean as the U.S. blows up boats it accuses of trafficking drugs, the presence of the 100,000-ton warship alone is sending a message.“This is the anchor of what it means to have U.S. military power once again in Latin America,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for the Andes region. “And it has raised a lot of anxieties in Venezuela but also throughout the region. I think everyone is watching this with sort of bated breath to see just how willing the U.S. is to really use military force.”The Ford’s impending arrival is a major moment in the Trump administration’s campaign in South America, which it describes as a counterdrug operation. It escalates the already massive buildup of military firepower in the region, with added pressure from bomber training runs near the Venezuelan coast, CIA operations that have been publicly authorized inside the country and boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that have killed over 75 people.The U.S. has long used aircraft carriers as tools of deterrence to pressure and influence other nations, often without employing any force at all. They carry thousands of sailors and dozens of warplanes that can strike targets deep inside another country.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday formally named the mission Operation Southern Spear, emphasizing the growing significance and permanence of the military’s presence in the region. Once the Ford arrives, the mission will encompass nearly a dozen Navy ships as well 12,000 sailors and Marines.<h2>Trump administration says it’s focused on fighting drug trafficking</h2>Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists that President Donald Trump is focused on stopping drugs from entering the U.S. by combatting “organized criminal narcoterrorists.”“That’s what he’s authorized. That’s what the military’s doing. That’s why our assets are there,” he told reporters Wednesday after meeting his counterparts from the Group of Seven democracies in Canada.But Rubio also says the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-election-tally-sheets-actas-oas-carter-center-41d1000926d0ab99e522e53bf6c2b916">widely accused of stealing last year’s election</a>, as the leader of Venezuela and called the government a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with those trafficking drugs toward the U.S.Some experts say deploying the Ford appears to be geared more toward a government change in Venezuela than drug trafficking.“There’s nothing that an aircraft carrier brings that is useful for combating the drug trade,” Dickinson said. “I think it’s clearly a message that is much more geared toward pressuring Caracas.”Bryan Clark, a former Navy submariner and defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, said the Trump administration would not have deployed the Ford “if they didn’t intend to use it.”“I think this administration is very open to using military force to accomplish particular objectives,” Clark said. “I think they’re going to want to actually do some military operations unless Maduro steps down in the next month or so.”After Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-congress-6163b24e940dd74005fc3cb78751f92a">briefed lawmakers last week</a>, Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said they gave no indication that the strikes would be stopping but also indicated that they were targeting cocaine traffickers and not overtly intending to overthrow Maduro.Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, expects U.S. warships to launch missiles from other ships before launching any American warplanes. He said Venezuela has relatively sophisticated missile defense systems from Russia that could put American pilots at risk.“Because they have so many systems, some are relatively new, and all are mobile, we probably wouldn’t get them all,” Cancian said. “So there’s some risk that we could lose some aircraft.”<h2>Venezuela mobilizes for possible attack</h2>Venezuela’s government this week touted a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against possible U.S. attacks. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said in a statement that “land, air, naval, riverine, and missile assets” would be part of a two-day readiness effort “to confront imperialist threats.”State television showed members of the military, police and militias standing in formations across the country. Padrino also delivered remarks, broadcast on state television, standing by a surface-to-air missile system in a military base in the capital, Caracas.Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S., has insisted the Trump administration’s intentions are to force him from power. Venezuela’s U.S.-backed political opposition has renewed its promise of an imminent government change.David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who has studied Venezuela for more than 30 years, said the U.S. military does not have enough manpower in the region, even with the aircraft carrier, for an invasion.“It’s consistent with this desire to demonstrate credible force, which they had already,” Smilde said of the carrier. “It doesn’t change the equation. I don’t think that the fact that it is there means that they necessarily have to strike. It just means that Trump and Hegseth have not forgotten about this, and they are still onboard in trying to generate a regime change through a show of force.”Smilde said Venezuela’s political opposition has long told U.S. officials that “just a credible threat of force” would cause Maduro’s government to crumble. For Trump, he said, that would be the best outcome of this operation.<h2>Pushback on intelligence</h2>The U.S. actions have faced pushback in the region, in Congress and among rights organizations. However, Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-strikes-congress-6c0061bf5a9c417e66f76fcc6ee57405">voted last week</a>&nbsp;to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela.Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-colombia-petro-sanctions-drug-trafficking-1b6ead338ec266b3df40859db6ee2d8d">hit with U.S. sanctions</a>&nbsp;over allegations of aiding the drug trade, on Tuesday announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colombia-trump-drug-strikes-intelligence-2424e84a97f3a584a491143627dfdaa7">cutting off intelligence sharing</a>&nbsp;with the longtime North American ally until the strikes stop. But he softened his stance the following day, saying the sharing would continue as long as agencies guarantee it won’t be used in actions that jeopardize human rights.Rubio pushed back on reports that the United Kingdom has halted some intelligence sharing in the region over concerns about the strikes, saying U.S. assets in the region provide such information.The U.S. is not “asking anyone to help us with what we’re doing — in any realm. And that includes the military,” he said.Mexico, however, is stepping up its cooperation with the U.S. in targeting drug trafficking. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her administration made an agreement with the U.S. for Mexico’s navy to intercept boats in international waters near Mexico that the U.S. alleges are carrying drugs to avoid any more strikes off its coast.<h2>‘A use-it-or-lose-it kind of situation’</h2>The Ford, originally deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, was within the U.S. Southern Command region but not yet in the Caribbean. The carrier was in the mid-Atlantic on Thursday, a defense official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter said on condition of anonymity.Clark said sending the Ford to South America would have a minimal impact on costs and readiness in the short term because it still has a month or two left on its regularly scheduled deployment.Cancian, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the U.S. can’t afford to have the Ford “dawdling around the Caribbean” for long. It’s such a powerful military asset that it may be needed elsewhere, such as the Middle East.“It’s a use-it-or-lose-it kind of situation,” he said.___Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

US aircraft carrier nears Venezuela in flex of American military power

After growing since the end of June, the Mega Millions® jackpot was won for just the fifth time this year on Friday night. 

A single ticket sold in Georgia matched all six numbers in the November 14 drawing – the white balls 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57, plus the gold Mega Ball 7 – to win the estimated $980 million prize ($452.2 million cash),&nbsp; according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. 

 It’s by far the largest prize ever won in the month of November, and the eighth largest jackpot in the history of the game.&nbsp;

Georgia is one of the founding members of Mega Millions, and this is the largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot won in the state, and its first since November 2016.“$980 million is the largest jackpot that’s been won since the Mega Millions game changed back in April,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium. 

“Congratulations to our big winner from Georgia and to all our players who are winning more than ever with this new version of the game.”Indeed, in the 40 drawings since the jackpot was last won at $348 million in Virginia on June 27 – the most drawings in a single jackpot run in the game’s history – there were almost 14.3 million winning tickets at all prize levels. With the new greatly-enhanced prize values, total non-jackpot prizes won were nearly $343.4 million. 

These include 21 second-tier prizes of $2 million or more (won in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia).&nbsp;Also in this jackpot run, a total of 347 third-tier prizes of $20,000 to $100,000 were won in 40 different jurisdictions across the country: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

In the November 14 drawing alone, there were 1,112,941 winning tickets at all prize levels, plus the single jackpot-winning ticket. One ticket, sold in Michigan, matched the five white balls for the second-tier prize; with the 3X multiplier, it is worth $3 million. 

Forty-eight tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball to win the game’s third-tier prize: 22 at 2X (two each in California, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, plus one each in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Wyoming), 17 at 3X (two each in Georgia, Maryland and Texas, and one each in California, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia), seven at 4X (Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York and Texas), and two at 10X (New York and Pennsylvania).&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.megamillions.com/Winning-Numbers.aspx">Find complete drawing results here.</a>

<a href="https://www.megamillions.com/Winning-Numbers.aspx"></a>Due to California’s pari-mutuel rules, all prizes in that state will vary from the standard values.The jackpot is the largest won since last December’s whopping $1.269 billion prize awarded in California. Four earlier jackpots were won this year; in addition to the Virginia win on June 27, jackpots were awarded in Ohio ($112 million on April 18), Illinois ($349 million on March 25), and Arizona ($112 million on January 17).<a href="https://www.megamillions.com/About/Jackpot-History.aspx">See the complete Mega Millions jackpot history.</a>The jackpot for the next drawing on Tuesday, November 18, resets to its new starting value of $50 million ($23.1 million cash). This starting jackpot level is another benefit of the game change.

After growing since the end of June, the Mega Millions® jackpot was won for just the fifth time this year on Friday night. A single ticket sold in Georgia matched all six numbers in the November 14 drawing – the white balls 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57, plus the gold Mega Ball 7 – to win the estimated $980 million prize ($452.2 million cash),&nbsp; according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. It’s by far the largest prize ever won in the month of November, and the eighth largest jackpot in the history of the game.&nbsp;Georgia is one of the founding members of Mega Millions, and this is the largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot won in the state, and its first since November 2016.“$980 million is the largest jackpot that’s been won since the Mega Millions game changed back in April,” said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium. “Congratulations to our big winner from Georgia and to all our players who are winning more than ever with this new version of the game.”Indeed, in the 40 drawings since the jackpot was last won at $348 million in Virginia on June 27 – the most drawings in a single jackpot run in the game’s history – there were almost 14.3 million winning tickets at all prize levels. With the new greatly-enhanced prize values, total non-jackpot prizes won were nearly $343.4 million. These include 21 second-tier prizes of $2 million or more (won in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia).&nbsp;Also in this jackpot run, a total of 347 third-tier prizes of $20,000 to $100,000 were won in 40 different jurisdictions across the country: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.In the November 14 drawing alone, there were 1,112,941 winning tickets at all prize levels, plus the single jackpot-winning ticket. One ticket, sold in Michigan, matched the five white balls for the second-tier prize; with the 3X multiplier, it is worth $3 million. Forty-eight tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball to win the game’s third-tier prize: 22 at 2X (two each in California, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, plus one each in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Wyoming), 17 at 3X (two each in Georgia, Maryland and Texas, and one each in California, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia), seven at 4X (Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York and Texas), and two at 10X (New York and Pennsylvania).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.megamillions.com/Winning-Numbers.aspx">Find complete drawing results here.</a><a href="https://www.megamillions.com/Winning-Numbers.aspx"></a>Due to California’s pari-mutuel rules, all prizes in that state will vary from the standard values.The jackpot is the largest won since last December’s whopping $1.269 billion prize awarded in California. Four earlier jackpots were won this year; in addition to the Virginia win on June 27, jackpots were awarded in Ohio ($112 million on April 18), Illinois ($349 million on March 25), and Arizona ($112 million on January 17).<a href="https://www.megamillions.com/About/Jackpot-History.aspx">See the complete Mega Millions jackpot history.</a>The jackpot for the next drawing on Tuesday, November 18, resets to its new starting value of $50 million ($23.1 million cash). This starting jackpot level is another benefit of the game change.

Single ticket wins Mega Millions lottery jackpot of nearly a billion dollars

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was scrapping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">U.S. tariffs</a>&nbsp;on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities — a dramatic move that comes amid mounting pressure on his administration to better combat high consumer prices.

Trump has built his second term around imposing steep levies on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of encouraging domestic production and lifting the U.S. economy. His abrupt retreat from his signature tariff policy on so many staples key to the American diet is significant, and it comes after voters in off-year elections this month cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-election-democratic-wins-voter-discontent-e8e94eb6f2de702475875c1bbd80a89b">economic concerns as their top issue</a>, resulting in big wins for Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and other key races around the country.

“We just did a little bit of a rollback on some foods like coffee,” Trump said aboard Air Force One as he flew to Florida hours after the tariff announcement was made.

Pressed on his tariffs helping to increase consumer prices, Trump acknowledged, “I say they may, in some cases" have that effect.

“But to a large extent they’ve been borne by other countries,” the president added.

Meanwhile, inflation — despite Trump's pronouncements that it has vanished since he took office in January — remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-inflation-trump-prices-economy-wall-street-fed-consumers-280a2fd30de3bb44bd87cd0248082322">elevated</a>, further increasing pressure on U.S. consumers.

The Trump administration has insisted that its tariffs had helped fill government coffers and weren't a major factor in higher prices at grocery stores around the country. But Democrats were quick to paint Friday's move as an acknowledgement that Trump's policies were hurting American pocketbooks.

“President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people," Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said in a statement. “After getting drubbed in recent elections because of voters’ fury that Trump has broken his promises to fix inflation, the White House is trying to cast this tariff retreat as a ‘pivot to affordability.'"

Trump slapped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">tariffs on most countries</a>&nbsp;around the globe in April. He and his administration still say that tariffs don’t increase consumer prices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-tariffs-liberation-day-import-taxes-118d73f50e5133ef3d9598aed6661a6c">despite economic evidence</a>&nbsp;to the contrary.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-beef-justice-department-c6c57effee6ef1a8c1088d4e5edcc60a">Record-high beef prices</a>&nbsp;have been a particular concern, and Trump had said he intended to take action to try and lower them. Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-us-trump-tariffs-venezuela-cec9cf533a274c27831c5e27229a097c">tariffs on Brazil</a>, a major beef exporter, had been a factor.

Trump signed an executive order that also removes tariffs on tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and certain fertilizers. Some of the products covered aren’t produced in the United States, meaning that tariffs meant to spur domestic production had little effect. But reducing the tariffs will still likely mean lower prices for U.S. consumers.

The Food Industry Association, which represents retailers, producers and a variety of related industry firms and services, applauded Trump's move to provide “swift tariff relief,” noting that import U.S. taxes "are an important factor” in a “complex mix” of supply chain issues.

“President Trump’s proclamation to reduce tariffs on a substantial volume of food imports is a critical step ensuring continued adequate supply at prices consumers can afford,” the association said in a statement.

In explaining the tariff reductions, the White House said Friday that some of the original levies Trump relished imposing on nearly every country on earth months ago were actually no longer necessary given the trade agreements he'd since hammered out with key U.S. trading partners.

Indeed, Friday's announcement follows the Trump administration having reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-argentina-ecuador-el-salvador-guatemala-f3b389b49aaa046767544c4857b41a87">framework agreements</a>&nbsp;with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Argentina meant to increase the ability of U.S. firms to sell industrial and agricultural products in these countries, while also potentially easing tariffs on agricultural products produced there.

During an interview that aired earlier in the week with Laura Ingraham of Fox News Channel, Trump hinted that lower tariffs might be coming.

“Coffee, we’re going to lower some tariffs,” the president said then. “We’re going to have some coffee come in.”

Despite pulling back on so many tariffs, Trump used his comments aboard Air Force One on Friday night to repeat his past assertions that his administration would use revenue the federal government has collected from import levies to fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-dividends-election-supreme-court-21ee2da1ab7966fa6566b81bc91b11d4">$2,000 checks</a>&nbsp;for many Americans.

The president suggested such checks could be issued in 2026, but was vague on timing, saying only, “Sometime during the year.” Trump, however, also said federal tariff revenue might be used to pay down national debt — raising questions about how much federal funding would be needed to do both.

Trump rejected suggestions that attempting direct payments to Americans could exacerbate inflation concerns — even as he suggested that similar checks offered during the coronavirus pandemic, and by previous administrations to stimulate the economy, had that very effect.

“This is money earned as opposed to money that was made up,” Trump said. “Everybody but the rich will get this. That’s not made up. That’s real money. That comes from other countries.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was scrapping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tariffs">U.S. tariffs</a>&nbsp;on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities — a dramatic move that comes amid mounting pressure on his administration to better combat high consumer prices.Trump has built his second term around imposing steep levies on goods imported into the U.S. in hopes of encouraging domestic production and lifting the U.S. economy. His abrupt retreat from his signature tariff policy on so many staples key to the American diet is significant, and it comes after voters in off-year elections this month cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-election-democratic-wins-voter-discontent-e8e94eb6f2de702475875c1bbd80a89b">economic concerns as their top issue</a>, resulting in big wins for Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and other key races around the country.“We just did a little bit of a rollback on some foods like coffee,” Trump said aboard Air Force One as he flew to Florida hours after the tariff announcement was made.Pressed on his tariffs helping to increase consumer prices, Trump acknowledged, “I say they may, in some cases" have that effect.“But to a large extent they’ve been borne by other countries,” the president added.Meanwhile, inflation — despite Trump's pronouncements that it has vanished since he took office in January — remains&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-inflation-trump-prices-economy-wall-street-fed-consumers-280a2fd30de3bb44bd87cd0248082322">elevated</a>, further increasing pressure on U.S. consumers.The Trump administration has insisted that its tariffs had helped fill government coffers and weren't a major factor in higher prices at grocery stores around the country. But Democrats were quick to paint Friday's move as an acknowledgement that Trump's policies were hurting American pocketbooks.“President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people," Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said in a statement. “After getting drubbed in recent elections because of voters’ fury that Trump has broken his promises to fix inflation, the White House is trying to cast this tariff retreat as a ‘pivot to affordability.'"<h2>Grocery bill worries</h2>Trump slapped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-liberation-day-2a031b3c16120a5672a6ddd01da09933">tariffs on most countries</a>&nbsp;around the globe in April. He and his administration still say that tariffs don’t increase consumer prices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-tariffs-liberation-day-import-taxes-118d73f50e5133ef3d9598aed6661a6c">despite economic evidence</a>&nbsp;to the contrary.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-beef-justice-department-c6c57effee6ef1a8c1088d4e5edcc60a">Record-high beef prices</a>&nbsp;have been a particular concern, and Trump had said he intended to take action to try and lower them. Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-us-trump-tariffs-venezuela-cec9cf533a274c27831c5e27229a097c">tariffs on Brazil</a>, a major beef exporter, had been a factor.Trump signed an executive order that also removes tariffs on tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and certain fertilizers. Some of the products covered aren’t produced in the United States, meaning that tariffs meant to spur domestic production had little effect. But reducing the tariffs will still likely mean lower prices for U.S. consumers.The Food Industry Association, which represents retailers, producers and a variety of related industry firms and services, applauded Trump's move to provide “swift tariff relief,” noting that import U.S. taxes "are an important factor” in a “complex mix” of supply chain issues.“President Trump’s proclamation to reduce tariffs on a substantial volume of food imports is a critical step ensuring continued adequate supply at prices consumers can afford,” the association said in a statement.In explaining the tariff reductions, the White House said Friday that some of the original levies Trump relished imposing on nearly every country on earth months ago were actually no longer necessary given the trade agreements he'd since hammered out with key U.S. trading partners.Indeed, Friday's announcement follows the Trump administration having reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-argentina-ecuador-el-salvador-guatemala-f3b389b49aaa046767544c4857b41a87">framework agreements</a>&nbsp;with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Argentina meant to increase the ability of U.S. firms to sell industrial and agricultural products in these countries, while also potentially easing tariffs on agricultural products produced there.During an interview that aired earlier in the week with Laura Ingraham of Fox News Channel, Trump hinted that lower tariffs might be coming.“Coffee, we’re going to lower some tariffs,” the president said then. “We’re going to have some coffee come in.”<h2>Tariff checks?</h2>Despite pulling back on so many tariffs, Trump used his comments aboard Air Force One on Friday night to repeat his past assertions that his administration would use revenue the federal government has collected from import levies to fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-dividends-election-supreme-court-21ee2da1ab7966fa6566b81bc91b11d4">$2,000 checks</a>&nbsp;for many Americans.The president suggested such checks could be issued in 2026, but was vague on timing, saying only, “Sometime during the year.” Trump, however, also said federal tariff revenue might be used to pay down national debt — raising questions about how much federal funding would be needed to do both.Trump rejected suggestions that attempting direct payments to Americans could exacerbate inflation concerns — even as he suggested that similar checks offered during the coronavirus pandemic, and by previous administrations to stimulate the economy, had that very effect.“This is money earned as opposed to money that was made up,” Trump said. “Everybody but the rich will get this. That’s not made up. That’s real money. That comes from other countries.”

Grocery bill worries: Trump scraps tariffs on beef, coffee and more

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.

Just before noon Nov. 9, just before noon, police were dispatched to a residence in the 2500 block of McBride Parkway in Great Bend in reference to a domestic battery and a stolen vehicle, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim, who advised that she had been struck and choked by Jerome Maravilla, 67, who had left the residence in the victim's vehicle. 

The victim's vehicle was located a short time later, and officers gained information that Maravilla was hiding inside of a detached garage. Maravilla was taken into custody and booked into the Barton County Jail on charges of Aggravated Battery and Theft.

The Barton County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol assisted in the arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763143484827.png" alt="Maravilla-photo Barton County" />
 <figcaption>Maravilla-photo Barton County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.Just before noon Nov. 9, just before noon, police were dispatched to a residence in the 2500 block of McBride Parkway in Great Bend in reference to a domestic battery and a stolen vehicle, according to a media release.Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim, who advised that she had been struck and choked by Jerome Maravilla, 67, who had left the residence in the victim's vehicle. The victim's vehicle was located a short time later, and officers gained information that Maravilla was hiding inside of a detached garage. Maravilla was taken into custody and booked into the Barton County Jail on charges of Aggravated Battery and Theft.The Barton County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol assisted in the arrest.