KANSAS CITY–Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.&nbsp;

Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. 

EMS was called to the scene and declared the victim deceased. Detective are working to determine what led up to the shooting and are actively working to identify a possible person of interest. No one has been identified and police do not currently have anyone in custody at this time.

KANSAS CITY–Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.&nbsp;Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to KCPD&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive. EMS was called to the scene and declared the victim deceased. Detective are working to determine what led up to the shooting and are actively working to identify a possible person of interest. No one has been identified and police do not currently have anyone in custody at this time.

Homicide: Victim found in car facing wrong-way on KC street

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/darlene-superville">DARLENE SUPERVILLE</a>

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-security-a3df8ed878f2c0587f7038d68a0447f6">the inauguration</a>&nbsp;of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be there.

Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said.

“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama that was shared with The Associated Press.

No explanation was given for why Michelle Obama was skipping Trump’s inauguration. She also did not attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-state-funeral-joe-biden-donald-trump-df391a578d6b4627ad500f5df03ac1ff">last week’s state funeral</a>&nbsp;in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter. Former presidents Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton and their spouses attended — except for her.

Bill Clinton will attend the swearing-in ceremony, a person familiar with the former president’s schedule confirmed for the AP. Hillary Clinton will also attend, a spokesperson said.

The Office of George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush are attending.

Michelle Obama was the only spouse absent from the service last week at Washington National Cathedral, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and chatted and laughed like old friends despite the history of political animosity between the Democratic former president and the returning Republican.

All three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, including Hillary Clinton, after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inauguration-defeated-candidates-harris-trump-pence-cleveland-ae54c0da48e6cc30506d9c8baec638b9">lost the 2016 presidential election</a>&nbsp;to Trump. Carter also attended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736874038762.png" alt="Former First Lady Michelle Obama during a campaign event in October for Kamala Harris" />
 <figcaption>Former First Lady Michelle Obama during a campaign event in October for Kamala Harris</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/darlene-superville">DARLENE SUPERVILLE</a>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-security-a3df8ed878f2c0587f7038d68a0447f6">the inauguration</a>&nbsp;of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be there.Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said.“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama that was shared with The Associated Press.No explanation was given for why Michelle Obama was skipping Trump’s inauguration. She also did not attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-state-funeral-joe-biden-donald-trump-df391a578d6b4627ad500f5df03ac1ff">last week’s state funeral</a>&nbsp;in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter. Former presidents Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton and their spouses attended — except for her.Bill Clinton will attend the swearing-in ceremony, a person familiar with the former president’s schedule confirmed for the AP. Hillary Clinton will also attend, a spokesperson said.The Office of George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush are attending.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736438386663.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Michelle Obama was the only spouse absent from the service last week at Washington National Cathedral, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and chatted and laughed like old friends despite the history of political animosity between the Democratic former president and the returning Republican.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736873792879.png" alt="Former President Obama and Former first lady Michelle at the inauguration in 2017-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Obama and Former first lady Michelle at the inauguration in 2017-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>All three former presidents and their wives attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, including Hillary Clinton, after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inauguration-defeated-candidates-harris-trump-pence-cleveland-ae54c0da48e6cc30506d9c8baec638b9">lost the 2016 presidential election</a>&nbsp;to Trump. Carter also attended.

Michelle Obama will skip Trump inauguration

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after four&nbsp;dogs were found at the service center in Lyon County on the Kansas Turnpike, according to a social media report from the Lyon County Sheriff.

Two were left in a cage by the dumpster and two were running loose. Someone from out of state picked them up and tried to take them to the animal shelter.

The shelter was unable to take them in. They are being cared for by the Lyon County jail staff. Please contact the Lyone Sheriff's Office if you are interested in adoption or fostering.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736865052558.png" alt="Photos Lyon County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Lyon County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating after four&nbsp;dogs were found at the service center in Lyon County on the Kansas Turnpike, according to a social media report from the Lyon County Sheriff.Two were left in a cage by the dumpster and two were running loose. Someone from out of state picked them up and tried to take them to the animal shelter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736869091970.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The shelter was unable to take them in. They are being cared for by the Lyon County jail staff. Please contact the Lyone Sheriff's Office if you are interested in adoption or fostering.

Sheriff: 4 dogs dumped at service center on Kan. Turnpike

The Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division reminded residents Monday to be aware of a recent change in Kansas state law that may have an effect on daily spending habits.

 As of January 1, 2025, merchants can legally add a surcharge to credit card transactions, as long as clear notice is provided to the customer before the sale.

K.S.A. 16a-2-403 has been amended to allow any person or retailer offering sales, services or lease transactions to impose a surcharge on credit card payments, as long as the amount of the surcharge is disclosed through a “clear and conspicuous notice to the customer at the point of entry or the point of sale and in advance of such transaction.”

Before this change in the law, Kansas had what amounted to a ban on surcharges, allowing only for cash discounts on sales. In 2021, however, the ban was held to be unconstitutional in a federal case, finding it was a violation of the First Amendment.

Although debit cards are not mentioned in the body of the new Kansas statute, adding a debit card surcharge remains illegal in all 50 states under federal law, specifically the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Reform and Consumer Protections Act. Similarly, because Kansas state law has no maximum surcharge, the maximum allowed in Kansas is capped by federal law at 4 percent.

The Office of the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division reminded residents Monday to be aware of a recent change in Kansas state law that may have an effect on daily spending habits. As of January 1, 2025, merchants can legally add a surcharge to credit card transactions, as long as clear notice is provided to the customer before the sale.K.S.A. 16a-2-403 has been amended to allow any person or retailer offering sales, services or lease transactions to impose a surcharge on credit card payments, as long as the amount of the surcharge is disclosed through a “clear and conspicuous notice to the customer at the point of entry or the point of sale and in advance of such transaction.”Before this change in the law, Kansas had what amounted to a ban on surcharges, allowing only for cash discounts on sales. In 2021, however, the ban was held to be unconstitutional in a federal case, finding it was a violation of the First Amendment.Although debit cards are not mentioned in the body of the new Kansas statute, adding a debit card surcharge remains illegal in all 50 states under federal law, specifically the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Reform and Consumer Protections Act. Similarly, because Kansas state law has no maximum surcharge, the maximum allowed in Kansas is capped by federal law at 4 percent.

Why paying with credit card could now cost you more in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a bank robbery in Topeka.

Just before 5p.m. Monday, a suspect, described as a black male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200-215 pounds and wearing&nbsp; a black jacket with a hood, dark colored jeans, dark colored tennis shoes and a face covering,&nbsp; entered&nbsp;Equity Bank, 3825 SW 29th&nbsp;Street in Topeka,&nbsp;according to a media release from the FBI. 

The approached the teller and made a verbal demand for money and brandished a firearm.

The suspect fled the bank in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736817291492.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a bank robbery in Topeka.Just before 5p.m. Monday, a suspect, described as a black male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200-215 pounds and wearing&nbsp; a black jacket with a hood, dark colored jeans, dark colored tennis shoes and a face covering,&nbsp; entered&nbsp;Equity Bank, 3825 SW 29th&nbsp;Street in Topeka,&nbsp;according to a media release from the FBI. The approached the teller and made a verbal demand for money and brandished a firearm.The suspect fled the bank in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

FBI releases details on Kansas bank robbery suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Monday that his stewardship of American foreign policy has left the U.S. safer and economically more secure, arguing that President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will inherit a nation viewed as stronger and more reliable than it was four years ago.

Biden trumpeted his administration's work on expanding NATO, rallying allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-us-aid-weapons-trump-6f8eeb09dbc69d3ae2e097bb8eb10151">provide Ukraine with military aid</a>&nbsp;to fight Russia and bolstering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ai-artificial-intelligence-chips-computer-trade-4495b5b4a48e856dc612e7abe3e47d20">American chip manufacturing</a>&nbsp;to better compete with China during a wide-ranging speech to reflect on his foreign policy legacy a week before ceding the White House to Trump.

Biden’s case for his achievements will be shadowed and shaped, at least in the near term, by the messy counterfactual that American voters once again turned to Trump and his protectionist worldview. And he will leave office at a turbulent moment for the globe, with a series of conflicts raging.

“Thanks to our administration, the United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago,” Biden said in his address at the State Department. “America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen.”

The one-term Democrat took office in the throes of the worst&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-covid19-coronavirus-national-emergency-e3a52722b57a6b4f24187426c27b3b39">global pandemic</a>&nbsp;in a century, and his plans to repair alliances strained by four years of Trump’s “America First” worldview were quickly stress-tested by international crises:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the chaotic U.S. withdrawal</a>&nbsp;from Afghanistan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>, and Hamas' brutal 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars">war in the Middle East</a>.

Biden argued that he provided a steady hand when the world needed it most. He was tested by war, calamity and miscalculation.

“My administration is leaving the next administration with a very strong hand to play,” Biden said. “America is once again leading."

Chaotic US exit from Afghanistan was an early setback for Biden

With the U.S. completing its 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden fulfilled a campaign promise to wind down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-dd43bcc58bd17668b1cf4ae79997142b">America’s longest war</a>.

But the 20-year conflict ended in disquieting fashion: The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5">U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-withdrawal-abbey-gate-28dcaccf6f946bc171a2133ddbb123de">grisly bombing</a>&nbsp;killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul’s airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush.

The Afghanistan debacle was a major setback just eight months into Biden's presidency that he struggled to recover from.

“Ending the war was the right thing to do, and I believe history will reflect that," Biden said. "Critics said if we ended the war, it would damage our alliances and create threats to our homeland from foreign-directed terrorism out of a safe haven in Afghanistan — neither has occurred.”

Biden's Republican detractors, including Trump, cast it as a signal moment in a failed presidency.

“I’ll tell you what happened, he was so bad with Afghanistan, it was such a horrible embarrassment, most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,” Trump said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-panic-performance-democrats-debate-trump-cnn-fe6546f2c9762e80e6067ba10abedea8">lone 2024 presidential debate with Biden</a>, just weeks before the Democrat announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">ending his reelection campaign.</a>

Biden's legacy in Ukraine may hinge on Trump's approach going forward

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden rallied allies in Europe and beyond to provide Ukraine with billions in military and economic assistance — including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-us-aid-going-ukraine">more than $100 billion</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. alone. That allowed Kyiv to stay in the fight with Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin's</a>&nbsp;vastly bigger and better-equipped military.

Biden's team also coordinated with allies to hit Russia with a steady stream of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-sanctions-energy-ukraine-war-biden-trump-bebf8f798e6212ee53b80e2eaea6e712">sanctions</a>&nbsp;aimed at isolating the Kremlin and making Moscow pay an economic price for prosecuting its war.

Biden on Monday marveled that at the start of the war Putin thought Russian forces would easily defeat Ukraine in a matter of days. It was an assessment U.S. and European intelligence officials shared.

Instead, Biden said his administration and its allies have “laid the foundation” for the Trump administration to help Ukraine eventually arrive at a moment where it can negotiate a just end to the nearly three-year old conflict.

“Today, Ukraine is still a free and independent country with the potential for a bright future," Biden said.

Trump has criticized the cost of the war to U.S. taxpayers and has vowed to bring the conflict to a quick end.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan made the case that Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, should consider the backing of Ukraine through the prism of a dealmaker.

“Donald Trump has built his identity around making deals, and the way you make a good deal is with leverage,” Sullivan said in an interview. “Our case publicly and privately to the incoming team is build the leverage, show the staying power, back Ukraine, and it is down that path that lies a good deal."

Biden's Mideast diplomacy shadowed by devastation of Gaza

In the Middle East, Biden has stood by Israel as it has worked to root out Hamas from Gaza. That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Iran’s most powerful ally,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hezbollah-israel-hamas-lebanon-gaza-62d6eb8831fbd871f862146add7970d9">Hezbollah,</a>&nbsp;even as Israel has launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/israels-strikes-are-shifting-the-power-balance-in-the-middle-east-with-us-support/">successful airstrikes</a>&nbsp;openly inside of Iran for the first time.

The degradation of Hezbollah in turn played a role when Islamist-led rebels last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-war-assad-russia-news-16-december-2024-72a8e44f762da2ff78434ff76faeb633">ousted longtime Syrian leader Bashar Assad</a>, a brutal fixture of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance."

“Iran is weaker than it’s been in decades," Biden said.

Biden's relationship with Israel's conservative leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been strained by the enormous Palestinian death toll in the fighting —now standing at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-01-09-2025-ffae654d619e8e848e2ceda8576e8fe5">more than 46,000 dead</a>&nbsp;— and Israel's blockade of the territory, which has left much of Gaza a hellscape where access to food and basic health care is severely limited.

Pro-Palestinian activists have demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged. The State Department in recent days informed Congress of a planned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-arms-sale-gaza-biden-congress-f6a8f788773ad12a34ad8fb6f7966026">$8 billion weapons sale to Israel.</a>

Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator, said the approach has put Iran on its heels, but Biden will pay a reputational cost for the devastation of Gaza.

“The administration was either unable or unwilling to create any sort of restraint that normal humans would regard as significant pressure,” Miller said. “It was beyond Joe Biden’s emotional and political bandwidth to impose the kinds of sustained or significant pressures that might have led to a change in Israeli tactics.”

More than 15 months after the Hamas-led attack that prompted the war, around 98 hostages remain in Gaza. More than a third of those are presumed dead by Israeli authorities.

Biden's Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is in the Middle East, looking to complete an elusive hostage and ceasefire deal as time runs out in the presidency.

“We are on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” Biden said.

Trump, for his part, is warning that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-press-conference-takeaways-imperialism-agenda-c91f3423cab5f8f49e4db983ecb7daa9">“all hell” will be unleashed on Hamas</a>&nbsp;if the hostages aren't freed by Inauguration Day.

Sullivan declined to comment on Trump's threats to Hamas, but offered that the two sides are in agreement about the most important thing: getting a deal done.

“Having alignment of the outgoing and incoming administration that a hostage deal at the earliest possible opportunity is in the American national interest,” he said. “Having unity of message on that is a good thing, and we have closely coordinated with the incoming team to this effect.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Monday that his stewardship of American foreign policy has left the U.S. safer and economically more secure, arguing that President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will inherit a nation viewed as stronger and more reliable than it was four years ago.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1407032123603207%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1025" width="560" height="314" 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>Biden trumpeted his administration's work on expanding NATO, rallying allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-us-aid-weapons-trump-6f8eeb09dbc69d3ae2e097bb8eb10151">provide Ukraine with military aid</a>&nbsp;to fight Russia and bolstering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ai-artificial-intelligence-chips-computer-trade-4495b5b4a48e856dc612e7abe3e47d20">American chip manufacturing</a>&nbsp;to better compete with China during a wide-ranging speech to reflect on his foreign policy legacy a week before ceding the White House to Trump.Biden’s case for his achievements will be shadowed and shaped, at least in the near term, by the messy counterfactual that American voters once again turned to Trump and his protectionist worldview. And he will leave office at a turbulent moment for the globe, with a series of conflicts raging.“Thanks to our administration, the United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago,” Biden said in his address at the State Department. “America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen.”The one-term Democrat took office in the throes of the worst&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-covid19-coronavirus-national-emergency-e3a52722b57a6b4f24187426c27b3b39">global pandemic</a>&nbsp;in a century, and his plans to repair alliances strained by four years of Trump’s “America First” worldview were quickly stress-tested by international crises:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the chaotic U.S. withdrawal</a>&nbsp;from Afghanistan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>, and Hamas' brutal 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars">war in the Middle East</a>.Biden argued that he provided a steady hand when the world needed it most. He was tested by war, calamity and miscalculation.“My administration is leaving the next administration with a very strong hand to play,” Biden said. “America is once again leading."<h2>Chaotic US exit from Afghanistan was an early setback for Biden</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden on Afghanistan: &quot;Ending the war was the right thing to do and I believe history will reflect that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/mKH9VRdCll">pic.twitter.com/mKH9VRdCll</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1878893129895457024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With the U.S. completing its 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden fulfilled a campaign promise to wind down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-dd43bcc58bd17668b1cf4ae79997142b">America’s longest war</a>.But the 20-year conflict ended in disquieting fashion: The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5">U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-withdrawal-abbey-gate-28dcaccf6f946bc171a2133ddbb123de">grisly bombing</a>&nbsp;killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul’s airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush.The Afghanistan debacle was a major setback just eight months into Biden's presidency that he struggled to recover from.“Ending the war was the right thing to do, and I believe history will reflect that," Biden said. "Critics said if we ended the war, it would damage our alliances and create threats to our homeland from foreign-directed terrorism out of a safe haven in Afghanistan — neither has occurred.”Biden's Republican detractors, including Trump, cast it as a signal moment in a failed presidency.“I’ll tell you what happened, he was so bad with Afghanistan, it was such a horrible embarrassment, most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,” Trump said in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-panic-performance-democrats-debate-trump-cnn-fe6546f2c9762e80e6067ba10abedea8">lone 2024 presidential debate with Biden</a>, just weeks before the Democrat announced he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">ending his reelection campaign.</a><h2>Biden's legacy in Ukraine may hinge on Trump's approach going forward</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden: &quot;When Putin invaded Ukraine he thought he&#39;d conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. But the truth is since that war began, I’m the only one that&#39;s stood in the center of Kyiv, not him. Putin never has.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R7LrpoxC5d">pic.twitter.com/R7LrpoxC5d</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1878889675563188260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden rallied allies in Europe and beyond to provide Ukraine with billions in military and economic assistance — including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-us-aid-going-ukraine">more than $100 billion</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. alone. That allowed Kyiv to stay in the fight with Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin's</a>&nbsp;vastly bigger and better-equipped military.Biden's team also coordinated with allies to hit Russia with a steady stream of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-sanctions-energy-ukraine-war-biden-trump-bebf8f798e6212ee53b80e2eaea6e712">sanctions</a>&nbsp;aimed at isolating the Kremlin and making Moscow pay an economic price for prosecuting its war.Biden on Monday marveled that at the start of the war Putin thought Russian forces would easily defeat Ukraine in a matter of days. It was an assessment U.S. and European intelligence officials shared.Instead, Biden said his administration and its allies have “laid the foundation” for the Trump administration to help Ukraine eventually arrive at a moment where it can negotiate a just end to the nearly three-year old conflict.“Today, Ukraine is still a free and independent country with the potential for a bright future," Biden said.Trump has criticized the cost of the war to U.S. taxpayers and has vowed to bring the conflict to a quick end.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan made the case that Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, should consider the backing of Ukraine through the prism of a dealmaker.“Donald Trump has built his identity around making deals, and the way you make a good deal is with leverage,” Sullivan said in an interview. “Our case publicly and privately to the incoming team is build the leverage, show the staying power, back Ukraine, and it is down that path that lies a good deal."<h2>Biden's Mideast diplomacy shadowed by devastation of Gaza</h2>In the Middle East, Biden has stood by Israel as it has worked to root out Hamas from Gaza. That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Iran’s most powerful ally,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hezbollah-israel-hamas-lebanon-gaza-62d6eb8831fbd871f862146add7970d9">Hezbollah,</a>&nbsp;even as Israel has launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/israels-strikes-are-shifting-the-power-balance-in-the-middle-east-with-us-support/">successful airstrikes</a>&nbsp;openly inside of Iran for the first time.The degradation of Hezbollah in turn played a role when Islamist-led rebels last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-war-assad-russia-news-16-december-2024-72a8e44f762da2ff78434ff76faeb633">ousted longtime Syrian leader Bashar Assad</a>, a brutal fixture of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance."“Iran is weaker than it’s been in decades," Biden said.Biden's relationship with Israel's conservative leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been strained by the enormous Palestinian death toll in the fighting —now standing at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-01-09-2025-ffae654d619e8e848e2ceda8576e8fe5">more than 46,000 dead</a>&nbsp;— and Israel's blockade of the territory, which has left much of Gaza a hellscape where access to food and basic health care is severely limited.Pro-Palestinian activists have demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged. The State Department in recent days informed Congress of a planned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-arms-sale-gaza-biden-congress-f6a8f788773ad12a34ad8fb6f7966026">$8 billion weapons sale to Israel.</a>Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator, said the approach has put Iran on its heels, but Biden will pay a reputational cost for the devastation of Gaza.“The administration was either unable or unwilling to create any sort of restraint that normal humans would regard as significant pressure,” Miller said. “It was beyond Joe Biden’s emotional and political bandwidth to impose the kinds of sustained or significant pressures that might have led to a change in Israeli tactics.”More than 15 months after the Hamas-led attack that prompted the war, around 98 hostages remain in Gaza. More than a third of those are presumed dead by Israeli authorities.Biden's Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is in the Middle East, looking to complete an elusive hostage and ceasefire deal as time runs out in the presidency.“We are on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” Biden said.Trump, for his part, is warning that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-press-conference-takeaways-imperialism-agenda-c91f3423cab5f8f49e4db983ecb7daa9">“all hell” will be unleashed on Hamas</a>&nbsp;if the hostages aren't freed by Inauguration Day.Sullivan declined to comment on Trump's threats to Hamas, but offered that the two sides are in agreement about the most important thing: getting a deal done.“Having alignment of the outgoing and incoming administration that a hostage deal at the earliest possible opportunity is in the American national interest,” he said. “Having unity of message on that is a good thing, and we have closely coordinated with the incoming team to this effect.”

🎥 From Ukraine to Gaza: Biden hands off foreign policy to Trump

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JEFF%20MARTIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JEFF MARTIN Associated Press</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/lox/">National Weather Service's Los Angeles page</a>&nbsp;screams “Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)” in hot pink letters against a gray background.

It's a rare warning aimed at seizing attention ahead of extreme wildfire risk that's predicted to start in southern California at 4 a.m. (1200GMT) Tuesday.

PDS warnings were first used to warn of tornado outbreaks in the Midwest. More than a decade ago, three meteorologists proposed expanding their use to disasters such as ice storms, floods, hurricanes, and now wildfires.

"It catches the attention, it really heightens that awareness and the need to really act at that point," said one of those scientists, Jonathan Howell.

The hope was that the phrase would “become synonymous with extreme weather events” and also could be used for emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms, Howell and two colleagues wrote for a presentation at a 2011 conference of the American Meteorological Society.

“I definitely think this has made an impact and has saved lives over the years," said Howell, who is the science and operations officer at the weather service’s Mobile, Alabama office.

The weather service's Storm Prediction Center — whose mission is to provide "forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes” — says that the term was first used on April 2, 1982 by forecaster Robert H. Johns, in conjunction with a tornado watch.

That came after a “failed attempt in the late 1970s," Johns said in an interview in the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. Meteorologists had alerted the public to a “big next day,” only to see no severe weather, he said.

Today, meteorologists have better tools to predict catastrophic weather outbreaks than they had in the 1970s and 1980s and forecasters can more reliably issue severe warnings, Howell said.

The PDS term appeared in newspaper articles such as an April, 1, 1983 Associated Press story about a widespread storm system that caused a blinding dust storm in west Texas.

During the first week of November last year, as Santa Ana winds fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-winds-36ff3257749a0e5bbc870863a9da68a5">the Mountain Fire</a>&nbsp;northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a PDS warning. Forecasters called the threat “extreme and life-threatening.”

Then, on Dec. 9, residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were again warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” as Santa Ana winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-weather-winds-5a3cff526465877782c4ed0c531b6091">roared through the mountains</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736724211560.png" alt="Image California National Guard" />
 <figcaption>Image California National Guard</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JEFF%20MARTIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JEFF MARTIN Associated Press</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/lox/">National Weather Service's Los Angeles page</a>&nbsp;screams “Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)” in hot pink letters against a gray background.It's a rare warning aimed at seizing attention ahead of extreme wildfire risk that's predicted to start in southern California at 4 a.m. (1200GMT) Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Extreme fire danger will continue thru Wed. PDS Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cawx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cawx</a> <a href="https://t.co/JedMNHvygB">pic.twitter.com/JedMNHvygB</a>&mdash; NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1878882840492044401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>PDS warnings were first used to warn of tornado outbreaks in the Midwest. More than a decade ago, three meteorologists proposed expanding their use to disasters such as ice storms, floods, hurricanes, and now wildfires.<h2>Grabbing attention</h2>"It catches the attention, it really heightens that awareness and the need to really act at that point," said one of those scientists, Jonathan Howell.The hope was that the phrase would “become synonymous with extreme weather events” and also could be used for emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms, Howell and two colleagues wrote for a presentation at a 2011 conference of the American Meteorological Society.“I definitely think this has made an impact and has saved lives over the years," said Howell, who is the science and operations officer at the weather service’s Mobile, Alabama office.<h2>Past warnings</h2>The weather service's Storm Prediction Center — whose mission is to provide "forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes” — says that the term was first used on April 2, 1982 by forecaster Robert H. Johns, in conjunction with a tornado watch.That came after a “failed attempt in the late 1970s," Johns said in an interview in the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. Meteorologists had alerted the public to a “big next day,” only to see no severe weather, he said.Today, meteorologists have better tools to predict catastrophic weather outbreaks than they had in the 1970s and 1980s and forecasters can more reliably issue severe warnings, Howell said.The PDS term appeared in newspaper articles such as an April, 1, 1983 Associated Press story about a widespread storm system that caused a blinding dust storm in west Texas.<h2>PDS warnings for wildfires</h2>During the first week of November last year, as Santa Ana winds fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-winds-36ff3257749a0e5bbc870863a9da68a5">the Mountain Fire</a>&nbsp;northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a PDS warning. Forecasters called the threat “extreme and life-threatening.”Then, on Dec. 9, residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were again warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” as Santa Ana winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-weather-winds-5a3cff526465877782c4ed0c531b6091">roared through the mountains</a>.

'PDS' warnings were made to grab attention in tornadoes and now wildfires

KANSAS CITY —Police have released the names of two women&nbsp; who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Friday in Kansas City.

A preliminary investigation revealed a Honda SUV driven by 24-year-old&nbsp; Breanna Bullington was westbound on Interstate 435 too fast for weather conditions on the snow covered highway, according KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just east of 103rd Street, the Honda traveled off the roadway to the right, up and over the snowbank that was lining the north side of the highway.&nbsp; The Honda then vaulted off the bridge, falling approximately 100 feet and landing in the Blue River.

Bullington and the rear seat passenger of the Honda identified as her sister 22-year-old Alexis Bullington were both declared deceased at the scene.

EMS transported the male front seat passenger of the Honda to a local hospital for treatment of critical injuries according to Becchina.

Two lanes of westbound Interstate 435 were closed to traffic as recovery efforts of the Honda and the deceased subjects was made.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736593685157.png" alt="-First responders at the scene early Friday-image from KC Scout" />
 <figcaption>-First responders at the scene early Friday-image from KC Scout</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police have released the names of two women&nbsp; who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Friday in Kansas City.A preliminary investigation revealed a Honda SUV driven by 24-year-old&nbsp; Breanna Bullington was westbound on Interstate 435 too fast for weather conditions on the snow covered highway, according KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just east of 103rd Street, the Honda traveled off the roadway to the right, up and over the snowbank that was lining the north side of the highway.&nbsp; The Honda then vaulted off the bridge, falling approximately 100 feet and landing in the Blue River.Bullington and the rear seat passenger of the Honda identified as her sister 22-year-old Alexis Bullington were both declared deceased at the scene.EMS transported the male front seat passenger of the Honda to a local hospital for treatment of critical injuries according to Becchina.Two lanes of westbound Interstate 435 were closed to traffic as recovery efforts of the Honda and the deceased subjects was made.&nbsp;

KCPD IDs sisters who died after SUV slid on snow into river

Authorities in Indianapolis have charged a 55-year-old Texas man with felony stalking of Indiana Fever star and WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.

Michael Thomas Lewis is accused of repeated and continued harassment of the 22-year-old Clark beginning on Dec. 16, the Marion County prosecutor's office wrote in a court filing Saturday. Jail records show Lewis is due in court on Tuesday.

Lewis posted numerous messages on Clark's X account, according to an affidavit from a Marion County sheriff's lieutenant.

In one, he said he had been driving by the Gainbridge Fieldhouse — one of the arenas where the Fever plays home games — three times day, and in another he said he had “one foot on a banana peel and the other on a stalking charge.” Other messages directed at Clark were sexually explicit.

The posts “actually caused Caitlin Clark to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened” and an implicit or explicit threat also was made “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery,” prosecutors wrote in the Marion County Superior Court filing.

The FBI learned that the X account belonged to Lewis and that the messages were sent from IP addresses associated with an Indianapolis hotel and downtown public library.

Indianapolis police spoke with Lewis on Jan. 8 at his hotel room. He told officers he was in Indianapolis on vacation. When asked why he was making so many posts about Clark, Lewis replied: “Just the same reason everybody makes posts,” according to court documents.

He told police that he didn't mean any harm and that he fantasized about being in a relationship with Clark.

“It’s an imagination, fantasy type thing and it’s a joke, and it’s nothing to do with threatening,” he told police, according to the court documents.

In asking the court for a higher than standard bond, the prosecutor's office said Lewis traveled from his home in Texas to Indianapolis “with the intent to be in close proximity to the victim."

The prosecutor's office also sought a stay-away order as a specific condition if Lewis is released from jail ahead of trial. Prosecutors requested that Lewis be ordered to stay away from the Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses where the Fever play home games.

The Associated Press was unable to determine Monday if Lewis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.

Fever officials have not responded to an Associated Press request for comment.

The Associated Press named Clark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-female-athlete-of-year-clark-7e5aa066120ee2b1f85b6ab1098b7a8d">Female Athlete of the Year</a>&nbsp;for 2024. After leading Iowa to last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-south-carolina-ratings-fe3c29aabbea557d83a911afb4ebf637">national championship game</a>, she was the top pick in the WNBA draft and went on to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-rookie-year-wnba-ecfc3070241f5c659402e0843c433808">rookie of the year</a>&nbsp;honors in the league.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728043885875.png" alt="Rile photo -Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)&nbsp; (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)" />
 <figcaption>Rile photo -Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)&nbsp; (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)</figcaption>
 </figure>By COREY WILLIAMS Associated PressAuthorities in Indianapolis have charged a 55-year-old Texas man with felony stalking of Indiana Fever star and WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.Michael Thomas Lewis is accused of repeated and continued harassment of the 22-year-old Clark beginning on Dec. 16, the Marion County prosecutor's office wrote in a court filing Saturday. Jail records show Lewis is due in court on Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736813656061.png" alt="Lewis photo Marion County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Marion County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Lewis posted numerous messages on Clark's X account, according to an affidavit from a Marion County sheriff's lieutenant.In one, he said he had been driving by the Gainbridge Fieldhouse — one of the arenas where the Fever plays home games — three times day, and in another he said he had “one foot on a banana peel and the other on a stalking charge.” Other messages directed at Clark were sexually explicit.The posts “actually caused Caitlin Clark to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened” and an implicit or explicit threat also was made “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery,” prosecutors wrote in the Marion County Superior Court filing.The FBI learned that the X account belonged to Lewis and that the messages were sent from IP addresses associated with an Indianapolis hotel and downtown public library.Indianapolis police spoke with Lewis on Jan. 8 at his hotel room. He told officers he was in Indianapolis on vacation. When asked why he was making so many posts about Clark, Lewis replied: “Just the same reason everybody makes posts,” according to court documents.He told police that he didn't mean any harm and that he fantasized about being in a relationship with Clark.“It’s an imagination, fantasy type thing and it’s a joke, and it’s nothing to do with threatening,” he told police, according to the court documents.In asking the court for a higher than standard bond, the prosecutor's office said Lewis traveled from his home in Texas to Indianapolis “with the intent to be in close proximity to the victim."The prosecutor's office also sought a stay-away order as a specific condition if Lewis is released from jail ahead of trial. Prosecutors requested that Lewis be ordered to stay away from the Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses where the Fever play home games.The Associated Press was unable to determine Monday if Lewis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.Fever officials have not responded to an Associated Press request for comment.The Associated Press named Clark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-female-athlete-of-year-clark-7e5aa066120ee2b1f85b6ab1098b7a8d">Female Athlete of the Year</a>&nbsp;for 2024. After leading Iowa to last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-south-carolina-ratings-fe3c29aabbea557d83a911afb4ebf637">national championship game</a>, she was the top pick in the WNBA draft and went on to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-rookie-year-wnba-ecfc3070241f5c659402e0843c433808">rookie of the year</a>&nbsp;honors in the league.

Man jailed for allegedly stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark

JOHNSON COUNTY —A&nbsp;man found guilty for shooting a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer is going to prison.

Jesse J. Flaugher, 37, was sentenced last week to more than 20 years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

On December 15, 2020, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Flaugher and Officer Daniel Vance who had contacted him in Overland Park, Kansas. The officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and ballistic vest.

Flaugher originally refused to stop for officers who attempted to pull him over in Kansas City, Kansas, when he was seen driving without a seatbelt on. Instead, he ran a stop sign but was hit by another vehicle. Despite the crash Flaugher continued to speed away.

A short time later, police saw Flaugher’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac near W. 47th and Conser Street in Overland Park. As law enforcement officials stopped to observe the vehicle, Flaugher opened fire and shot Officer Vance in the forearm and chest.

Flaugher drove through a yard and fence as he sped away from the scene of the shooting. The vehicle was later found to be stolen. Officer Vance was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Flaugher's sentence is set to begin after he serves a sentence in Oklahoma.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608730975884.png" alt="Jesse James Flaugher-photo Miami County" />
 <figcaption>Jesse James Flaugher-photo Miami County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A&nbsp;man found guilty for shooting a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer is going to prison.Jesse J. Flaugher, 37, was sentenced last week to more than 20 years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.On December 15, 2020, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Flaugher and Officer Daniel Vance who had contacted him in Overland Park, Kansas. The officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and ballistic vest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608120251326.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Flaugher originally refused to stop for officers who attempted to pull him over in Kansas City, Kansas, when he was seen driving without a seatbelt on. Instead, he ran a stop sign but was hit by another vehicle. Despite the crash Flaugher continued to speed away.A short time later, police saw Flaugher’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac near W. 47th and Conser Street in Overland Park. As law enforcement officials stopped to observe the vehicle, Flaugher opened fire and shot Officer Vance in the forearm and chest.Flaugher drove through a yard and fence as he sped away from the scene of the shooting. The vehicle was later found to be stolen. Officer Vance was treated for non-life threatening injuries.Flaugher's sentence is set to begin after he serves a sentence in Oklahoma.----------

Man who survived gunfight with police in Kan. is going to prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — The criminal charges against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;“were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25486004-report-of-special-counsel-weiss-january-2025/">report released Monday</a>&nbsp;that sharply criticized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/Report-of-Special-Counsel-Weiss-January-2025.pdf">Click here to read</a> the final repor

“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” said the report from special counsel David Weiss, whose team filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">gun and tax charges</a>&nbsp;against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.

The report is the culmination of years-long investigations that predated the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House over the treatment of the president's son.

The document, as is customary for reports prepared by Justice Department special counsels, provides a recap of the investigative findings. But it is most notable for its steadfast defense of the team's work and for its open criticism of the president over a written statement he issued when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">pardoning his son last month.</a>

Biden had repeatedly pledged that he would not pardon his son but reversed course on Dec. 1, saying that such an action was warranted because of what he called a “miscarriage of justice” and a selective prosecution. He said he believed that his son had been treated "differently" on account of his last name and that “raw politics” had infected the decision making of the Justice Department.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” Biden said.

Weiss, who served as U.S. attorney for Delaware during the Trump administration and was kept in his position by Garland before being named to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-david-weiss-congress-republicans-aed25541b709a57371cdfe1582be0c5a">role of special counsel in 2023</a>, took exception to those comments and noted that judges had rejected that assessment as well.

“The president’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong,” Weiss wrote. Such remarks undermine the public's confidence in the justice system, Weiss said.

Calling judges' rulings "into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable," Weiss wrote. “It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.”

Hunter Biden’s lawyer criticized the report, saying Weiss failed to explain why prosecutors “pursued wild — and debunked — conspiracies” about the president’s son that prolonged the investigation.

“What is clear from this report is that the investigation into Hunter Biden is a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power,” defense attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement.

The investigations, which Hunter Biden himself revealed in 2020 when he disclosed that prosecutors were examining his taxes, took a tortured path toward resolution across Justice Department leaders of both political parties.

Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty in 2023 to misdemeanor tax charges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">but the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion</a>&nbsp;among a last-minute disagreement between his lawyers and federal prosecutors. He went to trial in Delaware last year and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted of three federal felonies</a>&nbsp;that accused him of having lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

Describing the younger Biden as a “Yale-educated lawyer and businessperson,” Weiss said the president's son understood that he was lying when he filled out the federal form when he bought his gun in 2018 and marked that he wasn’t a drug user.

“But he did it anyway, because he wanted to own a gun, even though he was actively using crack cocaine,” Weiss wrote.

Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.

Weiss said Hunter “consciously and willfully chose” not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years.

The president's claims that Hunter Biden was mistreated by the criminal justice system echoed in some ways arguments from the younger Biden's legal team, who had asserted that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict Hunter after the collapse of what Donald Trump and other Republicans called a “sweetheart” plea deal.

“Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice — no matter who you are, or what your last name is, you are subject to the same laws as everyone else in the United States,” Weiss said.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736822422724.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The criminal charges against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;“were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25486004-report-of-special-counsel-weiss-january-2025/">report released Monday</a>&nbsp;that sharply criticized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/Report-of-Special-Counsel-Weiss-January-2025.pdf">Click here to read</a> the final repor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733169375710.png" alt="FILE - President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” said the report from special counsel David Weiss, whose team filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">gun and tax charges</a>&nbsp;against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.The report is the culmination of years-long investigations that predated the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House over the treatment of the president's son.The document, as is customary for reports prepared by Justice Department special counsels, provides a recap of the investigative findings. But it is most notable for its steadfast defense of the team's work and for its open criticism of the president over a written statement he issued when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">pardoning his son last month.</a>Biden had repeatedly pledged that he would not pardon his son but reversed course on Dec. 1, saying that such an action was warranted because of what he called a “miscarriage of justice” and a selective prosecution. He said he believed that his son had been treated "differently" on account of his last name and that “raw politics” had infected the decision making of the Justice Department.“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” Biden said.Weiss, who served as U.S. attorney for Delaware during the Trump administration and was kept in his position by Garland before being named to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-david-weiss-congress-republicans-aed25541b709a57371cdfe1582be0c5a">role of special counsel in 2023</a>, took exception to those comments and noted that judges had rejected that assessment as well.“The president’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong,” Weiss wrote. Such remarks undermine the public's confidence in the justice system, Weiss said.Calling judges' rulings "into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable," Weiss wrote. “It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.”Hunter Biden’s lawyer criticized the report, saying Weiss failed to explain why prosecutors “pursued wild — and debunked — conspiracies” about the president’s son that prolonged the investigation.“What is clear from this report is that the investigation into Hunter Biden is a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power,” defense attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement.The investigations, which Hunter Biden himself revealed in 2020 when he disclosed that prosecutors were examining his taxes, took a tortured path toward resolution across Justice Department leaders of both political parties.Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty in 2023 to misdemeanor tax charges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">but the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion</a>&nbsp;among a last-minute disagreement between his lawyers and federal prosecutors. He went to trial in Delaware last year and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted of three federal felonies</a>&nbsp;that accused him of having lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.Describing the younger Biden as a “Yale-educated lawyer and businessperson,” Weiss said the president's son understood that he was lying when he filled out the federal form when he bought his gun in 2018 and marked that he wasn’t a drug user.“But he did it anyway, because he wanted to own a gun, even though he was actively using crack cocaine,” Weiss wrote.Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.Weiss said Hunter “consciously and willfully chose” not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years.The president's claims that Hunter Biden was mistreated by the criminal justice system echoed in some ways arguments from the younger Biden's legal team, who had asserted that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict Hunter after the collapse of what Donald Trump and other Republicans called a “sweetheart” plea deal.Not so, said Weiss.“Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice — no matter who you are, or what your last name is, you are subject to the same laws as everyone else in the United States,” Weiss said.____Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Read Special Counsel's final report on Hunter Biden

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a surge in fentanyl crimes.

Over the weekend, police in Garden City reported First Responders have responded to several suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in the community over a 24-hour period, according to a social media report.

"While none of these overdoses resulted in death, fentanyl continues to drive the overdose epidemic and is the #1 cause of death for Americans ages 18-45." 

"Fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills or mixed with other types of street drugs, in powder and pill form, to drive addiction." The police department reminded the public, "talk to your friends and family about fentanyl. No drug is worth your life.The GCPD is investigating these incidents and continues efforts to stop the flow of drugs."

We encourage the community to report illegal drug activity by calling us at (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP, and your information to Tip411 (847411)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664309962436.png" alt="File photo Fentanyl " />
 <figcaption>File photo Fentanyl </figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a surge in fentanyl crimes.Over the weekend, police in Garden City reported First Responders have responded to several suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in the community over a 24-hour period, according to a social media report."While none of these overdoses resulted in death, fentanyl continues to drive the overdose epidemic and is the #1 cause of death for Americans ages 18-45." "Fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills or mixed with other types of street drugs, in powder and pill form, to drive addiction." The police department reminded the public, "talk to your friends and family about fentanyl. No drug is worth your life.The GCPD is investigating these incidents and continues efforts to stop the flow of drugs."We encourage the community to report illegal drug activity by calling us at (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP, and your information to Tip411 (847411)

Police: Surge in suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in SW Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is already having a golden playoffs and the Chiefs haven't even played yet.

The two-time NFL MVP quarterback and his wife, Brittany,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">announced Monday the birth of their third child</a>, a daughter that they named Golden Raye. She was born on Sunday while Kansas City was waiting to learn its divisional-round opponent.

The Chiefs, who are chasing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy</a>, had the weekend off as the No. 1 seed. They will play the Houston Texans on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of a game won by Kansas City last month.

The Mahomes' have a daughter, 3-year-old Sterling, and a 2-year-old son named Bronze.

“I always wanted to have kids young,” Mahomes, whose father Patrick Mahomes Sr. spent 11 years pitching in the big leagues, said during an interview last year. “I got to grow up in the locker room. I mean, I’ve talked about it before, and it made such an impact in my life. And so I wanted to have kids young, and we’re having our third kid now to join the family.”

Patrick Mahomes said during an interview last month that he hoped the timing would work out so that their latest child would arrive during their bye week. Mahomes announced in a social media posting with his wife in July that they were expecting their third child, and about a week later they revealed that they were having another girl.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have been together since high school. He went on to play quarterback at Texas Tech before the Chiefs made him a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, while she played soccer at the University of Texas-Tyler before a stint as a professional in Iceland. The couple wed in Hawaii in March 2022.

As for a fourth child? Well,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-623b76507d9375f2e19ecfd78e8ede24">the two-time NFL MVP put the thought to rest</a>&nbsp;ahead of training camp last July.

“I'm done. I'll say that,” Mahomes said with a grin. “I did three and I'm done.”

KANSAS CITY— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany are now a family of five.

On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>Monday afternoon, Brittany Mahomes announced the birth of the couples third child, Golden Raye Mahomes. According to the Instagram post, the baby girl was born on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724461026275.png" alt="-File photo Brittany Mahomes (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)" />
 <figcaption>-File photo Brittany Mahomes (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is already having a golden playoffs and the Chiefs haven't even played yet.The two-time NFL MVP quarterback and his wife, Brittany,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">announced Monday the birth of their third child</a>, a daughter that they named Golden Raye. She was born on Sunday while Kansas City was waiting to learn its divisional-round opponent.The Chiefs, who are chasing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy</a>, had the weekend off as the No. 1 seed. They will play the Houston Texans on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of a game won by Kansas City last month.The Mahomes' have a daughter, 3-year-old Sterling, and a 2-year-old son named Bronze.“I always wanted to have kids young,” Mahomes, whose father Patrick Mahomes Sr. spent 11 years pitching in the big leagues, said during an interview last year. “I got to grow up in the locker room. I mean, I’ve talked about it before, and it made such an impact in my life. And so I wanted to have kids young, and we’re having our third kid now to join the family.”Patrick Mahomes said during an interview last month that he hoped the timing would work out so that their latest child would arrive during their bye week. Mahomes announced in a social media posting with his wife in July that they were expecting their third child, and about a week later they revealed that they were having another girl.Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have been together since high school. He went on to play quarterback at Texas Tech before the Chiefs made him a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, while she played soccer at the University of Texas-Tyler before a stint as a professional in Iceland. The couple wed in Hawaii in March 2022.As for a fourth child? Well,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-623b76507d9375f2e19ecfd78e8ede24">the two-time NFL MVP put the thought to rest</a>&nbsp;ahead of training camp last July.“I'm done. I'll say that,” Mahomes said with a grin. “I did three and I'm done.”___KANSAS CITY— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany are now a family of five.On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>Monday afternoon, Brittany Mahomes announced the birth of the couples third child, Golden Raye Mahomes. According to the Instagram post, the baby girl was born on Sunday.

Congratulations: Patrick and Brittany Mahomes now a family of 5

GOP edge an advantage in House, Senate veto battles with Gov. Laura Kelly

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas Legislature gathered with family and friends Monday to convene the 2025 session and welcome three dozen new lawmakers and test the influence of expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Unanimous votes accompanied formal selection of Andover Sen. Ty Masterson as Senate president and Wichita Rep. Dan Hawkins as House speaker. The anticipated GOP agenda of budget, tax, education, transgender rights, election and judicial reform could be familiar to statehouse observers of previous sessions. The GOP’s wider numerical advantage over Democratic legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly could amplify opportunities to press conservative bills.

“The trust you all have placed in me to serve as House speaker for another two years is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Hawkins, a House member for 12 years. “We accomplished much in the last two years and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead for the next two years.”

He said the 125 members of the House had diverse views and subscribed to different ideologies, but as colleagues serving the interests of Kansas they shouldn’t allow disagreement to turn the building into a battleground for adversaries.

“The chamber represents the diversity of our state from rural to urban and everything in between,” he said. “Our strength lies in finding common ground. The challenges we face, and the people we serve, demand that we rise above partisanship.”

In the November election, Republicans gained three seats in the House to take an 88-37 advantage. In the Senate, Republicans claimed two additional seats for a 31-9 margin. Two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — are necessary to override vetoes by the governor. There are a dozen new senators and 25 incoming representatives.

Newly elected House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat from Lenexa, said the opportunity to serve in the House had been experienced by about 6,000 people in the history of the state. He warned not all days in the 90-day legislative session would be smooth.

“When the days of our public service feel tough, and I promise you there will be very tough days ahead, please remember how you feel right now,” Woodard said. “I do want to invite every member to step outside of your comfort zone, show up every day with an open mind, and to explore getting to know your colleagues as people before considering their politics.”

The House and Senate followed the script and gaveled in their respective chambers at 2 p.m. That was followed by speeches by legislative leaders and photographs with family to mark the moment. Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert handled the oaths of office in the House, while Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles performed that duty in the Senate.

In the Senate, Masterson set the tone for the session:&nbsp;“Ready or not, here we go.”

The 50-minute ceremonious first day in the Senate was filled with smiles, handshakes and embraces among colleagues old and new. Legislators were welcomed at the Senate chamber’s entrance by family members and a group representing a Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy organization.

“I think everybody here has a best intention of making Kansas a greater state, but we simply disagree sometimes on what that means or how we get there,” Masterson said.

“There’ll be tears,” he said. “ There’ll be emotion. We’ll get angry sometimes.”

Masterson said he hoped to retain in the Senate something society has been losing — the ability to have passionate debates on complex subjects “and still love the other person on the other end of the argument.”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, in a speech following Masterson’s emphasized education’s critical role in Kansas’ history. She advocated for policies supporting children, educators and funding for special education.

“Together those of us elected by voters have the opportunity to address the issues that make a difference in people’s lives,” Sykes said. “We could be distracted by culture wars, but doing that only divides us.”

She vowed on behalf of Senate Democrats to put aside ideological agendas to prioritize Kansas’ needs.

A handful of bills were prefiled in the Senate before the onset of the session. One was a bid to eliminate the practice of switching to daylight saving time twice a year and convert the state to permanent standard time. Another proposed validating results of a May 2024 bond election in Greeley County, which voters approved but ran into hiccups when the Kansas attorney general’s held back the funds because the county didn’t meet a requirement to advertise the election on a county-run website.

House Republicans also gathered Monday morning across the street from the statehouse for a closed-door meeting to discuss policy goals. On Sunday, Senate Republicans took part in a similar session outline legislative priorities.

Kelly is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the House chamber. Kelly, who is halfway through her second term, would be making her seven State of the State speech to the Legislature.

Meanwhile, Luckert plans to present the State of the Kansas Judiciary to senators and representatives in a speech scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, also in the House chamber.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736804927394.png" alt="Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, gets a fresh shoe shine Monday shortly before the Kansas Legislature gaveled in for the 2025 session. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, gets a fresh shoe shine Monday shortly before the Kansas Legislature gaveled in for the 2025 session. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>GOP edge an advantage in House, Senate veto battles with Gov. Laura Kelly</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas Legislature gathered with family and friends Monday to convene the 2025 session and welcome three dozen new lawmakers and test the influence of expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate.Unanimous votes accompanied formal selection of Andover Sen. Ty Masterson as Senate president and Wichita Rep. Dan Hawkins as House speaker. The anticipated GOP agenda of budget, tax, education, transgender rights, election and judicial reform could be familiar to statehouse observers of previous sessions. The GOP’s wider numerical advantage over Democratic legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly could amplify opportunities to press conservative bills.“The trust you all have placed in me to serve as House speaker for another two years is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Hawkins, a House member for 12 years. “We accomplished much in the last two years and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead for the next two years.”He said the 125 members of the House had diverse views and subscribed to different ideologies, but as colleagues serving the interests of Kansas they shouldn’t allow disagreement to turn the building into a battleground for adversaries.“The chamber represents the diversity of our state from rural to urban and everything in between,” he said. “Our strength lies in finding common ground. The challenges we face, and the people we serve, demand that we rise above partisanship.”In the November election, Republicans gained three seats in the House to take an 88-37 advantage. In the Senate, Republicans claimed two additional seats for a 31-9 margin. Two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — are necessary to override vetoes by the governor. There are a dozen new senators and 25 incoming representatives.Newly elected House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat from Lenexa, said the opportunity to serve in the House had been experienced by about 6,000 people in the history of the state. He warned not all days in the 90-day legislative session would be smooth.“When the days of our public service feel tough, and I promise you there will be very tough days ahead, please remember how you feel right now,” Woodard said. “I do want to invite every member to step outside of your comfort zone, show up every day with an open mind, and to explore getting to know your colleagues as people before considering their politics.”The House and Senate followed the script and gaveled in their respective chambers at 2 p.m. That was followed by speeches by legislative leaders and photographs with family to mark the moment. Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert handled the oaths of office in the House, while Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles performed that duty in the Senate.In the Senate, Masterson set the tone for the session:&nbsp;“Ready or not, here we go.”The 50-minute ceremonious first day in the Senate was filled with smiles, handshakes and embraces among colleagues old and new. Legislators were welcomed at the Senate chamber’s entrance by family members and a group representing a Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy organization.“I think everybody here has a best intention of making Kansas a greater state, but we simply disagree sometimes on what that means or how we get there,” Masterson said.“There’ll be tears,” he said. “ There’ll be emotion. We’ll get angry sometimes.”Masterson said he hoped to retain in the Senate something society has been losing — the ability to have passionate debates on complex subjects “and still love the other person on the other end of the argument.”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, in a speech following Masterson’s emphasized education’s critical role in Kansas’ history. She advocated for policies supporting children, educators and funding for special education.“Together those of us elected by voters have the opportunity to address the issues that make a difference in people’s lives,” Sykes said. “We could be distracted by culture wars, but doing that only divides us.”She vowed on behalf of Senate Democrats to put aside ideological agendas to prioritize Kansas’ needs.A handful of bills were prefiled in the Senate before the onset of the session. One was a bid to eliminate the practice of switching to daylight saving time twice a year and convert the state to permanent standard time. Another proposed validating results of a May 2024 bond election in Greeley County, which voters approved but ran into hiccups when the Kansas attorney general’s held back the funds because the county didn’t meet a requirement to advertise the election on a county-run website.House Republicans also gathered Monday morning across the street from the statehouse for a closed-door meeting to discuss policy goals. On Sunday, Senate Republicans took part in a similar session outline legislative priorities.Kelly is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the House chamber. Kelly, who is halfway through her second term, would be making her seven State of the State speech to the Legislature.Meanwhile, Luckert plans to present the State of the Kansas Judiciary to senators and representatives in a speech scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, also in the House chamber.

Kansas Legislature convenes 2025 session with emboldened Republican supermajority

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as Thursday after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing.

The 320-foot (98-meter)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">New Glenn rocket</a>&nbsp;was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite. But ice formed in a purge line for a unit powering some of the rocket’s hydraulic systems and launch controllers ran out of time to clear it, according to the company.

Founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon’s Jeff Bezos</a>, Blue Origin further delayed the launch because of Tuesday's poor weather forecast for Cape Canaveral and a moonshot planned Wednesday by SpaceX. The test flight already had been postponed by rough seas that posed a risk to Blue Origin's plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.

Bezos started the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

No matter what happens, Bezos said this weekend, “We’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble.

The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to deal with an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown and ran out of time. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket.

Blue Origin did not immediately set a new launch date, saying the team needed more time to resolve the problem.

The test flight already had been delayed by rough seas that posed a risk to the company’s plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos founded the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Orlando, Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as Thursday after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New Glenn Launch Update: Our next launch attempt is no earlier than Tuesday, January 14. Our three-hour launch window remains the same, opening at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). Tonight’s poor weather forecast at LC-36 could result in missing this window. This morning’s scrub was due to…&mdash; Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1878950836208050188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 320-foot (98-meter)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">New Glenn rocket</a>&nbsp;was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite. But ice formed in a purge line for a unit powering some of the rocket’s hydraulic systems and launch controllers ran out of time to clear it, according to the company.Founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon’s Jeff Bezos</a>, Blue Origin further delayed the launch because of Tuesday's poor weather forecast for Cape Canaveral and a moonshot planned Wednesday by SpaceX. The test flight already had been postponed by rough seas that posed a risk to Blue Origin's plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.Bezos started the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.No matter what happens, Bezos said this weekend, “We’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”___CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New Glenn’s inaugural mission is targeting January 13. Our three-hour launch window opens Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). Join us here for the webcast hosted by Ariane Cornell and Denisse Aranda beginning an hour before launch! <a href="https://t.co/SkuvkZ3m8s">pic.twitter.com/SkuvkZ3m8s</a>&mdash; Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1878544427884449928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to deal with an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown and ran out of time. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket.Blue Origin did not immediately set a new launch date, saying the team needed more time to resolve the problem.The test flight already had been delayed by rough seas that posed a risk to the company’s plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.Amazon’s Jeff Bezos founded the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Orlando, Florida.No matter what happens, Bezos said Sunday evening, “we’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”