NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against an Obama-era policy to shield immigrants who came to the country illegally as young children, only three days before Donald Trump takes office with pledges of mass deportations.

The unanimous decision by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — two judges appointed by Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and one by Democrat Barack Obama — is the latest blow for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, whose beneficiaries have lived in legal limbo for more than a decade.

It signals no immediate change for its more than 500,000 beneficiaries, who can renew temporary permits to live and work in the United States. But the federal government cannot take new applications, leaving an aging and thinning pool of recipients.

The decision may tee up the policy for a third visit to the Supreme Court. Trump sought to end DACA during his first term, but he also occasionally expressed wishes that beneficiaries be allowed to stay.

Obama introduced DACA in 2012, citing inaction by Congress on legislation aimed at giving those brought to the U.S. as children a path to legal status. Legal battles followed, including two trips to the Supreme Court.

This latest case involves a new version of the rule issued by President Joe Biden in 2022. It represented little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comment as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston said the executive branch had overstepped its authority and barred he government from approving new applications. He left it intact for current beneficiaries while appeals played out in court.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led the challenge on behalf of Republican-led states, called Friday's ruling “a major victory.”

“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that the rule of law is restored, and the illegal immigration crisis is finally stopped,” Paxton said.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment late Friday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against an Obama-era policy to shield immigrants who came to the country illegally as young children, only three days before Donald Trump takes office with pledges of mass deportations.The unanimous decision by a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — two judges appointed by Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, and one by Democrat Barack Obama — is the latest blow for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, whose beneficiaries have lived in legal limbo for more than a decade.It signals no immediate change for its more than 500,000 beneficiaries, who can renew temporary permits to live and work in the United States. But the federal government cannot take new applications, leaving an aging and thinning pool of recipients.The decision may tee up the policy for a third visit to the Supreme Court. Trump sought to end DACA during his first term, but he also occasionally expressed wishes that beneficiaries be allowed to stay.Obama introduced DACA in 2012, citing inaction by Congress on legislation aimed at giving those brought to the U.S. as children a path to legal status. Legal battles followed, including two trips to the Supreme Court.This latest case involves a new version of the rule issued by President Joe Biden in 2022. It represented little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comment as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston said the executive branch had overstepped its authority and barred he government from approving new applications. He left it intact for current beneficiaries while appeals played out in court.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led the challenge on behalf of Republican-led states, called Friday's ruling “a major victory.”“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure that the rule of law is restored, and the illegal immigration crisis is finally stopped,” Paxton said.The U.S. Homeland Security Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment late Friday.

Court rules against policy to shield immigrants who came to US as young children

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died and another is in custody after a two vehicle crash Friday in Johnson County.

Just after 11 p.m. Friday, police responded to the scene of a reported injury crash at the intersection of West 89th Terrace and Park Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.

First responders located two vehicles involved in the collision, a Toyota RAV4 and a Ford Bronco, both of which had come to rest off the roadway in a nearby yard. The Ford Bronco was occupied by two adult females, neither of whom sustained injuries. The driver of the Bronco was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The Toyota RAV4 was occupied by an adult female driver who was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the Lenexa Police Traffic Safety Unit indicates that the Toyota RAV4 was traveling southbound on Park Street when the Ford Bronco, traveling eastbound on West 89th Terrace, failed to stop at a posted stop sign. The Bronco struck the RAV4, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway.

Police have not released the name of the woman who died or the driver in custody as they continue to investigate.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died and another is in custody after a two vehicle crash Friday in Johnson County.Just after 11 p.m. Friday, police responded to the scene of a reported injury crash at the intersection of West 89th Terrace and Park Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.First responders located two vehicles involved in the collision, a Toyota RAV4 and a Ford Bronco, both of which had come to rest off the roadway in a nearby yard. The Ford Bronco was occupied by two adult females, neither of whom sustained injuries. The driver of the Bronco was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence.The Toyota RAV4 was occupied by an adult female driver who was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.A preliminary investigation conducted by the Lenexa Police Traffic Safety Unit indicates that the Toyota RAV4 was traveling southbound on Park Street when the Ford Bronco, traveling eastbound on West 89th Terrace, failed to stop at a posted stop sign. The Bronco struck the RAV4, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway.Police have not released the name of the woman who died or the driver in custody as they continue to investigate.

Woman dead, another in custody after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

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

With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>

Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.

The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.

“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.

Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.

Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.

Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.

Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.

Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.

“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”

Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”

Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.

In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.

Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”

“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO The Associated Press</a>With President-elect Donald Trump adding uncertainty around whether a TikTok ban will go into effect, the focus is now turning to companies like Google and Apple that are expected to take the popular video sharing app&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-vpn-supreme-court-b4f79b099bb9de11541e9239899cbfff">off their platforms in just two days.</a>Though the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld</a>&nbsp;a federal law that could ban TikTok nationwide, it’s unclear how a shutdown of the popular social media platform will play out and what Americans will see when the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.The court decision comes against a backdrop of unusual political agitation by Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution after he takes office, and the administration of President Joe Biden, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-executive-order-1e95d9836bf6f8c0c245ed1c3234d968">has signaled it won’t enforce the law</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday, his final full day in office. Now, tech observers — and some users — are intently watching to see what happens over the weekend and beyond.“We’re really in uncharted territory here in terms of tech policy,” said Sarak Kreps, the director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.Under the law, mobile app stores — like the ones operated by Apple and Google — and internet hosting services will face major fines if they continue to distribute the platform to U.S. users beyond the deadline for divestment from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. The companies could pay up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties could total to a large sum.Late Friday night, TikTok posted a statement on X saying that “the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans.”“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” it said.Experts have noted TikTok’s app should remain available for current users, but existing ones will no longer be able to update it, making it unusable in the long term.Trump’s national security adviser has signaled this week that the incoming administration may take steps to “keep TikTok from going dark,” though what that looks like — and if any of those steps can withhold legal scrutiny — remains unclear.“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social after the court’s ruling. Earlier in the day, he said in another post that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.In the meantime, some of the attention has turned to tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, who currently offer TikTok on their app stores or host company data on their servers.Tech CEOs have been attempting to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-tech-ceo-donations-visits-1ddf9464047b519abe5593244be488d9">forge friendlier ties with Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-trump-b96013a8447e9bdb5508ebe436aadf9a">wants to put the TikTok ban on hold</a>, since he was elected in November. But Kreps said it would “defy credulity” for them to continue to offer TikTok, even if they want to please Trump, since it would open them up to punitive fines.Tech companies are also used to removing apps at the behest of governments. In 2023, Apple says it removed nearly 1,500 apps globally. Nearly 1,300 of the apps were taken down in China.“Penalties for companies like Apple and Google could run as high as $850 billion,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X on Thursday, while referring to the U.S. TikTok law. “Not sure I’d take a politician’s word if I ran those companies.”Meanwhile, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, said he believes there’s a “small chance” that nothing happens to TikTok, but acknowledged that would require “enormous risk on the on the part of the companies that support them.”Apple, Google and Oracle did not respond to questions sent this week about their plans on TikTok.In a video after the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and be granted a prime seating location on the dais, thanked the president-elect for “his commitment to work” with TikTok to “find a solution” that keeps the platform available.“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — one who has used TikTok to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.Earlier this week, TikTok told its U.S. employees that its offices would remain open for work even if the “situation” won’t be resolved by Sunday. In the memo, which was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the company, TikTok told workers that their “employment, pay and benefits” were secure, adding that the law was written in a way that impacts the U.S. user experience, not the entities that employ them.Meanwhile, in a letter sent Friday to Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, an attorney for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-creators-sue-ban-bytedance-3324b0fee4473f6e05c5c51ae5ff6946">TikTok creators who sued the government</a>&nbsp;asked the administration to pause enforcement of the law “until there is further definitive guidance.”“In addition, we request that you clarify that no app store, internet hosting service, or other provider faces any risk of enforcement or penalties with respect to TikTok, CapCut, or any other ByteDance apps, until such further guidance has been issued,” said the letter by attorney Jeffrey Fisher.

What will happen to TikTok on Apple and Google's app store on Sunday?

SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man is going to&nbsp; prison for his role in beating a homeless man&nbsp;to death.

On Monday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 34-year-old Abel Molina to 297 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In September, a jury found Molina guilty of second-degree murder and possession of meth.

&nbsp;In February of 2022, police responded to a 911 call in the 600 block of N. Seneca in Wichita after a caller reported a person was being beaten on the Seneca Street bridge, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Officers and EMS responded and located 30-year-old Blake Barnes of Wichita. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and later pronounced deceased.

Officers contacted the witness who was able to direct them to a suspect – identified as&nbsp;64-year-old David Chandler&nbsp; who was reported to have struck Barnes several times with a metal pipe. Police took Chandler into custody while he was walking away from the crime scene.

The witness reported another suspect was also involved but left the scene on a bicycle prior to officers arriving. The second suspect, identified as&nbsp; Abel Molina, was located in the 400 block of N. Seneca, where he was taken into custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645644547356.png" alt="David Chandler-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>David Chandler-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man is going to&nbsp; prison for his role in beating a homeless man&nbsp;to death.On Monday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 34-year-old Abel Molina to 297 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645644648580.png" alt="Molina-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Molina-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>In September, a jury found Molina guilty of second-degree murder and possession of meth.&nbsp;In February of 2022, police responded to a 911 call in the 600 block of N. Seneca in Wichita after a caller reported a person was being beaten on the Seneca Street bridge, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Officers and EMS responded and located 30-year-old Blake Barnes of Wichita. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and later pronounced deceased.Officers contacted the witness who was able to direct them to a suspect – identified as&nbsp;64-year-old David Chandler&nbsp; who was reported to have struck Barnes several times with a metal pipe. Police took Chandler into custody while he was walking away from the crime scene.The witness reported another suspect was also involved but left the scene on a bicycle prior to officers arriving. The second suspect, identified as&nbsp; Abel Molina, was located in the 400 block of N. Seneca, where he was taken into custody.

Prison for role in killing Kansas man with a metal pipe

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who drove a 13-year-old victim from her home in Texas pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography.

Talib Bwana Muhammad, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of producing child pornography.

By pleading guilty, Muhammad admitted that he used a minor victim to produce child pornography from June 9 to 15, 2023. Muhammad met the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad purchased an airline ticket for the child victim but, when she was unable to leave home, he drove to Texas to pick her up and bring her to Kansas City.

Law enforcement was notified when the child victim was missing and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence.

Muhammad and the child victim engaged in sexual contact, which Muhammad video recorded and photographed with a cell phone.

Under federal statutes, Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY– A Kansas City man who drove a 13-year-old victim from her home in Texas pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography.Talib Bwana Muhammad, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of producing child pornography.By pleading guilty, Muhammad admitted that he used a minor victim to produce child pornography from June 9 to 15, 2023. Muhammad met the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad purchased an airline ticket for the child victim but, when she was unable to leave home, he drove to Texas to pick her up and bring her to Kansas City.Law enforcement was notified when the child victim was missing and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence.Muhammad and the child victim engaged in sexual contact, which Muhammad video recorded and photographed with a cell phone.Under federal statutes, Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KC man used subject of Amber Alert to produce child porn

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/17/clemency-recipient-list-8/">Click here to see</a> the complete list

The recent round of clemency gives Biden the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. The Democrat said he is seeking to undo “disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/17/clemency-recipient-list-8/">Click here to see</a> the complete list<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, I&#39;m commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses. This is an important step toward righting historic wrongs and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their communities after far too much time behind bars. <a href="https://t.co/q7mtuyWKl2">pic.twitter.com/q7mtuyWKl2</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1880228578396368918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The recent round of clemency gives Biden the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. The Democrat said he is seeking to undo “disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice.”

See the list: Biden grants clemency for 2,500 non-violent drug offenders

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Business Writer</a>

TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.

Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.

The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.

TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:

A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.

What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.

This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.

Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.

The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.

Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?

Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.

The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.

Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.

If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.

U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.

Would I still have access to my favorite videos?

TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.

Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.

If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.

If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.

The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.

TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.

The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.

“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”

Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Business Writer</a>TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">unanimously upheld the the ban</a>.The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution. It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. An official in the Biden administration told the Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration was leaving the implementation of the law to the new administration.TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know about the ban and how to prepare for it:<h2>What happens on Jan. 19?</h2>A lawyer representing TikTok told Supreme Court justices last week that TikTok will “go dark” on Jan. 19 if the law isn't struck down.What that means in practice is unclear currently, but the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.Users should continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.This would mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.Akin to the app, David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, says the TikTok website should continue to work even after the ban goes into effect.The statute would prohibit domestic internet hosting providers from hosting the platform, Choffnes said, but companies could theoretically use servers outside of the U.S. That likely will make content on the platform load more slowly and lead to worse performance on the app and the TikTok website, he said.<h2>Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?</h2>Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.<h2>Would I still have access to my favorite videos?</h2>TikTok&nbsp;<a href="https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/requesting-your-data">allows you to save</a>&nbsp;the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.If you're interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.<h2>Are people going to other apps?</h2>If a TikTok ban occurs, established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/small-business-tiktok-ban-bytedance-f5fd7ababa3d7c1155e4f15b21e2db5b">small businesses</a>, on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.TikTok users themselves have tested the waters with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">several other platforms</a>&nbsp;outside of the established platforms. Among the ones that have received the most buzz: China's Xiaohongshu ("RedNote") and Lemon8.<h2>What is going to happen next?</h2>The TikTok saga will be in the hands of the incoming Trump administration, which has already said that's its exploring options to “preserve” the popular app.“We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said Thursday during an interview on Fox News' Fox &amp; Friends. Waltz also commented that the law allows for an extension on the ban "as long as a viable deal is on the table.”Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now. Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly before the decision was issued that TikTok was among the topics in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-xi-inauguration-china-us-782413bbc4ca5e06c9e39ce9ae151ea2">his conversation Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping</a>.TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to be seated on the dais for the inauguration along with tech billionaires Elon Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sam-altman">Sam Altman</a>&nbsp;and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to two people with the matter. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning._______

How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes closed their best week in two months with a flourish on Friday.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1% to clinch its first winning week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-inflation-oil-9d07b54623af91cd7222128e97de25e7">last three</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 334 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.

SLB helped lead the market after the provider of services to oilfields delivered bigger profit and revenue for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. It jumped 6.1% after it also raised its dividend by 3.6% and said it’s returning $2.3 billion to its investors by buying back its own stock.

The most forceful pushes upward came from Big Tech stocks. All the companies in what’s come to be known as the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Magnificent Seven</a>&nbsp;” rose: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Because they’re so massive in size, their movements carry more weight on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.

The Magnificent Seven have been under pressure recently because of criticism their stock prices may have shot too high after leading the market for so many years. Such worries grew after Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-bonds-interest-rates-37c91aa8d1cc4d2a09506d31e9dba99b">yields jumped in the bond market</a>. Higher yields hurt prices for all kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.

But stocks broadly got a lift this week from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">encouraging report on U.S. inflation</a>, which raised hopes that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-economy-93bb50c8d1c727791f6a18075fbab595">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;may deliver more cuts to interest rates this year. More such cuts, which began in September, would ease the brakes off the economy and boost prices for investments, though they can also give inflation more fuel.

Wall Street has been lurching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-rates-jobs-efc5402f914dd7403a8dc108f96e5bb4">down</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-f52917dbab997a2c95fbeb9b83d175f1">up</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks as economic reports pushed traders to revamp their expectations about what the Fed will do with rates. Lower worries about inflation have sent Treasury yields down and stocks up, while worsening worries about inflation have triggered the opposite reaction.

Treasury yields eased sharply this past week, and the 10-year Treasury yield eased further on Friday. It’s at 4.61%, down from 4.62% late Thursday and from 4.76% a week earlier.

Still, even with this week’s better-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">readout on inflation</a>, some on Wall Street remain skeptical about the chances for more cuts. With the U.S. economy in solid overall shape, “you shouldn’t fix what’s not broken,” Bank of America economists Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel said in a BofA Global Research report.

They also pointed to the uncertainties created by “Trumponomics 2.0.” Policies pushed by President-elect Donald Trump could help push up inflation, or at least expectations for it, including widespread tariffs and tax cuts for an economy that’s already growing.

Prices for all kinds of investments from stocks to cryptocurrencies have swung amid the uncertainty following an initial burst after Election Day. On one hand are hopes for stronger profits for companies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crypto-bitcoin-council-reserve-ulbricht-b192e7ddf93ef9bad9d3209832dbb4ac">greater acceptance of crypto</a>. On the other are worries about a potentially swelling U.S. government deficit and upward pressure on inflation.

Wall Street still sees banks as some of the biggest beneficiaries from a second Trump administration. Besides a potentially stronger economy, which would boost profits for lending, investors expect another Trump term to mean less regulation on banks.

Truist Financial rose 5.9% Friday after joining the list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-earnings-profit-38c5a832fdb4503d8483d6115b4a8ee1">banks to report better profits</a>&nbsp;for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. The company said its average deposits rose 1.5% during the quarter, and it followed bigger-than-expected profit reports from large rivals like Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others.

Other smaller, regional banks reported mixed results on Friday. Regions Financial fell 1.3%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services dropped 7.4% for the biggest loss in the S&amp;P 500 after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. Higher equipment and insurance-related costs helped drag on its results.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 59.32 points to 5,996.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 334.70 to 43,487.83, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 291.91 to 19,630.20.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied in Europe after finishing mixed in Asia.

Chinese indexes rose modestly after authorities said the world’s second-largest economy grew at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-gdp-exports-stimulus-7ae30cf2b48fa82c8e4feeee85483846">5% annual pace</a>&nbsp;last year, hitting the government’s target but slowing from the year before. Stocks rose 0.3% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai.

Economists are forecasting a further slowing of growth this year and beyond for the world’s second-largest economy, and Trump’s threats to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have added to Beijing’s challenges as it faces a raft of moves by Washington to limit access to advanced technology, such as computer chips used in artificial intelligence.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nintendo-switch-2-576de3f217e63ecf4d63f2c7cbfe9635">Nintendo</a>&nbsp;sank 4.3% following the unveiling of its newest console. The company promised more details about the Switch 2 in April and said it will be released this year.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes closed their best week in two months with a flourish on Friday.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1% to clinch its first winning week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-inflation-oil-9d07b54623af91cd7222128e97de25e7">last three</a>. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 334 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.SLB helped lead the market after the provider of services to oilfields delivered bigger profit and revenue for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. It jumped 6.1% after it also raised its dividend by 3.6% and said it’s returning $2.3 billion to its investors by buying back its own stock.The most forceful pushes upward came from Big Tech stocks. All the companies in what’s come to be known as the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Magnificent Seven</a>&nbsp;” rose: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Because they’re so massive in size, their movements carry more weight on the S&amp;P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.The Magnificent Seven have been under pressure recently because of criticism their stock prices may have shot too high after leading the market for so many years. Such worries grew after Treasury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-bonds-interest-rates-37c91aa8d1cc4d2a09506d31e9dba99b">yields jumped in the bond market</a>. Higher yields hurt prices for all kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.But stocks broadly got a lift this week from an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">encouraging report on U.S. inflation</a>, which raised hopes that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-economy-93bb50c8d1c727791f6a18075fbab595">Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;may deliver more cuts to interest rates this year. More such cuts, which began in September, would ease the brakes off the economy and boost prices for investments, though they can also give inflation more fuel.Wall Street has been lurching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-tariffs-rates-jobs-efc5402f914dd7403a8dc108f96e5bb4">down</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-f52917dbab997a2c95fbeb9b83d175f1">up</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks as economic reports pushed traders to revamp their expectations about what the Fed will do with rates. Lower worries about inflation have sent Treasury yields down and stocks up, while worsening worries about inflation have triggered the opposite reaction.Treasury yields eased sharply this past week, and the 10-year Treasury yield eased further on Friday. It’s at 4.61%, down from 4.62% late Thursday and from 4.76% a week earlier.Still, even with this week’s better-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-jobs-federal-reserve-2d6a4d1c31b37fa2d060c466472a8ca1">readout on inflation</a>, some on Wall Street remain skeptical about the chances for more cuts. With the U.S. economy in solid overall shape, “you shouldn’t fix what’s not broken,” Bank of America economists Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel said in a BofA Global Research report.They also pointed to the uncertainties created by “Trumponomics 2.0.” Policies pushed by President-elect Donald Trump could help push up inflation, or at least expectations for it, including widespread tariffs and tax cuts for an economy that’s already growing.Prices for all kinds of investments from stocks to cryptocurrencies have swung amid the uncertainty following an initial burst after Election Day. On one hand are hopes for stronger profits for companies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crypto-bitcoin-council-reserve-ulbricht-b192e7ddf93ef9bad9d3209832dbb4ac">greater acceptance of crypto</a>. On the other are worries about a potentially swelling U.S. government deficit and upward pressure on inflation.Wall Street still sees banks as some of the biggest beneficiaries from a second Trump administration. Besides a potentially stronger economy, which would boost profits for lending, investors expect another Trump term to mean less regulation on banks.Truist Financial rose 5.9% Friday after joining the list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-chase-bank-earnings-profit-38c5a832fdb4503d8483d6115b4a8ee1">banks to report better profits</a>&nbsp;for the end of 2024 than analysts expected. The company said its average deposits rose 1.5% during the quarter, and it followed bigger-than-expected profit reports from large rivals like Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others.Other smaller, regional banks reported mixed results on Friday. Regions Financial fell 1.3%.J.B. Hunt Transport Services dropped 7.4% for the biggest loss in the S&amp;P 500 after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. Higher equipment and insurance-related costs helped drag on its results.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 59.32 points to 5,996.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 334.70 to 43,487.83, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 291.91 to 19,630.20.In stock markets abroad, indexes rallied in Europe after finishing mixed in Asia.Chinese indexes rose modestly after authorities said the world’s second-largest economy grew at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-gdp-exports-stimulus-7ae30cf2b48fa82c8e4feeee85483846">5% annual pace</a>&nbsp;last year, hitting the government’s target but slowing from the year before. Stocks rose 0.3% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai.Economists are forecasting a further slowing of growth this year and beyond for the world’s second-largest economy, and Trump’s threats to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have added to Beijing’s challenges as it faces a raft of moves by Washington to limit access to advanced technology, such as computer chips used in artificial intelligence.In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nintendo-switch-2-576de3f217e63ecf4d63f2c7cbfe9635">Nintendo</a>&nbsp;sank 4.3% following the unveiling of its newest console. The company promised more details about the Switch 2 in April and said it will be released this year.

Wall Street finishes its best week since Trump's election with a rally

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —A school bus driver and students avoided injury after an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Freightliner school bus for the USD 453 Leavenworth School District and driven by 80-year-old William Bay of Leavenworth was southbound on 20th Street and turning westbound onto Choctaw Street.

The bus rear-ended a legally parked Leavenworth Police Department 2023 Dodge Charger conducting a traffic stop. Bay and the twenty students on board the bus were not injured.&nbsp; The KHP released no additional details.&nbsp; 

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —A school bus driver and students avoided injury after an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Freightliner school bus for the USD 453 Leavenworth School District and driven by 80-year-old William Bay of Leavenworth was southbound on 20th Street and turning westbound onto Choctaw Street.The bus rear-ended a legally parked Leavenworth Police Department 2023 Dodge Charger conducting a traffic stop. Bay and the twenty students on board the bus were not injured.&nbsp; The KHP released no additional details.&nbsp;

Kan. school bus rear-ended police vehicle on traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">intense cold weather</a>, upending months of meticulous planning for a massive outdoor event with crowds sprawling down the National Mall.

“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”

The Rotunda is prepared as an alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-security-a3df8ed878f2c0587f7038d68a0447f6">The swearing-in</a>&nbsp;was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest Inauguration Day temperatures since that day.

Outgoing President Joe Biden, members of Congress and some other dignitaries and notable guests will be able to view&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-schedule-events-2997c668b2242e8646cfdc07ca3e22f7">the ceremony</a>&nbsp;from inside the Capitol Rotunda. But even if they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder packing the Rotunda as in 1985, many will be forced to watch the swearing-in from elsewhere.

Alternate plans were being devised to accommodate as many guests as possible. More than 250,000 guests are ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and tens of thousands more were expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House.

Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washington’s Capital One Arena on Monday, a day after he plans to hold a rally there. He said he would visit the arena, which has a capacity of about 20,000, after his swearing-in, and host a modified inaugural parade there.

Trump said other inaugural events, including the Sunday rally and his participation in three official inaugural balls on Monday night, would take place as scheduled.

The U.S. Secret Service, which leads the security planning for the inauguration, said it was working with organizers to “adapt” its plans for the event due to the scheduling changes.

The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around 22 degrees (minus-6 Celsius) at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius). Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius).

“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda," a spokesperson said Friday.

The Capitol Rotunda was one of the areas breached during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by supporters of Trump trying to block the certification of his 2020 defeat to Biden. The temporary inaugural platform, where Trump was to have been sworn-in outdoors, was the site of some of the most violent clashes between rioters and police officers trying to protect the Capitol complex.

Earlier Friday, Trump's inaugural committee announced that, like his first inauguration, Trump would take the oath of office on a family Bible given to him by his mother as well as the Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on a family Bible given to him by his maternal great-grandmother.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737134491514.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">intense cold weather</a>, upending months of meticulous planning for a massive outdoor event with crowds sprawling down the National Mall.“The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737026821027.png" alt="Donald Trump's official Inaugural photo" />
 <figcaption>Donald Trump's official Inaugural photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The Rotunda is prepared as an alternative for each inauguration in the event of inclement weather.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-security-a3df8ed878f2c0587f7038d68a0447f6">The swearing-in</a>&nbsp;was last moved indoors in 1985, when President Ronald Reagan began his second term. Monday’s forecast calls for the lowest Inauguration Day temperatures since that day.Outgoing President Joe Biden, members of Congress and some other dignitaries and notable guests will be able to view&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-schedule-events-2997c668b2242e8646cfdc07ca3e22f7">the ceremony</a>&nbsp;from inside the Capitol Rotunda. But even if they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder packing the Rotunda as in 1985, many will be forced to watch the swearing-in from elsewhere.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Ronald Reagan&#39;s second inauguration in 1985 took place in the Capitol Rotunda on January 21, 1985. <a href="https://t.co/zaUQ5VFi4L">https://t.co/zaUQ5VFi4L</a> <a href="https://t.co/ldQYoyM9bO">pic.twitter.com/ldQYoyM9bO</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1880295095087329545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Alternate plans were being devised to accommodate as many guests as possible. More than 250,000 guests are ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds and tens of thousands more were expected to be in general admission areas or to line the inaugural parade route from the Capitol to the White House.Trump said some supporters would be able to watch the ceremony from Washington’s Capital One Arena on Monday, a day after he plans to hold a rally there. He said he would visit the arena, which has a capacity of about 20,000, after his swearing-in, and host a modified inaugural parade there.Trump said other inaugural events, including the Sunday rally and his participation in three official inaugural balls on Monday night, would take place as scheduled.The U.S. Secret Service, which leads the security planning for the inauguration, said it was working with organizers to “adapt” its plans for the event due to the scheduling changes.The National Weather Service is predicting the temperature to be around 22 degrees (minus-6 Celsius) at noon during the swearing-in, the coldest since Reagan’s second inauguration saw temperatures plunge to 7 degrees (minus-14 Celsius). Barack Obama’s 2009 swearing-in was 28 degrees (minus-2 Celsius).“The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will honor the request of the President-elect and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to move the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol to the Rotunda," a spokesperson said Friday.The Capitol Rotunda was one of the areas breached during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by supporters of Trump trying to block the certification of his 2020 defeat to Biden. The temporary inaugural platform, where Trump was to have been sworn-in outdoors, was the site of some of the most violent clashes between rioters and police officers trying to protect the Capitol complex.Earlier Friday, Trump's inaugural committee announced that, like his first inauguration, Trump would take the oath of office on a family Bible given to him by his mother as well as the Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn in on a family Bible given to him by his maternal great-grandmother.___

Moving Trump's swearing-in to Capitol Rotunda is a challenge 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-speech-national-security-22d672d946b6b4065ae5fb7f3e0d8bed">TikTok</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday unless it's sold by its China-based parent company,holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-656_ca7d.pdf">Click here to read the full ruling</a>

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-656">Click here to listen&nbsp;</a>to the court's oral argument from Jan. 10, 2024

A sale does not appear imminent and, although experts have said the app will not disappear from existing users' phones once the law takes effect on Jan. 19, new users won't be able to download it and updates won't be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.

The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has signaled it won't enforce the law beginning Sunday, his final full day in office.

Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now.

It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. The law allowed for a 90-day pause in the restrictions on the app if there had been progress toward a sale before it took effect. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who defended the law at the Supreme Court for the Democratic Biden administration, told the justices last week that it's uncertain whether the prospect of a sale once the law is in effect could trigger a 90-day respite for TikTok.

At arguments, the justices were told by a lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese technology company that is its parent, how difficult it would be to consummate a deal, especially since Chinese law restricts the sale of the proprietary algorithm that has made the social media platform wildly successful.

The app allows users to watch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-kids-teens-use-addiction-03a2d63a21bc5c1c62910628deff0521">hundreds of videos</a>&nbsp;in about half an hour because some are only a few seconds long, according to a lawsuit filed last year by Kentucky complaining that TikTok is designed to be addictive and harms kids' mental health. Similar suits were filed by more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">a dozen states</a>. TikTok has called the claims inaccurate.

The dispute over TikTok's ties to China has come to embody the geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-censorship-us-data-240e11d9bb6212b0c9b1adab821e5005">sensitive information on viewing habits</a>, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.

TikTok points out the U.S. has not presented evidence that China has attempted to manipulate content on its U.S. platform or gather American user data through TikTok.

Bipartisan majorities in Congress passed legislation, and President Joe Biden signed it into law in April. The law was the culmination of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">a yearslong saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over TikTok, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>.

TikTok, which sued the government last year over the law, has long denied it could be used as a tool of Beijing. A three-judge panel made up of two Republican appointees and a Democratic appointee unanimously upheld the law in December, prompting TikTok’s quick appeal to the Supreme Court.

Without a sale to an approved buyer, the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.

ByteDance has said it won’t sell. But some investors have been eyeing it, including Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin</a>&nbsp;and billionaire businessman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">Frank McCourt</a>. McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative has said it and its unnamed partners have presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.

Prelogar told the justices last week that having the law take effect “might be just the jolt” ByteDance needs to reconsider its position.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737127605789.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-speech-national-security-22d672d946b6b4065ae5fb7f3e0d8bed">TikTok</a>&nbsp;beginning Sunday unless it's sold by its China-based parent company,holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-656_ca7d.pdf">Click here to read the full ruling</a><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-656">Click here to listen&nbsp;</a>to the court's oral argument from Jan. 10, 2024A sale does not appear imminent and, although experts have said the app will not disappear from existing users' phones once the law takes effect on Jan. 19, new users won't be able to download it and updates won't be available. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.The decision came against the backdrop of unusual political agitation by President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed that he could negotiate a solution and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has signaled it won't enforce the law beginning Sunday, his final full day in office.Trump, mindful of TikTok’s popularity, and his own 14.7 million followers on the app, finds himself on the opposite side of the argument from prominent Senate Republicans who fault TikTok’s Chinese owner for not finding a buyer before now.It’s unclear what options are open to Trump once he is sworn in as president on Monday. The law allowed for a 90-day pause in the restrictions on the app if there had been progress toward a sale before it took effect. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who defended the law at the Supreme Court for the Democratic Biden administration, told the justices last week that it's uncertain whether the prospect of a sale once the law is in effect could trigger a 90-day respite for TikTok.At arguments, the justices were told by a lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese technology company that is its parent, how difficult it would be to consummate a deal, especially since Chinese law restricts the sale of the proprietary algorithm that has made the social media platform wildly successful.The app allows users to watch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-kids-teens-use-addiction-03a2d63a21bc5c1c62910628deff0521">hundreds of videos</a>&nbsp;in about half an hour because some are only a few seconds long, according to a lawsuit filed last year by Kentucky complaining that TikTok is designed to be addictive and harms kids' mental health. Similar suits were filed by more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">a dozen states</a>. TikTok has called the claims inaccurate.The dispute over TikTok's ties to China has come to embody the geopolitical competition between Washington and Beijing.The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-censorship-us-data-240e11d9bb6212b0c9b1adab821e5005">sensitive information on viewing habits</a>, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.TikTok points out the U.S. has not presented evidence that China has attempted to manipulate content on its U.S. platform or gather American user data through TikTok.Bipartisan majorities in Congress passed legislation, and President Joe Biden signed it into law in April. The law was the culmination of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">a yearslong saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over TikTok, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>.TikTok, which sued the government last year over the law, has long denied it could be used as a tool of Beijing. A three-judge panel made up of two Republican appointees and a Democratic appointee unanimously upheld the law in December, prompting TikTok’s quick appeal to the Supreme Court.Without a sale to an approved buyer, the law bars app stores operated by Apple, Google and others from offering TikTok beginning on Sunday. Internet hosting services also will be prohibited from hosting TikTok.ByteDance has said it won’t sell. But some investors have been eyeing it, including Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin</a>&nbsp;and billionaire businessman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">Frank McCourt</a>. McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative has said it and its unnamed partners have presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.Prelogar told the justices last week that having the law take effect “might be just the jolt” ByteDance needs to reconsider its position.

Read the ruling: Supreme Court says TikTok can be shut down Sunday 

BUTLER COUNTY —One person was injured in an early Friday morning fire in Andover.

Just after 1 a.m. Friday, emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Sherwin-Williams plant, 630 East 13th Street, near Interstate35, according to a media release.

The fire occurred in one of the facility’s outbuildings and not the main plant. Crews first on the scene observed visible smoke but no active flames. The fire was contained within a steel tank.

 Firefighters, working closely with a chemist from Sherwin-Williams, took several hours to develop a plan for safely extinguishing the fire. Once the plan was in place, they successfully extinguished the fire in just 15 minutes at approximately 5:30 a.m.&nbsp;

The fire was contained within a steel tank throughout the event and involved hazardous materials. While the smoke produced was hazardous, it was carried away and dissipated by southern winds. 

There was no material runoff from the site, and no hazardous substances were released into the environment beyond the dissipating smoke.

One Sherwin-Williams employee sustained minor burns in which were treated at the scene, and the individual was released shortly thereafter.

Interstate 35 was temporarily shut down as a precautionary measure. 

The situation remains under investigation, and Andover Fire-Rescue is working closely with Sherwin-Williams to determine the cause of the fire. Andover Fire-Rescue remained on site to monitor the situation but there was and is no threat to the public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737124323434.png" alt="Photo Andover Fire" />
 <figcaption>Photo Andover Fire</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —One person was injured in an early Friday morning fire in Andover.Just after 1 a.m. Friday, emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Sherwin-Williams plant, 630 East 13th Street, near Interstate35, according to a media release.The fire occurred in one of the facility’s outbuildings and not the main plant. Crews first on the scene observed visible smoke but no active flames. The fire was contained within a steel tank. Firefighters, working closely with a chemist from Sherwin-Williams, took several hours to develop a plan for safely extinguishing the fire. Once the plan was in place, they successfully extinguished the fire in just 15 minutes at approximately 5:30 a.m.&nbsp;The fire was contained within a steel tank throughout the event and involved hazardous materials. While the smoke produced was hazardous, it was carried away and dissipated by southern winds. There was no material runoff from the site, and no hazardous substances were released into the environment beyond the dissipating smoke.One Sherwin-Williams employee sustained minor burns in which were treated at the scene, and the individual was released shortly thereafter.Interstate 35 was temporarily shut down as a precautionary measure. The situation remains under investigation, and Andover Fire-Rescue is working closely with Sherwin-Williams to determine the cause of the fire. Andover Fire-Rescue remained on site to monitor the situation but there was and is no threat to the public.

Employee injured after fire at Sherwin-Williams plant in Kansas

Blueprint features aid for water, education, child-care and other priorities

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <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 — The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education.

Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide.

Adam Proffitt, the governor’s budget director, briefed the House and Senate budget committees Thursday on a budget outline that held base budget spending increases at 2%. The governor’s budget wouldn’t substantially deflate the robust balances of $1.2 billion in the general state treasury and $1.7 billion in a separate state emergency fund, he said.

“With the limited resources that we have available this year for enhancements, the governor has focused on high-impact policy areas,” Proffitt said.

In the governor’s State of the State speech on Wednesday night, she warned the Legislature not to push ahead with unsustainable tax reductions on heels of the 2024 law cutting $1.2 billion in taxes over three years. Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, expressed keen interest in reducing property taxes through passage of legislation and a state constitutional amendment.

Kansas governors must adhere to a constitutional requirement to annually submit a balanced budget bill to the Legislature. This year, however, the Republican-led House and Senate worked in late 2024 on their own budget plan that has been introduced in bill form for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. It’s unclear whether state lawmakers would stick with their own plan by ignoring Kelly’s spending priorities.

The Legislature’s leadership has taken the unusual step of asking state agencies to prepare lists of potential budget cuts to match a 7.5% reduction in funding. Not since 2020 has the Kelly administration asked agencies under its direction to compile a roster of budget-cut targets.

“I’m a fiscal conservative, which is why, once again, I’m proposing a budget that is balanced, maintains fiscal stability in the future and ensures Kansans have access to the services their government has promised them,” Kelly said in a statement.

Her approach to the new budget recognized the state enjoyed several years of robust revenue collections, in part due to the surge of $1.6 billion in federal dollars, and the expectation state revenue growth would return to normal levels of 1.5% to 2% annually.

Proffitt said the governor endorsed a 2.5% pay adjustment for most state employees. The amount was designed to align with inflation and would cost the state treasury $37 million. A separate provision for state prison and hospital workers would permit 5% increases to incentivize recruitment and retention of staff.

“This body has recognized that state employees work hard,” Proffitt said.

Kelly’s outline didn’t include enhancements to address specific state government jobs that had fallen behind market rates, he said.

In terms of public education, Proffitt said the governor’s budget would for the seventh year fully fund K-12 schools — an achievement following decades of school-finance litigation. Her K-12 budget also included expenditure of $5.5 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch meals for 36,000 low-income students who currently paid a reduced rate of 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch at school.

Kelly proposed allocating $500,000 to waive the Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students taking those pre-college tests.

The Democratic governor urged the Legislature to advance a multi-year plan that would bring the state into compliance with a law requiring the state to pay 92% of the extra cost borne by local school districts when educating students in special-education programs.

In 2024, the addition of $73 million in state aid brought the contribution percentage to 75%, leaving local school districts to absorb the remaining expense. Kelly said the Legislature should continue with this effort over four consecutive years to bring Kansas into compliance in the 2029 fiscal year.

The governor’s budget earmarked a $10 million, one-time appropriation for infrastructure and cybersecurity projects at public universities and community colleges.

Proffitt said the budget included $35 million promised by the Legislature for water resource investments. Kelly also suggested the state develop a 10-year program — modeled after the state highway programs — to bring better organize and direct water initiatives. She recommended appropriating $30 million in seed money to begin that effort and would pay for it by drawing upon interest earnings from the state’s rainy-day fund. That special fund generates about $70 million annually in interest income for the state.

Under the governor’s recommendations, the Legislature should vote to approve expansion of eligibility for Medicaid. Her idea would be to initiate benefits for about 150,000 Kansans on Jan. 1.

Due to legislative opposition in the past decade, Kansas remained among 10 states to not expand Medicaid offerings. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Nebraska agreed to extend Medicaid services to secure additional federal resources.

“Kansas is quite literally an island. Kansas is one of three states west of the Mississippi that has not yet expanded Medicaid,” Proffitt said.

He said concerns about the state’s cost share were overblown because federal incentives would provide Kansas, if expansion occurred, with an additional $450 million in supplemental Medicaid funding. That influx of federal dollars to the state would pay for expansion costs for years, he said.

In addition, the governor’s budget included a request for $9 million for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to make up the loss of funds that have historically been redirected to the agency from foster children eligible for Social Security benefits. Instead of pulling that money into the state agency, Kelly signed an executive order directed the cash go into special accounts created for children in the foster care system.

Kelly’s budget didn’t include $114 million for construction of a new headquarters for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to replace administrative buildings in Topeka. KBI officials have asked the Legislature to appropriate funding to develop a more efficient and secure campus for the law enforcement agency.

Republican leaders of the Legislature indicated they wanted to end the 2025 session by mid-April, which would be before the state typically produced revised tax revenue forecasts. Typically, the session wraps up after publication of the adjusted revenue estimates to prevent lawmakers from overspending.

“I will say this is the first time in my five years as budget director that I’ve seen a proposal for sine die adjournment prior to April revenue estimates,” Proffitt said. “It would be beneficial, I think, to have a full picture of revenues.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737140155499.png" alt="Adam Proffitt, budget director for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlined for members of the Kansas Legislature the Democratic governor’s blueprint for a new state budget. The package included spending on schools, water and child-care priorities. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Adam Proffitt, budget director for Gov. Laura Kelly, outlined for members of the Kansas Legislature the Democratic governor’s blueprint for a new state budget. The package included spending on schools, water and child-care priorities. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Blueprint features aid for water, education, child-care and other priorities</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <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 — The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education.Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide.Adam Proffitt, the governor’s budget director, briefed the House and Senate budget committees Thursday on a budget outline that held base budget spending increases at 2%. The governor’s budget wouldn’t substantially deflate the robust balances of $1.2 billion in the general state treasury and $1.7 billion in a separate state emergency fund, he said.“With the limited resources that we have available this year for enhancements, the governor has focused on high-impact policy areas,” Proffitt said.In the governor’s State of the State speech on Wednesday night, she warned the Legislature not to push ahead with unsustainable tax reductions on heels of the 2024 law cutting $1.2 billion in taxes over three years. Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, expressed keen interest in reducing property taxes through passage of legislation and a state constitutional amendment.Kansas governors must adhere to a constitutional requirement to annually submit a balanced budget bill to the Legislature. This year, however, the Republican-led House and Senate worked in late 2024 on their own budget plan that has been introduced in bill form for consideration by the 2025 Legislature. It’s unclear whether state lawmakers would stick with their own plan by ignoring Kelly’s spending priorities.The Legislature’s leadership has taken the unusual step of asking state agencies to prepare lists of potential budget cuts to match a 7.5% reduction in funding. Not since 2020 has the Kelly administration asked agencies under its direction to compile a roster of budget-cut targets.“I’m a fiscal conservative, which is why, once again, I’m proposing a budget that is balanced, maintains fiscal stability in the future and ensures Kansans have access to the services their government has promised them,” Kelly said in a statement.Her approach to the new budget recognized the state enjoyed several years of robust revenue collections, in part due to the surge of $1.6 billion in federal dollars, and the expectation state revenue growth would return to normal levels of 1.5% to 2% annually.<h2>Pay hikes, education</h2>Proffitt said the governor endorsed a 2.5% pay adjustment for most state employees. The amount was designed to align with inflation and would cost the state treasury $37 million. A separate provision for state prison and hospital workers would permit 5% increases to incentivize recruitment and retention of staff.“This body has recognized that state employees work hard,” Proffitt said.Kelly’s outline didn’t include enhancements to address specific state government jobs that had fallen behind market rates, he said.In terms of public education, Proffitt said the governor’s budget would for the seventh year fully fund K-12 schools — an achievement following decades of school-finance litigation. Her K-12 budget also included expenditure of $5.5 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch meals for 36,000 low-income students who currently paid a reduced rate of 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch at school.Kelly proposed allocating $500,000 to waive the Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students taking those pre-college tests.The Democratic governor urged the Legislature to advance a multi-year plan that would bring the state into compliance with a law requiring the state to pay 92% of the extra cost borne by local school districts when educating students in special-education programs.In 2024, the addition of $73 million in state aid brought the contribution percentage to 75%, leaving local school districts to absorb the remaining expense. Kelly said the Legislature should continue with this effort over four consecutive years to bring Kansas into compliance in the 2029 fiscal year.The governor’s budget earmarked a $10 million, one-time appropriation for infrastructure and cybersecurity projects at public universities and community colleges.Proffitt said the budget included $35 million promised by the Legislature for water resource investments. Kelly also suggested the state develop a 10-year program — modeled after the state highway programs — to bring better organize and direct water initiatives. She recommended appropriating $30 million in seed money to begin that effort and would pay for it by drawing upon interest earnings from the state’s rainy-day fund. That special fund generates about $70 million annually in interest income for the state.<h2>Medicaid expansion</h2>Under the governor’s recommendations, the Legislature should vote to approve expansion of eligibility for Medicaid. Her idea would be to initiate benefits for about 150,000 Kansans on Jan. 1.Due to legislative opposition in the past decade, Kansas remained among 10 states to not expand Medicaid offerings. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Nebraska agreed to extend Medicaid services to secure additional federal resources.“Kansas is quite literally an island. Kansas is one of three states west of the Mississippi that has not yet expanded Medicaid,” Proffitt said.He said concerns about the state’s cost share were overblown because federal incentives would provide Kansas, if expansion occurred, with an additional $450 million in supplemental Medicaid funding. That influx of federal dollars to the state would pay for expansion costs for years, he said.In addition, the governor’s budget included a request for $9 million for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to make up the loss of funds that have historically been redirected to the agency from foster children eligible for Social Security benefits. Instead of pulling that money into the state agency, Kelly signed an executive order directed the cash go into special accounts created for children in the foster care system.Kelly’s budget didn’t include $114 million for construction of a new headquarters for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to replace administrative buildings in Topeka. KBI officials have asked the Legislature to appropriate funding to develop a more efficient and secure campus for the law enforcement agency.Republican leaders of the Legislature indicated they wanted to end the 2025 session by mid-April, which would be before the state typically produced revised tax revenue forecasts. Typically, the session wraps up after publication of the adjusted revenue estimates to prevent lawmakers from overspending.“I will say this is the first time in my five years as budget director that I’ve seen a proposal for sine die adjournment prior to April revenue estimates,” Proffitt said. “It would be beneficial, I think, to have a full picture of revenues.”

Gov. Laura Kelly presented new state budget to Republican-led House, Senate

LABETTE COUNTY —One person was injured in a crash during a police chase just before 10p.m. Thursday in Labette County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported law enforcement officers were in pursuit of a 1970 Chevy pickup driven by Randy E. Jackson, 50, Waco, Missouri, westbound at 24,080 Scott Road.

The pickup traveled off the road through the barb wire fence, a metal gate and continued across Scott Road. The vehicle&nbsp;struck the gate of a business and continued westbound into the parking lot where it struck a parked 2000 Ford pickup and overturned.

EMS transported Jackson to Mercy Hospital in Joplin. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

LABETTE COUNTY —One person was injured in a crash during a police chase just before 10p.m. Thursday in Labette County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported law enforcement officers were in pursuit of a 1970 Chevy pickup driven by Randy E. Jackson, 50, Waco, Missouri, westbound at 24,080 Scott Road.The pickup traveled off the road through the barb wire fence, a metal gate and continued across Scott Road. The vehicle&nbsp;struck the gate of a business and continued westbound into the parking lot where it struck a parked 2000 Ford pickup and overturned.EMS transported Jackson to Mercy Hospital in Joplin. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.