BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/collin-binkley">COLLIN BINKLEY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/chris-megerian">CHRIS MEGERIAN</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is abandoning his effort to cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans, the first step in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from retooling them to achieve his own aims.

The White House expects to pull back unfinished rules across several agencies if there isn’t enough time to finalize them before Trump takes office. If the proposed regulations were left in their current state, the next administration would be able to rewrite them and advance its agenda more quickly.

Even as the Biden administration moves to pull back the rules, it pushed ahead with cancellation through other avenues on Friday. The Education Department said it was clearing loans for another 55,000 borrowers who reached eligibility through a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was created by Congress in 2007 and expanded by the Biden administration.

As the pending Biden regulations are withdrawn, nothing prevents Trump from pursuing his own regulations on the same issues when he returns to the White House, but he would have to start from scratch in a process that can take months or even years.

“This isn’t the way I wanted it to end,” said Melissa Byrne, an activist who has pushed for student debt cancellation. “Unfortunately, this is the most prudent action to take right now.”

She blamed Republicans for putting the Biden administration in this position. “It’s a bummer that we have a GOP that is committed to keeping working-class Americans in debt,” Byrne said.

In documents withdrawing the student loan proposals, the Education Department insisted it has the authority to cancel the debt but sought to focus on other priorities in the administration’s final weeks. It said the administration will focus on helping borrowers get back on track with payments following the coronavirus pandemic, when payments were paused.

“The department at this time intends to commit its limited operational resources to helping at-risk borrowers return to repayment successfully,” the agency wrote.

The withdrawals are beginning as Washington braces for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-musk-johnson-e4b5c93d12838d180740a35daecc118d">a potential government shutdown</a>&nbsp;that could further complicate efforts by the Biden administration to tie up loose ends.

Another proposed rule that could face withdrawal is a measure that would have prevented schools from issuing blanket bans against transgender athletes. Trump could recast the pending modification to Title IX to forbid transgender athletes from playing in girls’ sports, one of his campaign promises.

An administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration still supports the goals of its regulatory proposals. However, the process can be lengthy because it requires legal reviews and collecting input from the public.

Federal agencies are now analyzing which rules to finish and which to pull back before the end of Biden’s term, the official said.

In recent years, presidents have tended to rely more on executive orders and federal regulations to sidestep gridlock in Congress. However, the rulemaking process can be less durable than legislation, leaving policies more vulnerable to shifts between administrations.

There are dozens of other pending regulations across the Education Department and other agencies, ranging from relatively trivial updates to sweeping policies that carry weighty implications for the nation’s schools and businesses.

If a rule has already gone through a public feedback process under Biden, Trump could simply replace it with his own proposal and move straight to enacting the policy, effectively bypassing the comment period.

The pair of student loan proposals expected to be withdrawn Friday represented Biden’s second attempt at widespread debt cancellation after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">rejected his first plan.</a>

One of them is a proposal from April would have provided targeted debt relief to 30 million Americans. It laid out several categories of borrowers eligible for relief. Borrowers who saw their balances balloon because of interest would have had their accrued interest wiped away. Those who had been repaying loans for 20 years or more would have gotten their loans erased.

That proposal was halted by a federal judge in September after Republican-led states sued, and it remains tangled in a legal battle.

The second rule being withdrawn is a proposal from October that would have allowed the Education Department to cancel loans for people facing various kinds of hardship, including those struggling with steep medical bills or child care costs.

Although Biden never achieved the sweeping loan cancellations that he initially promised, his administration has forgiven an unprecedented $180 billion in federal student loans through existing programs.

“Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt,” Biden said in a statement.

On Friday, officials announced they were erasing debt for another 55,000 workers — including teachers, nurses and law enforcement officials — through Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The program promises to cancel loans for borrowers who spend 10 years in government or nonprofit jobs.

The $4.28 billion in relief is expected to be the final&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-debt-forgiveness-60ffeaec17737d6317b4aee188893cc4">round of public service loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;before Biden leaves office in January.

Biden’s rule on transgender sports was proposed in 2023 but was delayed multiple times. It was supposed to be a follow-up to his broader rule that extended civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students under Title IX.

The sports rule would have barred schools from banning transgender athletes outright while allowing limits for certain reasons — for example, if it was a matter of “fairness” in competition or to reduce injury risks.

It sat on the back burner through the presidential campaign as the issue became a subject of Republican outrage. Trump campaigned on a promise to ban transgender athletes, with a promise to “keep men out of women’s sports.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721180391047.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/collin-binkley">COLLIN BINKLEY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/chris-megerian">CHRIS MEGERIAN</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is abandoning his effort to cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans, the first step in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from retooling them to achieve his own aims.The White House expects to pull back unfinished rules across several agencies if there isn’t enough time to finalize them before Trump takes office. If the proposed regulations were left in their current state, the next administration would be able to rewrite them and advance its agenda more quickly.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The 55,000 public servants approved for debt cancellation today are workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities. Now, they are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law. <a href="https://t.co/mT3s1VXGG8">pic.twitter.com/mT3s1VXGG8</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1870110519127925181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Even as the Biden administration moves to pull back the rules, it pushed ahead with cancellation through other avenues on Friday. The Education Department said it was clearing loans for another 55,000 borrowers who reached eligibility through a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was created by Congress in 2007 and expanded by the Biden administration.As the pending Biden regulations are withdrawn, nothing prevents Trump from pursuing his own regulations on the same issues when he returns to the White House, but he would have to start from scratch in a process that can take months or even years.“This isn’t the way I wanted it to end,” said Melissa Byrne, an activist who has pushed for student debt cancellation. “Unfortunately, this is the most prudent action to take right now.”She blamed Republicans for putting the Biden administration in this position. “It’s a bummer that we have a GOP that is committed to keeping working-class Americans in debt,” Byrne said.In documents withdrawing the student loan proposals, the Education Department insisted it has the authority to cancel the debt but sought to focus on other priorities in the administration’s final weeks. It said the administration will focus on helping borrowers get back on track with payments following the coronavirus pandemic, when payments were paused.“The department at this time intends to commit its limited operational resources to helping at-risk borrowers return to repayment successfully,” the agency wrote.The withdrawals are beginning as Washington braces for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-musk-johnson-e4b5c93d12838d180740a35daecc118d">a potential government shutdown</a>&nbsp;that could further complicate efforts by the Biden administration to tie up loose ends.Another proposed rule that could face withdrawal is a measure that would have prevented schools from issuing blanket bans against transgender athletes. Trump could recast the pending modification to Title IX to forbid transgender athletes from playing in girls’ sports, one of his campaign promises.An administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration still supports the goals of its regulatory proposals. However, the process can be lengthy because it requires legal reviews and collecting input from the public.Federal agencies are now analyzing which rules to finish and which to pull back before the end of Biden’s term, the official said.In recent years, presidents have tended to rely more on executive orders and federal regulations to sidestep gridlock in Congress. However, the rulemaking process can be less durable than legislation, leaving policies more vulnerable to shifts between administrations.There are dozens of other pending regulations across the Education Department and other agencies, ranging from relatively trivial updates to sweeping policies that carry weighty implications for the nation’s schools and businesses.If a rule has already gone through a public feedback process under Biden, Trump could simply replace it with his own proposal and move straight to enacting the policy, effectively bypassing the comment period.The pair of student loan proposals expected to be withdrawn Friday represented Biden’s second attempt at widespread debt cancellation after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">rejected his first plan.</a>One of them is a proposal from April would have provided targeted debt relief to 30 million Americans. It laid out several categories of borrowers eligible for relief. Borrowers who saw their balances balloon because of interest would have had their accrued interest wiped away. Those who had been repaying loans for 20 years or more would have gotten their loans erased.That proposal was halted by a federal judge in September after Republican-led states sued, and it remains tangled in a legal battle.The second rule being withdrawn is a proposal from October that would have allowed the Education Department to cancel loans for people facing various kinds of hardship, including those struggling with steep medical bills or child care costs.Although Biden never achieved the sweeping loan cancellations that he initially promised, his administration has forgiven an unprecedented $180 billion in federal student loans through existing programs.“Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt,” Biden said in a statement.On Friday, officials announced they were erasing debt for another 55,000 workers — including teachers, nurses and law enforcement officials — through Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The program promises to cancel loans for borrowers who spend 10 years in government or nonprofit jobs.The $4.28 billion in relief is expected to be the final&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-debt-forgiveness-60ffeaec17737d6317b4aee188893cc4">round of public service loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;before Biden leaves office in January.Biden’s rule on transgender sports was proposed in 2023 but was delayed multiple times. It was supposed to be a follow-up to his broader rule that extended civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students under Title IX.The sports rule would have barred schools from banning transgender athletes outright while allowing limits for certain reasons — for example, if it was a matter of “fairness” in competition or to reduce injury risks.It sat on the back burner through the presidential campaign as the issue became a subject of Republican outrage. Trump campaigned on a promise to ban transgender athletes, with a promise to “keep men out of women’s sports.”

Biden cancels student loan debt for more public service workers

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to their fastest pace since March with home shoppers encouraged by a wider selection of properties on the market, even as mortgage rates mostly ticked higher.

Existing home sales rose 4.8% last month, from October, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.15 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Sales accelerated 6.1% compared with November last year, representing the biggest year-over-year gain since June 2021. The latest home sales topped the 4.1 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 17th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.7% from a year earlier, to $406,100.

Despite increasing in November and October, home sales are still running below last year’s pace, when they sank to a nearly 30-year low.

“Looks like we won’t match last year in terms of the annual total, so it will be the lowest home sales since 1995,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist.

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale has helped prop up prices, which as of last month are up 50% nationally since 2019.

Mortgage rates have come down this year after the average rate on a 30-year home loan reached a 23-year high of nearly 8% in October 2023, but not nearly enough to make a difference for many would-be homebuyers.

The average rate eased to a two-year low just above 6% in September following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;for the first time in more than four years. But it has mostly risen since then. It was 6.6% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

Home sales that closed last month likely reflect contracts signed in September and October, when mortgage rates were more attractive.

Heading into next year, the outlook for mortgage rates remains cloudy. Many economists predict that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will ease next year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-loan-15f72a8a57fb43858f0922dc9b800f15">generally hold above 6%.</a>

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the moves in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. Bond yields shot up Wednesday after the Fed signaled that it will likely deliver fewer cuts to rates next year than it forecast just a few months ago. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions and the trajectory of inflation influence the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield.

Home shoppers who could afford to buy in November benefited from a pickup in the homes that are available. There were 1.33 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 2.9% from October, but up 17.7% from November last year, NAR said.

That translates to a 3.8-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 4.2-month pace at the end of October last year, but up from 3.5-month pace in November last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

“We are seeing sales increase because of this increase in inventory of inventory,” Yun said.

Still, the supply of homes on the market remains about 30% below what it was before the pandemic.

Limited inventory, especially in the more affordable price range of a given market, helps drive prices higher. That’s one reason first-time homebuyers, who don’t have any home equity to put toward their down payment, continue to struggle to afford a home.

They accounted for just 30% of all homes sold last month. That’s up from 27% in October, but down from 31% in November last year. First-time buyers have accounted for 40% of sales historically.

Homebuyers who can afford to sidestep mortgage rates and pay all cash for a home accounted for 25% of sales last month, down from 27% a year earlier.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659001075252.jpeg" alt="File photo AP" />
 <figcaption>File photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>BY ALEX VEIGAKANSAS CITY (AP) —Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to their fastest pace since March with home shoppers encouraged by a wider selection of properties on the market, even as mortgage rates mostly ticked higher.Existing home sales rose 4.8% last month, from October, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.15 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.Sales accelerated 6.1% compared with November last year, representing the biggest year-over-year gain since June 2021. The latest home sales topped the 4.1 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 17th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.7% from a year earlier, to $406,100.Despite increasing in November and October, home sales are still running below last year’s pace, when they sank to a nearly 30-year low.“Looks like we won’t match last year in terms of the annual total, so it will be the lowest home sales since 1995,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist.The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale has helped prop up prices, which as of last month are up 50% nationally since 2019.Mortgage rates have come down this year after the average rate on a 30-year home loan reached a 23-year high of nearly 8% in October 2023, but not nearly enough to make a difference for many would-be homebuyers.The average rate eased to a two-year low just above 6% in September following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;for the first time in more than four years. But it has mostly risen since then. It was 6.6% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.Home sales that closed last month likely reflect contracts signed in September and October, when mortgage rates were more attractive.Heading into next year, the outlook for mortgage rates remains cloudy. Many economists predict that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will ease next year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mortgage-rates-housing-interest-financing-home-loan-15f72a8a57fb43858f0922dc9b800f15">generally hold above 6%.</a>Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the moves in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. Bond yields shot up Wednesday after the Fed signaled that it will likely deliver fewer cuts to rates next year than it forecast just a few months ago. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions and the trajectory of inflation influence the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield.Home shoppers who could afford to buy in November benefited from a pickup in the homes that are available. There were 1.33 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 2.9% from October, but up 17.7% from November last year, NAR said.That translates to a 3.8-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 4.2-month pace at the end of October last year, but up from 3.5-month pace in November last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.“We are seeing sales increase because of this increase in inventory of inventory,” Yun said.Still, the supply of homes on the market remains about 30% below what it was before the pandemic.Limited inventory, especially in the more affordable price range of a given market, helps drive prices higher. That’s one reason first-time homebuyers, who don’t have any home equity to put toward their down payment, continue to struggle to afford a home.They accounted for just 30% of all homes sold last month. That’s up from 27% in October, but down from 31% in November last year. First-time buyers have accounted for 40% of sales historically.Homebuyers who can afford to sidestep mortgage rates and pay all cash for a home accounted for 25% of sales last month, down from 27% a year earlier.

US home sales rose in November to fastest pace in months

NEW YORK (AP) — The suspect in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-79a9710978fc7adbb23d3fed4ea2f70d">UnitedHealthcare’s CEO</a>&nbsp;was whisked back to New York on a plane and by helicopter Thursday to face new federal charges of stalking and murder, which could bring the death penalty if he's convicted.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-luigi-mangione-10ee2f70cd843a27940a9cf1a06edf55">Luigi Mangione</a>&nbsp;agreed to return to New York after a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week five days after the shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-new-york-shooting-brian-thompson-8a130e64bcab749d1a085f5a34ab8254">Brian Thompson</a>. Mangione appeared in a Manhattan federal court for an afternoon hearing where a magistrate ordered he be detained.

After his Pennsylvania court hearing, Mangione was immediately turned over to at least a dozen New York Police Department officers who were in the courtroom and led him to a plane bound for Long Island. He then was flown to a Manhattan heliport, where he was walked slowly up a pier by a throng of officers with assault rifles.

The federal complaint unsealed Thursday charges him with two counts of stalking and one count each of murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense. Murder by firearm carries the possibility of the death penalty, though federal prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue that punishment.

In a New York state indictment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f">filed earlier this week</a>, Mangione was charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-fccc9e875e976b9901a122bc15669425">murder as an act of terrorism</a>, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison without parole. New York does not have the death penalty.

In federal court Thursday, Mangione shifted his head but otherwise did not react when the magistrate read the part of the complaint accusing him of killing Thompson.

His attorney said dealing with both the state and federal cases puts the defense in a highly unusual situation. “Frankly I’ve never seen anything like what is happening here,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of ambushing and shooting Thompson on Dec. 4 outside a Manhattan hotel where the head of the United States’ largest medical insurance company was walking to an investor conference.

Authorities have said Mangione was carrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghost-guns-unitedhealthcare-ceo-1e3b449dd9ed5fabeb2ad592fde91575">the gun</a>&nbsp;used to kill Thompson, a passport, fake IDs and about $10,000 when he was arrested while eating breakfast on Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Mangione, who initially fought attempts to extradite him, made two brief court appearances Thursday, first waiving a preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges before agreeing to be sent back to New York.

Investigators believe Mangione was motivated by anger toward the U.S. health care system and corporate greed. But he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-united-healthcare-ceo-d148fbdde498c3ea4cf768945889d7e7">never a UnitedHealthcare client</a>, according to the insurer.

According to the federal complaint, a notebook Mangione was carrying when he was arrested included several handwritten pages expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular.

An August entry said that “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” according to the filing. An entry in October “describes an intent to ‘wack’ the CEO of one of the insurance companies at its investor conference,” the document said.

The killing ignited an outpouring of stories about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-delay-deny-depose-insurance-online-criticism-2d9c9a1a2a551876e72a11a93fc7624c">resentment toward U.S. health insurance companies</a>&nbsp;while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-security-threats-wanted-posters-9a6687d14e667e5b48a1581923830e3f">shaking corporate America</a>&nbsp;after some social media users called the shooting payback.

Video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson, 50, from behind and then firing several more shots. The suspect eluded police despite authorities widely circulating photos of his unmasked face until Mangione was captured in Altoona, about 277 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.

Mangione, a computer science graduate from a prominent Maryland family, was carrying a handwritten letter that called health insurance companies “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.

One of his lawyers cautioned the public against prejudging the case.

Mangione repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-back-surgery-mental-health-35086d2e01089f53db7b95e7b6c683e4">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;about how spinal surgery last year had eased his chronic back pain, encouraging people with similar conditions to speak up for themselves if told they just had to live with it.

In a Reddit post in late April, he advised someone with a back problem to seek additional opinions from surgeons and, if necessary, say the pain made it impossible to work.

“We live in a capitalist society,” Mangione wrote. “I’ve found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it’s impacting your quality of life.”

He apparently cut himself off from his family and close friends in recent months. His family&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-unitedhealthcare-ceo-743e8b3ffb6a03a177c0e6d56f119581">reported him missing</a>&nbsp;in San Francisco in November. His relatives have said in a statement that they were “shocked and devastated” by his arrest.

Thompson, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, was trained as an accountant. A married father of two high-schoolers, he had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021.

Scolforo reported from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writers Mike Rubinkam in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734643890089.png" alt="Mangione photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>Mangione photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The suspect in the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-79a9710978fc7adbb23d3fed4ea2f70d">UnitedHealthcare’s CEO</a>&nbsp;was whisked back to New York on a plane and by helicopter Thursday to face new federal charges of stalking and murder, which could bring the death penalty if he's convicted.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-luigi-mangione-10ee2f70cd843a27940a9cf1a06edf55">Luigi Mangione</a>&nbsp;agreed to return to New York after a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week five days after the shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-new-york-shooting-brian-thompson-8a130e64bcab749d1a085f5a34ab8254">Brian Thompson</a>. Mangione appeared in a Manhattan federal court for an afternoon hearing where a magistrate ordered he be detained.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734643943338.png" alt="photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>After his Pennsylvania court hearing, Mangione was immediately turned over to at least a dozen New York Police Department officers who were in the courtroom and led him to a plane bound for Long Island. He then was flown to a Manhattan heliport, where he was walked slowly up a pier by a throng of officers with assault rifles.The federal complaint unsealed Thursday charges him with two counts of stalking and one count each of murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense. Murder by firearm carries the possibility of the death penalty, though federal prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue that punishment.In a New York state indictment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f">filed earlier this week</a>, Mangione was charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-fccc9e875e976b9901a122bc15669425">murder as an act of terrorism</a>, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison without parole. New York does not have the death penalty.In federal court Thursday, Mangione shifted his head but otherwise did not react when the magistrate read the part of the complaint accusing him of killing Thompson.His attorney said dealing with both the state and federal cases puts the defense in a highly unusual situation. “Frankly I’ve never seen anything like what is happening here,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate is accused of ambushing and shooting Thompson on Dec. 4 outside a Manhattan hotel where the head of the United States’ largest medical insurance company was walking to an investor conference.Authorities have said Mangione was carrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghost-guns-unitedhealthcare-ceo-1e3b449dd9ed5fabeb2ad592fde91575">the gun</a>&nbsp;used to kill Thompson, a passport, fake IDs and about $10,000 when he was arrested while eating breakfast on Dec. 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.Mangione, who initially fought attempts to extradite him, made two brief court appearances Thursday, first waiving a preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges before agreeing to be sent back to New York.Investigators believe Mangione was motivated by anger toward the U.S. health care system and corporate greed. But he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-united-healthcare-ceo-d148fbdde498c3ea4cf768945889d7e7">never a UnitedHealthcare client</a>, according to the insurer.According to the federal complaint, a notebook Mangione was carrying when he was arrested included several handwritten pages expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular.An August entry said that “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box,” according to the filing. An entry in October “describes an intent to ‘wack’ the CEO of one of the insurance companies at its investor conference,” the document said.The killing ignited an outpouring of stories about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-delay-deny-depose-insurance-online-criticism-2d9c9a1a2a551876e72a11a93fc7624c">resentment toward U.S. health insurance companies</a>&nbsp;while also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-security-threats-wanted-posters-9a6687d14e667e5b48a1581923830e3f">shaking corporate America</a>&nbsp;after some social media users called the shooting payback.Video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson, 50, from behind and then firing several more shots. The suspect eluded police despite authorities widely circulating photos of his unmasked face until Mangione was captured in Altoona, about 277 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.Mangione, a computer science graduate from a prominent Maryland family, was carrying a handwritten letter that called health insurance companies “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.One of his lawyers cautioned the public against prejudging the case.Mangione repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-back-surgery-mental-health-35086d2e01089f53db7b95e7b6c683e4">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;about how spinal surgery last year had eased his chronic back pain, encouraging people with similar conditions to speak up for themselves if told they just had to live with it.In a Reddit post in late April, he advised someone with a back problem to seek additional opinions from surgeons and, if necessary, say the pain made it impossible to work.“We live in a capitalist society,” Mangione wrote. “I’ve found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it’s impacting your quality of life.”He apparently cut himself off from his family and close friends in recent months. His family&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-unitedhealthcare-ceo-743e8b3ffb6a03a177c0e6d56f119581">reported him missing</a>&nbsp;in San Francisco in November. His relatives have said in a statement that they were “shocked and devastated” by his arrest.Thompson, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, was trained as an accountant. A married father of two high-schoolers, he had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021.___Scolforo reported from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press writers Mike Rubinkam in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; contributed.

Suspect in killing insurance CEO hit with federal charges

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tumbled to one of their worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve hinted Wednesday it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-loan-rates-economy-prices-7474747d890c0fdcc87454fd4c80aaa4">may deliver fewer shots of adrenaline</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. economy in 2025 than earlier thought.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 2.9%, just shy of its biggest loss for the year from the summer, to pull further from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-jobs-china-bitcoin-f066b9725ca1eaf8de1fa700555920e4">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,123 points, or 2.6%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 3.6%.

The Fed said Wednesday it’s cutting its main interest rate for a third time this year, continuing the sharp turnaround begun in September when it started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">lowering rates</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-economy-inflation-unemployment-federal-reserve-bb2c2cf596ffe8b080c45e98cdaeebc4">job market</a>. That cut, though, was widely expected.

The bigger question centers on how much more the Fed will cut next year. A lot is riding on it, particularly after expectations for a series of cuts in 2025 helped the U.S. stock market set an all-time high at least 57 times in 2024.

Fed officials released projections on Wednesday showing the median expectation among them is for two more cuts to the federal funds rate in 2025, or half a percentage point’s worth. That’s down from the four cuts expected just three months ago.

“We are in a new phase of the process,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said after the central bank quickly eased its main interest rate since September by a full percentage point to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%.

Asked why Fed officials are looking to slow their cuts, Powell pointed to how the job market looks to be performing well overall and how recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-223c3a826318d142e283839f9d8581a2">inflation</a>&nbsp;readings have picked up. He also cited uncertainties that will require policy makers to react to upcoming, to-be-determined changes in the economy.

While lower rates can offer a boost to the economy by making it cheaper to borrow and boosting prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.

Powell said some Fed officials, but not all, are also already trying to incorporate uncertainties inherent in a new administration coming into the White House. Worries are rising on Wall Street that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;preference for tariffs and other policies could further juice inflation, along with economic growth.

“When the path is uncertain, you go a little slower,” Powell said. It’s “not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture. You just slow down.”

One official, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, thought the central bank should not have even cut rates this time around. She was the lone vote against Wednesday’s rate cut.

The reduced expectations for 2025 rate cuts sent Treasury yields rising in the bond market, squeezing the stock market.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.50% from 4.40% late Tuesday, which is a notable move for the bond market. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed to 4.35% from 4.25%.

On Wall Street, stocks of companies that can feel the most pressure from higher interest rates fell to some of the worst losses.

Stocks of smaller companies did poorly, for example. Many need to borrow to fuel their growth, meaning they can feel more pain when having to pay higher interest rates for loans. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks tumbled 4.4%.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, General Mills dropped 3.1% despite reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The maker of Progresso soups and Cheerios said it will increase its investments in brands to help them grow, which pushed it to cut its forecast for profit this fiscal year.

Nvidia, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-market-value-stock-price-revenue-chips-fe1d0d081191d5168332bf1c9ea3b85f">superstar</a>&nbsp;responsible for a chunk of Wall Street’s rally to records in recent years, fell 1.1% to extend its weekslong funk. It has dropped more than 13% from its record set last month and fallen in nine of the last 10 days as its big momentum slows.

On the winning end of Wall Street, Jabil jumped 7.3% to help lead the market after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The electronics company also raised its forecast for revenue for its full fiscal year.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 178.45 points to 5,872.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,123.03 to 42,326.87, and the Nasdaq composite skidded 716.37 to 19,392.69.

In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 edged up by less than 0.1% after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-economy-inflation-interest-rates-05d118699b71950480206efd92e112a8">inflation accelerated to 2.6%</a>&nbsp;in November, its highest level in eight months. The Bank of England is also meeting on interest rates this week and will announce its decision on Thursday.

In Japan, where the Bank of Japan will wrap up its own policy meeting on Friday, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7%. That was despite a 23.7% jump for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-nissan-honda-merger-evs-56199be5bf5b99b0c739acfb1a9244dd">Nissan Motor Corp.,</a>&nbsp;which said it was in talks on closer collaboration with Honda Motor Co., though no decision had been made on a possible merger. Honda Motor’s stock lost 3%.

Nissan, Honda and Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. agreed in August to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation.

The Fed’s 19 policymakers projected that they will cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point just twice in 2025, down from their estimate in September of four rate cuts. Their new projections suggest that consumers may not enjoy much lower rates next year for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing.

Fed officials have underscored that they are slowing their rate reductions as their benchmark rate nears a level that policymakers refer to as “neutral” — the level that is thought to neither spur nor hinder the economy. Wednesday's projections suggest that the policymakers may think they are not very far from that level. Their benchmark rate stands at 4.3% after Wednesday’s move, which followed a steep half-point reduction in September and a quarter-point cut last month.

“I think that a slower pace of (rate) cuts really reflects both the higher inflation readings we’ve had this year and the expectations that inflation will be higher" in 2025, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. "We’re closer to the neutral rate, which is another reason to be cautious about further moves.”

“Nonetheless,” Powell said, "we see ourselves as still on track to cut.”

This year’s Fed rate reductions have marked a reversal after more than two years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">high rates</a>, which largely helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.

But now, the Fed is facing a variety of challenges as it seeks to complete a “soft landing” for the economy, whereby high rates manage to curb inflation without causing a recession. Chief among them is that inflation remains sticky: According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, annual “core” inflation, which excludes the most volatile categories, was 2.8% in October. That is still persistently above the central bank’s 2% target.

At the same time, the economy is growing briskly, which suggests that higher rates haven’t much restrained the economy. As a result, some economists — and some Fed officials — have argued that borrowing rates shouldn’t be reduced much more for fear of overheating the economy and re-igniting inflation. On the other hand, the pace of hiring has cooled significantly since 2024 began, a potential worry because one of the Fed’s mandates is to achieve maximum employment.

“We don’t think we need further cooling in the labor market to get inflation below 2%,” Powell said at his news conference.

The unemployment rate, while still low at 4.2%, has risen nearly a full percentage point in the past two years. Concern over rising unemployment contributed to the Fed’s decision in September to cut its key rate by a larger-than-usual half point.

On top of that, President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a range of tax cuts — on Social Security benefits, tipped income and overtime income — as well as a scaling-back of regulations. Collectively, these moves could stimulate growth. At the same time, Trump has threatened to impose a variety of tariffs and to seek mass deportations of migrants, which could accelerate inflation.

Powell and other Fed officials have said they won’t be able to assess how Trump’s policies might affect the economy or their own rate decisions until more details are made available and it becomes clearer how likely it is that the president-elect’s proposals will actually be enacted. Until then, the outcome of the presidential election has mostly heightened the uncertainty surrounding the economy.

“I’ve got the least amount of conviction about what will happen with the economy over the next 12 months than I’ve had in years,” said Subadra Rajappa, head of U.S. rates strategy at Societe Generale. “This is going to be a work in progress as things evolve.”

Such uncertainty was underscored by the quarterly economic projections the Fed issued Wednesday. The policymakers now expect overall inflation, as measured by their preferred gauge, to rise slightly from 2.3% now to 2.5% by the end of 2025. Inflation by their measure is now far below its peak of 7.2% in June 2022. Even so, the prospect of slightly higher inflation makes it harder for the Fed to reduce borrowing costs because high interest rates are its principal weapon against inflation.

The officials also expect the unemployment rate to inch up by the end of next year, from 4.2% now to a still-low 4.3%. That slight increase might not be enough, by itself, to justify many more rate cuts.

Most other central banks around the world are also cutting their benchmark rates. Last week, the European Central Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-economy-interest-rates-trump-tariffs-e1a234e129e1263bfb0defaa2fe0e7ee">lowered its key rate</a>&nbsp;for the fourth time this year to 3% from 3.25%, as inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro has fallen to 2.3% from a peak of 10.6% in late 2022. The Bank of Canada also cut its rate by a quarter-point last week, as did the Bank of England&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-interest-rates-inflation-budget-economy-trump-fe403194312288214f583e3444e08516">last month</a>.

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, dissented from Wednesday’s Fed decision because she preferred to keep rates unchanged. It was the first dissent by a Fed committee member since September.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tumbled to one of their worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve hinted Wednesday it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-loan-rates-economy-prices-7474747d890c0fdcc87454fd4c80aaa4">may deliver fewer shots of adrenaline</a>&nbsp;for the U.S. economy in 2025 than earlier thought.The S&amp;P 500 fell 2.9%, just shy of its biggest loss for the year from the summer, to pull further from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-jobs-china-bitcoin-f066b9725ca1eaf8de1fa700555920e4">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,123 points, or 2.6%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 3.6%.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Fed Chair Powell announces the Fed has cut interest rates by .25%, down to 4.25%. This was the third interest rate cut for the year. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4">https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4</a> <a href="https://t.co/2kJCiFjQhI">pic.twitter.com/2kJCiFjQhI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1869476913518927924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed said Wednesday it’s cutting its main interest rate for a third time this year, continuing the sharp turnaround begun in September when it started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">lowering rates</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high to support the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-economy-inflation-unemployment-federal-reserve-bb2c2cf596ffe8b080c45e98cdaeebc4">job market</a>. That cut, though, was widely expected.The bigger question centers on how much more the Fed will cut next year. A lot is riding on it, particularly after expectations for a series of cuts in 2025 helped the U.S. stock market set an all-time high at least 57 times in 2024.Fed officials released projections on Wednesday showing the median expectation among them is for two more cuts to the federal funds rate in 2025, or half a percentage point’s worth. That’s down from the four cuts expected just three months ago.“We are in a new phase of the process,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said after the central bank quickly eased its main interest rate since September by a full percentage point to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%.Asked why Fed officials are looking to slow their cuts, Powell pointed to how the job market looks to be performing well overall and how recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-223c3a826318d142e283839f9d8581a2">inflation</a>&nbsp;readings have picked up. He also cited uncertainties that will require policy makers to react to upcoming, to-be-determined changes in the economy.While lower rates can offer a boost to the economy by making it cheaper to borrow and boosting prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.Powell said some Fed officials, but not all, are also already trying to incorporate uncertainties inherent in a new administration coming into the White House. Worries are rising on Wall Street that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;preference for tariffs and other policies could further juice inflation, along with economic growth.“When the path is uncertain, you go a little slower,” Powell said. It’s “not unlike driving on a foggy night or walking into a dark room full of furniture. You just slow down.”One official, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, thought the central bank should not have even cut rates this time around. She was the lone vote against Wednesday’s rate cut.The reduced expectations for 2025 rate cuts sent Treasury yields rising in the bond market, squeezing the stock market.The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.50% from 4.40% late Tuesday, which is a notable move for the bond market. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, climbed to 4.35% from 4.25%.On Wall Street, stocks of companies that can feel the most pressure from higher interest rates fell to some of the worst losses.Stocks of smaller companies did poorly, for example. Many need to borrow to fuel their growth, meaning they can feel more pain when having to pay higher interest rates for loans. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks tumbled 4.4%.Elsewhere on Wall Street, General Mills dropped 3.1% despite reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The maker of Progresso soups and Cheerios said it will increase its investments in brands to help them grow, which pushed it to cut its forecast for profit this fiscal year.Nvidia, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-market-value-stock-price-revenue-chips-fe1d0d081191d5168332bf1c9ea3b85f">superstar</a>&nbsp;responsible for a chunk of Wall Street’s rally to records in recent years, fell 1.1% to extend its weekslong funk. It has dropped more than 13% from its record set last month and fallen in nine of the last 10 days as its big momentum slows.On the winning end of Wall Street, Jabil jumped 7.3% to help lead the market after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The electronics company also raised its forecast for revenue for its full fiscal year.All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 178.45 points to 5,872.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,123.03 to 42,326.87, and the Nasdaq composite skidded 716.37 to 19,392.69.In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 edged up by less than 0.1% after data showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-economy-inflation-interest-rates-05d118699b71950480206efd92e112a8">inflation accelerated to 2.6%</a>&nbsp;in November, its highest level in eight months. The Bank of England is also meeting on interest rates this week and will announce its decision on Thursday.In Japan, where the Bank of Japan will wrap up its own policy meeting on Friday, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7%. That was despite a 23.7% jump for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-nissan-honda-merger-evs-56199be5bf5b99b0c739acfb1a9244dd">Nissan Motor Corp.,</a>&nbsp;which said it was in talks on closer collaboration with Honda Motor Co., though no decision had been made on a possible merger. Honda Motor’s stock lost 3%.Nissan, Honda and Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. agreed in August to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell announces the Fed has cut interest rates by .25%, down to 4.25%. This was the third interest rate cut for the year. Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4">https://t.co/rffH2EsIo4</a> <a href="https://t.co/2kJCiFjQhI">pic.twitter.com/2kJCiFjQhI</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1869476913518927924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed’s 19 policymakers projected that they will cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point just twice in 2025, down from their estimate in September of four rate cuts. Their new projections suggest that consumers may not enjoy much lower rates next year for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and other forms of borrowing.Fed officials have underscored that they are slowing their rate reductions as their benchmark rate nears a level that policymakers refer to as “neutral” — the level that is thought to neither spur nor hinder the economy. Wednesday's projections suggest that the policymakers may think they are not very far from that level. Their benchmark rate stands at 4.3% after Wednesday’s move, which followed a steep half-point reduction in September and a quarter-point cut last month.“I think that a slower pace of (rate) cuts really reflects both the higher inflation readings we’ve had this year and the expectations that inflation will be higher" in 2025, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. "We’re closer to the neutral rate, which is another reason to be cautious about further moves.”“Nonetheless,” Powell said, "we see ourselves as still on track to cut.”This year’s Fed rate reductions have marked a reversal after more than two years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-economy-prices-2158fcfcb5ef0073a4dfb00f791f59bc">high rates</a>, which largely helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.But now, the Fed is facing a variety of challenges as it seeks to complete a “soft landing” for the economy, whereby high rates manage to curb inflation without causing a recession. Chief among them is that inflation remains sticky: According to the Fed’s preferred gauge, annual “core” inflation, which excludes the most volatile categories, was 2.8% in October. That is still persistently above the central bank’s 2% target.At the same time, the economy is growing briskly, which suggests that higher rates haven’t much restrained the economy. As a result, some economists — and some Fed officials — have argued that borrowing rates shouldn’t be reduced much more for fear of overheating the economy and re-igniting inflation. On the other hand, the pace of hiring has cooled significantly since 2024 began, a potential worry because one of the Fed’s mandates is to achieve maximum employment.“We don’t think we need further cooling in the labor market to get inflation below 2%,” Powell said at his news conference.The unemployment rate, while still low at 4.2%, has risen nearly a full percentage point in the past two years. Concern over rising unemployment contributed to the Fed’s decision in September to cut its key rate by a larger-than-usual half point.On top of that, President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a range of tax cuts — on Social Security benefits, tipped income and overtime income — as well as a scaling-back of regulations. Collectively, these moves could stimulate growth. At the same time, Trump has threatened to impose a variety of tariffs and to seek mass deportations of migrants, which could accelerate inflation.Powell and other Fed officials have said they won’t be able to assess how Trump’s policies might affect the economy or their own rate decisions until more details are made available and it becomes clearer how likely it is that the president-elect’s proposals will actually be enacted. Until then, the outcome of the presidential election has mostly heightened the uncertainty surrounding the economy.“I’ve got the least amount of conviction about what will happen with the economy over the next 12 months than I’ve had in years,” said Subadra Rajappa, head of U.S. rates strategy at Societe Generale. “This is going to be a work in progress as things evolve.”Such uncertainty was underscored by the quarterly economic projections the Fed issued Wednesday. The policymakers now expect overall inflation, as measured by their preferred gauge, to rise slightly from 2.3% now to 2.5% by the end of 2025. Inflation by their measure is now far below its peak of 7.2% in June 2022. Even so, the prospect of slightly higher inflation makes it harder for the Fed to reduce borrowing costs because high interest rates are its principal weapon against inflation.The officials also expect the unemployment rate to inch up by the end of next year, from 4.2% now to a still-low 4.3%. That slight increase might not be enough, by itself, to justify many more rate cuts.Most other central banks around the world are also cutting their benchmark rates. Last week, the European Central Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-economy-interest-rates-trump-tariffs-e1a234e129e1263bfb0defaa2fe0e7ee">lowered its key rate</a>&nbsp;for the fourth time this year to 3% from 3.25%, as inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro has fallen to 2.3% from a peak of 10.6% in late 2022. The Bank of Canada also cut its rate by a quarter-point last week, as did the Bank of England&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-interest-rates-inflation-budget-economy-trump-fe403194312288214f583e3444e08516">last month</a>.Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, dissented from Wednesday’s Fed decision because she preferred to keep rates unchanged. It was the first dissent by a Fed committee member since September.

🎥US stocks: 2nd-worst drop of the year after bad news on interest rates

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Students at Ellis High School are diving into entrepreneurship with their new printing business, The Railway.

Ellis Superintendent Janice Wilson said the idea came from the owner of Vineyard Creations after they discussed a possible school business.

Wilson said The Railway received support and funding from the Board of Education.

"We got input from staff, applied for a grant and were awarded $25,000 from the Dane. G. Hansen Foundation," she said.

The Railway utilized the grant to purchase equipment, inventory, and additional resources to set up and support the juniors in the workshop.

The nonprofit produces T-shirts and hoodies with custom designs for school sports teams. It plans to expand to include additional items such as hats, bags and cups.

The printing business runs one hour a day, five days a week, during regular school hours. Art teacher Justin Longbine and business teacher Kyle Fox lead the class.

The Railway opened in October after months of preparation and equipment setup. Its first client was the boys' junior high basketball team.

"They were the first ones we wanted to tackle because we knew when we first got the equipment we needed to learn it,"&nbsp;Longbine said.

Classes like graphic design and web page design contribute to business, while workshop students develop screen printing and inventory management skills.

"It's that discipline of ensuring they understand where they're at in the screen printing process," Longbine said. "There's a lot of variables for error... it's taking their time and being able to follow that process instead of willy nilly."

The printing business works with the school to produce apparel and designs for school spirit and community-oriented products.

The Railway partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ordermygear.com/" target="_blank">OrderMyGear</a>&nbsp;for online orders, but it is not accessible for community members to browse.&nbsp;Plans are underway for a more comprehensive online store.

Longbine said operating during school hours poses time constraints, and he is considering extending the workshop beyond the academic year, giving students more work opportunities.

"They may not want to pursue this as a job, but if some of them go to Fort Hays, they can get a job at one of those other businesses. It gives them a leg up," he said.

One student said she plans to retake the class during her senior year, while another said she enjoys seeing others wear the designs they created.

"It's exciting to see how we're improving and seeing the kids in our school wearing the stuff that we make," one student said.

The process starts with students coating screens with emulsion and exposing them to light to burn a design onto the screen. The prepared screen is then used to apply ink to materials such as shirts.

Once printed, the ink is set using a flash dryer and fully cured in a larger dryer. Vinyl is used to personalize the product with names and unique details.

As students gain hands-on experience in the workshop, Fox manages the marketing and financial aspects of the business, incorporating his classes into these tasks.

"My web page class is involved, and they've been doing a lot of the marketing," Fox said. "My business class has also been involved in the ordering process and cost analysis."

Fox said all earnings are reinvested into the business to build inventory, ensuring its continuation into the next semester.

Wilson said Ellis residents, such as students, families, and business owners, are their primary customers. However, printed products are also available to surrounding communities.

"We're not only providing kids with an experience, we are providing the community with a service. It connects the community, which we are always looking for," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734120676529.jpeg" alt="An&nbsp;Ellis High School student with a stack of pillowcases&nbsp;at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>An&nbsp;Ellis High School student with a stack of pillowcases&nbsp;at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostStudents at Ellis High School are diving into entrepreneurship with their new printing business, The Railway.Ellis Superintendent Janice Wilson said the idea came from the owner of Vineyard Creations after they discussed a possible school business.Wilson said The Railway received support and funding from the Board of Education."We got input from staff, applied for a grant and were awarded $25,000 from the Dane. G. Hansen Foundation," she said.The Railway utilized the grant to purchase equipment, inventory, and additional resources to set up and support the juniors in the workshop.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734120881490.jpeg" alt="A screen with a design on a lightbox at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A screen with a design on a lightbox at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734120847884.jpeg" alt="Wash station for washing screens at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Wash station for washing screens at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734120816892.jpeg" alt="A large screen printing machine at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A large screen printing machine at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The nonprofit produces T-shirts and hoodies with custom designs for school sports teams. It plans to expand to include additional items such as hats, bags and cups.The printing business runs one hour a day, five days a week, during regular school hours. Art teacher Justin Longbine and business teacher Kyle Fox lead the class.The Railway opened in October after months of preparation and equipment setup. Its first client was the boys' junior high basketball team."They were the first ones we wanted to tackle because we knew when we first got the equipment we needed to learn it,"&nbsp;Longbine said.Classes like graphic design and web page design contribute to business, while workshop students develop screen printing and inventory management skills.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121330827.jpeg" alt="A sweater with an Ellis Basketball design made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A sweater with an Ellis Basketball design made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121358743.jpeg" alt="A T-shirt with a basketball design&nbsp;made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A T-shirt with a basketball design&nbsp;made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121407576.jpeg" alt="A T-shirt&nbsp;made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A T-shirt&nbsp;made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>"It's that discipline of ensuring they understand where they're at in the screen printing process," Longbine said. "There's a lot of variables for error... it's taking their time and being able to follow that process instead of willy nilly."The printing business works with the school to produce apparel and designs for school spirit and community-oriented products.The Railway partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ordermygear.com/" target="_blank">OrderMyGear</a>&nbsp;for online orders, but it is not accessible for community members to browse.&nbsp;Plans are underway for a more comprehensive online store.Longbine said operating during school hours poses time constraints, and he is considering extending the workshop beyond the academic year, giving students more work opportunities."They may not want to pursue this as a job, but if some of them go to Fort Hays, they can get a job at one of those other businesses. It gives them a leg up," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121063044.jpeg" alt="A manual screen printing machine being used by two Ellis students&nbsp;at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A manual screen printing machine being used by two Ellis students&nbsp;at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121091048.jpeg" alt="A student working on a pillow case at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A student working on a pillow case at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121123449.jpeg" alt="A student working on a pillowcase with the screen printing press at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A student working on a pillowcase with the screen printing press at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>One student said she plans to retake the class during her senior year, while another said she enjoys seeing others wear the designs they created."It's exciting to see how we're improving and seeing the kids in our school wearing the stuff that we make," one student said.The process starts with students coating screens with emulsion and exposing them to light to burn a design onto the screen. The prepared screen is then used to apply ink to materials such as shirts.Once printed, the ink is set using a flash dryer and fully cured in a larger dryer. Vinyl is used to personalize the product with names and unique details.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121208031.jpeg" alt="A student inserting a pillowcase into a dryer at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A student inserting a pillowcase into a dryer at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121236770.jpeg" alt="A student working on a pillow case at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A student working on a pillow case at Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121386055.jpeg" alt="A pillowcase for the Ellis High School wrestling team made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A pillowcase for the Ellis High School wrestling team made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>As students gain hands-on experience in the workshop, Fox manages the marketing and financial aspects of the business, incorporating his classes into these tasks."My web page class is involved, and they've been doing a lot of the marketing," Fox said. "My business class has also been involved in the ordering process and cost analysis."Fox said all earnings are reinvested into the business to build inventory, ensuring its continuation into the next semester.Wilson said Ellis residents, such as students, families, and business owners, are their primary customers. However, printed products are also available to surrounding communities."We're not only providing kids with an experience, we are providing the community with a service. It connects the community, which we are always looking for," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734121440963.jpeg" alt="Apparel with designs made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Apparel with designs made by Ellis High School's The Railway workshop. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis High School students build skills through The Railway printing business

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/12/16/banned-from-sons-football-games-kansas-father-gets-settlement-for-free-speech-retaliation/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Conflict in a small Kansas town that began at youth football games became a nucleus for a threatened free speech lawsuit that prompted a $75,000 payout.

Over the course of about three years, Tim Clark, whose children attend school in the roughly 1,000-person city of Quinter in western Kansas, clashed with coaches, parents and city officials at his son’s football games. The single father, who doesn’t live in Quinter, expressed his frustrations in a 2022 Facebook post complaining about playing time and accusing coaches of favoritism.

Shortly after, city officials banned him for life from attending his son’s sporting events.

Clark recalled the experience during a Kansas Reflector podcast interview alongside his attorney, Max Kautsch.

In October 2022, then-city administrator Greg Thomas, Mayor Jeremy Blackwill and a Gove County sheriff’s deputy confronted Clark in a parking lot outside his son’s football practice. Clark, who was sitting with his young daughter at the time, recorded the incident on his phone — including Thomas calling Clark the “community’s problem.”

“It was overwhelming. It was disheartening,” Clark said during the podcast interview. “It was all the things you could possibly feel, and emotions I don’t think I’ve ever felt before, especially because these three men were standing behind me. One of them’s got a gun. You know, I’m unarmed with my daughter, and they’re threatening to arrest me.”

According to a prepared legal complaint alleging First Amendment retaliation, Clark “faced the prospect of arrest for attending Quinter Parks and Rec events.” The city rescinded the ban on Sept. 27 of this year, the draft complaint said, “but retaliation against Tim continues.” The parties settled the dispute in October for $75,000 before the complaint was filed in court.

The draft complaint named Blackwill, Thomas and the city’s recreation director, Daryl Havlas, as defendants.&nbsp;

Kautsch, who has written&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/max-kautsch/">columns</a>&nbsp;for Kansas Reflector, underscored the labeling of Clark as the “community’s problem” throughout the draft complaint.

“It is not up to the government to label members of the community as a problem,” Kautsch said in a podcast interview. “That obviously shows bias. It shows that there is not a rational basis.”

But city officials didn’t fully accept the settlement agreement.

Mayor Blackwill said the city only paid a $1,500 deductible, and it was the city’s insurance company’s recommendation to offer a settlement “despite heavy protest from the city.”

“The city had no say in this decision,” he told Kansas Reflector in an email. “We still strongly oppose their decision and are currently evaluating our options with other carriers.”

Blackwill, who is also the assistant fire chief for the Quinter Fire Department, said all decisions before the settlement came directly from him.

“We consider this situation behind us,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734448142253.jpeg" alt="Tim Clark, who threatened to sue the small western Kansas town of Quinter for free speech violations after he was banned from his son’s sporting events, sits for a Dec. 12, 2024, interview for the Kansas Reflector podcast. Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Tim Clark, who threatened to sue the small western Kansas town of Quinter for free speech violations after he was banned from his son’s sporting events, sits for a Dec. 12, 2024, interview for the Kansas Reflector podcast. Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/12/16/banned-from-sons-football-games-kansas-father-gets-settlement-for-free-speech-retaliation/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Conflict in a small Kansas town that began at youth football games became a nucleus for a threatened free speech lawsuit that prompted a $75,000 payout.Over the course of about three years, Tim Clark, whose children attend school in the roughly 1,000-person city of Quinter in western Kansas, clashed with coaches, parents and city officials at his son’s football games. The single father, who doesn’t live in Quinter, expressed his frustrations in a 2022 Facebook post complaining about playing time and accusing coaches of favoritism.Shortly after, city officials banned him for life from attending his son’s sporting events.Clark recalled the experience during a Kansas Reflector podcast interview alongside his attorney, Max Kautsch.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1986978171&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast" title="Reflector Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Reflector Podcast</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast/free-speech-challenged-at-small-town-kansas-youth-football-games" title="Sports rant leads to free speech challenge in small Kansas town" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Sports rant leads to free speech challenge in small Kansas town</a></div></div>In October 2022, then-city administrator Greg Thomas, Mayor Jeremy Blackwill and a Gove County sheriff’s deputy confronted Clark in a parking lot outside his son’s football practice. Clark, who was sitting with his young daughter at the time, recorded the incident on his phone — including Thomas calling Clark the “community’s problem.”“It was overwhelming. It was disheartening,” Clark said during the podcast interview. “It was all the things you could possibly feel, and emotions I don’t think I’ve ever felt before, especially because these three men were standing behind me. One of them’s got a gun. You know, I’m unarmed with my daughter, and they’re threatening to arrest me.”According to a prepared legal complaint alleging First Amendment retaliation, Clark “faced the prospect of arrest for attending Quinter Parks and Rec events.” The city rescinded the ban on Sept. 27 of this year, the draft complaint said, “but retaliation against Tim continues.” The parties settled the dispute in October for $75,000 before the complaint was filed in court.The draft complaint named Blackwill, Thomas and the city’s recreation director, Daryl Havlas, as defendants.&nbsp;Kautsch, who has written&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/max-kautsch/">columns</a>&nbsp;for Kansas Reflector, underscored the labeling of Clark as the “community’s problem” throughout the draft complaint.“It is not up to the government to label members of the community as a problem,” Kautsch said in a podcast interview. “That obviously shows bias. It shows that there is not a rational basis.”But city officials didn’t fully accept the settlement agreement.Mayor Blackwill said the city only paid a $1,500 deductible, and it was the city’s insurance company’s recommendation to offer a settlement “despite heavy protest from the city.”“The city had no say in this decision,” he told Kansas Reflector in an email. “We still strongly oppose their decision and are currently evaluating our options with other carriers.”Blackwill, who is also the assistant fire chief for the Quinter Fire Department, said all decisions before the settlement came directly from him.“We consider this situation behind us,” he said.

Banned from son’s football games, Quinter father gets settlement for free speech retaliation

By RANDY GONZALES Special to Hays Post&nbsp;

For some, “Blue Christmas” is more than an Elvis Presley No. 1 hit from 60 years ago.&nbsp;

Also sometimes known as The Longest Night, Blue Christmas is a church service for those not having a Holly Jolly Christmas. It is a time to remember loved ones who are no longer with them and for those experiencing the holiday blues.

“I think it’s important because the one thing we all experience is death and loss,” said Brenda Rodger, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hays. “In that experience, it is good to have a safe place.”&nbsp;

This year’s service host is Trinity Lutheran, 2703 Fort, and is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. For more information about the service, call 785-625-2044.

Rodger and Ben Houchen, pastor for St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, will lead the service, with each providing scripture readings. During the service, those in attendance are invited to light a candle for lost loved ones.&nbsp;

St. Michael’s is at 2900 Canal Blvd., Hays, while St. Andrew’s is a rural church about 13 miles northwest of Hays at 2422 Hyacinth Ave.

“Blue Christmas is such an important part of our Christmas season,” Houchen said. “For so many people, this isn’t just a time of joy. It’s also a time of loss and mourning.”&nbsp;

“Loved ones gone, relationships broken, even just the turn to more darkness in a day makes this all a harder time for so many people,” he added. “Having a space to come together and acknowledge that pain, to give that over and share it with a caring community, that’s what this service is about.”&nbsp;

Shay Craig, the former pastor at St. Michael’s who now is pastor at Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Salina, brought Blue Christmas with her when she came to Hays in 2020. She said the Blue Christmas service, which dates back to around 1990, is common in the church, and she wanted to bring it to the Hays area.&nbsp;

“It was well received,” Craig said. “Everywhere I’ve done it, it’s been well received.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The First Presbyterian Church in Hays played host last year to a similar service, The Longest Night, sponsored by the Center for Life Experience. The First United Methodist Church also held a Longest Night service last year and has done so for about the last dozen years, but it did not work out to have one this year.&nbsp;

Center for Life Experience, which closed its office in October and will cease operations at the end of the year, had held its service since at least 2012 but will not have a service this year.&nbsp;

“Very often, the journey through grief and loss feels like the longest night,” said Ann Leiker, former center executive director and a member of the Presbyterian Church. “There’s hope because after the darkest night comes the light.”&nbsp;

“Hope comes through out of that darkness,” Leiker added. “Blue Christmas is one way churches do that.”&nbsp;

Rev. Christine Wagner, transitional minister for the First Presbyterian Church, believes Blue Christmas fits perfectly with the meaning of Christmas.&nbsp;

“If one really gets into the Advent season, we’re asked to always be dwelling with the paradox of Christmas,” Wagner said. “Blue Christmas is not antithetical to the spirit of Christmas.”&nbsp;

“Where does the light appear? It appears in the darkness,” she added. “Where does joy appear? It appears in the midst of sorrow. Where does peace appear? It comes in the midst of chaos. There’s always a juxtaposition of what isn’t right with the world with the possibility always there of the wonder of God’s presence.”&nbsp;

Pat Hill, a Trinity Lutheran parishioner, appreciates having the Blue Christmas service every year.&nbsp;

“I’ve had a lot of deaths in my family,” Hill said. “It’s just a wonderful service.”&nbsp;

Hill knows what part of the service she cherishes most.&nbsp;

“Lighting the candle at the end of the service,” Hill said. “It kind of ties it all together. I really like that.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734219943114.jpeg" alt="A church service in Hays on Wednesday is planned to help provide some light in the darkness for those attending the Blue Christmas service at Trinity Lutheran Church. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien" />
 <figcaption>A church service in Hays on Wednesday is planned to help provide some light in the darkness for those attending the Blue Christmas service at Trinity Lutheran Church. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731093059976.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RANDY GONZALES Special to Hays Post&nbsp;For some, “Blue Christmas” is more than an Elvis Presley No. 1 hit from 60 years ago.&nbsp;Also sometimes known as The Longest Night, Blue Christmas is a church service for those not having a Holly Jolly Christmas. It is a time to remember loved ones who are no longer with them and for those experiencing the holiday blues.“I think it’s important because the one thing we all experience is death and loss,” said Brenda Rodger, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hays. “In that experience, it is good to have a safe place.”&nbsp;This year’s service host is Trinity Lutheran, 2703 Fort, and is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. For more information about the service, call 785-625-2044.Rodger and Ben Houchen, pastor for St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, will lead the service, with each providing scripture readings. During the service, those in attendance are invited to light a candle for lost loved ones.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734220001546.jpeg" alt="Those attending this year’s Blue Christmas services will be greeted by the nativity scene outside Trinity Lutheran Church. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Those attending this year’s Blue Christmas services will be greeted by the nativity scene outside Trinity Lutheran Church. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Michael’s is at 2900 Canal Blvd., Hays, while St. Andrew’s is a rural church about 13 miles northwest of Hays at 2422 Hyacinth Ave.“Blue Christmas is such an important part of our Christmas season,” Houchen said. “For so many people, this isn’t just a time of joy. It’s also a time of loss and mourning.”&nbsp;“Loved ones gone, relationships broken, even just the turn to more darkness in a day makes this all a harder time for so many people,” he added. “Having a space to come together and acknowledge that pain, to give that over and share it with a caring community, that’s what this service is about.”&nbsp;Shay Craig, the former pastor at St. Michael’s who now is pastor at Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Salina, brought Blue Christmas with her when she came to Hays in 2020. She said the Blue Christmas service, which dates back to around 1990, is common in the church, and she wanted to bring it to the Hays area.&nbsp;“It was well received,” Craig said. “Everywhere I’ve done it, it’s been well received.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734220059796.jpeg" alt="Attendees gathered at the Blue Christmas service two years ago at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Hays. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Attendees gathered at the Blue Christmas service two years ago at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Hays. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The First Presbyterian Church in Hays played host last year to a similar service, The Longest Night, sponsored by the Center for Life Experience. The First United Methodist Church also held a Longest Night service last year and has done so for about the last dozen years, but it did not work out to have one this year.&nbsp;Center for Life Experience, which closed its office in October and will cease operations at the end of the year, had held its service since at least 2012 but will not have a service this year.&nbsp;“Very often, the journey through grief and loss feels like the longest night,” said Ann Leiker, former center executive director and a member of the Presbyterian Church. “There’s hope because after the darkest night comes the light.”&nbsp;“Hope comes through out of that darkness,” Leiker added. “Blue Christmas is one way churches do that.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734220111712.jpeg" alt="Lit candles, shown here at last year’s Blue Christmas service at Trinity Lutheran Church, play an important part in the service, with those gathered lighting small candles in remembrance of lost loved ones. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Lit candles, shown here at last year’s Blue Christmas service at Trinity Lutheran Church, play an important part in the service, with those gathered lighting small candles in remembrance of lost loved ones. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Rev. Christine Wagner, transitional minister for the First Presbyterian Church, believes Blue Christmas fits perfectly with the meaning of Christmas.&nbsp;“If one really gets into the Advent season, we’re asked to always be dwelling with the paradox of Christmas,” Wagner said. “Blue Christmas is not antithetical to the spirit of Christmas.”&nbsp;“Where does the light appear? It appears in the darkness,” she added. “Where does joy appear? It appears in the midst of sorrow. Where does peace appear? It comes in the midst of chaos. There’s always a juxtaposition of what isn’t right with the world with the possibility always there of the wonder of God’s presence.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734220181130.jpeg" alt="St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, rural Hays, is one of the three churches hosting this year’s Blue Christmas services. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, rural Hays, is one of the three churches hosting this year’s Blue Christmas services. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Pat Hill, a Trinity Lutheran parishioner, appreciates having the Blue Christmas service every year.&nbsp;“I’ve had a lot of deaths in my family,” Hill said. “It’s just a wonderful service.”&nbsp;Hill knows what part of the service she cherishes most.&nbsp;“Lighting the candle at the end of the service,” Hill said. “It kind of ties it all together. I really like that.”&nbsp;

NWester: Hays churches spread light to others with Blue Christmas services

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

LIBERTY, Mo. – Fort Hays State rallied from a 15-point deficit late in the first half and beat William Jewell College 63-59 Saturday at the Mabee Center in a battle of NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

Kaleb Hammeke was fouled on a driving layup with 7:31 to play to give the Tigers (5-3) their biggest lead at 61-55. FHSU wouldn't score again until Hammeke's layup with 5.7 seconds left. The Tigers held the Cardinals (4-6)&nbsp; to just four points over the final 10 minutes of the game and&nbsp; The Tigers held the Cardinals to just 2-of-9 shooting and four turnovers in the final 10 minutes.

William Jewell's Jordan Jermain scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first half. He hit his first four 3-point shots and made seven of his first eight field-goal attempts overall. The Cardinals shot a 62.5-percent from the field in the first half, including a 6-of-10 effort from beyond the 3-point line to build a 41-29 halftime lead.

Fort Hays State opened the second half on a 10-2 run to pull within four in the first three minutes. After William Jewell pushed the lead back to eight, Shaun Riley scored eight points of a&nbsp;13-4 Tiger run in which they took their first lead since early in the first half on a Dan Makuna layup.&nbsp;

FHSU outscored William Jewell 34-18 in the second half and outscored the Cardinals to just 34.8 percent shooting in the second frame, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. FHSU was shooting 62 percent from the field in the second half but hit just one of their final eight shots.

Hammeke scored FHSU's&nbsp; final seven points and led five Tigers in double-figures with 11 points. Riley, Kyle Grill, R.J, Crawford and Traejon Davis&nbsp;all scored 10 points each. All nine Tigers that played scored. The Tigers out-rebounded Cardinals by seven led by Riley's nine boards. Hammeke dished out a team-high four assists.

Joining Jermain in double figures for the Cardinals were Luke Jordan with 11 and Bryce Mitchell with 10.

Fort Hays State will take just a day off and return to action Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum when it takes on Bethel College at 7 p.m. FHSU will be at home for its next three games, all within the span of seven days before the holiday break.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734235947361.png" alt="Fort Hays State guard Kaleb Hammeke drives to the basket in in NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in Manhattan, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State guard Kaleb Hammeke drives to the basket in in NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in Manhattan, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostLIBERTY, Mo. – Fort Hays State rallied from a 15-point deficit late in the first half and beat William Jewell College 63-59 Saturday at the Mabee Center in a battle of NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1984762307&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-mbkb-mark-johnson-postgame-interview-vs-william-jewell-dec-14th-24-01" title="Mark Johnson Postgame at William Jewell College (December 14, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame at William Jewell College (December 14, 2024)</a></div></div>Kaleb Hammeke was fouled on a driving layup with 7:31 to play to give the Tigers (5-3) their biggest lead at 61-55. FHSU wouldn't score again until Hammeke's layup with 5.7 seconds left. The Tigers held the Cardinals (4-6)&nbsp; to just four points over the final 10 minutes of the game and&nbsp; The Tigers held the Cardinals to just 2-of-9 shooting and four turnovers in the final 10 minutes.William Jewell's Jordan Jermain scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first half. He hit his first four 3-point shots and made seven of his first eight field-goal attempts overall. The Cardinals shot a 62.5-percent from the field in the first half, including a 6-of-10 effort from beyond the 3-point line to build a 41-29 halftime lead.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1984761847&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-mbkb-kaleb-hammeke-postgame-interview-vs-william-jewell-dec-14th-24" title="Kaleb Hammeke Postgame at William Jewell College (December 14t, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kaleb Hammeke Postgame at William Jewell College (December 14t, 2024)</a></div></div>Fort Hays State opened the second half on a 10-2 run to pull within four in the first three minutes. After William Jewell pushed the lead back to eight, Shaun Riley scored eight points of a&nbsp;13-4 Tiger run in which they took their first lead since early in the first half on a Dan Makuna layup.&nbsp;FHSU outscored William Jewell 34-18 in the second half and outscored the Cardinals to just 34.8 percent shooting in the second frame, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. FHSU was shooting 62 percent from the field in the second half but hit just one of their final eight shots.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1984760555&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-mbkb-highlights-vs" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at William Jewell College (December 14t, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at William Jewell College (December 14t, 2024)</a></div></div>Hammeke scored FHSU's&nbsp; final seven points and led five Tigers in double-figures with 11 points. Riley, Kyle Grill, R.J, Crawford and Traejon Davis&nbsp;all scored 10 points each. All nine Tigers that played scored. The Tigers out-rebounded Cardinals by seven led by Riley's nine boards. Hammeke dished out a team-high four assists.Joining Jermain in double figures for the Cardinals were Luke Jordan with 11 and Bryce Mitchell with 10.UP NEXTFort Hays State will take just a day off and return to action Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum when it takes on Bethel College at 7 p.m. FHSU will be at home for its next three games, all within the span of seven days before the holiday break.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tigers rally from 15-down to beat William Jewell

Shirley May Worcester, 91, died December 11, 2024, at the
Graham County Hospital. She was born October 16, 1933 to Vernon and Pauline
(Walker) Worcester in rural Graham County. She was a lifetime resident of
Graham County. She is survived by her brothers: Merlyn Worcester and wife Josie
of Hill City, Allen Worcester of Larned, and V. T. Worcester and wife Thelma of
Florida; sisters: Marlayne Pricer of Moore, Oklahoma, and Lesta Lou May of
Ellsworth. 

Services will be held Monday, December 16, 2024 at the Hill
City Christian Church, Hill City, Kansas at 10:30 A.M. Memorials to the Kobler Center,
Hill City, Kansas. Interment in Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Hill City, following
the church service. Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill City&nbsp; in charge of the arrangements. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734152092603.jpeg" alt="Shirley May Worcester" />
 <figcaption>Shirley May Worcester</figcaption>
 </figure>Shirley May Worcester, 91, died December 11, 2024, at the
Graham County Hospital. She was born October 16, 1933 to Vernon and Pauline
(Walker) Worcester in rural Graham County. She was a lifetime resident of
Graham County. She is survived by her brothers: Merlyn Worcester and wife Josie
of Hill City, Allen Worcester of Larned, and V. T. Worcester and wife Thelma of
Florida; sisters: Marlayne Pricer of Moore, Oklahoma, and Lesta Lou May of
Ellsworth. Services will be held Monday, December 16, 2024 at the Hill
City Christian Church, Hill City, Kansas at 10:30 A.M. Memorials to the Kobler Center,
Hill City, Kansas. Interment in Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Hill City, following
the church service. Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill City&nbsp; in charge of the arrangements.

Shirley May Worcester

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who lived in a makeshift camp with a homeless 5-year-old Kansas girl and her father pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder and rape in connection with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-kansas-zoey-felix-homeless-suspect-8b9832341fc8bb6dcf06672e9363059b">the child’s death.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696342029742.png" alt="Mikel Cherry photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Mikel Cherry photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who lived in a makeshift camp with a homeless 5-year-old Kansas girl and her father pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder and rape in connection with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-kansas-zoey-felix-homeless-suspect-8b9832341fc8bb6dcf06672e9363059b">the child’s death.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Zoey Felix -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Zoey Felix -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors said Mickel Cherry, 26, admitted under questioning to suffocating Zoey Felix in October 2023 with a pillow in a tent at the camp in Topeka when he was alone with the girl. Doctors who examined her at a hospital saw injuries consistent with a sexual assault, and DNA evidence pointed to Cherry, the prosecutor said.Cherry’s plea in Shawnee County District Court in Topeka means he will not face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-a39c4aa86bd21287f981c4a09a58576d">the death penalty.</a>&nbsp;He had been charged with capital murder and rape, but District Attorney Mike Kagay said there is evidence that Cherry has an intellectual disability, something that would bar his execution under state and federal court decisions.In court, Cherry told District Judge Jessica Heinen: “I’m mentally slow. I have trouble learning.”It wasn’t clear with a capital murder conviction how soon a sentence of lethal injection would have been carried out because Kansas hasn’t executed anyone since 1965.With Cherry's guilty plea, state law requires Heinen to sentence Cherry to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. However, the judge has the authority to make it 50 years in prison without parole, and Kagay is asking for that.The sentencing will be June 2-4. Cherry’s attorney, Peter Conley, did not want the date to be sooner and sought up to three days for a hearing, telling Heinen that he and other defense attorneys need time to investigate Cherry’s interactions with the Texas foster care system as a minor.Conley did not respond immediately Friday to an email seeking additional details about what defense attorneys are investigating.Kagay said Cherry made conflicting false statements to authorities about another man committing the crimes before acknowledging that he'd raped and suffocated her. Kagay said Cherry was alone with the girl for almost five hours while her father was at his job at a gas station across the street from the makeshift camp.In court Friday, Cherry looked down, his eyes closed, as he answered the last of Heinen's questions about his plea agreement with prosecutors. He wore a yellow jail jumpsuit and remained handcuffed during the hearing.Aimee Slusser, a friend of Felix’s father, who described herself as a mentor to the girl, left the courtroom in tears when Kagay discussed medical evidence that the girl was raped. She said afterward that whatever sentence Cherry faced, she didn’t feel justice would be done.“A little girl’s life has been taken,” she told reporters. “Whatever he gets, it won’t bring her back”The girl’s father was present for the entire 30-minute hearing but declined comment afterward.Felix’s death had child welfare advocates asking why&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-9816c6dd6f49dde6cfeb6fd435836eb0">the state didn’t remove</a>&nbsp;the girl from a dangerous environment, and Slusser told reporters Friday that had the state done that, “Zoey would still be here.”Kansas' child welfare department reported that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zoey-felix-girl-killed-topeka-kansas-088d335f41de0826f1991aab39dba620">investigated the family five times</a>&nbsp;in the last 13 months of Felix’s life but couldn’t confirm allegations of neglect or drug use by her mother, including after she was arrested for driving drunk with the girl in the car. The agency also said the family repeatedly declined help.Court and police records show that Topeka police were called to the mother's home dozens of times. Neighbors said they saw the girl wandering the street outside dirty and hungry, and both parents alleged abuse. Felix’s mother was jailed at the end of 2022 over the drunken driving, which involved a crash with the girl in the front seat.A neighbor said the mother threw Felix and her father out of the house two weeks before the girl died. They lived among the trees on a vacant lot about three-quarters of a mile to the south.Cherry was involved with Felix's family before he was living with them in the makeshift homeless encampment. But authorities haven't said why he was involved with Felix's family, when he'd met the girl and her parents and how much contact he'd had with them. One police record listed him as living at the mother's home just weeks before Felix's death.Police records show that before Cherry came to Topeka, he'd been living in Amarillo, Texas, 400 miles (605 kilometers) southwest of Topeka, at least as of October 2021. Documents show that his life in Texas was marked by periods of homelessness.In court Friday, Heinen asked Cherry about whether he had any mental health issues, and he told her that he is taking medication for anxiety, depression and ADHD, or Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.In May 2018, Cherry, then 20, was in Nacogdoches, Texas, about 500 miles (805 kilometers) southeast of Amarillo. A police report said Cherry walked into the police department’s headquarters and reported being homeless, on daily medication for “mental problems” and that he had “voices going off in his head.” The report did not say what happened afterward.By August 2019, Cherry was back in Amarillo, municipal court records show. He was jailed briefly there that year for mistreating an animal and again in June 2021 for trespassing.____