TORONTO (AP) — Canada's ambassador to the United States said Sunday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was successful in getting President-elect Donald Trump and key Cabinet nominees to understand that lumping Canada in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. is unfair.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador in Washington, told The Associated Press in an interview that Trudeau's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-trudeau-trump-tariffs-4129d793d8e1a60fd6d1f45697901a21">dinner with Trump</a>&nbsp;on Friday was a very important step in trying to get Trump to back away from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-canada-tariffs-mexico-border-e0ee7f9b3dddc80d1260585c11869fff">threatened tariffs</a>&nbsp;on all products from the major American trading partner.

Hillman was at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said in a social media post last Monday he would impose a 25% tax on all products&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">entering the U.S.</a>&nbsp;from Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-tariffs-trump-retaliate-sheinbaum-fac0b0c6ee8c425a928418de7332b74a">Mexico</a>&nbsp;as one of his first executive orders.

Hillman said Trudeau asked to see Trump in person in a phone call Monday and Trump invited him to dinner on Friday.

At the dinner, Hillman said the case was made to Trump that there is no comparison between the Canada-U.S. border and Mexico-U.S. border.

“The message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood,” Hillman said.

Hillman said the bulk of Friday night's dinner centered around Trump's border concerns. The ambassador said a priority of Trudeau's was to point out the degree of difference.

Hillman said there really is no comparison, noting there is essentially zero trafficking of fentanyl from Canada to the United States. She said there are seizures but authorities say those are personal use seizures and not criminal trafficking. She said that 99.8% of the fentanyl seized by U.S. authorities in the U.S. comes from Mexico.

“Also with respect to individuals, illegal individuals crossing illegally, Canada last year was less than one percent, 0.6 percent were of total interceptions from Canada,” Hillman said.

U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Hillman said the migrant numbers are coming down since the summer.

“The facts are hard to deny,” Hillman said.

But Hillman said Canada is ready to make new investments in border security and there are plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers.

She also noted an agreement between Canada and the United States that allows for migrants caught crossing illegally into the United States to be sent back to Canada. She said that was talked about. She said Mexico and the U.S. do not have a similar agreement.

At the dinner that lasted three hours, Hillman said America's trade deficit with Canada was also raised. Hillman said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year but noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. are energy exports and prices have been high.

“Trade balances are something that he focuses so it’s important to engage in that conversation but to put it into context," Hillman said.

“We are one tenth the size of the United States so a balanced trade deal would mean per capita we are buying 10 times more from the U.S. than they are buying from us. If that’s his metric we will certainly engage on that."

Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser, and the three men’s wives.

Also at the dinner were David McCormick, just elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife, Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff.

Hillman said Canadian and incoming Trump administration officials will work on Trump's concerns in the coming weeks. Trump called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-canada-tariffs-mexico-border-e0ee7f9b3dddc80d1260585c11869fff">talks “productive”</a>&nbsp;on Sunday in a social media post but signaled no retreat from his tariff pledge.

Hillman said Trump and Trudeau "get along well" and the dinner was also a chance to socialize. She said Trump used his iPad to play music and she said Trump told Trudeau he's a big fan of Canadian singer Celine Dion.

“I don’t think it could have been better to be frank. Okay, I’ll take that back, I’ll change that. If he obviously said there would be no tariffs that would have been better but there was no realistic expectation of that,” Hillman said.

Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.

About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.

Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.

Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida on Friday to have dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">entering the U.S.</a>&nbsp;from Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-tariffs-trump-retaliate-sheinbaum-fac0b0c6ee8c425a928418de7332b74a">Mexico</a>&nbsp;as one of his first executive orders.

A person familiar with the details called it a "positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China and pipelines, as well as the the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year.

Although Trump once called Trudeau&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5131817a9cd449ff964b221a75eafe02">“weak” and “dishonest”</a>&nbsp;during his first term, ties between the two countries have remained among the closest in the world. Trudeau is the first leader from the G7 countries to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election.

Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump's pick to lead the Interior Department, Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security adviser, and the three men's wives.

Also at the dinner were David McCormick, just elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife, Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff.

McCormick posted a photo on X of the group seated at a round table on the patio of Mar-a-Lago. At the table behind the president-elect a boy can be seen mugging for the camera.

Trump’s transition did not respond to questions about what they had discussed or whether the conversation alleviated Trump’s concerns about the border.

A smiling Trudeau declined comment upon returning to his West Palm Beach hotel late Friday.

Trudeau said earlier Friday that he would resolve the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday after speaking with Trump that she is confident&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-mexico-canada-fentanyl-inflation-cf905e75e863511baef959a80ee2eea2">a tariff war with the United States</a>&nbsp;will be averted.

“We’re going to work together to meet some of the concerns,” Trudeau told reporters in Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “But ultimately it is through lots of real constructive conversations with President Trump that I am going to have, that will keep us moving forward on the right track for all Canadians.”

Trudeau said Trump got elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he's talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward Island.

“It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said.

“Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added.

Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully re-negotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries.

“We can work together as we did previously,” Trudeau said.

Trump made the tariff threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border.

The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024.

Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border are few in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.

Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security.

Trudeau called Trump after he made his social media posts on the border.

When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-04e38d60b85349c4bbf5cb084b35bdd0">billions of new duties in 2018</a>&nbsp;against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Canada is already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-tariffs-trudeau-c741393c2f7c7545e9714839cfbbda45">examining possible retaliatory</a>&nbsp;tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official told The Associated Press this week.

A government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly.

“Canada has reason to fear because Trump is impulsive, often influenced by the last thing he sees on Fox News,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. “He can leverage that by catering to what he thinks will sound and look good to the public rather than to what happens or will happen.”

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's ambassador to the United States said Sunday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was successful in getting President-elect Donald Trump and key Cabinet nominees to understand that lumping Canada in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. is unfair.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again. <a href="https://t.co/lAWFMTtQt7">pic.twitter.com/lAWFMTtQt7</a>&mdash; Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1862952145550475414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador in Washington, told The Associated Press in an interview that Trudeau's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-trudeau-trump-tariffs-4129d793d8e1a60fd6d1f45697901a21">dinner with Trump</a>&nbsp;on Friday was a very important step in trying to get Trump to back away from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-canada-tariffs-mexico-border-e0ee7f9b3dddc80d1260585c11869fff">threatened tariffs</a>&nbsp;on all products from the major American trading partner.Hillman was at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and sat at an adjacent table to Trudeau and Trump.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said in a social media post last Monday he would impose a 25% tax on all products&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">entering the U.S.</a>&nbsp;from Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-tariffs-trump-retaliate-sheinbaum-fac0b0c6ee8c425a928418de7332b74a">Mexico</a>&nbsp;as one of his first executive orders.Hillman said Trudeau asked to see Trump in person in a phone call Monday and Trump invited him to dinner on Friday.At the dinner, Hillman said the case was made to Trump that there is no comparison between the Canada-U.S. border and Mexico-U.S. border.“The message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood,” Hillman said.Hillman said the bulk of Friday night's dinner centered around Trump's border concerns. The ambassador said a priority of Trudeau's was to point out the degree of difference.Hillman said there really is no comparison, noting there is essentially zero trafficking of fentanyl from Canada to the United States. She said there are seizures but authorities say those are personal use seizures and not criminal trafficking. She said that 99.8% of the fentanyl seized by U.S. authorities in the U.S. comes from Mexico.“Also with respect to individuals, illegal individuals crossing illegally, Canada last year was less than one percent, 0.6 percent were of total interceptions from Canada,” Hillman said.U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Hillman said the migrant numbers are coming down since the summer.“The facts are hard to deny,” Hillman said.But Hillman said Canada is ready to make new investments in border security and there are plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers.She also noted an agreement between Canada and the United States that allows for migrants caught crossing illegally into the United States to be sent back to Canada. She said that was talked about. She said Mexico and the U.S. do not have a similar agreement.At the dinner that lasted three hours, Hillman said America's trade deficit with Canada was also raised. Hillman said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year but noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. are energy exports and prices have been high.“Trade balances are something that he focuses so it’s important to engage in that conversation but to put it into context," Hillman said.“We are one tenth the size of the United States so a balanced trade deal would mean per capita we are buying 10 times more from the U.S. than they are buying from us. If that’s his metric we will certainly engage on that."Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser, and the three men’s wives.Also at the dinner were David McCormick, just elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife, Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff.Hillman said Canadian and incoming Trump administration officials will work on Trump's concerns in the coming weeks. Trump called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-trump-canada-tariffs-mexico-border-e0ee7f9b3dddc80d1260585c11869fff">talks “productive”</a>&nbsp;on Sunday in a social media post but signaled no retreat from his tariff pledge.Hillman said Trump and Trudeau "get along well" and the dinner was also a chance to socialize. She said Trump used his iPad to play music and she said Trump told Trudeau he's a big fan of Canadian singer Celine Dion.“I don’t think it could have been better to be frank. Okay, I’ll take that back, I’ll change that. If he obviously said there would be no tariffs that would have been better but there was no realistic expectation of that,” Hillman said.Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S.-----WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida on Friday to have dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">entering the U.S.</a>&nbsp;from Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-tariffs-trump-retaliate-sheinbaum-fac0b0c6ee8c425a928418de7332b74a">Mexico</a>&nbsp;as one of his first executive orders.A person familiar with the details called it a "positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China and pipelines, as well as the the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year.Although Trump once called Trudeau&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5131817a9cd449ff964b221a75eafe02">“weak” and “dishonest”</a>&nbsp;during his first term, ties between the two countries have remained among the closest in the world. Trudeau is the first leader from the G7 countries to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election.Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump's pick to lead the Interior Department, Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security adviser, and the three men's wives.Also at the dinner were David McCormick, just elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife, Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff.McCormick posted a photo on X of the group seated at a round table on the patio of Mar-a-Lago. At the table behind the president-elect a boy can be seen mugging for the camera.Trump’s transition did not respond to questions about what they had discussed or whether the conversation alleviated Trump’s concerns about the border.A smiling Trudeau declined comment upon returning to his West Palm Beach hotel late Friday.Trudeau said earlier Friday that he would resolve the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday after speaking with Trump that she is confident&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-china-mexico-canada-fentanyl-inflation-cf905e75e863511baef959a80ee2eea2">a tariff war with the United States</a>&nbsp;will be averted.“We’re going to work together to meet some of the concerns,” Trudeau told reporters in Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “But ultimately it is through lots of real constructive conversations with President Trump that I am going to have, that will keep us moving forward on the right track for all Canadians.”Trudeau said Trump got elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he's talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward Island.“It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said.“Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added.Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully re-negotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries.“We can work together as we did previously,” Trudeau said.Trump made the tariff threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border.The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024.Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border are few in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security.Trudeau called Trump after he made his social media posts on the border.When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-04e38d60b85349c4bbf5cb084b35bdd0">billions of new duties in 2018</a>&nbsp;against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.Canada is already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-tariffs-trudeau-c741393c2f7c7545e9714839cfbbda45">examining possible retaliatory</a>&nbsp;tariffs on certain items from the U.S. should Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official told The Associated Press this week.A government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly.Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S.“Canada has reason to fear because Trump is impulsive, often influenced by the last thing he sees on Fox News,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. “He can leverage that by catering to what he thinks will sound and look good to the public rather than to what happens or will happen.”___

What Canadian Prime Minister, Trump discussed in Florida 

JERUSALEM (AP) —The Israeli military said Monday an Israeli American soldier who was believed to have been captured alive by Hamas in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">its Oct. 7, 2023, attack</a>&nbsp;was killed that day and his body taken into the Gaza Strip.

Hamas is still holding around 100 hostages inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Biden administration says it is making another push for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages, after nearly a year of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/why-is-israel-demanding-control-over-2-gaza-corridors-in-the-cease-fire-talks/">repeatedly stalled</a>.

Diplomats see a potential opening after last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-ceasefire-3ed296f8317ecaa89c4e3548c75c9602">ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group</a>, an ally of Hamas that began launching rocket attacks and trading fire with Israel the day after the October 2023 attack.

The fragile ceasefire has held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-war-ceasefire-tyre-ae002af23c7ec9e19a0cea08fecc9f62">despite repeated Israeli strikes</a>&nbsp;that have angered Lebanese officials but not yet triggered a response from Hezbollah. Israel says it has acted to thwart potential attacks.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-gaza-tunnels-hamas-israel-war-d8ecb415268e911cea09518acdaf7ba2">and taking around 250 people hostage</a>. More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.

Israel’s ongoing retaliatory offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-hamas-dead-graves-40000-988d16b648e06e222f04964dc9440da0">has killed at least 44,429 Palestinians</a>, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/scars-of-war-0000019256a2d640a5fef6ba634b0000">has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave</a>&nbsp;and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a-year-of-fleeing-across-gaza-000001925701d383a5925f8f807f0000">often multiple times</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733137467784.png" alt="Omer Neutra-photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Omer Neutra-photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) —The Israeli military said Monday an Israeli American soldier who was believed to have been captured alive by Hamas in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">its Oct. 7, 2023, attack</a>&nbsp;was killed that day and his body taken into the Gaza Strip.Hamas is still holding around 100 hostages inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Biden administration says it is making another push for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages, after nearly a year of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/why-is-israel-demanding-control-over-2-gaza-corridors-in-the-cease-fire-talks/">repeatedly stalled</a>.Diplomats see a potential opening after last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-ceasefire-3ed296f8317ecaa89c4e3548c75c9602">ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group</a>, an ally of Hamas that began launching rocket attacks and trading fire with Israel the day after the October 2023 attack.The fragile ceasefire has held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-war-ceasefire-tyre-ae002af23c7ec9e19a0cea08fecc9f62">despite repeated Israeli strikes</a>&nbsp;that have angered Lebanese officials but not yet triggered a response from Hezbollah. Israel says it has acted to thwart potential attacks.The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-gaza-tunnels-hamas-israel-war-d8ecb415268e911cea09518acdaf7ba2">and taking around 250 people hostage</a>. More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.Israel’s ongoing retaliatory offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-hamas-dead-graves-40000-988d16b648e06e222f04964dc9440da0">has killed at least 44,429 Palestinians</a>, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.The war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/scars-of-war-0000019256a2d640a5fef6ba634b0000">has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave</a>&nbsp;and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a-year-of-fleeing-across-gaza-000001925701d383a5925f8f807f0000">often multiple times</a>.

American-Israeli soldier taken hostage is now presumed dead

Barbara Jean Morton, 89, passed away peacefully on November
30, 2024, at Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital. She was born on October 22,
1935, to Arthur and Margaret (Rainwater) Baugher at St. Anthony Hospital in
Hays, Kansas.

Barbara graduated from Trego Community High School and later
married Paul Morton on June 19, 1953, in Ellis, Kansas. The couple made their
home in WaKeeney, Kansas, where they spent their married life together.

In the early years of their marriage, Barbara dedicated
herself to raising her family. She later worked at Travenol in Hays before
pursuing her true passion in law enforcement. Barbara worked as a deputy
sheriff and dispatcher, a career she cherished until her retirement.

Barbara is survived by her three sons, Terry Morton, James
(Kathy) Morton, and David (Kristal) Morton, all of WaKeeney, KS; her daughter,
Paula (Craig) Snider of Logan, KS; grandchildren Amber and Paul Larson, Aspen
King, Janae and Derrick Morton and Heather Walz; great-grandchildren Kayden
Larson, Alex and Kassie King, Ryder and Knox Larson, Kendra, and Alexis Ryan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and
Margaret Baugher; her husband, Paul Morton; her brother, Tom Baugher; and her
sister, Ann Herbig.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 4, from 1:00
PM to 2:00 PM at Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 N. 12th St., WaKeeney, KS. The
funeral service will follow immediately at 2:00 PM, also at Schmitt Funeral
Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trego County EMS.

Condolences and messages of support can be left for the
family at www.schmittfuneral.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733148692025.jpeg" alt="Barbara Jean Morton" />
 <figcaption>Barbara Jean Morton</figcaption>
 </figure>Barbara Jean Morton, 89, passed away peacefully on November
30, 2024, at Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital. She was born on October 22,
1935, to Arthur and Margaret (Rainwater) Baugher at St. Anthony Hospital in
Hays, Kansas.Barbara graduated from Trego Community High School and later
married Paul Morton on June 19, 1953, in Ellis, Kansas. The couple made their
home in WaKeeney, Kansas, where they spent their married life together.In the early years of their marriage, Barbara dedicated
herself to raising her family. She later worked at Travenol in Hays before
pursuing her true passion in law enforcement. Barbara worked as a deputy
sheriff and dispatcher, a career she cherished until her retirement.Barbara is survived by her three sons, Terry Morton, James
(Kathy) Morton, and David (Kristal) Morton, all of WaKeeney, KS; her daughter,
Paula (Craig) Snider of Logan, KS; grandchildren Amber and Paul Larson, Aspen
King, Janae and Derrick Morton and Heather Walz; great-grandchildren Kayden
Larson, Alex and Kassie King, Ryder and Knox Larson, Kendra, and Alexis Ryan.She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and
Margaret Baugher; her husband, Paul Morton; her brother, Tom Baugher; and her
sister, Ann Herbig.Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 4, from 1:00
PM to 2:00 PM at Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 N. 12th St., WaKeeney, KS. The
funeral service will follow immediately at 2:00 PM, also at Schmitt Funeral
Home.Memorial contributions may be made to Trego County EMS.Condolences and messages of support can be left for the
family at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Barbara Jean Morton

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term.

Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration.

Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marco-rubio-trump-latin-america-secretary-of-state-87aff0ce93f638fb69e30b067ecd84fb">Rubio</a>, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

His selection punctuates the hard pivot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-marco-rubio-secretary-of-state-25664371f80dcf3332838352165e4d48">Rubio</a>&nbsp;has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-defense-secretary-pentagon-2d8030921ecef933778cf92afd40ec72">Hegseth</a>, 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-pete-hegseth-trump-defense-secretary-2e2bdd16c8e90f5d037f763cfadbde94">Hegseth</a>&nbsp;served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-assault-allegations-police-report-trump-e6ebec0a1a5c7fb51cb5e2198f5e12a5">A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted</a>&nbsp;in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-election-scott-bessent-trump-e4df1ef61309ee78f2affc2d9eabeff1">Bessent</a>, 62, is a former money manager for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-soros">George Soros</a>, a big Democratic donor, and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/budget-deficit-trump-harris-kamala-debt-1ee3ff65e22ccf19d19b792ee22c46da">advocate for deficit reduction</a>. He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary.

He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending.

Director of national intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tulsi-gabbard-intelligence-director-russia-putin-0f661dd39bd16e248b16c049e6aa26c5">accused of echoing Russian propaganda.</a>&nbsp;She unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">Gabbard</a>&nbsp;has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaetz-trump-fbi-justice-department-248b46ba0c882dd46d661568e8bd3bd7">Bondi</a>, 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020.

Considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/things-to-know-pam-bondi-eec1d16075c7debda62223b475e3977d">a loyalist</a>, Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration.

Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush-money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-labor-secretary-lori-chavezderemer-feaa4672efac644aa60722d3a3215df1">Republican U.S. House member</a>&nbsp;narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district.

As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities.

Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c776a12a97468341bcfe8178638f127">the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act</a>&nbsp;that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws in more than half the states.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/howard-lutnick-trump-crypto-economy-elon-musk-a03d95e323f7d2d4b722184d83e7b388">Lutnick</a>&nbsp;heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration.

As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transition-white-house-staff-huckabee-f51121db5b18814bbab014e872c2a736">Noem</a>&nbsp;is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota “open for business.” More recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-immigration-trump-homeland-security-border-60d998d6c973411c020fd5824456c860">Noem</a>&nbsp;faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog.

She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-ratcliffe-cia-e5fe61f5e79206357085932f1252a852">Ratcliffe</a>, a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term. He led U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S.

Health and human services secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rfk-hhs-health-kennedy-f40ee2398e3a280c1586eecdd80bdf7c">Kennedy</a>, 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">then endorsed Trump</a>. He's the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-things-to-know-explained-who-is-hhs-5288a4a7277d1a0b4a7ede8f57a971ce">son of Democratic icon</a>&nbsp;Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign.

Kennedy's nomination alarmed people who are concerned about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-f-kennedy-vaccines-trump-rfkjr-7f8dcb25de76a5a70710d22bbc63f6fa">his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines</a>. For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transition-cabinet-agriculture-75911e79188c48e27d6c3c12f1a58e80">Rollins</a>, 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration.

She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooke-rollins-trump-agriculture-179e8163568c723afe6d27848ce04c22">Rollins</a>&nbsp;previously was an aide to former Texas Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rick-perry">Rick Perry</a>, who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-duffy-cabinet-transportation-secretary-c465bbc516b5f898233f86bee31a7a45">Duffy</a>&nbsp;is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-duffy-cabinet-transportation-b673a7ef72b5633f731b088ce26e4832">served in the House for nearly nine years</a>, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business.

Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doug-collins-veterans-affairs-va-georgia-f9a14a486cb12fd5ac3f07b3068eb20a">Collins</a>&nbsp;is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate.

Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-doug-burgum-interior-cabinet-2af5f4c0b891a2705c6132fbff16f278">North Dakota governor</a>, 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vice-president-rubio-vance-burgum-scott-8b6a3a22eecdfff668a5002ddfd3af18">be Trump’s vice presidential choice</a>&nbsp;in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs.

Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary.

A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-election-energy-secretary-d546f5f81d7b2347b49905be924dfcd7">Wright</a>&nbsp;is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

He also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chris-wright-energy-cabinet-4161f363d59013339d5b444ddf123d45">Wright</a>&nbsp;said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States.

McMahon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-trump-education-secretary-wwe-613016d0c164b89765af761404cbb123">a billionaire professional wrestling mogul</a>, would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator: Lee Zeldin

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stephen-miller-policy-immigration-9cc6ad3118779b23bff88022ca5e2260">Zeldin</a>&nbsp;does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LeeMZeldin/status/1856068555865026956">X</a>, “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration.

Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-secretary-trump-scott-turner-nfl-727417b56d0e1f85a40eaf5f7d13d42f">Turner</a>&nbsp;is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.”

U.S. Trade Representative: Jamieson Greer

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trade-nec-economics-trump-elections-7a0be4a246256bc468fb7c0e8bff8639">Greer</a>&nbsp;is a partner at King &amp; Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-susie-wiles-32df8958bedde5f3f2d55fd071979692">Wiles</a>, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager.

She has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-susie-wiles-32df8958bedde5f3f2d55fd071979692">background in Florida politics</a>, helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary.

Wiles’ hire was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns.

Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-security-adviser-mike-wlatz-0c81d044c9ffe18dfd745202e8351b9c">A former Army Green Beret</a>, he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs.

He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population.

Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025.

Homan, 62,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">has been tasked</a>&nbsp;with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history.

He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.

Office of Management and Budget: Russell Vought

Vought, 48, held the position during Trump’s first presidency. He the founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought also was closely involved with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-american-revolution-6e02a297fb91b55de01ba7e86615bb08">Project 2025</a>, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign.

Deputy chief of staff for policy: Stephen Miller

Miller, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stephen-miller-policy-immigration-9cc6ad3118779b23bff88022ca5e2260">immigration hardliner</a>, was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first term.

Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people living illegally in the U.S.

Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House.

Blair was political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign.

Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump’s 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president.

White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-press-secretary-4c550e04334e87d2075dc6bbe2e244bd">Leavitt</a>, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-donald-trump-51418003338eb89abfbfc6aac6909abd">she ran for Congress in New Hampshire,</a>&nbsp;winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

McGinley was Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign.

Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe.

Patel has called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who have sought additional resources for the bureau. And though the Justice Department in 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-business-government-and-politics-67ac2f4f96b2dfd7f47446662e59ec6e">halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records</a>&nbsp;during leak investigations, Patel has said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters.

Special envoy to the Middle East: Steven Witkoff

FBI Director selected: Trump's picks for key positions in his 2nd administration 

WASHINGTON – Cocao and Coca may sound similar, but what Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport found inside packages of hot chocolate was a poisonous powder instead of the advertised chocolatey confection.

Last month, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered more than 28 pounds of cocaine that was concealed inside 10 packages of hot chocolate beverage base while examining a food shipment brought to the United States by a Guatemalan courier.

CBP seized the cocaine. Federal authorities initially detained the courier; however, authorities released the courier on Tuesday after prosecutors were unable to directly connect the courier to the cocaine.

CBP officers canceled the courier’s visa and processed him as an expedited removal. The courier departed to Guatemala on Wednesday.

CBP is not releasing the courier’s name since the courier was not criminally charged.

CBP officers initially discovered 10 bricks of a white powdery substance concealed between layers of coffee grounds and under a double layer of chocolate bars in hot chocolate packages. Officers tested the white powdery substance using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool and identified the substance as cocaine hydrochloride.

The combined weight of the 10 cocaine bricks was 12.88 kilograms, or 28 pounds and six ounces. The cocaine has a street value of about $900,000.

The courier shipment was destined to an address in Northern Virginia.

“Drug trafficking organizations continue trying to smuggle their illicit narcotics into the United States, but vigilant Customs and Border Protection officers are relentless in their efforts to intercept these smuggling attempts and to protect our communities from the scourge of dangerous drugs,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.

Transnational criminal organizations sometimes attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs in courier shipments. On October 27, CBP officers seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/dulles-cbp-officers-discover-heroin-guatemalan-courier-shipment-mwaa">nearly two pounds of heroin concealed inside packages of coffee</a>&nbsp;in a food courier shipment also from Guatemala.

Every day, CBP officers and agents seized an average of 2,339 pounds of dangerous drugs last year at and between our nation’s air, sea, and land ports of entry. See CBP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats">enforcement stats</a>&nbsp;to see what other dangerous drugs CBP is encountering at our nation’s borders.

CBP's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry">border security mission</a>&nbsp;is led at our nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry">Ports of Entry</a>&nbsp;by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/travel">international travelers</a>&nbsp;and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731772139217.png" alt="Photo CBP" />
 <figcaption>Photo CBP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – Cocao and Coca may sound similar, but what Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport found inside packages of hot chocolate was a poisonous powder instead of the advertised chocolatey confection.Last month, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered more than 28 pounds of cocaine that was concealed inside 10 packages of hot chocolate beverage base while examining a food shipment brought to the United States by a Guatemalan courier.CBP seized the cocaine. Federal authorities initially detained the courier; however, authorities released the courier on Tuesday after prosecutors were unable to directly connect the courier to the cocaine.CBP officers canceled the courier’s visa and processed him as an expedited removal. The courier departed to Guatemala on Wednesday.CBP is not releasing the courier’s name since the courier was not criminally charged.CBP officers initially discovered 10 bricks of a white powdery substance concealed between layers of coffee grounds and under a double layer of chocolate bars in hot chocolate packages. Officers tested the white powdery substance using a handheld elemental isotope analysis tool and identified the substance as cocaine hydrochloride.The combined weight of the 10 cocaine bricks was 12.88 kilograms, or 28 pounds and six ounces. The cocaine has a street value of about $900,000.The courier shipment was destined to an address in Northern Virginia.“Drug trafficking organizations continue trying to smuggle their illicit narcotics into the United States, but vigilant Customs and Border Protection officers are relentless in their efforts to intercept these smuggling attempts and to protect our communities from the scourge of dangerous drugs,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.Transnational criminal organizations sometimes attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs in courier shipments. On October 27, CBP officers seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/dulles-cbp-officers-discover-heroin-guatemalan-courier-shipment-mwaa">nearly two pounds of heroin concealed inside packages of coffee</a>&nbsp;in a food courier shipment also from Guatemala.Every day, CBP officers and agents seized an average of 2,339 pounds of dangerous drugs last year at and between our nation’s air, sea, and land ports of entry. See CBP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats">enforcement stats</a>&nbsp;to see what other dangerous drugs CBP is encountering at our nation’s borders.CBP's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry">border security mission</a>&nbsp;is led at our nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry">Ports of Entry</a>&nbsp;by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/travel">international travelers</a>&nbsp;and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

Police found cocaine concealed inside packages of hot chocolate 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old boy dead made his first court appearance in the case Tuesday.

Jermal Campbell, 19, was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of criminal discharge of firearm, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Monday, Campbell finally turned himself in, according to the Wichita Police Department.

Just after 10:30p.m. October 31, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.

The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.

Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.

On November 6, police arrested a 19-year-old&nbsp;Carrice Profit, Campbell's cousin in connection with the killing, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp;

Profit was charged with 1st degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She remains jailed on a $350,000 bond. Campbell remains in jail on a $1,000,000.00 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732583489717.png" alt="Campbell photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Campbell photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old boy dead made his first court appearance in the case Tuesday.Jermal Campbell, 19, was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of criminal discharge of firearm, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On Monday, Campbell finally turned himself in, according to the Wichita Police Department.Just after 10:30p.m. October 31, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730455429350.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.On November 6, police arrested a 19-year-old&nbsp;Carrice Profit, Campbell's cousin in connection with the killing, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730979564649.png" alt="Profit photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Profit photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Profit was charged with 1st degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She remains jailed on a $350,000 bond. Campbell remains in jail on a $1,000,000.00 bond.

Kan. suspect in Halloween killing of 13-year-old appears in court

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

The first three phases of Tallgrass 2nd Addition housing in east Hays have been so successful the developer&nbsp;Heart of America is moving on to Phase 4.

Heart of America&nbsp;is a nonprofit local group that helps further economic development in Ellis County.

Phases 1-3 are almost built out using an existing&nbsp;Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) at East 22nd Street and Wheatland Avenue. A new RHID is requested by the developer immediately north of the current RHID to Interstate 70.

City commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday regarding a shortage of quality housing based on the 2022 needs study by Fort Hays State University Docking Institute of Public Affairs. The findings must be approved by the Kansas Department of Commerce.

If approved, the RHID will capture the incremental real property taxes, less the state's 1.5 mills and Hays USD 489's 20 mills, for up to 25 years.

Heart of America&nbsp;is proposing the city finance and construct the project using bonds while utilizing the RHID revenues to offset the city's costs. 

The developer will provide a deposit equal to 30% of the projected infrastructure costs.

All 54 houses in Phases 1-3 have been purchased, although 12 are still under construction.

Phase 4 is platted for about 101 lots. The development is almost twice the size of the other three combined.&nbsp;

"That's a lot of lots," said Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director. "Based on the arrangement we have for repayment of bonds, we're going to be very anxious to get things built."

"If that pace slows for any reason, there may be an opportunity to look at different price points for homes. There are also some areas that might lend themselves well to multi-family dwellings," Williams said.

The new houses in Phase 4 could look slightly different from the existing development.

"We have a couple of areas we'd like to look at for higher density single-family homes, which would require a planned development.

"But primarily, we hope to continue the same kind of concept that's been so successful so far," Williams said.

According to a study, to sustain population growth of 1%, or 220 new residents, for the city of Hays, the community needs to add 88 living units per year.&nbsp;

Heart of America expects construction to begin in 2025 following all city approvals.&nbsp;

• Financial report for October 2024 • Monthly progress reports on department projects and activities • Highlights of December community events in Hays

Mayor Sandy Jacobs was absent from the meeting.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732667161514.png" alt="The reinvestment housing incentive district for Tallgrass 2nd Addition Phase 4. City of Hays image" />
 <figcaption>The reinvestment housing incentive district for Tallgrass 2nd Addition Phase 4. City of Hays image</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe first three phases of Tallgrass 2nd Addition housing in east Hays have been so successful the developer&nbsp;Heart of America is moving on to Phase 4.Heart of America&nbsp;is a nonprofit local group that helps further economic development in Ellis County.Phases 1-3 are almost built out using an existing&nbsp;Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) at East 22nd Street and Wheatland Avenue. A new RHID is requested by the developer immediately north of the current RHID to Interstate 70.It's a multi-step process.City commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday regarding a shortage of quality housing based on the 2022 needs study by Fort Hays State University Docking Institute of Public Affairs. The findings must be approved by the Kansas Department of Commerce.If approved, the RHID will capture the incremental real property taxes, less the state's 1.5 mills and Hays USD 489's 20 mills, for up to 25 years.Heart of America&nbsp;is proposing the city finance and construct the project using bonds while utilizing the RHID revenues to offset the city's costs. The developer will provide a deposit equal to 30% of the projected infrastructure costs.All 54 houses in Phases 1-3 have been purchased, although 12 are still under construction.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732302380275.png" alt="Tallgrass 2nd Addition Phase 4 plat map. Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Tallgrass 2nd Addition Phase 4 plat map. Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>Phase 4 is platted for about 101 lots. The development is almost twice the size of the other three combined.&nbsp;"That's a lot of lots," said Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director. "Based on the arrangement we have for repayment of bonds, we're going to be very anxious to get things built.""If that pace slows for any reason, there may be an opportunity to look at different price points for homes. There are also some areas that might lend themselves well to multi-family dwellings," Williams said.The new houses in Phase 4 could look slightly different from the existing development."We have a couple of areas we'd like to look at for higher density single-family homes, which would require a planned development."But primarily, we hope to continue the same kind of concept that's been so successful so far," Williams said.According to a study, to sustain population growth of 1%, or 220 new residents, for the city of Hays, the community needs to add 88 living units per year.&nbsp;Heart of America expects construction to begin in 2025 following all city approvals.&nbsp;In other business, the commission heard• Financial report for October 2024 • Monthly progress reports on department projects and activities • Highlights of December community events in HaysMayor Sandy Jacobs was absent from the meeting.&nbsp;

Successful Tallgrass housing Phases 1-3 moves into Phase 4 in east Hays

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas Reflector

CEDAR CREST — About a year ago, Ed Bartoszek’s mother could ride a tractor through the rows of pines on the family tree farm in Fontana.&nbsp;

His mother, Faye, now sits in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in October of last year, but she was able to witness Monday a tree grown at her ’60s-era tree farm tucked into a corner at the governor’s mansion at Cedar Crest.

“Getting her up here was most important,” Bartoszek said.

It’s the first Christmas tree the Bartoszek family has been able to donate to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly from their farm, Fontana Pines, south of Kansas City. As it was delivered in a horse-drawn carriage and carried by the teen-aged members of the family into the mansion, Ed Bartoszek said he was filled with emotion.&nbsp;

“I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a nice feeling,” he said.

The tree was a 9-foot scotch pine, and Ed Bartoszek wandered the four fields of trees on his property to find the right one for Kelly.

Members of the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and the horses’ current and former owners welcomed the tree Monday alongside Kelly to mark the beginning of the holiday season.

The same pair of horses have delivered a Christmas tree to the governor’s mansion off and on for more than a decade.&nbsp;

Cecil and Robert Carter, the horse’s former owners, have been a part of the ceremonious delivery during those years, and this year will likely be their last as they sold the business. The horses will carry on with new owners.

“It’s a relief,” Cecil Carter said. “The thing that we miss most is being out in the public.”

The Carters talked Monday on their drive to Cedar Crest about the politics, or lack thereof, in their business, Cecil said. Each governor is different. Former Gov. Sam Brownback used to like to get into the carriage and hold the reigns, he said.

“When I do a job, there’s no political feelings whatsoever,” Cecil Carter said.

Race, gender, political beliefs don’t matter to him, he said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732628012671.png" alt="The customary Christmas tree delivery on Nov. 25, 2024, to the Kansas governor’s mansion from Fontana marked the beginning of the holiday season. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The customary Christmas tree delivery on Nov. 25, 2024, to the Kansas governor’s mansion from Fontana marked the beginning of the holiday season. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas ReflectorCEDAR CREST — About a year ago, Ed Bartoszek’s mother could ride a tractor through the rows of pines on the family tree farm in Fontana.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732628304450.png" alt="Owners of the Fontana Pines Christmas Tree Farm Ed Bartoszek and his mother, Faye, greet Santa Clause on Nov. 25, 2024, at the governor’s mansion in Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Owners of the Fontana Pines Christmas Tree Farm Ed Bartoszek and his mother, Faye, greet Santa Clause on Nov. 25, 2024, at the governor’s mansion in Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>His mother, Faye, now sits in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in October of last year, but she was able to witness Monday a tree grown at her ’60s-era tree farm tucked into a corner at the governor’s mansion at Cedar Crest.“Getting her up here was most important,” Bartoszek said.It’s the first Christmas tree the Bartoszek family has been able to donate to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly from their farm, Fontana Pines, south of Kansas City. As it was delivered in a horse-drawn carriage and carried by the teen-aged members of the family into the mansion, Ed Bartoszek said he was filled with emotion.&nbsp;“I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a nice feeling,” he said.The tree was a 9-foot scotch pine, and Ed Bartoszek wandered the four fields of trees on his property to find the right one for Kelly.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning, we welcomed the holiday spirit at Cedar Crest with the annual delivery of our Christmas tree. Well wishes to all Kansans as we ring in the holidays this year. <a href="https://t.co/5YURhfKoUF">pic.twitter.com/5YURhfKoUF</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1861107897624653981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Members of the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and the horses’ current and former owners welcomed the tree Monday alongside Kelly to mark the beginning of the holiday season.The same pair of horses have delivered a Christmas tree to the governor’s mansion off and on for more than a decade.&nbsp;Cecil and Robert Carter, the horse’s former owners, have been a part of the ceremonious delivery during those years, and this year will likely be their last as they sold the business. The horses will carry on with new owners.“It’s a relief,” Cecil Carter said. “The thing that we miss most is being out in the public.”The Carters talked Monday on their drive to Cedar Crest about the politics, or lack thereof, in their business, Cecil said. Each governor is different. Former Gov. Sam Brownback used to like to get into the carriage and hold the reigns, he said.“When I do a job, there’s no political feelings whatsoever,” Cecil Carter said.Race, gender, political beliefs don’t matter to him, he said.&nbsp;Kelly visited with Faye Bartoszek and the rest of the family and posed for photos in her home. She advised Kansans preparing for potentially opinionated holiday gatherings “to do exactly what I’m going to do — and that’s steer away from conversations that are divisive.”