Gary Wayne Boy, age 68 years, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away on 
Saturday morning, December 17, 2022, at Meridian Rehabilitation and 
Health Care Center in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp; Gary was born on August 16, 1954,&nbsp; at Sterling, Kansas to Lawrence and Frances (Fisher) Boy.&nbsp; He farmed 
near Raymond, Kansas and later worked for Tim Fischer farming near St. 
John, Kansas.&nbsp; Gary loved both crop work and livestock with a passion.&nbsp; 
He also loved to play Bingo, and had a great sense of humor while being 
very protective of his family and friends.

Survivors include three sisters:&nbsp; Janet (&amp; John) Hutchinson of 
San Angelo, Texas, and Carolyn Valenzuela and Anna M. Boy, both of Great
 Bend, Kansas; thirteen nieces and nephews:&nbsp; Rodger, Chris, and Roy 
Woosley, Jamey Perkins, Susan Valenciana, Benjamin,&nbsp;Josh, Miquel, and 
Andrew Valenzuela, Ashley and Chris Childers, and Jordan and Marissa 
Boy; several great-nieces and great-nephews.&nbsp; Gary was preceded in death
 by his parents and a younger brother, Brian E. Boy on October 12, 2022.

Cremation has been chosen and there will be a Memorial Service and 
inurnment held at a later date.&nbsp; The family requests that Memorial 
Contributions be designated to the Gary W. Boy Funeral Expense Fund with
 the funeral home in charge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672078157616.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Gary Wayne Boy, age 68 years, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away on 
Saturday morning, December 17, 2022, at Meridian Rehabilitation and 
Health Care Center in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp; Gary was born on August 16, 1954,&nbsp; at Sterling, Kansas to Lawrence and Frances (Fisher) Boy.&nbsp; He farmed 
near Raymond, Kansas and later worked for Tim Fischer farming near St. 
John, Kansas.&nbsp; Gary loved both crop work and livestock with a passion.&nbsp; 
He also loved to play Bingo, and had a great sense of humor while being 
very protective of his family and friends.Survivors include three sisters:&nbsp; Janet (&amp; John) Hutchinson of 
San Angelo, Texas, and Carolyn Valenzuela and Anna M. Boy, both of Great
 Bend, Kansas; thirteen nieces and nephews:&nbsp; Rodger, Chris, and Roy 
Woosley, Jamey Perkins, Susan Valenciana, Benjamin,&nbsp;Josh, Miquel, and 
Andrew Valenzuela, Ashley and Chris Childers, and Jordan and Marissa 
Boy; several great-nieces and great-nephews.&nbsp; Gary was preceded in death
 by his parents and a younger brother, Brian E. Boy on October 12, 2022.Cremation has been chosen and there will be a Memorial Service and 
inurnment held at a later date.&nbsp; The family requests that Memorial 
Contributions be designated to the Gary W. Boy Funeral Expense Fund with
 the funeral home in charge.

Gary Wayne Boy

NEW YORK (AP) — Holiday sales rose this year as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure.

Holiday sales rose 7.6, a slower pace than the 8.5% increase from a year earlier when shoppers began spending the money they had saved during the early part of the pandemic, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards.

Mastercard SpendingPulse had expected a 7.1% increase. The data released Monday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation, which has eased somewhat but remains painfully high.

U.S. sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, a period that is critical for retailers, were fueled by spending at restaurants and on clothing.

By category, clothing rose 4.4%, while jewelry and electronics dipped roughly 5%. Online sales jumped 10.6% from a year ago and in-person spending rose 6.8%. Department stores registered a modest 1% increase over 2021.

“This holiday retail season looked different than years past,” Steve Sadove, the former CEO and chairman at Saks and a senior advisor for Mastercard, said in a prepared statement. “Retailers discounted heavily, but consumers diversified their holiday spending to accommodate rising prices and an appetite for experiences and festive gatherings post-pandemic.”

Some of the increase reflected the impact of higher prices across the board.

Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. economic activity, and Americans have remained resilient ever since inflation first spiked almost 18 months ago. Cracks have begun to show, however, as higher prices for basic necessities take up an increasingly large share of everyone's take-home pay.

Inflation has retreated from the four-decade high it reached this summer, but it's still sapping the spending power of consumers. Prices rose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-november-report-c3764250d475b1149d344462adff53d6">7.1%</a>&nbsp;in November from a year ago, down from a peak of 9.1% in June.

Overall spending has slowed from the pandemic-infused splurges and shifted increasingly toward necessities like food, while spending on electronics, furniture, new clothes and other non-necessities has faded. Many shoppers been trading down to private label goods, which are typically less expensive than national brands. They've been going to cheaper stores like dollar chains and big box stores like Walmart.

Consumers also waited for deals. Stores expected more procrastinators to hit stores in the last few days before Christmas compared with a year ago when people began shopping earlier due to a global disruption of the supply chain that created thousands of product shortages.

“Consumers are trying to spread out their budget, and they are evaluating and shopping at different stores,” said Katie Thompson, the lead of consultancy Kearney’s Consumer Institute.

In November, shoppers cut back sharply on retail spending compared with the previous month. Retail sales fell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-consumer-products-and-services-164db0f7a76020f27c176b1b21e23608">0.6%</a>&nbsp;from October to November after a sharp&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-holidays-business-ae530b4148fcf19da4aa69d92c85add9">1.3%</a>&nbsp;rise the previous month, the government said in mid-December. Sales fell at furniture, electronics, and home and garden stores.

A broader picture of how Americans spent their money arrives next month when the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, comes out with its combined two-month results based on November-December sales figures from the Commerce Department.

The trade group expects holiday sales growth will slow to a range of 6% to 8%, compared with the blistering 13.5% growth of a year ago.

Analysts will also be dissecting fourth-quarter financial results from major retailers in February.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1575032314075.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Holiday sales rose this year as American spending remained resilient during the critical shopping season despite surging prices on everything from food to rent, according to one measure.Holiday sales rose 7.6, a slower pace than the 8.5% increase from a year earlier when shoppers began spending the money they had saved during the early part of the pandemic, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards.Mastercard SpendingPulse had expected a 7.1% increase. The data released Monday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation, which has eased somewhat but remains painfully high.U.S. sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, a period that is critical for retailers, were fueled by spending at restaurants and on clothing.By category, clothing rose 4.4%, while jewelry and electronics dipped roughly 5%. Online sales jumped 10.6% from a year ago and in-person spending rose 6.8%. Department stores registered a modest 1% increase over 2021.“This holiday retail season looked different than years past,” Steve Sadove, the former CEO and chairman at Saks and a senior advisor for Mastercard, said in a prepared statement. “Retailers discounted heavily, but consumers diversified their holiday spending to accommodate rising prices and an appetite for experiences and festive gatherings post-pandemic.”Some of the increase reflected the impact of higher prices across the board.Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. economic activity, and Americans have remained resilient ever since inflation first spiked almost 18 months ago. Cracks have begun to show, however, as higher prices for basic necessities take up an increasingly large share of everyone's take-home pay.Inflation has retreated from the four-decade high it reached this summer, but it's still sapping the spending power of consumers. Prices rose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-november-report-c3764250d475b1149d344462adff53d6">7.1%</a>&nbsp;in November from a year ago, down from a peak of 9.1% in June.Overall spending has slowed from the pandemic-infused splurges and shifted increasingly toward necessities like food, while spending on electronics, furniture, new clothes and other non-necessities has faded. Many shoppers been trading down to private label goods, which are typically less expensive than national brands. They've been going to cheaper stores like dollar chains and big box stores like Walmart.Consumers also waited for deals. Stores expected more procrastinators to hit stores in the last few days before Christmas compared with a year ago when people began shopping earlier due to a global disruption of the supply chain that created thousands of product shortages.“Consumers are trying to spread out their budget, and they are evaluating and shopping at different stores,” said Katie Thompson, the lead of consultancy Kearney’s Consumer Institute.In November, shoppers cut back sharply on retail spending compared with the previous month. Retail sales fell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-consumer-products-and-services-164db0f7a76020f27c176b1b21e23608">0.6%</a>&nbsp;from October to November after a sharp&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-holidays-business-ae530b4148fcf19da4aa69d92c85add9">1.3%</a>&nbsp;rise the previous month, the government said in mid-December. Sales fell at furniture, electronics, and home and garden stores.A broader picture of how Americans spent their money arrives next month when the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, comes out with its combined two-month results based on November-December sales figures from the Commerce Department.The trade group expects holiday sales growth will slow to a range of 6% to 8%, compared with the blistering 13.5% growth of a year ago.Analysts will also be dissecting fourth-quarter financial results from major retailers in February.

Holiday sales up despite the squeeze of inflation

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson got back together Sunday, near the end of their first season apart following a decade together. Wagner and his Los Angeles Rams were the only ones who enjoyed the holiday reunion.

Wagner first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/bobby-wagner-finds-russell-wilson-s-pass-for-interception">intercepted a pass</a>&nbsp;by his longtime Seahawks teammate, setting up the Rams' second touchdown drive in their 31-point first half. Wagner also sacked the Broncos quarterback right before halftime, settling a longstanding bet between these good friends.

“I told him that if we ever played against one another, I’d get him,” Wagner said with a grin. “It was cool to do that. It was cool to pick him off as well on Christmas. I appreciate the presents.”

Wagner's holiday cheer was only part of a comprehensive thrashing delivered by the Super Bowl champions who haven't given up on their lost season just yet.

Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/tyler-higbee-gets-his-second-td-on-christmas-day">to Tyler Higbee</a>, Cam Akers rushed for 118 yards and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/cam-akers-best-plays-from-career-high-3-td-game-week-16">a career-high three TDs</a>&nbsp;and the Rams routed the Denver Broncos 51-14 for their second victory since mid-October.

Mayfield went 24 of 28 for 230 yards in another standout performance for his second win in three starts with the Rams (5-10), who produced the best game of their dismal season on Christmas.

“That's what you work toward,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “To see it come to life on a night like this, you're really happy for them. They deserve that.”

Rookie Cobie Durant punctuated the festivities when he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1607170290626306050">returned his second interception 85 yards for a touchdown</a>, picking off Brett Rypien with 4:08 left to cap the Rams’ first 50-point performance under McVay since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-ap-top-news-super-bowl-sports-north-america-068564c5fefd42dcbe3f90c5fb173355">their famed 54-51 victory over Kansas City</a>&nbsp;in 2018.

For at least one more week, Los Angeles avoided becoming the first defending champion to lose 11 games. Even with the NFL's 32nd-ranked offense coming in, Los Angeles is now the second team to score 50 points this season, joining Dallas earlier this month.

“To play a complete game like this is really special,” Mayfield said. “Everything was there for us today.”

In his Los Angeles debut, Larrell Murchison made 2 1/2 of the Rams’ six sacks of Wilson, who passed for 214 yards with three interceptions for Denver (4-11). The beleaguered Wilson was not sharp in his return from a one-game absence with a concussion, throwing interceptions to end Denver’s first two drives.

“We haven’t really had an experience like that (where) we were trying to catch up like that so far here,” Wilson said. “Just became a snowball effect. … The bottom line is that I let us down. It can’t happen, and it’s been disappointing.”

The Rams improbably racked up 261 of their 388 yards before halftime and eventually scored on their first eight drives against Denver's above-average defense, already matching their full-game season high in points with their 31-6 halftime lead.

Denver trailed 41-6 before Wilson hit&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1607166756447047680">Greg Dulcich for the Broncos' only touchdown</a>&nbsp;with 8:30 left in the latest frustration-building loss in a season full of them under rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett.

“I think that they’re upset for all the losing," Hackett said. “We all are. Every one of us. It’s unacceptable. That’s not what we’re about. That’s not what we were going to do. We went in with the mindset that we were going to be able to win this game, but in the end, we weren’t ready.”

Akers continued his late-season surge by producing the Rams’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season, while Higbee led the passing attack with 94 yards on nine catches for an offense missing its top three wideouts due to injury.

Higbee became the Rams' career franchise leader in scoring catches by a tight end with his TD catch in the first quarter for his 19th career score. Akers then scored two snaps after Wagner made a long return of his interception across the middle.

The Rams’ 17-point first quarter was their highest-scoring opening period since Week 6 of McVay’s first season in 2017. They subsequently scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives for the first time in McVay's tenure.

Los Angeles led 31-3 at halftime, and Ramsey picked off Wilson's long heave to the end zone on Denver's opening drive of the second half. The Rams' pressure on Wilson improbably was led by Murchison, who signed with Los Angeles 13 days ago after Tennessee cut him.

Any Christmas cheer evaporated during postgame handshakes when angry Broncos edge rusher&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelCBS4/status/1607174923717410819">Randy Gregory threw a helmet slap</a>&nbsp;at Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi, who responded with a slap of his own. Tempers eventually cooled on a rough day for Gregory, who got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after LA’s third touchdown and later extended another Rams TD drive with a roughing-the-passer penalty.

“Talked with Randy, talked with all those guys, and we can’t show our frustration,” Hackett said. “We've got to take our frustrations out on the field the right way.”

Murchison left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury. ... Dulcich was ruled out with a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson got back together Sunday, near the end of their first season apart following a decade together. Wagner and his Los Angeles Rams were the only ones who enjoyed the holiday reunion.Wagner first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/bobby-wagner-finds-russell-wilson-s-pass-for-interception">intercepted a pass</a>&nbsp;by his longtime Seahawks teammate, setting up the Rams' second touchdown drive in their 31-point first half. Wagner also sacked the Broncos quarterback right before halftime, settling a longstanding bet between these good friends.“I told him that if we ever played against one another, I’d get him,” Wagner said with a grin. “It was cool to do that. It was cool to pick him off as well on Christmas. I appreciate the presents.”Wagner's holiday cheer was only part of a comprehensive thrashing delivered by the Super Bowl champions who haven't given up on their lost season just yet.Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/tyler-higbee-gets-his-second-td-on-christmas-day">to Tyler Higbee</a>, Cam Akers rushed for 118 yards and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/cam-akers-best-plays-from-career-high-3-td-game-week-16">a career-high three TDs</a>&nbsp;and the Rams routed the Denver Broncos 51-14 for their second victory since mid-October.Mayfield went 24 of 28 for 230 yards in another standout performance for his second win in three starts with the Rams (5-10), who produced the best game of their dismal season on Christmas.“That's what you work toward,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “To see it come to life on a night like this, you're really happy for them. They deserve that.”Rookie Cobie Durant punctuated the festivities when he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1607170290626306050">returned his second interception 85 yards for a touchdown</a>, picking off Brett Rypien with 4:08 left to cap the Rams’ first 50-point performance under McVay since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-ap-top-news-super-bowl-sports-north-america-068564c5fefd42dcbe3f90c5fb173355">their famed 54-51 victory over Kansas City</a>&nbsp;in 2018.For at least one more week, Los Angeles avoided becoming the first defending champion to lose 11 games. Even with the NFL's 32nd-ranked offense coming in, Los Angeles is now the second team to score 50 points this season, joining Dallas earlier this month.“To play a complete game like this is really special,” Mayfield said. “Everything was there for us today.”In his Los Angeles debut, Larrell Murchison made 2 1/2 of the Rams’ six sacks of Wilson, who passed for 214 yards with three interceptions for Denver (4-11). The beleaguered Wilson was not sharp in his return from a one-game absence with a concussion, throwing interceptions to end Denver’s first two drives.“We haven’t really had an experience like that (where) we were trying to catch up like that so far here,” Wilson said. “Just became a snowball effect. … The bottom line is that I let us down. It can’t happen, and it’s been disappointing.”The Rams improbably racked up 261 of their 388 yards before halftime and eventually scored on their first eight drives against Denver's above-average defense, already matching their full-game season high in points with their 31-6 halftime lead.Denver trailed 41-6 before Wilson hit&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1607166756447047680">Greg Dulcich for the Broncos' only touchdown</a>&nbsp;with 8:30 left in the latest frustration-building loss in a season full of them under rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett.“I think that they’re upset for all the losing," Hackett said. “We all are. Every one of us. It’s unacceptable. That’s not what we’re about. That’s not what we were going to do. We went in with the mindset that we were going to be able to win this game, but in the end, we weren’t ready.”Akers continued his late-season surge by producing the Rams’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season, while Higbee led the passing attack with 94 yards on nine catches for an offense missing its top three wideouts due to injury.Higbee became the Rams' career franchise leader in scoring catches by a tight end with his TD catch in the first quarter for his 19th career score. Akers then scored two snaps after Wagner made a long return of his interception across the middle.The Rams’ 17-point first quarter was their highest-scoring opening period since Week 6 of McVay’s first season in 2017. They subsequently scored touchdowns on four consecutive drives for the first time in McVay's tenure.Los Angeles led 31-3 at halftime, and Ramsey picked off Wilson's long heave to the end zone on Denver's opening drive of the second half. The Rams' pressure on Wilson improbably was led by Murchison, who signed with Los Angeles 13 days ago after Tennessee cut him.POSTGAME SCRAPAny Christmas cheer evaporated during postgame handshakes when angry Broncos edge rusher&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelCBS4/status/1607174923717410819">Randy Gregory threw a helmet slap</a>&nbsp;at Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi, who responded with a slap of his own. Tempers eventually cooled on a rough day for Gregory, who got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after LA’s third touchdown and later extended another Rams TD drive with a roughing-the-passer penalty.“Talked with Randy, talked with all those guys, and we can’t show our frustration,” Hackett said. “We've got to take our frustrations out on the field the right way.”INJURIESMurchison left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury. ... Dulcich was ruled out with a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter.UP NEXTBroncos: At Chiefs on Sunday.Rams: “At” Chargers on Sunday.

🏈 Mayfield, Akers lead Rams' 51-14 blowout of Wilson's Broncos

KANSAS CITY – Three men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business, according to the United State's Attorney.

“These three defendants were the ringleaders of a scheme that impacted thousands of area residents,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “We worked closely with a number of our law enforcement partners to shut down their multi-million-dollar operation and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Evan Marshall, 25, of Rogersville, Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield, and Camren Joseph Davis, 25, of Rogersville, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, Dec. 19.

Marshall was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also imposed a $750,000 money judgment against Marshall to be forfeited to the government, ordered Marshall to pay $19,133 in restitution to victims of the conspiracy who law enforcement were able to identify, and forfeiture to the government of the following items that were seized by law enforcement: 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flatbed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flatbed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4x4,&nbsp; and 191 catalytic converters.

Ryder was sentenced to two years and five months in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.

“We are pleased to be a part of, and to see the successful ending, to this long-term investigation,” said Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams. “It is good to see the main participants in this crime being held accountable, and the potential for restitution for victims in our community.”

“Our community is painfully aware that catalytic converter thefts are not victimless crimes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Kansas City Area of Responsibility Josh Armstrong. “While many may consider catalytic converter thefts to be victimless, all too often criminals involved in these types of thefts sometimes funnel the profits gained to organized criminal networks to fund additional, more dangerous crimes.”

On June 16, 2022, Marshall pleaded guilty to one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Ryder pleaded guilty on June 13, 2022, and Davis pleaded guilty on April 21, 2022, to their roles in a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

Co-defendants Enx Khoshaba, 30, Leslie Ice, 38, and Eric Kaltenbach, 38, all of Springfield, and Danielle Ice, 34, of Columbia (formerly of Springfield), have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and await sentencing.

Marshall admitted that he transported stolen catalytic converters, valued at $1 million or more, across state lines from December 2019 to October 2021. Marshall also admitted that he bought tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters directly from his co-defendants and from other thieves, and sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of approximately $1 million.

Marshall began selling the catalytic converters to a company in Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the fall of 2019. At that time, Marshall would purchase junk vehicles and sell the vehicles’ parts, including the catalytic converters. In the late fall of 2019, the owners of the Mountain Home company asked Marshall if he would begin purchasing catalytic converters in southwest Missouri and sell to them exclusively. Marshall agreed to do so; in return, they regularly provided Marshall with cash so that Marshall had the funds to purchase a higher volume of catalytic converters. They also provided Marshall with a list of valuable catalytic converters. By December 2019, Marshall had mostly ceased buying junk vehicles and scrapping them out for parts, and instead began purchasing already-detached catalytic converters from scrap yards and individual sellers.

By January 2020, the owners of the Mountain Home company were wiring Marshall hundreds of thousands of dollars on a monthly basis so that Marshall could purchase a higher volume of detached catalytic converters.

By December 2019, Marshall had also enlisted Davis to work for him and another company, which Marshall also established in December 2019. Davis’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. During that time period, Marshall provided Davis with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Davis exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Davis with $40,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.

Davis admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from various thieves and sold them to Marshall for a total of approximately $250,000.

In February 2021, Marshall enlisted Ryder to work for him and his company. As with Davis, Ryder’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. From February 2021 through October 2021, Marshall provided Ryder with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Ryder exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Ryder with $10,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.

Ryder admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from thieves and sold them to Marshall for an aggregate amount of approximately $250,000.

Many of the catalytic converters that Davis and Ryder purchased with the cash Marshall provided them were stolen, and Marshall knew at the time that many of them were stolen. Marshall paid Davis and Ryder an agreed-upon percentage amount over their purchase price for the catalytic converters, less the amount of cash Marshall had fronted them.

From December 2019 through October 2021, in addition to utilizing Davis and Ryder as buyers of stolen catalytic converters, Marshall also purchased stolen catalytic converters directly from thieves. In July 2020, a Springfield, Mo., police detective contacted Marshall regarding the purchase of catalytic converters from individuals known to be thieves. Despite being put on notice that he was purchasing stolen catalytic converters, Marshall continued to purchase stolen catalytic converters, including from at least one of the individuals identified by the detective.

Marshall admitted that he knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters from co-defendants Davis, Ryder, Ice, Kaltenbach, Khoshaba, and at least six other thieves. Marshall transported and sold almost all of the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, to the owners of the Mountain Home business.

Marshall, Davis, Ryder and others loaded the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, into bins that were placed on trailers at Marshall’s residence. They hauled the trailers, which each contained between 800 and 1,200 catalytic converters, many of which were stolen, from Rogersville to Mountain Home. Marshall transported catalytic converters from Rogersville to Mountain Home approximately every two weeks from December 2019 through October 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655461710974.png" alt="Marshall -photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Marshall -photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – Three men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business, according to the United State's Attorney.“These three defendants were the ringleaders of a scheme that impacted thousands of area residents,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “We worked closely with a number of our law enforcement partners to shut down their multi-million-dollar operation and bring the perpetrators to justice.”Evan Marshall, 25, of Rogersville, Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield, and Camren Joseph Davis, 25, of Rogersville, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, Dec. 19.Marshall was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also imposed a $750,000 money judgment against Marshall to be forfeited to the government, ordered Marshall to pay $19,133 in restitution to victims of the conspiracy who law enforcement were able to identify, and forfeiture to the government of the following items that were seized by law enforcement: 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flatbed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flatbed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4x4,&nbsp; and 191 catalytic converters.Ryder was sentenced to two years and five months in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.“We are pleased to be a part of, and to see the successful ending, to this long-term investigation,” said Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams. “It is good to see the main participants in this crime being held accountable, and the potential for restitution for victims in our community.”“Our community is painfully aware that catalytic converter thefts are not victimless crimes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Kansas City Area of Responsibility Josh Armstrong. “While many may consider catalytic converter thefts to be victimless, all too often criminals involved in these types of thefts sometimes funnel the profits gained to organized criminal networks to fund additional, more dangerous crimes.”On June 16, 2022, Marshall pleaded guilty to one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Ryder pleaded guilty on June 13, 2022, and Davis pleaded guilty on April 21, 2022, to their roles in a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.Co-defendants Enx Khoshaba, 30, Leslie Ice, 38, and Eric Kaltenbach, 38, all of Springfield, and Danielle Ice, 34, of Columbia (formerly of Springfield), have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and await sentencing.Marshall admitted that he transported stolen catalytic converters, valued at $1 million or more, across state lines from December 2019 to October 2021. Marshall also admitted that he bought tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters directly from his co-defendants and from other thieves, and sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of approximately $1 million.Marshall began selling the catalytic converters to a company in Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the fall of 2019. At that time, Marshall would purchase junk vehicles and sell the vehicles’ parts, including the catalytic converters. In the late fall of 2019, the owners of the Mountain Home company asked Marshall if he would begin purchasing catalytic converters in southwest Missouri and sell to them exclusively. Marshall agreed to do so; in return, they regularly provided Marshall with cash so that Marshall had the funds to purchase a higher volume of catalytic converters. They also provided Marshall with a list of valuable catalytic converters. By December 2019, Marshall had mostly ceased buying junk vehicles and scrapping them out for parts, and instead began purchasing already-detached catalytic converters from scrap yards and individual sellers.By January 2020, the owners of the Mountain Home company were wiring Marshall hundreds of thousands of dollars on a monthly basis so that Marshall could purchase a higher volume of detached catalytic converters.By December 2019, Marshall had also enlisted Davis to work for him and another company, which Marshall also established in December 2019. Davis’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. During that time period, Marshall provided Davis with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Davis exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Davis with $40,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.Davis admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from various thieves and sold them to Marshall for a total of approximately $250,000.In February 2021, Marshall enlisted Ryder to work for him and his company. As with Davis, Ryder’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. From February 2021 through October 2021, Marshall provided Ryder with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Ryder exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Ryder with $10,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.Ryder admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from thieves and sold them to Marshall for an aggregate amount of approximately $250,000.Many of the catalytic converters that Davis and Ryder purchased with the cash Marshall provided them were stolen, and Marshall knew at the time that many of them were stolen. Marshall paid Davis and Ryder an agreed-upon percentage amount over their purchase price for the catalytic converters, less the amount of cash Marshall had fronted them.From December 2019 through October 2021, in addition to utilizing Davis and Ryder as buyers of stolen catalytic converters, Marshall also purchased stolen catalytic converters directly from thieves. In July 2020, a Springfield, Mo., police detective contacted Marshall regarding the purchase of catalytic converters from individuals known to be thieves. Despite being put on notice that he was purchasing stolen catalytic converters, Marshall continued to purchase stolen catalytic converters, including from at least one of the individuals identified by the detective.Marshall admitted that he knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters from co-defendants Davis, Ryder, Ice, Kaltenbach, Khoshaba, and at least six other thieves. Marshall transported and sold almost all of the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, to the owners of the Mountain Home business.Marshall, Davis, Ryder and others loaded the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, into bins that were placed on trailers at Marshall’s residence. They hauled the trailers, which each contained between 800 and 1,200 catalytic converters, many of which were stolen, from Rogersville to Mountain Home. Marshall transported catalytic converters from Rogersville to Mountain Home approximately every two weeks from December 2019 through October 2021.

Prison for 3 in massive catalytic converter theft scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) — The idea of a daring wartime trip by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president's arrival.

During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelenskyy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-68c65b3274e552f36f16853f24fedbb9">addressing the U.S. Congress</a>. Biden administration officials had similarly for months talked with Ukraine about a Zelenskyy visit to the White House, hoping for one before year's end to send an unmistakable signal of support ahead of a brutal winter that could deepen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault</a>.

In previous calls, Zelenskyy had indicated to President Joe Biden and other senior officials that the United States was the first country he wanted to visit when the time was right for him to travel, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the conversations. So in a Dec. 11 phone call between the two leaders, Biden reiterated the invitation.

This time, Zelenskyy told Biden, was the right time.

“I really wanted to come earlier. Mr. President knows about it, but I couldn’t do it because the situation was so difficult,” Zelenskyy said from the Oval Office on Wednesday. The trip could happen now, the Ukrainian leader said, because “we controlled the situation and ... first of all, because of your support.”

The behind-the-scenes details of Zelenskyy's surprise visit to Washington were described by an aide to Pelosi, a U.S. official and a senior administration official, all of whom requested anonymity to describe planning for the secret trip. Once the wheels of planning started to roll, Zelenskyy's 10-hour visit — which packed in an Oval Office meeting with Biden, a joint news conference at the White House and an address to a largely supportive Congress — came together quickly.

After the two presidents discussed the trip on Dec. 11, the White House extended a formal invite on Dec. 14, according to the senior administration official. Zelenskyy accepted the invitation on Friday, and the visit was confirmed two days later, at which point White House officials notified Pelosi's office of the Ukrainian leader's travel plans.

“I’m delighted you were able to make the trip to be here,” Biden told Zelenskyy on Wednesday. “It’s an honor to be by your side in united defense against what is a brutal, brutal war being waged by Putin.”

What came about Wednesday was an elaborately executed plan by U.S. and Ukrainian officials to swiftly and safely route Zelenskyy to Washington, his first known trip outside the country's borders since Russia's invasion in February.

The Ukrainian president crossed into Poland early Wednesday, according to Poland’s private broadcaster, TVN24, arriving at a train station in Przemysl, a border town and the arrival point for many refugees fleeing the war. Accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, Zelenskyy was transported in a U.S. Embassy vehicle to an airport in Rzeszów, where he boarded a nonstop flight that landed at Joint Base Andrews shortly after noon Wednesday.

Carrying Zelensky to Andrews was a U.S. Air Force jet — a government plane typically used for Cabinet secretaries and other dignitaries below the president and vice president. The White House didn't publicly announce the impending Zelenskyy visit until 1 a.m. Wednesday — waiting until they felt Zelenskyy was safely out of Ukraine.

Once Zelenskyy landed, Secret Service protection kicked in, as is typically done for visiting heads of state.

The senior administration official said the U.S. consulted closely with Zelenskyy on his security, and that the Ukrainian president felt it was sufficient for him to briefly travel to the United States.

Meanwhile, Pelosi, who had traveled the world in recent months in a ferocious defense of Ukraine, had also been planting the seeds for months for a Zelenskyy address to Congress.

She had been at the Zagreb summit in October at the invitation of Zelenskyy and Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament. There, Zelenskyy spoke to the audience of “the importance of the free world’s unshakable solidarity with Ukraine” — an address that Pelosi emphasized in her invitation to the Ukrainian president.

The U.S. House speaker returned from Croatia and began discussing the idea of a Zelenskyy address, informing the other main congressional leaders — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — about her conversations abroad and asking for their support for the Ukrainian leader to come to the Capitol.

On Wednesday, Pelosi — just days away from handing over her gavel to Republican control — finally welcomed Zelenskyy to the Capitol, which she called a “profound privilege” and a “great pride," coming at a moment when Capitol Hill is about to greenlight an additional $45 billion of emergency aid to Ukraine.

“Your visit comes as the Congress prepares to again pass another consequential round of security, economic and humanitarian assistance," Pelosi told Zelenskyy. "Within the next 48 hours, hopefully this will be done.”

Before he left Ukraine, there were clues in Zelenskyy's own words that a surprise trip abroad could be in the works.

In a visit Tuesday to Bakhmut, located in Ukraine's contested Donetsk province, Zelenskyy was handed a Ukrainian flag. He pledged then that he would pass on the flag “from the boys to the Congress, to the president of the United States.”

Standing before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday night, Zelenskyy finally produced the flag — covered in signatures by Ukrainian troops battling on the front lines.

“They asked me to bring this flag to you, to the U.S. Congress, to members of the House of Representatives and senators whose decisions can save millions of people,” Zelenskyy said in his final words to lawmakers. “So let these decisions be taken. Let this flag stay with you. Ladies and gentlemen, this flag is a symbol of our victory in this war.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671664902036.png" alt="The behind-the-scenes details of Zelenskyy's surprise visit to Washington were described by an aide to Pelosi, a U.S. official and a senior administration official, all of whom requested anonymity to describe planning for the secret trip.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>The behind-the-scenes details of Zelenskyy's surprise visit to Washington were described by an aide to Pelosi, a U.S. official and a senior administration official, all of whom requested anonymity to describe planning for the secret trip.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The idea of a daring wartime trip by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president's arrival.During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelenskyy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-68c65b3274e552f36f16853f24fedbb9">addressing the U.S. Congress</a>. Biden administration officials had similarly for months talked with Ukraine about a Zelenskyy visit to the White House, hoping for one before year's end to send an unmistakable signal of support ahead of a brutal winter that could deepen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian President Vladimir Putin's assault</a>.In previous calls, Zelenskyy had indicated to President Joe Biden and other senior officials that the United States was the first country he wanted to visit when the time was right for him to travel, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the conversations. So in a Dec. 11 phone call between the two leaders, Biden reiterated the invitation.This time, Zelenskyy told Biden, was the right time.“I really wanted to come earlier. Mr. President knows about it, but I couldn’t do it because the situation was so difficult,” Zelenskyy said from the Oval Office on Wednesday. The trip could happen now, the Ukrainian leader said, because “we controlled the situation and ... first of all, because of your support.”The behind-the-scenes details of Zelenskyy's surprise visit to Washington were described by an aide to Pelosi, a U.S. official and a senior administration official, all of whom requested anonymity to describe planning for the secret trip. Once the wheels of planning started to roll, Zelenskyy's 10-hour visit — which packed in an Oval Office meeting with Biden, a joint news conference at the White House and an address to a largely supportive Congress — came together quickly.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671661235961.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After the two presidents discussed the trip on Dec. 11, the White House extended a formal invite on Dec. 14, according to the senior administration official. Zelenskyy accepted the invitation on Friday, and the visit was confirmed two days later, at which point White House officials notified Pelosi's office of the Ukrainian leader's travel plans.“I’m delighted you were able to make the trip to be here,” Biden told Zelenskyy on Wednesday. “It’s an honor to be by your side in united defense against what is a brutal, brutal war being waged by Putin.”What came about Wednesday was an elaborately executed plan by U.S. and Ukrainian officials to swiftly and safely route Zelenskyy to Washington, his first known trip outside the country's borders since Russia's invasion in February.The Ukrainian president crossed into Poland early Wednesday, according to Poland’s private broadcaster, TVN24, arriving at a train station in Przemysl, a border town and the arrival point for many refugees fleeing the war. Accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, Zelenskyy was transported in a U.S. Embassy vehicle to an airport in Rzeszów, where he boarded a nonstop flight that landed at Joint Base Andrews shortly after noon Wednesday.Carrying Zelensky to Andrews was a U.S. Air Force jet — a government plane typically used for Cabinet secretaries and other dignitaries below the president and vice president. The White House didn't publicly announce the impending Zelenskyy visit until 1 a.m. Wednesday — waiting until they felt Zelenskyy was safely out of Ukraine.Once Zelenskyy landed, Secret Service protection kicked in, as is typically done for visiting heads of state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671657547305.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The senior administration official said the U.S. consulted closely with Zelenskyy on his security, and that the Ukrainian president felt it was sufficient for him to briefly travel to the United States.Meanwhile, Pelosi, who had traveled the world in recent months in a ferocious defense of Ukraine, had also been planting the seeds for months for a Zelenskyy address to Congress.She had been at the Zagreb summit in October at the invitation of Zelenskyy and Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament. There, Zelenskyy spoke to the audience of “the importance of the free world’s unshakable solidarity with Ukraine” — an address that Pelosi emphasized in her invitation to the Ukrainian president.The U.S. House speaker returned from Croatia and began discussing the idea of a Zelenskyy address, informing the other main congressional leaders — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — about her conversations abroad and asking for their support for the Ukrainian leader to come to the Capitol.On Wednesday, Pelosi — just days away from handing over her gavel to Republican control — finally welcomed Zelenskyy to the Capitol, which she called a “profound privilege” and a “great pride," coming at a moment when Capitol Hill is about to greenlight an additional $45 billion of emergency aid to Ukraine.“Your visit comes as the Congress prepares to again pass another consequential round of security, economic and humanitarian assistance," Pelosi told Zelenskyy. "Within the next 48 hours, hopefully this will be done.”Before he left Ukraine, there were clues in Zelenskyy's own words that a surprise trip abroad could be in the works.In a visit Tuesday to Bakhmut, located in Ukraine's contested Donetsk province, Zelenskyy was handed a Ukrainian flag. He pledged then that he would pass on the flag “from the boys to the Congress, to the president of the United States.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671671067008.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Standing before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday night, Zelenskyy finally produced the flag — covered in signatures by Ukrainian troops battling on the front lines.“They asked me to bring this flag to you, to the U.S. Congress, to members of the House of Representatives and senators whose decisions can save millions of people,” Zelenskyy said in his final words to lawmakers. “So let these decisions be taken. Let this flag stay with you. Ladies and gentlemen, this flag is a symbol of our victory in this war.”___

Zelenskyy's surprise visit to DC was months in the making

A new planner is one of my favorite things! Yes, I need it to keep me organized but I love opening a new planner with the potential for a new year!

A new year of fun – where do we plan family gatherings, vacations, or time with friends? What celebrations need to be a priority?

A new year of work – who can I impact through my work? Where do I plan programs with 4-H families, schools, or libraries for learning opportunities?

A new year of volunteering – where can I connect with my church family, with my community, or with other organizations to improve life around me?

A new year of partnerships – how can I&nbsp;collaborate&nbsp;with colleagues and community partners to better our connections and combined impact?

A new year of personal and professional development – where and how can I improve myself?

All of these questions relate to opening a new planner! In fairness, I started my new planner for 2023 back in October as I began adding priority dates for the new year.

We’ll have a couple of graduations to celebrate in our immediate family, as well as&nbsp;weddings and new babies for friends.&nbsp;

I have already filled in many dates for work events and activities for several months and I’m excited about the potential this&nbsp;brings for interacting with 4-H families, locally and regionally, as well as youth across our school districts. Important dates include 4-H Club Days which provide our 4-H members with an opportunity for learning in Communication Skills, a regional 4-H Fiber Arts Day, and presenting as a part of GBReads.&nbsp;

Volunteering includes serving as a cantor for my church and an officer in a state cattle organization that I am&nbsp;enthusiastic&nbsp;about. These provide moments to share my gifts while receiving so much in return as I refuel myself.

I consider myself a life-long learner and that has impacts both personal and professional. I have several opportunities to attend trainings and conferences this year and I look forward to expanding my thought process and my skill set.

I see all the possibilities of a new planner and a new year! What does a new planner hold for you?&nbsp;I am wishing you a new year of learning, of good work, and finding how you impact the world around you!

Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness.

Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District&nbsp;– Barton&nbsp;Office at&nbsp;620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668179445671.jpeg" alt="Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. " />
 <figcaption>Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. </figcaption>
 </figure>A new planner is one of my favorite things! Yes, I need it to keep me organized but I love opening a new planner with the potential for a new year!A new year of fun – where do we plan family gatherings, vacations, or time with friends? What celebrations need to be a priority?A new year of work – who can I impact through my work? Where do I plan programs with 4-H families, schools, or libraries for learning opportunities?A new year of volunteering – where can I connect with my church family, with my community, or with other organizations to improve life around me?A new year of partnerships – how can I&nbsp;collaborate&nbsp;with colleagues and community partners to better our connections and combined impact?A new year of personal and professional development – where and how can I improve myself?All of these questions relate to opening a new planner! In fairness, I started my new planner for 2023 back in October as I began adding priority dates for the new year.We’ll have a couple of graduations to celebrate in our immediate family, as well as&nbsp;weddings and new babies for friends.&nbsp;I have already filled in many dates for work events and activities for several months and I’m excited about the potential this&nbsp;brings for interacting with 4-H families, locally and regionally, as well as youth across our school districts. Important dates include 4-H Club Days which provide our 4-H members with an opportunity for learning in Communication Skills, a regional 4-H Fiber Arts Day, and presenting as a part of GBReads.&nbsp;Volunteering includes serving as a cantor for my church and an officer in a state cattle organization that I am&nbsp;enthusiastic&nbsp;about. These provide moments to share my gifts while receiving so much in return as I refuel myself.I consider myself a life-long learner and that has impacts both personal and professional. I have several opportunities to attend trainings and conferences this year and I look forward to expanding my thought process and my skill set.I see all the possibilities of a new planner and a new year! What does a new planner hold for you?&nbsp;I am wishing you a new year of learning, of good work, and finding how you impact the world around you!Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness.Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;Cottonwood&nbsp;Extension District&nbsp;– Barton&nbsp;Office at&nbsp;620-793-1910.

BERAN: Planning out a brand-new year

WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve slowed last month, another sign that a long surge in consumer prices seems to be easing.

Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier, down from a revise 6.1% increase in October. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation was up 4.7% over the previous year.

On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.1% from October to November after rising 0.4% the previous month. Core prices rose 0.2%.

The Fed is believed to monitor the Commerce Department's inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, even more closely than it does the Labor Department's better-known consumer price index. CPI rose 7.1% in November from 12 months earlier, down from June’s 9.1% year-over-year increase, which had been the biggest such jump in four decades.

The PCE index tends to show a lower inflation rate than CPI. In part, that is because rents, which have soared, carry double the weight in the CPI that they do in the PCE.

The PCE price index also seeks to account for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps. As a result, it can capture, for example, when consumers switch from pricey national brands to cheaper store brands.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671814441174.png" alt="On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.1% from October to November after rising 0.4% the previous month. Core prices rose 0.2%.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.1% from October to November after rising 0.4% the previous month. Core prices rose 0.2%.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve slowed last month, another sign that a long surge in consumer prices seems to be easing.Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier, down from a revise 6.1% increase in October. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation was up 4.7% over the previous year.On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.1% from October to November after rising 0.4% the previous month. Core prices rose 0.2%.The Fed is believed to monitor the Commerce Department's inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, even more closely than it does the Labor Department's better-known consumer price index. CPI rose 7.1% in November from 12 months earlier, down from June’s 9.1% year-over-year increase, which had been the biggest such jump in four decades.The PCE index tends to show a lower inflation rate than CPI. In part, that is because rents, which have soared, carry double the weight in the CPI that they do in the PCE.The PCE price index also seeks to account for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps. As a result, it can capture, for example, when consumers switch from pricey national brands to cheaper store brands.

Report: Inflation is slowing according Fed's preferred measure

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge on Wednesday declined to order a new trial for two men who claimed a disgraced police detective helped convict them for a 1997 murder they did not commit.

Brian Betts, 46, and Celester McKinney, 52, alleged that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c465a1483c9295eb465847fb8c3463eb">former Kansas City, Kansas, detective Roger Golubski</a>&nbsp;and another detective coerced their uncle into identifying them as the shooters in the death of 17-year-old Gregory Miller.

Judge Gunnar Sundby ruled the men did not prove their case, despite a “cloud of doubt” over Golubski, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article270212742.html#storylink=cpy">reported.</a>

Golubski was indicted in September on federal charges that accuse him of sexually assaulting and kidnapping a woman and a teenager from 1998 to 2002. He also faces a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-city-indictments-337f9df63faf6c5ff8d3d50623b902c2">separate federal indictment</a>&nbsp;alleging he was part of a sex trafficking ring involving girls between 1996 and 1998.

The FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-kansas-city-kansas-4d005737c9046b7d65363a6e82f93493">has been investigating</a>&nbsp;allegations that Golubski, who is white, sexually assaulted Black women for decades in Kansas City, Kansas, and exchanged drugs for information during criminal investigations.

Golubski, who is under house arrest, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During a hearing in October, Carter Betts said Golubski and another detective, identified as W.K. Smith, said Betts and his family would suffer if he didn't testify against his nephews. Betts originally didn’t remember Golubski’s name, but identified him in a photo, noting the detective's distinctive mustache.

Betts and McKinney, who are Black, both testified that they were at their homes sleeping when Miller was killed and they had no motive to kill the teenager.

Golubski testified at the hearing that he never pressured witnesses into false testimony and did not help investigate Miller’s murder. He also said he had no connection to Miller’s family, although he had been married to Miller’s aunt.

Sundby, who is retired but heard the case as a senior judge, said he wasn't convinced by Betts' testimony. He noted Betts testified several times about his interactions with Kansas City, Kansas, police, including times when he did not allege coercion or claimed it was Smith who pressured him.

“It would be easy, under this new cloud of doubt cast about Mr. Golubski, to use that as leverage to secure relief from conviction,” Sundby said. “I do not find his testimony to be credible.”

Brian Betts' mother, Ellen Betts, said the family plans to appeal Sundby's decision.

Miller’s family believes Betts and McKinney are guilty. They created a petition urging officials to keep them in prison, saying they were “trying to use the situation” with Golubski to be freed.

The allegations in Betts' and McKinney's case came to light when another Kansas City, Kansas, man, Lamonte McIntyre,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f0aeacf5fd0e4297a8d7b0ca4cda363e">was freed</a>&nbsp;after serving 23 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit. McIntyre alleged Golubski framed him because his mother rejected the detective's sexual advances.

The local government settled the lawsuit for $12.5 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671662017570.png" alt="Betts-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Betts-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge on Wednesday declined to order a new trial for two men who claimed a disgraced police detective helped convict them for a 1997 murder they did not commit.Brian Betts, 46, and Celester McKinney, 52, alleged that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c465a1483c9295eb465847fb8c3463eb">former Kansas City, Kansas, detective Roger Golubski</a>&nbsp;and another detective coerced their uncle into identifying them as the shooters in the death of 17-year-old Gregory Miller.Judge Gunnar Sundby ruled the men did not prove their case, despite a “cloud of doubt” over Golubski, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article270212742.html#storylink=cpy">reported.</a>Golubski was indicted in September on federal charges that accuse him of sexually assaulting and kidnapping a woman and a teenager from 1998 to 2002. He also faces a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-city-indictments-337f9df63faf6c5ff8d3d50623b902c2">separate federal indictment</a>&nbsp;alleging he was part of a sex trafficking ring involving girls between 1996 and 1998.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671661943257.png" alt="McKinney-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>McKinney-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>The FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-kansas-city-kansas-4d005737c9046b7d65363a6e82f93493">has been investigating</a>&nbsp;allegations that Golubski, who is white, sexually assaulted Black women for decades in Kansas City, Kansas, and exchanged drugs for information during criminal investigations.Golubski, who is under house arrest, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.During a hearing in October, Carter Betts said Golubski and another detective, identified as W.K. Smith, said Betts and his family would suffer if he didn't testify against his nephews. Betts originally didn’t remember Golubski’s name, but identified him in a photo, noting the detective's distinctive mustache.Betts and McKinney, who are Black, both testified that they were at their homes sleeping when Miller was killed and they had no motive to kill the teenager.Golubski testified at the hearing that he never pressured witnesses into false testimony and did not help investigate Miller’s murder. He also said he had no connection to Miller’s family, although he had been married to Miller’s aunt.Sundby, who is retired but heard the case as a senior judge, said he wasn't convinced by Betts' testimony. He noted Betts testified several times about his interactions with Kansas City, Kansas, police, including times when he did not allege coercion or claimed it was Smith who pressured him.“It would be easy, under this new cloud of doubt cast about Mr. Golubski, to use that as leverage to secure relief from conviction,” Sundby said. “I do not find his testimony to be credible.”Brian Betts' mother, Ellen Betts, said the family plans to appeal Sundby's decision.Miller’s family believes Betts and McKinney are guilty. They created a petition urging officials to keep them in prison, saying they were “trying to use the situation” with Golubski to be freed.The allegations in Betts' and McKinney's case came to light when another Kansas City, Kansas, man, Lamonte McIntyre,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f0aeacf5fd0e4297a8d7b0ca4cda363e">was freed</a>&nbsp;after serving 23 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit. McIntyre alleged Golubski framed him because his mother rejected the detective's sexual advances.The local government settled the lawsuit for $12.5 million.

Judge won't overturn convictions in Kansas murder case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on a timely basis during his presidency, a congressional panel found on Tuesday, raising questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews.

(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement on the investigation or <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">Click here to read the report.</a>)

A report released by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicated the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president's tax filings. The IRS only began to audit Trump's 2016 tax filings on April 3, 2019, more than two years into Trump's presidency and just months after Democrats took control of the House. That date coincides with Rep. Richard Neal, the panel chairman, asking the IRS for information related to Trump's tax returns.

There was no suggestion that Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announced</a>&nbsp;a third presidential run, sought to directly influence the IRS or discourage the agency from reviewing his tax information. But the report found that the audit process was “dormant, at best.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">29-page report</a>&nbsp;was published just hours after the committee voted along party lines to release Trump's tax returns in the coming days, raising the potential of additional revelations related to the finances of the onetime businessman who broke political norms by refusing to voluntarily release his returns as he sought the presidency. The vote was the culmination of a yearslong fight between Trump and Democrats that has played out everywhere from the campaign trail to the halls of Congress and the Supreme Court.

Democrats on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake, while Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.

“This is about the presidency, not the president,” Neal, D-Mass., told reporters.

Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the panel’s top GOP member, said, “Regrettably, the deed is done.”

“Over our objections in opposition, Democrats in the Ways and Means Committee have unleashed a dangerous new political weapon that overturns decades of privacy protections,” he told reporters. “The era of political targeting, and of Congress’s enemies list, is back and every American, every American taxpayer, who may get on the wrong side of the majority in Congress is now at risk.”

Trump spent much of Tuesday evening releasing statements on his social media platform that were unrelated to his tax returns. The IRS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476433-jct-report-final">an accompanying report</a>&nbsp;released by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation also found repeated faults with the IRS’s approach toward auditing Trump and his companies.

IRS agents in charge of the audits repeatedly did not bring in specialists with expertise assessing the complicated structure of Trump’s holdings. They frequently determined that a limited examination was warranted because Trump hired a professional accounting firm that they assumed would make sure Trump “properly reports all income and deduction items correctly.”

“We must express disagreement with the decision not to engage any specialists when facing returns with a high degree of complexity,” the tax committee report states. “We also fail to understand why the fact that counsel and an accounting firm participated in tax preparation ensures the accuracy of the returns.”

The reports released Tuesday renewed scrutiny on one of the biggest questions that has surrounded Trump since he shifted from a reality television star to an unlikely presidential candidate: Why did he abandon the post-Watergate tradition of White House hopefuls releasing their tax returns? Trump and those around him have consistently said that IRS audits prevented him from doing so.

“I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump said on April 10, 2019, before boarding the presidential helicopter.

There are no laws that would have barred Trump from voluntarily releasing his returns even if they were being audited. But when Trump spoke of being audited, it's unclear whether he was referring to the mandatory process specifically aimed at presidents or prior reviews that are more typical for wealthy individuals.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;found that before he entered the White House, Trump was facing an IRS audit potentially tied to a $72.9 million tax refund arising from $700 million in losses he claimed in 2009. The documents released Tuesday indicate that Trump continued to collect tax benefits from those losses through 2018.

“What happened?" said Steven Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "If it was not resolved, the IRS stalled. If it was resolved in Trump’s favor, then maybe the IRS rolled over and played dead. That’s what we have to find out.’’

The report raised multiple red flags about aspects of Trump's tax filings, including his carryover losses, deductions tied to conservation and charitable donations, and loans to his children that could be taxable gifts.

In response to the findings, the Ways and Means Committee is proposing legislation to beef up the IRS’s approach, requiring an initial report no later than 90 days from the filing of a president’s tax returns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would “move swiftly” to advance the legislation.

Democrats argue that the IRS is ill-equipped to audit high-income, complex tax returns, and instead targets filers in lower-income brackets — something they have tried to remedy with their work on the panel.

“Because of the dismantling of funding to the IRS, they have not been able to do their job,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. “They did not have the specialized staff to do it for that high-income category — not just this person, but people who fall into that category.”

But Republicans have vowed to cut a recent influx of funding for more IRS agents. That's the first bill they will consider upon taking the House majority in less than two weeks.

The committee’s move represents yet another challenge for Trump. Just a day earlier, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department for Trump’s role in sparking the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He’s also facing an intensifying investigation in Atlanta for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. And he’s the subject of growing criticism from fellow Republicans for contributing to the party’s underwhelming performance in last month’s midterms.

Trump's family business, The Trump Organization, was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.

Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.

Trump has argued there is little to learn from his tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.

“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to issue a report on Donald Trump’s tax returns — likely offering a deeper look into financial records that the former president tried to shield from the public.

(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement of the investigation.)

Lawmakers indicated after the vote that the world could see redacted copies Trump's tax filings within a couple of days.

The dueling mix of animosity and loyalty inspired by Trump has made the release of the tax forms into a fever-pitched and yearslong grind, one that could continue well after the public learns more details about the finances, foreign dealings and possible net worth of the one-term Republican president.

The report shows how much of a grip Trump still holds over U.S. politics despite losing reelection in 2020. Democratic lawmakers argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake by voting to issue the report that legally rests on questions about IRS audits of the wealthy. Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.

Tuesday's vote comes after a multiyear battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court clearing the way last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress. The committee received six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.

Democrats faced pressure to act aggressively in the final stretch of this year. With just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday’s meeting was an opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have on Trump, a reputed multibillionaire who used his wealth as a selling point with voters to win the presidency in 2016.

Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said supporting materials will be released along with the report. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the committee's top Republican, raised concerns about privacy as the documents could contain information such as Social Security numbers.

Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Brady called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”

“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”

Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.

As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.

Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.

But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.

The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.

Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."

At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings.

"Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”

The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.

The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.

The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.

Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.

Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.

The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.

The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671588054320.png" alt="House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?6103/RichardNeal">Richard Neal&nbsp;</a>(D-MA) held a press conference following the committee’s vote to release the materials surrounding Donald Trump’s tax returns. photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?6103/RichardNeal">Richard Neal&nbsp;</a>(D-MA) held a press conference following the committee’s vote to release the materials surrounding Donald Trump’s tax returns. photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on a timely basis during his presidency, a congressional panel found on Tuesday, raising questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews.(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement on the investigation or <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">Click here to read the report.</a>)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671623474434.png" alt="Image House Ways and Means Committee" />
 <figcaption>Image House Ways and Means Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>A report released by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicated the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president's tax filings. The IRS only began to audit Trump's 2016 tax filings on April 3, 2019, more than two years into Trump's presidency and just months after Democrats took control of the House. That date coincides with Rep. Richard Neal, the panel chairman, asking the IRS for information related to Trump's tax returns.There was no suggestion that Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announced</a>&nbsp;a third presidential run, sought to directly influence the IRS or discourage the agency from reviewing his tax information. But the report found that the audit process was “dormant, at best.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">29-page report</a>&nbsp;was published just hours after the committee voted along party lines to release Trump's tax returns in the coming days, raising the potential of additional revelations related to the finances of the onetime businessman who broke political norms by refusing to voluntarily release his returns as he sought the presidency. The vote was the culmination of a yearslong fight between Trump and Democrats that has played out everywhere from the campaign trail to the halls of Congress and the Supreme Court.Democrats on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake, while Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.“This is about the presidency, not the president,” Neal, D-Mass., told reporters.Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the panel’s top GOP member, said, “Regrettably, the deed is done.”“Over our objections in opposition, Democrats in the Ways and Means Committee have unleashed a dangerous new political weapon that overturns decades of privacy protections,” he told reporters. “The era of political targeting, and of Congress’s enemies list, is back and every American, every American taxpayer, who may get on the wrong side of the majority in Congress is now at risk.”Trump spent much of Tuesday evening releasing statements on his social media platform that were unrelated to his tax returns. The IRS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476433-jct-report-final">an accompanying report</a>&nbsp;released by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation also found repeated faults with the IRS’s approach toward auditing Trump and his companies.IRS agents in charge of the audits repeatedly did not bring in specialists with expertise assessing the complicated structure of Trump’s holdings. They frequently determined that a limited examination was warranted because Trump hired a professional accounting firm that they assumed would make sure Trump “properly reports all income and deduction items correctly.”“We must express disagreement with the decision not to engage any specialists when facing returns with a high degree of complexity,” the tax committee report states. “We also fail to understand why the fact that counsel and an accounting firm participated in tax preparation ensures the accuracy of the returns.”The reports released Tuesday renewed scrutiny on one of the biggest questions that has surrounded Trump since he shifted from a reality television star to an unlikely presidential candidate: Why did he abandon the post-Watergate tradition of White House hopefuls releasing their tax returns? Trump and those around him have consistently said that IRS audits prevented him from doing so.“I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump said on April 10, 2019, before boarding the presidential helicopter.There are no laws that would have barred Trump from voluntarily releasing his returns even if they were being audited. But when Trump spoke of being audited, it's unclear whether he was referring to the mandatory process specifically aimed at presidents or prior reviews that are more typical for wealthy individuals.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;found that before he entered the White House, Trump was facing an IRS audit potentially tied to a $72.9 million tax refund arising from $700 million in losses he claimed in 2009. The documents released Tuesday indicate that Trump continued to collect tax benefits from those losses through 2018.“What happened?" said Steven Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "If it was not resolved, the IRS stalled. If it was resolved in Trump’s favor, then maybe the IRS rolled over and played dead. That’s what we have to find out.’’The report raised multiple red flags about aspects of Trump's tax filings, including his carryover losses, deductions tied to conservation and charitable donations, and loans to his children that could be taxable gifts.In response to the findings, the Ways and Means Committee is proposing legislation to beef up the IRS’s approach, requiring an initial report no later than 90 days from the filing of a president’s tax returns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would “move swiftly” to advance the legislation.Democrats argue that the IRS is ill-equipped to audit high-income, complex tax returns, and instead targets filers in lower-income brackets — something they have tried to remedy with their work on the panel.“Because of the dismantling of funding to the IRS, they have not been able to do their job,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. “They did not have the specialized staff to do it for that high-income category — not just this person, but people who fall into that category.”But Republicans have vowed to cut a recent influx of funding for more IRS agents. That's the first bill they will consider upon taking the House majority in less than two weeks.The committee’s move represents yet another challenge for Trump. Just a day earlier, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department for Trump’s role in sparking the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He’s also facing an intensifying investigation in Atlanta for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. And he’s the subject of growing criticism from fellow Republicans for contributing to the party’s underwhelming performance in last month’s midterms.Trump's family business, The Trump Organization, was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump has argued there is little to learn from his tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.-----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to issue a report on Donald Trump’s tax returns — likely offering a deeper look into financial records that the former president tried to shield from the public.(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement of the investigation.)Lawmakers indicated after the vote that the world could see redacted copies Trump's tax filings within a couple of days.The dueling mix of animosity and loyalty inspired by Trump has made the release of the tax forms into a fever-pitched and yearslong grind, one that could continue well after the public learns more details about the finances, foreign dealings and possible net worth of the one-term Republican president.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671623474434.png" alt="Image House Ways and Means Committee" />
 <figcaption>Image House Ways and Means Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>The report shows how much of a grip Trump still holds over U.S. politics despite losing reelection in 2020. Democratic lawmakers argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake by voting to issue the report that legally rests on questions about IRS audits of the wealthy. Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.Tuesday's vote comes after a multiyear battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court clearing the way last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress. The committee received six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.Democrats faced pressure to act aggressively in the final stretch of this year. With just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday’s meeting was an opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have on Trump, a reputed multibillionaire who used his wealth as a selling point with voters to win the presidency in 2016.Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said supporting materials will be released along with the report. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the committee's top Republican, raised concerns about privacy as the documents could contain information such as Social Security numbers.Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.Before Tuesday’s meeting, Brady called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings."Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

🎥Panel: Trump tax audits required by IRS were delayed

JACKSON COUNTY— A Kansas City man has been charged in the October double-murder of Chantell Gipson and Austin Scott, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Glenn A. Pulluaim II, 28, who is still at large, faces two Murder 1st Degree charges and two Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, on Oct. 17, Kansas City police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle to check on the welfare of an individual. 

Inside an apartment, police officers found the body of Chantell Gipson. She had been shot. In another bedroom they found the second victim, Austin Scott, Gipson's cousin. 

Witnesses helped identify Pulluaiam. His DNA profile was founnd&nbsp; on spent shells found at the crime scene.

Pulluaim fled the scene im the victim's vehicle. Police recovered the vehicle and have exhausted all leads in an attempted to find him.&nbsp;

Pulluaim is described as 6-foot,&nbsp;&nbsp;thin build with&nbsp; shoulder length dreadlocks. He should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671103315937.png" alt="Pulluaim-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Pulluaim-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY— A Kansas City man has been charged in the October double-murder of Chantell Gipson and Austin Scott, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Glenn A. Pulluaim II, 28, who is still at large, faces two Murder 1st Degree charges and two Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, on Oct. 17, Kansas City police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle to check on the welfare of an individual. Inside an apartment, police officers found the body of Chantell Gipson. She had been shot. In another bedroom they found the second victim, Austin Scott, Gipson's cousin. Witnesses helped identify Pulluaiam. His DNA profile was founnd&nbsp; on spent shells found at the crime scene.Pulluaim fled the scene im the victim's vehicle. Police recovered the vehicle and have exhausted all leads in an attempted to find him.&nbsp;Pulluaim is described as 6-foot,&nbsp;&nbsp;thin build with&nbsp; shoulder length dreadlocks. He should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.