WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman.

Pelosi, 84, was in Europe with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-us-wwii-battle-of-bulge-6b4d87e4f7b79614e4f8ccb343c81c47">80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-war-ii">World War II</a>. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, said in a statement that she is “currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals” and is unable to attend the remainder of events on her trip.

He did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. Another person familiar with the situation said she injured her hip. The people requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly.

Krager said that Pelosi “looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon."

Among the members on the trip was Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-mccaul">Michael McCaul</a>, R-Texas, who posted on social media that he was “praying for a speedy recovery,” for Pelosi. The two lawmakers were captured holding hands in a group photo Friday at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg.

“I’m disappointed Speaker Emerita Pelosi won’t be able to join the rest of our delegation’s events this weekend as I know how much she looked forward to honoring our veterans,” McCaul wrote on X. “But she is strong, and I am confident she will be back on her feet in no time.”

The former leader's fall comes two years after her husband Paul was attacked by a man with a hammer at their San Francisco home. The man, who was sentenced in October to 30 years in federal prison, broke into their home looking for Pelosi.

Pelosi, who was first elected in 1987 and served as speaker twice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-pelosi-house-future-plans-updates-3839ff31c605efa0ec1ee4ff004b72d2">stepped down</a>&nbsp;from her leadership post two years ago but remained in Congress and was re-elected to represent her San Francisco district in November.

She has remained active in the two years since she left the top job, working with Democrats in private and in public and attending official events. Last summer, she was instrumental in her party's behind the scenes push to urge President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to leave the presidential ticket.

She attended the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington last weekend and was on the Senate floor Monday to attend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adam-schiff-senate-trump-california-1f611ee885e9c6b73a22ea1cab0d08bc">swearing in</a>&nbsp;of her former Democratic House colleagues,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/adam-schiff">Adam Schiff</a>&nbsp;of California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-new-jersey-senate-kim-bashaw-42b8fe654b8cf03c7f50d030ab3374db">Andy Kim</a>&nbsp;of New Jersey.

Earlier this week, Senate Republican Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, 82,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-fall-republican-8d58004d3f14c1995d83c11319d77d72">tripped and fell in the Senate</a>, spraining his wrist and cutting his face. McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post at the end of the year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-fall-absent-gop-republican-43eb4c142f089fe5ce0c00f3b4e3c8aa">missed Senate votes</a>&nbsp;on Thursday after experiencing some stiffness in his leg from the fall, his office said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575554925834.png" alt="File photo Nancy Pelosi courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Nancy Pelosi courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>&nbsp;has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman.Pelosi, 84, was in Europe with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-us-wwii-battle-of-bulge-6b4d87e4f7b79614e4f8ccb343c81c47">80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-war-ii">World War II</a>. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, said in a statement that she is “currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals” and is unable to attend the remainder of events on her trip.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nasa</a> Bill Nelson and Members of Congress to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg and Belgium. The sacrifices of brave <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWII</a> soldiers echo from the past, reminding us that each generation must continue the fight for freedom and… <a href="https://t.co/ae50RVceWL">pic.twitter.com/ae50RVceWL</a>&mdash; U.S. Embassy Luxembourg (@USEmbLuxembourg) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbLuxembourg/status/1867570544675090828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. Another person familiar with the situation said she injured her hip. The people requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly.Krager said that Pelosi “looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon."Among the members on the trip was Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-mccaul">Michael McCaul</a>, R-Texas, who posted on social media that he was “praying for a speedy recovery,” for Pelosi. The two lawmakers were captured holding hands in a group photo Friday at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg.“I’m disappointed Speaker Emerita Pelosi won’t be able to join the rest of our delegation’s events this weekend as I know how much she looked forward to honoring our veterans,” McCaul wrote on X. “But she is strong, and I am confident she will be back on her feet in no time.”The former leader's fall comes two years after her husband Paul was attacked by a man with a hammer at their San Francisco home. The man, who was sentenced in October to 30 years in federal prison, broke into their home looking for Pelosi.Pelosi, who was first elected in 1987 and served as speaker twice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-pelosi-house-future-plans-updates-3839ff31c605efa0ec1ee4ff004b72d2">stepped down</a>&nbsp;from her leadership post two years ago but remained in Congress and was re-elected to represent her San Francisco district in November.She has remained active in the two years since she left the top job, working with Democrats in private and in public and attending official events. Last summer, she was instrumental in her party's behind the scenes push to urge President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to leave the presidential ticket.She attended the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington last weekend and was on the Senate floor Monday to attend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adam-schiff-senate-trump-california-1f611ee885e9c6b73a22ea1cab0d08bc">swearing in</a>&nbsp;of her former Democratic House colleagues,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/adam-schiff">Adam Schiff</a>&nbsp;of California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-new-jersey-senate-kim-bashaw-42b8fe654b8cf03c7f50d030ab3374db">Andy Kim</a>&nbsp;of New Jersey.Earlier this week, Senate Republican Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, 82,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-fall-republican-8d58004d3f14c1995d83c11319d77d72">tripped and fell in the Senate</a>, spraining his wrist and cutting his face. McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post at the end of the year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-fall-absent-gop-republican-43eb4c142f089fe5ce0c00f3b4e3c8aa">missed Senate votes</a>&nbsp;on Thursday after experiencing some stiffness in his leg from the fall, his office said.

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after fall during trip to Luxembourg

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

Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and two candidates have already withdrawn from consideration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Director of national intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Environmental Protection Agency administrator: Lee Zeldin

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

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

Housing and Urban Development secretary: Scott Turner

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

U.S. Trade Representative: Jamieson Greer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Office of Management and Budget: Russell Vought

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

Deputy chief of staff for policy: Stephen Miller

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

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

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

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

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

White House press secretary: Karoline Leavitt

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

Warrington has served Trump as his personal attorney and lawyer for the campaign. Trump initially had tapped William McGinley to be White House counsel, but three weeks later said he instead was dispatching McGinley to work with his new Department of Government Efficiency. That panel will be run by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with the goal of cutting federal spending.

Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first administration. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency.

Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-new-york-donald-trump-brooklyn-united-arab-emirates-461c7dd912445be7a6837a2cdd4ff9c0">a federal trial</a>&nbsp;in 2022.

Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump’s 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.”

Updated list of Trump's picks for key positions in his administration

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

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Young adult immigrants known as “Dreamers” in Kansas and 18 other U.S. states will be temporarily blocked from getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's public marketplace, a federal judge has ruled, limiting an effort by the Biden administration to help immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court in North Dakota issued the order Monday from Bismarck, dealing a setback to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-insurance-migrants-obamacare-biden-a38541478bc1f6b7662b3901cefc9e93">a Biden administration rule</a>&nbsp;that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage. Traynor's ruling came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migrant-health-care-dreamers-states-lawsuit-b243450475670f13a3e86d6be3568804">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed over the policy and will remain in effect until the matter can go to trial.

The ruling applies to immigrants in 19 states where Republican attorneys general sued to avoid having to comply with the new policy. They cited concern over immigrants possibly qualifying for public subsidies available to many people insured under the ACA.

The GOP state officials argued that the rule created earlier this year by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would be a strong incentive for immigrants to remain in the U.S. illegally and could creating costs for states. They argued that both the Affordable Care Act and a 1996 law prohibit U.S. government benefits flowing to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

“Dreamers” are part of a program that makes them a low priority for deportation. However, President-elect Donald Trump won the Nov. 5 election promising “the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">mass deportation program</a>&nbsp;in history.” He will succeed President Joe Biden on Jan. 20.

Traynor, a Trump appointee during his first term in office, concluded through what he called “a common-sense inference” that access to subsidized ACA coverage is a powerful incentive for people to remain in the U.S. illegally, creating a substantial risk that states will “suffer monetary harm.”

Federal law gives CMS the authority to determine whether someone is living in the U.S. legally, but, Traynor wrote, “It by no means allows the agency to circumvent congressional authority and redefine the term ‘lawfully present.’”

CMS said in a statement Tuesday that it is reviewing the lawsuit but does not comment on litigation.

Nicholas Espíritu, deputy legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, said some “Dreamers” have been waiting for more than a decade to get “life-sustaining” health coverage through the ACA.

“Judge Traynor’s ruling is both disappointing and wrong on the law,” Espíritu said, promising his group would continue to fight the issue.

But Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach called the decision “a victory for the rule of law." He told reporters after a hearing in Bismarck in October that the Biden administration sought to redefine what it means to be an immigrant living in the U.S. legally by “executive fiat,” calling the rule “Alice in Wonderland stuff.”

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley added then that American taxpayers, through Congress, determine how the federal government treats immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

“And it doesn’t always come across as friendly and nice and cuddly, but it speaks to the access to our health care system, the cost of our health care system, and the burden on the American public, the taxpayer,” he said.

Kansas and North Dakota are the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in August. They've been joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

“Thankfully, the court put another nail in the coffin of Biden’s radical left-wing agenda,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement Tuesday.

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press Writer Kimberly Chandler in Mongtomery, Alabama, also contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719927364316.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach called the decision “a victory for the rule of law." He told reporters after a hearing in Bismarck in October that the Biden administration sought to redefine what it means to be an immigrant living in the U.S. legally by “executive fiat,” calling the rule “Alice in Wonderland stuff.” File photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach called the decision “a victory for the rule of law." He told reporters after a hearing in Bismarck in October that the Biden administration sought to redefine what it means to be an immigrant living in the U.S. legally by “executive fiat,” calling the rule “Alice in Wonderland stuff.” File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20JACK%20DURA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and JACK DURA Associated Press</a>BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Young adult immigrants known as “Dreamers” in Kansas and 18 other U.S. states will be temporarily blocked from getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's public marketplace, a federal judge has ruled, limiting an effort by the Biden administration to help immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Big win for the rule of law. Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obama care benefits. Indeed, two laws prohibit them from receiving such benefits. The Biden administration tried to break those laws. But we fought back, and defeated the Justice Department. <a href="https://t.co/tBZZLzH2in">pic.twitter.com/tBZZLzH2in</a>&mdash; Kris W. Kobach (@KrisKobach1787) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisKobach1787/status/1866225811516166152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court in North Dakota issued the order Monday from Bismarck, dealing a setback to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-insurance-migrants-obamacare-biden-a38541478bc1f6b7662b3901cefc9e93">a Biden administration rule</a>&nbsp;that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage. Traynor's ruling came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migrant-health-care-dreamers-states-lawsuit-b243450475670f13a3e86d6be3568804">a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed over the policy and will remain in effect until the matter can go to trial.The ruling applies to immigrants in 19 states where Republican attorneys general sued to avoid having to comply with the new policy. They cited concern over immigrants possibly qualifying for public subsidies available to many people insured under the ACA.The GOP state officials argued that the rule created earlier this year by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would be a strong incentive for immigrants to remain in the U.S. illegally and could creating costs for states. They argued that both the Affordable Care Act and a 1996 law prohibit U.S. government benefits flowing to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.“Dreamers” are part of a program that makes them a low priority for deportation. However, President-elect Donald Trump won the Nov. 5 election promising “the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-immigration-844f3050ba99552b900ed9f3a1dec22d">mass deportation program</a>&nbsp;in history.” He will succeed President Joe Biden on Jan. 20.Traynor, a Trump appointee during his first term in office, concluded through what he called “a common-sense inference” that access to subsidized ACA coverage is a powerful incentive for people to remain in the U.S. illegally, creating a substantial risk that states will “suffer monetary harm.”Federal law gives CMS the authority to determine whether someone is living in the U.S. legally, but, Traynor wrote, “It by no means allows the agency to circumvent congressional authority and redefine the term ‘lawfully present.’”CMS said in a statement Tuesday that it is reviewing the lawsuit but does not comment on litigation.Nicholas Espíritu, deputy legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, said some “Dreamers” have been waiting for more than a decade to get “life-sustaining” health coverage through the ACA.“Judge Traynor’s ruling is both disappointing and wrong on the law,” Espíritu said, promising his group would continue to fight the issue.But Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach called the decision “a victory for the rule of law." He told reporters after a hearing in Bismarck in October that the Biden administration sought to redefine what it means to be an immigrant living in the U.S. legally by “executive fiat,” calling the rule “Alice in Wonderland stuff.”North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley added then that American taxpayers, through Congress, determine how the federal government treats immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.“And it doesn’t always come across as friendly and nice and cuddly, but it speaks to the access to our health care system, the cost of our health care system, and the burden on the American public, the taxpayer,” he said.Kansas and North Dakota are the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in August. They've been joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.“Thankfully, the court put another nail in the coffin of Biden’s radical left-wing agenda,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement Tuesday.___Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press Writer Kimberly Chandler in Mongtomery, Alabama, also contributed.

'Dreamers' will be shut out of health care marketplace in Kansas

Sidne Sue "Susie" (Mog)&nbsp;
Seeman, 84, of Larned, KS, passed away Thursday, October 31, 2024, at Pawnee
Valley Community Hospital in Larned, KS.

Sue's life journey began
on November 17, 1939, in the most remarkable way. As her parents, William "Bill"
Mog and Nora Loree (King) Mog, attempted to make it to the hospital in
Goodland, Kansas, during a terrible snowstorm, they had to improvise, boarding
a school bus when the roads became impassable. Susie was born on the bus on the
way to the hospital. Two years later, her sister and best friend, Donna (Mog)
Hanken, was born, cementing a bond of love and shared memories for the family
of four.

Sue graduated from
Hudson High School, Hudson, Kansas, and decided to follow in both her parents'
footsteps to become a PE teacher. She enrolled at Fort Hays State College but
soon found her creative spirit drawn to the world of hairdressing. Sidne Sue earned
her cosmetology certificate in 1961 from Sidney's Hairdressing College, Inc.,
in Hutchinson, KS. In the beauty shop built by her father at their home in
Larned, Susie practiced her craft with her weekly standings.

Susie filled her younger
days with tennis, golf, and Bridge alongside her sister and parents. As she got
older, volleyball, softball, painting, woodworking, and poetry were added to
her list of activities. Sue discovered internet card games, and during her 60s,
up until her death, she played online Bridge with friends from the United
States and Canada.

Sue married Winston C.
Seeman on June 6, 1964. They were happy with the arrival of their first
daughter, Michelle Renee', though the 1965 Thunderbird they had special-ordered
was not to be—baby first! The family was complete when, two years later, Denise
Loree was born. As much as Susie loved her sports and activities, she loved her
daughters more. Sue encouraged her girls to be active in school and sports and
to have many friends. People of old will remember the old Ford Falcon station
wagon full of kids being transported to the movies or the pool. Susie and her
sister, Aunt Donnie, seemed inseparable while raising their children together.
Michelle, Denise, and cousins Missy and Rhonda enjoyed countless hours of fun
together while enduring many car rides with their mothers’ “singing”!

Sue and Winston later
divorced after 50 years of marriage.

Left to cherish her
memory are her daughters, Michelle (Dean) Dreiling and Denise (Steve) Staab;
granddaughters Abbey (Tom) Hammann, Madalyne Staab, Lauren (Evan) Murphy, and
Karlie Murphy; and great-grandchildren Avery and Bennett Hammann.

Interment of her ashes
will occur in the spring, her favorite time of year. She will join her loving
parents at the Larned Cemetery,&nbsp;Larned, Ks. A celebration of life will be
announced at a later time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733871729861.jpeg" alt="Sidne Sue 'Susie' (Mog) Seeman" />
 <figcaption>Sidne Sue 'Susie' (Mog) Seeman</figcaption>
 </figure>Sidne Sue "Susie" (Mog)&nbsp;
Seeman, 84, of Larned, KS, passed away Thursday, October 31, 2024, at Pawnee
Valley Community Hospital in Larned, KS.Sue's life journey began
on November 17, 1939, in the most remarkable way. As her parents, William "Bill"
Mog and Nora Loree (King) Mog, attempted to make it to the hospital in
Goodland, Kansas, during a terrible snowstorm, they had to improvise, boarding
a school bus when the roads became impassable. Susie was born on the bus on the
way to the hospital. Two years later, her sister and best friend, Donna (Mog)
Hanken, was born, cementing a bond of love and shared memories for the family
of four.Sue graduated from
Hudson High School, Hudson, Kansas, and decided to follow in both her parents'
footsteps to become a PE teacher. She enrolled at Fort Hays State College but
soon found her creative spirit drawn to the world of hairdressing. Sidne Sue earned
her cosmetology certificate in 1961 from Sidney's Hairdressing College, Inc.,
in Hutchinson, KS. In the beauty shop built by her father at their home in
Larned, Susie practiced her craft with her weekly standings.Susie filled her younger
days with tennis, golf, and Bridge alongside her sister and parents. As she got
older, volleyball, softball, painting, woodworking, and poetry were added to
her list of activities. Sue discovered internet card games, and during her 60s,
up until her death, she played online Bridge with friends from the United
States and Canada.Sue married Winston C.
Seeman on June 6, 1964. They were happy with the arrival of their first
daughter, Michelle Renee', though the 1965 Thunderbird they had special-ordered
was not to be—baby first! The family was complete when, two years later, Denise
Loree was born. As much as Susie loved her sports and activities, she loved her
daughters more. Sue encouraged her girls to be active in school and sports and
to have many friends. People of old will remember the old Ford Falcon station
wagon full of kids being transported to the movies or the pool. Susie and her
sister, Aunt Donnie, seemed inseparable while raising their children together.
Michelle, Denise, and cousins Missy and Rhonda enjoyed countless hours of fun
together while enduring many car rides with their mothers’ “singing”!Sue and Winston later
divorced after 50 years of marriage.Left to cherish her
memory are her daughters, Michelle (Dean) Dreiling and Denise (Steve) Staab;
granddaughters Abbey (Tom) Hammann, Madalyne Staab, Lauren (Evan) Murphy, and
Karlie Murphy; and great-grandchildren Avery and Bennett Hammann.Interment of her ashes
will occur in the spring, her favorite time of year. She will join her loving
parents at the Larned Cemetery,&nbsp;Larned, Ks. A celebration of life will be
announced at a later time.

Sidne Sue 'Susie' (Mog)  Seeman

<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=22820&amp;t=638693532722993425">Click here to read </a>the court decision

TOPEKA —A federal court Monday halted a Biden rule that would have provided taxpayer-subsidized health plans to illegal aliens. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach personally argued the request for a preliminary injunction in a Bismarck courtroom in October.

On Monday, the court sided with Kobach and the 19-state coalition he led on the case and stopped to proposed rule from going into effect.“This decision is a big win for the rule of law. Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obamacare benefits.

 Indeed, two laws prohibit them from receiving such benefits. The Biden administration tried to break those laws. But we fought back and defeated the Biden Justice Department.

”The regulation would have made more than 200,000 deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) recipients eligible for Obamacare. The number includes more than 4,350 DACA recipients in Kansas. 

Kobach argued that a 1996 law generally prohibits illegal aliens from receiving federal benefits, and the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, itself says that an alien has to be lawfully present in the United States to receive subsidized health insurance.Kobach led a coalition of state attorneys general, including AGs from Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733782750994.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showdocument?id=22820&amp;t=638693532722993425">Click here to read </a>the court decisionTOPEKA —A federal court Monday halted a Biden rule that would have provided taxpayer-subsidized health plans to illegal aliens. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach personally argued the request for a preliminary injunction in a Bismarck courtroom in October.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723829601184.png" alt="File photo Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>File photo Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, the court sided with Kobach and the 19-state coalition he led on the case and stopped to proposed rule from going into effect.“This decision is a big win for the rule of law. Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obamacare benefits. Indeed, two laws prohibit them from receiving such benefits. The Biden administration tried to break those laws. But we fought back and defeated the Biden Justice Department.”The regulation would have made more than 200,000 deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) recipients eligible for Obamacare. The number includes more than 4,350 DACA recipients in Kansas. Kobach argued that a 1996 law generally prohibits illegal aliens from receiving federal benefits, and the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, itself says that an alien has to be lawfully present in the United States to receive subsidized health insurance.Kobach led a coalition of state attorneys general, including AGs from Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Court sides with Kan. AG, stops Biden from giving Obamacare to illegal aliens

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media&nbsp; Crude prices resume their wobbly ways, down two percent Friday, and up two percent on Monday. NYMEX crude dropped a dollar and a dime Friday to settle at $67.20 per barrel, an 80-cent weekly loss. That marks the first time since mid-November, and only the eighth time this year, that the closely-watched futures contract has settled below $68.&nbsp; Prices were two percent higher by lunchtime Monday, with New York crude over $68 and London Brent trading over $72 a barrel.

The weekly Rig Count from Baker Hughes is 589 active drilling rigs, up five oil rigs and two gas rigs. The Texas tally is up five rigs. The breakouts for directional and horizontal wells were up nine rigs between them, &nbsp;with vertical wells dropping by two.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one rig in eastern Kansas at ten, and up two rigs west of Wichita at 21. The statewide total of 31 is up three percent from a week ago, but down nearly nine percent from a month ago, and down more than 16 percent from last year. Drilling continued Monday on leases in Stafford and Ellis counties.

Kansas regulators okayed 14 new drilling permits last week, with three in Western Kansas including two in Ellis County. That's 1,085 new drilling locations in Kansas so far this year, down 130 from a year ago at this time.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reports operators completed 32 new wells statewide, with 12 in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County. Completions are down 347 wells from a year ago at this time.

Weekly crude production topped 13.5 million barrels a day for only the fifth time. The Energy Information Administration says domestic crude production for the week ending November 29th averaged 13,513,000 barrels per day. Output is just 22,000 barrels a day shy of the record, set in October. Cumulative production this year beats last year by more than five percent, at well over 13.2 million barrels a day.

The dip stick at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on November 29 showed 391.8 million barrels of crude, up 1.4 million barrels from a week earlier.&nbsp; The reserve is down from about 630 million barrels when President Biden took office. The administration sold millions of barrels of SPR crude at around $95 a barrel two years ago to slow the rise in prices. In the last year, they've bought nearly 40 million barrels at roughly $70 a barrel.

EIA said commercial crude inventories dropped by more than five million barrels to just over 423 million. Stockpiles are about five percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

US crude-oil production retreats from a monthly record set in August, but the annual average is on track for another record. The latest numbers from the Energy Information Administration show September output increased in most of the top-producing states, but a 12% drop in the Gulf of Mexico cut the national average by 157-thousand barrels per day, or 1.2%, down to 13.2 million barrels per day.

EIA says cumulative production through September averaged 13.1 million barrels a day. Weekly tallies from the EIA have been over 13.3 million ever since, and the government forecasts record annual production over 13.2 million barrels per day at the end of the year. The average in Kansas was 76,000 barrels a day in September, but EIA says the average through September is down to 74,000.

The US imports more crude oil than we export, by more than three million barrels a day. Refined product exports top imports by about six million daily barrels.

The Energy Information Administration reports crude imports of 7.3 million barrels a day last week. That's up more than 1.2 million barrels a day from a week earlier and about a quarter million daily barrels short of last year at this time. The four-week average is up five percent over a year ago. US crude exports dropped by about ten percent to 4.2 million barrels a day. That's down more than 400,000 barrels from last week and 100,000 barrels less than a year ago. Four week average crude exports are down about 11 percent compared to a year ago.

The U.S. is ramping up sanctions on the "shadow fleet." &nbsp;The Treasury Department is targeting 35 entities and vessels it said carried illicit petroleum from Iran to foreign markets. The sanctions build on those imposed last month and come in response to Iran's attacks on Israel and its announced nuclear escalations. These sanctions target key sectors of Iran's economy with the aim of denying the government funds for its nuclear and missile programs. The move generally prohibits any U.S. individuals or entities from doing any business with the targets, and freezes any assets being held by the U.S. The government cites shipping reports noting eight of the 21 sanctioned ships are loaded with oil, while another was on its way to a Russian port to lift a cargo.

The winter heating season is underway and United States is well stocked with propane, thanks to a pair of mild winters.&nbsp; EIA says U.S. propane inventories totaled 103 million barrels at the end of the week of October 11, the most since government reporting started in 2015. In the week ending November 1, inventories decreased to slightly more than 100 million barrels, about 11 percent more than the five-year average.

The government says global natural gas markets are well supplied, with prices only slightly higher than last year going into the winter heating season. If weather remains mild this winter as in the past two winters, EIA forecasts similar prices.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670507085360.jpeg" alt="Courtesy Unsplash" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Unsplash</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media&nbsp; Crude prices resume their wobbly ways, down two percent Friday, and up two percent on Monday. NYMEX crude dropped a dollar and a dime Friday to settle at $67.20 per barrel, an 80-cent weekly loss. That marks the first time since mid-November, and only the eighth time this year, that the closely-watched futures contract has settled below $68.&nbsp; Prices were two percent higher by lunchtime Monday, with New York crude over $68 and London Brent trading over $72 a barrel.The weekly Rig Count from Baker Hughes is 589 active drilling rigs, up five oil rigs and two gas rigs. The Texas tally is up five rigs. The breakouts for directional and horizontal wells were up nine rigs between them, &nbsp;with vertical wells dropping by two.The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one rig in eastern Kansas at ten, and up two rigs west of Wichita at 21. The statewide total of 31 is up three percent from a week ago, but down nearly nine percent from a month ago, and down more than 16 percent from last year. Drilling continued Monday on leases in Stafford and Ellis counties.Kansas regulators okayed 14 new drilling permits last week, with three in Western Kansas including two in Ellis County. That's 1,085 new drilling locations in Kansas so far this year, down 130 from a year ago at this time.Independent Oil and Gas Service reports operators completed 32 new wells statewide, with 12 in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County. Completions are down 347 wells from a year ago at this time.Weekly crude production topped 13.5 million barrels a day for only the fifth time. The Energy Information Administration says domestic crude production for the week ending November 29th averaged 13,513,000 barrels per day. Output is just 22,000 barrels a day shy of the record, set in October. Cumulative production this year beats last year by more than five percent, at well over 13.2 million barrels a day.The dip stick at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on November 29 showed 391.8 million barrels of crude, up 1.4 million barrels from a week earlier.&nbsp; The reserve is down from about 630 million barrels when President Biden took office. The administration sold millions of barrels of SPR crude at around $95 a barrel two years ago to slow the rise in prices. In the last year, they've bought nearly 40 million barrels at roughly $70 a barrel.EIA said commercial crude inventories dropped by more than five million barrels to just over 423 million. Stockpiles are about five percent below the five-year average for this time of year.US crude-oil production retreats from a monthly record set in August, but the annual average is on track for another record. The latest numbers from the Energy Information Administration show September output increased in most of the top-producing states, but a 12% drop in the Gulf of Mexico cut the national average by 157-thousand barrels per day, or 1.2%, down to 13.2 million barrels per day.EIA says cumulative production through September averaged 13.1 million barrels a day. Weekly tallies from the EIA have been over 13.3 million ever since, and the government forecasts record annual production over 13.2 million barrels per day at the end of the year. The average in Kansas was 76,000 barrels a day in September, but EIA says the average through September is down to 74,000.The US imports more crude oil than we export, by more than three million barrels a day. Refined product exports top imports by about six million daily barrels.The Energy Information Administration reports crude imports of 7.3 million barrels a day last week. That's up more than 1.2 million barrels a day from a week earlier and about a quarter million daily barrels short of last year at this time. The four-week average is up five percent over a year ago. US crude exports dropped by about ten percent to 4.2 million barrels a day. That's down more than 400,000 barrels from last week and 100,000 barrels less than a year ago. Four week average crude exports are down about 11 percent compared to a year ago.The U.S. is ramping up sanctions on the "shadow fleet." &nbsp;The Treasury Department is targeting 35 entities and vessels it said carried illicit petroleum from Iran to foreign markets. The sanctions build on those imposed last month and come in response to Iran's attacks on Israel and its announced nuclear escalations. These sanctions target key sectors of Iran's economy with the aim of denying the government funds for its nuclear and missile programs. The move generally prohibits any U.S. individuals or entities from doing any business with the targets, and freezes any assets being held by the U.S. The government cites shipping reports noting eight of the 21 sanctioned ships are loaded with oil, while another was on its way to a Russian port to lift a cargo.The winter heating season is underway and United States is well stocked with propane, thanks to a pair of mild winters.&nbsp; EIA says U.S. propane inventories totaled 103 million barrels at the end of the week of October 11, the most since government reporting started in 2015. In the week ending November 1, inventories decreased to slightly more than 100 million barrels, about 11 percent more than the five-year average.The government says global natural gas markets are well supplied, with prices only slightly higher than last year going into the winter heating season. If weather remains mild this winter as in the past two winters, EIA forecasts similar prices.&nbsp;&nbsp;

News From the Oil Patch: Treasury ramps up sanctions on 'shadow fleet'

Kansas senator delivers irritation of Kansans while questioning U.S. postmaster

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall delivered bleak messages to the nation’s postmaster general about the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service by channeling frustration of Kansans, specifically Dana from El Dorado, Mike from Topeka and Stacy of Marysville.

During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., the Kansas Republican quizzed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who took the top USPS job in 2020. DeJoy has faced criticism for inconsistent handling of first-class mail, decommissioning high-speed sorting machines, forming bigger regional processing hubs that slowed delivery to rural customers and six postage rate hikes since 2021.

“We asked some folks back home, if you could be in front of the postmaster general, what questions would they ask you,” said Marshall to DeJoy. The senator said Stacy and Mike proposed the same query. “What is justifying the consistent price increases with no change or improvement in delivery time or service?”

DeJoy said mail-delivery service was slipping before he was selected by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors.

“Senator, we had a defective pricing model for 20 years,” DeJoy said. “Mail volume was cut in half and we weren’t allowed to raise our prices to accommodate that.”

The cost of a U.S. first-class stamp was 1 cent in 1863 and didn’t hit the 5-cent plateau for a century. The price of the basic postage stamp hit 50 cents in 2019. Under DeJoy, the cost of a forever stamp surged to 58 cents in 2021, 60 cents in 2022, 63 cents in early 2023, 66 cents in late 2023, 68 cents in early 2024 and 73 cents later in 2024.

The Postal Service’s financial trajectory must be stabilized before delivery metrics substantially improve, DeJoy said. He also said there had to be workplace adjustments.

“I have my people, 640,000 people, that need to learn how to operate like Fed Ex and UPS,” the postmaster said. “That’s the only way we survive.”

Marshall said Dana from El Dorado would have asked the postmaster general why rural mail was no longer delivered in a timely manner. She yearned for days of two- or three-day delivery anywhere in the United States.

DeJoy said the standard USPS delivery time was reset in 2021 at five days, up from the unrealistic goal of three days. The Postal Service was spending $3.5 billion flying mail around the country in an attempt to hit the three-day target, he said.

“We put everything on a truck on a ground service. We’ve taken $1.5 billion out of our transportation budget,” DeJoy said.

Marshall said a poll was sent to about 400,000 Kansans to get a sense of attitudes about mail delivery. More than half of Kansas respondents said their mail service was unreliable. Nearly 70% said they’d personally experienced delays in the past year.

“Certainly you’re not going to call that success?” Marshall said.

DeJoy’s confession: “We have issues in Kansas. I’m working a strategy specifically to enhance the service in Kansas. I recognize it’s there, and we’re going to fix it.”

Marshall said he was convinced DeJoy wanted to make the system better, but urged the postmaster general to explain where resistance to reform was coming from.

“I think there’s a romance with an organization that long ago lost its ability to do the service that everybody expected,” DeJoy said. “That’s the issue here.”

Marshall asled DeJoy to pledge to complete work on a contract so the city of Winchester in Jefferson County could have a post office for the first time since October 2020. The senator sent a letter last summer to DeJoy about Winchester’s lack of a post office. At the hearing, DeJoy said he was uncertain he could make the commitment.

DeJoy said Congress had long burdened the Postal Service with “significant unfunded mandates.” He said members of Congress were loath to embrace his plans for price hikes, shorter post office hours and slower first-class mail delivery. He said U.S. House members had begged him not to saddle their congressional district with unpopular changes.

“It would have been easier for me to build a new postal service than to transition this one, because we’re also delivering 400 million pieces of mail and packages a day,” DeJoy said.

While serving as postmaster general, DeJoy has been accused of conflicts of interest and meddling with mail-in voting to distort outcomes in the 2020 election.

He’s also been lauded for securing passage of a bipartisan Postal Service reform bill, delivering 500 million COVID-19 test kits through the mail and agreeing to change course and move the Postal Service’s fleet to electric vehicles.

Prior to the hearing, Marshall requested followers on Facebook recommend questions for DeJoy. Some asserted DeJoy’s initial assignment from then-President Donald Trump was to undermine the Postal Service so it would be easier to privatize the federal agency.

“Wasn’t DeJoy a Trump appointee specifically to slow down and screw up USPS?” said Timothy Cable. “I’d like you to mention that.”

“Stop with the pandering,” Andrea Pfeifer messaged Marshall. “You knew when he was put in place by Trump, with no experience, that he was put in there to try and destroy the basic functions of the P.O. in order to try and privatize the services and make money for the rich corporate pocket liners.”

Allen Crowder wondered if DeJoy could explain why Postal Service union members were given “so much power to slow down the mail?”

“I am a former postal worker, and have seen the corrupt unions doing their corrupt tricks,” Crowder said.

Mellissa Chestnut, who said she was a Postal Service employee, said it didn’t make sense DeJoy embraced a philosophy of giving Amazon packages preference over regular mail.

“I’d like to know what the plan is to get Amazon under control? Amazon is killing us. Why are we putting Amazon priority over everything else?” she said.

Meanwhile, Mike Smith recommended Marshall and DeJoy talk about allowing local mail to be canceled in the city of origin for delivery the next day. In some instances, letters must be hauled long distances to centralized facilities for processing before transported back to the place of origin.

“From&nbsp;here to Dodge, to Wichita for canceling, then to Dodge, and back to Ashland. That’s government for you,” Smith said.

<h2>Kansas senator delivers irritation of Kansans while questioning U.S. postmaster</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall delivered bleak messages to the nation’s postmaster general about the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service by channeling frustration of Kansans, specifically Dana from El Dorado, Mike from Topeka and Stacy of Marysville.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wv5VZWkDsm0?si=LEGlRK5UjU9oPta4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., the Kansas Republican quizzed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who took the top USPS job in 2020. DeJoy has faced criticism for inconsistent handling of first-class mail, decommissioning high-speed sorting machines, forming bigger regional processing hubs that slowed delivery to rural customers and six postage rate hikes since 2021.“We asked some folks back home, if you could be in front of the postmaster general, what questions would they ask you,” said Marshall to DeJoy. The senator said Stacy and Mike proposed the same query. “What is justifying the consistent price increases with no change or improvement in delivery time or service?”DeJoy said mail-delivery service was slipping before he was selected by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors.“Senator, we had a defective pricing model for 20 years,” DeJoy said. “Mail volume was cut in half and we weren’t allowed to raise our prices to accommodate that.”The cost of a U.S. first-class stamp was 1 cent in 1863 and didn’t hit the 5-cent plateau for a century. The price of the basic postage stamp hit 50 cents in 2019. Under DeJoy, the cost of a forever stamp surged to 58 cents in 2021, 60 cents in 2022, 63 cents in early 2023, 66 cents in late 2023, 68 cents in early 2024 and 73 cents later in 2024.The Postal Service’s financial trajectory must be stabilized before delivery metrics substantially improve, DeJoy said. He also said there had to be workplace adjustments.“I have my people, 640,000 people, that need to learn how to operate like Fed Ex and UPS,” the postmaster said. “That’s the only way we survive.”<h2>Half Kansans disappointed</h2>Marshall said Dana from El Dorado would have asked the postmaster general why rural mail was no longer delivered in a timely manner. She yearned for days of two- or three-day delivery anywhere in the United States.DeJoy said the standard USPS delivery time was reset in 2021 at five days, up from the unrealistic goal of three days. The Postal Service was spending $3.5 billion flying mail around the country in an attempt to hit the three-day target, he said.“We put everything on a truck on a ground service. We’ve taken $1.5 billion out of our transportation budget,” DeJoy said.Marshall said a poll was sent to about 400,000 Kansans to get a sense of attitudes about mail delivery. More than half of Kansas respondents said their mail service was unreliable. Nearly 70% said they’d personally experienced delays in the past year.“Certainly you’re not going to call that success?” Marshall said.DeJoy’s confession: “We have issues in Kansas. I’m working a strategy specifically to enhance the service in Kansas. I recognize it’s there, and we’re going to fix it.”Marshall said he was convinced DeJoy wanted to make the system better, but urged the postmaster general to explain where resistance to reform was coming from.“I think there’s a romance with an organization that long ago lost its ability to do the service that everybody expected,” DeJoy said. “That’s the issue here.”<h2>What about Winchester?</h2>Marshall asled DeJoy to pledge to complete work on a contract so the city of Winchester in Jefferson County could have a post office for the first time since October 2020. The senator sent a letter last summer to DeJoy about Winchester’s lack of a post office. At the hearing, DeJoy said he was uncertain he could make the commitment.DeJoy said Congress had long burdened the Postal Service with “significant unfunded mandates.” He said members of Congress were loath to embrace his plans for price hikes, shorter post office hours and slower first-class mail delivery. He said U.S. House members had begged him not to saddle their congressional district with unpopular changes.“It would have been easier for me to build a new postal service than to transition this one, because we’re also delivering 400 million pieces of mail and packages a day,” DeJoy said.While serving as postmaster general, DeJoy has been accused of conflicts of interest and meddling with mail-in voting to distort outcomes in the 2020 election.He’s also been lauded for securing passage of a bipartisan Postal Service reform bill, delivering 500 million COVID-19 test kits through the mail and agreeing to change course and move the Postal Service’s fleet to electric vehicles.<h2>Other inquiries, comments</h2>Prior to the hearing, Marshall requested followers on Facebook recommend questions for DeJoy. Some asserted DeJoy’s initial assignment from then-President Donald Trump was to undermine the Postal Service so it would be easier to privatize the federal agency.“Wasn’t DeJoy a Trump appointee specifically to slow down and screw up USPS?” said Timothy Cable. “I’d like you to mention that.”“Stop with the pandering,” Andrea Pfeifer messaged Marshall. “You knew when he was put in place by Trump, with no experience, that he was put in there to try and destroy the basic functions of the P.O. in order to try and privatize the services and make money for the rich corporate pocket liners.”Allen Crowder wondered if DeJoy could explain why Postal Service union members were given “so much power to slow down the mail?”“I am a former postal worker, and have seen the corrupt unions doing their corrupt tricks,” Crowder said.Mellissa Chestnut, who said she was a Postal Service employee, said it didn’t make sense DeJoy embraced a philosophy of giving Amazon packages preference over regular mail.“I’d like to know what the plan is to get Amazon under control? Amazon is killing us. Why are we putting Amazon priority over everything else?” she said.Meanwhile, Mike Smith recommended Marshall and DeJoy talk about allowing local mail to be canceled in the city of origin for delivery the next day. In some instances, letters must be hauled long distances to centralized facilities for processing before transported back to the place of origin.“From&nbsp;here to Dodge, to Wichita for canceling, then to Dodge, and back to Ashland. That’s government for you,” Smith said.

🎥Sen. Marshall affixes stamp of disapproval to USPS mail delivery performance

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man with previous convictions for rape and theft is going back to prison after he was charged with sex crimes involving 5 children.

Last week,  Judge David Kaufman sentenced 60-year-old Stacy A. Munsell to just more than 32-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In March of 2021, Munsell of Wellington, was charged with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 9 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, attempted criminal sodomy, 2 counts of indecent liberties with a child, and furnishing alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; All 20 crimes were felonies.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the time the crimes were committed, he was on parole for two sex-related crimes, according to Wichita Police.

In October, Munsell agreed to plead guilty to four counts of kidnapping and furnishing alcohol to a minor and prosecutors amended or dismissed the sex crime charges, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616619505936.png" alt="Munsell photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Munsell photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man with previous convictions for rape and theft is going back to prison after he was charged with sex crimes involving 5 children.Last week, Judge David Kaufman sentenced 60-year-old Stacy A. Munsell to just more than 32-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In March of 2021, Munsell of Wellington, was charged with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 9 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, attempted criminal sodomy, 2 counts of indecent liberties with a child, and furnishing alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; All 20 crimes were felonies.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the time the crimes were committed, he was on parole for two sex-related crimes, according to Wichita Police.In October, Munsell agreed to plead guilty to four counts of kidnapping and furnishing alcohol to a minor and prosecutors amended or dismissed the sex crime charges, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas child sex crime suspect agrees to plea deal

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans are poised to turn the campaign trail promise of property tax relief into reality with expanded supermajorities in the Legislature and potentially unprecedented control over the state’s budget process.&nbsp;

However, state tax revenue continues to trend below projections, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wants legislators to hit pause before taking action in 2025.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said property tax relief will be “job one” when the Legislature convenes in January.

“For too long, Kansans have struggled with the ever-increasing cost of property taxes,” Hawkins said in a Nov. 27 statement. “Governor Kelly wants legislators to ‘take a breath’ instead of passing necessary legislation to ease the burden of property taxes on Kansans.”

Instead, he said, Kansans need “breathing room from the burden of sky-high property taxes.”

Lawmakers’ ideas for relief are bound by the state’s limited authority over local property taxes. Legislators could further modify the state mill levy or, like&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/03/property-tax-legislation-expected-in-the-2025-session-legislative-leaders-say/" target="_blank">Iowa</a>&nbsp;lawmakers in 2023, cap the tax levy rates for cities and counties.

Hawkins’ statement was in response to Kelly’s Nov. 25 comments to reporters at her Topeka residence when she emphasized her preference for a wait-and-see approach to further tax cuts.

In an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/16/kansas-tax-revenue-projected-to-decline-by-72m-after-tax-cut-bill/#:~:text=Officials%20estimated%20the%20state%20government,by%20more%20than%20%2412%20million.">updated revenue estimate</a>&nbsp;for fiscal year 2025, which ends June 30, the state was projected to take in $400 million less than the year before and $72 million less in tax revenue than initial estimates.

The state likely won’t immediately see the full impacts of the bipartisan legislation adopted during a special session in June, which implemented income and property&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/gov-kelly-signs-tax-reduction-bill-passed-with-bipartisan-majorities-in-special-session/">tax reductions</a>&nbsp;that estimated $1.2 billion in savings for Kansans over three years.

Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Wednesday that state revenues are still predicted to outweigh expenditures in the coming years.

“Now, we must remain cautious with future tax cut proposals and budgetary discussions to ensure Kansas does not return to the days of budget shortfalls and underfunded services,” she said.

Actual revenue has failed to meet projections lately. After revising estimates on Nov. 15 to lower projections by $72 million for the fiscal year, revenue for November continued to fall below expectations. The state collected about $675.5 million in taxes during the month, nearly 4%, or more than $25 million, below projections.

“It is important to remember that a comparison of just one month is not a reliable basis upon which to identify a trend for the balance of the fiscal year,” the report from the Kansas Legislative Research Department said.

State tax collections beat projections by $17.8 million in October, $15.1 million in September, and $6.6 million in August.

The reports released in the next two months will reflect the holiday shopping season and corporation income tax payment estimates, which are due multiple times per year, including December.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733497907579.jpeg" alt="House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, confers with representatives at the Kansas Statehouse on March 5, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, confers with representatives at the Kansas Statehouse on March 5, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans are poised to turn the campaign trail promise of property tax relief into reality with expanded supermajorities in the Legislature and potentially unprecedented control over the state’s budget process.&nbsp;However, state tax revenue continues to trend below projections, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wants legislators to hit pause before taking action in 2025.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said property tax relief will be “job one” when the Legislature convenes in January.“For too long, Kansans have struggled with the ever-increasing cost of property taxes,” Hawkins said in a Nov. 27 statement. “Governor Kelly wants legislators to ‘take a breath’ instead of passing necessary legislation to ease the burden of property taxes on Kansans.”Instead, he said, Kansans need “breathing room from the burden of sky-high property taxes.”Lawmakers’ ideas for relief are bound by the state’s limited authority over local property taxes. Legislators could further modify the state mill levy or, like&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/12/03/property-tax-legislation-expected-in-the-2025-session-legislative-leaders-say/" target="_blank">Iowa</a>&nbsp;lawmakers in 2023, cap the tax levy rates for cities and counties.Hawkins’ statement was in response to Kelly’s Nov. 25 comments to reporters at her Topeka residence when she emphasized her preference for a wait-and-see approach to further tax cuts.In an&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/16/kansas-tax-revenue-projected-to-decline-by-72m-after-tax-cut-bill/#:~:text=Officials%20estimated%20the%20state%20government,by%20more%20than%20%2412%20million.">updated revenue estimate</a>&nbsp;for fiscal year 2025, which ends June 30, the state was projected to take in $400 million less than the year before and $72 million less in tax revenue than initial estimates.The state likely won’t immediately see the full impacts of the bipartisan legislation adopted during a special session in June, which implemented income and property&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/gov-kelly-signs-tax-reduction-bill-passed-with-bipartisan-majorities-in-special-session/">tax reductions</a>&nbsp;that estimated $1.2 billion in savings for Kansans over three years.Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Wednesday that state revenues are still predicted to outweigh expenditures in the coming years.“Now, we must remain cautious with future tax cut proposals and budgetary discussions to ensure Kansas does not return to the days of budget shortfalls and underfunded services,” she said.Actual revenue has failed to meet projections lately. After revising estimates on Nov. 15 to lower projections by $72 million for the fiscal year, revenue for November continued to fall below expectations. The state collected about $675.5 million in taxes during the month, nearly 4%, or more than $25 million, below projections.“It is important to remember that a comparison of just one month is not a reliable basis upon which to identify a trend for the balance of the fiscal year,” the report from the Kansas Legislative Research Department said.State tax collections beat projections by $17.8 million in October, $15.1 million in September, and $6.6 million in August.The reports released in the next two months will reflect the holiday shopping season and corporation income tax payment estimates, which are due multiple times per year, including December.

Tax relief ‘job one’ for Kansas GOP lawmakers amid revenue shortfalls, governor’s caution

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction Saturday.

Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more, but the fast-paced bidding far outpaced that amount within seconds and tripled it within minutes. A few bidders making offers by phone volleyed back and forth for 15 minutes as the price climbed to the final, eye-popping sum.

Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.

Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began late Saturday afternoon.

This slippers were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case.

Their whereabouts remained a mystery until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5f15402e28f04341b6a25d179b070fc5">the FBI recovered them in 2018.</a>&nbsp;Martin, now 77, who lives near Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota, wasn't publicly exposed as the thief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solen-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-5d142469ad5f052f6af053d20dbf20c4">until he was indicted</a>&nbsp;in May 2023. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wizard-oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-f2bd6d4455a9821c311d1d0a03f6d77a">pleaded guilty in October 2023.</a>&nbsp;He was in a wheelchair and on supplementary oxygen when he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-sentencing-2479d587123b97eda5c47672322d2d6e">sentenced last January</a>&nbsp;to time served because of his poor health.

His attorney, Dane DeKrey, explained ahead of sentencing that Martin, who had a long history of burglary and receiving stolen property, was attempting to pull off “one last score” after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value. But a fence — a person who buys stolen goods — later told him the rubies were just glass, DeKrey said. So Martin got rid of the slippers. The attorney didn't specify how.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684352824766.png" alt="FILE - Ruby slippers once worn by Judy Garland in the "The Wizard of Oz," are displayed at a news conference, Sept. 4, 2018, at the FBI office in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Ruby slippers once worn by Judy Garland in the "The Wizard of Oz," are displayed at a news conference, Sept. 4, 2018, at the FBI office in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction Saturday.Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more, but the fast-paced bidding far outpaced that amount within seconds and tripled it within minutes. A few bidders making offers by phone volleyed back and forth for 15 minutes as the price climbed to the final, eye-popping sum.Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began late Saturday afternoon.This slippers were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case.Their whereabouts remained a mystery until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5f15402e28f04341b6a25d179b070fc5">the FBI recovered them in 2018.</a>&nbsp;Martin, now 77, who lives near Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota, wasn't publicly exposed as the thief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solen-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-5d142469ad5f052f6af053d20dbf20c4">until he was indicted</a>&nbsp;in May 2023. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wizard-oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-judy-garland-f2bd6d4455a9821c311d1d0a03f6d77a">pleaded guilty in October 2023.</a>&nbsp;He was in a wheelchair and on supplementary oxygen when he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-stolen-ruby-slippers-sentencing-2479d587123b97eda5c47672322d2d6e">sentenced last January</a>&nbsp;to time served because of his poor health.His attorney, Dane DeKrey, explained ahead of sentencing that Martin, who had a long history of burglary and receiving stolen property, was attempting to pull off “one last score” after an old associate with connections to the mob told him the shoes had to be adorned with real jewels to justify their $1 million insured value. But a fence — a person who buys stolen goods — later told him the rubies were just glass, DeKrey said. So Martin got rid of the slippers. The attorney didn't specify how.The alleged fence, Jerry Hal Saliterman, 77, of the Minneapolis suburb of Crystal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wizard-oz-ruby-slippers-dorothy-judy-garland-e96057028c8d1b5ab6c4ffeef28fd123">was indicted in March</a>. He was also in a wheelchair and on oxygen when he made his first court appearance. He's scheduled to go on trial in January and hasn't entered a plea, though his attorney has said he's not guilty.The shoes were returned in February to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. They were one of several pairs that Garland wore during the filming, but only four pairs are known to have survived. In the movie, to return from Oz to Kansas, Dorothy had to click her heels three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home.”As Rhys Thomas, author of “The Ruby Slippers of Oz,” put it, the sequined shoes from the beloved 1939 musical have seen “more twists and turns than the Yellow Brick Road.”Over 800 people had been tracking the slippers, and the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/props/the-wizard-of-oz-mgm-1939-judy-garland-dorothy-gale-screen-matched-ruby-slippers/a/7388-89182.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515">webpage for the auction</a>&nbsp;had hit nearly 43,000 page views by Thursday, said Robert Wilonsky, a vice president with the auction house.After the slippers sold, the auctioneer told bidders and spectators in the room and watching online that the previous record for a piece of entertainment memorabilia was $5.52 million, for the white dress Marilyn Monroe famously wore atop a windy subway grate.The auction also included other memorabilia from “The Wizard of Oz,” such as a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the original Wicked Witch of the West. That item went for $2.4 million, or a total final cost to the buyer of $2.93 million.“The Wizard of Oz” story has gained new attention in recent weeks with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movie-review-wicked-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-784258a509b990dbd34206c4991e2c6b">release of the movie “Wicked,”</a>&nbsp;an adaptation of the megahit Broadway musical, a prequel of sorts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movie-review-wicked-cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-784258a509b990dbd34206c4991e2c6b">reimagines the character</a>&nbsp;of the Wicked Witch of the West.