WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed legislation Wednesday that compels his administration to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts.

Trump could have chosen to release many of the files on his own months ago.

“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump said in a social media post as he announced he had signed the bill.

Now, the bill requires the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days. It allows for redactions about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but DOJ cannot withhold information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

It was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-congress-trump-house-297a66ce48bd2a67c571bc643e32ef71">remarkable turn of events</a>&nbsp;for what was once a farfetched effort to force the disclosure of case files from an odd congressional coalition of Democrats, one GOP antagonist of the president, and a handful of erstwhile Trump loyalists. As recently as last week, the Trump administration even summoned one Republican proponent of releasing the files, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, to the Situation Room to discuss the matter, although she did not change her mind.

But over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a sharp U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the GOP agenda and indicated he wanted to move on.

“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had,” Trump said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon, explaining the rationale for his abrupt about-face.

The House passed the legislation on a 427-1 vote, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clay-higgins-epstein-files-124f8e8104f7d39b0b57d0e8b8305386">Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., being the sole dissenter</a>. He argued that the bill’s language could lead to the release of information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation. The Senate later approved it unanimously, skipping a formal vote.

It’s long been established that Trump had been friends with Epstein, the disgraced financier who was close to the world’s elite. But the president has consistently said he did not know of Epstein’s crimes and had cut ties with him long ago.

Before Trump returned to the White House for a second term, some of his closest political allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">helped fuel conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;about the government’s handling of the Epstein case, asserting a cover-up of potentially incriminating information in those files.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Epstein photo New York Sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Epstein photo New York Sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed legislation Wednesday that compels his administration to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts.Trump could have chosen to release many of the files on his own months ago.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://t.co/1wOibgzIvg">pic.twitter.com/1wOibgzIvg</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991315973425754570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump said in a social media post as he announced he had signed the bill.Now, the bill requires the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days. It allows for redactions about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but DOJ cannot withhold information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”It was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-congress-trump-house-297a66ce48bd2a67c571bc643e32ef71">remarkable turn of events</a>&nbsp;for what was once a farfetched effort to force the disclosure of case files from an odd congressional coalition of Democrats, one GOP antagonist of the president, and a handful of erstwhile Trump loyalists. As recently as last week, the Trump administration even summoned one Republican proponent of releasing the files, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, to the Situation Room to discuss the matter, although she did not change her mind.But over the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-trump-congress-c858fcd7d587bb61d1b73753487b0ee1">Trump did a sharp U-turn</a>&nbsp;on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the GOP agenda and indicated he wanted to move on.“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had,” Trump said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon, explaining the rationale for his abrupt about-face.The House passed the legislation on a 427-1 vote, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clay-higgins-epstein-files-124f8e8104f7d39b0b57d0e8b8305386">Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., being the sole dissenter</a>. He argued that the bill’s language could lead to the release of information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation. The Senate later approved it unanimously, skipping a formal vote.It’s long been established that Trump had been friends with Epstein, the disgraced financier who was close to the world’s elite. But the president has consistently said he did not know of Epstein’s crimes and had cut ties with him long ago.Before Trump returned to the White House for a second term, some of his closest political allies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-conspiracy-theories-bondi-bongino-fbi-a143076353acbc1193cb9697e7fc4a90">helped fuel conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;about the government’s handling of the Epstein case, asserting a cover-up of potentially incriminating information in those files.

Trump rips Dems as he signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files

By:&nbsp;BRENT MAYCOCK KSHSAA Covered

Given the performances at the last three Unified Bowling state championships, Benjamin Bergman’s claim was dead on.

“We’ve established that the WAC’s the conference to beat,” the Hays senior said of the Western Athletic Conference’s recent run of dominance at the state tournament, one that continued Tuesday at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka.

Two years ago, Garden City became the first WAC school to hoist the championship trophy, leading a 1-2 finish for the conference after narrowly edging Liberal by seven pins for the title. Last year, it was Great Bend taking its turn at the top with the Panthers leading a 1-2-3 WAC finish with Hays and Liberal taking second and third, respectively.

That foursome went into Tuesday’s meet as the favorites following a 1-2-3-4 regional finish led by Liberal and one in which all four of their team scores were more than 100 pins better than any other regional champion.

But after seeing his conference rivals claim state and regional titles at the Indians’ expense, Bergman was ready for a bit of role reversal on Tuesday.

“It was our time to have the spotlight,” Bergman said. “This was definitely the year for us to do it, our strongest season yet.”

After taking a distant second to Great Bend at state last year and finishing runner-up to Liberal at last week’s regional meet, Hays put everything together on Tuesday and found its way to the top at state. 

The Indians posted a total of 1,115 pins that not only was a program-best, but also broke the state record set by Great Bend a year ago when the Panthers won the state title by 165 pins with a 1,110 total. Hays had no such cushion with its record-setting mark as both Liberal and Great Bend finished with totals over 1,000 as well.

Hays’ winning margin was a mere 23 pins as Liberal, which beat the Indians by 40 pins at regionals last week, took second with a 1,092 total while defending champion Great Bend was third at 1,013.

“Regionals was a little bit of a disappointment but we got first at state to make up for it,” Bergman said. “It was tough (at regionals). We didn’t bowl our best, but they had their best score of the season. So I think we just had to prove we could bowl better.”

Hays coach Richard Hodges said the focus at state wasn’t on what Liberal or anyone else had done at regionals. Instead, the focus was internal.

“We don’t come to compete with the field,” Hodges said. “We come to compete with ourselves. Each week, with the exception of one regular season meet, we improved our overall score every single time. That’s really what we wanted to reach. Today was no different. We came to roll one ball at a time and focus on what we can control and then see where we were.

“With the WAC being stout competition, we knew in the back of our heads that if we didn’t deliver, it was going to show up. But as long as we out-did ourselves we had a chance.”

Great Bend, which was a distant third at regionals, got off to a start that showed the Panthers weren’t going to relinquish their title without a fight. The Panthers had the only game over 200 in the first game with a 201 and then followed it up with a 203.

Hays stayed well within striking distance, however, turning in games of 189 and 201 to start to sit at 390 after two of the six games, just 14 behind the Panthers. At that point, it was largely a two-team race with Liberal following an opening game of 184 with a 129.

When Hays put together a 195 third game and Great Bend slipped to a 145, the Indians were well clear of the field.

“We made our shots, then we calmed down for a second, breathe and then focused,” said Indian junior Ethan Kuhlmann. “We just stayed focused. (Coach) helped us and helped me get my good shots and strikes.”

After a bit of a lull in the fourth game with a 148, the heat was suddenly on the Indians. After its down second game, Liberal roared to life with games of 184 and 219 to close the gap on Hays to just 17 pins.

But Hays’ found its groove again in the fifth game with a 226 that was the highest game for any team on the day. Liberal hung tough with a 204 fifth game, but faced a 39 pin deficit going into the last game. It was just enough for Hays to hang on as the Indians finished with a 156, but Liberal only managed a 172 to come up 23 pins short.

Great Bend never really got back into its groove from the first two games with its highest game in the final four a 167 closing game to finish 79 pins behind Liberal in third.

“The kids were huge,” Hodges said. “The biggest challenge for me was just keeping the focus where it needed to be. We don’t take it lightly what we did. We genuinely pride ourselves on focusing what we control and that’s our mindset.”

Bergman and Kuhlmann were joined by juniors Xander Clark, Camaron Daughhetee and Keaton Brown, each seemingly having their moments where they came up with a big spare or strike. Even in a missed mark, the Indians remained upbeat and as they waited for the final team scores to be read off, they huddled in anticipation knowing it was tight with their WAC rivals.

When it was announced they’d won, the celebration began.

“It was really fun,” Kuhlmann said. “I was cheering and I like to cheer and I like my friends. My team helped me. Thanks to them, to God and Go Hays High!”

Hays 1,115, Liberal 1,092, Great Bend 1,013, Garden City 917, Olathe East 823, Chanute 810, Campus 798, Basehor-Linwood 797, Shawnee Mission East 790, Washburn Rural 772, Shawnee Mission Northwest 764, Lansing 748, Olathe Northwest 745, Free State 735, Blue Valley Northwest 722, Olathe West 721, Seaman 721, Baldwin 708, Blue Valley North 696, Turner 679.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763602859499.png" alt="Hays bowlers celebrate after the Indians were announced as the 2025 Unified Bowling state champion. (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>Hays bowlers celebrate after the Indians were announced as the 2025 Unified Bowling state champion. (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;BRENT MAYCOCK KSHSAA CoveredGiven the performances at the last three Unified Bowling state championships, Benjamin Bergman’s claim was dead on.“We’ve established that the WAC’s the conference to beat,” the Hays senior said of the Western Athletic Conference’s recent run of dominance at the state tournament, one that continued Tuesday at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka.Two years ago, Garden City became the first WAC school to hoist the championship trophy, leading a 1-2 finish for the conference after narrowly edging Liberal by seven pins for the title. Last year, it was Great Bend taking its turn at the top with the Panthers leading a 1-2-3 WAC finish with Hays and Liberal taking second and third, respectively.That foursome went into Tuesday’s meet as the favorites following a 1-2-3-4 regional finish led by Liberal and one in which all four of their team scores were more than 100 pins better than any other regional champion.But after seeing his conference rivals claim state and regional titles at the Indians’ expense, Bergman was ready for a bit of role reversal on Tuesday.“It was our time to have the spotlight,” Bergman said. “This was definitely the year for us to do it, our strongest season yet.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763603020755.png" alt="Hays celebrates its first Unified Bowling state championship. (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>Hays celebrates its first Unified Bowling state championship. (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure>After taking a distant second to Great Bend at state last year and finishing runner-up to Liberal at last week’s regional meet, Hays put everything together on Tuesday and found its way to the top at state. The Indians posted a total of 1,115 pins that not only was a program-best, but also broke the state record set by Great Bend a year ago when the Panthers won the state title by 165 pins with a 1,110 total. Hays had no such cushion with its record-setting mark as both Liberal and Great Bend finished with totals over 1,000 as well.Hays’ winning margin was a mere 23 pins as Liberal, which beat the Indians by 40 pins at regionals last week, took second with a 1,092 total while defending champion Great Bend was third at 1,013.“Regionals was a little bit of a disappointment but we got first at state to make up for it,” Bergman said. “It was tough (at regionals). We didn’t bowl our best, but they had their best score of the season. So I think we just had to prove we could bowl better.”Hays coach Richard Hodges said the focus at state wasn’t on what Liberal or anyone else had done at regionals. Instead, the focus was internal.“We don’t come to compete with the field,” Hodges said. “We come to compete with ourselves. Each week, with the exception of one regular season meet, we improved our overall score every single time. That’s really what we wanted to reach. Today was no different. We came to roll one ball at a time and focus on what we can control and then see where we were.“With the WAC being stout competition, we knew in the back of our heads that if we didn’t deliver, it was going to show up. But as long as we out-did ourselves we had a chance.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763603108612.png" alt="(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend, which was a distant third at regionals, got off to a start that showed the Panthers weren’t going to relinquish their title without a fight. The Panthers had the only game over 200 in the first game with a 201 and then followed it up with a 203.Hays stayed well within striking distance, however, turning in games of 189 and 201 to start to sit at 390 after two of the six games, just 14 behind the Panthers. At that point, it was largely a two-team race with Liberal following an opening game of 184 with a 129.When Hays put together a 195 third game and Great Bend slipped to a 145, the Indians were well clear of the field.“We made our shots, then we calmed down for a second, breathe and then focused,” said Indian junior Ethan Kuhlmann. “We just stayed focused. (Coach) helped us and helped me get my good shots and strikes.”After a bit of a lull in the fourth game with a 148, the heat was suddenly on the Indians. After its down second game, Liberal roared to life with games of 184 and 219 to close the gap on Hays to just 17 pins.But Hays’ found its groove again in the fifth game with a 226 that was the highest game for any team on the day. Liberal hung tough with a 204 fifth game, but faced a 39 pin deficit going into the last game. It was just enough for Hays to hang on as the Indians finished with a 156, but Liberal only managed a 172 to come up 23 pins short.Great Bend never really got back into its groove from the first two games with its highest game in the final four a 167 closing game to finish 79 pins behind Liberal in third.“The kids were huge,” Hodges said. “The biggest challenge for me was just keeping the focus where it needed to be. We don’t take it lightly what we did. We genuinely pride ourselves on focusing what we control and that’s our mindset.”Bergman and Kuhlmann were joined by juniors Xander Clark, Camaron Daughhetee and Keaton Brown, each seemingly having their moments where they came up with a big spare or strike. Even in a missed mark, the Indians remained upbeat and as they waited for the final team scores to be read off, they huddled in anticipation knowing it was tight with their WAC rivals.When it was announced they’d won, the celebration began.“It was really fun,” Kuhlmann said. “I was cheering and I like to cheer and I like my friends. My team helped me. Thanks to them, to God and Go Hays High!”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763603205421.png" alt="

2025 Unified Bowling state champion Hays (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>

2025 Unified Bowling state champion Hays (Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure>UNIFIED BOWLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPSAt West Ridge Lanes, TopekaTEAM SCORESHays 1,115, Liberal 1,092, Great Bend 1,013, Garden City 917, Olathe East 823, Chanute 810, Campus 798, Basehor-Linwood 797, Shawnee Mission East 790, Washburn Rural 772, Shawnee Mission Northwest 764, Lansing 748, Olathe Northwest 745, Free State 735, Blue Valley Northwest 722, Olathe West 721, Seaman 721, Baldwin 708, Blue Valley North 696, Turner 679.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763603305269.png" alt="(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763603362092.png" alt="(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)" />
 <figcaption>(Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered)</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎳 Hays takes its turn in leading WAC dominance at Unified Bowling state championships

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;hit another hurdle Wednesday as the Justice Department encountered mounting questions about how the case was presented to a grand jury for indictment.

The development risked further imperiling a politically charged prosecution already subject to multiple challenges and demands for its dismissal. It came during a hearing in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-justice-department-trump-russia-fbi-e28deb290bd8f65f411fa11b64b93bad">Comey's lawyers asked</a>&nbsp;U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff to throw out the case on grounds that the government was being vindictive and as a separate challenge to Lindsey Halligan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-letitia-james-justice-department-ff6435d7bdbcc9e9495844899c7e2c4e">the hastily appointed and inexperienced prosecutor</a>&nbsp;who secured the indictment, is pending.

The Justice Department's acknowledgment under questioning from a judge that the full grand jury did not review a copy of the final indictment is the latest indication of its seemingly disjointed pursuit of a criminal case against one of President Donald Trump's political enemies. Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">fired by Trump in May 2017</a>&nbsp;while overseeing an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. The two have been publicly at odds ever since, with Trump deriding Comey as “a weak and untruthful slime ball” and calling for his prosecution.

Concerns about the legal process came into focus earlier in the week when a different judge in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-halligan-justice-department-d663148e16d042087210d4d266ea10ae">raised questions about what he said were “profound investigative missteps,”</a>&nbsp;including misstatements of law to the grand jury. The Justice Department denies that the process was tainted by irregularities.

Halligan initially asked the grand jury to return a three-count indictment against Comey. But after the grand jurors rejected one of the proposed counts, the Justice Department subsequently secured a second two-count indictment that accused Comey of making a false statement and obstructing Congress. Comey has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

In a blistering ruling Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, also handling parts of the case, said that after reviewing a transcript of the grand jury proceedings, he had questions about whether the full grand jury had reviewed the final two-count indictment that was returned.

Nachmanoff, the trial judge, pressed the Justice Department about Fitzpatrick's concerns during a court session Wednesday that chiefly focused on Comey's vindictiveness arguments. After conferring privately with Halligan, Tyler Lemons, one of the prosecutors, acknowledged that the revised indictment was not shown to all of the grand jurors.

“I was not there, but that is my understanding, your honor,” Lemons said.

Nachmanoff called Halligan to the lectern and asked her who was present when the final indictment was presented to a magistrate. She said only two grand jurors, including the foreperson, were there.

Comey lawyer Michael Dreeben called the government’s failure to present the final indictment to the entire grand jury grounds for dismissing the case. He also argued that the statute of limitations for the charged crimes has elapsed without a valid indictment.

“That would be tantamount to a bar of further prosecution in this case,” Dreeben said.

Nachmanoff did not issue an immediate decision, saying “the issues are too weighty and too complex” for a bench ruling.

The Justice Department dismissed the import of the revelation in a pair of Wednesday evening filings, saying that the two charges in the final indictment were identical to the two counts the grand jury approved when presented with the proposed indictment.

“Given that the grand jury was presented with the two counts on which it voted to return an indictment and in fact voted upon those counts,” prosecutors said, the case need not be dismissed.

Dreeben separately argued that the prosecution was improperly vindictive and rooted in Trump’s quest for retribution, circumstances requiring a dismissal.

“The president’s use of the Department of Justice to bring a criminal prosecution against a vocal and prominent critic in order to punish and deter those who would speak out against him violates the Constitution,” Dreeben said.

Though vindictive prosecution motions are not often successful, Comey’s lawyers have laid out a laundry list of verbal attacks from Trump in hopes of establishing the case as an outgrowth of the president's personal animus.

Trump amplified his long-running demands for a Comey prosecution with a September social media post&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">in which he complained to Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;about the lack of action against his political opponents. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation,” Trump wrote, adding that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

“If this is not a direction to prosecute,” Dreeben said in court, “I’d really be at a loss to say what is.”

The night of that post, Trump said he would appoint Halligan, a White House aide without prior prosecutorial experience, as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, on an interim basis. She replaced a veteran prosecutor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">who was effectively forced from the job</a>&nbsp;after not charging Comey or another Trump foe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/letitia-james">New York Attorney General Letitia James.</a>

Halligan secured an indictment of Comey days later as the statute of limitations on the case was about to expire. The charges are related to sworn testimony about whether Comey had authorized an FBI colleague to serve as an anonymous source to the news media.

Asked by Nachmanoff whether he considered Halligan to be a “stalking horse” or “puppet” for the administration, Dreeben demurred and opted against that characterization. But, he said, “She did what she was told to do."

Presidents, Dreeben said, have other tools at their disposal to punish critics, but bringing the full weight of the Justice Department to bear is impermissible.

“The government cannot use power of criminal prosecutions to attempt to silence a critic in violation of the First Amendment,” he said.

Lemons, the Justice Department prosecutor, insisted that Comey was indicted by a “properly constituted” grand jury because he broke the law — not because Trump ordered it.

“The defendant is not being put on trial for anything he said about the president,” Lemons said.

Lemons said nobody directed Halligan to prosecute Comey or seek his indictment.

“It was her decision and her decision only,” he added.

But Nachmanoff noted that Trump appointed Halligan just days before she presented the Comey case to the grand jury.

“What independent evaluation could she have done in that time period?” he asked Lemons.

Nachmanoff asked Lemons whether he has seen a “declination memo” in which prosecutors had outlined reasons for not seeking an indictment against Comey. Lemons said the department had instructed him not to disclose that “privileged” information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758848907803.png" alt="Former FBI Director James Comey from his Instagram account" />
 <figcaption>Former FBI Director James Comey from his Instagram account</figcaption>
 </figure>ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey">FBI Director James Comey</a>&nbsp;hit another hurdle Wednesday as the Justice Department encountered mounting questions about how the case was presented to a grand jury for indictment.The development risked further imperiling a politically charged prosecution already subject to multiple challenges and demands for its dismissal. It came during a hearing in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-justice-department-trump-russia-fbi-e28deb290bd8f65f411fa11b64b93bad">Comey's lawyers asked</a>&nbsp;U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff to throw out the case on grounds that the government was being vindictive and as a separate challenge to Lindsey Halligan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-letitia-james-justice-department-ff6435d7bdbcc9e9495844899c7e2c4e">the hastily appointed and inexperienced prosecutor</a>&nbsp;who secured the indictment, is pending.The Justice Department's acknowledgment under questioning from a judge that the full grand jury did not review a copy of the final indictment is the latest indication of its seemingly disjointed pursuit of a criminal case against one of President Donald Trump's political enemies. Comey was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">fired by Trump in May 2017</a>&nbsp;while overseeing an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. The two have been publicly at odds ever since, with Trump deriding Comey as “a weak and untruthful slime ball” and calling for his prosecution.Concerns about the legal process came into focus earlier in the week when a different judge in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/comey-halligan-justice-department-d663148e16d042087210d4d266ea10ae">raised questions about what he said were “profound investigative missteps,”</a>&nbsp;including misstatements of law to the grand jury. The Justice Department denies that the process was tainted by irregularities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758884974711.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758885000026.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A story of two indictments</h2>Halligan initially asked the grand jury to return a three-count indictment against Comey. But after the grand jurors rejected one of the proposed counts, the Justice Department subsequently secured a second two-count indictment that accused Comey of making a false statement and obstructing Congress. Comey has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.In a blistering ruling Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, also handling parts of the case, said that after reviewing a transcript of the grand jury proceedings, he had questions about whether the full grand jury had reviewed the final two-count indictment that was returned.Nachmanoff, the trial judge, pressed the Justice Department about Fitzpatrick's concerns during a court session Wednesday that chiefly focused on Comey's vindictiveness arguments. After conferring privately with Halligan, Tyler Lemons, one of the prosecutors, acknowledged that the revised indictment was not shown to all of the grand jurors.“I was not there, but that is my understanding, your honor,” Lemons said.Nachmanoff called Halligan to the lectern and asked her who was present when the final indictment was presented to a magistrate. She said only two grand jurors, including the foreperson, were there.Comey lawyer Michael Dreeben called the government’s failure to present the final indictment to the entire grand jury grounds for dismissing the case. He also argued that the statute of limitations for the charged crimes has elapsed without a valid indictment.“That would be tantamount to a bar of further prosecution in this case,” Dreeben said.Nachmanoff did not issue an immediate decision, saying “the issues are too weighty and too complex” for a bench ruling.The Justice Department dismissed the import of the revelation in a pair of Wednesday evening filings, saying that the two charges in the final indictment were identical to the two counts the grand jury approved when presented with the proposed indictment.“Given that the grand jury was presented with the two counts on which it voted to return an indictment and in fact voted upon those counts,” prosecutors said, the case need not be dismissed.<h2>Claims of vindictiveness</h2>Dreeben separately argued that the prosecution was improperly vindictive and rooted in Trump’s quest for retribution, circumstances requiring a dismissal.“The president’s use of the Department of Justice to bring a criminal prosecution against a vocal and prominent critic in order to punish and deter those who would speak out against him violates the Constitution,” Dreeben said.Though vindictive prosecution motions are not often successful, Comey’s lawyers have laid out a laundry list of verbal attacks from Trump in hopes of establishing the case as an outgrowth of the president's personal animus.Trump amplified his long-running demands for a Comey prosecution with a September social media post&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-eastern-district-of-virginia-trump-8c84bd8603a4b932f9cb2e451ef057a3">in which he complained to Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>&nbsp;about the lack of action against his political opponents. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation,” Trump wrote, adding that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”“If this is not a direction to prosecute,” Dreeben said in court, “I’d really be at a loss to say what is.”The night of that post, Trump said he would appoint Halligan, a White House aide without prior prosecutorial experience, as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, on an interim basis. She replaced a veteran prosecutor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert-trump-9ec1a96c05fa77d8acc558bd803622a2">who was effectively forced from the job</a>&nbsp;after not charging Comey or another Trump foe,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/letitia-james">New York Attorney General Letitia James.</a>Halligan secured an indictment of Comey days later as the statute of limitations on the case was about to expire. The charges are related to sworn testimony about whether Comey had authorized an FBI colleague to serve as an anonymous source to the news media.Asked by Nachmanoff whether he considered Halligan to be a “stalking horse” or “puppet” for the administration, Dreeben demurred and opted against that characterization. But, he said, “She did what she was told to do."Presidents, Dreeben said, have other tools at their disposal to punish critics, but bringing the full weight of the Justice Department to bear is impermissible.“The government cannot use power of criminal prosecutions to attempt to silence a critic in violation of the First Amendment,” he said.Lemons, the Justice Department prosecutor, insisted that Comey was indicted by a “properly constituted” grand jury because he broke the law — not because Trump ordered it.“The defendant is not being put on trial for anything he said about the president,” Lemons said.Lemons said nobody directed Halligan to prosecute Comey or seek his indictment.“It was her decision and her decision only,” he added.But Nachmanoff noted that Trump appointed Halligan just days before she presented the Comey case to the grand jury.“What independent evaluation could she have done in that time period?” he asked Lemons.Nachmanoff asked Lemons whether he has seen a “declination memo” in which prosecutors had outlined reasons for not seeking an indictment against Comey. Lemons said the department had instructed him not to disclose that “privileged” information.

Stunning admission in prosecution of former FBI Director

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Three student-athletes representing the Fort Hays State volleyball team earned All-MIAA recognition for their performance during the 2025 season, announced Wednesday (Nov. 19) by the league office. Gracie Rains headlined the list with a second team honor, while Kirsten Evans and Ashlyn Reeves were both honorable mention picks.

This is Rains' third all-conference accolade after picking up second team status as a junior and honorable mention recognition as a sophomore. She is the first three-time All-MIAA selection for FHSU since Riley Tinder (2021-23). The outside hitter led the Tigers with 2.78 kills per set, ranking 13th in the MIAA, while posting an attack percentage of .215 and 264 total kills.

Rains recently became the ninth Tiger in program history to surpass 1,000 career kills, now with 1,019 in 100 career matches. The Maize, Kan. native added 24 blocks and 54 digs this season, including a career-best seven solo blocks. She surpassed 10 kills 13 times this season, including a season-best 17 in a win over Arkansas-Fort Smith (10/18).

Evans picked up her first All-MIAA honor after leading the Tigers with 3.87 digs per set, ninth-most in the conference. The Ottawa, Kan. native reached double figures in digs 23 times, including five matches with 20 or more digs. She racked up a season-best 24 digs in a five-set win over Missouri Southern.

The libero led the Tigers with 34 service aces, seventh-most in the league, including eight matches with multiple aces. She was the only Tiger to play in all 101 sets this season and added 77 assists and seven kills.

This is the first All-MIAA recognition for Reeves, who led the Tigers with 89 total blocks including 12 solo swats. The junior ranks ninth in the league in total blocks and was 12th in the league with 0.92 blocks per set. Reeves picked up multiple blocks 23 times in 28 matches this season, including eight matches with five or more rejections and a season-best seven blocks in a win over Kansas Wesleyan.

The Basehor, Kan. native was also a key part of the Tiger offense, ranking second on the team with 214 kills, 2.21 kills per set and a swing rate of .249. She recorded 10 or more kills eight times, including a season-high 14 kills in three different matches.

Evans, Rains, Reeves and the rest of their Tiger teammates will play in the postseason for the second year in a row beginning Thursday (Nov. 20) when Fort Hays State battles No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 MIAA Championship Tournament. First serve is set for 5 p.m. from St. Joseph, Mo.

2025 POSTSEASON AWARDS &amp; ALL-MIAA TEAMS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Austin Broadie, Washburn, RS, Sr.

HITTER OF THE YEAR: Sydney Huck, Central Oklahoma, Sr.

BLOCKER OF THE YEAR: Anna Dean, Pittsburg State, Sr.

SETTER OF THE YEAR: Peyton Neff, Nebraska Kearney, Gr.

LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Kaitlyn Parrott, Central Oklahoma, Sr.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lavra Krizanic, Emporia State, LS

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jessica Fey, Missouri Western

OH      Sydney Huck – Central Oklahoma*

OH      Carly Purdee – Nebraska Kearney

RS       Taylor Russell – Missouri Western

MB      Mikiah Perdue – Central Oklahoma

MB      Rachel Ziesman – Central Missouri

S          Lindsey Houran – Central Oklahoma

S          Peyton Neff – Nebraska Kearney*

L/DS   Kaitlyn Parrott – Central Oklahoma

L/DS   Grace Winkelmann – Central Missouri

OH      Alana Moesch – Missouri Southern

OH      Brynn Stowell – Nebraska Kearney

S          Kayla Baer – Central Missouri

S          Ella Caffery – Northwest Missouri

Central Missouri – Shaye Koski, OH; Kaelyn McDonald, MB

Central Oklahoma – Riley Roberts, OH; Lari Migliorino, MB

Emporia State – Mia Frisbie, MB; Brailee Bogle, S

Fort Hays State – Ashlyn Reeves, MB; Kirsten Evans, L/DS

Missouri Western – Noelle Sutcliffe, OH; Trista Marx, MB

Northwest Missouri – Kasidy Mohwinkle, RS

Pittsburg State – Josie McCroskey, L/DS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763650208864.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Three student-athletes representing the Fort Hays State volleyball team earned All-MIAA recognition for their performance during the 2025 season, announced Wednesday (Nov. 19) by the league office. Gracie Rains headlined the list with a second team honor, while Kirsten Evans and Ashlyn Reeves were both honorable mention picks.This is Rains' third all-conference accolade after picking up second team status as a junior and honorable mention recognition as a sophomore. She is the first three-time All-MIAA selection for FHSU since Riley Tinder (2021-23). The outside hitter led the Tigers with 2.78 kills per set, ranking 13th in the MIAA, while posting an attack percentage of .215 and 264 total kills.Rains recently became the ninth Tiger in program history to surpass 1,000 career kills, now with 1,019 in 100 career matches. The Maize, Kan. native added 24 blocks and 54 digs this season, including a career-best seven solo blocks. She surpassed 10 kills 13 times this season, including a season-best 17 in a win over Arkansas-Fort Smith (10/18).Evans picked up her first All-MIAA honor after leading the Tigers with 3.87 digs per set, ninth-most in the conference. The Ottawa, Kan. native reached double figures in digs 23 times, including five matches with 20 or more digs. She racked up a season-best 24 digs in a five-set win over Missouri Southern.The libero led the Tigers with 34 service aces, seventh-most in the league, including eight matches with multiple aces. She was the only Tiger to play in all 101 sets this season and added 77 assists and seven kills.This is the first All-MIAA recognition for Reeves, who led the Tigers with 89 total blocks including 12 solo swats. The junior ranks ninth in the league in total blocks and was 12th in the league with 0.92 blocks per set. Reeves picked up multiple blocks 23 times in 28 matches this season, including eight matches with five or more rejections and a season-best seven blocks in a win over Kansas Wesleyan.The Basehor, Kan. native was also a key part of the Tiger offense, ranking second on the team with 214 kills, 2.21 kills per set and a swing rate of .249. She recorded 10 or more kills eight times, including a season-high 14 kills in three different matches.Evans, Rains, Reeves and the rest of their Tiger teammates will play in the postseason for the second year in a row beginning Thursday (Nov. 20) when Fort Hays State battles No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 MIAA Championship Tournament. First serve is set for 5 p.m. from St. Joseph, Mo.2025 POSTSEASON AWARDS &amp; ALL-MIAA TEAMSPLAYER OF THE YEAR: Austin Broadie, Washburn, RS, Sr.HITTER OF THE YEAR: Sydney Huck, Central Oklahoma, Sr.BLOCKER OF THE YEAR: Anna Dean, Pittsburg State, Sr.SETTER OF THE YEAR: Peyton Neff, Nebraska Kearney, Gr.LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Kaitlyn Parrott, Central Oklahoma, Sr.FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lavra Krizanic, Emporia State, LSCOACH OF THE YEAR: Jessica Fey, Missouri WesternALL-MIAA FIRST TEAMOH Nyia Anderson – Emporia StateOH Sydney Huck – Central Oklahoma*OH Emilee Lane – Nebraska KearneyOH Carly Purdee – Nebraska KearneyOH Emma Siron – Central MissouriRS Austin Broadie – Washburn*RS Taylor Russell – Missouri WesternMB Anna Dean – Pittsburg StateMB Bella Limback - WashburnMB Mikiah Perdue – Central OklahomaMB Emma Salker – Missouri WesternMB Rachel Ziesman – Central MissouriS Lindsey Houran – Central OklahomaS Peyton Neff – Nebraska Kearney*L/DS Kaitlyn Parrott – Central OklahomaL/DS Grace Winkelmann – Central Missouri*Indicates Unanimous Selection(team reflects ties in voting)ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAMOH Holly Heldt – Missouri WesternOH Lavra Krizanic – Emporia StateOH Alana Moesch – Missouri SouthernOH Gracie Rains – Fort Hays StateOH Brynn Stowell – Nebraska KearneyOH Brynne Topolski – WashburnMB Alex Dvorak – WashburnMB Abby Rose – Nebraska KearneyS Kayla Baer – Central MissouriS Ella Caffery – Northwest MissouriS Corinna McMullen – WashburnL/DS Boglarka Rady – Emporia StateL/DS Taylor Rottinghaus - WashburnL/DS Ellie Spang – Nebraska KearneyL/DS Anna Weberg – Missouri Western(team reflects ties in voting)ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTIONCentral Missouri – Shaye Koski, OH; Kaelyn McDonald, MBCentral Oklahoma – Riley Roberts, OH; Lari Migliorino, MBEmporia State – Mia Frisbie, MB; Brailee Bogle, SFort Hays State – Ashlyn Reeves, MB; Kirsten Evans, L/DSMissouri Western – Noelle Sutcliffe, OH; Trista Marx, MBNebraska Kearney – Mia Berg, MBNorthwest Missouri – Kasidy Mohwinkle, RSPittsburg State – Josie McCroskey, L/DSWashburn – Keilah Rivers, OH

🏐 FHSU garners three All-MIAA honors

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

During its Tuesday meeting, the Ellis County Commission continued discussions on capital improvement projects, but staff reported the costs would be $3.7 million lower than initially estimated.

At last week’s commission meeting, Hutton representatives outlined initial project scopes and budget estimates for several improvements. The following are updated costs:

• Sheriff's office and communications department renovation, estimated cost of $2,986,097 • Combined EMS/fire facility in Ellis, estimated cost of $2,634,875 • Administrative Building fan coil units replacement, estimated cost of $1,700,000 • Courthouse HVAC replacement, estimated cost of $3,200,000 • Fire storage building at public works, estimated cost of $250,000 • Landfill transfer station expansion, estimated cost of $250,000

Hutton estimated the total cost at about $14.49 million, but commissioners lowered that figure to about $10.78 million after further review.

Darin Myers, county administrator, recommended removing the transfer station expansion from the bond package and instead funding it through solid waste reserve funds, with the project planned for 2027.

The commission explored issuing a $10 million to $11 million bond to cover the projects. Myers said the financing plan would not result in any increase in property taxes.

The Sheriff’s Office and communications renovation includes redesigned office space, upgraded security features and a new dispatch room. Once the Hays Police Department vacates the building in 2026, its former entrance area will be converted into a training room.

Myers said the main renovation totals about $2.4 million, but when adding jail security upgrades, relocating radio and dispatch equipment, the cost rises to about $2.9 million.

The new EMS and fire facility’s cost was lowered by almost $1 million by eliminating items such as storage space and drive-through bays. However, Myers said that adding those bays back in would depend on whether the city of Ellis wants them, which would increase the overall cost.

The courthouse’s Variable Refrigerant Flow heating system has been unreliable since it was installed in 2014, leading the county to spend $20,000 to $30,000 each year on repairs.

The commission expressed interest in switching to a water-to-air heat pump system with a lifespan of up to 40 years.

The administrative building has about 110 fan-coil units, many of which are leaking condensation and damaging ceiling tiles. Myers said some units are unused or have been replaced recently, so the actual number that needs replacement will be lower than 110.

The fire storage building will be placed on Public Works property at a lower-than-anticipated cost, with the commission receiving a local contractor estimate and even firefighters volunteering to do portions of the interior work.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684183971486.png" alt="Ellis County" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Ellis County Commission sees decrease costs for multiple projects" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=t876b-19c96a6-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300%22 loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
Podbean Player
 </div>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostDuring its Tuesday meeting, the Ellis County Commission continued discussions on capital improvement projects, but staff reported the costs would be $3.7 million lower than initially estimated.At last week’s commission meeting, Hutton representatives outlined initial project scopes and budget estimates for several improvements. The following are updated costs:• Sheriff's office and communications department renovation, estimated cost of $2,986,097 • Combined EMS/fire facility in Ellis, estimated cost of $2,634,875 • Administrative Building fan coil units replacement, estimated cost of $1,700,000 • Courthouse HVAC replacement, estimated cost of $3,200,000 • Fire storage building at public works, estimated cost of $250,000 • Landfill transfer station expansion, estimated cost of $250,000Hutton estimated the total cost at about $14.49 million, but commissioners lowered that figure to about $10.78 million after further review.Darin Myers, county administrator, recommended removing the transfer station expansion from the bond package and instead funding it through solid waste reserve funds, with the project planned for 2027.The commission explored issuing a $10 million to $11 million bond to cover the projects. Myers said the financing plan would not result in any increase in property taxes.The Sheriff’s Office and communications renovation includes redesigned office space, upgraded security features and a new dispatch room. Once the Hays Police Department vacates the building in 2026, its former entrance area will be converted into a training room.Myers said the main renovation totals about $2.4 million, but when adding jail security upgrades, relocating radio and dispatch equipment, the cost rises to about $2.9 million.The new EMS and fire facility’s cost was lowered by almost $1 million by eliminating items such as storage space and drive-through bays. However, Myers said that adding those bays back in would depend on whether the city of Ellis wants them, which would increase the overall cost.The courthouse’s Variable Refrigerant Flow heating system has been unreliable since it was installed in 2014, leading the county to spend $20,000 to $30,000 each year on repairs.The commission expressed interest in switching to a water-to-air heat pump system with a lifespan of up to 40 years.The administrative building has about 110 fan-coil units, many of which are leaking condensation and damaging ceiling tiles. Myers said some units are unused or have been replaced recently, so the actual number that needs replacement will be lower than 110.The fire storage building will be placed on Public Works property at a lower-than-anticipated cost, with the commission receiving a local contractor estimate and even firefighters volunteering to do portions of the interior work.

🎙 Ellis County Commission sees decreased costs for multiple projects

(RV) Fort Hays State (1-1) at South Dakota Mines (1-1) Wednesday, November 19 • 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT Rapid City, S.D. • King Center

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;RMAC Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://rmacnetwork.com/sdmines/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

After a 1-1 weekend to open the 2025-26 season at home, Fort Hays State will play its first road contest of the season on Wednesday night at South Dakota Mines. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, but 7 p.m. locally in Rapid City. Live streaming will be available on The RMAC Network, which can be purchased as a single-game ($10) or monthly ($25) subscription.

Both teams enter the game 1-1 overall on the season. FHSU is coming off a 65-56 win over No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State and a loss to RV Concordia-St. Paul 79-68 to open the year. The Hardrockers went 1-1 at home in a pair of back-to-back games against Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville.

The Tigers and Hardrockers are meeting for the fifth time in history, but this will be the first-ever meeting in Rapid City. The four previous games were all in Hays, all won by the Tigers. FHSU won last year 76-52 in Hays, which was the lowest amount of points scored by both teams in the all-time series. FHSU is averaging 84 points over the four previous meetings. Kyle Grill had 21 points and seven rebounds in the game between the schools last year.

Fort Hays State's win over No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State was its first over a top-10 ranked team at home since the 2007-08 season, when it defeated a No. 8 ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State squad. However, overall, the Tigers' last win over a top-10 team was back on New Year's Eve of the 2023-24 season when the Tigers defeated a No. 5 ranked Central Oklahoma team in Edmond.

Fort Hays State has done much of its damage in the paint this year, outscoring opponents 68-44 in that area. The Tigers have scored 51.1 percent of their points for the season in the paint so far.

Jahvari Martino is leading the Tigers in scoring so far at 15 per game. He had a season-high 17 in the win over Southwest Minnesota State. He is the only reserve off the bench to score for the Tigers so far this season. Five Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring, which also includes Grill, Eli Lawson, Lucas Hammeke, and Dan Mukuna.

Lawson posted a career-high in scoring and rebounds in the loss to Concordia-St. Paul. He had 23 points and seven rebounds. He made 10 field goals in that contest.

Jason Lee leads South Dakota Mines in scoring through two games, averaging 20.5 points. He had 27 in the season opener against Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville. He has scored 22 of his 41 points for the season at the free-throw line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763563864178.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics(RV) Fort Hays State (1-1) at South Dakota Mines (1-1) Wednesday, November 19 • 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT Rapid City, S.D. • King CenterRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;RMAC Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://rmacnetwork.com/sdmines/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>After a 1-1 weekend to open the 2025-26 season at home, Fort Hays State will play its first road contest of the season on Wednesday night at South Dakota Mines. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, but 7 p.m. locally in Rapid City. Live streaming will be available on The RMAC Network, which can be purchased as a single-game ($10) or monthly ($25) subscription.Both teams enter the game 1-1 overall on the season. FHSU is coming off a 65-56 win over No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State and a loss to RV Concordia-St. Paul 79-68 to open the year. The Hardrockers went 1-1 at home in a pair of back-to-back games against Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville.The Tigers and Hardrockers are meeting for the fifth time in history, but this will be the first-ever meeting in Rapid City. The four previous games were all in Hays, all won by the Tigers. FHSU won last year 76-52 in Hays, which was the lowest amount of points scored by both teams in the all-time series. FHSU is averaging 84 points over the four previous meetings. Kyle Grill had 21 points and seven rebounds in the game between the schools last year.Fort Hays State's win over No. 9 ranked Southwest Minnesota State was its first over a top-10 ranked team at home since the 2007-08 season, when it defeated a No. 8 ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State squad. However, overall, the Tigers' last win over a top-10 team was back on New Year's Eve of the 2023-24 season when the Tigers defeated a No. 5 ranked Central Oklahoma team in Edmond.Fort Hays State has done much of its damage in the paint this year, outscoring opponents 68-44 in that area. The Tigers have scored 51.1 percent of their points for the season in the paint so far.Jahvari Martino is leading the Tigers in scoring so far at 15 per game. He had a season-high 17 in the win over Southwest Minnesota State. He is the only reserve off the bench to score for the Tigers so far this season. Five Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring, which also includes Grill, Eli Lawson, Lucas Hammeke, and Dan Mukuna.Lawson posted a career-high in scoring and rebounds in the loss to Concordia-St. Paul. He had 23 points and seven rebounds. He made 10 field goals in that contest.Jason Lee leads South Dakota Mines in scoring through two games, averaging 20.5 points. He had 27 in the season opener against Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville. He has scored 22 of his 41 points for the season at the free-throw line.

🏀🎧 LISTEN: Tiger men get first road test at South Dakota Mines

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Future development at the Interstate 70, Exit 161, in east Hays will get a boost with infrastructure to be built at the city-owned property.

Water and sewer main extensions, abutting street and intersection improvements, and internal infrastructure improvements are planned for the 90-acre greenfield site. The low bid of $3.9 million from Smoky Hill, LLC, Salina, will be presented to the Hays City Commission on Thursday. The project would be funded from general obligation bonds.

Commissioners will also look at requests to vacate the DK Ranch Addition and a portion of Country Club Estates Sixth Addition in west Hays and consider the Smoky Hills Plains Addition final plat for housing development.

The project will also require the deannexation of DK Ranch and annexation of the new Smoky Hills Plains Addition, a proposed residential subdivision owned by Sing Along Ranch LLC and BJKT LLC.

This is being done to clean up the legal descriptions of the properties, Jarrod Kuckelman, assistant city manager, said.

Also on the agenda is a review of the 2026 street maintenance program, which has a budget of about $1 million. Contract bids will be solicited and brought back to the city commission for final approval in early 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The complete Nov. 20 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11202025-1581">here</a>. The work session starts at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763570053022.png" alt="Interstate 70, Exit 161. City of Hays image" />
 <figcaption>Interstate 70, Exit 161. City of Hays image</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostFuture development at the Interstate 70, Exit 161, in east Hays will get a boost with infrastructure to be built at the city-owned property.The city purchased the property in 2019.Water and sewer main extensions, abutting street and intersection improvements, and internal infrastructure improvements are planned for the 90-acre greenfield site. The low bid of $3.9 million from Smoky Hill, LLC, Salina, will be presented to the Hays City Commission on Thursday. The project would be funded from general obligation bonds.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763569739750.png" alt="Smoky Hill Plains Addition annexation map. Courtesy image&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Smoky Hill Plains Addition annexation map. Courtesy image&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Commissioners will also look at requests to vacate the DK Ranch Addition and a portion of Country Club Estates Sixth Addition in west Hays and consider the Smoky Hills Plains Addition final plat for housing development.The project will also require the deannexation of DK Ranch and annexation of the new Smoky Hills Plains Addition, a proposed residential subdivision owned by Sing Along Ranch LLC and BJKT LLC.This is being done to clean up the legal descriptions of the properties, Jarrod Kuckelman, assistant city manager, said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763569363438.png" alt="City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>Also on the agenda is a review of the 2026 street maintenance program, which has a budget of about $1 million. Contract bids will be solicited and brought back to the city commission for final approval in early 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;The complete Nov. 20 agenda is available <a href="https://ks-hays.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11202025-1581">here</a>. The work session starts at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall.&nbsp;

Hays City Commission to review bid for infrastructure at I-70, Exit 161  

Diet culture and body-led eating are the topics on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

Becky Kiser, news reporter, talks with Jessica Phelan, asst. professor in the Fort Hays State University Department of Health and Human Services and Brook Mann, assistant professor of psychology.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650389030295.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Diet culture and body-led eating" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=kqaki-19c0a96-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Diet culture and body-led eating are the topics on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.Becky Kiser, news reporter, talks with Jessica Phelan, asst. professor in the Fort Hays State University Department of Health and Human Services and Brook Mann, assistant professor of psychology.

🎙 Post Podcast: Diet culture and body-led eating 

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, was in Hays Monday campaigning for governor in 2026.

Holscher stopped by the Eagle Media Center for an interview with Hays Post.

Holscher recounted a story of her 12-year-old daughter spotting her teacher working a weekend shift at Target during the “Brownback experiment.”

"I explained to her that we were in the midst of the 'Brownback crisis' and that her teacher probably wasn't making enough money to pay her bills. My daughter looked at me and said, 'You go fix that,'" Holscher said.

Holscher describes herself as a public school product and said fully funding general and special education remains one of her top priorities.

"We put a lot of demands on our school and teachers with pretty high expectations," Holscher said. "But the fact of the matter is, we often do not provide the funding for those expectations."

Holscher said that although general education has been adequately funded in recent years, with room for improvement, special education still falls short, forcing districts to shift money and limiting the best curriculum schools can offer.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1ddb7029-9e09-4f6a-8c1f-c0c5f03f27ed">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 proposes mill levy increase; sees special ed costs rise</a>

She also pointed to her own advocacy efforts, noting that she marched to protest school underfunding before joining the Legislature and later earned a substitute teaching license after the COVID-19 pandemic to help cover staffing shortages.

Another priority for Holscher is making Kansas more affordable, which she said depends on improving access to housing, child care, health care and education.

On housing, Holscher said Kansas faces a statewide crisis in urban and rural areas. She said even newly built apartments remain out of reach for many residents.

"My team and I are looking at what's working in other states and putting together plans in that regard. If people can't pay their bills or afford housing, that's going to hurt our economy," she said.

Holscher said water preservation has been a concern since her youth, recalling that her first high school speech and debate topic focused on the looming depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer.

"My first year in the Legislature, I was actually assigned to the water committee. We put together a great plan to address water issues that was under Brownback, and it didn't get funded. Here we are still trying to figure out what to do," she said.

After speaking with farmers and agricultural experts, she highlights possibly shifting to low-water-use crops and upgrading irrigation equipment as possible steps.

Holscher said she was not familiar with the R9 Ranch project in any real depth.

Holscher said affordable, accessible health care is central to her affordability agenda and criticized the privatization of the KanCare program.

"That essentially inserted a middleman into the process that now takes millions of dollars. That's money that's going to an entity versus actually helping our people in terms of health care," Holscher said.

Holscher said federal policies have also strained the health care system, and about 26 hospitals statewide are at risk of closing. She said expanding Medicaid would help keep those hospitals open and reduce long-term emergency and transport costs, especially in rural Kansas.

"A lot of times, I hear legislators from the rural areas who say, 'Well, people choose to live here. They knew what it was going to be like.' I don't think people anticipated that we'd be facing this type of health care crisis," she said.

She added Medicaid expansion would also improve access to mental health services.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7fca52b8-e7e6-4d85-b43f-2016ae4336d4">Gov. Laura Kelly stopped in Hays during her Kansas Budget tour in October, warning that the state could face a $700 million deficit by fiscal year 2029 if current trends continue.</a>

Holscher said her experience managing budgets larger than the state’s during her time at Sprint Corp. made her uneasy with the Legislature’s approach to budgeting. This past year marked her first on the Senate Budget Committee.

To avoid future deficits, she proposed new revenue sources rather than cuts, including Medicaid expansion and legalizing medicinal cannabis.

"[Medicinal cannabis is] a huge revenue stream that we have not tapped into. All the states around us are, and we are losing money to other states," she said.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f5d35a9a-1874-4311-9ccb-7147a97b8a39">Kelly formally endorsed state Sen. Ethan Corson’s gubernatorial campaign on Monday, saying she believes he can appeal to Republicans, Democrats and independents in 2026.</a>

Holscher said Kelly is “another voter” who can support whoever she wants, adding endorsements do not determine election outcomes.

"What makes the big difference is your policies," she said. "I'm the only Democrat in this field that wins in red areas. ... I'm the only Democrat in this race and the entire Legislature that wins in red districts and has actually defeated Republican incumbents. That's the toughest thing to do."

Holscher added she has received more than 135 endorsements from leaders across Kansas.

She also highlighted her work on affordability legislation, statute-of-limitations reform for sexual violence victims, the introduction of the purple alert system, and her co-founding of the Women’s Bipartisan Caucus as key accomplishments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763414678318.jpeg" alt="Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostSen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, was in Hays Monday campaigning for governor in 2026.Holscher stopped by the Eagle Media Center for an interview with Hays Post.Holscher recounted a story of her 12-year-old daughter spotting her teacher working a weekend shift at Target during the “Brownback experiment.”"I explained to her that we were in the midst of the 'Brownback crisis' and that her teacher probably wasn't making enough money to pay her bills. My daughter looked at me and said, 'You go fix that,'" Holscher said.Holscher describes herself as a public school product and said fully funding general and special education remains one of her top priorities."We put a lot of demands on our school and teachers with pretty high expectations," Holscher said. "But the fact of the matter is, we often do not provide the funding for those expectations."Holscher said that although general education has been adequately funded in recent years, with room for improvement, special education still falls short, forcing districts to shift money and limiting the best curriculum schools can offer.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1ddb7029-9e09-4f6a-8c1f-c0c5f03f27ed">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 proposes mill levy increase; sees special ed costs rise</a>She also pointed to her own advocacy efforts, noting that she marched to protest school underfunding before joining the Legislature and later earned a substitute teaching license after the COVID-19 pandemic to help cover staffing shortages.Affordability and housingAnother priority for Holscher is making Kansas more affordable, which she said depends on improving access to housing, child care, health care and education.On housing, Holscher said Kansas faces a statewide crisis in urban and rural areas. She said even newly built apartments remain out of reach for many residents."My team and I are looking at what's working in other states and putting together plans in that regard. If people can't pay their bills or afford housing, that's going to hurt our economy," she said.WaterHolscher said water preservation has been a concern since her youth, recalling that her first high school speech and debate topic focused on the looming depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer."My first year in the Legislature, I was actually assigned to the water committee. We put together a great plan to address water issues that was under Brownback, and it didn't get funded. Here we are still trying to figure out what to do," she said.After speaking with farmers and agricultural experts, she highlights possibly shifting to low-water-use crops and upgrading irrigation equipment as possible steps.Holscher said she was not familiar with the R9 Ranch project in any real depth.Health care and mental healthHolscher said affordable, accessible health care is central to her affordability agenda and criticized the privatization of the KanCare program."That essentially inserted a middleman into the process that now takes millions of dollars. That's money that's going to an entity versus actually helping our people in terms of health care," Holscher said.Holscher said federal policies have also strained the health care system, and about 26 hospitals statewide are at risk of closing. She said expanding Medicaid would help keep those hospitals open and reduce long-term emergency and transport costs, especially in rural Kansas."A lot of times, I hear legislators from the rural areas who say, 'Well, people choose to live here. They knew what it was going to be like.' I don't think people anticipated that we'd be facing this type of health care crisis," she said.She added Medicaid expansion would also improve access to mental health services.State budget<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7fca52b8-e7e6-4d85-b43f-2016ae4336d4">Gov. Laura Kelly stopped in Hays during her Kansas Budget tour in October, warning that the state could face a $700 million deficit by fiscal year 2029 if current trends continue.</a>Holscher said her experience managing budgets larger than the state’s during her time at Sprint Corp. made her uneasy with the Legislature’s approach to budgeting. This past year marked her first on the Senate Budget Committee.To avoid future deficits, she proposed new revenue sources rather than cuts, including Medicaid expansion and legalizing medicinal cannabis."[Medicinal cannabis is] a huge revenue stream that we have not tapped into. All the states around us are, and we are losing money to other states," she said.Gov. Kelly's endorsement&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f5d35a9a-1874-4311-9ccb-7147a97b8a39">Kelly formally endorsed state Sen. Ethan Corson’s gubernatorial campaign on Monday, saying she believes he can appeal to Republicans, Democrats and independents in 2026.</a>Holscher said Kelly is “another voter” who can support whoever she wants, adding endorsements do not determine election outcomes."What makes the big difference is your policies," she said. "I'm the only Democrat in this field that wins in red areas. ... I'm the only Democrat in this race and the entire Legislature that wins in red districts and has actually defeated Republican incumbents. That's the toughest thing to do."Holscher added she has received more than 135 endorsements from leaders across Kansas.She also highlighted her work on affordability legislation, statute-of-limitations reform for sexual violence victims, the introduction of the purple alert system, and her co-founding of the Women’s Bipartisan Caucus as key accomplishments.

Gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher seeks to fully fund education

The Hays Post delivered food and monetary donations to St. Joseph's Food Pantry on Thursday afternoon.

Thank you to all who also donated to the Community Assistance Center,&nbsp; which received 197 items thanks to the food drive on Nov. 11, and First Call for Help, which received food on Wednesday.

From all of us at HaysPost.com, Hull Broadcasting and Eagle Media. Our Community…Connected!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763494402642.jpeg" alt="Renee Michaud of the St. Joseph Food Pantry accepting food from the Hays Post food drive on Thursday.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Renee Michaud of the St. Joseph Food Pantry accepting food from the Hays Post food drive on Thursday.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Post delivered food and monetary donations to St. Joseph's Food Pantry on Thursday afternoon.Thank you to all who donated!Thank you to all who also donated to the Community Assistance Center,&nbsp; which received 197 items thanks to the food drive on Nov. 11, and First Call for Help, which received food on Wednesday.From all of us at HaysPost.com, Hull Broadcasting and Eagle Media. Our Community…Connected!

St. Joseph Food Pantry receives food from Hays Post food drive

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-israel-abraham-accords-mbs-24efae2972c9c4a488fcda5ff8c5ad1f">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;to Washington on Tuesday as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia makes his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi agents.

Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship had been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom, that U.S. intelligence agencies later determined Prince Mohammed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-saudi-crown-prince-khashoggi-killing-26c37f6d603737de7509f5ee09ae7f9d">likely directed the agents</a>&nbsp;to carry out.

But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump has tightened his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince he views as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come. Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.

Khashoggi was an afterthought as the two leaders unveil billions of dollars in deals and huddle with aides to discuss the tricky path ahead in a volatile Middle East. They'll end their day with an evening White House soiree, organized by first lady Melania Trump, to honor the prince.

The president dismissed questions to the crown prince about the journalist's killing.

“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident.

Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with the prince by his side, commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.

“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” Trump said. “What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”

The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the U.S. to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis said they planned to invest in the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763483740130.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-israel-abraham-accords-mbs-24efae2972c9c4a488fcda5ff8c5ad1f">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;to Washington on Tuesday as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia makes his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi agents.Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.The U.S.-Saudi relationship had been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom, that U.S. intelligence agencies later determined Prince Mohammed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-saudi-crown-prince-khashoggi-killing-26c37f6d603737de7509f5ee09ae7f9d">likely directed the agents</a>&nbsp;to carry out.But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump has tightened his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince he views as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come. Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.Khashoggi was an afterthought as the two leaders unveil billions of dollars in deals and huddle with aides to discuss the tricky path ahead in a volatile Middle East. They'll end their day with an evening White House soiree, organized by first lady Melania Trump, to honor the prince.The president dismissed questions to the crown prince about the journalist's killing.“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident.Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with the prince by his side, commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” Trump said. “What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the U.S. to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis said they planned to invest in the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F2120188255181378%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Trump's family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-trump-organization-jeddah-dar-global-539989a563d8f7eb949be2e10ee18d0a">it plans to launch Trump Plaza</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.It's Dar Global's second collaboration with the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the U.S. president's children, in Saudi Arabia. Last year, the two companies announced the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah.Trump pushed back on the notion Tuesday that there was a conflict of interest.“I have nothing to do with the family business,” said Trump on Tuesday, adding that his family has relatively little interest in the kingdom.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fposts%2Fpfbid04vPUmgRubgxStMjDuRJoQapW8mff6mEH2AZ2bb5nD375i1vGETN4sy8VkGK7m1TJl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>Rolling out the red carpet</h2>Technically, it's not a state visit, because the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.Most foreign leaders who come to meet with Trump are driven up to the doors of the West Wing, where the president often greets them. But Prince Mohammed, accompanied by the Saudi prime minister, was welcomed with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.Trump then showed the prince the newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame that features gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-portraits-biden-autopen-white-house-e8624154e72631e723930ea549bb8910">a photo of an autopen signing the name of former President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in place of the Democrat’s official portrait.An Oval Office meeting and luncheon in the Cabinet Room will follow.Trump will then see the crown prince off in the afternoon but he’s expected to return to the South Lawn, with the first lady, to welcome the crown prince when he returns for the evening East Room dinner.Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer great who is playing in the Saudi Pro League, is also expected to be at the White House on Tuesday during the crown prince's visit, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.In addition to White House pomp, the two nations are also planning an investment summit at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday that will include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and natural gas company, where even more deals with the Saudis could be announced.<h2>Fighter jets and business deals</h2>Ahead of Prince Mohammed's arrival, Trump announced he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-crown-prince-f35-77edbfa2f257805d43a501cd4808648a">agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets</a>&nbsp;despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the U.S. technology behind the advanced weapon system.Trump's announcement is also surprising because some in the Republican administration have been wary about upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">Gaza peace plan</a>.But the unexpected move comes at a moment when Trump is trying to nudge the Saudis toward normalizing relations with Israel.The president in his first term had helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort dubbed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-united-arab-emirates-middle-east-elections-7544b322a254ebea1693e387d83d9d8b">Abraham Accords</a>.Trump sees expansion of the accords as essential to his broader efforts to build stability in the Middle East after the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.And getting Saudi Arabia — the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam — to sign on would spur a domino effect, he argues. The president in recent weeks has even predicted that once Saudi Arabia signs on to the accords, “everybody” in the Arab world “goes in.”But the Saudis have maintained that a clear path toward Palestinian statehood must first be established before normalizing relations with Israel can be considered. The Israelis, meanwhile, remain steadfastly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.The U.N. Security Council on Monday approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">U.S. plan for Gaza</a>&nbsp;that authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in the devastated territory and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-un-trump-russia-e701750e61968110b873e90372b9f2e7">envisions a possible future path</a>&nbsp;to an independent Palestinian state.<h2>Assurances on US military support</h2>The leaders certainly will have plenty to talk about including maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, mutual concerns about Iran’s malign behavior, and a brutal civil war in Sudan.And the Saudis are looking to receive formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of U.S. military protection for the kingdom, even though anything not ratified by Congress can be undone by the next president.Prince Mohammed, 40, who has stayed away from the West after the Khashoggi killing, is also looking to reestablish his position as a global player and a leader determined to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil by investing in sectors like mining, technology and tourism.To that end, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce a multi-billion dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the two countries will lay out details about new cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly ahead of the formal announcement.A coalition of 11 human rights groups ahead of the crown prince’s visit called on the Trump administration to use its leverage to press Saudi authorities, who badly want to broaden its business and defense connections with the U.S., to make concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom during the visit.The activists say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. Human rights organizations have also documented a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is trying to rebrand himself as a global statesman, but the reality at home is mass repression, record numbers of executions, and zero tolerance for dissent," Sarah Yager, Washington director at the group Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "U.S. officials should be pressing for change, not posing for photos.”___AP writers Josh Boak, Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.