Des Moines —The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the state, according to a media release.

 The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa. The individual reported mild symptoms, has received appropriate treatment and is recovering. The case was identified through testing at the State Hygienic Laboratory and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of December 20, 2024, the CDC has reported 64 confirmed human cases of H5 HPAI across nine states. The majority of the exposures are linked to infected poultry or dairy cows. There is no evidence that human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) is occurring in the U.S.

Although human infections are rare, the virus is spread through prolonged exposure around infected flocks and herds, through the eyes, nose or mouth. Any individuals with direct contact who develop flu-like symptoms or an eye infection should contact their doctor. To reduce the risk of infection or spread, people in direct contact with exposed animals should wear proper PPE and avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals, including birds.&nbsp;

“Iowa has monitored the spread of avian influenza closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the established knowledge, strong partnerships, and effective tools to mitigate its impact on our community,” said Iowa HHS State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse.

There is no concern about the safety of eggs and poultry products or pasteurized milk and dairy products. As a reminder, consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F. Pasteurization has continually proven to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Des Moines —The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the state, according to a media release. The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa. The individual reported mild symptoms, has received appropriate treatment and is recovering. The case was identified through testing at the State Hygienic Laboratory and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).As of December 20, 2024, the CDC has reported 64 confirmed human cases of H5 HPAI across nine states. The majority of the exposures are linked to infected poultry or dairy cows. There is no evidence that human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) is occurring in the U.S.Although human infections are rare, the virus is spread through prolonged exposure around infected flocks and herds, through the eyes, nose or mouth. Any individuals with direct contact who develop flu-like symptoms or an eye infection should contact their doctor. To reduce the risk of infection or spread, people in direct contact with exposed animals should wear proper PPE and avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals, including birds.&nbsp;“Iowa has monitored the spread of avian influenza closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the established knowledge, strong partnerships, and effective tools to mitigate its impact on our community,” said Iowa HHS State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse.There is no concern about the safety of eggs and poultry products or pasteurized milk and dairy products. As a reminder, consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F. Pasteurization has continually proven to successfully inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk.

Iowa confirms first human case of bird flu

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25469466-read-the-house-ethics-committees-report-about-former-rep-matt-gaetz/">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opening documents &nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Appendix-A.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix A <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Gaetz-Appendix-B-Part-1.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Gaetz-Appendix-B-Part-2.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B part 2 <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Appendix-B-Part-3.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B part 3

The&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Committee-Report.pdf">37-page report</a>&nbsp;by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while representing Florida's western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.

“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states.

The report brings to a close a nearly five-year investigation into Gaetz, who spent the majority of his time in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politicians-in-crisis-refuse-to-resign-16046aff55900e97f59aec9aa5153df6">enmeshed in scandals</a>, which ultimately derailed his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz indicated recently that he would be interested in running for the open Senate seat in Florida.

The long-anticipated release of the report comes after at least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the panel earlier this month in a secret vote to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress.

While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Gaetz objected to its release, saying last week that he would have “no opportunity to debate or rebut” the findings as a former member of the House.

On Monday, Gaetz&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994.1.0.pdf">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to block the release of the report, which he says contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argues he’s no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress.

“The Committee’s position that it may nonetheless publish potentially defamatory findings about a private citizen over whom it claims no jurisdiction represents an unprecedented expansion of Congressional power that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” Gaetz’s lawyers wrote in their request for a temporary restraining order.

In addition to soliciting prostitution, the Ethics Committee report states that Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.”

That same year, investigators say he arranged for his chief of staff to obtain a passport for a woman he was sexually involved with, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. One of the final pieces of “substantial evidence” the committee gathered determined that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the report.

The report contains dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages and financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments among various people involved. In some of the text exchanges, Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asks one woman if she has a “cute black dress” to wear. There are also discussions of shipping goods.

One of the exhibits is a text exchange that appears to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asks Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense.

The often secretive, bipartisan panel has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. However, its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after Election Day as his first choice to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction.

But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer a member and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/matt-gaetz-trump-transition-updates">withdrawn as Trump’s pick</a>&nbsp;to lead the Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734969682915.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734969996618.png" alt="Portion of text thread from the House Ethics Committee report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz" />
 <figcaption>Portion of text thread from the House Ethics Committee report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731531518225.png" alt="File photo Matt Gaetz courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Matt Gaetz courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25469466-read-the-house-ethics-committees-report-about-former-rep-matt-gaetz/">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opening documents &nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Appendix-A.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix A <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Gaetz-Appendix-B-Part-1.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Gaetz-Appendix-B-Part-2.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B part 2 <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Appendix-B-Part-3.pdf">Click here to read</a> Appendix B part 3<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Giving funds to someone you are dating - that they didn’t ask for - and that isn’t “charged” for sex is now prostitution?!? There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge… <a href="https://t.co/HzWODpBBB9">pic.twitter.com/HzWODpBBB9</a>&mdash; Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1871207714665197718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Committee-Report.pdf">37-page report</a>&nbsp;by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while representing Florida's western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states.The report brings to a close a nearly five-year investigation into Gaetz, who spent the majority of his time in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politicians-in-crisis-refuse-to-resign-16046aff55900e97f59aec9aa5153df6">enmeshed in scandals</a>, which ultimately derailed his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz indicated recently that he would be interested in running for the open Senate seat in Florida.The long-anticipated release of the report comes after at least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the panel earlier this month in a secret vote to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress.While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Gaetz objected to its release, saying last week that he would have “no opportunity to debate or rebut” the findings as a former member of the House.On Monday, Gaetz&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994.1.0.pdf">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;seeking to block the release of the report, which he says contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argues he’s no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress.“The Committee’s position that it may nonetheless publish potentially defamatory findings about a private citizen over whom it claims no jurisdiction represents an unprecedented expansion of Congressional power that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” Gaetz’s lawyers wrote in their request for a temporary restraining order.In addition to soliciting prostitution, the Ethics Committee report states that Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.”That same year, investigators say he arranged for his chief of staff to obtain a passport for a woman he was sexually involved with, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. One of the final pieces of “substantial evidence” the committee gathered determined that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the report.The report contains dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages and financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments among various people involved. In some of the text exchanges, Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asks one woman if she has a “cute black dress” to wear. There are also discussions of shipping goods.One of the exhibits is a text exchange that appears to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asks Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense.The often secretive, bipartisan panel has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. However, its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after Election Day as his first choice to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction.But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer a member and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/matt-gaetz-trump-transition-updates">withdrawn as Trump’s pick</a>&nbsp;to lead the Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it.

Read the shocking House Ethics report on former congressman Gaetz

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Bill Clinton</a>&nbsp;was admitted Monday to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington after developing a fever.

The 78-year-old was hospitalized in the “afternoon for testing and observation,” Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in a statement.

“He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Urena said.

Clinton, a Democrat who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-democratic-convention-kamala-harris-trump-5d60df1b037cbc153e20a2c71d7429f8">served two terms</a>&nbsp;as president from January 1993 until January 2001,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-walz-clinton-harris-4f299bd2684c0284dd100f7f0731172f">addressed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Chicago this summer, and campaigned ahead of November’s election for the unsuccessful White House bid of Democratic Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>.

In the years since Clinton left the White House, he’s faced some health scares.

In 2004, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery after experiencing prolonged chest pains and shortness of breath. Clinton returned to the hospital for surgery for a partially collapsed lung in 2005, and in 2010 he had a pair of stents implanted in a coronary artery.

Clinton responded by embracing a largely vegan diet that saw him lose weight and report improved health.

In 2021, the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-released-hospital-98cfbab9c7cb593a8449d4ca8c916cbf">was hospitalized for six days in California</a>&nbsp;while being treated for an infection that was unrelated to COVID-19, when the pandemic was still near its height.

An aide to the former president said then that Clinton had a urological infection that spread to his bloodstream, but was on the mend and never went into septic shock, a potentially life-threatening condition. The aide said Clinton was in an intensive care section of the hospital that time, but wasn’t receiving ICU care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734997118682.png" alt="Bill Clinton during a November 2024 interview -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Bill Clinton during a November 2024 interview -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Bill Clinton</a>&nbsp;was admitted Monday to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington after developing a fever.The 78-year-old was hospitalized in the “afternoon for testing and observation,” Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in a statement.“He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Urena said.Clinton, a Democrat who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-democratic-convention-kamala-harris-trump-5d60df1b037cbc153e20a2c71d7429f8">served two terms</a>&nbsp;as president from January 1993 until January 2001,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-walz-clinton-harris-4f299bd2684c0284dd100f7f0731172f">addressed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Chicago this summer, and campaigned ahead of November’s election for the unsuccessful White House bid of Democratic Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>.In the years since Clinton left the White House, he’s faced some health scares.In 2004, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery after experiencing prolonged chest pains and shortness of breath. Clinton returned to the hospital for surgery for a partially collapsed lung in 2005, and in 2010 he had a pair of stents implanted in a coronary artery.Clinton responded by embracing a largely vegan diet that saw him lose weight and report improved health.In 2021, the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-released-hospital-98cfbab9c7cb593a8449d4ca8c916cbf">was hospitalized for six days in California</a>&nbsp;while being treated for an infection that was unrelated to COVID-19, when the pandemic was still near its height.An aide to the former president said then that Clinton had a urological infection that spread to his bloodstream, but was on the mend and never went into septic shock, a potentially life-threatening condition. The aide said Clinton was in an intensive care section of the hospital that time, but wasn’t receiving ICU care.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734997118682.png" alt="" />
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Former President Bill Clinton hospitalized in Washington

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Family and friends said their final farewells Monday to a substitute teacher killed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-school-shooting-abundant-life-rupnow-32ef21b182db91a097dfffa317dfec53">shooting at a private religious school in Wisconsin</a>&nbsp;last week, describing her as a devout Christian with Southern roots who made copious notes in her personal Bible and planned to take her children to Disney World next year.

Erin Michelle West, 42, was killed on Dec. 16 when 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire with a handgun at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. A 14-year-old student, Rubi Vergara, also was killed and six others were wounded before Rupnow turned the gun on herself. Rupnow was a first-semester student at the school. Investigators are still&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/62313e9e9d20f3ed59fcf8d2c7fc3b44">trying to piece together her motive</a>.

Scores of people attended West's midday funeral at Doxa Church in Fitchburg, a Madison suburb. West's casket was set up before a stage decorated with Christmas trees adorned with golden lights. A giant photograph of her was displayed on a screen above the stage throughout the hourlong service.

Rob Warren, the church's pastor, fought back tears as he welcomed people.

“In a sense, no one wants to be here,” he said. “But in another sense I believe we're all supposed to be here right now, to hurt and heal together. As painful as it is, I believe we really all do need this moment.”

According to West's obituary, she was born in St. Charles, Missouri, and graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2005. She married her husband, Jack, in 2005, in Powder Springs, Georgia. The couple has three daughters.

Warren read several verses from West's personal Bible, remarking on all the handwritten notes and underlined sections throughout. He said that after Jack West gave him the Bible, the first page he turned to had the phrase “the Gospel is for everyone” written in blue ink.

“This is what Erin West was about,” the pastor said, adding later: “Erin is in heaven right now with Jesus and she's more alive than she ever has been and that's the truth.”

Nate Kaloupek, Doxa Church's director of leadership development and equipping, gave a short elegy, describing how Erin met Jack in an online Christian chatroom and how Jack's company, Cardinal Glass, moved the couple around the country, first to Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest before they settled in Wisconsin about six years ago.

Struggling at times to find his voice, Kaloupek said Erin loved the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A and she showed her Georgia roots often by quipping "love y'all” or “hey, y'all."

He joked that Erin was “really bad” at hiding her emotions and felt God had called her to work at ALCS. She led prayers for people in their church group and tracked what prayers were answered, he said.

She loved camping trips with her family, wine-tasting trips with her husband and was looking forward to taking their daughters to Disney World this spring, he added, before concluding the elegy with: “She'd want me to say ‘love y’all.' Thank you.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734989496324.png" alt="Erin Michelle West-photo courtesy Gunderson Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Erin Michelle West-photo courtesy Gunderson Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Family and friends said their final farewells Monday to a substitute teacher killed in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-school-shooting-abundant-life-rupnow-32ef21b182db91a097dfffa317dfec53">shooting at a private religious school in Wisconsin</a>&nbsp;last week, describing her as a devout Christian with Southern roots who made copious notes in her personal Bible and planned to take her children to Disney World next year.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VSUyiNyPzrc?si=uxh5sIjB2mKSb8zc&amp;start=32" 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>Erin Michelle West, 42, was killed on Dec. 16 when 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire with a handgun at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. A 14-year-old student, Rubi Vergara, also was killed and six others were wounded before Rupnow turned the gun on herself. Rupnow was a first-semester student at the school. Investigators are still&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/62313e9e9d20f3ed59fcf8d2c7fc3b44">trying to piece together her motive</a>.Scores of people attended West's midday funeral at Doxa Church in Fitchburg, a Madison suburb. West's casket was set up before a stage decorated with Christmas trees adorned with golden lights. A giant photograph of her was displayed on a screen above the stage throughout the hourlong service.Rob Warren, the church's pastor, fought back tears as he welcomed people.“In a sense, no one wants to be here,” he said. “But in another sense I believe we're all supposed to be here right now, to hurt and heal together. As painful as it is, I believe we really all do need this moment.”According to West's obituary, she was born in St. Charles, Missouri, and graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2005. She married her husband, Jack, in 2005, in Powder Springs, Georgia. The couple has three daughters.Warren read several verses from West's personal Bible, remarking on all the handwritten notes and underlined sections throughout. He said that after Jack West gave him the Bible, the first page he turned to had the phrase “the Gospel is for everyone” written in blue ink.“This is what Erin West was about,” the pastor said, adding later: “Erin is in heaven right now with Jesus and she's more alive than she ever has been and that's the truth.”Nate Kaloupek, Doxa Church's director of leadership development and equipping, gave a short elegy, describing how Erin met Jack in an online Christian chatroom and how Jack's company, Cardinal Glass, moved the couple around the country, first to Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest before they settled in Wisconsin about six years ago.Struggling at times to find his voice, Kaloupek said Erin loved the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A and she showed her Georgia roots often by quipping "love y'all” or “hey, y'all."He joked that Erin was “really bad” at hiding her emotions and felt God had called her to work at ALCS. She led prayers for people in their church group and tracked what prayers were answered, he said.She loved camping trips with her family, wine-tasting trips with her husband and was looking forward to taking their daughters to Disney World this spring, he added, before concluding the elegy with: “She'd want me to say ‘love y’all.' Thank you.”

Scores attend funeral for teacher who died in school shooting

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-strike-holidays-b0376dbbb388a3cfdfe92297a7a41a35">five-day strike</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/starbucks-corp">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;baristas had closed 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers.

The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore. Workers in New York, Denver, Pittsburgh and other cities had also joined the strike over the weekend.

Workers are protesting a lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company. Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">made in February</a>&nbsp;to reach a labor agreement this year.

The union also wants the company to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>. Since 2021, baristas at 535 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to join the union.

The strike comes at one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks. But the company said Monday it has had “no significant impact” to its store operations. Starbucks has around 10,000 company-operated stores in the U.S.

“We respect our partners’ right to engage in lawful strike activity, and we appreciate the thousands of partners across the country who are continuing to support each other and deliver the Starbucks experience for our customers," the company said Monday in a statement.

The two side have been bargaining since the spring but appear to have reached an impasse over economic issues. Starbucks said it has committed to an annual pay increase of 1.5% or more for unionized workers. If the company gave a lower increase to non-union workers in any given year, it still would give union workers a 1.5% increase.

Starbucks said its U.S. baristas make an average of $18 per hour. With benefits — including health care, free college tuition and paid family leave — Starbucks’ pay package is worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week, the company said.

Workers say they deserve more, and note that Starbucks' new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-brian-niccol-f2b918d9862a329d7f0ba3373ebbc444">Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol</a>, who started in September, could make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-niccol-chipotle-coffee-7cf3e56164ad0b9cba05002e7805b1fc">more than $100 million</a>&nbsp;in his first year on the job.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734883727847.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-workers-united-strike-holidays-b0376dbbb388a3cfdfe92297a7a41a35">five-day strike</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/starbucks-corp">Starbucks</a>&nbsp;baristas had closed 59 stores as of Monday afternoon, according to the union organizing the workers.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsbworkersunited%2Fposts%2Fpfbid022RArfNGig4BsXAHSnJKJeNBW7FFfsAnnuQroHGAVSqW9dSCD64DubD82NfBTuqmml&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="0" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore. Workers in New York, Denver, Pittsburgh and other cities had also joined the strike over the weekend.Workers are protesting a lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company. Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-workers-united-ef16b24b20d43a6addadf91c0067bd28">made in February</a>&nbsp;to reach a labor agreement this year.The union also wants the company to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-starbucks-union-fired-workers-tennessee-18547e128a14fae93a148383f48cb305">National Labor Relations Board</a>. Since 2021, baristas at 535 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to join the union.The strike comes at one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks. But the company said Monday it has had “no significant impact” to its store operations. Starbucks has around 10,000 company-operated stores in the U.S.“We respect our partners’ right to engage in lawful strike activity, and we appreciate the thousands of partners across the country who are continuing to support each other and deliver the Starbucks experience for our customers," the company said Monday in a statement.The two side have been bargaining since the spring but appear to have reached an impasse over economic issues. Starbucks said it has committed to an annual pay increase of 1.5% or more for unionized workers. If the company gave a lower increase to non-union workers in any given year, it still would give union workers a 1.5% increase.Starbucks said its U.S. baristas make an average of $18 per hour. With benefits — including health care, free college tuition and paid family leave — Starbucks’ pay package is worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week, the company said.Workers say they deserve more, and note that Starbucks' new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-brian-niccol-f2b918d9862a329d7f0ba3373ebbc444">Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol</a>, who started in September, could make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-niccol-chipotle-coffee-7cf3e56164ad0b9cba05002e7805b1fc">more than $100 million</a>&nbsp;in his first year on the job.

Starbucks strike expands closing more US stores

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday announced that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-commutes-the-sentences-of-37-individuals-on-death-row/">commuting the sentences</a>&nbsp;of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.

The move spares the lives of people&nbsp;<a href="https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/federal-death-penalty/list-of-federal-death-row-prisoners">convicted in killings</a>, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.

It means just three federal inmates continue to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-389bcc56019f268cb1056e37a517bd6c">2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church</a>&nbsp;in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dzhokhar-tsarnaev">Dzhokhar Tsarnaev</a>; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-death-penalty-27e3b1a505cacdd674ee9b8a179aa1a8">Tree of life Synagogue in 2018</a>, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-federal-death-row-commutations/">“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden said in a statement</a>. “Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”

Reaction to the president's end-of-year act of clemency was strong, particularly among those who were victimized by Roof.

Michael Graham, whose sister Cynthia Hurd was killed by Roof, wants him to die for his crimes and was thankful Biden kept him on death row. He said Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the U.S. means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for.

“This was a crime against a race of people who were doing something all Americans do on a Wednesday night – go to Bible study,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.”

Felicia Sanders, who shielded her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son Tywanza and her aunt Susie Jackson sent her lawyer, Andy Savage, a text message that called Biden's decision to not spare Roof's life a wonderful Christmas gift.

The Biden administration in 2021 announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-executions-health-coronavirus-pandemic-government-and-politics-e7d40ed2dcf68f8b1e49001c1acfb2a8">moratorium</a>&nbsp;on federal capital punishment to study the protocols used, which suspended executions during Biden's term. But Biden actually had promised to go further on the issue in the past, pledging to end federal executions without the caveats for terrorism and hate-motivated, mass killings.

While running for president in 2020, Biden's campaign website said he would “work to pass legislation to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-politics-biden-trump-federal-moratorium-a76fe555f61c3cf6e09b87433f77966f">eliminate the death penalty at the federal level</a>, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.”

Similar language didn't appear on Biden's reelection website before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">left the presidential race</a>&nbsp;in July.

“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden's statement said. “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”

He took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announcing his 2024 campaign</a>, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China's harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/653b2353f34e495099d9b004acbcc090">also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers</a>.

There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50">13 federal executions</a>&nbsp;during Trump's first term, more than under any president in modern history, and some may have happened fast enough to have contributed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-prisons-health-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-956da680790108d8b7e2d8f1567f3803">spread of the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;at the federal death row facility in Indiana.

Those were the first federal executions since 2003. The final three occurred after Election Day in November 2020 but before Trump left office the following January, the first time federal prisoners were put to death by a lame-duck president since Grover Cleveland in 1889.

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-clemency-4432002d67334e6716c2776fd73f3cc8">faced recent pressure</a>&nbsp;from advocacy groups urging him to act to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The president's announcement also comes less than two weeks after he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/12/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-clemency-for-nearly-1500-americans/">commuted the sentences</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/12/clemency-recipient-list-7/">roughly 1,500 people</a>&nbsp;who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

The announcement also followed the post-election pardon that Biden granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges after long saying he would not issue one, sparking an uproar in Washington. The pardon also raised questions about whether he would issue sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20">preemptive pardons</a>&nbsp;for administration officials and other allies who the White House worries could be unjustly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62">targeted by Trump’s</a>&nbsp;second administration.

Speculation that Biden could commute federal death sentences intensified last week after the White House announced he plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vatican-pope-frances-842948a7a8d37122b38b2545e1a92568">visit Italy on the final foreign trip of his presidency</a>&nbsp;next month. Biden, a practicing Catholic, will meet with Pope Francis, who recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-12/pope-appeal-prayers-federal-death-row-grace-inmates.html">called for prayers for U.S. death row inmates</a>&nbsp;in hopes their sentences will be commuted.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has long called for an end to the death penalty, said Biden's decision is a “significant step in advancing the cause of human dignity in our nation” and moves the country “a step closer to building a culture of life.”

Martin Luther King III, who publicly urged Biden to change the death sentences, said in a statement shared by the White House that the president "has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.”

Madeline Cohen, an attorney for Norris Holder, who faced death for the 1997 fatal shooting of a guard during a bank robbery in St. Louis, said his case “reflects many of the system's flaws” and thanked Biden for converting his sentence to life in prison. Holder, who is Black, was sentenced by an all-white jury.

“Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said.

Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was converted, said the execution of "the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace."

“The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.”

Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734952706781.png" alt="Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush at a rally on Dec. 10, asking President Biden to commute all federal death row sentences." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush at a rally on Dec. 10, asking President Biden to commute all federal death row sentences.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday announced that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/fact-sheet-president-biden-commutes-the-sentences-of-37-individuals-on-death-row/">commuting the sentences</a>&nbsp;of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734957421965.png" alt="According to the U.S. Attorney, in 2014, a federal jury in Louisiana decided that Thomas Sanders, 57, should be put to death for the brutal kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in the fall of 2010. Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered the girl in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body . President Biden commuted his sentence-photo Yavapai County, AZ Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>According to the U.S. Attorney, in 2014, a federal jury in Louisiana decided that Thomas Sanders, 57, should be put to death for the brutal kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in the fall of 2010. Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered the girl in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body . President Biden commuted his sentence-photo Yavapai County, AZ Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734959622195.png" alt="Page 1 White House image" />
 <figcaption>Page 1 White House image</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734959643074.png" alt="Page 2 White House image" />
 <figcaption>Page 2 White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>The move spares the lives of people&nbsp;<a href="https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/federal-death-penalty/list-of-federal-death-row-prisoners">convicted in killings</a>, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.It means just three federal inmates continue to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-389bcc56019f268cb1056e37a517bd6c">2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church</a>&nbsp;in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dzhokhar-tsarnaev">Dzhokhar Tsarnaev</a>; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-death-penalty-27e3b1a505cacdd674ee9b8a179aa1a8">Tree of life Synagogue in 2018</a>, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-federal-death-row-commutations/">“I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” Biden said in a statement</a>. “Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734969024431.png" alt="Serial killer Jorge Torrez, sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia also pleaded guilty for the&nbsp; fatal stabbings of 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias on Mother's Day 2005.&nbsp; President Biden commuted his sentence-photo Lake County, Illinois Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Serial killer Jorge Torrez, sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia also pleaded guilty for the&nbsp; fatal stabbings of 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias on Mother's Day 2005.&nbsp; President Biden commuted his sentence-photo Lake County, Illinois Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Reaction to the president's end-of-year act of clemency was strong, particularly among those who were victimized by Roof.Michael Graham, whose sister Cynthia Hurd was killed by Roof, wants him to die for his crimes and was thankful Biden kept him on death row. He said Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the U.S. means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for.“This was a crime against a race of people who were doing something all Americans do on a Wednesday night – go to Bible study,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.”Felicia Sanders, who shielded her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son Tywanza and her aunt Susie Jackson sent her lawyer, Andy Savage, a text message that called Biden's decision to not spare Roof's life a wonderful Christmas gift.The Biden administration in 2021 announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-executions-health-coronavirus-pandemic-government-and-politics-e7d40ed2dcf68f8b1e49001c1acfb2a8">moratorium</a>&nbsp;on federal capital punishment to study the protocols used, which suspended executions during Biden's term. But Biden actually had promised to go further on the issue in the past, pledging to end federal executions without the caveats for terrorism and hate-motivated, mass killings.While running for president in 2020, Biden's campaign website said he would “work to pass legislation to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-politics-biden-trump-federal-moratorium-a76fe555f61c3cf6e09b87433f77966f">eliminate the death penalty at the federal level</a>, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.”Similar language didn't appear on Biden's reelection website before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">left the presidential race</a>&nbsp;in July.“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden's statement said. “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”He took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announcing his 2024 campaign</a>, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China's harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/653b2353f34e495099d9b004acbcc090">also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers</a>.There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50">13 federal executions</a>&nbsp;during Trump's first term, more than under any president in modern history, and some may have happened fast enough to have contributed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-prisons-health-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-956da680790108d8b7e2d8f1567f3803">spread of the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;at the federal death row facility in Indiana.Those were the first federal executions since 2003. The final three occurred after Election Day in November 2020 but before Trump left office the following January, the first time federal prisoners were put to death by a lame-duck president since Grover Cleveland in 1889.Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-clemency-4432002d67334e6716c2776fd73f3cc8">faced recent pressure</a>&nbsp;from advocacy groups urging him to act to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The president's announcement also comes less than two weeks after he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/12/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-clemency-for-nearly-1500-americans/">commuted the sentences</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/12/clemency-recipient-list-7/">roughly 1,500 people</a>&nbsp;who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.The announcement also followed the post-election pardon that Biden granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges after long saying he would not issue one, sparking an uproar in Washington. The pardon also raised questions about whether he would issue sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20">preemptive pardons</a>&nbsp;for administration officials and other allies who the White House worries could be unjustly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62">targeted by Trump’s</a>&nbsp;second administration.Speculation that Biden could commute federal death sentences intensified last week after the White House announced he plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-vatican-pope-frances-842948a7a8d37122b38b2545e1a92568">visit Italy on the final foreign trip of his presidency</a>&nbsp;next month. Biden, a practicing Catholic, will meet with Pope Francis, who recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-12/pope-appeal-prayers-federal-death-row-grace-inmates.html">called for prayers for U.S. death row inmates</a>&nbsp;in hopes their sentences will be commuted.The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has long called for an end to the death penalty, said Biden's decision is a “significant step in advancing the cause of human dignity in our nation” and moves the country “a step closer to building a culture of life.”Martin Luther King III, who publicly urged Biden to change the death sentences, said in a statement shared by the White House that the president "has done what no president before him was willing to do: take meaningful and lasting action not just to acknowledge the death penalty’s racist roots but also to remedy its persistent unfairness.”Madeline Cohen, an attorney for Norris Holder, who faced death for the 1997 fatal shooting of a guard during a bank robbery in St. Louis, said his case “reflects many of the system's flaws” and thanked Biden for converting his sentence to life in prison. Holder, who is Black, was sentenced by an all-white jury.“Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said.Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was converted, said the execution of "the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace."“The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.”___Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.

Read the list: Biden commutes sentences of nearly all on federal death row

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a theft and asking the public if they recognize the thief who was caught stealing money out of a local business’ tip jar repeatedly over the weekend, according to a social media report from Claycomo police.

"We’d sure like to talk to him about his actions, his future, and about those “shoes” he’s wearing."

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a theft and asking the public if they recognize the thief who was caught stealing money out of a local business’ tip jar repeatedly over the weekend, according to a social media report from Claycomo police.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FClaycomoPD%2Fvideos%2F580751794560337%2F&show_text=false&width=308&t=1" width="308" height="476" 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>"We’d sure like to talk to him about his actions, his future, and about those “shoes” he’s wearing."

🎥Police: Man accused of stealing from tip jar at KC area business

MCPHERSON COUNTY— One person died in a house fire in McPherson County Sunday.

&nbsp;Just after 6 p.m. fire crews and deputies with the McPherson County Sheriff's Office responded to a house fire in the 1000 block of 9th Avenue in rural McPherson County, according to a media release from the McPherson County Sheriff's Office.

Upon deputies arriving at the fire, they entered the residence and began searching for the occupant, who was reported to still be inside the home.

Due to the intensity of the fire, deputies had to back out of the house. Inman Fire and McPherson Fire were able to get the fire contained and the homeowner was located deceased inside of the residence.

The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. The preliminary investigation determined the fire was accidental and caused by faulty electrical equipment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735038666829.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY— One person died in a house fire in McPherson County Sunday.&nbsp;Just after 6 p.m. fire crews and deputies with the McPherson County Sheriff's Office responded to a house fire in the 1000 block of 9th Avenue in rural McPherson County, according to a media release from the McPherson County Sheriff's Office.Upon deputies arriving at the fire, they entered the residence and began searching for the occupant, who was reported to still be inside the home.Due to the intensity of the fire, deputies had to back out of the house. Inman Fire and McPherson Fire were able to get the fire contained and the homeowner was located deceased inside of the residence.The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was requested to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. The preliminary investigation determined the fire was accidental and caused by faulty electrical equipment.

Sheriff: One dead in rural Kansas house fire

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial.

Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f">murder as an act of terrorism</a>, in a state case that will run alongside his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-d6575764b6f4c58108e505e6e5ea896d">federal prosecution</a>.

His initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-d6575764b6f4c58108e505e6e5ea896d">bringing their own charges</a>&nbsp;over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors have said the two cases will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-4cc18cfa71b96aaa39b321f60145d2f0">proceed on parallel tracks</a>, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.

One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool.

“I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.

The city’s mayor and top police official stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania.

“I wanted to look him in the eye and say you carried out this terroristic act in my city — the city that the people of New York love,” the mayor told a local TV station.

Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle.

“He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said.

His attorney also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. “He is being treated like a human pingpong ball between warring jurisdictions here,” she said Monday.

State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial.

Authorities say Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4.

Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors.

At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.”

“In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added.

Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried.

During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs.

Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet.

Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims.

“As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.”

An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-united-healthcare-ceo-d148fbdde498c3ea4cf768945889d7e7">never a UnitedHealthcare client</a>, according to the insurer.

Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021.

The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-luigi-mangione-josh-shapiro-3a8c64a0bc412e0eeb84bca0c99b6e67">serving as a stand-in</a>&nbsp;for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-security-threats-wanted-posters-9a6687d14e667e5b48a1581923830e3f">shockwaves through the corporate world</a>, rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734643890089.png" alt="Luigi Mangione photo NYPD" />
 <figcaption>Luigi Mangione photo NYPD</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial.Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f">murder as an act of terrorism</a>, in a state case that will run alongside his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-d6575764b6f4c58108e505e6e5ea896d">federal prosecution</a>.His initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-d6575764b6f4c58108e505e6e5ea896d">bringing their own charges</a>&nbsp;over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole.Prosecutors have said the two cases will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-4cc18cfa71b96aaa39b321f60145d2f0">proceed on parallel tracks</a>, with the state charges expected to go to trial first.One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool.“I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” said Karen Friedman Agnifilo.The city’s mayor and top police official stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania.“I wanted to look him in the eye and say you carried out this terroristic act in my city — the city that the people of New York love,” the mayor told a local TV station.Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle.“He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said.His attorney also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. “He is being treated like a human pingpong ball between warring jurisdictions here,” she said Monday.State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial.Authorities say Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4.Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors.At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.”“In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added.Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried.During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs.Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet.Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims.“As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.”An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-united-healthcare-ceo-d148fbdde498c3ea4cf768945889d7e7">never a UnitedHealthcare client</a>, according to the insurer.Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021.The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-healthcare-ceo-luigi-mangione-josh-shapiro-3a8c64a0bc412e0eeb84bca0c99b6e67">serving as a stand-in</a>&nbsp;for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-security-threats-wanted-posters-9a6687d14e667e5b48a1581923830e3f">shockwaves through the corporate world</a>, rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats.

Insurance CEO killing suspect enters plea to terror, murder charges

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man who admitted his role in a July 2023 nightclub shooting is going to prison.

 Judge David Dahl sentenced 25-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita to 82 months in prison with 36 months post release, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge also ordered restitution to a City Nightz victim of $8,499.89, and $1,000 to City Nightz.

In September, 24-year-old Jaylen Thomas Wichita&nbsp; pled guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 1a.m. July 2, 2023, police responded to a mass shooting at the City Nightz club in the 200 Block of North Washington in Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.

The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later that day.

In June, co-defendant in the crime, 21-year-old Ameir King-Ingram was sentenced to just more than 4-years in prison.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162087966.png" alt="Thomas photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Thomas photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man who admitted his role in a July 2023 nightclub shooting is going to prison. Judge David Dahl sentenced 25-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita to 82 months in prison with 36 months post release, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge also ordered restitution to a City Nightz victim of $8,499.89, and $1,000 to City Nightz.In September, 24-year-old Jaylen Thomas Wichita&nbsp; pled guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation in July of 2023-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation in July of 2023-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1a.m. July 2, 2023, police responded to a mass shooting at the City Nightz club in the 200 Block of North Washington in Wichita, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later that day.In June, co-defendant in the crime, 21-year-old Ameir King-Ingram was sentenced to just more than 4-years in prison.&nbsp;

Man going to prison for mass shooting in Kansas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the regulation on transgender students, the department said it was withdrawing the proposal because of ongoing litigation over how Title IX, the landmark law preventing sex discrimination, should handle issues of gender identity. In addition, the department said there were 150,000 public comments with a range of feedback, including suggestions for modifications that needed to be considered.

At this point, the department wrote, “We do not intend for a final rule to be issued.”

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, accused the White House of “adding more red tape and making it more difficult for him to govern.”

“President Trump will not be deterred by their dirty tricks and will use every lever of power to reverse the damage Biden has done and implement his America First agenda,” Leavitt said.

Kate Shaw, who served in the White House counsel’s office under President Barack Obama, said it’s not unusual for administrations to speed up or slow down rulemaking. It’s more typical, she said, for the federal government to race to finalize regulations during a transition period, but that can be difficult when there’s a time crunch.

“If you haven’t started it early enough, you’re not going to be able to wrap it up,” she said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, said Biden never had the authority to accomplish these plans.

“With today’s latest withdrawal, they are admitting these schemes were nothing more than a dishonest attempt to buy votes by transferring debt onto taxpayers who never went to college or worked to pay off their loans,” he said in a statement.

Although Biden did not achieve the sweeping loan cancellations that he initially promised, his administration has forgiven an unprecedented $180 billion in federal student loans through existing programs.

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

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

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

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

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

Biden’s proposal left both sides of the issue asking for more. Advocates for transgender athletes said it didn’t go far enough in protecting transgender students from school policies that could unfairly exclude them. Opponents said it fell short of protecting girls and ensuring fairness.

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

Had Biden’s proposal been finalized, it was certain to face legal challenges from conservatives who said Biden overstepped his authority. Biden’s broader policy on Title IX, which was finalized in April, faced a barrage of legal challenges that prevented it from taking effect in 26 states.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688172552220.png" alt="President Joe Biden's administration officially ended its attempt Friday to come up with an alternative way to cancel student debt for tens of millions of Americans following the Supreme Court's rejection of his first plan in 2023.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden's administration officially ended its attempt Friday to come up with an alternative way to cancel student debt for tens of millions of Americans following the Supreme Court's rejection of his first plan in 2023.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is abandoning his efforts to cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans and to provide some protections for transgender student athletes, the first steps in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from retooling them to achieve his own aims.The White House expects to pull back unfinished rules across several agencies if there isn’t enough time to finalize them before Trump takes office. If the proposed regulations were left in their current state, the next administration would be able to rewrite them and advance its agenda more quickly.Even as the Biden administration moves to pull back the rules, it pushed ahead with cancellation through other avenues. The Education Department said it was clearing loans for another 55,000 borrowers who reached eligibility through a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was created by Congress in 2007 and expanded by the Biden administration.As the pending Biden regulations are withdrawn, nothing prevents Trump from pursuing his own regulations on the same issues when he returns to the White House, but he would have to start from scratch in a process that can take months or even years.“This isn’t the way I wanted it to end,” said Melissa Byrne, an activist who has pushed for student debt cancellation. “Unfortunately, this is the most prudent action to take right now.”She blamed Republicans for putting the Biden administration in this position. “It’s a bummer that we have a GOP that is committed to keeping working-class Americans in debt,” Byrne said.The withdrawals are beginning as Washington braces for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-musk-johnson-e4b5c93d12838d180740a35daecc118d">a potential government shutdown</a>&nbsp;that could further complicate efforts by the Biden administration to tie up loose ends.In documents withdrawing the student loan proposals, the Education Department insisted it has the authority to cancel the debt but sought to focus on other priorities in the administration’s final weeks. It said the administration would focus on helping borrowers get back on track with payments following the coronavirus pandemic, when payments were paused.“The department at this time intends to commit its limited operational resources to helping at-risk borrowers return to repayment successfully,” the agency wrote.For the regulation on transgender students, the department said it was withdrawing the proposal because of ongoing litigation over how Title IX, the landmark law preventing sex discrimination, should handle issues of gender identity. In addition, the department said there were 150,000 public comments with a range of feedback, including suggestions for modifications that needed to be considered.At this point, the department wrote, “We do not intend for a final rule to be issued.”Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, accused the White House of “adding more red tape and making it more difficult for him to govern.”“President Trump will not be deterred by their dirty tricks and will use every lever of power to reverse the damage Biden has done and implement his America First agenda,” Leavitt said.Kate Shaw, who served in the White House counsel’s office under President Barack Obama, said it’s not unusual for administrations to speed up or slow down rulemaking. It’s more typical, she said, for the federal government to race to finalize regulations during a transition period, but that can be difficult when there’s a time crunch.“If you haven’t started it early enough, you’re not going to be able to wrap it up,” she said.An administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration still supports the goals of its regulatory proposals. However, the process can be lengthy because it requires legal reviews and collecting input from the public.Federal agencies are now analyzing which rules to finish and which to pull back before the end of Biden’s term, the official said.In recent years, presidents have tended to rely more on executive orders and federal regulations to sidestep gridlock in Congress. However, the rulemaking process can be less durable than legislation, leaving policies more vulnerable to shifts between administrations.There are dozens of other pending regulations across the Education Department and other agencies, ranging from relatively trivial updates to sweeping policies that carry weighty implications for the nation’s schools and businesses.If a rule has already gone through a public feedback process under Biden, Trump could simply replace it with his own proposal and move straight to enacting the policy, effectively bypassing the comment period.The pair of student loan proposals expected to be withdrawn Friday represented Biden’s second attempt at widespread debt cancellation after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">rejected his first plan.</a>One of them is a proposal from April that would have provided targeted debt relief to 30 million Americans. It laid out several categories of borrowers eligible for relief. Borrowers who saw their balances balloon because of interest would have had their accrued interest wiped away. Those who had been repaying loans for 20 years or more would have gotten their loans erased.That proposal was halted by a federal judge in September after Republican-led states sued, and it remains tangled in a legal battle.The second rule being withdrawn is a proposal from October that would have allowed the Education Department to cancel loans for people facing various kinds of hardship, including those struggling with steep medical bills or child care costs.Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, said Biden never had the authority to accomplish these plans.“With today’s latest withdrawal, they are admitting these schemes were nothing more than a dishonest attempt to buy votes by transferring debt onto taxpayers who never went to college or worked to pay off their loans,” he said in a statement.Although Biden did not achieve the sweeping loan cancellations that he initially promised, his administration has forgiven an unprecedented $180 billion in federal student loans through existing programs.“Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt,” Biden said in a statement.On Friday, officials announced they were erasing debt for another 55,000 workers — including teachers, nurses and law enforcement officials — through Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The program promises to cancel loans for borrowers who spend 10 years in government or nonprofit jobs.The $4.28 billion in relief is expected to be the final&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-debt-forgiveness-60ffeaec17737d6317b4aee188893cc4">round of public service loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;before Biden leaves office in January.Biden’s rule on transgender sports was proposed in 2023 but was delayed multiple times. It was supposed to be a follow-up to his broader rule that extended civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students under Title IX.The sports rule would have prevented schools from banning transgender athletes outright while allowing limits for certain reasons — for example, if it was a matter of “fairness” in competition or to reduce injury risks.Biden’s proposal left both sides of the issue asking for more. Advocates for transgender athletes said it didn’t go far enough in protecting transgender students from school policies that could unfairly exclude them. Opponents said it fell short of protecting girls and ensuring fairness.The regulation sat on the back burner through the presidential campaign as the issue became a subject of Republican outrage. Trump campaigned on a promise to ban transgender athletes, with a promise to “keep men out of women’s sports.”Had Biden’s proposal been finalized, it was certain to face legal challenges from conservatives who said Biden overstepped his authority. Biden’s broader policy on Title IX, which was finalized in April, faced a barrage of legal challenges that prevented it from taking effect in 26 states.<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Biden abandons mass student debt cancellation plans

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a crash and chase in Douglas County.

On Sunday, a man was observed walking in downtown Lawrence carrying a rifle, according to a social media report from Lawrence Police.

 He ran to a car, backed into a patrol vehicle, jumped the curb, crashed into a city lamp post and then drove down the sidewalk to get away.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday, an alert Police Sergeant patrolling downtown Lawrence saw the man walking southbound in the 800 block of Massachusetts carrying what appeared to be a long-barreled rifle. 

The man was heading toward a group standing near 9th and Massachusetts. The Sergeant stopped, yelled “police,” and ordered the man to stop. The man fled on foot to the nearby car and took off, dropping the weapon along the way.  Another officer spotted the car near 6th and Michigan.

 The man fled from officers again down 6th Street and onto Kansas 10 then to Interstate 70, where he crashed trying to navigate an on-ramp. The man got out of the crashed vehicle and again began leaving the scene but officers quickly arrested him without injury and he was booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734920994664.png" alt="Photos Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a crash and chase in Douglas County.On Sunday, a man was observed walking in downtown Lawrence carrying a rifle, according to a social media report from Lawrence Police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734920974599.png" alt="" />
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 </figure> He ran to a car, backed into a patrol vehicle, jumped the curb, crashed into a city lamp post and then drove down the sidewalk to get away.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734921036098.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>Just after 2a.m. Sunday, an alert Police Sergeant patrolling downtown Lawrence saw the man walking southbound in the 800 block of Massachusetts carrying what appeared to be a long-barreled rifle. The man was heading toward a group standing near 9th and Massachusetts. The Sergeant stopped, yelled “police,” and ordered the man to stop. The man fled on foot to the nearby car and took off, dropping the weapon along the way. Another officer spotted the car near 6th and Michigan. The man fled from officers again down 6th Street and onto Kansas 10 then to Interstate 70, where he crashed trying to navigate an on-ramp. The man got out of the crashed vehicle and again began leaving the scene but officers quickly arrested him without injury and he was booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility.

Suspect dropped rifle, crashed car into Kan. police vehicle

KANSAS CITY—A pedestrian identified as 46-year-old Phillip D. Castleberry injured in hit-and-run on December 10 in Kansas City died over the weekend, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 6:30p.m. Dec. 10, an unknown vehicle driving Northbound on Troost Avenue on the outside lane struck Castleberry who was crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd terrace.

 The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported Castleberry to a local hospital with life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Police are still asking the public for help with information to help them locate the vehicle involved.

KANSAS CITY—A pedestrian identified as 46-year-old Phillip D. Castleberry injured in hit-and-run on December 10 in Kansas City died over the weekend, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 6:30p.m. Dec. 10, an unknown vehicle driving Northbound on Troost Avenue on the outside lane struck Castleberry who was crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd terrace. The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported Castleberry to a local hospital with life threatening injuries, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Police are still asking the public for help with information to help them locate the vehicle involved.

KCPD: Pedestrian dies 9-days after injured in hit-and-run

SANA – U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, on Saturday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

Forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.

During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea.&nbsp;

The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.

The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.

Authorities have not reported if this attack occurred before, after or during the the friendly fire incident involving two U.S. Navy pilots over the Red Sea.

SANA – U.S. forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, on Saturday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… <a href="https://t.co/YRWWQJIweP">pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1870576182934323203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea.&nbsp;The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.Authorities have not reported if this attack occurred before, after or during the the friendly fire incident involving two U.S. Navy pilots over the Red Sea.

U.S. airstrikes hit terrorist missile storage and command, control facilities

PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/en/">Panama Canal</a>&nbsp;that the United States “foolishly”&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal">ceded</a>&nbsp;to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-canal-global-trade-routes-drought-climate-change-bd76a77825a2e8e751a24346f8fd54a9">fees</a>&nbsp;to pass through the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/conoce-la-historia-del-canal-de-panama/">vital transportation channel</a>&nbsp;linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-mulino-immigration-darien-gap-31f214b8c9885c6e9f943c5ed9cc9ac1">elected in April</a>&nbsp;on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.

The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to also bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">budget fight</a>&nbsp;on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-speaker-johnson-debt-d8084f6c9c2f7d01845b817430f6f91b">their leader's demands</a>.

Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”

PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/en/">Panama Canal</a>&nbsp;that the United States “foolishly”&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal">ceded</a>&nbsp;to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-canal-global-trade-routes-drought-climate-change-bd76a77825a2e8e751a24346f8fd54a9">fees</a>&nbsp;to pass through the&nbsp;<a href="https://pancanal.com/conoce-la-historia-del-canal-de-panama/">vital transportation channel</a>&nbsp;linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. commerce and rapid deployment of the Navy from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific. It’s an incredible thing and drastically cuts shipping times down to U.S. ports by days and even weeks.”<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> live at AmFest 2024 <a href="https://t.co/6T7qLmNxLZ">pic.twitter.com/6T7qLmNxLZ</a>&mdash; Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1870901625952641303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734833723345.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/panama-mulino-immigration-darien-gap-31f214b8c9885c6e9f943c5ed9cc9ac1">elected in April</a>&nbsp;on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.The Republican president-elect's comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to also bask in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-debt-ceiling-shutdown-musk-johnson-e0258d31a9018c7af09afc11a8634707">budget fight</a>&nbsp;on Capitol Hill where some GOP lawmakers openly defied&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-trump-speaker-johnson-debt-d8084f6c9c2f7d01845b817430f6f91b">their leader's demands</a>.Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, seal U.S. borders and quickly settle wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and projected an image of Republican cohesion despite the past week's turbulence in Washington with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress worked to avoid a government shutdown heading into the Christmas holiday.House Republicans spiked a bipartisan deal after Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire ally, expressed their opposition on social media. Budget hawks flouted Trump's request to raise the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-shutdown-explainer-22ff94a8f8b188c722ff8fab3f7093d0">debt ceiling</a>, which would have spared some new rounds of the same fight after he takes office Jan. 20, 2025, with Republicans holding narrow control of the House and Senate. The final agreement did not address the issue and there was no shutdown.Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk's growing power. To suggestions that "President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon,” Trump made clear, “No, no. That’s not happening.”“He’s not gonna be president,” Trump said.The president-elect opened the speech by saying that "we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot." Then he suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but eventually will ”come over to our side because we want to have them.”Atop a list of grievances — some old, some new — was the Panama Canal.“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal,” he said, bemoaning that his country ”foolishly gave it away.”The United States built the Panama canal in the early 1900s, as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/panama/">Panama</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.With weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. But price increases are still expected for next year.Mulino, Panama's president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue.Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway, "If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.”“I’m not going to stand for it," Trump said. "So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”He did not explain how that would be possible.A short time after Trump's speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”The canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-turning-point-maga-d08a98e439fa4e902cb756d7e35153db">Charlie Kirk</a>, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Trump make key gains among infrequent voters and other groups of people that have trended more Democratic in recent decades, including younger voters, Black men and Latino men.”You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”Also Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump's first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. He also announced his choice of venture capitalist Scott Kupor to serve as the director of the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s chief human resources agency.And Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt announced he was donating $1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund to complement the $14 million that he said he already had given to the Make America Great Again Inc. super political action committee — making him one of the president-elect’s top donors.Pratt is chairman of Pratt Industries, which uses recycled paper and boxes as a raw material in a process that produces new cardboard.___Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.