Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are released from claims of fraud, with statute of limitations impacting sexual abuse survivor’s right to sue

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Christian summer camp Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are not liable after allegedly concealing knowledge of sexual misconduct at its camp, a judge in Christian County Circuit Court ruled Friday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">case was brought by Logan Yandell, a survivor</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director Pete Newman. Yandell alleged the camp’s CEO lied to his parents, which influenced them to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.

Yandell says his family relied on statements made by camp CEO Joe White on a phone call that “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman)” when settling in 2010.

Yandell’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/18/judge-weighs-whether-missouri-based-kanakuk-defrauded-abuse-survivors-family/">attorney Reed Martens argued</a>&nbsp;in a November proceeding that the camp’s insurer, ACE American Insurance Co., influenced White to cover up his knowledge, saying White was acting as an agent of the insurance company during the phone conversation.

Judge Raymond Gross, who typically serves in Ozark County but was brought in to oversee the case, dismissed Yandell’s claims of fraud, saying he lacked the “right to rely” on a misstatement by White after newspapers reported that Kanakuk “knew of inappropriate behavior since 2003” and a public sentencing referenced the camp’s knowledge.

Yandell said he didn’t realize White had not told the truth until 2021, but Gross ruled that there were occasions he should have learned of the camp’s negligence years prior.

The statute of limitations in Missouri restricts fraud claims to five years after the fraud is discovered. Yandell should have known about the misstatement more than five years before he filed his claim, Gross wrote, making him ineligible to bring the claim.

Gross also rejected ACE Insurance as responsible for White’s statement, writing: “There is no evidence that ACE vested White with any power to speak or act on its behalf.”

The ruling did not mention a letter that the camp drafted to send to families that ACE “strongly recommended not to send.” This occurred after the phone call with the misstatement.

Gross wrote that there was no evidence of ACE pressuring White “prior to or during the phone call.”

The trial scheduled for July is now canceled. Attorneys for Yandell could not be immediately reached for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026482190.png" alt="&nbsp;The Christian County Justice Center, as photographed Nov. 18, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Christian County Justice Center, as photographed Nov. 18, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are released from claims of fraud, with statute of limitations impacting sexual abuse survivor’s right to sue</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Christian summer camp Kanakuk Ministries and its insurer are not liable after allegedly concealing knowledge of sexual misconduct at its camp, a judge in Christian County Circuit Court ruled Friday.The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/22/former-camper-suing-missouri-based-kanakuk-kamps-claiming-fraudulent-abuse-settlement/">case was brought by Logan Yandell, a survivor</a>&nbsp;of sexual abuse by Kanakuk Ministries’ former camp director Pete Newman. Yandell alleged the camp’s CEO lied to his parents, which influenced them to sign a settlement and non-disclosure agreement for $250,000 that they otherwise would have continued to fight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732026447363.png" alt="Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Logan Yandell in 2003, the year he began attending Kanakuk summer camp (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>Yandell says his family relied on statements made by camp CEO Joe White on a phone call that “nothing has been on (the camp’s) radar with (Newman)” when settling in 2010.Yandell’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/18/judge-weighs-whether-missouri-based-kanakuk-defrauded-abuse-survivors-family/">attorney Reed Martens argued</a>&nbsp;in a November proceeding that the camp’s insurer, ACE American Insurance Co., influenced White to cover up his knowledge, saying White was acting as an agent of the insurance company during the phone conversation.Judge Raymond Gross, who typically serves in Ozark County but was brought in to oversee the case, dismissed Yandell’s claims of fraud, saying he lacked the “right to rely” on a misstatement by White after newspapers reported that Kanakuk “knew of inappropriate behavior since 2003” and a public sentencing referenced the camp’s knowledge.Yandell said he didn’t realize White had not told the truth until 2021, but Gross ruled that there were occasions he should have learned of the camp’s negligence years prior.The statute of limitations in Missouri restricts fraud claims to five years after the fraud is discovered. Yandell should have known about the misstatement more than five years before he filed his claim, Gross wrote, making him ineligible to bring the claim.Gross also rejected ACE Insurance as responsible for White’s statement, writing: “There is no evidence that ACE vested White with any power to speak or act on its behalf.”The ruling did not mention a letter that the camp drafted to send to families that ACE “strongly recommended not to send.” This occurred after the phone call with the misstatement.Gross wrote that there was no evidence of ACE pressuring White “prior to or during the phone call.”The trial scheduled for July is now canceled. Attorneys for Yandell could not be immediately reached for comment.

Judge rules summer camp not liable for CEO statements about sexual misconduct

GRAY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Sunday in Gray County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Edgar Adolfo&nbsp;Rios-Meraz, 22, Satanta, was eastbound on Kansas 144 four miles east of Copeland.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection at U.S. 56 and struck a KDOT post.

The truck crossed U.S. 56, entered into the south ditch and rolled. The driver and passenger identified as 18-year-old Yensin Mabel&nbsp;Servin-Shavez were ejected.

Rios-Meraz was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Servin-Shavez to&nbsp;Wesley Trauma Center. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The report did not include Servin-Shavez's hometown.

GRAY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Sunday in Gray County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Edgar Adolfo&nbsp;Rios-Meraz, 22, Satanta, was eastbound on Kansas 144 four miles east of Copeland.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection at U.S. 56 and struck a KDOT post.The truck crossed U.S. 56, entered into the south ditch and rolled. The driver and passenger identified as 18-year-old Yensin Mabel&nbsp;Servin-Shavez were ejected.Rios-Meraz was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Servin-Shavez to&nbsp;Wesley Trauma Center. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The report did not include Servin-Shavez's hometown.

Kansas man dead after ejected in pickup rollover crash

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

TikTok said Sunday it was restoring service to users in the United States after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban that President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.

Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-trump-extension-a3936a93f174d176d3633a67554d771b">more time</a>&nbsp;to find an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-buyers-divestment-ban-8429dfb422c4cefb6b0807aeb2c5cd56">approved buyer</a>&nbsp;before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-supreme-court-36c3c3b42f743a35c69e1c74341f1f30">popular video-sharing platform</a>&nbsp;is subject to a permanent U.S.ban. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">no longer access</a>&nbsp;the TikTok app or platform.

Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with the law, which required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. The law, which passed with wide bipartisan support in April, allowed for steep fines for non-compliance.

The company that runs TikTok said in a post on X that Trump's post had provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans.”

Some users reported soon after TikTok's statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some users. Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores.

The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese roots. However, the statute gave the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway.

Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump said he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” but it was not immediately clear if he was referring to the government or an American company.

Trump said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and "confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.

“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump wrote.

The on-and-off availability of TikTok came after the U.S. Supreme Court held in a unanimous ruling Friday that the risk to national security posed by TikTok’s ties to China outweighed concerns about limiting speech by the app or its millions of users in the United States.

When TikTok users in the U.S. tried to watch or post videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the platform</a>&nbsp;as of Saturday night, they saw a pop-up message under the headline, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” a pop-up message informed users who opened the TikTok app and tried to scroll through videos on Saturday night. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

The service interruption TikTok instituted hours early caught most users by surprise. Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">app stores</a>&nbsp;to remove it. Current users had been expected to continue to have access to videos until the app stopped working due to a lack of updates.

“The community on TikTok is like nothing else, so it’s weird to not have that anymore,” content creator Tiffany Watson, 20, said Sunday.

Watson said she had been in denial about the looming shutdown and with the space time on her hands plans to focus on bolstering her presence on Instagram and YouTube.

“There are still people out there who want beauty content,” Watson said.

The company’s app also was removed late Saturday from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google. Apple told customers with its devices that it also took down other apps developed by TikTok’s China-based parent company, including one that some social media influencers had promoted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lemon8-tiktok-ban-alternative-creators-4d9328b4312681cc4f6dcb5d81a5e464">as an alternative</a>.

“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.

Trump's plan to issue an executive order to spare TikTok on his first day in office reflected the ban's coincidental timing and the unusual mix of political considerations surrounding a social media platform that first gained popularity with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-biden-timeline-india-119969bfc584e92d47baa189a3e1c4fc">often silly videos</a>&nbsp;featuring dances and music clips.

During his first term in the White House, Trump issued executive orders in 2020 banning TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked. When momentum for a ban emerged in Congress last year, however, he opposed the legislation. Trump has since credited TikTok with helping him win support from young voters in last year's presidential election.

Despite its own part in getting the nationwide ban enacted, the Biden administration stressed in recent days that it did not intend to implement or enforce the ban before Trump takes office on Monday.

In the nine months since Congress passed the sale-or-ban law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/divesting-tiktok-buyer-330c3a10d80aa9223facbfba0296a608">no clear buyers</a>&nbsp;emerged, and ByteDance publicly insisted it would not sell TikTok. But Trump said he hoped his administration could facilitate a deal to “save” the app.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;inauguration with a prime seating location.

Chew posted a video late Saturday thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the U.S. and taking a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”

Trump's choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS News on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok going dark in the U.S. during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping “and they agreed to work together on this.”

On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user’s videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.

Other investors also eyed TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">billionaire Frank McCourt</a>&nbsp;offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Trump’s former treasury secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">Steven Mnuchin</a>, also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.

In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-unitedstates-tiktok-chew-2d851c716d6454d7c87762a056604c7a">long raised concerns</a>&nbsp;about TikTok, warning the algorithm that fuels what users see is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities. But to date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.

Kanis Leung in Hong Kong and Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737312697501.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HALELUYA%20HADERO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press</a>TikTok said Sunday it was restoring service to users in the United States after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban that President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-trump-extension-a3936a93f174d176d3633a67554d771b">more time</a>&nbsp;to find an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-buyers-divestment-ban-8429dfb422c4cefb6b0807aeb2c5cd56">approved buyer</a>&nbsp;before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-trump-supreme-court-36c3c3b42f743a35c69e1c74341f1f30">popular video-sharing platform</a>&nbsp;is subject to a permanent U.S.ban. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">no longer access</a>&nbsp;the TikTok app or platform.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737257873247.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with the law, which required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. The law, which passed with wide bipartisan support in April, allowed for steep fines for non-compliance.The company that runs TikTok said in a post on X that Trump's post had provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans.”Some users reported soon after TikTok's statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some users. Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores.The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese roots. However, the statute gave the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway.Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump said he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” but it was not immediately clear if he was referring to the government or an American company.Trump said his order would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and "confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump wrote.The on-and-off availability of TikTok came after the U.S. Supreme Court held in a unanimous ruling Friday that the risk to national security posed by TikTok’s ties to China outweighed concerns about limiting speech by the app or its millions of users in the United States.When TikTok users in the U.S. tried to watch or post videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the platform</a>&nbsp;as of Saturday night, they saw a pop-up message under the headline, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now.”“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” a pop-up message informed users who opened the TikTok app and tried to scroll through videos on Saturday night. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”The service interruption TikTok instituted hours early caught most users by surprise. Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-alternative-social-media-platforms-ban-49af1bfd2a1543a09b327544c380f217">app stores</a>&nbsp;to remove it. Current users had been expected to continue to have access to videos until the app stopped working due to a lack of updates.“The community on TikTok is like nothing else, so it’s weird to not have that anymore,” content creator Tiffany Watson, 20, said Sunday.Watson said she had been in denial about the looming shutdown and with the space time on her hands plans to focus on bolstering her presence on Instagram and YouTube.“There are still people out there who want beauty content,” Watson said.The company’s app also was removed late Saturday from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google. Apple told customers with its devices that it also took down other apps developed by TikTok’s China-based parent company, including one that some social media influencers had promoted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lemon8-tiktok-ban-alternative-creators-4d9328b4312681cc4f6dcb5d81a5e464">as an alternative</a>.“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.Trump's plan to issue an executive order to spare TikTok on his first day in office reflected the ban's coincidental timing and the unusual mix of political considerations surrounding a social media platform that first gained popularity with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-biden-timeline-india-119969bfc584e92d47baa189a3e1c4fc">often silly videos</a>&nbsp;featuring dances and music clips.During his first term in the White House, Trump issued executive orders in 2020 banning TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked. When momentum for a ban emerged in Congress last year, however, he opposed the legislation. Trump has since credited TikTok with helping him win support from young voters in last year's presidential election.Despite its own part in getting the nationwide ban enacted, the Biden administration stressed in recent days that it did not intend to implement or enforce the ban before Trump takes office on Monday.In the nine months since Congress passed the sale-or-ban law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/divesting-tiktok-buyer-330c3a10d80aa9223facbfba0296a608">no clear buyers</a>&nbsp;emerged, and ByteDance publicly insisted it would not sell TikTok. But Trump said he hoped his administration could facilitate a deal to “save” the app.TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;inauguration with a prime seating location.Chew posted a video late Saturday thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the U.S. and taking a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”Trump's choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS News on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok going dark in the U.S. during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping “and they agreed to work together on this.”On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user’s videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.Other investors also eyed TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">billionaire Frank McCourt</a>&nbsp;offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Trump’s former treasury secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">Steven Mnuchin</a>, also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-unitedstates-tiktok-chew-2d851c716d6454d7c87762a056604c7a">long raised concerns</a>&nbsp;about TikTok, warning the algorithm that fuels what users see is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities. But to date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.___Kanis Leung in Hong Kong and Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta contributed to this story.

TikTok coming back online after Trump vowed to halt ban

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22WAFAA%20SHURAFA,%20SAMY%20MAGDY%20and%20TIA%20GOLDENBERG%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press</a>

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The first three hostages released from Gaza have arrived in Israel, the military announced Sunday, hours after the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold. Their mothers were waiting to meet them.

Israeli media, carrying live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, showed the three women walking to Red Cross vehicles as their convoy moved through Gaza City. The vehicles were accompanied by armed men who wore green Hamas headbands and struggled to guard the cars from an unruly crowd that swelled into the thousands.

No further glimpses of the three were immediately expected as they will be taken for medical assessment. “They appear to be in good health,” President Joe Biden said in brief remarks as they were arriving in Israel.

In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in cheers. For months, many had gathered in the square to demand a ceasefire deal.

The ceasefire ushers in an initial six-week period of calm and raises hopes for the release of dozens of militant-held hostages and an end to the devastating 15-month war. A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the truce's start by nearly three hours and highlighted its fragility.

Even before the ceasefire took effect, celebrations broke out across the territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes.

Next up is the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, families and friends gathered excitedly as cars honked and people waved the Palestinian flag.

The truce, which started at 11:15 a.m. local time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">is the first step</a>&nbsp;toward ultimately ending the conflict and returning nearly 100 hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were released. Gonen was abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-music-festival-survivors-89d5785b3caed4e5796b8750010877f9">the Nova music festival</a>, while the others were kidnapped from Kibbutz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-kibbutz-attack-anniversary-344b289751d8ee80d4909f15864f508c">Kfar Aza</a>. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.

In the interim between 8:30 a.m. and when the ceasefire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not say whether they were civilians or fighters. The military has warned people to stay away from Israeli forces as they retreat to a buffer zone inside Gaza.

Israel’s hard-line national security minister, meanwhile, said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire agreement.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/itamar-bengvir-resigns-gaza-ceasefire-netanyahu-d63bc4ac1e4f741cafa6fab4d932f891">Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure</a>&nbsp;weakens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.

In a separate development, Israel announced it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation in Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained there after the 2014 war and had not been returned.

The ceasefire deal was announced last week after a year of mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">had both pressed for an agreement</a>&nbsp;to be reached before the inauguration on Monday.

Netanyahu on Saturday warned that he had Trump's backing to continue fighting if necessary.

The 42-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">first phase of the ceasefire</a>&nbsp;should see 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home.

There is also supposed to be a surge of humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza daily,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-aid-hamas-unrwa-biden-bcf8489c338a2f33cb4d6f0a4f7138b5">far more than Israel allowed before</a>. The United Nations' World Food Program said trucks started entering through two crossings after the ceasefire took hold.

This is just the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.

Negotiations on the far more difficult second phase of this ceasefire should begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first phase and how the rest of the hostages in Gaza will be freed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737298450699.png" alt="Doron Steinbrecher -Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Doron Steinbrecher -Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22WAFAA%20SHURAFA,%20SAMY%20MAGDY%20and%20TIA%20GOLDENBERG%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press</a>DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The first three hostages released from Gaza have arrived in Israel, the military announced Sunday, hours after the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold. Their mothers were waiting to meet them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737298581042.png" alt="Emily Damari-Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Emily Damari-Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>Israeli media, carrying live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, showed the three women walking to Red Cross vehicles as their convoy moved through Gaza City. The vehicles were accompanied by armed men who wore green Hamas headbands and struggled to guard the cars from an unruly crowd that swelled into the thousands.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on ceasefire in Gaza: &quot;After so much pain, destruction and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/QLm8jmXNyJ">pic.twitter.com/QLm8jmXNyJ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1881021050575831514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>No further glimpses of the three were immediately expected as they will be taken for medical assessment. “They appear to be in good health,” President Joe Biden said in brief remarks as they were arriving in Israel.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737298203464.png" alt="Romi Gonen-Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Romi Gonen-Photos Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch the news on large screens erupted in cheers. For months, many had gathered in the square to demand a ceasefire deal.The ceasefire ushers in an initial six-week period of calm and raises hopes for the release of dozens of militant-held hostages and an end to the devastating 15-month war. A last-minute delay by Hamas put off the truce's start by nearly three hours and highlighted its fragility.Even before the ceasefire took effect, celebrations broke out across the territory and some Palestinians began returning to their homes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">They’re home. 💛 <a href="https://t.co/PHkJ3yZLrV">pic.twitter.com/PHkJ3yZLrV</a>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1881008620990840990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Next up is the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, families and friends gathered excitedly as cars honked and people waved the Palestinian flag.The truce, which started at 11:15 a.m. local time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">is the first step</a>&nbsp;toward ultimately ending the conflict and returning nearly 100 hostages abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were released. Gonen was abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-music-festival-survivors-89d5785b3caed4e5796b8750010877f9">the Nova music festival</a>, while the others were kidnapped from Kibbutz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-kibbutz-attack-anniversary-344b289751d8ee80d4909f15864f508c">Kfar Aza</a>. Damari is an Israeli-British dual citizen.In the interim between 8:30 a.m. and when the ceasefire took hold, Israeli fire killed at least 26 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It did not say whether they were civilians or fighters. The military has warned people to stay away from Israeli forces as they retreat to a buffer zone inside Gaza.Israel’s hard-line national security minister, meanwhile, said his Jewish Power faction was quitting the government in protest over the ceasefire agreement.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/itamar-bengvir-resigns-gaza-ceasefire-netanyahu-d63bc4ac1e4f741cafa6fab4d932f891">Itamar Ben-Gvir’s departure</a>&nbsp;weakens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition but will not affect the truce.In a separate development, Israel announced it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation in Gaza. The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained there after the 2014 war and had not been returned.<h2>Fragile agreement</h2>The ceasefire deal was announced last week after a year of mediation by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">had both pressed for an agreement</a>&nbsp;to be reached before the inauguration on Monday.Netanyahu on Saturday warned that he had Trump's backing to continue fighting if necessary.The 42-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">first phase of the ceasefire</a>&nbsp;should see 33 hostages returned from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees released. Many displaced Palestinians should be able to return home.There is also supposed to be a surge of humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks entering Gaza daily,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-aid-hamas-unrwa-biden-bcf8489c338a2f33cb4d6f0a4f7138b5">far more than Israel allowed before</a>. The United Nations' World Food Program said trucks started entering through two crossings after the ceasefire took hold.This is just the second ceasefire in the war, longer and more consequential than a weeklong pause in November 2023, with the potential to end the fighting for good.Negotiations on the far more difficult second phase of this ceasefire should begin in just over two weeks. Major questions remain, including whether the war will resume after the first phase and how the rest of the hostages in Gaza will be freed.

Three Israeli hostages released as fragile ceasefire passes first hurdle

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday posthumously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-clemency-actions-3/" target="_blank">pardoned</a>&nbsp;Black nationalist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/marcus-garvey" target="_blank">Marcus Garvey</a>, who influenced Malcolm X and was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s. Biden also pardoned immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir and criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith Pradia. <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-clemency-actions-3/">Click here to see</a> the new list&nbsp;

Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey. Supporters long argued that Garvey’s conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c8bd2f796e4f4198ad4038b509255fb5">Ragbir was convicted of a nonviolent offence in 2001</a>&nbsp;and was sentenced to two years in prison. Smith Pradia is an advocate convicted of a drug offense in 1994 when she was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.

It’s still not clear whether Biden will use his last day in office to give pardons to people who have been criticized or threatened by President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20">Issuing preemptive pardons</a>&nbsp;— for actual or imagined offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration — would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday posthumously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-clemency-actions-3/" target="_blank">pardoned</a>&nbsp;Black nationalist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/marcus-garvey" target="_blank">Marcus Garvey</a>, who influenced Malcolm X and was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s. Biden also pardoned immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir and criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith Pradia. <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-clemency-actions-3/">Click here to see</a> the new list&nbsp;Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey. Supporters long argued that Garvey’s conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c8bd2f796e4f4198ad4038b509255fb5">Ragbir was convicted of a nonviolent offence in 2001</a>&nbsp;and was sentenced to two years in prison. Smith Pradia is an advocate convicted of a drug offense in 1994 when she was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.It’s still not clear whether Biden will use his last day in office to give pardons to people who have been criticized or threatened by President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20">Issuing preemptive pardons</a>&nbsp;— for actual or imagined offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration — would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.

See the list: Biden issues more pardons on final full day in office 

OSAGE COUNTY —The Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks are investigating a drowning incident. 

&nbsp;Just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person who had fallen out of a boat on Melvern Lake, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. Emergency crews responded to the scene.

After a lengthy search by land, air, and water, a subject was located. The subject was rescued from the water and life-saving measures were performed. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced deceased.

The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim or additional details.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Osage County Fire District #2 – Osage City, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, Reading Fire Department, LifeSave air ambulance out of Emporia, and Osage County EMS participated in the search.&nbsp;

OSAGE COUNTY —The Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks are investigating a drowning incident. &nbsp;Just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a person who had fallen out of a boat on Melvern Lake, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. Emergency crews responded to the scene.After a lengthy search by land, air, and water, a subject was located. The subject was rescued from the water and life-saving measures were performed. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced deceased.The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim or additional details.The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Osage County Fire District #2 – Osage City, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, Reading Fire Department, LifeSave air ambulance out of Emporia, and Osage County EMS participated in the search.&nbsp;

Sheriff: One dead after fall from boat on a Kansas lake

KANSAS CITY — Law enforcement are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred just after 3a.m. Saturday in Kansas City.

An unknown vehicle was eastbound on Independence Avenue at Van Brunt Boulevard, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez. The vehicle struck a pedestrian in the outside lane. The victim was crossing Independence Avenue from the North to the South. 

The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital and they pronounced deceased a few minutes later, according to Gonzalez.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY — Law enforcement are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred just after 3a.m. Saturday in Kansas City.An unknown vehicle was eastbound on Independence Avenue at Van Brunt Boulevard, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez. The vehicle struck a pedestrian in the outside lane. The victim was crossing Independence Avenue from the North to the South. The vehicle left the scene in an unknown direction. EMS transported the pedestrian to a local hospital and they pronounced deceased a few minutes later, according to Gonzalez.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

KCPD investigating fatal hit-and-run

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday as they face the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Taylor arrived much earlier than usual — about two hours before kickoff — and was dressed nearly head to toe in Chanel, including a black-and-white tweed jacket, a quarter-zip romper, a pearl strand belt and pendant earrings.

She spent some of the game sitting in a suite alongside Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is likewise a big Chiefs fan.

Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him play in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. Since then, the two have spent plenty of time together, often with cameras following them.

She has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-chiefs-childrens-hospital-63677e7d794ea29053c32fe84d44355d">spending more time in Kansas City lately</a>&nbsp;after wrapping up her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-numbers-2-billion-118a7f5ea4609c5d3072a29152e387bb">record-setting Eras Tour</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 8 in Canada.

The Chiefs had a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">first-round bye in the playoffs</a>&nbsp;after going 15-2 in the regular season and earning the No. 1 seed. They are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls; Swift was on hand for the most recent one in Las Vegas, racing back from her concert in Tokyo the same weekend to make it in time for kickoff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737247206128.png" alt="Taylor Swift watches from a suite during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Travis Heying)" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Swift watches from a suite during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Travis Heying)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday as they face the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.Taylor arrived much earlier than usual — about two hours before kickoff — and was dressed nearly head to toe in Chanel, including a black-and-white tweed jacket, a quarter-zip romper, a pearl strand belt and pendant earrings.She spent some of the game sitting in a suite alongside Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is likewise a big Chiefs fan.Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him play in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. Since then, the two have spent plenty of time together, often with cameras following them.She has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-chiefs-childrens-hospital-63677e7d794ea29053c32fe84d44355d">spending more time in Kansas City lately</a>&nbsp;after wrapping up her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-eras-tour-numbers-2-billion-118a7f5ea4609c5d3072a29152e387bb">record-setting Eras Tour</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 8 in Canada.The Chiefs had a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">first-round bye in the playoffs</a>&nbsp;after going 15-2 in the regular season and earning the No. 1 seed. They are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls; Swift was on hand for the most recent one in Las Vegas, racing back from her concert in Tokyo the same weekend to make it in time for kickoff.

Taylor Swift returns to Arrowhead to watch Kelce and the Chiefs, joined by Caitlin Clark

SHAWNEE COUNTY&nbsp; – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop and arrest.

Just before 1 a.m. Dec. 15, a sheriff' s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a blue 1994 Ford Ranger near NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Lyman Road, according to Shawnee County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the traffic stop, the driver gave false information including his name, date of birth, age, and more. Eventually, it was discovered that the driver had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest through the City of Topeka and a suspended driver’s license.

A K-9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located. John J. Shaw, 41, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Identity theft,&nbsp; Interference with law enforcement, Driving while license suspended, Improper display of license plate and No vehicle liability insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736976441700.png" alt="Shawnee photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shawnee photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY&nbsp; – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop and arrest.Just before 1 a.m. Dec. 15, a sheriff' s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a blue 1994 Ford Ranger near NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Lyman Road, according to Shawnee County Sheriff's Deputy Abigail Christian.During the traffic stop, the driver gave false information including his name, date of birth, age, and more. Eventually, it was discovered that the driver had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest through the City of Topeka and a suspended driver’s license.A K-9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located. John J. Shaw, 41, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;Identity theft,&nbsp; Interference with law enforcement, Driving while license suspended, Improper display of license plate and No vehicle liability insurance.

Wanted Kan. suspect gave fake name and more during traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;returned to Washington Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration, a triumphant return for the Republican four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack by his supporters on the Capitol</a>.

Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.

He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator.” Witkoff this past week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">helped negotiate a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;deal between Israel and Hamas that's scheduled to take effect on Sunday.

Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.

Trump was marking his return to power with a celebration and a fireworks showcase at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.

Trump returned to Washington as organizers of Monday’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">move inside most of the outdoor events</a>, including the swearing-in of president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.

It will be the first time since President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office in 1985 for his second term that the ceremony will be moved inside the U.S. Capitol.

Trump made his way from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania Trump and their son Barron aboard a U.S. military C-32 aircraft on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 — a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.

It’s a courtesy that's traditionally been extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one. Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021, and instead the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.

As his motorcade neared his golf club for Saturday's celebration, he was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who gathered along the roadside and chanted “Trump” and “USA, USA!”

With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">facing frigid temperatures</a>&nbsp;on Inauguration Day, Trump opted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events</a>, including the swearing-in ceremony.

“I think we made the right decision. We’ll be very comfortable now,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Saturday.

On Pennsylvania Avenue leading to the White House, crews were breaking down metal bleachers that would have been used for outdoor inauguration viewing stands.

Even before Trump got to town,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peoples-march-reproductive-rights-climate-immigration-democracy-a8c0d6a1351bb03f4b2b6436fa79fe58">groups of protesters</a>&nbsp;began taking to the street in the morning as a light sleet fell.

Melody Hamoud, a Washington resident, wore a pink hat that she had on at a 2017 march to protest Trump's first inauguration.

“I just didn’t want to sit home and fret in front of the TV,” she said. “I wanted to feel like our movement still has energy and be around others who felt the same.”

Timothy Wallis, 58, flew in for the inauguration from Pocatello, Idaho, with friends. The group had tickets to watch the ceremony outside but haven't been able to get tickets to any of the indoor events.

“We found out on the plane,” he said about the change of plans.

Wallis said he was disappointed about the switch and a little bemused since he’s used to cold at home.

“We left snow to come here,” he said. “I brought my gloves!”

Meanwhile, Trump said Saturday he is preparing to roll out a series of executive orders and other actions in the first days of his new administration.

He confirmed he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-trump-extension-a3936a93f174d176d3633a67554d771b">“most likely” grant an extension</a>&nbsp;that might allow TikTok to keep operating in the U.S. beyond Sunday, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">a law</a>&nbsp;that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-creators-influencers-react-78a06f9d2a91541710f999cbe39a3290">U.S. users</a>&nbsp;takes effect.

And Trump in the NBC News interview confirmed that his administration would begin its effort “very early, very quickly” on following through on a campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

Federal immigration officers are expected to initially target&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-ice-raids-trump-immigrant-community-b3b276656067b5302bed7dfcaf950f57">more than 300 people in the Chicago area</a>&nbsp;with histories of egregious, violent crimes after Trump takes office Monday, according to an official familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans have not been made public.

“Well, it’s got to happen, and if it doesn’t happen, we’re not going to have a country any longer,” said Trump, who declined to say where the deportation operations would begin.

Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-inauguration-a01d1ffa7862661914cb92b22e359854">Biden's inauguration.</a>

Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before Trump takes the oath of office.

The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washington’s norms, delivering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-speech-b7664360cc648dd2a5d5f2303b7490d9">dark inaugural address</a>&nbsp;as his swearing-in drew large protests and some clashes in the street.

This time, Trump told NBC, the theme of his inauguration speech would be “unity and strength, and also the word ‘fairness.’”

As he takes power, the protests were far less noticeable, eclipsed by the ceremonies and celebrations around Trump’s taking power. As one more marker of Trump's remarkable comeback, the events surrounding his inauguration will be more celebrity-studded than the last time, along with a noticeable turnout by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oligarchy-musk-bezos-zuckerberg-trump-biden-altman-putin-3ade224cccfb287f7fadaeac42b76e3d">cadre of tech-world billionaires</a>.

While Trump held court at his Virginia golf club on Saturday evening, Vice President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;attended a reception for Cabinet members and hosted a dinner in Washington.

On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner.

On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady.

Trump then heads to the Capitol, where his ceremony has been moved indoors as temperatures are set to plummet and make it the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. It’s not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, which holds only 600 people. More than 250,000 guests were ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.

The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Trump again planning to speak to his gathered supporters before he heads to the White House for a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. A trio of glitzy balls will follow in the evening, punctuated by musical performances.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;returned to Washington Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration, a triumphant return for the Republican four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack by his supporters on the Capitol</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President-elect Donald Trump arrives at Dulles Airport in Virginia for inauguration. <a href="https://t.co/ypXRWr2Smw">pic.twitter.com/ypXRWr2Smw</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1880778654277398754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator.” Witkoff this past week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6">helped negotiate a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;deal between Israel and Hamas that's scheduled to take effect on Sunday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELANIATRUMP</a>, and Barron Trump board Air Force One for his official return to Washington, DC! America, your next Commander-in-Chief is en route 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/NmoIu0svOw">pic.twitter.com/NmoIu0svOw</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@margomartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/margomartin/status/1880731125330645239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.Trump was marking his return to power with a celebration and a fireworks showcase at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President-Elect Trump and Melania Trump watch fireworks at Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, VA. <a href="https://t.co/3xlFkKnZFX">pic.twitter.com/3xlFkKnZFX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1880812130250756354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump returned to Washington as organizers of Monday’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">move inside most of the outdoor events</a>, including the swearing-in of president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.It will be the first time since President Ronald Reagan took the oath of office in 1985 for his second term that the ceremony will be moved inside the U.S. Capitol.Trump made his way from West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Melania Trump and their son Barron aboard a U.S. military C-32 aircraft on a flight dubbed Special Air Mission 47 — a nod to Trump becoming the 47th president on Monday.It’s a courtesy that's traditionally been extended by the outgoing administration to the incoming one. Trump did not make a government plane available to President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration in 2021, and instead the Democrat flew to Washington on a privately chartered aircraft.As his motorcade neared his golf club for Saturday's celebration, he was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who gathered along the roadside and chanted “Trump” and “USA, USA!”With a blast of Arctic air expected to leave the nation’s capital&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arctic-siberian-cold-chilly-trump-inauguration-7537abf637d19e681e9c517e1e82cb4b">facing frigid temperatures</a>&nbsp;on Inauguration Day, Trump opted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-capitol-rotunda-cold-weather-2e527b4f40309be7fd2b48a8173af390">move inside most of Monday’s outdoor events</a>, including the swearing-in ceremony.“I think we made the right decision. We’ll be very comfortable now,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Saturday.On Pennsylvania Avenue leading to the White House, crews were breaking down metal bleachers that would have been used for outdoor inauguration viewing stands.Even before Trump got to town,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peoples-march-reproductive-rights-climate-immigration-democracy-a8c0d6a1351bb03f4b2b6436fa79fe58">groups of protesters</a>&nbsp;began taking to the street in the morning as a light sleet fell.Melody Hamoud, a Washington resident, wore a pink hat that she had on at a 2017 march to protest Trump's first inauguration.“I just didn’t want to sit home and fret in front of the TV,” she said. “I wanted to feel like our movement still has energy and be around others who felt the same.”Timothy Wallis, 58, flew in for the inauguration from Pocatello, Idaho, with friends. The group had tickets to watch the ceremony outside but haven't been able to get tickets to any of the indoor events.“We found out on the plane,” he said about the change of plans.Wallis said he was disappointed about the switch and a little bemused since he’s used to cold at home.“We left snow to come here,” he said. “I brought my gloves!”Meanwhile, Trump said Saturday he is preparing to roll out a series of executive orders and other actions in the first days of his new administration.He confirmed he'll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-trump-extension-a3936a93f174d176d3633a67554d771b">“most likely” grant an extension</a>&nbsp;that might allow TikTok to keep operating in the U.S. beyond Sunday, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-security-speech-166f7c794ee587d3385190f893e52777">a law</a>&nbsp;that prohibits mobile app stores and internet hosting services from distributing TikTok to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-creators-influencers-react-78a06f9d2a91541710f999cbe39a3290">U.S. users</a>&nbsp;takes effect.And Trump in the NBC News interview confirmed that his administration would begin its effort “very early, very quickly” on following through on a campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.Federal immigration officers are expected to initially target&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-ice-raids-trump-immigrant-community-b3b276656067b5302bed7dfcaf950f57">more than 300 people in the Chicago area</a>&nbsp;with histories of egregious, violent crimes after Trump takes office Monday, according to an official familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans have not been made public.“Well, it’s got to happen, and if it doesn’t happen, we’re not going to have a country any longer,” said Trump, who declined to say where the deportation operations would begin.Trump, a Republican, left office in 2021 as a political pariah after his refusal to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden led a mob to overrun the Capitol. He then broke tradition by skipping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-inauguration-a01d1ffa7862661914cb92b22e359854">Biden's inauguration.</a>Biden will adhere to one of the most potent symbols of the democratic handover, welcoming Trump to the White House and joining him on the ride to the Capitol before Trump takes the oath of office.The first time Trump was sworn into office eight years ago, the former reality TV star billionaire came in as an outsider disrupting Washington’s norms, delivering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-speech-b7664360cc648dd2a5d5f2303b7490d9">dark inaugural address</a>&nbsp;as his swearing-in drew large protests and some clashes in the street.This time, Trump told NBC, the theme of his inauguration speech would be “unity and strength, and also the word ‘fairness.’”As he takes power, the protests were far less noticeable, eclipsed by the ceremonies and celebrations around Trump’s taking power. As one more marker of Trump's remarkable comeback, the events surrounding his inauguration will be more celebrity-studded than the last time, along with a noticeable turnout by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oligarchy-musk-bezos-zuckerberg-trump-biden-altman-putin-3ade224cccfb287f7fadaeac42b76e3d">cadre of tech-world billionaires</a>.While Trump held court at his Virginia golf club on Saturday evening, Vice President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;attended a reception for Cabinet members and hosted a dinner in Washington.On Sunday, the eve of his inauguration, Trump is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery before heading to a rally at Capital One Arena in Washington. The rally will be followed by a private dinner.On Inauguration Day, Trump will start with the traditional prayer service at St. John’s Episcopal Church before heading to the White House for a customary tea with the outgoing president and first lady.Trump then heads to the Capitol, where his ceremony has been moved indoors as temperatures are set to plummet and make it the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years. It’s not quite clear how the ceremony will be adapted to the Capitol Rotunda, which holds only 600 people. More than 250,000 guests were ticketed to view the inauguration from around the Capitol grounds.The planned traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has morphed into an indoor event because of the cold, with Trump again planning to speak to his gathered supporters before he heads to the White House for a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. A trio of glitzy balls will follow in the evening, punctuated by musical performances.___

🎥Trump arrives in Washington for inaugural to mark his return to power

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of TikTok users in the United States are no longer able to watch videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the social media platform</a>&nbsp;as a federal ban on the immensely popular app takes effect.

The company's app was removed Saturday evening from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google, while its website told users that the short-form video platform was no longer available. The blackout began just hours before the law took effect.

Users opening the TikTok app on Saturday encountered a pop-up message preventing them from scrolling videos that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now."

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message said. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the notice continued, in a reference to President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to “save” the platform. The company told its users to stay tuned.

The only option the message gives to U.S. users is to close the app or click another option leading them to the platform's website. There, users are shown the same message and given the option to download their data, an action TikTok previously said may take days to process.

Before the announcement went out, TikTok said in another message to users that its service would be “temporarily unavailable” and the company was working to restore its U.S. service “as soon as possible." But how long the platform will remain dark is unclear.

Apple said in a statement on its website that TikTok and ByteDance apps were no longer available in the U.S., while visitors to the country could have limited access. “Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.

“If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible,” the statement said, adding that the change could impact performance, security and compatability with future versions of iOS and iPadOS.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew posted a video thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the U.S. and a “strong stand for the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”

“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used talk to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.

In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was thinking about giving TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating. If such an extension happens, Trump — who once favored a TikTok ban — said it would “probably” be announced Monday, the day that he is sworn in as president. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;inauguration with a prime seating location.

In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have long raised concerns about the app, which they see as a national security threat due to its Chinese ownership. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a technology company based in Beijing that operates the well-known video editing app CapCut and Lemon8, both of which were also unavailable for service Saturday evening.

The federal law required ByteDance to cut ties with TikTok by Sunday or face a nationwide ban. The statute was passed by Congress in April after it was included as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d">high-priority $95 billion package</a>&nbsp;that provided foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tiktok-campaign-account-young-voters-ban-d351ccb17c59890473af1685a0a756f3">quickly signed it</a>, and then TikTok and ByteDance quickly sued on First Amendment grounds.

While defending the law in court, the Biden administration argued it was concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of U.S. user data that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion.

Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect. But to date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.

The Supreme Court unanimously decided on Friday the risk to national security posed by TikTok's ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.

After TikTok's service started going dark, some in China slammed the U.S. and accused it of suppressing the popular app. In a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Hu Xijin, a former editor-in-chief for the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper Global Times, said “TikTok’s announcement to halt services in America marks the darkest moment in the development of internet."

“A country that claims to have the most freedom of speech has carried out the most brutal suppression of an internet application,” said Hu, who is now a political commentator. TikTok does not operate in China, where ByteDance instead offers Douyin, the Chinese sibling of TikTok that follows Beijing’s strict censorship rules.

After the court ruling, both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Biden administration would leave the law’s implementation to President-elect Donald Trump given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.

But TikTok said on Friday evening it “will be forced to go dark” if the administration didn’t provide a “definitive statement” to the companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, that deliver its service in the U.S.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s demand a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies “to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office.” But despite those statements from the administration, confusion lingered about what would happen until TikTok began blocking its service.

Under the law, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to American users. Violators could incur fines of up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties the companies could face if they continue offering TikTok could total to a large sum.

As its written, experts said the law does not require TikTok to take down its platform, so its unclear if the company voluntarily shut it down or was unable to continue the service alive after losing access support from its tech providers. The company did not respond to questions sent this week about its plans.

The statue allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress. But no clear buyers have emerged, and ByteDance has previously said it won’t sell TikTok.

On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Other investors have also been eyeing TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and billionaire Frank McCourt put together offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737257873247.png" alt="Image from TikTok App" />
 <figcaption>Image from TikTok App</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of TikTok users in the United States are no longer able to watch videos on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">the social media platform</a>&nbsp;as a federal ban on the immensely popular app takes effect.The company's app was removed Saturday evening from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google, while its website told users that the short-form video platform was no longer available. The blackout began just hours before the law took effect.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737260037223.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Users opening the TikTok app on Saturday encountered a pop-up message preventing them from scrolling videos that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now."“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message said. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office,” the notice continued, in a reference to President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to “save” the platform. The company told its users to stay tuned.The only option the message gives to U.S. users is to close the app or click another option leading them to the platform's website. There, users are shown the same message and given the option to download their data, an action TikTok previously said may take days to process.Before the announcement went out, TikTok said in another message to users that its service would be “temporarily unavailable” and the company was working to restore its U.S. service “as soon as possible." But how long the platform will remain dark is unclear.Apple said in a statement on its website that TikTok and ByteDance apps were no longer available in the U.S., while visitors to the country could have limited access. “Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” the company said.“If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. But they can’t be redownloaded if deleted or restored if you move to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible,” the statement said, adding that the change could impact performance, security and compatability with future versions of iOS and iPadOS.TikTok CEO Shou Chew posted a video thanking Trump for his commitment to work with the company to keep the app available in the U.S. and a “strong stand for the first amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”“We are grateful and pleased to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used talk to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connecting with the world and generating more than 60 billion views of his content in the process,” Chew said.In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was thinking about giving TikTok a 90-day extension that would allow them to continue operating. If such an extension happens, Trump — who once favored a TikTok ban — said it would “probably” be announced Monday, the day that he is sworn in as president. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s</a>&nbsp;inauguration with a prime seating location.In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have long raised concerns about the app, which they see as a national security threat due to its Chinese ownership. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a technology company based in Beijing that operates the well-known video editing app CapCut and Lemon8, both of which were also unavailable for service Saturday evening.The federal law required ByteDance to cut ties with TikTok by Sunday or face a nationwide ban. The statute was passed by Congress in April after it was included as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d">high-priority $95 billion package</a>&nbsp;that provided foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tiktok-campaign-account-young-voters-ban-d351ccb17c59890473af1685a0a756f3">quickly signed it</a>, and then TikTok and ByteDance quickly sued on First Amendment grounds.While defending the law in court, the Biden administration argued it was concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of U.S. user data that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion.Officials have also warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect. But to date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok handing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.The Supreme Court unanimously decided on Friday the risk to national security posed by TikTok's ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.After TikTok's service started going dark, some in China slammed the U.S. and accused it of suppressing the popular app. In a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Hu Xijin, a former editor-in-chief for the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper Global Times, said “TikTok’s announcement to halt services in America marks the darkest moment in the development of internet."“A country that claims to have the most freedom of speech has carried out the most brutal suppression of an internet application,” said Hu, who is now a political commentator. TikTok does not operate in China, where ByteDance instead offers Douyin, the Chinese sibling of TikTok that follows Beijing’s strict censorship rules.After the court ruling, both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Biden administration would leave the law’s implementation to President-elect Donald Trump given that his inauguration falls the day after the ban takes effect.But TikTok said on Friday evening it “will be forced to go dark” if the administration didn’t provide a “definitive statement” to the companies, such as Apple, Google and Oracle, that deliver its service in the U.S.White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s demand a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies “to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office.” But despite those statements from the administration, confusion lingered about what would happen until TikTok began blocking its service.Under the law, mobile app stores are barred from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from delivering the service to American users. Violators could incur fines of up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok, meaning penalties the companies could face if they continue offering TikTok could total to a large sum.As its written, experts said the law does not require TikTok to take down its platform, so its unclear if the company voluntarily shut it down or was unable to continue the service alive after losing access support from its tech providers. The company did not respond to questions sent this week about its plans.The statue allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress. But no clear buyers have emerged, and ByteDance has previously said it won’t sell TikTok.On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user’s videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.Other investors have also been eyeing TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary recently said a consortium of investors that he and billionaire Frank McCourt put together offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said last year that he was putting together an investor group to buy TikTok.___

TikTok goes dark as US ban takes effect

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri man who crashed a rental truck into barriers protecting the White House was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for an attack that prosecutors said was inspired by his fascination with Nazi ideology, court records show.

Sai Varshith Kandula, then 19, nearly struck two people standing next to a park bench when he steered a U-Haul box truck onto a sidewalk and toward metal bollards that prevent vehicles from entering Lafayette Square, which is located north of the White House. He retrieved a Nazi flag from a backpack after the May 22, 2023, crash, which didn't injure anybody.

Kandula wanted to “attack and destroy” the U.S. government,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624.41.0.pdf">prosecutors said</a>.

“He wanted to eliminate the democratic process in America and replace the government with a Nazi style dictatorship," they wrote.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich also sentenced Kandula to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay nearly $57,000 in restitution, according to court records.

Defense attorney Scott Rosenblum said Kandula was&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624.44.0.pdf">suffering from schizophrenia</a>&nbsp;and was overwhelmed by delusional thoughts, including his belief that “a reptilian race had installed a puppet regime to operate the U.S.”

“He’s amenable to treatment, understands its necessity, and recognizes an illness produced the acts that led to his current circumstances,” Rosenblum wrote.

Prosecutors recommended an eight-year prison sentence for Kandula, who pleaded guilty in May to a property damage charge. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

Kandula planned the attack for weeks before he took a flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. only hours before the crash, prosecutors said. He rented the truck in Herndon, Virginia approximately three hours before he crashed it into the barriers.

After Kandula backed up and slammed into the bollards a second time, the truck began smoking from its engine compartment and leaking fluids.

Authorities didn’t find any weapons, ammunition or explosives in his possession. But prosecutors said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-secret-service-assassination-attempt-campaign-7dca5e30730287f46cceaa35437f0d47">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania shows that "individuals who carry such destructive intent are capable of inflicting serious damage to the American political system.”

Police body camera video captured the aftermath of the crash. After his arrest, Kandula told investigators that he purchased the swastika flag because “Nazis have a great history."

“He specifically praised Adolf Hitler. And it wasn’t just words — when his truck was disabled in the attack, the first thing he did was unfurl the flag of Nazi Germany,” prosecutors wrote.

After Kandula's arrest, two psychologists diagnosed him with schizophrenia, according to Rosenblum.

“Both also believe his illness led directly to his offense,” the lawyer wrote.

Rosenblum said Kandula's conviction will likely result in his deportation to India.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737068721383.png" alt="Kandula photo Mo. Rockwood R-VI School District" />
 <figcaption>Kandula photo Mo. Rockwood R-VI School District</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri man who crashed a rental truck into barriers protecting the White House was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for an attack that prosecutors said was inspired by his fascination with Nazi ideology, court records show.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684847745876.png" alt="Scene of the crashed&nbsp; U-Haul truck into a security barrier at a park across from the White House-photo courtesy WJLA TV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the crashed&nbsp; U-Haul truck into a security barrier at a park across from the White House-photo courtesy WJLA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Sai Varshith Kandula, then 19, nearly struck two people standing next to a park bench when he steered a U-Haul box truck onto a sidewalk and toward metal bollards that prevent vehicles from entering Lafayette Square, which is located north of the White House. He retrieved a Nazi flag from a backpack after the May 22, 2023, crash, which didn't injure anybody.Kandula wanted to “attack and destroy” the U.S. government,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624.41.0.pdf">prosecutors said</a>.“He wanted to eliminate the democratic process in America and replace the government with a Nazi style dictatorship," they wrote.U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich also sentenced Kandula to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay nearly $57,000 in restitution, according to court records.Defense attorney Scott Rosenblum said Kandula was&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624/gov.uscourts.dcd.257624.44.0.pdf">suffering from schizophrenia</a>&nbsp;and was overwhelmed by delusional thoughts, including his belief that “a reptilian race had installed a puppet regime to operate the U.S.”“He’s amenable to treatment, understands its necessity, and recognizes an illness produced the acts that led to his current circumstances,” Rosenblum wrote.Prosecutors recommended an eight-year prison sentence for Kandula, who pleaded guilty in May to a property damage charge. He has remained in custody since his arrest.Kandula planned the attack for weeks before he took a flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. only hours before the crash, prosecutors said. He rented the truck in Herndon, Virginia approximately three hours before he crashed it into the barriers.After Kandula backed up and slammed into the bollards a second time, the truck began smoking from its engine compartment and leaking fluids.Authorities didn’t find any weapons, ammunition or explosives in his possession. But prosecutors said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-secret-service-assassination-attempt-campaign-7dca5e30730287f46cceaa35437f0d47">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania shows that "individuals who carry such destructive intent are capable of inflicting serious damage to the American political system.”Police body camera video captured the aftermath of the crash. After his arrest, Kandula told investigators that he purchased the swastika flag because “Nazis have a great history."“He specifically praised Adolf Hitler. And it wasn’t just words — when his truck was disabled in the attack, the first thing he did was unfurl the flag of Nazi Germany,” prosecutors wrote.After Kandula's arrest, two psychologists diagnosed him with schizophrenia, according to Rosenblum.“Both also believe his illness led directly to his offense,” the lawyer wrote.Rosenblum said Kandula's conviction will likely result in his deportation to India.

Man going to prison for truck crash attack near White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-33a39a2b9dadbd2fb6c6235d4c3bd16c">a Texas law</a>&nbsp;aimed at blocking kids from seeing online pornography, though the justices could still send it back to a lower court for more consideration of how the age verification measure affects adults'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/freedom-of-speech">free-speech rights</a>.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-1122">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argument

Texas is among more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">a dozen states</a>&nbsp;with such laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states argue the laws are necessary as online porn, including hardcore obscene material, has become almost instantaneous to access on smartphones online.

Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the court's conservative majority, raised similar concerns. “Technological access to pornography has exploded, right?” he said.

The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online, making it vulnerable to hacking or tracking. The adult-content website Pornhub has stopped operating in several states, citing the technical and privacy hurdles in complying with the laws.

The Free Speech Coalition agrees that children shouldn't be seeing pornography, but it argues the new law is so broadly written it could also apply to sexual education content or simulated sex scenes in movies.

The law also leaves a loophole by focusing on porn sites rather than the search engines often used to find porn, the group says in court documents. Content filtering is a better alternative to online age checks, it says.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared skeptical, pointing to the growing number of ways kids can get online.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-33a39a2b9dadbd2fb6c6235d4c3bd16c">a Texas law</a>&nbsp;aimed at blocking kids from seeing online pornography, though the justices could still send it back to a lower court for more consideration of how the age verification measure affects adults'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/freedom-of-speech">free-speech rights</a>.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-1122">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argumentTexas is among more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-pornography-age-verification-states-2ad9939bb95ccc15126419b38067be94">a dozen states</a>&nbsp;with such laws aimed at blocking young children and teenagers from viewing pornography. The states argue the laws are necessary as online porn, including hardcore obscene material, has become almost instantaneous to access on smartphones online.Chief Justice John Roberts, a member of the court's conservative majority, raised similar concerns. “Technological access to pornography has exploded, right?” he said.The Free Speech Coalition, an adult-entertainment industry trade group, says the Texas law wrongly affects adults by requiring them to submit personal identifying information online, making it vulnerable to hacking or tracking. The adult-content website Pornhub has stopped operating in several states, citing the technical and privacy hurdles in complying with the laws.The Free Speech Coalition agrees that children shouldn't be seeing pornography, but it argues the new law is so broadly written it could also apply to sexual education content or simulated sex scenes in movies.The law also leaves a loophole by focusing on porn sites rather than the search engines often used to find porn, the group says in court documents. Content filtering is a better alternative to online age checks, it says.Justice Amy Coney Barrett appeared skeptical, pointing to the growing number of ways kids can get online.“Content filtering for all those different devices, I can say from personal experience, is difficult to keep up with,” said Barrett, who has seven children.This isn't the first time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;has confronted the issue. In 1996, the court struck down parts of a law banning explicit material viewable by kids online. In 2004, a divided Supreme Court ruled against a different federal law aimed at stopping kids from being exposed to pornography but said less restrictive measures like content filtering are constitutional.Texas argues that technology has improved significantly in the last 20 years, allowing online platforms to quickly and easily check users' ages with a quick picture, making it more like ID checks at traditional stores that were upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1960s.The states won in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a divided panel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pornography-age-verification-texas-unconstitutional-48af1b99434cdfddd12351f555aeab11">overturned a lower court</a>&nbsp;and allowed the age verification requirement to go into effect. The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-pornography-age-verification-texas-9c31eca983bdb30d3696cd4c5891a392">previously refused</a>&nbsp;an emergency appeal asking to put the age verification on hold while the legal fight continues.Still, some of the nine justices worried that the lower court hadn't applied a strict enough legal standard in determining whether the Texas law and others like that could run afoul of the First Amendment.“How far can a state go in terms of burdening adults showing how old they are?” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked.Justice Elena Kagan raised the concerns of a possible “spillover dangers" on other laws touching on free speech, whichever way the court rules.Some of the justices appeared interested in the Democratic Biden administration's position that they should send the case back to the 5th Circuit for more consideration. The court could even say that such laws, when carefully written, could pass a higher standard since everyone agrees keeping porn away from kids is a worthy goal, said Principal Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher.Other states with similar laws include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-porn-age-verification-lawsuit-2fdc2563836315c6d4e8eb4d57ab9913">Tennessee</a>, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia.The Texas law carries fines of up to $10,000 per violation that could be raised to up to $250,000 per violation by a minor.