KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a fatal crash that occurred&nbsp; November 21 in Kansas City have identified the man in the wheel chair who died a 50-year-old Danny L. Maynard.

At 10:30p.m. Nov. 21, a&nbsp; Chevy Cruze was southbound on U.S. 49 Highway just before the Red Bridge exit merging towards the right shoulder to yield to a Fire Truck, running with emergency lights and siren, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The driver of the Chevy did not see Maynard in a wheelchair who was crossing the highway from the east to the west.

The right front of the Chevy struck the wheelchair. EMS transported Maynard&nbsp; to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The driver of the Chevy Cruze was not injured in the collision. This was fatality #84 in Kansas City, Missouri for 2024, according to DiMartino.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a fatal crash that occurred&nbsp; November 21 in Kansas City have identified the man in the wheel chair who died a 50-year-old Danny L. Maynard.At 10:30p.m. Nov. 21, a&nbsp; Chevy Cruze was southbound on U.S. 49 Highway just before the Red Bridge exit merging towards the right shoulder to yield to a Fire Truck, running with emergency lights and siren, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The driver of the Chevy did not see Maynard in a wheelchair who was crossing the highway from the east to the west.The right front of the Chevy struck the wheelchair. EMS transported Maynard&nbsp; to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The driver of the Chevy Cruze was not injured in the collision. This was fatality #84 in Kansas City, Missouri for 2024, according to DiMartino.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KCPD releases name of man who died in car, wheelchair crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations following two separate incidents.

Just before 5:30p.m. November 18, a sheriff's deputy observed a black 2005 Cadillac STS near SW 6th Avenue and SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The vehicle was reported stolen out of Kansas City, Kan., after the owner met two individuals on a social media platform’s marketplace. They met at a gas station and the two prospective buyers asked to test drive the vehicle and never returned.

The deputy conducted a traffic stop and two individuals were placed into custody. Danielle L. M. Lee, 25, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections (SNDOC) on the requested charges&nbsp;Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000 and&nbsp;Driving while license suspended.

Antonio S. Jones, 19, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC on requested charges that include Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732384030697.png" alt="Jones-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Jones-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations following two separate incidents.Just before 5:30p.m. November 18, a sheriff's deputy observed a black 2005 Cadillac STS near SW 6th Avenue and SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732383908550.png" alt="Lee-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lee-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The vehicle was reported stolen out of Kansas City, Kan., after the owner met two individuals on a social media platform’s marketplace. They met at a gas station and the two prospective buyers asked to test drive the vehicle and never returned.The deputy conducted a traffic stop and two individuals were placed into custody. Danielle L. M. Lee, 25, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections (SNDOC) on the requested charges&nbsp;Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000 and&nbsp;Driving while license suspended.Antonio S. Jones, 19, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC on requested charges that include Possession of stolen property; value $1,500 to $25,000.

Suspects stole car after social media marketplace test drive 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with sex crimes involving a runaway teen made his first court appearance last week.

Samuel Loredo, 21, is charged with 3 counts of Criminal Sodomy, 2 counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, 1 count of Indecent Solicitation of a Child, 1 count of Aggravated Interference With Parental Custody, and 2 counts of Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after noon November 18, law enforcement in Murray, Kentucky informed the Wichita Police Department that a 14-year-old runaway may be in Wichita based on their investigation, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

Wichita police responded to the area of 2300 N Woodlawn where it was believed that the child may have been. Patrol and Investigations began working together to find additional information to locate the juvenile and determine the circumstances around their presence in Wichita.

Throughout the afternoon through the evening detectives with the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit worked to conduct additional interviews. Throughout those interviews, detectives determined that Loredo was communicating with the 14-year-old and arranged for the juvenile to travel to Wichita.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested the 21-year-old Loredo, and booked him into Sedgwick County Jail.

Officers with the Wichita Police Department NET team located the juvenile wandering the area.&nbsp;

investigators are continuing their work on this case and have been in contact with investigators from Kentucky. Loredo'snext appearance is December 2, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732189301713.png" alt="Loredo photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Loredo photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with sex crimes involving a runaway teen made his first court appearance last week.Samuel Loredo, 21, is charged with 3 counts of Criminal Sodomy, 2 counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, 1 count of Indecent Solicitation of a Child, 1 count of Aggravated Interference With Parental Custody, and 2 counts of Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after noon November 18, law enforcement in Murray, Kentucky informed the Wichita Police Department that a 14-year-old runaway may be in Wichita based on their investigation, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.Wichita police responded to the area of 2300 N Woodlawn where it was believed that the child may have been. Patrol and Investigations began working together to find additional information to locate the juvenile and determine the circumstances around their presence in Wichita.Throughout the afternoon through the evening detectives with the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit worked to conduct additional interviews. Throughout those interviews, detectives determined that Loredo was communicating with the 14-year-old and arranged for the juvenile to travel to Wichita.As a result of the investigation, police arrested the 21-year-old Loredo, and booked him into Sedgwick County Jail.Officers with the Wichita Police Department NET team located the juvenile wandering the area.&nbsp;investigators are continuing their work on this case and have been in contact with investigators from Kentucky. Loredo'snext appearance is December 2, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas man charged for sex crimes with runaway teen

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 1300 block of West Bluff Drive in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

First responders were notified that two shooting victims had just left the scene in a vehicle. Additional responding officers located a vehicle just to the east on Ceaser Chavez Street with two adult female shooting victims inside. 

Officers called for EMS to that location who transported both victims to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital one of the shooting victims was listed in stable condition. The second shooting victim was declared deceased by medical personnel, according to Becchina.

Preliminary investigation indicates that there was a large disturbance outside an apartment on West Bluff Drive involving multiple people, including the victims. 

The disturbance escalated when additional people arrived at the location and one or more of them fired gunshots striking both victims. 

Detectives and Crime Scene Personnel processed the original scene for evidence and the other secondary scene where the vehicle was located, as well as canvassed for witnesses to try to get a better idea of what led up to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732640321247.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 1300 block of West Bluff Drive in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.First responders were notified that two shooting victims had just left the scene in a vehicle. Additional responding officers located a vehicle just to the east on Ceaser Chavez Street with two adult female shooting victims inside. Officers called for EMS to that location who transported both victims to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital one of the shooting victims was listed in stable condition. The second shooting victim was declared deceased by medical personnel, according to Becchina.Preliminary investigation indicates that there was a large disturbance outside an apartment on West Bluff Drive involving multiple people, including the victims. The disturbance escalated when additional people arrived at the location and one or more of them fired gunshots striking both victims. Detectives and Crime Scene Personnel processed the original scene for evidence and the other secondary scene where the vehicle was located, as well as canvassed for witnesses to try to get a better idea of what led up to the shooting.

Homicide: KCPD found two women in car with gunshot wounds 

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-59239afe12033ca99c65c7a2be0e4f0d">latest talk about tariffs</a>&nbsp;created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-prices-inflation-mexico-canada-d44aa0715a649998195fc3211e9ab7a3">roil the global economy</a>&nbsp;were they to take effect.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.6% to top the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-interest-rates-china-inflation-72c7ecb237655a0f88b45ac90643fcd2">all-time high</a>&nbsp;it set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 123 points, or 0.3%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-bitcoin-bessent-adani-1bb840bd817b776e92192ec576ab0a76">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6% as Microsoft and Big Tech led the way.

Stock markets abroad mostly fell after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Trump</a>&nbsp;said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-59239afe12033ca99c65c7a2be0e4f0d">plans to impose sweeping new tariffs</a>&nbsp;on Mexico, Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-exports-yiwu-98701fd34985e232ae61e4f9aa4c6540">China</a>&nbsp;once he takes office. But the movements were mostly modest. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada’s main index edged down by less than 0.1%.

Trump has often praised the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">use of tariffs</a>, but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter.

The consequences otherwise for markets and the global economy could be painful.

Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics.

They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. And unlike tariffs in Trump’s first term, his latest proposal would affect products across the board.

General Motors sank 9%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.3%. The value of the Mexican peso fell 1.8% against the U.S. dollar.

Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-trump-economy-prices-e6b837fd85cff5ad71d4e40939b97237">easing its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-election-economy-inflation-unemployment-presidential-dcf54cd3b40f01ca78bccf86cd8e13d5">job market</a>. While lower interest rates can boost the economy, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.

“Many” officials at the Fed’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-trump-economy-prices-e6b837fd85cff5ad71d4e40939b97237">last meeting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-minutes-powell-inflation-ab8343d45c225ff5e1fd7e509fb66153">minutes of the meeting</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday afternoon.

The talk about tariffs overshadowed another mixed set of profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates imposed by the Fed to get inflation under control.

A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">confidence among U.S. consumers</a>&nbsp;improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohls-ceo-ashley-buchanan-c874d3ce09ca22c0510bc12826f46435">Kohl’s</a>&nbsp;tumbled 17% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-buy-q3-earnings-consumer-electronics-0d04b5e90f9746e3cd390d00ace1da66">Best Buy</a>&nbsp;fell 4.9% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%.

Still, more stocks rose in the S&amp;P 500 than fell. J.M. Smucker had one of the biggest gains and climbed 5.7% after topping analysts’ expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Big Tech stocks</a>&nbsp;also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 3.2% for Amazon and 2.2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 34.26 points to 6,021.63. The Dow gained 123.74 to 44,860.31, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 119.46 to 19,174.30.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.29% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week.

In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-trump-regulation-dogecoin-b3bdaf96e329fb90708c35c642c95e11">topping $99,000 for the first time</a>&nbsp;late last week. It’s since dipped back toward $91,000, according to CoinDesk.

It’s a sharp turnaround from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">bonanza that initially took over the crypto market</a>&nbsp;following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-59239afe12033ca99c65c7a2be0e4f0d">latest talk about tariffs</a>&nbsp;created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-prices-inflation-mexico-canada-d44aa0715a649998195fc3211e9ab7a3">roil the global economy</a>&nbsp;were they to take effect.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.6% to top the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-interest-rates-china-inflation-72c7ecb237655a0f88b45ac90643fcd2">all-time high</a>&nbsp;it set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 123 points, or 0.3%, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-bitcoin-bessent-adani-1bb840bd817b776e92192ec576ab0a76">its own record</a>&nbsp;set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6% as Microsoft and Big Tech led the way.Stock markets abroad mostly fell after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President-elect Trump</a>&nbsp;said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-59239afe12033ca99c65c7a2be0e4f0d">plans to impose sweeping new tariffs</a>&nbsp;on Mexico, Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-trump-tariffs-exports-yiwu-98701fd34985e232ae61e4f9aa4c6540">China</a>&nbsp;once he takes office. But the movements were mostly modest. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada’s main index edged down by less than 0.1%.Trump has often praised the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-trade-policy-economy-0fb9740a4b42c734c75b64ba09c901d5">use of tariffs</a>, but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter.The consequences otherwise for markets and the global economy could be painful.Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics.They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. And unlike tariffs in Trump’s first term, his latest proposal would affect products across the board.General Motors sank 9%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.3%. The value of the Mexican peso fell 1.8% against the U.S. dollar.Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-trump-economy-prices-e6b837fd85cff5ad71d4e40939b97237">easing its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-election-economy-inflation-unemployment-presidential-dcf54cd3b40f01ca78bccf86cd8e13d5">job market</a>. While lower interest rates can boost the economy, they can also offer more fuel for inflation.“Many” officials at the Fed’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-election-inflation-trump-economy-prices-e6b837fd85cff5ad71d4e40939b97237">last meeting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-minutes-powell-inflation-ab8343d45c225ff5e1fd7e509fb66153">minutes of the meeting</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday afternoon.The talk about tariffs overshadowed another mixed set of profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates imposed by the Fed to get inflation under control.A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">confidence among U.S. consumers</a>&nbsp;improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kohls-ceo-ashley-buchanan-c874d3ce09ca22c0510bc12826f46435">Kohl’s</a>&nbsp;tumbled 17% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-buy-q3-earnings-consumer-electronics-0d04b5e90f9746e3cd390d00ace1da66">Best Buy</a>&nbsp;fell 4.9% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%.Still, more stocks rose in the S&amp;P 500 than fell. J.M. Smucker had one of the biggest gains and climbed 5.7% after topping analysts’ expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">Big Tech stocks</a>&nbsp;also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 3.2% for Amazon and 2.2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 34.26 points to 6,021.63. The Dow gained 123.74 to 44,860.31, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 119.46 to 19,174.30.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary.The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.29% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week.In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-trump-regulation-dogecoin-b3bdaf96e329fb90708c35c642c95e11">topping $99,000 for the first time</a>&nbsp;late last week. It’s since dipped back toward $91,000, according to CoinDesk.It’s a sharp turnaround from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-rates-china-93421462d761eb1402d813cb381fe6e9">bonanza that initially took over the crypto market</a>&nbsp;following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors.___

Wall Street rises to more records despite Trump's tariff talk

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas Reflector

CEDAR CREST — About a year ago, Ed Bartoszek’s mother could ride a tractor through the rows of pines on the family tree farm in Fontana.&nbsp;

His mother, Faye, now sits in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in October of last year, but she was able to witness Monday a tree grown at her ’60s-era tree farm tucked into a corner at the governor’s mansion at Cedar Crest.

“Getting her up here was most important,” Bartoszek said.

It’s the first Christmas tree the Bartoszek family has been able to donate to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly from their farm, Fontana Pines, south of Kansas City. As it was delivered in a horse-drawn carriage and carried by the teen-aged members of the family into the mansion, Ed Bartoszek said he was filled with emotion.&nbsp;

“I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a nice feeling,” he said.

The tree was a 9-foot scotch pine, and Ed Bartoszek wandered the four fields of trees on his property to find the right one for Kelly.

Members of the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and the horses’ current and former owners welcomed the tree Monday alongside Kelly to mark the beginning of the holiday season.

The same pair of horses have delivered a Christmas tree to the governor’s mansion off and on for more than a decade.&nbsp;

Cecil and Robert Carter, the horse’s former owners, have been a part of the ceremonious delivery during those years, and this year will likely be their last as they sold the business. The horses will carry on with new owners.

“It’s a relief,” Cecil Carter said. “The thing that we miss most is being out in the public.”

The Carters talked Monday on their drive to Cedar Crest about the politics, or lack thereof, in their business, Cecil said. Each governor is different. Former Gov. Sam Brownback used to like to get into the carriage and hold the reigns, he said.

“When I do a job, there’s no political feelings whatsoever,” Cecil Carter said.

Race, gender, political beliefs don’t matter to him, he said.&nbsp;

Kelly visited with Faye Bartoszek and the rest of the family and posed for photos in her home. She advised Kansans preparing for potentially opinionated holiday gatherings “to do exactly what I’m going to do — and that’s steer away from conversations that are divisive.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732628012671.png" alt="The customary Christmas tree delivery on Nov. 25, 2024, to the Kansas governor’s mansion from Fontana marked the beginning of the holiday season. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The customary Christmas tree delivery on Nov. 25, 2024, to the Kansas governor’s mansion from Fontana marked the beginning of the holiday season. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas ReflectorCEDAR CREST — About a year ago, Ed Bartoszek’s mother could ride a tractor through the rows of pines on the family tree farm in Fontana.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732628304450.png" alt="Owners of the Fontana Pines Christmas Tree Farm Ed Bartoszek and his mother, Faye, greet Santa Clause on Nov. 25, 2024, at the governor’s mansion in Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Owners of the Fontana Pines Christmas Tree Farm Ed Bartoszek and his mother, Faye, greet Santa Clause on Nov. 25, 2024, at the governor’s mansion in Topeka. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>His mother, Faye, now sits in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in October of last year, but she was able to witness Monday a tree grown at her ’60s-era tree farm tucked into a corner at the governor’s mansion at Cedar Crest.“Getting her up here was most important,” Bartoszek said.It’s the first Christmas tree the Bartoszek family has been able to donate to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly from their farm, Fontana Pines, south of Kansas City. As it was delivered in a horse-drawn carriage and carried by the teen-aged members of the family into the mansion, Ed Bartoszek said he was filled with emotion.&nbsp;“I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s a nice feeling,” he said.The tree was a 9-foot scotch pine, and Ed Bartoszek wandered the four fields of trees on his property to find the right one for Kelly.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This morning, we welcomed the holiday spirit at Cedar Crest with the annual delivery of our Christmas tree. Well wishes to all Kansans as we ring in the holidays this year. <a href="https://t.co/5YURhfKoUF">pic.twitter.com/5YURhfKoUF</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1861107897624653981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Members of the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Association and the horses’ current and former owners welcomed the tree Monday alongside Kelly to mark the beginning of the holiday season.The same pair of horses have delivered a Christmas tree to the governor’s mansion off and on for more than a decade.&nbsp;Cecil and Robert Carter, the horse’s former owners, have been a part of the ceremonious delivery during those years, and this year will likely be their last as they sold the business. The horses will carry on with new owners.“It’s a relief,” Cecil Carter said. “The thing that we miss most is being out in the public.”The Carters talked Monday on their drive to Cedar Crest about the politics, or lack thereof, in their business, Cecil said. Each governor is different. Former Gov. Sam Brownback used to like to get into the carriage and hold the reigns, he said.“When I do a job, there’s no political feelings whatsoever,” Cecil Carter said.Race, gender, political beliefs don’t matter to him, he said.&nbsp;Kelly visited with Faye Bartoszek and the rest of the family and posed for photos in her home. She advised Kansans preparing for potentially opinionated holiday gatherings “to do exactly what I’m going to do — and that’s steer away from conversations that are divisive.”

Family matters at Kansas governor’s annual Christmas tree delivery

JERUSALEM (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire agreement “good news” and expressed hope that the pause in more than 13 months of fighting will be catalyst to also end the war in Gaza.

Biden made his comments in a Rose Garden speech. He stressed that Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce.

Biden added that the deal between Israel and Hezbollah “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

Meanwhile, in the hours leading up to the Israel Security Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold.

Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.

Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year.

JERUSALEM (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire agreement “good news” and expressed hope that the pause in more than 13 months of fighting will be catalyst to also end the war in Gaza.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden: &quot;I have some good news to report from the Middle East. I just spoke with the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon. I am pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the U.S. proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/85KrARilHX">pic.twitter.com/85KrARilHX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1861512263087136808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden made his comments in a Rose Garden speech. He stressed that Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce.Biden added that the deal between Israel and Hezbollah “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Biden: &quot;Under the deal reached today, effective at 4:00am tomorrow local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end. Will end. This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities...over the next 60 days Israel will gradually withdraw its… <a href="https://t.co/dTq7EotXNf">pic.twitter.com/dTq7EotXNf</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1861514548668142021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Meanwhile, in the hours leading up to the Israel Security Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold.Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza.An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year.

🎥Biden delivers good news on Israel and Hezbollah ceasefire deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Americans with obesity would be eligible to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-ozempic-teens-young-adults-24047516e0c3b4f678c3e91f4ed6face">popular weight-loss drugs</a>&nbsp;like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning.

The costly proposal from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;immediately sets the stage for a showdown between the powerful pharmaceutical industry and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,</a>&nbsp;an outspoken opponent of the weight-loss drugs who, as President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;nominee to lead the agency, could block the measure.

While the rule would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some have labeled them miracle drugs, it would cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade.

“It's a good day for anyone who suffers from obesity,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press in an interview. “It's a game changer for Americans who can't afford these drugs otherwise.”

The rule would not be finalized until January, days after Trump takes office. A bipartisan coalition of congressional members has lobbied for the drugs to be covered by Medicare, saying it could save the government from spending billions of dollars on treating chronic ailments that stem from obesity. While it's unclear where Trump himself stands on coverage of the weight-loss drugs, his allies and Cabinet picks who have vowed to cut government spending could balk at the upfront price tag.

Under the proposal, only those who are considered obese — someone who has a body mass index of 30 or higher — would qualify for coverage. Some people may already get coverage of the drugs through Medicare or Medicaid, if they have diabetes or are at risk for stroke or heart disease.

Becerra estimated that an additional 3.5 million people on Medicare and 4 million on Medicaid could qualify for coverage of the drugs. But research suggests far more people might qualify, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimating roughly 28 million people on Medicaid are considered obese.

Medicare has been barred from offering the drugs under a decades-old law that prohibits the government-backed insurance program from covering weight-loss products. The rule proposed by the Biden administration, however, would recognize obesity as a disease that can be treated with the help of the drugs.

The anti-obesity drug market has expanded significantly in recent years, with the Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weight-loss-mounjaro-wegovy-tirzepatide-9718480e110eace3e91e0a2bcdc5e536">approving</a>&nbsp;a new class of weekly injectables like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to treat obesity.

People can lose as much as 15% to 25% of their body weight on the drugs, which imitate the hormones that regulate appetites by communicating fullness between the gut and brain when people eat.

The cost of the drugs has largely limited them to the wealthy, including celebrities who boast of their benefits. A monthly supply of Wegovy rings up at $1,300 and Zepbound will put you out $1,000. Shortages of the drugs have also limited the supplies.

Kennedy, who as Trump's nominee for HHS secretary is subject to Senate confirmation, has railed against the drugs' popularity. In speeches and on social media, he's said the U.S. should not cover the drugs through Medicaid or Medicare. Instead, he supports a broad expansion of coverage for healthier foods and gym memberships.

“For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American,” Kennedy said to a group of federal lawmakers during a roundtable earlier this year. Ozempic is a diabetes drug that can stimulate weight loss.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Americans with obesity would be eligible to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-ozempic-teens-young-adults-24047516e0c3b4f678c3e91f4ed6face">popular weight-loss drugs</a>&nbsp;like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning.The costly proposal from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;immediately sets the stage for a showdown between the powerful pharmaceutical industry and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,</a>&nbsp;an outspoken opponent of the weight-loss drugs who, as President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;nominee to lead the agency, could block the measure.While the rule would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some have labeled them miracle drugs, it would cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade.“It's a good day for anyone who suffers from obesity,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press in an interview. “It's a game changer for Americans who can't afford these drugs otherwise.”The rule would not be finalized until January, days after Trump takes office. A bipartisan coalition of congressional members has lobbied for the drugs to be covered by Medicare, saying it could save the government from spending billions of dollars on treating chronic ailments that stem from obesity. While it's unclear where Trump himself stands on coverage of the weight-loss drugs, his allies and Cabinet picks who have vowed to cut government spending could balk at the upfront price tag.Under the proposal, only those who are considered obese — someone who has a body mass index of 30 or higher — would qualify for coverage. Some people may already get coverage of the drugs through Medicare or Medicaid, if they have diabetes or are at risk for stroke or heart disease.Becerra estimated that an additional 3.5 million people on Medicare and 4 million on Medicaid could qualify for coverage of the drugs. But research suggests far more people might qualify, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimating roughly 28 million people on Medicaid are considered obese.Medicare has been barred from offering the drugs under a decades-old law that prohibits the government-backed insurance program from covering weight-loss products. The rule proposed by the Biden administration, however, would recognize obesity as a disease that can be treated with the help of the drugs.The anti-obesity drug market has expanded significantly in recent years, with the Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weight-loss-mounjaro-wegovy-tirzepatide-9718480e110eace3e91e0a2bcdc5e536">approving</a>&nbsp;a new class of weekly injectables like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to treat obesity.People can lose as much as 15% to 25% of their body weight on the drugs, which imitate the hormones that regulate appetites by communicating fullness between the gut and brain when people eat.The cost of the drugs has largely limited them to the wealthy, including celebrities who boast of their benefits. A monthly supply of Wegovy rings up at $1,300 and Zepbound will put you out $1,000. Shortages of the drugs have also limited the supplies.Kennedy, who as Trump's nominee for HHS secretary is subject to Senate confirmation, has railed against the drugs' popularity. In speeches and on social media, he's said the U.S. should not cover the drugs through Medicaid or Medicare. Instead, he supports a broad expansion of coverage for healthier foods and gym memberships.“For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American,” Kennedy said to a group of federal lawmakers during a roundtable earlier this year. Ozempic is a diabetes drug that can stimulate weight loss.

Showdown begins between RFK Jr. and pharmaceutical industry 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting and vehicle crash in Wichita.

Just before 10a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a vehicle crash in the 700 block of North Topeka in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. 

First responders located a 43-year-old shooting victim inside of the vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. 

&nbsp;Investigators are currently seeking out a person of interest in this incident.If anyone has information regarding this incident please contact investigators at 316-268-4407, or if they wish to remain anonymous they can contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732583075586.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fatal shooting and vehicle crash in Wichita.Just before 10a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a vehicle crash in the 700 block of North Topeka in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. First responders located a 43-year-old shooting victim inside of the vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. &nbsp;Investigators are currently seeking out a person of interest in this incident.If anyone has information regarding this incident please contact investigators at 316-268-4407, or if they wish to remain anonymous they can contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Police found Kan. man with gunshot wound after rollover crash

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thanksgiving">Thanksgiving travel rush</a>&nbsp;is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-holiday-travel-airports-roads-38cfcfe5f9d7b19fdc9d843827ed21f9">nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture</a>&nbsp;at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home between Tuesday and next Monday.

Another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storm-rain-flooding-snow-california-washington-northeast-4f28a830a98f04d012c9d03aa77073ab">round of wintry weather</a>&nbsp;could complicate travel, though. California and Washington state continue to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-northern-california-oregon-storm-7792213c57530aed0b1a9ebc2d4e94d8">recover from damage</a>&nbsp;and power outages from last week’s storms. And an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at some airports.

Meanwhile, workers at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-airport-workers-strike-3a00ed15aedfdd8b5e2383feab53cb5a">Charlotte Douglas International Airport</a>&nbsp;began what was expected to be a 24-hour strike on Monday over their demands for higher wages. Only a handful of flights were canceled, and there were fewer than 100 delays.

An Arctic blast and wet weather could disrupt US travel plans

A storm system currently moving across the West Coast is expected to bring heavy snow on Wednesday to the Colorado Rockies, the Bitterroot Range in Idaho and Montana and the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center reported.

On Thanksgiving Day, forecasters are predicting rain showers across portions of the Mid-South and the Ohio River Valley, with Arctic air plunging into the upper Plains, dropping temperatures into the teens and 20s.

More bitter cold is forecast for Friday from the Plains to the Great Lakes region, with high temperatures as low as 25 degrees below average and wind chills making it feel even colder.

On Saturday, near record-warm temperatures in all of the Great Lakes are expected to lead to a round of lake-effect snow, including heavy snowfall downwind of Lakes Ontario and Erie, NOAA reported.

Forecasters expect cold conditions to persist across the Northeast and Midwest on Sunday but don’t anticipate the wintry weather to cause travel delays on interstates or airports.

Arkansas state police are warning drivers to avoid aggressive driving

“As the holiday season kicks off this week, people are traveling more and have higher levels of stress,” Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar said in a statement. “Road rage is a lose/lose situation that could cost you your life.”

The Arkansas State Police has reported an increase in road rage and aggressive driving, with more than 700 road rage cases reported so far in 2024, including 300 cases involving weapons. In 2023, the Associated Press investigated 284 road rage incidents with weapons.

The ASP urges people who encounter an aggressive driver to avoid engaging with them, increase the distance between vehicles, try not to make eye contact and never pull off the roadway to confront them.

Thanksgiving travelers are OK to bring turkey, stuffing and more through checkpoints, TSA says

Want to know what kinds of foods you can carry through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint? Here’s a list of some of the approved items:

“Gravy and cranberry sauce need to be in 3.4-ounce quantities or less. And I would say, especially when it comes to gravy, I wouldn’t want that in my carry-on luggage,” TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said. “And I definitely wouldn’t want it in my checked baggage.”

Dankers said gravy is a prime example of a “make it at your destination” item. Stuffing is considered a solid and is OK to carry on. Pies are, too, but they require some extra scrutiny, Dankers said.

“Be prepared for that. You’ll be present for that,” she said. “But our officers are just making sure that nothing poses a security threat.”

Thanksgiving brings out infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane. The TSA encourages them to download the agency’s smartphone app, which includes a “What can I bring” feature. TSA representatives also will be fielding questions on Facebook and X.

Officials are investigating two separate cases of physical contact between planes in Boston

Officials are investigating the incidents that took place at Boston Logan International Airport on Monday. Both happened at a slow rate of speed.

In the first one, the wingtips of a Frontier Airlines plane and an American Airlines plane touched while at the gate on Monday afternoon, Samanta Decker, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority, said Tuesday. There were no injuries, but the planes were deboarded and needed to be checked for damage, she said.

American Airlines said in a statement that the contact was made as its plane, which had arrived from London, was pulling into the gate. The other plane was stationary. It said there were no injuries.

“The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team,” its statement said.

On Monday night, a tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane. The two Cape Air pilots were taken to a hospital as a precaution, Decker said. The tug has been removed from service, and the JetBlue aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection, JetBlue said in a statement.

“We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’”

Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home.

“We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said.

ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-complaints-transportation-department-7c6ddcec4ebadd4d7222350f6513e6be">Travel can be stressful</a>&nbsp;in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holidays">holiday season</a>&nbsp;and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves.

Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful:

1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring

2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication

4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app

▶ Read more tips&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-stress-holiday-tips-db5e5d819b6251bd415a9ad204baa03a">about staying grounded during holiday travel</a>

5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car.

6. Drivers should get a slight break on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-prices-gasoline-israel-iran-6fb7f2e57072a09287374d67b4fda16a">gas prices</a>. The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year.

7. The Transportation Security Administration expects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-tsa-airport-security-privacy-7b97462591c49184d1cb19cda9c95211">to screen</a>&nbsp;18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.

8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/airport-security">airport security</a>&nbsp;checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.

▶ Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-holiday-travel-airports-roads-38cfcfe5f9d7b19fdc9d843827ed21f9">Thanksgiving travel across the U.S.</a>

Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week

Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages.

In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-northern-california-oregon-storm-7792213c57530aed0b1a9ebc2d4e94d8">previous storm</a>.

Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts:

9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday.

10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said.

11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said.

▶ Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storm-rain-flooding-snow-california-washington-northeast-4f28a830a98f04d012c9d03aa77073ab">Thanksgiving week weather forecasts</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732637020468.png" alt="Photo TSA" />
 <figcaption>Photo TSA</figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thanksgiving">Thanksgiving travel rush</a>&nbsp;is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-holiday-travel-airports-roads-38cfcfe5f9d7b19fdc9d843827ed21f9">nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture</a>&nbsp;at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home between Tuesday and next Monday.Another&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storm-rain-flooding-snow-california-washington-northeast-4f28a830a98f04d012c9d03aa77073ab">round of wintry weather</a>&nbsp;could complicate travel, though. California and Washington state continue to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-northern-california-oregon-storm-7792213c57530aed0b1a9ebc2d4e94d8">recover from damage</a>&nbsp;and power outages from last week’s storms. And an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at some airports.Meanwhile, workers at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-airport-workers-strike-3a00ed15aedfdd8b5e2383feab53cb5a">Charlotte Douglas International Airport</a>&nbsp;began what was expected to be a 24-hour strike on Monday over their demands for higher wages. Only a handful of flights were canceled, and there were fewer than 100 delays.Here's the latest:<h2>An Arctic blast and wet weather could disrupt US travel plans</h2>A storm system currently moving across the West Coast is expected to bring heavy snow on Wednesday to the Colorado Rockies, the Bitterroot Range in Idaho and Montana and the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center reported.On Thanksgiving Day, forecasters are predicting rain showers across portions of the Mid-South and the Ohio River Valley, with Arctic air plunging into the upper Plains, dropping temperatures into the teens and 20s.More bitter cold is forecast for Friday from the Plains to the Great Lakes region, with high temperatures as low as 25 degrees below average and wind chills making it feel even colder.On Saturday, near record-warm temperatures in all of the Great Lakes are expected to lead to a round of lake-effect snow, including heavy snowfall downwind of Lakes Ontario and Erie, NOAA reported.Forecasters expect cold conditions to persist across the Northeast and Midwest on Sunday but don’t anticipate the wintry weather to cause travel delays on interstates or airports.<h2>Arkansas state police are warning drivers to avoid aggressive driving</h2>“As the holiday season kicks off this week, people are traveling more and have higher levels of stress,” Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar said in a statement. “Road rage is a lose/lose situation that could cost you your life.”The Arkansas State Police has reported an increase in road rage and aggressive driving, with more than 700 road rage cases reported so far in 2024, including 300 cases involving weapons. In 2023, the Associated Press investigated 284 road rage incidents with weapons.The ASP urges people who encounter an aggressive driver to avoid engaging with them, increase the distance between vehicles, try not to make eye contact and never pull off the roadway to confront them.<h2>Thanksgiving travelers are OK to bring turkey, stuffing and more through checkpoints, TSA says</h2>Want to know what kinds of foods you can carry through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint? Here’s a list of some of the approved items:Turkey? Yes.Macaroni and cheese? Yes.Gravy? Yes.“Gravy and cranberry sauce need to be in 3.4-ounce quantities or less. And I would say, especially when it comes to gravy, I wouldn’t want that in my carry-on luggage,” TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said. “And I definitely wouldn’t want it in my checked baggage.”Dankers said gravy is a prime example of a “make it at your destination” item. Stuffing is considered a solid and is OK to carry on. Pies are, too, but they require some extra scrutiny, Dankers said.“Be prepared for that. You’ll be present for that,” she said. “But our officers are just making sure that nothing poses a security threat.”Thanksgiving brings out infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane. The TSA encourages them to download the agency’s smartphone app, which includes a “What can I bring” feature. TSA representatives also will be fielding questions on Facebook and X.<h2>Officials are investigating two separate cases of physical contact between planes in Boston</h2>Officials are investigating the incidents that took place at Boston Logan International Airport on Monday. Both happened at a slow rate of speed.In the first one, the wingtips of a Frontier Airlines plane and an American Airlines plane touched while at the gate on Monday afternoon, Samanta Decker, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority, said Tuesday. There were no injuries, but the planes were deboarded and needed to be checked for damage, she said.American Airlines said in a statement that the contact was made as its plane, which had arrived from London, was pulling into the gate. The other plane was stationary. It said there were no injuries.“The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team,” its statement said.On Monday night, a tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane. The two Cape Air pilots were taken to a hospital as a precaution, Decker said. The tug has been removed from service, and the JetBlue aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection, JetBlue said in a statement.<h2>What the striking airport workers said</h2>“We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’”Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home.“We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said.ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.”<h2>Tips to make holiday travel a bit easier</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-complaints-transportation-department-7c6ddcec4ebadd4d7222350f6513e6be">Travel can be stressful</a>&nbsp;in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holidays">holiday season</a>&nbsp;and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves.Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful:1. Make a checklist of what you need to do and what you need to bring2. Carry your comfort with you — think noise-canceling headphones, cozy clothes, snacks and extra medication3. Stay hydrated4. Keep up to date on delays, gate changes and cancellations with your airline’s app▶ Read more tips&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-stress-holiday-tips-db5e5d819b6251bd415a9ad204baa03a">about staying grounded during holiday travel</a><h2>Thanksgiving travel, by the numbers</h2>5. Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car.6. Drivers should get a slight break on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-prices-gasoline-israel-iran-6fb7f2e57072a09287374d67b4fda16a">gas prices</a>. The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year.7. The Transportation Security Administration expects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-tsa-airport-security-privacy-7b97462591c49184d1cb19cda9c95211">to screen</a>&nbsp;18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.8. The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/airport-security">airport security</a>&nbsp;checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.▶ Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-holiday-travel-airports-roads-38cfcfe5f9d7b19fdc9d843827ed21f9">Thanksgiving travel across the U.S.</a><h2>Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week</h2>Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages.In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-northern-california-oregon-storm-7792213c57530aed0b1a9ebc2d4e94d8">previous storm</a>.Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts:9. Sierra Nevada: The National Weather Service office issued a winter storm warning through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at higher elevations and wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph (88 kph). Total snowfall of roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast, with the heaviest accumulations expected Monday and Tuesday.10. Midwest and Great Lakes: The Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, forecasters said.11. East Coast: A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early Thursday before heading to the Northeast. Areas from Boston to New York could see rain and breezy conditions, with snowfall possible in parts of northern New Hampshire, northern Maine and the Adirondacks. If the system tracks further inland, there could be less snow and more rain in the mountains, forecasters said.▶ Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storm-rain-flooding-snow-california-washington-northeast-4f28a830a98f04d012c9d03aa77073ab">Thanksgiving week weather forecasts</a>

Thanksgiving Travel Latest: TSA braces for ‘busiest ever’ holiday

JOHNSON COUNTY —A teen accused in a shooting with a police officer's gun at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park has entered a plea in the case.

Nery Alberto Gonzalez-Munoz, 18,&nbsp; pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of misdemeanor theft.

Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, 2023, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.

  As Gonzalez-Munoz and a 17-year-old suspect were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend them.

 During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. 

 The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended.  The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended.  No one was injured in this incident.

&nbsp;Gonzalez-Munoz sentencing is set for February 10.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700012719162.png" alt="Gonzalez-Munoz-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-Munoz-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A teen accused in a shooting with a police officer's gun at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park has entered a plea in the case.Nery Alberto Gonzalez-Munoz, 18,&nbsp; pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of misdemeanor theft.Just before 4:30p.m. Nov 12, 2023, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy. As Gonzalez-Munoz and a 17-year-old suspect were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732394078923.png" alt="Police on the scene of the disturbance -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the disturbance -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure> During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended. The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended. No one was injured in this incident.&nbsp;Gonzalez-Munoz sentencing is set for February 10.&nbsp;

Kan. teen enters plea in fight with officers at shopping mall

NEW YORK (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his wife, Jill, on Monday opened their final holiday season at the White House with the annual turkey pardons and Christmas tree arrival before they hosted “friendsgiving” in New York City for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-coast-guard">U.S. Coast Guard</a>&nbsp;members and their families.

“Simply put, we owe you. We owe your families,” Biden said at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York on Staten Island. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The meal was part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-michelle-obama-michael-pence-volunteer-forces-c13b158b555669e8e46191f641e1538d">support military families</a>. “With all my heart, thank you for your service and your sacrifice,” she said before the president spoke.

Both then tied dark aprons with the presidential seal around their dress clothes and joined the chow line, where they served a side dish of roasted Brussels sprouts. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine helped with the menu of turkey, ham, side dishes and desserts.

Earlier at the White House, Biden issued the traditional reprieve to turkeys Peach and Blossom who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in southern Minnesota.

He welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he joked about the birds’ fates and sounded wistful about the approaching end of his half-century in Washington power circles.

“It’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said of his single term as president. The reins of power will transfer on Jan. 20 to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, the man Biden defeated four years ago and was battling again until he was pressured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">to bow out of the race</a>&nbsp;amid concerns about his age and viability. Biden is 82.

Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys named for the official flower of his home state of Delaware.

“The peach pie in my state is one of my favorites,” he said during remarks that were occasionally interrupted by Peach gobbling atop a table to Biden’s right. “Peach is making a last-minute plea,” Biden said at one point.

Biden introduced Peach as a bird who “lives by the motto, ‘Keep calm and gobble on.’” Blossom, the president said, has a different motto: “No fowl play. Just Minnesota nice.”

Peach and Blossom came from the farm of John Zimmerman, near the southern Minnesota city of Northfield. Zimmerman, who has raised about 4 million turkeys, is president of the National Turkey Federation, which has gifted Thanksgiving turkeys to U.S. presidents since the Truman administration after World War II. President Harry Truman, however, preferred to eat the birds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey" target="_blank">Official pardon ceremonies</a>&nbsp;did not become an annual White House tradition until the administration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989.

With their presidential reprieve, Peach and Blossom will live out their days at Farmamerica, an agriculture interpretative center near Waseca in southern Minnesota. The center’s aim is to promote agriculture and educate future farmers and others about agriculture in America.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">first lady</a>&nbsp;also received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-christmas-tree-north-carolina-helene-e4868d6b13c65cd4944c5fe26fafb058">the official White House Christmas tree</a>&nbsp;that will be decorated and put on display in the Blue Room. The 18.5 foot (5.64 meter) Fraser fir came from a farm in an area of western North Carolina that recently was devastated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>.

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm lost thousands of trees in the storm “but this one remained standing and they named it ‘Tremendous’ for the extraordinary hope that it represents,” Jill Biden said.

Biden began his long goodbye Friday night with a gala in a pavilion erected on the South Lawn for hundreds of friends, supporters, Cabinet secretaries, Democratic donors and long-serving staff members who came to hear from the president and pay tribute, — despite Biden effectively being forced off the Democratic ticket this summer and then watching Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;suffer defeat on Nov. 5.

“I’m so proud that we’ve done all of this with a deep belief in the core values of America,” said Biden, sporting a tuxedo for the black-tie event. Setting aside his criticisms of Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy, Biden added his characteristic national cheerleading: “I fully believe that America is better positioned to lead the world today than at any point in my 50 years of public service.”

___ Barrow and Superville reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his wife, Jill, on Monday opened their final holiday season at the White House with the annual turkey pardons and Christmas tree arrival before they hosted “friendsgiving” in New York City for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-coast-guard">U.S. Coast Guard</a>&nbsp;members and their families.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">White House Christmas Tree Arrival Watch complete remarks from <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> Dr. Jill Biden here: <a href="https://t.co/TIAJZvhWls">https://t.co/TIAJZvhWls</a> <a href="https://t.co/zmM1jk6Ocp">pic.twitter.com/zmM1jk6Ocp</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1861139684279095795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Official White House Christmas Tree has arrived! It’s time to deck the halls. <a href="https://t.co/l4PAcR6PLp">pic.twitter.com/l4PAcR6PLp</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1861198180014063951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Simply put, we owe you. We owe your families,” Biden said at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York on Staten Island. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces Initiative, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> are serving a Friendsgiving meal to <a href="https://twitter.com/uscoastguard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@uscoastguard</a> Sector NY and their families in Staten Island. <a href="https://t.co/DSwavCYSUQ">pic.twitter.com/DSwavCYSUQ</a>&mdash; Vanessa Valdivia (@vvaldivia46) <a href="https://twitter.com/vvaldivia46/status/1861193897013051649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The meal was part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-michelle-obama-michael-pence-volunteer-forces-c13b158b555669e8e46191f641e1538d">support military families</a>. “With all my heart, thank you for your service and your sacrifice,” she said before the president spoke.Both then tied dark aprons with the presidential seal around their dress clothes and joined the chow line, where they served a side dish of roasted Brussels sprouts. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine helped with the menu of turkey, ham, side dishes and desserts.Earlier at the White House, Biden issued the traditional reprieve to turkeys Peach and Blossom who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in southern Minnesota.He welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he joked about the birds’ fates and sounded wistful about the approaching end of his half-century in Washington power circles.“It’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said of his single term as president. The reins of power will transfer on Jan. 20 to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, the man Biden defeated four years ago and was battling again until he was pressured&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">to bow out of the race</a>&nbsp;amid concerns about his age and viability. Biden is 82.Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys named for the official flower of his home state of Delaware.“The peach pie in my state is one of my favorites,” he said during remarks that were occasionally interrupted by Peach gobbling atop a table to Biden’s right. “Peach is making a last-minute plea,” Biden said at one point.Biden introduced Peach as a bird who “lives by the motto, ‘Keep calm and gobble on.’” Blossom, the president said, has a different motto: “No fowl play. Just Minnesota nice.”Peach and Blossom came from the farm of John Zimmerman, near the southern Minnesota city of Northfield. Zimmerman, who has raised about 4 million turkeys, is president of the National Turkey Federation, which has gifted Thanksgiving turkeys to U.S. presidents since the Truman administration after World War II. President Harry Truman, however, preferred to eat the birds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey" target="_blank">Official pardon ceremonies</a>&nbsp;did not become an annual White House tradition until the administration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989.With their presidential reprieve, Peach and Blossom will live out their days at Farmamerica, an agriculture interpretative center near Waseca in southern Minnesota. The center’s aim is to promote agriculture and educate future farmers and others about agriculture in America.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">first lady</a>&nbsp;also received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-christmas-tree-north-carolina-helene-e4868d6b13c65cd4944c5fe26fafb058">the official White House Christmas tree</a>&nbsp;that will be decorated and put on display in the Blue Room. The 18.5 foot (5.64 meter) Fraser fir came from a farm in an area of western North Carolina that recently was devastated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>.Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm lost thousands of trees in the storm “but this one remained standing and they named it ‘Tremendous’ for the extraordinary hope that it represents,” Jill Biden said.Biden began his long goodbye Friday night with a gala in a pavilion erected on the South Lawn for hundreds of friends, supporters, Cabinet secretaries, Democratic donors and long-serving staff members who came to hear from the president and pay tribute, — despite Biden effectively being forced off the Democratic ticket this summer and then watching Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;suffer defeat on Nov. 5.“I’m so proud that we’ve done all of this with a deep belief in the core values of America,” said Biden, sporting a tuxedo for the black-tie event. Setting aside his criticisms of Trump as a fundamental threat to democracy, Biden added his characteristic national cheerleading: “I fully believe that America is better positioned to lead the world today than at any point in my 50 years of public service.”___ Barrow and Superville reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

🎥Bidens open final White House holiday season 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide Sunday in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;19-year-old Preston Bell who had been reported missing after an incident late Saturday.

Just after 4:30p.m. Sunday KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to Truman Road and Interstate 435 on an ambulance in route call, according to&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 An individual was reported to be slumped over in the back seat of a vehicle on the southbound exit ramp of I-435 at Truman. Officers located a man, later identified as Bell,&nbsp; inside of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. He was declared deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Independence Police Department Detectives responded to the scene and confirmed the deceased victim was missing also the subject of a missing person report.&nbsp; Bell had last been seen at 8:30p.m. Saturday at a residence in the 500 Block of S. Brookside.&nbsp; He was being forced&nbsp;into a vehicle by other unknown persons.&nbsp; His family was unable to reach him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732573821317.png" alt="Preston Bell photo Independence Police" />
 <figcaption>Preston Bell photo Independence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide Sunday in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;19-year-old Preston Bell who had been reported missing after an incident late Saturday.Just after 4:30p.m. Sunday KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to Truman Road and Interstate 435 on an ambulance in route call, according to&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino. An individual was reported to be slumped over in the back seat of a vehicle on the southbound exit ramp of I-435 at Truman. Officers located a man, later identified as Bell,&nbsp; inside of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. He was declared deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Independence Police Department Detectives responded to the scene and confirmed the deceased victim was missing also the subject of a missing person report.&nbsp; Bell had last been seen at 8:30p.m. Saturday at a residence in the 500 Block of S. Brookside.&nbsp; He was being forced&nbsp;into a vehicle by other unknown persons.&nbsp; His family was unable to reach him.

KCPD: Man found dead after being forced into car in front of home

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.

The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/topyr.html">according to the most recent U.S. Census data.</a>

Trump made the threats in a pair of posts on his Truth Social site Monday evening in which he railed against an influx of illegal migrants, even though southern border apprehensions have been hovering near four-year lows.

“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," he wrote, complaining that "thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” even though violent crime is down from pandemic highs.

He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!"

"Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power," he went on, “and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”

Trump also turned his ire on China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.”

“Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,” he wrote.

It is unclear whether Trump will actually go through with the threats or if he is using them as a negotiating tactic before he takes office in the new year.

Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent — who if confirmed, would be one of several officials responsible for imposing tariffs on other nations — has on several occasions said tariffs are a means of negotiation with other countries.

He wrote in a Fox News op-ed last week, before his nomination, that tariffs are “a useful tool for achieving the president’s foreign policy objectives. Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defense, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing cooperation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role.”

Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-asylum-biden-harris-trump-mexico-690c9f62e600d9afdd7d1cbe2ca96a63">been falling</a>. The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows, with U.S. Border Patrol making 56,530 arrests in October, less than one third of the tally from October last year.

Meanwhile, arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. The Border Patrol made 23,721 arrests between October 2023 and September 2024, compared with 10,021 the previous 12 months. More than 14,000 of those arrested on the Canadian border were Indian — more than 10 times the number two years ago.

Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-india-smuggling-deaths-trial-verdict-de2f999332e6cc8be1ea78c7fdfb6590">a jury convicted two men</a>&nbsp;on charges related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-us-india-deaths-smuggling-trial-16946bb01a1d1ca2978f29e902e550fc">human smuggling</a>&nbsp;for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730837835990.png" alt="File photo Trump" />
 <figcaption>File photo Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732586089784.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/topyr.html">according to the most recent U.S. Census data.</a>Trump made the threats in a pair of posts on his Truth Social site Monday evening in which he railed against an influx of illegal migrants, even though southern border apprehensions have been hovering near four-year lows.“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," he wrote, complaining that "thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” even though violent crime is down from pandemic highs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732586089784.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!""Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power," he went on, “and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”Trump also turned his ire on China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.”“Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,” he wrote.It is unclear whether Trump will actually go through with the threats or if he is using them as a negotiating tactic before he takes office in the new year.Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, Scott Bessent — who if confirmed, would be one of several officials responsible for imposing tariffs on other nations — has on several occasions said tariffs are a means of negotiation with other countries.He wrote in a Fox News op-ed last week, before his nomination, that tariffs are “a useful tool for achieving the president’s foreign policy objectives. Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defense, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing cooperation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role.”Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-asylum-biden-harris-trump-mexico-690c9f62e600d9afdd7d1cbe2ca96a63">been falling</a>. The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows, with U.S. Border Patrol making 56,530 arrests in October, less than one third of the tally from October last year.Meanwhile, arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. The Border Patrol made 23,721 arrests between October 2023 and September 2024, compared with 10,021 the previous 12 months. More than 14,000 of those arrested on the Canadian border were Indian — more than 10 times the number two years ago.Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-india-smuggling-deaths-trial-verdict-de2f999332e6cc8be1ea78c7fdfb6590">a jury convicted two men</a>&nbsp;on charges related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-canada-us-india-deaths-smuggling-trial-16946bb01a1d1ca2978f29e902e550fc">human smuggling</a>&nbsp;for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard.Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Border seizures of the drug rose sharply under President Joe Biden, and U.S. officials tallied about 21,900 pounds (12,247 kilograms) of fentanyl seized in the 2024 government budget year, compared with 2,545 pounds (1,154 kilograms) in 2019, when Trump was president.If Trump were to move forward with the threatened tariffs, the new taxes would pose an enormous challenge for the economies of Canada and Mexico, in particular.During Trump’s first term, his move to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and reports that he was considering a 25% tariff on the Canadian auto sector were considered an existential threat in Canada. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 75% of Canada’s exports, which include automobiles, go to the U.S.The Canadian dollar weakened sharply in foreign exchange markets immediately following Trump’s post.The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump during his first term with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, which replaced NAFTA and is up for review in 2026.It’s unclear from Trump’s social media post how he would legally apply tariff hikes on those two pivotal U.S. trade partners, but the 2020 deal allows for national security exceptions.When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports just $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most of it comes from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty.Spokespeople for Canada’s ambassador to Washington and its deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, who chairs a special Cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations to address concerns about another Trump presidency, did not immediately comment on the threats.Trump’s promise to launch a mass deportation effort is a top focus for the Cabinet committee, Freeland has said.A senior Canadian official had said before Trump's posts that Canadian officials were expecting him to issue executive orders on trade and the border as soon as he assumes office. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department and Economy Department also had no immediate reaction to Trump’s statements. Normally such weighty issues are handled by the president at her morning press briefings.Last week, a senior Chinese commerce official said higher tariffs on Chinese exports would backfire by raising prices for consumers. Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen also said China can manage the impact of such “external shocks."Trump in early November had said that, if elected, he would inform Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on day one that she must stop the flow of migrants and drugs into the U.S. or risk a 25% tariff on Mexican imports.“If they don’t stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs coming into our country, I am going to immediately impose a 25% tariff on everything they send into the United States of America,” he told supporters in North Carolina.