NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors oppose any effort to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction, but they expressed some openness Tuesday to delaying sentencing until after his impending second term.

In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Trump's forthcoming presidency isn't grounds for dropping a case that was already tried. But “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests," prosecutors said, “consideration must be given” to potentially freezing the case until after he's out of office.

The former and future president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted in May</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.

His sentencing had been set for Nov. 26. But after Trump's election win this month, his lawyers urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to throw out the case. They wrote that it must be scrapped “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice.”

Merchan gave prosecutors until Tuesday to weigh in on how to proceed.

Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday they “are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency” and realize that Trump’s return to the White House “will raise unprecedented legal questions.”

“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” they added.

No decision has been made, and Merchan has not said when he will rule. Still, Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung cast Tuesday's filing from prosecutors as “a total and definitive victory for President Trump” in a case that he has long deplored as a “witch hunt.”

“President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” Cheung said in a statement.

The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-immunity-ruling-1b555b96443f38d35e995b8b4853a32c">last week delayed</a>&nbsp;ruling on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-merchan-stormy-daniels-02e54baf65b233ad7f6875536fb998ea">Trump’s earlier bid to reverse his conviction</a>&nbsp;because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record as well as a possible prison sentence.

Merchan could also decide to delay the case for some other length of time, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">$130,000 hush money payment</a>&nbsp;to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. The payment was made shortly before the 2016 election.

Trump says they did not have sex and denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged.

Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work.

Trump’s lawyers have been fighting for months to reverse his conviction.

A month after the verdict, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to</a>&nbsp;argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-immunity-a6662f61014a7f47400a4af163e01eb3">Prosecutors disagreed</a>&nbsp;and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.

After Trump’s election win, his lawyers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25289985-people-v-djt-joint-application-for-adjournment-11-12-24">redoubled their efforts</a>, arguing that dismissing the case “in the interests of justice” was warranted both under the immunity ruling and because of his status as president-elect.

If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies.

Some of Trump’s supporters embraced his conviction, showing up to campaign rallies in T-shirts with slogans like “Free Trump” and “I’m Voting For the Convicted Felon.”

Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.

The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.

Special counsel Jack Smith is taking steps to wind down his two federal cases against the president-elect. One centers on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, the other on allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold.

Trump, a Republican, has decried the hush money verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result. He has claimed, without evidence, that the case brought by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg was part of a Democrat-led “witch hunt” meant to harm his presidential campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713453574310.png" alt="File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors oppose any effort to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction, but they expressed some openness Tuesday to delaying sentencing until after his impending second term.In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said Trump's forthcoming presidency isn't grounds for dropping a case that was already tried. But “given the need to balance competing constitutional interests," prosecutors said, “consideration must be given” to potentially freezing the case until after he's out of office.The former and future president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0">convicted in May</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records to cover up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.His sentencing had been set for Nov. 26. But after Trump's election win this month, his lawyers urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to throw out the case. They wrote that it must be scrapped “to facilitate the orderly transition of executive power — and in the interests of justice.”Merchan gave prosecutors until Tuesday to weigh in on how to proceed.Manhattan prosecutors said Tuesday they “are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency” and realize that Trump’s return to the White House “will raise unprecedented legal questions.”“We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system,” they added.No decision has been made, and Merchan has not said when he will rule. Still, Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung cast Tuesday's filing from prosecutors as “a total and definitive victory for President Trump” in a case that he has long deplored as a “witch hunt.”“President Trump’s legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all,” Cheung said in a statement.The judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-immunity-ruling-1b555b96443f38d35e995b8b4853a32c">last week delayed</a>&nbsp;ruling on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-merchan-stormy-daniels-02e54baf65b233ad7f6875536fb998ea">Trump’s earlier bid to reverse his conviction</a>&nbsp;because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in July that gave presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution.A dismissal would erase Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record as well as a possible prison sentence.Merchan could also decide to delay the case for some other length of time, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option.Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">$130,000 hush money payment</a>&nbsp;to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. The payment was made shortly before the 2016 election.Trump says they did not have sex and denies any wrongdoing.Prosecutors cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged.Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict if the case is not dismissed. He and his lawyers said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work.Trump’s lawyers have been fighting for months to reverse his conviction.A month after the verdict, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-immunity-2dc0d1c2368d404adc0054151490f542">Supreme Court ruled</a>&nbsp;that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-hush-money-new-york-conviction-b67bafcb92b287933c6e6d54fc122117">Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to</a>&nbsp;argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-immunity-a6662f61014a7f47400a4af163e01eb3">Prosecutors disagreed</a>&nbsp;and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case.After Trump’s election win, his lawyers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25289985-people-v-djt-joint-application-for-adjournment-11-12-24">redoubled their efforts</a>, arguing that dismissing the case “in the interests of justice” was warranted both under the immunity ruling and because of his status as president-elect.If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies.Some of Trump’s supporters embraced his conviction, showing up to campaign rallies in T-shirts with slogans like “Free Trump” and “I’m Voting For the Convicted Felon.”Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes.The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial.Special counsel Jack Smith is taking steps to wind down his two federal cases against the president-elect. One centers on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, the other on allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold.Trump, a Republican, has decried the hush money verdict as a “rigged, disgraceful” result. He has claimed, without evidence, that the case brought by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg was part of a Democrat-led “witch hunt” meant to harm his presidential campaign.

Sentencing in President-elect Trump's criminal case delayed again

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

A 57-year-old Ellis County man was recently sentenced to more
than 19 years in prison for the murder of his brother in 2022.

In September, Monte Joe Wilson pleaded no contest to voluntary
manslaughter in the death of 54-year-old Mark Wilson on Sept. 19, 2022.

Monte Wilson was initially arrested and charged with second-degree
murder and aggravated battery.

According to court documents, Mark Wilson was found beaten
to death at a home in the 200 block of West Sixth in Hays on the night of Sept. 19, 2022.&nbsp; Monte Wilson was located and arrested at the scene.

Thursday, Ellis County District Court Judge Glenn Braun sentenced Monte Wilson to 233 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter. 

Monte Wilson’s attorney filed a motion for a downward departure at
sentencing.&nbsp; He argued&nbsp; Monte Wilson deserved a lesser sentence due to
several factors. Among those were his age, his lack of a recent criminal
history and his acceptance of responsibility in the case. Braun denied the motion.

Braun called Monte Wilson an “experienced criminal defendant” with
nine prior felony convictions ranging from theft and drug possession to aggravated
battery.

The judge also said there are more aggravating factors than
what would allow the court to consider a downward departure.&nbsp; Braun said Mark Wilson’s disability was also a factor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732034618096.png" alt="Wilson photo Ellis County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Wilson photo Ellis County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostA 57-year-old Ellis County man was recently sentenced to more
than 19 years in prison for the murder of his brother in 2022.In September, Monte Joe Wilson pleaded no contest to voluntary
manslaughter in the death of 54-year-old Mark Wilson on Sept. 19, 2022.Monte Wilson was initially arrested and charged with second-degree
murder and aggravated battery.According to court documents, Mark Wilson was found beaten
to death at a home in the 200 block of West Sixth in Hays on the night of Sept. 19, 2022.&nbsp; Monte Wilson was located and arrested at the scene.Thursday, Ellis County District Court Judge Glenn Braun sentenced Monte Wilson to 233 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter. Monte Wilson’s attorney filed a motion for a downward departure at
sentencing.&nbsp; He argued&nbsp; Monte Wilson deserved a lesser sentence due to
several factors. Among those were his age, his lack of a recent criminal
history and his acceptance of responsibility in the case. Braun denied the motion.Braun called Monte Wilson an “experienced criminal defendant” with
nine prior felony convictions ranging from theft and drug possession to aggravated
battery.The judge also said there are more aggravating factors than
what would allow the court to consider a downward departure.&nbsp; Braun said Mark Wilson’s disability was also a factor.

NW Kansas man going to prison for killing his brother

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.

On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.

The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. 

During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.

Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.

Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged school threat at a southwest Kansas middle school and have made an arrest.On Monday, a School Resource Officer was notified of a possible criminal threat at Kenneth Henderson Middle School,&nbsp;2406 Fleming Street in Garden City, according to a media release from Garden City Police.The resource officer learned that 14-year-old Jose Miguel Tapia had allegedly made threats toward the school, and began an investigation. During an encounter with the boy during the investigation, Tapia did not listen to school personnel or the Officer and attempted to strike the Officer. Police took the teen into custody and as a precaution, the school was placed into a brief lockdown.Tapia is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Criminal Threat, Assault LEO, and Interference LEO.Police continue to encourage parents to remind your child to immediately report information about any school safety-related incident(s) to administrators/staff and/or the Garden City Police Department.

SW Kan. teen attempted to strike officer during investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.

On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.

Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.

&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.

Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.

The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.

Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.

A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731957172859.png" alt="Roark photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Roark photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man convicted of child sex crimes involving a 14-year-0ld rescued from a closet in Wichita is going to prison for the rest of his life.On Monday, Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced David Roark to a life sentence, followed by 122 months in prison.&nbsp; In October, Roark was convicted by a jury of 18 counts including Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, Kidnapping, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp; Roark will be eligible for parole only after he has served 35 years in prison.&nbsp; This was the maximum sentence available to the court under Kansas law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671545735044.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after midnight Dec. 14, 2022, a detective with the White County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office contacted Wichita Police requesting assistance locating a missing child from their jurisdiction, according to Wichita Police Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; A 14-year-old girl had left her home in Arkansas in early November and not returned.&nbsp; A follow-up investigation by White County detectives revealed she had been&nbsp;seen in a convenience store&nbsp;with a man before leaving in a vehicle with the same man later identified as 35-year-old&nbsp;David E. Roark of Wichita. Police also learned Roark was wanted on two warrants from the state of Kentucky.Additional information provided by White County suggested that Roark was possibly in the Wichita area.The Wichita Police Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating and located an address in the 1800 block of N. Litchfield in Wichita, where they believed Roark was staying.Police observed Roark leaving the home and took him into custody. Officers then found the missing girl in a closet inside the house. Police took both of them for additional interviews, where it was discovered further crimes had occurred in Wichita.A search warrant for the residence was completed, and David Roark was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Maximum sentence: Teen runaway rescued from Kan. man's closet

Washington, D.C.-&nbsp; Kansas&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and other members of the Senate Ag committee are not happy with Democrat Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie&nbsp;Stabenow. According to Marshall, she blindsided the Republicans on the bipartisan Ag committee dropping a 1,400-page Farm Bill with no advance notice or cooperation."

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act_of_2024.pdf">here to read&nbsp; the full text of the bill</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/summary_of_the_rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act.pdf">here to read the summary</a>

“This morning, Chairwoman Stabenow released her Farm Bill text—a 1,400-page document that no Republican committee member has reviewed or had the opportunity to collaborate on. This is not a sincere or transparent effort to address the urgent needs of Rural America. Instead, it is a last-minute power play in the final hours- manipulating her majority power in the Senate Ag Committee before losing the gavel. Today's move shows that Senate Democrats have walked away from meaningful bipartisan negotiations that are a tradition in this committee and have opted to play politics with the livelihoods of hard-working farmers and ranchers at a time when Rural America needs real solutions.”&nbsp;

Senator Marshall continued, “Thoughtful negotiation and bipartisan cooperation are essential to delivering a&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;Farm Bill that Kansans deserves. Despite Stabenow's attempt to upend the process, as a member of the Senate Ag Committee representing Kansas agriculture, I remain committed to reviewing this bill and advocating for the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farmers facing record decreases in net farm income, we must put&nbsp;FARM back in the Farm Bill&nbsp;by increasing crop insurance coverage and reference prices for the American farmer.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731969781719.png" alt="Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C.-&nbsp; Kansas&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and other members of the Senate Ag committee are not happy with Democrat Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie&nbsp;Stabenow. According to Marshall, she blindsided the Republicans on the bipartisan Ag committee dropping a 1,400-page Farm Bill with no advance notice or cooperation."Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act_of_2024.pdf">here to read&nbsp; the full text of the bill</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/summary_of_the_rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act.pdf">here to read the summary</a>“This morning, Chairwoman Stabenow released her Farm Bill text—a 1,400-page document that no Republican committee member has reviewed or had the opportunity to collaborate on. This is not a sincere or transparent effort to address the urgent needs of Rural America. Instead, it is a last-minute power play in the final hours- manipulating her majority power in the Senate Ag Committee before losing the gavel. Today's move shows that Senate Democrats have walked away from meaningful bipartisan negotiations that are a tradition in this committee and have opted to play politics with the livelihoods of hard-working farmers and ranchers at a time when Rural America needs real solutions.”&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Disappointed Congress is unable to deliver certainty to Kansas farmers &amp; ranchers by passing a new Farm Bill. Chairwoman Stabenow’s legislation is over a year late and missed the opportunity for bipartisan outcomes. We now focus fully on the Senate Appropriations Committee to…&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1858882846242251086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senator Marshall continued, “Thoughtful negotiation and bipartisan cooperation are essential to delivering a&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;Farm Bill that Kansans deserves. Despite Stabenow's attempt to upend the process, as a member of the Senate Ag Committee representing Kansas agriculture, I remain committed to reviewing this bill and advocating for the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farmers facing record decreases in net farm income, we must put&nbsp;FARM back in the Farm Bill&nbsp;by increasing crop insurance coverage and reference prices for the American farmer.”

Read the latest Farm Bill proposal that has Kan. U.S. Senators unhappy

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is filling key posts in his second administration, and it's shaping up much differently than his first. He's prioritizing loyalists for top jobs.

Trump was bruised and hampered by internal squabbles during his initial term in office. Now he appears focused on remaking the federal government in his own image. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation battles even with Republicans in control of the U.S. Senate.

Here's a look at whom he has selected so far.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-marco-rubio-secretary-of-state-25664371f80dcf3332838352165e4d48">named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;to be secretary of state, making the critic-turned-ally his choice for top diplomat.

Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement.

The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations.

Trump said Wednesday he will nominate Florida Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</a>&nbsp;to serve as his attorney general, naming a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor.

In selecting Gaetz, 42, Trump passed over some of the more established lawyers whose names had been mentioned as being contenders for the job.

“Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and Restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,” Trump said in a statement.

Gaetz resigned from Congress Wednesday night. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old, though that probe effectively ended when he resigned. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Tulsi Gabbard

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gabbard-director-national-intelligence-466dfdfe2f949ea20bc2f4ef13e21438">has been tapped by Trump</a>&nbsp;to be director of national intelligence, another example of Trump prizing loyalty over experience.

Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall, and she's been accused of echoing Russian propaganda.

“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement.

Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions.

Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox &amp; Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.

Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011. He has two Bronze Stars. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-defense-secretary-pentagon-2d8030921ecef933778cf92afd40ec72">Hegseth lacks</a>&nbsp;senior military and national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea.

Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year.

Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms leading South Dakota to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic.

More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog.

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

Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term, leading the U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-speech-arizona-a2638f89ddcb5de03edbe4574ca17d45">then endorsed Trump</a>. He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign.

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

Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business.

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

Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate.

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

"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The governor of North Dakota, once little-known outside his state, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump and then spent months traveling to drum up support for Trump after dropping out of the race.

Burgum was a serious contender to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vice-president-rubio-vance-burgum-scott-8b6a3a22eecdfff668a5002ddfd3af18">be Trump’s vice presidential choice</a>&nbsp;this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs.

Trump initially announced his choice of Burgum while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Thursday night. The president-elect's formal announcement on Friday said he wanted Burgum to be Interior secretary and chairman of a new National Energy Council “that will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE." As chairman of the council, Trump said Burgum will also have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary.

A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States.

Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR: Lee Zeldin

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

“We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added.

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

In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”

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

She has a background in Florida politics, helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary.

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

Wiles was able to help keep Trump on track as few others have, not by criticizing his impulses, but by winning his respect by demonstrating his success after taking her advice.

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

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

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

He served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border once Trump won the election. Homan said at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to “run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR POLICY: Stephen Miller

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

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

Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security.

Scavino was an adviser to all three of the president-elect's campaigns, and the transition team referred to him as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president.

He previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

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

Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate’s “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago.

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

Budowich had also served as a spokesman for Trump after his first presidency.

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Karoline Leavitt

Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history.

The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps.

Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-donald-trump-51418003338eb89abfbfc6aac6909abd">she ran for Congress in New Hampshire,</a>&nbsp;winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign.

In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.”

SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: Steven Witkoff

The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination.

Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud."

Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee.

Huckabee is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-huckabee-ambassador-israel-ace1894ce731c36622d5f09982a0a9b2">staunch defender of Israel</a>&nbsp;and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah.

“He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.”

Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions thru Monday

STEVENS COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly fire in southwest Kansas.

The fire occurred on city property, 1501 South Washington, and there was one casualty at the scene, according to a media release from the city of Hugoton.

Authorities released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

STEVENS COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly fire in southwest Kansas.The fire occurred on city property, 1501 South Washington, and there was one casualty at the scene, according to a media release from the city of Hugoton.Authorities released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Authorities investigating fatal southwest Kansas fire

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement&nbsp; conducting an officer-involved shooting and a death investigation surrounding a domestic disturbance in Lawson, Missouri have identified the man who died as 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson, Missouri and the the child who died wasa 3-year-old boy, according to a media release from he Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 200 Block of Montgomery Street in Lawson.

Lawson Police requested assistance from the Ray County sheriff's office. An officer and sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and were informed a man had been assaulting woman inside the residence. They also learned a child was inside the residence. The male suspect, later identified as Yager, presented a firearm and fired at the officers, striking the Ray County deputy. Officers returned fire and retreated outside the home.&nbsp;

Multiple law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions responded to assist, including the Clay County Sheriff's Office STAR team.&nbsp; With information that additional gunfire had been heard from inside the home and a child may be held hostage, the Clay County STAR team entered the residence just after 9p.m.&nbsp; Deputies found Yager and the 3-year-old deceased.&nbsp;

EMS transported the deputy to the&nbsp; hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The deputy was treated and released&nbsp; Police also found the woman victim from the original call and she was safe.&nbsp; Lawson is located approximately 35 miles north and east of Kansas City, Missouri.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement&nbsp; conducting an officer-involved shooting and a death investigation surrounding a domestic disturbance in Lawson, Missouri have identified the man who died as 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson, Missouri and the the child who died wasa 3-year-old boy, according to a media release from he Missouri State Highway Patrol.Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 200 Block of Montgomery Street in Lawson.Lawson Police requested assistance from the Ray County sheriff's office. An officer and sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and were informed a man had been assaulting woman inside the residence. They also learned a child was inside the residence. The male suspect, later identified as Yager, presented a firearm and fired at the officers, striking the Ray County deputy. Officers returned fire and retreated outside the home.&nbsp;Multiple law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions responded to assist, including the Clay County Sheriff's Office STAR team.&nbsp; With information that additional gunfire had been heard from inside the home and a child may be held hostage, the Clay County STAR team entered the residence just after 9p.m.&nbsp; Deputies found Yager and the 3-year-old deceased.&nbsp;EMS transported the deputy to the&nbsp; hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The deputy was treated and released&nbsp; Police also found the woman victim from the original call and she was safe.&nbsp; Lawson is located approximately 35 miles north and east of Kansas City, Missouri.

Patrol confirms 3-year-old boy died in domestic incident

MOSCOW (AP) —President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-aggressor-fd2f2664c2589cdadfe84bd0bdb7275e">revised nuclear doctrine</a>&nbsp;declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.

Putin’s endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">1,000th day</a>&nbsp;after he sent troops into Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.

It follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles.

The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap the country’s nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.

Asked whether the updated doctrine was deliberately issued on the heels of Biden's decision, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the document was published “in a timely manner” and that Putin instructed the government to update it earlier this year so that it is “in line with the current situation.”

Putin first announced changes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-51a3a173b81168a811336e0d1fd3538c">nuclear doctrine</a>&nbsp;in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions.

Russia's president has previously warned the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.

The updated doctrine states that an attack against Russia by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”

It adds that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike or a conventional attack posing a “critical threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Russia and its ally Belarus, a vague formulation that leaves broad room for interpretation.

It does not specify whether such an attack would necessarily trigger a nuclear response. It mentions the “uncertainty of scale, time and place of possible use of nuclear deterrent” among the key principles of the nuclear deterrence.

The document also notes that an aggression against Russia by a member of a military bloc or coalition is viewed as "an aggression by the entire bloc," a clear reference to NATO.

At the same time, it spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail compared with previous versions of the doctrine, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and other flying vehicles.

The wide formulation appears to significantly broaden the triggers for possible nuclear weapons use compared with the previous version of the document, which stated that Russia could tap its atomic arsenal if case of an attack with ballistic missiles.

President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for more than 30 years and has relied on Russian subsidies and support, has allowed Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine and to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons.

Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, he and other Russian voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv.

Russian hawks have been calling for toughening the doctrine for months, arguing that the previous version failed to deter the West from increasing its aid to Ukraine and created the impression that Moscow would not resort to nuclear weapons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="File. photo. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>File. photo. (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) —President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-aggressor-fd2f2664c2589cdadfe84bd0bdb7275e">revised nuclear doctrine</a>&nbsp;declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.Putin’s endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-f7f56e494df1dbbcdec1853001796c45">1,000th day</a>&nbsp;after he sent troops into Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022.It follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c">U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision</a>&nbsp;to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles.The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap the country’s nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.Asked whether the updated doctrine was deliberately issued on the heels of Biden's decision, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the document was published “in a timely manner” and that Putin instructed the government to update it earlier this year so that it is “in line with the current situation.”Putin first announced changes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-nuclear-doctrine-putin-ukraine-war-51a3a173b81168a811336e0d1fd3538c">nuclear doctrine</a>&nbsp;in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions.Russia's president has previously warned the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.The updated doctrine states that an attack against Russia by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”It adds that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike or a conventional attack posing a “critical threat to sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Russia and its ally Belarus, a vague formulation that leaves broad room for interpretation.It does not specify whether such an attack would necessarily trigger a nuclear response. It mentions the “uncertainty of scale, time and place of possible use of nuclear deterrent” among the key principles of the nuclear deterrence.The document also notes that an aggression against Russia by a member of a military bloc or coalition is viewed as "an aggression by the entire bloc," a clear reference to NATO.At the same time, it spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail compared with previous versions of the doctrine, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and other flying vehicles.The wide formulation appears to significantly broaden the triggers for possible nuclear weapons use compared with the previous version of the document, which stated that Russia could tap its atomic arsenal if case of an attack with ballistic missiles.President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for more than 30 years and has relied on Russian subsidies and support, has allowed Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine and to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons.Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, he and other Russian voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv.Russian hawks have been calling for toughening the doctrine for months, arguing that the previous version failed to deter the West from increasing its aid to Ukraine and created the impression that Moscow would not resort to nuclear weapons.

Putin issues warning to United States with new nuclear doctrine

ALLEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in Allen County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Toyota pickup driven by Melany June&nbsp;Felt, 54, Blue Mound, was southbound on U..S. 169 five miles south of U.S. 54.

The pickup crossed the center, crossed the northbound lane of traffic and struck a northbound 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Christopher Lee&nbsp;Keathley, 53, Parsons, on the right shoulder of the highway.

Felt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Country Side Funeral Home.&nbsp;Keathley was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

ALLEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in Allen County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Toyota pickup driven by Melany June&nbsp;Felt, 54, Blue Mound, was southbound on U..S. 169 five miles south of U.S. 54.The pickup crossed the center, crossed the northbound lane of traffic and struck a northbound 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Christopher Lee&nbsp;Keathley, 53, Parsons, on the right shoulder of the highway.Felt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Country Side Funeral Home.&nbsp;Keathley was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after pickup, semi crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/travel">travel</a>&nbsp;by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95.

Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday.

“My father opened up the world to so many people," she said. "He believed deeply that travel could be an enlightening activity and one that did not require a big budget.”

Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s. When a guidebook he wrote for American soldiers overseas sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g0Sc5BzbE">self-publishing "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"</a>&nbsp;in 1957.

"It struck a chord and became an immediate best-seller," he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the book's debut.

The Frommer’s brand, led today by his daughter Pauline, remains one of the best-known names in the travel industry, with guidebooks to destinations around the world, an influential social media presence, podcasts and a radio show.

Frommer's philosophy — stay in inns and budget hotels instead of five-star hotels, sightsee on your own using public transportation, eat with locals in small cafes instead of fancy restaurants — changed the way Americans traveled in the mid- to late 20th century. He said budget travel was preferable to luxury travel "because it leads to a more authentic experience.” That message encouraged average people, not just the wealthy, to vacation abroad.

It didn’t hurt that his books hit the market as the rise of jet travel made getting to Europe easier than crossing the Atlantic by ship. The books became so popular that there was a time when you couldn’t visit a place like the Eiffel Tower without spotting Frommer’s guidebooks in the hands of every other American tourist.

Frommer’s advice also became so standard that it's hard to remember how radical it seemed in the days before discount flights and backpacks. "It was really pioneering stuff,” Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebook company, said in an interview in 2013. Before Frommer, Wheeler said, you could find guidebooks “that would tell you everything about the church or the temple ruin. But the idea that you wanted to eat somewhere and find a hotel or get from A to B -- well, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Arthur.”

"Arthur did for travel what Consumer Reports did for everything else," said Pat Carrier, former owner of The Globe Corner, a travel bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The final editions of Frommer's groundbreaking series were titled "Europe from $95 a Day." The concept no longer made sense when hotels could not be had for less than $100 a night, so the series was discontinued in 2007. But the Frommer publishing empire did not disappear, despite a series of sales that started when Frommer sold the guidebook company to Simon &amp; Schuster. It was later acquired by Wiley Publishing, which in turn sold it to Google in 2012. Google quietly shut the guidebooks down, but Arthur Frommer — in a David vs. Goliath triumph — got his brand back from Google. In November 2013 with his daughter Pauline, he relaunched the print series with dozens of new guidebook titles.

“I never dreamed at my age I’d be working this hard,” he told the AP at the time, age 84.

Frommer also remained a well-known figure in 21st century travel, opinionated to the end of his career, speaking out on his blog and radio show. He hated mega-cruise ships and railed against travel websites where consumers put up their own reviews, saying they were too easily manipulated with phony postings. And he coined the phrase “Trump Slump” in a widely quoted column that predicted a slump in tourism to the U.S. after Donald Trump was elected president.

Frommer was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up during the Great Depression in Jefferson City, Missouri, the child of a Polish father and Austrian mother. "My father had one job after another, one company after another that went bankrupt," he recalled. The family moved to New York when he was a teenager. He worked as an office boy at Newsweek, went to New York University and was drafted upon graduating from Yale Law School in 1953. Because he spoke French and Russian, he was sent to work in Army intelligence at a U.S. base in Germany, where the Cold War was heating up.

His first glimpse of Europe was from the window of a military transport plane. Whenever he had a weekend leave or a three-day pass, he'd hop a train to Paris or hitch a ride to England on an Air Force flight. Eventually he wrote "The GI's Guide to Traveling in Europe," and a few weeks before his Army stint was up, he had 5,000 copies printed by a typesetter in a German village. They were priced at 50 cents apiece, distributed by the Army newspaper, Stars &amp; Stripes.

Shortly after he returned to New York to practice law at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &amp; Garrison, he received a cable from Europe. "The book was sold out, would I arrange a reprint?" he said.

Soon after he spent his month's vacation from the law firm doing a civilian version of the guide. "In 30 days I went to 15 different cities, getting up at 4 a.m., running up and down the streets, trying to find good cheap hotels and restaurants," he recalled.

The resulting book, the very first “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” was much more than a list. It was written with a wide-eyed wonder that verged on poetry: "Venice is a fantastic dream," Frommer wrote. "Try to arrive at night when the wonders of the city can steal upon you piecemeal and slow. ... Out of the dark, there appear little clusters of candy-striped mooring poles; a gondola approaches with a lighted lantern hung from its prow."

Eventually Frommer gave up law to write the guides full-time. Daughter Pauline joined him with his first wife, Hope Arthur, on their trips starting in 1965, when she was 4 months old. "They used to joke that the book should be called 'Europe on Five Diapers a Day,'" Pauline Frommer said.

In the 1960s, when inflation forced Frommer to change the title of the book to "Europe on 5 and 10 Dollars a Day," he said "it was as if someone had plunged a knife into my head."

Asked to summarize the impact of his books in a 2017 Associated Press interview, he said that in the 1950s, “most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a five-star hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant. … And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense.”

He added: “We were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn’t have to be well-heeled.”

To the end of his life, he said he avoided traveling first class. “I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732014234710.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/travel">travel</a>&nbsp;by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95.Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday.“My father opened up the world to so many people," she said. "He believed deeply that travel could be an enlightening activity and one that did not require a big budget.”Frommer began writing about travel while serving in the U.S. Army in Europe in the 1950s. When a guidebook he wrote for American soldiers overseas sold out, he launched what became one of the travel industry’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52g0Sc5BzbE">self-publishing "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"</a>&nbsp;in 1957."It struck a chord and became an immediate best-seller," he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the book's debut.The Frommer’s brand, led today by his daughter Pauline, remains one of the best-known names in the travel industry, with guidebooks to destinations around the world, an influential social media presence, podcasts and a radio show.Frommer's philosophy — stay in inns and budget hotels instead of five-star hotels, sightsee on your own using public transportation, eat with locals in small cafes instead of fancy restaurants — changed the way Americans traveled in the mid- to late 20th century. He said budget travel was preferable to luxury travel "because it leads to a more authentic experience.” That message encouraged average people, not just the wealthy, to vacation abroad.It didn’t hurt that his books hit the market as the rise of jet travel made getting to Europe easier than crossing the Atlantic by ship. The books became so popular that there was a time when you couldn’t visit a place like the Eiffel Tower without spotting Frommer’s guidebooks in the hands of every other American tourist.Frommer’s advice also became so standard that it's hard to remember how radical it seemed in the days before discount flights and backpacks. "It was really pioneering stuff,” Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebook company, said in an interview in 2013. Before Frommer, Wheeler said, you could find guidebooks “that would tell you everything about the church or the temple ruin. But the idea that you wanted to eat somewhere and find a hotel or get from A to B -- well, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Arthur.”"Arthur did for travel what Consumer Reports did for everything else," said Pat Carrier, former owner of The Globe Corner, a travel bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts.The final editions of Frommer's groundbreaking series were titled "Europe from $95 a Day." The concept no longer made sense when hotels could not be had for less than $100 a night, so the series was discontinued in 2007. But the Frommer publishing empire did not disappear, despite a series of sales that started when Frommer sold the guidebook company to Simon &amp; Schuster. It was later acquired by Wiley Publishing, which in turn sold it to Google in 2012. Google quietly shut the guidebooks down, but Arthur Frommer — in a David vs. Goliath triumph — got his brand back from Google. In November 2013 with his daughter Pauline, he relaunched the print series with dozens of new guidebook titles.“I never dreamed at my age I’d be working this hard,” he told the AP at the time, age 84.Frommer also remained a well-known figure in 21st century travel, opinionated to the end of his career, speaking out on his blog and radio show. He hated mega-cruise ships and railed against travel websites where consumers put up their own reviews, saying they were too easily manipulated with phony postings. And he coined the phrase “Trump Slump” in a widely quoted column that predicted a slump in tourism to the U.S. after Donald Trump was elected president.Frommer was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and grew up during the Great Depression in Jefferson City, Missouri, the child of a Polish father and Austrian mother. "My father had one job after another, one company after another that went bankrupt," he recalled. The family moved to New York when he was a teenager. He worked as an office boy at Newsweek, went to New York University and was drafted upon graduating from Yale Law School in 1953. Because he spoke French and Russian, he was sent to work in Army intelligence at a U.S. base in Germany, where the Cold War was heating up.His first glimpse of Europe was from the window of a military transport plane. Whenever he had a weekend leave or a three-day pass, he'd hop a train to Paris or hitch a ride to England on an Air Force flight. Eventually he wrote "The GI's Guide to Traveling in Europe," and a few weeks before his Army stint was up, he had 5,000 copies printed by a typesetter in a German village. They were priced at 50 cents apiece, distributed by the Army newspaper, Stars &amp; Stripes.Shortly after he returned to New York to practice law at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &amp; Garrison, he received a cable from Europe. "The book was sold out, would I arrange a reprint?" he said.Soon after he spent his month's vacation from the law firm doing a civilian version of the guide. "In 30 days I went to 15 different cities, getting up at 4 a.m., running up and down the streets, trying to find good cheap hotels and restaurants," he recalled.The resulting book, the very first “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” was much more than a list. It was written with a wide-eyed wonder that verged on poetry: "Venice is a fantastic dream," Frommer wrote. "Try to arrive at night when the wonders of the city can steal upon you piecemeal and slow. ... Out of the dark, there appear little clusters of candy-striped mooring poles; a gondola approaches with a lighted lantern hung from its prow."Eventually Frommer gave up law to write the guides full-time. Daughter Pauline joined him with his first wife, Hope Arthur, on their trips starting in 1965, when she was 4 months old. "They used to joke that the book should be called 'Europe on Five Diapers a Day,'" Pauline Frommer said.In the 1960s, when inflation forced Frommer to change the title of the book to "Europe on 5 and 10 Dollars a Day," he said "it was as if someone had plunged a knife into my head."Asked to summarize the impact of his books in a 2017 Associated Press interview, he said that in the 1950s, “most Americans had been taught that foreign travel was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially travel to Europe. They were taught that they were going to a war-torn country where it was risky to stay in any hotel other than a five-star hotel. It was risky to go into anything but a top-notch restaurant. … And I knew that all these warnings were a lot of nonsense.”He added: “We were pioneers in also suggesting that a different type of American should travel, that you didn’t have to be well-heeled.”To the end of his life, he said he avoided traveling first class. “I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters,” he said.As Frommer aged, his daughter Pauline gradually became the force behind the company, promoting the brand, managing the business and even writing some of the content based on her own travels. Her relationship with her father was both tender and respectful, and she summed it up this way in a 2012 email to AP: “It’s wonderful to have a working partner whose mind is a steel trap, and who doesn't just have smarts, but wisdom. His opinions, whether or not you agree with them, come from his social values. He's a man who puts ethics at the center of his life, and weaves them into everything he does.”In addition to Pauline, Frommer’s survivors include his second wife, Roberta Brodfeld, and four grandchildren.