SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a theft at a department store in Topeka.

Just before 10:30a.m. Friday, police responded to the report of a theft at TJ Maxx, 2170 SW Wanamaker Road in Topeka, according to a media release from Topeka Police.

A woman reported her purse had been stolen from a shopping cart in the business.

A suspect grabbed the purse and ran from TJ Maxx into the nearby Target store where he was restrained by three citizens, prior to police arrival. The victim’s purse and contents were recovered. There were no reported injuries.

As a result of the on-scene investigation, Rakeem S. Grant, 26, Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary, Battery; simple, Theft; Purse Snatching; Unknown Value, Theft; &lt; $1,500 Shoplifting

The Topeka Police Department reminded shoppers this holiday season to stay aware and stay safe with these shopping safety tips:

Carry your purse in front of you, not behind. If it’s in a cart, place it nearest to you, keep it zipped or buttoned, and secure it to the cart using a carabiner or the built-in buckle strap.

Whenever possible, choose one method of payment—cash or card. ATMs can put you in a vulnerable spot, and skimmers remain a risk.

Visible bags and boxes in your vehicle can attract thieves. Place items in the trunk or out of sight under a blanket or sheet to reduce temptation for criminals.

4. Have your keys ready before walking to your car.

Locate and hold your keys while still inside the store or mall. Avoid looking down and fumbling through your purse in the parking lot—it makes you an easier target for crime.

5. Lock your doors immediately once inside your vehicle. This simple step can prevent someone from attempting to enter your car unexpectedly.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765034245333.png" alt="Grant photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Grant photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a theft at a department store in Topeka.Just before 10:30a.m. Friday, police responded to the report of a theft at TJ Maxx, 2170 SW Wanamaker Road in Topeka, according to a media release from Topeka Police.A woman reported her purse had been stolen from a shopping cart in the business.A suspect grabbed the purse and ran from TJ Maxx into the nearby Target store where he was restrained by three citizens, prior to police arrival. The victim’s purse and contents were recovered. There were no reported injuries.As a result of the on-scene investigation, Rakeem S. Grant, 26, Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary, Battery; simple, Theft; Purse Snatching; Unknown Value, Theft; &lt; $1,500 ShopliftingThe Topeka Police Department reminded shoppers this holiday season to stay aware and stay safe with these shopping safety tips:1. Keep your purse or wallet close.Carry your purse in front of you, not behind. If it’s in a cart, place it nearest to you, keep it zipped or buttoned, and secure it to the cart using a carabiner or the built-in buckle strap.2. Avoid using ATMs.Whenever possible, choose one method of payment—cash or card. ATMs can put you in a vulnerable spot, and skimmers remain a risk.3. Store purchases in the trunk.Visible bags and boxes in your vehicle can attract thieves. Place items in the trunk or out of sight under a blanket or sheet to reduce temptation for criminals.4. Have your keys ready before walking to your car.Locate and hold your keys while still inside the store or mall. Avoid looking down and fumbling through your purse in the parking lot—it makes you an easier target for crime.5. Lock your doors immediately once inside your vehicle. This simple step can prevent someone from attempting to enter your car unexpectedly.

3 citizens hold Kansas purse theft suspect until police arrive

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Saturday presented the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-honorees-6c553c800ba334ad1ea47858b3dc271c">2025 Kennedy Center honorees</a>&nbsp;with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.

This year's recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.

Trump said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture” and that, “I know most of them and I've been a fan of all of them.”

“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” said a tuxedo-clad Trump. "This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.”

Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-board-chairman-firings-21cd0018c6e9f591d59becea8573d8c0">ousting its board of trustees</a>&nbsp;and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman of the board.

Trump also has criticized the center's programming and its physical appearance, and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-board-meeting-remaking-arts-cab60e0d09dfa84c1eef44449624f541">vowed to overhaul both.</a>

The president placed around each honoree's neck a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweler Tiffany &amp; Co., according to the Kennedy Center and Trump.

It's a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center's image and rainbow colors. The honoree's name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honoree's shoulders and chest and had been used since the first honors program in 1978.

Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was first to receive his medal. When the country singer started to take off the hat, Trump said, “If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through.” But Strait took it off.

The president said Crawford was a “great star of Broadway” for his lead role in the long-running “Phantom of the Opera.” Of Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen, and she was indeed, and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.”

Trump was effusive about his friend Stallone, calling him a “wonderful” and “spectacular” person and “one of the true, great movie stars” and "one of the great legends."

Kiss is an “incredible rock band," he said.

Songs by honorees Gaynor and Kiss played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office as members of the White House press corps waited nearby for Trump to begin the ceremony.

The president president said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honorees traditionally had been announced by press release.

It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee.

“These are among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The greatest that we’ve seen,” Trump said. “We can hardly imagine the country music phenomena without its king of country, or American disco without its first lady, or Broadway without its phantom — and that was a phantom, let me tell you — or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world, and that’s what they are, or Hollywood without one of its greatest visionaries."

“Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life and together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for the performing arts,” Trump said.

Trump also attended an annual State Department dinner for the honorees on Saturday. In years past, the honorees received their medallions there but Trump moved the ceremony to the White House.

Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute speeches and performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts center for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump.

The president said in August that he had agreed to host the show, and he seemed to confirm on Saturday that he would do so, predicting that the broadcast would garner its highest ratings ever as a result. Presidents traditionally attend the program and sit with the honorees in the audience. None has ever served as host.

He said he looked forward to Sunday's celebration.

“It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done and they’ve gotten some pretty good ratings, but there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” Trump said.

The president also swiped at late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose program was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">briefly suspended earlier this year by ABC</a>&nbsp;following criticism of his comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.

Kimmel and Trump are sharp critics of each other, with the president regularly deriding Kimmel's talent as a host. Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Academy Award multiple times.

Trump said he should be able to outdo Kimmel.

“I've watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” Trump said. “If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don't think I should be president.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765069760164.png" alt="President Trump and George Straight in the Oval Office Saturday evening- photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and George Straight in the Oval Office Saturday evening- photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on Saturday presented the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-honorees-6c553c800ba334ad1ea47858b3dc271c">2025 Kennedy Center honorees</a>&nbsp;with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.This year's recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> presents medallions to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients: George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, Sylvester Stallone, and Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley (accepted by his daughter). <a href="https://t.co/T7Z8A1R36M">pic.twitter.com/T7Z8A1R36M</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997436237498425617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump presents medallions to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/06IRlZUvpV">pic.twitter.com/06IRlZUvpV</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1997467525362413634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Participates in a Kennedy Center Honors Medal Presentation <a href="https://t.co/SCBYwwxfkT">https://t.co/SCBYwwxfkT</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1997432684008575047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture” and that, “I know most of them and I've been a fan of all of them.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present the official portrait of the 48th class of Kennedy Center Honorees <a href="https://t.co/DD2Q55nAWU">pic.twitter.com/DD2Q55nAWU</a>&mdash; The Kennedy Center (@kencen) <a href="https://twitter.com/kencen/status/1997539862891708852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” said a tuxedo-clad Trump. "This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.”<h2>Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center</h2>Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-board-chairman-firings-21cd0018c6e9f591d59becea8573d8c0">ousting its board of trustees</a>&nbsp;and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman of the board.Trump also has criticized the center's programming and its physical appearance, and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-board-meeting-remaking-arts-cab60e0d09dfa84c1eef44449624f541">vowed to overhaul both.</a>The president placed around each honoree's neck a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweler Tiffany &amp; Co., according to the Kennedy Center and Trump.It's a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center's image and rainbow colors. The honoree's name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honoree's shoulders and chest and had been used since the first honors program in 1978.<h2>Trump honors the honorees</h2>Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was first to receive his medal. When the country singer started to take off the hat, Trump said, “If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through.” But Strait took it off.The president said Crawford was a “great star of Broadway” for his lead role in the long-running “Phantom of the Opera.” Of Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen, and she was indeed, and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.”Trump was effusive about his friend Stallone, calling him a “wonderful” and “spectacular” person and “one of the true, great movie stars” and "one of the great legends."Kiss is an “incredible rock band," he said.Songs by honorees Gaynor and Kiss played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office as members of the White House press corps waited nearby for Trump to begin the ceremony.The president president said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honorees traditionally had been announced by press release.It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee.“These are among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The greatest that we’ve seen,” Trump said. “We can hardly imagine the country music phenomena without its king of country, or American disco without its first lady, or Broadway without its phantom — and that was a phantom, let me tell you — or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world, and that’s what they are, or Hollywood without one of its greatest visionaries."“Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life and together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for the performing arts,” Trump said.Trump also attended an annual State Department dinner for the honorees on Saturday. In years past, the honorees received their medallions there but Trump moved the ceremony to the White House.<h2>Trump to host the Kennedy Center Honors</h2>Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute speeches and performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts center for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump.The president said in August that he had agreed to host the show, and he seemed to confirm on Saturday that he would do so, predicting that the broadcast would garner its highest ratings ever as a result. Presidents traditionally attend the program and sit with the honorees in the audience. None has ever served as host.He said he looked forward to Sunday's celebration.“It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done and they’ve gotten some pretty good ratings, but there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” Trump said.The president also swiped at late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose program was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-kimmel-show-suspended-charlie-kirk-ae43c600bd0f2a4c7d3c12077e91b211">briefly suspended earlier this year by ABC</a>&nbsp;following criticism of his comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.Kimmel and Trump are sharp critics of each other, with the president regularly deriding Kimmel's talent as a host. Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Academy Award multiple times.Trump said he should be able to outdo Kimmel.“I've watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” Trump said. “If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don't think I should be president.”

🎥Trump awards medals to country music legend, other Kennedy Center honorees 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A driver accused in a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in February finally made her first court appearance on Thursday.

Madelyn Walter, 24, Derby,&nbsp; was charged with with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Just after 5 p.m. February 6, deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;

The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as&nbsp; Manolopoulos &nbsp;Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.

Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro, later identified as Walter, fled the scene following the collision.

Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department Walter was found at a nearby Derby residence.

She was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.

Walter met the requirement for bond and was released from custody Feb. 7, according to online jail records.&nbsp; &nbsp;She is scheduled to return to court Dec. 15, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943687419.png" alt="Walter photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Walter photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A driver accused in a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in February finally made her first court appearance on Thursday.Madelyn Walter, 24, Derby,&nbsp; was charged with with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.Just after 5 p.m. February 6, deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as&nbsp; Manolopoulos &nbsp;Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro, later identified as Walter, fled the scene following the collision.Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department Walter was found at a nearby Derby residence.She was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.Walter met the requirement for bond and was released from custody Feb. 7, according to online jail records.&nbsp; &nbsp;She is scheduled to return to court Dec. 15, according to the district attorney's office.

5-year-old was in SUV during hit-and-run that killed Kan. man

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations.

Just after 3a.m. Nov. 29,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy with conducted a traffic stop on a blue 2008 Ford Taurus near SW Huntoon Street and SW Lincoln Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

 During the investigation, illegal narcotics, including methamphetamine, were located. Roger K. Kelley, 63, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Dept. of Corrections on requested charges, Criminal possession of a weapon by felon and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764775968393.png" alt="Kelley photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kelley photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations.Just after 3a.m. Nov. 29,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy with conducted a traffic stop on a blue 2008 Ford Taurus near SW Huntoon Street and SW Lincoln Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, illegal narcotics, including methamphetamine, were located. Roger K. Kelley, 63, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Dept. of Corrections on requested charges, Criminal possession of a weapon by felon and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body.

Kansas felon is back in jail on drug allegations

Company owner says the seized products were a small portion of the total inventory, and employees were allowed to continue production while feds were there

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Federal agents this week seized 73,000 products containing 7-hydroxymitragine, commonly known as 7-OH, from three Kansas City-area warehouses.

The seized products included things like power bars, pills and liquids shots that are made with a concentrate of 7-OH, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/16/fda-warns-kansas-city-manufacturer-of-illegal-marketing-pain-relieving-pills/">the main opioid-inducing element in kratom</a>.&nbsp;

The action came out of a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Justice Department, according to the DOJ’s<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/justice-department-seizes-unlawful-7-oh-products-three-warehouses" target="_blank">&nbsp;press release issued Tuesday</a>.

“While 7-OH occurs naturally in trace amounts in the plant kratom, products containing 7-OH as an added ingredient can be dangerous,” states a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26338216-shaman-complaint/" target="_blank">civil forfeiture complaint filed on Nov. 21</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. “In the human body, 7-OH is able to bind to opioid receptors, raising concerns about its potential for abuse.”

7-OH products are advertised as improving chronic pain and “mental clarity,” and they are sold in Missouri smoke shops, gas stations, convenience stores and online shops.&nbsp;

The FDA sent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/16/fda-warns-kansas-city-manufacturer-of-illegal-marketing-pain-relieving-pills/">warning letters</a>&nbsp;in June to the facility owners, Shaman Botanicals LLC and Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, stating the 7-OH products were considered “adulterated” and their labels were illegal under federal food laws.

On Nov. 12 and 13, FDA officials did an unannounced inspection of the three facilities, where they tagged and detained 76,000 units. Vince Sanders, who owns Shaman Botanicals LLC, said the company had the opportunity to appeal the FDA’s action, which they did. Shaman was the first company to make 7-OH products, Sanders said.

The DOJ filed a complaint to seize the detained products on Nov. 21, and officials from the FDA and U.S. Marshal Service seized the tagged boxes on Tuesday.

“The 7-OH products seized are illegal under federal law and pose risks to consumers, including children,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “We are committed to helping American consumers protect themselves from dangerous chemicals posing as health products.”

Price said the department will continue to work with the FDA “to ensure illegal products never enter the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws.”

However, Sanders told The Independent Thursday the seized units were only a small portion of the 7-OH products that were at the warehouse during the FDA’s November inspection. And his employees were allowed to continue making products while the federal agents were tagging and later seizing products in the warehouse.&nbsp;

“This is the craziest part,” Sanders said. “We literally sat there continuing to make the same products that they were taking.”

Sanders said the agents explained that they were targeting the finished packages, but there were many more finished products in the warehouse than the ones that were detained and ultimately seized.&nbsp;

In the FDA’s June warning letter, the agency deemed that 7-OH is a “new dietary ingredient.” The letter states that a dietary supplement is adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act if it contains a new dietary ingredient that doesn’t have enough evidence to show it isn’t dangerous.

“Because there is inadequate information available to provide a reasonable assurance that 7-OH does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury, it is illegal to sell dietary supplement products containing it as an ingredient,” the release states.&nbsp;

Sanders told The Independent in July that his company conducted three research studies on the products, including using rodents and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25999061-dfr-mgn-25-001-27jun25-crrdoc/" target="_blank">beagles</a>, which he believes shows the products are safe.

“This is just destroying something that has the potential to save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives long term,” Sanders said.

He said there will likely be a hearing on the recent action in the next few weeks.

On the same day the DOJ’s complaint was filed on Nov. 21,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/21/missouri-ag-launches-investigation-into-manufacturers-of-kratom-7-oh/">Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway</a>&nbsp;sent “civil investigative demand” letters to Sanders’ company and six other producers and distributors of 7-OH products.

The letters mandate the company hand over multiple types of documents, including lab test results, research on health risks and safety label information.

Consumers, Hanaway said in a press release, “may be exposed to unapproved, unsafe and deceptively marketed opioid-like drugs.”

According to the letters sent to each company, the attorney general’s investigation targets the distribution of products containing 7-OH or “any part of the plant Mitragyna speciosa,” which is the kratom plant.

“We are deeply concerned,” Hanaway said, “that Missourians are being sold drug-like substances under the guise of harmless supplements, with no FDA approval, no safety testing, and in some cases no meaningful disclosure of what these products actually contain.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764944590295.jpeg" alt="Federal agents seized thousands of 7-OH products from Kansas-city area warehouses on Dec. 2, including these 7-OH tablets that have opioid effects (photo courtesy of the FDA)." />
 <figcaption>Federal agents seized thousands of 7-OH products from Kansas-city area warehouses on Dec. 2, including these 7-OH tablets that have opioid effects (photo courtesy of the FDA).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Company owner says the seized products were a small portion of the total inventory, and employees were allowed to continue production while feds were there</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Federal agents this week seized 73,000 products containing 7-hydroxymitragine, commonly known as 7-OH, from three Kansas City-area warehouses.The seized products included things like power bars, pills and liquids shots that are made with a concentrate of 7-OH, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/16/fda-warns-kansas-city-manufacturer-of-illegal-marketing-pain-relieving-pills/">the main opioid-inducing element in kratom</a>.&nbsp;The action came out of a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Justice Department, according to the DOJ’s<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/justice-department-seizes-unlawful-7-oh-products-three-warehouses" target="_blank">&nbsp;press release issued Tuesday</a>.“While 7-OH occurs naturally in trace amounts in the plant kratom, products containing 7-OH as an added ingredient can be dangerous,” states a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26338216-shaman-complaint/" target="_blank">civil forfeiture complaint filed on Nov. 21</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. “In the human body, 7-OH is able to bind to opioid receptors, raising concerns about its potential for abuse.”7-OH products are advertised as improving chronic pain and “mental clarity,” and they are sold in Missouri smoke shops, gas stations, convenience stores and online shops.&nbsp;The FDA sent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/16/fda-warns-kansas-city-manufacturer-of-illegal-marketing-pain-relieving-pills/">warning letters</a>&nbsp;in June to the facility owners, Shaman Botanicals LLC and Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, stating the 7-OH products were considered “adulterated” and their labels were illegal under federal food laws.On Nov. 12 and 13, FDA officials did an unannounced inspection of the three facilities, where they tagged and detained 76,000 units. Vince Sanders, who owns Shaman Botanicals LLC, said the company had the opportunity to appeal the FDA’s action, which they did. Shaman was the first company to make 7-OH products, Sanders said.The DOJ filed a complaint to seize the detained products on Nov. 21, and officials from the FDA and U.S. Marshal Service seized the tagged boxes on Tuesday.“The 7-OH products seized are illegal under federal law and pose risks to consumers, including children,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “We are committed to helping American consumers protect themselves from dangerous chemicals posing as health products.”Price said the department will continue to work with the FDA “to ensure illegal products never enter the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws.”However, Sanders told The Independent Thursday the seized units were only a small portion of the 7-OH products that were at the warehouse during the FDA’s November inspection. And his employees were allowed to continue making products while the federal agents were tagging and later seizing products in the warehouse.&nbsp;“This is the craziest part,” Sanders said. “We literally sat there continuing to make the same products that they were taking.”Sanders said the agents explained that they were targeting the finished packages, but there were many more finished products in the warehouse than the ones that were detained and ultimately seized.&nbsp;In the FDA’s June warning letter, the agency deemed that 7-OH is a “new dietary ingredient.” The letter states that a dietary supplement is adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act if it contains a new dietary ingredient that doesn’t have enough evidence to show it isn’t dangerous.“Because there is inadequate information available to provide a reasonable assurance that 7-OH does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury, it is illegal to sell dietary supplement products containing it as an ingredient,” the release states.&nbsp;Sanders told The Independent in July that his company conducted three research studies on the products, including using rodents and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25999061-dfr-mgn-25-001-27jun25-crrdoc/" target="_blank">beagles</a>, which he believes shows the products are safe.“This is just destroying something that has the potential to save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives long term,” Sanders said.He said there will likely be a hearing on the recent action in the next few weeks.On the same day the DOJ’s complaint was filed on Nov. 21,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/21/missouri-ag-launches-investigation-into-manufacturers-of-kratom-7-oh/">Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway</a>&nbsp;sent “civil investigative demand” letters to Sanders’ company and six other producers and distributors of 7-OH products.The letters mandate the company hand over multiple types of documents, including lab test results, research on health risks and safety label information.Consumers, Hanaway said in a press release, “may be exposed to unapproved, unsafe and deceptively marketed opioid-like drugs.”According to the letters sent to each company, the attorney general’s investigation targets the distribution of products containing 7-OH or “any part of the plant Mitragyna speciosa,” which is the kratom plant.“We are deeply concerned,” Hanaway said, “that Missourians are being sold drug-like substances under the guise of harmless supplements, with no FDA approval, no safety testing, and in some cases no meaningful disclosure of what these products actually contain.”

Feds seize thousands of 7-OH products from Kansas City warehouses

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Annett, a former racecar driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39.

JR Motorsports, one of Annett's former teams, posted the news on social media on Friday. No cause of death was announced.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the Xfinity Series, 158 of which came with JRM.

In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and then took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett," the racing body said in a statement. "Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765051158844.jpeg" alt="FILE - NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Michael Annett before the Alsco Uniforms 300 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2021 in Charlotte, NC. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Michael Annett before the Alsco Uniforms 300 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2021 in Charlotte, NC. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Annett, a former racecar driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett. Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today. <a href="https://t.co/oZdMymjBz6">https://t.co/oZdMymjBz6</a> <a href="https://t.co/PUsCZHkXEg">pic.twitter.com/PUsCZHkXEg</a>&mdash; JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JRMotorsports/status/1997099119676985354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>JR Motorsports, one of Annett's former teams, posted the news on social media on Friday. No cause of death was announced.“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the Xfinity Series, 158 of which came with JRM.In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level.Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and then took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett," the racing body said in a statement. "Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

Former NASCAR star Michael Annett dead at 39

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the children of wealthy households leave the nest, they often benefit from their parents’ largesse in the form of a trust fund. Less affluent peers may receive nothing at all — or even be expected to support their families when they become adults.

But what if all children, regardless of their family’s circumstances, could get a financial boost when they turn 18?

That’s the idea behind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-bonds-trump-child-poverty-8503180dc5c57a2f20dd59d7ece01d6a">“Trump Accounts,”</a>&nbsp;a lesser-known provision of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">tax legislation</a>. The bill, signed into law earlier this year, gives $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open an account. That money is invested in the stock market by private firms, and the child can access the funds when they turn 18. The parents of older children can also open accounts, but they won’t get the $1,000 bonus.

Backers say it’s a way to bolster capitalism and help children from low-income households build wealth at a time when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/socialism-socialist-capitalism-big-business-free-enterprise-poll-c052ca687269a2cc075423877b7904e6">openly socialist candidates</a>&nbsp;are growing more popular.

The new program gives the $1,000 bonus only to babies born during the calendar years of the Trump administration. Thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-dell-susan-trump-accounts-stock-market-poverty-inequality-7e2615d50a3fc0563109ed0eeb4c41e1">a historic donation</a>&nbsp;announced Tuesday by billionaires Michael and Susan Dell, some children 10 and under could receive $250 in seed money if their parents open an account. That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won’t get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury.

Here’s what you need to know about Trump Accounts and how to claim them.

It’s new savings tool where money is invested in the stock market on behalf of a child. The child can’t access the money until they turn 18 and can only use it for specific purposes, such as paying tuition, starting a business or making a down payment on a home.

After a parent opens an account, the U.S. Treasury will contribute $1,000 for newborns. Private banks and brokerages will manage the money, which must be invested in U.S. equity index funds that track the stock market and charge the accounts no more than 0.10% in annual fees.

Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, much like they do for retirement accounts. Parents’ employers, relatives, friends, local governments and philanthropic groups can also pitch in. Yearly contributions are capped at $5,000, but contributions from governments and charities don’t count toward that total.

To qualify for the $1,000 seed money, a baby must be a U.S. citizen, have a Social Security number and be born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028. Any parent can open an account for a qualifying child, regardless of the parent’s immigration status.

It’s important to note that the child won’t be able to access the money until they turn 18, except in rare circumstances, so it can’t help with immediate expenses. And disbursements from the accounts will be subject to taxes.

Children born before 2025 won’t qualify for the $1,000 incentive, but parents can still open accounts for them as long as they’re under 18. Parents can still invest up to $2,500 pretax for those kids, and they may benefit from the Dells’ donation, giving $250 to children 10 and under in certain ZIP codes.

How do I open a Trump Account for my kids?

The accounts won’t be open for contributions until July 2026. But parents of eligible kids can sign up now by filling out Form 4547 from the Internal Revenue Service. As of Tuesday afternoon, that form was not yet available on&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpaccounts.gov/" target="_blank">the Trump Accounts website</a>.

In May, parents who sign up will get information about how to finish opening the accounts. Beginning in July, the White House says it will have a website where parents can register for the accounts.

Backers of the accounts say they want to introduce more people to the stock market and give even children born into poverty a chance to benefit from it. They believe that giving every newborn $1,000 will help combat the rising popularity of socialism and offer more people the opportunity to build wealth. About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/data-research/statistics-data-visualizations/us-households-participation-capital-markets" target="_blank">58% of U.S. households</a>&nbsp;held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBST01122" target="_blank">wealthiest 1%</a>&nbsp;owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year.

Before Trump created the accounts, California, Connecticut and the District of Columbia were piloting “baby bonds” programs that are similar to Trump Accounts in some ways. Several other states, including Maryland, are weighing programs.

But those programs are targeted for youth growing up in poverty or foster care, plus children who lost a parent to COVID-19. Wealthier children don’t benefit.

They’re also managed by the state, not private investment firms.

Critics point out the accounts do little to help children in their early years, when they’re most vulnerable and most likely to be in poverty. They also say the accounts do little to offset the cuts the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have made to other programs that benefit young people and their families, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">food assistance</a>&nbsp;and Medicaid. Republicans created the accounts in the same Trump tax bill that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">reduced spending</a>&nbsp;for some of those programs.

And even with the contribution from the government, critics say the Trump Accounts will widen the wealth gap. Affluent families that can afford to make the maximum pretax contribution to the accounts will realize the greatest benefits. Poor families who can’t afford to set aside money for the accounts will benefit the least. Assuming a 7% return, the $1,000 in seed money would grow to roughly $3,570 over 18 years.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764708295774.png" alt="Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion on Tuesday-image from White House Press conference&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion on Tuesday-image from White House Press conference&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — When the children of wealthy households leave the nest, they often benefit from their parents’ largesse in the form of a trust fund. Less affluent peers may receive nothing at all — or even be expected to support their families when they become adults.But what if all children, regardless of their family’s circumstances, could get a financial boost when they turn 18?That’s the idea behind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-bonds-trump-child-poverty-8503180dc5c57a2f20dd59d7ece01d6a">“Trump Accounts,”</a>&nbsp;a lesser-known provision of President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">tax legislation</a>. The bill, signed into law earlier this year, gives $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open an account. That money is invested in the stock market by private firms, and the child can access the funds when they turn 18. The parents of older children can also open accounts, but they won’t get the $1,000 bonus.Backers say it’s a way to bolster capitalism and help children from low-income households build wealth at a time when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/socialism-socialist-capitalism-big-business-free-enterprise-poll-c052ca687269a2cc075423877b7904e6">openly socialist candidates</a>&nbsp;are growing more popular.The new program gives the $1,000 bonus only to babies born during the calendar years of the Trump administration. Thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-dell-susan-trump-accounts-stock-market-poverty-inequality-7e2615d50a3fc0563109ed0eeb4c41e1">a historic donation</a>&nbsp;announced Tuesday by billionaires Michael and Susan Dell, some children 10 and under could receive $250 in seed money if their parents open an account. That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won’t get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury.Here’s what you need to know about Trump Accounts and how to claim them.<h2>What is a Trump Account?</h2>It’s new savings tool where money is invested in the stock market on behalf of a child. The child can’t access the money until they turn 18 and can only use it for specific purposes, such as paying tuition, starting a business or making a down payment on a home.After a parent opens an account, the U.S. Treasury will contribute $1,000 for newborns. Private banks and brokerages will manage the money, which must be invested in U.S. equity index funds that track the stock market and charge the accounts no more than 0.10% in annual fees.Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, much like they do for retirement accounts. Parents’ employers, relatives, friends, local governments and philanthropic groups can also pitch in. Yearly contributions are capped at $5,000, but contributions from governments and charities don’t count toward that total.<h2>Who gets $1,000?</h2>To qualify for the $1,000 seed money, a baby must be a U.S. citizen, have a Social Security number and be born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028. Any parent can open an account for a qualifying child, regardless of the parent’s immigration status.It’s important to note that the child won’t be able to access the money until they turn 18, except in rare circumstances, so it can’t help with immediate expenses. And disbursements from the accounts will be subject to taxes.<h2>What about older children?</h2>Children born before 2025 won’t qualify for the $1,000 incentive, but parents can still open accounts for them as long as they’re under 18. Parents can still invest up to $2,500 pretax for those kids, and they may benefit from the Dells’ donation, giving $250 to children 10 and under in certain ZIP codes.<h2>How do I open a Trump Account for my kids?</h2>The accounts won’t be open for contributions until July 2026. But parents of eligible kids can sign up now by filling out Form 4547 from the Internal Revenue Service. As of Tuesday afternoon, that form was not yet available on&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpaccounts.gov/" target="_blank">the Trump Accounts website</a>.In May, parents who sign up will get information about how to finish opening the accounts. Beginning in July, the White House says it will have a website where parents can register for the accounts.<h2>What’s the idea behind the accounts?</h2>Backers of the accounts say they want to introduce more people to the stock market and give even children born into poverty a chance to benefit from it. They believe that giving every newborn $1,000 will help combat the rising popularity of socialism and offer more people the opportunity to build wealth. About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/data-research/statistics-data-visualizations/us-households-participation-capital-markets" target="_blank">58% of U.S. households</a>&nbsp;held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WFRBST01122" target="_blank">wealthiest 1%</a>&nbsp;owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year.Before Trump created the accounts, California, Connecticut and the District of Columbia were piloting “baby bonds” programs that are similar to Trump Accounts in some ways. Several other states, including Maryland, are weighing programs.But those programs are targeted for youth growing up in poverty or foster care, plus children who lost a parent to COVID-19. Wealthier children don’t benefit.They’re also managed by the state, not private investment firms.<h2>What do critics say?</h2>Critics point out the accounts do little to help children in their early years, when they’re most vulnerable and most likely to be in poverty. They also say the accounts do little to offset the cuts the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have made to other programs that benefit young people and their families, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">food assistance</a>&nbsp;and Medicaid. Republicans created the accounts in the same Trump tax bill that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-snap-baby-bond-25c03837e9b2a0a4d6f60384ec5d0677">reduced spending</a>&nbsp;for some of those programs.And even with the contribution from the government, critics say the Trump Accounts will widen the wealth gap. Affluent families that can afford to make the maximum pretax contribution to the accounts will realize the greatest benefits. Poor families who can’t afford to set aside money for the accounts will benefit the least. Assuming a 7% return, the $1,000 in seed money would grow to roughly $3,570 over 18 years.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/" target="_blank">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/" target="_blank">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

With new 'Trump Accounts,' your baby could qualify for $1,000. Here's what to know

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A wanted fugitive is in custody after an arrest in Shawnee County.

On December 2, sheriff deputies were investigating the occupants of a vehicle at the KWIK Shop near Morse and Topeka, according to Deputy Abigal Christian. Deputies identified a possible wanted subject. The driver was immediately detained, and the passenger ran.

With assistance from patrol deputies, a K-9 Unit, a drone and the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), deputies conducted a search of the neighborhood west of the KWIK Shop and successfully apprehended the fleeing suspect.

Danny J. Belisle Jr., 50, of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department&nbsp; of Corrections on requested charges of Felony interference with law enforcement. Belisle also had two felony warrants for his arrest

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764775528180.png" alt="Belisle photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Belisle photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A wanted fugitive is in custody after an arrest in Shawnee County.On December 2, sheriff deputies were investigating the occupants of a vehicle at the KWIK Shop near Morse and Topeka, according to Deputy Abigal Christian. Deputies identified a possible wanted subject. The driver was immediately detained, and the passenger ran.With assistance from patrol deputies, a K-9 Unit, a drone and the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), deputies conducted a search of the neighborhood west of the KWIK Shop and successfully apprehended the fleeing suspect.Danny J. Belisle Jr., 50, of Topeka, was arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department&nbsp; of Corrections on requested charges of Felony interference with law enforcement. Belisle also had two felony warrants for his arrest

Drone and sheriff's K9 helped catch wanted Kansas suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-messaging-app-attack-plans-f8581bcb447b91d2e7f9cb7809ae0f06">The Pentagon’s watchdog</a>&nbsp;found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">used the Signal messaging app</a>&nbsp;to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Yemen's Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.

<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Dec/04/2003834916/-1/-1/1/DODIG_2026_021.PDF">Click here to read the full 84-page report</a>

Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. That person also said the report concluded that Hegseth violated Pentagon policy by using his personal device for official business and it recommended better training for all Pentagon officials.

Hegseth declined to sit for an interview with the Pentagon's inspector general but provided a written statement, that person said. The defense secretary asserted that he was permitted to declassify information as he saw fit and only communicated details he thought would not endanger the mission.

The initial findings, which were first reported by CNN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">ramp up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on the former Fox News Channel host after lawmakers called for the independent inquiry into his use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signal-app-atlantic-war-plans-32699da142c5209b845e57f690df4925">commercially available app</a>.

Lawmakers also just opened investigations into a news report that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">a follow-up strike</a>&nbsp;on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea in September killed survivors after Hegseth issued a verbal order to “kill everybody."

Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-venezuela-540ae279827e02105e089f1bd5af37a6">defended the strike as emerging in the “fog of war</a>,” saying he didn’t see any survivors but also “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the mission and that the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second strike. He also did not admit fault following the Signal revelations, asserting that the information was unclassified.

“The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said in a statement. “This matter is resolved, and the case is closed.”

President Donald Trump “stands by” Hegseth, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, adding that the probe affirms that “no classified information was leaked, and operational security was not compromised.”

Journalist was added to a chat where sensitive plans were shared

In at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.

Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic</a>, was inadvertently added to a Signal text chain by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-rubio-national-security-hegseth-d787db43d45922668ad0c1c62e608f85">then-national security adviser Mike Waltz</a>. It included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss March 15 military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.

Hegseth had created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-houthis-attack-8dbf9dd6c711796438a5c1c84831c40b">another Signal chat</a>&nbsp;with 13 people that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of the same strike, The Associated Press reported.

Signal is encrypted but is not authorized for carrying classified information and is not part of the Pentagon’s secure communications network.

Hegseth previously has said none of the information shared in the chats was classified. Multiple current and former military officials have told the AP there was no way details with that specificity, especially before a strike took place, would have been OK to share on an unsecured device.

The review was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol. A partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week.

Hegseth said he viewed the investigation as a partisan exercise and did not trust the inspector general, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings. The review had to rely on screenshots of the Signal chat published by the Atlantic because Hegseth could not provide more than a small handful of his Signal messages, the person said.

When asked about the investigation in August, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters that "we believe that this is a witch hunt and a total sham and being conducted in bad faith.”

Lawmakers had called for inspector general to investigate

The revelations sparked intense scrutiny, with Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans saying Hegseth posting the information to the Signal chats before the military jets had reached their targets&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-pentagon-trump-30dc4c3d0e75a89f3fd883f38b26afff">potentially put those pilots’ lives at risk</a>. They said lower-ranking members of the military would have been fired for such a lapse.

Some Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees suggested Wednesday that Hegseth’s actions would be a fireable offense for anyone else.

“This was not an isolated lapse. It reflects a broader pattern of recklessness and poor judgment from a secretary who has repeatedly shown he is in over his head,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement.

The inspector general had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-messaging-app-attack-plans-f8581bcb447b91d2e7f9cb7809ae0f06">opened its investigation</a>&nbsp;into Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

It all ties back to the campaign against Yemen’s Houthis

The Houthi rebels had started launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-israel-hamas-red-sea-shipping-ab6fee82e73170b7e2edbab90ed6c14c">missile and drone attacks</a>&nbsp;against commercial and military ships in late 2023 in what their leadership had described as an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-yemen-red-sea-rebellions-and-uprisings-yemen-government-35148e6fbef64ec8b6fa074d4da2551c">effort to end</a>&nbsp;Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Their campaign greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.

The U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis in 2024 turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy had faced since World War II.

A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war had begun in January before falling apart in March. The U.S. then launched a broad assault against the Houthis that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-houthis-end-of-bombing-yemen-israel-e2f08ac04024ef3d6409b4ce97092489">ended weeks later</a>&nbsp;when Trump said they pledged to stop attacking ships. The latest Gaza ceasefire began in October.

Following the disclosure of Hegseth’s Signal chat that included the Atlantic’s editor, the magazine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">released the entire thread</a>&nbsp;in late March. Hegseth had posted multiple details about an impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist” was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.

Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April that what he shared over Signal was “informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things.”

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves, Konstantin Toropin, Michelle L. Price and David Klepper contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764876336391.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-messaging-app-attack-plans-f8581bcb447b91d2e7f9cb7809ae0f06">The Pentagon’s watchdog</a>&nbsp;found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">used the Signal messaging app</a>&nbsp;to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Yemen's Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Dec/04/2003834916/-1/-1/1/DODIG_2026_021.PDF">Click here to read the full 84-page report</a>Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. That person also said the report concluded that Hegseth violated Pentagon policy by using his personal device for official business and it recommended better training for all Pentagon officials.Hegseth declined to sit for an interview with the Pentagon's inspector general but provided a written statement, that person said. The defense secretary asserted that he was permitted to declassify information as he saw fit and only communicated details he thought would not endanger the mission.The initial findings, which were first reported by CNN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-hegseth-boat-strikes-e68621ec48c7886215359c0110d6d9ca">ramp up the pressure</a>&nbsp;on the former Fox News Channel host after lawmakers called for the independent inquiry into his use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signal-app-atlantic-war-plans-32699da142c5209b845e57f690df4925">commercially available app</a>.Lawmakers also just opened investigations into a news report that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">a follow-up strike</a>&nbsp;on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea in September killed survivors after Hegseth issued a verbal order to “kill everybody."Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-venezuela-540ae279827e02105e089f1bd5af37a6">defended the strike as emerging in the “fog of war</a>,” saying he didn’t see any survivors but also “didn’t stick around” for the rest of the mission and that the admiral in charge “made the right call” in ordering the second strike. He also did not admit fault following the Signal revelations, asserting that the information was unclassified.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No classified information. Total exoneration. Case closed. Houthis bombed into submission. Thank you for your attention to this IG report. <a href="https://t.co/eQPO5iPIRc">https://t.co/eQPO5iPIRc</a>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1996368824397094925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The Inspector General review is a TOTAL exoneration of Secretary Hegseth and proves what we knew all along — no classified information was shared,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said in a statement. “This matter is resolved, and the case is closed.”President Donald Trump “stands by” Hegseth, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, adding that the probe affirms that “no classified information was leaked, and operational security was not compromised.”<h2>Journalist was added to a chat where sensitive plans were shared</h2>In at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic</a>, was inadvertently added to a Signal text chain by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-waltz-rubio-national-security-hegseth-d787db43d45922668ad0c1c62e608f85">then-national security adviser Mike Waltz</a>. It included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss March 15 military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.Hegseth had created&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-houthis-attack-8dbf9dd6c711796438a5c1c84831c40b">another Signal chat</a>&nbsp;with 13 people that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of the same strike, The Associated Press reported.Signal is encrypted but is not authorized for carrying classified information and is not part of the Pentagon’s secure communications network.Hegseth previously has said none of the information shared in the chats was classified. Multiple current and former military officials have told the AP there was no way details with that specificity, especially before a strike took place, would have been OK to share on an unsecured device.The review was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol. A partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week.Hegseth said he viewed the investigation as a partisan exercise and did not trust the inspector general, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings. The review had to rely on screenshots of the Signal chat published by the Atlantic because Hegseth could not provide more than a small handful of his Signal messages, the person said.When asked about the investigation in August, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters that "we believe that this is a witch hunt and a total sham and being conducted in bad faith.”<h2>Lawmakers had called for inspector general to investigate</h2>The revelations sparked intense scrutiny, with Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans saying Hegseth posting the information to the Signal chats before the military jets had reached their targets&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-pentagon-trump-30dc4c3d0e75a89f3fd883f38b26afff">potentially put those pilots’ lives at risk</a>. They said lower-ranking members of the military would have been fired for such a lapse.Some Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees suggested Wednesday that Hegseth’s actions would be a fireable offense for anyone else.“This was not an isolated lapse. It reflects a broader pattern of recklessness and poor judgment from a secretary who has repeatedly shown he is in over his head,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement.The inspector general had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-messaging-app-attack-plans-f8581bcb447b91d2e7f9cb7809ae0f06">opened its investigation</a>&nbsp;into Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.<h2>It all ties back to the campaign against Yemen’s Houthis</h2>The Houthi rebels had started launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-israel-hamas-red-sea-shipping-ab6fee82e73170b7e2edbab90ed6c14c">missile and drone attacks</a>&nbsp;against commercial and military ships in late 2023 in what their leadership had described as an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-yemen-red-sea-rebellions-and-uprisings-yemen-government-35148e6fbef64ec8b6fa074d4da2551c">effort to end</a>&nbsp;Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Their campaign greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.The U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis in 2024 turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy had faced since World War II.A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war had begun in January before falling apart in March. The U.S. then launched a broad assault against the Houthis that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-houthis-end-of-bombing-yemen-israel-e2f08ac04024ef3d6409b4ce97092489">ended weeks later</a>&nbsp;when Trump said they pledged to stop attacking ships. The latest Gaza ceasefire began in October.Following the disclosure of Hegseth’s Signal chat that included the Atlantic’s editor, the magazine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-signal-yemen-houthis-c0addd08c627ab01a37ea63621cb695e">released the entire thread</a>&nbsp;in late March. Hegseth had posted multiple details about an impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist” was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April that what he shared over Signal was “informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things.”___Associated Press writer Stephen Groves, Konstantin Toropin, Michelle L. Price and David Klepper contributed to this report.

Read Pentagon watchdog report on Hegseth’s use of messaging app

Patients of NKC Health in North Kansas City finally learned in late November that their data was compromised in ‘one of the most massive breaches in the health care industry’

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

In January, hackers gained access to a cache of Cerner electronic health records stored on a legacy network.

But some patients whose sensitive health and financial information may have been exposed are only now being notified — and many others still haven’t been told.

NKC Health, formerly North Kansas City Hospital, is one of the most recent hospitals to let patients know about a cyber incident involving Cerner, now Oracle Health. The Nov. 25&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nkchealth.org/news-and-media/notice-cerner-cyber-security-event" target="_blank">notice</a>&nbsp;said the hospital had only “recently learned” of the incident, which has been unraveling for months and reportedly dates back to January.

About a dozen hospitals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/ehrs/oracle-health-data-breach-hits-3-more-states/" target="_blank">across the country</a>, including Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri, have sent similar notices to patients. Oracle has not publicly disclosed the number of hospitals involved or how many patients may have been affected.

But Elena A. Belov, a lawyer representing victims of the data breach in a federal class action lawsuit filed in the Western District of Missouri, said she has been told by Oracle’s attorneys that 80 hospitals’ patient records may have been involved. And that could amount to millions of victims.

“This is one of the most massive breaches in the health care industry in the last couple of years,” said Belov, who practices with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almeidalawgroup.com/" target="_blank">Almeida Law Group</a>. “We still don’t know the entire universe. The list of affected hospitals has not been made public.”

Oracle Health, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/oracle-gets-european-approval-28m-cerner-deal-set-close-next-week" target="_blank">acquired</a>&nbsp;North Kansas City-based Cerner for $28 billion in 2022, did not reply to requests for comment about the incident. The company is the country’s second-largest electronic medical records vendor, managing patient data for about 20% of the nation’s hospitals and doctors’ offices.

News reports about the January data breach said it involved data on Cerner’s old network that had not yet been transferred to Oracle’s cloud network.

While details of the Cerner data breach began appearing in news reports last spring, and the company started informing customers about the incident this summer, Oracle did not announce it to the media, and left it up to its health care clients to report the breach to patients and to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights’&nbsp;<a href="https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf" target="_blank">Breach Portal</a>.

“It goes to the big problem we have,” Belov said. “Even huge companies who are in the business of digital security like Oracle are not paying enough attention to security.”

Data security experts said the Cerner network hack illustrates just how vulnerable patients’ health and financial information can be.

During the first 11 months of 2025, health care organizations reported 493 data compromises, which involved more than 34 million victims, according to the<a href="https://www.idtheftcenter.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Identity Theft Resource Center</a>, a nonprofit that tracks and works to prevent such incidents.

Until 2024, health care accounted for the most data breaches of any industry for six years in a row. But last year the financial industry took the top spot and health care came in second. The trend continued this year.

James E. Lee, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said health care is particularly vulnerable to cyber attackers because it is so large and diverse.

“There are small providers in small towns, all the way to huge multinational health care organizations and everything in between,” he said.

Health care involves hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, labs and insurance companies, all of which have access to patients’ personal information, including identity data like Social Security numbers, names and addresses; financial data like credit card information; and personal health information like diagnoses and medications.

All it takes to break in is one legitimate login and password at one point in the system. That leaves plenty of room for weak links, Lee said.

Companies like Cerner, which digitize health records so every doctor and hospital has easy access to patient charts, have become a major part of the system. From its beginnings in 1979, Cerner’s founders promised the electronic management of health records would cut costs and bring better care.

“The idea of digitizing the records — from a patient perspective — was a good one,” Lee said. “What we didn’t anticipate, and it is true across all industries, is the level to which professional criminals would become engaged. These are professional, multinational organizations, not some kid sitting in a basement drinking Red Bull.”

NKC Health’s statement said its patients’ records may have been accessed as early as Jan. 22, but Oracle Health only informed them about the incident recently.

In its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nkchealth.org/news-and-media/notice-cerner-cyber-security-event" target="_blank">notice to patients</a>, NKC said Oracle Health told the hospital that “law enforcement investigators” had urged it to delay notifying patients and hospital customers “because it could have impeded their investigation.”

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the federal law that deals with patient privacy, requires health care providers and their associates to notify patients when sensitive information has been compromised “without unnecessary delay,” and no later than 60 days after an incident. But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-D" target="_blank">the law makes an exception</a>&nbsp;if law enforcement requests a delay.

News organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/fbi-investigating-cyberattack-oracle-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-03-28/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;in March that the FBI was looking into the attack, and in April, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/04/16/cisa-releases-guidance-credential-risks-associated-potential-legacy-oracle-cloud-compromise" target="_blank">security alert</a>, warning that “the nature of the reported activity presents potential risk to organizations and individuals.”

Oracle has informed some of its hospital and physician practice customers about the data breach individually.

Belov called the lack of transparency “really dismaying.”

“We’re losing valuable time for people to protect their information and their identities,” she said. “This is going to be a huge problem.”

Stolen data comes with ‘deadly outcomes’

Legal and health experts said breaches of health care information can be among the most concerning.

Beyond the potential loss of Social Security numbers, names, addresses and credit card information, victims of health care data breaches also risk much more worrisome losses, experts said.

If health records are altered or in some way compromised in a data breach, doctors might lose critical information about a patient’s medications or health history. And that could lead to medical errors or decisions that compromise care and endanger a patient.

“Stolen health data can lead to deadly outcomes,” Belov said.

That’s why many hospitals and doctors offices end up paying a ransom to get data back from hackers. Health care organizations often won’t talk about hacks. They worry that would make them look vulnerable and expose them to additional problems.

But a cybersecurity expert with the American Hospital Association&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/01/25/how-ransomware-attacks-at-kansas-city-hospitals-threaten-your-privacy/" target="_blank">has estimated</a>&nbsp;that at least a third of the time, hospitals end up paying a ransom to get information back. Unlike other industries that might be able to wait out criminals or rebuild databases, they need the information right away and can’t risk waiting.

“Patient lives are on the line when something critical happens,” said Alexander Boyd, a data privacy and security lawyer with the Polsinelli law firm.

Clients across industries regularly consult him about situations in which data has been compromised. And, among those cases, ransomware attacks happen “more often than we’d like.”

In those cases, criminals break into a company, encrypt the data and demand a payment to unlock it. When one of those attacks happens to a health care provider, it can be an emergency.

“It’s not just a money issue, it’s a well-being issue,” Boyd said. “If the health care provider doesn’t have good backups, sometimes the only option is to pay the ransom.”

Coveware, a company that helps clients respond to cyber extortion incidents, reports the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coveware.com/blog/2025/10/24/insider-threats-loom-while-ransom-payment-rates-plummet" target="_blank">average ransom payment</a>&nbsp;made by victims of cyberattacks has been falling. In the third quarter of this year, the average ransom payment for all industries was $376.94, a 66% drop from the previous quarter. The median payment was $140,000, down 65%.

Boyd said companies are getting better at avoiding attacks in the first place. More often they have data backed up so they don’t have to make ransom payments.

But when a client does have to negotiate with a hacker, Boyd turns to Coveware or another firm that specializes in dealing with the criminals. Those firms know through experience how much the hackers may be willing to negotiate and whether they may actually turn over an encryption key if their demands are met.

Typically, after coming to an agreement — after, perhaps, sending sample files to verify that the hackers actually can unlock them — clients pay the bitcoin ransom (there is no escrow) and then wait for the encryption key.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/12/04/some-patients-just-learning-about-january-cerner-data-breach/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764944895246.png" alt=" Oracle purchased Cerner in 2022 in a deal valued at $28 billion. The company’s old logo remains outside its former North Kansas City headquarters (Suzanne King/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Oracle purchased Cerner in 2022 in a deal valued at $28 billion. The company’s old logo remains outside its former North Kansas City headquarters (Suzanne King/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Patients of NKC Health in North Kansas City finally learned in late November that their data was compromised in ‘one of the most massive breaches in the health care industry’</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>In January, hackers gained access to a cache of Cerner electronic health records stored on a legacy network.But some patients whose sensitive health and financial information may have been exposed are only now being notified — and many others still haven’t been told.NKC Health, formerly North Kansas City Hospital, is one of the most recent hospitals to let patients know about a cyber incident involving Cerner, now Oracle Health. The Nov. 25&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nkchealth.org/news-and-media/notice-cerner-cyber-security-event" target="_blank">notice</a>&nbsp;said the hospital had only “recently learned” of the incident, which has been unraveling for months and reportedly dates back to January.About a dozen hospitals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/ehrs/oracle-health-data-breach-hits-3-more-states/" target="_blank">across the country</a>, including Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri, have sent similar notices to patients. Oracle has not publicly disclosed the number of hospitals involved or how many patients may have been affected.But Elena A. Belov, a lawyer representing victims of the data breach in a federal class action lawsuit filed in the Western District of Missouri, said she has been told by Oracle’s attorneys that 80 hospitals’ patient records may have been involved. And that could amount to millions of victims.“This is one of the most massive breaches in the health care industry in the last couple of years,” said Belov, who practices with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almeidalawgroup.com/" target="_blank">Almeida Law Group</a>. “We still don’t know the entire universe. The list of affected hospitals has not been made public.”Oracle Health, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/oracle-gets-european-approval-28m-cerner-deal-set-close-next-week" target="_blank">acquired</a>&nbsp;North Kansas City-based Cerner for $28 billion in 2022, did not reply to requests for comment about the incident. The company is the country’s second-largest electronic medical records vendor, managing patient data for about 20% of the nation’s hospitals and doctors’ offices.News reports about the January data breach said it involved data on Cerner’s old network that had not yet been transferred to Oracle’s cloud network.While details of the Cerner data breach began appearing in news reports last spring, and the company started informing customers about the incident this summer, Oracle did not announce it to the media, and left it up to its health care clients to report the breach to patients and to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights’&nbsp;<a href="https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_report.jsf" target="_blank">Breach Portal</a>.“It goes to the big problem we have,” Belov said. “Even huge companies who are in the business of digital security like Oracle are not paying enough attention to security.”<h2>Health care data breaches are common</h2>Data security experts said the Cerner network hack illustrates just how vulnerable patients’ health and financial information can be.During the first 11 months of 2025, health care organizations reported 493 data compromises, which involved more than 34 million victims, according to the<a href="https://www.idtheftcenter.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Identity Theft Resource Center</a>, a nonprofit that tracks and works to prevent such incidents.Until 2024, health care accounted for the most data breaches of any industry for six years in a row. But last year the financial industry took the top spot and health care came in second. The trend continued this year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764944731513.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>James E. Lee, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said health care is particularly vulnerable to cyber attackers because it is so large and diverse.“There are small providers in small towns, all the way to huge multinational health care organizations and everything in between,” he said.Health care involves hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, labs and insurance companies, all of which have access to patients’ personal information, including identity data like Social Security numbers, names and addresses; financial data like credit card information; and personal health information like diagnoses and medications.All it takes to break in is one legitimate login and password at one point in the system. That leaves plenty of room for weak links, Lee said.Companies like Cerner, which digitize health records so every doctor and hospital has easy access to patient charts, have become a major part of the system. From its beginnings in 1979, Cerner’s founders promised the electronic management of health records would cut costs and bring better care.“The idea of digitizing the records — from a patient perspective — was a good one,” Lee said. “What we didn’t anticipate, and it is true across all industries, is the level to which professional criminals would become engaged. These are professional, multinational organizations, not some kid sitting in a basement drinking Red Bull.”<h2>NKC Health incident</h2>NKC Health’s statement said its patients’ records may have been accessed as early as Jan. 22, but Oracle Health only informed them about the incident recently.In its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nkchealth.org/news-and-media/notice-cerner-cyber-security-event" target="_blank">notice to patients</a>, NKC said Oracle Health told the hospital that “law enforcement investigators” had urged it to delay notifying patients and hospital customers “because it could have impeded their investigation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764944772112.png" alt="NKC Health, formerly North Kansas City Hospital, sits across the street from Cerner’s old headquarters in North Kansas City. (Suzanne King/The Beacon)" />
 <figcaption>NKC Health, formerly North Kansas City Hospital, sits across the street from Cerner’s old headquarters in North Kansas City. (Suzanne King/The Beacon)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the federal law that deals with patient privacy, requires health care providers and their associates to notify patients when sensitive information has been compromised “without unnecessary delay,” and no later than 60 days after an incident. But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-D" target="_blank">the law makes an exception</a>&nbsp;if law enforcement requests a delay.News organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/fbi-investigating-cyberattack-oracle-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-03-28/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;in March that the FBI was looking into the attack, and in April, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/04/16/cisa-releases-guidance-credential-risks-associated-potential-legacy-oracle-cloud-compromise" target="_blank">security alert</a>, warning that “the nature of the reported activity presents potential risk to organizations and individuals.”Oracle has informed some of its hospital and physician practice customers about the data breach individually.Belov called the lack of transparency “really dismaying.”“We’re losing valuable time for people to protect their information and their identities,” she said. “This is going to be a huge problem.”<h2>Stolen data comes with ‘deadly outcomes’</h2>Legal and health experts said breaches of health care information can be among the most concerning.Beyond the potential loss of Social Security numbers, names, addresses and credit card information, victims of health care data breaches also risk much more worrisome losses, experts said.If health records are altered or in some way compromised in a data breach, doctors might lose critical information about a patient’s medications or health history. And that could lead to medical errors or decisions that compromise care and endanger a patient.“Stolen health data can lead to deadly outcomes,” Belov said.That’s why many hospitals and doctors offices end up paying a ransom to get data back from hackers. Health care organizations often won’t talk about hacks. They worry that would make them look vulnerable and expose them to additional problems.But a cybersecurity expert with the American Hospital Association&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/01/25/how-ransomware-attacks-at-kansas-city-hospitals-threaten-your-privacy/" target="_blank">has estimated</a>&nbsp;that at least a third of the time, hospitals end up paying a ransom to get information back. Unlike other industries that might be able to wait out criminals or rebuild databases, they need the information right away and can’t risk waiting.“Patient lives are on the line when something critical happens,” said Alexander Boyd, a data privacy and security lawyer with the Polsinelli law firm.Clients across industries regularly consult him about situations in which data has been compromised. And, among those cases, ransomware attacks happen “more often than we’d like.”In those cases, criminals break into a company, encrypt the data and demand a payment to unlock it. When one of those attacks happens to a health care provider, it can be an emergency.“It’s not just a money issue, it’s a well-being issue,” Boyd said. “If the health care provider doesn’t have good backups, sometimes the only option is to pay the ransom.”Coveware, a company that helps clients respond to cyber extortion incidents, reports the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coveware.com/blog/2025/10/24/insider-threats-loom-while-ransom-payment-rates-plummet" target="_blank">average ransom payment</a>&nbsp;made by victims of cyberattacks has been falling. In the third quarter of this year, the average ransom payment for all industries was $376.94, a 66% drop from the previous quarter. The median payment was $140,000, down 65%.Boyd said companies are getting better at avoiding attacks in the first place. More often they have data backed up so they don’t have to make ransom payments.But when a client does have to negotiate with a hacker, Boyd turns to Coveware or another firm that specializes in dealing with the criminals. Those firms know through experience how much the hackers may be willing to negotiate and whether they may actually turn over an encryption key if their demands are met.Typically, after coming to an agreement — after, perhaps, sending sample files to verify that the hackers actually can unlock them — clients pay the bitcoin ransom (there is no escrow) and then wait for the encryption key.None of it is comfortable.“You hope and wait,” Boyd said.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/12/04/some-patients-just-learning-about-january-cerner-data-breach/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.