Crews continued to work through the night trying to keep the Turnpike and other Kansas highways passable for urgent travel.

"Thank you for keeping off the road or going slow and not crowding the plow. The crew notices you and appreciate your efforts. Stay safe and warm."&nbsp;

<a href="https://kandrive.gov/@-101.43512,39.04521,6?show=roadReports,constructionReports,trafficSpeeds,winterDriving,stationsAlert,weatherRadar">Click here for updates</a>&nbsp;on roads across the state

Crews continued to work through the night trying to keep the Turnpike and other Kansas highways passable for urgent travel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Our crews continue to work for you tonight, trying to keep the Turnpike passable for urgent travel. Thank you for keeping off the road or going slow and not crowding the plow. The crew notices you and appreciate your efforts. Stay safe and warm. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/pjvQ66CHei">pic.twitter.com/pjvQ66CHei</a>&mdash; Kansas Turnpike (@KansasTurnpike) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasTurnpike/status/1876109566540443885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"Thank you for keeping off the road or going slow and not crowding the plow. The crew notices you and appreciate your efforts. Stay safe and warm."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736122387739.png" alt="The State of Kansas sent an emergency alert Sunday evening asking the public to please not drive on Kansas Roads." />
 <figcaption>The State of Kansas sent an emergency alert Sunday evening asking the public to please not drive on Kansas Roads.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kandrive.gov/@-101.43512,39.04521,6?show=roadReports,constructionReports,trafficSpeeds,winterDriving,stationsAlert,weatherRadar">Click here for updates</a>&nbsp;on roads across the state

Work continues to clear Kansas highways

A British man who was killed when the driver of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street packed with holiday revelers was identified Saturday as the stepson of a former nanny to the Royal Family. A nursing assistant has been the last of the 14 victims killed in the New Orleans truck attack to be identified. Her family says the coroner's office confirmed the death of LaTasha Polk on Saturday. The coroner's office says all the victims died from blunt force injuries. The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was fatally shot in a firefight with police. About 30 people were injured and 16 remain hospitalized, half in intensive care.

A British man who was killed when the driver of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street packed with holiday revelers was identified Saturday as the stepson of a former nanny to the Royal Family. Prince William expressed shock and sadness at the news of the death of Edward Pettifer of London.

A nursing assistant in her 40s was the last of the 14 victims killed in the New Orleans truck attack to be identified, according to her family who said the coroner's office confirmed LaTasha Polk's death on Saturday.

The coroner's office said all the victims died from blunt force injuries. The suspect in the attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was fatally shot in a firefight with police.

The youngest victim was 18 years old and the oldest 63. Most victims were in their 20s. They came from from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey and Great Britain.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the innocent lives lost will never be forgotten, as he declared on Friday a period of mourning for the victims, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 6. A different victim is to be remembered each day.

"However, Louisiana and her people will never cower in fear," he said. "Instead, we will unite and come back stronger in honor of every person who lost their lives that day."

About 30 people were injured and 16 remained hospitalized as of Friday.

LaTasha Polk, a nursing assistant and mother of a teenage boy, was the last victim in the New Year's truck attack to be identified, according to her family, who gathered at a vigil Saturday evening to light candles. They said the coroner's office informed them Saturday morning. They had been looking for her and were grateful for the closure.

"It was the wrong call we got, but at least we got the call," said LaTasha Polk's cousin, Sebastian Polk. He said he was all out of tears by the time he arrived at the vigil to honor his cousin, whom he described being as close as a sister.

The coroner did not specify the reason for the delay, her aunt Kim Polk said.

"Every time you saw her she was smiling," said her cousin Courtney Polk, pressing her hands together in front of her face and holding back tears. "It's hard but we see all the love for her."

Some of LaTasha's relatives held each other crying on the curb near the cross where they had placed candles for her and other victims.

"Tasha, she was a loving person, and for her life to be taken away — unimaginable," Kim Polk said. "To wake up and have that taken from you."

Thirty-one year old Edward Pettifer, a British citizen, was identified Saturday as one of the 14 victims killed in the truck attack.

Pettifer's family said they were "devastated at the tragic news of Ed's death" and described him as "a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many."

"We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack," the family added.

The U.K.'s Foreign Office also said it was supporting Pettifer's family and was in contact with U.S. authorities.

Brandon Taylor, 43, of Harvey, Louisiana, was killed when the pickup truck careened down Bourbon Street.

Elliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana, died in the New Year's attack. Cecil Wilkinson said in a message to his little brother, Elliot Wilkinson, on Facebook that he was loved "and you will truly be missed."

"I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn't expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter," Wilkinson said in the post.

After years working in the service industry and maintenance, New Orleans native Terrence Kennedy spent his retirement doing what he loved: strolling down to catch the ever-present party in the French Quarter.

"Bourbon is like a free party," his niece, Monisha James, told The Associated Press. "He was enjoying his city that he enjoyed for 63 years."

James said her uncle liked to people-watch around the French Quarter and often sparked conversations with strangers. "That was what he was doing to enjoy his retirement," she said.

Kennedy had told his sister on New Year's Eve that he was going out. When he didn't answer the phone the next morning, the family spent a frantic day searching until the coroner confirmed he died in the New Year's Day attack.

The family still doesn't know if he died from the car's impact or gunshot wounds; all they were told is that he was still alive when he got to the hospital.

James, 43, described her uncle as a humble helper and a handyman. Whether it was fixing up a house or playing with his nieces and nephews, he was always eager to serve others.

"Just a sweet, kind, loving, helpful person that would not harm anyone," James said.

Sadly, illness had affected his family in recent years. Four of Kennedy's siblings died before him, including a sister who had passed away a month earlier. The violent nature of Kennedy's death stunned the family, on top of everything they've been through lately. Right now, said James, they're supporting each other.

"That's such a shock to our family because never in a million years would you be able to tell me that's what happened to him," she said.

Kennedy's younger sister Jacqueline Kennedy, 59, said her brother was known for his big heart and his love of sports.

"My brother had a kind heart. He was loving and caring and giving and he loved the Pittsburgh Steelers," she said.

Billy DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey, was humble and gentled-hearted, so devoted to family that he had a tattoo featuring all of his cousins' names, his parents told NOLA.com.

A New York City-based account executive for the media company Audacy, DiMaio was in New Orleans to celebrate New Year's Eve and see friends who planned to go to the Sugar Bowl, Tracie and Bill DiMaio, of Holmdel, New Jersey, told the news site. His friends escaped injury.

"He was a good, humble kid," Bill DiMaio said. "He loved life."

Billy DiMaio grew up on Long Island, New York, before the family moved to New Jersey. He graduated in 2022 from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he was on the lacrosse team and earned a master's degree.

"He was a pure, gentle-hearted soul," his mother said. "He will be truly missed."

"Beyond his professional achievements, Billy will be fondly remembered for his unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness," Audacy said in an emailed statement.

Hurbert Gauthreaux, 21, of Gretna, Louisiana, was among the victims, the coroner's office said.

Archbishop Shaw High School, in Marrero, Louisiana, posted on Facebook that Gauthreaux was from the class of 2021.

Gauthreaux "was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter. He was 21 years old," the Catholic boys school posted Wednesday.

Kareem Badawi, 23, was a University of Alabama freshman when he was killed in the attack. A native of Louisiana and a graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Badawi had started at the Alabama university this fall.

"My son was full of life," his father Belal Badawi said in an interview.

Back home in Baton Rouge for winter break, Badawi had gone to New Orleans with friends to celebrate the new year, his father said. After they saw the news of the truck attack, they tried to reach Kareem, but he didn't answer.

"Then I saw his phone when I tracked it was in the area that it happened," belal Badawi said. "So, then we knew that's something wrong. He's not answering. We drove to New Orleans. We live in Baton Rouge, we went to the hospital and we waited a few hours and the FBI came with the list of all the casualties."

"I lost my son. He's a good boy," he said of his son. "Unfortunately, his life ended that quick and with no reason. Just nothing he did to deserve for somebody to come and kill him."

Andrew Dauphin, 26, of Montgomery, Alabama, did in the attack.

Christopher B. Roberts, president of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, said on the social platform X that Dauphin was 2023 graduate.

"Words cannot convey the sorrow the Auburn Family feels for Drew's family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time," Roberts said. "Our thoughts are with the Dauphin family and the families of all the victims of this senseless tragedy."

Dauphin was a supplier process engineer at the American Honda Motor Company in Birmingham, Alabama, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Matthew Tenedorio of Picayune, Mississippi, was killed in the truck attack, the coroner's office said.

"He was 25 years old. He was just starting life. He had the job of his dreams," his mother, Cathy Tenedorio, told NBC News. "It's just very sad."

A GoFundMe page created by a cousin says he was an audiovisual technician at the Superdome.

"He was a wonderful kid," Louis Tenedorio added. "He loved people. He loved animals. He always had a smile. So many friends. He had so many friends."

Cathy Tenedorio said she had spent New Year's Eve with Matthew and another one of her sons.

"We had dinner and we did fireworks outside, and just laughing and hugging each other and telling each other we loved each other," she said. She added that they had tried to dissuade him from going into the city.

Zion Parsons, of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been celebrating New Year's Eve at his first night on Bourbon Street when a vehicle appeared and plowed into his friend, Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, who he said had dreamed of becoming a nurse.

"A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air," Parsons told The Associated Press. "It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive."

As the crowd scattered in the chaos he ran through a gruesome aftermath of bleeding and maimed victims, hearing gunshots and explosive sounds.

"Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering" Parsons said. "People crying on the floor, like brain matter all over the ground. It was just insane, like the closest thing to a war zone that I've ever seen."

Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse.

"She had her mindset — she didn't have everything figured out but she had the plan laid down," Parsons said.

A 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Reggie Hunter had just left work and headed to celebrate New Year's with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com.

Hunter died and his cousin was injured, Jackson said. The coroner's office said he was from Prairieville, Louisiana.

Tiger Bech, a 27-year-old former high school and college football player from Louisiana was among those killed.

Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, told NOLA.com that Bech attended the high school, where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back. Bech played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021.

Marty Cannon, STM principal and former coach of Bech, said he was charismatic, intelligent and an incredibly talented football player. He regularly returned home to visit his tight-knit family, close friends and people at the school. He was home over Christmas.

"We live in a relatively small community here where not a lot of people leave but many do," Cannon said. "I'm not surprised at all that Tiger could take off from south Louisiana and go off and get an amazing education at a place like Princeton and then lock himself into a community up there and just flourish. He's that kind of guy."

Bech has been working at Seaport Global. "He was extremely well regarded by everybody who knew him," said company spokesperson Lisa Lieberman.

Nicole Perez was a single mother to a 4-year-old son working hard to make life better for her family when she was killed, according to her employer.

Perez, 27, was recently promoted to manager at Kimmy's Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and "was really excited about it," deli owner Kimberly Usher said in an interview with the AP. Usher confirmed Perez's death through her sister, who also works for her.

Usher said Perez would walk in the morning to the deli, which opened at breakfast time, and ask lots of questions about the business side of the operations. She also was permitted to bring her son, Melo, to work.

"She was a really good mom," said Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's burial costs and to help with expenses for her son that "he will need to transition into a new living situation," the donation request says.

— Heaven Sensky-Kirsch said her father, Jeremi Sensky, endured 10 hours of surgery for injuries that included two broken legs. He was taken off a ventilator Thursday.

Jeremi Sensky was ejected from the wheelchair he was using and had bruises to his face and head, Sensky-Kirsch said in a phone interview from a hospital intensive care unit.

"He's talking right now," Sensky-Kirsch said late Thursday morning.

Sensky, 51, who works in the family's tree service business, had driven from his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans to celebrate the holiday.

Before the attack, Sensky and two friends had been having pizza, his daughter said. Sensky left them to return to his hotel on Canal Street because he felt cold, she said.

Sensky-Kirsch said others could see the attacker coming and were able to run out of the way, but her father "was stuck on the road." His wheelchair can be seen in some images lodged against a crane.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1735738471176.png" alt="Police investigators on the scene early Tuesday d-photo courtesy WDSU" />
 <figcaption>Police investigators on the scene early Tuesday d-photo courtesy WDSU</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated PressA British man who was killed when the driver of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street packed with holiday revelers was identified Saturday as the stepson of a former nanny to the Royal Family. A nursing assistant has been the last of the 14 victims killed in the New Orleans truck attack to be identified. Her family says the coroner's office confirmed the death of LaTasha Polk on Saturday. The coroner's office says all the victims died from blunt force injuries. The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was fatally shot in a firefight with police. About 30 people were injured and 16 remain hospitalized, half in intensive care.A British man who was killed when the driver of a white pickup truck sped down Bourbon Street packed with holiday revelers was identified Saturday as the stepson of a former nanny to the Royal Family. Prince William expressed shock and sadness at the news of the death of Edward Pettifer of London.A nursing assistant in her 40s was the last of the 14 victims killed in the New Orleans truck attack to be identified, according to her family who said the coroner's office confirmed LaTasha Polk's death on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1735753500592.png" alt="Photo courtesy WDSU TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WDSU TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The coroner's office said all the victims died from blunt force injuries. The suspect in the attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was fatally shot in a firefight with police.The youngest victim was 18 years old and the oldest 63. Most victims were in their 20s. They came from from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey and Great Britain.Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the innocent lives lost will never be forgotten, as he declared on Friday a period of mourning for the victims, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 6. A different victim is to be remembered each day."However, Louisiana and her people will never cower in fear," he said. "Instead, we will unite and come back stronger in honor of every person who lost their lives that day."About 30 people were injured and 16 remained hospitalized as of Friday.LaTasha PolkLaTasha Polk, a nursing assistant and mother of a teenage boy, was the last victim in the New Year's truck attack to be identified, according to her family, who gathered at a vigil Saturday evening to light candles. They said the coroner's office informed them Saturday morning. They had been looking for her and were grateful for the closure."It was the wrong call we got, but at least we got the call," said LaTasha Polk's cousin, Sebastian Polk. He said he was all out of tears by the time he arrived at the vigil to honor his cousin, whom he described being as close as a sister.The coroner did not specify the reason for the delay, her aunt Kim Polk said."Every time you saw her she was smiling," said her cousin Courtney Polk, pressing her hands together in front of her face and holding back tears. "It's hard but we see all the love for her."Some of LaTasha's relatives held each other crying on the curb near the cross where they had placed candles for her and other victims."Tasha, she was a loving person, and for her life to be taken away — unimaginable," Kim Polk said. "To wake up and have that taken from you."Edward PettiferThirty-one year old Edward Pettifer, a British citizen, was identified Saturday as one of the 14 victims killed in the truck attack.Pettifer's family said they were "devastated at the tragic news of Ed's death" and described him as "a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many.""We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack," the family added.The U.K.'s Foreign Office also said it was supporting Pettifer's family and was in contact with U.S. authorities.Brandon TaylorBrandon Taylor, 43, of Harvey, Louisiana, was killed when the pickup truck careened down Bourbon Street.Elliot WilkinsonElliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana, died in the New Year's attack. Cecil Wilkinson said in a message to his little brother, Elliot Wilkinson, on Facebook that he was loved "and you will truly be missed.""I know life was hard for you at times. But I wasn't expecting to get the phone call this morning you was one of them that got hit in New Orleans in the French Quarter," Wilkinson said in the post.Terrence "Terry" KennedyAfter years working in the service industry and maintenance, New Orleans native Terrence Kennedy spent his retirement doing what he loved: strolling down to catch the ever-present party in the French Quarter."Bourbon is like a free party," his niece, Monisha James, told The Associated Press. "He was enjoying his city that he enjoyed for 63 years."James said her uncle liked to people-watch around the French Quarter and often sparked conversations with strangers. "That was what he was doing to enjoy his retirement," she said.Kennedy had told his sister on New Year's Eve that he was going out. When he didn't answer the phone the next morning, the family spent a frantic day searching until the coroner confirmed he died in the New Year's Day attack.The family still doesn't know if he died from the car's impact or gunshot wounds; all they were told is that he was still alive when he got to the hospital.James, 43, described her uncle as a humble helper and a handyman. Whether it was fixing up a house or playing with his nieces and nephews, he was always eager to serve others."Just a sweet, kind, loving, helpful person that would not harm anyone," James said.Sadly, illness had affected his family in recent years. Four of Kennedy's siblings died before him, including a sister who had passed away a month earlier. The violent nature of Kennedy's death stunned the family, on top of everything they've been through lately. Right now, said James, they're supporting each other."That's such a shock to our family because never in a million years would you be able to tell me that's what happened to him," she said.Kennedy's younger sister Jacqueline Kennedy, 59, said her brother was known for his big heart and his love of sports."My brother had a kind heart. He was loving and caring and giving and he loved the Pittsburgh Steelers," she said.William "Billy" DiMaioBilly DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey, was humble and gentled-hearted, so devoted to family that he had a tattoo featuring all of his cousins' names, his parents told NOLA.com.A New York City-based account executive for the media company Audacy, DiMaio was in New Orleans to celebrate New Year's Eve and see friends who planned to go to the Sugar Bowl, Tracie and Bill DiMaio, of Holmdel, New Jersey, told the news site. His friends escaped injury."He was a good, humble kid," Bill DiMaio said. "He loved life."Billy DiMaio grew up on Long Island, New York, before the family moved to New Jersey. He graduated in 2022 from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he was on the lacrosse team and earned a master's degree."He was a pure, gentle-hearted soul," his mother said. "He will be truly missed."He had worked for Audacy since 2023."Beyond his professional achievements, Billy will be fondly remembered for his unwavering work ethic, positive attitude, and kindness," Audacy said in an emailed statement.Hubert GauthreauxHurbert Gauthreaux, 21, of Gretna, Louisiana, was among the victims, the coroner's office said.Archbishop Shaw High School, in Marrero, Louisiana, posted on Facebook that Gauthreaux was from the class of 2021.Gauthreaux "was tragically killed in the senseless act of violence that occurred early this morning in the French Quarter. He was 21 years old," the Catholic boys school posted Wednesday.Kareem BadawiKareem Badawi, 23, was a University of Alabama freshman when he was killed in the attack. A native of Louisiana and a graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Badawi had started at the Alabama university this fall."My son was full of life," his father Belal Badawi said in an interview.Back home in Baton Rouge for winter break, Badawi had gone to New Orleans with friends to celebrate the new year, his father said. After they saw the news of the truck attack, they tried to reach Kareem, but he didn't answer."Then I saw his phone when I tracked it was in the area that it happened," belal Badawi said. "So, then we knew that's something wrong. He's not answering. We drove to New Orleans. We live in Baton Rouge, we went to the hospital and we waited a few hours and the FBI came with the list of all the casualties."Badawi said he was a lovely boy."I lost my son. He's a good boy," he said of his son. "Unfortunately, his life ended that quick and with no reason. Just nothing he did to deserve for somebody to come and kill him."Andrew "Drew" DauphinAndrew Dauphin, 26, of Montgomery, Alabama, did in the attack.Christopher B. Roberts, president of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, said on the social platform X that Dauphin was 2023 graduate."Words cannot convey the sorrow the Auburn Family feels for Drew's family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time," Roberts said. "Our thoughts are with the Dauphin family and the families of all the victims of this senseless tragedy."Dauphin was a supplier process engineer at the American Honda Motor Company in Birmingham, Alabama, according to his LinkedIn profile.Matthew TenedorioMatthew Tenedorio of Picayune, Mississippi, was killed in the truck attack, the coroner's office said."He was 25 years old. He was just starting life. He had the job of his dreams," his mother, Cathy Tenedorio, told NBC News. "It's just very sad."A GoFundMe page created by a cousin says he was an audiovisual technician at the Superdome."He was a wonderful kid," Louis Tenedorio added. "He loved people. He loved animals. He always had a smile. So many friends. He had so many friends."Cathy Tenedorio said she had spent New Year's Eve with Matthew and another one of her sons."We had dinner and we did fireworks outside, and just laughing and hugging each other and telling each other we loved each other," she said. She added that they had tried to dissuade him from going into the city."They don't think about risk," she said.Nikyra DedeauxZion Parsons, of Gulfport, Mississippi, had been celebrating New Year's Eve at his first night on Bourbon Street when a vehicle appeared and plowed into his friend, Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, who he said had dreamed of becoming a nurse."A truck hit the corner and comes barreling through throwing people like in a movie scene, throwing people into the air," Parsons told The Associated Press. "It hit her and flung her like at least 30 feet and I was just lucky to be alive."As the crowd scattered in the chaos he ran through a gruesome aftermath of bleeding and maimed victims, hearing gunshots and explosive sounds."Bodies, bodies all up and down the street, everybody screaming and hollering" Parsons said. "People crying on the floor, like brain matter all over the ground. It was just insane, like the closest thing to a war zone that I've ever seen."Dedeaux had a job at a hospital and was set to start college and begin working towards her goal of becoming a registered nurse."She had her mindset — she didn't have everything figured out but she had the plan laid down," Parsons said.Reggie HunterA 37-year-old father of two from Baton Rouge, Reggie Hunter had just left work and headed to celebrate New Year's with a cousin when the attack happened, his first cousin Shirell Jackson told Nola.com.Hunter died and his cousin was injured, Jackson said. The coroner's office said he was from Prairieville, Louisiana.Martin "Tiger" BechTiger Bech, a 27-year-old former high school and college football player from Louisiana was among those killed.Kim Broussard, athletic director at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, told NOLA.com that Bech attended the high school, where he played wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and defensive back. Bech played football at Princeton University before graduating in 2021.Marty Cannon, STM principal and former coach of Bech, said he was charismatic, intelligent and an incredibly talented football player. He regularly returned home to visit his tight-knit family, close friends and people at the school. He was home over Christmas."We live in a relatively small community here where not a lot of people leave but many do," Cannon said. "I'm not surprised at all that Tiger could take off from south Louisiana and go off and get an amazing education at a place like Princeton and then lock himself into a community up there and just flourish. He's that kind of guy."Bech has been working at Seaport Global. "He was extremely well regarded by everybody who knew him," said company spokesperson Lisa Lieberman.Nicole PerezNicole Perez was a single mother to a 4-year-old son working hard to make life better for her family when she was killed, according to her employer.Perez, 27, was recently promoted to manager at Kimmy's Deli in Metairie, Louisiana, and "was really excited about it," deli owner Kimberly Usher said in an interview with the AP. Usher confirmed Perez's death through her sister, who also works for her.Usher said Perez would walk in the morning to the deli, which opened at breakfast time, and ask lots of questions about the business side of the operations. She also was permitted to bring her son, Melo, to work."She was a really good mom," said Usher, who started a GoFundMe account to cover Perez's burial costs and to help with expenses for her son that "he will need to transition into a new living situation," the donation request says.Injured in the Attack— Heaven Sensky-Kirsch said her father, Jeremi Sensky, endured 10 hours of surgery for injuries that included two broken legs. He was taken off a ventilator Thursday.Jeremi Sensky was ejected from the wheelchair he was using and had bruises to his face and head, Sensky-Kirsch said in a phone interview from a hospital intensive care unit."He's talking right now," Sensky-Kirsch said late Thursday morning.Sensky, 51, who works in the family's tree service business, had driven from his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, to New Orleans to celebrate the holiday.Before the attack, Sensky and two friends had been having pizza, his daughter said. Sensky left them to return to his hotel on Canal Street because he felt cold, she said.Sensky-Kirsch said others could see the attacker coming and were able to run out of the way, but her father "was stuck on the road." His wheelchair can be seen in some images lodged against a crane.When he didn't return to the hotel, they went to look for him, she said."We thought he was dead," Sensky-Kirsch said. "We can't believe he's alive."— Ryan Quigley, who was a teammate of Bech's at Princeton, was with him when they were struck by the truck. Quigley was injured, according to family and friends."Ryan is doing okay. He is stable and resting in the company of his family and friends," the Quigleys said in an update on a GoFundMe page set up by his friends. "Ryan loves you all. Please keep the Bech family, the other families, and all of those affected by this tragedy in your prayers. Thank you all."— University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead said on X that a student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment. He did not name the student.— The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that two Israeli citizens were injured in the attack.— University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said Thursday that one of the university's students was critically injured in New Orleans. Boyce did not identify the student.___Jack Brook and Sharon Lurye in New Orleans, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, Travis Loller in Nashville and Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama contributed to this report. Bellisle reported from Seattle.

Coroner identifies last victims in New Orleans rampage

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Sunday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 GMC Yukon driven by&nbsp; Nathaniel&nbsp;Boyd, 24, Wichita, was southbound on Interstate 235 just south of Kansas 42.

 Due to the snowstorm, the SUV rotated to the right and traveled off the road to the right down the embankment. The vehicle rolled and the driver and a passenger were ejected.

Boyd and the passenger identified as Whitney&nbsp;Allmond, 26, Clearwater were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Sunday in Sedgwick County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 GMC Yukon driven by&nbsp; Nathaniel&nbsp;Boyd, 24, Wichita, was southbound on Interstate 235 just south of Kansas 42. Due to the snowstorm, the SUV rotated to the right and traveled off the road to the right down the embankment. The vehicle rolled and the driver and a passenger were ejected.Boyd and the passenger identified as Whitney&nbsp;Allmond, 26, Clearwater were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas man, woman dead after ejected when SUV rolls 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;on Monday is set to preside over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-trump-election-certification-capitol-b8284b9b6b22f78ab7f23f8c8b3c3da3">certification of her defeat</a>&nbsp;to Donald Trump four years after he tried to stop the very process that will now return him to the White House.

In a video message, Harris described her role as a “sacred obligation” to ensure the peaceful transfer of power.

“As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile," she said. “And it is up to each of us to stand up for our most cherished principles.”

Harris will be joining a short list of other vice presidents to oversee the ceremonial confirmation of their election loss as part of their role of presiding over the Senate.

Richard Nixon did it after losing to John F. Kennedy in 1960. Al Gore followed suit when the U.S. Supreme Court tipped the 2000 election to George W. Bush.

But no other vice president has been holding the gavel when Congress certified their loss to an incoming president who refused to concede a previous defeat. In addition to spreading lies about voter fraud,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, where they violently interrupted the proceedings on Jan. 6, 2021, to formalize Joe Biden's victory.

Harris was at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington that day. A pipe bomb was discovered nearby, and she was evacuated from the building.

During the campaign, she frequently invoked the Jan. 6 attack to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-democracy-17bf55d6c22aba433588dcd1d1ad3105">warn voters of the danger</a>&nbsp;of returning Trump to the White House.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">She described him</a>&nbsp;as a “petty tyrant” and “wannabe dictator.”

After Harris lost the election and her bid to be the country's first female president, she promised in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-election-ddeae9fb378530159201ef4196cba9b3">her concession speech</a>&nbsp;to honor the will of voters.

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” she said. “That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-electoral-college-republicans-trump-certification-2c6d9fc07979d2ce4ece23cca74d5c0e">No disruptions</a>&nbsp;are expected on Monday. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team and the incoming White House press secretary, said there will be “a smooth transition of power.”

“When Kamala Harris certifies the election results, President Trump will deliver on his promise to serve ALL Americans and will unify the country through success,” she said in a statement.

Leavitt did not respond to a question about Trump's attempt to use the certification process to overturn his defeat four years ago. At that time, Trump encouraged his vice president, Mike Pence, to disqualify votes from battleground states based on false allegations of fraud.

Pence refused. Trump's supporters burst into the Capitol and halted the proceedings, forcing lawmakers to hide for their safety. Trump posted on social media that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.”

Police eventually cleared the rioters from the building, and lawmakers reconvened to finish their certification. Scores of Republicans still voted to support challenges to the election result.

“I had no right to overturn the election,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-january-6-capitol-riot-carlson-1e38cb44d55737031ca528b4f33aa1fb">Pence said two years later</a>. "And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">Trump faced criminal charges</a>&nbsp;for trying to stay in power despite losing. However, special counsel Jack Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dropped the federal case against him</a>&nbsp;after Trump defeated Harris since long-standing Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">criminal prosecution</a>.

A separate case in Georgia over Trump's attempts to subvert the 2020 election is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fani-willis-georgia-election-indictment-removed-0aa6db3b7abed22eb08ed9323f687972">mired in controversy</a>&nbsp;over the Fulton County district attorney's romantic relationship with a prosecutor she hired to lead the case.

The most recent example of a vice president certifying their own defeat came after the 2000 election. The battle between Gore and Bush ended up in the courtroom as the campaigns argued over whether Florida should conduct a recount.

Bush won at the U.S. Supreme Court, preventing a recount and allowing his narrow victory to stand.

Congress certified the results on Jan. 6, 2001, over the objections of some Democrats.

“I rise to object to the fraudulent 25 Florida electoral votes,” Rep. Maxine Waters of California said at the time.

Gore slammed the gavel and asked whether the objection met the requirements of being “in writing and signed by a member of the House and a senator.”

“The objection is in writing, and I don't care that it's not signed by a member of the Senate,” Waters responded.

“The chair will advise that the rules do care,” Gore said.

After a few rounds of objections, Congress finished the certification.

″May God bless our new president and new vice president and may God bless the United States of America," Gore said after announcing the results.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;on Monday is set to preside over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-trump-election-certification-capitol-b8284b9b6b22f78ab7f23f8c8b3c3da3">certification of her defeat</a>&nbsp;to Donald Trump four years after he tried to stop the very process that will now return him to the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Today, I will perform my constitutional duty as Vice President to certify the results of the 2024 election. This duty is a sacred obligation — one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution, and unwavering faith in the American people. <a href="https://t.co/w21HzdNxGs">pic.twitter.com/w21HzdNxGs</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1876260143509192977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a video message, Harris described her role as a “sacred obligation” to ensure the peaceful transfer of power.“As we have seen, our democracy can be fragile," she said. “And it is up to each of us to stand up for our most cherished principles.”Harris will be joining a short list of other vice presidents to oversee the ceremonial confirmation of their election loss as part of their role of presiding over the Senate.Richard Nixon did it after losing to John F. Kennedy in 1960. Al Gore followed suit when the U.S. Supreme Court tipped the 2000 election to George W. Bush.But no other vice president has been holding the gavel when Congress certified their loss to an incoming president who refused to concede a previous defeat. In addition to spreading lies about voter fraud,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;directed his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, where they violently interrupted the proceedings on Jan. 6, 2021, to formalize Joe Biden's victory.Harris was at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington that day. A pipe bomb was discovered nearby, and she was evacuated from the building.During the campaign, she frequently invoked the Jan. 6 attack to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-democracy-17bf55d6c22aba433588dcd1d1ad3105">warn voters of the danger</a>&nbsp;of returning Trump to the White House.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">She described him</a>&nbsp;as a “petty tyrant” and “wannabe dictator.”After Harris lost the election and her bid to be the country's first female president, she promised in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-election-ddeae9fb378530159201ef4196cba9b3">her concession speech</a>&nbsp;to honor the will of voters.“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” she said. “That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-electoral-college-republicans-trump-certification-2c6d9fc07979d2ce4ece23cca74d5c0e">No disruptions</a>&nbsp;are expected on Monday. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team and the incoming White House press secretary, said there will be “a smooth transition of power.”“When Kamala Harris certifies the election results, President Trump will deliver on his promise to serve ALL Americans and will unify the country through success,” she said in a statement.Leavitt did not respond to a question about Trump's attempt to use the certification process to overturn his defeat four years ago. At that time, Trump encouraged his vice president, Mike Pence, to disqualify votes from battleground states based on false allegations of fraud.Pence refused. Trump's supporters burst into the Capitol and halted the proceedings, forcing lawmakers to hide for their safety. Trump posted on social media that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.”Police eventually cleared the rioters from the building, and lawmakers reconvened to finish their certification. Scores of Republicans still voted to support challenges to the election result.“I had no right to overturn the election,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-january-6-capitol-riot-carlson-1e38cb44d55737031ca528b4f33aa1fb">Pence said two years later</a>. "And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">Trump faced criminal charges</a>&nbsp;for trying to stay in power despite losing. However, special counsel Jack Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-justice-department-jack-smith-d6172cf98d8e03e099571c908267456c">dropped the federal case against him</a>&nbsp;after Trump defeated Harris since long-standing Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">criminal prosecution</a>.A separate case in Georgia over Trump's attempts to subvert the 2020 election is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fani-willis-georgia-election-indictment-removed-0aa6db3b7abed22eb08ed9323f687972">mired in controversy</a>&nbsp;over the Fulton County district attorney's romantic relationship with a prosecutor she hired to lead the case.The most recent example of a vice president certifying their own defeat came after the 2000 election. The battle between Gore and Bush ended up in the courtroom as the campaigns argued over whether Florida should conduct a recount.Bush won at the U.S. Supreme Court, preventing a recount and allowing his narrow victory to stand.Congress certified the results on Jan. 6, 2001, over the objections of some Democrats.“I rise to object to the fraudulent 25 Florida electoral votes,” Rep. Maxine Waters of California said at the time.Gore slammed the gavel and asked whether the objection met the requirements of being “in writing and signed by a member of the House and a senator.”“The objection is in writing, and I don't care that it's not signed by a member of the Senate,” Waters responded.“The chair will advise that the rules do care,” Gore said.After a few rounds of objections, Congress finished the certification.″May God bless our new president and new vice president and may God bless the United States of America," Gore said after announcing the results.Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.

🎥VP Harris issues statement on Electoral College certification

The State of Kansas sent an emergency alert Sunday evening asking the public to please not drive on Kansas Roads.

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in most of Kansas on Sunday. The disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736122387739.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The State of Kansas sent an emergency alert Sunday evening asking the public to please not drive on Kansas Roads.A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in most of Kansas on Sunday. The disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.

State sends Emergency Alert: Do not drive on Kansas roads

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an Arizona man on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 1:30p.m. on New Year's Eve, a sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Osage County for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop, the K9 unit located illegal narcotics

Jeremy T. Luce, 47, of Mesa, AZ was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No drug tax stamp and Illegal vehicle registration

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1735746849484.png" alt="Luce-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Luce-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an Arizona man on drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 1:30p.m. on New Year's Eve, a sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Osage County for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the K9 unit located illegal narcoticsJeremy T. Luce, 47, of Mesa, AZ was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No drug tax stamp and Illegal vehicle registration

Arizona man accused of selling meth in Kansas

JOHNSON COUNTY —In the days leading up to Christmas, police&nbsp; conducted a coordinated operation to address retail theft in Lenexa.

&nbsp; Multiple units within the Lenexa police department collaborated on this effort, including the K9 Unit, Bike Unit, Directed Patrol Unit, Uniform Patrol, and Dispatch. The operation utilized both uniformed and undercover officers, focusing on high-traffic shopping areas near W. 95th Street and Quivira, according to a media release.

This proactive approach resulted in 33 arrests on various charges, including theft, felony theft, possession of stolen property, possession of narcotics including cocaine, fentanyl, and meth, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a stolen vehicle. 

Among those arrested was a group suspected of involvement in an organized retail crime ring, with over $13,000 worth of stolen merchandise found in their vehicle. Additionally, several individuals with outstanding warrants were taken into custody.

JOHNSON COUNTY —In the days leading up to Christmas, police&nbsp; conducted a coordinated operation to address retail theft in Lenexa.&nbsp; Multiple units within the Lenexa police department collaborated on this effort, including the K9 Unit, Bike Unit, Directed Patrol Unit, Uniform Patrol, and Dispatch. The operation utilized both uniformed and undercover officers, focusing on high-traffic shopping areas near W. 95th Street and Quivira, according to a media release.This proactive approach resulted in 33 arrests on various charges, including theft, felony theft, possession of stolen property, possession of narcotics including cocaine, fentanyl, and meth, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Among those arrested was a group suspected of involvement in an organized retail crime ring, with over $13,000 worth of stolen merchandise found in their vehicle. Additionally, several individuals with outstanding warrants were taken into custody.

33 arrests after Kansas police effort to address retail theft

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of turning its virtual assistant Siri into a snoop that eavesdropped on the users of iPhones and other trendy devices in a betrayal to its long-standing commitment to personal privacy.

The proposed settlement filed in federal court earlier this week still needs to be approved by a judge, but here are a few things to know about the case and the privacy issues that it raised.

The Wood Law Firm, which specializes in class-action lawsuits, filed the complaint against Apple in August 2019, shortly after The Guardian newspaper published an article alleging that Siri's microphone had been surreptitiously turned on to record conversations occurring without the users' knowledge.

Apple issued a September 2014 software update that was supposed to activate the virtual assistant only with the triggering words "Hey, Siri," but The Guardian story alleged Siri was listening and recording conversations at other times to help improve the company's technology.

The story led to the lawsuit, which later raised allegations that Apple shared some of the conversations that Siri secretly recorded with advertisers looking to connect with consumers who were more likely to buy their products and services.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COVERED BY THE SETTLEMENT?

Tens of millions of U.S consumers who owned or purchased iPhones and other devices equipped with Siri from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year will be eligible to file claims.

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL EACH ELIGIBLE CONSUMER RECEIVE?

It's far too early to tell for certain, but the settlement currently envisions paying out up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, with each consumer limited to a maximum. The final amount could be affected by two factors: the number of claims and how much of the settlement fund is reduced to cover legal fees and costs.

A claims administrator estimates only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will file claims. The lawyers in the case currently are seeking nearly $30 million in fees and expenses, but that figure could still be lowered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, who is overseeing the case in Oakland, California. A proposed Feb. 14 court hearing has been proposed to review the settlement terms.

If the allegations were true, Apple may have violated federal wiretapping laws and other statutes designed to protect people's privacy. But Apple adamantly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that it would have been cleared of any misconduct had the case gone to trial. Lawyers representing the consumers asserted that Apple's misbehavior was so egregious that the company could have been liable for $1.5 billion in damages if it lost the case.

Although Apple hasn't explained the reasons for making the settlement, major companies often decide it makes more sense to resolve class-action cases rather than to continue to run up legal costs and risk the chance of potentially bad publicity. The lawsuit also targeted one of Apple's core values framing privacy as a "fundamental human right."

Although $95 million sounds like a lot of money, it's a pittance for Apple. Since September 2014, the company's total profits have exceeded $700 billion — a streak of prosperity that has helped propel the company's market value to about $3.7 trillion.

DO I NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE MICROPHONES ON OTHER DEVICES SPYING ON ME?

Perhaps. A case similar to the one filed against Siri is still active in a San Jose, California, federal court against Google and the virtual assistant in its Android software, which has been widely used in smartphones for years.

You can turn Apple's virtual assistant off by following these simple steps:

1. Navigate to Settings Siri &amp; Search.

2. Toggle off Listen for 'Hey Siri' and press the Side button for Siri.

3. Tap Turn Off Siri when a pop-up window appears.

You can also disable individual apps' access to your iPhone's mic by doing the following: Navigate to Settings (select the app) then toggle off Microphone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736086913375.png" alt="Apple issued a September 2014 software update that was supposed to activate the virtual assistant only with the triggering words "Hey, Siri,"" />
 <figcaption>Apple issued a September 2014 software update that was supposed to activate the virtual assistant only with the triggering words "Hey, Siri,"</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology WriterApple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of turning its virtual assistant Siri into a snoop that eavesdropped on the users of iPhones and other trendy devices in a betrayal to its long-standing commitment to personal privacy.The proposed settlement filed in federal court earlier this week still needs to be approved by a judge, but here are a few things to know about the case and the privacy issues that it raised.WHAT WAS THE LAWSUIT ABOUT?The Wood Law Firm, which specializes in class-action lawsuits, filed the complaint against Apple in August 2019, shortly after The Guardian newspaper published an article alleging that Siri's microphone had been surreptitiously turned on to record conversations occurring without the users' knowledge.Apple issued a September 2014 software update that was supposed to activate the virtual assistant only with the triggering words "Hey, Siri," but The Guardian story alleged Siri was listening and recording conversations at other times to help improve the company's technology.The story led to the lawsuit, which later raised allegations that Apple shared some of the conversations that Siri secretly recorded with advertisers looking to connect with consumers who were more likely to buy their products and services.HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COVERED BY THE SETTLEMENT?Tens of millions of U.S consumers who owned or purchased iPhones and other devices equipped with Siri from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year will be eligible to file claims.HOW MUCH MONEY WILL EACH ELIGIBLE CONSUMER RECEIVE?It's far too early to tell for certain, but the settlement currently envisions paying out up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, with each consumer limited to a maximum. The final amount could be affected by two factors: the number of claims and how much of the settlement fund is reduced to cover legal fees and costs.A claims administrator estimates only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will file claims. The lawyers in the case currently are seeking nearly $30 million in fees and expenses, but that figure could still be lowered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, who is overseeing the case in Oakland, California. A proposed Feb. 14 court hearing has been proposed to review the settlement terms.DID APPLE BREAK ANY LAWS?If the allegations were true, Apple may have violated federal wiretapping laws and other statutes designed to protect people's privacy. But Apple adamantly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that it would have been cleared of any misconduct had the case gone to trial. Lawyers representing the consumers asserted that Apple's misbehavior was so egregious that the company could have been liable for $1.5 billion in damages if it lost the case.Although Apple hasn't explained the reasons for making the settlement, major companies often decide it makes more sense to resolve class-action cases rather than to continue to run up legal costs and risk the chance of potentially bad publicity. The lawsuit also targeted one of Apple's core values framing privacy as a "fundamental human right."Although $95 million sounds like a lot of money, it's a pittance for Apple. Since September 2014, the company's total profits have exceeded $700 billion — a streak of prosperity that has helped propel the company's market value to about $3.7 trillion.DO I NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE MICROPHONES ON OTHER DEVICES SPYING ON ME?Perhaps. A case similar to the one filed against Siri is still active in a San Jose, California, federal court against Google and the virtual assistant in its Android software, which has been widely used in smartphones for years.JUST IN CASE, HOW DO I DISABLE SIRI?You can turn Apple's virtual assistant off by following these simple steps:1. Navigate to Settings Siri &amp; Search.2. Toggle off Listen for 'Hey Siri' and press the Side button for Siri.3. Tap Turn Off Siri when a pop-up window appears.You can also disable individual apps' access to your iPhone's mic by doing the following: Navigate to Settings (select the app) then toggle off Microphone.

Apple to pay $95 million settlement in the snooping Siri case

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Jimmy Carter already had drawn months of media scrutiny as a devout Southern Baptist running for president. Then the 1976 Democratic nominee brought up sex and sin as he explained his religious faith to Playboy magazine.

Carter was not misquoted. But he was certainly misunderstood, as his thoughts in the wide-ranging interview were reduced in the popular imagination to utterances about "lust" and "adultery."

Nearly a half-century later, as Carter was receiving hospice care in the same south Georgia home where he once spoke with Playboy journalists, his interviewer Robert Scheer still believed Carter was treated unfairly. He recalled the former president as a "real" and "serious" figure whose intent was smothered by the intensity of a campaign's closing stretch.

"Jimmy Carter was a thoughtful guy," Scheer told The Associated Press. "But that got lost here. I've never seen a story like it. It was worldwide. ... It just never went away."

Political disaster ensued. Rosalynn Carter was suddenly being asked whether she trusted her husband. The fallout, in Carter's words, "nearly cost me the election."

Carter spent five-plus hours with Playboy across several months — "more time with you than with Time, Newsweek and all the others combined," he told Scheer and Playboy editor Barry Golson.

The resulting Q&amp;A spanned 12,000 words, and Scheer added thousands more in an accompanying story. Carter discussed military and foreign policy, racism and civil rights, political journalism and his reputation as a "vague" candidate.

"They weren't interested in sensationalized stuff," Scheer said of Playboy.

Hugh Hefner's publication reached an estimated 20 million-plus readers each month with its pictorials of nude women. But the magazine chronicled American culture as well, with its branded "Playboy Interview" featuring such power players as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, Malcom X and leading newsman Walter Cronkite.

Carter, unafraid of nuance, proved he belonged among them, Scheer said.

Carter's most-remembered comments came at the end of their final session. Standing outside Carter's front door, Golson pressed Carter on whether his piety would make him a "rigid, unbending president" unable to represent all Americans.

The Baptist deacon responded with an 823-word soliloquy on human imperfection, pride and God's forgiveness. He said he believed in "absolute and total separation of church and state" and explained his faith as rooted in humility, not judgment of others.

Quoting Matthew 5:27-28, Carter explained that Jesus Christ considered an offending thought equivalent to consummated adultery, and by that standard, he was in no position to judge a man who "shacks up" and "screws lots of women," because he had "looked on many women with lust" and, thus, "committed adultery many times in my heart."

Scheer called it a "sensible statement," reflecting Carter's Baptist tradition: "He was saying, 'Look, I'm not going to be some fanatic. ... I'm not this perfect guy.'"

Playboy realized Carter provided explosive material — and not just about sex. Citing President Lyndon Johnson's handling of Vietnam, Carter included the last Democratic president alongside disgraced Republican Richard Nixon as guilty of "lying, cheating and distorting the truth."

The magazine decided to send the full Q&amp;A text to about 1,000 media outlets in late September, before the usual October publication date for the November edition.

The idea, Scheer explained, was to allow time for fair coverage rather than drop bombshells days before the election.

Headline writers, satirists and late-night television pounced anyway, labeling it Carter's "lust in my heart" interview. "Saturday Night Live," then a fledgling NBC sketch comedy show, had a field day. One political cartoonist depicted Carter lusting after the Statue of Liberty.

He lamented to NPR in 1993 that the Playboy interview morphed into "the No. 1 story of the entire 1976 campaign."

"I was explaining Jesus' Sermon on the Mount," Carter wrote wistfully in a 2015 memoir.

Carter's faith had endeared him to many fellow white evangelicals and cultural conservatives. That made him a difficult foil for Republicans, who wanted to cast Democrats as out of step with most of America. The flip side, Scheer noted, was that many young voters and urban liberals — key Democratic constituencies — "wondered if he was this Southern square."

"Hamilton Jordan (Carter's campaign manager) had always called Carter's faith 'the weirdo factor,'" said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee media historian who has written extensively on Carter. "Talking to Playboy was their way to prove he wasn't some kind of prude."

Scheer, who was with Carter as part of his traveling press corps, said Playboy's early text release sparked a frenzy.

"Reporters were scrambling, asking me, 'Bob, what is this?" he recalled.

The press traveling with Carter focused initially on Carter's criticism of Johnson, who died in 1973. It was a juicy detail because Carter was headed Texas to campaign with LBJ's widow.

Carter initially told reporters his criticisms of LBJ were taken out of context. Scheer "ran back to the plane to get the tapes," and effectively caught the nominee violating his pledge never to make a "misleading statement."

Lady Bird Johnson skipped Carter's Texas events, Scheer said. Carter apologized to her by telephone.

When his commentary on adultery ballooned, Carter insisted the exchange had been off-the-record, throwaway banter as Scheer and Golson prepared to leave.

"He was still wearing the mic!" Scheer told AP.

The way the story morphed "ended up making Carter seem like a creep," Roessner said.

Rosalynn Carter fashioned a pat response: "Jimmy talks too much, but at least people know he's honest and doesn't mind answering questions." And, no, she never worried about his fidelity.

"The only lust I worried about was that of the press," she wrote in 1984, recounting how her discipline finally cracked when a reporter asked whether she ever committed adultery.

"If I had," she replied, "I wouldn't tell you."

President Gerald Ford, who had been gaining on Carter but still trailed badly, leveraged the story. The Republican president was an Episcopalian, soft-spoken about religion, but he invited leading evangelical pastors to the White House the day after the interview's release, including the Rev. W.S. Criswell of Dallas First Baptist Church.

Criswell later declared from his pulpit that he had asked Ford: "Mr. President, if Playboy magazine were to ask you for an interview, what would you do?" Ford's reply, according to Criswell: "I was asked by Playboy magazine for an interview — and I declined with an emphatic 'No'!"

The Rev. Billy Graham, then the nation's top evangelist, and the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the rising leader of the so-called Religious Right, also blitzed Carter. National media, including The AP, highlighted criticism from Christian pastors from around the country.

Roessner, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, said Carter's Playboy comments were clumsy, "but if anyone should have understood the context ... it should have been the ministers."

She recalled Carter's resentment during a 2014 interview she conducted with him. Decades of global humanitarian work had by that time afforded the former president a profile above politics, yet "almost 40 years later, it was clearly something he held on to," she said. He was "still incredibly frustrated by what he felt was unfair coverage and response."

The 1976 campaign was the first after Richard Nixon's resignation, driven by reporting from The Washington Post, and many journalists were demonstrating a new level of distrust of politicians, especially one Scheer described as "wearing his religion on his sleeve."

Those same news organizations largely ignored what the soon-to-be president said about them, Roessner noted.

"The traveling press have zero interest in any issue unless it's a matter of making a mistake," Carter told Playboy. "There's nobody in the back of this plane who would ask an issue question unless he thought he could trick me into some crazy statement."

By BILL BARROW Associated PressPLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Jimmy Carter already had drawn months of media scrutiny as a devout Southern Baptist running for president. Then the 1976 Democratic nominee brought up sex and sin as he explained his religious faith to Playboy magazine.Carter was not misquoted. But he was certainly misunderstood, as his thoughts in the wide-ranging interview were reduced in the popular imagination to utterances about "lust" and "adultery."Nearly a half-century later, as Carter was receiving hospice care in the same south Georgia home where he once spoke with Playboy journalists, his interviewer Robert Scheer still believed Carter was treated unfairly. He recalled the former president as a "real" and "serious" figure whose intent was smothered by the intensity of a campaign's closing stretch.Carter died Sunday at age 100."Jimmy Carter was a thoughtful guy," Scheer told The Associated Press. "But that got lost here. I've never seen a story like it. It was worldwide. ... It just never went away."Political disaster ensued. Rosalynn Carter was suddenly being asked whether she trusted her husband. The fallout, in Carter's words, "nearly cost me the election."Carter spent five-plus hours with Playboy across several months — "more time with you than with Time, Newsweek and all the others combined," he told Scheer and Playboy editor Barry Golson.The resulting Q&amp;A spanned 12,000 words, and Scheer added thousands more in an accompanying story. Carter discussed military and foreign policy, racism and civil rights, political journalism and his reputation as a "vague" candidate."They weren't interested in sensationalized stuff," Scheer said of Playboy.Hugh Hefner's publication reached an estimated 20 million-plus readers each month with its pictorials of nude women. But the magazine chronicled American culture as well, with its branded "Playboy Interview" featuring such power players as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, Malcom X and leading newsman Walter Cronkite.Carter, unafraid of nuance, proved he belonged among them, Scheer said.Carter's most-remembered comments came at the end of their final session. Standing outside Carter's front door, Golson pressed Carter on whether his piety would make him a "rigid, unbending president" unable to represent all Americans.The Baptist deacon responded with an 823-word soliloquy on human imperfection, pride and God's forgiveness. He said he believed in "absolute and total separation of church and state" and explained his faith as rooted in humility, not judgment of others.Quoting Matthew 5:27-28, Carter explained that Jesus Christ considered an offending thought equivalent to consummated adultery, and by that standard, he was in no position to judge a man who "shacks up" and "screws lots of women," because he had "looked on many women with lust" and, thus, "committed adultery many times in my heart."Scheer called it a "sensible statement," reflecting Carter's Baptist tradition: "He was saying, 'Look, I'm not going to be some fanatic. ... I'm not this perfect guy.'"Playboy realized Carter provided explosive material — and not just about sex. Citing President Lyndon Johnson's handling of Vietnam, Carter included the last Democratic president alongside disgraced Republican Richard Nixon as guilty of "lying, cheating and distorting the truth."The magazine decided to send the full Q&amp;A text to about 1,000 media outlets in late September, before the usual October publication date for the November edition.The idea, Scheer explained, was to allow time for fair coverage rather than drop bombshells days before the election.Headline writers, satirists and late-night television pounced anyway, labeling it Carter's "lust in my heart" interview. "Saturday Night Live," then a fledgling NBC sketch comedy show, had a field day. One political cartoonist depicted Carter lusting after the Statue of Liberty.He lamented to NPR in 1993 that the Playboy interview morphed into "the No. 1 story of the entire 1976 campaign.""I was explaining Jesus' Sermon on the Mount," Carter wrote wistfully in a 2015 memoir.Carter's faith had endeared him to many fellow white evangelicals and cultural conservatives. That made him a difficult foil for Republicans, who wanted to cast Democrats as out of step with most of America. The flip side, Scheer noted, was that many young voters and urban liberals — key Democratic constituencies — "wondered if he was this Southern square.""Hamilton Jordan (Carter's campaign manager) had always called Carter's faith 'the weirdo factor,'" said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee media historian who has written extensively on Carter. "Talking to Playboy was their way to prove he wasn't some kind of prude."Scheer, who was with Carter as part of his traveling press corps, said Playboy's early text release sparked a frenzy."Reporters were scrambling, asking me, 'Bob, what is this?" he recalled.The press traveling with Carter focused initially on Carter's criticism of Johnson, who died in 1973. It was a juicy detail because Carter was headed Texas to campaign with LBJ's widow.Carter initially told reporters his criticisms of LBJ were taken out of context. Scheer "ran back to the plane to get the tapes," and effectively caught the nominee violating his pledge never to make a "misleading statement."Lady Bird Johnson skipped Carter's Texas events, Scheer said. Carter apologized to her by telephone.When his commentary on adultery ballooned, Carter insisted the exchange had been off-the-record, throwaway banter as Scheer and Golson prepared to leave."He was still wearing the mic!" Scheer told AP.The way the story morphed "ended up making Carter seem like a creep," Roessner said.Rosalynn Carter fashioned a pat response: "Jimmy talks too much, but at least people know he's honest and doesn't mind answering questions." And, no, she never worried about his fidelity."The only lust I worried about was that of the press," she wrote in 1984, recounting how her discipline finally cracked when a reporter asked whether she ever committed adultery."If I had," she replied, "I wouldn't tell you."President Gerald Ford, who had been gaining on Carter but still trailed badly, leveraged the story. The Republican president was an Episcopalian, soft-spoken about religion, but he invited leading evangelical pastors to the White House the day after the interview's release, including the Rev. W.S. Criswell of Dallas First Baptist Church.Criswell later declared from his pulpit that he had asked Ford: "Mr. President, if Playboy magazine were to ask you for an interview, what would you do?" Ford's reply, according to Criswell: "I was asked by Playboy magazine for an interview — and I declined with an emphatic 'No'!"Thousands of his parishioners roared.The Rev. Billy Graham, then the nation's top evangelist, and the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the rising leader of the so-called Religious Right, also blitzed Carter. National media, including The AP, highlighted criticism from Christian pastors from around the country.Roessner, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, said Carter's Playboy comments were clumsy, "but if anyone should have understood the context ... it should have been the ministers."She recalled Carter's resentment during a 2014 interview she conducted with him. Decades of global humanitarian work had by that time afforded the former president a profile above politics, yet "almost 40 years later, it was clearly something he held on to," she said. He was "still incredibly frustrated by what he felt was unfair coverage and response."The 1976 campaign was the first after Richard Nixon's resignation, driven by reporting from The Washington Post, and many journalists were demonstrating a new level of distrust of politicians, especially one Scheer described as "wearing his religion on his sleeve."Those same news organizations largely ignored what the soon-to-be president said about them, Roessner noted."The traveling press have zero interest in any issue unless it's a matter of making a mistake," Carter told Playboy. "There's nobody in the back of this plane who would ask an issue question unless he thought he could trick me into some crazy statement."Scheer, at least, asked plenty of policy questions, and, looking back, he pointed to Carter's narrow victory just weeks later."Whatever they said, I think it did exactly what they wanted to accomplish," Scheer said. "That doesn't mean they weren't nervous."___This story was first published April 16, 2023, and has been updated with news of Carter's death.