Eldon Duane Taylor, age 70, passed away in the home on January 5, 2025 after a short illness. Eldon was born on January 12, 1954 in Seattle, Washington, the son of Eldon Duane Burnett and Mernadean Taylor (Lexow). His parents moved to Seattle, but returned when Eldon was 6 months old, as his father and namesake had drowned in an effort to save his uncle. 

Eldon grew up in Abilene where he graduated from high school. He then attended K-state as a member of Beta Sigma Psi, never earning a degree in restaurant management after switching from engineering, but still had the best “five or six years of his life,” according to his t-shirt. Eldon married Kim Cairns in 1985 and had three children, Brandy, Levi, and Elijah before their divorce in 1992. Eldon ran the 76 Truckstop in Solomon, KS on I-70 for 17 years before changing careers and working in procurement while he raised his children as a single dad. He was then able to accomplish his dream and open his own restaurant, E’s Cafe in Solomon, where he could cook breakfast all day. He loved to cook, bake and smoke all day. His retirement was spent in Lawrence, KS living with his daughter Brandy’s family as their “manny,” something he bragged about to anyone who would listen. His life was his children and grandchildren, he was their Papa E. He loved sports: watching them, playing them and coaching them. He never missed a Solomon High School game if his kids were on the team and even set his alarm for any time in the morning to watch Leceister playing ‘football’ from across the pond. Eldon also refought WWII during Axis and Allies games with his best friends for decades. He loved to read and consumed hundreds of books from various genres. Survivors include his sisters Kathy Rasbold of Derby and Annette Wilson (Taylor) married to Evan Wilson of Abilene, his children Levi Taylor of Solomon and Brandy Taylor and her husband Blake Swenson of Lawrence, his grandchildren Nomy, Zinn and Wells Swenson; one step-brother, Steve and wife Kim Taylor of Liberty, MO and a niece and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his nephew Joshua Rasbold and his youngest son, Elijah Taylor.

Services will be at Carlson-Becker Funeral Home in Solomon on Friday, January 10, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. There will be a lunch served following the service at the Red Bud Lake Clubhouse, 2191 Eden Road, Abilene, Kansas 67410. All are invited to attend. Online condolences may be sent to www.martinbeckercarlson.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736869197010.png" alt="Eldon Duane Taylor" />
 <figcaption>Eldon Duane Taylor</figcaption>
 </figure>Eldon Duane Taylor, age 70, passed away in the home on January 5, 2025 after a short illness. Eldon was born on January 12, 1954 in Seattle, Washington, the son of Eldon Duane Burnett and Mernadean Taylor (Lexow). His parents moved to Seattle, but returned when Eldon was 6 months old, as his father and namesake had drowned in an effort to save his uncle. Eldon grew up in Abilene where he graduated from high school. He then attended K-state as a member of Beta Sigma Psi, never earning a degree in restaurant management after switching from engineering, but still had the best “five or six years of his life,” according to his t-shirt. Eldon married Kim Cairns in 1985 and had three children, Brandy, Levi, and Elijah before their divorce in 1992. Eldon ran the 76 Truckstop in Solomon, KS on I-70 for 17 years before changing careers and working in procurement while he raised his children as a single dad. He was then able to accomplish his dream and open his own restaurant, E’s Cafe in Solomon, where he could cook breakfast all day. He loved to cook, bake and smoke all day. His retirement was spent in Lawrence, KS living with his daughter Brandy’s family as their “manny,” something he bragged about to anyone who would listen. His life was his children and grandchildren, he was their Papa E. He loved sports: watching them, playing them and coaching them. He never missed a Solomon High School game if his kids were on the team and even set his alarm for any time in the morning to watch Leceister playing ‘football’ from across the pond. Eldon also refought WWII during Axis and Allies games with his best friends for decades. He loved to read and consumed hundreds of books from various genres. Survivors include his sisters Kathy Rasbold of Derby and Annette Wilson (Taylor) married to Evan Wilson of Abilene, his children Levi Taylor of Solomon and Brandy Taylor and her husband Blake Swenson of Lawrence, his grandchildren Nomy, Zinn and Wells Swenson; one step-brother, Steve and wife Kim Taylor of Liberty, MO and a niece and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his nephew Joshua Rasbold and his youngest son, Elijah Taylor.Services will be at Carlson-Becker Funeral Home in Solomon on Friday, January 10, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. There will be a lunch served following the service at the Red Bud Lake Clubhouse, 2191 Eden Road, Abilene, Kansas 67410. All are invited to attend. Online condolences may be sent to www.martinbeckercarlson.com

Eldon Duane Taylor

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, go ahead and fire away.”

Q: What did you see from D.J. Humphries? Do you think he’s ready to start at left tackle again?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought D.J. (Humphries) did a pretty good job there. (There are) a few plays that he’d probably like to have back, but he’s headed in the right direction, for sure. I haven’t made any decisions on that (or) which direction to go right this minute, so we’ll see. We’ll get there by the time we get to the end of next week there.”

Q: What’s your take on Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo readiness to be a head coach again?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Pete (Sweeney), you know this from what I’ve said before that I think both of them (Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) deserve an opportunity again to be head coaches. They’re obviously getting some play here so other people recognize that too, and we’ll just see where it goes. I know they’re focused on taking care of business now here and then looking at these other things this week and then that stops after this week.”

Q: What factors are most important when determining the starter at left tackle?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, the best part is that they both (Joe Thuney and D.J. Humphries) are good players and (Mike) Caliendo’s playing well, too, so I’m not too worried about that whole situation. We’ll just see how it plays out. (Offensive Line Coach) Andy (Heck) rotates them during the week anyways, so they’ll all get work and we’ll just go from there. Obviously, you want the best combination, but I think in this case you’ve got three guys there that are pretty good players.”

Q: Where do you feel like you guys are at with Harrison Butker coming off the injury heading into the playoffs?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Harrison Butker) working through that, and he’ll be fine. He’s a hard worker, that’s what he does and he’s a perfectionist on everything. He’ll just keep cranking and I think he’s getting better every day as he goes through this.

Q: Is there any affect on your friends and family in Los Angeles with the fires?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve had a couple friends that had some problems out there, but our hearts go out to all those people. You know, (our) prayers are with them and hopefully they get these things contained. They’re all in different areas of the city but those ones along the coast there, those are rough ones. We just pray for everybody’s safety, number one.”

Q:&nbsp;On the Chiefs recent success and legacy.

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I mean there’s no place better to do it than right here in Kansas City, but when you’re in the middle of it, you really don’t think about it. You’re thinking about the next game. I mean, that’s just how this business is. When you look in the rear-view mirror, then you normally get your tail kicked so you have to be careful of that. We’re just trying to keep pushing forward but at the same time, we know we have great fans, I don’t ever want to slight that part. That’s an – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium’s an unbelievable place to play with the support of GEHA as part of this thing too. We – the thing I enjoy the most about the present is for however great this thing is, these guys are so humble, and they work so hard, and I appreciate that part from a coach’s standpoint.”

Q:&nbsp;What does this weekend look like for you guys and how do you prepare for the possibility of playing four different teams?

REID:&nbsp;“We actually have played, which is crazy, but we’ve played all the teams that are in the playoffs. You have to go back though, you can’t be content with that so the four teams that we have a chance to potentially play in a couple weeks here, we’ve tried to hammer those out, and we’re going to continue to do that until we find out what the results are probably Sunday night, somewhere in that area, or at least late afternoon I would imagine. We’ll figure it out and see where it goes, but we’re going to try to be ready for all of them while we have this time, and we’ve tried to use it smart as a coaching staff. At the same time, we want to make sure our players are fresh but still stay sharp, so they worked today in pads and they’ll go tomorrow and then Sunday, whether it’s a Saturday game or a Sunday game, they’ll have Sunday off.”

Q:&nbsp;How are the injured guys doing right now?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, they (Isiah Pacheco, Jawaan Taylor, Chris Jones and Chamarri Conner) all practiced today so that was a good thing, Matt (Derrick), that they were all able to get in there and bang it around a little bit. That was the big plus, so they’re all doing well to answer your question. They’re doing well.”

Q: On how Jaylen Watson has looked returning to practice.

REID:&nbsp;“He (Jaylen Watson) worked last week, he came out of those workouts and felt good. He worked hard today. We did a lot of one-on-one stuff today, so ones versus ones, so he was able to get in there and work that and he looked good from what I’ve seen. I haven’t gone back and looked at the tape yet, but he looked like he was moving around pretty good.”

Q: On what the team has been doing since the Denver game.

REID:&nbsp;“We gave the guys time off there. It’s very similar to two years ago, about the same schedule as we had two years ago, almost to the point – to the tee. The coaches have worked, Adam (Teicher), just so you know that.”

Q: On how beneficial earning the No. 1 seed will be for divvying up snaps for Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

REID:&nbsp;“You know how that position (running back) – that’s a tough position, you take a beating at that position. I think this period of time, the rest period, benefits a lot of people, but those running backs really. I mean that’s a good time for recovery, and I think they were smart with it. All the guys have been working out, so they were kind of chomping at the bit to get going, so that’s kind of how you want it. They knew that this bye week was going to be different than your in-season bye week, so they’ve all been in working and doing their thing. With those two (Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt), I don’t know how I’ll divvy up, but I would imagine it would just end up being the same as we’ve been doing with them. They will both be in there battling, you know.”

Q: Do you find any value in reinforcing to the guys what historic accomplishments are on the line?

REID:&nbsp;“No, I don’t think it is Vahe (Gregorian). The important thing is that you stay focused on the team at hand that you’re going to have an opportunity to play. For the coaches, it’s important that we know all these teams and then being able to put together a game plan where the players can execute it fast. If you start getting caught up in the what ifs and all that you get into trouble. You just have to take the next one and let’s go and play our best and do the best you can do and then let the chips fall where they may. You have to make sure you maximize that part and if anything gets in the way of that you have to get rid of it. It’s not – it’ll hinder you but better than help you.”

Q: How beneficial is it to have veterans that have been in big moments to lean on?

REID:&nbsp;“The experience helps. Especially with some of the younger guys to be able to talk to them and tell them about the urgency of this thing. It is single elimination. That’s easier said than putting that in your brain and getting yourself right for every snap that you have at practice to practice hard and aggressive with. You just have to make sure you really stay focused and don’t let distractions in there the best you can.”

Q: How do you approach practice tempos with the young guy to give them a taste of playoffs?

REID:&nbsp;“Today we did ones versus ones, that would be an example of what you’re saying. So, they get that speed against each other and have to compete. These are all competitive guys, but you put the ones out there against each other, they really get competitive and that’s kind of a fun thing to be a part of and it’s good for the guys. It’s good to get caught up like that on the speed part of it.”

Q: The organization released a survey to fans on what they want the new stadium to have. Any requests that you have?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesJanuary 10, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, go ahead and fire away.”Q: What did you see from D.J. Humphries? Do you think he’s ready to start at left tackle again?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I thought D.J. (Humphries) did a pretty good job there. (There are) a few plays that he’d probably like to have back, but he’s headed in the right direction, for sure. I haven’t made any decisions on that (or) which direction to go right this minute, so we’ll see. We’ll get there by the time we get to the end of next week there.”Q: What’s your take on Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo readiness to be a head coach again?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, Pete (Sweeney), you know this from what I’ve said before that I think both of them (Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) deserve an opportunity again to be head coaches. They’re obviously getting some play here so other people recognize that too, and we’ll just see where it goes. I know they’re focused on taking care of business now here and then looking at these other things this week and then that stops after this week.”Q: What factors are most important when determining the starter at left tackle?REID:&nbsp;“Well, the best part is that they both (Joe Thuney and D.J. Humphries) are good players and (Mike) Caliendo’s playing well, too, so I’m not too worried about that whole situation. We’ll just see how it plays out. (Offensive Line Coach) Andy (Heck) rotates them during the week anyways, so they’ll all get work and we’ll just go from there. Obviously, you want the best combination, but I think in this case you’ve got three guys there that are pretty good players.”Q: Where do you feel like you guys are at with Harrison Butker coming off the injury heading into the playoffs?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Harrison Butker) working through that, and he’ll be fine. He’s a hard worker, that’s what he does and he’s a perfectionist on everything. He’ll just keep cranking and I think he’s getting better every day as he goes through this.Q: Is there any affect on your friends and family in Los Angeles with the fires?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve had a couple friends that had some problems out there, but our hearts go out to all those people. You know, (our) prayers are with them and hopefully they get these things contained. They’re all in different areas of the city but those ones along the coast there, those are rough ones. We just pray for everybody’s safety, number one.”Q:&nbsp;On the Chiefs recent success and legacy.REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I mean there’s no place better to do it than right here in Kansas City, but when you’re in the middle of it, you really don’t think about it. You’re thinking about the next game. I mean, that’s just how this business is. When you look in the rear-view mirror, then you normally get your tail kicked so you have to be careful of that. We’re just trying to keep pushing forward but at the same time, we know we have great fans, I don’t ever want to slight that part. That’s an – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium’s an unbelievable place to play with the support of GEHA as part of this thing too. We – the thing I enjoy the most about the present is for however great this thing is, these guys are so humble, and they work so hard, and I appreciate that part from a coach’s standpoint.”Q:&nbsp;What does this weekend look like for you guys and how do you prepare for the possibility of playing four different teams?REID:&nbsp;“We actually have played, which is crazy, but we’ve played all the teams that are in the playoffs. You have to go back though, you can’t be content with that so the four teams that we have a chance to potentially play in a couple weeks here, we’ve tried to hammer those out, and we’re going to continue to do that until we find out what the results are probably Sunday night, somewhere in that area, or at least late afternoon I would imagine. We’ll figure it out and see where it goes, but we’re going to try to be ready for all of them while we have this time, and we’ve tried to use it smart as a coaching staff. At the same time, we want to make sure our players are fresh but still stay sharp, so they worked today in pads and they’ll go tomorrow and then Sunday, whether it’s a Saturday game or a Sunday game, they’ll have Sunday off.”Q:&nbsp;How are the injured guys doing right now?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, they (Isiah Pacheco, Jawaan Taylor, Chris Jones and Chamarri Conner) all practiced today so that was a good thing, Matt (Derrick), that they were all able to get in there and bang it around a little bit. That was the big plus, so they’re all doing well to answer your question. They’re doing well.”Q: On how Jaylen Watson has looked returning to practice.REID:&nbsp;“He (Jaylen Watson) worked last week, he came out of those workouts and felt good. He worked hard today. We did a lot of one-on-one stuff today, so ones versus ones, so he was able to get in there and work that and he looked good from what I’ve seen. I haven’t gone back and looked at the tape yet, but he looked like he was moving around pretty good.”Q: On what the team has been doing since the Denver game.REID:&nbsp;“We gave the guys time off there. It’s very similar to two years ago, about the same schedule as we had two years ago, almost to the point – to the tee. The coaches have worked, Adam (Teicher), just so you know that.”Q: On how beneficial earning the No. 1 seed will be for divvying up snaps for Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.REID:&nbsp;“You know how that position (running back) – that’s a tough position, you take a beating at that position. I think this period of time, the rest period, benefits a lot of people, but those running backs really. I mean that’s a good time for recovery, and I think they were smart with it. All the guys have been working out, so they were kind of chomping at the bit to get going, so that’s kind of how you want it. They knew that this bye week was going to be different than your in-season bye week, so they’ve all been in working and doing their thing. With those two (Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt), I don’t know how I’ll divvy up, but I would imagine it would just end up being the same as we’ve been doing with them. They will both be in there battling, you know.”Q: Do you find any value in reinforcing to the guys what historic accomplishments are on the line?REID:&nbsp;“No, I don’t think it is Vahe (Gregorian). The important thing is that you stay focused on the team at hand that you’re going to have an opportunity to play. For the coaches, it’s important that we know all these teams and then being able to put together a game plan where the players can execute it fast. If you start getting caught up in the what ifs and all that you get into trouble. You just have to take the next one and let’s go and play our best and do the best you can do and then let the chips fall where they may. You have to make sure you maximize that part and if anything gets in the way of that you have to get rid of it. It’s not – it’ll hinder you but better than help you.”Q: How beneficial is it to have veterans that have been in big moments to lean on?REID:&nbsp;“The experience helps. Especially with some of the younger guys to be able to talk to them and tell them about the urgency of this thing. It is single elimination. That’s easier said than putting that in your brain and getting yourself right for every snap that you have at practice to practice hard and aggressive with. You just have to make sure you really stay focused and don’t let distractions in there the best you can.”Q: How do you approach practice tempos with the young guy to give them a taste of playoffs?REID:&nbsp;“Today we did ones versus ones, that would be an example of what you’re saying. So, they get that speed against each other and have to compete. These are all competitive guys, but you put the ones out there against each other, they really get competitive and that’s kind of a fun thing to be a part of and it’s good for the guys. It’s good to get caught up like that on the speed part of it.”Q: The organization released a survey to fans on what they want the new stadium to have. Any requests that you have?

Chiefs Quotes: 1-10-24

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday seemed likely to uphold a law that would ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-speech-national-security-22d672d946b6b4065ae5fb7f3e0d8bed">TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-656">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argument

Hearing arguments in a momentous clash of free speech and national security concerns, the justices seemed persuaded by arguments that the national security threat posed by the company's connections to China override concerns about restricting the speech either of TikTok or its 170 million users in the United States.

Early in arguments that lasted more than two and a half hours, Chief Justice John Roberts identified his main concern: TikTok’s ownership by China-based ByteDance and the parent company's requirement to cooperate with the Chinese government’s intelligence operations.

If left in place, the law passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April will require TikTok to “go dark” on Jan. 19, lawyer Noel Francisco told the justices on behalf of TikTok.

At the very least, Francisco urged, the justices should enter a temporary pause that would allow TikTok to keep operating. “We might be in a different world again” after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump, who has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, also has called for the deadline to be pushed back to give him time to negotiate a “political resolution.” Francisco served as Trump's solicitor general in his first presidential term.

But it was not clear whether any justices would choose such a course. And only Justice Neil Gorsuch sounded like he would side with TikTok to find that the ban violates the Constitution.

Gorsuch labeled arguments advanced by the Biden administration’ in defense of the law a “paternalistic point of view.” TikTok, he said, has offered to post a warning that the content could be manipulated by the Chinese government.

“Don’t we normally assume that the best remedy for problematic speech is counter speech?” he asked Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who defended the law for the Biden administration

A warning wouldn’t be enough to counterbalance the spread of misinformation, Prelogar said.

Francisco and lawyer Jeffrey Fisher, representing content creators and TikTok users, repeatedly tried to focus the court on the First Amendment restrictions that would fall on TikTok and its users, imperiling the livelihood of content creators, if the law is allowed to take effect.

But compared to the mildly challenging questions directed to Prelogar, they faced skepticism from every justice other than Gorsuch.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh raised U.S. concerns about China accessing information on tens of millions of Americans, including especially teenagers and people in their 20s, with whom TikTok is extremely popular.

“That seems like a huge concern for the future of the country,” said Kavanaugh, whose daughters are in that age range.

Roberts downplayed Fisher’s argument that banning TikTok violates American users’ free speech rights. “Congress is fine with the expression,” Roberts said. “They’re not fine with a foreign adversary, as they’ve determined it is, gathering all this information about the 170 million people who use TikTok.”

The justices are expected to act within days, almost certainly ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline.

Content creators and small business owners who rely on the app are awaiting a decision with anxiety.

“There’s really no replacement for this app," said Skip Chapman, co-owner of KAFX Body in Manasquan, N.J., a maker and seller of natural deodorants. Chapman said more than 80% of his sales come on TikTok and he has not found the same traction on Amazon or other platforms.

Lee Zavorskas, a TikTok creator and a licensed esthetician based in New Hampshire, said she makes nearly half of her income on the platform by promoting products for other businesses. Zavorskas said she found it too stressful to listen to Friday's arguments. Instead, she spent her time building a YouTube channel.

ByteDance has said it won’t sell the short-form video platform, and Francisco said a sale might never be possible under the conditions set in the law.

But some investors have been eyeing TikTok, including Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchi</a>&nbsp;n and billionaire businessman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">Frank McCourt</a>. On Thursday, McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative said it, along with its unnamed partners, presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.

If TikTok isn’t sold to an approved buyer, the federal law would prohibit app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google, from offering the popular app. It would also bar internet hosting services from hosting TikTok.

TikTok users who already have the app on their phones will continue to have access to it. But new users won’t be able to download the app, and existing ones will no longer be able to receive updates. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.

Prelogar said an eventual sale of the platform, even after the ban kicks in, would allow TikTok to resume operations. The sale of Twitter to Elon Musk, who renamed it X, shows that the sale of a social media platform can happen quickly, she said.

That high-profile transaction went through in about six months from offer to completion, she said.

TikTok, meanwhile, has been “on notice” since 2020, during Trump's first term, that its sale could be required if it couldn’t satisfy the U.S. government’s national security concerns

The federal law was the culmination of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">yearslong saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over TikTok, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>&nbsp;due to its connections to China.

U.S. officials argue that the vast amounts of user data that TikTok collects, including sensitive information on viewing habits, could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. They also are concerned that the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who could pressure ByteDance to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.

TikTok, which sued the government last year over the law, has long denied it could be used as a tool of Beijing.

The company negotiated with the Biden administration between 2021 and 2022 to resolve the concerns around U.S. data privacy and potential algorithmic manipulation. In court documents, it has accused the administration of essentially walking away from those negotiations after it presented a draft agreement in August 2022. But the Justice Department has said the Biden administration concluded the proposal was “insufficient” because it would maintain TikTok’s ties to China. The agency said the Executive Branch also could “neither trust ByteDance to comply nor detect noncompliance before it was too late.”

A three-judge panel made up of two Republican appointees and a Democratic appointee unanimously upheld the law in December, prompting TikTok's quick appeal to the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday seemed likely to uphold a law that would ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tiktok-china-speech-national-security-22d672d946b6b4065ae5fb7f3e0d8bed">TikTok</a>&nbsp;in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/24-656">Click here to listen </a>to the oral argumentHearing arguments in a momentous clash of free speech and national security concerns, the justices seemed persuaded by arguments that the national security threat posed by the company's connections to China override concerns about restricting the speech either of TikTok or its 170 million users in the United States.Early in arguments that lasted more than two and a half hours, Chief Justice John Roberts identified his main concern: TikTok’s ownership by China-based ByteDance and the parent company's requirement to cooperate with the Chinese government’s intelligence operations.If left in place, the law passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April will require TikTok to “go dark” on Jan. 19, lawyer Noel Francisco told the justices on behalf of TikTok.At the very least, Francisco urged, the justices should enter a temporary pause that would allow TikTok to keep operating. “We might be in a different world again” after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump, who has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, also has called for the deadline to be pushed back to give him time to negotiate a “political resolution.” Francisco served as Trump's solicitor general in his first presidential term.But it was not clear whether any justices would choose such a course. And only Justice Neil Gorsuch sounded like he would side with TikTok to find that the ban violates the Constitution.Gorsuch labeled arguments advanced by the Biden administration’ in defense of the law a “paternalistic point of view.” TikTok, he said, has offered to post a warning that the content could be manipulated by the Chinese government.“Don’t we normally assume that the best remedy for problematic speech is counter speech?” he asked Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who defended the law for the Biden administrationA warning wouldn’t be enough to counterbalance the spread of misinformation, Prelogar said.Francisco and lawyer Jeffrey Fisher, representing content creators and TikTok users, repeatedly tried to focus the court on the First Amendment restrictions that would fall on TikTok and its users, imperiling the livelihood of content creators, if the law is allowed to take effect.But compared to the mildly challenging questions directed to Prelogar, they faced skepticism from every justice other than Gorsuch.Justice Brett Kavanaugh raised U.S. concerns about China accessing information on tens of millions of Americans, including especially teenagers and people in their 20s, with whom TikTok is extremely popular.“That seems like a huge concern for the future of the country,” said Kavanaugh, whose daughters are in that age range.Roberts downplayed Fisher’s argument that banning TikTok violates American users’ free speech rights. “Congress is fine with the expression,” Roberts said. “They’re not fine with a foreign adversary, as they’ve determined it is, gathering all this information about the 170 million people who use TikTok.”The justices are expected to act within days, almost certainly ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline.Content creators and small business owners who rely on the app are awaiting a decision with anxiety.“There’s really no replacement for this app," said Skip Chapman, co-owner of KAFX Body in Manasquan, N.J., a maker and seller of natural deodorants. Chapman said more than 80% of his sales come on TikTok and he has not found the same traction on Amazon or other platforms.Lee Zavorskas, a TikTok creator and a licensed esthetician based in New Hampshire, said she makes nearly half of her income on the platform by promoting products for other businesses. Zavorskas said she found it too stressful to listen to Friday's arguments. Instead, she spent her time building a YouTube channel.ByteDance has said it won’t sell the short-form video platform, and Francisco said a sale might never be possible under the conditions set in the law.But some investors have been eyeing TikTok, including Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-mnuchin-house-senate-ffdf37776e63a09bb6966d741df7093b">Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchi</a>&nbsp;n and billionaire businessman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-mccourt-sale-bytedance-843d24334321f90bebeeac4b32896a9a">Frank McCourt</a>. On Thursday, McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative said it, along with its unnamed partners, presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.If TikTok isn’t sold to an approved buyer, the federal law would prohibit app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google, from offering the popular app. It would also bar internet hosting services from hosting TikTok.TikTok users who already have the app on their phones will continue to have access to it. But new users won’t be able to download the app, and existing ones will no longer be able to receive updates. That will eventually render the app unworkable, the Justice Department has said in court filings.Prelogar said an eventual sale of the platform, even after the ban kicks in, would allow TikTok to resume operations. The sale of Twitter to Elon Musk, who renamed it X, shows that the sale of a social media platform can happen quickly, she said.That high-profile transaction went through in about six months from offer to completion, she said.TikTok, meanwhile, has been “on notice” since 2020, during Trump's first term, that its sale could be required if it couldn’t satisfy the U.S. government’s national security concernsThe federal law was the culmination of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-timeline-ban-biden-india-d3219a32de913f8083612e71ecf1f428">yearslong saga in Washington</a>&nbsp;over TikTok, which the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">sees as a national security threat</a>&nbsp;due to its connections to China.U.S. officials argue that the vast amounts of user data that TikTok collects, including sensitive information on viewing habits, could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. They also are concerned that the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who could pressure ByteDance to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.TikTok, which sued the government last year over the law, has long denied it could be used as a tool of Beijing.The company negotiated with the Biden administration between 2021 and 2022 to resolve the concerns around U.S. data privacy and potential algorithmic manipulation. In court documents, it has accused the administration of essentially walking away from those negotiations after it presented a draft agreement in August 2022. But the Justice Department has said the Biden administration concluded the proposal was “insufficient” because it would maintain TikTok’s ties to China. The agency said the Executive Branch also could “neither trust ByteDance to comply nor detect noncompliance before it was too late.”A three-judge panel made up of two Republican appointees and a Democratic appointee unanimously upheld the law in December, prompting TikTok's quick appeal to the Supreme Court.

🎧Supreme Court seems likely to uphold law to ban TikTok

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its only football national championship in 1990, has died. He was 84.

The charismatic figure known as Coach Mac died Friday night “after a courageous journey with dementia,” according to a family statement. His family announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.

“Coach Mac touched countless lives with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith,” the family said in its statement. “As a trailblazer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those he inspired.”

McCartney remains the winningest coach in Colorado history, with a record of 93-55-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

“I am very saddened at the passing of Coach Mac,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong friends with McCartney after he hired George as his recruiting coordinator in 1987. “Coach Mac was an incredible man who taught me about the importance of faith, family and being a good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled discipline and accountability to all of us who worked and played under his leadership."

McCartney led Colorado to its best season in 1990, when the team finished 11-1-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to clinch the national title. That season included a win at Missouri where the Buffaloes scored the winning touchdown on a “fifth down” as time expired — one of the biggest blunders in college football history.

The chain crew didn’t flip the marker from second to third down and the officials failed to notice. On fourth down — fifth in actuality — Charles Johnson scored to keep Colorado’s national title hopes afloat. Asked later if he would consider forfeiting the game, McCartney pointed to poor field conditions and didn’t think it was a fair test.

McCartney coached at Colorado from 1982-94, retiring early to spend more time with his wife, Lyndi, who died in 2013. Following his retirement, he worked full time at Promise Keepers, a ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism and whose aim is to encourage “godly men.”

The organization became a flash point in state politics, advocating unsuccessfully that gays be denied the designation of “protected class,” a position by the group that drew campus protests. He left as Promise Keepers’ president in 2003 because of his wife’s health but returned five years later.

As a football coach, McCartney’s impact at Colorado was immense. During a six-year span in the late ’80s and early ’90s, his teams were right up there with the powers of the time. McCartney coached Colorado to three Big Eight titles, 10 consecutive winning seasons in league competition and a 58-29-4 mark in conference play, all still school bests.

His 1989 squad went 11-1 and lost to Notre Dame 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. That set the groundwork for a national championship team that featured quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, tailback Eric Bieniemy, and a stalwart defense that included Alfred Williams,&nbsp;<a href="https://cubuffs.com/honors/cu-athletic-hall-of-fame/greg-biekert/143">Greg Biekert</a>, Chad Brown and Kanavis McGhee.

“A hall of fame coach but somehow a better man and human being,” Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/chadbrown94/status/1877952879794778560">wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.</a>&nbsp;“Love you Coach!”

Added&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BigAlRadio/status/1877963947032371583">Williams in a post on X:</a>&nbsp;“His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope, and faith. I will always thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to have him in my life. Thank you Coach for loving on all of us.”

To think, McCartney nearly chose a basketball coaching career.

Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney played center and linebacker at the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. He later coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Michigan. His teams were good, too, each capturing the state title in 1973.

He caught the eye of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who wanted McCartney to join his staff at Michigan. If that weren’t enough, Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr urged him to join his staff.

McCartney couldn’t decide. His wife gave him some simple advice — follow his heart.

He stepped into the world of college football.

McCartney learned under Schembechler for eight seasons, until an opportunity came up to guide his own team. When the late Chuck Fairbanks left Colorado to become involved with the New Jersey Generals in the upstart United States Football League, McCartney asked Schembechler if the Hall of Fame coach would put in a good word for him.

Schembechler’s backing carried a lot of weight, and then-Colorado athletic director Eddie Crowder gave McCartney the position.

It was a rough start for McCartney with only seven victories in his first three seasons, including a 1-10 finish in 1984. Then things started to turn.

His last season with the Buffaloes was 1994, when the team went 11-1 behind a roster that included Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and the late Rashaan Salaam. That season featured the “Miracle in Michigan,” with Westbrook hauling in a 64-yard TD catch from Stewart on a Hail Mary as time expired in a road win over the Wolverines. Salaam also rushed for 2,055 yards and won the Heisman Trophy.

McCartney also groomed the next wave of coaches, mentoring assistants such as Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Jon Embree, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.

In recent years, McCartney got to watch grandson Derek play defensive line at Colorado. Derek’s father, Shannon Clavelle, was a defensive lineman for Colorado from 1992-94 before playing a few seasons in the NFL. Derek’s brother, T.C. McCartney, was a quarterback at LSU and is the son of late Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese, who played for Bill McCartney in 1987 and ’88 before being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1989 and dying six months later at 21.

Growing up, Derek McCartney used to go next door to his grandfather’s house to listen to his stories. He never tired of them.

Derek soaked up the tales about Salaam winning the Heisman Trophy and how Colorado beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to cement the national title. His grandfather had a picture of the famous play at Michigan and a button to push to hear the broadcast audio.

When playing for Colorado, hardly a day would go by when someone didn't ask Derek if he was somehow related to the coach.

“I like when that happens,” Derek said.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its only football national championship in 1990, has died. He was 84.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A legend of the game. A legacy that will live forever. Rest in Peace, Coach Mac 🪽<a href="https://t.co/sSXySmmlZb">https://t.co/sSXySmmlZb</a> <a href="https://t.co/RKZqHvIZdl">pic.twitter.com/RKZqHvIZdl</a>&mdash; Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) <a href="https://twitter.com/CUBuffs/status/1877943660479685022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The charismatic figure known as Coach Mac died Friday night “after a courageous journey with dementia,” according to a family statement. His family announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.“Coach Mac touched countless lives with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith,” the family said in its statement. “As a trailblazer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those he inspired.”McCartney remains the winningest coach in Colorado history, with a record of 93-55-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.“I am very saddened at the passing of Coach Mac,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong friends with McCartney after he hired George as his recruiting coordinator in 1987. “Coach Mac was an incredible man who taught me about the importance of faith, family and being a good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled discipline and accountability to all of us who worked and played under his leadership."McCartney led Colorado to its best season in 1990, when the team finished 11-1-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to clinch the national title. That season included a win at Missouri where the Buffaloes scored the winning touchdown on a “fifth down” as time expired — one of the biggest blunders in college football history.The chain crew didn’t flip the marker from second to third down and the officials failed to notice. On fourth down — fifth in actuality — Charles Johnson scored to keep Colorado’s national title hopes afloat. Asked later if he would consider forfeiting the game, McCartney pointed to poor field conditions and didn’t think it was a fair test.McCartney coached at Colorado from 1982-94, retiring early to spend more time with his wife, Lyndi, who died in 2013. Following his retirement, he worked full time at Promise Keepers, a ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism and whose aim is to encourage “godly men.”The organization became a flash point in state politics, advocating unsuccessfully that gays be denied the designation of “protected class,” a position by the group that drew campus protests. He left as Promise Keepers’ president in 2003 because of his wife’s health but returned five years later.As a football coach, McCartney’s impact at Colorado was immense. During a six-year span in the late ’80s and early ’90s, his teams were right up there with the powers of the time. McCartney coached Colorado to three Big Eight titles, 10 consecutive winning seasons in league competition and a 58-29-4 mark in conference play, all still school bests.His 1989 squad went 11-1 and lost to Notre Dame 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. That set the groundwork for a national championship team that featured quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, tailback Eric Bieniemy, and a stalwart defense that included Alfred Williams,&nbsp;<a href="https://cubuffs.com/honors/cu-athletic-hall-of-fame/greg-biekert/143">Greg Biekert</a>, Chad Brown and Kanavis McGhee.“A hall of fame coach but somehow a better man and human being,” Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/chadbrown94/status/1877952879794778560">wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.</a>&nbsp;“Love you Coach!”Added&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BigAlRadio/status/1877963947032371583">Williams in a post on X:</a>&nbsp;“His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope, and faith. I will always thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to have him in my life. Thank you Coach for loving on all of us.”To think, McCartney nearly chose a basketball coaching career.Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney played center and linebacker at the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. He later coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Michigan. His teams were good, too, each capturing the state title in 1973.He caught the eye of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who wanted McCartney to join his staff at Michigan. If that weren’t enough, Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr urged him to join his staff.McCartney couldn’t decide. His wife gave him some simple advice — follow his heart.He stepped into the world of college football.McCartney learned under Schembechler for eight seasons, until an opportunity came up to guide his own team. When the late Chuck Fairbanks left Colorado to become involved with the New Jersey Generals in the upstart United States Football League, McCartney asked Schembechler if the Hall of Fame coach would put in a good word for him.Schembechler’s backing carried a lot of weight, and then-Colorado athletic director Eddie Crowder gave McCartney the position.It was a rough start for McCartney with only seven victories in his first three seasons, including a 1-10 finish in 1984. Then things started to turn.His last season with the Buffaloes was 1994, when the team went 11-1 behind a roster that included Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and the late Rashaan Salaam. That season featured the “Miracle in Michigan,” with Westbrook hauling in a 64-yard TD catch from Stewart on a Hail Mary as time expired in a road win over the Wolverines. Salaam also rushed for 2,055 yards and won the Heisman Trophy.McCartney also groomed the next wave of coaches, mentoring assistants such as Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Jon Embree, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.In recent years, McCartney got to watch grandson Derek play defensive line at Colorado. Derek’s father, Shannon Clavelle, was a defensive lineman for Colorado from 1992-94 before playing a few seasons in the NFL. Derek’s brother, T.C. McCartney, was a quarterback at LSU and is the son of late Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese, who played for Bill McCartney in 1987 and ’88 before being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1989 and dying six months later at 21.Growing up, Derek McCartney used to go next door to his grandfather’s house to listen to his stories. He never tired of them.Derek soaked up the tales about Salaam winning the Heisman Trophy and how Colorado beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to cement the national title. His grandfather had a picture of the famous play at Michigan and a button to push to hear the broadcast audio.When playing for Colorado, hardly a day would go by when someone didn't ask Derek if he was somehow related to the coach.“I like when that happens,” Derek said.

Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its only football national championship has died

This story is the first in a four-part series on the life and death of Hays, Kansas, resident Karen Schumacher, who died at the hands of her husband in 2022.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/277704cd-f369-48f7-bfca-bdbdba1e8959">If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help here</a>.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

On March 21, 2022, an ambulance was called to 324 W. 24th St. in Hays.&nbsp;

Karen Schumacher was transported to Hays Medical Center, where further examination showed significant trauma to her head, face and chest, upper extremities, lower ribs, and upper abdomen.

Jeremiah, Karen's only son, said she was bruised from head to toe.

Karen died at 9:03 on the morning of March 22. She was 60 years old, a mother, grandmother, sister and friend.&nbsp;

Her husband, Jay Schumacher, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.

The violence that ended in Karen's death in 2022 started decades earlier, according to Karen's friends and family and letters Karen wrote and hid from her husband throughout the family's home.

Karen was caught in a cycle of control, cruelty and violence that was at first hidden and is far too common for other women.

Karen's family and friends have given a voice to Karen's story in hopes of eliciting change in a system that they say betrayed Karen. They hope telling her story will prevent what happened to her from happening to someone else.

Karen and Jay met at a party. Karen became pregnant with her only child, Jeremiah, who was born shortly after they were married. A fairy tale romance, it was not. Cracks in the marriage appeared soon after Jeremiah was born.

Jay was a trucker. He drove at night and would sleep in the basement during the day.

"When I came over, she had to silence me," Sue Rohr, Karen's sister, said. "'Shh. If I wake up Jay, he's going to go off on me.' We had to talk outside or go for a drive or a walk because she said even walking on the floor, he would come up and go off on her. I didn't know what 'go off' meant."

Sue said she did not understand until many years later that “go off on her” meant a beating.

Four months after Jeremiah was born, Karen met her sister, Sue, for a visit, and Karen had a black eye. Sue asked what had happened, and Karen said she was changing Jeremiah’s diaper, and he kicked her.

"A little baby kick wouldn't give her a black eye. Jay was in the kitchen. I went over and said, 'If I ever see any marks on my sister, I will report you to the police,'" Sue said.

"Unbeknownst to me," Sue said, "that was when he started punching her in the head." Sue added Jay would hit Karen beneath the hairline so the bruises wouldn't show.

Sue said this pattern of head trauma would become evident years later, according to a neurologist hired by Karen's family.

Sue saw no more black eyes. Karen kept the violence in the household silent, hidden. Sue thought her sister was safe.

Scarlett Deutscher waited tables with Karen at a local family-owned Mexican restaurant, and the two women struck up a friendship.

Deutscher described the crew at the restaurant as one big family.

“Back then, Karen was lots of fun. She was always laughing. She was always singing, always very positive. You would not know anything was ever wrong with her. She was very happy, always late, but that was Karen, late for everything,”&nbsp;Deutscher giggled.

Deutscher&nbsp;and Karen shared their lives between service and tabs, both of them suffering in similar ways. Deutscher was also struggling with an abusive partner.&nbsp;

"We talked about stuff that had happened in the past that she kind of let on about. I know she didn't share too much because everyone knew Jay,"&nbsp;Deutscher  said. "She didn't want to say too much because of what could happen to her or how he would take it out on her and Jeremiah."

Deutscher said Karen came to work one day with broken glasses that she taped back together.

"If she would wear a shorter shirt, you might see something,"&nbsp;Deutscher said of Karen's bruises. "She always played it off as 'I ran into something.' Or 'I'm a klutz.'"

In a recent interview with the Hays Post,&nbsp;Deutscher said she now regrets not doing more to help her friend then and the years prior to her death.

“We didn’t talk about it too much because I was going through things back then, too,”&nbsp;Deutscher said, “a boyfriend and being through domestic abuse through him. I was working through my own turmoil.”

“Knowing how I was then and how I am now. I was so weak back then,”&nbsp;Deutscher began to cry.

"I got away, and after a good year to year and a half of listening to 'I won't do this anymore. I love you' and sending flowers that were supposed to make everything better."

“I was just a low place in my life, that I just felt like I couldn’t do anything without him,” she said.

Deutscher escaped her abuser. She has been happily married to her current husband for 17 years.

Deutscher said it took courage and support from her family to leave.&nbsp;

"It took just knowing that I could do better. Knowing that I really didn't need this person in my life anymore," she said. "I couldn't let my kids see me like that anymore, knowing he could possibly do more."

As&nbsp;Deutscher struggled to leave her abuser, Jay was closing his grasp tighter around Karen. There were other signs that all was not well in the Schumacher household.

Sue and&nbsp;Deutscher said Jay was in control of the family finances.&nbsp;

"Most Friday nights, she would tell me she was supposed to buy groceries, and 'Jay gave me 20 bucks to buy groceries for the week,'"&nbsp;Deutscher said.

"He controlled everything. He controlled the car she drove. I don't think she even had access to their finances, to be honest," she said.

Karen sometimes worked multiple jobs, including waitressing and cleaning houses. Sue said Jay forced her to give him all of her tips.

Jeremiah recalled his mother cashing in quarters to buy enough gasoline to get to work.

He allowed her money for diapers and pet food. Sue said Jay wouldn't even pay for essentials like bras for Karen.&nbsp;

Jeremiah, who is now 44, described the violence he witnessed in the house. As a young boy, he thought he was the source of his father's anger and violence.

He described his parents' relationship as "hot and cold."

“They were either great, or they weren’t. There was really no in-between,” Jeremiah said. “Dad would come in with a smile on his face, and five minutes later, he would be screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing things, up in people’s faces. No good. We all lived on eggshells.”

Jeremiah said he saw his father hit his mother many times, but no one intervened. He described an incident when the family was living in Victoria. Jeremiah was about 7.

"We had a cop that lived across the street," Jeremiah said. "Any time that dad would get on his big tirades, I would open my window and scream at the top of my lungs, hoping that someone would come help. 

"One night, that cop shows up in his underwear and a white wife beater and beats on the door, and I thought we were finally getting some help. Dad answered the door, and he said, 'Jay, get this over in a hurry. I've got to get some sleep. I've got to work in the morning.'"

“So after that, I figured it was normal,” he said. “I thought that’s what everybody went through.”

The beatings didn't stop with his mother.

"I was terrified of him, always. Absolutely terrified," Jeremiah said of his father. "I got beat profusely because the toilet lid fell down when I went to go to the bathroom as a child when he was sleeping. It was so terrifying that I would take water bottles and milk jugs to pee in my room because I was too afraid to leave."

Jeremiah tried to avoid his father and spent as much time away from the house as possible.

“But if I got in any trouble, if I forgot to do a chore or anything like that, I would be grounded for two weeks or a month or two, or God knows how long,” he said, “And I would have to hide in my room the entire time.”

Jeremiah said the length of the grounding often depended on how long it took the bruises to heal.

“I couldn’t come out. If I did, I had to be church mouse quiet because otherwise, that other shoe could fall at any minute,” he said.

Then there were the words he used as fists.

"I was told that I was worthless, that I should have been aborted, that he would kill me and make one just like me," he said.

“As a little kid, seeing the thing that my dad did, it scared the hell out of me,” he said.

Jeremiah didn't know until much later in his adulthood what Jay was telling his mother—something so awful she chose not to leave her husband in the face of so much violence and cruelty.

Jeremiah moved out of his parents' house when he was 19. He thought the violence for his mother stopped. He had always been told he was the reason his father was violent.

As an adult, Jeremiah begged his mother to leave.

"'He's not going to do anything here,'" Jeremiah said to his mother, pleading with her to come live with him. "'Fuck, Mom, why didn't you leave when I was a kid and get me out of this and get us out of this?'"

“She looked at me and said, ‘Your dad told me if I ever tried to leave, he would gut you like a deer in front of me just so I could watch you die before he killed me.’”

Jeremiah said he thought he knew what his father was capable of, but that statement shook him.

“I was pretty taken aback,” Jeremiah said. “I knew my dad never liked me for the most part unless I was useful for something, but I didn’t know he would kill me or that was a thing he would say to her until that day.”

What mattered was that Karen believed it.

Although Karen tried to leave many times and even separated from Jay in preparation for a divorce,&nbsp;Deutscher said she believed the threat against Jeremiah ultimately kept Karen in the relationship.

“Her worry was money and that he would come after her and Jeremiah,”&nbsp;Deutscher said.

"As moms, we want to protect our children and grandkids, the people who we love the most," said Deutscher, a mother and grandmother herself. "That was a worry. What he might do is why she actually didn't go through with the divorce."

Editor's note: Scarlett Deutscher is an employee of Eagle Media, the parent company of the Hays Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736611103393.png" alt="Graphics and video by Jordan Schaffer" />
 <figcaption>Graphics and video by Jordan Schaffer</figcaption>
 </figure>This story is the first in a four-part series on the life and death of Hays, Kansas, resident Karen Schumacher, who died at the hands of her husband in 2022.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/277704cd-f369-48f7-bfca-bdbdba1e8959">If you are a victim of domestic violence, find help here</a>.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ghy04fyZPaM?si=J9XFFvlGs-Q9iXwq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostOn March 21, 2022, an ambulance was called to 324 W. 24th St. in Hays.&nbsp;Karen Schumacher was transported to Hays Medical Center, where further examination showed significant trauma to her head, face and chest, upper extremities, lower ribs, and upper abdomen.Jeremiah, Karen's only son, said she was bruised from head to toe.Karen died at 9:03 on the morning of March 22. She was 60 years old, a mother, grandmother, sister and friend.&nbsp;Her husband, Jay Schumacher, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.The violence that ended in Karen's death in 2022 started decades earlier, according to Karen's friends and family and letters Karen wrote and hid from her husband throughout the family's home.Karen was caught in a cycle of control, cruelty and violence that was at first hidden and is far too common for other women.Karen's family and friends have given a voice to Karen's story in hopes of eliciting change in a system that they say betrayed Karen. They hope telling her story will prevent what happened to her from happening to someone else.Karen and Jay met at a party. Karen became pregnant with her only child, Jeremiah, who was born shortly after they were married. A fairy tale romance, it was not. Cracks in the marriage appeared soon after Jeremiah was born.Jay was a trucker. He drove at night and would sleep in the basement during the day."When I came over, she had to silence me," Sue Rohr, Karen's sister, said. "'Shh. If I wake up Jay, he's going to go off on me.' We had to talk outside or go for a drive or a walk because she said even walking on the floor, he would come up and go off on her. I didn't know what 'go off' meant."Sue said she did not understand until many years later that “go off on her” meant a beating.Four months after Jeremiah was born, Karen met her sister, Sue, for a visit, and Karen had a black eye. Sue asked what had happened, and Karen said she was changing Jeremiah’s diaper, and he kicked her."A little baby kick wouldn't give her a black eye. Jay was in the kitchen. I went over and said, 'If I ever see any marks on my sister, I will report you to the police,'" Sue said."Unbeknownst to me," Sue said, "that was when he started punching her in the head." Sue added Jay would hit Karen beneath the hairline so the bruises wouldn't show.Sue said this pattern of head trauma would become evident years later, according to a neurologist hired by Karen's family.Sue saw no more black eyes. Karen kept the violence in the household silent, hidden. Sue thought her sister was safe.Scarlett Deutscher waited tables with Karen at a local family-owned Mexican restaurant, and the two women struck up a friendship.Deutscher described the crew at the restaurant as one big family.“Back then, Karen was lots of fun. She was always laughing. She was always singing, always very positive. You would not know anything was ever wrong with her. She was very happy, always late, but that was Karen, late for everything,”&nbsp;Deutscher giggled.Deutscher&nbsp;and Karen shared their lives between service and tabs, both of them suffering in similar ways. Deutscher was also struggling with an abusive partner.&nbsp;"We talked about stuff that had happened in the past that she kind of let on about. I know she didn't share too much because everyone knew Jay,"&nbsp;Deutscher said. "She didn't want to say too much because of what could happen to her or how he would take it out on her and Jeremiah."But there were subtle signs.Deutscher said Karen came to work one day with broken glasses that she taped back together."If she would wear a shorter shirt, you might see something,"&nbsp;Deutscher said of Karen's bruises. "She always played it off as 'I ran into something.' Or 'I'm a klutz.'"In a recent interview with the Hays Post,&nbsp;Deutscher said she now regrets not doing more to help her friend then and the years prior to her death.“We didn’t talk about it too much because I was going through things back then, too,”&nbsp;Deutscher said, “a boyfriend and being through domestic abuse through him. I was working through my own turmoil.”“Knowing how I was then and how I am now. I was so weak back then,”&nbsp;Deutscher began to cry."I got away, and after a good year to year and a half of listening to 'I won't do this anymore. I love you' and sending flowers that were supposed to make everything better."“I was just a low place in my life, that I just felt like I couldn’t do anything without him,” she said.Deutscher escaped her abuser. She has been happily married to her current husband for 17 years.Deutscher said it took courage and support from her family to leave.&nbsp;"It took just knowing that I could do better. Knowing that I really didn't need this person in my life anymore," she said. "I couldn't let my kids see me like that anymore, knowing he could possibly do more."<h2>Beyond the bruises</h2>As&nbsp;Deutscher struggled to leave her abuser, Jay was closing his grasp tighter around Karen. There were other signs that all was not well in the Schumacher household.Sue and&nbsp;Deutscher said Jay was in control of the family finances.&nbsp;"Most Friday nights, she would tell me she was supposed to buy groceries, and 'Jay gave me 20 bucks to buy groceries for the week,'"&nbsp;Deutscher said."He controlled everything. He controlled the car she drove. I don't think she even had access to their finances, to be honest," she said.Karen sometimes worked multiple jobs, including waitressing and cleaning houses. Sue said Jay forced her to give him all of her tips.Jeremiah recalled his mother cashing in quarters to buy enough gasoline to get to work.He allowed her money for diapers and pet food. Sue said Jay wouldn't even pay for essentials like bras for Karen.&nbsp;<h2>'I figured it was normal'</h2>Jeremiah, who is now 44, described the violence he witnessed in the house. As a young boy, he thought he was the source of his father's anger and violence.He described his parents' relationship as "hot and cold."“They were either great, or they weren’t. There was really no in-between,” Jeremiah said. “Dad would come in with a smile on his face, and five minutes later, he would be screaming at the top of his lungs, throwing things, up in people’s faces. No good. We all lived on eggshells.”Jeremiah said he saw his father hit his mother many times, but no one intervened. He described an incident when the family was living in Victoria. Jeremiah was about 7."We had a cop that lived across the street," Jeremiah said. "Any time that dad would get on his big tirades, I would open my window and scream at the top of my lungs, hoping that someone would come help. "One night, that cop shows up in his underwear and a white wife beater and beats on the door, and I thought we were finally getting some help. Dad answered the door, and he said, 'Jay, get this over in a hurry. I've got to get some sleep. I've got to work in the morning.'"“So after that, I figured it was normal,” he said. “I thought that’s what everybody went through.”The beatings didn't stop with his mother."I was terrified of him, always. Absolutely terrified," Jeremiah said of his father. "I got beat profusely because the toilet lid fell down when I went to go to the bathroom as a child when he was sleeping. It was so terrifying that I would take water bottles and milk jugs to pee in my room because I was too afraid to leave."Jeremiah tried to avoid his father and spent as much time away from the house as possible.“But if I got in any trouble, if I forgot to do a chore or anything like that, I would be grounded for two weeks or a month or two, or God knows how long,” he said, “And I would have to hide in my room the entire time.”Jeremiah said the length of the grounding often depended on how long it took the bruises to heal.“I couldn’t come out. If I did, I had to be church mouse quiet because otherwise, that other shoe could fall at any minute,” he said.Then there were the words he used as fists."I was told that I was worthless, that I should have been aborted, that he would kill me and make one just like me," he said.“As a little kid, seeing the thing that my dad did, it scared the hell out of me,” he said.Jeremiah didn't know until much later in his adulthood what Jay was telling his mother—something so awful she chose not to leave her husband in the face of so much violence and cruelty.Jeremiah moved out of his parents' house when he was 19. He thought the violence for his mother stopped. He had always been told he was the reason his father was violent.<h2>Gut him like a deer</h2>As an adult, Jeremiah begged his mother to leave."'He's not going to do anything here,'" Jeremiah said to his mother, pleading with her to come live with him. "'Fuck, Mom, why didn't you leave when I was a kid and get me out of this and get us out of this?'"“She looked at me and said, ‘Your dad told me if I ever tried to leave, he would gut you like a deer in front of me just so I could watch you die before he killed me.’”Jeremiah said he thought he knew what his father was capable of, but that statement shook him.“I was pretty taken aback,” Jeremiah said. “I knew my dad never liked me for the most part unless I was useful for something, but I didn’t know he would kill me or that was a thing he would say to her until that day.”What mattered was that Karen believed it.Although Karen tried to leave many times and even separated from Jay in preparation for a divorce,&nbsp;Deutscher said she believed the threat against Jeremiah ultimately kept Karen in the relationship.“Her worry was money and that he would come after her and Jeremiah,”&nbsp;Deutscher said."As moms, we want to protect our children and grandkids, the people who we love the most," said Deutscher, a mother and grandmother herself. "That was a worry. What he might do is why she actually didn't go through with the divorce."Editor's note: Scarlett Deutscher is an employee of Eagle Media, the parent company of the Hays Post.

A Voice for Karen: Living behind a curtain of silence

NEW YORK (AP)—President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">hush money case</a>, but the judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-sentencing-stormy-daniels-33e070bd3c1acb609bba13f23d784a3a">declined to impose any punishment.</a>&nbsp;The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearing

The punishment-free judgement marks a quiet end to an extraordinary case

It was a case that for the first time put a former president and major presidential candidate in a courtroom as a criminal defendant. The case was the only one of four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will.

Trump can still vote after sentencing, but can’t own a gun and will have to turn over a DNA sample

President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have to go to jail, pay a fine or perform community service as a result of his New York hush money conviction. A judge ended the case Friday with a sentence of an unconditional discharge, closing the case with no punishment.

But unless the conviction for falsifying business records is someday overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, which will affect some of his rights.

Trump is registered to vote in Florida and he’ll be able to vote there. Florida does bars people convicted of felonies from voting, but restores their right to vote after they’ve completed their sentence.

Under federal law, people convicted of felonies aren’t allowed to possess firearms.

Trump calls the sentencing a ‘despicable event’ on Truth Social

“Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice,” he wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform after the sentencing.

Outside the courthouse after the sentencing

Following the historic sentencing, the mood outside the courthouse is festive, with a few dozen Trump supporters waving American flags and signs emblazoned with the president-elect’s face.

Some described the scene as a reunion of sorts, a chance to catch up with others who’d attended demonstrations during the trial while celebrating both the election victory and the outcome of the case.

“No penalty at all is great news,” said Jerry Gasowski, a retired power plant worker who drove into the city from Long Island. “It’s great news for our country.”

Trump’s demeanor as the sentence was handed down

As Judge Merchan delivered the sentence, Trump sat upright, lips pursed, frowning slightly. He tilted his head to the side as the judge wished him “godspeed in your second term in office.”

Judge sentences Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment

President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">hush money case</a>, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

Trump’s sentence of an unconditional discharge caps a norm-smashing case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies</a>, put on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-photos-dde716152b697a6b2315a2ecc5df9524">trial for almost two months</a>&nbsp;and convicted on every count. Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — didn’t hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

Merchan says a judge must consider the facts of the case as well as aggravating and mitigating circumstances.

“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” he said.

Trump says: ‘I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong’

He argued that voters saw what happened in this courtroom and, like him, thought it was a disgrace and supported him overwhelmingly in the election.

Addressing the court, Trump says there was no crime

“It’s been a political witch hunt,” he said. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”

“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous set back for New York and the New York court system,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736521504369.jpeg" alt=" President-elect Donald Trump appears remotely for a sentencing hearing in front of New York State Judge Juan Merchan in the criminal case in which he was convicted in 2024 on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, at New York Criminal Court in Manhattan in New York, Jan. 10, 2025. (Brendan McDermid via AP, Pool)" />
 <figcaption> President-elect Donald Trump appears remotely for a sentencing hearing in front of New York State Judge Juan Merchan in the criminal case in which he was convicted in 2024 on charges involving hush money paid to a porn star, at New York Criminal Court in Manhattan in New York, Jan. 10, 2025. (Brendan McDermid via AP, Pool)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP)—President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">hush money case</a>, but the judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-sentencing-stormy-daniels-33e070bd3c1acb609bba13f23d784a3a">declined to impose any punishment.</a>&nbsp;The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/recorded-audio-president-elect-trump-sentenced-in-hush-money-case/430047">Click here </a>to listen to the sentencing hearingHere's the latest:<h2>The punishment-free judgement marks a quiet end to an extraordinary case</h2>It was a case that for the first time put a former president and major presidential candidate in a courtroom as a criminal defendant. The case was the only one of four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will.<h2>Trump can still vote after sentencing, but can’t own a gun and will have to turn over a DNA sample</h2>President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have to go to jail, pay a fine or perform community service as a result of his New York hush money conviction. A judge ended the case Friday with a sentence of an unconditional discharge, closing the case with no punishment.But unless the conviction for falsifying business records is someday overturned, Trump will have felonies on his criminal record, which will affect some of his rights.Trump is registered to vote in Florida and he’ll be able to vote there. Florida does bars people convicted of felonies from voting, but restores their right to vote after they’ve completed their sentence.Under federal law, people convicted of felonies aren’t allowed to possess firearms.<h2>Trump calls the sentencing a ‘despicable event’ on Truth Social</h2>“Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice,” he wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform after the sentencing.<h2>Outside the courthouse after the sentencing</h2>Following the historic sentencing, the mood outside the courthouse is festive, with a few dozen Trump supporters waving American flags and signs emblazoned with the president-elect’s face.Some described the scene as a reunion of sorts, a chance to catch up with others who’d attended demonstrations during the trial while celebrating both the election victory and the outcome of the case.“No penalty at all is great news,” said Jerry Gasowski, a retired power plant worker who drove into the city from Long Island. “It’s great news for our country.”<h2>Trump’s demeanor as the sentence was handed down</h2>As Judge Merchan delivered the sentence, Trump sat upright, lips pursed, frowning slightly. He tilted his head to the side as the judge wished him “godspeed in your second term in office.”<h2>Judge sentences Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment</h2>President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">hush money case</a>, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.Trump’s sentence of an unconditional discharge caps a norm-smashing case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies</a>, put on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-photos-dde716152b697a6b2315a2ecc5df9524">trial for almost two months</a>&nbsp;and convicted on every count. Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — didn’t hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.<h2>Judge Merchan begins speaking</h2>Merchan says a judge must consider the facts of the case as well as aggravating and mitigating circumstances.“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” he said.<h2>Trump says: ‘I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong’</h2>He argued that voters saw what happened in this courtroom and, like him, thought it was a disgrace and supported him overwhelmingly in the election.<h2>Addressing the court, Trump says there was no crime</h2>“It’s been a political witch hunt,” he said. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”<h2>Trump speaks in court</h2>“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous set back for New York and the New York court system,” he said.<h2>Trump lawyer Todd Blanche begins speaking with Trump by his side</h2>“I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump’s conduct fighting this case,” Blanche said.<h2>Steinglass notes Trump’s contempt findings in this case and others</h2>“As this court has noted, the defendant’s conduct constitutes a ‘direct attack on the rule of law itself,’” Steinglass said.He also noted Trump’s threats to retaliate against people who have wronged him in his legal matters, which Steinglass said is intended to have a chilling effect.Steinglass said the author of the pre-sentence report, a probation officer who interviewed Trump, notes Trump sees himself as above the law.Despite all that, Steinglass said an unconditional discharge is the “most practical sentence prior to his inauguration.”<h2>Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass begins speaking on behalf of the prosecution</h2>He notes the conviction and reviews the sentencing options include up to four years in prison, but other remedies as well.Steinglass says the prosecution recommends unconditional discharge based on circumstances including Trump’s impending return to the White House.Steinglass says prosecutors are OK with the potential no-penalty sentence. He cites “all the circumstances of this case, its unique posture and the defendant’s status as president-elect.”“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive and it must be respected,” he said.As prosecutors began their remarks, Trump shook his head, eyes darting around the screen. The camera view is framed tightly on him and Blanche, offering courtroom spectators a much closer view of Trump’s expression than during the trial.<h2>Trump attorney Emil Bove says Trump is appearing via Teams</h2>“He’s co-located with my partner, Todd Blanche,” he said.Trump is in Florida, Blanche confirmed.<h2>Trump appears in court via a video feed</h2>He’s wearing a red tie with white or gold thin diagonal stripes. Trump appears stoic and reserved as he waits.An attorney sits to Trump’s right, in front of a backdrop of American flags. American flag pins on both men’s suit jackets.<h2>Outside the courthouse ahead of the sentencing</h2>A handful of protesters had gathered in front of the Manhattan federal courthouse Friday morning.Some carried signs reading “DESERVES THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE” and “34 FELONY CONVICTIONS.”Meanwhile, at a park across the street, supporters unfurled a massive flag reading “TRUMP WON.”<h2>Why did Judge Merchan decide to go ahead with Trump’s sentencing?</h2>In an 18-page legal opinion, Merchan laid out his reasoning for ruling that the president-elect should be sentenced later this month for the crime of falsifying business records.His most important finding was that Trump’s conviction should not be thrown out simply because he was elected president.But the judge also signaled that he intended to impose a sentence of “unconditional discharge,” which means Trump would not face any punishment beyond having the conviction on his legal record.▶ Read more about what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-criminal-case-excerpts-59e72847cd80e5f0c734b02fa0426e17">Merchan had to say</a><h2>The scene inside the courtroom before sentencing</h2>Four big TV screens are mounted on the walls: one on either side of the bench where the judge will sit and one each hanging from the left and right side, parallel with the tables where the defense and prosecution will sit.Another large monitor sits behind next to the defense table, visible to the judge’s bench. A crew from ABC News, which will be distributing an audio recording of the proceeding after it ends, was testing the microphone system. At one point, instead of the usual counting up or down to check levels, one member of the crew started reciting the first few words of the Declaration of Independence — “When in the Course of human events” — drawing chuckles from the crowd of reporters and spectators in the gallery.