SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas boy is in custody after accidentally shooting himself in Salina.

Just after 3:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a 16-year-old who reportedly suffered a gunshot wound, according to Salina Police Captain Jim Feldman.

Investigators determined the the boy was in a vehicle with other individuals, and was carrying a handgun under his left arm. When the boy&nbsp; reached for the handgun, a shot was fired and he received a superficial wound in his left armpit area.&nbsp; 

The driver of the vehicle transported the boy to Salina Regional Health Center.

Officers conducted a search warrant on the vehicle and confirmed the boy had shot himself. Police did not find the gun but did find marijuana and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The boy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City on requested charges of Criminal Use of a Weapon, Criminal Carrying of a Weapon, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm and Liquor Consumption.

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas boy is in custody after accidentally shooting himself in Salina.Just after 3:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a 16-year-old who reportedly suffered a gunshot wound, according to Salina Police Captain Jim Feldman.Investigators determined the the boy was in a vehicle with other individuals, and was carrying a handgun under his left arm. When the boy&nbsp; reached for the handgun, a shot was fired and he received a superficial wound in his left armpit area.&nbsp; The driver of the vehicle transported the boy to Salina Regional Health Center.Officers conducted a search warrant on the vehicle and confirmed the boy had shot himself. Police did not find the gun but did find marijuana and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;&nbsp;The boy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City on requested charges of Criminal Use of a Weapon, Criminal Carrying of a Weapon, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm and Liquor Consumption.<figure>
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Kansas boy in custody after accidentally shooting himself

RILEY COUNTY —On Monday, the Riley County Police Department issued an attempt to located for 29-year-old Erick Sanchez-Chavez of Manhattan. 

We’d like to speak to him regarding the death of Mark Rickenbaker in the 800 block of Colorado St on December 6.

&nbsp;Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check and located Rickenbaker who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;

Sanchez-Chavez is described as 5-foot 8,&nbsp; 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Do NOT approach or attempt to apprehend Sanchez-Chavez. 

If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765218730118.png" alt="Sanchez-Chavez-photo RCPD" />
 <figcaption>Sanchez-Chavez-photo RCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —On Monday, the Riley County Police Department issued an attempt to located for 29-year-old Erick Sanchez-Chavez of Manhattan. We’d like to speak to him regarding the death of Mark Rickenbaker in the 800 block of Colorado St on December 6.&nbsp;Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check and located Rickenbaker who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;Sanchez-Chavez is described as 5-foot 8,&nbsp; 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Do NOT approach or attempt to apprehend Sanchez-Chavez. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police ask for help to locate suspect in Kan. man's murder

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-park-service">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;will offer free admission to U.S. residents on President Donald Trump’s birthday next year — which also happens to be Flag Day — but is eliminating the benefit for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm" target="_blank">new list</a>&nbsp;of free admission days for Americans is the latest example of the Trump administration downplaying America’s civil rights history while also promoting the president’s image, name and legacy.

<a href="https://www.doi.gov/blog/mark-your-calendars-fee-free-days-2025" target="_blank">Last year</a>, the list of free days included Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth — which is June 19 — but not June 14, Trump’s birthday.

The new free-admission policy takes effect Jan. 1 and was one of several changes announced by the Park Service late last month, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-park-fees-international-tourists-557f52a2e3c12540594f19cadbbc8334">higher admission fees</a>&nbsp;for international visitors.

The other days of free park admission in 2026 are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27) and the anniversary of the creation of the Park Service (Aug. 25).

Eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr</a>. Day and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm" target="_blank">Juneteenth</a>, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans were emancipated, removes two of the nation’s most prominent civil rights holidays.

Some civil rights leaders voiced opposition to the change after news about it began spreading over the weekend.

“The raw &amp; rank racism here stinks to high heaven,” Harvard Kennedy School professor Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP, wrote on social media about the new policy.

Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while presidential administrations have tweaked the free days in the past, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is particularly concerning. For one, the day has become a popular day of service for community groups that use the free day to perform volunteer projects at parks.

That will now be much more expensive, said Brengel, whose organization is a nonprofit that advocates for the park system.

“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” Brengel said. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”

Some Democratic lawmakers also weighed in to object to the new policy.

“The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom,” said Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. “Our country deserves better.”

A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday seeking information about the reasons behind the changes.

Since taking office, Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">sought to eliminate</a>&nbsp;programs seen as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">promoting diversity</a>&nbsp;across the federal government, actions that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">erased or downplayed</a>&nbsp;America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-park-service-disparaging-d861b3c902ef68b0184c2bd776f707e4">history of racism</a>&nbsp;as well as the civil rights victories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-history-smithsonian-dei-687fd306dc9c6d7611300d74fe49b8aa">Black Americans</a>.

Self-promotion is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-god-bless-usa-bible-greenwood-2713fda3efdfa297d0f024efb1ca3003">old habit of the president’s</a>&nbsp;and one he has continued in his second term. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-misses-out-on-nobel-peace-prize-729973788d8953da9af1cbc136232e96">unsuccessfully put himself forward</a>&nbsp;for the Nobel Peace Prize,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-institute-of-peace-6545c0101a02b677359f2732b019bf6a">renamed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Institute of Peace after himself, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-commanders-stadium-name-nfl-d229beaf321af4fad2f5ae36b8227c34">put his name</a>&nbsp;on the planned NFL stadium in the nation’s capital and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">a new children’s savings program</a>&nbsp;named after him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-park-service">National Park Service</a>&nbsp;will offer free admission to U.S. residents on President Donald Trump’s birthday next year — which also happens to be Flag Day — but is eliminating the benefit for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm" target="_blank">new list</a>&nbsp;of free admission days for Americans is the latest example of the Trump administration downplaying America’s civil rights history while also promoting the president’s image, name and legacy.<a href="https://www.doi.gov/blog/mark-your-calendars-fee-free-days-2025" target="_blank">Last year</a>, the list of free days included Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth — which is June 19 — but not June 14, Trump’s birthday.The new free-admission policy takes effect Jan. 1 and was one of several changes announced by the Park Service late last month, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-park-fees-international-tourists-557f52a2e3c12540594f19cadbbc8334">higher admission fees</a>&nbsp;for international visitors.The other days of free park admission in 2026 are Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Constitution Day, Veterans Day, President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (Oct. 27) and the anniversary of the creation of the Park Service (Aug. 25).Eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm" target="_blank">Martin Luther King Jr</a>. Day and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm" target="_blank">Juneteenth</a>, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans were emancipated, removes two of the nation’s most prominent civil rights holidays.Some civil rights leaders voiced opposition to the change after news about it began spreading over the weekend.“The raw &amp; rank racism here stinks to high heaven,” Harvard Kennedy School professor Cornell William Brooks, a former president of the NAACP, wrote on social media about the new policy.Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while presidential administrations have tweaked the free days in the past, the elimination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is particularly concerning. For one, the day has become a popular day of service for community groups that use the free day to perform volunteer projects at parks.That will now be much more expensive, said Brengel, whose organization is a nonprofit that advocates for the park system.“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” Brengel said. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”Some Democratic lawmakers also weighed in to object to the new policy.“The President didn’t just add his own birthday to the list, he removed both of these holidays that mark Black Americans’ struggle for civil rights and freedom,” said Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. “Our country deserves better.”A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday seeking information about the reasons behind the changes.Since taking office, Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">sought to eliminate</a>&nbsp;programs seen as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">promoting diversity</a>&nbsp;across the federal government, actions that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">erased or downplayed</a>&nbsp;America’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-park-service-disparaging-d861b3c902ef68b0184c2bd776f707e4">history of racism</a>&nbsp;as well as the civil rights victories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-history-smithsonian-dei-687fd306dc9c6d7611300d74fe49b8aa">Black Americans</a>.Self-promotion is an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-god-bless-usa-bible-greenwood-2713fda3efdfa297d0f024efb1ca3003">old habit of the president’s</a>&nbsp;and one he has continued in his second term. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-misses-out-on-nobel-peace-prize-729973788d8953da9af1cbc136232e96">unsuccessfully put himself forward</a>&nbsp;for the Nobel Peace Prize,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-institute-of-peace-6545c0101a02b677359f2732b019bf6a">renamed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. Institute of Peace after himself, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-commanders-stadium-name-nfl-d229beaf321af4fad2f5ae36b8227c34">put his name</a>&nbsp;on the planned NFL stadium in the nation’s capital and had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">a new children’s savings program</a>&nbsp;named after him.

National parks fee-free calendar drops Juneteenth, MLK Day

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly Labor Day weekend robbery, killing is due back in court Monday.

Lafayette J. Washington, 21, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.

In September, Washington was charged with First degree murder, theft of property and criminal possession of a firearm in the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.

The shooting occurred&nbsp; just after 1:30 a.m. September 1, in the 100 block of Rock Island in Wichita. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting.&nbsp;

Washinton is being held on bond of over $1 million dollars.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1756982176005.png" alt="Washington-photo Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Washington-photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly Labor Day weekend robbery, killing is due back in court Monday.Lafayette J. Washington, 21, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in&nbsp;Judge Jeffrey Goering's courtroom, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; The judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.In September, Washington was charged with First degree murder, theft of property and criminal possession of a firearm in the shooting death of 23-year-old D’Andre Rubio of Wichita, according to a media release from Wichita Police.The shooting occurred&nbsp; just after 1:30 a.m. September 1, in the 100 block of Rock Island in Wichita. Officers arrived and found Rubio suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.Detectives have learned that a disturbance took place before the shooting.&nbsp;Washinton is being held on bond of over $1 million dollars.

Preliminary Hearing for Kansas Labor Day robbery, killing

By RIO YAMAT AP Airlines and Travel Writer

Boeing said Monday that it has completed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">$4.7 billion purchase</a>&nbsp;of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the giant aerospace company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spirit-aerosystems-boeing-737-fuselage-28bceec61cef878005b965a016fa8787">737 Max jetliners</a>, including an Alaska Airlines aircraft that suffered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jetliner-blowout-737-max-9-united-alaska-2f74f52bbad7fca26aa11786bd44c356">door-panel blowout</a>&nbsp;last year.

The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spirit-aerosystems-negotiations-outsourcing-75471aeaecf3144842ecdcbe2ed6f76f">in the works for over a year</a>, brings Boeing's largest provider of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg called it a “pivotal moment” for the company's future.

“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry," Ortberg said in a statement.

Boeing previously owned Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit but spun it off in 2005. Reabsorbing the company, which is not related to Spirit Airlines, reverses a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing major work on its passenger planes, an approach that faced mounting criticism in recent years as manufacturing problems at Spirit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-supplier-slow-production-737-max-2525b4c5a27a7332b80b3016645918db">disrupted production</a>&nbsp;and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s.

When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">Boeing</a>&nbsp;announced in July 2024 that it planned to reacquire Spirit, it positioned the move as a step toward improving quality and safety.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-max-emergency-landing-alaska-airlines-79bc1ea98ee7fbc6edf46aff9319775b">Concerns about safety</a>&nbsp;came to a head almost six months earlier, after the door panel flew off the Alaska Airlines plane as it traveled 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) over Oregon.

The mishap left a gaping hole in the side of the jetliner, but no one was seriously injured. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board later said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-emergency-landing-report-alaska-airlines-8543c90b68b4d932a700cf57ff8f1b8e">four bolts</a>&nbsp;that help secure door panels were missing from the Alaska jet after repair work at a Boeing factory.

The finding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-justice-department-737-max-82145b25ed988cd8cae0bce3de79ce9d">renewed questions about Boeing’s safety culture</a>&nbsp;and came as the company confronted an ongoing criminal case over two earlier fatal crashes involving its Max jetliners.

Those crashes, which happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ede40d989be64863a9405802d6bb083b">off the coast of Indonesia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1108708781ba46808a16843bda8cc079">in Ethiopia</a>&nbsp;less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killed 346 people and led to a worldwide grounding of the 737 Max for nearly two years. The Justice Department accused Boeing of deceiving regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the crashes.

The criminal case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-737-max-crash-criminal-case-2fda6bd5226b042787c5bec3c02b78d3">resolved just last month</a>, when a federal judge in Texas approved the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the charge as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-justice-department-max-crashes-80ffdcf649f89ee0b3de689c0cfd3079">deal with Boeing.</a>&nbsp;In exchange, Boeing agreed to pay or invest an additional $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims’ families, and internal safety and quality measures.

The total value of the Spirit acquisition is around $8.3 billion, Boeing has said. Shares of Boeing rose roughly 2% in midday trading Monday.

&nbsp;Boeing on Monday announced it has completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, according to a media release from the aerospace company.

"This is a pivotal moment in Boeing's history and future success as we begin to integrate Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations and establish Spirit Defense," said&nbsp;Kelly Ortberg, president and chief executive officer of The Boeing Company. "As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry."

Boeing's acquisition includes all of Spirit's Boeing-related commercial operations, including fuselages for the 737 program and major structures for the 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner. It also includes commercially procured fuselages for the P-8 and KC-46.

The transaction also brings Boeing's largest supplier of spare parts in house, expands Boeing's global maintenance, repair and overhaul services footprint and adds to Boeing's rotable, lease, and exchange portfolio with Spirit's aftermarket businesses.

Spirit Defense will continue to support its customers as an independent supplier to the defense industry to ensure uninterrupted support for its customers. It will act as a non-integrated subsidiary of Boeing Defense, Space &amp; Security, aligning for financial reporting and select enterprise functional and site support, but maintaining independent governance and operations.

In addition, portions of Spirit AeroSystems' operations in&nbsp;Belfast, Northern Ireland, have been acquired by Boeing, and the&nbsp;Belfast&nbsp;site will operate as an independent subsidiary branded as Short Brothers, a Boeing Company.

Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations in&nbsp;Wichita, Kansas;&nbsp;Dallas, Texas; and&nbsp;Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as Spirit's Aerospace Innovation Center in Prestwick,&nbsp;Scotland, will begin to integrate into Boeing. Approximately 15,000 teammates across the five sites are becoming a part of Boeing.

"Kansas'&nbsp;aviation expertise reaches far beyond our borders," said&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Laura Kelly. "We help manufacture the aircraft the world relies on. Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems underscores the global significance of the work happening in our state and positions&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;to continue shaping the future of aerospace innovation for decades to come."

"Wichita&nbsp;would not be the Air Capital of the World without the extraordinary engineers, designers and manufacturers who have invested in our aerospace industry and made&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;their home," said U.S. Senator&nbsp;Jerry Moran. "Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems will help build bridges between&nbsp;Seattle&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wichita&nbsp;and bring new opportunities to the Air Capital of the World. I welcome Boeing back to&nbsp;Wichita&nbsp;and look forward to working with them to build a lasting relationship with the community and its workforce, as well as current and future suppliers, to continue building on the growth we have seen in recent years."

"Today's announcement is a great recognition of the world-class talent we have in&nbsp;Wichita," said U.S. Senator&nbsp;Roger Marshall. "Our workers and the unions that represent them have kept America as the gold standard in aerospace, and they deserve to be at the center of any future investment. I'm grateful that this agreement further solidifies&nbsp;Wichita's&nbsp;prestige in the industry."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765206367987.png" alt="737 fuselage production in Wichita-Boeing photo" />
 <figcaption>737 fuselage production in Wichita-Boeing photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By RIO YAMAT AP Airlines and Travel WriterBoeing said Monday that it has completed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">$4.7 billion purchase</a>&nbsp;of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the giant aerospace company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spirit-aerosystems-boeing-737-fuselage-28bceec61cef878005b965a016fa8787">737 Max jetliners</a>, including an Alaska Airlines aircraft that suffered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jetliner-blowout-737-max-9-united-alaska-2f74f52bbad7fca26aa11786bd44c356">door-panel blowout</a>&nbsp;last year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wichita would not be the Air Capital of the World without the extraordinary engineers, designers and manufacturers who have invested in our aerospace industry and made Kansas their home. Boeing&#39;s acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems will help build bridges between Seattle and…&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1998038794931458194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-spirit-aerosystems-negotiations-outsourcing-75471aeaecf3144842ecdcbe2ed6f76f">in the works for over a year</a>, brings Boeing's largest provider of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg called it a “pivotal moment” for the company's future.“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry," Ortberg said in a statement.Boeing previously owned Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit but spun it off in 2005. Reabsorbing the company, which is not related to Spirit Airlines, reverses a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing major work on its passenger planes, an approach that faced mounting criticism in recent years as manufacturing problems at Spirit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-supplier-slow-production-737-max-2525b4c5a27a7332b80b3016645918db">disrupted production</a>&nbsp;and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s.When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-acquisition-spirit-aerosystems-c6956d6f22355c95aa39a79eb384ff41">Boeing</a>&nbsp;announced in July 2024 that it planned to reacquire Spirit, it positioned the move as a step toward improving quality and safety.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-max-emergency-landing-alaska-airlines-79bc1ea98ee7fbc6edf46aff9319775b">Concerns about safety</a>&nbsp;came to a head almost six months earlier, after the door panel flew off the Alaska Airlines plane as it traveled 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) over Oregon.The mishap left a gaping hole in the side of the jetliner, but no one was seriously injured. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board later said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-emergency-landing-report-alaska-airlines-8543c90b68b4d932a700cf57ff8f1b8e">four bolts</a>&nbsp;that help secure door panels were missing from the Alaska jet after repair work at a Boeing factory.The finding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-justice-department-737-max-82145b25ed988cd8cae0bce3de79ce9d">renewed questions about Boeing’s safety culture</a>&nbsp;and came as the company confronted an ongoing criminal case over two earlier fatal crashes involving its Max jetliners.Those crashes, which happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ede40d989be64863a9405802d6bb083b">off the coast of Indonesia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1108708781ba46808a16843bda8cc079">in Ethiopia</a>&nbsp;less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killed 346 people and led to a worldwide grounding of the 737 Max for nearly two years. The Justice Department accused Boeing of deceiving regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the crashes.The criminal case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-737-max-crash-criminal-case-2fda6bd5226b042787c5bec3c02b78d3">resolved just last month</a>, when a federal judge in Texas approved the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the charge as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-justice-department-max-crashes-80ffdcf649f89ee0b3de689c0cfd3079">deal with Boeing.</a>&nbsp;In exchange, Boeing agreed to pay or invest an additional $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims’ families, and internal safety and quality measures.The total value of the Spirit acquisition is around $8.3 billion, Boeing has said. Shares of Boeing rose roughly 2% in midday trading Monday.-----------------&nbsp;Boeing on Monday announced it has completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, according to a media release from the aerospace company.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wichita would not be the Air Capital of the World without the extraordinary engineers, designers and manufacturers who have invested in our aerospace industry and made Kansas their home. Boeing&#39;s acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems will help build bridges between Seattle and…&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1998038794931458194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"This is a pivotal moment in Boeing's history and future success as we begin to integrate Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations and establish Spirit Defense," said&nbsp;Kelly Ortberg, president and chief executive officer of The Boeing Company. "As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry."Boeing's acquisition includes all of Spirit's Boeing-related commercial operations, including fuselages for the 737 program and major structures for the 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner. It also includes commercially procured fuselages for the P-8 and KC-46.The transaction also brings Boeing's largest supplier of spare parts in house, expands Boeing's global maintenance, repair and overhaul services footprint and adds to Boeing's rotable, lease, and exchange portfolio with Spirit's aftermarket businesses.Spirit Defense will continue to support its customers as an independent supplier to the defense industry to ensure uninterrupted support for its customers. It will act as a non-integrated subsidiary of Boeing Defense, Space &amp; Security, aligning for financial reporting and select enterprise functional and site support, but maintaining independent governance and operations.In addition, portions of Spirit AeroSystems' operations in&nbsp;Belfast, Northern Ireland, have been acquired by Boeing, and the&nbsp;Belfast&nbsp;site will operate as an independent subsidiary branded as Short Brothers, a Boeing Company.Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations in&nbsp;Wichita, Kansas;&nbsp;Dallas, Texas; and&nbsp;Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as Spirit's Aerospace Innovation Center in Prestwick,&nbsp;Scotland, will begin to integrate into Boeing. Approximately 15,000 teammates across the five sites are becoming a part of Boeing."Kansas'&nbsp;aviation expertise reaches far beyond our borders," said&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Laura Kelly. "We help manufacture the aircraft the world relies on. Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems underscores the global significance of the work happening in our state and positions&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;to continue shaping the future of aerospace innovation for decades to come.""Wichita&nbsp;would not be the Air Capital of the World without the extraordinary engineers, designers and manufacturers who have invested in our aerospace industry and made&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;their home," said U.S. Senator&nbsp;Jerry Moran. "Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems will help build bridges between&nbsp;Seattle&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wichita&nbsp;and bring new opportunities to the Air Capital of the World. I welcome Boeing back to&nbsp;Wichita&nbsp;and look forward to working with them to build a lasting relationship with the community and its workforce, as well as current and future suppliers, to continue building on the growth we have seen in recent years.""Today's announcement is a great recognition of the world-class talent we have in&nbsp;Wichita," said U.S. Senator&nbsp;Roger Marshall. "Our workers and the unions that represent them have kept America as the gold standard in aerospace, and they deserve to be at the center of any future investment. I'm grateful that this agreement further solidifies&nbsp;Wichita's&nbsp;prestige in the industry."

Moran celebrates Boeing's acquisition of Kan. aircraft parts maker

LAFAYETTE COUNTY —A Kansas man died during a pursuit with law enforcement just before 4a.m. Sunday in Lafayette County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Acura TL driven by a 67-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was westbound on Old Highway 40 at Route M. The driver failed to yield to a sheriff's deputy and a pursuit ensued. The driver failed to negotiate a left turn.&nbsp; The&nbsp; car traveled off the right side of the road, rolled and the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.&nbsp; 

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Stewart-Hoefner Funeral Home.&nbsp; &nbsp;The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY —A Kansas man died during a pursuit with law enforcement just before 4a.m. Sunday in Lafayette County, Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Acura TL driven by a 67-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was westbound on Old Highway 40 at Route M. The driver failed to yield to a sheriff's deputy and a pursuit ensued. The driver failed to negotiate a left turn.&nbsp; The&nbsp; car traveled off the right side of the road, rolled and the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.&nbsp; The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Stewart-Hoefner Funeral Home.&nbsp; &nbsp;The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

Kansas driver dies in crash during police chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-acquisition-studio-hbo-streaming-f4884402cadfd07a99af0c8e4353bd83">Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery</a>&nbsp;“could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superman-box-office-dc-james-gunn-e66bcc163a8aebf01a25a8b2e7dc08f4">DC Studios</a>, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president</a>&nbsp;said, “Well that’s the question.”

“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”

Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”

He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.

“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764998770653.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-acquisition-studio-hbo-streaming-f4884402cadfd07a99af0c8e4353bd83">Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery</a>&nbsp;“could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the Netflix deal to acquire Warner Bros.: &quot;That&#39;s gotta go through a process, and we&#39;ll see what happens. Netflix is a great company... but it&#39;s a lot of market share, so we&#39;ll have to see what happens.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8xolClLqCn">pic.twitter.com/8xolClLqCn</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997811394096595258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superman-box-office-dc-james-gunn-e66bcc163a8aebf01a25a8b2e7dc08f4">DC Studios</a>, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”Asked if Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">the president</a>&nbsp;said, “Well that’s the question.”“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.

🎥Trump: Netflix deal to buy Warner Bros. 'could be a problem'

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita Police arrested an 18-year-old Saturday after he allegedly struck a relative with a rifle, threatened to shoot multiple people, and prompted a SWAT response at a home in the 2000 block of South Mosley.

Just before 1a.m. Saturday., a relative called 911 to report that her 18-year-old brother identified in county booking records as Christopher J. Cooper had assaulted their 42-year-old stepmother with a rifle and threatened to shoot several people at the residence.

Officers located the caller and the victim at a different location. The victim had injuries to the back of her head requiring medical attention. During further follow-up, officers learned from additional witnesses that Cooper had made alarming statements, including a threat to “shoot it out” with police if they responded.

Officers responded to the South Mosley address and believed Cooper was inside a detached garage behind the home. They attempted to communicate with him using drones but were unsuccessful.

SWAT and Crisis Negotiators were activated while officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and garage. Negotiators attempted to contact Cooper again using loudspeakers, but were unsuccessful.

Once the warrant was secured, SWAT deployed less-lethal tactics, including bean bag rounds and a Noise/Flash Diversionary Device (NFDD). After the NFDD was deployed, Cooper exited the structure, saw SWAT officers and a police K9, and surrendered peacefully.

The 42-year-old victim was treated at a local hospital and later released.

Cooper was booked into Sedgwick County Jail and is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon and criminal threat.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765112822131.png" alt="Cooper-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Cooper-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita Police arrested an 18-year-old Saturday after he allegedly struck a relative with a rifle, threatened to shoot multiple people, and prompted a SWAT response at a home in the 2000 block of South Mosley.Just before 1a.m. Saturday., a relative called 911 to report that her 18-year-old brother identified in county booking records as Christopher J. Cooper had assaulted their 42-year-old stepmother with a rifle and threatened to shoot several people at the residence.Officers located the caller and the victim at a different location. The victim had injuries to the back of her head requiring medical attention. During further follow-up, officers learned from additional witnesses that Cooper had made alarming statements, including a threat to “shoot it out” with police if they responded.Officers responded to the South Mosley address and believed Cooper was inside a detached garage behind the home. They attempted to communicate with him using drones but were unsuccessful.SWAT and Crisis Negotiators were activated while officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and garage. Negotiators attempted to contact Cooper again using loudspeakers, but were unsuccessful.Once the warrant was secured, SWAT deployed less-lethal tactics, including bean bag rounds and a Noise/Flash Diversionary Device (NFDD). After the NFDD was deployed, Cooper exited the structure, saw SWAT officers and a police K9, and surrendered peacefully.The 42-year-old victim was treated at a local hospital and later released.Cooper was booked into Sedgwick County Jail and is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon and criminal threat.

Kan. teen accused of violent attack on his stepmother

SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after multiple suspicious devices were found in the city of Caldwell.

Just after 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, police were alerted to the presence of a suspicious, unknown device located in the vicinity of the 100 block of South Main Avenue in the city of Caldwell, according to a media release.

Police temporarily closed surrounding road and&nbsp;initiated a multi-agency response. Personnel from several key public safety and investigative organizations were immediately dispatched to the scene to assist in the investigation and rendering the area safe. 

These assisting agencies included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, The Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad, Caldwell Emergency Medical Services and Caldwell Fire Department.

The highly trained technicians of the Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad played a crucial role. They were able to successfully assess the initial device located on South Main Avenue and safely neutralize it, thereby making the device secure for collection and further forensic examination.

During the investigation in the area, two additional, similar devices were&nbsp; located and collected by law enforcement. Police collected them in the 100 block of South Chisholm Avenue and the other in the 00 block of North Arapahoe.&nbsp; All devices have been secured as evidence.

&nbsp;The Caldwell Police Department is diligently working with its partners to determine the nature of these devices, the motivation behind their placement, and to identify the individual or individuals responsible.T

Police asked residents to thoroughly review any home or business surveillance cameras for footage captured Saturday or in the preceding hours and to report any suspicious activity, individuals, vehicles, or sounds you may observe or have recorded in or around the affected areas. Anyone with any information regarding the devices, their placement, or any associated suspicious activity is strongly encouraged to contact 911 immediately.

SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after multiple suspicious devices were found in the city of Caldwell.Just after 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, police were alerted to the presence of a suspicious, unknown device located in the vicinity of the 100 block of South Main Avenue in the city of Caldwell, according to a media release.Police temporarily closed surrounding road and&nbsp;initiated a multi-agency response. Personnel from several key public safety and investigative organizations were immediately dispatched to the scene to assist in the investigation and rendering the area safe. These assisting agencies included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, The Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad, Caldwell Emergency Medical Services and Caldwell Fire Department.The highly trained technicians of the Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad played a crucial role. They were able to successfully assess the initial device located on South Main Avenue and safely neutralize it, thereby making the device secure for collection and further forensic examination.During the investigation in the area, two additional, similar devices were&nbsp; located and collected by law enforcement. Police collected them in the 100 block of South Chisholm Avenue and the other in the 00 block of North Arapahoe.&nbsp; All devices have been secured as evidence.&nbsp;The Caldwell Police Department is diligently working with its partners to determine the nature of these devices, the motivation behind their placement, and to identify the individual or individuals responsible.TPolice asked residents to thoroughly review any home or business surveillance cameras for footage captured Saturday or in the preceding hours and to report any suspicious activity, individuals, vehicles, or sounds you may observe or have recorded in or around the affected areas. Anyone with any information regarding the devices, their placement, or any associated suspicious activity is strongly encouraged to contact 911 immediately.

Police found suspicious devices in Kan. community

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/bill-barrow">BILL BARROW</a>

A video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows “nothing remarkable,” the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday, and he would not oppose its public release if the Pentagon were to declassify it.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who backs President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">campaign against suspected drug smugglers</a>, is partially aligning himself with Trump and top Democrats in favor of releasing the video of the Sept. 2 attack. It was the first in what has become a monthslong series of American strikes on vessels near Venezuela that the administration says were ferrying drugs. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes.

But Cotton, among the top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed Thursday by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">carrying out a second strike</a>&nbsp;to kill the two survivors. The nine others aboard the boat also were killed.

“I think it’s really important that this video be made public. It’s not lost on anyone, of course, that the interpretation of the video ... broke down precisely on party lines,” said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. He said he has spent “years looking at videos of lethal action taken, often in the terrorism context, and this video was profoundly shaking.”

When Trump was asked Wednesday whether he would release the video of that follow-on strike, he told reporters, “I don’t know what they have, but whatever they have we’d certainly release. No problem.” Defense Secretary Pete&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-defense-reagan-cartels-nuclear-90ed9fda0db322cf61cb481f228fc5c9">Hegseth said</a>&nbsp;in a Fox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that officials were reviewing the video. “Whatever we were to decide to release, we’d have to be very responsible” about it.

“That boat was still a valid target,” Cotton said, arguing that releasing the video would prove that the two survivors of the initial strike remained a threat.

“It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing,” he said, explaining why he does not have a problem with releasing all the footage. “It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.” He added that “there’s nothing remarkable on that video, in my opinion.”

The classified sessions on Capitol Hill came after The Washington Post reported that Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley had ordered a follow-on attack that killed those survivors, to comply with Hegseth’s demands. Bradley told lawmakers there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Hegseth</a>, but a video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.

Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and Himes are among those who have seen the video and they disputed Cotton’s characterization.

“I have no doubt that these guys were involved in the running of drugs. … But in that instance, these guys were about to die,” Himes said.

Smith added: “It did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.”

Himes said lawmakers are aware of the partisan divide.

Some legal experts have disputed that the United States is in an official armed conflict with Venezuela, raising questions about the legalities of using American military personnel for what would amount to law enforcement activities that require due process. Other experts have said that, regardless of the terms of engagement, international law does not allow further attacks on defenseless survivors of a previous attack. Specifically, Pentagon protocols say that firing upon the shipwrecked is illegal.

There have been questions and criticism of the mission raised by lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill, with inquiries ongoing.

Bradley told lawmakers in a closed session that he ordered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">second attack on the wreckage</a>&nbsp;of a boat that was carrying cocaine because it was believed that bales of the drug were still in the hull of the boat.

Cotton said Sunday that two final victims were “not in a shipwrecked state” or “floating helplessly in the water” but instead were “sitting or standing on top of a capsized boat.” Because they were “not incapacitated,” he said, “that boat, its cargo ... remained valid targets.”

Smith, who saw the same video, said, “The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed.”

Cotton was on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Smith was on ABC’s “This Week” and Himes appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764640848301.png" alt="U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War" />
 <figcaption>U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/bill-barrow">BILL BARROW</a>A video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows “nothing remarkable,” the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday, and he would not oppose its public release if the Pentagon were to declassify it.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The best way to have a large scale impact on these foreign drug traffickers is to destroy their boats. I support President Trump’s mission to protect kids across Arkansas from these drugs. <a href="https://t.co/PyHZ1xlp2Z">pic.twitter.com/PyHZ1xlp2Z</a>&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1997734351904415756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;The order, like the entire operation, is to destroy these drug boats — which are running drugs into our country from foreign drug cartels and traffickers,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTomCotton</a>. &quot;It was entirely appropriate to strike the boat again to make sure that its cargo was destroyed.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GVVdtbcQ0c">pic.twitter.com/GVVdtbcQ0c</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997690655913509189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who backs President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">campaign against suspected drug smugglers</a>, is partially aligning himself with Trump and top Democrats in favor of releasing the video of the Sept. 2 attack. It was the first in what has become a monthslong series of American strikes on vessels near Venezuela that the administration says were ferrying drugs. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes.But Cotton, among the top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed Thursday by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">carrying out a second strike</a>&nbsp;to kill the two survivors. The nine others aboard the boat also were killed.“I think it’s really important that this video be made public. It’s not lost on anyone, of course, that the interpretation of the video ... broke down precisely on party lines,” said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. He said he has spent “years looking at videos of lethal action taken, often in the terrorism context, and this video was profoundly shaking.”When Trump was asked Wednesday whether he would release the video of that follow-on strike, he told reporters, “I don’t know what they have, but whatever they have we’d certainly release. No problem.” Defense Secretary Pete&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-defense-reagan-cartels-nuclear-90ed9fda0db322cf61cb481f228fc5c9">Hegseth said</a>&nbsp;in a Fox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that officials were reviewing the video. “Whatever we were to decide to release, we’d have to be very responsible” about it.“That boat was still a valid target,” Cotton said, arguing that releasing the video would prove that the two survivors of the initial strike remained a threat.“It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing,” he said, explaining why he does not have a problem with releasing all the footage. “It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.” He added that “there’s nothing remarkable on that video, in my opinion.”The classified sessions on Capitol Hill came after The Washington Post reported that Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley had ordered a follow-on attack that killed those survivors, to comply with Hegseth’s demands. Bradley told lawmakers there was no&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-hegseth-maduro-512c66b99b2a13e9d1a3ed2699e78228">“kill them all”</a>&nbsp;order from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pete-hegseth">Hegseth</a>, but a video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642">laws of military warfare</a>.Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and Himes are among those who have seen the video and they disputed Cotton’s characterization.“I have no doubt that these guys were involved in the running of drugs. … But in that instance, these guys were about to die,” Himes said.Smith added: “It did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.”Himes said lawmakers are aware of the partisan divide.Some legal experts have disputed that the United States is in an official armed conflict with Venezuela, raising questions about the legalities of using American military personnel for what would amount to law enforcement activities that require due process. Other experts have said that, regardless of the terms of engagement, international law does not allow further attacks on defenseless survivors of a previous attack. Specifically, Pentagon protocols say that firing upon the shipwrecked is illegal.There have been questions and criticism of the mission raised by lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill, with inquiries ongoing.Bradley told lawmakers in a closed session that he ordered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-pentagon-drug-boats-caribbean-ae33b738a2481932ffefaf58e0a2d6ab">second attack on the wreckage</a>&nbsp;of a boat that was carrying cocaine because it was believed that bales of the drug were still in the hull of the boat.Cotton said Sunday that two final victims were “not in a shipwrecked state” or “floating helplessly in the water” but instead were “sitting or standing on top of a capsized boat.” Because they were “not incapacitated,” he said, “that boat, its cargo ... remained valid targets.”Smith, who saw the same video, said, “The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed.”Cotton was on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Smith was on ABC’s “This Week” and Himes appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Key GOP senator: No objection to releasing video of Sept. strike on drug boat

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas man pleaded guilty in federal court last week to illegally possessing a fully automatic pistol.

Verdell D. Mays, 30, of Overland Park, Kansas pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun, according to the United State's Attorney.

By pleading guilty, Mays admitted on June 28, 2025, he possessed a Glock, Model 22C, .40 caliber fully automatic pistol and that the Glock pistol had a rear slide plate that was modified to produce automatic fire.&nbsp;Mays is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction in federal court for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

Under federal statutes, Mays is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp; A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cass County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765029150128.png" alt="Mays from an arrest in Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Mays from an arrest in Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas man pleaded guilty in federal court last week to illegally possessing a fully automatic pistol.Verdell D. Mays, 30, of Overland Park, Kansas pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun, according to the United State's Attorney.By pleading guilty, Mays admitted on June 28, 2025, he possessed a Glock, Model 22C, .40 caliber fully automatic pistol and that the Glock pistol had a rear slide plate that was modified to produce automatic fire.&nbsp;Mays is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction in federal court for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.Under federal statutes, Mays is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole.&nbsp; The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp; A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cass County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

Kansas man admits illegally possessing a machine gun

Sioux City, Iowa —Two men with lengthy criminal histories were convicted by a jury last month after a 11-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. according to the United State's Attorney.

Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., aka Cliff Coates, age 44, from St. Francis, Kansas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon and Drug User, Conspiracy to Conceal Objects with the Intent to Impair Their Availability for an Official Proceeding, and Concealing Objects with the Intent to Impair their Availability for an Official Proceeding. Coates was acquitted of other charges related to threats, and obstruction of justice.&nbsp;

Dennis Lawson, age 65, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of Using Threat of Physical Force Against Another with the Intent to Hinder, Delay, or Prevent the Communication to a Law Enforcement Officer and Judge of the United States of Information Relating to the Commission and Possible Commission of a Federal Offense. Lawson was acquitted of other charges relating to drugs, threats and obstruction.&nbsp;

The verdict was returned following about 2 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that in Spring 2019, Coates was a member of a drug trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to Strubel, Iowa, among other places, for redistribution, and that Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation. Evidence also showed that on Easter weekend 2019, Coates had arranged a drug run to Kansas City, Missouri.

To execute the Easter weekend drug run, Coates had convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa; meet him in Blair, Nebraska; and drive him to Kansas City, Missouri, and back. Coates decided to travel to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer to go on the trip. There is no evidence Ms. Sramek knew Coates was going to Kansas City; in fact, she told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha.&nbsp;

The pair made it to Blair, where Coates went into a home, but Ms. Sramek did not. Coates’s driver arrived from Sioux City and Coates said nothing of Ms. Sramek to the driver. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Ms. Sramek’s motionless body. The driver testified it looked as if Ms. Sramek had overdosed, and Coates said he had provided her methamphetamine. Coates cancelled his drug run to Kansas City and told his driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time, when they returned, Ms. Sramek’s body was gone. The driver also testified that she and Coates cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her saying if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.”

Later, Coates told confidants that Ms. Sramek had overdosed. He told other friends a more violent story. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Ms. Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates was confident his efforts at concealing Ms. Sramek’s body would insulate him from accountability. He told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?”

Coates’s confidence was misplaced. Law enforcement gathered a significant amount of physical evidence tying Coates to Ms. Sramek’s disappearance. Forensic analysis indicated Ms. Sramek’s DNA and a significant amount of blood were found in the white Ford Explorer. The forensic findings combined with other evidence provided the proof the jury used to convict Coates and Lawson.&nbsp;

“Sunny Sramek went missing more than six years ago,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “But the investigators’ dedication kept her case from going cold. Thanks to them, these two criminals now face judgment for Sunny’s disappearance. Those who believe they can escape justice through threats, cover-ups, or the passage of time will discover they are mistaken.”

“The convictions of Coates and Lawson represent years of tireless, unwavering efforts by a dedicated team of FBI personnel who never stopped looking for Sunny Sramek,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Despite the defendants’ best efforts to conceal involvement in her disappearance, the FBI persisted in our mission to hold these subjects accountable for their actions. We hope these convictions bring some measure of solace to Sunny’s family. The FBI will always use every tool and technique in our arsenal to seek justice for the missing and attempts to hinder those efforts will be aggressively investigated.”

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Coates and Lawson remain in custody of the United States Marshal.

Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Lawson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765156241257.png" alt="Coates has six previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Coates has six previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Sioux City, Iowa —Two men with lengthy criminal histories were convicted by a jury last month after a 11-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. according to the United State's Attorney.Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., aka Cliff Coates, age 44, from St. Francis, Kansas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon and Drug User, Conspiracy to Conceal Objects with the Intent to Impair Their Availability for an Official Proceeding, and Concealing Objects with the Intent to Impair their Availability for an Official Proceeding. Coates was acquitted of other charges related to threats, and obstruction of justice.&nbsp;Dennis Lawson, age 65, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of Using Threat of Physical Force Against Another with the Intent to Hinder, Delay, or Prevent the Communication to a Law Enforcement Officer and Judge of the United States of Information Relating to the Commission and Possible Commission of a Federal Offense. Lawson was acquitted of other charges relating to drugs, threats and obstruction.&nbsp;The verdict was returned following about 2 hours of jury deliberations.The evidence at trial showed that in Spring 2019, Coates was a member of a drug trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to Strubel, Iowa, among other places, for redistribution, and that Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation. Evidence also showed that on Easter weekend 2019, Coates had arranged a drug run to Kansas City, Missouri.To execute the Easter weekend drug run, Coates had convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa; meet him in Blair, Nebraska; and drive him to Kansas City, Missouri, and back. Coates decided to travel to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer to go on the trip. There is no evidence Ms. Sramek knew Coates was going to Kansas City; in fact, she told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha.&nbsp;The pair made it to Blair, where Coates went into a home, but Ms. Sramek did not. Coates’s driver arrived from Sioux City and Coates said nothing of Ms. Sramek to the driver. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Ms. Sramek’s motionless body. The driver testified it looked as if Ms. Sramek had overdosed, and Coates said he had provided her methamphetamine. Coates cancelled his drug run to Kansas City and told his driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time, when they returned, Ms. Sramek’s body was gone. The driver also testified that she and Coates cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her saying if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.”Later, Coates told confidants that Ms. Sramek had overdosed. He told other friends a more violent story. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Ms. Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates was confident his efforts at concealing Ms. Sramek’s body would insulate him from accountability. He told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?”Coates’s confidence was misplaced. Law enforcement gathered a significant amount of physical evidence tying Coates to Ms. Sramek’s disappearance. Forensic analysis indicated Ms. Sramek’s DNA and a significant amount of blood were found in the white Ford Explorer. The forensic findings combined with other evidence provided the proof the jury used to convict Coates and Lawson.&nbsp;“Sunny Sramek went missing more than six years ago,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “But the investigators’ dedication kept her case from going cold. Thanks to them, these two criminals now face judgment for Sunny’s disappearance. Those who believe they can escape justice through threats, cover-ups, or the passage of time will discover they are mistaken.”“The convictions of Coates and Lawson represent years of tireless, unwavering efforts by a dedicated team of FBI personnel who never stopped looking for Sunny Sramek,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Despite the defendants’ best efforts to conceal involvement in her disappearance, the FBI persisted in our mission to hold these subjects accountable for their actions. We hope these convictions bring some measure of solace to Sunny’s family. The FBI will always use every tool and technique in our arsenal to seek justice for the missing and attempts to hinder those efforts will be aggressively investigated.”Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Coates and Lawson remain in custody of the United States Marshal.Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.Lawson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Kan. man linked to disappearance of woman found guilty of drug, gun charges

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect accused in a fatal gunfight at a liquor store in on Labor Day in Wichita was back in court last week for a preliminary hearing.

Judge Rodger Woods&nbsp; determined there is enough evidence for&nbsp;23-year-old Jaime Medina  to go to trial in early March, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On September 5, he was charged with first degree murder and battery, according to online jail records.

Just after 2p.m. September 1, officers were called to a liquor store on North Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders found three men with gunshot wounds including&nbsp;19-year-old Mario Gustavo. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect identified as 23-year-old Jaime Medina and another man were taken to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.

Investigators learned that&nbsp;a disturbance in the parking lot led to gunfire.

A retired Wichita police lieutenant saw a vehicle flee the scene and followed it. Officers stopped the car, driven by a woman, near the 800 block of North Main Street. A male passenger, identified as an associate of Gustavo, had a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. Investigators believe he was shot at the exact location as the other three men.&nbsp; Medina remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757083941543.png" alt="Medina photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Medina photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A suspect accused in a fatal gunfight at a liquor store in on Labor Day in Wichita was back in court last week for a preliminary hearing.Judge Rodger Woods&nbsp; determined there is enough evidence for&nbsp;23-year-old Jaime Medina to go to trial in early March, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On September 5, he was charged with first degree murder and battery, according to online jail records.Just after 2p.m. September 1, officers were called to a liquor store on North Broadway in Wichita, according to a media release. First responders found three men with gunshot wounds including&nbsp;19-year-old Mario Gustavo. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect identified as 23-year-old Jaime Medina and another man were taken to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.Investigators learned that&nbsp;a disturbance in the parking lot led to gunfire.A retired Wichita police lieutenant saw a vehicle flee the scene and followed it. Officers stopped the car, driven by a woman, near the 800 block of North Main Street. A male passenger, identified as an associate of Gustavo, had a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. Investigators believe he was shot at the exact location as the other three men.&nbsp; Medina remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1,000,000 bond.

Kansas liquor store gunfight suspect will face a trial

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Manhattan. Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check of an injured man, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

First responders located a 36-year-old man, identified as Mark Rickenbaker of Manhattan who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;

This is an isolated incident, according to the RCPD. Police released no additional details.

Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;Crime Stoppers. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a homicide in Manhattan. Just before 12:30a.m.&nbsp;December 6, police responded to the 800 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan, for a reported welfare check of an injured man, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.First responders located a 36-year-old man, identified as Mark Rickenbaker of Manhattan who had serious injuries to his body. During the investigation, officers discovered that Rickenbaker had been involved in an altercation prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Rickenbaker was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and died as a result of his injuries. &nbsp;This is an isolated incident, according to the RCPD. Police released no additional details.Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;Crime Stoppers. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police investigating 36-year-old man's murder in Manhattan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">Social Security Administration</a>&nbsp;is hoping to cut visits to its field offices in half next year, a move that advocates for the agency fear signals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">more closures</a>&nbsp;are coming.

Field offices have long been community-based branches that serve as the public face of the SSA, which provide in-person help for people applying for retirement and disability benefits, getting Social Security cards and other important services.

A November internal field office operating plan shared with The Associated Press outlines a proposed target of 50% fewer field office visitors in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2025, or no more than 15 million field office visits by members of the public. Agency field offices saw more than 31.6 million field office visits from SSA recipients from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, according to the agency document.

Barton Mackey, a Social Security spokesperson, said “field offices are, and will always remain, our front-line, providing in-person services to the approximately 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments and more than 330 million Americans with Social Security numbers, which the Commissioner has reiterated countless times since his confirmation.”

“The Social Security Administration under President Trump’s leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served,” Mackey said. “Through technology improvements and modernization, more Americans are choosing to easily and quickly manage their benefits online or over the phone.”

Nextgov/FCW first reported on the agency’s plan to reduce field office foot traffic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">At least 7,000 SSA</a>&nbsp;workers have been laid off from the agency this year as the Trump administration has proposed a number of plans to streamline services at the SSA.

In March, after outcry from lawmakers and the public, SSA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-administration-disability-benefits-dd53fb317dbd0e41cee436fdea9e6095">leadership partially backtracked on a plan</a>&nbsp;that would require all new and existing beneficiaries who are unable to use the agency’s online portal to travel to a Social Security field office to verify their identity.

Jessica LaPointe, a union leader for 30,000 Social Security workers through the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, said field offices are part of the quality of life agenda within communities, especially for “people who don’t have the resources to purchase technology to navigate the online world and they should be able to walk into an office to get help.”

She said the SSA wants “to allow AI and the internet to replace a well-trained, well-vetted workforce.”

Several field offices in rural areas of the U.S. have already closed this year because of a lack of staffing.

The Social Security website lists several office closures as well as offices that are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/agency/emergency/" target="_blank">only able to assist by phone</a>&nbsp;until further notice. The agency says the closures are not permanent, rather, the offices are closed due to maintenance or facilities issues that the agency is working to resolve, the agency says.

Chris Delaney, a Social Security claims specialist and president of AFGE Local 3343 in Hudson, says he cannot imagine how SSA can have a goal of cutting foot traffic when his office is seeing an increase in foot traffic and a growing aging population reliant on SSA income. The Hudson office sees roughly 30 to 60 visitors per day who have questions about their benefits.

“A lot of people can’t get past the ID verification on&nbsp;<a href="http://login.gov/" target="_blank">login.gov</a>, and just because they have a cellphone doesn’t mean they’re capable of creating an online account,” Delaney said. “Having people in the office when they need it is important.”

The 2026 operating plan also calls for all requested appointments to be scheduled within 30 days, instead of the current rate of 78.3% of all appointments scheduled within 30 days.

Social Security is one of the nation’s largest and most popular social programs. A January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of U.S. adults think the country is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-poll-government-spending-social-security-medicare-8a8ddb0e721355a4e9585da4147efe1a">spending too little on Social Security</a>.

The agency has faced several lawsuits over the Trump administration’s plans to overhaul the agency.

In October, Democracy Forward, a legal group challenging the Trump administration’s policies, filed a lawsuit to compel SSA to release public records about service disruptions and policy changes.

“After executing the largest staffing cuts in the 90-year history of Social Security, they’re trying to deal with a problem they created without any meaningful discussion,” LaPointe said. “What they’re doing is void of public input.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765033285831.png" alt="Social Security Admin. office in Topeka -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Social Security Admin. office in Topeka -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">Social Security Administration</a>&nbsp;is hoping to cut visits to its field offices in half next year, a move that advocates for the agency fear signals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">more closures</a>&nbsp;are coming.Field offices have long been community-based branches that serve as the public face of the SSA, which provide in-person help for people applying for retirement and disability benefits, getting Social Security cards and other important services.A November internal field office operating plan shared with The Associated Press outlines a proposed target of 50% fewer field office visitors in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2025, or no more than 15 million field office visits by members of the public. Agency field offices saw more than 31.6 million field office visits from SSA recipients from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, according to the agency document.Barton Mackey, a Social Security spokesperson, said “field offices are, and will always remain, our front-line, providing in-person services to the approximately 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments and more than 330 million Americans with Social Security numbers, which the Commissioner has reiterated countless times since his confirmation.”“The Social Security Administration under President Trump’s leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served,” Mackey said. “Through technology improvements and modernization, more Americans are choosing to easily and quickly manage their benefits online or over the phone.”Nextgov/FCW first reported on the agency’s plan to reduce field office foot traffic.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">At least 7,000 SSA</a>&nbsp;workers have been laid off from the agency this year as the Trump administration has proposed a number of plans to streamline services at the SSA.In March, after outcry from lawmakers and the public, SSA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-administration-disability-benefits-dd53fb317dbd0e41cee436fdea9e6095">leadership partially backtracked on a plan</a>&nbsp;that would require all new and existing beneficiaries who are unable to use the agency’s online portal to travel to a Social Security field office to verify their identity.Jessica LaPointe, a union leader for 30,000 Social Security workers through the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, said field offices are part of the quality of life agenda within communities, especially for “people who don’t have the resources to purchase technology to navigate the online world and they should be able to walk into an office to get help.”She said the SSA wants “to allow AI and the internet to replace a well-trained, well-vetted workforce.”Several field offices in rural areas of the U.S. have already closed this year because of a lack of staffing.The Social Security website lists several office closures as well as offices that are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/agency/emergency/" target="_blank">only able to assist by phone</a>&nbsp;until further notice. The agency says the closures are not permanent, rather, the offices are closed due to maintenance or facilities issues that the agency is working to resolve, the agency says.Chris Delaney, a Social Security claims specialist and president of AFGE Local 3343 in Hudson, says he cannot imagine how SSA can have a goal of cutting foot traffic when his office is seeing an increase in foot traffic and a growing aging population reliant on SSA income. The Hudson office sees roughly 30 to 60 visitors per day who have questions about their benefits.“A lot of people can’t get past the ID verification on&nbsp;<a href="http://login.gov/" target="_blank">login.gov</a>, and just because they have a cellphone doesn’t mean they’re capable of creating an online account,” Delaney said. “Having people in the office when they need it is important.”The 2026 operating plan also calls for all requested appointments to be scheduled within 30 days, instead of the current rate of 78.3% of all appointments scheduled within 30 days.Social Security is one of the nation’s largest and most popular social programs. A January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of U.S. adults think the country is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-poll-government-spending-social-security-medicare-8a8ddb0e721355a4e9585da4147efe1a">spending too little on Social Security</a>.The agency has faced several lawsuits over the Trump administration’s plans to overhaul the agency.In October, Democracy Forward, a legal group challenging the Trump administration’s policies, filed a lawsuit to compel SSA to release public records about service disruptions and policy changes.“After executing the largest staffing cuts in the 90-year history of Social Security, they’re trying to deal with a problem they created without any meaningful discussion,” LaPointe said. “What they’re doing is void of public input.”

What Social Security Admin. plan to cut field office visits means for you

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

The nation's freight railroads are going to be able to try relying more on technology and inspect their tracks in person less often after the federal government approved their waiver request on Friday.

The Association of American Railroads trade group asked for the relief from inspection requirements that were written back in 1971 because railroads believe the automated track inspection technology they use today is so good at spotting problems early that human inspections aren't needed as frequently. They say that extended tests that BNSF and Norfolk Southern ran show that safety actually improved even when human inspections were reduced from twice a week to twice a month.

The Federal Railroad Administration didn't go quite that far in its decision, but the agency said railroads will be able to cut inspections down to only once a week under the approved waiver.

The railroads had also asked for permission to have up to three days to repair defects identified by the automated inspections. But the Federal Railroad Administration said any serious defects in the tracks must be repaired immediately and all defects should be addressed within 24 hours.

These automated inspection systems use an array of cameras and lasers installed either on a locomotive or on a railcar that can be pulled as part of a train to assess whether the tracks are moving out of alignment or shifting. But the union that represents track inspectors says the technology can’t detect things like the rock underneath the track shifting, vegetation growing into the path of the trains, a crack in the rail or railroad ties rotting out. Plus, inspectors can spot a combination of small defects that might together derail a train where the machine might not register a problem, the union says.

“This is everyday defects across the entire country that we find through visual inspections that cannot be detected by this machinery,” Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union President Tony Cardwell said. “And that technology is not there. It has been here for 30 years. It hasn’t really advanced much at all. It’s a glorified tape measure.”

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track inspectors acknowledges that this technology does help spot problems. But the union says that this automated inspection equipment should supplement — not replace — human inspections because reducing track inspections would increase the risk of derailments.

The railroads counter that even if these systems can't see the ballast shifting under the tracks or the ties starting to rot, the system will notice the symptoms of those problems because the track geometry — basically the alignment of the tracks — will be affected when those things happen.

“What it is looking at is the ultimate performance. If those components are doing their job, then the track geometry is being maintained. If they’re not doing their job, the track geometry is not being maintained,” said Mike Rush, the Association of American Railroads' senior vice president of safety and operations.

Companies say technology is more effective

BNSF railroad said when it was arguing with the Federal Railroad Administration about whether their test should be extended that the “technology has proven to be far more sensitive and effective at detecting geometry defects on BNSF’s network than the regime of manual visual inspections mandated by the historic regulations.”

Over two years of testing, manual inspections detected only 0.01 defects per 100 miles, compared with the section of the railroad where the test was being run where the combination of the technology and reduced inspections found 4.54 defects per 100 miles.

The Federal Railroad Administration agreed that tracks don't need to be inspected visually as frequently when these automated track inspection systems are used regularly.

Cardwell and the union's safety director, Roy Morrison, think that's a bad idea. They said that one of the benefits of frequent inspections is that the inspectors become intimately familiar with their territories, which helps them spot subtle changes. If they aren't out on the tracks as often, it may be harder to spot problems, they said.

“A track inspector who’s out on his mainline track twice a week, he knows that track inside out, and a lot of times he’ll spot a defect without even knowing what he’s looking at yet,” Morrison said. “He’ll get out of the truck and say, hey, there’s something wrong here. Take some measurements and go, OK, this is what’s going on.”

But the railroads say that freeing up inspectors from some of these mandated track inspections will allow them to focus more on switches and other equipment that must be inspected manually. Plus, Norfolk Southern noted in its comments on the request that even if regular inspections aren't being done as often, special inspections will still be done regularly anytime there is a major storm or flooding in a certain area to make sure the tracks weren't affected.

Norfolk Southern said that during its 18-month test of reducing inspections while using the technology, the railroad saw improvements in areas that the automated system can't find because inspectors were free to spend more time focused on those areas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686018448112.png" alt="Union Pacific train in western Kansas -Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Union Pacific train in western Kansas -Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation WriterThe nation's freight railroads are going to be able to try relying more on technology and inspect their tracks in person less often after the federal government approved their waiver request on Friday.The Association of American Railroads trade group asked for the relief from inspection requirements that were written back in 1971 because railroads believe the automated track inspection technology they use today is so good at spotting problems early that human inspections aren't needed as frequently. They say that extended tests that BNSF and Norfolk Southern ran show that safety actually improved even when human inspections were reduced from twice a week to twice a month.The Federal Railroad Administration didn't go quite that far in its decision, but the agency said railroads will be able to cut inspections down to only once a week under the approved waiver.The railroads had also asked for permission to have up to three days to repair defects identified by the automated inspections. But the Federal Railroad Administration said any serious defects in the tracks must be repaired immediately and all defects should be addressed within 24 hours.<h2>Union says technology can miss problems</h2>These automated inspection systems use an array of cameras and lasers installed either on a locomotive or on a railcar that can be pulled as part of a train to assess whether the tracks are moving out of alignment or shifting. But the union that represents track inspectors says the technology can’t detect things like the rock underneath the track shifting, vegetation growing into the path of the trains, a crack in the rail or railroad ties rotting out. Plus, inspectors can spot a combination of small defects that might together derail a train where the machine might not register a problem, the union says.“This is everyday defects across the entire country that we find through visual inspections that cannot be detected by this machinery,” Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union President Tony Cardwell said. “And that technology is not there. It has been here for 30 years. It hasn’t really advanced much at all. It’s a glorified tape measure.”The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track inspectors acknowledges that this technology does help spot problems. But the union says that this automated inspection equipment should supplement — not replace — human inspections because reducing track inspections would increase the risk of derailments.The railroads counter that even if these systems can't see the ballast shifting under the tracks or the ties starting to rot, the system will notice the symptoms of those problems because the track geometry — basically the alignment of the tracks — will be affected when those things happen.“What it is looking at is the ultimate performance. If those components are doing their job, then the track geometry is being maintained. If they’re not doing their job, the track geometry is not being maintained,” said Mike Rush, the Association of American Railroads' senior vice president of safety and operations.<h2>Companies say technology is more effective</h2>BNSF railroad said when it was arguing with the Federal Railroad Administration about whether their test should be extended that the “technology has proven to be far more sensitive and effective at detecting geometry defects on BNSF’s network than the regime of manual visual inspections mandated by the historic regulations.”Over two years of testing, manual inspections detected only 0.01 defects per 100 miles, compared with the section of the railroad where the test was being run where the combination of the technology and reduced inspections found 4.54 defects per 100 miles.The Federal Railroad Administration agreed that tracks don't need to be inspected visually as frequently when these automated track inspection systems are used regularly.Cardwell and the union's safety director, Roy Morrison, think that's a bad idea. They said that one of the benefits of frequent inspections is that the inspectors become intimately familiar with their territories, which helps them spot subtle changes. If they aren't out on the tracks as often, it may be harder to spot problems, they said.“A track inspector who’s out on his mainline track twice a week, he knows that track inside out, and a lot of times he’ll spot a defect without even knowing what he’s looking at yet,” Morrison said. “He’ll get out of the truck and say, hey, there’s something wrong here. Take some measurements and go, OK, this is what’s going on.”But the railroads say that freeing up inspectors from some of these mandated track inspections will allow them to focus more on switches and other equipment that must be inspected manually. Plus, Norfolk Southern noted in its comments on the request that even if regular inspections aren't being done as often, special inspections will still be done regularly anytime there is a major storm or flooding in a certain area to make sure the tracks weren't affected.Norfolk Southern said that during its 18-month test of reducing inspections while using the technology, the railroad saw improvements in areas that the automated system can't find because inspectors were free to spend more time focused on those areas.

Railroads will be allowed to reduce inspections and rely more on technology to spot track problems

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men made their initial appearances before a federal judge following indictments in connection with a $4 million retail sales investment scheme.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men made their initial appearances before a federal judge following indictments in connection with a $4 million retail sales investment scheme.According to court documents, Baha Ibrahim, 21, and Jawad Albadawi, 21, both of Overland Park, were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, six counts of money laundering, and seven counts of transacting in criminal proceeds.&nbsp;According to court documents, Ibrahim and Albadawi allegedly solicited money from investors by falsely claiming that their business would purchase merchandise wholesale and then sell the items online as individual retail sales, thereby yielding high returns. From March 2024 to August 2024, Ibrahim and Albadawi are accused of failing to purchase bulk items or sell them consistent with representations they made to investors. &nbsp;They are accused of misappropriating investors’ funds for their own personal benefit, including the purchase of luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and lavish trips to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Greece, and Las Vegas.&nbsp;Ibrahim and Albadawi made their initial court appearances on November 24, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa J. James of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.