WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">shut down the department</a>.

It represents a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action in March.

Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.

Opponents have urged against such a shake-up, saying it could disrupt programs that support some of the nation’s most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">vulnerable student populations</a>. Some argue that other agencies don’t have the expertise that schools and families rely on at the Education Department.

A union representing department workers said students, educators and families depend on the agency's support for schools.

“That national mission is weakened when its core functions are scattered across other federal or state agencies that are not equipped or positioned to provide the same support and services as ED staff,” AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman said.

Department officials said the programs will continue to be funded at levels set by Congress. They did not say whether the changes would bring further job cuts at the department, which has been thinned by waves of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-civil-rights-8cbf463cce765f497c10d688ab4d51e1">mass layoffs</a>&nbsp;and voluntary retirement offers.

“The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.”

The action leaves in place the Education Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dismantling-education-department-8b5d0961700f0fe69d18ea80b437c8b8">$1.6 trillion student loan portfolio</a>&nbsp;and its funding for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">students with disabilities</a>, though McMahon has suggested both would be better managed by other federal departments. Also unaffected is the department's Office for Civil Rights, which works with students and families who bring allegations of discrimination.

McMahon and her staff have spent months hammering out the deals, which allow the department to lop off large parts of its footprint without action from Congress. It’s being done through formal agreements that agencies often make with one another when their work overlaps.

The Education Department tested the idea in June with a deal that moved adult education programs to Labor. The new agreements take it a step further and lay the groundwork for more.

Under the new plan, Labor will oversee almost all grant programs that are now managed by the Education Department’s offices for K-12 and higher education. Along with the $18 billion Title I program, that includes smaller funding pools for teacher training, English instruction and TRIO, a program that helps steer low-income students to college degrees.

It will effectively outsource the department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Postsecondary Education, two of the agency’s largest units. Two major roles of the postsecondary office will remain with the Education Department: oversight of student loan policy and the accreditation of colleges for eligibility to receive students’ federal financial aid.

States and schools should not expect any disruptions in their funding, the department said, but their federal money will now come from the Department of Labor.

Another deal will put Health and Human Services in charge of a grant program for parents who are attending college, along with management of foreign medical school accreditation. The State Department will take on foreign language programs. Interior will oversee programs for Native American education.

McMahon has increasingly pointed to what she sees as failures of the department as she argues for its demise. In its 45 years, she says it has become a bloated bureaucracy while student outcomes continue to lag behind. She points to math and reading scores for the country’s K-12 students, which plummeted in the wake of pandemic restrictions.

Her vision would abolish the Education Department and give states wider flexibility in how they spend money that’s now earmarked for specific purposes, including literacy and education for homeless students. That, however, would require approval from Congress. The task is complicated by the fact that some of the department’s core work has long had bipartisan support.

The new deals are part of a broader plan to prove that America’s schools and colleges can operate without the department. As part of the plan, officials say McMahon will continue touring the country to highlight the successes of local schools — and she will also spend more time making her pitch to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763503089482.png" alt="U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">shut down the department</a>.It represents a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action in March.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763503151749.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.Opponents have urged against such a shake-up, saying it could disrupt programs that support some of the nation’s most&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">vulnerable student populations</a>. Some argue that other agencies don’t have the expertise that schools and families rely on at the Education Department.A union representing department workers said students, educators and families depend on the agency's support for schools.“That national mission is weakened when its core functions are scattered across other federal or state agencies that are not equipped or positioned to provide the same support and services as ED staff,” AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman said.Department officials said the programs will continue to be funded at levels set by Congress. They did not say whether the changes would bring further job cuts at the department, which has been thinned by waves of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-civil-rights-8cbf463cce765f497c10d688ab4d51e1">mass layoffs</a>&nbsp;and voluntary retirement offers.“The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.”The action leaves in place the Education Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dismantling-education-department-8b5d0961700f0fe69d18ea80b437c8b8">$1.6 trillion student loan portfolio</a>&nbsp;and its funding for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">students with disabilities</a>, though McMahon has suggested both would be better managed by other federal departments. Also unaffected is the department's Office for Civil Rights, which works with students and families who bring allegations of discrimination.McMahon and her staff have spent months hammering out the deals, which allow the department to lop off large parts of its footprint without action from Congress. It’s being done through formal agreements that agencies often make with one another when their work overlaps.The Education Department tested the idea in June with a deal that moved adult education programs to Labor. The new agreements take it a step further and lay the groundwork for more.Under the new plan, Labor will oversee almost all grant programs that are now managed by the Education Department’s offices for K-12 and higher education. Along with the $18 billion Title I program, that includes smaller funding pools for teacher training, English instruction and TRIO, a program that helps steer low-income students to college degrees.It will effectively outsource the department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Postsecondary Education, two of the agency’s largest units. Two major roles of the postsecondary office will remain with the Education Department: oversight of student loan policy and the accreditation of colleges for eligibility to receive students’ federal financial aid.States and schools should not expect any disruptions in their funding, the department said, but their federal money will now come from the Department of Labor.Another deal will put Health and Human Services in charge of a grant program for parents who are attending college, along with management of foreign medical school accreditation. The State Department will take on foreign language programs. Interior will oversee programs for Native American education.McMahon has increasingly pointed to what she sees as failures of the department as she argues for its demise. In its 45 years, she says it has become a bloated bureaucracy while student outcomes continue to lag behind. She points to math and reading scores for the country’s K-12 students, which plummeted in the wake of pandemic restrictions.Her vision would abolish the Education Department and give states wider flexibility in how they spend money that’s now earmarked for specific purposes, including literacy and education for homeless students. That, however, would require approval from Congress. The task is complicated by the fact that some of the department’s core work has long had bipartisan support.The new deals are part of a broader plan to prove that America’s schools and colleges can operate without the department. As part of the plan, officials say McMahon will continue touring the country to highlight the successes of local schools — and she will also spend more time making her pitch to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Kan. U.S. Senator applauds new steps to dismantle U.S. Dept. of Education

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a double shooting in Hutchinson that sent two men to the hospital.

Just before 8p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at an address in the 1100 block West 19th Avenue in Hutchinson, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.

First responders located a man with wound to his lower extremity. He was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center in stable condition and later released after being treated. 

Moments later, officers were dispatched to 19th Avenue and Monroe Street where they located another adult man in a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to HRMC in critical condition and later to St. Francis in Wichita. 

Detectives are interviewing several individuals who were present during the shooting, as well as others with relevant information. No arrests have been made.&nbsp;Based on what police know at this time, there is no known current threat to the public.

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a double shooting in Hutchinson that sent two men to the hospital.Just before 8p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at an address in the 1100 block West 19th Avenue in Hutchinson, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.First responders located a man with wound to his lower extremity. He was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center in stable condition and later released after being treated. Moments later, officers were dispatched to 19th Avenue and Monroe Street where they located another adult man in a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to HRMC in critical condition and later to St. Francis in Wichita. Detectives are interviewing several individuals who were present during the shooting, as well as others with relevant information. No arrests have been made.&nbsp;Based on what police know at this time, there is no known current threat to the public.

Police: Kan. man in vehicle had multiple gunshot wounds 

WASHINGTON (AP) —Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republican leadership.

When a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the floor, it appeared a long-shot effort — especially as the president urged supporters to dismiss the matter as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/wh-backs-handwriting-review-of-epstein-birthday-book-signature-insists-trump-ties-a-democrat-hoax-0b360963ee534211b469e7dbb0323b81">“hoax.”</a>

But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said he will sign it. Just hours after the House passed the bill, the Senate agreed to pass it with unanimous consent once it is sent to the body.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republican leadership.

When a small bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort — especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/wh-backs-handwriting-review-of-epstein-birthday-book-signature-insists-trump-ties-a-democrat-hoax-0b360963ee534211b469e7dbb0323b81">“hoax.”</a>

But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said he will sign it if it also passes the Senate.

The bill passed 427-1, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump. He also chairs a subcommittee that initiated a subpoena on the Justice Department for the Epstein files.&nbsp; Kansas Representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Sharice Davids and Derek Schmidt voted in favor of the bill.

Tuesday’s vote further showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls.

“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as she stood with some of the abuse survivors outside the Capitol Tuesday morning.

“That’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today,” added Greene, a Georgia Republican and longtime Trump loyalist.

A separate investigation conducted by the House Oversight Committee has released thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-emails-trump-house-democrats-db7df1042a73e610fb5deddf2f90bd3a">pages of emails</a>&nbsp;and other documents from Epstein's estate, showing his connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.

Pushing for more accountability, the survivors of Epstein's abuse cast the current effort in Congress as a step towards accountability for Epstein's crimes after years of government failure under multiple presidential administrations.

Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years ago, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-midterms-affordability-economy-c908847c586e635e26ecd5ee203df474">tried for months to move past the demands</a>&nbsp;for disclosure. On Monday, he told reporters that Epstein was connected to more Democrats and that he didn't want the Epstein files to “detract from the great success of the Republican Party.”

Still, many in the Republican base have continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, several survivors of Epstein's abuse rallied outside the Capitol Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the November chill and holding photos of themselves as teenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.

“We are exhausted from surviving the trauma and then surviving the political conflicts that surround it,” said Jena-Lisa Jones, one of the survivors.

She added that she had voted for Trump, but had a message for the president: “I beg you Donald Trump, please stop making this political.”

The group of women also met with Johnson and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-survivors-congress-trump-5d980740245f935c994a90b8ce824642">rallied outside the Capitol in September</a>, but have had to wait months for the vote.

That's because Johnson kept the House closed for legislative business for nearly two months and also refused to swear-in Democratic Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adelita-grijalva-arizona-house-epstein-files-johnson-da75c9f0e362291f3d0edb1da99e019d">Adelita Grijalva</a>&nbsp;of Arizona during the government shutdown. After winning a special election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after she was sworn into office last week could she sign her name to the discharge petition to give it majority support in the 435-member House.

It quickly became apparent the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold. Trump on Sunday said Republicans should vote for the bill.

Yet Greene told reporters that Trump's decision to fight the bill had betrayed his Make America Great Again political movement.

"Watching this turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart,” she said.

Rather than waiting until next week for the discharge position to officially take effect, Johnson is moving to hold the vote under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority.

But Johnson also spent a morning news conference listing off problems that he sees with the legislation. He argued that the bill could have unintended consequences by disclosing parts of federal investigations that are usually kept private, including information on victims.

“This is a raw and obvious political exercise," Johnson said.

Still, he planned to vote for the bill. “None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” he added.

Meanwhile, House Democrats celebrated the vote as a rare win for the minority.

“It’s a complete and total surrender, because as Democrats we made clear from the very beginning, the survivors and the American people deserve full and complete transparency as it relates to the lives that were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

It's not clear how the Senate will handle the bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has previously been circumspect when asked about the legislation and instead said he trusted the Justice Department to release information on the Epstein investigation.

But what the Justice Department has released so far under Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-congress-justice-department-trump-3e0d2146ce0cd0f6cecaab0198402ac7">mostly already public</a>. The bill would go further, forcing the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

Johnson also said he wants to see the Senate amend the bill to protect the information of “victims and whistleblowers.”

But the bipartisan pair who sponsored the bill, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., warned senators against doing anything that would “muck it up" and said they would face the same public uproar that forced both Trump and Johnson to back down.

“We've needlessly dragged this out for four months,” Massie said, adding that those raising problems with the bill “are afraid that people will be embarrassed. Well, that's the whole point here."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763495156325.jpeg" alt="View of the House floor at the end of the vote count Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>View of the House floor at the end of the vote count Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republican leadership.When a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the floor, it appeared a long-shot effort — especially as the president urged supporters to dismiss the matter as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/wh-backs-handwriting-review-of-epstein-birthday-book-signature-insists-trump-ties-a-democrat-hoax-0b360963ee534211b469e7dbb0323b81">“hoax.”</a>But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said he will sign it. Just hours after the House passed the bill, the Senate agreed to pass it with unanimous consent once it is sent to the body.--------WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Republican leadership.When a small bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort — especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/wh-backs-handwriting-review-of-epstein-birthday-book-signature-insists-trump-ties-a-democrat-hoax-0b360963ee534211b469e7dbb0323b81">“hoax.”</a>But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said he will sign it if it also passes the Senate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763496001923.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The bill passed 427-1, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump. He also chairs a subcommittee that initiated a subpoena on the Justice Department for the Epstein files.&nbsp; Kansas Representatives Ron Estes, Tracey Mann, Sharice Davids and Derek Schmidt voted in favor of the bill.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763495349874.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Tuesday’s vote further showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls.“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as she stood with some of the abuse survivors outside the Capitol Tuesday morning.“That’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today,” added Greene, a Georgia Republican and longtime Trump loyalist.A separate investigation conducted by the House Oversight Committee has released thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-emails-trump-house-democrats-db7df1042a73e610fb5deddf2f90bd3a">pages of emails</a>&nbsp;and other documents from Epstein's estate, showing his connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.Pushing for more accountability, the survivors of Epstein's abuse cast the current effort in Congress as a step towards accountability for Epstein's crimes after years of government failure under multiple presidential administrations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704330351229.png" alt="Epstein photo New York Sex Offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Epstein photo New York Sex Offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Trump's reversal on the Epstein files</h2>Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years ago, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-midterms-affordability-economy-c908847c586e635e26ecd5ee203df474">tried for months to move past the demands</a>&nbsp;for disclosure. On Monday, he told reporters that Epstein was connected to more Democrats and that he didn't want the Epstein files to “detract from the great success of the Republican Party.”Still, many in the Republican base have continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, several survivors of Epstein's abuse rallied outside the Capitol Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the November chill and holding photos of themselves as teenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.“We are exhausted from surviving the trauma and then surviving the political conflicts that surround it,” said Jena-Lisa Jones, one of the survivors.She added that she had voted for Trump, but had a message for the president: “I beg you Donald Trump, please stop making this political.”The group of women also met with Johnson and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-survivors-congress-trump-5d980740245f935c994a90b8ce824642">rallied outside the Capitol in September</a>, but have had to wait months for the vote.That's because Johnson kept the House closed for legislative business for nearly two months and also refused to swear-in Democratic Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/adelita-grijalva-arizona-house-epstein-files-johnson-da75c9f0e362291f3d0edb1da99e019d">Adelita Grijalva</a>&nbsp;of Arizona during the government shutdown. After winning a special election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after she was sworn into office last week could she sign her name to the discharge petition to give it majority support in the 435-member House.It quickly became apparent the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold. Trump on Sunday said Republicans should vote for the bill.Yet Greene told reporters that Trump's decision to fight the bill had betrayed his Make America Great Again political movement."Watching this turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart,” she said.<h2>How Johnson is handling the bill</h2>Rather than waiting until next week for the discharge position to officially take effect, Johnson is moving to hold the vote under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority.But Johnson also spent a morning news conference listing off problems that he sees with the legislation. He argued that the bill could have unintended consequences by disclosing parts of federal investigations that are usually kept private, including information on victims.“This is a raw and obvious political exercise," Johnson said.Still, he planned to vote for the bill. “None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” he added.Meanwhile, House Democrats celebrated the vote as a rare win for the minority.“It’s a complete and total surrender, because as Democrats we made clear from the very beginning, the survivors and the American people deserve full and complete transparency as it relates to the lives that were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.<h2>What will the Senate do?</h2>It's not clear how the Senate will handle the bill.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has previously been circumspect when asked about the legislation and instead said he trusted the Justice Department to release information on the Epstein investigation.But what the Justice Department has released so far under Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-congress-justice-department-trump-3e0d2146ce0cd0f6cecaab0198402ac7">mostly already public</a>. The bill would go further, forcing the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”Johnson also said he wants to see the Senate amend the bill to protect the information of “victims and whistleblowers.”But the bipartisan pair who sponsored the bill, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., warned senators against doing anything that would “muck it up" and said they would face the same public uproar that forced both Trump and Johnson to back down.“We've needlessly dragged this out for four months,” Massie said, adding that those raising problems with the bill “are afraid that people will be embarrassed. Well, that's the whole point here."

427-1: Kansas lawmakers vote to force release of Epstein files

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-israel-abraham-accords-mbs-24efae2972c9c4a488fcda5ff8c5ad1f">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;to Washington on Tuesday as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia makes his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi agents.

Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship had been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom, that U.S. intelligence agencies later determined Prince Mohammed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-saudi-crown-prince-khashoggi-killing-26c37f6d603737de7509f5ee09ae7f9d">likely directed the agents</a>&nbsp;to carry out.

But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump has tightened his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince he views as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come. Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.

Khashoggi was an afterthought as the two leaders unveil billions of dollars in deals and huddle with aides to discuss the tricky path ahead in a volatile Middle East. They'll end their day with an evening White House soiree, organized by first lady Melania Trump, to honor the prince.

The president dismissed questions to the crown prince about the journalist's killing.

“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident.

Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with the prince by his side, commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.

“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” Trump said. “What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”

The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the U.S. to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis said they planned to invest in the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.

Trump's family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-trump-organization-jeddah-dar-global-539989a563d8f7eb949be2e10ee18d0a">it plans to launch Trump Plaza</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

It's Dar Global's second collaboration with the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the U.S. president's children, in Saudi Arabia. Last year, the two companies announced the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah.

Trump pushed back on the notion Tuesday that there was a conflict of interest.

“I have nothing to do with the family business,” said Trump on Tuesday, adding that his family has relatively little interest in the kingdom.

Technically, it's not a state visit, because the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.

Most foreign leaders who come to meet with Trump are driven up to the doors of the West Wing, where the president often greets them. But Prince Mohammed, accompanied by the Saudi prime minister, was welcomed with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.

Trump then showed the prince the newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame that features gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-portraits-biden-autopen-white-house-e8624154e72631e723930ea549bb8910">a photo of an autopen signing the name of former President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in place of the Democrat’s official portrait.

An Oval Office meeting and luncheon in the Cabinet Room will follow.

Trump will then see the crown prince off in the afternoon but he’s expected to return to the South Lawn, with the first lady, to welcome the crown prince when he returns for the evening East Room dinner.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer great who is playing in the Saudi Pro League, is also expected to be at the White House on Tuesday during the crown prince's visit, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In addition to White House pomp, the two nations are also planning an investment summit at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday that will include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and natural gas company, where even more deals with the Saudis could be announced.

Ahead of Prince Mohammed's arrival, Trump announced he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-crown-prince-f35-77edbfa2f257805d43a501cd4808648a">agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets</a>&nbsp;despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the U.S. technology behind the advanced weapon system.

Trump's announcement is also surprising because some in the Republican administration have been wary about upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">Gaza peace plan</a>.

But the unexpected move comes at a moment when Trump is trying to nudge the Saudis toward normalizing relations with Israel.

The president in his first term had helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort dubbed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-united-arab-emirates-middle-east-elections-7544b322a254ebea1693e387d83d9d8b">Abraham Accords</a>.

Trump sees expansion of the accords as essential to his broader efforts to build stability in the Middle East after the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

And getting Saudi Arabia — the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam — to sign on would spur a domino effect, he argues. The president in recent weeks has even predicted that once Saudi Arabia signs on to the accords, “everybody” in the Arab world “goes in.”

But the Saudis have maintained that a clear path toward Palestinian statehood must first be established before normalizing relations with Israel can be considered. The Israelis, meanwhile, remain steadfastly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">U.S. plan for Gaza</a>&nbsp;that authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in the devastated territory and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-un-trump-russia-e701750e61968110b873e90372b9f2e7">envisions a possible future path</a>&nbsp;to an independent Palestinian state.

The leaders certainly will have plenty to talk about including maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, mutual concerns about Iran’s malign behavior, and a brutal civil war in Sudan.

And the Saudis are looking to receive formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of U.S. military protection for the kingdom, even though anything not ratified by Congress can be undone by the next president.

Prince Mohammed, 40, who has stayed away from the West after the Khashoggi killing, is also looking to reestablish his position as a global player and a leader determined to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil by investing in sectors like mining, technology and tourism.

To that end, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce a multi-billion dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the two countries will lay out details about new cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly ahead of the formal announcement.

A coalition of 11 human rights groups ahead of the crown prince’s visit called on the Trump administration to use its leverage to press Saudi authorities, who badly want to broaden its business and defense connections with the U.S., to make concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom during the visit.

The activists say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. Human rights organizations have also documented a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.

“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is trying to rebrand himself as a global statesman, but the reality at home is mass repression, record numbers of executions, and zero tolerance for dissent," Sarah Yager, Washington director at the group Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "U.S. officials should be pressing for change, not posing for photos.”

AP writers Josh Boak, Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763483740130.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-israel-abraham-accords-mbs-24efae2972c9c4a488fcda5ff8c5ad1f">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;to Washington on Tuesday as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia makes his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi agents.Trump warmly received Prince Mohammed when he arrived at the White House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a thundering greeting from the U.S. Marine band.The U.S.-Saudi relationship had been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the kingdom, that U.S. intelligence agencies later determined Prince Mohammed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-saudi-crown-prince-khashoggi-killing-26c37f6d603737de7509f5ee09ae7f9d">likely directed the agents</a>&nbsp;to carry out.But seven years later, the dark clouds over the relationship have been cleared away. And Trump has tightened his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince he views as an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come. Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Virginia resident.Khashoggi was an afterthought as the two leaders unveil billions of dollars in deals and huddle with aides to discuss the tricky path ahead in a volatile Middle East. They'll end their day with an evening White House soiree, organized by first lady Melania Trump, to honor the prince.The president dismissed questions to the crown prince about the journalist's killing.“Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said of the international incident.Trump, during an Oval Office meeting with the prince by his side, commended the Saudi leader for strides made by the kingdom on human rights without providing any specific detail.“I’m very proud of the job he’s done,” Trump said. “What’s he done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”The crown prince for his part announced Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investments in the U.S. to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion that the Saudis said they planned to invest in the United States when Trump visited the kingdom in May.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F2120188255181378%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Trump's family has a strong personal interest in the kingdom. In September, London real estate developer Dar Global announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-trump-organization-jeddah-dar-global-539989a563d8f7eb949be2e10ee18d0a">it plans to launch Trump Plaza</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.It's Dar Global's second collaboration with the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the U.S. president's children, in Saudi Arabia. Last year, the two companies announced the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah.Trump pushed back on the notion Tuesday that there was a conflict of interest.“I have nothing to do with the family business,” said Trump on Tuesday, adding that his family has relatively little interest in the kingdom.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fposts%2Fpfbid04vPUmgRubgxStMjDuRJoQapW8mff6mEH2AZ2bb5nD375i1vGETN4sy8VkGK7m1TJl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="684" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>Rolling out the red carpet</h2>Technically, it's not a state visit, because the crown prince is not the head of state. But Prince Mohammed has taken charge of the day-to-day governing for his father, King Salman, 89, who has endured health problems in recent years.Most foreign leaders who come to meet with Trump are driven up to the doors of the West Wing, where the president often greets them. But Prince Mohammed, accompanied by the Saudi prime minister, was welcomed with a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.Trump then showed the prince the newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame that features gold-framed images of past presidents along the West Wing colonnade and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-portraits-biden-autopen-white-house-e8624154e72631e723930ea549bb8910">a photo of an autopen signing the name of former President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in place of the Democrat’s official portrait.An Oval Office meeting and luncheon in the Cabinet Room will follow.Trump will then see the crown prince off in the afternoon but he’s expected to return to the South Lawn, with the first lady, to welcome the crown prince when he returns for the evening East Room dinner.Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer great who is playing in the Saudi Pro League, is also expected to be at the White House on Tuesday during the crown prince's visit, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.In addition to White House pomp, the two nations are also planning an investment summit at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday that will include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron and Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and natural gas company, where even more deals with the Saudis could be announced.<h2>Fighter jets and business deals</h2>Ahead of Prince Mohammed's arrival, Trump announced he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-arabia-crown-prince-f35-77edbfa2f257805d43a501cd4808648a">agreed to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets</a>&nbsp;despite some concerns within the administration that the sale could lead to China gaining access to the U.S. technology behind the advanced weapon system.Trump's announcement is also surprising because some in the Republican administration have been wary about upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">Gaza peace plan</a>.But the unexpected move comes at a moment when Trump is trying to nudge the Saudis toward normalizing relations with Israel.The president in his first term had helped forge commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort dubbed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-united-arab-emirates-middle-east-elections-7544b322a254ebea1693e387d83d9d8b">Abraham Accords</a>.Trump sees expansion of the accords as essential to his broader efforts to build stability in the Middle East after the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.And getting Saudi Arabia — the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam — to sign on would spur a domino effect, he argues. The president in recent weeks has even predicted that once Saudi Arabia signs on to the accords, “everybody” in the Arab world “goes in.”But the Saudis have maintained that a clear path toward Palestinian statehood must first be established before normalizing relations with Israel can be considered. The Israelis, meanwhile, remain steadfastly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.The U.N. Security Council on Monday approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">U.S. plan for Gaza</a>&nbsp;that authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in the devastated territory and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-un-trump-russia-e701750e61968110b873e90372b9f2e7">envisions a possible future path</a>&nbsp;to an independent Palestinian state.<h2>Assurances on US military support</h2>The leaders certainly will have plenty to talk about including maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, mutual concerns about Iran’s malign behavior, and a brutal civil war in Sudan.And the Saudis are looking to receive formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of U.S. military protection for the kingdom, even though anything not ratified by Congress can be undone by the next president.Prince Mohammed, 40, who has stayed away from the West after the Khashoggi killing, is also looking to reestablish his position as a global player and a leader determined to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil by investing in sectors like mining, technology and tourism.To that end, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce a multi-billion dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the two countries will lay out details about new cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector, according to a senior Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly ahead of the formal announcement.A coalition of 11 human rights groups ahead of the crown prince’s visit called on the Trump administration to use its leverage to press Saudi authorities, who badly want to broaden its business and defense connections with the U.S., to make concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom during the visit.The activists say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including by arresting human rights defenders, journalists, and political dissidents for criticism against the kingdom. Human rights organizations have also documented a surge in executions in Saudi Arabia that they connect to an effort to suppress internal dissent.“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is trying to rebrand himself as a global statesman, but the reality at home is mass repression, record numbers of executions, and zero tolerance for dissent," Sarah Yager, Washington director at the group Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "U.S. officials should be pressing for change, not posing for photos.”___AP writers Josh Boak, Seung Min Kim, Michelle Price and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

President Trump hosts Saudi Crown Prince for controversial visit

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident Monday in Wichita.

Just after 4 p.m., police and other emergency crews responded to an injury crash in the area of 21st Street and Burns, according to a media release from Wichita Police. The investigation revealed that a single vehicle driven by Alejandro M. Tran, 19, Wichita, crossed multiple lanes of traffic toward the river, struck the tree line and flipped down into the river.

Wichita Fire Department personnel extricated Tran from the vehicle and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital. He was later pronounced deceased.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763486546858.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident Monday in Wichita.Just after 4 p.m., police and other emergency crews responded to an injury crash in the area of 21st Street and Burns, according to a media release from Wichita Police. The investigation revealed that a single vehicle driven by Alejandro M. Tran, 19, Wichita, crossed multiple lanes of traffic toward the river, struck the tree line and flipped down into the river.Wichita Fire Department personnel extricated Tran from the vehicle and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital. He was later pronounced deceased.Police released no additional details.

Kansas teen dies after car crash into river

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA —The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to cut $145 million from Kansas’ coffers beginning next year, state officials said.

That’s on top of an impending state budget hole that has shrunk since the Kansas Legislature passed its budget this spring, but still threatens to put the state in the red.

Budget analysts released Friday consensus revenue estimates, predicting state general fund revenues, which can be used to inform the budget-crafting process.

All told, the estimates included modest forecast changes in the economy and state revenues, said Shirley Morrow, director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, at a press conference in the Statehouse in Topeka.

Revenue in fiscal year 2025, which ended in June, exceeded analysts’ estimates by $130 million, and revenue in the first four months of fiscal year 2026 has exceeded previous predictions by about $100 million, she said.

“The most noteworthy change is the full incorporation of the impacts of the federal tax legislation that was passed over the summer,” Morrow said.

However, she added, most of the legislation’s provisions were continuations of previous policies and will result in small changes to state receipts.

As the state incorporates federal tax law, Kansans will not automatically see deductions for tips and overtime, said Adam Proffitt, state budget director and secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration.

Of the roughly $145 million effect in fiscal year 2027, which begins in July, Proffitt listed the largest costs: $85 million for full expensing of certain business property, $32 million for full expensing of domestic research and development, $7 million for increased limitations on property depreciations and about $6.5 million for enhanced child care tax credits for individuals.

The state also has to account for its own tax changes, including cuts to corporate income taxes and property taxes as&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/27/kansas-legislature-passes-tax-relief-with-talk-of-broken-promises-and-out-of-control-spending/">a result of 2025 legislation</a>. One law eliminated the statewide levy of 1.5 mills for the state education building fund and the state institution building fund. The state now has to cover that missing property tax revenue.

Beyond 2027, the state’s ending balance is projected to tank.

The state ended fiscal year 2025 with $2.9 billion. By 2030, it will drop below $1.2 billion.

“The ending balance is going down because the receipts are below expenditures to the tune of $367 million in fiscal ‘27, $302 million in fiscal ‘28, so on and so forth,” said Proffitt.

Before the Legislature’s most recent budget, the numbers were closer to $700 million of overspending, he said. The decrease is largely because of a roughly $160 million drop in education costs, stemming from 10,000 fewer students in Kansas’ public school system than the previous headcount. Over five years, that drop means sizable savings, Proffitt said.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a news release that cutting waste, fraud and abuse from state spending will be a top priority in 2026, as affordability is top of mind. He vowed to manage tax dollars with discipline.

“When the state spends like a drunken sailor, rubber-stamping everything on the governor’s pricey big-government wish list, there’s no way to stay on a responsible fiscal path,” he said. “And in the end, Kansas taxpayers are the ones left holding the bill.”

The Legislature crafted the provisions of the most recent budget, declining to use Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposals as a starting point.

“To the extent anyone reads the speaker’s press releases, I doubt they believe he is focused on how to budget responsibly,” said Will Lawrence, the governor’s chief of staff.

In the upcoming election year, he said the Legislature should “resist their natural instinct to fund pet projects for their special interest friends.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763464861952.png" alt="Adam Proffitt, the Kansas state budget director, and Gov. Laura Kelly address a Salina audience at a town hall forum on the state government’s budget. Proffitt is challenging House Speaker Dan Hawkins’ statement that the budget approved by the 2025 Legislature spent $30 million less than was recommended by Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Adam Proffitt, the Kansas state budget director, and Gov. Laura Kelly address a Salina audience at a town hall forum on the state government’s budget. Proffitt is challenging House Speaker Dan Hawkins’ statement that the budget approved by the 2025 Legislature spent $30 million less than was recommended by Kelly. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA —The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to cut $145 million from Kansas’ coffers beginning next year, state officials said.That’s on top of an impending state budget hole that has shrunk since the Kansas Legislature passed its budget this spring, but still threatens to put the state in the red.Budget analysts released Friday consensus revenue estimates, predicting state general fund revenues, which can be used to inform the budget-crafting process.All told, the estimates included modest forecast changes in the economy and state revenues, said Shirley Morrow, director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, at a press conference in the Statehouse in Topeka.Revenue in fiscal year 2025, which ended in June, exceeded analysts’ estimates by $130 million, and revenue in the first four months of fiscal year 2026 has exceeded previous predictions by about $100 million, she said.“The most noteworthy change is the full incorporation of the impacts of the federal tax legislation that was passed over the summer,” Morrow said.However, she added, most of the legislation’s provisions were continuations of previous policies and will result in small changes to state receipts.As the state incorporates federal tax law, Kansans will not automatically see deductions for tips and overtime, said Adam Proffitt, state budget director and secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration.Of the roughly $145 million effect in fiscal year 2027, which begins in July, Proffitt listed the largest costs: $85 million for full expensing of certain business property, $32 million for full expensing of domestic research and development, $7 million for increased limitations on property depreciations and about $6.5 million for enhanced child care tax credits for individuals.The state also has to account for its own tax changes, including cuts to corporate income taxes and property taxes as&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/27/kansas-legislature-passes-tax-relief-with-talk-of-broken-promises-and-out-of-control-spending/">a result of 2025 legislation</a>. One law eliminated the statewide levy of 1.5 mills for the state education building fund and the state institution building fund. The state now has to cover that missing property tax revenue.Beyond 2027, the state’s ending balance is projected to tank.The state ended fiscal year 2025 with $2.9 billion. By 2030, it will drop below $1.2 billion.“The ending balance is going down because the receipts are below expenditures to the tune of $367 million in fiscal ‘27, $302 million in fiscal ‘28, so on and so forth,” said Proffitt.Before the Legislature’s most recent budget, the numbers were closer to $700 million of overspending, he said. The decrease is largely because of a roughly $160 million drop in education costs, stemming from 10,000 fewer students in Kansas’ public school system than the previous headcount. Over five years, that drop means sizable savings, Proffitt said.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a news release that cutting waste, fraud and abuse from state spending will be a top priority in 2026, as affordability is top of mind. He vowed to manage tax dollars with discipline.“When the state spends like a drunken sailor, rubber-stamping everything on the governor’s pricey big-government wish list, there’s no way to stay on a responsible fiscal path,” he said. “And in the end, Kansas taxpayers are the ones left holding the bill.”The Legislature crafted the provisions of the most recent budget, declining to use Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposals as a starting point.“To the extent anyone reads the speaker’s press releases, I doubt they believe he is focused on how to budget responsibly,” said Will Lawrence, the governor’s chief of staff.In the upcoming election year, he said the Legislature should “resist their natural instinct to fund pet projects for their special interest friends.”

Kansas faces impending budget imbalance, effects of ‘big, beautiful’ legislation

A nine-way tie among write-in candidates for USD 309/ South Hutchinson and Nickerson Board Position 6 was broken Monday afternoon when the Reno County Board of Canvassers conducted a name drawing. 

Don Bogner drew the name of Diana Bruce, selecting her as the winner.

After the election was certified, it was discovered that Bruce does not live in the correct district and is therefore ineligible to serve.

The seat will officially become vacant in January. The USD 309 School Board will appoint someone to fill the position until the November 2027 election, when the remainder of the term will be on the ballot as an unexpired term.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763469853811.jpeg" alt="Reno County Commission Chairman Don Bogner reaches in for one of nine names to break the tie for USD 309 Board of Education Position 6 as Reno County Clerk Jenna Fager holds the hat. (Photo courtesy Reno County)" />
 <figcaption>Reno County Commission Chairman Don Bogner reaches in for one of nine names to break the tie for USD 309 Board of Education Position 6 as Reno County Clerk Jenna Fager holds the hat. (Photo courtesy Reno County)</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTYA nine-way tie among write-in candidates for USD 309/ South Hutchinson and Nickerson Board Position 6 was broken Monday afternoon when the Reno County Board of Canvassers conducted a name drawing. Don Bogner drew the name of Diana Bruce, selecting her as the winner.After the election was certified, it was discovered that Bruce does not live in the correct district and is therefore ineligible to serve.The seat will officially become vacant in January. The USD 309 School Board will appoint someone to fill the position until the November 2027 election, when the remainder of the term will be on the ballot as an unexpired term.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Election tiebreaker leaves Kan. school district with board vacancy

NEW YORK (AP) —A widely used Internet infrastructure company said that it has resolved an issue that led to outages impacting users of everything from ChatGPT and the online game, “League of Legends," to the New Jersey Transit system early Tuesday.

Around 10 a.m. ET, Cloudflare said it was “continuing to monitor for errors to ensure all services are back to normal.”

Others platforms that experienced outages Tuesday included the social media site X, Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase, and the Moody's credit ratings service. Moody's website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudflare's website for more information.

New Jersey Transit said parts of its digital services including njtransit.com, may be temporarily unavailable or slow to load.

Cloudflare, based in The San Francisco, provides internet infrastructure that protects websites from online threats and helps them run more smoothly.

Last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-azure-downdetector-service-disruption-0deffbd09c09ca4640c2f5452a9e483e">Microsoft</a>&nbsp;had to deploy a fix to address an outage of their Azure cloud portal that left users unable to access Office 365, Minecraft and other services. The tech company wrote on its&nbsp;<a href="https://azure.status.microsoft/en-us/status">Azure status page</a>&nbsp;that a configuration change to its Azure infrastructure caused the outage.

And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-east-internet-services-outage-654a12ac9aff0bf4b9dc0e22499d92d7">Amazon</a>&nbsp;experienced a massive outage of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-amazon-web-services-outage-0000019a02c5dea7a7ba2fcda5bc0000">cloud computing service</a>&nbsp;in October. The company resolved the issue, but the outage took down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.

NEW YORK (AP) —Internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare says it is deploying a fix for an issue that caused global outages for ChatGPT, social media platform X, transit infrastructure and other prominent internet services.

Cloudflare said on its status page earlier Tuesday that it identified an issue that was impacting multiple customers. There were reports of widespread 500 errors as well as Cloudflare Dashboard and API failing.

In the process of remediating the issue, Cloudflare said it had to temporarily disable certain services for United Kingdom users.

“We have made changes that have allowed Cloudflare Access and WARP to recover. Error levels for Access and WARP users have returned to pre-incident rates. We have re-enabled WARP access in London,” the company wrote on its status page. “We are continuing to work toward restoring other services.”

Others that are experiencing issues include Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase, online game League of Legends, Moody's and NJ Transit. Moody's website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudflare's website for more information.

The San Francisco-based Cloudflare provides internet infrastructure that protects websites from online threats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763470230468.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —A widely used Internet infrastructure company said that it has resolved an issue that led to outages impacting users of everything from ChatGPT and the online game, “League of Legends," to the New Jersey Transit system early Tuesday.Around 10 a.m. ET, Cloudflare said it was “continuing to monitor for errors to ensure all services are back to normal.”Others platforms that experienced outages Tuesday included the social media site X, Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase, and the Moody's credit ratings service. Moody's website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudflare's website for more information.New Jersey Transit said parts of its digital services including njtransit.com, may be temporarily unavailable or slow to load.Cloudflare, based in The San Francisco, provides internet infrastructure that protects websites from online threats and helps them run more smoothly.Last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-azure-downdetector-service-disruption-0deffbd09c09ca4640c2f5452a9e483e">Microsoft</a>&nbsp;had to deploy a fix to address an outage of their Azure cloud portal that left users unable to access Office 365, Minecraft and other services. The tech company wrote on its&nbsp;<a href="https://azure.status.microsoft/en-us/status">Azure status page</a>&nbsp;that a configuration change to its Azure infrastructure caused the outage.And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-east-internet-services-outage-654a12ac9aff0bf4b9dc0e22499d92d7">Amazon</a>&nbsp;experienced a massive outage of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-amazon-web-services-outage-0000019a02c5dea7a7ba2fcda5bc0000">cloud computing service</a>&nbsp;in October. The company resolved the issue, but the outage took down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.--------------------NEW YORK (AP) —Internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare says it is deploying a fix for an issue that caused global outages for ChatGPT, social media platform X, transit infrastructure and other prominent internet services.Cloudflare said on its status page earlier Tuesday that it identified an issue that was impacting multiple customers. There were reports of widespread 500 errors as well as Cloudflare Dashboard and API failing.In the process of remediating the issue, Cloudflare said it had to temporarily disable certain services for United Kingdom users.“We have made changes that have allowed Cloudflare Access and WARP to recover. Error levels for Access and WARP users have returned to pre-incident rates. We have re-enabled WARP access in London,” the company wrote on its status page. “We are continuing to work toward restoring other services.”Others that are experiencing issues include Shopify, Dropbox, Coinbase, online game League of Legends, Moody's and NJ Transit. Moody's website displayed an Error Code 500 and instructed individuals to visit Cloudflare's website for more information.The San Francisco-based Cloudflare provides internet infrastructure that protects websites from online threats.Last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-azure-downdetector-service-disruption-0deffbd09c09ca4640c2f5452a9e483e">Microsoft</a>&nbsp;had to deploy a fix to address an outage of their Azure cloud portal that left users unable to access Office 365, Minecraft and other services. The tech company wrote on its&nbsp;<a href="https://azure.status.microsoft/en-us/status">Azure status page</a>&nbsp;that a configuration change to its Azure infrastructure caused the outage.And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-east-internet-services-outage-654a12ac9aff0bf4b9dc0e22499d92d7">Amazon</a>&nbsp;experienced a massive outage of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-about-the-amazon-web-services-outage-0000019a02c5dea7a7ba2fcda5bc0000">cloud computing service</a>&nbsp;in October. The company resolved the issue, but the outage took down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.

This is why parts of the internet stopped working Tuesday

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating four suspects on multiple allegations after a wild police chase in Kansas City.

Just before 10:30p.m. Sunday, a Trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol initiated a traffic stop on a passenger car for speeding and a registration violation southbound on Interstate 35 jus south of Missouri 291 in Liberty, Missouri, according to a statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A. The Trooper advised the vehicle was not stopping and he was in a pursuit.

Moments later just south of Missouri Highway 152 and north Pleasant Valley Rod, the trooper advised a passenger was shooting at him from the suspect's vehicle.

The pursuit continued southbound on Interstate 35 to Northeast Chouteau Trafficway, where the suspect vehicle exited and traveled on multiple city streets and the onto southbound Interstate 29 and then south to Interstate 70 inJackson County.&nbsp;

At 10:41 as the suspect vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70, the vehicle began to exit at 119th Street and a passenger continued to fire at the Trooper, striking his patrol car. The pursuit continued and othe shots were fired at. Kansas City, Missouri Police officers near 17th Street and Jackson Avenue.&nbsp;

The suspect vehicle came to a stop in the area of Cleveland Avenue and 41st Street in Kansas City. Four occupants ran from the vehicle. Officers took three into custody shortly after. At approximately 4a.m., officers found the fourth suspect hiding in a sewer drain.

No officers or civilians were injured during the chase or from the gunfire. Three of the suspects arrested are adults and one is a juvenile. Police released no additional details early Monday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763405786095.png" alt="Photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating four suspects on multiple allegations after a wild police chase in Kansas City.Just before 10:30p.m. Sunday, a Trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol initiated a traffic stop on a passenger car for speeding and a registration violation southbound on Interstate 35 jus south of Missouri 291 in Liberty, Missouri, according to a statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A. The Trooper advised the vehicle was not stopping and he was in a pursuit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763405762612.png" alt="Photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>Moments later just south of Missouri Highway 152 and north Pleasant Valley Rod, the trooper advised a passenger was shooting at him from the suspect's vehicle.The pursuit continued southbound on Interstate 35 to Northeast Chouteau Trafficway, where the suspect vehicle exited and traveled on multiple city streets and the onto southbound Interstate 29 and then south to Interstate 70 inJackson County.&nbsp;At 10:41 as the suspect vehicle was eastbound on Interstate 70, the vehicle began to exit at 119th Street and a passenger continued to fire at the Trooper, striking his patrol car. The pursuit continued and othe shots were fired at. Kansas City, Missouri Police officers near 17th Street and Jackson Avenue.&nbsp;The suspect vehicle came to a stop in the area of Cleveland Avenue and 41st Street in Kansas City. Four occupants ran from the vehicle. Officers took three into custody shortly after. At approximately 4a.m., officers found the fourth suspect hiding in a sewer drain.No officers or civilians were injured during the chase or from the gunfire. Three of the suspects arrested are adults and one is a juvenile. Police released no additional details early Monday afternoon.

Suspect fired shots at police during high-speed chase in Kansas    City

SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas teen is under investigation in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash.

Just before 6p.m. Saturday police&nbsp;responded to a hit-and-run injury accident call at the intersection of NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Paramore Streets in Topeka, according to Police LT. Ron Ekis. The accident involved a vehicle and pedestrian. 

The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died.

During investigation of this incident, police identified Sultan Y. Andemichael, 18, Topeka, as a suspect. Andemichael was located and transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Involuntary manslaughter;&nbsp;Interference with LEO;  Conceal/alter/destroy evidence in felony case and Failure to stop accident resulting in death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763425624800.png" alt="Andemichael photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Andemichael photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas teen is under investigation in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash.Just before 6p.m. Saturday police&nbsp;responded to a hit-and-run injury accident call at the intersection of NW Topeka Boulevard and NW Paramore Streets in Topeka, according to Police LT. Ron Ekis. The accident involved a vehicle and pedestrian. The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died.During investigation of this incident, police identified Sultan Y. Andemichael, 18, Topeka, as a suspect. Andemichael was located and transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Involuntary manslaughter;&nbsp;Interference with LEO; Conceal/alter/destroy evidence in felony case and Failure to stop accident resulting in death.

Kansas teen accused of destroying evidence in fatal hit-and-run

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">blueprint to secure and govern Gaza</a>&nbsp;won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for U.S. efforts to move the devastated territory toward peace following two years of war.

The U.S. resolution that passed the U.N. Security Council authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by President Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-un-trump-russia-e701750e61968110b873e90372b9f2e7">envisions a possible future path</a>&nbsp;to an independent Palestinian state.

“This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World, and is a moment of true Historic proportion!” Trump posted on social media.

The vote endorses Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-plan-gaza-israel-hamas-war-d5bb4097af1d46ba16ab20914d265ff7">20-point ceasefire plan</a>&nbsp;and builds on the momentum of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-hostages-investigation-11-17-2025-88673d6966d8ce25ad57b4f73a87b2cb">the fragile ceasefire</a>&nbsp;he helped broker with allies. It marks a key next step for American efforts to outline Gaza’s future after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas</a>&nbsp;war destroyed much of the territory and killed tens of thousands of people.

The proposal calls for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head. It also provides a wide mandate for the international stabilization force, including overseeing the borders, providing security and demilitarizing the territory. Authorization for the board and force expire at the end of 2027.

Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signaled that U.N. authorization was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-gaza-ceasefire-colombia-venezuela-82eb1929a74955f2c9be1339602176dd">essential for their participation</a>.

Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote after fears Moscow might use its veto in the Security Council.

However, Hamas opposed the resolution, saying in a statement that it does not meet the “Palestinian people’s political and humanitarian demands and rights.”

Stronger language on Palestinian state helps get the US plan over the finish line

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said the resolution “represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.”

It came about following nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-stabilization-force-united-nations-f8a0088cae56fc79226f0352ebcbb065">two weeks of negotiations</a>, when Arab nations and the Palestinians pressed the United States to strengthen language about Palestinian self-determination.

But the proposal still gives no timeline or guarantee for an independent state, only saying it’s possible after advances in the reconstruction of Gaza and reforms of the Palestinian Authority, which now governs parts of the West Bank.

The U.S. revised the resolution to say that after those steps, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

“The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” it adds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-west-bank-news-11-16-2025-197194a1016a848eeb30e8542b36072b">repeated that position Sunday</a>&nbsp;at a time when his hard-line governing partners have expressed concern about the resolution’s endorsement of a “pathway” to Palestinian independence.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before the vote that Israel was grateful to Trump “for leading peace to the Middle East.”

Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, the Arab representative on the council, thanked Trump for his instrumental role in bringing about the ceasefire, but said “genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice, justice for the Palestinian people.”

A key to the resolution’s adoption was support from Arab and other Muslim nations that had been critical to the ceasefire and potentially could contribute to the international force. The U.S. mission to the United Nations distributed a joint statement Friday with Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey calling for “swift adoption” of the U.S. proposal.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow took note of that support but abstained because the resolution did not include a role for the Security Council or emphatically support Palestinian statehood.

The vote shores up hopes that Gaza’s fragile ceasefire will be maintained following a war set off by Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s offensive has killed over 69,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority are women and children.

Trump said the members of the Board of Peace will be named in the coming weeks, along with "many more exciting announcements."

The U.S. resolution calls for the stabilization force to ensure “the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip” and “the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”

A big question has been how to disarm Hamas, which said Monday that giving the force a role inside Gaza that includes disarmament “strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”

The resolution authorizes the force “to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate” in compliance with international law, which is U.N. language for the use of military force.

It says the stabilization troops will help secure border areas, along with a Palestinian police force that they have trained and vetted, and they will coordinate with other countries to secure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-10-19-2025-f3d95cf76018541ff824853d1bcd3356">the flow of humanitarian assistance</a>. It says the force should closely consult and cooperate with neighboring Egypt and Israel.

As the international force establishes control, the resolution says Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza “based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization.” These must be agreed to by the stabilization force, Israeli forces, the U.S. and the guarantors of the ceasefire, it says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759172020282.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">blueprint to secure and govern Gaza</a>&nbsp;won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for U.S. efforts to move the devastated territory toward peace following two years of war.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict: 1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors. 2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough. 3. If… <a href="https://t.co/veqhr9MW28">pic.twitter.com/veqhr9MW28</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1972726021196562494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The U.S. resolution that passed the U.N. Security Council authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by President Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-un-trump-russia-e701750e61968110b873e90372b9f2e7">envisions a possible future path</a>&nbsp;to an independent Palestinian state.“This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World, and is a moment of true Historic proportion!” Trump posted on social media.The vote endorses Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-plan-gaza-israel-hamas-war-d5bb4097af1d46ba16ab20914d265ff7">20-point ceasefire plan</a>&nbsp;and builds on the momentum of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-hostages-investigation-11-17-2025-88673d6966d8ce25ad57b4f73a87b2cb">the fragile ceasefire</a>&nbsp;he helped broker with allies. It marks a key next step for American efforts to outline Gaza’s future after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas</a>&nbsp;war destroyed much of the territory and killed tens of thousands of people.The proposal calls for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head. It also provides a wide mandate for the international stabilization force, including overseeing the borders, providing security and demilitarizing the territory. Authorization for the board and force expire at the end of 2027.Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signaled that U.N. authorization was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-gaza-ceasefire-colombia-venezuela-82eb1929a74955f2c9be1339602176dd">essential for their participation</a>.Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote after fears Moscow might use its veto in the Security Council.However, Hamas opposed the resolution, saying in a statement that it does not meet the “Palestinian people’s political and humanitarian demands and rights.”<h2>Stronger language on Palestinian state helps get the US plan over the finish line</h2>U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said the resolution “represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.”It came about following nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-stabilization-force-united-nations-f8a0088cae56fc79226f0352ebcbb065">two weeks of negotiations</a>, when Arab nations and the Palestinians pressed the United States to strengthen language about Palestinian self-determination.But the proposal still gives no timeline or guarantee for an independent state, only saying it’s possible after advances in the reconstruction of Gaza and reforms of the Palestinian Authority, which now governs parts of the West Bank.The U.S. revised the resolution to say that after those steps, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”“The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” it adds.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-west-bank-news-11-16-2025-197194a1016a848eeb30e8542b36072b">repeated that position Sunday</a>&nbsp;at a time when his hard-line governing partners have expressed concern about the resolution’s endorsement of a “pathway” to Palestinian independence.Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before the vote that Israel was grateful to Trump “for leading peace to the Middle East.”Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, the Arab representative on the council, thanked Trump for his instrumental role in bringing about the ceasefire, but said “genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice, justice for the Palestinian people.”A key to the resolution’s adoption was support from Arab and other Muslim nations that had been critical to the ceasefire and potentially could contribute to the international force. The U.S. mission to the United Nations distributed a joint statement Friday with Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey calling for “swift adoption” of the U.S. proposal.Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow took note of that support but abstained because the resolution did not include a role for the Security Council or emphatically support Palestinian statehood.The vote shores up hopes that Gaza’s fragile ceasefire will be maintained following a war set off by Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s offensive has killed over 69,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority are women and children.<h2>What else the US proposal says</h2>Trump said the members of the Board of Peace will be named in the coming weeks, along with "many more exciting announcements."The U.S. resolution calls for the stabilization force to ensure “the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip” and “the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”A big question has been how to disarm Hamas, which said Monday that giving the force a role inside Gaza that includes disarmament “strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”The resolution authorizes the force “to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate” in compliance with international law, which is U.N. language for the use of military force.It says the stabilization troops will help secure border areas, along with a Palestinian police force that they have trained and vetted, and they will coordinate with other countries to secure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-10-19-2025-f3d95cf76018541ff824853d1bcd3356">the flow of humanitarian assistance</a>. It says the force should closely consult and cooperate with neighboring Egypt and Israel.As the international force establishes control, the resolution says Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza “based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization.” These must be agreed to by the stabilization force, Israeli forces, the U.S. and the guarantors of the ceasefire, it says.

UN approves the Trump 20-point plan for the future of Gaza

OSAGE COUNTY —On Saturday morning, the Osage County Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, K9 Deputy James Cason, and Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Adam Ellis were injured by gunfire while responding to a call for service. 

&nbsp;All four officers were taken to the hospital for treatment.&nbsp; While each of these officers is receiving excellent care, they all have a long road ahead toward a full recovery, according to a Monday evening statement from the Osage County Sheriff.&nbsp; This is only the beginning of the healing process for them and their families.

The Osage County Sheriff's Office would like to express our sincere gratitude to the community for their overwhelming support of our officers. Many have inquired about how they can assist the officers and their families during their recovery. &nbsp;Monetary donations can be made out to the Osage County Sheriff Support Fund, and dropped off or mailed to:

817 Topeka Ave, Lyndon, KS 66451Gift cards, snacks, and other helpful items may also be mailed or delivered to:

131 W 14th&nbsp;St, Lyndon, KS 66451Additionally, the Kansas Highway Patrol has established a monetary fund for Trooper Ellis and his family. Donations can be made at the following link:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstroopers.com/donate">www.kstroopers.com/donate</a>. Please select “Kansas Trooper’s Foundation” and write "Ellis" in the "other comments" box.We would also like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to all of the area agencies and the public for their overwhelming support. Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time. We are proud to serve the citizens of Osage County, and your generosity will continue to aid our injured officers, their families, and our office as a whole as we heal together.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763259271274.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the deadly gun fight that injured three sheriff's deputies and a KHP Trooper- photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the deadly gun fight that injured three sheriff's deputies and a KHP Trooper- photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —On Saturday morning, the Osage County Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, K9 Deputy James Cason, and Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Adam Ellis were injured by gunfire while responding to a call for service. &nbsp;All four officers were taken to the hospital for treatment.&nbsp; While each of these officers is receiving excellent care, they all have a long road ahead toward a full recovery, according to a Monday evening statement from the Osage County Sheriff.&nbsp; This is only the beginning of the healing process for them and their families.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763429453752.png" alt="Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, and K9 Deputy James Cason-Photos courtesy Osage&nbsp; County Sheriff's office" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, and K9 Deputy James Cason-Photos courtesy Osage&nbsp; County Sheriff's office</figcaption>
 </figure>The Osage County Sheriff's Office would like to express our sincere gratitude to the community for their overwhelming support of our officers. Many have inquired about how they can assist the officers and their families during their recovery. &nbsp;Monetary donations can be made out to the Osage County Sheriff Support Fund, and dropped off or mailed to:Lyndon State BankPO Box 518817 Topeka Ave, Lyndon, KS 66451Gift cards, snacks, and other helpful items may also be mailed or delivered to:Osage County Sheriff’s OfficePO Box 639131 W 14th&nbsp;St, Lyndon, KS 66451Additionally, the Kansas Highway Patrol has established a monetary fund for Trooper Ellis and his family. Donations can be made at the following link:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstroopers.com/donate">www.kstroopers.com/donate</a>. Please select “Kansas Trooper’s Foundation” and write "Ellis" in the "other comments" box.We would also like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to all of the area agencies and the public for their overwhelming support. Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time. We are proud to serve the citizens of Osage County, and your generosity will continue to aid our injured officers, their families, and our office as a whole as we heal together.

Sheriff releases names of Kan. deputies, Trooper injured in gun fight

BUTLER COUNTY — Two children injured in an accident Sunday that killed their mother continue their recovery. They were listed in stable condition late Monday, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

BUTLER COUNTY — Two children injured in an accident Sunday that killed their mother continue their recovery. They were listed in stable condition late Monday, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.Just after 1a.m. on Monday, Butler County 911 received a report of a single vehicle, roll over crash close to the intersection of NW 30th and NW Tawakoni Road rural Benton, Kansas, according to Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.All occupants of the Chevrolet Impala were reported to have been ejected. The driver, 27-year-old Harley R. Wright of Wichita, was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported her two children, ages 5 and 6, to a Wichita area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.Wright is reported to have left a family gathering around 7:30 pm to take the children to El Dorado but never arrived. Family members contacted the El Dorado police Department for a welfare check if they located her.&nbsp; Just after 1a.m. Monday, family members located the crash on NW 30th around NW Tawakoni Road. Wright and the children were located outside the vehicle, which appeared to have rolled several times.The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office with assistance of the Kansas Highway Patrol.