WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Kansas.

According to Kansas City, Kansas police, an SUV driven by a man in 60s was northbound in the 1300 Block of N 38th Street. The vehicle veered off the road into a parking lot and struck two posts.

First responders pronounced the man deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Police did n ot release his name of additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Saturday in Kansas City, Kansas.According to Kansas City, Kansas police, an SUV driven by a man in 60s was northbound in the 1300 Block of N 38th Street. The vehicle veered off the road into a parking lot and struck two posts.First responders pronounced the man deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Police did n ot release his name of additional details.

Driver dies after SUV crash in Kansas City parking lot

WASHINGTON — Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s upcoming resignation from Congress set off a series of questions and misinformation about what health care and pension benefits lawmakers receive once they leave public service.&nbsp;

The system is a bit complex and determined by when a lawmaker entered Congress as well as how long they stayed. Members must serve at least five years, putting Greene just over the eligibility line&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/11/21/georgia-congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-says-she-will-resign-in-january/" target="_blank">when she officially steps aside</a>&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;

Members of Congress elected after 1984 are covered under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System. The four House lawmakers and one senator elected before then may be under the Civil Service Retirement System, so their benefit may be calculated differently than that of their colleagues.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service explains in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RL/PDF/RL30631/RL30631.39.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;about lawmakers’ retirement benefits that “pensions, like those of other federal employees, are financed through a combination of employee and employer contributions.”&nbsp;

“Under both CSRS and FERS, Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at the age of 62 if they have completed at least 5 years of service,” the report states. “Members are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on length of service (as measured in months) and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.”

All members also must pay into Social Security, and how much in taxes they pay and benefits they receive are the same as for all beneficiaries.

Members of Congress, except for leadership, are paid $174,000 a year.

Greene, who began her congressional career on Jan. 3, 2021, will be just over the five-year requirement when she formally resigns on Jan. 5.&nbsp;

Greene will receive about $8,700 in pension benefits per year for the rest of her life, after she turns 62. She is now 51.

Former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was first sworn in on June 2, 1987, after winning a special election, will receive considerably more in pension benefits given that she was a member for decades longer than Greene and had a higher salary during her time in leadership.&nbsp;

The National Taxpayers Union Foundation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntu.org/foundation/detail/pelosi-to-exit-congress-with-one-of-the-largest-pensions-on-record" target="_blank">expects</a>&nbsp;Pelosi will receive an annual pension of $107,860 after she retires in January 2027.&nbsp;

Members of Congress who retire or resign are eligible to purchase health insurance from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program as long as they had health insurance from the District of Columbia’s Affordable Care Act marketplace “for the five years of service immediately prior to retirement,” according to a different CRS&nbsp;<a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R43194.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>.&nbsp;

While in Congress, lawmakers are eligible to have some of their health coverage offset by their employer — the federal government — as long as they purchase it through the D.C. marketplace, known as DC Health Link. Like others in the states, it was created by the Affordable Care Act.

As with group health insurance plans, the amount subsidized by the federal government depends on whether a lawmaker selects a health plan that covers themselves or themselves plus eligible family members.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714577209426.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jennifer ShuttWASHINGTON — Georgia Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s upcoming resignation from Congress set off a series of questions and misinformation about what health care and pension benefits lawmakers receive once they leave public service.&nbsp;The system is a bit complex and determined by when a lawmaker entered Congress as well as how long they stayed. Members must serve at least five years, putting Greene just over the eligibility line&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/11/21/georgia-congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-says-she-will-resign-in-january/" target="_blank">when she officially steps aside</a>&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;Members of Congress elected after 1984 are covered under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System. The four House lawmakers and one senator elected before then may be under the Civil Service Retirement System, so their benefit may be calculated differently than that of their colleagues.&nbsp;&nbsp;The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service explains in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RL/PDF/RL30631/RL30631.39.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;about lawmakers’ retirement benefits that “pensions, like those of other federal employees, are financed through a combination of employee and employer contributions.”&nbsp;“Under both CSRS and FERS, Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at the age of 62 if they have completed at least 5 years of service,” the report states. “Members are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on length of service (as measured in months) and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.”All members also must pay into Social Security, and how much in taxes they pay and benefits they receive are the same as for all beneficiaries.Members of Congress, except for leadership, are paid $174,000 a year.Greene, who began her congressional career on Jan. 3, 2021, will be just over the five-year requirement when she formally resigns on Jan. 5.&nbsp;Greene will receive about $8,700 in pension benefits per year for the rest of her life, after she turns 62. She is now 51.Former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was first sworn in on June 2, 1987, after winning a special election, will receive considerably more in pension benefits given that she was a member for decades longer than Greene and had a higher salary during her time in leadership.&nbsp;The National Taxpayers Union Foundation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntu.org/foundation/detail/pelosi-to-exit-congress-with-one-of-the-largest-pensions-on-record" target="_blank">expects</a>&nbsp;Pelosi will receive an annual pension of $107,860 after she retires in January 2027.&nbsp;<h2>Health insurance benefits</h2>Members of Congress who retire or resign are eligible to purchase health insurance from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program as long as they had health insurance from the District of Columbia’s Affordable Care Act marketplace “for the five years of service immediately prior to retirement,” according to a different CRS&nbsp;<a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R43194.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>.&nbsp;While in Congress, lawmakers are eligible to have some of their health coverage offset by their employer — the federal government — as long as they purchase it through the D.C. marketplace, known as DC Health Link. Like others in the states, it was created by the Affordable Care Act.As with group health insurance plans, the amount subsidized by the federal government depends on whether a lawmaker selects a health plan that covers themselves or themselves plus eligible family members.&nbsp;

Rep. MTG's retirement launches speculation about congressional pensions

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tyson Foods' decision to close a beef plant that employs nearly one third of residents of Lexington, Nebraska, could devastate the small city and undermine the profits of ranchers nationwide.

Closing a single slaughterhouse might not seem significant, but the Lexington plant employs roughly 3,200 people in the city of 11,000 and has the capacity to slaughter some 5,000 head of cattle a day. Tyson also plans to cut one of the two shifts at a plant in Amarillo, Texas, and eliminate 1,700 jobs there. Together those two moves will reduce beef processing capacity nationwide by 7-9%.

Consumers may not see prices change much at the grocery store over the next six months because all the cattle that are now being prepared for slaughter will still be processed, potentially just at a different plant. But in the long run, beef prices may continue to climb even higher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-prices-record-high-cattle-steak-cows-e9fc33bbaec6a76fb243e277bbbb7c0e">current record highs</a>&nbsp;— caused by a variety of factors from drought to tariffs — unless American ranchers decide to raise more cattle, which they have little incentive to do.

An increase in beef imports from Brazil, like President Donald Trump encouraged last week by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-brazil-tariffs-coffee-fruit-beef-1754b7cd5f33e899bf2876a4fd66f549">slashing tariffs</a>&nbsp;on the South American country, may help insulate consumers while ranchers and feedlots struggle with high costs and falling prices.

Here's what we know about the impact of the plant closure and the changing tariffs:

Clay Patton, vice president of the Lexington-area Chamber of Commerce said Monday that Tyson’s announcement Friday felt like a “gut punch” to the community in the Platte River Valley that serves as a key link in the agricultural production chain.

When it opened in 1990, the Lexington plant that Tyson later acquired revitalized and remade the formerly dwindling town by attracting thousands of immigrants to work there and nearly doubling the population.

When the plant closes in January, the ripple effects will be felt throughout the community, undermining many first-generation business owners and the investment in new housing, Patton said. Tyson said it will offer Lexington workers the chance to move to take open jobs at one of its other plants if they are willing to uproot their families for jobs hundreds of miles away.

“I’m hopeful that we can come through this and we’ll actually become better on the other side of it,” Patton said.

Elmer Armijo was struck by how established the community was when he moved to Lexington last summer to lead First United Methodist Church. He described solid job security, good schools and health care systems and urban development — all in doubt now.

“People are completely worried,” Armijo said. “The economy in Lexington is based in Tyson.”

Many local churches, Armijo’s included, are already offering counseling, food pantries and gas vouchers for community members.

The prospect of losing a major buyer for cattle and increasing imports from Brazil, which already accounted for 24% of the beef brought into the country this year, only adds to doubts about how profitable the U.S. cattle business might be over the next several years, making it less likely that American ranchers will commit to raising more animals.

“There’s a just a lack of confidence in the industry right now. And producers are unwilling to make the investment to rebuild,” said Bill Bullard, president of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America.

Boosting imports from Brazil has the potential to affect the market — much more than Trump's suggestion to increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-prices-cattle-imports-trump-argentina-9f8e9efd6e74e958c586ea1e32797ba2">imports from Argentina</a>&nbsp;— since the country sends more beef to America than any other. But for steak lovers, the sky-high price of the cut isn’t likely to be affected regardless, as most imports are lean trimmings that get mixed into ground beef.

Kansas State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said it's hard to predict whether imports will continue to account for roughly 20% of the U.S. beef supply next year. He pointed out that Trump's tariffs have changed several times since they were announced in the spring and could quickly change again.

The only constant in the equation has been that consumers have continued to buy beef even as prices soar. Tonsor said on average Americans will consume 59 pounds (27 kilograms) of beef per person this year.

Tyson faces continued losses in the beef business

There has long been excess capacity in the meat business nationwide, meaning the nation’s slaughterhouses could handle many more cattle than they are processing. That has only been made worse in recent years as the government has encouraged more smaller companies to open slaughterhouses to compete with Tyson and the other giants that dominate the beef business.

Tyson expects to lose more than $600 million on beef production this year after already reporting $720 million of red ink in beef over the past two years.

Tonsor said it was inevitable that at least one beef plant would close. Afterward, Tyson's remaining plants will be able to operate more efficiently at closer to full capacity.

Ernie Goss, an economist at Creighton University in Omaha, said the Lexington plant likely wasn’t measuring up in the industry increasingly reliant on technological advancements that enhance productivity.

“It’s very difficult to renovate or make the old plant fit the new world,” said Goss, who completed an impact study for a new Sustainable Beef plant. The Lexington facility “just wasn’t competitive right now in today’s environment in terms of output per worker.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tyson Foods' decision to close a beef plant that employs nearly one third of residents of Lexington, Nebraska, could devastate the small city and undermine the profits of ranchers nationwide.Closing a single slaughterhouse might not seem significant, but the Lexington plant employs roughly 3,200 people in the city of 11,000 and has the capacity to slaughter some 5,000 head of cattle a day. Tyson also plans to cut one of the two shifts at a plant in Amarillo, Texas, and eliminate 1,700 jobs there. Together those two moves will reduce beef processing capacity nationwide by 7-9%.Consumers may not see prices change much at the grocery store over the next six months because all the cattle that are now being prepared for slaughter will still be processed, potentially just at a different plant. But in the long run, beef prices may continue to climb even higher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-prices-record-high-cattle-steak-cows-e9fc33bbaec6a76fb243e277bbbb7c0e">current record highs</a>&nbsp;— caused by a variety of factors from drought to tariffs — unless American ranchers decide to raise more cattle, which they have little incentive to do.An increase in beef imports from Brazil, like President Donald Trump encouraged last week by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-brazil-tariffs-coffee-fruit-beef-1754b7cd5f33e899bf2876a4fd66f549">slashing tariffs</a>&nbsp;on the South American country, may help insulate consumers while ranchers and feedlots struggle with high costs and falling prices.Here's what we know about the impact of the plant closure and the changing tariffs:<h2>A ‘gut punch’ to the community</h2>Clay Patton, vice president of the Lexington-area Chamber of Commerce said Monday that Tyson’s announcement Friday felt like a “gut punch” to the community in the Platte River Valley that serves as a key link in the agricultural production chain.When it opened in 1990, the Lexington plant that Tyson later acquired revitalized and remade the formerly dwindling town by attracting thousands of immigrants to work there and nearly doubling the population.When the plant closes in January, the ripple effects will be felt throughout the community, undermining many first-generation business owners and the investment in new housing, Patton said. Tyson said it will offer Lexington workers the chance to move to take open jobs at one of its other plants if they are willing to uproot their families for jobs hundreds of miles away.“I’m hopeful that we can come through this and we’ll actually become better on the other side of it,” Patton said.Elmer Armijo was struck by how established the community was when he moved to Lexington last summer to lead First United Methodist Church. He described solid job security, good schools and health care systems and urban development — all in doubt now.“People are completely worried,” Armijo said. “The economy in Lexington is based in Tyson.”Many local churches, Armijo’s included, are already offering counseling, food pantries and gas vouchers for community members.<h2>Cattle prices falling in response</h2>The prospect of losing a major buyer for cattle and increasing imports from Brazil, which already accounted for 24% of the beef brought into the country this year, only adds to doubts about how profitable the U.S. cattle business might be over the next several years, making it less likely that American ranchers will commit to raising more animals.“There’s a just a lack of confidence in the industry right now. And producers are unwilling to make the investment to rebuild,” said Bill Bullard, president of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America.Boosting imports from Brazil has the potential to affect the market — much more than Trump's suggestion to increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beef-prices-cattle-imports-trump-argentina-9f8e9efd6e74e958c586ea1e32797ba2">imports from Argentina</a>&nbsp;— since the country sends more beef to America than any other. But for steak lovers, the sky-high price of the cut isn’t likely to be affected regardless, as most imports are lean trimmings that get mixed into ground beef.Kansas State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said it's hard to predict whether imports will continue to account for roughly 20% of the U.S. beef supply next year. He pointed out that Trump's tariffs have changed several times since they were announced in the spring and could quickly change again.The only constant in the equation has been that consumers have continued to buy beef even as prices soar. Tonsor said on average Americans will consume 59 pounds (27 kilograms) of beef per person this year.<h2>Tyson faces continued losses in the beef business</h2>There has long been excess capacity in the meat business nationwide, meaning the nation’s slaughterhouses could handle many more cattle than they are processing. That has only been made worse in recent years as the government has encouraged more smaller companies to open slaughterhouses to compete with Tyson and the other giants that dominate the beef business.Tyson expects to lose more than $600 million on beef production this year after already reporting $720 million of red ink in beef over the past two years.Tonsor said it was inevitable that at least one beef plant would close. Afterward, Tyson's remaining plants will be able to operate more efficiently at closer to full capacity.Ernie Goss, an economist at Creighton University in Omaha, said the Lexington plant likely wasn’t measuring up in the industry increasingly reliant on technological advancements that enhance productivity.“It’s very difficult to renovate or make the old plant fit the new world,” said Goss, who completed an impact study for a new Sustainable Beef plant. The Lexington facility “just wasn’t competitive right now in today’s environment in terms of output per worker.”___

Tyson's beef plant closure in Nebraska will impact ranchers nationwide

KANSAS CITY— Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty in federal court this week for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the United State's Attorney.

Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, and Pablo DeJesus Peralta Anguis, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.&nbsp;Anguis also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after removal.

On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th&nbsp;Street exit in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp; Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Anguis and Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco in the back seat.

When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.

When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and both were apprehended a short time later.

Ayala told investigators that he, Pacheco and Anguis drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs and that he was going to receive approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.

Anguis told investigators that he was illegally in the United States from Mexico and that he had arrived in the United States two days before his arrest.

Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Anguis and Pacheco had previously been found illegally in the United States by Border Patrol Agents near Nogales, Arizona on Aug. 22, 2024.&nbsp; Anguis and Pacheco were removed from the United States to Mexico that same day.

Co-defendant Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of unlawful reentry after removal, on Nov. 19, 2025.

Under federal statutes, Ayala, Anguis and Pacheco are each subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764197512961.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty in federal court this week for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the United State's Attorney.Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, and Pablo DeJesus Peralta Anguis, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.&nbsp;Anguis also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after removal.On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th&nbsp;Street exit in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp; Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Anguis and Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco in the back seat.When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and both were apprehended a short time later.Ayala told investigators that he, Pacheco and Anguis drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs and that he was going to receive approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.Anguis told investigators that he was illegally in the United States from Mexico and that he had arrived in the United States two days before his arrest.Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Anguis and Pacheco had previously been found illegally in the United States by Border Patrol Agents near Nogales, Arizona on Aug. 22, 2024.&nbsp; Anguis and Pacheco were removed from the United States to Mexico that same day.Co-defendant Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of unlawful reentry after removal, on Nov. 19, 2025.Under federal statutes, Ayala, Anguis and Pacheco are each subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Trooper found 55 pounds of meth during KC traffic stop

SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.

Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.

Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;

Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163443530.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY– The U.S. Marshals are seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to&nbsp;$5,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest of a Guatemalan man wanted in Seward County on multiple counts of crimes against children, according to a media release.Juan Ralios-Batz, (estimated age) 30, is wanted on three counts of rape of a child, one count of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated human trafficking, and one count of abuse of a child.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758163504048.png" alt="Batz photo Seward Co." />
 <figcaption>Batz photo Seward Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Batz and his sister are alleged to have sponsored a 13-year-old unaccompanied alien child and, over a two-year-period, Batz allegedly raped the child and forced the child to do manual labor. &nbsp;The child eventually became pregnant and has a child with Batz. When Batz became aware of his wanted status, his family allegedly helped him escape to Fremont, Nebraska, to evade the charges against him. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Batz is a white or Hispanic man, stands 5-feet-1 inch and weighs approximately 115 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and a tattoo of the letter J on his right arm.&nbsp;Batz, who is in the U.S. illegally, is known to use multiple aliases, including Juan Ralios, Juan Batz, Randy Guerro, Juan Ramos-Batz, Juan Ramos and Omar Gonzalez.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding his location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals at&nbsp;1-877-WANTED-2&nbsp;or send tip information via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/submitting-a-tip">USMS Tips App</a>.

Still at large: Man in U.S. illegally is wanted for child sex crimes in Kansas

Project’s origins tied to 2024 pitch by Pennsylvania company for exclusive contract

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature’s special budget committee revealed the attorney general’s office continues to work toward awarding a $10 million contract to a private vendor for deployment of artificial intelligence and use of security cameras to spot gun-wielding intruders in public schools.

Gov. Laura Kelly signed a budget bill in April that included funding for technology that promised to identify unconcealed firearms in school buildings so alerts could be forwarded to school staff and law enforcement officers. In October, three companies submitted bids through the Kansas Department of Administration. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Kris Kobach said a contract hadn’t been issued.

Under state law, the attorney general’s office was directed to make certain the system was installed in schools by the end of December and operational at the close of February.

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said the initiative was embraced by the Legislature at the same time a popular program offering state-funded school-security grants to districts was dropped.

“We no longer have funding in the Department of Education for safe and secure schools,” Pettey said. “But we do have this funding source … but nothing has been appropriated? Schools would like to have safe and secure funds, but they don’t have any option now except through this program.”

Bids on the Kansas firearm-identification contract were submitted by Gades Sales Co. of Wichita; CIS Data Services of Springfield, Missouri; and ZeroEyes of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Financial details of those company proposals haven’t been made public.

The idea of relying on AI to pinpoint unconcealed weapons in schools and possibly thwart mass shootings has been debated in Kansas since ZeroEyes hired lobbyists last year to convince legislators to award it the contract to operate an enhanced security system for benefit of Kansas schools.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/09/kansas-bill-dangles-cash-to-persuade-k-12-school-districts-to-hire-a-specific-gun-detection-vendor/">Lobbyists for ZeroEyes pitched the idea</a>&nbsp;of directly earmarking state funding to ZeroEyes or establishing contract provisions matching ZeroEyes’ marketing materials so rival venders would have difficulty landing the contract.

Kieran Carroll, chief strategy officer for ZeroEyes, told a Kansas House committee in February 2024 that covering 1,300 school buildings in Kansas with ZeroEyes’ technology and delivering 24-hour monitoring of two dozen cameras in each school would cost the state $8.5 million annually.

In May 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly used line-item authority to veto the budget measure dedicating $5 million to a gun-identification initiative that favored ZeroEyes. The bill limited dollar-for-dollar matches from the state to school districts that signed up with ZeroEyes.

The governor said the result would have been “a no-bid contract” that wrote ZeroEyes’ technology into state law without proper consideration of alternative companies.

The Republican-led Legislature responded during the 2025 session by authorizing expenditure of $10 million for a firearm-detection program available to all Kansas public school districts. This version of the AI funding plan wasn’t vetoed by Kelly and led to the ongoing contract bidding process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764285917641.png" alt="Kansas Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, questions the process of selecting a company to implement a $10 million gun-detection program in public schools. The initiative began as a 2024 request by a Pennsylvania technology company for an exclusive service contract in Kansas. In this image from April 10, 2025, Pettey offers remarks in the Kansas Senate. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, questions the process of selecting a company to implement a $10 million gun-detection program in public schools. The initiative began as a 2024 request by a Pennsylvania technology company for an exclusive service contract in Kansas. In this image from April 10, 2025, Pettey offers remarks in the Kansas Senate. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Project’s origins tied to 2024 pitch by Pennsylvania company for exclusive contract</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature’s special budget committee revealed the attorney general’s office continues to work toward awarding a $10 million contract to a private vendor for deployment of artificial intelligence and use of security cameras to spot gun-wielding intruders in public schools.Gov. Laura Kelly signed a budget bill in April that included funding for technology that promised to identify unconcealed firearms in school buildings so alerts could be forwarded to school staff and law enforcement officers. In October, three companies submitted bids through the Kansas Department of Administration. On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Kris Kobach said a contract hadn’t been issued.Under state law, the attorney general’s office was directed to make certain the system was installed in schools by the end of December and operational at the close of February.Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said the initiative was embraced by the Legislature at the same time a popular program offering state-funded school-security grants to districts was dropped.“We no longer have funding in the Department of Education for safe and secure schools,” Pettey said. “But we do have this funding source … but nothing has been appropriated? Schools would like to have safe and secure funds, but they don’t have any option now except through this program.”Bids on the Kansas firearm-identification contract were submitted by Gades Sales Co. of Wichita; CIS Data Services of Springfield, Missouri; and ZeroEyes of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Financial details of those company proposals haven’t been made public.The idea of relying on AI to pinpoint unconcealed weapons in schools and possibly thwart mass shootings has been debated in Kansas since ZeroEyes hired lobbyists last year to convince legislators to award it the contract to operate an enhanced security system for benefit of Kansas schools.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/09/kansas-bill-dangles-cash-to-persuade-k-12-school-districts-to-hire-a-specific-gun-detection-vendor/">Lobbyists for ZeroEyes pitched the idea</a>&nbsp;of directly earmarking state funding to ZeroEyes or establishing contract provisions matching ZeroEyes’ marketing materials so rival venders would have difficulty landing the contract.Kieran Carroll, chief strategy officer for ZeroEyes, told a Kansas House committee in February 2024 that covering 1,300 school buildings in Kansas with ZeroEyes’ technology and delivering 24-hour monitoring of two dozen cameras in each school would cost the state $8.5 million annually.In May 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly used line-item authority to veto the budget measure dedicating $5 million to a gun-identification initiative that favored ZeroEyes. The bill limited dollar-for-dollar matches from the state to school districts that signed up with ZeroEyes.The governor said the result would have been “a no-bid contract” that wrote ZeroEyes’ technology into state law without proper consideration of alternative companies.The Republican-led Legislature responded during the 2025 session by authorizing expenditure of $10 million for a firearm-detection program available to all Kansas public school districts. This version of the AI funding plan wasn’t vetoed by Kelly and led to the ongoing contract bidding process.

Kansas looking at three bidders for $10 million contract relying on AI to find guns in schools

President Donald Trump said Friday he will try to reverse any law, pardon or still-in-effect executive order that former President Joe Biden signed with an autopen, though it wasn’t immediately clear how that would work or whether it would be legal.&nbsp;

Trump declared in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115629010097815862" target="_blank">a social media post</a>&nbsp;that any documents Biden signed with the autopen are “hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.”

“I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally,” Trump alleged. “Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to a request for the list of documents Trump believes he has the ability to rescind based on the manner they were signed.

States Newsroom also asked the Trump administration if officials believe the president would need to sign an executive order in order to implement his social media post.&nbsp;

Experts dismissed earlier autopen challenge&nbsp;

The post was similar to one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/legal-experts-quash-trump-argument-biden-pardons-signed-autopen-are-void" target="_blank">Trump published in March</a>&nbsp;when he claimed any pardons Biden signed with the autopen were void, something legal experts said at the time was “absurd” and a “red herring.”

Trump brought up his frustration with autopen use again in June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-opens-investigation-biden-autopen-use" target="_blank">when he ordered</a>&nbsp;the White House legal counsel and U.S. attorney general to investigate when and why Biden administration staff used an autopen.&nbsp;

Trump said during an Oval Office appearance at the time he hadn’t found any evidence Biden aides violated the law.

“No, but I’ve uncovered the human mind,” Trump said. “I was in a debate with the human mind and I didn’t think he knew what the hell he was doing. So it’s one of those things, one of those problems. We can’t ever allow that to happen to our country.”

Biden and spokespeople working for him have repeatedly said he knew what official documents were being signed in his name and rejected claims that White House staff used the autopen without his authorization or knowledge.&nbsp;

Biden released a statement in June following the Trump memorandum, saying the investigation “is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden wrote at the time. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

While presidents have regularly rescinded their predecessors executive orders, usually within their first few days or weeks in office, Congress would very likely need to act in order to alter or eliminate any laws that Biden signed with an autopen. Trump seeking to overturn a law, or part of a law, unilaterally would likely lead to a lawsuit over whether he holds that power.&nbsp;

It also wasn’t immediately clear what legal authority Trump believes he has as president to undo pardons if Biden used an autopen to sign the documents.&nbsp;

David Super, a constitutional and administrative law professor at Georgetown University, told States Newsroom in March that “the Constitution does not require signatures for pardons. It simply says the president has the power to pardon.”

“So if President Biden wanted to simply verbally tell someone they’re pardoned, he could do that. It wouldn’t have to be in writing at all,” he said. “Administratively, of course, we want things in writing. It makes things a lot simpler, but there’s no constitutional requirement.”

Ashley Murray contributed to this report.&nbsp;

By Jennifer ShuttPresident Donald Trump said Friday he will try to reverse any law, pardon or still-in-effect executive order that former President Joe Biden signed with an autopen, though it wasn’t immediately clear how that would work or whether it would be legal.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally.&quot; - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/D5mzIl1Cai">pic.twitter.com/D5mzIl1Cai</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1994494769566028142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump declared in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115629010097815862" target="_blank">a social media post</a>&nbsp;that any documents Biden signed with the autopen are “hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.”“I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally,” Trump alleged. “Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to a request for the list of documents Trump believes he has the ability to rescind based on the manner they were signed.States Newsroom also asked the Trump administration if officials believe the president would need to sign an executive order in order to implement his social media post.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749205481205.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Experts dismissed earlier autopen challenge&nbsp;</h2>The post was similar to one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/legal-experts-quash-trump-argument-biden-pardons-signed-autopen-are-void" target="_blank">Trump published in March</a>&nbsp;when he claimed any pardons Biden signed with the autopen were void, something legal experts said at the time was “absurd” and a “red herring.”Trump brought up his frustration with autopen use again in June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-opens-investigation-biden-autopen-use" target="_blank">when he ordered</a>&nbsp;the White House legal counsel and U.S. attorney general to investigate when and why Biden administration staff used an autopen.&nbsp;Trump said during an Oval Office appearance at the time he hadn’t found any evidence Biden aides violated the law.“No, but I’ve uncovered the human mind,” Trump said. “I was in a debate with the human mind and I didn’t think he knew what the hell he was doing. So it’s one of those things, one of those problems. We can’t ever allow that to happen to our country.”Biden and spokespeople working for him have repeatedly said he knew what official documents were being signed in his name and rejected claims that White House staff used the autopen without his authorization or knowledge.&nbsp;Biden released a statement in June following the Trump memorandum, saying the investigation “is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden wrote at the time. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”While presidents have regularly rescinded their predecessors executive orders, usually within their first few days or weeks in office, Congress would very likely need to act in order to alter or eliminate any laws that Biden signed with an autopen. Trump seeking to overturn a law, or part of a law, unilaterally would likely lead to a lawsuit over whether he holds that power.&nbsp;<h2>Trump doesn’t cite legal authority</h2>It also wasn’t immediately clear what legal authority Trump believes he has as president to undo pardons if Biden used an autopen to sign the documents.&nbsp;David Super, a constitutional and administrative law professor at Georgetown University, told States Newsroom in March that “the Constitution does not require signatures for pardons. It simply says the president has the power to pardon.”“So if President Biden wanted to simply verbally tell someone they’re pardoned, he could do that. It wouldn’t have to be in writing at all,” he said. “Administratively, of course, we want things in writing. It makes things a lot simpler, but there’s no constitutional requirement.”Ashley Murray contributed to this report.&nbsp;

Trump social media post claims to void Biden orders

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a domestic incident in Shawnee County

Just after 12:30 p.m., November 24, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center was notified of a second domestic disturbance at a residence in the 6700 block of SW Fieldwood Drive, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The first was reported around 11:30 a.m.

Shaun L. Kendall, 40, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC on requested charges of&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by felon and Stalking; reckless conduct causing fear person/family. He remains in custody on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764252725979.png" alt="Kendall photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Kendall photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a domestic incident in Shawnee CountyJust after 12:30 p.m., November 24, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center was notified of a second domestic disturbance at a residence in the 6700 block of SW Fieldwood Drive, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The first was reported around 11:30 a.m.Shaun L. Kendall, 40, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the SNDOC on requested charges of&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by felon and Stalking; reckless conduct causing fear person/family. He remains in custody on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.

Kan. felon jailed after 2nd domestic incident within an hour

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;– The Cheney Police Department reported that 76-year-old Martha Brenneis was located and is in good condition. The statewide silver alert is now canceled.

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;– The Cheney Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Cheney woman, according to a media release from the KBI.

The whereabouts of 76-year-old Martha Brenneis are unknown, and public assistance is requested to help locate her.

Brenneis is likely driving a black 2019 Dodge Caravan bearing Kansas tag 1207ACD. She was last seen at her residence in Cheney on Nov. 27, at approximately 8 a.m.

Brenneis is a white female who is around 5 foot 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds. She has white hair and light hazel eyes.&nbsp;

If you see Brenneis, or her vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the Cheney Police Department at (316) 542-3173.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764300310812.png" alt="Martha Brenneis-photo KBI&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Martha Brenneis-photo KBI&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;– The Cheney Police Department reported that 76-year-old Martha Brenneis was located and is in good condition. The statewide silver alert is now canceled.------------------SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp;– The Cheney Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Cheney woman, according to a media release from the KBI.The whereabouts of 76-year-old Martha Brenneis are unknown, and public assistance is requested to help locate her.Brenneis is likely driving a black 2019 Dodge Caravan bearing Kansas tag 1207ACD. She was last seen at her residence in Cheney on Nov. 27, at approximately 8 a.m.Brenneis is a white female who is around 5 foot 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds. She has white hair and light hazel eyes.&nbsp;If you see Brenneis, or her vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the Cheney Police Department at (316) 542-3173.

Statewide Silver Alert canceled; missing Kansas woman is safe

WASHINGTON (AP) —Democratic state attorneys general are suing the Trump administration to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from being taken away from groups of permanent residents in the U.S., including people granted asylum or admitted as refugees.

The top state government lawyers from 21 states and the District of Columbia say in Wednesday’s suit that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued guidance to states in October calling for groups to be denied help from the food aid program even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-stamps-snap-states-trump-2c604216d26a9edf84fe502136be6d6f">Trump’s sweeping tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;this summer didn’t specifically exclude them.

The states say the penalties for providing the benefits to excluded groups are so severe that they put states in danger of shutting down their SNAP programs entirely.

The filing in federal court in Oregon is the latest chapter in a battle over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-reopening-food-aid-a11b6c83934d9c718cc413fc1f9435d3">tried to pause</a>&nbsp;during the government shutdown.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689674819900.png" alt="Photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Democratic state attorneys general are suing the Trump administration to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">SNAP food aid</a>&nbsp;from being taken away from groups of permanent residents in the U.S., including people granted asylum or admitted as refugees.The top state government lawyers from 21 states and the District of Columbia say in Wednesday’s suit that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued guidance to states in October calling for groups to be denied help from the food aid program even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-stamps-snap-states-trump-2c604216d26a9edf84fe502136be6d6f">Trump’s sweeping tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;this summer didn’t specifically exclude them.The states say the penalties for providing the benefits to excluded groups are so severe that they put states in danger of shutting down their SNAP programs entirely.The filing in federal court in Oregon is the latest chapter in a battle over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-reopening-food-aid-a11b6c83934d9c718cc413fc1f9435d3">tried to pause</a>&nbsp;during the government shutdown.

States sue to keep SNAP benefits for some lawful immigrants

By Barbara Ortutay and Matt O'Brien&nbsp; &nbsp;Associated Press

They’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship — but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season.

These toys, marketed to kids as young as 2 years old, are generally powered by AI models that have already been shown to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbot-teens-congress-chatgpt-character-ce3959b6a3ea1a4997bf1ccabb4f0de2" target="_blank">harm children and teenagers</a>, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://fairplayforkids.org/pf/aitoyadvisory" target="_blank">advisory published Thursday</a>&nbsp;by the children’s advocacy group Fairplay and signed by more than 150 organizations and individual experts such as child psychiatrists and educators.

“The serious harms that AI chatbots have inflicted on children are well-documented, including fostering obsessive use, having explicit sexual conversations, and encouraging unsafe behaviors, violence against others, and self-harm,” Fairplay said.

AI toys, made by companies including Curio Interactive and Keyi Technologies, are often marketed as educational, but Fairplay says they can displace important creative and learning activities. They promise friendship but disrupt children’s relationships and resilience, the group said.

“What’s different about young children is that their brains are being wired for the first time and developmentally it is natural for them to be trustful, for them to seek relationships with kind and friendly characters,” said Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline Program. Because of this, she added, the trust young children are placing in these toys can exacerbate the types of harms older children are already experiencing with AI chatbots.

<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai-ratings/ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-support" target="_blank">A separate report Thursday</a>&nbsp;by Common Sense Media and psychiatrists at Stanford University’s medical school warned teenagers against using popular AI chatbots as therapists.

Fairplay, a 25-year-old organization formerly known as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has been warning about AI toys for years. They just weren’t as advanced as they are today. A decade ago, during an emerging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70165102258e4d18aabc5247e284058a" target="_blank">fad of internet-connected toys</a>&nbsp;and AI speech recognition, the group helped lead a backlash against Mattel’s talking Hello Barbie doll that it said was recording and analyzing children’s conversations.

This time, though AI toys are mostly sold online and more popular in Asia than elsewhere, Franz said some have started to appear on store shelves in the U.S. and more could be on the way.

“Everything has been released with no regulation and no research, so it gives us extra pause when all of a sudden we see more and more manufacturers, including Mattel, who recently partnered with OpenAI, potentially putting out these products,” Franz said.

It’s the second big seasonal warning against AI toys since consumer advocates at U.S. PIRG last week called out the trend in its annual “&nbsp;<a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025-a-i-bots-and-toxics-represent-hidden-dangers/" target="_blank">Trouble in Toyland</a>&nbsp;” report that typically looks at a range of product hazards, such as high-powered magnets and button-sized batteries that young children can swallow. This year, the organization tested four toys that use AI chatbots.

“We found some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, will offer advice on where a child can find matches or knives, act dismayed when you say you have to leave, and have limited or no parental controls,” the report said. One of the toys, a teddy bear made by Singapore-based FoloToy, was later withdrawn, its CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/folotoy-kumma-ai-bear-scli-intl" target="_blank">told CNN this week.</a>

Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and social scientist who studies early brain development, said young children don’t have the conceptual tools to understand what an AI companion is. While kids have always bonded with toys through imaginative play, when they do this they use their imagination to create both sides of a pretend conversation, “practicing creativity, language, and problem-solving,” she said.

“An AI toy collapses that work. It answers instantly, smoothly, and often better than a human would. We don’t yet know the developmental consequences of outsourcing that imaginative labor to an artificial agent — but it’s very plausible that it undercuts the kind of creativity and executive function that traditional pretend play builds,” Suskind said.

Beijing-based Keyi, maker of an AI “petbot” called Loona, didn’t return requests for comment this week, but other AI toymakers sought to highlight their child safety protections.

California-based Curio Interactive makes stuffed toys, like Gabbo and rocket-shaped Grok, that have been promoted by the pop singer Grimes. The company said it has “meticulously designed” guardrails to protect children and the company encourages parents to “monitor conversations, track insights, and choose the controls that work best for their family.”

In response to the earlier PIRG findings, Curio said it is “actively working with our team to address any concerns, while continuously overseeing content and interactions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for children.”

Another company, Miko, based in Mumbai, India, said it uses its own conversational AI model rather than relying on general large language model systems such as ChatGPT in order to make its product — an interactive AI robot — safe for children.

“We are always expanding our internal testing, strengthening our filters, and introducing new capabilities that detect and block sensitive or unexpected topics,” said CEO Sneh Vaswani. “These new features complement our existing controls that allow parents and caregivers to identify specific topics they’d like to restrict from conversation. We will continue to invest in setting the highest standards for safe, secure and responsible AI integration for Miko products.”

Miko’s products are sold by major retailers such as Walmart and Costco and have been promoted by the families of social media “kidfluencers” whose YouTube videos have millions of views. On its website, it markets its robots as “Artificial Intelligence. Genuine friendship.”

Ritvik Sharma, the company’s senior vice president of growth, said Miko actually “encourages kids to interact more with their friends, to interact more with the peers, with the family members etc. It’s not made for them to feel attached to the device only.”

Still, Suskind and children’s advocates say analog toys are a better bet for the holidays.

“Kids need lots of real human interaction. Play should support that, not take its place. The biggest thing to consider isn’t only what the toy does; it’s what it replaces. A simple block set or a teddy bear that doesn’t talk back forces a child to invent stories, experiment, and work through problems. AI toys often do that thinking for them,” she said. “Here’s the brutal irony: when parents ask me how to prepare their child for an AI world, unlimited AI access is actually the worst preparation possible.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753194624103.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By Barbara Ortutay and Matt O'Brien&nbsp; &nbsp;Associated PressThey’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship — but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season.These toys, marketed to kids as young as 2 years old, are generally powered by AI models that have already been shown to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbot-teens-congress-chatgpt-character-ce3959b6a3ea1a4997bf1ccabb4f0de2" target="_blank">harm children and teenagers</a>, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://fairplayforkids.org/pf/aitoyadvisory" target="_blank">advisory published Thursday</a>&nbsp;by the children’s advocacy group Fairplay and signed by more than 150 organizations and individual experts such as child psychiatrists and educators.“The serious harms that AI chatbots have inflicted on children are well-documented, including fostering obsessive use, having explicit sexual conversations, and encouraging unsafe behaviors, violence against others, and self-harm,” Fairplay said.AI toys, made by companies including Curio Interactive and Keyi Technologies, are often marketed as educational, but Fairplay says they can displace important creative and learning activities. They promise friendship but disrupt children’s relationships and resilience, the group said.“What’s different about young children is that their brains are being wired for the first time and developmentally it is natural for them to be trustful, for them to seek relationships with kind and friendly characters,” said Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline Program. Because of this, she added, the trust young children are placing in these toys can exacerbate the types of harms older children are already experiencing with AI chatbots.<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai-ratings/ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-support" target="_blank">A separate report Thursday</a>&nbsp;by Common Sense Media and psychiatrists at Stanford University’s medical school warned teenagers against using popular AI chatbots as therapists.Fairplay, a 25-year-old organization formerly known as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has been warning about AI toys for years. They just weren’t as advanced as they are today. A decade ago, during an emerging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70165102258e4d18aabc5247e284058a" target="_blank">fad of internet-connected toys</a>&nbsp;and AI speech recognition, the group helped lead a backlash against Mattel’s talking Hello Barbie doll that it said was recording and analyzing children’s conversations.This time, though AI toys are mostly sold online and more popular in Asia than elsewhere, Franz said some have started to appear on store shelves in the U.S. and more could be on the way.“Everything has been released with no regulation and no research, so it gives us extra pause when all of a sudden we see more and more manufacturers, including Mattel, who recently partnered with OpenAI, potentially putting out these products,” Franz said.It’s the second big seasonal warning against AI toys since consumer advocates at U.S. PIRG last week called out the trend in its annual “&nbsp;<a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025-a-i-bots-and-toxics-represent-hidden-dangers/" target="_blank">Trouble in Toyland</a>&nbsp;” report that typically looks at a range of product hazards, such as high-powered magnets and button-sized batteries that young children can swallow. This year, the organization tested four toys that use AI chatbots.“We found some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, will offer advice on where a child can find matches or knives, act dismayed when you say you have to leave, and have limited or no parental controls,” the report said. One of the toys, a teddy bear made by Singapore-based FoloToy, was later withdrawn, its CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/folotoy-kumma-ai-bear-scli-intl" target="_blank">told CNN this week.</a>Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and social scientist who studies early brain development, said young children don’t have the conceptual tools to understand what an AI companion is. While kids have always bonded with toys through imaginative play, when they do this they use their imagination to create both sides of a pretend conversation, “practicing creativity, language, and problem-solving,” she said.“An AI toy collapses that work. It answers instantly, smoothly, and often better than a human would. We don’t yet know the developmental consequences of outsourcing that imaginative labor to an artificial agent — but it’s very plausible that it undercuts the kind of creativity and executive function that traditional pretend play builds,” Suskind said.Beijing-based Keyi, maker of an AI “petbot” called Loona, didn’t return requests for comment this week, but other AI toymakers sought to highlight their child safety protections.California-based Curio Interactive makes stuffed toys, like Gabbo and rocket-shaped Grok, that have been promoted by the pop singer Grimes. The company said it has “meticulously designed” guardrails to protect children and the company encourages parents to “monitor conversations, track insights, and choose the controls that work best for their family.”In response to the earlier PIRG findings, Curio said it is “actively working with our team to address any concerns, while continuously overseeing content and interactions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for children.”Another company, Miko, based in Mumbai, India, said it uses its own conversational AI model rather than relying on general large language model systems such as ChatGPT in order to make its product — an interactive AI robot — safe for children.“We are always expanding our internal testing, strengthening our filters, and introducing new capabilities that detect and block sensitive or unexpected topics,” said CEO Sneh Vaswani. “These new features complement our existing controls that allow parents and caregivers to identify specific topics they’d like to restrict from conversation. We will continue to invest in setting the highest standards for safe, secure and responsible AI integration for Miko products.”Miko’s products are sold by major retailers such as Walmart and Costco and have been promoted by the families of social media “kidfluencers” whose YouTube videos have millions of views. On its website, it markets its robots as “Artificial Intelligence. Genuine friendship.”Ritvik Sharma, the company’s senior vice president of growth, said Miko actually “encourages kids to interact more with their friends, to interact more with the peers, with the family members etc. It’s not made for them to feel attached to the device only.”Still, Suskind and children’s advocates say analog toys are a better bet for the holidays.“Kids need lots of real human interaction. Play should support that, not take its place. The biggest thing to consider isn’t only what the toy does; it’s what it replaces. A simple block set or a teddy bear that doesn’t talk back forces a child to invent stories, experiment, and work through problems. AI toys often do that thinking for them,” she said. “Here’s the brutal irony: when parents ask me how to prepare their child for an AI world, unlimited AI access is actually the worst preparation possible.”

Advocacy groups urge parents to avoid AI toys this holiday season

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.

The announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">deal with the strain</a>&nbsp;of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopening-process-df0388b2d685bab9aa61edce0eb51a15">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.

The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”

A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, “AMERICANS FIRST.”

The announcement follows a July executive order in which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.

“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.

The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.

The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.

The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that “everyone, no matter their ZIP code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.The announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">deal with the strain</a>&nbsp;of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopening-process-df0388b2d685bab9aa61edce0eb51a15">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, “AMERICANS FIRST.”The announcement follows a July executive order in which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that “everyone, no matter their ZIP code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”___

National Parks to raise fees for international tourists

JOHNSON COUNTY —Last week, while on patrol, a State Trooper observed a stolen vehicle that had recently failed to stop for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department, according to a social media report from KHP Troop A.

When the Trooper initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit. Thankfully, the Trooper was able to successfully conduct a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, misdemeanor interference, driving without a valid license, and a $5,000 fail to appear warrant out of the Johnson County, KS Sheriff's Office

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764169404046.png" alt="Image from the video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Last week, while on patrol, a State Trooper observed a stolen vehicle that had recently failed to stop for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department, according to a social media report from KHP Troop A.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2250257718787924%2F&show_text=false&width=249&t=0" width="249" height="476" 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>When the Trooper initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit. Thankfully, the Trooper was able to successfully conduct a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, misdemeanor interference, driving without a valid license, and a $5,000 fail to appear warrant out of the Johnson County, KS Sheriff's Office

🎥KHP Trooper uses Tactical Vehicle Intervention to stop suspect

KANSAS C ITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Thanksgiving house fire.

Just before 3:30a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 9500 block of Olmstead Road, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

 On arrival, crews reported heavy smoke and fire through the roof,&nbsp; from a 1-story residence. Interior operations were initiated on an offensive fire attack with 3 hose lines. Companies did encounter a broken natural gas line and power lines down in the rear of the structure and eventually evacuated. 

Moving to a defensive mode, fly piping operations of the structure began. After knocking down the majority of the fire, the aerial was eventually shut down, and the 3 hose lines resumed extinguishing the remaining fire and hot spots. 

Utility crews were on scene and secured their hazards.Searches of the structure were conducted and came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 4:35 a.m.

One firefighter was briefly evaluated by an ambulance on scene but was not transported. No other injuries or patients have been reported.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764246764849.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS C ITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Thanksgiving house fire.Just before 3:30a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 9500 block of Olmstead Road, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan. On arrival, crews reported heavy smoke and fire through the roof,&nbsp; from a 1-story residence. Interior operations were initiated on an offensive fire attack with 3 hose lines. Companies did encounter a broken natural gas line and power lines down in the rear of the structure and eventually evacuated. Moving to a defensive mode, fly piping operations of the structure began. After knocking down the majority of the fire, the aerial was eventually shut down, and the 3 hose lines resumed extinguishing the remaining fire and hot spots. Utility crews were on scene and secured their hazards.Searches of the structure were conducted and came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 4:35 a.m.One firefighter was briefly evaluated by an ambulance on scene but was not transported. No other injuries or patients have been reported.&nbsp;

Dangerous Thanksgiving Day house fire in Kansas City

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-white-house-afghan-national-138fbe6872d7ac30b20973783b39002c">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.

The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump’s orders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">one of whom died</a>&nbsp;shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.

A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">a program to resettle</a>&nbsp;those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”

Trump’s threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.

Elected on a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-violent-crime-trump-republican-convention-bd40d14546bc7eb9a1dbbadfcb190950">crack down on illegal migration</a>, Trump’s raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America’s foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The president said on Truth Social that “most” foreign-born U.S. residents “are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.

The perception that immigration breeds crime “continues to falter under the weight of the evidence,” according to a review of academic literature last year in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-033048" target="_blank">Annual Review of Criminology</a>.

“With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States,” it said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31440" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump’s claims.

But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called “one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump.”

Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions to the country made during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He also wants to end federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, denaturalize people “who undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”

Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota” as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state’s governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him “seriously retarded.”

Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">Trump called for the reinvestigation</a>&nbsp;of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.

On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.

The shooting of the two National Guard members appeared to trigger Trump’s anger over immigrants, yet he did not specifically refer to the event in his social media posting.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is accused of driving across the country to Washington and shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died on Thursday from the shooting, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

The suspect, currently in custody, was also shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Asked by a reporter on Thursday if he blamed the shootings on all Afghans who came to the U.S., Trump said: “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764331131237.png" alt="President Trump spoke about immigration to reporters after he announced National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia has died on Thanksgiving night-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke about immigration to reporters after he announced National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia has died on Thanksgiving night-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-white-house-afghan-national-138fbe6872d7ac30b20973783b39002c">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump’s orders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">one of whom died</a>&nbsp;shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764331840667.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">a program to resettle</a>&nbsp;those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”Trump’s threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.Elected on a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-violent-crime-trump-republican-convention-bd40d14546bc7eb9a1dbbadfcb190950">crack down on illegal migration</a>, Trump’s raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America’s foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The president said on Truth Social that “most” foreign-born U.S. residents “are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.The perception that immigration breeds crime “continues to falter under the weight of the evidence,” according to a review of academic literature last year in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-033048" target="_blank">Annual Review of Criminology</a>.“With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States,” it said.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31440" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump’s claims.But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called “one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump.”Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions to the country made during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He also wants to end federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, denaturalize people “who undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota” as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state’s governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him “seriously retarded.”Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">Trump called for the reinvestigation</a>&nbsp;of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.The shooting of the two National Guard members appeared to trigger Trump’s anger over immigrants, yet he did not specifically refer to the event in his social media posting.The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is accused of driving across the country to Washington and shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died on Thursday from the shooting, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.The suspect, currently in custody, was also shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.Asked by a reporter on Thursday if he blamed the shootings on all Afghans who came to the U.S., Trump said: “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans.”

Trump: U.S. to ‘pause migration from Third World Countries’ after DC shooting

FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. on Thanksgiving in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Kason D. Ramsey, 18, Holcomb, was westbound on Railroad Avenue one mile west of Garden City. The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as Lance R. Stucky, 31, Garden City, who was walking in the westbound lane.

Stucky was pronounced deceased. Ramsey was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. on Thanksgiving in Finney County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Kason D. Ramsey, 18, Holcomb, was westbound on Railroad Avenue one mile west of Garden City. The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as Lance R. Stucky, 31, Garden City, who was walking in the westbound lane.Stucky was pronounced deceased. Ramsey was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

Man dies after struck by a pickup in southwest Kansas

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing multiple charges for the alleged theft of multiple packages from residences since September.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2765/Bennett-RED-COMPLAINT-CB">Curtis D. Bennett&nbsp;</a>faces six counts of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. Each count of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item is a class E felony, carrying one to four years in prison upon conviction. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764283905207.png" alt="Bennett photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Bennett photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing multiple charges for the alleged theft of multiple packages from residences since September.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2765/Bennett-RED-COMPLAINT-CB">Curtis D. Bennett&nbsp;</a>faces six counts of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. Each count of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item is a class E felony, carrying one to four years in prison upon conviction. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2764/Bennett-RED-PC-CB">According to court records</a>, Kansas City detectives received reports from four different victims stating they had packages stolen from their homes. In total, the six packages were worth more than $1,100. Detectives were able to identify and connect Bennett to each incident through victim surveillance video. Bennett admitted to stealing the packages from the residences.&nbsp;“We take package theft seriously because we understand our community works hard each day to be able to purchase holiday gifts and everyday necessities for their families,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “We’re committed to holding these repeat offenders accountable, but we need the community’s help to bring these cases to our office.”With the holiday season underway, Prosecutor Johnson urges residents to take proactive steps to protect their deliveries. Install doorbell cameras and surveillance cameras around your home, which provide critical evidence for investigations.&nbsp;Retrieve your packages immediately after delivery or ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect them if you will not be home. Consider having items delivered to your workplace or request that the post office or delivery service hold packages for pickup if you will be traveling. Requesting a signature requirement for valuable deliveries or using secure package lockers are other ways to ensure packages are protected.&nbsp;“If you believe your package or mail was stolen, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency and provide any video or photo evidence,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “It’s crucial to report these crimes. Unless these cases reach our desk, we cannot do our job, prosecute, and protect our community.”Bennett is being held on a $3,000 cash-only bond. &nbsp;