SALINE COUNTY —A suspect is in jail facing multiple allegations after a high speed chase in Saline County.

Just after 12a.m. Thursday, a sheriff's deputy near the south Saline County line around on Interstate 135 near the Kansas 104 exit was searching for a 2013 BMW that had been reportedly speeding northbound with no lights on, according to a statement from the Saline County Sheriff's Office.

The deputy found the vehicle traveling at 135 mph in Saline County and pursued. After an attempted stop, the vehicle continued northbound on the Interstate with no lights on.

The vehicle continued west on Interstate 70 until eventually pulling over just east of the Sylvan Grove exit in Ellsworth County. The driver identified as 22-year-old Hunter Sims of Denton, TX was arrested on requested charges of Reckless Driving, Speeding, Registration Violation, Driving with no Headlights and Felony Flee and Elude.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763660368568.png" alt="Sims photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Sims photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A suspect is in jail facing multiple allegations after a high speed chase in Saline County.Just after 12a.m. Thursday, a sheriff's deputy near the south Saline County line around on Interstate 135 near the Kansas 104 exit was searching for a 2013 BMW that had been reportedly speeding northbound with no lights on, according to a statement from the Saline County Sheriff's Office.The deputy found the vehicle traveling at 135 mph in Saline County and pursued. After an attempted stop, the vehicle continued northbound on the Interstate with no lights on.The vehicle continued west on Interstate 70 until eventually pulling over just east of the Sylvan Grove exit in Ellsworth County. The driver identified as 22-year-old Hunter Sims of Denton, TX was arrested on requested charges of Reckless Driving, Speeding, Registration Violation, Driving with no Headlights and Felony Flee and Elude.

Sheriff: Driver jailed after I-70 chase at 130mph

WILSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Wilson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a pedestrian identified as 21-year-old Angel M.&nbsp;Stephens of Altoona, was walking westbound on 7th Street in Altoona.&nbsp; She accidentally walked in front of and was struck by a northbound train.&nbsp;

Stephens was pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed that she did not see or hear the train, according to the KHP.

She was transported to&nbsp;Countryside Funeral Home in Fredonia.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763862132048.png" alt="Near the location of the accident in Altoona-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Near the location of the accident in Altoona-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WILSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Wilson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a pedestrian identified as 21-year-old Angel M.&nbsp;Stephens of Altoona, was walking westbound on 7th Street in Altoona.&nbsp; She accidentally walked in front of and was struck by a northbound train.&nbsp;Stephens was pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed that she did not see or hear the train, according to the KHP.She was transported to&nbsp;Countryside Funeral Home in Fredonia.&nbsp;

KHP: 21-year-old did not see or hear train in fatal accident

KANSAS CITY—A man was sentenced in federal court this week for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.

Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 57 months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, according to the United State's Attorney.

On Sept. 17, 2022, Hodge and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo.&nbsp; Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.&nbsp; Hodge, who was a Pagan’s prospect at the time, and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to their knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks, and back of their leg.&nbsp;Hodge and several others fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Following this event, several members, including Hodge, were awarded club patches for their participation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723844162274.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A man was sentenced in federal court this week for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 57 months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, according to the United State's Attorney.On Sept. 17, 2022, Hodge and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo.&nbsp; Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.&nbsp; Hodge, who was a Pagan’s prospect at the time, and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to their knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks, and back of their leg.&nbsp;Hodge and several others fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.Following this event, several members, including Hodge, were awarded club patches for their participation.

Motorcycle club member going to prison for armed assault of rival

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday night in Basehor, Kansas.

Just before 9p.m., deputies from the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 16900 block of Dempsey Road where a resident reported being threatened, according to a media release from the KBI.&nbsp; The reporting party provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle, which was a white Honda SUV.

Preliminary information indicates deputies located the Honda nearby, and attempted to stop the SUV, when the driver fled. While the Honda traveled eastbound in the 17000 block of Dempsey Road, gunshots were fired from the SUV toward the pursuing patrol vehicle. Near N. 147th&nbsp;and Parallel Road, in Basehor, gunshots were again fired from the Honda, and the responding deputy crashed his patrol vehicle.

The pursuit continued to the area of N. 156th&nbsp;and Parallel Road, where the Honda collided with a passenger car. As a deputy pulled behind the Honda, a male subject, later identified as Andrew M. Amundsen, 33, of Leavenworth, exited the passenger side, and fired several rounds. The deputy returned fire. The driver of the vehicle, Mariah Huggins, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, was taken into custody at the crash site.

Amundsen fled on foot. In an attempt to hide, he broke a basement window of an area home, entered the residence, but then exited and continued to flee. Sheriff's deputies located him hiding in a truck bed in the area of N. 157th&nbsp;and Cedar Street and took him into custody. Amundsen was uninjured, and later booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on an outstanding arrest warrant.

The deputy involved in the wreck was transported to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and then released. No other deputies or civilians were hurt during this incident. As a precaution, Huggins was examined by hospital personnel, and then booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on a pre-existing warrant.

Additional charges, related to this incident, are expected for Amundsen and Huggins.

This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

When this investigation concludes case findings will be presented to the Leavenworth County Attorney for determination of charges. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763841640176.png" alt="Amundsen -photo Leavenworth County" />
 <figcaption>Amundsen -photo Leavenworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday night in Basehor, Kansas.Just before 9p.m., deputies from the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 16900 block of Dempsey Road where a resident reported being threatened, according to a media release from the KBI.&nbsp; The reporting party provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle, which was a white Honda SUV.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763841798756.png" alt="Huggins -photo Leavenworth County" />
 <figcaption>Huggins -photo Leavenworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary information indicates deputies located the Honda nearby, and attempted to stop the SUV, when the driver fled. While the Honda traveled eastbound in the 17000 block of Dempsey Road, gunshots were fired from the SUV toward the pursuing patrol vehicle. Near N. 147th&nbsp;and Parallel Road, in Basehor, gunshots were again fired from the Honda, and the responding deputy crashed his patrol vehicle.The pursuit continued to the area of N. 156th&nbsp;and Parallel Road, where the Honda collided with a passenger car. As a deputy pulled behind the Honda, a male subject, later identified as Andrew M. Amundsen, 33, of Leavenworth, exited the passenger side, and fired several rounds. The deputy returned fire. The driver of the vehicle, Mariah Huggins, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, was taken into custody at the crash site.Amundsen fled on foot. In an attempt to hide, he broke a basement window of an area home, entered the residence, but then exited and continued to flee. Sheriff's deputies located him hiding in a truck bed in the area of N. 157th&nbsp;and Cedar Street and took him into custody. Amundsen was uninjured, and later booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on an outstanding arrest warrant.The deputy involved in the wreck was transported to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and then released. No other deputies or civilians were hurt during this incident. As a precaution, Huggins was examined by hospital personnel, and then booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on a pre-existing warrant.Additional charges, related to this incident, are expected for Amundsen and Huggins.This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.When this investigation concludes case findings will be presented to the Leavenworth County Attorney for determination of charges. The investigation is ongoing.

Couple jailed after exchange of gunfire with Kan. deputy

MITCHELL COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Mitchell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Malibu driven by Dustin K.&nbsp;West, 31, Cawker City, was eastbound in the 800 block of Wisconsin Street in Cawker City. The struck a pedestrian, identified as LInda B. Clover, 81, Cawker City, who stepped into the roadway from the south curb.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported Clover to&nbsp;Mitchell County Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. West was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

MITCHELL COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Mitchell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Malibu driven by Dustin K.&nbsp;West, 31, Cawker City, was eastbound in the 800 block of Wisconsin Street in Cawker City. The struck a pedestrian, identified as LInda B. Clover, 81, Cawker City, who stepped into the roadway from the south curb.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported Clover to&nbsp;Mitchell County Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. West was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

81-year-old Kansas woman hospitalized after struck by a car

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usha-vance-attorney-jd-vance-wife-vp-63406da4f6739546391ed7797fc1fef2">Usha Vance</a>&nbsp;took their first trip together on Wednesday, visiting Marine Corps members and their relatives in North Carolina to mark the approach of Thanksgiving and salute military families, which the first lady called "the quiet strength of our nation.”

The wives of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>, a former Marine, visited schools at Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast, before delivering remarks to some 1,600 uniformed, cheering Marines and their families at Marine Corps Air Station New River.

“Please know that our nation is thinking of you, praying for you and deeply grateful for your service,” Trump said of all military service members stationed far from home during the holidays, speaking from a stage flanked by parked tanks and helicopters.

Trump stressed the growing importance of artificial intelligence to the military, noting that “technology is changing the art of war.”

“Predictably, AI will alter war more profoundly than any technology since nuclear weapons,” she said, also noting that "we are moving from human operators to human overseers fast.”

Trump and Vance both saluted the Marines for the branch's recent 250th anniversary, and the second lady said that “military families are truly a model for our country and for my own family."

Brigadier General Ralph J. Rizzo Jr, said of the joint visit: “Those moments matter because they show our families their service and sacrifices are seen and appreciated."

Trump and Vance's speeches followed them discussing AI with high schoolers and helping younger children make turkeys out of cardstock — surrounded by Elmer’s glue and glue sticks.

They watched an advanced placement research class from the Lejeune High “Devilpups,” recalling the Marine Corps’ “Devil Dog” nickname, and had discussions about technological development.

Trump and Vance sat with four tables of students with laptops. They listened to a student presentation on electronic media affecting sleep and adolescent wellbeing, as well as a study on social media addiction and its impact on young people’s esteem and body image.

The students demonstrated how they used AI to generate videos as part of their presentation. The first lady asked one group how they used AI in school, and nodded along as they chatted. The students also described rules that kept them from using AI to improperly complete assignments.

Trump and Vance later visited a gymnasium, where the school was assembling 2,000 care packages for service members stationed abroad — filled with goodies including jerky sticks. The first lady told the crowd there that she and the president always think of U.S. service members but “especially during the holidays.”

Trump and Vance also toured two kindergarten classes and a first grade class at DeLalio Elementary School, entering classrooms where each table had been laid with folders from Be Best, Trump’s child-focused initiative. The folders featured a puzzle, pen, and sticker for each student.

Trump told one of the girls she was “beautiful.” The youngster had a patriotic ribbon pinned to her light blue top, meaning one of her parents is on active deployment.

The first lady asked another a question, before declaring, “’Isn’t it fun?” She engaged in a long conversation with another girl before offering, “Very nice. I love your story.”

Later, sitting at tables with the youngsters, Trump commanded, “Show me how you play.” Several of the kindergartners and first graders wore ribbons signifying a deployed parent — as did many in the larger group of students later making turkeys with the first and second ladies.

Both have appeared together at other public events, though not on the road. Most notably, they were together at the inauguration of their husbands at the U.S. Capitol in January.

Other joint appearances came at a White House event celebrating military mothers and a luncheon for Senate spouses, both in May; the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-performing-arts-487a890419ebf4de42660c5d947dc69c">opening night of “Les Misérables”</a>&nbsp;at the Kennedy Center in June; and the president's signing last week of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-white-house-foster-care-5301987e676786c793b2b9fba0eb4c2f">executive order to help foster children</a>, which also came as part of Be Best.

Melania Trump has centered her work around children, launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/parenting-united-states-government-2aefddc6f11044d4ac340809f9e75bb3">Be Best</a>&nbsp;during her husband's first term to focus on their welfare, online safety and opioid abuse.

Last month, she announced that eight children displaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russia-Ukraine war</a>&nbsp;had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-russia-ukraine-children-fe324a08a9a957f05995dac0d95a66c3">reunited with their families</a>&nbsp;following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this year, the first lady helped lobby Congress to pass legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-melania-intimate-imagery-bill-sign-c7416b4935f8ccac9fd2909e494da9f1">imposing federal penalties for online sexual exploitation</a>, often targeting young girls. Her husband signed the bill into law in May.

Usha Vance, a former lawyer, launched a “Summer Reading Challenge” to encourage students in kindergarten through eighth grade to read 12 books during the school break. Certificates and prizes were promised to those who completed the challenge.

The second lady often accompanies the vice president on his trips and sometimes brings along their three young children.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/melania-trump">Melania Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usha-vance-attorney-jd-vance-wife-vp-63406da4f6739546391ed7797fc1fef2">Usha Vance</a>&nbsp;took their first trip together on Wednesday, visiting Marine Corps members and their relatives in North Carolina to mark the approach of Thanksgiving and salute military families, which the first lady called "the quiet strength of our nation.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As we give thanks this season, let us remember what unites us - our shared love of country, our faith in one another, and our pride in those who serve. <a href="https://t.co/amLURKB79p">pic.twitter.com/amLURKB79p</a>&mdash; First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1991916056915652998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Melania Trump and Usha Vance first trip together -- North Carolina -- Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune <a href="https://t.co/7BmNcV71qm">pic.twitter.com/7BmNcV71qm</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1991218380225851545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> at Camp Lejeune: &quot;Technology is changing the art of war. Predictably, AI will alter war more profoundly than any technology since nuclear weapons... of course, it is the Marine who will always play the most critical role in realizing mission success.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yJZP22kYqA">pic.twitter.com/yJZP22kYqA</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991248350146867276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> at Camp Lejeune: &quot;Last week, the <a href="https://twitter.com/USMC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USMC</a> celebrated 250 years of service — two-and-a-half centuries of courage, tradition, and excellence. To you and your families who give so much for our country, thank you.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1DVGPYTW1h">pic.twitter.com/1DVGPYTW1h</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991248139957719044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SLOTUS</a> delivers remarks to Marines at Camp Lejeune: &quot;It&#39;s such an honor to be here with you at Camp Lejeune... right around the corner from Cherry Point, where my husband <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> was stationed... Military families are truly a model for our country and for my own family.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/zSiLJKrV0m">pic.twitter.com/zSiLJKrV0m</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991247395842040297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SLOTUS</a> join North Carolina military schoolchildren for crafts as Thanksgiving approaches <a href="https://t.co/kil1IAFGaM">pic.twitter.com/kil1IAFGaM</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991235585579552863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The wives of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>, a former Marine, visited schools at Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast, before delivering remarks to some 1,600 uniformed, cheering Marines and their families at Marine Corps Air Station New River.“Please know that our nation is thinking of you, praying for you and deeply grateful for your service,” Trump said of all military service members stationed far from home during the holidays, speaking from a stage flanked by parked tanks and helicopters.Trump stressed the growing importance of artificial intelligence to the military, noting that “technology is changing the art of war.”“Predictably, AI will alter war more profoundly than any technology since nuclear weapons,” she said, also noting that "we are moving from human operators to human overseers fast.”Trump and Vance both saluted the Marines for the branch's recent 250th anniversary, and the second lady said that “military families are truly a model for our country and for my own family."Brigadier General Ralph J. Rizzo Jr, said of the joint visit: “Those moments matter because they show our families their service and sacrifices are seen and appreciated."Trump and Vance's speeches followed them discussing AI with high schoolers and helping younger children make turkeys out of cardstock — surrounded by Elmer’s glue and glue sticks.They watched an advanced placement research class from the Lejeune High “Devilpups,” recalling the Marine Corps’ “Devil Dog” nickname, and had discussions about technological development.Trump and Vance sat with four tables of students with laptops. They listened to a student presentation on electronic media affecting sleep and adolescent wellbeing, as well as a study on social media addiction and its impact on young people’s esteem and body image.The students demonstrated how they used AI to generate videos as part of their presentation. The first lady asked one group how they used AI in school, and nodded along as they chatted. The students also described rules that kept them from using AI to improperly complete assignments.Trump and Vance later visited a gymnasium, where the school was assembling 2,000 care packages for service members stationed abroad — filled with goodies including jerky sticks. The first lady told the crowd there that she and the president always think of U.S. service members but “especially during the holidays.”Trump and Vance also toured two kindergarten classes and a first grade class at DeLalio Elementary School, entering classrooms where each table had been laid with folders from Be Best, Trump’s child-focused initiative. The folders featured a puzzle, pen, and sticker for each student.Trump told one of the girls she was “beautiful.” The youngster had a patriotic ribbon pinned to her light blue top, meaning one of her parents is on active deployment.The first lady asked another a question, before declaring, “’Isn’t it fun?” She engaged in a long conversation with another girl before offering, “Very nice. I love your story.”Later, sitting at tables with the youngsters, Trump commanded, “Show me how you play.” Several of the kindergartners and first graders wore ribbons signifying a deployed parent — as did many in the larger group of students later making turkeys with the first and second ladies.Both have appeared together at other public events, though not on the road. Most notably, they were together at the inauguration of their husbands at the U.S. Capitol in January.Other joint appearances came at a White House event celebrating military mothers and a luncheon for Senate spouses, both in May; the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-performing-arts-487a890419ebf4de42660c5d947dc69c">opening night of “Les Misérables”</a>&nbsp;at the Kennedy Center in June; and the president's signing last week of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-white-house-foster-care-5301987e676786c793b2b9fba0eb4c2f">executive order to help foster children</a>, which also came as part of Be Best.Melania Trump has centered her work around children, launching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/parenting-united-states-government-2aefddc6f11044d4ac340809f9e75bb3">Be Best</a>&nbsp;during her husband's first term to focus on their welfare, online safety and opioid abuse.Last month, she announced that eight children displaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russia-Ukraine war</a>&nbsp;had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-russia-ukraine-children-fe324a08a9a957f05995dac0d95a66c3">reunited with their families</a>&nbsp;following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Earlier this year, the first lady helped lobby Congress to pass legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-melania-intimate-imagery-bill-sign-c7416b4935f8ccac9fd2909e494da9f1">imposing federal penalties for online sexual exploitation</a>, often targeting young girls. Her husband signed the bill into law in May.Usha Vance, a former lawyer, launched a “Summer Reading Challenge” to encourage students in kindergarten through eighth grade to read 12 books during the school break. Certificates and prizes were promised to those who completed the challenge.The second lady often accompanies the vice president on his trips and sometimes brings along their three young children.

Highlights of first and second ladies visit with Marines and their relatives

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/"></a>LINCOLN — In a blow to the local economy of Lexington, Nebraska, Tyson Foods announced that it is closing the town’s longtime Tyson beef plant that employed about 3,200 people.&nbsp;

The Arkansas-based Tyson said in a statement that changes were designed to “right-size” its beef business and position it for long-term success.

The Lexington plant is to close on or around Jan. 20.&nbsp;The statement did not elaborate on why the plant in the town of&nbsp; about 11,500 people was targeted.

The company said it also will convert an Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift and increase production at other company beef facilities. The number of layoffs from that eliminated shift is about 1,700.

A recent earnings report indicated that Tyson stands to lose some $600 million in its beef business next fiscal year, on top of the already-incurred $720 million loss over the last two years.&nbsp;

The closure sparked swift reaction from Nebraskans.

The Nebraska Cattlemen Board of Directors expressed disappointment — especially, it said, in light of Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture data that Nebraska cattle-on-feed inventories remain slightly above year-ago levels in spite of the ongoing cyclical tightness in national cattle numbers.

“We firmly believe there isn’t a better place to efficiently and economically raise cattle and produce beef than Nebraska,” the board said in a statement. “This will have a profound impact on the community of Lexington and many cattle producers.”

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called the state’s cattle industry resilient and “the envy of the world.” He said Tyson leadership promised to “work on future value-added opportunities” in the state.

“Big picture — our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned re-organization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants,” Pillen said.

But U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, blasted the decision.

“As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region and our state,” she said.

Calling Nebraska a beef state that knows better than anyone the highs and lows of the cattle market, Fischer added: “It’s no secret that just a few years ago, packers like Tyson were making windfall profits while the rest of the industry was continuously in the red.”

“I call on Tyson to do everything in its power to take care of the families affected by this short-sighted decision,” she said.&nbsp;

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he would do what he could to support Nebraskans impacted and to help employees find work close to home.

“This news is especially heartbreaking around the holidays,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb, called the closure a disappointing loss for the city, Dawson County, the region and cattle industry as a whole.&nbsp;

“Nebraska’s hard-working cattle producers are innovative and highly efficient as they work to provide high quality beef for consumers,” Smith said. “I welcome input from producers and stand ready to assist as we all move forward.”

In its announcement, Tyson said it recognized the impact its decisions have on its team members and their communities.

“The company is committed to supporting our team members through this transition, including helping them apply for open positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits,” it said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, said in a statement that ranchers “dutifully raised cattle even when times were hard. Now they are being abandoned.”

He said that after Tyson closed its Norfolk plant in 2006, it “stripped the plant bare” and the property couldn’t be used as a beef processing facility. He said the plant still sits empty today.

Said Flood: “As they wind down their Lexington plant, Tyson needs to preserve it, so it can remain a beef processing operation and keep good paying jobs in Dawson County that support our ag communities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763775920806.png" alt="Nebraska representatives react to Tyson Foods Lexington Plant closure" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska representatives react to Tyson Foods Lexington Plant closure</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/"></a>LINCOLN — In a blow to the local economy of Lexington, Nebraska, Tyson Foods announced that it is closing the town’s longtime Tyson beef plant that employed about 3,200 people.&nbsp;The Arkansas-based Tyson said in a statement that changes were designed to “right-size” its beef business and position it for long-term success.The Lexington plant is to close on or around Jan. 20.&nbsp;The statement did not elaborate on why the plant in the town of&nbsp; about 11,500 people was targeted.The company said it also will convert an Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift and increase production at other company beef facilities. The number of layoffs from that eliminated shift is about 1,700.A recent earnings report indicated that Tyson stands to lose some $600 million in its beef business next fiscal year, on top of the already-incurred $720 million loss over the last two years.&nbsp;The closure sparked swift reaction from Nebraskans.The Nebraska Cattlemen Board of Directors expressed disappointment — especially, it said, in light of Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture data that Nebraska cattle-on-feed inventories remain slightly above year-ago levels in spite of the ongoing cyclical tightness in national cattle numbers.“We firmly believe there isn’t a better place to efficiently and economically raise cattle and produce beef than Nebraska,” the board said in a statement. “This will have a profound impact on the community of Lexington and many cattle producers.”Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called the state’s cattle industry resilient and “the envy of the world.” He said Tyson leadership promised to “work on future value-added opportunities” in the state.“Big picture — our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned re-organization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants,” Pillen said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am extremely disappointed by this news from Tyson today. As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region, and our state. Nebraskans are nothing if not resilient, and Lexington has a…&mdash; Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorFischer/status/1991984414159442211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, blasted the decision.“As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region and our state,” she said.Calling Nebraska a beef state that knows better than anyone the highs and lows of the cattle market, Fischer added: “It’s no secret that just a few years ago, packers like Tyson were making windfall profits while the rest of the industry was continuously in the red.”“I call on Tyson to do everything in its power to take care of the families affected by this short-sighted decision,” she said.&nbsp;U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he would do what he could to support Nebraskans impacted and to help employees find work close to home.“This news is especially heartbreaking around the holidays,” he said.U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb, called the closure a disappointing loss for the city, Dawson County, the region and cattle industry as a whole.&nbsp;“Nebraska’s hard-working cattle producers are innovative and highly efficient as they work to provide high quality beef for consumers,” Smith said. “I welcome input from producers and stand ready to assist as we all move forward.”In its announcement, Tyson said it recognized the impact its decisions have on its team members and their communities.“The company is committed to supporting our team members through this transition, including helping them apply for open positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits,” it said.U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, said in a statement that ranchers “dutifully raised cattle even when times were hard. Now they are being abandoned.”He said that after Tyson closed its Norfolk plant in 2006, it “stripped the plant bare” and the property couldn’t be used as a beef processing facility. He said the plant still sits empty today.Said Flood: “As they wind down their Lexington plant, Tyson needs to preserve it, so it can remain a beef processing operation and keep good paying jobs in Dawson County that support our ag communities.”

Tyson to close Nebraska beef plant with 3,200 workers

Voting rights advocates say both states must carefully guard personal information and should proceed with the understanding that databases could be flawed

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, Kansas — The Republican secretaries of state for Kansas and Missouri have signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange voter registration information in a bid to identify people who failed to cancel registrations after moving from one state to the other.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said the partnership would enhance voter roll maintenance by “securely” sharing personal details on 1.87 million registered voters in Kansas and 4.13 million registered voters in Missouri.

Two organizations dedicated to advancing voter rights expressed skepticism the two-state agreement would do much to strengthen election security.

Neither secretary of state offered an estimate of the number of people in Kansas and Missouri who might have active registrations in a state where they used to reside.

“We can reduce duplicate registrations, created when residents move across the state line, by updating voter registration records timely and as allowed by law,” said Schwab, a candidate for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor in Kansas.

Hoskins said Missouri engaged in rigorous voter registration maintenance in accordance with state and federal law, but the deal “allows us to improve accuracy even further.”

He said the risk of duplicate registrations was real because thousands of Missourians and Kansans relocated each year across the state line in Kansas City metropolitan counties.

“This partnership is good government, plain and simple,” Hoskins said. “When voters move, their information should follow them and our local election officials deserve every available tool to keep the rolls clean, current and transparent.”

Esmie Tseng, spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said the organization’s concerns with the Missouri-Kansas arrangement were comparable to those shared in September when Schwab announced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/23/kansas-among-nine-states-to-swap-voter-rolls-with-texas-in-effort-to-find-duplicates-prevent-fraud/" target="_blank">a voter registration collaboration between Kansas and Texas</a>. She said both states must carefully guard personal information, and the states ought to proceed with the understanding that databases could be flawed.

“It should not be used as a way of simply scaring people about election integrity,” Tseng said.

Some states — but not Kansas — striving to upgrade election security in the past decade turned to the Electronic Registration Information Center. ERIC an organization of member states worked to collate motor vehicle department data, Social Security Administration death reports, address information from the U.S. Postal Service and state voter registration records to search for possible illegal voting.

Schwab’s predecessors as Kansas secretary of state operated the now-defunct Crosscheck program that promised to improve accuracy of state voter registration rolls. A lawsuit was filed challenging Crosscheck’s security shortcomings and a high rate of false positives. Settlement of the lawsuit in 2019 led to shelving of Crosscheck.

“Given the history of voter data mismanagement and its negative impact on Kansans, our big question is: How is this better than ERIC and different from Crosscheck?” said Melissa Stiehler, advocacy director for Loud Light, a Kansas organization focused on civil and voting rights.

Whitney Tempel, director of communications for Schwab, said all data sharing relevant to maintaining accurate voter rolls would be conducted in accordance with mandates of state or federal law.

She said the Kansas agreements with Missouri and Texas were part of a trend in which states proactively sought to update voter rolls through direct cooperation with other states.

“This is part of a national surge in one-to-one state agreements as opposed to multistate groups,” Tempel said. “This is one more tool for voter roll maintenance.”

Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said Kansas and Missouri were part of a growing trend among states that voluntarily partnered on data-sharing projects to streamline work on election security.

In early 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice requested states turn over voter registration lists as part of a national inquiry into potential voter fraud. The Justice Department said the goal was to guarantee compliance with federal laws. DOJ subsequently revealed information was shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for inclusion in the Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database.

On Tuesday, election officials in 10 states&nbsp;<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/18/state-election-officials-misled-trump/" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and DOJ asking for clarification of statements about uses for voter registration data by the administration of President Donald Trump. DOJ filed lawsuits against eight states for declining to comply with demands for information, which included driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

In response, the Kansas secretary of state praised the federal SAVE database. Schwab committed to providing DOJ with publicly available voter information.

<h2>Voting rights advocates say both states must carefully guard personal information and should proceed with the understanding that databases could be flawed</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, Kansas — The Republican secretaries of state for Kansas and Missouri have signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange voter registration information in a bid to identify people who failed to cancel registrations after moving from one state to the other.Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said the partnership would enhance voter roll maintenance by “securely” sharing personal details on 1.87 million registered voters in Kansas and 4.13 million registered voters in Missouri.Two organizations dedicated to advancing voter rights expressed skepticism the two-state agreement would do much to strengthen election security.Neither secretary of state offered an estimate of the number of people in Kansas and Missouri who might have active registrations in a state where they used to reside.“We can reduce duplicate registrations, created when residents move across the state line, by updating voter registration records timely and as allowed by law,” said Schwab, a candidate for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor in Kansas.Hoskins said Missouri engaged in rigorous voter registration maintenance in accordance with state and federal law, but the deal “allows us to improve accuracy even further.”He said the risk of duplicate registrations was real because thousands of Missourians and Kansans relocated each year across the state line in Kansas City metropolitan counties.“This partnership is good government, plain and simple,” Hoskins said. “When voters move, their information should follow them and our local election officials deserve every available tool to keep the rolls clean, current and transparent.”Esmie Tseng, spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said the organization’s concerns with the Missouri-Kansas arrangement were comparable to those shared in September when Schwab announced&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/23/kansas-among-nine-states-to-swap-voter-rolls-with-texas-in-effort-to-find-duplicates-prevent-fraud/" target="_blank">a voter registration collaboration between Kansas and Texas</a>. She said both states must carefully guard personal information, and the states ought to proceed with the understanding that databases could be flawed.“It should not be used as a way of simply scaring people about election integrity,” Tseng said.Some states — but not Kansas — striving to upgrade election security in the past decade turned to the Electronic Registration Information Center. ERIC an organization of member states worked to collate motor vehicle department data, Social Security Administration death reports, address information from the U.S. Postal Service and state voter registration records to search for possible illegal voting.Schwab’s predecessors as Kansas secretary of state operated the now-defunct Crosscheck program that promised to improve accuracy of state voter registration rolls. A lawsuit was filed challenging Crosscheck’s security shortcomings and a high rate of false positives. Settlement of the lawsuit in 2019 led to shelving of Crosscheck.“Given the history of voter data mismanagement and its negative impact on Kansans, our big question is: How is this better than ERIC and different from Crosscheck?” said Melissa Stiehler, advocacy director for Loud Light, a Kansas organization focused on civil and voting rights.Whitney Tempel, director of communications for Schwab, said all data sharing relevant to maintaining accurate voter rolls would be conducted in accordance with mandates of state or federal law.She said the Kansas agreements with Missouri and Texas were part of a trend in which states proactively sought to update voter rolls through direct cooperation with other states.“This is part of a national surge in one-to-one state agreements as opposed to multistate groups,” Tempel said. “This is one more tool for voter roll maintenance.”Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said Kansas and Missouri were part of a growing trend among states that voluntarily partnered on data-sharing projects to streamline work on election security.In early 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice requested states turn over voter registration lists as part of a national inquiry into potential voter fraud. The Justice Department said the goal was to guarantee compliance with federal laws. DOJ subsequently revealed information was shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for inclusion in the Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database.On Tuesday, election officials in 10 states&nbsp;<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/18/state-election-officials-misled-trump/" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and DOJ asking for clarification of statements about uses for voter registration data by the administration of President Donald Trump. DOJ filed lawsuits against eight states for declining to comply with demands for information, which included driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.In response, the Kansas secretary of state praised the federal SAVE database. Schwab committed to providing DOJ with publicly available voter information.

Kansas, Missouri GOP officials agree to share voter registration details of 6 million people

KANSAS CITY —Police investigating another fatal shooting in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Jaquis Jones, according&nbsp;KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp;

Just after 7:30p.m. Thursday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the area of 55th and Wabash on the sound of gunshots.

Officers checked the area and located a vehicle mid block to the south in the east side alley. Inside the vehicle officers located Jones. She was unresponsive. Officers called for EMS who responded to the scene and pronounced her deceased at the scene.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene canvassing for any witnesses.&nbsp; The shooting appears to have happened in the alley of the location, according to Becchina. Police have not reported any suspect details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763724181674.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police investigating another fatal shooting in Kansas City, Missouri have identified the victim as 23-year-old Jaquis Jones, according&nbsp;KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp;Just after 7:30p.m. Thursday, police&nbsp; were dispatched to the area of 55th and Wabash on the sound of gunshots.Officers checked the area and located a vehicle mid block to the south in the east side alley. Inside the vehicle officers located Jones. She was unresponsive. Officers called for EMS who responded to the scene and pronounced her deceased at the scene.Homicide detectives responded to the scene canvassing for any witnesses.&nbsp; The shooting appears to have happened in the alley of the location, according to Becchina. Police have not reported any suspect details.

Homicide: Police ID woman found dead in her car in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday met the man who had proudly proclaimed himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” but he seemed to find the opposite.

The Republican president and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/zohran-mamdani">New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;were warm and friendly, speaking repeatedly of their shared goals to help Trump’s hometown rather than their combustible differences.

Trump, who had in the past called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” spoke openly of how impressed he was with the man who had called his administration “authoritarian.”

“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” Trump said of the democratic socialist as Mamdani stood next to him in the Oval Office.

The meeting offered political opportunities for both men. For Mamdani, a sit-down offered the state lawmaker — who until recently was relatively unknown — the chance to go head-to-head with the most powerful person in the world.

For Trump, it was a high-profile chance to talk about affordability at a time when he’s under increasing political pressure to show he’s addressing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-midterms-affordability-economy-c908847c586e635e26ecd5ee203df474">voter concerns about the cost of living.</a>

Until now, the men have been political foils who galvanized their supporters by taking on each other, and it’s unclear how those backers will react to their genial get-together and complimentary words.

“We’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” the president said.

“What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani and Trump said they discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mamdani-meet-mayor-nyc-f5306f6f42959f282b24436e51078be1">housing affordability and the cost of groceries</a>&nbsp;and utilities, as Mamdani successfully used frustration over inflation to get elected, just as the president did in the 2024 election.

“Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have,” the president said of Mamdani about inflationary issues.

The president brushed aside Mamdani’s criticisms of him over his administration’s deportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like a despot. Instead, Trump said the responsibility of holding an executive position in the government causes a person to change, saying that had been the case for him.

He seemed at times even protective of Mamdani, jumping in on his behalf at several points. For example, when reporters asked Mamdani to clarify his past statements indicating that he thought the president was acting like a fascist, Trump said, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot.”

When a reporter asked if Mamdani stood by his comments that Trump is a fascist, Trump interjected before the mayor-elect could fully answer the question.

“That’s OK. You can just say yes. OK?” Trump said. “It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”

Trump stepped in again when a reporter asked Mamdani why he flew to Washington instead of taking transportation that used less fossil fuels.

“I’ll stick up for you,” Trump said.

Mamdani, who takes office in January, said he sought the meeting with Trump to talk about ways to make New York City more affordable. Trump has said he may want to help him out — although he has also falsely labeled Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to yank federal funds from the city.

But Trump on Friday didn’t sling that at the mayor. He acknowledged that he had said he had been prepared to cut off funding or make it harder for New York City to access federal resources if the two had failed to “get along,” only to pull back from those threats during the meeting.

“We don’t want that to happen,” Trump said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Afterward, Mamdani’s former campaign manager and incoming chief of staff Elle Bisgaard-Church told NY1 that the pair clearly disagreed on some issues but were able to find common ground on things like reducing crime.

“We discussed that we share a mutual goal of having a safe city where everyone can move around in comfort and ease,” she said, before later adding, “We know that there have been labels thrown all around that are just simply not fair and we kept it, again, at where we could find agreement on making the city affordable.”

Trump loomed large over the mayoral race this year, and on the eve of the election, he endorsed independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, predicting the city has “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” if Mamdani won. He also questioned the citizenship of Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen after graduating from college, and said he’d have him arrested if he followed through on threats not to cooperate with immigration agents in the city.

Mamdani beat back a challenge from Cuomo, painting him as a “puppet” for the president, and promised to be “a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver.” He declared during one primary debate, “I am Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in.”

The president, who has long used political opponents to fire up his backers, predicted Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.” As Mamdani upended the Democratic establishment by defeating Cuomo and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mamdani-jeffries-new-york-city-mayor-endorsement-8bb185f35113244a587729c1620e7358">his far-left progressive policies provoked infighting</a>, Trump repeatedly has cast Mamdani as the face of Democratic Party.

Some had expected fireworks in the Oval Office meeting

The president has had some dramatic public Oval Office faceoffs this year, including an infamously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">heated exchange with Ukrainian President</a>&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March. In May, Trump dimmed the lights while meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-africa-oval-office-drama-0080e7c7288860bd0511b8cc4efd06f6">played a four-minute video</a>&nbsp;making widely rejected claims that South Africa is violently persecuting the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-south-africa-g20-boycott-afrikaner-2239a58546965d1af41c3bc599e9b0f0">white Afrikaner minority</a>&nbsp;farmers.

A senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions said Trump had not put a lot of thought into planning the meeting with the incoming mayor — but said Trump’s threats to block federal dollars from flowing to New York remained on the table.

Mamdani said Thursday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-trump-nyc-new-york-4443972e5c8159933e0d1075778430d0">he was not concerned</a>&nbsp;about the president potentially trying to use the meeting to publicly embarrass him and said he saw it as a chance to make his case, even while acknowledging “many disagreements with the president.”

Instead, both men avoided a public confrontation in a remarkably calm and cordial series of comments in front of news reporters.

Mamdani, who lives in Queens — where Trump was raised — has shown a cutthroat streak just as Trump has as a candidate. During his campaign, he appeared to borrow from Trump’s playbook when he noted during a televised debate with Cuomo that one of the women who had accused the former governor of sexual harassment was in the audience. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.

But the tensions were subdued Friday as Trump seemed sympathetic to Mamdani’s policies to want to build more housing.

“People would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” the president said.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763757863638.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday met the man who had proudly proclaimed himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare,” but he seemed to find the opposite.The Republican president and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/zohran-mamdani">New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;were warm and friendly, speaking repeatedly of their shared goals to help Trump’s hometown rather than their combustible differences.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;He&#39;s got views that are a little out there, but who knows. We&#39;re going to see what works.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5qBVFKDLxm">pic.twitter.com/5qBVFKDLxm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991971007012499913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;We had a meeting today that actually surprised me... We may disagree how we get there [on policy],&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with Mayor-elect Mamdani. &quot;I expect to be helping him, not hurting him... because I want NYC to be great. Look, I love NYC. That&#39;s where I come from.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lHlT4jRP0q">pic.twitter.com/lHlT4jRP0q</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991975583707025732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;That&#39;s okay. You can just say yes. It&#39;s easier than explaining it. I don&#39;t mind.&quot; 🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/5NpLP6v3gZ">pic.twitter.com/5NpLP6v3gZ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991973604305916370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> says he and Mayor-elect Mamdani discussed illegal immigration &quot;at great length&quot;: &quot;He wants to have a safe New York. Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York... if you don&#39;t have safe streets, it&#39;s not going to be a success.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yjd1KhLOUA">pic.twitter.com/yjd1KhLOUA</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991972232373936541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, who had in the past called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” spoke openly of how impressed he was with the man who had called his administration “authoritarian.”“I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually,” Trump said of the democratic socialist as Mamdani stood next to him in the Oval Office.The meeting offered political opportunities for both men. For Mamdani, a sit-down offered the state lawmaker — who until recently was relatively unknown — the chance to go head-to-head with the most powerful person in the world.For Trump, it was a high-profile chance to talk about affordability at a time when he’s under increasing political pressure to show he’s addressing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-midterms-affordability-economy-c908847c586e635e26ecd5ee203df474">voter concerns about the cost of living.</a>Until now, the men have been political foils who galvanized their supporters by taking on each other, and it’s unclear how those backers will react to their genial get-together and complimentary words.“We’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York,” the president said.“What I really appreciate about the president is that the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.<h2>‘I’ll stick up for you’</h2>Mamdani and Trump said they discussed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mamdani-meet-mayor-nyc-f5306f6f42959f282b24436e51078be1">housing affordability and the cost of groceries</a>&nbsp;and utilities, as Mamdani successfully used frustration over inflation to get elected, just as the president did in the 2024 election.“Some of his ideas are really the same ideas that I have,” the president said of Mamdani about inflationary issues.The president brushed aside Mamdani’s criticisms of him over his administration’s deportation raids and claims that Trump was behaving like a despot. Instead, Trump said the responsibility of holding an executive position in the government causes a person to change, saying that had been the case for him.He seemed at times even protective of Mamdani, jumping in on his behalf at several points. For example, when reporters asked Mamdani to clarify his past statements indicating that he thought the president was acting like a fascist, Trump said, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot.”When a reporter asked if Mamdani stood by his comments that Trump is a fascist, Trump interjected before the mayor-elect could fully answer the question.“That’s OK. You can just say yes. OK?” Trump said. “It’s easier. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.”Trump stepped in again when a reporter asked Mamdani why he flew to Washington instead of taking transportation that used less fossil fuels.“I’ll stick up for you,” Trump said.<h2>All about affordability</h2>Mamdani, who takes office in January, said he sought the meeting with Trump to talk about ways to make New York City more affordable. Trump has said he may want to help him out — although he has also falsely labeled Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to yank federal funds from the city.But Trump on Friday didn’t sling that at the mayor. He acknowledged that he had said he had been prepared to cut off funding or make it harder for New York City to access federal resources if the two had failed to “get along,” only to pull back from those threats during the meeting.“We don’t want that to happen,” Trump said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”Afterward, Mamdani’s former campaign manager and incoming chief of staff Elle Bisgaard-Church told NY1 that the pair clearly disagreed on some issues but were able to find common ground on things like reducing crime.“We discussed that we share a mutual goal of having a safe city where everyone can move around in comfort and ease,” she said, before later adding, “We know that there have been labels thrown all around that are just simply not fair and we kept it, again, at where we could find agreement on making the city affordable.”Trump loomed large over the mayoral race this year, and on the eve of the election, he endorsed independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, predicting the city has “ZERO chance of success, or even survival” if Mamdani won. He also questioned the citizenship of Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen after graduating from college, and said he’d have him arrested if he followed through on threats not to cooperate with immigration agents in the city.Mamdani beat back a challenge from Cuomo, painting him as a “puppet” for the president, and promised to be “a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver.” He declared during one primary debate, “I am Donald Trump’s worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in.”The president, who has long used political opponents to fire up his backers, predicted Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.” As Mamdani upended the Democratic establishment by defeating Cuomo and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mamdani-jeffries-new-york-city-mayor-endorsement-8bb185f35113244a587729c1620e7358">his far-left progressive policies provoked infighting</a>, Trump repeatedly has cast Mamdani as the face of Democratic Party.<h2>Some had expected fireworks in the Oval Office meeting</h2>The president has had some dramatic public Oval Office faceoffs this year, including an infamously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-oval-office-ukraine-russia-blowup-8aa63e55c859e8fea963911478c376ee">heated exchange with Ukrainian President</a>&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March. In May, Trump dimmed the lights while meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-africa-oval-office-drama-0080e7c7288860bd0511b8cc4efd06f6">played a four-minute video</a>&nbsp;making widely rejected claims that South Africa is violently persecuting the country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-south-africa-g20-boycott-afrikaner-2239a58546965d1af41c3bc599e9b0f0">white Afrikaner minority</a>&nbsp;farmers.A senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions said Trump had not put a lot of thought into planning the meeting with the incoming mayor — but said Trump’s threats to block federal dollars from flowing to New York remained on the table.Mamdani said Thursday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-trump-nyc-new-york-4443972e5c8159933e0d1075778430d0">he was not concerned</a>&nbsp;about the president potentially trying to use the meeting to publicly embarrass him and said he saw it as a chance to make his case, even while acknowledging “many disagreements with the president.”Instead, both men avoided a public confrontation in a remarkably calm and cordial series of comments in front of news reporters.Mamdani, who lives in Queens — where Trump was raised — has shown a cutthroat streak just as Trump has as a candidate. During his campaign, he appeared to borrow from Trump’s playbook when he noted during a televised debate with Cuomo that one of the women who had accused the former governor of sexual harassment was in the audience. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.But the tensions were subdued Friday as Trump seemed sympathetic to Mamdani’s policies to want to build more housing.“People would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” the president said.___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak in Washington and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.

🎥 Trump and NY Mayor-elect Mamdani's friendly Oval Office meeting

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an encounter with police.

Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, an officer on patrol observed a vehicle stopped in the lane of traffic in the 900 block U.S.Highway 59, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson. 

The officer made contact with the driver of the vehicle identified as 32-year-old Kyle White of Hiawatha who appeared to be asleep or passed out. 

An investigation at the scene resulted in the discovery of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia in White’s possession and in the vehicle. He was taken into custody and jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763570202382.png" alt="White -photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>White -photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure> ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an encounter with police.Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, an officer on patrol observed a vehicle stopped in the lane of traffic in the 900 block U.S.Highway 59, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson. The officer made contact with the driver of the vehicle identified as 32-year-old Kyle White of Hiawatha who appeared to be asleep or passed out. An investigation at the scene resulted in the discovery of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia in White’s possession and in the vehicle. He was taken into custody and jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

Kan. man caught with fentanyl was asleep in his car on highway

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-marjorie-taylor-greene-republicans-maga-feud-f4b0dffe06440dfed16d336d08a05422">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia, a loyal supporter-turned-critic of President Donald Trump who faced his political retribution if she sought reelection, said Friday she is resigning from Congress in January.

Greene, in a more than 10-minute video posted online, explained her decision and said she didn’t want her congressional district “to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for,” she said.

Greene’s resignation followed a public fallout with Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticized him for his stance on files related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with foreign policy and health care.

Trump branded her a “traitor” and “wacky” and said he would endorse a challenger against her when she ran for reelection next year.

She said her last day would be Jan. 5, 2026.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night.

Greene was one of the most vocal and visible supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again politics, and she embraced some of his unapologetic political style.

Her break with him was a notable fissure in his grip over conservatives, particularly his most ardent base. But her decision to step down in the face of his opposition put her on the same track as many of the more moderate establishment Republicans before her who went crosswise with Trump.

The congresswoman, who recorded the video announcing her resignation while sitting in her living room wearing a cross necklace and with a Christmas tree and a peace lily plant behind her, said, “My life is filled with happiness, and my true convictions remain unchanged, because my self-worth is not defined by a man, but instead by God.”

Greene had been closely tied to the Republican president since she launched her political career five years ago.

In her video Friday, she underscored her longtime loyalty to Trump except on a few issues, and said it was “unfair and wrong” that he attacked her for disagreeing.

“Loyalty should be a two-way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district’s interest, because our job title is literally ‘representative,’” she said.

Greene swept to office at the forefront of Trump’s MAGA movement and swiftly became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-marjorie-taylor-greene-congress-ed7fb114dbe45d0cd703d8800c21bfa3">a lightning rod on Capitol Hill</a>&nbsp;for her often beyond-mainstream views. In her video Friday, Greene said she had “always been despised in Washington, D.C., and just never fit in.”

As she embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory and appeared with white supremacists, Greene was initially opposed by party leaders but welcomed by Trump. He called her “a real WINNER!”

Yet over time she proved a deft legislator, having aligned herself with then-GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who would go on to become House speaker. She was a trusted voice on the right flank, until McCarthy was ousted in 2023.

While there has been an onslaught of lawmakers from both parties heading for the exits ahead of next fall’s midterm elections, as the House struggles through an often chaotic session, Greene’s announced retirement will ripple throughout the ranks — and raise questions about her next moves.

Greene was first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-greene-wins-georgia-seat-8e162ba61e53631512dde33238f596f4">elected to the House in 2020</a>. She initially planned to run in a competitive district in northern Atlanta’s suburbs, but relocated to the much more conservative 14th District in Georgia’s northwest corner.

The opening in her district means Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will have to set a special election date within 10 days of Greene’s resignation. Such a special election would include party primaries and a general election to fill out the remainder of Greene’s term through January 2027. Those elections could take place before the party primaries in May for the next two-year term.

Even before her election, Greene showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-technology-las-vegas-mass-shooting-media-social-media-700f28747d856a9bad22a59674a9afe6">a penchant for harsh rhetoric</a>&nbsp;and conspiracy theories, suggesting a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas was a coordinated attack to spur support for new gun restrictions. In 2018, she endorsed the idea that the U.S. government perpetrated the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and mused that a “so-called” plane had hit the Pentagon.

Greene argued in 2019 that Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., both Muslim women, weren’t “official” members of Congress because they used Qurans rather than Bibles in their swearing-in ceremonies.

She was once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-georgia-politics-elections-ga-state-wire-d78785cf8183d11c7e52d7aad5949279">a sympathizer with QAnon</a>, an online network that believes a global cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals, including U.S. government leaders, operates a child sex trafficking ring. She eventually distanced herself, saying she got “sucked into some of the things I had seen on the internet.”

When Trump was out of power between his first and second terms, Greene was often a surrogate for his views and brash style in Washington.

While then-President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address in 2022, Greene stood up and began chanting “Build the wall,” referring to the U.S.-Mexico border wall that Trump began in his first term.

Last year, when Biden gave his last State of the Union address, Greene again drew attention as she confronted him over border security and the killing of a nursing student from Georgia, Laken Riley, by an immigrant in the country illegally.

Greene, wearing a red MAGA hat and a T-shirt about Riley, handed the president a button that said “Say Her Name.” The congresswoman then shouted that at the president midway through his speech.

But this year, her first serving with Trump in the White House, cracks began to appear slowly in her steadfast support — before it broke wide open.

Greene’s discontent dates back at least to May, when she announced she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mtg-greene-ossoff-georgia-senate-6df53b2ef8bf9d49272a4b4359abad21">wouldn’t run for the Senate</a>&nbsp;against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff, while attacking GOP donors and consultants who feared she couldn’t win.

Greene’s restlessness only intensified in July, when she announced she wouldn’t run for Georgia governor, either.

She was also frustrated with the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill, which worked in lockstep with the president.

Greene said in her video that “the legislature has been mostly sidelined” since Republicans took unified control of Washington in January and her bills “just sit collecting dust.”

“That’s how it is for most members of Congress’ bills,” she said. “The speaker never brings them to the floor for a vote.”

Republicans will likely lose the midterms elections next year, Greene said, and then she’d “be expected to defend the president against impeachment after he hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me.”

“It’s all so absurd and completely unserious,” she said. “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.”

Amy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714577209426.png" alt="File image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-marjorie-taylor-greene-republicans-maga-feud-f4b0dffe06440dfed16d336d08a05422">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia, a loyal supporter-turned-critic of President Donald Trump who faced his political retribution if she sought reelection, said Friday she is resigning from Congress in January.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My official statement. <a href="https://t.co/x48zEugmPV">pic.twitter.com/x48zEugmPV</a>&mdash; Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1992037226415554642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Greene, in a more than 10-minute video posted online, explained her decision and said she didn’t want her congressional district “to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the president we all fought for,” she said.Greene’s resignation followed a public fallout with Trump in recent months, as the congresswoman criticized him for his stance on files related to Jeffrey Epstein, along with foreign policy and health care.Trump branded her a “traitor” and “wacky” and said he would endorse a challenger against her when she ran for reelection next year.She said her last day would be Jan. 5, 2026.The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night.Greene was one of the most vocal and visible supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again politics, and she embraced some of his unapologetic political style.Her break with him was a notable fissure in his grip over conservatives, particularly his most ardent base. But her decision to step down in the face of his opposition put her on the same track as many of the more moderate establishment Republicans before her who went crosswise with Trump.The congresswoman, who recorded the video announcing her resignation while sitting in her living room wearing a cross necklace and with a Christmas tree and a peace lily plant behind her, said, “My life is filled with happiness, and my true convictions remain unchanged, because my self-worth is not defined by a man, but instead by God.”<h2>A crack in the MAGA movement</h2>Greene had been closely tied to the Republican president since she launched her political career five years ago.In her video Friday, she underscored her longtime loyalty to Trump except on a few issues, and said it was “unfair and wrong” that he attacked her for disagreeing.“Loyalty should be a two-way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district’s interest, because our job title is literally ‘representative,’” she said.Greene swept to office at the forefront of Trump’s MAGA movement and swiftly became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-marjorie-taylor-greene-congress-ed7fb114dbe45d0cd703d8800c21bfa3">a lightning rod on Capitol Hill</a>&nbsp;for her often beyond-mainstream views. In her video Friday, Greene said she had “always been despised in Washington, D.C., and just never fit in.”As she embraced the QAnon conspiracy theory and appeared with white supremacists, Greene was initially opposed by party leaders but welcomed by Trump. He called her “a real WINNER!”Yet over time she proved a deft legislator, having aligned herself with then-GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who would go on to become House speaker. She was a trusted voice on the right flank, until McCarthy was ousted in 2023.While there has been an onslaught of lawmakers from both parties heading for the exits ahead of next fall’s midterm elections, as the House struggles through an often chaotic session, Greene’s announced retirement will ripple throughout the ranks — and raise questions about her next moves.Greene was first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-greene-wins-georgia-seat-8e162ba61e53631512dde33238f596f4">elected to the House in 2020</a>. She initially planned to run in a competitive district in northern Atlanta’s suburbs, but relocated to the much more conservative 14th District in Georgia’s northwest corner.The opening in her district means Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will have to set a special election date within 10 days of Greene’s resignation. Such a special election would include party primaries and a general election to fill out the remainder of Greene’s term through January 2027. Those elections could take place before the party primaries in May for the next two-year term.Even before her election, Greene showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-technology-las-vegas-mass-shooting-media-social-media-700f28747d856a9bad22a59674a9afe6">a penchant for harsh rhetoric</a>&nbsp;and conspiracy theories, suggesting a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas was a coordinated attack to spur support for new gun restrictions. In 2018, she endorsed the idea that the U.S. government perpetrated the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and mused that a “so-called” plane had hit the Pentagon.Greene argued in 2019 that Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., both Muslim women, weren’t “official” members of Congress because they used Qurans rather than Bibles in their swearing-in ceremonies.She was once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-georgia-politics-elections-ga-state-wire-d78785cf8183d11c7e52d7aad5949279">a sympathizer with QAnon</a>, an online network that believes a global cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals, including U.S. government leaders, operates a child sex trafficking ring. She eventually distanced herself, saying she got “sucked into some of the things I had seen on the internet.”<h2>Once a Trump surrogate</h2>When Trump was out of power between his first and second terms, Greene was often a surrogate for his views and brash style in Washington.While then-President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address in 2022, Greene stood up and began chanting “Build the wall,” referring to the U.S.-Mexico border wall that Trump began in his first term.Last year, when Biden gave his last State of the Union address, Greene again drew attention as she confronted him over border security and the killing of a nursing student from Georgia, Laken Riley, by an immigrant in the country illegally.Greene, wearing a red MAGA hat and a T-shirt about Riley, handed the president a button that said “Say Her Name.” The congresswoman then shouted that at the president midway through his speech.But this year, her first serving with Trump in the White House, cracks began to appear slowly in her steadfast support — before it broke wide open.Greene’s discontent dates back at least to May, when she announced she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mtg-greene-ossoff-georgia-senate-6df53b2ef8bf9d49272a4b4359abad21">wouldn’t run for the Senate</a>&nbsp;against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff, while attacking GOP donors and consultants who feared she couldn’t win.Greene’s restlessness only intensified in July, when she announced she wouldn’t run for Georgia governor, either.She was also frustrated with the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill, which worked in lockstep with the president.Greene said in her video that “the legislature has been mostly sidelined” since Republicans took unified control of Washington in January and her bills “just sit collecting dust.”“That’s how it is for most members of Congress’ bills,” she said. “The speaker never brings them to the floor for a vote.”Republicans will likely lose the midterms elections next year, Greene said, and then she’d “be expected to defend the president against impeachment after he hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me.”“It’s all so absurd and completely unserious,” she said. “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better.”___Amy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

🎥Marjorie Taylor Greene explains why she is resigning from Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday temporarily blocked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-map-blocked-lawsuit-trump-ab4dc519717c6661c63e116c9f26d899">lower court</a>&nbsp;ruling that found Texas' 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Donald Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race.

The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito will remain in place at least for the next few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map favorable to Republicans to be used in the midterm elections.

The court’s conservative majority has blocked similar lower court rulings because they have come too close to elections.

The order came about an hour after the state called on the high court to intervene to avoid confusion as congressional primary elections approach in March. The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

The order was signed by Alito because he is the justice who handles emergency appeals from Texas.

Texas redrew its congressional map in the summer as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-congress-texas-california-2c5587f38df6428953c15ed43d631e53">Trump’s efforts</a>&nbsp;to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year's elections, touching off a nationwide redistricting battle. The new redistricting map was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats, but a panel of federal judges in El Paso ruled 2-1 Tuesday that the civil rights groups that challenged the map on behalf of Black and Hispanic voters were likely to win their case.

If that ruling eventually holds, Texas could be forced to hold elections next year using the map drawn by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021 based on the 2020 census.

Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-redistricting-jd-vance-mike-braun-25e5f8245d54b42d39deb921cc857735">an expanding national battle</a>&nbsp;over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">California voters approved</a>&nbsp;a ballot initiative to give Democrats an additional five seats there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1755030421448.png" alt="Texas new Congressional District map" />
 <figcaption>Texas new Congressional District map</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">U.S. Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday temporarily blocked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-map-blocked-lawsuit-trump-ab4dc519717c6661c63e116c9f26d899">lower court</a>&nbsp;ruling that found Texas' 2026 congressional redistricting plan pushed by President Donald Trump likely discriminates on the basis of race.The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito will remain in place at least for the next few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map favorable to Republicans to be used in the midterm elections.The court’s conservative majority has blocked similar lower court rulings because they have come too close to elections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763774035922.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The order came about an hour after the state called on the high court to intervene to avoid confusion as congressional primary elections approach in March. The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.The order was signed by Alito because he is the justice who handles emergency appeals from Texas.Texas redrew its congressional map in the summer as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-redistricting-gerrymandering-congress-texas-california-2c5587f38df6428953c15ed43d631e53">Trump’s efforts</a>&nbsp;to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year's elections, touching off a nationwide redistricting battle. The new redistricting map was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats, but a panel of federal judges in El Paso ruled 2-1 Tuesday that the civil rights groups that challenged the map on behalf of Black and Hispanic voters were likely to win their case.If that ruling eventually holds, Texas could be forced to hold elections next year using the map drawn by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021 based on the 2020 census.Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-redistricting-jd-vance-mike-braun-25e5f8245d54b42d39deb921cc857735">an expanding national battle</a>&nbsp;over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymander-trump-missouri-936e8daecadb32556fcfbd2eb9f7457b">Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-congress-redistricting-trump-5dccfdf94253efb56c59bbb3d3e3a6d8">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-gavin-newsom-839193bfc2a817086acca7365315f26f">California voters approved</a>&nbsp;a ballot initiative to give Democrats an additional five seats there.The redrawn maps are facing court challenges in California, Missouri and North Carolina.The Supreme Court is separately considering a case from Louisiana which could further limit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-voting-rights-louisiana-race-963c002fcb8a35afe36b2e14111cb88e">race-based districts</a>&nbsp;under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It's not entirely clear how the current round of redistricting would be affected by the outcome in the Louisiana case.