JOHNSON COUNTY —Earlier this week around 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of a prowler at a construction site near K-10 and K-7 highways, according to a soial media report from Lenexa Police. Officers quickly surrounded the area and deployed a drone to search from above.

The drone operator soon spotted someone hiding under heavy construction equipment. With a coordinated plan in place, a team of officers, along with a K9, moved in and took the suspect safely into custody.

Further investigation revealed stolen tools from a Lenexa business, along with meth and drug paraphernalia. This same individual had been arrested by Lenexa officers earlier this year in connection with another business burglary. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office has charged this suspect with crimes related to both cases.

Police did not release the name of the suspect.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Earlier this week around 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of a prowler at a construction site near K-10 and K-7 highways, according to a soial media report from Lenexa Police. Officers quickly surrounded the area and deployed a drone to search from above.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Earlier this week around 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of a prowler at a construction site near K-10 and K-7 highways. Our officers quickly surrounded the area and deployed a drone to search from above. The drone operator soon spotted someone hiding under heavy… <a href="https://t.co/1GwDXurQnV">pic.twitter.com/1GwDXurQnV</a>&mdash; Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/LenexaPolice/status/1981451284919308713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The drone operator soon spotted someone hiding under heavy construction equipment. With a coordinated plan in place, a team of officers, along with a K9, moved in and took the suspect safely into custody.Further investigation revealed stolen tools from a Lenexa business, along with meth and drug paraphernalia. This same individual had been arrested by Lenexa officers earlier this year in connection with another business burglary. The Johnson County District Attorney's Office has charged this suspect with crimes related to both cases.Police did not release the name of the suspect.

🎥Kansas burglary suspect was hiding under construction equipment

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26196837-usda-memo-102425/" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;Friday the agency’s contingency fund cannot legally be used to provide food assistance benefits for more than 42 million people in November, as the government shutdown drags on.

The position is a reversal from the department’s earlier stance, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26196921-fy2026-usda-lapse-plan-sept30/" target="_blank">a since-deleted copy</a>&nbsp;of the USDA’s Sept. 30 shutdown plan that said the department would use its multi-year contingency fund to continue paying&nbsp;Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,&nbsp;or SNAP, benefits during the ongoing shutdown.&nbsp;

SNAP&nbsp;has about $6 billion in the contingency fund — short of the roughly $9 billion needed to cover a full month of the program, putting November benefits in jeopardy.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pay-trump-and-congress-continues-shutdown-unless-they-ask-it-be-held" target="_blank">Because of a stalemate</a>&nbsp;in Congress over a stopgap spending bill, the government shut down on Oct. 1 without new SNAP funding enacted.

The memo, which was first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/24/gov-shutdown-snap-payments-emergency-funds" target="_blank">reported by Axios</a>&nbsp;on Friday, said states would not be reimbursed if they use their own funds to cover the cost of the benefits.

“There is no provision or allowance under current law for States to cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed,” the memo says, while also noting that “the best way for SNAP to continue is for the shutdown to end.”

The memo also says the contingency fund is meant for natural disasters and similar emergencies, not for a lack of appropriations.

But USDA’s Sept. 30 contingency plan contradicts that and appears to greenlight the use of SNAP’s contingency fund during a lapse in funding.

“Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown,” according to the plan. “These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.”

USDA’s contingency plan is no longer online, but is accessible through an internet archive.

After providing States Newsroom with the memo Friday afternoon, USDA did not immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry about the discrepancy between Friday’s memo and its contingency plan.

In the memo, USDA said transferring money toward SNAP from other sources “would pull away funding for school meals and infant formula.”&nbsp;

The agency said it has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/nutrition-program-women-infants-and-children-stay-afloat-through-end-month" target="_blank">shuffled funds to cover</a>&nbsp;several nutrition programs during the shutdown, including the&nbsp;Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, as well as the&nbsp;National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.&nbsp;

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week the government would run out of funds to deliver November&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecRollins/status/1978984208975478809" target="_blank">SNAP benefits</a>&nbsp;as a result of the ongoing shutdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Friday morning, U.S. House Democrats, like nearly all of their Senate counterparts and the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Rollins to not only use the contingency fund, but to reprogram other money to cover a $3 billion shortfall.&nbsp;

“A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country,” according to the letter from more than&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats-agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/251024_-_letter_-_house_dems_to_usda_on_snap_shutdown.pdf?utm_campaign=2270-520" target="_blank">200 House Democrats.</a>

In a separate letter, 46 Senate Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_release_funding_to_continue_snap_into_novemberp.pdf" target="_blank">sent</a>&nbsp;to Rollins on Wednesday, voicing concerns that USDA told states to hold off on sending in SNAP benefits to be processed for November.&nbsp;

“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” according to the letter. “In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid through or close to the end of November.”&nbsp;

The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican Susan Collins of Maine, also urged Rollins in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/102325mainesnaplettercollins.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday letter</a>&nbsp;to “consider all available options in accordance with federal law to ensure that this vital nutrition assistance continues, including the use of contingency funds and looking at the viability of partial payments or any transfer authority you may have.”&nbsp;

Benefits could be slow even if a deal reached

States have been told by the agency to hold off on submitting SNAP benefit requests to processing centers. Food banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/rhode-island-food-pantries-slammed-snap-beneficiaries-brace-funding-run-dry" target="_blank">pantries</a>&nbsp;are already bracing for the increased need, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/food-banks-prepare-lapse-snap-funding-unprecedented-need-due-government-shutdown" target="_blank">in Iowa</a>, where more than 270,000 Iowans rely on SNAP each month.

However, even if Congress immediately reached a deal to end the shutdown, the time needed to process the payments and make them available for recipients means SNAP benefits would likely be delayed. State officials have warned SNAP recipients of the possibility of delays.

In West Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/im-very-scared-snap-benefits-delay-worries-wv-elderly-who-use-it-feed-themselves-grandkids" target="_blank">officials said delays are expected</a>&nbsp;and told residents to seek assistance at local food pantries. Roughly 1 in 6 West Virginia residents rely on SNAP each month.&nbsp;

Sharon Parrott,&nbsp;a White House Office of Management and Budget official during the Obama administration who now leads a left-leaning think tank,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/trump-administration-is-legally-required-to-provide-snap-in-shutdown-contrary-to" target="_blank">said in a Thursday statement</a>&nbsp;that USDA is legally required to use its SNAP contingency funds.

Parrott, the president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the multi-year contingency fund is “billions of dollars that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate that remain available during the shutdown — to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need SNAP to afford their grocery bill.”

Parrott said the Trump administration could use its legal transfer authority, just as it did with WIC funding, to “supplement the contingency reserves, which by themselves are not enough to fund families’ full benefits.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689674819900.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26196837-usda-memo-102425/" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;Friday the agency’s contingency fund cannot legally be used to provide food assistance benefits for more than 42 million people in November, as the government shutdown drags on.The position is a reversal from the department’s earlier stance, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26196921-fy2026-usda-lapse-plan-sept30/" target="_blank">a since-deleted copy</a>&nbsp;of the USDA’s Sept. 30 shutdown plan that said the department would use its multi-year contingency fund to continue paying&nbsp;Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,&nbsp;or SNAP, benefits during the ongoing shutdown.&nbsp;SNAP&nbsp;has about $6 billion in the contingency fund — short of the roughly $9 billion needed to cover a full month of the program, putting November benefits in jeopardy.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pay-trump-and-congress-continues-shutdown-unless-they-ask-it-be-held" target="_blank">Because of a stalemate</a>&nbsp;in Congress over a stopgap spending bill, the government shut down on Oct. 1 without new SNAP funding enacted.The memo, which was first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/24/gov-shutdown-snap-payments-emergency-funds" target="_blank">reported by Axios</a>&nbsp;on Friday, said states would not be reimbursed if they use their own funds to cover the cost of the benefits.“There is no provision or allowance under current law for States to cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed,” the memo says, while also noting that “the best way for SNAP to continue is for the shutdown to end.”<h2>Discrepancy with shutdown plan</h2>The memo also says the contingency fund is meant for natural disasters and similar emergencies, not for a lack of appropriations.But USDA’s Sept. 30 contingency plan contradicts that and appears to greenlight the use of SNAP’s contingency fund during a lapse in funding.“Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown,” according to the plan. “These multi-year contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.”USDA’s contingency plan is no longer online, but is accessible through an internet archive.After providing States Newsroom with the memo Friday afternoon, USDA did not immediately respond to a follow-up inquiry about the discrepancy between Friday’s memo and its contingency plan.In the memo, USDA said transferring money toward SNAP from other sources “would pull away funding for school meals and infant formula.”&nbsp;The agency said it has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/nutrition-program-women-infants-and-children-stay-afloat-through-end-month" target="_blank">shuffled funds to cover</a>&nbsp;several nutrition programs during the shutdown, including the&nbsp;Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, as well as the&nbsp;National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.&nbsp;<h2>Dems call on Rollins to tap into fund</h2>U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week the government would run out of funds to deliver November&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecRollins/status/1978984208975478809" target="_blank">SNAP benefits</a>&nbsp;as a result of the ongoing shutdown.&nbsp;&nbsp;Friday morning, U.S. House Democrats, like nearly all of their Senate counterparts and the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Rollins to not only use the contingency fund, but to reprogram other money to cover a $3 billion shortfall.&nbsp;“A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country,” according to the letter from more than&nbsp;<a href="https://democrats-agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/251024_-_letter_-_house_dems_to_usda_on_snap_shutdown.pdf?utm_campaign=2270-520" target="_blank">200 House Democrats.</a>In a separate letter, 46 Senate Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_release_funding_to_continue_snap_into_novemberp.pdf" target="_blank">sent</a>&nbsp;to Rollins on Wednesday, voicing concerns that USDA told states to hold off on sending in SNAP benefits to be processed for November.&nbsp;“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” according to the letter. “In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid through or close to the end of November.”&nbsp;The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican Susan Collins of Maine, also urged Rollins in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/102325mainesnaplettercollins.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday letter</a>&nbsp;to “consider all available options in accordance with federal law to ensure that this vital nutrition assistance continues, including the use of contingency funds and looking at the viability of partial payments or any transfer authority you may have.”&nbsp;<h2>Benefits could be slow even if a deal reached</h2>States have been told by the agency to hold off on submitting SNAP benefit requests to processing centers. Food banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/rhode-island-food-pantries-slammed-snap-beneficiaries-brace-funding-run-dry" target="_blank">pantries</a>&nbsp;are already bracing for the increased need, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/food-banks-prepare-lapse-snap-funding-unprecedented-need-due-government-shutdown" target="_blank">in Iowa</a>, where more than 270,000 Iowans rely on SNAP each month.However, even if Congress immediately reached a deal to end the shutdown, the time needed to process the payments and make them available for recipients means SNAP benefits would likely be delayed. State officials have warned SNAP recipients of the possibility of delays.In West Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/im-very-scared-snap-benefits-delay-worries-wv-elderly-who-use-it-feed-themselves-grandkids" target="_blank">officials said delays are expected</a>&nbsp;and told residents to seek assistance at local food pantries. Roughly 1 in 6 West Virginia residents rely on SNAP each month.&nbsp;<h2>Legal requirement cited</h2>Sharon Parrott,&nbsp;a White House Office of Management and Budget official during the Obama administration who now leads a left-leaning think tank,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/trump-administration-is-legally-required-to-provide-snap-in-shutdown-contrary-to" target="_blank">said in a Thursday statement</a>&nbsp;that USDA is legally required to use its SNAP contingency funds.Parrott, the president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the multi-year contingency fund is “billions of dollars that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate that remain available during the shutdown — to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need SNAP to afford their grocery bill.”Parrott said the Trump administration could use its legal transfer authority, just as it did with WIC funding, to “supplement the contingency reserves, which by themselves are not enough to fund families’ full benefits.”

USDA won’t shuffle funds to extend SNAP during shutdown, in about-face from earlier plan

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Dr. Glen Dey Park, located at 2801 N. Grove in Wichnita.

At approximately 7:03 p.m. an off-duty WPD detective working secondary employment at&nbsp; the park heard multiple gunshots from another area of the park. The detective immediately ran toward the scene and found 32-year-old Travon Stewart suffering from gunshot wounds.

The detective called for backup and emergency medical services, then began life-saving measures until EMS arrived. Stewart was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition and later died from his injuries.

Preliminary findings indicate that around 200 to 300 people were in attendance at the football games. Stewart was at the park selling concessions as a fundraiser for a football team not affiliated with the Wichita Junior Football League.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses who remained in the area. Detectives believe this was a targeted shooting and not connected to the youth football games.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting.

Anyone who attended the games or may have information is urged to contact the Wichita Police Department Investigations Section at 316-268-4407.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761306884484.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Dr. Glen Dey Park, located at 2801 N. Grove in Wichnita.At approximately 7:03 p.m. an off-duty WPD detective working secondary employment at&nbsp; the park heard multiple gunshots from another area of the park. The detective immediately ran toward the scene and found 32-year-old Travon Stewart suffering from gunshot wounds.The detective called for backup and emergency medical services, then began life-saving measures until EMS arrived. Stewart was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition and later died from his injuries.Preliminary findings indicate that around 200 to 300 people were in attendance at the football games. Stewart was at the park selling concessions as a fundraiser for a football team not affiliated with the Wichita Junior Football League.Homicide investigators responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses who remained in the area. Detectives believe this was a targeted shooting and not connected to the youth football games.Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the shooting.Anyone who attended the games or may have information is urged to contact the Wichita Police Department Investigations Section at 316-268-4407.&nbsp;

Reward offered in fatal shooting at Kansas youth football game

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a 2-alarm apartment building fire in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 9:30a.m. Friday crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3500 block of Euclid in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews reported heavy fire from a three-story vacant apartment building. Due to the amount of fire defensive operations were set up using multiple aerial ladder master streams. The size of the fire and the amount of heat being generated created an exposure risk to both the house to the north and to the south.

 A search of both houses came back all clear. The radiant heat ignited the home to the north and interior operations were initiated in that structure, but crews had to evacuate due to the potential collapse risk of the original apartment structure and its proximity to the exposer fire. 

Both fires were brought under control just before 11:00 am. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp; &nbsp;Red Cross was ordered for 1 adult and 4 children.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761336657778.png" alt="Photos Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a 2-alarm apartment building fire in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 9:30a.m. Friday crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 3500 block of Euclid in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Crews reported heavy fire from a three-story vacant apartment building. Due to the amount of fire defensive operations were set up using multiple aerial ladder master streams. The size of the fire and the amount of heat being generated created an exposure risk to both the house to the north and to the south.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761336678659.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> A search of both houses came back all clear. The radiant heat ignited the home to the north and interior operations were initiated in that structure, but crews had to evacuate due to the potential collapse risk of the original apartment structure and its proximity to the exposer fire. Both fires were brought under control just before 11:00 am. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.&nbsp; &nbsp;Red Cross was ordered for 1 adult and 4 children.&nbsp;

2-alarm apartment building fire in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon confirmed Friday that it has accepted an anonymous $130 million gift to help pay members of the military during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown" rel="nofollow">government shutdown</a>, raising ethical questions after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" rel="nofollow">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;had announced that a friend had offered the gift to defray any shortfalls.

While large and unusual, the gift amounts to a small contribution toward the billions needed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pay-government-shutdown-congress-trump-e2eabd75a923a7a6feaeeb4af1854054" rel="nofollow">cover service member paychecks</a>. The Trump administration told Congress last week that it used&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-military-pay-troops-government-shutdown-8601ea092fe746cc35b88076e70c4598" rel="nofollow">$6.5 billion to make payroll</a>. The next payday is coming within the week, and it is unclear if the administration will again move money around to ensure the military does not go without compensation.

“That’s what I call a patriot,” Trump said during a White House event Thursday when he disclosed the payment from the donor.

The president declined to name the person, whom he called “a friend of mine,” saying the man didn’t want the recognition.

The Pentagon confirmed it had accepted the donation on Thursday “under its general gift acceptance authority.”

“The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits,” said Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon. “We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-paychecks-trump-federal-workers-11088c71589297be2ce616525c582b13" rel="nofollow">Congress is at a stalemate</a>&nbsp;over the government shutdown, now on track to become one of the longest federal closures ever, in its 24th day. Neither Republicans, who have control of the House and Senate, nor Democrats, in the minority, are willing to budge in their broader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493" rel="nofollow">standoff over health care funding</a>.

Payment for service members is a key concern among lawmakers of both parties as well as a point of political leverage. The Trump administration shifted $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll last week, ensuring that military compensation did not lapse.

But it is unclear if the Trump administration will be willing — or able — to shift money again next week as tensions rise over the protracted shutdown.

While the $130 million is a hefty sum, it would cover just a fraction of the billions needed for military paychecks. Trump said the donation was to cover any “shortfall.”

What’s unclear, however, is the regulations around such a donation.

“That’s crazy,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organization focused on the federal government.

“It’s treating the payment of our uniformed services as if someone’s picking up your bar tab.”

He questioned the legality of the donation and called for more transparency around it.

Pentagon policy says authorities “must consult with their appropriate Ethics Official before accepting such a gift valued in excess of $10,000 to determine whether the donor is involved in any claims, procurement actions, litigation, or other particular matters involving the Department that must be considered prior to gift acceptance.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734556522043.png" alt="Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon confirmed Friday that it has accepted an anonymous $130 million gift to help pay members of the military during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown" rel="nofollow">government shutdown</a>, raising ethical questions after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" rel="nofollow">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;had announced that a friend had offered the gift to defray any shortfalls.While large and unusual, the gift amounts to a small contribution toward the billions needed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pay-government-shutdown-congress-trump-e2eabd75a923a7a6feaeeb4af1854054" rel="nofollow">cover service member paychecks</a>. The Trump administration told Congress last week that it used&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-military-pay-troops-government-shutdown-8601ea092fe746cc35b88076e70c4598" rel="nofollow">$6.5 billion to make payroll</a>. The next payday is coming within the week, and it is unclear if the administration will again move money around to ensure the military does not go without compensation.“That’s what I call a patriot,” Trump said during a White House event Thursday when he disclosed the payment from the donor.The president declined to name the person, whom he called “a friend of mine,” saying the man didn’t want the recognition.The Pentagon confirmed it had accepted the donation on Thursday “under its general gift acceptance authority.”“The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits,” said Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon. “We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-senate-paychecks-trump-federal-workers-11088c71589297be2ce616525c582b13" rel="nofollow">Congress is at a stalemate</a>&nbsp;over the government shutdown, now on track to become one of the longest federal closures ever, in its 24th day. Neither Republicans, who have control of the House and Senate, nor Democrats, in the minority, are willing to budge in their broader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-health-care-subsidies-obamacare-congress-10b2ae9648bc5252fc2bd485ddc83493" rel="nofollow">standoff over health care funding</a>.Payment for service members is a key concern among lawmakers of both parties as well as a point of political leverage. The Trump administration shifted $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll last week, ensuring that military compensation did not lapse.But it is unclear if the Trump administration will be willing — or able — to shift money again next week as tensions rise over the protracted shutdown.While the $130 million is a hefty sum, it would cover just a fraction of the billions needed for military paychecks. Trump said the donation was to cover any “shortfall.”What’s unclear, however, is the regulations around such a donation.“That’s crazy,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organization focused on the federal government.“It’s treating the payment of our uniformed services as if someone’s picking up your bar tab.”He questioned the legality of the donation and called for more transparency around it.Pentagon policy says authorities “must consult with their appropriate Ethics Official before accepting such a gift valued in excess of $10,000 to determine whether the donor is involved in any claims, procurement actions, litigation, or other particular matters involving the Department that must be considered prior to gift acceptance.”<figure>
 <img src="https://ads.stickyadstv.com/auto-user-sync?gdpr=0&amp;gdpr_consent=null&amp;gpp_string=null&amp;gpp_sid=null" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Pentagon accepts anonymous donation to help cover troop pay

DOUGLAS COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Chevy Tahoe drive by a Eliseo J.&nbsp;Munoz, 23, Lawrence&nbsp;was westbound on U.S. 40 approximately two miles west of U.S. 59. The car traveled left of center and struck a 2019 Kia Forte driven by Michael T.&nbsp;Dieker, 41, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on.

Dieker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Medical of Kansas. EMS transported Munoz&nbsp;Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Munoz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

The South Lawrence Trafficway was closed between West 27th Street and Iowa Street until early Saturday morning to allow first responders to work the scene of the crash, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Douglas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Chevy Tahoe drive by a Eliseo J.&nbsp;Munoz, 23, Lawrence&nbsp;was westbound on U.S. 40 approximately two miles west of U.S. 59. The car traveled left of center and struck a 2019 Kia Forte driven by Michael T.&nbsp;Dieker, 41, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on.Dieker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Medical of Kansas. EMS transported Munoz&nbsp;Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Munoz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.The South Lawrence Trafficway was closed between West 27th Street and Iowa Street until early Saturday morning to allow first responders to work the scene of the crash, according to the Douglas County Sheriff.

Man dead, another injured after Kansas head-on crash

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating suspects in connection with a drug distribution ring and have seized a large amount of fentanyl.

On October 16, the Kansas City Kansas Police Department’s Narcotics and Special Operations Units served a warrant at a home in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.. Officers seized 9.2 lbs. of fentanyl, as well as guns and other drugs. 

“This was our biggest, if not the metro’s, biggest fentanyl seizure since we began tracking the drug in late 2020,” Captain Shawn Magee, KCKPD Narcotics Unit, said. 

“One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill thousands of people. In this instance, police seized a little over four kilograms. You don’t need to be good at math to know, this one operation saved a lot of lives."

”One hundred times more potent than morphine, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used for severe pain. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, or pressed into counterfeit pills, that resemble prescription opioids."

"However, because of a lack of quality control, illicit fentanyl is often deadly. In 2025, the KCKPD Narcotics Unit has handled 79 overdose cases. Six of those cases involved juveniles, resulting in 21 fatalities. One juvenile died.

As a result of KCKPD’s operation, three individuals were arrested and booked on requested charges of conspiracy to distribute.

Police also seized 11 firearms, 2 with fully automatic switches; 4,186 grams of fentanyl; 64.6 grams of methamphetamine (2 ½ ounces); 232.8 grams of marijuana (half pound: and 786 miscellaneous pills, most will contain fentanyl.

There were no injuries. Police are not identifying the individuals arrested because this remains an ongoing investigation. The owner of the short-term rental cooperated with police in advance of the operation, and is not facing charges. 

“The owners are victims too,” Magee said. “This isn’t a crime-ridden neighborhood; they had no clue they were renting to drug dealers. Unfortunately, switching locations by booking different rentals is appealing to these dealers, because it creates a covert setting, making them more difficult to track. They are clever, but so are we.” 

Any resident of Kansas City, Kansas who suspects illegal drug activity in their neighborhood may report it anonymously by calling the KCKPD 24-Hour Narcotics Hotline at 913-573-6272 or by emailing narcotics@kckpd.org. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761300430123.png" alt="Photo Kansas City, Kansas police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City, Kansas police</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating suspects in connection with a drug distribution ring and have seized a large amount of fentanyl.On October 16, the Kansas City Kansas Police Department’s Narcotics and Special Operations Units served a warrant at a home in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.. Officers seized 9.2 lbs. of fentanyl, as well as guns and other drugs. “This was our biggest, if not the metro’s, biggest fentanyl seizure since we began tracking the drug in late 2020,” Captain Shawn Magee, KCKPD Narcotics Unit, said. “One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill thousands of people. In this instance, police seized a little over four kilograms. You don’t need to be good at math to know, this one operation saved a lot of lives."”One hundred times more potent than morphine, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used for severe pain. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, or pressed into counterfeit pills, that resemble prescription opioids.""However, because of a lack of quality control, illicit fentanyl is often deadly. In 2025, the KCKPD Narcotics Unit has handled 79 overdose cases. Six of those cases involved juveniles, resulting in 21 fatalities. One juvenile died.As a result of KCKPD’s operation, three individuals were arrested and booked on requested charges of conspiracy to distribute.Police also seized 11 firearms, 2 with fully automatic switches; 4,186 grams of fentanyl; 64.6 grams of methamphetamine (2 ½ ounces); 232.8 grams of marijuana (half pound: and 786 miscellaneous pills, most will contain fentanyl.There were no injuries. Police are not identifying the individuals arrested because this remains an ongoing investigation. The owner of the short-term rental cooperated with police in advance of the operation, and is not facing charges. “The owners are victims too,” Magee said. “This isn’t a crime-ridden neighborhood; they had no clue they were renting to drug dealers. Unfortunately, switching locations by booking different rentals is appealing to these dealers, because it creates a covert setting, making them more difficult to track. They are clever, but so are we.” Any resident of Kansas City, Kansas who suspects illegal drug activity in their neighborhood may report it anonymously by calling the KCKPD 24-Hour Narcotics Hotline at 913-573-6272 or by emailing narcotics@kckpd.org.

Police seize over 9 pounds of fentanyl from Kan. rental home

TORONTO (AP) — The leader of Canada’s most populous province said Friday he’ll pull the anti-tariff ad that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-canada-tariffs-timeline-470fe71d7e6071f44f1607ca24f0d966">end trade talks</a>&nbsp;with Canada.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after talking with Prime Minister Mark Carney he’s decided to pause the advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;announced he’s ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a television ad sponsored by Ontario that used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs.

“We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels," Ford said in a statement.

“Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses."

Ford said the commercials will continue to run this weekend including during the first World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games,” he said.

On Thursday Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”

Trump doubled down on his criticism of the Ontario ads Friday and accused Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime.

Trump’s call for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-canada-trade-tariffs-a0cfd202ef6f22052827b784be708fd6">abrupt end to negotiations</a>&nbsp;has further inflamed trade tensions between the neighbors and longtime allies.

Carney said this week he aims to double his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-carney-trump-budget-exports-c78a41c00167bc1d8177d5d74e34d09f">exports to countries outside the U.S.</a>&nbsp;because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. Canadian officials remain ready to continue talks to reduce tariffs in certain sectors, he said.

“We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the 1980s,” Carney said Friday morning before boarding a flight to Asia. “We have to focus on what we can control and realize what we can’t control.”

Carney is trying to secure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-carney-white-house-59b735b719247c7063777c1edcb10328">a trade deal with Trump</a>, but tariffs are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-stellantis-ontario-trump-0313f7c512195195c6521fccbefd9dd3">taking a toll</a>&nbsp;in the aluminum, steel, auto and lumber sectors.

Carney spoke to Ford Thursday night and again Friday.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said talks with Canada have not led to any constructive progress.

“Ontario’s taxpayer-funded ad campaign on American TV networks — that misleadingly edited President Reagan’s 1987 radio address about trade — is the latest example of how Canadian officials would rather play games than engage with the Administration," Desai said in a statement.

“As President Trump made clear on Truth Social, further talks are a futile effort if Canada can’t be serious.”

The Ontario government has said it would pay about $75 million Canadian (US$54 million) for the ads to air across multiple American television stations using audio and video of Reagan speaking about tariffs in 1987.

Ford said earlier this week he had heard that Trump had seen the ad.

“I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said.

He said the aim is to “blast” the pro-trade message to Americans.

“It’s real, because it was coming from the best president the country’s ever seen, Ronald Reagan," Ford said. “I feel the Reagan Republicans are going to be fighting with the MAGA group, and let's hope, Reagan Republicans win.”

Ford is a populist conservative who doesn’t belong to the same party as Carney, a Liberal.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and British Columbia Premier David Eby backed Ford.

“It’s clear that these ads are working. If you throw a rock at a lake and you don’t hear a splash, you probably missed. So to my good friend Doug Ford, keep the ads on TV. They’re effective, and this country is behind you,” Kinew said.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said the ad has backfired “big time.”

Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-trade-tariffs-trump-3bcf97fc94c5b24324d255edc2f00d32">tariffs</a>, most offensively by claiming Canada could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-us-state-131dcff58a8f56116765f160d9f35460">“the 51st state.”</a>

Jason Kenney, a former Conservative cabinet minister under ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, called Trump’s posts “just embarrassing."

“The Ontario ad does not misrepresent President Reagan’s anti-tariff radio address in any respect whatsoever. It is a direct replay of his radio address, formatted for a one minute ad,” Kenney posted on social media.

Kenney also took aim at the Reagan Foundation, saying it “now has gormless leadership which is easily intimidated by a call from the White House, yet another sign of the hugely corrosive influence of Trump on the American conservative movement.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said late Thursday that he was ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/fordnation/status/1978779503213052337">television ad</a>&nbsp;opposing U.S. tariffs that he said misstated the facts and called “egregious behavior” aimed at influencing U.S. court decisions.

The post on Trump's social media site came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to double his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-carney-trump-budget-exports-c78a41c00167bc1d8177d5d74e34d09f">exports to countries outside the U.S</a>. because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. Trump's call for an abrupt end to negotiations could further inflame trade tensions that already have been building between the two neighboring countries for months.

Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”

“The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

Carney’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The prime minister was set to leave Friday morning for a summit in Asia, while Trump is set to do the same Friday evening.

Earlier Thursday night, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted on X that an ad created by the government of Ontario “misrepresents the 'Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade' dated April 25, 1987.” It added that Ontario did not receive foundation permission “to use and edit the remarks.”

The foundation said it is “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan's address.

Carney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-carney-white-house-59b735b719247c7063777c1edcb10328">met with Trump earlier this month</a>&nbsp;to try to ease trade tensions, as the two countries and Mexico prepare for a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement — a trade deal Trump negotiated in his first term, but has since soured on.

More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.

Trump said earlier this week that he had seen the ad on television and said that it showed that his tariffs were having an impact.

“I saw an ad last night from Canada. If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also,” he said then.

In his own post on X last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/doug-ford">Doug Ford</a>, the premier of Ontario, posted a link to the ad and the message: “It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.”

He continued, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”

A spokesperson for Ford didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. But Ford previously got Trump’s attention with an electricity surcharge to U.S. states. Trump responded by doubling steel and aluminum tariffs.

The president has moved to impose steep U.S. tariffs on many goods from Canada. In April, Canada’s government imposed retaliatory levies on certain U.S. goods -- but it carved out exemptions for some automakers to bring specific numbers of vehicles into the country, known as remission quotas.

Trump’s tariffs have especially hurt Canada’s auto sector, much of which is based in Ontario. This month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-stellantis-ontario-trump-0313f7c512195195c6521fccbefd9dd3">Stellantis said it would move a production line</a>&nbsp;from Ontario to Illinois

Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto, Ontario, contributed to this report.

TORONTO (AP) — The leader of Canada’s most populous province said Friday he’ll pull the anti-tariff ad that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-canada-tariffs-timeline-470fe71d7e6071f44f1607ca24f0d966">end trade talks</a>&nbsp;with Canada.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Trump is mad that Canada ran a powerful anti-tariff ad using Ronald Reagan’s actual words from a 1987 radio address on tariffs…..he’s calling it fake and saying that trade negotiations with Canada are &quot;terminated&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BB1ldrN9qv">pic.twitter.com/BB1ldrN9qv</a>&mdash; Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) <a href="https://twitter.com/WUTangKids/status/1981555834909053112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after talking with Prime Minister Mark Carney he’s decided to pause the advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;announced he’s ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a television ad sponsored by Ontario that used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/GkyOCqYTqh">pic.twitter.com/GkyOCqYTqh</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1981567303428026521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Listen to President Reagan&#39;s unedited remarks here: <a href="https://t.co/1gQUcbR4eZ">https://t.co/1gQUcbR4eZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/iqmjSuypp0">pic.twitter.com/iqmjSuypp0</a>&mdash; Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation &amp; Institute (@RonaldReagan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldReagan/status/1981524620265046408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels," Ford said in a statement.“Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses."Ford said the commercials will continue to run this weekend including during the first World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.“I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games,” he said.On Thursday Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”Trump doubled down on his criticism of the Ontario ads Friday and accused Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime.Trump’s call for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-canada-trade-tariffs-a0cfd202ef6f22052827b784be708fd6">abrupt end to negotiations</a>&nbsp;has further inflamed trade tensions between the neighbors and longtime allies.Carney said this week he aims to double his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-carney-trump-budget-exports-c78a41c00167bc1d8177d5d74e34d09f">exports to countries outside the U.S.</a>&nbsp;because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. Canadian officials remain ready to continue talks to reduce tariffs in certain sectors, he said.“We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the 1980s,” Carney said Friday morning before boarding a flight to Asia. “We have to focus on what we can control and realize what we can’t control.”Carney is trying to secure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-carney-white-house-59b735b719247c7063777c1edcb10328">a trade deal with Trump</a>, but tariffs are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-stellantis-ontario-trump-0313f7c512195195c6521fccbefd9dd3">taking a toll</a>&nbsp;in the aluminum, steel, auto and lumber sectors.Carney spoke to Ford Thursday night and again Friday.White House spokesman Kush Desai said talks with Canada have not led to any constructive progress.“Ontario’s taxpayer-funded ad campaign on American TV networks — that misleadingly edited President Reagan’s 1987 radio address about trade — is the latest example of how Canadian officials would rather play games than engage with the Administration," Desai said in a statement.“As President Trump made clear on Truth Social, further talks are a futile effort if Canada can’t be serious.”The Ontario government has said it would pay about $75 million Canadian (US$54 million) for the ads to air across multiple American television stations using audio and video of Reagan speaking about tariffs in 1987.Ford said earlier this week he had heard that Trump had seen the ad.“I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said.He said the aim is to “blast” the pro-trade message to Americans.“It’s real, because it was coming from the best president the country’s ever seen, Ronald Reagan," Ford said. “I feel the Reagan Republicans are going to be fighting with the MAGA group, and let's hope, Reagan Republicans win.”Ford is a populist conservative who doesn’t belong to the same party as Carney, a Liberal.Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and British Columbia Premier David Eby backed Ford.“It’s clear that these ads are working. If you throw a rock at a lake and you don’t hear a splash, you probably missed. So to my good friend Doug Ford, keep the ads on TV. They’re effective, and this country is behind you,” Kinew said.Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said the ad has backfired “big time.”Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-trade-tariffs-trump-3bcf97fc94c5b24324d255edc2f00d32">tariffs</a>, most offensively by claiming Canada could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-us-state-131dcff58a8f56116765f160d9f35460">“the 51st state.”</a>Jason Kenney, a former Conservative cabinet minister under ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, called Trump’s posts “just embarrassing."“The Ontario ad does not misrepresent President Reagan’s anti-tariff radio address in any respect whatsoever. It is a direct replay of his radio address, formatted for a one minute ad,” Kenney posted on social media.Kenney also took aim at the Reagan Foundation, saying it “now has gormless leadership which is easily intimidated by a call from the White House, yet another sign of the hugely corrosive influence of Trump on the American conservative movement.”----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said late Thursday that he was ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/fordnation/status/1978779503213052337">television ad</a>&nbsp;opposing U.S. tariffs that he said misstated the facts and called “egregious behavior” aimed at influencing U.S. court decisions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Trump is mad that Canada ran a powerful anti-tariff ad using Ronald Reagan’s actual words from a 1987 radio address on tariffs…..he’s calling it fake and saying that trade negotiations with Canada are &quot;terminated&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BB1ldrN9qv">pic.twitter.com/BB1ldrN9qv</a>&mdash; Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) <a href="https://twitter.com/WUTangKids/status/1981555834909053112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The post on Trump's social media site came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to double his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-carney-trump-budget-exports-c78a41c00167bc1d8177d5d74e34d09f">exports to countries outside the U.S</a>. because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. Trump's call for an abrupt end to negotiations could further inflame trade tensions that already have been building between the two neighboring countries for months.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/GkyOCqYTqh">pic.twitter.com/GkyOCqYTqh</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1981567303428026521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Listen to President Reagan&#39;s unedited remarks here: <a href="https://t.co/1gQUcbR4eZ">https://t.co/1gQUcbR4eZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/iqmjSuypp0">pic.twitter.com/iqmjSuypp0</a>&mdash; Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation &amp; Institute (@RonaldReagan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldReagan/status/1981524620265046408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”“The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”Carney’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The prime minister was set to leave Friday morning for a summit in Asia, while Trump is set to do the same Friday evening.Earlier Thursday night, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted on X that an ad created by the government of Ontario “misrepresents the 'Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade' dated April 25, 1987.” It added that Ontario did not receive foundation permission “to use and edit the remarks.”The foundation said it is “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan's address.Carney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-trump-carney-white-house-59b735b719247c7063777c1edcb10328">met with Trump earlier this month</a>&nbsp;to try to ease trade tensions, as the two countries and Mexico prepare for a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement — a trade deal Trump negotiated in his first term, but has since soured on.More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.Trump said earlier this week that he had seen the ad on television and said that it showed that his tariffs were having an impact.“I saw an ad last night from Canada. If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also,” he said then.In his own post on X last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/doug-ford">Doug Ford</a>, the premier of Ontario, posted a link to the ad and the message: “It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.”He continued, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”A spokesperson for Ford didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. But Ford previously got Trump’s attention with an electricity surcharge to U.S. states. Trump responded by doubling steel and aluminum tariffs.The president has moved to impose steep U.S. tariffs on many goods from Canada. In April, Canada’s government imposed retaliatory levies on certain U.S. goods -- but it carved out exemptions for some automakers to bring specific numbers of vehicles into the country, known as remission quotas.Trump’s tariffs have especially hurt Canada’s auto sector, much of which is based in Ontario. This month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-stellantis-ontario-trump-0313f7c512195195c6521fccbefd9dd3">Stellantis said it would move a production line</a>&nbsp;from Ontario to Illinois__Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto, Ontario, contributed to this report.

🎥 This TV ad made Trump cut off trade talks with Canada

Wichita Park &amp; Recreation is deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred on Thursday evening at Dr. Glen Dey Park, according to a statement from the organization.

"Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragic event, especially the young children and families who witnessed it. Currently, community resources are being gathered to provide trauma-informed care to all those impacted. Parks are safe places for our community to gather, play and grow, and we are heartbroken that this violence occurred in one of our spaces. "

"Wichita Police detectives believe this was a targeted shooting and not connected to the Wichita Junior Football League or any other community youth football league. We appreciate the Wichita Police Department for quickly stepping in to ensure the safety of families at the park. "

Just afater 7p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to a shooting at Grove Park, also know as Glen Day Park, located in the 2800 block of North Grove in Wichita, according to a statement from police.

An off-duty detective was on scene working security for the youth football game with an estimated 200 to 300 spectators in attendance.

During the event, the off duty detective heard the gunshots and responded to the direction of where the shots were fired. A 32-year-old man was located near the parking area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.&nbsp; He died later at a Wichita hospital

"As a precaution, Wichita Parks and Recreation will be increasing police presence at the Saturday, October 25 Wichita Junior Football League games to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants and spectators."

Wichita Park &amp; Recreation remains committed to providing safe, family-friendly environments across all our facilities.&nbsp;Our thoughts are with the families, children and community members impacted by this tragedy.&nbsp;

Anyone with information about this incident is requested to call Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111 or detectives at (316) 268-4407

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761331970728.png" alt="Police on the scene Thursday night -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene Thursday night -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita Park &amp; Recreation is deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred on Thursday evening at Dr. Glen Dey Park, according to a statement from the organization."Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragic event, especially the young children and families who witnessed it. Currently, community resources are being gathered to provide trauma-informed care to all those impacted. Parks are safe places for our community to gather, play and grow, and we are heartbroken that this violence occurred in one of our spaces. ""Wichita Police detectives believe this was a targeted shooting and not connected to the Wichita Junior Football League or any other community youth football league. We appreciate the Wichita Police Department for quickly stepping in to ensure the safety of families at the park. "Just afater 7p.m. Thursday,&nbsp; police responded to a shooting at Grove Park, also know as Glen Day Park, located in the 2800 block of North Grove in Wichita, according to a statement from police.An off-duty detective was on scene working security for the youth football game with an estimated 200 to 300 spectators in attendance.During the event, the off duty detective heard the gunshots and responded to the direction of where the shots were fired. A 32-year-old man was located near the parking area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.&nbsp; He died later at a Wichita hospital"As a precaution, Wichita Parks and Recreation will be increasing police presence at the Saturday, October 25 Wichita Junior Football League games to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants and spectators."Wichita Park &amp; Recreation remains committed to providing safe, family-friendly environments across all our facilities.&nbsp;Our thoughts are with the families, children and community members impacted by this tragedy.&nbsp;Anyone with information about this incident is requested to call Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111 or detectives at (316) 268-4407

Increasd police presence after deadly shooting at Kan. youth football game

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks hit records on Friday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-inflation-trump-prices-economy-wall-street-fed-consumers-280a2fd30de3bb44bd87cd0248082322">an update on inflation</a>&nbsp;came in a bit less painful than feared.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.8% and topped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-gold-ai-yen-3b5d8a978d326c59cbf484a14868ce66">its prior all-time high</a>, which was set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 472 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.1%. Both also set records.

The data on inflation is encouraging because it could mean less pain for lower- and middle-income households struggling with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-federal-reserve-powell-88358f4955fd86ef3c86f5e8e089e775">still-high increases in prices</a>&nbsp;every month. Even more importantly for Wall Street, it could also clear the way for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates in hopes of giving a boost to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-openings-unemployment-inflation-federal-reserve-60b8f481cdbc56f96829817a2992e508">the slowing job market</a>.

The Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">just cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;last month for the first time this year, but it’s been hesitant to promise more relief because lower rates can make inflation worse, beyond goosing the economy and prices for investments. Following the inflation report, traders continue to bet on a near certainty that the Fed will cut rates at its next two meetings, including one next week.

“Right now, Fed officials are more concerned about the labor market than about inflation,” according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “Without any evidence to the contrary, there’s nothing to really change their minds about cutting.”

Stocks had been shaky in recent weeks following a tremendous rally of 35% for the S&amp;P 500 from a low in April. Criticism climbed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-rates-records-shutdown-earnings-ai-251fefd075ac658ce498c9d1953efc70">stocks became too expensive</a>&nbsp;after their prices rose much faster than corporate profits. Worries also flared about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-trump-earnings-21887690dfa4c47d05eebf6153f2e7c4">potentially bad loans</a>&nbsp;that banks made following a period of calm that may have encouraged too much risk-taking. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-ai-f2c8bcc1f46043ab504cf4b0281e3401">President Donald Trump rattled markets</a>&nbsp;after threatening much higher tariffs on China, the world’s second-largest economy.

But stocks have rebounded each time, only to push higher. Banks have characterized the industry’s hiccups as just a collection of one-offs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-japan-south-korea-investments-b83f47d14f68422ecd7bde740ffe7d94">Trump is set to meet China’s leader</a>, Xi Jinping, at a conference next week.

And most big U.S. companies are reporting stronger profits for the latest quarter than analysts expected, as is usually the case.

Ford Motor revved 12.2% higher to lead all companies in the S&amp;P 500 after the automaker topped analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. The company said its business is running at the high end of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-electric-vehicles-earnings-outlook-aa6244801f3f51c7ab1b07da0bfc4f06">forecasted range</a>&nbsp;for financial performance this year that it set out in February.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-chips-trump-investment-d904acd88a50fda36876353258f42a40">Intel added</a>&nbsp;0.3% after reporting profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. CEO Lip-Bu Tan credited the artificial-intelligence boom with “accelerating demand for compute and creating attractive opportunities.”

Google’s parent company climbed 2.7% after Anthropic announced an expansion worth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-google-275df9e291bbb361962dfc6ba868506c">tens of billions of dollars</a>, through which it would increase usage of Google cloud technologies for its AI chatbot, Claude. Given its massive size, Alphabet was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500 index, along with other AI beneficiaries like Nvidia.

Procter &amp; Gamble’s profit beat analysts’ forecasts, despite what CEO Jon Moeller called “a challenging consumer and geopolitical environment,” and the stock of the company behind the Charmin, Oral-B and Pampers brands rose 0.9%.

They helped offset a drop for Newmont Mining, which fell 6.2% even though it also reported a stronger profit than expected.

The miner’s stock came into the day with a stunning gain of nearly 139% for the year so far, thanks to the surging price of gold. But gold’s run has stalled in the past few days since setting its latest record.

No investment’s price goes up forever, and criticism had been growing that gold’s price had gone too far, too fast after it shot up even more than the U.S. stock market.

Many of the same factors that attracted buyers to gold this year are still there, including concerns about the mountains of debt that the U.S. and other governments worldwide are amassing. The U.S. government’s gross national debt&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-debt-ceiling-bessent-09575f13ca95c2f1beb38234b2cbe85b">topped $38 trillion</a>&nbsp;this week, and the worry is that a continued acceleration will only worsen inflation.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 53.25 points to 6,791.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 472.51 to 47,207.12, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 263.07 to 23,204.87.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rallied 1.4% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady, as the inflation solidified already high expectations for coming cuts to rates by the Fed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 3.99% from 4.01% late Thursday.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks hit records on Friday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-inflation-trump-prices-economy-wall-street-fed-consumers-280a2fd30de3bb44bd87cd0248082322">an update on inflation</a>&nbsp;came in a bit less painful than feared.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.8% and topped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-gold-ai-yen-3b5d8a978d326c59cbf484a14868ce66">its prior all-time high</a>, which was set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 472 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.1%. Both also set records.The data on inflation is encouraging because it could mean less pain for lower- and middle-income households struggling with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-inflation-federal-reserve-powell-88358f4955fd86ef3c86f5e8e089e775">still-high increases in prices</a>&nbsp;every month. Even more importantly for Wall Street, it could also clear the way for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates in hopes of giving a boost to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-openings-unemployment-inflation-federal-reserve-60b8f481cdbc56f96829817a2992e508">the slowing job market</a>.The Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-trump-2d05401d7c9cb2393925f494aac71d89">just cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;last month for the first time this year, but it’s been hesitant to promise more relief because lower rates can make inflation worse, beyond goosing the economy and prices for investments. Following the inflation report, traders continue to bet on a near certainty that the Fed will cut rates at its next two meetings, including one next week.“Right now, Fed officials are more concerned about the labor market than about inflation,” according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “Without any evidence to the contrary, there’s nothing to really change their minds about cutting.”Stocks had been shaky in recent weeks following a tremendous rally of 35% for the S&amp;P 500 from a low in April. Criticism climbed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-rates-records-shutdown-earnings-ai-251fefd075ac658ce498c9d1953efc70">stocks became too expensive</a>&nbsp;after their prices rose much faster than corporate profits. Worries also flared about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-china-trump-earnings-21887690dfa4c47d05eebf6153f2e7c4">potentially bad loans</a>&nbsp;that banks made following a period of calm that may have encouraged too much risk-taking. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-ai-f2c8bcc1f46043ab504cf4b0281e3401">President Donald Trump rattled markets</a>&nbsp;after threatening much higher tariffs on China, the world’s second-largest economy.But stocks have rebounded each time, only to push higher. Banks have characterized the industry’s hiccups as just a collection of one-offs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-japan-south-korea-investments-b83f47d14f68422ecd7bde740ffe7d94">Trump is set to meet China’s leader</a>, Xi Jinping, at a conference next week.And most big U.S. companies are reporting stronger profits for the latest quarter than analysts expected, as is usually the case.Ford Motor revved 12.2% higher to lead all companies in the S&amp;P 500 after the automaker topped analysts’ expectations for profit in the latest quarter. The company said its business is running at the high end of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-electric-vehicles-earnings-outlook-aa6244801f3f51c7ab1b07da0bfc4f06">forecasted range</a>&nbsp;for financial performance this year that it set out in February.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intel-chips-trump-investment-d904acd88a50fda36876353258f42a40">Intel added</a>&nbsp;0.3% after reporting profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. CEO Lip-Bu Tan credited the artificial-intelligence boom with “accelerating demand for compute and creating attractive opportunities.”Google’s parent company climbed 2.7% after Anthropic announced an expansion worth&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-google-275df9e291bbb361962dfc6ba868506c">tens of billions of dollars</a>, through which it would increase usage of Google cloud technologies for its AI chatbot, Claude. Given its massive size, Alphabet was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500 index, along with other AI beneficiaries like Nvidia.Procter &amp; Gamble’s profit beat analysts’ forecasts, despite what CEO Jon Moeller called “a challenging consumer and geopolitical environment,” and the stock of the company behind the Charmin, Oral-B and Pampers brands rose 0.9%.They helped offset a drop for Newmont Mining, which fell 6.2% even though it also reported a stronger profit than expected.The miner’s stock came into the day with a stunning gain of nearly 139% for the year so far, thanks to the surging price of gold. But gold’s run has stalled in the past few days since setting its latest record.No investment’s price goes up forever, and criticism had been growing that gold’s price had gone too far, too fast after it shot up even more than the U.S. stock market.Many of the same factors that attracted buyers to gold this year are still there, including concerns about the mountains of debt that the U.S. and other governments worldwide are amassing. The U.S. government’s gross national debt&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-debt-ceiling-bessent-09575f13ca95c2f1beb38234b2cbe85b">topped $38 trillion</a>&nbsp;this week, and the worry is that a continued acceleration will only worsen inflation.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 53.25 points to 6,791.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 472.51 to 47,207.12, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 263.07 to 23,204.87.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 rallied 1.4% for two of the world’s bigger moves.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady, as the inflation solidified already high expectations for coming cuts to rates by the Fed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 3.99% from 4.01% late Thursday.

Wall Street hits records following encouraging update on inflation

NEW YORK (AP) — The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will temporarily bring all its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-trump-furloughs-firings-economy-federal-workers-efced4c32282087c8c53aeab535230a0" rel="nofollow">furloughed employees</a>&nbsp;back to work starting Monday to manage health insurance open enrollment, according to an agency spokesperson.

The recall to duty amid the more than three-week-long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown" rel="nofollow">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;is what’s needed to “best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons,” the spokesperson said Thursday.

It will be paid for by user fees gathered from sharing data with researchers, the agency said.

The decision to call the employees back shows how significantly shutting down the government and losing staffing has impacted federal government operations during a crucial season, as millions of Americans are selecting their health insurance plans for next year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-hhs-cms-kennedy-health-medicare-medicaid-ef02cafd3100a4794d8e882fdf2ad7b0" rel="nofollow">CMS</a>&nbsp;provides health coverage to more than 160 million people, according to its website.

It also comes during a moment of uncertainty for Affordable Care Act enrollees, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-aca-obamacare-subsidies-congress-trump-da06fcbc940e661234fac2ea9ee717a0" rel="nofollow">Congress deadlocked</a>&nbsp;on how to handle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e" rel="nofollow">expiring subsidies</a>&nbsp;that have made marketplace health insurance less expensive for millions since 2021. Democratic lawmakers are demanding a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-congress-shutdown-democrats-republicans-bb3464820a347fd2c0399e78e335881e" rel="nofollow">extend the COVID-era subsidies</a>&nbsp;before they agree to fund the government, while Republican lawmakers want to reopen the government before negotiating that question.

As their stalemate and the resulting government shutdown continue, the cost of next year’s health insurance for many of the 24 million ACA enrollees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aca-credits-health-care-subsidies-government-shutdown-7f7a3609bf78dd7e43be9a041a090220" rel="nofollow">is still unknown</a>, even with open enrollment beginning in a week.

Though CMS didn’t specify for how long the employees will return, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicare-part-d-prescription-coverage-enrollment-8cf0b1460e84367cdba7002147165a50" rel="nofollow">open enrollment period for Medicare</a>&nbsp;runs between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, while the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act marketplace runs between Nov. 1 and Jan. 15.

While the agency didn’t answer questions about how many employees would return to work, about 3,300 of CMS’s staff, or a little over half, were expected to be retained during the shutdown, according to the agency’s contingency plans. That would mean about 3,000 furloughed workers are being called back to work Monday.

While CMS has not seen any layoffs during the current shutdown, its parent agency — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — was among the hardest hit by the government-wide reduction in force. Nearly 1,000 HHS staff were abruptly fired earlier this month, though a judge has temporarily paused those layoffs from taking effe

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761332931706.png" alt="CMS Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz during an Oval Office press conference last month -image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>CMS Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz during an Oval Office press conference last month -image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will temporarily bring all its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-trump-furloughs-firings-economy-federal-workers-efced4c32282087c8c53aeab535230a0" rel="nofollow">furloughed employees</a>&nbsp;back to work starting Monday to manage health insurance open enrollment, according to an agency spokesperson.The recall to duty amid the more than three-week-long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown" rel="nofollow">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;is what’s needed to “best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons,” the spokesperson said Thursday.It will be paid for by user fees gathered from sharing data with researchers, the agency said.The decision to call the employees back shows how significantly shutting down the government and losing staffing has impacted federal government operations during a crucial season, as millions of Americans are selecting their health insurance plans for next year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oz-hhs-cms-kennedy-health-medicare-medicaid-ef02cafd3100a4794d8e882fdf2ad7b0" rel="nofollow">CMS</a>&nbsp;provides health coverage to more than 160 million people, according to its website.It also comes during a moment of uncertainty for Affordable Care Act enrollees, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-aca-obamacare-subsidies-congress-trump-da06fcbc940e661234fac2ea9ee717a0" rel="nofollow">Congress deadlocked</a>&nbsp;on how to handle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-tax-credits-obamacare-shutdown-f1ee636ddba7f65baa5234c55cb0c96e" rel="nofollow">expiring subsidies</a>&nbsp;that have made marketplace health insurance less expensive for millions since 2021. Democratic lawmakers are demanding a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-care-subsidies-congress-shutdown-democrats-republicans-bb3464820a347fd2c0399e78e335881e" rel="nofollow">extend the COVID-era subsidies</a>&nbsp;before they agree to fund the government, while Republican lawmakers want to reopen the government before negotiating that question.As their stalemate and the resulting government shutdown continue, the cost of next year’s health insurance for many of the 24 million ACA enrollees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aca-credits-health-care-subsidies-government-shutdown-7f7a3609bf78dd7e43be9a041a090220" rel="nofollow">is still unknown</a>, even with open enrollment beginning in a week.Though CMS didn’t specify for how long the employees will return, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicare-part-d-prescription-coverage-enrollment-8cf0b1460e84367cdba7002147165a50" rel="nofollow">open enrollment period for Medicare</a>&nbsp;runs between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, while the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act marketplace runs between Nov. 1 and Jan. 15.While the agency didn’t answer questions about how many employees would return to work, about 3,300 of CMS’s staff, or a little over half, were expected to be retained during the shutdown, according to the agency’s contingency plans. That would mean about 3,000 furloughed workers are being called back to work Monday.While CMS has not seen any layoffs during the current shutdown, its parent agency — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — was among the hardest hit by the government-wide reduction in force. Nearly 1,000 HHS staff were abruptly fired earlier this month, though a judge has temporarily paused those layoffs from taking effe

Some furloughed workers will return to manage health insurance open enrollment 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is sending an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, in the latest escalation and buildup of military forces in the region, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy to U.S. Southern Command to “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post.

The USS Ford is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea along with three destroyers. It would likely take several days for the ships to make the journey to South America.

Deploying an aircraft carrier is a major escalation of military power in a region that has already seen an unusually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">large U.S. military buildup</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela.

Hours before Parnell announced the news, Hegseth said the military had conducted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat</a>, leaving six people dead and bringing the death count for the strikes that began in early September to at least 43 people.

The Pentagon told reporters it had nothing further to add beyond the statement.

Hegseth said the vessel struck overnight was operated by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-caribbean-rubio-trump-tren-de-aragua-9e0dac7dee5a3fb14a16370508fc460d">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. It was the second time the Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">tied one of its operations to the gang</a>&nbsp;that originated in a Venezuelan prison.

The pace of the strikes has quickened in recent days from one every few weeks when they first began to three this week, killing a total of at least 43 people since September.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-drug-boat-strike-ffb1b720fa018336316238463924b78a">Two of the most recent strikes</a>&nbsp;were carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area where the military has launched attacks and shifting to where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled.

In a 20-second black and white video of the strike posted to social media, a small boat can be seen apparently sitting motionless on the water when a long thin projectile descends, triggering an explosion. The video ends before the blast dies down enough for the remains of the boat to be seen again.

Hegseth said the strike happened in international waters and boasted that it was the first one conducted at night.

“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth said in the post. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”

The strike drew parallels to the first announced by the U.S. last month by focusing on Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">designated a foreign terrorist organization</a>&nbsp;and blamed for being at the root of the violence and drug dealing that plague some cities.

While not mentioning the origin of the latest boat, the Republican administration says at least four of the boats it has hit have come from Venezuela.

The attacks and an unusually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">large U.S. military buildup</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela have raised speculation that the administration could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-strike-caribbean-drug-trafficking-trump-1061debe2f983ef7bc9666d3f002b3a0">try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro</a>, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.</a>

In the latest move, the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-supersonic-bombers-03b246ca6cf7ed9fa6d39e1f716b1754">flew a pair of supersonic heavy bombers</a>&nbsp;up to the coast of Venezuela on Thursday.

The Trump administration maintains that it’s combating drug trafficking into the United States, but Maduro argues that the operations are the latest effort to force him out of office.

Maduro on Thursday praised security forces and a civilian militia for defense exercises along some 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles) of coastline to prepare for the possibility of a U.S. attack.

In the span of six hours, “100% of all the country’s coastline was covered in real time, with all the equipment and heavy weapons to defend all of Venezuela’s coasts if necessary,” Maduro said during a government event shown on state television.

The U.S. military’s presence is less about drugs than sending a message to countries in the region to align with U.S. interests, according to Elizabeth Dickinson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for the Andes region.

“An expression that I’m hearing a lot is ‘Drugs are the excuse.’ And everyone knows that,” Dickinson said. “And I think that message is very clear in regional capitals. So the messaging here is that the U.S. is intent on pursuing specific objectives. And it will use military force against leaders and countries that don’t fall in line.”

Comparing the drug crackdown to the war on terror

Hegseth’s remarks around the strikes have recently begun to draw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-drugs-venezuela-911-hegseth-3db3aafed492556bb9ca7de855c4849e">a direct comparison</a>&nbsp;between the war on terrorism that the U.S. declared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the Trump administration’s crackdown on drug traffickers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="File photo The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in mid October 2024-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in mid October 2024-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is sending an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, in the latest escalation and buildup of military forces in the region, the Pentagon announced Friday.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy to U.S. Southern Command to “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post.The USS Ford is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea along with three destroyers. It would likely take several days for the ships to make the journey to South America.Deploying an aircraft carrier is a major escalation of military power in a region that has already seen an unusually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">large U.S. military buildup</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela.Hours before Parnell announced the news, Hegseth said the military had conducted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d">10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat</a>, leaving six people dead and bringing the death count for the strikes that began in early September to at least 43 people.The Pentagon told reporters it had nothing further to add beyond the statement.Hegseth said the vessel struck overnight was operated by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-caribbean-rubio-trump-tren-de-aragua-9e0dac7dee5a3fb14a16370508fc460d">Tren de Aragua gang</a>. It was the second time the Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-strike-rubio-trump-0f901b2a30ee20e314bcab1385ffb0c0">tied one of its operations to the gang</a>&nbsp;that originated in a Venezuelan prison.The pace of the strikes has quickened in recent days from one every few weeks when they first began to three this week, killing a total of at least 43 people since September.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-drug-boat-strike-ffb1b720fa018336316238463924b78a">Two of the most recent strikes</a>&nbsp;were carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area where the military has launched attacks and shifting to where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled.In a 20-second black and white video of the strike posted to social media, a small boat can be seen apparently sitting motionless on the water when a long thin projectile descends, triggering an explosion. The video ends before the blast dies down enough for the remains of the boat to be seen again.Hegseth said the strike happened in international waters and boasted that it was the first one conducted at night.“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth said in the post. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”<h2>US focus on Venezuela and Tren de Aragua</h2>The strike drew parallels to the first announced by the U.S. last month by focusing on Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-foreign-terrorist-organizations-eb35567b69fc66f13f7f79fb90906a50">designated a foreign terrorist organization</a>&nbsp;and blamed for being at the root of the violence and drug dealing that plague some cities.While not mentioning the origin of the latest boat, the Republican administration says at least four of the boats it has hit have come from Venezuela.The attacks and an unusually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-buildup-caribbean-venezuela-ships-troops-810f6181371f53536c723ea562c5277c">large U.S. military buildup</a>&nbsp;in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela have raised speculation that the administration could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-strike-caribbean-drug-trafficking-trump-1061debe2f983ef7bc9666d3f002b3a0">try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro</a>, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.</a>In the latest move, the U.S. military&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-maduro-supersonic-bombers-03b246ca6cf7ed9fa6d39e1f716b1754">flew a pair of supersonic heavy bombers</a>&nbsp;up to the coast of Venezuela on Thursday.The Trump administration maintains that it’s combating drug trafficking into the United States, but Maduro argues that the operations are the latest effort to force him out of office.Maduro on Thursday praised security forces and a civilian militia for defense exercises along some 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles) of coastline to prepare for the possibility of a U.S. attack.In the span of six hours, “100% of all the country’s coastline was covered in real time, with all the equipment and heavy weapons to defend all of Venezuela’s coasts if necessary,” Maduro said during a government event shown on state television.The U.S. military’s presence is less about drugs than sending a message to countries in the region to align with U.S. interests, according to Elizabeth Dickinson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for the Andes region.“An expression that I’m hearing a lot is ‘Drugs are the excuse.’ And everyone knows that,” Dickinson said. “And I think that message is very clear in regional capitals. So the messaging here is that the U.S. is intent on pursuing specific objectives. And it will use military force against leaders and countries that don’t fall in line.”<h2>Comparing the drug crackdown to the war on terror</h2>Hegseth’s remarks around the strikes have recently begun to draw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-drugs-venezuela-911-hegseth-3db3aafed492556bb9ca7de855c4849e">a direct comparison</a>&nbsp;between the war on terrorism that the U.S. declared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the Trump administration’s crackdown on drug traffickers.President Donald Trump this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants</a>&nbsp;and said the U.S. was in an “armed conflict” with them, relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration after 9/11.When reporters asked Trump on Thursday whether he would request Congress issue a declaration of war against the cartels, he said that wasn’t the plan.“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them, you know? They’re going to be like, dead,” Trump said during a roundtable at the White House with homeland security officials.Lawmakers from both major political parties have expressed concerns about Trump ordering the military actions without receiving authorization from Congress or providing many details. Democrats have insisted the strikes violate international law.“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., who previously worked in the Pentagon and the State Department, including as an adviser in Afghanistan.“We have no idea how far this is going, how this could potentially bring in, you know, is it going to be boots on the ground? Is it going to be escalatory in a way where we could see us get bogged down for a long time?” he said.But Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, who has long been involved in foreign affairs in the hemisphere, said of Trump’s approach: “It’s about time.”While Trump is a president who “obviously hates war,” he also is not afraid to use the U.S. military in targeted operations, Diaz-Balart said.“I would not want to be in the shoes of any of these narco-cartels,” he added.___Associated Press writers Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, and Ben Finley and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.___