<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. Josh Hawley (<a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HawleyMO</a>): &quot;Why shouldn&#39;t we make health care tax free in this country? Why shouldn&#39;t we just exempt all health care from taxes? We did no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime earlier this year. How about no taxes on health care?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gnDSgiPSPF">pic.twitter.com/gnDSgiPSPF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1996259372041720242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Mo. U.S. Senator: Why not make healthcare tax free?

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject

A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.

Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;

Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>

On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;

But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”

They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;

All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.

Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.

The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>

The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.

“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;

Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;

“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”

The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.

“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.

Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;

However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764777739881.png" alt=" Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Senate security shuts down protestors with a "stop the ban" banner in the Senate's upper gallery on May 14 following a vote to put a proposed abortion ban on the statewide ballot (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The proposed constitutional amendment also includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, a provision opponents say violates a state law requiring amendments only cover one subject</h2>A state appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether Missouri Republicans erred in how they drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/bts_web/bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=13399177" target="_blank">a constitutional amendment banning abortion</a>&nbsp;that voters will see on next year’s ballot.Last year, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">enshrined the right to abortion&nbsp;</a>in the state constitution.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">The GOP-dominated legislature responded six months later by&nbsp;</a>voting to put a new constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reimpose an abortion ban.&nbsp;Proponents of abortion rights filed a lawsuit in July arguing that the summary of the proposed abortion ban amendment that will appear on ballots was intentionally deceptive because it failed to state the amendment would repeal the abortion rights amendment. A Cole County judge agreed, in part, and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-orders-revisions-to-ballot-language-for-missouri-abortion-ban-proposal/">ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite it.&nbsp;</a>On his second attempt, Hoskins crafted a summary that Judge Daniel Green deemed “fair and sufficient.”&nbsp;But attorneys representing Dr. Anna Fitz-James —&nbsp;who submitted the language for the reproductive rights initiative petition in 2023 — believe Green was too hasty in giving the language the OK, arguing the current language “fails to tell voters that a right is being eliminated and replaced with fewer rights.”They filed an appeal of Green’s ruling, which will be argued before the Western District Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Hoskins, said the court doesn’t need to determine if the current ballot language is the best wording possible, “but whether it gives the voter a sufficient idea of what the proposed amendment would accomplish.”The ballot language reads:“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:<ul>
 <li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li><li>Guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure women’s safety during abortions;&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure parental consent for minors;&nbsp;</li><li>Repeal Article I, section 36, approved in 2024; allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;’</li><li>and Prohibit sex-change procedures for children?”</li>
 </ul>If approved by a majority of voters, the abortion ban amendment would be slightly less restrictive than the near-total ban implemented in June 2022. Unlike the prior ban, it would allow abortions for survivors or rape or incest up to 12 weeks gestation, though it is not clear if or how a survivor would need to prove the assault in order to receive medical care.&nbsp;All other abortions would be banned, aside from cases of medical emergencies.Attorneys Chuck Hatfield and Tori Schafer,&nbsp;in briefings to the court of appeals on behalf of Fitz-James, argue the proposed amendment is a “mess” and violates a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III+++50&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that prevents ballot measures from encompassing more than one subject. They are asking the higher court to remove the amendment from the ballot or re-write the summary.The crux of the issue, they say, is that gender-affirming health care is separate from reproductive health care. Including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, they say, “logrolls” two unrelated subjects to make the amendment more popular. Gender-affirming health care for minors is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/15/how-missouri-became-a-battleground-over-gender-affirming-care/">currently banned in Missouri,&nbsp;</a>though a challenge to the law is&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/ruling-upholding-missouri-transgender-care-ban-had-factual-errors-attorneys-argue/">before the state supreme court.&nbsp;</a>The attorney general’s office on behalf of Hoskins said Fitz-James’ interpretation of the single subject rule is too narrow. Gender-affirming health care, they contend, includes “procedures that frequently render children sterile.”&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys said assuming gender-affirming surgeries always involve reproductive organs is flawed.“A wide variety of surgeries accomplish that purpose — from breast augmentation to hair reconstruction—that never implicate a reproductive organ,” they wrote.&nbsp;Fitz-James’ attorneys argue the current wording “obscures” the fact that the proposed amendment would ban most abortions by making it sounds as if the abortion rights it keeps in place would be new, rather than rights that are already protected.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most voters, they argue, will have no idea what Article 1, Section 36 of the Missouri Constitution is.&nbsp;“The words ‘approved in 2024’ are similarly devoid of context or meaning,” Fitz-James’ attorneys wrote in court filings. “Approved by whom? Some random bureaucrat? The legislature? Good Housekeeping? The voter is left to wonder.”The attorney general’s office argues Missourians should be given more credit when they show up to the polls.“Voters are certainly intelligent enough to know that ‘random bureaucrat[s]’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’ do not approve constitutional amendments,” the attorney general’s office wrote.Court filings briefly delved into the use of a semi-colon in the fourth bullet point, with attorneys for Fitz-James lambasting its misuse while the attorney general’s office called on grammar gurus Strunk and White to defend the punctuation.&nbsp;However the court of appeals rules, the case will almost certainly end up in hands of the Missouri Supreme Court.

Appeals court takes up fight over wording of Missouri abortion ban ballot measure

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin next week to block nutrition assistance funding for states led by Democrats that have not provided data on fraud in the program, Secretary Brooke Rollins told President Donald Trump at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

USDA sought data from states earlier this year related to their administration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, Rollins said Tuesday. She added the data was needed to address fraud that she called “rampant” in the program that helps 42 million people afford groceries.

Most states complied with the request, but 21, mostly run by Democrats, refused, she said. A USDA spokesperson later implied the department was missing data from 22 states.

“As of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply, and they tell us and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and to protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said.

A USDA spokesperson in an email listed 28 states, plus one territory, from which they said the department has received data.

That would leave the following 22 states, all led by Democratic governors, that have not provided data: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.&nbsp;

The spokesperson provided some additional details of the initiative, including that the department was targeting administrative funds, and that the next step would be a formal warning.

Blue states sought to protect bad actors, including criminals and immigrants in the country without legal status, “over the American taxpayer,” the statement said.

“We have sent Democrat States yet another request for data, and if they fail to comply, they will be provided with formal warning that USDA will pull their administrative funds,” the spokesperson said.

Court&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.453513/gov.uscourts.cand.453513.109.0.pdf" target="_blank">records</a>&nbsp;show the department sent the states a new request for data on Nov. 28, and asked for a response within seven days, which would be Friday.&nbsp;

The letter was reproduced as part of a suit the 22 states have brought against the administration over the request for SNAP recipients’ data.

It’s unclear what authority Rollins would have to block funding, which Congress has appropriated.

The federal government pays for all benefits for SNAP, which was formerly known as food stamps. It splits the administrative costs with states.

The USDA spokesperson did not answer a direct question about the legal authority for withholding funds.

Democrats on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee said any effort to block SNAP funding would be illegal.

“Yet again, Trump and Rollins are illegally threatening to withhold federal dollars,” a social media post from an official account of committee Democrats read. “SNAP has one of the lowest fraud rates of any government program, but Trump continues to weaponize hunger.”

The committee’s lead Democrat, Angie Craig of Minnesota, issued her own statement that also accused the administration of “weaponizing hunger” and said Rollins “continues to spew propaganda.”

“Her disregard for the law and willingness to lie through her teeth comes from the very top – the Trump administration is as corrupt as it is lawless, and I will not sit silently as she carries out the president’s campaign against Americans struggling to afford food in part because of this president’s tariffs and disastrous economic policies.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The data USDA has sought from states includes verification of SNAP recipients’ eligibility, along with a host of personal information such as Social Security numbers.

An early USDA review of data provided by the 28 states and Guam “indicates an estimated average of $24 million dollars per day of federal funds is lost to fraud and errors undetected by States in their administration of SNAP,” the department said in the Nov. 28 letter.

Preventing those losses could save up to $9 billion per year, the letter added.

But the types of fraud cited in some of the public statements from Rollins and the department are rare, existing data show.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-sar-fy23.pdf" target="_blank">2023 USDA report</a>&nbsp;showed about 26,000 applications, roughly 0.1% of the households enrolled in SNAP, were referred for an administrative or criminal review.

People in the country illegally have never been authorized to receive SNAP benefits.

“The long-standing data sources indicate that intentional fraud by participants is rare,” Katie Bergh, a senior food assistance policy analyst for the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said in a November interview.

SNAP has been a consistent target for cuts during Trump’s second presidency.

The issue was a focal point during the six-week government shutdown, during which the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-tug-war-over-snap-benefits-timeline" target="_blank">reversed itself often&nbsp;</a>but generally resisted calls — from states, advocates, lawmakers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-ordered-pay-full-9b-november-snap-benefits-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">federal judges</a>&nbsp;— to fund food assistance.

Shortly after the government reopened, Rollins in television interviews said she would force&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-wants-everyone-reapply-food-stamps-what-does-mean" target="_blank">all recipients to reapply for benefit</a>s, a proposal seen as logistically challenging by program experts.

And the Republican taxes and spending law passed by Congress and signed by Trump earlier this year included new work requirements and other restrictions on SNAP eligibility that advocates say will lead to major drops in benefits.&nbsp;

The law will also make states pay for some share of benefits and increase the share of administrative costs that states are responsible for, potentially leading some states to cut benefits.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944916334.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin next week to block nutrition assistance funding for states led by Democrats that have not provided data on fraud in the program, Secretary Brooke Rollins told President Donald Trump at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple. If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding. Let’s see which states stand for accountability and which are just protecting their bribery schemes. 🤔💸 <a href="https://t.co/Y1UXXDOoao">pic.twitter.com/Y1UXXDOoao</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1995933975211397454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>USDA sought data from states earlier this year related to their administration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits, Rollins said Tuesday. She added the data was needed to address fraud that she called “rampant” in the program that helps 42 million people afford groceries.Most states complied with the request, but 21, mostly run by Democrats, refused, she said. A USDA spokesperson later implied the department was missing data from 22 states.“As of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply, and they tell us and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and to protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said.A USDA spokesperson in an email listed 28 states, plus one territory, from which they said the department has received data.That would leave the following 22 states, all led by Democratic governors, that have not provided data: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.&nbsp;The spokesperson provided some additional details of the initiative, including that the department was targeting administrative funds, and that the next step would be a formal warning.Blue states sought to protect bad actors, including criminals and immigrants in the country without legal status, “over the American taxpayer,” the statement said.“We have sent Democrat States yet another request for data, and if they fail to comply, they will be provided with formal warning that USDA will pull their administrative funds,” the spokesperson said.Court&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.453513/gov.uscourts.cand.453513.109.0.pdf" target="_blank">records</a>&nbsp;show the department sent the states a new request for data on Nov. 28, and asked for a response within seven days, which would be Friday.&nbsp;The letter was reproduced as part of a suit the 22 states have brought against the administration over the request for SNAP recipients’ data.<h2>Leading Dem calls threat illegal</h2>It’s unclear what authority Rollins would have to block funding, which Congress has appropriated.The federal government pays for all benefits for SNAP, which was formerly known as food stamps. It splits the administrative costs with states.The USDA spokesperson did not answer a direct question about the legal authority for withholding funds.Democrats on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee said any effort to block SNAP funding would be illegal.“Yet again, Trump and Rollins are illegally threatening to withhold federal dollars,” a social media post from an official account of committee Democrats read. “SNAP has one of the lowest fraud rates of any government program, but Trump continues to weaponize hunger.”The committee’s lead Democrat, Angie Craig of Minnesota, issued her own statement that also accused the administration of “weaponizing hunger” and said Rollins “continues to spew propaganda.”“Her disregard for the law and willingness to lie through her teeth comes from the very top – the Trump administration is as corrupt as it is lawless, and I will not sit silently as she carries out the president’s campaign against Americans struggling to afford food in part because of this president’s tariffs and disastrous economic policies.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>SNAP fraud</h2>The data USDA has sought from states includes verification of SNAP recipients’ eligibility, along with a host of personal information such as Social Security numbers.An early USDA review of data provided by the 28 states and Guam “indicates an estimated average of $24 million dollars per day of federal funds is lost to fraud and errors undetected by States in their administration of SNAP,” the department said in the Nov. 28 letter.Preventing those losses could save up to $9 billion per year, the letter added.But the types of fraud cited in some of the public statements from Rollins and the department are rare, existing data show.A&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-sar-fy23.pdf" target="_blank">2023 USDA report</a>&nbsp;showed about 26,000 applications, roughly 0.1% of the households enrolled in SNAP, were referred for an administrative or criminal review.People in the country illegally have never been authorized to receive SNAP benefits.“The long-standing data sources indicate that intentional fraud by participants is rare,” Katie Bergh, a senior food assistance policy analyst for the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said in a November interview.<h2>Trump administration target</h2>SNAP has been a consistent target for cuts during Trump’s second presidency.The issue was a focal point during the six-week government shutdown, during which the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-tug-war-over-snap-benefits-timeline" target="_blank">reversed itself often&nbsp;</a>but generally resisted calls — from states, advocates, lawmakers and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-ordered-pay-full-9b-november-snap-benefits-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">federal judges</a>&nbsp;— to fund food assistance.Shortly after the government reopened, Rollins in television interviews said she would force&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-wants-everyone-reapply-food-stamps-what-does-mean" target="_blank">all recipients to reapply for benefit</a>s, a proposal seen as logistically challenging by program experts.And the Republican taxes and spending law passed by Congress and signed by Trump earlier this year included new work requirements and other restrictions on SNAP eligibility that advocates say will lead to major drops in benefits.&nbsp;The law will also make states pay for some share of benefits and increase the share of administrative costs that states are responsible for, potentially leading some states to cut benefits.

USDA threatens to yank food stamps funding from Democratic-led states

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Police investigating a shooting that left two dead in Topeka have identified the victim as 76-year-old as Melvin Gerstenkorn and the deceased suspect is identified as&nbsp; 51-year-old Dallas Dehart both are from Topeka.

Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 23,&nbsp; police responded to report of a shooting at McDonalds restaurant in the 1200 block of SW Gage Boulevard in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Jayme Green.

At the scene, first responders located&nbsp;Gerstenkorn and Dehart&nbsp; who were&nbsp;deceased. EMS transported a third victim identified as a 22-year-old man to a hospital with life-threatening injuries

On Nov. 26, police reported they were investigating this incident as a murder-suicide. Gerstenkorn died from apparent gunshot wound. The 22-year-old&nbsp; had a life-threatening gunshot injury and remains hospitalized, according to a statement from police on Tuesday.

Dehart died from what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764000702973.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Police investigating a shooting that left two dead in Topeka have identified the victim as 76-year-old as Melvin Gerstenkorn and the deceased suspect is identified as&nbsp; 51-year-old Dallas Dehart both are from Topeka.Just before 8:30p.m. Nov. 23,&nbsp; police responded to report of a shooting at McDonalds restaurant in the 1200 block of SW Gage Boulevard in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Jayme Green.At the scene, first responders located&nbsp;Gerstenkorn and Dehart&nbsp; who were&nbsp;deceased. EMS transported a third victim identified as a 22-year-old man to a hospital with life-threatening injuriesOn Nov. 26, police reported they were investigating this incident as a murder-suicide. Gerstenkorn died from apparent gunshot wound. The 22-year-old&nbsp; had a life-threatening gunshot injury and remains hospitalized, according to a statement from police on Tuesday.Dehart died from what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;

Police ID victims in deadly shooting near Kan. fast-food restaurant

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforce are alerting drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights, every single time.

On Monday, while working a crash on Interstate 435, a passing vehicle struck a Trooper’s patrol car, according to a social media report from the KHP.

At the time of the collision, the Trooper was inside his vehicle, parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights on. He sustained only minor injuries and has since been treated and released back to full duty.

This could have ended much worse. Do your part, slow down and move over. Give first responders the space they need to stay safe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764732515906.png" alt="Photos Kansas Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforce are alerting drivers to slow down and move over for flashing lights, every single time.On Monday, while working a crash on Interstate 435, a passing vehicle struck a Trooper’s patrol car, according to a social media report from the KHP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764732533040.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>At the time of the collision, the Trooper was inside his vehicle, parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights on. He sustained only minor injuries and has since been treated and released back to full duty.This could have ended much worse. Do your part, slow down and move over. Give first responders the space they need to stay safe.

Kan. Trooper injured when his vehicle was struck while working a crash

&nbsp;President Donald Trump&nbsp;on Tuesday said he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S.

&nbsp;President Donald Trump&nbsp;on Tuesday said he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> tells it like it is about ungrateful Somali refugees amid the Minnesota fraud scandal: &quot;When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch — we don&#39;t want them in our country. Let &#39;em go back to where they came from and fix it.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/fuaAKP8VsW">pic.twitter.com/fuaAKP8VsW</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995933974171189565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 HOLY CRAP! President Trump calls Somalians and 3rd worlders &quot;GARBAGE&quot; who do &quot;nothing but B*TCH&quot; &quot;We keep taking in GARBAGE to our country. Ilhan Omar is GARBAGE. Her friends are garbage...these people come from hell, complain, and do nothing but B*TCH.&quot; &quot;WE DON&#39;T WANT &#39;EM!… <a href="https://t.co/TCIoEOFLoS">pic.twitter.com/TCIoEOFLoS</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1995934758073667785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥What President Trump said about Somali immigrants in the U.S.

House Speaker Mike Johnson lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;A fourth grade Nevada student who won an essay contest joined Johnson in lighting the tree.

This year's tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.

The tree lights will be on each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. now through early January 2026.&nbsp;

House Speaker Mike Johnson lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;A fourth grade Nevada student who won an essay contest joined Johnson in lighting the tree.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> (R-LA) lit the Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday evening. This year&#39;s tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. <a href="https://t.co/HFd0n12YuS">pic.twitter.com/HFd0n12YuS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995994486623871294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This year's tree is a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.The tree lights will be on each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. now through early January 2026.&nbsp;

4th grader joins House speaker in lighting U.S. Capitol Christmas tree

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Four suspects are in custody after they stole at least $2,500 worth of gaming equipment from Best Buy, 2020 West 31st Street in Lawrence on Sunday and then left town. 

Police with the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the store’s asset manage tracked them down. 

Just after 9p.m. November 30, police were called to the store after the thieves bypassed an employee, went behind the counter, grabbed boxes of games, and quickly took off. 

 They were only in the store for about two minutes. They left a vehicle running out front while four men went into the store just as it was closing.

The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Sedgwick County. The investigating officer sent a message to surrounding agencies and a KHP Trooper pulled the car over just north of Emporia.

The group was transported back to Douglas County. One was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and the others to the Douglas County Correctional Facility.The trooper turned over a total of seven gaming consoles found in the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764675704042.png" alt="Photo of the recovered gaming equipment- Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo of the recovered gaming equipment- Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Four suspects are in custody after they stole at least $2,500 worth of gaming equipment from Best Buy, 2020 West 31st Street in Lawrence on Sunday and then left town. Police with the help of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the store’s asset manage tracked them down. Just after 9p.m. November 30, police were called to the store after the thieves bypassed an employee, went behind the counter, grabbed boxes of games, and quickly took off. They were only in the store for about two minutes. They left a vehicle running out front while four men went into the store just as it was closing.The vehicle’s license plate was registered to Sedgwick County. The investigating officer sent a message to surrounding agencies and a KHP Trooper pulled the car over just north of Emporia.The group was transported back to Douglas County. One was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center and the others to the Douglas County Correctional Facility.The trooper turned over a total of seven gaming consoles found in the vehicle.

KHP helps track down brazen electronic store theft suspects 

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/LpRHm2TYhK">pic.twitter.com/LpRHm2TYhK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995955384201195680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Makes an Announcement, Dec. 2, 2025 <a href="https://t.co/p39M5Ke4LV">https://t.co/p39M5Ke4LV</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1995945069031960820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">$6.25 billion. 25 million children. $250 each. Susan and I believe the smartest investment we can make is in children. That’s why we’re so excited to contribute $6.25 billion from our charitable funds to help 25 million children start building a strong financial foundation… <a href="https://t.co/4Bcv3RKp0q">pic.twitter.com/4Bcv3RKp0q</a>&mdash; Michael Dell 🇺🇸 (@MichaelDell) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelDell/status/1995835745806786973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC">https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC</a> <a href="https://t.co/YT9J2eA4XQ">pic.twitter.com/YT9J2eA4XQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995946698129252834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC">https://t.co/FKL1oV3EGC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpAccounts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrumpAccounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/Wsym6SuigS">pic.twitter.com/Wsym6SuigS</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995952304688955888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Dells donate $6 billion to fund ‘Trump Accounts’ for millions of kids

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764640848301.png" alt="U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War" />
 <figcaption>U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat Sept. 2-image from Department of War</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a>: &quot;This is called the fog of war. This is what you in the press don&#39;t understand. You sit in you air conditioned offices or up on Capitol hill, and you nit-pick and you plant fake stories...and then you want to throw out really irresponsible terms about American heroes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TNAUjTd4ag">pic.twitter.com/TNAUjTd4ag</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1995931807674773554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For your Christmas wish list… <a href="https://t.co/pLXzg20SaL">pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL</a>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1995291042346852861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Secretary Hegseth: &quot;We&#39;ve only just begun striking narco boats...We&#39;ve had a bit of a pause, because it&#39;s hard to find boats to strike right now.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YwKbVuuHMy">pic.twitter.com/YwKbVuuHMy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995908101862486021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;As far as the attack is concerned, I still haven&#39;t gotten a lot of information because I rely on Pete...I didn&#39;t know about the second strike...&quot; Secretary Hegseth on Admiral Bradley: &quot;It was the right call. We have his back.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ClTUtAY7mb">pic.twitter.com/ClTUtAY7mb</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1995932265239425224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Hegseth defends, Trump distances himself from second boat strike

RILEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 11a.m. Tuesday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford Super Duty driven by Avery Gene&nbsp;Lindsey, 17, Manhattan, was northbound on Kansas 177 approximately one mile south of Deep Creek Road. The pickup rear-ended a 2012 Hyundai Accent driven by James Edgar&nbsp;Echols, 54, Overland Park. After impact the car traveled into the east ditch.

Echols was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home. EMS transported a passenger in the car identified as&nbsp; Nakeenya Marie&nbsp;Echols, 52, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Via Christi.&nbsp; Lindsey was not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.

RILEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 11a.m. Tuesday in Riley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford Super Duty driven by Avery Gene&nbsp;Lindsey, 17, Manhattan, was northbound on Kansas 177 approximately one mile south of Deep Creek Road. The pickup rear-ended a 2012 Hyundai Accent driven by James Edgar&nbsp;Echols, 54, Overland Park. After impact the car traveled into the east ditch.Echols was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home. EMS transported a passenger in the car identified as&nbsp; Nakeenya Marie&nbsp;Echols, 52, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Via Christi.&nbsp; Lindsey was not injured. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.

Kansas man killed after rear-end crash with teen driver

KANSAS CITY—One person died in a house fire Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 8a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 3200 block of E 26th Street, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. 

On arrival crews reported smoke from the front of a single-story home. Fire crews found a victim during a search of the home. The victim is a man approximately in his mid-fifties, according to Hopkins.&nbsp; The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead at the hospital. 

KCPD Bomb and Arson have been requested to the scene and will conduct the investigation due to the fatality and as a part of&nbsp; standard procedure. 

Dangerous buildings and city planning have also been requested. No other injuries were reported at this incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764712570895.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—One person died in a house fire Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 8a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 3200 block of E 26th Street, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. On arrival crews reported smoke from the front of a single-story home. Fire crews found a victim during a search of the home. The victim is a man approximately in his mid-fifties, according to Hopkins.&nbsp; The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead at the hospital. KCPD Bomb and Arson have been requested to the scene and will conduct the investigation due to the fatality and as a part of&nbsp; standard procedure. Dangerous buildings and city planning have also been requested. No other injuries were reported at this incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Man dies after found in Kansas City house fire

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Pornography sites that wish to operate in Missouri must now verify that users are adults before granting access to explicit content, under a new rule that went into effect Monday.&nbsp;

The change caused the porn industry’s largest website, Pornhub, to block access &nbsp;in Missouri, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who took over the policy after it was initiated by her predecessor, celebrated the news, calling Pornhub’s decision proof that the rule is needed.

“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content,” she said, “that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities.”

It’s already illegal to show children pornography under federal law, however it’s rarely enforced. Various measures exist to verify a person’s age online, such as uploading a government ID or consent to facial recognition software.

The new Missouri rule requires any commercial website or platform to implement some form of age-verification measure if at least a third of the content it offers is pornographic. Platforms that refuse to comply are subject to penalties, injunctive relief, and enforcement actions for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.

“If you want to operate in Missouri, you must prove your users are adults,” Hanaway said. “If that is too much to ask, then you will not operate here,”&nbsp;

In September, a trade association representing the adult entertainment industry told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_fe4edd38-a70e-4253-bcb0-38e8f7454a86.html" target="_blank">considering a legal challenge to the rule</a>, since they were created outside the legislative process.&nbsp;

The legislature has tried to pass age-verification laws, with little success.&nbsp;

A bill nearly identical to the new rule received initial approval from the Missouri House in February but was never brought up for a final vote in the chamber.&nbsp;

The bill faced criticism that it would ultimately do more harm than good by driving traffic to lesser-known sites that don’t comply with the law and have fewer&nbsp;safeguards and rules around adult content than Pornhub. The law is also hard to enforce since users can turn to VPNs, which connect a computer to a server in a different part of the world to make it look like it is located somewhere other than where it actually is.

Privacy is another concern raised by critics of age verification laws, arguing that&nbsp;it is impossible to ensure websites aren’t retaining user data in a way that makes it susceptible to exposure. The regulations could also lead to censorship, critics warn, specifically regarding information about sexuality.&nbsp;

Pornhub has called for user ages to be verified at the device level, perhaps through the app stores managed by Apple and Google.

“While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting users,” Pornhub said in its statement, “and in fact, it will put children and your privacy at risk.”

Hanaway said Pornhub is “welcome to leave Missouri.”

“What is not welcome,” she said, “is any company that puts profit above the safety of our children,”

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Pornography sites that wish to operate in Missouri must now verify that users are adults before granting access to explicit content, under a new rule that went into effect Monday.&nbsp;The change caused the porn industry’s largest website, Pornhub, to block access &nbsp;in Missouri, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy.Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who took over the policy after it was initiated by her predecessor, celebrated the news, calling Pornhub’s decision proof that the rule is needed.“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content,” she said, “that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities.”It’s already illegal to show children pornography under federal law, however it’s rarely enforced. Various measures exist to verify a person’s age online, such as uploading a government ID or consent to facial recognition software.The new Missouri rule requires any commercial website or platform to implement some form of age-verification measure if at least a third of the content it offers is pornographic. Platforms that refuse to comply are subject to penalties, injunctive relief, and enforcement actions for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.“If you want to operate in Missouri, you must prove your users are adults,” Hanaway said. “If that is too much to ask, then you will not operate here,”&nbsp;In September, a trade association representing the adult entertainment industry told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_fe4edd38-a70e-4253-bcb0-38e8f7454a86.html" target="_blank">considering a legal challenge to the rule</a>, since they were created outside the legislative process.&nbsp;The legislature has tried to pass age-verification laws, with little success.&nbsp;A bill nearly identical to the new rule received initial approval from the Missouri House in February but was never brought up for a final vote in the chamber.&nbsp;The bill faced criticism that it would ultimately do more harm than good by driving traffic to lesser-known sites that don’t comply with the law and have fewer&nbsp;safeguards and rules around adult content than Pornhub. The law is also hard to enforce since users can turn to VPNs, which connect a computer to a server in a different part of the world to make it look like it is located somewhere other than where it actually is.Privacy is another concern raised by critics of age verification laws, arguing that&nbsp;it is impossible to ensure websites aren’t retaining user data in a way that makes it susceptible to exposure. The regulations could also lead to censorship, critics warn, specifically regarding information about sexuality.&nbsp;Pornhub has called for user ages to be verified at the device level, perhaps through the app stores managed by Apple and Google.“While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting users,” Pornhub said in its statement, “and in fact, it will put children and your privacy at risk.”Hanaway said Pornhub is “welcome to leave Missouri.”“What is not welcome,” she said, “is any company that puts profit above the safety of our children,”

New age verification rule causes Pornhub to shut down access in Missouri

MCPHERSON COUNTY—Businesses and homes in portions of McPherson have been evacuated after a&nbsp;hazardous material leak in the community.

Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry.

 The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.

All residents and businesses in the area have been evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.

 The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. 

McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team has made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701824032.png" alt="Photo McPherson County Fire" />
 <figcaption>Photo McPherson County Fire</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY—Businesses and homes in portions of McPherson have been evacuated after a&nbsp;hazardous material leak in the community.Just after 9a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County 911 received call reporting an overturned semi-truck leaking hazardous fluid, according to Fire Chief Chad Mayberry. The fluid has been identified as Hydrochloric Acid. The semi-truck was hauling 34,000lb of the fluid. As of noon, officials did not know the quantity spilled.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764701800784.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>All residents and businesses in the area have been evacuated and roads near the intersection of Kansas and Old 81. Streets closed for a mile in each&nbsp; direction. The closures include.<ol>
 <li>Highway 56 at 8th Avenue</li><li>Kansas Avenue at Hickory&nbsp;</li><li>Old Highway 81 at the 153 Spur from K-61</li><li>Old Highway 81 at First Avenue</li>
 </ol> The truck driver self-extricated from the semi-truck and was evaluated at the scene by McPherson EMS and refused treatment and transport. McPherson Fire Department Hazmat Team has made entry to the semi-truck and placed booms around a storm drain to prevent the leaking acid from entering the sewage system. An environmental remediation contractor is en-route to the scene to handle the clean-up and removal of the spilled product.&nbsp; There are no reports of injury.

Hydrochloric acid spill leads to evacuations in McPherson

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026, according to a media release from the TSA.

Travelers will be able to pay $45 to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period. TSA urges travelers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment at their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible.

All travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line. This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport.

The REAL ID law was signed more than 20 years ago, but previous presidential administrations failed to properly implement it. Under President Trump’s leadership, the law was finally implemented and enforced by Secretary Kristi Noem as of May 7, 2025.

Currently, more than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification.&nbsp;TSA expects increased wait times for passengers who do not provide an acceptable ID.

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are. Beginning February 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm.ID process. This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer. The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”

TSA urges all travelers who do not have a REAL ID to pay the fee online before traveling. For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information about how to pay for the TSA Confirm.ID option will be available at marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports. Travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays. &nbsp;&nbsp;

TSA’s list of acceptable forms of ID can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.tsa.gov%2Ftravel%2Fsecurity-screening%2Fidentification/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/OolXH2EJrqwNHp8pKwLnzpPoLnVSLa90uiGmDJ_m-Hs=433" target="_blank">TSA.gov/travel/security-screening/identification</a>.

For more information on REAL ID, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.tsa.gov%2Freal-id/2/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/rlIgRwnDC3uSOyUcWNwGNdpedz0TxGUsS1KTWjAvEcY=433" target="_blank">TSA.gov/real-id</a>&nbsp;or text 275-872 (“AskTSA”) or&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fx.com%2FAskTSA/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/XvKffNzS8IXJ4xe-y1peIboZCAJl7_cg6SQCb5jM5n8=433">@AskTSA</a>&nbsp;with questions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764636170272.png" alt="Real ID -photo KCI" />
 <figcaption>Real ID -photo KCI</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;– The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026, according to a media release from the TSA.Travelers will be able to pay $45 to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period. TSA urges travelers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment at their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible.Acceptable forms of ID include:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.tsa.gov%2Freal-id/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/WDYagsF_q2ZnJz9Pg_z9jbEWD0vyCJOgUmyJ0lY23lM=433">REAL ID</a>-compliant driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)</li><li>If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state Department of Motor Vehicles.</li><li>A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.</li><li>State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)</li><li><a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftravel.state.gov%2Fcontent%2Ftravel%2Fen%2Fpassports.html/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/DcixX7IgNLMrahll1IM8m7IKRalC57koKuBiR1HFe3s=433">U.S. passport</a></li><li><a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftravel.state.gov%2Fcontent%2Ftravel%2Fen%2Fpassports%2Fneed-passport%2Fcard.html/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/2rqVGIsFCRyG_7doKiIekytKvboeVp86mbnum1hsHRM=433">U.S. passport card</a></li><li>DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)</li><li>U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents</li><li>Permanent resident card</li><li>Border crossing card</li><li>An acceptable photo ID issued by a&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2F2021-01606%2Findian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/_tboMwFfofecM3DEMNqmD_nDIMATmi8_XCjI1NPoteo=433">federally recognized</a>&nbsp;Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)</li><li>HSPD-12 PIV card</li><li>Foreign government-issued passport</li><li>Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card</li><li>Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)</li><li>U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)</li><li>U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential</li><li>Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)</li>
 </ul>All travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line. This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport.The REAL ID law was signed more than 20 years ago, but previous presidential administrations failed to properly implement it. Under President Trump’s leadership, the law was finally implemented and enforced by Secretary Kristi Noem as of May 7, 2025.Currently, more than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification.&nbsp;TSA expects increased wait times for passengers who do not provide an acceptable ID.“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are. Beginning February 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm.ID process. This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer. The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”TSA urges all travelers who do not have a REAL ID to pay the fee online before traveling. For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information about how to pay for the TSA Confirm.ID option will be available at marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports. Travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays. &nbsp;&nbsp;TSA’s list of acceptable forms of ID can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.tsa.gov%2Ftravel%2Fsecurity-screening%2Fidentification/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/OolXH2EJrqwNHp8pKwLnzpPoLnVSLa90uiGmDJ_m-Hs=433" target="_blank">TSA.gov/travel/security-screening/identification</a>.For more information on REAL ID, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.tsa.gov%2Freal-id/2/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/rlIgRwnDC3uSOyUcWNwGNdpedz0TxGUsS1KTWjAvEcY=433" target="_blank">TSA.gov/real-id</a>&nbsp;or text 275-872 (“AskTSA”) or&nbsp;<a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fx.com%2FAskTSA/1/0101019adaed595c-96865191-bcc2-43a1-965f-d5ac642ae099-000000/XvKffNzS8IXJ4xe-y1peIboZCAJl7_cg6SQCb5jM5n8=433">@AskTSA</a>&nbsp;with questions.

US air travelers without REAL IDs will soon be charged a hefty fee

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a missing persons case say it is now a homicide investigation.

The victim, according to Independence police, Elayjah Murray, was reported missing on Nov. 28. Police learned Murray had possibly been shot. He was found dead in South Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday.

Police want to speak with 28-year-old Eric Phillips II in connection with the homicide investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764469003746.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a missing persons case say it is now a homicide investigation.The victim, according to Independence police, Elayjah Murray, was reported missing on Nov. 28. Police learned Murray had possibly been shot. He was found dead in South Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday.Police want to speak with 28-year-old Eric Phillips II in connection with the homicide investigation.

Search continues: Missing person case now KC homicide investigation

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ends November 2025 with total tax collections at $687.0 million. That is $1.9 million, or 0.3%, below the estimate. Total tax collections were up 1.7% from November 2024, according to a media release from the governor's office.

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F12%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3477830%2F05_November_Revenue_FY2026_12-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/0101019adb79f0c5-7a9f1fbe-6801-41de-a747-3369c8ea9658-000000/kNcVtjhbLgOnlnkMo6TKHmxoELownFjgIxcTnGG8mmg=433">here</a>&nbsp;to view the November 2025 revenue numbers.

“November’s tax collections were nearly on target overall. While individual income tax collections were up, corporate income tax collections were again below estimates and significantly below November 2024 levels,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“As I develop my next budget proposal I am not considering just Fiscal Year 2027, I am also looking on to the out-years to keep our state on solid financial footing.”

Individual income tax collections were $368.5 million. That is $7.9 million, or 2.2% above the estimate. Individual income tax collections were up 9.9% from November 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $18.7 million. That is $968,253, or 4.9% below the estimate, and down 23.5% from November 2024.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $276.2 million, which is $9.0 million, or 3.1% below the estimate, and down 3.9% from November 2024. &nbsp;&nbsp;

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The State of Kansas ends November 2025 with total tax collections at $687.0 million. That is $1.9 million, or 0.3%, below the estimate. Total tax collections were up 1.7% from November 2024, according to a media release from the governor's office.Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2025%2F12%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3477830%2F05_November_Revenue_FY2026_12-01-2025_Final.pdf/1/0101019adb79f0c5-7a9f1fbe-6801-41de-a747-3369c8ea9658-000000/kNcVtjhbLgOnlnkMo6TKHmxoELownFjgIxcTnGG8mmg=433">here</a>&nbsp;to view the November 2025 revenue numbers.“November’s tax collections were nearly on target overall. While individual income tax collections were up, corporate income tax collections were again below estimates and significantly below November 2024 levels,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“As I develop my next budget proposal I am not considering just Fiscal Year 2027, I am also looking on to the out-years to keep our state on solid financial footing.”Individual income tax collections were $368.5 million. That is $7.9 million, or 2.2% above the estimate. Individual income tax collections were up 9.9% from November 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $18.7 million. That is $968,253, or 4.9% below the estimate, and down 23.5% from November 2024.Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $276.2 million, which is $9.0 million, or 3.1% below the estimate, and down 3.9% from November 2024. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Governor: Not great news in Kan. November tax collection report

ALLEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Monday in Allen County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reporrted a 2015 Ford F150 driven by Jerri Linn Francis, 58, Chanute, was southbound on U.S. 169 just east of 150th Street. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2019 GMC Sierra driven by Rogers II, Charles Edward&nbsp; Rogers II, 19, Iola, head-on.

Francis was pronounced at the scene. EMS transported Rogers to Wesley Medical Center. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the KHP.

ALLEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Monday in Allen County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reporrted a 2015 Ford F150 driven by Jerri Linn Francis, 58, Chanute, was southbound on U.S. 169 just east of 150th Street. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a northbound 2019 GMC Sierra driven by Rogers II, Charles Edward&nbsp; Rogers II, 19, Iola, head-on.Francis was pronounced at the scene. EMS transported Rogers to Wesley Medical Center. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman killed in head-on pickup crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy is in jail on felony charges out of St. Charles County, Missouri.

On Sunday, Derby police conducted a traffic stop on Deputy Kadin Scritchfield, 20, of Derby, for an alleged traffic violation. During the stop, officers confirmed Scritchfield had an active felony warrant, according to sheriff's department spokesman Branden Stitt.

Scritchfield was taken into custody on allegations of Threatening Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images and First-Degree Harassment from an incident reported in December 2024.

Although the allegations against Scritchfield are reported to have occurred in December 2024, the felony warrant was not signed by a St. Charles County judge until Oct. 1, 2025.

The deputy completed a full background investigation before being hired in August 2025 and had already entered the training academy prior to the issuance of the warrant, according to the sheriff's office. At the time of the background check, Scritchfield did not have any active warrants and was not listed as a suspect in any case.

The Sheriff’s Office was not notified of the Missouri charges or the warrant when it was issued in October. Sedgwick County officials first became aware of the situation during the deputy’s arrest on Sunday.

All applicants are required to report any law enforcement contact during the hiring and background investigation process. The deputy did not report any law enforcement contact related to this matter, as required by policy.

Scritchfield joined the Sheriff’s Office as a probationary employee in September 2025. His employment has since been terminated.

Scritchfield is being held without bond in the Sedgwick County Jail pending extradition to Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764607289893.png" alt="Scritchfield photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Scritchfield photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy is in jail on felony charges out of St. Charles County, Missouri.On Sunday, Derby police conducted a traffic stop on Deputy Kadin Scritchfield, 20, of Derby, for an alleged traffic violation. During the stop, officers confirmed Scritchfield had an active felony warrant, according to sheriff's department spokesman Branden Stitt.Scritchfield was taken into custody on allegations of Threatening Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images and First-Degree Harassment from an incident reported in December 2024.Although the allegations against Scritchfield are reported to have occurred in December 2024, the felony warrant was not signed by a St. Charles County judge until Oct. 1, 2025.The deputy completed a full background investigation before being hired in August 2025 and had already entered the training academy prior to the issuance of the warrant, according to the sheriff's office. At the time of the background check, Scritchfield did not have any active warrants and was not listed as a suspect in any case.The Sheriff’s Office was not notified of the Missouri charges or the warrant when it was issued in October. Sedgwick County officials first became aware of the situation during the deputy’s arrest on Sunday.All applicants are required to report any law enforcement contact during the hiring and background investigation process. The deputy did not report any law enforcement contact related to this matter, as required by policy.Scritchfield joined the Sheriff’s Office as a probationary employee in September 2025. His employment has since been terminated.Scritchfield is being held without bond in the Sedgwick County Jail pending extradition to Missouri.

Man was wanted in Missouri when he was hired as Kan. jail deputy

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump&#39;s Advanced Imaging Results: &quot;His cardiovascular system shows excellent health... and confirms that he remains at excellent overall health.&quot; — Capt Sean P. Barbabella, D.O. Physician to the President <a href="https://t.co/WJxdZEBUFS">pic.twitter.com/WJxdZEBUFS</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1995569253748211743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
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Read the report: President Trump shares his MRI results

SALINE COUNTY —An electrical issue caused a rural Kansas house fire on Sunday.&nbsp;

Just after 10a.m., the owner of a home in the&nbsp;400 block of West 2nd Street in Brookville heard a popping sound coming from a breaker box, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Reportedly, the 39-year old male owner of the home reported he was in his house and suddenly heard a "popping sound." The man went to check his breaker box in a utility room and noticed sparks and smoke.

Rural Fire District #5 responded to the scene and found fire coming from the attic. Firefighters needed to break down parts of the ceiling in order to successfully extinguish the fire. There was smoke and water damage to the house and its contents. There were no injuries, according to Soldan.

 Value of the home is about a $140,000 not including personal property that was damaged, according to soldan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764612691693.jpeg" alt="Brookville house fire on Sunday, November 30. Photo Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Brookville house fire on Sunday, November 30. Photo Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —An electrical issue caused a rural Kansas house fire on Sunday.&nbsp;Just after 10a.m., the owner of a home in the&nbsp;400 block of West 2nd Street in Brookville heard a popping sound coming from a breaker box, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764614442814.png" alt="Photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Reportedly, the 39-year old male owner of the home reported he was in his house and suddenly heard a "popping sound." The man went to check his breaker box in a utility room and noticed sparks and smoke.Rural Fire District #5 responded to the scene and found fire coming from the attic. Firefighters needed to break down parts of the ceiling in order to successfully extinguish the fire. There was smoke and water damage to the house and its contents. There were no injuries, according to Soldan. Value of the home is about a $140,000 not including personal property that was damaged, according to soldan.

Crews remove portion of roof to extinguish rural Kan. house fire

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Topeka’s St. Francis hospital have failed to reach a contract agreement, leaving insurance customers out of network beginning Jan. 1 for one of Topeka’s major health care systems.

Officials with both organizations say discussions are ongoing. The current contract ends Dec. 31.

“We’re having productive talks,” said Matt All, president and CEO of BCBS of Kansas. “It’s a little complicated because they have an out-of-state owner, so we’re not just talking to people here on the ground.”

“I’m not in the business of making predictions, but our expectation is that we’ll work this out and that they’ll be in network,” he added.

Topeka’s St. Francis campus is owned by Ardent Health, which manages operations, and the University of Kansas Health System. Ardent is based in Brentwood, Tennessee.

People covered by BCBS of Kansas have been posting social media messages, upset about the possible loss of their doctors.

“I refuse to abandon my primary care provider whom I trust with my care, so Blue Cross Blue Shield just lost another customer,” said Topekan Carol Baldwin on her personal Facebook page.

In an emailed statement to Kansas Reflector, hospital officials said: “The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus is committed to protecting access to high-quality care for our community. We have made repeated efforts to engage directly with senior decision-makers at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair resolution.”

Rising costs in health care are causing the challenge in reaching agreement, both sides said. For All, the discussions are indicative of broader problems throughout the health care system.

“We are seeking an agreement that reimburses St. Francis Campus at rates consistent with rising costs due to inflation and supply chain pressures,” the hospital’s statement said. “Equitable reimbursement rates are critical to supporting the high-quality care that our patients deserve.”

All said BCBS, which is a mutual nonprofit that is created to benefit its members, must negotiate so that reimbursements to the hospital are reasonable and don’t translate into premiums that members can’t afford.

“For the whole 19 years I’ve been with Blue Cross, and basically our whole history, we’ve had every hospital in our service area in network, and we want St. Francis in network,” he said.

There are many good things about the country’s health care, All said, but the availability of resources isn’t evenly spread out.

“We have too many people that can’t afford coverage,” All said. “The big problem in American health care that’s existed for as long as any of us have been thinking about this is that it doesn’t control costs very well, and so there’s this steady rise in costs over the decades, and some decades are faster than others.”

For the years 2024 through 2033, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/nhe-fact-sheet" target="_blank">predicts that national health expenditures</a>&nbsp;will grow 5.8%.

“Across the industry, in every market, whether you’re talking about commercial plans, the public programs and so forth, costs are rising really quickly right now,” All said. “We’ve seen it in our plan and when you combine that with possibly losing some of the subsidies in the (Affordable Care Act) market, you’re going to have some consumers that are just going to be priced out of the market.”

“That should be unacceptable to us,” All added. “In 2025, in a nation as prosperous as ours, we should be able to make sure that everybody can afford good health care.”

The health care system needs a major overhaul, All said, but having what he called an “adult conversation” on the topic is difficult.

“We need to really talk about the root causes of higher costs and the toll that takes, but also the consequences of controlling costs, because there’s another side to this,” he said. “The fact that we’re able to have two beautiful hospitals in Topeka, two great hospitals in Wichita, a beautiful hospital in Lawrence, and you can actually go there and get care — that is partly because we fund our health care system really lavishly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764610665564.png" alt="Matt All, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (Photo by BCBS of Kansas)" />
 <figcaption>Matt All, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (Photo by BCBS of Kansas)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Topeka’s St. Francis hospital have failed to reach a contract agreement, leaving insurance customers out of network beginning Jan. 1 for one of Topeka’s major health care systems.Officials with both organizations say discussions are ongoing. The current contract ends Dec. 31.“We’re having productive talks,” said Matt All, president and CEO of BCBS of Kansas. “It’s a little complicated because they have an out-of-state owner, so we’re not just talking to people here on the ground.”“I’m not in the business of making predictions, but our expectation is that we’ll work this out and that they’ll be in network,” he added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764610620731.png" alt=" Topeka’s St. Francis hospital system and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas are struggling to reach agreement, which could leave insurance customers out of network. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption> Topeka’s St. Francis hospital system and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas are struggling to reach agreement, which could leave insurance customers out of network. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Topeka’s St. Francis campus is owned by Ardent Health, which manages operations, and the University of Kansas Health System. Ardent is based in Brentwood, Tennessee.People covered by BCBS of Kansas have been posting social media messages, upset about the possible loss of their doctors.“I refuse to abandon my primary care provider whom I trust with my care, so Blue Cross Blue Shield just lost another customer,” said Topekan Carol Baldwin on her personal Facebook page.In an emailed statement to Kansas Reflector, hospital officials said: “The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus is committed to protecting access to high-quality care for our community. We have made repeated efforts to engage directly with senior decision-makers at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair resolution.”Rising costs in health care are causing the challenge in reaching agreement, both sides said. For All, the discussions are indicative of broader problems throughout the health care system.“We are seeking an agreement that reimburses St. Francis Campus at rates consistent with rising costs due to inflation and supply chain pressures,” the hospital’s statement said. “Equitable reimbursement rates are critical to supporting the high-quality care that our patients deserve.”All said BCBS, which is a mutual nonprofit that is created to benefit its members, must negotiate so that reimbursements to the hospital are reasonable and don’t translate into premiums that members can’t afford.“For the whole 19 years I’ve been with Blue Cross, and basically our whole history, we’ve had every hospital in our service area in network, and we want St. Francis in network,” he said.<h2>Changes needed</h2>There are many good things about the country’s health care, All said, but the availability of resources isn’t evenly spread out.“We have too many people that can’t afford coverage,” All said. “The big problem in American health care that’s existed for as long as any of us have been thinking about this is that it doesn’t control costs very well, and so there’s this steady rise in costs over the decades, and some decades are faster than others.”For the years 2024 through 2033, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/nhe-fact-sheet" target="_blank">predicts that national health expenditures</a>&nbsp;will grow 5.8%.“Across the industry, in every market, whether you’re talking about commercial plans, the public programs and so forth, costs are rising really quickly right now,” All said. “We’ve seen it in our plan and when you combine that with possibly losing some of the subsidies in the (Affordable Care Act) market, you’re going to have some consumers that are just going to be priced out of the market.”“That should be unacceptable to us,” All added. “In 2025, in a nation as prosperous as ours, we should be able to make sure that everybody can afford good health care.”The health care system needs a major overhaul, All said, but having what he called an “adult conversation” on the topic is difficult.“We need to really talk about the root causes of higher costs and the toll that takes, but also the consequences of controlling costs, because there’s another side to this,” he said. “The fact that we’re able to have two beautiful hospitals in Topeka, two great hospitals in Wichita, a beautiful hospital in Lawrence, and you can actually go there and get care — that is partly because we fund our health care system really lavishly.”But that system isn’t working if people don’t have access to it, All said.“If we solve the cost problem, we can solve all of the other problems,” he said. “The other problems are just technical. At that point, we have to get the cost problem solved, and we just haven’t been willing to do it yet as a country.”<h2>Health expenses</h2>The Commonwealth Fund, a foundation that focuses on affordable health care,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/oct/high-us-health-care-spending-where-is-it-all-going" target="_blank">compared U.S. health care costs</a>&nbsp;to those in 12 countries. It found the U.S. pays more for:<ul>
 <li>Insurance administrative costs, responsible for about 15% of the excess costs.</li><li>Administrative activities, 15% of excess.</li><li>Prescription drugs, 10% of excess.</li><li>Physician salaries, 10% of excess.</li><li>Registered nurse salaries, 5% of excess.</li><li>Investments in medical machinery and equipment, less than 5%.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The U.S. industry is highly concentrated, All said, with about 20% of health care dollars spent on 1% of the population and more than half of health care dollars on about 5% of the population. Those are patients with chronic diseases, people with metastatic cancer, babies born prematurely and others, he said.“In some ways that makes it easier to address because you’re talking about a smaller set of the population, but I think it actually makes it much harder to address because these are people who very much need care, and we want them to have the best care that’s available,” he said. “So how do you make that less expensive? That is the conundrum that we face in American health care.”It’s important to make sure healthy people are covered by insurance, which was the point of the ACA mandate that required everyone to have insurance, All said. That mandate was struck down but the ACA covers about one in every six people under age 65, or about 44 million people,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/affordable-care-act-marketplace-and-medicaid-expansion-enrollment-reached-a-combined-44-million-in-2024/#:~:text=A%20new%20KFF%20analysis%20finds,age%2065%2C%20or%2016.4%25." target="_blank">according to KFF,</a>&nbsp;which tracks health policies.&nbsp;“If you only cover people who have the costliest care then, then they won’t be able to afford it at all. None of us could,” he said.&nbsp;All said it’s frustrating to hear people against ACA subsidies say that “most people don’t use the care anyway.”“You would never have auto insurance, for example, where only people who get into wrecks pay their auto premium,” he said.All said smaller towns, in particular, could be in jeopardy of losing access to local health care services with Medicaid cuts and the possibility of ACA subsidies not being renewed.Many Kansas hospitals are in difficult financial condition with rising costs. The Kansas Hospital Association said non-reimbursed care costs continue to rise for community hospitals. In 2023, the amount was over $26 billion, and since 2015 non-reimbursed care has increased by 77%.All said insurance companies have a responsibility to be stewards of the health care industry and work to make sure care is affordable and available.“I think there’s a lot of criticism that’s fair of the insurance industry, but it’s not really the reason why health care costs keep going up,” All said. “It is really because we have decided that we’re going to have a system that is really rich for some people and not so rich for others and unavailable for others. Until we make a real commitment to universal coverage that’s affordable, we’re going to be in this fix.”