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

The U.S. Department of Agriculture told states Friday it was releasing full November funding for the nation’s major food assistance program that helps 42 million people afford groceries, complying with a federal court order issued Thursday.

Payments would be sent to states Friday, the department’s Food and Nutrition Service said in a letter to state directors of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is funded by the federal government and administered by the states. Patrick A. Penn, the deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, wrote the two-paragraph&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/%2520https%253a//www.documentcloud.org/documents/26220869-snap-november-2025-benefit-guidance-update/" target="_blank">letter.</a>

“Later today, FNS will complete the processes necessary to make funds available to support your subsequent transmittal of full issuance files to your EBT processor,” Penn wrote. “We will keep you as up to date as possible on any future developments and appreciate your continued partnership to serve program beneficiaries across the country.”

The move abandons an appeal President Donald Trump’s administration made following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-ordered-pay-full-9b-november-snap-benefits-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">Thursday’s order</a>&nbsp;from Chief U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71886023/00108363689/rhode-island-state-council-of-churches-v-rollins/" target="_blank">appeal</a>&nbsp;said the government shutdown, and the resulting lack of funding for SNAP, was Congress’ fault and that the department could not be compelled to transfer other funds to pay for SNAP benefits.

The shutdown, which started when Congress failed to pass annual laws by Oct. 1, left SNAP without any appropriated funding for November and beyond. The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-wont-shuffle-funds-extend-snap-during-shutdown-about-face-earlier-plan" target="_blank">reversed its own guidance</a>&nbsp;and declined to use a contingency fund and other accounts within the USDA held more than enough to cover some 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 told states Friday it was releasing full November funding for the nation’s major food assistance program that helps 42 million people afford groceries, complying with a federal court order issued Thursday.Payments would be sent to states Friday, the department’s Food and Nutrition Service said in a letter to state directors of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is funded by the federal government and administered by the states. Patrick A. Penn, the deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, wrote the two-paragraph&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/%2520https%253a//www.documentcloud.org/documents/26220869-snap-november-2025-benefit-guidance-update/" target="_blank">letter.</a>“Later today, FNS will complete the processes necessary to make funds available to support your subsequent transmittal of full issuance files to your EBT processor,” Penn wrote. “We will keep you as up to date as possible on any future developments and appreciate your continued partnership to serve program beneficiaries across the country.”The move abandons an appeal President Donald Trump’s administration made following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-ordered-pay-full-9b-november-snap-benefits-amid-shutdown" target="_blank">Thursday’s order</a>&nbsp;from Chief U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71886023/00108363689/rhode-island-state-council-of-churches-v-rollins/" target="_blank">appeal</a>&nbsp;said the government shutdown, and the resulting lack of funding for SNAP, was Congress’ fault and that the department could not be compelled to transfer other funds to pay for SNAP benefits.The shutdown, which started when Congress failed to pass annual laws by Oct. 1, left SNAP without any appropriated funding for November and beyond. The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-wont-shuffle-funds-extend-snap-during-shutdown-about-face-earlier-plan" target="_blank">reversed its own guidance</a>&nbsp;and declined to use a contingency fund and other accounts within the USDA held more than enough to cover some benefits.

Full November SNAP benefits to be issued by Trump administration despite shutdown

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue carrying out, for now, its policy requiring that passports only list a person’s sex assigned at birth.

The nation’s highest court paused a lower court order that temporarily barred the administration from enforcing the policy, codified in an executive order Trump signed in January.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;made it the “policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female” and called on the State Department to “implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex.”&nbsp;

Under then-President Joe Biden, the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-equality-and-visibility-for-transgender-americans/" target="_blank">allowed</a>&nbsp;people to “select an ‘X’ as their gender marker on their U.S. passport application.”

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26219531-scotus-passports-11625/" target="_blank">the unsigned court order</a>, the majority noted that “displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.

Jackson, who authored the dissent, wrote that the court “fails to spill any ink considering the plaintiffs, opting instead to intervene in the Government’s favor without equitable justification, and in a manner that permits harm to be inflicted on the most vulnerable party.”&nbsp;

“This Court has once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification,” she wrote. “Because I cannot acquiesce to this pointless but painful perversion of our equitable discretion, I respectfully dissent.”&nbsp;

In February, the American Civil Liberties Union&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.280559/gov.uscourts.mad.280559.1.0_2.pdf" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the administration on behalf of seven transgender and nonbinary people over the suspension of the Biden-era policy.

A federal judge in Massachusetts in June temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing the policy. The judge had issued an earlier preliminary injunction in April that applied to six of the case’s plaintiffs.&nbsp;

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit kept in place the district court’s order in September, prompting the administration to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627262146028.jpeg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue carrying out, for now, its policy requiring that passports only list a person’s sex assigned at birth.The nation’s highest court paused a lower court order that temporarily barred the administration from enforcing the policy, codified in an executive order Trump signed in January.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;made it the “policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female” and called on the State Department to “implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex.”&nbsp;Under then-President Joe Biden, the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-equality-and-visibility-for-transgender-americans/" target="_blank">allowed</a>&nbsp;people to “select an ‘X’ as their gender marker on their U.S. passport application.”In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26219531-scotus-passports-11625/" target="_blank">the unsigned court order</a>, the majority noted that “displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, indicating a 6-3 decision.Jackson, who authored the dissent, wrote that the court “fails to spill any ink considering the plaintiffs, opting instead to intervene in the Government’s favor without equitable justification, and in a manner that permits harm to be inflicted on the most vulnerable party.”&nbsp;“This Court has once again paved the way for the immediate infliction of injury without adequate (or, really, any) justification,” she wrote. “Because I cannot acquiesce to this pointless but painful perversion of our equitable discretion, I respectfully dissent.”&nbsp;In February, the American Civil Liberties Union&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.280559/gov.uscourts.mad.280559.1.0_2.pdf" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the administration on behalf of seven transgender and nonbinary people over the suspension of the Biden-era policy.A federal judge in Massachusetts in June temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing the policy. The judge had issued an earlier preliminary injunction in April that applied to six of the case’s plaintiffs.&nbsp;The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit kept in place the district court’s order in September, prompting the administration to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Supreme Court OKs for now Trump passport policy that targets trans people

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to pay roughly $9 billion for November SNAP benefits by Friday. Vice President&nbsp; JD Vance criticized the ruling.

(click below to listen to Vice President Vance's comments)

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to pay roughly $9 billion for November SNAP benefits by Friday. Vice President&nbsp; JD Vance criticized the ruling.(click below to listen to Vice President Vance's comments)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &quot;It’s an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the midst of a Democrat government shutdown... What we’d like to do is for the Democrats to open up the government — then we can fund SNAP, and we can also do a lot of other… <a href="https://t.co/TWSpzllzKt">pic.twitter.com/TWSpzllzKt</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1986601094550602090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Vice President critical of judge's ruling to fully fund SNAP

WASHINGTON, D.C. —&nbsp;U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford&nbsp; outlined the proactive actions the FAA will take to maintain the highest standards of safety in the national airspace system. This includes achieving a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country. &nbsp;

Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing. This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers. This past weekend, there were 2,740 delays at various airports.  &nbsp;

“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.&nbsp;“It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”&nbsp;

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford.&nbsp;“The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”  &nbsp;

The full emergency order can be read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/FAA-Emergency-Order-11-6-25.pdf">HERE</a>.&nbsp;

A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14.&nbsp;

These actions were directly informed by the FAA’s review of aviation safety data, including voluntary, confidential safety reports that pilots and air traffic controllers file. The data indicates increased stress on the system, which increases risk. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs. This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier.&nbsp;

The order does not require a reduction in international flights. Carriers may use their own discretion to decide which flights are canceled to reach the order’s goal.&nbsp;

Decisions to increase or decrease these flight reductions will be informed by safety data. &nbsp;

The 40 affected high impact airports include: &nbsp;

ANC –&nbsp;Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport&nbsp;

ATL –&nbsp;Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport&nbsp;

BOS –&nbsp;Boston Logan International Airport&nbsp;

BWI –&nbsp;Baltimore/Washington International Airport&nbsp;

CLT –&nbsp;Charlotte Douglas International Airport&nbsp;

CVG –&nbsp;Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport&nbsp;

DAL –&nbsp;Dallas Love Field&nbsp;DCA –&nbsp;Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport&nbsp;

DEN –&nbsp;Denver International Airport&nbsp;

DFW –&nbsp;Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport&nbsp;

DTW –&nbsp;Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport&nbsp;EWR –&nbsp;Newark Liberty International Airport&nbsp;

FLL –&nbsp;Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport&nbsp;

HNL –&nbsp;Honolulu International Airport&nbsp;

HOU –&nbsp;William P. Hobby Airport&nbsp;

IAD –&nbsp;Washington Dulles International Airport

&nbsp;IAH –&nbsp;George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport&nbsp;

IND –&nbsp;Indianapolis International Airport&nbsp;

JFK –&nbsp;New York John F. Kennedy International Airport&nbsp;

LAS –&nbsp;Las Vegas McCarran International Airport&nbsp;

LAX –&nbsp;Los Angeles International Airport&nbsp;

LGA –&nbsp;New York LaGuardia Airport&nbsp;

MCO –&nbsp;Orlando International Airport&nbsp;

MDW –&nbsp;Chicago Midway International Airport&nbsp;

MEM –&nbsp;Memphis International Airport&nbsp;

MIA –&nbsp;Miami International Airport&nbsp;

MSP –&nbsp;Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport&nbsp;

OAK –&nbsp;Oakland International Airport&nbsp;

ONT –&nbsp;Ontario International Airport&nbsp;

ORD –&nbsp;Chicago O’Hare International Airport&nbsp;

PDX –&nbsp;Portland International Airport

&nbsp;PHL –&nbsp;Philadelphia International Airport&nbsp;

PHX –&nbsp;Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport&nbsp;

SAN –&nbsp;San Diego International Airport&nbsp;

SDF –&nbsp;Louisville International Airport&nbsp;

SEA –&nbsp;Seattle–Tacoma International Airport&nbsp;

SFO –&nbsp;San Francisco International Airport&nbsp;

SLC –&nbsp;Salt Lake City International Airport&nbsp;

TEB –&nbsp;Teterboro Airport&nbsp;TPA –&nbsp;Tampa International Airport

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762445699793.png" alt="Photo Frontier Airlines" />
 <figcaption>Photo Frontier Airlines</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDOT</a> has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue working without pay. It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because… <a href="https://t.co/YRrq5sdy4T">pic.twitter.com/YRrq5sdy4T</a>&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1986598889005477938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>WASHINGTON, D.C. —&nbsp;U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford&nbsp; outlined the proactive actions the FAA will take to maintain the highest standards of safety in the national airspace system. This includes achieving a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country. &nbsp;Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing. This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers. This past weekend, there were 2,740 delays at various airports.  &nbsp;“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.&nbsp;“It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”&nbsp;“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford.&nbsp;“The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”  &nbsp;The full emergency order can be read&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/FAA-Emergency-Order-11-6-25.pdf">HERE</a>.&nbsp;Summary of Actions:A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14.&nbsp;The FAA will also:<ul>
 <li>Prohibit some visual flight rule approaches (VFR) at facilities with staffing triggers</li><li>Limit commercial space launches to non-peak hours so they are prohibited between 11:01 a.m. and 2:59 p.m. UTC</li><li>Prohibit parachute operations and photo missions near facilities with a staffing trigger. &nbsp;</li>
 </ul>These actions were directly informed by the FAA’s review of aviation safety data, including voluntary, confidential safety reports that pilots and air traffic controllers file. The data indicates increased stress on the system, which increases risk. &nbsp;&nbsp;Additional Information:Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs. This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier.&nbsp;The order does not require a reduction in international flights. Carriers may use their own discretion to decide which flights are canceled to reach the order’s goal.&nbsp;Decisions to increase or decrease these flight reductions will be informed by safety data. &nbsp;The 40 affected high impact airports include: &nbsp;ANC –&nbsp;Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport&nbsp;ATL –&nbsp;Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport&nbsp;BOS –&nbsp;Boston Logan International Airport&nbsp;BWI –&nbsp;Baltimore/Washington International Airport&nbsp;CLT –&nbsp;Charlotte Douglas International Airport&nbsp;CVG –&nbsp;Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport&nbsp;DAL –&nbsp;Dallas Love Field&nbsp;DCA –&nbsp;Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport&nbsp;DEN –&nbsp;Denver International Airport&nbsp;DFW –&nbsp;Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport&nbsp;DTW –&nbsp;Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport&nbsp;EWR –&nbsp;Newark Liberty International Airport&nbsp;FLL –&nbsp;Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport&nbsp;HNL –&nbsp;Honolulu International Airport&nbsp;HOU –&nbsp;William P. Hobby Airport&nbsp;IAD –&nbsp;Washington Dulles International Airport&nbsp;IAH –&nbsp;George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport&nbsp;IND –&nbsp;Indianapolis International Airport&nbsp;JFK –&nbsp;New York John F. Kennedy International Airport&nbsp;LAS –&nbsp;Las Vegas McCarran International Airport&nbsp;LAX –&nbsp;Los Angeles International Airport&nbsp;LGA –&nbsp;New York LaGuardia Airport&nbsp;MCO –&nbsp;Orlando International Airport&nbsp;MDW –&nbsp;Chicago Midway International Airport&nbsp;MEM –&nbsp;Memphis International Airport&nbsp;MIA –&nbsp;Miami International Airport&nbsp;MSP –&nbsp;Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport&nbsp;OAK –&nbsp;Oakland International Airport&nbsp;ONT –&nbsp;Ontario International Airport&nbsp;ORD –&nbsp;Chicago O’Hare International Airport&nbsp;PDX –&nbsp;Portland International Airport&nbsp;PHL –&nbsp;Philadelphia International Airport&nbsp;PHX –&nbsp;Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport&nbsp;SAN –&nbsp;San Diego International Airport&nbsp;SDF –&nbsp;Louisville International Airport&nbsp;SEA –&nbsp;Seattle–Tacoma International Airport&nbsp;SFO –&nbsp;San Francisco International Airport&nbsp;SLC –&nbsp;Salt Lake City International Airport&nbsp;TEB –&nbsp;Teterboro Airport&nbsp;TPA –&nbsp;Tampa International Airport

FAA's order to cut flights nationwide due to gov't shutdown is in effect

PHELPS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On Thursday, the&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) announce the arrest of Carl E. Swanson, 41, of St. James.

 Swanson was arrested on November 5, 2025, in connection with a sexual abuse investigation conducted by the Troop I Criminal Investigative Unit of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

On April 28, 2025, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office requested DDCC investigate allegations of child sex abuse, involving former Doolittle Police Department Officer, Carl E. Swanson. 

On November 5, 2025, following a lengthy investigation, DDCC investigators arrested Swanson in connection with the alleged incident. 

Swanson was transported to the Phelps County Jail and placed on an investigative hold. On November 5, 2025, the Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Swanson with one count each: 1st Degree-Child Molestation, 2nd Degree-Statutory Rape, and 2nd-Degree Statutory Sodomy. Swanson is being held in the Phelps County Jail, with a $250,000.00 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762516170383.png" alt="Swanson photo Phelps County" />
 <figcaption>Swanson photo Phelps County</figcaption>
 </figure>PHELPS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.On Thursday, the&nbsp;Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) announce the arrest of Carl E. Swanson, 41, of St. James. Swanson was arrested on November 5, 2025, in connection with a sexual abuse investigation conducted by the Troop I Criminal Investigative Unit of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.On April 28, 2025, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office requested DDCC investigate allegations of child sex abuse, involving former Doolittle Police Department Officer, Carl E. Swanson. On November 5, 2025, following a lengthy investigation, DDCC investigators arrested Swanson in connection with the alleged incident. Swanson was transported to the Phelps County Jail and placed on an investigative hold. On November 5, 2025, the Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Swanson with one count each: 1st Degree-Child Molestation, 2nd Degree-Statutory Rape, and 2nd-Degree Statutory Sodomy. Swanson is being held in the Phelps County Jail, with a $250,000.00 bond.

Former Missouri police officer charged with child sex crimes

HARVEY COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 3p.m. Thursday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Toyota 4Runner driven by&nbsp; Yamilena&nbsp;Zambrano Galue, 24, Wichita, was southbound on Interstate 135 one mile south of Lincoln Boulevard.&nbsp;The SUV struck a KDOT 2023 Freightliner 108SD driven by Charlene&nbsp;Harvey, 40,&nbsp; Newton, who was doing maintenance on the Interstate and was partially in the left lane.

EMS transported Zambrano to Wesley Medial Center.&nbsp; The truck driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762524111162.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 3p.m. Thursday in Harvey County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Toyota 4Runner driven by&nbsp; Yamilena&nbsp;Zambrano Galue, 24, Wichita, was southbound on Interstate 135 one mile south of Lincoln Boulevard.&nbsp;The SUV struck a KDOT 2023 Freightliner 108SD driven by Charlene&nbsp;Harvey, 40,&nbsp; Newton, who was doing maintenance on the Interstate and was partially in the left lane.EMS transported Zambrano to Wesley Medial Center.&nbsp; The truck driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kan. woman injured after SUV strikes a KDOT truck

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reported another deadly strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.

Hegseth wrote on social media, "As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their the poisoning of the American people stops."

":On Thursday. at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization."

"The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and three male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed."

"To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reported another deadly strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.Hegseth wrote on social media, "As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their the poisoning of the American people stops."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their the poisoning of the American people stops. Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist… <a href="https://t.co/gQF9LpSjqD">pic.twitter.com/gQF9LpSjqD</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1986631797547921741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>":On Thursday. at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization.""The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and three male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed.""To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you."

🎥US military kills 3 in new strike on drug-running boat

A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to pay roughly $9 billion for a full month of nutrition assistance benefits by the next day.

Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who was appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, said the administration blew its chance to choose to pay only partial benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, when it failed to release funds by a Wednesday deadline.

He said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/defiant-trump-vows-no-snap-payments-until-democrats-cave-shutdown" target="_blank">a social media post</a>&nbsp;by President Donald Trump showed the president sought to use hunger for political leverage during the government shutdown, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-talks-continue-end-37-day-shutdown-final-deal-elusive" target="_blank">stretched into day 37</a>&nbsp;on Thursday.

Earlier, in a Friday oral order that he expanded in a Saturday written order, McConnell had said the government must either pay full benefits by Monday or partial benefits from a contingency fund by Wednesday.&nbsp;

The government did neither, he said Thursday.

The administration had argued it was impossible to pay the benefits, which go to 42 million Americans, within a few days, saying that the USDA had never calculated partial benefits and that coordinating new payments for SNAP, a federally funded program administered by the states, was difficult.&nbsp;

But McConnell said the department created the problem, in part by failing to prepare for it far earlier. USDA was obligated to spend from a contingency fund to ensure SNAP benefits flowed into November uninterrupted, he said.&nbsp;

“USDA did not do so,” he said. “Even when Nov. 1 came, USDA refused to use the congressionally mandated contingency funds. USDA cannot now cry that it cannot get timely payments to beneficiaries for weeks or months because states are not prepared to make partial payments.

“USDA arbitrarily and capriciously created this problem by ignoring the congressionally mandated contingency funds and failing to timely notify the states.”

McConnell also pointed to Trump’s post on Truth Social on Tuesday that indicated he would not authorize payments consistent with the judge’s order until Democrats agreed to his terms to end the government shutdown.

“The day before the compliance was ordered, the president stated his intent to defy the court order when he said, ‘SNAP payments will be given only when the government opens,’” McConnell said Thursday.

The USDA had said it would pay only partial November benefits from a contingency fund holding about $4.5 billion, rather than tap into other money at its disposal, including a $23 billion fund for child nutrition programs.

The coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations that sued to force the administration to pay SNAP benefits for November has argued the court should force USDA to pay full benefits for November.&nbsp;

In addition to the missed Wednesday deadline, the move violated a fundamental administrative law requiring federal agencies not to make arbitrary and capricious decisions, Kristin Bateman of the Democracy Forward Foundation, which is representing the groups, said Thursday.

The child nutrition program would not need its billions of dollars until June, she said, meaning that transferring funds for SNAP would only actually hurt the child nutrition program if the shutdown persists until then.

“A decision on such a highly unlikely set of events is not reasoned decision-making,” Bateman said. “It’s particularly unreasonable because the defendants have not explained why they would choose to let 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, go hungry now in order to guard against the extreme outside chance that come June, there won’t be enough money to fund child nutrition programs.”

McConnell agreed that invoking the child nutrition fund was “entirely pretextual,” which was demonstrated in part by Trump’s post and other statements by administration officials.

“The defendants’ stated desire to conserve funding for the child nutrition programs is entirely pretextual, given the numerous statements made in recent weeks by the president and his administration officials who admit to withholding full SNAP benefits for political reasons,” he said.

McConnell also noted that the case should be resolved as soon as possible to help provide food to hungry people or “needless suffering will occur.”

Tyler Becker, who argued on behalf of the USDA, said the department had done its part by making available to states a table showing how they should allocate partial November benefits for households of differing circumstances.

SNAP is a complex program, requiring coordination between the federal government and all 50 states, each of which has a different system for distributing benefits.

“The government did make the payments, is making the payments to the states,” he said. “That’s all the government does in the SNAP program.”

He added that the government had shown earlier in the case some of the administrative difficulties of paying partial benefits.

In a separate case in Massachusetts federal court, some states said they could process the benefits immediately, while others cannot.

But McConnell cut him off shortly after, saying the federal government was responsible for ensuring people got their SNAP benefits.

“The problem that the government identified needed to be resolved one way or the other by Wednesday,” he said. “And if it wasn’t resolved by Wednesday, then you had to make the full payments, because that’s the only way we could get money to people immediately and alleviate the irreparable harm, whether you could or couldn’t do anything about that.”

In a Sept. 30 contingency plan about how to proceed during a government shutdown, the USDA itself said it would pay for continuing benefits through the contingency fund, which at the time held $6 billion. The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-wont-shuffle-funds-extend-snap-during-shutdown-about-face-earlier-plan" target="_blank">later reversed that plan</a>&nbsp;and said it could not tap the contingency fund.

In the Massachusetts case, which was brought by 25 Democratic states and the District of Columbia, the states argued Thursday that confusion stemming from a miscalculation the USDA made in determining November partial benefits was a reason to force the administration to pay for a full month.

The hearing followed a late Wednesday night filing from the USDA correcting an error it made in calculating the amounts beneficiaries would receive under its plan for partial payments.&nbsp;

The department said it will reduce the largest monthly food assistance payments by about 35% in November, down from a 50% cut the department initially estimated.

USDA miscalculated how to adjust benefit payments for SNAP to account for a lack of full funding during the government shutdown, a department official said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26218472-usdadocnov5/" target="_blank">a filing</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island.&nbsp;

The formula the government initially used and sent to states Tuesday would have resulted in about a 50% cut to the maximum monthly benefits, and left some households without benefits.&nbsp;

SNAP pays benefits on a sliding scale depending on the size of a household, the household’s income and other expenses such as housing. By cutting the maximum benefit by one-half, the department would have spent about $3 billion from a SNAP contingency fund instead of the full $4.65 billion in the fund, which is what the court ordered it to spend.

The mixup created confusion for state administrators, the states in the Massachusetts litigation said.

“The fact they have been asked to suddenly shift on a dime yet again as a result of these entirely new tables, causing further chaos and delay, underscores that USDA’s approach here is untenable and unlawful,” the states wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/snap-reply-brief/download" target="_blank">a Thursday brief</a>.

The error was first reported to McConnell by the coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations that sued to force the government to pay SNAP benefits this month.&nbsp;

An analysis submitted by Sharon Parrott, a former White House budget officer who now leads the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, showed that the table the department submitted to the court and sent to states on Tuesday would fall short of the court’s order to spend the entire contingency fund.

The groups said the department’s error was another reason the court should compel the government to transfer funds to pay out full benefits for November.

“Defendants’ approach means that only around $3 billion—out of the $4.65 billion Defendants have said is available—will be spent on SNAP benefits in November, leaving more than $1.5 billion in contingency funds unspent,” they wrote in a Wednesday brief. “Defendants opted for partial (and delayed) SNAP payments, but even then, did not manage to do that correctly.”

The department said in its filing later Wednesday that it independently discovered its miscalculation and worked to fix it before Parrott’s declaration hit the court docket.

“Defendants realized this error and worked to issue new guidance and tables as soon as it was discovered, not in response to Plaintiffs’ notice filed earlier this evening,” USDA’s brief said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762201737176.jpeg" alt="A sign in a convenience store along Barlowe Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, advertises that it accepts SNAP benefilts..jpg" />
 <figcaption>A sign in a convenience store along Barlowe Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, advertises that it accepts SNAP benefilts..jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to pay roughly $9 billion for a full month of nutrition assistance benefits by the next day.Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who was appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, said the administration blew its chance to choose to pay only partial benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, when it failed to release funds by a Wednesday deadline.He said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/defiant-trump-vows-no-snap-payments-until-democrats-cave-shutdown" target="_blank">a social media post</a>&nbsp;by President Donald Trump showed the president sought to use hunger for political leverage during the government shutdown, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-talks-continue-end-37-day-shutdown-final-deal-elusive" target="_blank">stretched into day 37</a>&nbsp;on Thursday.Earlier, in a Friday oral order that he expanded in a Saturday written order, McConnell had said the government must either pay full benefits by Monday or partial benefits from a contingency fund by Wednesday.&nbsp;The government did neither, he said Thursday.The administration had argued it was impossible to pay the benefits, which go to 42 million Americans, within a few days, saying that the USDA had never calculated partial benefits and that coordinating new payments for SNAP, a federally funded program administered by the states, was difficult.&nbsp;<h2>‘USDA cannot now cry’</h2>But McConnell said the department created the problem, in part by failing to prepare for it far earlier. USDA was obligated to spend from a contingency fund to ensure SNAP benefits flowed into November uninterrupted, he said.&nbsp;“USDA did not do so,” he said. “Even when Nov. 1 came, USDA refused to use the congressionally mandated contingency funds. USDA cannot now cry that it cannot get timely payments to beneficiaries for weeks or months because states are not prepared to make partial payments.“USDA arbitrarily and capriciously created this problem by ignoring the congressionally mandated contingency funds and failing to timely notify the states.”McConnell also pointed to Trump’s post on Truth Social on Tuesday that indicated he would not authorize payments consistent with the judge’s order until Democrats agreed to his terms to end the government shutdown.“The day before the compliance was ordered, the president stated his intent to defy the court order when he said, ‘SNAP payments will be given only when the government opens,’” McConnell said Thursday.<h2>Child nutrition funding suggested</h2>The USDA had said it would pay only partial November benefits from a contingency fund holding about $4.5 billion, rather than tap into other money at its disposal, including a $23 billion fund for child nutrition programs.The coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations that sued to force the administration to pay SNAP benefits for November has argued the court should force USDA to pay full benefits for November.&nbsp;In addition to the missed Wednesday deadline, the move violated a fundamental administrative law requiring federal agencies not to make arbitrary and capricious decisions, Kristin Bateman of the Democracy Forward Foundation, which is representing the groups, said Thursday.The child nutrition program would not need its billions of dollars until June, she said, meaning that transferring funds for SNAP would only actually hurt the child nutrition program if the shutdown persists until then.“A decision on such a highly unlikely set of events is not reasoned decision-making,” Bateman said. “It’s particularly unreasonable because the defendants have not explained why they would choose to let 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, go hungry now in order to guard against the extreme outside chance that come June, there won’t be enough money to fund child nutrition programs.”McConnell agreed that invoking the child nutrition fund was “entirely pretextual,” which was demonstrated in part by Trump’s post and other statements by administration officials.“The defendants’ stated desire to conserve funding for the child nutrition programs is entirely pretextual, given the numerous statements made in recent weeks by the president and his administration officials who admit to withholding full SNAP benefits for political reasons,” he said.McConnell also noted that the case should be resolved as soon as possible to help provide food to hungry people or “needless suffering will occur.”<h2>‘A state problem’</h2>Tyler Becker, who argued on behalf of the USDA, said the department had done its part by making available to states a table showing how they should allocate partial November benefits for households of differing circumstances.SNAP is a complex program, requiring coordination between the federal government and all 50 states, each of which has a different system for distributing benefits.“The government did make the payments, is making the payments to the states,” he said. “That’s all the government does in the SNAP program.”He added that the government had shown earlier in the case some of the administrative difficulties of paying partial benefits.In a separate case in Massachusetts federal court, some states said they could process the benefits immediately, while others cannot.“This is a state problem,” he said.But McConnell cut him off shortly after, saying the federal government was responsible for ensuring people got their SNAP benefits.“The problem that the government identified needed to be resolved one way or the other by Wednesday,” he said. “And if it wasn’t resolved by Wednesday, then you had to make the full payments, because that’s the only way we could get money to people immediately and alleviate the irreparable harm, whether you could or couldn’t do anything about that.”In a Sept. 30 contingency plan about how to proceed during a government shutdown, the USDA itself said it would pay for continuing benefits through the contingency fund, which at the time held $6 billion. The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/usda-wont-shuffle-funds-extend-snap-during-shutdown-about-face-earlier-plan" target="_blank">later reversed that plan</a>&nbsp;and said it could not tap the contingency fund.In the Massachusetts case, which was brought by 25 Democratic states and the District of Columbia, the states argued Thursday that confusion stemming from a miscalculation the USDA made in determining November partial benefits was a reason to force the administration to pay for a full month.<h2>USDA corrects miscalculation</h2>The hearing followed a late Wednesday night filing from the USDA correcting an error it made in calculating the amounts beneficiaries would receive under its plan for partial payments.&nbsp;The department said it will reduce the largest monthly food assistance payments by about 35% in November, down from a 50% cut the department initially estimated.USDA miscalculated how to adjust benefit payments for SNAP to account for a lack of full funding during the government shutdown, a department official said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26218472-usdadocnov5/" target="_blank">a filing</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island.&nbsp;The formula the government initially used and sent to states Tuesday would have resulted in about a 50% cut to the maximum monthly benefits, and left some households without benefits.&nbsp;SNAP pays benefits on a sliding scale depending on the size of a household, the household’s income and other expenses such as housing. By cutting the maximum benefit by one-half, the department would have spent about $3 billion from a SNAP contingency fund instead of the full $4.65 billion in the fund, which is what the court ordered it to spend.The mixup created confusion for state administrators, the states in the Massachusetts litigation said.“The fact they have been asked to suddenly shift on a dime yet again as a result of these entirely new tables, causing further chaos and delay, underscores that USDA’s approach here is untenable and unlawful,” the states wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/snap-reply-brief/download" target="_blank">a Thursday brief</a>.The error was first reported to McConnell by the coalition of cities and nonprofit organizations that sued to force the government to pay SNAP benefits this month.&nbsp;<h2>Think tank discovers discrepancy&nbsp;</h2>An analysis submitted by Sharon Parrott, a former White House budget officer who now leads the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, showed that the table the department submitted to the court and sent to states on Tuesday would fall short of the court’s order to spend the entire contingency fund.The groups said the department’s error was another reason the court should compel the government to transfer funds to pay out full benefits for November.“Defendants’ approach means that only around $3 billion—out of the $4.65 billion Defendants have said is available—will be spent on SNAP benefits in November, leaving more than $1.5 billion in contingency funds unspent,” they wrote in a Wednesday brief. “Defendants opted for partial (and delayed) SNAP payments, but even then, did not manage to do that correctly.”The department said in its filing later Wednesday that it independently discovered its miscalculation and worked to fix it before Parrott’s declaration hit the court docket.“Defendants realized this error and worked to issue new guidance and tables as soon as it was discovered, not in response to Plaintiffs’ notice filed earlier this evening,” USDA’s brief said.

Trump admin. ordered to pay full $9B in November SNAP benefits amid shutdown

State education commissioner lauds improvement but notes there is ‘work to do’

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

Missouri public schools showed continued improvement in annual performance reports released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Thursday, with 56% of districts and charter schools raising their scores.

The state is in its fourth year of the Missouri School Improvement Program 6, which education officials deem “more rigorous” than the previous iteration of the program. In 2022, the system’s pilot year, 112 school districts and charters scored lower than 70% — the score required to be fully accredited by the education department.

Accreditation decisions based on the MSIP6 scores are a year away, but the number of districts at risk for a lower classification has decreased dramatically in four years.

Based on districts’ three-year composite scores, which the department will use to determine accreditation, 29 school districts are in range to be provisionally accredited. None scored below 50%, which would put them at risk for being unaccredited.

Three charter schools scored below 50% and 29 scored below 70%, but these scores will not be part of next year’s classification decisions. Despite MSIP6 being used to score charters, they have separate methods of accreditation.

“I am so proud of our educators and students,” Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger said in a press conference Thursday afternoon. “You must take some time to celebrate the good, but we also know there is room for improvement.”

The scores include a variety of factors, like standardized test scores, student growth and career readiness. Student performance comprises 70% of the score. The other 30% is based on continuous improvement measures.

Of the 553 districts and charter schools in the state, 152 raised their score by at least 5% this year. Some showed dramatic improvement.

Neosho School District boosted its score from 61.5% in 2024 to 85.5% this year. Superintendent Jim Davis, who took the role in August 2024, told The Independent that the improvement is largely because of a district-wide focus on proficiency and literacy.

“There was a lot of work that was put into it to get us to take that jump,” he said, “but we’re proud of that, and we’re expecting to continue moving up with the systems that we built here.”

Classroom instruction in Neosho is expected to meet grade-level standards, he said, which pushes struggling students to catch up.

“Students expedite their academic growth when they are given grade-level content,” Davis said. “So the more time that we spend in grade-level content, the faster they’re going to move.”

The district is one of 32 districts and charter schools in&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/college-career-readiness/curriculum/comprehensive-literacy-state-development-program/participating" target="_blank">Missouri’s Comprehensive Literacy State Development program</a>, a grant program which provides literacy resources and professional development among other assets.

The district received top scores for student growth in reading, math and science and received 50% of the points possible for social studies growth among the full student population. It got a quarter of the points possible for social studies growth in student groups&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/msip-6-comprehensive-guide" target="_blank">deemed “historically underperforming” by the education department</a>, such as low-income students and English-language learners.

“We want to create success,” Davis said. “But also we have got to continue developing our team so that, moving forward, all students can be successful.”

The Southern Boone School District in Ashland also showed dramatic improvement, going from 78.9% in 2024 to 95.9% this year. It is one of 22 school districts with a score of at least 90%.

“You can contribute our growth to continued work with our teams of teachers and administrators on our curriculum development and making sure that we’ve got the right resources for kids and teachers to use, along with making sure that our teachers are well-prepared,” Superintendent Tim Roth told The Independent.

The district has invested in new textbooks and software to bolster curriculum. At the middle school level, the district has instituted an assessment system that gives continuous checks on student achievement. Teachers review the results regularly and brainstorm ways to improve in small-group settings, Roth said.

The district received 100% for student growth on standardized tests across subject areas. It also earned top scores in attendance.

“Something that stands out for us is just the value that our parents and community put on education,” Roth said. “With our students being here on a regular basis, we’re very happy that we have that support and that learning is a priority.”

Eslinger told reporters that attendance and literacy are a focus for the department.

“We are on the right track,” she said. “Our data points are showing improvement, but we still have work to do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762465018762.png" alt="Missouri Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger speaks to reporters Thursday about the 2025 annual performance report scores in a press conference in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offices in Jefferson City. She pointed to an increase in scores statewide but acknowledged there is more improvement to be had (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger speaks to reporters Thursday about the 2025 annual performance report scores in a press conference in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offices in Jefferson City. She pointed to an increase in scores statewide but acknowledged there is more improvement to be had (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State education commissioner lauds improvement but notes there is ‘work to do’</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri public schools showed continued improvement in annual performance reports released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Thursday, with 56% of districts and charter schools raising their scores.The state is in its fourth year of the Missouri School Improvement Program 6, which education officials deem “more rigorous” than the previous iteration of the program. In 2022, the system’s pilot year, 112 school districts and charters scored lower than 70% — the score required to be fully accredited by the education department.Accreditation decisions based on the MSIP6 scores are a year away, but the number of districts at risk for a lower classification has decreased dramatically in four years.Based on districts’ three-year composite scores, which the department will use to determine accreditation, 29 school districts are in range to be provisionally accredited. None scored below 50%, which would put them at risk for being unaccredited.Three charter schools scored below 50% and 29 scored below 70%, but these scores will not be part of next year’s classification decisions. Despite MSIP6 being used to score charters, they have separate methods of accreditation.“I am so proud of our educators and students,” Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger said in a press conference Thursday afternoon. “You must take some time to celebrate the good, but we also know there is room for improvement.”The scores include a variety of factors, like standardized test scores, student growth and career readiness. Student performance comprises 70% of the score. The other 30% is based on continuous improvement measures.Of the 553 districts and charter schools in the state, 152 raised their score by at least 5% this year. Some showed dramatic improvement.Neosho School District boosted its score from 61.5% in 2024 to 85.5% this year. Superintendent Jim Davis, who took the role in August 2024, told The Independent that the improvement is largely because of a district-wide focus on proficiency and literacy.“There was a lot of work that was put into it to get us to take that jump,” he said, “but we’re proud of that, and we’re expecting to continue moving up with the systems that we built here.”Classroom instruction in Neosho is expected to meet grade-level standards, he said, which pushes struggling students to catch up.“Students expedite their academic growth when they are given grade-level content,” Davis said. “So the more time that we spend in grade-level content, the faster they’re going to move.”The district is one of 32 districts and charter schools in&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/college-career-readiness/curriculum/comprehensive-literacy-state-development-program/participating" target="_blank">Missouri’s Comprehensive Literacy State Development program</a>, a grant program which provides literacy resources and professional development among other assets.The district received top scores for student growth in reading, math and science and received 50% of the points possible for social studies growth among the full student population. It got a quarter of the points possible for social studies growth in student groups&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/msip-6-comprehensive-guide" target="_blank">deemed “historically underperforming” by the education department</a>, such as low-income students and English-language learners.“We want to create success,” Davis said. “But also we have got to continue developing our team so that, moving forward, all students can be successful.”The Southern Boone School District in Ashland also showed dramatic improvement, going from 78.9% in 2024 to 95.9% this year. It is one of 22 school districts with a score of at least 90%.“You can contribute our growth to continued work with our teams of teachers and administrators on our curriculum development and making sure that we’ve got the right resources for kids and teachers to use, along with making sure that our teachers are well-prepared,” Superintendent Tim Roth told The Independent.The district has invested in new textbooks and software to bolster curriculum. At the middle school level, the district has instituted an assessment system that gives continuous checks on student achievement. Teachers review the results regularly and brainstorm ways to improve in small-group settings, Roth said.The district received 100% for student growth on standardized tests across subject areas. It also earned top scores in attendance.“Something that stands out for us is just the value that our parents and community put on education,” Roth said. “With our students being here on a regular basis, we’re very happy that we have that support and that learning is a priority.”Eslinger told reporters that attendance and literacy are a focus for the department.“We are on the right track,” she said. “Our data points are showing improvement, but we still have work to do.”

Missouri schools show improvement in annual performance reports

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

TOPEKA — Almost a week after Senate President Ty Masterson&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senate-secures-gop-petition-signatures-to-call-special-legislative-session/">announced he secured the necessary signatures</a>&nbsp;to commit the majority Republican Senate to a special session to redraw Kansas maps to favor an additional Republican Congressional seat, his counterpart in the House gave up the effort.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican and candidate for state insurance commissioner, announced Tuesday night that he failed to gather enough signatures in his chamber to jumpstart a special session planned for Friday.

For Masterson, an Andover Republican and gubernatorial candidate, it wasn’t a surprise.

“All it does is change the timing,” he said following an unrelated Wednesday meeting at the Statehouse in Topeka.

Both he and Hawkins have acknowledged how difficult it is to call the Kansas Legislature into a special session. After&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/10/14/kansas-redistricting-hellscape-and-presumed-special-session-get-spotlight-in-johnson-county-forum/">allocating $460,000</a>&nbsp;to fund a four-day session, a visit to the White House and obtaining at least half of the signatures needed to call legislators to the capital, the focus has shifted to Jan. 12, the start of the 2026 session.

A special session requires two-thirds of both the state Senate and House members to sign a petition. Republicans planned to gerrymander U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids’ district in the Johnson County area to turn it red. Masterson announced on Oct. 27 that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senate-secures-gop-petition-signatures-to-call-special-legislative-session/">he obtained the necessary two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of member signatures.

Masterson said Wednesday he has a high level of confidence in achieving a Republican agenda to legislate public assistance programs and gender identity issues. When it comes to property taxes and redistricting, however, details are fuzzy.

Property tax relief legislation could evolve as the session progresses, and no concrete proposals have been made.

A redrawn congressional map could also prove challenging. No one has seen what a Kansas map could look like, Masterson said.

“There’s been a ton of maps floated around, but they’re all from third-party people,” he said.

When asked if he’d support a Kansas-driven map rather than one drawn by a national group or other third-party, he paused.

“I think there’s a little nuance there,” he said.

Whether a map is drawn in-state or “whether it’s drawn by a group that does it effectively for states all over the country for us,” Masterson said, is unclear.

Regardless, he said, “It’ll be Kansas-driven.”

Mid-decade redistricting efforts cropped up across the country, beginning first in Texas and spreading to North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio. Democrats added seats in California and Utah. Discussions are underway to add Republican seats in Kansas, Nebraska, Florida and Indiana, and discussions adding Democratic seats have arisen in Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.

House Democratic Leader Brandon Woodard, of Lenexa, said the end of the Republican rush to build support for a special session “makes Kansas the first state to reject President Trump’s proposed redistricting initiative aimed at influencing the 2026 midterm elections.”

Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes said in an interview after the Wednesday meeting that avoiding a special session was a win, but the battle isn’t over.

“On the fact that we are saving Kansas taxpayers $400,000, that is a win,” said Sykes, of Lenexa.

She said Kansas Democrats’ strategy in the wake of redistricting efforts involves engaging constituents to ensure they know “Republicans are trying to lessen their voice” and to make maps are publicly available.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said in a statement that Republican leadership will “continue their attempt at a partisan power grab in January,” despite a lack of support from their caucuses.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s during special or regular session,” Kelly said. “Kansans will continue to speak out against gerrymandered maps drawn by dark money groups and funded by out-of-state special interests.”

Laurel Burchfield, spokesperson for the Kansas Fair Maps Coalition, acknowledged in a Wednesday statement that the redistricting attempt isn’t over.

“Changing the maps mid-decade to rig the system in either political party’s favor is wrong,” Burchfield said. “We urge legislators to focus on what Kansans need the most this upcoming session: lowering costs, making healthcare affordable, and improving our economy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762427223624.png" alt="House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson, both Republicans, appear at a Legislative Coordinating Council meeting on Nov. 4, 2025, at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. It was their first public appearance since Hawkins announced the night prior he didn’t secure enough signatures from his caucus to force a rare special session (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson, both Republicans, appear at a Legislative Coordinating Council meeting on Nov. 4, 2025, at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. It was their first public appearance since Hawkins announced the night prior he didn’t secure enough signatures from his caucus to force a rare special session (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Almost a week after Senate President Ty Masterson&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senate-secures-gop-petition-signatures-to-call-special-legislative-session/">announced he secured the necessary signatures</a>&nbsp;to commit the majority Republican Senate to a special session to redraw Kansas maps to favor an additional Republican Congressional seat, his counterpart in the House gave up the effort.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican and candidate for state insurance commissioner, announced Tuesday night that he failed to gather enough signatures in his chamber to jumpstart a special session planned for Friday.For Masterson, an Andover Republican and gubernatorial candidate, it wasn’t a surprise.“All it does is change the timing,” he said following an unrelated Wednesday meeting at the Statehouse in Topeka.“It is what it is,” he said.Both he and Hawkins have acknowledged how difficult it is to call the Kansas Legislature into a special session. After&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/10/14/kansas-redistricting-hellscape-and-presumed-special-session-get-spotlight-in-johnson-county-forum/">allocating $460,000</a>&nbsp;to fund a four-day session, a visit to the White House and obtaining at least half of the signatures needed to call legislators to the capital, the focus has shifted to Jan. 12, the start of the 2026 session.A special session requires two-thirds of both the state Senate and House members to sign a petition. Republicans planned to gerrymander U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids’ district in the Johnson County area to turn it red. Masterson announced on Oct. 27 that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senate-secures-gop-petition-signatures-to-call-special-legislative-session/">he obtained the necessary two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of member signatures.Masterson said Wednesday he has a high level of confidence in achieving a Republican agenda to legislate public assistance programs and gender identity issues. When it comes to property taxes and redistricting, however, details are fuzzy.Property tax relief legislation could evolve as the session progresses, and no concrete proposals have been made.A redrawn congressional map could also prove challenging. No one has seen what a Kansas map could look like, Masterson said.“There’s been a ton of maps floated around, but they’re all from third-party people,” he said.When asked if he’d support a Kansas-driven map rather than one drawn by a national group or other third-party, he paused.“I think there’s a little nuance there,” he said.Whether a map is drawn in-state or “whether it’s drawn by a group that does it effectively for states all over the country for us,” Masterson said, is unclear.Regardless, he said, “It’ll be Kansas-driven.”Mid-decade redistricting efforts cropped up across the country, beginning first in Texas and spreading to North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio. Democrats added seats in California and Utah. Discussions are underway to add Republican seats in Kansas, Nebraska, Florida and Indiana, and discussions adding Democratic seats have arisen in Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.House Democratic Leader Brandon Woodard, of Lenexa, said the end of the Republican rush to build support for a special session “makes Kansas the first state to reject President Trump’s proposed redistricting initiative aimed at influencing the 2026 midterm elections.”Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes said in an interview after the Wednesday meeting that avoiding a special session was a win, but the battle isn’t over.“On the fact that we are saving Kansas taxpayers $400,000, that is a win,” said Sykes, of Lenexa.She said Kansas Democrats’ strategy in the wake of redistricting efforts involves engaging constituents to ensure they know “Republicans are trying to lessen their voice” and to make maps are publicly available.Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said in a statement that Republican leadership will “continue their attempt at a partisan power grab in January,” despite a lack of support from their caucuses.“It doesn’t matter whether it’s during special or regular session,” Kelly said. “Kansans will continue to speak out against gerrymandered maps drawn by dark money groups and funded by out-of-state special interests.”Laurel Burchfield, spokesperson for the Kansas Fair Maps Coalition, acknowledged in a Wednesday statement that the redistricting attempt isn’t over.“Changing the maps mid-decade to rig the system in either political party’s favor is wrong,” Burchfield said. “We urge legislators to focus on what Kansans need the most this upcoming session: lowering costs, making healthcare affordable, and improving our economy.”

Kansas Republicans’ effort to redraw state maps isn’t over, just delayed, leadership says

DALLAS —A man was&nbsp; found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police pursuit that led to a multi-agency search in Frisco, Texas, according to a media release from the Frisco Police Department.

Just after 10:30p.m. Wednesday, police in Frisco responded to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety with locating a vehicle that had evaded Troopers during a pursuit that ended in the city of Frisco. After losing sight of the vehicle, Troopers found it moments later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway.

Initial reports indicated that the driver, later identified as 24-year-old Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys who liven in Plano, Texas, fled the scene on foot. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area with assistance from Frisco Police K9 and drone units.

During the course of the search, officers received information that Kneeland had expressed suicidal ideations. Just after 1:30a.m. police found him deceased with what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The cause of death is still under investigation by the county medical examiner.&nbsp;

DALLAS —A man was&nbsp; found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police pursuit that led to a multi-agency search in Frisco, Texas, according to a media release from the Frisco Police Department.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/CbP3WAm2IB">pic.twitter.com/CbP3WAm2IB</a>&mdash; Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) <a href="https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1986455923024712162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just after 10:30p.m. Wednesday, police in Frisco responded to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety with locating a vehicle that had evaded Troopers during a pursuit that ended in the city of Frisco. After losing sight of the vehicle, Troopers found it moments later, crashed on southbound Dallas Parkway near Warren Parkway.Initial reports indicated that the driver, later identified as 24-year-old Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys who liven in Plano, Texas, fled the scene on foot. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area with assistance from Frisco Police K9 and drone units.During the course of the search, officers received information that Kneeland had expressed suicidal ideations. Just after 1:30a.m. police found him deceased with what appears to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The cause of death is still under investigation by the county medical examiner.&nbsp;

Police release details on death of Dallas Cowboys' player

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>-

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel, announced Thursday she will retire, ending a 40-year legislative career as one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress.&nbsp;

Her announcement came after Tuesday’s elections. Pelosi had a hand in crafting what was known as Proposition 50&nbsp; in California to redraw the state’s congressional districts, in response to Republican redistricting efforts in Texas to gain more GOP seats in the House.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The remap passed, and Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/energized-dems-trumpet-wins-state-elections-buckle-midterms" target="_blank">swept major state races</a>&nbsp;across the country, including the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey.

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>-WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel, announced Thursday she will retire, ending a 40-year legislative career as one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you, San Francisco. <a href="https://t.co/OP8ubeFzR6">pic.twitter.com/OP8ubeFzR6</a>&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamPelosi/status/1986433397921833435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Her announcement came after Tuesday’s elections. Pelosi had a hand in crafting what was known as Proposition 50&nbsp; in California to redraw the state’s congressional districts, in response to Republican redistricting efforts in Texas to gain more GOP seats in the House.&nbsp;&nbsp;The remap passed, and Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/energized-dems-trumpet-wins-state-elections-buckle-midterms" target="_blank">swept major state races</a>&nbsp;across the country, including the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey.In a video posted to social media, Pelosi, 85, thanked her constituents in her San Francisco congressional district.&nbsp;“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi said. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year in service as your proud representative.”