A series of Trump administration moves over the last two weeks — including decisions to lift sanctions on Russian diesel and delay other measures targeting the Russian economy — have led both Republicans and Democrats to question whether President Trump is changing course and siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the war between their two countries.”Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “They haven’t been doing much.”In contrast, the president continued, “We’ve given a lot to Ukraine. They’ve given nothing to us. Remember that.”Russia and Ukraine have been at war for more than 12 years. But in February 2022, the conflict entered a new, deadlier phase when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and tried to seize territory. The fighting has since become a grinding war of attrition. The United States has generally supported Ukraine, even as direct military aid has waned during Trump’s second term.The administration’s latest steps, however, “amount to a major reversal in U.S. strategy,” the New York Times reported on Sunday. “The breach with Ukraine has been sudden and perhaps irreparable.”So what’s going on here? Posting Sunday on social media, Trump defended his actions by insisting that he is “in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine” and doesn’t “want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” Ukraine, he said, is targeting diesel refineries in Russia, which is “hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States.” He said that “farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this, but Russia is, nevertheless, sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World.”But even Republicans have pushed back. “I think it’s clear Russia is the aggressor, and we’ve got to do everything we can to put economic pressure on Russia,” GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida told the Associated Press over the weekend. “So it’s not the first thing I would be doing.”When Zelensky was asked last week if he believed Ukraine was “losing” the U.S., he replied: “Yes.””It’s painful when President Trump chooses one ‌side, not our ⁠side,” Zelensky said.On Tuesday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Zelensky in Oslo, Norway. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, participated via video link. On Wednesday, Witkoff and Kushner will reportedly fly to St. Petersburg, Russia, to meet Putin in his hometown with “an updated set of [peace] proposals,” according to the BBC.Is a diplomatic breakthrough in the offing? Here’s what you need to know about the latest developments.What’s changed in recent daysOct. 9: Trump said he had reached an agreement with Putin to supply diesel to the U.S. and global markets. Minutes later, the Treasury Department announced that it would be lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports through April 2027. Those sanctions — which limited Putin’s ability to bankroll the invasion of Ukraine — have been in place since 2022.”Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!” the president wrote on social media.Oct. 10: Trump blamed Zelensky for high U.S. diesel prices and said Ukraine should replace him. “He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel,” Trump told reporters before leaving for a campaign rally in Tennessee. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does.” Oct. 11: On social media, Trump declared an “ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine.” He claimed that “both parties have agreed.” Zelensky said the agreement was news to him, but added that he would be willing to pause attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia pauses attacks on Ukraine’s electrical grid and other energy infrastructure in return.Oct. 11-14: For three days, Zelensky held his fire on Russian oil refineries. Meanwhile, Putin continued to bombard Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power ahead of winter. The Trump administration clarified that its “energy ceasefire” applied solely to attacks on oil refineries, but Ukraine doesn’t have any fully operational oil refineries — Russia has repeatedly attacked and disabled the last one in recent years.Oct. 14: Ukraine discovered that its access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications network — as well as Starshield, its military-grade counterpart — had been throttled, limiting its ability to defend itself from Russian ballistic missile attacks on energy infrastructure. “Right at the moment Trump was warning Zelensky not to attack Russian refineries, the Starshield settings were somehow altered, such that the system could not track objects traveling at speeds greater than about 100 miles per hour — woefully inadequate to detect Russian aerial assaults,” the National Review explained. Citing four sources familiar with the discussions, the Telegraph reported that “Elon Musk approached Donald Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine” and that Trump “agreed.” In response, Trump denied any involvement, saying, “I don’t know if it was anybody, but it wasn’t me, and I don’t think it was Elon.” Musk wrote on social media that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Reuters also reported that the “order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside [the] White House.” The Wall Street Journal reported this week that “Elon Musk ordered the slowdown” — “a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration.”Oct. 15: Zelensky said that Ukraine would resume attacking Russian oil refineries. “That’s it,” Zelensky told the Financial Times. “The block is out. We’re done.”  Oct. 16: Trump issued an executive order waiving new sanctions against Russia — as well as tariffs on major buyers of Russian energy — that would have taken effect under the bipartisan Graham Act that he signed in September. “I’m not a big fan of Zelensky,” Trump told Newsmax. “I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal with than Putin.” Oct. 18: Trump wrote on social media that his “decision on Russia is a very simple one” aimed at striking a peace deal and lowering energy costs for Americans.”Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations,” Trump claimed, saying that he doesn’t  “want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” He continued, “Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way.”In contrast, Trump claimed Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”Oct. 19: Citing “a U.S. official and three additional people familiar with the situation,” the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is holding up “the transfer of interceptor missiles to Ukraine that are needed to protect the country from Russian missile and drone attacks.” Around the same time, Trump criticized Zelensky again, saying, “It’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.” Oct. 20: Witkoff and Kushner met with Zelensky in Oslo. According to the BBC, Zelensky suggested after the meeting that “crucial issues of early warning of Russia’s ballistic missile strikes had… been resolved.” Zelensky also said that he discussed Ukraine’s access to missiles and Starlink with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and he expected “good results.” Will Trump’s deals with Putin lower U.S. diesel prices? Trump has accused Zelensky of “knowing that these attacks” on Russian refineries “are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States.” It’s true that the price of diesel is up about 77% so far this year — putting it near record highs and raising costs for American farmers, truckers and businesses (which in turn puts upward pressure on the price of consumer goods and services). But energy analysts say the Iran War, not Ukrainian attacks on Russia, is the major reason diesel is so much more expensive than it used to be. “The main issue is still the Strait of Hormuz, that there is not enough diesel coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,” one recently told the New York Times. In 2025, Russian diesel exports accounted for roughly 9% of the global diesel trade — or about 700,000 barrels a day, according to S&P Global Energy. That number has fallen to about 140,000 barrels a day since Ukraine started targeting Russian oil refineries. Trump’s deal with Putin would amount to another 75,000 barrels a day, according to the New York Times. That’s not nothing — but experts say it’s also not enough to make a huge price difference in the U.S. To put those 75,000 barrels in perspective, diesel exports from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries have fallen by 800,000 barrels per day since the start of the Iran war in February. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, estimated in an Oct. 9 social media post that Trump’s deal with Russia could eventually lower the cost of diesel by 10 to 20 cents per gallon. Ryan Sweet, chief global economist at Oxford Economics, likened the impact to “putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.”And that’s assuming Russia can deliver. According to the Times, “many analysts consider [even] those numbers to be unrealistic because roughly 40 to 50 percent of Russian refining capacity is offline” — and “repairing and restarting refineries can take months or years in the best of circumstances.”Trump has been taking various steps to try to lower U.S. gas prices ahead of November’s midterm elections, including signing an executive order allowing tax-free purchases of red-dyed off-road diesel. But an October AP poll found that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of how the president is handling the cost of living — and 65% now blame his policies for persistently high prices more than factors beyond his control.Will Trump’s deals with Putin end the war? On Sunday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright described Trump’s diesel deal as a “carrot” to get Russia to ease its assault on Ukraine.It’s an “incentive to Russia, that if they can reduce the conflict with Ukraine, they can get an energy ceasefire or reduce the conflict such that they have diesel to export, we’ll allow it to flow to world markets,” Wright told ABC News.  The Times has also reported that the “Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.””The deal, which is contingent on approval from the U.S. government and the Kremlin, is for a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, one of Russia’s biggest energy companies,” the paper added. Meanwhile, at their talks in Oslo on Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner were expected to tell Zelensky that “holding out to retain occupied portions of the country’s eastern provinces is not worth it — and that there is money to be made for Ukraine, as well, if it would only drop its objections to an accord, even one written largely on Russia’s terms,” according to the Times. In short, the Trump administration appears to be pushing harder than ever before to force Ukraine to cede sovereign territory to Russia as part of a negotiated end to the war.Whether Zelensky succumbs to that pressure remains to be seen. “I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate,” he told Bloomberg in an interview published on Sunday. “I don’t want to think that our American partners believe the war could be ended sooner at Ukraine’s expense. But that’s how it looks.””If the United States will support Putin — it’s unbelievable, it’s a tragedy,” Zelensky added Sunday on NBC News’s Meet the Press. “If these two countries will be together, of course we will not prevail. And we will not be able to stand.”This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/article/trump-says-russia-has-been-fine-on-ukraine-as-he-makes-new-deals-with-putin-will-his-strategy-pay-off-202502585.html

The Trump administration is closing in on a deal with Moscow that would see multiple Americans released from detention in Russia, two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the matter tell ABC News.Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have been leading the negotiations, which are said to be in the final stages, according to the sources.With Gilman’s release from Russia, families of other detained Americans hope their relatives will be nextThey add that the talks have centered on freeing Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old retired teacher who is the only American held in Russia officially designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, as well as several other U.S. citizens held by Moscow on what the administration said it believes are dubious charges. Moscow City Court Press Service via AP – PHOTO: In this Oct. 7, 2024, file photo released by the Moscow City Court Press Service, Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen accused of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine against Russia stands in a glass cage during a court session in Moscow.However, officials caution that while the terms of the arrangement are coming into focus, nothing has been finalized and it’s still possible it won’t materialize or that its scope will change.Asked about a potential deal to free Hubbard on Tuesday, Trump said he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about it “at length” and called for Hubbard’s return to the U.S.”I’ve been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard. I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens. OK, let’s see what happens. I’d love to get him back. It’s time. It’s time to have Mr. Hubbard back,” Trump said in the Oval Office.News of the potential deal comes as Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a proposal for a partial ceasefire covering energy and food infrastructure, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday. Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news briefing in Oslo, Norway, following talks with Witkoff.On Monday, Trump spoke about his dealings with Russia, saying he was “trying to get a hostage that the country has been after for a long time,” presumably referring to Hubbard.”Let’s see what happens,” Trump said. “That’ll be soon.”Trump signs order waiving Graham Act sanctions on Russia, drawing backlash from some lawmakers and ZelenskyyOn Tuesday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was asked about a potential prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. “Dialogue on all these issues is ongoing through intelligence service channels,” he said. Ryabkov added that Hubbard’s name was “certainly familiar,” but said he had “nothing to report” on the matter. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images, FILE – PHOTO: In this Jan. 10, 2022, file photo, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov looks on during a press conference following talks with US counterpart on soaring tensions over Ukraine, in Geneva.The White House declined to comment on the matter.It’s not clear what Russia might receive in exchange for releasing U.S. citizens. However, Trump has made multiple policy decisions viewed as favorable to Moscow in recent days, including waiving newly imposed sanctions targeting Russian officials and oligarchs mandated by a bill Trump signed into law last month after it passed by wide margins in Congress. Trump has also increased pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian energy sites. There are currently at least eight American citizens and two dual U.S.-Russia nationals detained by Moscow: Hubbard, Gordon Black, Michael Leake, Robert Woodland, David Barnes, Daniel Schneider, Andre Khachatorrian, Chuck Zimmerman, Alexsandor Antonov and Eugene Spector.Families of the incarcerated Americans in Russia have called for the State Department to extend more wrongful detention designations, with Leake’s family renewing its request in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Leake was “left behind” in the Aug. 1, 2024, prisoner trade.ABC News’ Catherine Bouvet contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/Politics/us-nearing-deal-russia-free-multiple-jailed-americans/story?id=137415614

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, speaks Tuesday in the Oval Office as President Trump and Nick Shirley listen. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)The Trump administration is deferring an additional $1.2 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California, citing concerns about potential fraud in a state program that helps older adults and people with disabilities with everyday tasks.Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said federal officials took action after they grew concerned about the rapid expansion of California’s personal care services program in recent years. State officials were notified of the decision Tuesday, he said.“California has been growing that program 24% in the last three years. That is twice the rate of every other state average in the country,” Oz said. “Impossible for us to understand how that could be so we are taking major action in California.”Oz did not provide any evidence of fraud but suggested the state was paying people too much taxpayer money to help with services that could be offered for free, like “paying somebody to carry groceries upstairs for your mom.”“Many of you would carry groceries upstairs for your mom for free, but in California, they will pay you a lot of money for it,” he said.Read more: Vance says $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California will be deferred over fraud concernsThe move is the latest in a series of efforts by the administration to withhold federal money from California. In May, the administration held back $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to the state over concerns about “fraudsters” in the state’s hospice and in-home care programs. The actions have been part of a broad effort by the administration to rein in fraud in federal healthcare benefits programs, particularly in Democrat-led states.Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla criticized the administration’s decision.“This Administration’s track record speaks for itself: Fewer people have health insurance, premiums are up, and drug costs are higher. This decision will hurt older Californians, people with disabilities, and those recovering from illness or injury,” Padilla said in a statement. “The American people deserve better, and I’ll keep fighting against their attacks.”Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the office has been critical of the administration’s past efforts.In May, Newsom’s office called the action to withhold funds for in-home care programs a “sick” and politically motivated attack on services that are meant to “keep seniors and people with disabilities OUT of nursing homes.”Those services usually cover assistants who help people with daily tasks such as bathing, laundry or cooking. They also provide needed care such as injections under the direction of a medical professional. A 2020 report by the California state auditor found that nearly three-quarters of In-home Supportive Services caregivers assist a family member.Newsom’s office, however, has argued that the program saves taxpayers money, saying IHSS care costs $30,000 a year, while nursing home care costs $137,000 a year.Read more: Medicaid reckoning awaits next California governor after program’s rapid expansionCalifornia’s hospice industry has had problems in the past and authorities have tried to crack down on the issue. A Times investigation in 2020 found that providers were billing Medicare for hospice services and equipment for patients who were not actually dying while the industry boomed.The Trump administration, led by Vice President JD Vance, has tried to focus attention on the issue of waste, fraud and abuse as a centerpiece policy platform to bring down healthcare costs.On Tuesday, Trump and Vance announced a $25-million whistleblower program designed to pay out cash to people who tip off the federal government about fraudsters. The program will offer a 1% commission for tips that lead to a successful conviction. Trump said he would be the sole arbitrator of who gets to keep the money.“I’ll determine whether or not the person is deserving, and I will be very generous believe me. We are not looking to save on that,” Trump said. “I promise you I will be fair.”Trump said the money will be handed out “expeditiously and fairly.” “I promise there is nothing in this for me,” he said.The White House referred comment about the decision to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The federal agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Get the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week.This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.This article originally appeared on LA Times at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/feds-hold-back-additional-1-203302354.html

More details have emerged about the “hero” bystander who intervened within minutes of a gunman opening fire at an elementary school in Oregon.Kaylub Giamanco, 36, fatally shot the 16-year-old gunman who killed four people at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., on Oct. 15. His actions “undoubtedly saved people,” police said.Giamanco, a carpenter and father of two girls who attend Silver Rail Elementary, had gone through “military shooting drills” with veterans who fought in Iraq, The Guardian reported. Seeing the shooting unfold, Giamanco “pursued” gunman Griffin J. John II, his mother, Kenda Freeman, told CBS News.Freeman said the experience has left her son traumatized. “I told him he was a hero, he did what he had to do, and that he did the right thing, and that I was proud of him and that he was a hero and he saved a lot of lives.””Kaylub knew something was not right, so he pulled up onto the grass, grabbed his gun and basically stalked the gunman back into the school,” Freeman said. “He crawled through a window that the gunman had shot out. He army crawled through the window.”Giamanco, who legally owns and carries his weapon, doesn’t wish to speak about the school shooting because he feels “riddled with guilt” for not being able to save more lives, his brother, Kyle Giamanco, told the New York Post.A teacher in the classroom had already thrown her cellphone at John, tackled him and fought him, police said. She was not injured. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said her actions likely prevented more bloodshed.Giamanco then fired at John multiple times with a legally owned .40-caliber pistol, killing him just before police arrived, officials said.Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek praised the Bend resident at a press conference, without naming him, saying he “heroically intervened to stop further loss of life.” Addressing him directly, she acknowledged the toll it had taken on him. “Your actions carry a heavy emotional burden, and I just want you to know that my thoughts are with you as well.””I don’t think we can underestimate or under-appreciate that courage,” Krantz said Friday, speaking about the teacher and the man who shot the gunman. “When someone is willing to risk their own life for others, we recognize that. And the quick thinking to … follow someone into the school is incredible, and undoubtedly saved people.”Gun used ‘purchased as a birthday gift’The gun used by the 16-year-old shooter Griffin J. John II was purchased by his mother as a birthday gift, according to reports.The Maverick 12-gauge shotgun was purchased legally in August 2026 by the mother of the gunman who carried out the shooting, and given to him for recreational use, sources told CBS News. On Friday, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that John’s mother bought the shotgun and has been cooperating with investigators. The shooter killed Rhoam Summer, a 5-year-old student, and Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old teacher from Bend, along with two other children aged 8 and 11 on Thursday. Police said all of the shots were fired inside a single special needs classroom. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, John’s mother said that “there were no warning signs” and wouldn’t comment on how her son got access to the gun used in the shooting.Schools remain closedSchools across Bend., Ore., will stay closed Monday and Tuesday as the community mourns four people killed on Thursday, when police say a 16-year-old former student opened fire in a special education classroom. Students return Wednesday on an early-release schedule, and Silver Rail will remain closed until further notice, the Bend Bulletin reported.In a statement, Lambert’s family described her as a native central Oregonian who grew up in Bend and had a passion for playing sports, especially volleyball. “Her goal was to be an educator and teach in the school district she loved growing up in,” the statement continued. “Silver Rail was her first job as a teacher. … She loved Silver Rail. This was her dream job. Megan was compassionate and had a huge heart. She always fought for the underdog and those with special needs. She was an incredible sister, daughter, niece and granddaughter. … She was funny and opinionated and she lit up the room.”Megan Lambert, 25, a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., was killed in Thursday’s shooting.Bend Police DepartmentRhoam Summer, 5, was one of three children killed in Thursday’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore.Bend Police DepartmentThe shooter was identified as Griffin J. John II. He was a former student at the school who had received special ed services, according to Bend-La Pine School Superintendent Steven Cook. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians confirmed Saturday that John was an enrolled member, NBC News reported.A 7-year-old girl who received lifesaving care at the scene was in serious but stable condition at Oregon Health & Science University, police said. A 54-year-old teacher, Becky Drury of Bend, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at St. Charles Bend. Her family allowed police to release her name.Becky Drury, 54, a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School, was injured in Thursday’s shooting.Bend Police DepartmentAccording to a Facebook post from her mother-in-law, Drury has already had surgery to repair significant damage to her left arm and will need more surgeries in the future. She also suffered injuries to her right hand, but none of her wounds are believed to be life-threatening.”The good news is she will be ok and we all get to keep that magnificent woman we love so much in our lives,” the post read. Her husband, Will Drury, said her left arm “took a lot of damage” and that her right hand also needed surgery, CNN reported.The two other children killed, both boys, were 8 and 11. Their families asked police not to release their names.Other than John’s past association with the school, police did not share any information on the potential motive behind the shooting. “Everyone wants to know why, including us,” Krantz said. “We may never get that full answer, but we want it.”How the shooting unfolded Flowers are placed beside a sign at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., on Friday.AP Photo/Haven DaleyKrantz provided new details about what happened in the chaotic few minutes from when John first opened fire outside the school to when he was killed.According to Krantz, John approached the school at approximately 12:58 p.m. on foot before throwing his gun over an exterior fence and climbing onto the school’s property. A driver in a red pickup truck spotted John and “verbally confronted” him from inside their vehicle. John fired at least three rounds at the truck before heading inside. The driver, who was unhurt, quickly called 911 to alert police.John then walked around the outside of the school and fired multiple rounds into the glass panes of an exterior door to gain access to the school. He then turned left into a special education classroom and immediately began firing. In total, John fired as many as 15 rounds, Krantz said. Officers arrived at the scene within three minutes of the first 911 call. “Seconds later, officers reported the suspect had been shot and killed, possibly by a bystander,” police wrote in an incident report on Thursday. Officers then cleared the school, and all students and staff were transported to a nearby church for reunification with families and guardians.According to Krantz, John was carrying an additional 44 rounds of ammunition when he was killed.  Police had initially said that the three children who were killed and the one who was injured were the only students in the classroom at the time of the shooting. But on Monday, they confirmed that a fifth student had been present. That student was “physically unharmed by the assailant,” a spokesman for the school district told the Oregonian. A fourth adult, a special education staff member who was also unharmed, was also in the room, police said. Investigators have searched John’s home and plan to keep control of the school until at least Tuesday to finish collecting evidence, police said. They are asking anyone with video of a teenage boy in black clothing and a black backpack near Third Street, Brosterhous Road or the school between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday to submit it. The FBI has set up a tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI and fbi.gov/silverrailschool.’Rhoam was so so strong’People leave a family reunification area following a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore., on Thursday.AP Photo/Joe KlineRhoam Summer’s parents, Kelik and Lillian, released a new statement on Monday through their attorneys providing more details on who he was and how best to honor his memory. “Rhoam was so so strong. The day he was born, his father gave him his first sink bath at the hospital. In the sink, Rhoam grabbed his dad’s hands and pulled himself up with his own strength. He climbed a ladder (3 step stool) when he was just 6 months old. He never stopped moving. He never stopped climbing. He could do anything,” they wrote in the statement shared by the law firm Dwyer Williams & Cherkoss.A GoFundMe set up by friends of the family, one of 10 fundraisers that the site has verified to support those connected to the shooting, has raised more than $187,000 as of Tuesday. In their statement, the Summers said another way to remember Rhoam is to embody the spirit he lived with. “If people want to memorialize our little Rhoam, we request you draw. Sharks, dinosaurs, monsters… Rhoam loved to tell stories of creatures with big teeth who needed understanding and friendship. Please make art for him. Draw or paint. Use your hands if you can. Get messy,” they wrote. Dwyer Williams & Cherkoss is one of three law firms the Summers have reportedly hired to “preserve and protect Rhoam’s memory and investigate possible legal claims arising from the mass school shooting,” according to the Salem Statesman Journal. “Senseless, barbaric, and depraved? Yes. But was it foreseeable and thus preventable?” Tim Williams, cocounsel on the investigation, told the paper. “That’s what we will find out. While law enforcement handles the criminal prosecution, we will be investigating any systemic failures that may have allowed this tragedy to happen. We are committed to holding all responsible parties accountable to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again and justice is done in Rhoam’s name.”This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/multiple-people-reportedly-killed-after-shooting-at-oregon-elementary-school-230432197.html

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, pushed back forcefully Tuesday against an unattributed ad circulating online in which her long-estranged mother calls her “a liar” and insinuates she has mental health issues. The ad began circulating overnight, just two weeks before Election Day. Acton, Ohio’s former public health director, is in a tight race with Republican billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 presidential candidate who has benefited from spending on his behalf that has exceeded $120 million. The online ad, which first surfaced in a post by an Ohio political blogger, spread quickly across social media platforms. It does not include the “paid for” tag that is legally required to air on TV so viewers can know its source. It was not immediately clear who produced it or paid for it, or how it was accessed for posting. It also was not clear if Acton’s mother was paid for the one-minute spot. Her last known telephone number has been disconnected. Acton suggested Ramaswamy was behind the ad. “I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I’m complaining about, who today just released an ad using my birth mother, who I was removed from at the age of 12 for severe abuse and neglect, and sexual abuse,” she told Spectrum News, a cable news outlet in Ohio. She said Ramaswamy was accused of similar personal attacks during his run for the GOP presidential nomination: “This is a lifelong pattern with my opponent.” Ramaswamy’s campaign issued a statement that did not address whether he was responsible for the ad or disavow it. In the statement, campaign spokeswoman Connie Luck said Acton “has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of.” In a statement released by Acton’s campaign, her brother, Philip Stearns, said the two were removed from their mother Donna Arthur’s custody as children after their stepfather, Arthur’s husband, was indicted for raping Acton as a child. Acton has not seen Arthur, whose last known address was in Pennsylvania, since they were in a courtroom together in 1978. According to police and court documents obtained by The Associated Press, Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of his stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978, after Acton’s biological father reported his alleged conduct to authorities. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur pleaded not guilty. He was indicted by a grand jury that September, but failed to show at a court hearing and remained a fugitive until at least 1981. He has since died. Stearns accused Ramaswamy of being behind the ad, saying the Republican had stooped “to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at 12 years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point.” Acton’s mother does not mention Ramaswamy’s name in the ad, but she suggests that Acton has misrepresented her opponent and the time her family was homeless and living in a tent when she was a child __ an experience Stearns corroborates. ___ Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/democrat-ohio-governors-race-pushes-191746984.html