By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration is hoping to cut visits to its field offices in half next year, a move that advocates for the agency fear signals more closures are coming.

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Field offices have long been community-based branches that serve as the public face of the SSA, which provide in-person help for people applying for retirement and disability benefits, getting Social Security cards and other important services.

A November internal field office operating plan shared with The Associated Press outlines a proposed target of 50% fewer field office visitors in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2025, or no more than 15 million field office visits by members of the public. Agency field offices saw more than 31.6 million field office visits from SSA recipients from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, according to the agency document.

A Social Security spokesperson who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the administration’s plans for the agency said field offices will remain a front-line service to the roughly 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments. However, the spokesperson noted, more Americans are choosing to manage their benefits online or over the phone.

Nextgov/FCW first reported on the agency’s plan to reduce field office foot traffic.

At least 7,000 SSA workers have been laid off from the agency this year as the Trump administration has proposed a number of plans to streamline services at the SSA.

In March, after outcry from lawmakers and the public, SSA leadership partially backtracked on a plan that would require all new and existing beneficiaries who are unable to use the agency’s online portal to travel to a Social Security field office to verify their identity.

Jessica LaPointe, a union leader for 30,000 Social Security workers through The American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, said field offices are part of the quality of life agenda within communities, especially for “people who don’t have the resources to purchase technology to navigate the online world and they should be able to walk into an office to get help.”

She said the SSA wants “to allow AI and the internet to replace a well-trained, well-vetted workforce.”

Several field offices in rural areas of the U.S. have already closed this year because of a lack of staffing.

The Social Security website lists several office closures as well as offices that are only able to assist by phone until further notice.

Chris Delaney, a Social Security claims specialist and president of AFGE Local 3343 in Hudson, says he cannot imagine how SSA can have a goal of cutting foot traffic when his office is seeing an increase in foot traffic and a growing aging population reliant on SSA income. The Hudson office sees roughly 30 to 60 visitors per day who have questions about their benefits.

“A lot of people can’t get past the ID verification on login.gov, and just because they have a cellphone doesn’t mean they’re capable of creating an online account,” Delaney said. “Having people in the office when they need it is important.”

The 2026 operating plan also calls for all requested appointments to be scheduled within 30 days, instead of the current rate of 78.3% of all appointments scheduled within 30 days.

Social Security is one of the nation’s largest and most popular social programs. A January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of U.S. adults think the country is spending too little on Social Security.

The agency has faced several lawsuits over the Trump administration’s plans to overhaul the agency.

In October, Democracy Forward, a legal group challenging the Trump administration’s policies, filed a lawsuit to compel SSA to release public records about service disruptions and policy changes.

“After executing the largest staffing cuts in the 90-year history of Social Security, they’re trying to deal with a problem they created without any meaningful discussion,” LaPointe said. “What they’re doing is void of public input.”

Much of the baseball world is preparing to congregate in Orlando, Fla., for the Winter Meetings, which kick off Monday. It’s a time for executives, agents and others to gather, and trades or free agency signings typically follow.

The Twins hired a new manager and rebuilt their coaching staff in November but little has been done to alter a roster that was torn down at the trade deadline. Perhaps this week will shed some light on what blueprint the Twins’ front office is planning to follow this offseason.

Pablo Lopez #49 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Or, maybe not. In recent years, the front office has worked late into the offseason to build out the roster.

Here are three Twins-related things to keep an eye out for this week during the Winter Meetings:

Will we learn what direction the Twins are taking?

The offseason started more than two months ago and we still haven’t found out much about what direction the Twins are going. Will they continue to trade productive veterans? What will the payroll look like?

Thus far, the Twins have made only minor additions, adding backup catcher Alex Jackson in a swap with Baltimore, reliever Eric Orze in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and claiming utilityman Ryan Kreidler off waivers.

Nobody expects them to be big spenders this winter, but rumors have been swirling around the trade statuses of their top two starters, Pablo López and Joe Ryan. There has even been recent speculation that all-star center fielder Byron Buxton is a potential trade candidate.

Will the Twins, in an effort to shed more from the payroll, trade one or both of the starters? López is projected to be the highest-paid player on the roster. Buxton would be second. If López and/or Ryan are sent off in trades, would that test the loyalty of even the most loyal — Buxton — to the point that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause?

All of this is tied to payroll, of course, which remains a question mark publicly. The Pohlad family announced in August that it would retain ownership of the team and add two limited partnership groups, though those have yet to be publicly identified and it remains seen what impact they might have on payroll.

President of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey will meet with the media at the Winter Meetings and perhaps shed light on what the rest of this offseason could look like.

Where will the Twins end up in the draft?

With some of the best odds in the draft lottery, Tuesday will be a big day for the future of the organization.

The Twins finished the 2025 season with the fourth-worst record in the majors, in front of only the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals. But they actually have the second-best odds in the lottery. Both the Rockies and Nationals are ineligible for a lottery pick this year, meaning only the White Sox (27.73 percent) have higher odds of landing the first overall pick than the Twins (22.18 percent).

The lottery has worked in the Twins’ favor once. They got lucky in 2023, moving up eight spots to select now-top prospect Walker Jenkins fifth overall.

Will the Twins select someone in the Rule 5 draft?

The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano from the Philadelphia Phillies last year in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, marking the first time since 2017 that they had made a selection.

His stay in the organization was brief. Castellano spent spring training with the Twins but was unable to crack the 26-man roster out of camp and, per MLB rules, was offered back to the Phillies.

Might the Twins try again this year in Wednesday’s draft?

After trading away five members of the bullpen at the trade deadline, the Twins need relief help and could add someone to join the competition when spring training begins in February.

Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins slides into third base on a triple against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Target Field on Sept. 2, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s anti-money laundering office has frozen the bank accounts of the Mexican co-owner of Miss Universe as part of an investigation into drugs, fuel and arms trafficking, an official said Friday.

The country’s Financial Intelligence Unit, which oversees the fight against money laundering, froze Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú’s bank accounts in Mexico, a federal official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the investigation.

The action against Rocha Cantú adds to mounting controversies for the Miss Universe organization. Last week, a court in Thailand issued an arrest warrant for the Thai co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case and this year´s competition — won by Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch — faced allegations of rigging.

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The Miss Universe organization did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment about the allegations against Rocha Cantú.

Mexico’s federal prosecutors said last week that Rocha Cantú has been under investigation since November 2024 for alleged organized crime activity, including drug and arms trafficking, as well as fuel theft. Last month, a federal judge issued 13 arrest warrants for some of those involved in the case, including the Mexican businessman, whose company Legacy Holding Group USA owns 50% of the Miss Universe shares.

The organization’s other 50% belongs to JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., a company owned by Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip.

A Thai court last week issued an arrest warrant for Jakrajutatip who was released on bail in 2023 on the fraud case. She failed to appear as required in a Bangkok court on Nov. 25. Since she did not notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, according to a statement from the Bangkok South District Court.

The court rescheduled her hearing for Dec. 26.

Rocha Cantú was also a part owner of the Casino Royale in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, when it was attacked in 2011 by a group of gunmen who entered it, doused gasoline and set it on fire, killing 52 people.

Baltazar Saucedo Estrada, who was charged with planning the attack, was sentenced in July to 135 years in prison.

By SARAH RAZA, Associated Press

Federal agents have arrested a dozen people in Minneapolis since launching an enforcement operation this week primarily focused on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S., but fewer than half of those detained are Somali.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday that agents had arrested 12 people. Of those, six are Mexican nationals, five are from Somalia and one is from El Salvador.

Protesters gather at a rally for immigrants and workers outside Signature Aviation near the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

Minneapolis-St. Paul, which has the nation’s largest Somali community, is the latest area targeted by the Trump administration for mass deportations, following operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina. This week, immigration authorities have also arrived in New Orleans, where officials said they intend to arrest up to 5,000 people.

In a statement, ICE called the 12 people arrested some of the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” Eight of them had been charged or convicted of crimes, including assault, fraud, domestic violence and driving under the influence, according to ICE.

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President Donald Trump recently targeted Somali immigrants in public remarks, calling them “ garbage ” and saying “they contribute nothing.” He also blamed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for allowing alleged fraud in government programs to happen on his watch, which a conservative publication claimed was funneling money to a Somali militant group.

The crackdown has drawn intense criticism from local and state officials who have denounced Trump’s rhetoric and pledged to protect the Somali community. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said city police would not participate in federal immigration enforcement.

In the ICE statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Frey and Walz of not enforcing immigration laws and endangering citizens.