TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka teenager will be tried as a juvenile on charges of attempting to hire two people to kill four adults at his high school.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a Shawnee County judge on Friday denied a prosecution motion to try the former Topeka West High School student in adult court. The teen was 17 when he was arrested in January. He is charged with four counts of soliciting first-degree murder.

The judge did agree to allow the teen, if he’s convicted, to receive a controlling sentence as a juvenile as well as an adult sentence. That means if the teen fouls up on the juvenile sentence, he would face the longer adult prison sentence.

A psychologist testified before the ruling that the teen is mentally ill.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little says traditional liberal arts programs in subjects like literature, music and history are struggling for respect, recognition and funding.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the chancellor was among a group of educators who addressed the Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday to discuss a report about liberal arts education. The Regents requested the report partly in response to messages from the Kansas Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback urging Regents institutions to put more focus on programs that produce tangible benefits for the state’s economy.

It shows that people who earn a four-year bachelor’s degree earn significantly more than people with only a high school diploma.

It also found that people with liberal arts degrees tend to earn slightly less than those with professional degrees.

MANHATTAN, KAN. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – a member of the Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee – today welcomed the news that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack will not move forward with the creation of a new beef checkoff program under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. Last month, Sen. Moran sent a letter to Sec. Vilsack expressing his deep concern with USDA creating a new checkoff under the 1996 Act against the wishes of cattle producers.

“I am pleased that USDA will not move forward with the creation of a new beef checkoff,” Sen. Moran said. “Changes to the beef checkoff should be supported by producers, not forced upon them administratively by the federal government. I appreciate that Secretary Vilsack listened to the voices of cattle producers from across the country who clearly objected to a new checkoff.”

Last month, Sen. Moran called on Sec. Vilsack to listen to feedback from producers in Kansas and across the country who have real concerns about the creation of a new beef checkoff under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996.

“Cattlemen have been loud and clear in their objections to a new beef checkoff,” Sen. Moran said when he sent his November letter to Sec. Vilsack. “I am deeply concerned that USDA is ignoring the voices of producers.”

TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Sony hack, the latest in a wave of company security breaches, exposed months of employee emails. Other hacks have given attackers access to sensitive information about a company and its customers, such as credit-card numbers and email addresses. One way hackers can sneak into a company is by sending fake emails with malicious links to employee inboxes. Here are five simple steps to make your email more secure and limit the harm a hacker can have:

ARCHIVE EARLY AND OFTEN

Most corporate email systems allow people to set up regularly scheduled archiving so that emails are moved off of the server after a certain number of days. You can still check archived emails on your work computer, but they are no longer easily accessible on websites outside the office or on your phone. That limits hackers’ ability to access those emails too. You can make exceptions for emails that you want to keep in your active inbox, and they won’t be archived.

GET ORGANIZED

As emails come into your inbox, deal with them. Sort them into folders. This segments your data, requiring an attacker to know which folder to go to, or to take multiple steps to search for wanted information. Paired with archiving, it also ensures that what the hacker does compromise is limited and known for any future damage assessment. Sensitive information can also be removed from your inbox. For example, delete an email and save what you need to your hard drive or an external drive.

KEEP WORK AND PERSONAL EMAILS SEPARATE

Don’t use your work email for personal email or activities online. That limits details a hacker can glean about you to conduct more sophisticated attacks targeting you as the entryway into your company’s system. For example, hackers can learn about your shopping habits or personal hobbies and use those to send a phishing email that appears to come from websites you bought goods from or read frequently. Phishing messages route you to a fake address and allow hackers to gain access to your system.

DON’T CLICK ON UNEXPECTED LINKS AND ATTACHMENTS

If you receive an email with a link or attachment you weren’t expecting, send the person a separate email asking whether the first email was legitimate. For links from companies such as banking institutions, hover your cursor over the hyperlink or right-click to show the link’s final destination. Before you click, make sure the address that pops up when you hover over the link matches where the hyperlink says you’ll be sent. If unsure, use a new window and physically type in the website’s address to conduct your business.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

If your email is acting up or a link or attachment strikes you as strange, forward it to your IT department as quickly as possible. Your attention and fast response may prevent someone else at your company from making a mistake.

MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say the flu is now hitting hard in parts of the country, especially the South and Midwest.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported cases were widespread in 29 states last week. If the trend continues, it could bring another early peak to the flu season as happened in the last two winters.

Experts worry this will be a bad season because the dominant strain — seen in roughly two-thirds of recent tests — is a nasty bug not covered in this year’s vaccine. But officials have not seen an unusually high number of hospitalizations or deaths so far.

Flu season traditionally peaks around February. But in the last two winters, flu peaked by early January.

STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. agriculture has a big appetite for freer trade with Cuba. From wheat to rice to beans, the industry stands to be a big beneficiary of President Barack Obama’s plan to ease economic and travel restrictions imposed against the communist-ruled island.

Agricultural exports are among the few exceptions to the U.S. trade embargo, but they’re subject to cumbersome rules. Latin American and Asian countries with fewer restrictions and easier financing have gained market share.

Sales of U.S. agricultural products to Cuba peaked at over $710 million in 2008, but fell to $350 million by 2013. Frozen chicken, soybeans and soy products, and corn are the main products Cuba buys from the United States.

Wheat and rice growers see new opportunities. Cuba hasn’t bought U.S. wheat or rice for several years.

PRATT — With winter weather here, it’s hard to picture planning spring and summer fun, but the secret about Kansas state parks is out and reservations are a must for busy holiday weekends.

Consider making your 2015 camping and cabin reservations in advance and ensure your family and friends ample space at the lake for your next visit. Campsite reservations for 2015 can be made beginning at noon on Dec. 19, and cabin reservations can be made at any time. Simply visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click on the “Reserve A Cabin Or Campsite Now” button, choose the location you’d like to visit, and begin searching for your ideal date.

Camping and cabin reservations guarantee the holder their spot will be open and ready when they arrive at the park. Payment in full is required at the time a reservation is made. Reserving a cabin requires a non-refundable $14 reservation fee. Reserving a campsite requires a non-refundable $3 reservation fee per stay.

Daily vehicle entrance permits are $5. Annual vehicle permits are $25 or you can purchase a State Park Passport when you register your vehicle for $15. Annual vehicle permits for seniors and persons with disabilities are available through department offices for $13.75.

For more information about Kansas state parks and their amenities, visit ksoutdoors.com.

DETROIT (AP) — After resisting for several weeks, Chrysler is bowing to government demands to expand a recall of driver’s side air bag inflators across the entire nation.

The company says in a statement Friday that it will recall nearly 2.9 million older cars and trucks across the U.S., as demanded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall includes Chrysler’s most popular model, the Ram pickup, from the 2004 through 2007 model years.

The vehicles have driver’s air bags equipped with inflators made by Japan’s Takata Corp. The inflators can explode with too much force and spew shrapnel at drivers and passengers.

The recall previously was limited to Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The government demanded that five automakers expand recalls. BMW is now the lone holdout.