WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major overhaul,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy” in a video announcing the restructuring Thursday. He faulted the department's 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans' health.

“I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less,” Kennedy said in the video, posted to social media.

Kennedy acknowledged that it will be a “painful period” for the nation's top health agencies, which are responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting foods and hospitals and overseeing health insurance programs for nearly half the country.

Overall, the department will downsize to 62,000 positions — losing 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers encouraged by President Donald Trump's administration.

HHS provided on Thursday a breakdown of cuts at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

— 3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods.

— 2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide.

— 1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world's leading public health research arm.

— 300 jobs at CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.

In its statement, HHS said it anticipates the changes will save $1.8 billion per year, but it did not provide a breakdown or any other details about the savings. The department has a $1.7 trillion annual budget, most of which is dedicated to funding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/medicare">Medicare and Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;used by older, disabled and poor Americans.

Beyond losing workers, Kennedy said he will shut down entire agencies, some of which were established by Congress decades ago.

Several agencies will be folded into a new Administration for a Healthy America, Kennedy said.

Those include the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees and provides funding for hundreds of community health centers around the country, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds clinics and oversees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-washington-suicide-313c20b2098469f04ccadcccdfd46b1b">the national 988 hotline</a>. Both agencies pump billions of dollars into on-the-ground work in local communities.

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, created by a law signed by then-President George W. Bush and responsible for maintaining the national stockpile that was quickly drained during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be folded into the CDC.

Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743090245316.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Kennedy on Thursday, according to the Senator's social media feed." />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Kennedy on Thursday, according to the Senator's social media feed.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major overhaul,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>&nbsp;will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are streamlining HHS to make our agency more efficient and more effective. We will eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments, while preserving their core functions by merging them into a new organization called the Administration for a Healthy America or AHA. This… <a href="https://t.co/BlQWUpK3u7">pic.twitter.com/BlQWUpK3u7</a>&mdash; Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1905243470366670926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-trump-health-secretary-vote-5dbefeef0537dc241e6fb33b8f2a748b">Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;criticized the department he oversees as an inefficient “sprawling bureaucracy” in a video announcing the restructuring Thursday. He faulted the department's 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans' health.“I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less,” Kennedy said in the video, posted to social media.Kennedy acknowledged that it will be a “painful period” for the nation's top health agencies, which are responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting foods and hospitals and overseeing health insurance programs for nearly half the country.Overall, the department will downsize to 62,000 positions — losing 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers encouraged by President Donald Trump's administration.HHS provided on Thursday a breakdown of cuts at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:— 3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods.— 2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide.— 1,200 jobs at the NIH, the world's leading public health research arm.— 300 jobs at CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid.In its statement, HHS said it anticipates the changes will save $1.8 billion per year, but it did not provide a breakdown or any other details about the savings. The department has a $1.7 trillion annual budget, most of which is dedicated to funding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/medicare">Medicare and Medicaid programs</a>&nbsp;used by older, disabled and poor Americans.Beyond losing workers, Kennedy said he will shut down entire agencies, some of which were established by Congress decades ago.Several agencies will be folded into a new Administration for a Healthy America, Kennedy said.Those include the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees and provides funding for hundreds of community health centers around the country, as well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds clinics and oversees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-washington-suicide-313c20b2098469f04ccadcccdfd46b1b">the national 988 hotline</a>. Both agencies pump billions of dollars into on-the-ground work in local communities.The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, created by a law signed by then-President George W. Bush and responsible for maintaining the national stockpile that was quickly drained during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be folded into the CDC.___Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services">https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-health-and-human-services</a>.

🎥RJK, Jr. explains why he is cutting thousands of jobs at  HHS

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused of killing a man in 2024 in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday afternoon.

Yancy Hermosillo, 37,&nbsp; will appear before Judge Jeffrey Goering, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Hermosillo was found&nbsp; guilty of&nbsp; second degree; unintentional but reckless murder in the shooting death of 35-year-old Ladonte Ostrander on January 16, 2024.

Early the morning of the crime, police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots in the 1000 block of S. Market in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;

In the 900 block of S. Market Street, first responders discovered Ostrander with a gunshot wound to his lower extremities. Sedgwick County EMS transported him in critical condition to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police arrested&nbsp; Hermosillo&nbsp; the following day. He&nbsp;has previous felony convictions for domestic battery, criminal threat,&nbsp; and aggravated interference with parental custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705588462988.png" alt="Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hermosillo photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused of killing a man in 2024 in Wichita is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday afternoon.Yancy Hermosillo, 37,&nbsp; will appear before Judge Jeffrey Goering, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Hermosillo was found&nbsp; guilty of&nbsp; second degree; unintentional but reckless murder in the shooting death of 35-year-old Ladonte Ostrander on January 16, 2024.Early the morning of the crime, police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots in the 1000 block of S. Market in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;In the 900 block of S. Market Street, first responders discovered Ostrander with a gunshot wound to his lower extremities. Sedgwick County EMS transported him in critical condition to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.Police arrested&nbsp; Hermosillo&nbsp; the following day. He&nbsp;has previous felony convictions for domestic battery, criminal threat,&nbsp; and aggravated interference with parental custody, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;

Sentencing Day: Kansas felon found guilty of murder

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff.

The verdict marks the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">long-running series of court battles</a>&nbsp;Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, reached in a Georgia courtroom late Friday, in efforts to overturn the decision.

The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, law firms Arnold &amp; Itkin LLP and Kline &amp; Specter PC said in a statement. That marks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24">one of the largest</a>&nbsp;verdicts in a Roundup-related case to date.

Plaintiff John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Arnold &amp; Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, the lead trial lawyer on the case, said the verdict will help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs going forward.

“It’s been a long road for him ... and he was happy that the truth related to the product (has) been exposed,” Findley told The Associated Press on Sunday. He called the verdict an “important milestone” after "another example of Monsanto’s refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.”

Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">more than 177,000 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases.

In a statement, Monsanto said Friday's verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues “to stand fully behind the safety” of Roundup products.

For a variety of crops — including corn, soybeans and cotton — Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.

Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">has said</a>&nbsp;it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Still, numerous lawsuits over the weedkiller allege glyphosate does cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arguing that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks for years.

Findley said that evidence relating to Barnes' case show “many years of cover-ups" and “backroom dealings.” He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to the toxicity of Roundup and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”

Friday's decision marks the fourth Roundup-related verdict that Findley's team has won to date — the largest of which was awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with damages totaling $2.25 billion. And he said his law firm has “many more clients who are similarly situated as Mr. Barnes.”

Monsanto, meanwhile, also maintains that it “remains committed to trying cases” — and argues its wider record of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-weedkiller-bayer-monsanto-cancer-f34759d9dda15e51e947c84f3bd96104">Roundup-related litigation</a>&nbsp;continues to reinforce the safety of its products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related trials and “jury verdicts were reduced 90% overall” in past cases that have been finalized.

Bayer has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">recently renewed and expanded</a>&nbsp;an effort across a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">handful of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;to protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that a product causes cancer, if labeling otherwise complies with EPA regulations. The company and other industry supports argue that litigation costs are unstainable and could impact Roundup’s future availability. But opponents stress that such legislation would limit accountability.

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff.The verdict marks the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">long-running series of court battles</a>&nbsp;Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, reached in a Georgia courtroom late Friday, in efforts to overturn the decision.The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, law firms Arnold &amp; Itkin LLP and Kline &amp; Specter PC said in a statement. That marks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24">one of the largest</a>&nbsp;verdicts in a Roundup-related case to date.Plaintiff John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Arnold &amp; Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, the lead trial lawyer on the case, said the verdict will help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs going forward.“It’s been a long road for him ... and he was happy that the truth related to the product (has) been exposed,” Findley told The Associated Press on Sunday. He called the verdict an “important milestone” after "another example of Monsanto’s refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.”Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">more than 177,000 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases.In a statement, Monsanto said Friday's verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues “to stand fully behind the safety” of Roundup products.For a variety of crops — including corn, soybeans and cotton — Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less.Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate">has said</a>&nbsp;it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Still, numerous lawsuits over the weedkiller allege glyphosate does cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arguing that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks for years.Findley said that evidence relating to Barnes' case show “many years of cover-ups" and “backroom dealings.” He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to the toxicity of Roundup and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”Friday's decision marks the fourth Roundup-related verdict that Findley's team has won to date — the largest of which was awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with damages totaling $2.25 billion. And he said his law firm has “many more clients who are similarly situated as Mr. Barnes.”Monsanto, meanwhile, also maintains that it “remains committed to trying cases” — and argues its wider record of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roundup-weedkiller-bayer-monsanto-cancer-f34759d9dda15e51e947c84f3bd96104">Roundup-related litigation</a>&nbsp;continues to reinforce the safety of its products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related trials and “jury verdicts were reduced 90% overall” in past cases that have been finalized.Bayer has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-roundup-glyphosate-pesticide-liability-cancer-7d7885e55e228fae8ed8ec7b207a65b8">recently renewed and expanded</a>&nbsp;an effort across a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">handful of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;to protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that a product causes cancer, if labeling otherwise complies with EPA regulations. The company and other industry supports argue that litigation costs are unstainable and could impact Roundup’s future availability. But opponents stress that such legislation would limit accountability.

Jury orders Monsanto parent to pay nearly $2.1 billion in weedkiller lawsuit

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest during a house fire.

Just before 7:30a.m. March 24, emergency personnel were dispatched to a fire at a home at 103 S. Eastern Avenue in Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The reporting party stated they could not get any of the occupants of the residence to come to the door to escape the fire located on the porch which spread to the rear of the residence. 

 Jackson County Sheriff Deputies arrived on scene and made forcible entry after attempting to contact any occupants inside.  Law enforcement found the sole occupant Shandra Rose Ahlstedt, 35, of Hoyt and was able to escort her to safety with no injuries. 

 A deputy observed drug paraphernalia inside the residence.  A search warrant for the residence was obtained and executed where crack cocaine, marijuana, THC and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were located.

 The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and caused from a charcoal grill which had blown over in the wind and started the fire. 

Ahlstedt was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742939163081.png" alt="Ahlstedt-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Ahlstedt-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest during a house fire.Just before 7:30a.m. March 24, emergency personnel were dispatched to a fire at a home at 103 S. Eastern Avenue in Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The reporting party stated they could not get any of the occupants of the residence to come to the door to escape the fire located on the porch which spread to the rear of the residence. Jackson County Sheriff Deputies arrived on scene and made forcible entry after attempting to contact any occupants inside. Law enforcement found the sole occupant Shandra Rose Ahlstedt, 35, of Hoyt and was able to escort her to safety with no injuries. A deputy observed drug paraphernalia inside the residence. A search warrant for the residence was obtained and executed where crack cocaine, marijuana, THC and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were located. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and caused from a charcoal grill which had blown over in the wind and started the fire. Ahlstedt was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of THC and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas woman arrested during house fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&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 — Senate President Ty Masterson asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider the hypocrisy of those who opposed a constitutional amendment to curtail rising property taxes by limiting increases in property valuations to 4% annually.

Democrats had raised concerns during debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hcr5011/" target="_blank">House Concurrent Resolution 5011</a>&nbsp;that the proposal would offer little or no relief on property tax bills while also complaining that it would lower state property tax collections that support school funding to the tune of $1 billion over five years.

“I hope that the body is absorbing the doublespeak, the hypocrisy of the conversation, the opposition,” Masterson said. “We’re both saying it does nothing, and it’s going to be so devastating we won’t even be able to fund our schools. I hope this is this is apparent to you that those are opposites, and the truth, like many things, is right in the middle. It’s not devastating change, but it’s real change.”

Despite his urging, the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds support needed to pass the resolution, falling one vote short. Five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition on a 26-14 vote.

The Senate vote effectively kills the resolution, although it could be revived by a motion to reconsider, or it could resurface under a different bill name before legislators close the books on the session at the end of the week.

Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and the chair of the House Taxation Committee, said he fully expected the resolution to come to the House.

“I was kind of shocked that it didn’t,” Smith said.

He said he wasn’t fully in favor of the proposal but was willing to bring it to the floor for a vote. He was wary of the resolution’s cap on property appraisal increases. The cap, which increased from 3% to 4% during negotiations between the House and Senate, doesn’t do anything to limit the mill levies, he said. Under the proposal, valuation remains lower, but the levies continue to increase.

“You’re average taxpayer isn’t going to see actual tax relief,” Smith said.

During debate in the Senate, Sen. Ethan Corson, D-Fairway, questioned why negotiations between the Senate and House resulted in a change in placing the proposed constitutional amendment before voters in August 2026 instead of November 2025, as previously planned. If the bill offers true property tax relief, Corson wondered, why delay it?

The short answer: Sen. Caryn Tyson doesn’t play Uno.

Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she proposed the change — she didn’t explain why — and the House accepted. Then, she said, the House “asked me if I wanted to play my Uno card of reversal.”

“I don’t play Uno. So we stayed on. We agreed on August ’26,” Tyson said.

Corson said legislators have heard from “Kansans in every corner of the state about the desperate need for property tax relief.” Seniors and veterans are being forced out of their homes “because of sky high property taxes,” he said. And GOP leadership promised before the session that property tax relief would be a day one priority.

Now, he said, the Legislature is at the end of the session, and “we have done nothing meaningful on property tax relief.”

“We are putting politics over what is best for people. That’s what’s happening,” Corson said.

Corson and Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, referenced projections produced by the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department of how the cap on property appraisals would impact school funding. The state assess 20 mills to finance public schools, and 1.5 mills for school buildings. According to the projections, the state would lose $1 billion in revenue for schools over five years, which would need to be offset by draining the State General Fund.

“Maybe that’s exactly what this body wants,” Holscher said. “Maybe we want to make it more difficult to fund our schools.”

But Tyson reiterated Masterson’s comments.

“We’re getting doublespeak,” Tyson said. “First, it doesn’t do anything for the taxpayers, and then, oh no, it’s going to break school funding and the state SGF. So you can’t have it both ways.”

The five Republicans who joined Democrats to defeat the resolution were Sen. Mike Argabright of Emporia, Sen. Tory Marie Blew of Great Bend, Sen. Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, Sen. Michael Fagg of El Dorado and Sen. Stephen Owens of Hesston.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743080353286.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson presides over a March 26, 2025, session of the Senate. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson presides over a March 26, 2025, session of the Senate. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&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 — Senate President Ty Masterson asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider the hypocrisy of those who opposed a constitutional amendment to curtail rising property taxes by limiting increases in property valuations to 4% annually.Democrats had raised concerns during debate on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hcr5011/" target="_blank">House Concurrent Resolution 5011</a>&nbsp;that the proposal would offer little or no relief on property tax bills while also complaining that it would lower state property tax collections that support school funding to the tune of $1 billion over five years.“I hope that the body is absorbing the doublespeak, the hypocrisy of the conversation, the opposition,” Masterson said. “We’re both saying it does nothing, and it’s going to be so devastating we won’t even be able to fund our schools. I hope this is this is apparent to you that those are opposites, and the truth, like many things, is right in the middle. It’s not devastating change, but it’s real change.”Despite his urging, the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds support needed to pass the resolution, falling one vote short. Five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition on a 26-14 vote.The Senate vote effectively kills the resolution, although it could be revived by a motion to reconsider, or it could resurface under a different bill name before legislators close the books on the session at the end of the week.Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and the chair of the House Taxation Committee, said he fully expected the resolution to come to the House.“I was kind of shocked that it didn’t,” Smith said.He said he wasn’t fully in favor of the proposal but was willing to bring it to the floor for a vote. He was wary of the resolution’s cap on property appraisal increases. The cap, which increased from 3% to 4% during negotiations between the House and Senate, doesn’t do anything to limit the mill levies, he said. Under the proposal, valuation remains lower, but the levies continue to increase.“You’re average taxpayer isn’t going to see actual tax relief,” Smith said.During debate in the Senate, Sen. Ethan Corson, D-Fairway, questioned why negotiations between the Senate and House resulted in a change in placing the proposed constitutional amendment before voters in August 2026 instead of November 2025, as previously planned. If the bill offers true property tax relief, Corson wondered, why delay it?The short answer: Sen. Caryn Tyson doesn’t play Uno.Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she proposed the change — she didn’t explain why — and the House accepted. Then, she said, the House “asked me if I wanted to play my Uno card of reversal.”“I don’t play Uno. So we stayed on. We agreed on August ’26,” Tyson said.Corson said legislators have heard from “Kansans in every corner of the state about the desperate need for property tax relief.” Seniors and veterans are being forced out of their homes “because of sky high property taxes,” he said. And GOP leadership promised before the session that property tax relief would be a day one priority.Now, he said, the Legislature is at the end of the session, and “we have done nothing meaningful on property tax relief.”“We are putting politics over what is best for people. That’s what’s happening,” Corson said.Corson and Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, referenced projections produced by the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department of how the cap on property appraisals would impact school funding. The state assess 20 mills to finance public schools, and 1.5 mills for school buildings. According to the projections, the state would lose $1 billion in revenue for schools over five years, which would need to be offset by draining the State General Fund.“Maybe that’s exactly what this body wants,” Holscher said. “Maybe we want to make it more difficult to fund our schools.”But Tyson reiterated Masterson’s comments.“We’re getting doublespeak,” Tyson said. “First, it doesn’t do anything for the taxpayers, and then, oh no, it’s going to break school funding and the state SGF. So you can’t have it both ways.”The five Republicans who joined Democrats to defeat the resolution were Sen. Mike Argabright of Emporia, Sen. Tory Marie Blew of Great Bend, Sen. Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, Sen. Michael Fagg of El Dorado and Sen. Stephen Owens of Hesston.

Kansas Senate falls one vote short of approving constitutional amendment on property taxes

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy at an apartment complex in Leavenworth.

Just before 4:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a medical call just at Woodland Village apartments 2900 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to Leavenworth Police Department Major Dan Nicodemus.

First responders found the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are working to determine how the boy died.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest, the name of the child or additional details.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy at an apartment complex in Leavenworth.Just before 4:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a medical call just at Woodland Village apartments 2900 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to Leavenworth Police Department Major Dan Nicodemus.First responders found the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are working to determine how the boy died.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest, the name of the child or additional details.

Police investigate death of 3-year-old Kansas boy

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado woman is due in court Thursday after authorities said some of her over 50 dogs attacked and killed her 76-year-old mother.

Jessica Hoff, 47, was arrested March 21, in connection with the February death of LaVonne Hoff, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dementia-alzheimers-aging-brain-health-82b74dd1834b6387284164da655eaad8">dementia</a>&nbsp;and required 24-hour care, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The office said Jessica Hoff left her mother at home alone in Colorado City, 140 miles south of Denver, while she did errands Feb. 3. Later that day, deputies found LaVonne Hoff unconscious and several dogs running loose along with about two dozen other dogs and seven birds that were in cages, the sheriff's office said.

A search of the home and another property owned by Jessica Hoff nearby found a total of 54 dogs, several of them in poor health. The dogs and birds were found in unsanitary conditions and were seized by animal control, the sheriff’s office said.

Jessica Hoff, who was in jail Monday. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her, according to court records. She is being represented by a lawyer from the public defender's office, which doesn't comment on its cases to the media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742852606490.png" alt="Hoff -photo Pueblo County" />
 <figcaption>Hoff -photo Pueblo County</figcaption>
 </figure>PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado woman is due in court Thursday after authorities said some of her over 50 dogs attacked and killed her 76-year-old mother.Jessica Hoff, 47, was arrested March 21, in connection with the February death of LaVonne Hoff, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dementia-alzheimers-aging-brain-health-82b74dd1834b6387284164da655eaad8">dementia</a>&nbsp;and required 24-hour care, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.The office said Jessica Hoff left her mother at home alone in Colorado City, 140 miles south of Denver, while she did errands Feb. 3. Later that day, deputies found LaVonne Hoff unconscious and several dogs running loose along with about two dozen other dogs and seven birds that were in cages, the sheriff's office said.A search of the home and another property owned by Jessica Hoff nearby found a total of 54 dogs, several of them in poor health. The dogs and birds were found in unsanitary conditions and were seized by animal control, the sheriff’s office said.Jessica Hoff, who was in jail Monday. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her, according to court records. She is being represented by a lawyer from the public defender's office, which doesn't comment on its cases to the media.

Mother killed by some of her daughter's more than 50 dogs

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after suspicious activity near a Kansas park are asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.

Just after 1p.m. On March 17, police were dispatched to the 11300 block of South Cook Street in Olathe regarding suspicious activity, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

It was reported that a man asked juveniles to enter his vehicle while they were playing at an area park.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The vehicle is believed to be a silver Chevrolet Malibu, with an unknown temporary license plate. The vehicle is also believed to have damage to the rear driver side bumper.

Officers arrived and contacted the&nbsp;juveniles and their parent. Officers also checked the area and were unable to locate the vehicle, which was described as a grey or silver 4-door passenger vehicle missing its hubcaps.

The man was described as being in his 50’s or 60’s, with darker brown skin and short black hair and was last seen wearing a red shirt and dark pants.

&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743020809818.png" alt="Photo Olathe Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Olathe Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after suspicious activity near a Kansas park are asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.Just after 1p.m. On March 17, police were dispatched to the 11300 block of South Cook Street in Olathe regarding suspicious activity, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.It was reported that a man asked juveniles to enter his vehicle while they were playing at an area park.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vehicle is believed to be a silver Chevrolet Malibu, with an unknown temporary license plate. The vehicle is also believed to have damage to the rear driver side bumper.Officers arrived and contacted the&nbsp;juveniles and their parent. Officers also checked the area and were unable to locate the vehicle, which was described as a grey or silver 4-door passenger vehicle missing its hubcaps.The man was described as being in his 50’s or 60’s, with darker brown skin and short black hair and was last seen wearing a red shirt and dark pants.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.

Police: Man allegedly asked children to get into his car

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents were involved in a shooting while serving an arrest warrant just before 9p.m. Wednesday at the El Rio Bravo Supermarket at 11 S. 10th&nbsp;St. in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.

While KBI agents attempted to make the arrest, the 25-year-old male subject was shot. The man was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for his injury and is expected to recover. KBI agents were not injured during the incident, however, following the shooting the involved agent was medically evaluated and then released.

As is standard procedure, the special agent who fired will be placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.

The KBI asked the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) to investigate this shooting. Further information related to this investigation is expected to come from KCKPD.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents were involved in a shooting while serving an arrest warrant just before 9p.m. Wednesday at the El Rio Bravo Supermarket at 11 S. 10th&nbsp;St. in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from the agency.While KBI agents attempted to make the arrest, the 25-year-old male subject was shot. The man was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for his injury and is expected to recover. KBI agents were not injured during the incident, however, following the shooting the involved agent was medically evaluated and then released.As is standard procedure, the special agent who fired will be placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation.The KBI asked the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) to investigate this shooting. Further information related to this investigation is expected to come from KCKPD.&nbsp;

KBI special agent shot man while serving a warrant 

WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,&nbsp; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “NTSB Preliminary Report: DCA Midair Collision” on Thursday&nbsp;

This hearing will examine preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly crash in January involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">killed 67 people</a>.&nbsp;

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board that is investigating the crash will appear along with the leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army's aviation division to answer questions in the Senate.

There will almost certainly be questions about the 85 dangerous close calls between planes and helicopters near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport that the NTSB identified in the three years before the crash and why officials didn't do something about them. Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee that oversees aviation have also questioned why the Army routinely operated helicopters through the area with a key safety system that is supposed to notify other aircraft and the tower about their location turned off.

Both of the top ranking members of the committee — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell — have sent letters demanding answers from the Army about how often and why their Black Hawks have operated in around Washington D.C. without transmitting location data.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that the close proximity of planes and helicopters in Washington, D.C., represented an “intolerable risk to aviation safety” that the FAA should have spotted sooner.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">Homendy said Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that the FAA needs to do more to analyze the safety data it posses. “The next accident is in the data right now. And what are we doing to figure out what that is?” she said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to use artificial intelligence to review data from other airports to identify any similar risks elsewhere — particularly in eight metro areas with busy helicopter routes: Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.

Investigators are still in the early stages of determining why the American Airlines passenger jet and Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land Jan. 29. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">plunged into the Potomac River</a>, killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">everyone aboard</a>. It will likely take more than a year to complete the final report.

Investigators previously said the helicopter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-aircraft-helicopter-crash-timeline-5ed5bf5bc66eee4e24df1b79f30a47ff">may have had inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.

The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.

A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe. On Jan. 31 a medical transport jet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-mexico-plane-crash-705025e74a390b94732b02e40994499f">crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood</a>, killing seven. On Feb. 6&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-plane-crash-recovery-investigation-28c8fd9e0fd1f1d450c94aaef81cc0f1">a small commuter aircraft went down</a>&nbsp;off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-toronto-airport-minneapolis-4ab235ef49b2d3757c9bd5fd8c6606ce">crashed and flipped over</a>&nbsp;upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-crash-arizona-air-traffic-control-towers-95eabcb512f6dfd98ede5193e1b428af">collided in midair in Arizona</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane came within 200 feet of crashing into another plane crossing the runway before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-plane-collision-chicago-midway-faa-e0abb86c91ea54a751cc917ae97d2d11">aborted its landing to avoid it</a>.

Here's a look at the Jan. 29 crash in Washington:

American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, the Army Black Hawk, with three soldiers on board, was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.

Investigators said they believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.

A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach. The NTSB now says that any time that runway is used — the one in question accounts for about 5% of the airport's flights — the helicopter route should be shut down.

Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert saying the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the jet in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for “visual separation” with the jet for a second time, allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.

Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.

The NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.

Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet.

“That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on,” she said at a Feb. 14 briefing, leaving the helicopter’s crew unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because their microphone key was pressed.

The radio altitude of the helicopter was 278 feet (85 meters) at the time, which would put it above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.

Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicate that the crew may not have had accurate altitude readings, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were at 300 feet (91 meters) but the instructor pilot saying 400 feet (122 meters), Homendy said.

“We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data,” she said.

That generation of Black Hawks typically has two types of altimeters: one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals bounced off the ground. Helicopter pilots typically rely on barometric readings while flying, but the helicopter’s black box captures its radio altitude.

Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed by reporters</a>, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, he blamed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">“obsolete” air traffic control system</a>&nbsp;that he said should have been replaced years ago.

The Black Hawk crew was made up of an instructor pilot with 968 hours of flight experience, a pilot with about 450 hours and a crew chief with nearly 1,150 hours. Army officials have said the crew was familiar with the crowded skies around Washington.

The Army identified the Black Hawk crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>, 28, of Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. O’Hara was the crew chief, and Eaves and Lobach were pilots.

Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>&nbsp;who were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims' families.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738703092495.png" alt="-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" />
 <figcaption>-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, working with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USCGMidAtlantic?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USNavy?__cft__[0]=AZVaKqPNSiwSuKRH01L03JB8k_89iOrQZOlRWtfzOBsAJCt3z8QQvEYQa8XpseNu6lXA2LDrRWcHbQW3Fa1vXPGXU-T_5Dh2wbhpnKG7qo382L0qE0fMgmG5jv5Z_FFWJHRL1dX62558wBmmNSH_sOYY5t0GOUldAsRj2QW9WelwbsHdhaP3oE4VMMl2yUaEBbw&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">U.S. Navy</a>&nbsp;Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), began wreckage removal operations at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran,&nbsp; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “NTSB Preliminary Report: DCA Midair Collision” on Thursday&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fkXXRf3sXvw?si=7gcbjKYFByY4BNSI&amp;start=951" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> This hearing will examine preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly crash in January involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">killed 67 people</a>.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743084233432.png" alt="Senator Moran during his opening statement on Thursday morning-image courtesy Commerce Committee video" />
 <figcaption>Senator Moran during his opening statement on Thursday morning-image courtesy Commerce Committee video</figcaption>
 </figure>The head of the National Transportation Safety Board that is investigating the crash will appear along with the leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army's aviation division to answer questions in the Senate.There will almost certainly be questions about the 85 dangerous close calls between planes and helicopters near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport that the NTSB identified in the three years before the crash and why officials didn't do something about them. Lawmakers on the Commerce Committee that oversees aviation have also questioned why the Army routinely operated helicopters through the area with a key safety system that is supposed to notify other aircraft and the tower about their location turned off.Both of the top ranking members of the committee — Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell — have sent letters demanding answers from the Army about how often and why their Black Hawks have operated in around Washington D.C. without transmitting location data.NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;that the close proximity of planes and helicopters in Washington, D.C., represented an “intolerable risk to aviation safety” that the FAA should have spotted sooner.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-data-5a35e719242c2b613fcac4b213714ba3">Homendy said Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that the FAA needs to do more to analyze the safety data it posses. “The next accident is in the data right now. And what are we doing to figure out what that is?” she said.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to use artificial intelligence to review data from other airports to identify any similar risks elsewhere — particularly in eight metro areas with busy helicopter routes: Boston, New York, Baltimore-Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.Investigators are still in the early stages of determining why the American Airlines passenger jet and Army helicopter collided as the plane prepared to land Jan. 29. Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-air-collision-video-footage-b444f2c4015fee7266e8a38716ec4ef6">plunged into the Potomac River</a>, killing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b">everyone aboard</a>. It will likely take more than a year to complete the final report.Investigators previously said the helicopter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-aircraft-helicopter-crash-timeline-5ed5bf5bc66eee4e24df1b79f30a47ff">may have had inaccurate altitude readings</a>&nbsp;in the moments before the crash, and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers.The collision was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest plane crash in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground.A string of crashes this year along with a near miss have brought attention to air travel, which remains overwhelmingly safe. On Jan. 31 a medical transport jet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-mexico-plane-crash-705025e74a390b94732b02e40994499f">crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood</a>, killing seven. On Feb. 6&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-plane-crash-recovery-investigation-28c8fd9e0fd1f1d450c94aaef81cc0f1">a small commuter aircraft went down</a>&nbsp;off western Alaska, killing 10. On Feb. 17, a Delta plane&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-toronto-airport-minneapolis-4ab235ef49b2d3757c9bd5fd8c6606ce">crashed and flipped over</a>&nbsp;upon landing in Toronto. Two small planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-crash-arizona-air-traffic-control-towers-95eabcb512f6dfd98ede5193e1b428af">collided in midair in Arizona</a>&nbsp;on Feb. 19, killing two people. And there was a scary moment Feb. 25 in Chicago when a Southwest Airlines plane came within 200 feet of crashing into another plane crossing the runway before it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-plane-collision-chicago-midway-faa-e0abb86c91ea54a751cc917ae97d2d11">aborted its landing to avoid it</a>.Here's a look at the Jan. 29 crash in Washington:<h2>What happened?</h2>American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members as it approached to land on a clear night. Nearby, the Army Black Hawk, with three soldiers on board, was practicing emergency evacuation routes that would be used to ferry out key government officials in an attack or catastrophe.Investigators said they believe the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles that would have limited their peripheral vision.A few minutes before the twin-engine jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked if it could use a shorter runway. The pilots agreed, and flight-tracking sites show the plane turned to adjust its approach. The NTSB now says that any time that runway is used — the one in question accounts for about 5% of the airport's flights — the helicopter route should be shut down.Shortly before the collision, a controller got an alert saying the plane and Black Hawk were converging and asked the helicopter if it had the jet in sight. The military pilot said yes and asked for “visual separation” with the jet for a second time, allowing it to fly closer than if the pilots couldn't see the plane. Controllers approved the request.Roughly 20 seconds later, the aircraft collided.<h2>The investigation</h2>The NTSB has recovered all flight data recorders and pulled the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac.Homendy told reporters last month that the Black Hawk's cockpit recorder suggested an incomplete radio transmission may have left the crew unable to hear air traffic control tell them, just before the crash, to move behind the jet.“That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on,” she said at a Feb. 14 briefing, leaving the helicopter’s crew unable to hear the words “pass behind the” because their microphone key was pressed.The radio altitude of the helicopter was 278 feet (85 meters) at the time, which would put it above its 200-foot (61-meter) limit for that location.Cockpit conversations a few minutes before the crash indicate that the crew may not have had accurate altitude readings, with the helicopter’s pilot calling out that they were at 300 feet (91 meters) but the instructor pilot saying 400 feet (122 meters), Homendy said.“We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data,” she said.That generation of Black Hawks typically has two types of altimeters: one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals bounced off the ground. Helicopter pilots typically rely on barometric readings while flying, but the helicopter’s black box captures its radio altitude.Almost immediately after the crash, President Donald Trump faulted the helicopter for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-325edc6c0c2439dd6c1e73a81e382c0e">flying too high</a>. He also blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly regarding air traffic controllers. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-crash-washington-dc-trump-dei-claims-3ac5486ec594d81e919e8ebbd9733869">pressed by reporters</a>, the president could not back up those claims. A few days later, he blamed an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-plane-crash-air-traffic-control-ab195790634af66534a45cdec2d80aa8">“obsolete” air traffic control system</a>&nbsp;that he said should have been replaced years ago.The Black Hawk crew was made up of an instructor pilot with 968 hours of flight experience, a pilot with about 450 hours and a crew chief with nearly 1,150 hours. Army officials have said the crew was familiar with the crowded skies around Washington.<h2>The victims</h2>The Army identified the Black Hawk crew as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-50b3e82d8ec3713cc4ae1ac3a327104c">Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach</a>, 28, of Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. O’Hara was the crew chief, and Eaves and Lobach were pilots.Among the jet’s passengers were several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-391a4c7bd0e617a08d9532a8faab206b">members of the Skating Club of Boston</a>&nbsp;who were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-figure-skating-championships-winter-olympics-18cdb192224d27ec76c3abaca862ab4a">2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships</a>&nbsp;in Wichita. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-58511d50373d7c3910fea82edc676078">figure skating tribute event</a>&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-helicopter-jet-crash-figure-skaters-b5098aa44dc91e0e4d45812b6d6b5879">raised $1.2 million</a>&nbsp;for the crash victims' families.\

🎥Kan. U.S. Senator leads hearing on DCA midair collision 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. Wednesday, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.

First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.

This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary investigation revealed an interaction between individuals in the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;store just before the victim was shot. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and canvassing the area for witnesses. Crime scene personnel are processing the scene for any available physical evidence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743105949880.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City. Just before&nbsp;7:30p.m. Wednesday, patrol&nbsp;officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;3700&nbsp;block&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743107951249.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>First responders were directed to the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;a convenience&nbsp;store at the corner&nbsp;of&nbsp;St.&nbsp;John&nbsp;and Monroe. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They immediately began performing life saving measures and summoned emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS pronounced the victim deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary investigation revealed an interaction between individuals in the parking lot&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;store just before the victim was shot. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and canvassing the area for witnesses. Crime scene personnel are processing the scene for any available physical evidence.

KCPD: Man killed in KC convenience store parking lot

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.&nbsp;

According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.

In February 2025, Barron-Esquivel is accused of forcibly assaulting and causing bodily harm to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer while the officer was performing his official duties.&nbsp;

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742909861775.png" alt="Barron-Esquivel is being held in Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Barron-Esquivel is being held in Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.&nbsp;According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.In February 2025, Barron-Esquivel is accused of forcibly assaulting and causing bodily harm to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer while the officer was performing his official duties.&nbsp;Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Mexican national accused of attack on ICE deportation officer in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld a Biden administration regulation on the nearly impossible-to-trace weapons called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">ghost guns</a>, clearing the way for continued serial numbers, background checks and age verification requirements for buying the kits online.

The 7-2 opinion found that existing gun laws allow regulation of the kits increasingly linked to crime. It comes after President Donald Trump ordered a review of federal gun policy that could undermine or reverse regulations championed by his predecessor.

Sales of the homemade firearms grew exponentially as kits allowing for easy at-home building came into the market, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. “Some home hobbyists enjoy assembling them. But criminals also find them attractive,” he said.

The number of ghost guns found at crime scenes around the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ghost-guns-federal-regulations-atf-fb38d09a44ddc8fb7074a4273ae4bcd5">has also soared</a>, according to federal data. Fewer than 1,700 were recovered by law enforcement in 2017, but that number grew to 27,000 in 2023, according to Justice Department data.

Since the federal rule was finalized, though, ghost gun numbers have flattened out or declined in several major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baltimore, according to court documents. Manufacturing of miscellaneous gun parts also dropped 36% overall, the Justice Department has said.

Ghost guns are any privately made firearms without the serial numbers that allow police to trace weapons used in crime. The 2022 regulation was focused on kits sold online with everything needed to build a functioning firearm — sometimes in less than 30 minutes, according to court documents.

Ghost guns have been used in high-profile crimes, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-shooting-suspect-kimbrady-carriker-efd9f954b18610035383616d58ae515d">a mass shooting</a>&nbsp;carried out with an AR-15-style ghost gun in Philadelphia that left five people dead. Police believe a ghost gun used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-suspect-c68d0328f278d85fcf201ae89f634098">the slaying of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan was made on a 3D printer rather than assembled from a kit of the kind at the center of the Supreme Court case.

Finalized at the direction of then-President Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">the “frame and receiver” rule</a>&nbsp;requires companies to treat the kits like other firearms by adding serial numbers, running background checks and verifying that buyers are 21 or older.

Gun groups challenged the rule in court in the case known as Garland v. VanDerStok. Most crimes are committed with traditional firearms, not ghost guns, they argued. It's legal for people to build their own firearms at home, the challengers said, arguing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority by trying to regulate the kits.

The Supreme Court majority disagreed, pointing out that the law gives the ATF the power to regulate items that can be quickly made into working firearms.

“The ‘Buy Build Shoot’ kit can be 'readily converted' into a firearm too, for it requires no more time, effort, expertise, or specialized tools to complete,” Gorsuch wrote, referring to a specific product.

Some kits may take more time to build into guns and therefore fall outside the ATF’s power, he wrote, but many popular kits are subject to regulation.

In response to the ruling, a Justice Department spokesperson said the administration would “continue to support and defend the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.”

Gun safety groups celebrated the ruling, with Everytown Law executive director Eric Tirschwell saying the rule also had broad support from law enforcement. “Fundamentally, today's decision confirms the ghost gun industry is dead as a viable business model," he said.

A Michigan woman whose son lost an eye when he was accidently shot by a friend who bought a ghost gun before he was old enough to legally buy a typical weapon also applauded. “We are deeply relieved by today’s ruling, which will help ensure that a tragedy like ours never happens again,” she said.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said the ATF policy is a major factor in two years of record-low numbers of shootings in his state. “These are common-sense regulations on ghost guns that all too often end up in the hands of felons,” he said.

The court previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expanded Second Amendment rights</a>&nbsp;with a finding that modern gun regulations must fit within historical traditions. The justices also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-bump-stocks-b3bd1b4163d78514a6d5acc5b44c8b3d">struck down</a>&nbsp;a firearm regulation from President Donald Trump’s first administration, a ban on gun accessories known as bump stocks that enable rapid fire.

In a dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the ghost gun rule should meet the same fate. The kits, he wrote, are only firearm parts and shouldn't be subject to a regulation that could open the door to rules on other popular weapons. “Congress could have authorized ATF to regulate any part of a firearm or any object readily convertible into one," he wrote. “But, it did not.”

Justice Samuel Alito also filed his own dissent.

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649769587607.png" alt="File photo Biden White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo Biden White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld a Biden administration regulation on the nearly impossible-to-trace weapons called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">ghost guns</a>, clearing the way for continued serial numbers, background checks and age verification requirements for buying the kits online.The 7-2 opinion found that existing gun laws allow regulation of the kits increasingly linked to crime. It comes after President Donald Trump ordered a review of federal gun policy that could undermine or reverse regulations championed by his predecessor.Sales of the homemade firearms grew exponentially as kits allowing for easy at-home building came into the market, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. “Some home hobbyists enjoy assembling them. But criminals also find them attractive,” he said.The number of ghost guns found at crime scenes around the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ghost-guns-federal-regulations-atf-fb38d09a44ddc8fb7074a4273ae4bcd5">has also soared</a>, according to federal data. Fewer than 1,700 were recovered by law enforcement in 2017, but that number grew to 27,000 in 2023, according to Justice Department data.Since the federal rule was finalized, though, ghost gun numbers have flattened out or declined in several major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baltimore, according to court documents. Manufacturing of miscellaneous gun parts also dropped 36% overall, the Justice Department has said.Ghost guns are any privately made firearms without the serial numbers that allow police to trace weapons used in crime. The 2022 regulation was focused on kits sold online with everything needed to build a functioning firearm — sometimes in less than 30 minutes, according to court documents.Ghost guns have been used in high-profile crimes, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-shooting-suspect-kimbrady-carriker-efd9f954b18610035383616d58ae515d">a mass shooting</a>&nbsp;carried out with an AR-15-style ghost gun in Philadelphia that left five people dead. Police believe a ghost gun used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-suspect-c68d0328f278d85fcf201ae89f634098">the slaying of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan was made on a 3D printer rather than assembled from a kit of the kind at the center of the Supreme Court case.Finalized at the direction of then-President Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">the “frame and receiver” rule</a>&nbsp;requires companies to treat the kits like other firearms by adding serial numbers, running background checks and verifying that buyers are 21 or older.Gun groups challenged the rule in court in the case known as Garland v. VanDerStok. Most crimes are committed with traditional firearms, not ghost guns, they argued. It's legal for people to build their own firearms at home, the challengers said, arguing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority by trying to regulate the kits.The Supreme Court majority disagreed, pointing out that the law gives the ATF the power to regulate items that can be quickly made into working firearms.“The ‘Buy Build Shoot’ kit can be 'readily converted' into a firearm too, for it requires no more time, effort, expertise, or specialized tools to complete,” Gorsuch wrote, referring to a specific product.Some kits may take more time to build into guns and therefore fall outside the ATF’s power, he wrote, but many popular kits are subject to regulation.In response to the ruling, a Justice Department spokesperson said the administration would “continue to support and defend the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.”Gun safety groups celebrated the ruling, with Everytown Law executive director Eric Tirschwell saying the rule also had broad support from law enforcement. “Fundamentally, today's decision confirms the ghost gun industry is dead as a viable business model," he said.A Michigan woman whose son lost an eye when he was accidently shot by a friend who bought a ghost gun before he was old enough to legally buy a typical weapon also applauded. “We are deeply relieved by today’s ruling, which will help ensure that a tragedy like ours never happens again,” she said.New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said the ATF policy is a major factor in two years of record-low numbers of shootings in his state. “These are common-sense regulations on ghost guns that all too often end up in the hands of felons,” he said.The court previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expanded Second Amendment rights</a>&nbsp;with a finding that modern gun regulations must fit within historical traditions. The justices also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-bump-stocks-b3bd1b4163d78514a6d5acc5b44c8b3d">struck down</a>&nbsp;a firearm regulation from President Donald Trump’s first administration, a ban on gun accessories known as bump stocks that enable rapid fire.In a dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the ghost gun rule should meet the same fate. The kits, he wrote, are only firearm parts and shouldn't be subject to a regulation that could open the door to rules on other popular weapons. “Congress could have authorized ATF to regulate any part of a firearm or any object readily convertible into one," he wrote. “But, it did not.”Justice Samuel Alito also filed his own dissent.___Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Supreme Court upholds Biden rule making ghost guns easier to trace

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple allegations after a traffic stop arrest.

Just before 12:30a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;initiated a traffic stop on a passenger vehicle for excessive speed and equipment violations in the vicinity of Kansas 4 highway and Wakarusa Road just north of Eskridge in Wabaunsee County, according to the sheriff's department.&nbsp;

Two sheriff's department officials made contact with the vehicle occupants and their subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of the driver, identified as 33-year-old Colter Weeks of Louisville, Kansas.&nbsp;

He was taken into custody on scene without incident on requested charges of driving while suspended, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (two counts); Methamphetamine and HCL base crack cocaine.

The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Jerah Weeks of Louisville, Kansas&nbsp; was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (two counts); Methamphetamine &amp; HCL base crack cocaine and for unlawfully obtaining prescription drugs.

Colter Weeks has a previous felony conviction for battery on a city or county corrections officer, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743019719268.png" alt="-Weeks photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>-Weeks photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple allegations after a traffic stop arrest.Just before 12:30a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;initiated a traffic stop on a passenger vehicle for excessive speed and equipment violations in the vicinity of Kansas 4 highway and Wakarusa Road just north of Eskridge in Wabaunsee County, according to the sheriff's department.&nbsp;Two sheriff's department officials made contact with the vehicle occupants and their subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of the driver, identified as 33-year-old Colter Weeks of Louisville, Kansas.&nbsp;He was taken into custody on scene without incident on requested charges of driving while suspended, possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (two counts); Methamphetamine and HCL base crack cocaine.The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Jerah Weeks of Louisville, Kansas&nbsp; was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (two counts); Methamphetamine &amp; HCL base crack cocaine and for unlawfully obtaining prescription drugs.Colter Weeks has a previous felony conviction for battery on a city or county corrections officer, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kansas felon caught transporting crack cocaine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Atlantic on Wednesday released the entire Signal chat among senior national security officials, showing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne.

<a href="https://mimoo.github.io/houthi_signal/">Click here to read the</a> controversial text chat&nbsp;

The disclosure follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-signal-yemen-atlantic-group-chat-4b09973f4df3711d5d5ff88e8f9f96e0">two intense days</a>&nbsp;during which leaders of President Donald Trump's intelligence and defense agencies have struggled to explain how details — that current and former U.S. officials have said would have been classified — wound up on an unclassified Signal chat that included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg,

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said no classified information was posted to the Signal chat.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the committee’s top Democrat, plan to send a letter to the Trump administration requesting an inspector general investigation into the use of Signal. They seek a classified briefing with a top administration official “who can speak to the facts” of the episode.

Top military official was not included in the chat

The chat was also notable for who it excluded: the only military attendee of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/organization-of-the-national-security-council-and-subcommittees/">principals committee</a>, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Adm. Christopher Grady is currently serving in that position in an acting capacity because Trump fired former chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr. in February.

National security adviser Mike Waltz was authorized to decide whether to include the Joint Chiefs chairman in the principals committee discussion, “based on the policy relevance of attendees to the issues being considered, the need for secrecy on sensitive matters, staffing needs, and other considerations,” the White House said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/organization-of-the-national-security-council-and-subcommittees/">Jan. 20 memo</a>.

The Pentagon said it would not comment on the issue, and it was not immediately clear why Grady, currently serving as the president’s top military adviser, would not be included in a discussion on military strikes.

Hegseth has refused to say whether he posted classified information onto Signal.

Speaking to reporters in Hawaii on Wednesday after the full release of the texts by the magazine, he said they showed he was just providing the national security team a “general update in real time.”

“That’s what I did. That’s my job,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth shared the information on the manned warplane launches a half-hour before those crews were airborne, not in real time. Democratic lawmakers said that could have put American troops at risk.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cia-senate-national-security-threats-fe773ac76f8f01eba1d3a26409816396">told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that it was up to Hegseth to determine whether the information he was posting was classified or not. On Wednesday, Gabbard called the chats a “mistake” and said the discussion included “candid and sensitive” information but asserted that the chat information was not classified.

What was revealed was jaw-dropping in its specificity and includes the type of information that is kept to a very close hold to protect the operational security of a military strike. But Hegseth’s spokesman, Sean Parnell, said in a statement Wednesday that “there were no classified materials or war plans shared. The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway.”

The Pentagon and White House have tried to deflect criticism by attacking Goldberg and The Atlantic. The magazine and Goldberg, however, repeatedly reached out to the White House before and after publication to gain additional context on the Signal chat and ensure that publishing the full texts would not cause harm. In a response, Goldberg reported Wednesday, Leavitt described some of the information as sensitive and said the White House would prefer it not be published.

In the group chat, Hegseth posted multiple details about the impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist" was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.

“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.

“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”

“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”

“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”

“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”

“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”

“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security.

A strike package includes the personnel and weapons used in an attack, including Navy F-18 fighter aircraft. MQ-9s are armed drones. Tomahawks are ship-launched cruise missiles.

Goldberg has said he asked the White House if it opposed publication and that the White House responded that it would prefer he did not publish.

Signal is encrypted but can be vulnerable

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signal-app-atlantic-war-plans-32699da142c5209b845e57f690df4925">Signal is a publicly available app</a>&nbsp;that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked. It is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes, the Defense Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of Signal, specifically that Russia was attempting to hack the app, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743002725863.png" alt="Poster used by House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi showing portions of the group chat during a hearing on Wednesday-image House Intel Committee" />
 <figcaption>Poster used by House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi showing portions of the group chat during a hearing on Wednesday-image House Intel Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Atlantic on Wednesday released the entire Signal chat among senior national security officials, showing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne.<a href="https://mimoo.github.io/houthi_signal/">Click here to read the</a> controversial text chat&nbsp;The disclosure follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hegseth-signal-yemen-atlantic-group-chat-4b09973f4df3711d5d5ff88e8f9f96e0">two intense days</a>&nbsp;during which leaders of President Donald Trump's intelligence and defense agencies have struggled to explain how details — that current and former U.S. officials have said would have been classified — wound up on an unclassified Signal chat that included Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg,White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said no classified information was posted to the Signal chat.Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the committee’s top Democrat, plan to send a letter to the Trump administration requesting an inspector general investigation into the use of Signal. They seek a classified briefing with a top administration official “who can speak to the facts” of the episode.<h2>Top military official was not included in the chat</h2>The chat was also notable for who it excluded: the only military attendee of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/organization-of-the-national-security-council-and-subcommittees/">principals committee</a>, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Adm. Christopher Grady is currently serving in that position in an acting capacity because Trump fired former chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr. in February.National security adviser Mike Waltz was authorized to decide whether to include the Joint Chiefs chairman in the principals committee discussion, “based on the policy relevance of attendees to the issues being considered, the need for secrecy on sensitive matters, staffing needs, and other considerations,” the White House said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/organization-of-the-national-security-council-and-subcommittees/">Jan. 20 memo</a>.The Pentagon said it would not comment on the issue, and it was not immediately clear why Grady, currently serving as the president’s top military adviser, would not be included in a discussion on military strikes.Hegseth has refused to say whether he posted classified information onto Signal.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Q&#39;s for Pete Hegseth as boards plane: &quot;Mr Secretary how do you square what you said with what your messages show?&quot; &quot;Mr Secretary did you share classified information?&quot; &quot;Mr Secretary did you declassify that information?&quot; &quot;Are you using Signal for sensitive operations?&quot; &quot;Why sir?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SX33vQactv">pic.twitter.com/SX33vQactv</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1904971294166372812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking to reporters in Hawaii on Wednesday after the full release of the texts by the magazine, he said they showed he was just providing the national security team a “general update in real time.”“That’s what I did. That’s my job,” Hegseth said.Hegseth shared the information on the manned warplane launches a half-hour before those crews were airborne, not in real time. Democratic lawmakers said that could have put American troops at risk.Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cia-senate-national-security-threats-fe773ac76f8f01eba1d3a26409816396">told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that it was up to Hegseth to determine whether the information he was posting was classified or not. On Wednesday, Gabbard called the chats a “mistake” and said the discussion included “candid and sensitive” information but asserted that the chat information was not classified.<h2>Very specific texts were revealed</h2>What was revealed was jaw-dropping in its specificity and includes the type of information that is kept to a very close hold to protect the operational security of a military strike. But Hegseth’s spokesman, Sean Parnell, said in a statement Wednesday that “there were no classified materials or war plans shared. The Secretary was merely updating the group on a plan that was underway.”The Pentagon and White House have tried to deflect criticism by attacking Goldberg and The Atlantic. The magazine and Goldberg, however, repeatedly reached out to the White House before and after publication to gain additional context on the Signal chat and ensure that publishing the full texts would not cause harm. In a response, Goldberg reported Wednesday, Leavitt described some of the information as sensitive and said the White House would prefer it not be published.In the group chat, Hegseth posted multiple details about the impending strike, using military language and laying out when a “strike window” starts, where a “target terrorist" was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was “currently clean” on operational security.“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743004442275.png" alt="Image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security.A strike package includes the personnel and weapons used in an attack, including Navy F-18 fighter aircraft. MQ-9s are armed drones. Tomahawks are ship-launched cruise missiles.Goldberg has said he asked the White House if it opposed publication and that the White House responded that it would prefer he did not publish.<h2>Signal is encrypted but can be vulnerable</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/signal-app-atlantic-war-plans-32699da142c5209b845e57f690df4925">Signal is a publicly available app</a>&nbsp;that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked. It is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes, the Defense Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of Signal, specifically that Russia was attempting to hack the app, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.One known vulnerability is that a malicious actor, with access to a person’s phone, can link his or her device to the user’s Signal and essentially monitor messages remotely in real time.Leavitt is one of three Trump administration officials who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-lawsuit-trump-gulf-mexico-america-6b6fba488e7e420e5fcd28c44a755922">face a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.“Godspeed to our Warriors,” he wrote.“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”“We are currently clean on OPSEC” — that is, operational security.“Godspeed to our Warriors.”Goldberg has said he asked the White House if it opposed publication and that the White House responded that it would prefer he did not publish.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT “war plans.” This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin. <a href="https://t.co/atGrDd2ymr">pic.twitter.com/atGrDd2ymr</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1904875629612331123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Signal is encrypted but can be vulnerable</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/signal-app-atlantic-war-plans-32699da142c5209b845e57f690df4925">Signal is a publicly available app</a>&nbsp;that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked. It is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes, the Defense Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of Signal, specifically that Russia was attempting to hack the app, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.One known vulnerability is that a malicious actor, with access to a person’s phone, can link his or her device to the user’s Signal and essentially monitor messages remotely in real time.Leavitt is one of three Trump administration officials who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-lawsuit-trump-gulf-mexico-america-6b6fba488e7e420e5fcd28c44a755922">face a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.