WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, a U.S. official said Friday.

That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border.

The order has been approved, the official said, to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced.

The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">executive orders</a>&nbsp;signed shortly after he took office on Jan. 20. The first group of 1,600 active duty troops has already deployed to the border, and close to 500 more soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to begin moving in the coming days.

About 500 Marines also have been told to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held. Several hundred of them have already arrived there.

Troops going to the border are expected to help put in place concertina wire barriers and provide needed transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol. The logistics brigade will help support and sustain the troops.

Troops going to Guantanamo are helping to prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738854978070.png" alt="Photos U.S. Northern Command" />
 <figcaption>Photos U.S. Northern Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/refugees-flights-trump-immigration-border-resettlement-33ebaa34bc4d0c069a22ee7aa5f8ff6d">on immigration</a>, a U.S. official said Friday.That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738854959688.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The order has been approved, the official said, to send a logistics brigade from the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the deployment has not yet been publicly announced.The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportation-immigration-homan-asylum-inauguration-ac10480dc636b758ab3c435b974aeb19">executive orders</a>&nbsp;signed shortly after he took office on Jan. 20. The first group of 1,600 active duty troops has already deployed to the border, and close to 500 more soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to begin moving in the coming days.About 500 Marines also have been told to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some of the detained migrants will be held. Several hundred of them have already arrived there.Troops going to the border are expected to help put in place concertina wire barriers and provide needed transportation, intelligence and other support to the Border Patrol. The logistics brigade will help support and sustain the troops.Troops going to Guantanamo are helping to prepare the facility for an influx of migrants and do other support duties.

Pentagon sending more active duty troops to US-Mexico border

In 2023, a politically-connected trade group donated $24,000 to a nonprofit that paid for the mayor, an aide and security personnel to travel to Phoenix for the game

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The Chiefs will make their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will be in New Orleans to cheer them on.&nbsp;

Exactly who is funding the organization picking up the tab for this year’s trip, however, is not clear.&nbsp;

Two years ago, the mayor attended the Super Bowl in Phoenix with a top aide and security personnel. A nonprofit called the Mayors Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City footed the $23,518 bill for the trip. A day after the game, the organization took in a $24,000 donation from a politically connected trade group.

Lucas told reporters Thursday that the Mayors Corps would once again finance his trip, but he referred questions about the organization’s donors to its board of directors or attorneys.&nbsp;

“We’ve worked with lawyers, advisors and others to make sure that everything is on the up and up in connection with it,” Lucas said, adding that he would have official meetings with individuals in business and government during the trip.&nbsp;

While Lucas has been open that the nonprofit paid for his travel, the $24,000 donation — given by the Heavy Constructors Association — was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/kansas-city-mayor-accused-of-skirting-city-gift-ban-by-using-nonprofit-to-pay-for-travel/">first revealed in December by The Independent</a>. Critics contend the arrangement could violate the city’s gift rules, which require elected officials to disclose any gifts they receive worth more than $200 and bans gifts worth more than $1,000.

As a 501c4 nonprofit, the Mayors Corps is not legally required to disclose its donors.&nbsp;

The donation only became public when a whistleblower who did compliance for the mayor’s nonprofit provided documents to The Independent showing the transaction.&nbsp;

Lucas has also not disclosed how the Mayors Corps paid for his trip to last year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas. A law firm representing the nonprofit did not return requests for comment on Thursday.&nbsp;

According to the organization’s bylaws, the Mayors Corps was created “to hold, attract, develop and encourage the economic development of the Kansas City community and to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of Kansas City.”

The bylaws say: “The corporation shall not be used for either business or political purposes or for the pecuniary gain or profit of its organizers, board of directors, officers, members or any other person.”

Documents obtained by The Independent late last year show that, over the course of Lucas’ first term in office, the Mayors Corps spent more than $35,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/kansas-city-chiefs/">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners for Lucas and staff.&nbsp;

The 2023 Super Bowl trip accounted for the bulk of that spending.&nbsp;

In an interview with The Independent last year, Lucas defended the spending, saying the Mayors Corps allows him to promote the city at conferences and sporting events and on international trips.

“I see nothing inconsistent with that, and it’s really not even my opinion,” Lucas said. “It’s the opinion of our counsel.”

Jon Berkon, an attorney for Mayors Corps, said in an email to The Independent in December that Lucas’ office’s use of the nonprofit helped attract film industry investments to Kansas City and contributed to Kansas City becoming a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The organization, Berkon said, helped Lucas be able to serve in national organizations and build relationships with members of Congress and governors.&nbsp;

Lucas also told The Independent in December that the Mayor’s Corps has a board of directors that can review expenses to ensure they are legitimate. He referred a question about the organization’s recent donors to the board on Thursday.&nbsp;

Lucas was on the board in 2020, shortly after taking office, according to meeting minutes provided to The Independent. Filings with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office show that the Mayors Corps was administratively dissolved from October 2022 April 2023, meaning it could not carry on any business at the time it paid for his February 2023 Super Bowl trip.&nbsp;

When the Mayors Corps&nbsp; was reconstituted in April 2023, the three-member board included the mayor, the aide who went to the Super Bowl with him and an attorney who told The Independent he was not sure he was ever an officer.&nbsp;

The most recent registration report for the nonprofit —&nbsp;from June 2023 —&nbsp;still names the three as board members, but the mayor’s general counsel said in a letter to The Independent in December that the mayor and staffer relinquished their roles as voting members of the board in October 2023.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738948069595.png" alt="Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp; photo from his social. media page at KCI as the Chiefs boarded their flight to the Super Bowl" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp; photo from his social. media page at KCI as the Chiefs boarded their flight to the Super Bowl</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In 2023, a politically-connected trade group donated $24,000 to a nonprofit that paid for the mayor, an aide and security personnel to travel to Phoenix for the game</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The Chiefs will make their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will be in New Orleans to cheer them on.&nbsp;Exactly who is funding the organization picking up the tab for this year’s trip, however, is not clear.&nbsp;Two years ago, the mayor attended the Super Bowl in Phoenix with a top aide and security personnel. A nonprofit called the Mayors Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City footed the $23,518 bill for the trip. A day after the game, the organization took in a $24,000 donation from a politically connected trade group.Lucas told reporters Thursday that the Mayors Corps would once again finance his trip, but he referred questions about the organization’s donors to its board of directors or attorneys.&nbsp;“We’ve worked with lawyers, advisors and others to make sure that everything is on the up and up in connection with it,” Lucas said, adding that he would have official meetings with individuals in business and government during the trip.&nbsp;While Lucas has been open that the nonprofit paid for his travel, the $24,000 donation — given by the Heavy Constructors Association — was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/05/kansas-city-mayor-accused-of-skirting-city-gift-ban-by-using-nonprofit-to-pay-for-travel/">first revealed in December by The Independent</a>. Critics contend the arrangement could violate the city’s gift rules, which require elected officials to disclose any gifts they receive worth more than $200 and bans gifts worth more than $1,000.As a 501c4 nonprofit, the Mayors Corps is not legally required to disclose its donors.&nbsp;The donation only became public when a whistleblower who did compliance for the mayor’s nonprofit provided documents to The Independent showing the transaction.&nbsp;Lucas has also not disclosed how the Mayors Corps paid for his trip to last year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas. A law firm representing the nonprofit did not return requests for comment on Thursday.&nbsp;According to the organization’s bylaws, the Mayors Corps was created “to hold, attract, develop and encourage the economic development of the Kansas City community and to further the common good and general welfare of the citizens of Kansas City.”The bylaws say: “The corporation shall not be used for either business or political purposes or for the pecuniary gain or profit of its organizers, board of directors, officers, members or any other person.”Documents obtained by The Independent late last year show that, over the course of Lucas’ first term in office, the Mayors Corps spent more than $35,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/tag/kansas-city-chiefs/">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;tickets, hotel stays, flights and dinners for Lucas and staff.&nbsp;The 2023 Super Bowl trip accounted for the bulk of that spending.&nbsp;In an interview with The Independent last year, Lucas defended the spending, saying the Mayors Corps allows him to promote the city at conferences and sporting events and on international trips.“I see nothing inconsistent with that, and it’s really not even my opinion,” Lucas said. “It’s the opinion of our counsel.”Jon Berkon, an attorney for Mayors Corps, said in an email to The Independent in December that Lucas’ office’s use of the nonprofit helped attract film industry investments to Kansas City and contributed to Kansas City becoming a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The organization, Berkon said, helped Lucas be able to serve in national organizations and build relationships with members of Congress and governors.&nbsp;Lucas also told The Independent in December that the Mayor’s Corps has a board of directors that can review expenses to ensure they are legitimate. He referred a question about the organization’s recent donors to the board on Thursday.&nbsp;Lucas was on the board in 2020, shortly after taking office, according to meeting minutes provided to The Independent. Filings with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office show that the Mayors Corps was administratively dissolved from October 2022 April 2023, meaning it could not carry on any business at the time it paid for his February 2023 Super Bowl trip.&nbsp;When the Mayors Corps&nbsp; was reconstituted in April 2023, the three-member board included the mayor, the aide who went to the Super Bowl with him and an attorney who told The Independent he was not sure he was ever an officer.&nbsp;The most recent registration report for the nonprofit —&nbsp;from June 2023 —&nbsp;still names the three as board members, but the mayor’s general counsel said in a letter to The Independent in December that the mayor and staffer relinquished their roles as voting members of the board in October 2023.&nbsp;

KC mayor will use nonprofit for Super Bowl trip, but donors remain unclear

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley

First responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.

This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or the name of the victim who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943432820.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka.Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward StanleyFirst responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or the name of the victim who died.

Police: 1 dead, 2 hospitalized after shooting at Kan. home

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has ordered the Missouri State Capitol dome to shine red and gold beginning tonight in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX appearance. The dome will shine red and gold from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, February 9.

Governor and First Lady Kehoe will cheer on the Chiefs from Missouri on Sunday night as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, marking the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl appearance.

"Fans across Chiefs Kingdom are once again celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs making it to the Super Bowl on this Red Friday," Governor Kehoe said in a news release. "We're proud to call the Kansas City Chiefs Missouri's team, and light our state's Capitol red and gold as the Chiefs seek a Super Bowl three-peat this Sunday."

Governor Kehoe also announced a friendly bet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro via social media.&nbsp; As part of the wager with Governor Shapiro, Governor Kehoe has bet Missouri-grown beef and an assortment of Kansas City favorites, including Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce, Scott's Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Rub, and Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash.

"I'm predicting a 31-17 Chiefs Super Bowl victory," Governor Kehoe said. "I look forward to enjoying some Philly cheesesteaks from Governor Shapiro after the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday."

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has ordered the Missouri State Capitol dome to shine red and gold beginning tonight in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX appearance. The dome will shine red and gold from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, February 9.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">On Sunday, Missouri&#39;s Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> will face the <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eagles</a> once again in the Super Bowl. I like our chances at a three-peat, so let&#39;s make a deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorShapiro</a>. If by some unlikely twist of fate, the Eagles win on Sunday, I’ll send you some Missouri-grown beef and… <a href="https://t.co/qqhTAqEqrV">pic.twitter.com/qqhTAqEqrV</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Kehoe (@GovMikeKehoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeKehoe/status/1887894096670269502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Governor and First Lady Kehoe will cheer on the Chiefs from Missouri on Sunday night as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, marking the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl appearance."Fans across Chiefs Kingdom are once again celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs making it to the Super Bowl on this Red Friday," Governor Kehoe said in a news release. "We're proud to call the Kansas City Chiefs Missouri's team, and light our state's Capitol red and gold as the Chiefs seek a Super Bowl three-peat this Sunday."Governor Kehoe also announced a friendly bet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro via social media.&nbsp; As part of the wager with Governor Shapiro, Governor Kehoe has bet Missouri-grown beef and an assortment of Kansas City favorites, including Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce, Scott's Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Rub, and Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash."I'm predicting a 31-17 Chiefs Super Bowl victory," Governor Kehoe said. "I look forward to enjoying some Philly cheesesteaks from Governor Shapiro after the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday."

Missouri governor issues Super Bowl challenge to PA governor

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal scientific publication on Thursday returned from a forced two-week hiatus with two papers examining the health effects of wildfires in Hawaii and California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">suspended</a>&nbsp;as part of a “pause” on regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts.

The CDC has gradually restarted some communications and reports, but the silencing of MMWR, as it it known, prompted a chorus of concern from public health leaders and some legislators.

“Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a Wednesday night statement calling for the publication to be restarted.

MMWR issues typically run 20 to 25 pages and contain four or more reports about disease investigations, health trends or other public health developments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/pdfs/mm7403-H.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday’s publication</a>&nbsp;was slimmer than usual: just over eight pages, with two short reports.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a1.htm?s_cid=mm7403a1_w" target="_blank">One of the reports</a>&nbsp;was about last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-wildfire-settlement-supreme-court-insurance-c910d3f66cbe76555a872b1584d0e429">Maui wildfire</a>. Researchers measured the blood of responding firefighters, looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The manmade chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems.

Previous studies have shown firefighters have higher concentrations of some PFAS in their blood. Thousands of firefighters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firefighters-cancer-pfas-turnout-gear-chemicals-868e4eb6af158e7a34fb229c2dd79ebf">have sued</a>&nbsp;manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.

The new study looked at about 180 firefighters and 80 other county employees. It found the firefighters’ blood had higher concentrations of some PFAS, but most were still at levels below a medical threshold that triggers the need for further testing. The researchers had no baseline measurements of the people in the study from before the 2023 fire, so it’s hard to know if blaze contributed, the authors acknowledged.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a2.htm?s_cid=mm7403a2_w" target="_blank">The second article</a>&nbsp;looked at hospital emergency department visits during last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-emergency-alerts-los-angeles-d78c30c9f73570c31aae9c9154c685ae">Los Angeles wildfires</a>. It found visits decreased 9% over the first six days of the wildfires.

That’s consistent with other research that has shown declines in ER visits immediately after natural disasters. The drop may be due to evacuations that caused people to leave Los Angeles or to get medical care from places other than hospitals. Information from hospitals in surrounding counties was not included in the new report.

Before the journal went on hiatus, the CDC was expected to soon publish articles about the bird flu outbreak. A CDC spokesperson didn’t say why the articles weren’t published this week but said they “are still in the pipeline.”

Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC director during the Obama administration, said he was pleased to see the journal return but also concerned that it “doesn’t contain any reports on bird flu spreading in animals and people, the new strain of mpox spreading or other emerging health threats.”

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he wants to see meatier issues that have the information that researchers, local health officials and others need “to make data-driven decisions.”

The MMWR has been called “the voice of the CDC.” Published weekly since 1961, it has for generations been the main way the agency recounted disease investigations, shared public health recommendations and conveyed other health information.

Typically released every Thursday, the journal has more than 147,000 electronic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/about.html" target="_blank">subscribers</a>&nbsp;— a readership that’s mainly doctors, nurses, educators, researchers and public health scientists.

Articles often turn into news for the general public

A paper published in June 1981, about previously healthy gay Los Angeles men who came down with lung infections, turned out to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/june_5.htm" target="_blank">first published report</a>&nbsp;documenting the disease that came to be known as AIDS. In April 2009, the journal reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a7.htm" target="_blank">the first two cases</a>&nbsp;of what became known as the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic.

In 2020, during the first Trump administration, the MMWR became the focus of concerns about political interference with CDC’s scientific work. White House officials believed CDC scientists were undermining Trump by trying to make the COVID-19 pandemic appear worse than it was.

The journal’s editor at the time, Dr. Charlotte Kent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-clyburn-alex-azar-coronavirus-pandemic-d582aeb73e53f242fa1d33f099e14cd3">later told Congress</a>&nbsp;that administration officials pressed her to delay publication of at least one article and told her to delete an email that showed political meddling.

“If political decisions determine which health threats to highlight, we’ll all be less safe,” said Frieden, president of Resolve to Save Lives, a not-for-profit organization that works on international public health issues. “I hope the new administration will see the value in CDC publishing information on health threats every week, without political interference.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

BY&nbsp;MIKE STOBBENEW YORK (AP) — A federal scientific publication on Thursday returned from a forced two-week hiatus with two papers examining the health effects of wildfires in Hawaii and California.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">suspended</a>&nbsp;as part of a “pause” on regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts.The CDC has gradually restarted some communications and reports, but the silencing of MMWR, as it it known, prompted a chorus of concern from public health leaders and some legislators.“Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a Wednesday night statement calling for the publication to be restarted.MMWR issues typically run 20 to 25 pages and contain four or more reports about disease investigations, health trends or other public health developments.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/pdfs/mm7403-H.pdf" target="_blank">Thursday’s publication</a>&nbsp;was slimmer than usual: just over eight pages, with two short reports.<h2>Research on health effects of wildfires</h2><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a1.htm?s_cid=mm7403a1_w" target="_blank">One of the reports</a>&nbsp;was about last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-wildfire-settlement-supreme-court-insurance-c910d3f66cbe76555a872b1584d0e429">Maui wildfire</a>. Researchers measured the blood of responding firefighters, looking for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The manmade chemicals have been linked to cancer and other health problems.Previous studies have shown firefighters have higher concentrations of some PFAS in their blood. Thousands of firefighters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firefighters-cancer-pfas-turnout-gear-chemicals-868e4eb6af158e7a34fb229c2dd79ebf">have sued</a>&nbsp;manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.The new study looked at about 180 firefighters and 80 other county employees. It found the firefighters’ blood had higher concentrations of some PFAS, but most were still at levels below a medical threshold that triggers the need for further testing. The researchers had no baseline measurements of the people in the study from before the 2023 fire, so it’s hard to know if blaze contributed, the authors acknowledged.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7403a2.htm?s_cid=mm7403a2_w" target="_blank">The second article</a>&nbsp;looked at hospital emergency department visits during last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-emergency-alerts-los-angeles-d78c30c9f73570c31aae9c9154c685ae">Los Angeles wildfires</a>. It found visits decreased 9% over the first six days of the wildfires.That’s consistent with other research that has shown declines in ER visits immediately after natural disasters. The drop may be due to evacuations that caused people to leave Los Angeles or to get medical care from places other than hospitals. Information from hospitals in surrounding counties was not included in the new report.<h2>Journal has never taken two weeks off</h2>Before the journal went on hiatus, the CDC was expected to soon publish articles about the bird flu outbreak. A CDC spokesperson didn’t say why the articles weren’t published this week but said they “are still in the pipeline.”Dr. Tom Frieden, the CDC director during the Obama administration, said he was pleased to see the journal return but also concerned that it “doesn’t contain any reports on bird flu spreading in animals and people, the new strain of mpox spreading or other emerging health threats.”Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he wants to see meatier issues that have the information that researchers, local health officials and others need “to make data-driven decisions.”The MMWR has been called “the voice of the CDC.” Published weekly since 1961, it has for generations been the main way the agency recounted disease investigations, shared public health recommendations and conveyed other health information.It had never taken a two-week break.Typically released every Thursday, the journal has more than 147,000 electronic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/about.html" target="_blank">subscribers</a>&nbsp;— a readership that’s mainly doctors, nurses, educators, researchers and public health scientists.<h2>Articles often turn into news for the general public</h2>A paper published in June 1981, about previously healthy gay Los Angeles men who came down with lung infections, turned out to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/june_5.htm" target="_blank">first published report</a>&nbsp;documenting the disease that came to be known as AIDS. In April 2009, the journal reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a7.htm" target="_blank">the first two cases</a>&nbsp;of what became known as the H1N1 “swine flu” pandemic.In 2020, during the first Trump administration, the MMWR became the focus of concerns about political interference with CDC’s scientific work. White House officials believed CDC scientists were undermining Trump by trying to make the COVID-19 pandemic appear worse than it was.The journal’s editor at the time, Dr. Charlotte Kent,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-clyburn-alex-azar-coronavirus-pandemic-d582aeb73e53f242fa1d33f099e14cd3">later told Congress</a>&nbsp;that administration officials pressed her to delay publication of at least one article and told her to delete an email that showed political meddling.“If political decisions determine which health threats to highlight, we’ll all be less safe,” said Frieden, president of Resolve to Save Lives, a not-for-profit organization that works on international public health issues. “I hope the new administration will see the value in CDC publishing information on health threats every week, without political interference.”<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

‘Voice of the CDC’ resumes publication after Trump executive order

WASHINGTON —It has been a busy week in Washington for new 2nd District Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt.

On Thursday, Schmidt presided over the House floor for the first time.

In addition, Schmidt this week announced he introduced the&nbsp;Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act along with five other members of the House including Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner.

&nbsp; The bill redirects unobligated funds collected through the&nbsp;False Claims Act&nbsp;to the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through fiscal year (FY) 2029, stabilizing the CVF.

Schmidt also announced he has cosponsored four bills to protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.&nbsp;

H.R. 38, the&nbsp;Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, provides nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and for residents of constitutional carry states.

H.R. 45, the&nbsp;Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination&nbsp;(FIND)&nbsp;Act, prevents any business that discriminates against firearm businesses or associations from contracting or subcontracting with the federal government.

H.R. 404, the&nbsp;Hearing Protection Act&nbsp;(HPA), reduces archaic barriers to purchasing a firearm suppressor.

Schmidt served as the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;from 2011 to 2023. He was first elected to office serving in the&nbsp;Kansas Senate&nbsp; representing the&nbsp;15th district&nbsp;from 2001 to 2011. In 2022, Schmidt was the Republican nominee for&nbsp;governor of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738931611218.png" alt="Images courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Images courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —It has been a busy week in Washington for new 2nd District Kansas Congressman Derek Schmidt.On Thursday, Schmidt presided over the House floor for the first time.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738931999797.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In addition, Schmidt this week announced he introduced the&nbsp;Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act along with five other members of the House including Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner.&nbsp; The bill redirects unobligated funds collected through the&nbsp;False Claims Act&nbsp;to the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through fiscal year (FY) 2029, stabilizing the CVF.Schmidt also announced he has cosponsored four bills to protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.&nbsp;H.R. 38, the&nbsp;Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, provides nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and for residents of constitutional carry states.H.R. 45, the&nbsp;Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination&nbsp;(FIND)&nbsp;Act, prevents any business that discriminates against firearm businesses or associations from contracting or subcontracting with the federal government.H.R. 404, the&nbsp;Hearing Protection Act&nbsp;(HPA), reduces archaic barriers to purchasing a firearm suppressor.Schmidt served as the&nbsp;Kansas Attorney General&nbsp;from 2011 to 2023. He was first elected to office serving in the&nbsp;Kansas Senate&nbsp; representing the&nbsp;15th district&nbsp;from 2001 to 2011. In 2022, Schmidt was the Republican nominee for&nbsp;governor of Kansas.

 Kan. Congressman presided over the House floor for the first time

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.

On Feb. 1, sheriff's deputies in Clay County, overheard deputies in Jackson County&nbsp;in pursuit of a stolen truck and trailer with an ATV on it northbound on Interstate 435, according to a media release.

The driver continued into Clay County, where Jackson County deputies terminated their pursuit, and Clay County deputies caught up with the vehicle, with the assistance of Claycomo Police Department. 

Two of the truck's tires had already struck Stop Sticks. Deputies pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop near N.E. 96th Street and N. Brighton. The driver put his hands out the window and was taken into custody with no further incident. 

Deputies learned the truck, trailer and ATVs had been stolen from Olathe, Kansas. There were four ATVs on the trailer when it was stolen. The driver, 34-year-old Tyler S. Young of Blue Springs, has been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing from a stop and resisting arrest.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738898846202.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.On Feb. 1, sheriff's deputies in Clay County, overheard deputies in Jackson County&nbsp;in pursuit of a stolen truck and trailer with an ATV on it northbound on Interstate 435, according to a media release.The driver continued into Clay County, where Jackson County deputies terminated their pursuit, and Clay County deputies caught up with the vehicle, with the assistance of Claycomo Police Department. Two of the truck's tires had already struck Stop Sticks. Deputies pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop near N.E. 96th Street and N. Brighton. The driver put his hands out the window and was taken into custody with no further incident. Deputies learned the truck, trailer and ATVs had been stolen from Olathe, Kansas. There were four ATVs on the trailer when it was stolen. The driver, 34-year-old Tyler S. Young of Blue Springs, has been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing from a stop and resisting arrest.&nbsp;

Deputies make arrest, recover truck and 4 ATVs stolen in Kansas

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20COLLINS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE COLLINS &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

Democratic attorneys general in several states vowed Thursday to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-trump-doge-intelligence-cia-4a4e99c7925b02e014e6e65d2ef9a055">containing Americans' sensitive personal information.</a>

A dozen attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, said in a statement that they were taking action “in defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on."

“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law," the statement said. “The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.

Government officials and labor unions have been among those raising concerns about DOGE's involvement with the payment system for the federal government, saying it could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Also Thursday, a federal judge ordered that two Musk allies have “read only” access to Treasury Department payment systems, but no one else will get access for now, including Musk himself. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by federal workers unions trying to stop the billionaire’s DOGE from following through on what they call a massive privacy invasion.

It was not immediate clear when the Democratic attorneys general will file their lawsuit.

Joining James in the statement were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;tapped Musk, the world’s richest man, to shrink the size of the U.S. government.

Democrats have criticized the tech billionaire’s maneuvers, which include the hostile seizure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">taxpayer data</a>&nbsp;and the apparent closure of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa">government’s leading international humanitarian aid agency</a>.

DOGE recently has gained access to sensitive payment data within the Treasury Department. It came after Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned under pressure after more than 30 years of service. The Washington Post reported that Lebryk resigned after Musk and DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738777949415.png" alt="Elon Musk-file photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Elon Musk-file photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20COLLINS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE COLLINS &nbsp;Associated Press</a>Democratic attorneys general in several states vowed Thursday to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-trump-doge-intelligence-cia-4a4e99c7925b02e014e6e65d2ef9a055">containing Americans' sensitive personal information.</a>A dozen attorneys general, including New York's Letitia James, said in a statement that they were taking action “in defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on."“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law," the statement said. “The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.”The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon.Government officials and labor unions have been among those raising concerns about DOGE's involvement with the payment system for the federal government, saying it could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.Also Thursday, a federal judge ordered that two Musk allies have “read only” access to Treasury Department payment systems, but no one else will get access for now, including Musk himself. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by federal workers unions trying to stop the billionaire’s DOGE from following through on what they call a massive privacy invasion.It was not immediate clear when the Democratic attorneys general will file their lawsuit.Joining James in the statement were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;tapped Musk, the world’s richest man, to shrink the size of the U.S. government.Democrats have criticized the tech billionaire’s maneuvers, which include the hostile seizure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">taxpayer data</a>&nbsp;and the apparent closure of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa">government’s leading international humanitarian aid agency</a>.DOGE recently has gained access to sensitive payment data within the Treasury Department. It came after Treasury’s acting Deputy Secretary David Lebryk resigned under pressure after more than 30 years of service. The Washington Post reported that Lebryk resigned after Musk and DOGE requested access to sensitive Treasury data.

States to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems, personal data

WASHINGTON (AP) —Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that NTSB officials in a briefing told senators that the helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — an aviation surveillance technology that transmits aircraft location and other data to air traffic control and other aircraft — was off.

“The reason for turning it off does not seem justified," Cruz said. "And in this instance, this was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off.”

President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter last week on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers.

He vowed to replace it after NTSB officials told members of Congress that advanced surveillance technology available on the helicopter was turned off.

Trump said during an event that “a lot of mistakes happened” on Jan. 29 when an American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter as the plane was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">killing all 67 people</a>&nbsp;on board the two aircraft.

NTSB officials also told media outlets that the helicopter crew was likely wearing night vision goggles.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">blamed it on diversity hiring programs</a>. But on Thursday, he blamed the computer system used by the country's air traffic controllers.

During a speech at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">National Prayer Breakfast</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, Trump said the U.S. spent billions of dollars trying to “renovate an old, broken system” instead of investing in a new one. He said in his private jet, he uses a system from another country when he lands because his pilot says the existing system in the U.S. is obsolete.

“I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers,” he said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Elon Musk said in posts on X that Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency is going to help rapidly upgrade the nation’s aviation safety system.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been working since the mid-2000s to upgrade the air traffic control system through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/nextgen">NextGen program</a>.

Federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-faa-close-calls-senate-hearing-7309801ccbf64bcecfb0cf58e3e58498">have been raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.

Trump said that if the nation had a newer system, alarms would have sounded when the Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training exercise, reached the same altitude as the plane.

But an FAA report after the crash said that the controller did get an alert that the plane and helicopter were converging when they were still more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart. The controller responded by asking the helicopter if it had the plane in sight and directed the helicopter to pass behind the plane. The helicopter responded that it did have the plane in sight.

The FAA made it clear Thursday it is going to ensure that helicopters and planes will no longer share the same airspace over the Potomac River.

An early focus of the investigation has been confirming the altitude of the plane and helicopter. The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters).

Data from the airport’s air traffic control system suggests the helicopter was above its 200-foot (61-meter) flight ceiling. The screen the controller was looking at that night showed that based on radar and other data, the helicopter was at 300 feet (91 meters), the NTSB said, noting that the figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet (30 meters).

To get more precise information, investigators need to be able to examine the wreckage of the Black Hawk. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday afternoon that all major components of the helicopter and jet have been removed from the river. Salvage crews will work to remove smaller debris with baskets over the next 10 days before finishing work on Feb. 16.

“We will continue pushing forward in the coming days until we are confident the river is safe for navigation and that elements of evidentiary value are recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities,” the Corps Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera said.

This crash was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.

There was concern after the crash that Trump's efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">slash the size</a>&nbsp;of the federal workforce could worsen the shortage of air traffic controllers if some of them accepted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyout-offer-federal-workers-doge-bdb6cd89e383ff1120eeb262904b4060">deferred resignation offers</a>&nbsp;sent to all federal employees last week. But air traffic controllers were told by their union Thursday that certain positions within the Federal Aviation Administration, including theirs, were exempt.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in its email to members that additional positions might be exempt based on the employees’ “national security or public safety responsibilities.” The union had already recommended to its members that they reject the offers, which were extended the day before the midair collision.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Adriana Gomez Licon and Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738207177867.png" alt="Image of the moment of impact from Kennedy Center web camera" />
 <figcaption>Image of the moment of impact from Kennedy Center web camera</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that NTSB officials in a briefing told senators that the helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) — an aviation surveillance technology that transmits aircraft location and other data to air traffic control and other aircraft — was off.“The reason for turning it off does not seem justified," Cruz said. "And in this instance, this was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off.”<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 on Monday, 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 on Monday, at the site of the Potomac River Aviation Incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Phoso U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</figcaption>
 </figure>President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter last week on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers.He vowed to replace it after NTSB officials told members of Congress that advanced surveillance technology available on the helicopter was turned off.Trump said during an event that “a lot of mistakes happened” on Jan. 29 when an American Airlines flight out of Wichita, Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-aircraft-crash-9d79051a9e535bd855df5a4e5553b2e9">collided</a>&nbsp;with an Army helicopter as the plane was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-washington-flight-passengers-ca062f03b729c130058d4f74393dfa31">killing all 67 people</a>&nbsp;on board the two aircraft.NTSB officials also told media outlets that the helicopter crew was likely wearing night vision goggles.In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-crash-reagan-washington-buttigieg-diversity-biden-ef1e07684bbc845e9e7981c1ae060af2">blamed it on diversity hiring programs</a>. But on Thursday, he blamed the computer system used by the country's air traffic controllers.During a speech at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">National Prayer Breakfast</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, Trump said the U.S. spent billions of dollars trying to “renovate an old, broken system” instead of investing in a new one. He said in his private jet, he uses a system from another country when he lands because his pilot says the existing system in the U.S. is obsolete.“I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers,” he said.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Elon Musk said in posts on X that Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency is going to help rapidly upgrade the nation’s aviation safety system.The Federal Aviation Administration has been working since the mid-2000s to upgrade the air traffic control system through its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/nextgen">NextGen program</a>.Federal officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airlines-faa-close-calls-senate-hearing-7309801ccbf64bcecfb0cf58e3e58498">have been raising concerns</a>&nbsp;about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.Trump said that if the nation had a newer system, alarms would have sounded when the Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training exercise, reached the same altitude as the plane.But an FAA report after the crash said that the controller did get an alert that the plane and helicopter were converging when they were still more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart. The controller responded by asking the helicopter if it had the plane in sight and directed the helicopter to pass behind the plane. The helicopter responded that it did have the plane in sight.The FAA made it clear Thursday it is going to ensure that helicopters and planes will no longer share the same airspace over the Potomac River.An early focus of the investigation has been confirming the altitude of the plane and helicopter. The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters).Data from the airport’s air traffic control system suggests the helicopter was above its 200-foot (61-meter) flight ceiling. The screen the controller was looking at that night showed that based on radar and other data, the helicopter was at 300 feet (91 meters), the NTSB said, noting that the figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet (30 meters).To get more precise information, investigators need to be able to examine the wreckage of the Black Hawk. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday afternoon that all major components of the helicopter and jet have been removed from the river. Salvage crews will work to remove smaller debris with baskets over the next 10 days before finishing work on Feb. 16.“We will continue pushing forward in the coming days until we are confident the river is safe for navigation and that elements of evidentiary value are recovered and provided to the appropriate authorities,” the Corps Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera said.This crash was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-crashes-history-washington-ee55776ea0c5f9e322fc77ea1ea452d1">deadliest in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground.There was concern after the crash that Trump's efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-power-border-tiktok-history-e77458bc0312c60f3f2b0eeb131d0056">slash the size</a>&nbsp;of the federal workforce could worsen the shortage of air traffic controllers if some of them accepted the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyout-offer-federal-workers-doge-bdb6cd89e383ff1120eeb262904b4060">deferred resignation offers</a>&nbsp;sent to all federal employees last week. But air traffic controllers were told by their union Thursday that certain positions within the Federal Aviation Administration, including theirs, were exempt.The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in its email to members that additional positions might be exempt based on the employees’ “national security or public safety responsibilities.” The union had already recommended to its members that they reject the offers, which were extended the day before the midair collision.___Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Adriana Gomez Licon and Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report.

Senator: Helicopter in midair crash had a safety system off

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-leave-notice-rubio-943b4306b96f726703842e5d55c05aea">U.S. Agency for International Development</a>, leaving fewer than 300 workers out of thousands.

Late Thursday, federal workers associations filed suit asking a federal court to stop the shutdown, arguing that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation.

Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the administration's plan, presented to remaining senior officials of the agency Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to a Trump administration order barring USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.

The plan would leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of what are currently 8,000 direct hires and contractors. They, along with an unknown number of 5,000 locally hired international staffers abroad, would run the few life-saving programs that the administration says it intends to keep going for the time being.

It was not immediately clear whether the reduction to 300 would be permanent or temporary, potentially allowing more workers to return after what the Trump administration says is a review of which aid and development programs it wants to resume.

The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, might have to cover their own expenses, a notice on the USAID website said late Thursday.

Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid.

“But it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,” he told reporters.

The Trump administration and billionaire ally&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Elon Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have targeted USAID hardest so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.

Since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, a sweeping funding freeze has shut down most of the agency’s programs worldwide, and almost all of its workers have been placed on administrative leave or furloughed. Musk and Trump have spoken of eliminating USAID as an independent agency and moving surviving programs under the State Department.

Democratic lawmakers and others call the move illegal without congressional approval.

The same argument was made by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in their lawsuit, which asks the federal court in Washington to compel the reopening of USAID’s buildings, return its staffers to work and restore funding.

Government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests," the suit says.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration presented a plan Thursday to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-musk-leave-notice-rubio-943b4306b96f726703842e5d55c05aea">U.S. Agency for International Development</a>, leaving fewer than 300 workers out of thousands.Late Thursday, federal workers associations filed suit asking a federal court to stop the shutdown, arguing that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation.Two current USAID employees and one former senior USAID official told The Associated Press of the administration's plan, presented to remaining senior officials of the agency Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to a Trump administration order barring USAID staffers from talking to anyone outside their agency.The plan would leave fewer than 300 staffers on the job out of what are currently 8,000 direct hires and contractors. They, along with an unknown number of 5,000 locally hired international staffers abroad, would run the few life-saving programs that the administration says it intends to keep going for the time being.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UeyP7NHjAo">pic.twitter.com/UeyP7NHjAo</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1887543203953275347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It was not immediately clear whether the reduction to 300 would be permanent or temporary, potentially allowing more workers to return after what the Trump administration says is a review of which aid and development programs it wants to resume.The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Workers who choose to stay longer, unless they received a specific hardship waiver, might have to cover their own expenses, a notice on the USAID website said late Thursday.Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio">Marco Rubio</a>&nbsp;said during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid.“But it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,” he told reporters.The Trump administration and billionaire ally&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Elon Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have targeted USAID hardest so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.Since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, a sweeping funding freeze has shut down most of the agency’s programs worldwide, and almost all of its workers have been placed on administrative leave or furloughed. Musk and Trump have spoken of eliminating USAID as an independent agency and moving surviving programs under the State Department.Democratic lawmakers and others call the move illegal without congressional approval.The same argument was made by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in their lawsuit, which asks the federal court in Washington to compel the reopening of USAID’s buildings, return its staffers to work and restore funding.Government officials “failed to acknowledge the catastrophic consequences of their actions, both as they pertain to American workers, the lives of millions around the world, and to US national interests," the suit says.___AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Trump administration to lay off nearly all USAID staff

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a home in Topeka.

Just after 2:30 a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported two-story house fire at 1110 NE Monroe Street in Topeka, according to department spokesperson Rosie Nichols. First crews on the scene found smoke and flames coming from the home and were able to extinguish the fire, keeping it contained to the house where it originated.

&nbsp;Investigators determined&nbsp; the fire started in the attic.&nbsp; There were no injuries. The total estimated loss is approximately $30,000, with $20,000 associated with structural loss and $10,000 associated with content loss. The home did not have working smoke detectors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738927479729.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a home in Topeka.Just after 2:30 a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a reported two-story house fire at 1110 NE Monroe Street in Topeka, according to department spokesperson Rosie Nichols. First crews on the scene found smoke and flames coming from the home and were able to extinguish the fire, keeping it contained to the house where it originated.&nbsp;Investigators determined&nbsp; the fire started in the attic.&nbsp; There were no injuries. The total estimated loss is approximately $30,000, with $20,000 associated with structural loss and $10,000 associated with content loss. The home did not have working smoke detectors.

$30,000 damage after fire at Kansas home

DICKINSON COUNTY —A triple murder suspect captured in central Kansas is now being held in a jail in Missouri.

According to online jail record, 50-year-old Armondo Navarro was transferred on Wednesday and booked into the Platte County jail.

On Sunday morning, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle in the ditch in the area of K-15 Highway and 2900 Avenue, north of Abilene, according to a media release from the Dickinson County Sheriff.

A deputy responded to the motorist assist and made contact with a man later identified as Navarro of Kansas City, Missouri.

The vehicle was out of the roadway and Navarro advised he was waiting for a tow truck. The deputy then left the scene but told Navarro he would check on him later.

The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office was later notified that Navarro was a suspect in a triple homicide that occurred on February 2, in Kansas City. Deputies returned to the area and confirmed the suspect was still with the vehicle.

Additional deputies arrived as well as troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol. While awaiting the arrival of an armored vehicle from the Junction City Police department, deputies observed Navarro leaving the area on 2900 Road and heading towards K-15 Highway.

The Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and another deputy contacted Navarro at 2900 Avenue and K-15 Highway. A brief foot pursuit ensued and the K-9 was deployed.&nbsp; Navarro surrendered to the K-9 unit and was taken into custody by deputies.

He is being held in the Platte County jail on requested charges of first degree murder, armed criminal action, first degree assault and animal abuse, according to online records.&nbsp;KCPD Captain Jake Becchina identified the homicide victims as 73-year-old Sherri Duncan; 49-year-old Jodie Hopcus and 24-year-old Hailey Hopcus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738861731859.png" alt="Navarro photo Platte Co." />
 <figcaption>Navarro photo Platte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —A triple murder suspect captured in central Kansas is now being held in a jail in Missouri.According to online jail record, 50-year-old Armondo Navarro was transferred on Wednesday and booked into the Platte County jail.On Sunday morning, the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle in the ditch in the area of K-15 Highway and 2900 Avenue, north of Abilene, according to a media release from the Dickinson County Sheriff.A deputy responded to the motorist assist and made contact with a man later identified as Navarro of Kansas City, Missouri.The vehicle was out of the roadway and Navarro advised he was waiting for a tow truck. The deputy then left the scene but told Navarro he would check on him later.The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office was later notified that Navarro was a suspect in a triple homicide that occurred on February 2, in Kansas City. Deputies returned to the area and confirmed the suspect was still with the vehicle.Additional deputies arrived as well as troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol. While awaiting the arrival of an armored vehicle from the Junction City Police department, deputies observed Navarro leaving the area on 2900 Road and heading towards K-15 Highway.The Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and another deputy contacted Navarro at 2900 Avenue and K-15 Highway. A brief foot pursuit ensued and the K-9 was deployed.&nbsp; Navarro surrendered to the K-9 unit and was taken into custody by deputies.He is being held in the Platte County jail on requested charges of first degree murder, armed criminal action, first degree assault and animal abuse, according to online records.&nbsp;KCPD Captain Jake Becchina identified the homicide victims as 73-year-old Sherri Duncan; 49-year-old Jodie Hopcus and 24-year-old Hailey Hopcus.

Triple murder suspect captured in Kan. moved to jail in Missouri

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/russell-vought-a-project-2025-architect-is-ready-to-shock-washington-if-trump-wins-second-term/">Russell Vought</a>&nbsp;as White House budget director on Thursday night, putting an official who has planned the zealous expansion of President Donald Trump's power into one of the most influential positions in the federal government.

Vought was confirmed on a party-line vote of 53-47. With the Senate chamber full, Democrats repeatedly tried to speak as they cast their “no” votes to give their reasons for voting against Vought, but they were gaveled down by Sen. Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican who was presiding over the chamber. She cited Senate rules that ban debate during votes.

The Thursday night vote came after Democrats had exhausted their only remaining tool to stonewall a nomination — holding the Senate floor throughout the previous night and day with a series of speeches where they warned Vought was Trump's “most dangerous nominee.”

“Confirming the most radical nominee, who has the most extreme agenda, to the most important agency in Washington,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. “Triple-header of disaster for hardworking Americans.”

Vought's return to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which he also helmed during Trump's first term, puts him in a role that often goes under the public radar yet holds key power in implementing the president's goals. The OMB acts as a nerve center for the White House, developing its budget, policy priorities and agency rule-making. Vought has already played an influential role in Trump’s effort to remake the federal government as one of the architects of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-project-2025-heritage-foundation-e2b1be71422f4afcfd4a397828f7cab6">Project 2025</a>, a conservative blueprint for Trump's second term.

The budget office is also already shaking up federal spending. It had issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-power-executive-congress-grants-freeze-60fa3a9fabf6328f9aa3c45ed34e2cc3">a memo to freeze federal spending</a>, sending schools, states and nonprofits into a panic before it was rescinded amid legal challenges.

In the Senate, Republicans have stayed in line to advance Vought's nomination and argued that his mindset will be crucial to slashing federal spending and regulations.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushed for his confirmation this week, saying he “will have the chance to address two key economic issues — cutting burdensome government regulations and addressing excessive spending.”

Vought has often advanced a maximalist approach to conservative policy goals. After leaving the first Trump administration, he founded the Center for Renewing America, part of a constellation of Washington think tanks that have popped up to advance and develop Trump's “Make America Great Again” agenda. From that position, Vought often counseled congressional Republicans to wage win-at-all-costs fights to cut federal programs and spending.

Writing in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, Vought described the White House budget director's job “as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind.”

The OMB, he declared, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.”

During Trump's first term, Vought pushed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-president-project-2025-33d3fc2999a74f4aa424f1128dca2d16">reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers</a>&nbsp;as political appointees, which could then enable mass dismissals.

Vought has also been a proponent of the president using “impoundment” to expand the executive branch's control over federal spending.

When Congress passes appropriations to fulfill its Constitutional duties, it determines funding for government programs. But the impoundment legal theory holds that the president can decide not to spend that money on anything he deems unnecessary because Article II of the Constitution gives the president the role of executing the laws that Congress passes.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-hearing-vought-a0aa19815bdb509a4d9ccb895abdf52e">confirmation hearings</a>, Vought stressed that he would follow the law but avoided answering Democrats' questions on whether he would withhold congressionally allotted aid for Ukraine.

Democrats charged that Vought's responses amounted to an acknowledgment that he believes the president is above the law.

In response to questions from Republican lawmakers, Vought did preview potential budget proposals that would target cuts to discretionary social programs.

“The president ran on the issue of fiscal accountability, dealing with our inflation situation,” he said.

Vought has also unabashedly advanced “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-christian-evangelicals-conservatives-2024-election-43f25118c133170c77786daf316821c3">Christian nationalism</a>," an idea rising in the GOP that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and the government should now be infused with Christianity.

In a 2021 opinion article, Vought wrote that Christian nationalism is “a commitment to an institutional separation between church and state, but not the separation of Christianity from its influence on government and society.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738891651773.png" alt="Kan. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Vought December 18- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kan. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Vought December 18- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/russell-vought-a-project-2025-architect-is-ready-to-shock-washington-if-trump-wins-second-term/">Russell Vought</a>&nbsp;as White House budget director on Thursday night, putting an official who has planned the zealous expansion of President Donald Trump's power into one of the most influential positions in the federal government.Vought was confirmed on a party-line vote of 53-47. With the Senate chamber full, Democrats repeatedly tried to speak as they cast their “no” votes to give their reasons for voting against Vought, but they were gaveled down by Sen. Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican who was presiding over the chamber. She cited Senate rules that ban debate during votes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CONFIRMED 🇺🇸 Congratulations to our Director of OMB, <a href="https://twitter.com/russvought?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russvought</a>! Russ will deliver results for hard working Americans and reduce the waste, fraud, and abuse that&#39;s plagued our federal government - I look forward to the great work he will do with President Trump.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1887674732243206606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Thursday night vote came after Democrats had exhausted their only remaining tool to stonewall a nomination — holding the Senate floor throughout the previous night and day with a series of speeches where they warned Vought was Trump's “most dangerous nominee.”“Confirming the most radical nominee, who has the most extreme agenda, to the most important agency in Washington,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech. “Triple-header of disaster for hardworking Americans.”Vought's return to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which he also helmed during Trump's first term, puts him in a role that often goes under the public radar yet holds key power in implementing the president's goals. The OMB acts as a nerve center for the White House, developing its budget, policy priorities and agency rule-making. Vought has already played an influential role in Trump’s effort to remake the federal government as one of the architects of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-project-2025-heritage-foundation-e2b1be71422f4afcfd4a397828f7cab6">Project 2025</a>, a conservative blueprint for Trump's second term.The budget office is also already shaking up federal spending. It had issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-presidential-power-executive-congress-grants-freeze-60fa3a9fabf6328f9aa3c45ed34e2cc3">a memo to freeze federal spending</a>, sending schools, states and nonprofits into a panic before it was rescinded amid legal challenges.In the Senate, Republicans have stayed in line to advance Vought's nomination and argued that his mindset will be crucial to slashing federal spending and regulations.Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushed for his confirmation this week, saying he “will have the chance to address two key economic issues — cutting burdensome government regulations and addressing excessive spending.”Vought has often advanced a maximalist approach to conservative policy goals. After leaving the first Trump administration, he founded the Center for Renewing America, part of a constellation of Washington think tanks that have popped up to advance and develop Trump's “Make America Great Again” agenda. From that position, Vought often counseled congressional Republicans to wage win-at-all-costs fights to cut federal programs and spending.Writing in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, Vought described the White House budget director's job “as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind.”The OMB, he declared, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.”During Trump's first term, Vought pushed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-president-project-2025-33d3fc2999a74f4aa424f1128dca2d16">reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers</a>&nbsp;as political appointees, which could then enable mass dismissals.Vought has also been a proponent of the president using “impoundment” to expand the executive branch's control over federal spending.When Congress passes appropriations to fulfill its Constitutional duties, it determines funding for government programs. But the impoundment legal theory holds that the president can decide not to spend that money on anything he deems unnecessary because Article II of the Constitution gives the president the role of executing the laws that Congress passes.During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-budget-hearing-vought-a0aa19815bdb509a4d9ccb895abdf52e">confirmation hearings</a>, Vought stressed that he would follow the law but avoided answering Democrats' questions on whether he would withhold congressionally allotted aid for Ukraine.Democrats charged that Vought's responses amounted to an acknowledgment that he believes the president is above the law.In response to questions from Republican lawmakers, Vought did preview potential budget proposals that would target cuts to discretionary social programs.“The president ran on the issue of fiscal accountability, dealing with our inflation situation,” he said.Vought has also unabashedly advanced “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-christian-evangelicals-conservatives-2024-election-43f25118c133170c77786daf316821c3">Christian nationalism</a>," an idea rising in the GOP that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and the government should now be infused with Christianity.In a 2021 opinion article, Vought wrote that Christian nationalism is “a commitment to an institutional separation between church and state, but not the separation of Christianity from its influence on government and society.”___

Senate confirms Project 2025 architect to lead White House budget office

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Kansas City, Kansas Police Officers respond to approximately 320 calls daily, never knowing exactly what they will encounter, according to a media release from the department.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, a “routine” call for service resulted in the seizure of weapons and illegal drugs, with multiple individuals taken into custody. 

"While the call was anything but routine, it is the routine schedule of trainings which officers are required to take annually that allowed them to close out this potentially dangerous call without incident or injury to anyone involved."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772008558.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Kansas City, Kansas Police Officers respond to approximately 320 calls daily, never knowing exactly what they will encounter, according to a media release from the department.&nbsp;On Tuesday, a “routine” call for service resulted in the seizure of weapons and illegal drugs, with multiple individuals taken into custody. "While the call was anything but routine, it is the routine schedule of trainings which officers are required to take annually that allowed them to close out this potentially dangerous call without incident or injury to anyone involved."

Kan. officers seize weapons, drugs during 'routine call'

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that he wants to root out “anti-Christian bias” in the U.S., announcing that he was forming a task force led by Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the “targeting” of Christians.

Speaking at a pair of events in Washington surrounding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-james-lankford-mark-pryor-religion-2d3d2b1ca91fe7919427df5fe4489f0d">the National Prayer Breakfast</a>, Trump said the task force would be directed to “immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible, the IRS, the FBI — terrible — and other agencies.”

Trump said Bondi would also work to “fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.”

The president's comments came after he joined the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol, a more than 70-year-old Washington tradition that brings together a bipartisan group of lawmakers for fellowship, and told lawmakers there that his relationship with religion had “changed” after a pair of failed assassination attempts last year and urged Americans to “bring God back" into their lives.

An hour after calling for “unity” on Capitol Hill, though, Trump struck a more partisan tone at the second event across town, announcing that, in addition to the task force, he was forming a commission on religious liberty, criticizing the Biden administration for “persecution” of believers for prosecuting anti-abortion advocates.

And Trump took a victory lap over his early administration efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>&nbsp;and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">limit transgender participation in women’s sports</a>.

“I don’t know if you’ve been watching, but we got rid of woke over the last two weeks,” he said. “Woke is gone-zo.”

Trump’s new task force drew criticism from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The group’s president and CEO, Rachel Laser, said “rather than protecting religious beliefs, this task force will misuse religious freedom to justify bigotry, discrimination, and the subversion of our civil rights laws.”

Trump said at the Capitol that he believes people "can’t be happy without religion, without that belief. Let’s bring religion back. Let’s bring God back into our lives.”

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu7061146.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzq4DfNfUEZ0mHMFWC9VpmcieqRkYiruGtEla-2F7yLbIdt1cN_eX2h6PLyiPpXQjMSXnyUfqF0U3d0enyR-2BPWDwV8iAlFE4dFGljN5UAI0pa8UNF-2F8Z-2BEBIO1C-2B7vGrZCa19mfmoaYrsYpZz0Gr5dOLBDE0GMfukZWEBlteBkVITm46vIFgmL-2Bhs3jUQ1pQSIi1vd6-2FINFRTAuNjM-2FyOJ7vWPNmxNouOylXXyfI5uz0Tp735qfCkSrwZgspMDHJajueeDtvIPA1G89W4MhrUKEC5HoX4FesfG6JjbaVYTx2YWahO0sgWc4sIakd-2B-2B0bPcgdwvxa4AiqAzqspP0fXDt046tnI7kPmAGUxjkSqGrWkcnPnICHAZqzqUau-2FbFiAa8Who-2FHA-3D-3D&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctstanley%40ap.org%7Cb9bcceefb13b463e043608dd46c8c1be%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638744552544248081%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rpPHmVQQMALnd21uI%2BYa1y1K6FvhunkLempVTOvBbFM%3D&amp;reserved=0">Interfaith Alliance</a>, accused Trump of hypocrisy in claiming to champion religion by creating the task force.

“From allowing immigration raids in churches, to targeting faith-based charities, to suppressing religious diversity, the Trump Administration’s aggressive government overreach is infringing on religious freedom in a way we haven’t seen for generations,” Raushenbush said in a statement.

Kelly Shackelford, head of First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian legal organization, disagreed, praising the creation of the task force and religious liberty commission.

“All Americans should be free to exercise their faith without government intrusion in school, in the military, in the workplace, and in the public square. We are ready to stand with President Trump to ensure that the religious liberty of every American is safe and secure,” Shackelford said in a statement.

Trump also announced the creation of a White House faith office led by Paula White-Cain, a longtime pastor in the independent charismatic world. An early supporter of Trump’s 2016 presidency bid, she led Trump’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative in 2019, advising faith-based organizations on ways to partner with the federal government.

At Thursday’s prayer breakfast, she praised him as “the greatest champion” any president has been “of religion, of faith and of God.”

In 2023, the National Prayer Breakfast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-james-lankford-mark-pryor-religion-2d3d2b1ca91fe7919427df5fe4489f0d">split into two dueling events</a>, the one on Capitol Hill largely attended by lawmakers and government officials and a larger private event for thousands at a hotel ballroom. The split occurred when lawmakers sought to distance themselves from the private religious group that for decades had overseen the bigger event, due to questions about its organization and how it was funded.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that he wants to root out “anti-Christian bias” in the U.S., announcing that he was forming a task force led by Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the “targeting” of Christians.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump Delivers Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/B7mzDw5NRJ">https://t.co/B7mzDw5NRJ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1887506288130544083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking at a pair of events in Washington surrounding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-james-lankford-mark-pryor-religion-2d3d2b1ca91fe7919427df5fe4489f0d">the National Prayer Breakfast</a>, Trump said the task force would be directed to “immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible, the IRS, the FBI — terrible — and other agencies.”Trump said Bondi would also work to “fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.”The president's comments came after he joined the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol, a more than 70-year-old Washington tradition that brings together a bipartisan group of lawmakers for fellowship, and told lawmakers there that his relationship with religion had “changed” after a pair of failed assassination attempts last year and urged Americans to “bring God back" into their lives.An hour after calling for “unity” on Capitol Hill, though, Trump struck a more partisan tone at the second event across town, announcing that, in addition to the task force, he was forming a commission on religious liberty, criticizing the Biden administration for “persecution” of believers for prosecuting anti-abortion advocates.And Trump took a victory lap over his early administration efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>&nbsp;and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">limit transgender participation in women’s sports</a>.“I don’t know if you’ve been watching, but we got rid of woke over the last two weeks,” he said. “Woke is gone-zo.”Trump’s new task force drew criticism from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The group’s president and CEO, Rachel Laser, said “rather than protecting religious beliefs, this task force will misuse religious freedom to justify bigotry, discrimination, and the subversion of our civil rights laws.”Trump said at the Capitol that he believes people "can’t be happy without religion, without that belief. Let’s bring religion back. Let’s bring God back into our lives.”The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu7061146.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzq4DfNfUEZ0mHMFWC9VpmcieqRkYiruGtEla-2F7yLbIdt1cN_eX2h6PLyiPpXQjMSXnyUfqF0U3d0enyR-2BPWDwV8iAlFE4dFGljN5UAI0pa8UNF-2F8Z-2BEBIO1C-2B7vGrZCa19mfmoaYrsYpZz0Gr5dOLBDE0GMfukZWEBlteBkVITm46vIFgmL-2Bhs3jUQ1pQSIi1vd6-2FINFRTAuNjM-2FyOJ7vWPNmxNouOylXXyfI5uz0Tp735qfCkSrwZgspMDHJajueeDtvIPA1G89W4MhrUKEC5HoX4FesfG6JjbaVYTx2YWahO0sgWc4sIakd-2B-2B0bPcgdwvxa4AiqAzqspP0fXDt046tnI7kPmAGUxjkSqGrWkcnPnICHAZqzqUau-2FbFiAa8Who-2FHA-3D-3D&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctstanley%40ap.org%7Cb9bcceefb13b463e043608dd46c8c1be%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638744552544248081%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rpPHmVQQMALnd21uI%2BYa1y1K6FvhunkLempVTOvBbFM%3D&amp;reserved=0">Interfaith Alliance</a>, accused Trump of hypocrisy in claiming to champion religion by creating the task force.“From allowing immigration raids in churches, to targeting faith-based charities, to suppressing religious diversity, the Trump Administration’s aggressive government overreach is infringing on religious freedom in a way we haven’t seen for generations,” Raushenbush said in a statement.Kelly Shackelford, head of First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian legal organization, disagreed, praising the creation of the task force and religious liberty commission.“All Americans should be free to exercise their faith without government intrusion in school, in the military, in the workplace, and in the public square. We are ready to stand with President Trump to ensure that the religious liberty of every American is safe and secure,” Shackelford said in a statement.Trump also announced the creation of a White House faith office led by Paula White-Cain, a longtime pastor in the independent charismatic world. An early supporter of Trump’s 2016 presidency bid, she led Trump’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative in 2019, advising faith-based organizations on ways to partner with the federal government.At Thursday’s prayer breakfast, she praised him as “the greatest champion” any president has been “of religion, of faith and of God.”In 2023, the National Prayer Breakfast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-james-lankford-mark-pryor-religion-2d3d2b1ca91fe7919427df5fe4489f0d">split into two dueling events</a>, the one on Capitol Hill largely attended by lawmakers and government officials and a larger private event for thousands at a hotel ballroom. The split occurred when lawmakers sought to distance themselves from the private religious group that for decades had overseen the bigger event, due to questions about its organization and how it was funded.Trump, at both venues, reflected on having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">a bullet coming within a hair’s breadth of killing him</a>&nbsp;at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, telling lawmakers and attendees, “It changed something in me, I feel."“I feel even stronger," he continued. "I believed in God, but I feel, I feel much more strongly about it. Something happened.” Speaking later at the prayer breakfast sponsored by a private group at a hotel, he remarked, “it was God that saved me.'He drew laughs at the Capitol event when he expressed gratitude that the episode “didn’t affect my hair.”The Republican president, who's a nondenominational Christian, called religious liberty “part of the bedrock of American life” and called for protecting it with “absolute devotion.”Trump and his administration have already clashed with religious leaders, including him disagreeing with the Rev. Mariann Budde’s sermon the day after his inauguration, when she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-episcopal-bishop-budde-sermon-d393ab9df6278d884ba09fb8e679f563">called for mercy</a>&nbsp;for members of the LGBTQ+ community and migrants who are in the country illegally.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jd-vance-catholic-bishops-migration-94138954824b68dbd0b29b28504e056e">Vice President JD Vance</a>, who's Catholic, has sparred with top U.S. leaders of his own church over immigration issues. And many clergy members across the country are worried about the removal of churches from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-churches-trump-immigration-crackdown-sanctuary-2746fa5c80aa8e2ce6db878e0d6e1c24">the sensitive-areas list</a>, allowing federal officials to conduct immigration actions at places of worship.The president made waves at the final prayer breakfast during his first term. That year the gathering came the day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-ut-state-wire-acquittals-politics-93c85dcfb0e6b2185391965e77ebea51">the Senate acquitted him</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-international-news-politics-0756fda2b5143891c5da1c6897001cee">his first impeachment trial</a>.Trump in his remarks then threw not-so-subtle barbs at Democratic then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who publicly said she prayed for Trump, and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who had cited his faith in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8bb97971d2a2896875ab87fae9e706b2">his decision to vote to convict Trump</a>.“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said then in&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-68th-annual-national-prayer-breakfast/">his winding speech</a>, in which he also held up two newspapers with banner headlines about his acquittal. “Nor do I like people who say, ‘I pray for you,’ when they know that that’s not so.”Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to attend the prayer breakfast, in February 1953, and every president since has spoken at the gathering.Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas are the honorary co-chairs of this year's prayer breakfast.In 2023 and 2024, President Joe Biden, a Democrat,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-religion-d880899c458e2a0064ccb6c8e8810736">spoke at the Capitol Hill event</a>, and his remarks were livestreamed to the other gathering.___AP writers Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee, Peter Smith in Pittsburgh, and Zeke Miller and Tiffany Stanley in Washington contributed to this report.___