KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Missouri woman with illegally obtaining controlled narcotics, according to the United State's Attorney

According to court documents, Brooke Haller, 40, of Kansas City, Missouri, is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.

Haller, a nurse, allegedly obtained Percocet and Oxycodone through misrepresentation and fraud.

The defendant made her initial court appearance on July 25, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Missouri woman with illegally obtaining controlled narcotics, according to the United State's AttorneyAccording to court documents, Brooke Haller, 40, of Kansas City, Missouri, is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.Haller, a nurse, allegedly obtained Percocet and Oxycodone through misrepresentation and fraud.The defendant made her initial court appearance on July 25, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case

Nurse indicted in Kansas for deceptively obtaining painkillers

JOHNSON COUNTY—Just before 3a.m. Friday,&nbsp; the Shawnee Police Department and Lenexa Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious person near 79th Street and Quivira Road, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, officers located a person who matched the description of the suspect in a stabbing that occurred on Thursday in the 10900 block of W. 75th Street.

After a brief foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody. Police have not released the name of the suspect.

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent knife attack and looking for a suspect.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday the Shawnee Police Department responded to a physical disturbance in the 10900 block of W. 75th Street in the city of Shawnee, according to a media release. A male suspect stabbed a victim inside a local business.

The male victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The suspect then ran south from the scene. He is described as a white male with long black hair, wearing a black shirt, black shorts or pants, and black shoes.

Officers were searching for the suspect near 79th and Nieman. Call 911 if you see anyone matching the suspect’s description. Do not approach him. If you recognize the suspect, please contact the Shawnee Police Department at 913-631-2150 or call 911. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754009809989.png" alt="Photo Shawnee Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Shawnee Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Just before 3a.m. Friday,&nbsp; the Shawnee Police Department and Lenexa Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious person near 79th Street and Quivira Road, according to a media release.Upon arrival, officers located a person who matched the description of the suspect in a stabbing that occurred on Thursday in the 10900 block of W. 75th Street.After a brief foot pursuit, officers took the suspect into custody. Police have not released the name of the suspect.------------JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a violent knife attack and looking for a suspect.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday the Shawnee Police Department responded to a physical disturbance in the 10900 block of W. 75th Street in the city of Shawnee, according to a media release. A male suspect stabbed a victim inside a local business.The male victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The suspect then ran south from the scene. He is described as a white male with long black hair, wearing a black shirt, black shorts or pants, and black shoes.Officers were searching for the suspect near 79th and Nieman. Call 911 if you see anyone matching the suspect’s description. Do not approach him. If you recognize the suspect, please contact the Shawnee Police Department at 913-631-2150 or call 911.

Police capture Kansas knife attack suspect

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The bill authorizing state&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/">support for professional sports stadiums</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional because it grants&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/13/rudi-splains-it-how-kansas-city-stadium-funding-clears-state-constitutional-hurdles/">public aid to private interests</a>&nbsp;and combines widely different and unrelated subjects, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by two state lawmakers.

State Sen. Mile Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, and state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Republican from Ste. Genevieve, filed the case in Cole County Circuit Court. They were joined as plaintiffs by Ron Calzone, a long-time activist who has successfully challenged past legislation on constitutional grounds.

During a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/11/missouri-special-session-ends-with-passage-kc-stadium-funding-disaster-aid/">special session in June</a>, lawmakers passed the bill to provide up to $1.5 billion in state tax funds to back bonds that would finance new construction or stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. Gov. Mike Kehoe pushed for the bill to counter moves from Kansas intended to lure one or both teams across the state line.

Moon objected to the bill as unconstitutional when it was passed and said in an interview Thursday that getting court guidance over what can and cannot be in a single bill is an important goal of the lawsuit.

The Constitution “kind of gives us our marching orders for legislators and how we pass bills and what they should look like,” Moon said. “Can you amend the bill beyond a certain point? I’ve come to realize it seems like we have veered way off the road.”

Kehoe let his ambition to retain the Chiefs and Royals cloud his constitutional judgment, Moon said.

“This was a pretty big deal for the governor,” Moon said. “I’m not knocking the governor, but yet he was a legislator at one time, and he should know the bounds that we are governed by.”

In the bill, stadium construction would be financed by diverting tax money from economic activity surrounding the teams — sales tax on tickets, merchandise and food, income tax from player and team staff salaries — to repay bonds.

The lawsuit seeks to toss the bill in its entirety, alleging that it violates requirements that bills be limited to a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++23&amp;bid=31763&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">single subject</a>&nbsp;with a title that “clearly” states its purpose. The petition also alleges the bill was amended to go&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++21&amp;bid=31761&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">beyond its original purpose</a>&nbsp;and that the property tax provisions are&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++40&amp;bid=31796&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">“special laws”</a>&nbsp;forbidden by the constitution.&nbsp;

“The stadium provisions subsidize business enterprises; the tax credits for disaster relief and for property tax relief subsidize homeowners,” attorneys W. Bevis Schock and Erich Vieth wrote in the lawsuit for Moon and Wolfin. “The former showers beneficence on billionaires; the latter showers the beneficence on all homeowners. The former will likely produce political contributions in vast sums from those able to make such contributions; the latter will likely produce political benefit but likely no political contributions.”

The title of the bill, relating to taxation, is so vague as to be meaningless, the attorneys wrote.

“The bill’s procedural infirmities,” they wrote, “mean it is not severable and fails in its entirety.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754043650988.png" alt=" Republican Sen. Mike Moon speaks during February 2022 on Senate floor. He is suing to block a bill passed in a June special session that would finance stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals (photo by Madeline Carter)." />
 <figcaption> Republican Sen. Mike Moon speaks during February 2022 on Senate floor. He is suing to block a bill passed in a June special session that would finance stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals (photo by Madeline Carter).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The bill authorizing state&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-kansas-city-stadium-funding-st-louis-disaster-aid/">support for professional sports stadiums</a>&nbsp;is unconstitutional because it grants&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/13/rudi-splains-it-how-kansas-city-stadium-funding-clears-state-constitutional-hurdles/">public aid to private interests</a>&nbsp;and combines widely different and unrelated subjects, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by two state lawmakers.State Sen. Mile Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, and state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Republican from Ste. Genevieve, filed the case in Cole County Circuit Court. They were joined as plaintiffs by Ron Calzone, a long-time activist who has successfully challenged past legislation on constitutional grounds.During a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/11/missouri-special-session-ends-with-passage-kc-stadium-funding-disaster-aid/">special session in June</a>, lawmakers passed the bill to provide up to $1.5 billion in state tax funds to back bonds that would finance new construction or stadium improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. Gov. Mike Kehoe pushed for the bill to counter moves from Kansas intended to lure one or both teams across the state line.Moon objected to the bill as unconstitutional when it was passed and said in an interview Thursday that getting court guidance over what can and cannot be in a single bill is an important goal of the lawsuit.The Constitution “kind of gives us our marching orders for legislators and how we pass bills and what they should look like,” Moon said. “Can you amend the bill beyond a certain point? I’ve come to realize it seems like we have veered way off the road.”Kehoe let his ambition to retain the Chiefs and Royals cloud his constitutional judgment, Moon said.“This was a pretty big deal for the governor,” Moon said. “I’m not knocking the governor, but yet he was a legislator at one time, and he should know the bounds that we are governed by.”In the bill, stadium construction would be financed by diverting tax money from economic activity surrounding the teams — sales tax on tickets, merchandise and food, income tax from player and team staff salaries — to repay bonds.The bill also included provisions to:<ul>
 <li>Cap increases in property tax bills in most counties of the state. There are 75 counties where basic tax bills would not increase more than 5% per year or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater, and 22 where no increase would be allowed.</li><li>Extend a tax credit for amateur sporting events.</li><li>Provide a tax credit for damage from natural disasters this year to help property owners recover losses not met by insurance or other payments.</li><li>Require the courts to preserve any portions of the bill found constitutional by severing them from unconstitutional portions.</li>
 </ul>The lawsuit seeks to toss the bill in its entirety, alleging that it violates requirements that bills be limited to a&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++23&amp;bid=31763&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">single subject</a>&nbsp;with a title that “clearly” states its purpose. The petition also alleges the bill was amended to go&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++21&amp;bid=31761&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">beyond its original purpose</a>&nbsp;and that the property tax provisions are&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++40&amp;bid=31796&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">“special laws”</a>&nbsp;forbidden by the constitution.&nbsp;“The stadium provisions subsidize business enterprises; the tax credits for disaster relief and for property tax relief subsidize homeowners,” attorneys W. Bevis Schock and Erich Vieth wrote in the lawsuit for Moon and Wolfin. “The former showers beneficence on billionaires; the latter showers the beneficence on all homeowners. The former will likely produce political contributions in vast sums from those able to make such contributions; the latter will likely produce political benefit but likely no political contributions.”The title of the bill, relating to taxation, is so vague as to be meaningless, the attorneys wrote.“The bill’s procedural infirmities,” they wrote, “mean it is not severable and fails in its entirety.”

Legislators' lawsuit claims stadium funding for Chiefs, Royals unconstitutional

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man involved in a&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp; rampage in Wichita last fall was sentenced on Friday.

Judge Tyler Roush sentenced&nbsp;Jose A. Acosta, 33,&nbsp;to over 50 years in prison,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man involved in a&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp; rampage in Wichita last fall will learn his fate Friday.

Jose A. Acosta, 33, will appear in the courtroom of Judge Tyler Roush, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office after he entered a guilty plea in May.

Acosta was charged with&nbsp;First-degree murder;&nbsp;Criminal discharge of a firearm; Occupied dwelling with bodily harm;&nbsp;riminal discharge of a firearm; Recklessly at an occupied vehicle;&nbsp;aggravated robbery; Armed with a dangerous weapon; aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer; Use of a deadly weapon; Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter&nbsp; listed the violent incidents involving Acosta on November 22, 2024.

At 8:52 PM, Wichita Police officers were dispatched to a reported robbery involving a firearm in the 1400 block of North Otis. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Jose Antonio Acosta, pistol whipped one individual and pointed the gun at another, stealing their bicycle.

At 8:56 PM, as Acosta walked away from the robbery, he fired multiple shots into a residence in the 1400 block of North Otis. The homeowner narrowly avoided being shot, but the gunfire struck their dog.

At 9:16 PM, another victim reported an attempted carjacking that occurred near 16th&nbsp;and Broadway. Acosta allegedly struck the vehicle's window with a gun before firing several rounds at the car as the driver fled. Evidence of gunfire, including damage to the vehicle’s back window, was confirmed.

At 9:20 PM, officers investigating the area heard gunshots south of 13th and Broadway. It was determined that Acosta had engaged in a confrontation with an unidentified man at 11th and Broadway, firing multiple rounds. Detectives are actively seeking this individual.

Around the same time, Acosta confronted a woman across the street at a convenience store. Following a verbal altercation, he fired several shots at her. Fortunately, she was not injured.

At 9:26 PM, two WPD officers located Acosta near 11th and Broadway next to the stolen bicycle. After repeated commands to surrender, Acosta attempted to draw his firearm, hindered by an extended magazine. He eventually raised the weapon toward the officers, prompting them to fire. Acosta sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

During interviews with victims of the Otis robbery, officers searched Prospect Park near 13th and Main. There, they discovered the body of 40-year-old Myron Tucker of Wichita, who had sustained gunshot wounds. Investigators believe Tucker was shot around 8:49 PM, shortly before the robbery.

Acosta was released from the hospital and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732580870839.png" alt="Acosta photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Acosta photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man involved in a&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp; rampage in Wichita last fall was sentenced on Friday.Judge Tyler Roush sentenced&nbsp;Jose A. Acosta, 33,&nbsp;to over 50 years in prison,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.----------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man involved in a&nbsp;deadly shooting&nbsp; rampage in Wichita last fall will learn his fate Friday.Jose A. Acosta, 33, will appear in the courtroom of Judge Tyler Roush, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office after he entered a guilty plea in May.Acosta was charged with&nbsp;First-degree murder;&nbsp;Criminal discharge of a firearm; Occupied dwelling with bodily harm;&nbsp;riminal discharge of a firearm; Recklessly at an occupied vehicle;&nbsp;aggravated robbery; Armed with a dangerous weapon; aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer; Use of a deadly weapon; Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter&nbsp; listed the violent incidents involving Acosta on November 22, 2024.Timeline of EventsAt 8:52 PM, Wichita Police officers were dispatched to a reported robbery involving a firearm in the 1400 block of North Otis. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Jose Antonio Acosta, pistol whipped one individual and pointed the gun at another, stealing their bicycle.At 8:56 PM, as Acosta walked away from the robbery, he fired multiple shots into a residence in the 1400 block of North Otis. The homeowner narrowly avoided being shot, but the gunfire struck their dog.At 9:16 PM, another victim reported an attempted carjacking that occurred near 16th&nbsp;and Broadway. Acosta allegedly struck the vehicle's window with a gun before firing several rounds at the car as the driver fled. Evidence of gunfire, including damage to the vehicle’s back window, was confirmed.At 9:20 PM, officers investigating the area heard gunshots south of 13th and Broadway. It was determined that Acosta had engaged in a confrontation with an unidentified man at 11th and Broadway, firing multiple rounds. Detectives are actively seeking this individual.Around the same time, Acosta confronted a woman across the street at a convenience store. Following a verbal altercation, he fired several shots at her. Fortunately, she was not injured.At 9:26 PM, two WPD officers located Acosta near 11th and Broadway next to the stolen bicycle. After repeated commands to surrender, Acosta attempted to draw his firearm, hindered by an extended magazine. He eventually raised the weapon toward the officers, prompting them to fire. Acosta sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital with critical but non-life-threatening injuries.Additional IncidentDuring interviews with victims of the Otis robbery, officers searched Prospect Park near 13th and Main. There, they discovered the body of 40-year-old Myron Tucker of Wichita, who had sustained gunshot wounds. Investigators believe Tucker was shot around 8:49 PM, shortly before the robbery.ArrestAcosta was released from the hospital and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Sentencing Day for Kansas man wounded in deadly rampage

Former President Joe Biden said Thursday that “these are dark days” in the United States, as he decries Donald Trump and his administration during a speech at the National Bar Association Convention in Chicago.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/former-president-biden-speaks-at-natl-bar-association-gala/663661">Click here to watch the full speech</a>

Former President Joe Biden said Thursday that “these are dark days” in the United States, as he decries Donald Trump and his administration during a speech at the National Bar Association Convention in Chicago.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fmr. Pres. Biden: “There are moments so stark that they divide all that came before and everything that followed. Moments that force us to confront hard truths about ourselves, our institutions and democracy itself. We are in my view at such a moment in American history.” <a href="https://t.co/SHhij2OGPg">pic.twitter.com/SHhij2OGPg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1951094158438887817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Biden — randomly shouting — claims President Trump is working to &quot;erase&quot; everything his administration did. Correct. <a href="https://t.co/FLHk4ZWn5T">pic.twitter.com/FLHk4ZWn5T</a>&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1951102023853650256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Joe Biden says Trump is trying to “dismantle&quot; the Constitution. “I’m being deadly earnest, man.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uY5sKjwAUj">pic.twitter.com/uY5sKjwAUj</a>&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1951115836716150982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/former-president-biden-speaks-at-natl-bar-association-gala/663661">Click here to watch the full speech</a>

🎥Former President Biden critical of Trump admin. in new speech

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple possible charges after an incident at a Kansas City area home.

Just after 5a.m. Thursday, the&nbsp;Lake Lotawana, Missouri Police Department was dispatched to the 9500 block of S. Main Entrance Drive regarding an armed disturbance, according to a statement from the Jackson County Sheriff's office.

Upon arrival, officers spoke to an Uber driver who indicated he was called to the residence to pick up a woman and a male inside the residence was armed and would not let her leave.

Officers attempted to contact the residents, but after being unsuccessful, they requested assistance from Jackson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office. Jackson County Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence, and after announcements from the Emergency Response Team, the suspect surrendered without incident and was taken into custody. The woman was treated by EMS at the scene.

"This serves as a strong reminder of the importance of the ‘see something, say something’ principle,” said Sheriff Forté. “In this instance, we are grateful that the Uber driver was alert and observant, recognizing that something was amiss and promptly contacting law enforcement.

Thanks to their vigilance and the swift response of our team, the suspect was safely taken into custody.”

The name of the suspect is currently being withheld pending possible charges. Lake Lotawana is a city in Jackson County located 35 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754015985106.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple possible charges after an incident at a Kansas City area home.Just after 5a.m. Thursday, the&nbsp;Lake Lotawana, Missouri Police Department was dispatched to the 9500 block of S. Main Entrance Drive regarding an armed disturbance, according to a statement from the Jackson County Sheriff's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754015968340.jpeg" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers spoke to an Uber driver who indicated he was called to the residence to pick up a woman and a male inside the residence was armed and would not let her leave.Officers attempted to contact the residents, but after being unsuccessful, they requested assistance from Jackson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office. Jackson County Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence, and after announcements from the Emergency Response Team, the suspect surrendered without incident and was taken into custody. The woman was treated by EMS at the scene."This serves as a strong reminder of the importance of the ‘see something, say something’ principle,” said Sheriff Forté. “In this instance, we are grateful that the Uber driver was alert and observant, recognizing that something was amiss and promptly contacting law enforcement.Thanks to their vigilance and the swift response of our team, the suspect was safely taken into custody.”The name of the suspect is currently being withheld pending possible charges. Lake Lotawana is a city in Jackson County located 35 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City.

Alert Uber driver's report helps save KC woman from violence

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump on Thursday</a>&nbsp;reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises.

Click below to watch President Trump comment on Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker.

This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.

An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-turnberry-dechambeau-british-open-312c12266062ffe863566c10e9049dff">Bryson DeChambeau</a>; and others who've attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawrence-taylor-nfl-charged-florida-152a808ded5b29e5ea71b6110bd5209d">Lawrence Taylor</a>, a registered sex offender.

It's the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. He played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches.

“I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports,” Trump said. “When you are really focused on sports, you’ve thought about nothing else. To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf. You get away for a couple of hours.”

The announcement also came as Trump readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-name-image-likeness-order-standards-ncaa-fc81ce9ab3813e02b763494223930a93">mandating that federal authorities clarify</a>&nbsp;whether college athletes can be considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-c5e0cea45fd210cc935cff992ab16f25">employees of the schools</a>&nbsp;they play for.

Trump on Thursday said the council, known formally as the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, will also deal with various issues on college athletics, such as the transfer portal that has more easily allowed athletes to switch from school to school. The council, which will have up to 30 members, will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award. The fitness test will be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In the test, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program changed in 2012. It evolved into the Youth Fitness Program, which the government said “moved away from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student’s health.” Then-first lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let's Move” initiative focused on reducing childhood obesity through diet and exercise.

The Youth Fitness Test, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/programs-awards/presidential-youth-fitness-program">Health and Human Services Department website</a>&nbsp;last updated in 2023 but still online Thursday, “minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health.”

Among those who joined Trump on Thursday, in addition to DeChambeau and Taylor, were Kansas City Chiefs kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-butker-6b308c23c218a10201a3c3bafa2aaca1">Harrison Butker</a>; Swedish golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-golf-gary-player-kayleigh-mcenany-8353c96f50a00ecf4c868c3c9e1a3992">Annika Sorenstam</a>; and WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the son-in-law of Trump's education secretary, Linda McMahon.

Taylor, who has appeared on stage with Trump at campaign rallies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-entertainment-lawrence-taylor-arrests-c132f6917890586f7eeb490430a08f49">pleaded guilty in New York in 2011</a>&nbsp;to misdemeanor criminal charges of sexual misconduct. He was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. He was arrested in 2021 in Broward County, Florida, and charged with failing to report a change of residence as a sex offender. He later pleaded no contest to an amended charge, was ordered to pay $261 in court fees, and the case was closed, court records show.

“I’m just proud to be on this team,” Taylor said as he briefly took the microphone at the signing. “I don’t know why, I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing, but I’m here to serve. And I’m here to serve you.”

The NFL distanced itself from comments Butker made last year during a commencement address at a Kansas college, when he said most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children than entering the workforce and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.” Butker also assailed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pride-parade-protest-lgbtq-nyc-6afa739efa2f66d750175b3db77516fc">Pride Month</a>&nbsp;and railed against Democratic President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.

Butker later formed a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as “traditional values.”

Sorenstam faced backlash for accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after rioters spurred by Trump's false claims about his election loss to Biden stormed the Capitol in Washington.

Other well-known figures in athletics are on the council but did not attend the event Thursday. They include retired golfers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League.

The return of the exam brought mixed reactions from some who study exercise.

Trump is putting a welcome focus on physical activity, but a test alone won’t make America’s children healthier, said Laura Richardson, a kinesiology professor at the University of Michigan. The exam is only a starting point that should be paired with lessons to help all students improve, she said.

“It’s not just, you get a score and you’re doomed,” said Richardson, whose teaching focuses on obesity. “But you get a score, and we can figure out a program that really helps the improvement.”

Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Collin Binkley in Washington and John Wawrow in Buffalo, New York, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump on Thursday</a>&nbsp;reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump: &quot;I&#39;m pleased to announce that we&#39;re officially restoring the Presidential Fitness Test and the Presidential Fitness Award.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/QOE5w6trr0">pic.twitter.com/QOE5w6trr0</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1951019288980013239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/buttkicker7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@buttkicker7</a>: &quot;I&#39;m excited to do my part to help make America healthy again — to help our youth be healthy and thrive and grow up and be great citizens of this country, be great family members ... I think you have to be strong in mind, in body, and soul.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xHuUM6f1EA">pic.twitter.com/xHuUM6f1EA</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1951021058695270699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Click below to watch President Trump comment on Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Trump to Harrison Butker: You&#39;re a handsome guy, by the way. It&#39;s usually not my thing, but he is a good-looking sucker WTF was that??? <a href="https://t.co/5KnQWXeiVi">pic.twitter.com/5KnQWXeiVi</a>&mdash; Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1951032656017134072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President&#39;s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Chair Bryson DeChambeau (<a href="https://twitter.com/brysondech?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brysondech</a>): &quot;We&#39;ve got a great established council with us that we believe that we can change the fabric of our communities and kid&#39;s livelihoods for the future generations that are to come.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/QofssXo2u0">pic.twitter.com/QofssXo2u0</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1951020039655625186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a> on the Presidential Fitness Test: &quot;We need to re-instill that spirit of competition and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness — and I&#39;m so grateful to <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> for your leadership in bringing this back for our country.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/f0KOxlwsdJ">pic.twitter.com/f0KOxlwsdJ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1951020726292545607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Paul &quot;Triple H&quot; Levesque: &quot;I truly appreciate all that everybody is doing for the health and wellness for the entire country... I look forward to the opportunity to help make our youth healthy—help get them engaged in sports and let them learn what it takes to be successful in… <a href="https://t.co/Nw8vPXb05W">pic.twitter.com/Nw8vPXb05W</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1951020063500144962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration.An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-turnberry-dechambeau-british-open-312c12266062ffe863566c10e9049dff">Bryson DeChambeau</a>; and others who've attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawrence-taylor-nfl-charged-florida-152a808ded5b29e5ea71b6110bd5209d">Lawrence Taylor</a>, a registered sex offender.It's the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. He played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches.“I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports,” Trump said. “When you are really focused on sports, you’ve thought about nothing else. To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf. You get away for a couple of hours.”The announcement also came as Trump readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-name-image-likeness-order-standards-ncaa-fc81ce9ab3813e02b763494223930a93">mandating that federal authorities clarify</a>&nbsp;whether college athletes can be considered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-c5e0cea45fd210cc935cff992ab16f25">employees of the schools</a>&nbsp;they play for.Trump on Thursday said the council, known formally as the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, will also deal with various issues on college athletics, such as the transfer portal that has more easily allowed athletes to switch from school to school. The council, which will have up to 30 members, will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award. The fitness test will be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.In the test, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program changed in 2012. It evolved into the Youth Fitness Program, which the government said “moved away from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student’s health.” Then-first lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let's Move” initiative focused on reducing childhood obesity through diet and exercise.The Youth Fitness Test, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://odphp.health.gov/pcsfn/programs-awards/presidential-youth-fitness-program">Health and Human Services Department website</a>&nbsp;last updated in 2023 but still online Thursday, “minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health.”Among those who joined Trump on Thursday, in addition to DeChambeau and Taylor, were Kansas City Chiefs kicker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-butker-6b308c23c218a10201a3c3bafa2aaca1">Harrison Butker</a>; Swedish golfer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-golf-gary-player-kayleigh-mcenany-8353c96f50a00ecf4c868c3c9e1a3992">Annika Sorenstam</a>; and WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the son-in-law of Trump's education secretary, Linda McMahon.Taylor, who has appeared on stage with Trump at campaign rallies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-entertainment-lawrence-taylor-arrests-c132f6917890586f7eeb490430a08f49">pleaded guilty in New York in 2011</a>&nbsp;to misdemeanor criminal charges of sexual misconduct. He was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. He was arrested in 2021 in Broward County, Florida, and charged with failing to report a change of residence as a sex offender. He later pleaded no contest to an amended charge, was ordered to pay $261 in court fees, and the case was closed, court records show.“I’m just proud to be on this team,” Taylor said as he briefly took the microphone at the signing. “I don’t know why, I don’t know what we’re supposed to be doing, but I’m here to serve. And I’m here to serve you.”The NFL distanced itself from comments Butker made last year during a commencement address at a Kansas college, when he said most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children than entering the workforce and that some Catholic leaders were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.” Butker also assailed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pride-parade-protest-lgbtq-nyc-6afa739efa2f66d750175b3db77516fc">Pride Month</a>&nbsp;and railed against Democratic President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion.Butker later formed a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as “traditional values.”Sorenstam faced backlash for accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after rioters spurred by Trump's false claims about his election loss to Biden stormed the Capitol in Washington.Other well-known figures in athletics are on the council but did not attend the event Thursday. They include retired golfers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League.The return of the exam brought mixed reactions from some who study exercise.Trump is putting a welcome focus on physical activity, but a test alone won’t make America’s children healthier, said Laura Richardson, a kinesiology professor at the University of Michigan. The exam is only a starting point that should be paired with lessons to help all students improve, she said.“It’s not just, you get a score and you’re doomed,” said Richardson, whose teaching focuses on obesity. “But you get a score, and we can figure out a program that really helps the improvement.”—-Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Collin Binkley in Washington and John Wawrow in Buffalo, New York, contributed to this report.

🎥 President Trump compliments Chiefs' Butker during  White House event

KANSAS CITY—A driver injured in a crash that occurred July 10 in Kansas City has died.

A Subaru Forrester was northbound on Eastern Avenue and entered the intersection at Blue Ridge Boulevard from a stop sign and struck a southbound Dodge Dakota, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The impact caused the Dodge to rotate, striking the curb and a metal light pole before overturning.&nbsp;The front seat passenger of the Dodge was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Dodge was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced deceased on Thursday afternoon, according to DiMartino.

The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Subaru were uninjured in the collision.&nbsp; The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not released the names of the victims.

KANSAS CITY—A driver injured in a crash that occurred July 10 in Kansas City has died.A Subaru Forrester was northbound on Eastern Avenue and entered the intersection at Blue Ridge Boulevard from a stop sign and struck a southbound Dodge Dakota, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The impact caused the Dodge to rotate, striking the curb and a metal light pole before overturning.&nbsp;The front seat passenger of the Dodge was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Dodge was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced deceased on Thursday afternoon, according to DiMartino.The driver and rear seat juvenile passenger of the Subaru were uninjured in the collision.&nbsp; The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to DiMartino.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not released the names of the victims.

Driver dies 3 weeks after pickup, SUV crash in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred earlier this year.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2678/Anderson-Caitlin---Warrant-Packet-redacted">Caitlin L. Anderson</a>, 32,&nbsp;faces one count of 1st Degree Involuntary Manslaughter, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2679/Anderson-Caitlin---Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence in south Kansas City on Feb. 21 on a medical call. Upon arrival, they located the victim deceased. A later autopsy determined the cause of death was combined fentanyl and ethanol use.&nbsp;

Detectives recovered the victim’s cell phone and text messages between Anderson and the victim discussing drug sales. The victim had purchased fentanyl from Anderson two weeks before his death and overdosed. The victim purchased fentanyl from Anderson again on Feb. 21 and overdosed shortly after their meeting.&nbsp;

In a text message to the victim, just two and a half hours before he was declared deceased, Anderson asked him to delete their conversation.&nbsp;

During an interview with detectives, Anderson admitted to selling the victim the fentanyl on both occasions.&nbsp; She is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753135686290.png" alt="Anderson Photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Anderson Photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred earlier this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2678/Anderson-Caitlin---Warrant-Packet-redacted">Caitlin L. Anderson</a>, 32,&nbsp;faces one count of 1st Degree Involuntary Manslaughter, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2679/Anderson-Caitlin---Probable-Cause_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence in south Kansas City on Feb. 21 on a medical call. Upon arrival, they located the victim deceased. A later autopsy determined the cause of death was combined fentanyl and ethanol use.&nbsp;Detectives recovered the victim’s cell phone and text messages between Anderson and the victim discussing drug sales. The victim had purchased fentanyl from Anderson two weeks before his death and overdosed. The victim purchased fentanyl from Anderson again on Feb. 21 and overdosed shortly after their meeting.&nbsp;In a text message to the victim, just two and a half hours before he was declared deceased, Anderson asked him to delete their conversation.&nbsp;During an interview with detectives, Anderson admitted to selling the victim the fentanyl on both occasions.&nbsp; She is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.

KC fentanyl dealer tried to hide text message before deadly overdose

SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred late Wednesday night at the Longbranch Mobile Home Park near Derby.

At 11:32 p.m., Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from 49-year-old Sharmaine Marlene Burke, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. Burke reported that her son-in-law, 29-year-old Stephen J. Rogers of Wichita, was drunk and had threatened to shoot her. She also stated that her eight-year-old grandson, Rogers’ son, was inside the home at the time.

The 911 call-taker stayed on the line as deputies responded. A few minutes into the call, gunshots were heard, and the line went silent.

Deputies arrived at 11:41 p.m. and found Burke with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body. Deputies and Sedgwick County EMS attempted life-saving measures, but Burke succumbed to her injuries at 11:57 p.m.

Rogers and his son were not at the scene when deputies arrived. An immediate search for both the suspect and the child began. Deputies obtained critical information, including a description of Rogers’ vehicle, and shared it with surrounding law enforcement agencies.

At 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, FLOCK camera technology detected Rogers’ vehicle in Augusta. Butler County law enforcement quickly located and stopped the vehicle on U.S. Highway 54 near Haverhill Road. Rogers was arrested and the child was found unharmed inside the vehicle.

Rogers was taken to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigations Division, and he has since been booked into jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child endangerment.

Deputies and investigators provided immediate resources to ensure the child’s safety and wellbeing.

The Sheriff’s Office coordinated with multiple agencies during the investigation. Quick action and cooperation allowed law enforcement to safely locate the child and apprehend the suspect.

As part of the investigation, it was determined that an Amber Alert was not necessary because investigators obtained real-time intelligence on the suspect’s vehicle and used FLOCK technology to track it. Issuing an Amber Alert could have alerted the suspect, increasing the risk to the child and complicating the search.

 The process for issuing an alert also involves the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the timeline indicates the alert would have been issued only after the suspect and child were located.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1754002321266.png" alt="Rogers photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rogers photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred late Wednesday night at the Longbranch Mobile Home Park near Derby.At 11:32 p.m., Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from 49-year-old Sharmaine Marlene Burke, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. Burke reported that her son-in-law, 29-year-old Stephen J. Rogers of Wichita, was drunk and had threatened to shoot her. She also stated that her eight-year-old grandson, Rogers’ son, was inside the home at the time.The 911 call-taker stayed on the line as deputies responded. A few minutes into the call, gunshots were heard, and the line went silent.Deputies arrived at 11:41 p.m. and found Burke with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body. Deputies and Sedgwick County EMS attempted life-saving measures, but Burke succumbed to her injuries at 11:57 p.m.Rogers and his son were not at the scene when deputies arrived. An immediate search for both the suspect and the child began. Deputies obtained critical information, including a description of Rogers’ vehicle, and shared it with surrounding law enforcement agencies.At 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, FLOCK camera technology detected Rogers’ vehicle in Augusta. Butler County law enforcement quickly located and stopped the vehicle on U.S. Highway 54 near Haverhill Road. Rogers was arrested and the child was found unharmed inside the vehicle.Rogers was taken to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigations Division, and he has since been booked into jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child endangerment.Deputies and investigators provided immediate resources to ensure the child’s safety and wellbeing.The Sheriff’s Office coordinated with multiple agencies during the investigation. Quick action and cooperation allowed law enforcement to safely locate the child and apprehend the suspect.As part of the investigation, it was determined that an Amber Alert was not necessary because investigators obtained real-time intelligence on the suspect’s vehicle and used FLOCK technology to track it. Issuing an Amber Alert could have alerted the suspect, increasing the risk to the child and complicating the search. The process for issuing an alert also involves the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the timeline indicates the alert would have been issued only after the suspect and child were located.

8-year-old Kan. boy found safe after his grandmother is killed

Washington, D.C.&nbsp;— For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. 

President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.

The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance. 

The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.

In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House Staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.&nbsp;President Trump has chosen McCrery Architects as lead architect, which is well-known for their classical architectural design and based in our nation’s capital. 

CEO Jim McCrery said: “Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman. I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”

The construction team will be headed by Clark Construction, and the engineering team will be led by AECOM.&nbsp;The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.&nbsp;

President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.&nbsp;

The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, it’s theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical. The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits. 

The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.

&nbsp;The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said the following: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”&nbsp;

Washington, D.C.&nbsp;— For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;We are proud to announce the construction of the new White House ballroom will begin...The White House state ballroom will be a much needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Zm548HUNMc">pic.twitter.com/Zm548HUNMc</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1950985304199901450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The White House will continue to provide the American public with updates on this project. Check out the renderings below ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/NSILmJDkNi">pic.twitter.com/NSILmJDkNi</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1950988231945629824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance. The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House Staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.&nbsp;President Trump has chosen McCrery Architects as lead architect, which is well-known for their classical architectural design and based in our nation’s capital. CEO Jim McCrery said: “Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman. I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”The construction team will be headed by Clark Construction, and the engineering team will be led by AECOM.&nbsp;The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.&nbsp;President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.&nbsp;The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, it’s theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical. The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits. The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.&nbsp;The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said the following: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”&nbsp;

See images of White House plans for new $200M ballroom

By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer

Long-standing concerns about military helicopters flying in crowded airspace and worries over short staffing among federal aviation workers emerged Thursday as key factors in investigators' inquiry into the fatal midair crash between an Army helicopter and a commercial airliner earlier this year.

During the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">second of three days of witness testimony and public inquiry</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">National Transportation Safety Board</a>&nbsp;into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b#:~:text=a%20military%20helicopter.-,ARLINGTON%2C%20Va.,in%20almost%20a%20quarter%20century.">January midair crash</a>&nbsp;over the Potomac River, the board focused on air traffic control.

The NTSB heard Thursday that it was common for pilots to ask to use visual separation — basically relying on their eyesight — just as the Army Black Hawk’s pilot agreed to do the night of the crash. FAA officials also said controllers relied heavily on pilots using visual separation as a way to manage the complex airspace with so many helicopters flying around Washington D.C.

But Rick Dressler, an official with medevac operator Metro Aviation, told the board it is difficult to identify other aircraft in the night sky around Ronald Reagan National Airport, especially if an onboard locator system was switched off, as Army choppers routinely did.

Dressler said that he and other civilian helicopter pilots have long been concerned about military helicopters flying around Reagan airport.

“I don’t like saying this. I’ll say it again on the record," Dressler, a former Army aviator and retired Air Force officer, said. “I’m speaking for my group there. We we are all very uncomfortable when those two units are operating.”

The Department of Defense referred questions about Thursday’s testimony to the Army, who did not immediately respond.

The Air Force also did not immediately respond to questions about Dressler’s remarks.

The American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">a group of elite young figure skaters</a>, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

The collision was the nation’s deadliest plane crash since November 2001 and was the first in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/air-india-crash-aviation-safety-76215f9d429274f3b5089e81baa97d6a">string of crashes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airline-flight-military-bomber-north-dakota-d4fb212c7875e89b2e9c7ec29709d74d">near misses</a>&nbsp;this year, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.

It’s too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. The board’s final report won’t be released until sometime next year.

James Jarvis helped evaluate Reagan airport operations for several years. During a 2022 evaluation, he said the airport was so far out of compliance on more than 33 items that the audit was stopped to help the facility identify where to improve.

Jarvis said that he was concerned about staffing levels, particularly the lack of support staff who helped air traffic controllers focus on what they needed to. And he said controller staffing levels were always on the low side.

"At one point I was told to quit bringing it up,” said Jarvis who works for FAA contractor Leidos.

In response to Jarvis' comments, the FAA said in a statement that it has “supercharged the air traffic controller hiring pipeline – shaving months off the process and incentivizing new recruits with bonuses, which resulted in the busiest July in FAA Academy’s history.”

Communications on board the helicopter moments before the collision were released as part of the board's investigation.

The Black Hawk pilots told the control tower twice that they had the passenger plane in sight and would maintain proper distance. But when the controller instructed the pilots to “pass behind” the jet, the crew didn’t hear that instruction because the helicopter's microphone key was pressed at that moment.

Just before the collision the helicopter's instructor pilot asked the pilot to come left. But it wasn’t clear if the pilot had time to maneuver before the crash.

“Kinda come left for me ma'am,” the instructor said.

Bryan Lehman, who has worked for the FAA for more than 35 years, said during Thursday's hearings that the agency must do better at listening to safety concerns.

Lehman, who works at a regional radar facility that directs planes into the D.C. area, said he sent a detailed memo in 2023 urging the FAA to reduce flights coming in and out of Reagan airport. But Lehman said the issue was dropped.

At several points throughout the hearing, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy reminded FAA and Army witnesses that they are covered by whistleblower protections and shouldn’t be disciplined for anything they say.

But just before lunch on Thursday, she ordered a change in seating arrangements after a supervisor elbowed an FAA employee in midsentence during testimony, prompting that person to stop speaking.

“We want people to be fully transparent and feel safe in providing us answers. So we’re going to switch the panelists. I’m not going to put up with that,” Homendy said.

On the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">first day of hearings Wednesday, investigators</a>&nbsp;highlighted the warnings about helicopter traffic that the Federal Aviation Administration received years before the tragedy over the Potomac River.

Homendy urged the FAA to “Fix it. Do better” at the end of a fiery exchange when she highlighted the warnings the agency ignored years earlier. She also suggested the Army adopt a formal policy making it clear that helicopter pilots should never fly under landing planes because pilots told investigators they were doing that routinely.

“Every sign was there that there was a safety risk and the tower was telling you that,” Homendy said.

But there were 21 bureaucratic steps the tower had to follow to get a change made and after the accident the FAA transferred managers out of the tower instead of acknowledging that they had been warned.

“What you did is you transferred people out instead of taking ownership over the fact that everybody in FAA in the tower was saying there was a problem,” Homendy said. “But you guys are pointing out, ‘Welp, our bureaucratic process. Somebody should have brought it up at some other symposium.’ Are you kidding me? 67 people are dead. How do you explain that?”

Ben Shtuhl, whose longtime girlfriend Melissa Nicandri was on the passenger jet, hopes the hearings will lead to accountability and meaningful reforms. But he sensed a lack of urgency, particularly from the FAA.

“We would think with a catastrophe like this that it would be kind of all hands on deck and that they would try to break the red tape and try to be proactive,” Shtuhl said.

Concern about distances between planes and helicopters

John Cox, an aviation safety expert and retired airline pilot, said the hearings are headed in the right direction to determine what happened and to prevent similar accidents.

His main concerns focus on the Black Hawk helicopter, including why it was above the 200-feet (61 meters) elevation limit for that particular helicopter route. Another question is why the Black Hawk wasn’t closer to the east bank of the Potomac River, where it would have been further away from landing airplanes.

“I’ve passed helicopters underneath me over the east bank of the Potomac a lot of times,” said Cox, who flew commercial airliners for 25 years. “And there’s always been plenty of separation. It’s not a lot because the space is so constrained. But you’re dealing with professional pilots and it’s not been a problem.”

Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753879190797.png" alt="Image NTSB" />
 <figcaption>Image NTSB</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation WriterLong-standing concerns about military helicopters flying in crowded airspace and worries over short staffing among federal aviation workers emerged Thursday as key factors in investigators' inquiry into the fatal midair crash between an Army helicopter and a commercial airliner earlier this year.During the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">second of three days of witness testimony and public inquiry</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-investigation-american-airlines-helicopter-ntsb-b78bce07efa055aa6f9c04e580ffe24e">National Transportation Safety Board</a>&nbsp;into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b#:~:text=a%20military%20helicopter.-,ARLINGTON%2C%20Va.,in%20almost%20a%20quarter%20century.">January midair crash</a>&nbsp;over the Potomac River, the board focused on air traffic control.The NTSB heard Thursday that it was common for pilots to ask to use visual separation — basically relying on their eyesight — just as the Army Black Hawk’s pilot agreed to do the night of the crash. FAA officials also said controllers relied heavily on pilots using visual separation as a way to manage the complex airspace with so many helicopters flying around Washington D.C.But Rick Dressler, an official with medevac operator Metro Aviation, told the board it is difficult to identify other aircraft in the night sky around Ronald Reagan National Airport, especially if an onboard locator system was switched off, as Army choppers routinely did.Dressler said that he and other civilian helicopter pilots have long been concerned about military helicopters flying around Reagan airport.“I don’t like saying this. I’ll say it again on the record," Dressler, a former Army aviator and retired Air Force officer, said. “I’m speaking for my group there. We we are all very uncomfortable when those two units are operating.”The Department of Defense referred questions about Thursday’s testimony to the Army, who did not immediately respond.The Air Force also did not immediately respond to questions about Dressler’s remarks.The American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-collision-victims-ee829891574aa35a30d8262b7e07e638">a group of elite young figure skaters</a>, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.The collision was the nation’s deadliest plane crash since November 2001 and was the first in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/air-india-crash-aviation-safety-76215f9d429274f3b5089e81baa97d6a">string of crashes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airline-flight-military-bomber-north-dakota-d4fb212c7875e89b2e9c7ec29709d74d">near misses</a>&nbsp;this year, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.It’s too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. The board’s final report won’t be released until sometime next year.<h2>Staffing worries</h2>James Jarvis helped evaluate Reagan airport operations for several years. During a 2022 evaluation, he said the airport was so far out of compliance on more than 33 items that the audit was stopped to help the facility identify where to improve.Jarvis said that he was concerned about staffing levels, particularly the lack of support staff who helped air traffic controllers focus on what they needed to. And he said controller staffing levels were always on the low side."At one point I was told to quit bringing it up,” said Jarvis who works for FAA contractor Leidos.In response to Jarvis' comments, the FAA said in a statement that it has “supercharged the air traffic controller hiring pipeline – shaving months off the process and incentivizing new recruits with bonuses, which resulted in the busiest July in FAA Academy’s history.”<h2>Final moments on Black Hawk</h2>Communications on board the helicopter moments before the collision were released as part of the board's investigation.The Black Hawk pilots told the control tower twice that they had the passenger plane in sight and would maintain proper distance. But when the controller instructed the pilots to “pass behind” the jet, the crew didn’t hear that instruction because the helicopter's microphone key was pressed at that moment.Just before the collision the helicopter's instructor pilot asked the pilot to come left. But it wasn’t clear if the pilot had time to maneuver before the crash.“Kinda come left for me ma'am,” the instructor said.The pilot responded: “Sure.”<h2>‘Be fully transparent’</h2>Bryan Lehman, who has worked for the FAA for more than 35 years, said during Thursday's hearings that the agency must do better at listening to safety concerns.Lehman, who works at a regional radar facility that directs planes into the D.C. area, said he sent a detailed memo in 2023 urging the FAA to reduce flights coming in and out of Reagan airport. But Lehman said the issue was dropped.At several points throughout the hearing, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy reminded FAA and Army witnesses that they are covered by whistleblower protections and shouldn’t be disciplined for anything they say.But just before lunch on Thursday, she ordered a change in seating arrangements after a supervisor elbowed an FAA employee in midsentence during testimony, prompting that person to stop speaking.“We want people to be fully transparent and feel safe in providing us answers. So we’re going to switch the panelists. I’m not going to put up with that,” Homendy said.<h2>‘Fix it’</h2>On the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midair-collision-ntsb-washington-dc-army-helicopter-40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437">first day of hearings Wednesday, investigators</a>&nbsp;highlighted the warnings about helicopter traffic that the Federal Aviation Administration received years before the tragedy over the Potomac River.Homendy urged the FAA to “Fix it. Do better” at the end of a fiery exchange when she highlighted the warnings the agency ignored years earlier. She also suggested the Army adopt a formal policy making it clear that helicopter pilots should never fly under landing planes because pilots told investigators they were doing that routinely.“Every sign was there that there was a safety risk and the tower was telling you that,” Homendy said.But there were 21 bureaucratic steps the tower had to follow to get a change made and after the accident the FAA transferred managers out of the tower instead of acknowledging that they had been warned.“What you did is you transferred people out instead of taking ownership over the fact that everybody in FAA in the tower was saying there was a problem,” Homendy said. “But you guys are pointing out, ‘Welp, our bureaucratic process. Somebody should have brought it up at some other symposium.’ Are you kidding me? 67 people are dead. How do you explain that?”Ben Shtuhl, whose longtime girlfriend Melissa Nicandri was on the passenger jet, hopes the hearings will lead to accountability and meaningful reforms. But he sensed a lack of urgency, particularly from the FAA.“We would think with a catastrophe like this that it would be kind of all hands on deck and that they would try to break the red tape and try to be proactive,” Shtuhl said.<h2>Concern about distances between planes and helicopters</h2>John Cox, an aviation safety expert and retired airline pilot, said the hearings are headed in the right direction to determine what happened and to prevent similar accidents.His main concerns focus on the Black Hawk helicopter, including why it was above the 200-feet (61 meters) elevation limit for that particular helicopter route. Another question is why the Black Hawk wasn’t closer to the east bank of the Potomac River, where it would have been further away from landing airplanes.“I’ve passed helicopters underneath me over the east bank of the Potomac a lot of times,” said Cox, who flew commercial airliners for 25 years. “And there’s always been plenty of separation. It’s not a lot because the space is so constrained. But you’re dealing with professional pilots and it’s not been a problem.”Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying.___

What NTSB heard in day 2 of hearings on fatal crash involving jet from Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers killed diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices in all forms of state government, including universities, after slipping a provision into the state&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb125/" target="_blank">budget</a>.

Ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to abide by the provision, Kansas Secretary of Administration Adam Proffitt confirmed Tuesday that all state agencies, universities and contracts have eliminated positions, mandates, programs, activities, training requirements, grants and contracts related to DEI.

The Kansas Department of Administration examined around 20,000 job titles across all state agencies, searching for key terms including diversity, equity, inclusion and DEI, Proffitt said at a meeting of the State Finance Council, which included Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leaders.

He said he is confident those positions don’t exist. If they did, the people in those positions were reassigned, he said. The department also scoured state training requirements and contracts to ensure DEI was not part of them.

“Now, I want to be crystal clear,” Proffitt said. “That’s not to say that some entities that we contract with don’t also provide DEI services, but the intent of this proviso was to ensure that those weren’t required within contracts with the state of Kansas.”

Proffitt coordinated with Blake Flanders, president of the Kansas Board of Regents, to implement the provisions, including a statewide email signature policy requiring employees to remove “gender identifying pronouns or gender ideology from email signature blocks on state employees’ email accounts and any other form of communication.”

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, requested that Proffitt investigate Kansas State University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging committee to ensure compliance with the provision. The results of that investigation are expected at the council’s next meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753905089477.png" alt="At a May 10 protest in Shawnee of school district practices, anti-DEI signs line the curb. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Darrin Dressler video)" />
 <figcaption>At a May 10 protest in Shawnee of school district practices, anti-DEI signs line the curb. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Darrin Dressler video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers killed diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices in all forms of state government, including universities, after slipping a provision into the state&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb125/" target="_blank">budget</a>.Ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to abide by the provision, Kansas Secretary of Administration Adam Proffitt confirmed Tuesday that all state agencies, universities and contracts have eliminated positions, mandates, programs, activities, training requirements, grants and contracts related to DEI.The Kansas Department of Administration examined around 20,000 job titles across all state agencies, searching for key terms including diversity, equity, inclusion and DEI, Proffitt said at a meeting of the State Finance Council, which included Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leaders.He said he is confident those positions don’t exist. If they did, the people in those positions were reassigned, he said. The department also scoured state training requirements and contracts to ensure DEI was not part of them.“Now, I want to be crystal clear,” Proffitt said. “That’s not to say that some entities that we contract with don’t also provide DEI services, but the intent of this proviso was to ensure that those weren’t required within contracts with the state of Kansas.”Proffitt coordinated with Blake Flanders, president of the Kansas Board of Regents, to implement the provisions, including a statewide email signature policy requiring employees to remove “gender identifying pronouns or gender ideology from email signature blocks on state employees’ email accounts and any other form of communication.”Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, requested that Proffitt investigate Kansas State University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging committee to ensure compliance with the provision. The results of that investigation are expected at the council’s next meeting.

DEI barred in Kansas government, universities beginning Friday

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

United States Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) makes an appearance at Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

“I’m a lifelong Chiefs fan. I remember Super Bowl I. I remember Super Bowl IV,” Marshall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And just a boyhood dream to come to camp some day and here it is, so excited to see everybody.”

Marshall, a Republican, says he is pleased with the start of President Trump’s second term.

“Well, I think that we’ve never seen such a successful first six months of a presidency. That we’ve secured the border. That we’ve rolled back regulation. That the price of gas and groceries are coming down. Job market looks good,” according to Marshall. “Trillions of dollars are going to be invested here in the next several years as well to grow those jobs even more. Very proud of our big, beautiful bill.”

Marshall says he is pleased to see President Trump move to shore up trade agreements with major trading partners, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union.

“EU is probably our second biggest trade partner, overall, right now. And, basically, they’ve locked us out for years. So, we’re unable to sell Kansas agriculture products, Kansas ethanol in EU right now,” Marshall says. “So, we’re going to break down those non-tariff barriers and it will be good for the world economy overall.”

He says a move to reach agreements in southeast Asia could have a big impact.

“By getting agreements done with Indonesia, which is the 4th largest country in the world right now,” Marshall says. “Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines. So, we’re kind of making a box around China and going to force them to the table as well.”

Marshall says agriculture will benefit from the recent agreements, though another industry will benefit a bit more.

“I think agriculture will have a significant benefit, because it’s going from zero to something; probably a $25 billion trade deficit with the EU right now as well. But there are bigger markets out there for our food as well,” Marshall says. “Probably the cars is the big issue with the EU. We buy so many of their cars, but they block our cars from going in there. The president removing tariffs going into the EU is really going to open up that market.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753986579348.jpeg" alt="Sen. Roger Marshall shades his eyes as he watches Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph. The Voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus, was his guide./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Roger Marshall shades his eyes as he watches Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph. The Voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus, was his guide./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostUnited States Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) makes an appearance at Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.“I’m a lifelong Chiefs fan. I remember Super Bowl I. I remember Super Bowl IV,” Marshall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And just a boyhood dream to come to camp some day and here it is, so excited to see everybody.”Marshall, a Republican, says he is pleased with the start of President Trump’s second term.“Well, I think that we’ve never seen such a successful first six months of a presidency. That we’ve secured the border. That we’ve rolled back regulation. That the price of gas and groceries are coming down. Job market looks good,” according to Marshall. “Trillions of dollars are going to be invested here in the next several years as well to grow those jobs even more. Very proud of our big, beautiful bill.”Marshall says he is pleased to see President Trump move to shore up trade agreements with major trading partners, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union.“EU is probably our second biggest trade partner, overall, right now. And, basically, they’ve locked us out for years. So, we’re unable to sell Kansas agriculture products, Kansas ethanol in EU right now,” Marshall says. “So, we’re going to break down those non-tariff barriers and it will be good for the world economy overall.”He says a move to reach agreements in southeast Asia could have a big impact.“By getting agreements done with Indonesia, which is the 4th largest country in the world right now,” Marshall says. “Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines. So, we’re kind of making a box around China and going to force them to the table as well.”Marshall says agriculture will benefit from the recent agreements, though another industry will benefit a bit more.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753986706866.jpeg" alt="Sen. Marshall/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Marshall/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>“I think agriculture will have a significant benefit, because it’s going from zero to something; probably a $25 billion trade deficit with the EU right now as well. But there are bigger markets out there for our food as well,” Marshall says. “Probably the cars is the big issue with the EU. We buy so many of their cars, but they block our cars from going in there. The president removing tariffs going into the EU is really going to open up that market.”

Sen. Marshall stops by Chiefs Training Camp, talks trade deals

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its new advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sydney-sweeney">Sydney Sweeney</a>. The ad blitz included “clever, even provocative language” and was “definitely going to push buttons,” the company’s chief marketing officer told trade media outlets.

It has. The question now is whether some of the public reactions the fall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zac-posen-gapstudio-collection-gap-b3d16524ad9ea0ec04f88ece0808e1a3">denim campaign</a>&nbsp;produced is what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cost-per-wear-shopping-inflation-9b93abdde32c855a46fb37aa7d2ff38d">American Eagle</a>&nbsp;intended.

Titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” the campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/diversity-equity-and-inclusion">the backlash</a>&nbsp;to “woke” American politics and culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-los-angeles-af96fc294d1302789b3ea4bacac7996e">known for the HBO series</a>&nbsp;“Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”

Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits.

Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said the criticism could have been avoided if the ads showed models of various races making the “genes” pun.

“You can either say this was ignorance, or this was laziness, or say that this is intentional,” Collins said. “Either one of the three aren’t good.”

Other commenters accused detractors of reading too much into the campaign's message.

“I love how the leftist meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her ‘good genes,’" former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote Tuesday on X.

American Eagle didn't respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The ad blitz comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7cc45d9fbdf4417981ec6c0f4e93e01">teen retailer</a>, like many merchants, wrestles with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-sales-retail-7347cc7d0b8bec163fac1a89ed013c4f">sluggish consumer spending</a>&nbsp;and higher costs from tariffs. American Eagle reported that total&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-eagle-outfitters-tariff-inventory-f93fa8f6c686070edf351446271e4160">sales were down</a>&nbsp;5% for its February-April quarter compared to a year earlier.

A day after Sweeney was announced as the company's latest celebrity collaborator, American Eagle's stock closed more than 4% up. Shares were volatile this week and trading nearly 2% down Wednesday.

Like many trendy clothing brands, American Eagle has to differentiate itself from other mid-priced chains with a famous face or by saying something edgy, according to Alan Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce.

Adamson said the Sweeney campaign shares a lineage with Calvin Klein jeans ads from 1980 that featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields saying, “You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” Some TV networks declined to air the spots because of its suggestive double entendre and Shields' age.

“It’s the same playbook: a very hot model saying provocative things shot in an interesting way,” Adamson said.

Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers told industry news website Retail Brew last week that “Sydney is the biggest get in the history of American Eagle,” and the company would promote the partnership in a way that matched.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its new advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sydney-sweeney">Sydney Sweeney</a>. The ad blitz included “clever, even provocative language” and was “definitely going to push buttons,” the company’s chief marketing officer told trade media outlets.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Famericaneagle%2Fposts%2Fpfbid027aK1XZTWPSuNTUS6QJhRAsgkegtL8KDytm8DkEsDEoTHqZ39dxmQvYYVeqfM749nl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="690" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>It has. The question now is whether some of the public reactions the fall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zac-posen-gapstudio-collection-gap-b3d16524ad9ea0ec04f88ece0808e1a3">denim campaign</a>&nbsp;produced is what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cost-per-wear-shopping-inflation-9b93abdde32c855a46fb37aa7d2ff38d">American Eagle</a>&nbsp;intended.Titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” the campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/diversity-equity-and-inclusion">the backlash</a>&nbsp;to “woke” American politics and culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-los-angeles-af96fc294d1302789b3ea4bacac7996e">known for the HBO series</a>&nbsp;“Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits.Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said the criticism could have been avoided if the ads showed models of various races making the “genes” pun.“You can either say this was ignorance, or this was laziness, or say that this is intentional,” Collins said. “Either one of the three aren’t good.”Other commenters accused detractors of reading too much into the campaign's message.“I love how the leftist meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her ‘good genes,’" former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote Tuesday on X.American Eagle didn't respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.<h2>A snapshot of American Eagle</h2>The ad blitz comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7cc45d9fbdf4417981ec6c0f4e93e01">teen retailer</a>, like many merchants, wrestles with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-sales-retail-7347cc7d0b8bec163fac1a89ed013c4f">sluggish consumer spending</a>&nbsp;and higher costs from tariffs. American Eagle reported that total&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-eagle-outfitters-tariff-inventory-f93fa8f6c686070edf351446271e4160">sales were down</a>&nbsp;5% for its February-April quarter compared to a year earlier.A day after Sweeney was announced as the company's latest celebrity collaborator, American Eagle's stock closed more than 4% up. Shares were volatile this week and trading nearly 2% down Wednesday.Like many trendy clothing brands, American Eagle has to differentiate itself from other mid-priced chains with a famous face or by saying something edgy, according to Alan Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce.Adamson said the Sweeney campaign shares a lineage with Calvin Klein jeans ads from 1980 that featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields saying, “You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” Some TV networks declined to air the spots because of its suggestive double entendre and Shields' age.“It’s the same playbook: a very hot model saying provocative things shot in an interesting way,” Adamson said.<h2>Billboards, Instagram and Snapchat</h2>Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers told industry news website Retail Brew last week that “Sydney is the biggest get in the history of American Eagle,” and the company would promote the partnership in a way that matched.The campaign features videos of Sweeney wearing slouchy jeans in various settings. She will appear on 3-D billboards in Times Square and elsewhere, speaking to users on Snapchat and Instagram, and in an AI-enabled try-on feature.American Eagle also plans to launch a limited edition Sydney jean to raise awareness of domestic violence, with sales proceeds going to a nonprofit crisis counseling service.In a news release, the company noted “Sweeney’s girl next door charm and main character energy – paired with her ability to not take herself too seriously – is the hallmark of this bold, playful campaign.”<h2>Jeans, genes and their many meanings</h2>In one video, Sweeney walks toward an American Eagle billboard of her and the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.” She crosses out “genes” and replaces it with “jeans.”But what critics found the most troubling was a teaser video in which Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels but is not part of the campaign.While remarking that someone has good genes is sometimes used as a compliment, the phrase also has sinister connotations. Eugenics gained popularity in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Eugenics-and-Scientific-Racism">early 20th century America</a>, and Nazi Germany embraced it to carry out Adolf Hitler’s plan for an Aryan master race.Civil rights activists have noted signs of eugenics regaining a foothold through the far right's promotion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/great-white-replacement-theory-explainer-c86f309f02cd14062f301ce6b9228e33">the “great replacement theory,”</a>&nbsp;a racist ideology that alleges a conspiracy to diminish the influence of white people.Shalini Shankar, a cultural and linguistic anthropologist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, said she had problems with American Eagle's “genes” versus “jeans” because it exacerbates a limited concept of beauty.“American Eagle, I guess, wants to rebrand itself for a particular kind of white privileged American,” Shankar said. “And that is the kind of aspirational image they want to circulate for people who want to wear their denim.”<h2>A cultural shift in advertising</h2>Many critics compared the American Eagle ad to a misstep by Pepsi in 2017, when it released a TV ad that showed model Kendall Jenner offer a can of soda to a police officer while ostensibly stepping away from a photo shoot to join a crowd of protesters.Viewers mocked the spot for appearing to trivialize protests of police killings of Black people. Pepsi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ac67482e93c74585b35f8b51294d888d">apologized and pulled the ad</a>.The demonstrations that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis pushed many U.S. companies to make their advertising better reflect consumers of all races.Some marketers say they've observed another shift since President Donald Trump returned to office and moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">abolish all federal DEI programs and policies</a>.Jazmin Burrell, founder of brand consulting agency Lizzie Della Creative Strategies, said she's noticed while shopping with her cousin more ads and signs that prominently feature white models.“I can see us going back to a world where diversity is not really the standard expectation in advertising,” Burrell said.<h2>American Eagle's past and future</h2>American Eagle has been praised for diverse marketing in the past, including creating a denim hijab in 2017 and offering its Aerie lingerie brand in a wide range of sizes. A year ago, the company released a limited edition denim collection with tennis star Coco Gauff.The retailer has an ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion program that is primarily geared toward employees. Two days before announcing the Sweeney campaign, American Eagle named the latest recipients of its scholarship award for employees who are driving anti-racism, equality and social justice initiatives.Marketing experts offer mixed opinions on whether the attention surrounding “good jeans” will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bd7d138ad63de93e157d7c7ae44e5d60">good for business</a>.“They were probably thinking that this is going to be their moment," Myles Worthington, the founder and CEO of marketing and creative agency WORTHI. "But this is doing the opposite and deeply distorting their brand."Melissa Murphy, a marketing professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, said she liked certain parts of the campaign but hoped it would be expanded to showcase people besides Sweeney for the “sake of the brand.”Other experts say the buzz is good even if it's not uniformly positive.“If you try to follow all the rules, you’ll make lots of people happy, but you’ll fail,” Adamson said. “The rocket won’t take off. ”