PAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas felon will spend the rest of his life in prison for sex crimes involving juveniles.

On Wednesday, James Edwin Speer, 33 formerly of Larned appeared in custody before Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman for felony sentencing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

In July, a jury found Speer was found Speer guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.

The crimes were alleged to have occurred at a residence in Garfield, Kansas on or about May 25th or 26th in 2013. 

Testimony was presented at trial that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

At trial, the defendant presented an Alibi defense arguing it was impossible for him to have committed the alleged acts as he was with another girl at the time. As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury convicted Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned in May or June of 2013; and he had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned in June of 2013.

Based on the age of the victim, under Jessica’s Law the presumptive sentence was a life sentence with a mandatory requirement the defendant serve a minimum of 25 years. As part of his opportunity to address the Court at sentencing, Speer denied he had committed the newly convicted offenses and requested the Court consider the efforts he has made in prison to reform himself and sentence him to a reduced sentence such that he could be released in 2027.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett argued that based on Speer’s other prior sexually violent crimes the Court should find that Speer is an Aggravated Habitual Sex Offender and sentence the defendant to life without the possibility of parole.

After reviewing the presentence investigation report and hearing the arguments presented, Judge Gatterman agreed with the State that Speer met the statutory criteria of an Aggravated Habitual Sex Offender having been convicted of at least two prior sexually violent crimes. As such, the Court sentenced the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The defendant will also be subject to lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.

Under Kansas sentencing laws, all prior convictions which occur prior to sentencing in the current case are considered in determining criminal history, regardless of whether the offense that led to the prior conviction occurred before or after the current offense or the conviction in the current case.

Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 Pawnee County sex offense convictions. Following the sentencing, the defendant was advised of his rights to appeal the convictions and sentence imposed.

The Court previously denied the defense motion for a new trial at a hearing conducted on August 22, 2024.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720657861287.png" alt="Speer photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Speer photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas felon will spend the rest of his life in prison for sex crimes involving juveniles.On Wednesday, James Edwin Speer, 33 formerly of Larned appeared in custody before Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman for felony sentencing, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.In July, a jury found Speer was found Speer guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.The crimes were alleged to have occurred at a residence in Garfield, Kansas on or about May 25th or 26th in 2013. Testimony was presented at trial that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.At trial, the defendant presented an Alibi defense arguing it was impossible for him to have committed the alleged acts as he was with another girl at the time. As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury convicted Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned in May or June of 2013; and he had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned in June of 2013.Based on the age of the victim, under Jessica’s Law the presumptive sentence was a life sentence with a mandatory requirement the defendant serve a minimum of 25 years. As part of his opportunity to address the Court at sentencing, Speer denied he had committed the newly convicted offenses and requested the Court consider the efforts he has made in prison to reform himself and sentence him to a reduced sentence such that he could be released in 2027.Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett argued that based on Speer’s other prior sexually violent crimes the Court should find that Speer is an Aggravated Habitual Sex Offender and sentence the defendant to life without the possibility of parole.After reviewing the presentence investigation report and hearing the arguments presented, Judge Gatterman agreed with the State that Speer met the statutory criteria of an Aggravated Habitual Sex Offender having been convicted of at least two prior sexually violent crimes. As such, the Court sentenced the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The defendant will also be subject to lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.Under Kansas sentencing laws, all prior convictions which occur prior to sentencing in the current case are considered in determining criminal history, regardless of whether the offense that led to the prior conviction occurred before or after the current offense or the conviction in the current case.Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 Pawnee County sex offense convictions. Following the sentencing, the defendant was advised of his rights to appeal the convictions and sentence imposed.The Court previously denied the defense motion for a new trial at a hearing conducted on August 22, 2024.Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

Judge rules Kan. man is aggravated habitual sex offender

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two women on drug allegations.

Just after 11a.m. March 9, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested two individuals after a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within an Acura passenger vehicle near Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia.

The driver and registered owner,&nbsp;Paula Louise Michael, 61, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The front seat passenger, Jessica Maria Espinoza, 62, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741709743776.png" alt="Espinoza photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Espinoza photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two women on drug allegations.Just after 11a.m. March 9, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested two individuals after a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within an Acura passenger vehicle near Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741709697029.png" alt="Michael photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Michael photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia.The driver and registered owner,&nbsp;Paula Louise Michael, 61, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.The front seat passenger, Jessica Maria Espinoza, 62, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas deputy found magic mushrooms, meth during traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has said he wants his new education chief,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-education-confirmation-hearing-417b1d36f9347b8279798fd311d211dc">Linda McMahon</a>, to “put herself out of a job.”

Since Trump took office, staffing at the Education Department has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut in half</a>, and he has been mulling an executive order to close the agency.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">Eliminating the department</a>&nbsp;altogether would be a cumbersome task, which likely would require an act of Congress.

Already, the Trump administration has started overhauling much of the department’s work. Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">dozens of contracts</a>&nbsp;it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

The agency's main role is financial. Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. Closing the department would mean redistributing each of those duties to another agency. The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">disabilities</a>&nbsp;to low-income and homeless kids.

Indeed, federal education money is central to Trump's plans for colleges and schools. Trump has vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-critical-race-theory-antisemitism-college-protests-18136b8c8f5adb9c75c47907e020268a">cut off federal money</a>&nbsp;for schools and colleges that push "critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content" and to reward states and schools that end teacher tenure and support universal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-choice-trump-education-vouchers-c6ecc22879fe329da4acfac3aa7410e6">school choice programs</a>.

Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. Colleges and universities are more reliant on it, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.

Here is a look at some of the department's key functions, and how Trump has said he might approach them.

The Education Department manages approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers. It also oversees the Pell Grant, which provides aid to students below a certain income threshold, and administers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fafsa-loans-trump-federal-aid-pause-0bae211d87a63509b9abbba3b301552d">FAFSA</a>&nbsp;), which universities use to allocate financial aid.

President Joe Biden's administration made cancellation of student loans a signature effort of the department's work. Even though Biden’s initial attempt to cancel student loans was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">overturned by the Supreme Court</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-debt-774b0ee69f911f68f646a066031ee604">forgave</a>&nbsp;over $175 billion for more than 4.8 million borrowers through a range of changes to programs it administers, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The loan forgiveness efforts have faced Republican pushback, including litigation from several GOP-led states.

Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-trump-e6c96fc0cce04286a9a8a3abbd9d88e8">criticized</a>&nbsp;Biden's efforts to cancel debt as illegal and unfair, calling it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.” Trump's plan for student debt is uncertain: He has not put out detailed plans.

Through its Office for Civil Rights, the Education Department conducts investigations and issues guidance on how civil rights laws should be applied, such as for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. The office also oversees a large data collection project that tracks disparities in resources, course access and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ferguson-black-lives-matter-school-discipline-suspension-d099aab519ff743dc2be04c6b6132144">discipline</a>&nbsp;for students of different racial and socioeconomic groups.

Trump has suggested a different interpretation of the office's civil rights role. Under his administration, the department has instructed the office to prioritize complaints of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-antisemitism-columbia-berkeley-1f7ad6abc1b4e40e59b67e639a29a6ec">antisemitism</a>&nbsp;above all else and has opened investigations into colleges and school sports leagues for allowing transgender athletes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/volleyball-transgender-san-jose-state-politics-0e4da0292b4c5315e053e53c064d5a5c">compete on women’s teams</a>.

In his campaign platform, Trump said he would pursue civil rights cases to “stop schools from discriminating on the basis of race.” He has described diversity and equity policies in education as “explicit unlawful discrimination” and said colleges that use them will pay fines and have their endowments taxed.

Trump also has pledged to exclude&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-trump-title-ix-1b9d3a1d928ea78c21372da63600c6d1">transgender students</a>&nbsp;from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Originally passed in 1972, Title IX was first used as a women’s rights law. Last year, Biden’s administration said the law forbids discrimination based on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-sexual-assault-transgender-sports-d0fc0ab7515de02b8e4403d0481dc1e7">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>, but a federal judge undid those protections.

While the Education Department does not directly accredit colleges and universities, it oversees the system by reviewing all federally recognized accrediting agencies. Institutions of higher education must be accredited to gain access to federal money for student financial aid.

Accreditation came under scrutiny from conservatives in 2022, when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools questioned political interference at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-new-college-florida-woke-15d61ab52724dc447ba6d03238f7719e">Florida public colleges</a>&nbsp;and universities. Trump has said he would fire “radical left accreditors” and take applications for new accreditors that would uphold standards including “defending the American tradition” and removing “Marxist” diversity administrators.

Although the education secretary has the authority to terminate its relationship with individual accrediting agencies, it is an arduous process that has rarely been pursued. Under President Barack Obama, the department took steps to cancel accreditors for a now-defunct for-profit college chain, but the Trump administration blocked the move. The group, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, was terminated by the Biden administration in 2022.

Much of the Education Department's money for K-12 schools goes through large federal programs, such as Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Those programs support services for students with disabilities, lower class sizes with additional teaching positions, and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools.

During his campaign, Trump called for shifting those functions to the states. He has not offered details on how the agency's core functions of sending federal money to local districts and schools would be handled.

The Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-harris-election-heritage-foundation-9183cf4c36c293e11b59847189d26a87">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping proposal outlining a far-right vision for the country, offered a blueprint. It suggested sending oversight of programs for kids with disabilities and low-income children first to the Department of Health and Human Services, before eventually phasing out the funding and converting it to no-strings-attached grants to states.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741043570945.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-education-confirmation-hearing-417b1d36f9347b8279798fd311d211dc">Linda McMahon</a>, President Trump's new education chief during a January meeting.- courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-education-confirmation-hearing-417b1d36f9347b8279798fd311d211dc">Linda McMahon</a>, President Trump's new education chief during a January meeting.- courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has said he wants his new education chief,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/linda-mcmahon-education-confirmation-hearing-417b1d36f9347b8279798fd311d211dc">Linda McMahon</a>, to “put herself out of a job.”Since Trump took office, staffing at the Education Department has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut in half</a>, and he has been mulling an executive order to close the agency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741730070799.png" alt="Email sent to Dept. of Education staff on Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>Email sent to Dept. of Education staff on Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">Eliminating the department</a>&nbsp;altogether would be a cumbersome task, which likely would require an act of Congress.Already, the Trump administration has started overhauling much of the department’s work. Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">dozens of contracts</a>&nbsp;it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.The agency's main role is financial. Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. Closing the department would mean redistributing each of those duties to another agency. The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">disabilities</a>&nbsp;to low-income and homeless kids.Indeed, federal education money is central to Trump's plans for colleges and schools. Trump has vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-critical-race-theory-antisemitism-college-protests-18136b8c8f5adb9c75c47907e020268a">cut off federal money</a>&nbsp;for schools and colleges that push "critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content" and to reward states and schools that end teacher tenure and support universal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-choice-trump-education-vouchers-c6ecc22879fe329da4acfac3aa7410e6">school choice programs</a>.Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. Colleges and universities are more reliant on it, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.Here is a look at some of the department's key functions, and how Trump has said he might approach them.<h2>Student loans and financial aid</h2>The Education Department manages approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers. It also oversees the Pell Grant, which provides aid to students below a certain income threshold, and administers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fafsa-loans-trump-federal-aid-pause-0bae211d87a63509b9abbba3b301552d">FAFSA</a>&nbsp;), which universities use to allocate financial aid.President Joe Biden's administration made cancellation of student loans a signature effort of the department's work. Even though Biden’s initial attempt to cancel student loans was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">overturned by the Supreme Court</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-debt-774b0ee69f911f68f646a066031ee604">forgave</a>&nbsp;over $175 billion for more than 4.8 million borrowers through a range of changes to programs it administers, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.The loan forgiveness efforts have faced Republican pushback, including litigation from several GOP-led states.Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-trump-e6c96fc0cce04286a9a8a3abbd9d88e8">criticized</a>&nbsp;Biden's efforts to cancel debt as illegal and unfair, calling it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.” Trump's plan for student debt is uncertain: He has not put out detailed plans.<h2>Civil rights enforcement</h2>Through its Office for Civil Rights, the Education Department conducts investigations and issues guidance on how civil rights laws should be applied, such as for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. The office also oversees a large data collection project that tracks disparities in resources, course access and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ferguson-black-lives-matter-school-discipline-suspension-d099aab519ff743dc2be04c6b6132144">discipline</a>&nbsp;for students of different racial and socioeconomic groups.Trump has suggested a different interpretation of the office's civil rights role. Under his administration, the department has instructed the office to prioritize complaints of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-antisemitism-columbia-berkeley-1f7ad6abc1b4e40e59b67e639a29a6ec">antisemitism</a>&nbsp;above all else and has opened investigations into colleges and school sports leagues for allowing transgender athletes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/volleyball-transgender-san-jose-state-politics-0e4da0292b4c5315e053e53c064d5a5c">compete on women’s teams</a>.In his campaign platform, Trump said he would pursue civil rights cases to “stop schools from discriminating on the basis of race.” He has described diversity and equity policies in education as “explicit unlawful discrimination” and said colleges that use them will pay fines and have their endowments taxed.Trump also has pledged to exclude&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-trump-title-ix-1b9d3a1d928ea78c21372da63600c6d1">transgender students</a>&nbsp;from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Originally passed in 1972, Title IX was first used as a women’s rights law. Last year, Biden’s administration said the law forbids discrimination based on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-sexual-assault-transgender-sports-d0fc0ab7515de02b8e4403d0481dc1e7">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>, but a federal judge undid those protections.<h2>College accreditation</h2>While the Education Department does not directly accredit colleges and universities, it oversees the system by reviewing all federally recognized accrediting agencies. Institutions of higher education must be accredited to gain access to federal money for student financial aid.Accreditation came under scrutiny from conservatives in 2022, when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools questioned political interference at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-new-college-florida-woke-15d61ab52724dc447ba6d03238f7719e">Florida public colleges</a>&nbsp;and universities. Trump has said he would fire “radical left accreditors” and take applications for new accreditors that would uphold standards including “defending the American tradition” and removing “Marxist” diversity administrators.Although the education secretary has the authority to terminate its relationship with individual accrediting agencies, it is an arduous process that has rarely been pursued. Under President Barack Obama, the department took steps to cancel accreditors for a now-defunct for-profit college chain, but the Trump administration blocked the move. The group, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, was terminated by the Biden administration in 2022.<h2>Money for schools</h2>Much of the Education Department's money for K-12 schools goes through large federal programs, such as Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Those programs support services for students with disabilities, lower class sizes with additional teaching positions, and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools.During his campaign, Trump called for shifting those functions to the states. He has not offered details on how the agency's core functions of sending federal money to local districts and schools would be handled.The Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-harris-election-heritage-foundation-9183cf4c36c293e11b59847189d26a87">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping proposal outlining a far-right vision for the country, offered a blueprint. It suggested sending oversight of programs for kids with disabilities and low-income children first to the Department of Health and Human Services, before eventually phasing out the funding and converting it to no-strings-attached grants to states.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Trump admin. gutting the Dept. of Education explained

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Police have arrested a&nbsp;third suspect in an assault involving an acidic substance last summer in Wichita, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; A detention hearing is scheduled Wednesday afternoon in Juvenile District Court in Wichita for a 17-year-old girl.&nbsp; She was arrested in Topeka and returned to Wichita Tuesday by sheriff deputies.

In May of 2024, police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of N Dodge in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The victim in this case, an 18-year-old girl later arrived at an area hospital with second degree burns to the face and neck believed to be caused by a suspect throwing an acidic liquid on her during a physical fight.&nbsp;

Immediately following the incident, investigators with the Wichita Police Felony Assault unit along with patrol officers began looking for three suspects.

On June 5, officers with the Patrol North Community Response Team located and arrested two 18-year-old suspects. Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins and Tayronnia Jontashia West were jailed in connection with the crime.

&nbsp;Hollins and West were both charged with Aggravated Battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office and are scheduled for a jury trial in Sedgwick County District Court on April 28th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717690818288.png" alt="Tayronnia Jontashia West is charged with aggravated battery in the case and&nbsp; is scheduled for a jury trial in April -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Tayronnia Jontashia West is charged with aggravated battery in the case and&nbsp; is scheduled for a jury trial in April -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Police have arrested a&nbsp;third suspect in an assault involving an acidic substance last summer in Wichita, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; A detention hearing is scheduled Wednesday afternoon in Juvenile District Court in Wichita for a 17-year-old girl.&nbsp; She was arrested in Topeka and returned to Wichita Tuesday by sheriff deputies.In May of 2024, police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of N Dodge in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The victim in this case, an 18-year-old girl later arrived at an area hospital with second degree burns to the face and neck believed to be caused by a suspect throwing an acidic liquid on her during a physical fight.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717690911383.png" alt="Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins&nbsp;is charged with aggravated battery in the case and is scheduled for a jury trial in April -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins&nbsp;is charged with aggravated battery in the case and is scheduled for a jury trial in April -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Immediately following the incident, investigators with the Wichita Police Felony Assault unit along with patrol officers began looking for three suspects.On June 5, officers with the Patrol North Community Response Team located and arrested two 18-year-old suspects. Ye'Kira Acoya Hollins and Tayronnia Jontashia West were jailed in connection with the crime.&nbsp;Hollins and West were both charged with Aggravated Battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office and are scheduled for a jury trial in Sedgwick County District Court on April 28th.

Police capture 3rd suspect in acid attack on Kansas teen

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose Wednesday after Wall Street got some relief from an encouraging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-trump-883afba8a7199b3a92a617b68ab1a6a6">inflation update</a>. But even on a rare up day for the market, President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-china-canada-trade-cfe1fa82a47f1bca21a82f4b504486c8">trade war</a>&nbsp;still knocked stocks around.

The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.5% after skidding between an early gain of 1.3% and a later loss. The unsettled trading came a day after the index&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/financial-markets-wall-street-trump-tariffs-33b8562c7b76fe3b967ea6cd9d61719b">briefly fell more than 10% below</a>&nbsp;its all-time high set last month.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also pinballed sharply, careening between a rise of 287 points and a drop of 423. It ended with a loss of 82 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2%.

The inflation report, which showed overall prices rose less for U.S. consumers last month than economists expected, helped companies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;industry lead the way. It’s a bounce back after AI stocks got crushed recently by worries their prices had gone too stratospheric in the market’s run to record after record in recent years.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-stock-ai-deepseek-wall-street-5ef5329d2a864f7f733f7e8984366238">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;climbed 6.4% to trim its loss for the year so far to 13.8%. Server-maker Super Micro Computer rose 4%, and GE Vernova, which is helping to power AI data centers, gained 5.1%.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">Elon Musk’s Tesla</a>, whose price had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-stock-musk-trump-evs-sales-b3118cbab69fbfaa3abcceb059ba8c58">more than halved</a>&nbsp;since mid-December, rallied 7.6% for its first back-to-back gain in nearly a month.

Even with such gains, though, more stocks in the S&amp;P 500 fell than rose. Among the hardest hit were businesses that could be set to feel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">pain because of Trump’s trade war</a>.

Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s whiskey, tumbled 5.1%, and Harley-Davidson sank 5.7%.

U.S. bourbon and motorcycles are just two of the products the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-eu-tariffs-countermeasures-806a3b9bcc9cd4e45817e672d95f0070">European Union is targeting with its own tariffs</a>&nbsp;announced on U.S. products. The moves were in response to Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">25% tariffs on steel and aluminum</a>&nbsp;that kicked in earlier in the day.

Canada also hit back with tariffs announced on U.S. tools, sports equipment and other products.

“We deeply regret this measure,” European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers.”

The question hanging over Wall Street is how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">pain</a>&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/535e22b2c7c62ce917afe12c19c60c75">will let the economy</a>&nbsp;endure through tariffs and other policies. He’s said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States, along with a smaller U.S. government workforce, more deportations and other things.

Even if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trumps-comments-about-stock-market-dba336a82ffaf000b80e7218d749995a">Trump</a>&nbsp;ultimately goes with milder tariffs, damage could still be done. The dizzying barrage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">on</a>&nbsp;-again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-economy-mexico-canada-bfed103a11a2a71d8353350f94c78814">off</a>&nbsp;-again announcements on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">tariffs</a>&nbsp;has already begun sapping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-4ec3430138e6d872a6dae273e212edd1">confidence among U.S. consumers</a>&nbsp;and businesses by ramping up uncertainty. That could cause U.S. households and businesses to pull back on spending, which would hurt the economy.

On Tuesday, for example, Trump said he would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">double tariffs announced</a>&nbsp;on Canadian steel and aluminum, only to walk it back later in the day after a Canadian province pledged to drop a retaliatory measure that had incensed Trump.

Several U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">businesses</a>&nbsp;have said they’ve already begun seeing a change in behavior among their customers.

Delta Air Lines sank 3% to compound its drop of 7.3% from the prior day, when the carrier said it’s seeing demand weaken for close-in bookings for its flights.

Casey’s General Stores, the Ankeny, Iowa-based company that runs nearly 2,900 convenience stores in 20 states, offered some encouragement. It reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected thanks in part to strength for sales of hot sandwiches and fuel. It also kept steady its forecast for upcoming revenue this year.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 27.23 points to 5,599.30. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 82.55 to 41,350.93, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 212.35 to 17,648.45.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe following mixed sessions in Asia.

In the bond market, Treasury yields edged up to regain more of their losses from recent months sparked by worries about the U.S. economy’s strength. The 10-year Treasury rose to 4.31% from 4.28% late Tuesday and from 4.16% at the start of last week.

Wednesday’s better-than-expected inflation report gave some encouragement when worries are high that Trump’s tariffs could drive prices even higher for U.S. households after U.S. importers pass on the costs to their customers.

It’s also helpful for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-minutes-inflation-ad359f208bdf9d3861768e748f9330b7">Federal Reserve</a>, which had been cutting interest rates last year to boost the economy before pausing this year, partly because of concerns about stubbornly high inflation.

Worries had been rising about a worst-case scenario for the economy and for the Fed, where economic growth stagnates but inflation remains high. The Fed has no good tool to fix such “stagflation” because lower interest rates can push inflation higher.

“Trends that would suggest a cold economy and hot inflation are still in the early stages, but uncertainty remains high,” according to Phil Segner, senior research analyst at Leuthold.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose Wednesday after Wall Street got some relief from an encouraging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-tariffs-trump-883afba8a7199b3a92a617b68ab1a6a6">inflation update</a>. But even on a rare up day for the market, President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-china-canada-trade-cfe1fa82a47f1bca21a82f4b504486c8">trade war</a>&nbsp;still knocked stocks around.The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.5% after skidding between an early gain of 1.3% and a later loss. The unsettled trading came a day after the index&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/financial-markets-wall-street-trump-tariffs-33b8562c7b76fe3b967ea6cd9d61719b">briefly fell more than 10% below</a>&nbsp;its all-time high set last month.The Dow Jones Industrial Average also pinballed sharply, careening between a rise of 287 points and a drop of 423. It ended with a loss of 82 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2%.The inflation report, which showed overall prices rose less for U.S. consumers last month than economists expected, helped companies in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial-intelligence</a>&nbsp;industry lead the way. It’s a bounce back after AI stocks got crushed recently by worries their prices had gone too stratospheric in the market’s run to record after record in recent years.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-stock-ai-deepseek-wall-street-5ef5329d2a864f7f733f7e8984366238">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;climbed 6.4% to trim its loss for the year so far to 13.8%. Server-maker Super Micro Computer rose 4%, and GE Vernova, which is helping to power AI data centers, gained 5.1%.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-tesla-9a43c57a0591a4c7ed8d3f1b2c7ef8d9">Elon Musk’s Tesla</a>, whose price had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-stock-musk-trump-evs-sales-b3118cbab69fbfaa3abcceb059ba8c58">more than halved</a>&nbsp;since mid-December, rallied 7.6% for its first back-to-back gain in nearly a month.Even with such gains, though, more stocks in the S&amp;P 500 fell than rose. Among the hardest hit were businesses that could be set to feel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">pain because of Trump’s trade war</a>.Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s whiskey, tumbled 5.1%, and Harley-Davidson sank 5.7%.U.S. bourbon and motorcycles are just two of the products the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-eu-tariffs-countermeasures-806a3b9bcc9cd4e45817e672d95f0070">European Union is targeting with its own tariffs</a>&nbsp;announced on U.S. products. The moves were in response to Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-canada-economy-578826747acad6802c291b97ee66ee91">25% tariffs on steel and aluminum</a>&nbsp;that kicked in earlier in the day.Canada also hit back with tariffs announced on U.S. tools, sports equipment and other products.“We deeply regret this measure,” European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers.”The question hanging over Wall Street is how much&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-business-uncertainty-canada-mexico-china-2b01e586faf99bae3438d289f48a1add">pain</a>&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/535e22b2c7c62ce917afe12c19c60c75">will let the economy</a>&nbsp;endure through tariffs and other policies. He’s said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States, along with a smaller U.S. government workforce, more deportations and other things.Even if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trumps-comments-about-stock-market-dba336a82ffaf000b80e7218d749995a">Trump</a>&nbsp;ultimately goes with milder tariffs, damage could still be done. The dizzying barrage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-b19e004dddb579c373b247037e04424b">on</a>&nbsp;-again,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-economy-mexico-canada-bfed103a11a2a71d8353350f94c78814">off</a>&nbsp;-again announcements on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-reciprocal-imports-tax-trade-economy-54c0a26687dc96157d96229068894720">tariffs</a>&nbsp;has already begun sapping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-conference-board-economy-spending-4ec3430138e6d872a6dae273e212edd1">confidence among U.S. consumers</a>&nbsp;and businesses by ramping up uncertainty. That could cause U.S. households and businesses to pull back on spending, which would hurt the economy.On Tuesday, for example, Trump said he would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">double tariffs announced</a>&nbsp;on Canadian steel and aluminum, only to walk it back later in the day after a Canadian province pledged to drop a retaliatory measure that had incensed Trump.Several U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-inflation-tariffs-economy-minnesota-345efc8c9edc03994f13dd6d624c719b">businesses</a>&nbsp;have said they’ve already begun seeing a change in behavior among their customers.Delta Air Lines sank 3% to compound its drop of 7.3% from the prior day, when the carrier said it’s seeing demand weaken for close-in bookings for its flights.Casey’s General Stores, the Ankeny, Iowa-based company that runs nearly 2,900 convenience stores in 20 states, offered some encouragement. It reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected thanks in part to strength for sales of hot sandwiches and fuel. It also kept steady its forecast for upcoming revenue this year.Casey’s stock rose 6.2%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 27.23 points to 5,599.30. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 82.55 to 41,350.93, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 212.35 to 17,648.45.In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe following mixed sessions in Asia.In the bond market, Treasury yields edged up to regain more of their losses from recent months sparked by worries about the U.S. economy’s strength. The 10-year Treasury rose to 4.31% from 4.28% late Tuesday and from 4.16% at the start of last week.Wednesday’s better-than-expected inflation report gave some encouragement when worries are high that Trump’s tariffs could drive prices even higher for U.S. households after U.S. importers pass on the costs to their customers.It’s also helpful for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-minutes-inflation-ad359f208bdf9d3861768e748f9330b7">Federal Reserve</a>, which had been cutting interest rates last year to boost the economy before pausing this year, partly because of concerns about stubbornly high inflation.Worries had been rising about a worst-case scenario for the economy and for the Fed, where economic growth stagnates but inflation remains high. The Fed has no good tool to fix such “stagflation” because lower interest rates can push inflation higher.“Trends that would suggest a cold economy and hot inflation are still in the early stages, but uncertainty remains high,” according to Phil Segner, senior research analyst at Leuthold.

Wall Street rises after encouraging inflation data

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit and run pedestrian incident that occurred just after 3p.m. Monday in Kansas City have identified the victim as 35-year-old Megan L. Aldridge.

She was walking on the outside shoulder of eastbound Interstate 70 near the exit ramp to Paseo, According to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

An unknown vehicle struck Aldridge and then&nbsp; left the area without stopping. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

 This is fatality #11 in KCMO compared to #21 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the&nbsp; victim or additional details.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please call police.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit and run pedestrian incident that occurred just after 3p.m. Monday in Kansas City have identified the victim as 35-year-old Megan L. Aldridge.She was walking on the outside shoulder of eastbound Interstate 70 near the exit ramp to Paseo, According to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.An unknown vehicle struck Aldridge and then&nbsp; left the area without stopping. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #11 in KCMO compared to #21 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the&nbsp; victim or additional details.Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please call police.

Police ID woman who died after I-70 hit-and-run

BY&nbsp;MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-faa-4f8a7b71070de5e93097535f610124c1">Southwest Airlines</a>&nbsp;will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-cabin-service-a2766c4de881e1467900b392789457de">the budget carrier</a>&nbsp;from its rivals.

Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.

The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28.

“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.

Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-changes-seating-boarding-hedge-fund-ba6a97380df6201e9a35335d3202fc8a">in assigned seats</a>&nbsp;next year.

Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-lowers-outlook-hedge-fund-a8cfdb619410757b96f108b45565ca1b">struggled recently</a>&nbsp;and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-american-airlines-earnings-elliott-management-947a14e29e80503a459331393954df2b">reached a truce</a>&nbsp;in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company board.

The airline announced last month that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-layoffs-29a0daf8f8091ae2b0a9c11282138464">eliminating</a>&nbsp;1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.

The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.

Southwest’s stock rose more than 9% Tuesday.

As recently as Southwest’s investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind.

The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance.

Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag.

People who don’t qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect.

“I would rather have the free checked bags, that’s for sure,” said customer Dorothy Severson, who was awaiting a flight Tuesday at Chicago Midway International Airport. “It’s one of the main reasons I still fly Southwest.”

Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening.

“I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs,” said Delta Airlines President Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference.

Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsized roll in staying competitive. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">trade war initiated by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households.

To start the week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-air-lines-guidance-stock-price-695f8f59b78e894841755199b0a30b4e">Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations</a>, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year.

Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%.

On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. The airline now anticipates revenue per available seat mile will rise between 2% and 4%. That is down sharply from its previous projections of a 5% to 7% increase. The airline said it expects capacity to be down about 2%.

The airline announced last year that along with giving passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-assigned-seats-earnings-6869dbe31934c87e049c9e428eae7761">assigned seats</a>, it would charge them extra for with more legroom and offer red-eye flights.

BY&nbsp;MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-faa-4f8a7b71070de5e93097535f610124c1">Southwest Airlines</a>&nbsp;will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-cabin-service-a2766c4de881e1467900b392789457de">the budget carrier</a>&nbsp;from its rivals.Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28.“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-changes-seating-boarding-hedge-fund-ba6a97380df6201e9a35335d3202fc8a">in assigned seats</a>&nbsp;next year.Southwest has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-lowers-outlook-hedge-fund-a8cfdb619410757b96f108b45565ca1b">struggled recently</a>&nbsp;and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-american-airlines-earnings-elliott-management-947a14e29e80503a459331393954df2b">reached a truce</a>&nbsp;in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid a proxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company board.The airline announced last month that it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-layoffs-29a0daf8f8091ae2b0a9c11282138464">eliminating</a>&nbsp;1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company’s 53-year history.The job cuts, which were scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June, are part of a plan to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Jordan said at the time.Southwest’s stock rose more than 9% Tuesday.As recently as Southwest’s investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind.The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance.Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag.People who don’t qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect.“I would rather have the free checked bags, that’s for sure,” said customer Dorothy Severson, who was awaiting a flight Tuesday at Chicago Midway International Airport. “It’s one of the main reasons I still fly Southwest.”Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening.“I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs,” said Delta Airlines President Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference.Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsized roll in staying competitive. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-stock-musk-business-8a5f28d9bb16e0b8a924d99ead0907fa">trade war initiated by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households.To start the week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-air-lines-guidance-stock-price-695f8f59b78e894841755199b0a30b4e">Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations</a>, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year.Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%.On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. The airline now anticipates revenue per available seat mile will rise between 2% and 4%. That is down sharply from its previous projections of a 5% to 7% increase. The airline said it expects capacity to be down about 2%.The airline announced last year that along with giving passengers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/southwest-assigned-seats-earnings-6869dbe31934c87e049c9e428eae7761">assigned seats</a>, it would charge them extra for with more legroom and offer red-eye flights.<h2>____</h2>

At Southwest Airlines, checked bags will no longer fly for free

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services still hasn’t indicated how soon it will act on Planned Parenthood’s medication abortion complication plan

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is doubling down on his demand that Planned Parenthood stop performing a type of abortion that its clinics aren’t actually offering patients.&nbsp;

On Monday, Bailey issued a notice of an intent to serve a cease and desist letter to Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in the Kansas City metro and Columbia.

It’s an identical threat to the one Bailey issued earlier this month to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates clinics in the St. Louis metro, Springfield and Rolla.

Bailey is demanding the clinics not perform medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials.&nbsp;

But clinic leadership has said they have no intention of offering medication abortion without an approved complication plan, which they have submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The health department has not yet responded with a timeline for approval.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a written response this week to the attorney general’s office called Bailey’s notice “baseless political posturing” and an attempt at intimidation.

Rather than urging the state health department to respond to the proposed complication plan, Wales and Riphagen wrote, Bailey has instead “threatened to ‘take action’ against (Planned Parenthood) for hypothetical, future medication abortion which you have no reason to believe will occur without such a plan.”

Asked if the attorney general’s office has any reason to believe Planned Parenthood intends to start providing medication abortions without authorization from the state, James Lawson, deputy chief of staff in Bailey’s office, said Planned Parenthood “has a documented history of subverting state law and providing unauthorized services.”

“This cease and desist letter provides a forcing function to ensure basic health and safety standards,” Lawson said.&nbsp;

As of Wednesday, only&nbsp;a handful of procedural abortions have been performed up to 12 weeks gestation, and only at the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City.

Wales previously said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state signs off on a complication plan.&nbsp;

Complication plans are “important to ensure the safety of patients because medication abortions will likely be completed at home without a physician present,” Sami Jo Freeman, a spokeswoman with the department, said in an emailed statement in late February.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;as opposed to in-clinic procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group.&nbsp;

In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad, including to states where abortion remains illegal.&nbsp;

Bailey is also among a trio of attorneys general who filed litigation asking a judge in Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.

According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent procedural abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.&nbsp;

Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.&nbsp;

Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart procedural abortions.

In an email last month, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Wednesday, the office had not filed an appeal.

“Should the attorney general wish to appeal, there are the correct avenues to go through an appeal,” Riphagen said. “Instead, sending a cease and desist that ignores both the law and the truth leads us to the conclusion that this is politically motivated.”

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

Shortly after Missourians in November narrowly approved Amendment 3, granting the constitutional right to an abortion, Planned Parenthood sued the state in Jackson County arguing dozens of regulations on abortion providers were no longer constitutional.

Several days later, Bailey’s office filed a petition in Cole County seeking to throw out Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit based on a 2010 settlement agreement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The terms of the contract were plain: the state will let (Planned Parenthood) operate in partial compliance with the state’s licensure requirements in exchange for (Planned Parenthood’s) promise never to challenge Missouri’s abortion licensure regulations again,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a recent court filing.&nbsp;

About a week after the Jackson County ruling opened the door for procedural abortions in February, Bailey asked a Cole County judge to consider a temporary restraining order against Planned Parenthood that would halt any abortions at the Columbia and Kansas City clinics.

Planned Parenthood maintains that because the 2010 settlement was made with different federal and state constitution laws around abortion in place, the AG’s arguments are no longer relevant.

“The state is attempting to enforce an outdated agreement regarding a regime of laws and regulations that now conflict with the Missouri Constitution,” attorneys for Planned Parenthood wrote in court filings.

Planned Parenthood and the attorney general’s office are again scheduled to meet in court Wednesday morning. The hearing, to take place before Cole County Judge Daniel Green, will address Planned Parenthood’s request that the court dismiss the case or move it to Jackson County. It will also address Bailey’s request for a temporary restraining order.&nbsp;

Wales called Wednesday’s case “entirely about distraction and delay.”&nbsp;

“I don’t think what’s happening in our Amendment 3 litigation is that far removed from the federal chaos …” she said. “There is an element of creating chaos in the courts and having us respond to a million different demands and requests. It’s the same approach, fundamentally.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733518129940.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services still hasn’t indicated how soon it will act on Planned Parenthood’s medication abortion complication plan</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is doubling down on his demand that Planned Parenthood stop performing a type of abortion that its clinics aren’t actually offering patients.&nbsp;On Monday, Bailey issued a notice of an intent to serve a cease and desist letter to Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in the Kansas City metro and Columbia.It’s an identical threat to the one Bailey issued earlier this month to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates clinics in the St. Louis metro, Springfield and Rolla.Bailey is demanding the clinics not perform medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials.&nbsp;But clinic leadership has said they have no intention of offering medication abortion without an approved complication plan, which they have submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.The health department has not yet responded with a timeline for approval.Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a written response this week to the attorney general’s office called Bailey’s notice “baseless political posturing” and an attempt at intimidation.Rather than urging the state health department to respond to the proposed complication plan, Wales and Riphagen wrote, Bailey has instead “threatened to ‘take action’ against (Planned Parenthood) for hypothetical, future medication abortion which you have no reason to believe will occur without such a plan.”Asked if the attorney general’s office has any reason to believe Planned Parenthood intends to start providing medication abortions without authorization from the state, James Lawson, deputy chief of staff in Bailey’s office, said Planned Parenthood “has a documented history of subverting state law and providing unauthorized services.”“This cease and desist letter provides a forcing function to ensure basic health and safety standards,” Lawson said.&nbsp;As of Wednesday, only&nbsp;a handful of procedural abortions have been performed up to 12 weeks gestation, and only at the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City.Wales previously said Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state signs off on a complication plan.&nbsp;Complication plans are “important to ensure the safety of patients because medication abortions will likely be completed at home without a physician present,” Sami Jo Freeman, a spokeswoman with the department, said in an emailed statement in late February.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank">In 2023, nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States took place using medication</a>&nbsp;as opposed to in-clinic procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group.&nbsp;In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad, including to states where abortion remains illegal.&nbsp;Bailey is also among a trio of attorneys general who filed litigation asking a judge in Texas to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/22/missouri-mifepristone-lawsuit-andrew-bailey-teen-pregnancy/">order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone,</a>&nbsp;one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.According to the FDA,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent procedural abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.&nbsp;Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.&nbsp;Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart procedural abortions.In an email last month, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judge’s Feb. 14 order “immediately.” As of Wednesday, the office had not filed an appeal.“Should the attorney general wish to appeal, there are the correct avenues to go through an appeal,” Riphagen said. “Instead, sending a cease and desist that ignores both the law and the truth leads us to the conclusion that this is politically motivated.”<h2>Court to hear more arguments Wednesday</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741779798916.png" alt=" Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoe’s executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).Shortly after Missourians in November narrowly approved Amendment 3, granting the constitutional right to an abortion, Planned Parenthood sued the state in Jackson County arguing dozens of regulations on abortion providers were no longer constitutional.Several days later, Bailey’s office filed a petition in Cole County seeking to throw out Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit based on a 2010 settlement agreement.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The terms of the contract were plain: the state will let (Planned Parenthood) operate in partial compliance with the state’s licensure requirements in exchange for (Planned Parenthood’s) promise never to challenge Missouri’s abortion licensure regulations again,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a recent court filing.&nbsp;About a week after the Jackson County ruling opened the door for procedural abortions in February, Bailey asked a Cole County judge to consider a temporary restraining order against Planned Parenthood that would halt any abortions at the Columbia and Kansas City clinics.Planned Parenthood maintains that because the 2010 settlement was made with different federal and state constitution laws around abortion in place, the AG’s arguments are no longer relevant.“The state is attempting to enforce an outdated agreement regarding a regime of laws and regulations that now conflict with the Missouri Constitution,” attorneys for Planned Parenthood wrote in court filings.Planned Parenthood and the attorney general’s office are again scheduled to meet in court Wednesday morning. The hearing, to take place before Cole County Judge Daniel Green, will address Planned Parenthood’s request that the court dismiss the case or move it to Jackson County. It will also address Bailey’s request for a temporary restraining order.&nbsp;Wales called Wednesday’s case “entirely about distraction and delay.”&nbsp;“I don’t think what’s happening in our Amendment 3 litigation is that far removed from the federal chaos …” she said. “There is an element of creating chaos in the courts and having us respond to a million different demands and requests. It’s the same approach, fundamentally.”

Missouri AG renews demand Planned Parenthood stop abortion procedure it isn’t offering

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Wednesday about a “Black Mass” event scheduled for March 28, at the Kansas Statehouse.

The Satanic Grotto announced on social media they organized an event for inside the Capitol building that day.

(The video below is for mature audiences only)

In a statement from office, Governor Kelly wrote, "I have been informed about concerns regarding an event at the Statehouse on March 28, and I share those concerns.&nbsp; There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols."

"However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be."Since these rights are constitutionally protected, the Governor’s Office has limited authority to respond to such actions."

"That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced."Therefore, all events planned for March 28 will be moved outdoors to the grounds surrounding the Statehouse. Again, no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse on March 28."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741797937973.png" alt="Satanic Grotto" />
 <figcaption>Satanic Grotto</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Wednesday about a “Black Mass” event scheduled for March 28, at the Kansas Statehouse.The Satanic Grotto announced on social media they organized an event for inside the Capitol building that day.(The video below is for mature audiences only)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheSatanicGrotto%2Fvideos%2F1710299846574282%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=1" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>In a statement from office, Governor Kelly wrote, "I have been informed about concerns regarding an event at the Statehouse on March 28, and I share those concerns.&nbsp; There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols.""However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be."Since these rights are constitutionally protected, the Governor’s Office has limited authority to respond to such actions.""That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced."Therefore, all events planned for March 28 will be moved outdoors to the grounds surrounding the Statehouse. Again, no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse on March 28."

🎥Governor moves controversial 'Black Mass' outside Kansas Statehouse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation's weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday began plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, people inside and outside the agency said, with some of them requesting anonymity due to fear of retribution. The numbers were presented to NOAA employees and managers were asked to submit names of positions for layoffs to agency headquarters, which will then go to NOAA’s parent agency, the Department of Commerce, on Wednesday, the people said.

Three former senior NOAA officials — two former political appointees from the Biden administration — who speak regularly with managers at their old agency used the same number for upcoming job cuts: 1,029, 10% of the current 10,290. They talked to multiple people still in NOAA and a current agency worker detailed the cuts that a manager explained to employees.

While most people know about NOAA and its daily weather forecasts, the agency also monitors and warns about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis, manages the country’s fisheries, runs marine sanctuaries, provides navigation information to ships and observes changes in the climate and oceans. The agency also plays a role in warning about avalanches and space weather that could damage the electrical grid. It helps respond to disasters, including oil spills.

The new cuts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">earlier rounds of Trump administration firings and encouraged retirements</a>&nbsp;at NOAA, plus the elimination of nearly all new employees last month. After this upcoming round of cuts, NOAA will have eliminated about one out of four jobs since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-foreign-aid-rubio-judge-ali-60ef55de60a36c61eb563b5982298385">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office in January.

“This is not government efficiency,” said former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “It is the first steps toward eradication. There is no way to make these kinds of cuts without removing or strongly compromising mission capabilities.”

The cuts are being ordered without specific guidance from the Trump administration on how or where, which makes it even worse, Spinrad said.

NOAA spokeswoman Monica Allen said the agency's policy is not to discuss internal personnel matters, but said NOAA will “continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.”

NOAA has already stopped releasing some weather balloons that gather crucial observations for forecasts in two locations — Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf_2025/pns25-11_intermittent_suspension_of_raob_Launches-aly_gyx.pdf">because of lack of staffing</a>, the agency said last week.

This is all happening as severe storm system&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/day4-8/#">is forecast to move through the central and southern parts</a>&nbsp;of the nation late this week in a multi-day outburst with strong tornadoes, hail and damaging winds expected.

Weather forecasts will worsen and “people are going to start seeing this very quickly,” warned former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean. It will also limit how much commercial fishermen will be able to catch, he said.

On top of all the job losses, cuts in research grants to universities will also make it harder for the U.S. to keep improving its weather forecasts and better monitor what's happening to the planet, McLean said.

“People are silently watching the United States decline as a technological leader,” McLean said. “America got to the moon, but our weather forecasts won't be the greatest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671120197112.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one more than 1,000 — at the nation's weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday began plans to lay off 10% of its current workforce, people inside and outside the agency said, with some of them requesting anonymity due to fear of retribution. The numbers were presented to NOAA employees and managers were asked to submit names of positions for layoffs to agency headquarters, which will then go to NOAA’s parent agency, the Department of Commerce, on Wednesday, the people said.Three former senior NOAA officials — two former political appointees from the Biden administration — who speak regularly with managers at their old agency used the same number for upcoming job cuts: 1,029, 10% of the current 10,290. They talked to multiple people still in NOAA and a current agency worker detailed the cuts that a manager explained to employees.While most people know about NOAA and its daily weather forecasts, the agency also monitors and warns about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis, manages the country’s fisheries, runs marine sanctuaries, provides navigation information to ships and observes changes in the climate and oceans. The agency also plays a role in warning about avalanches and space weather that could damage the electrical grid. It helps respond to disasters, including oil spills.The new cuts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noaa-doge-federal-cuts-musk-weather-danger-6f60e7c511989aeff8930ae87c9a5ee8">earlier rounds of Trump administration firings and encouraged retirements</a>&nbsp;at NOAA, plus the elimination of nearly all new employees last month. After this upcoming round of cuts, NOAA will have eliminated about one out of four jobs since President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-trump-foreign-aid-rubio-judge-ali-60ef55de60a36c61eb563b5982298385">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;took office in January.“This is not government efficiency,” said former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “It is the first steps toward eradication. There is no way to make these kinds of cuts without removing or strongly compromising mission capabilities.”The cuts are being ordered without specific guidance from the Trump administration on how or where, which makes it even worse, Spinrad said.NOAA spokeswoman Monica Allen said the agency's policy is not to discuss internal personnel matters, but said NOAA will “continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission.”NOAA has already stopped releasing some weather balloons that gather crucial observations for forecasts in two locations — Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf_2025/pns25-11_intermittent_suspension_of_raob_Launches-aly_gyx.pdf">because of lack of staffing</a>, the agency said last week.This is all happening as severe storm system&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/day4-8/#">is forecast to move through the central and southern parts</a>&nbsp;of the nation late this week in a multi-day outburst with strong tornadoes, hail and damaging winds expected.Weather forecasts will worsen and “people are going to start seeing this very quickly,” warned former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean. It will also limit how much commercial fishermen will be able to catch, he said.On top of all the job losses, cuts in research grants to universities will also make it harder for the U.S. to keep improving its weather forecasts and better monitor what's happening to the planet, McLean said.“People are silently watching the United States decline as a technological leader,” McLean said. “America got to the moon, but our weather forecasts won't be the greatest.”___

US agency that monitors weather will cut more jobs

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating the cause of fatal Kansas house fire.

On Tuesday morning, the Topeka Fire Department received reports of a house fire at 2418 SE Wisconsin Avenue, according to Fire Chief Alan Stahl.

 First arriving units reported a two-story residence fully involved with fire. During a search of the residence, firefighters located a man of the home deceased. The fire was quickly brought under control.

The Topeka Fire Deparment Investigations unit along with members of the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Investigations unit responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cause of the fire remains under investigation.&nbsp;The total loss associated with the fire is $17,700.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fire crews also located and rescued a dog&nbsp; from inside of the residence. Two other dogs died. Authorities did not release the name of the man who died

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741793126837.png" alt="Photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating the cause of fatal Kansas house fire.On Tuesday morning, the Topeka Fire Department received reports of a house fire at 2418 SE Wisconsin Avenue, according to Fire Chief Alan Stahl. First arriving units reported a two-story residence fully involved with fire. During a search of the residence, firefighters located a man of the home deceased. The fire was quickly brought under control.The Topeka Fire Deparment Investigations unit along with members of the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Investigations unit responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cause of the fire remains under investigation.&nbsp;The total loss associated with the fire is $17,700.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fire crews also located and rescued a dog&nbsp; from inside of the residence. Two other dogs died. Authorities did not release the name of the man who died

Fire Marshal: Kansas man, dogs found dead after house fire

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

Here's what you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas' total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.

New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 33. The outbreak has spread from Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak, to include one case in Eddy County.

Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.

In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.

A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.

People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>&nbsp;Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.

AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741721736547.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to more than 250 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741383047634.png" alt="One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>One of the protestors at the"Stand Up for Science" Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Here's what you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 25 new cases of measles since the end of last week, bringing Texas' total to 223. Twenty-nine people in Texas are hospitalized.New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 33. The outbreak has spread from Lea County, which neighbors the West Texas communities at the epicenter of the outbreak, to include one case in Eddy County.Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been three clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>&nbsp;Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.___AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.