By MICHAEL BIESECKER and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Pretti was forcefully taken to the ground by federal immigration agents after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a Minneapolis protest 11 days before he was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers, videos that emerged Wednesday show.

The Jan. 13 scuffle was captured in a pair of videos that show Pretti shouting an expletive at the federal officers and struggling with them. His winter coat comes off when he's on the ground and he either breaks free or the officers let him go and he scurries away.

When he turns his back to the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. At no point do the videos show Pretti reaching for the gun and it is unclear whether the federal agents saw it.

A person with knowledge of the incident confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the videos is Pretti and that he had told his family of the confrontation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters sensitive to the family.

The new videos immediately rekindled the national debate about the death of Pretti, 37, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">intensive care nurse</a>&nbsp;at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, posted one of the videos on X and commented, “Just a peaceful legal observer.”

Lawyer says new videos don't excuse shooting

Steve Schleicher, a Minneapolis-based attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-dfe7d30628cffeb1ceb6f940943e7b33">representing Pretti’s parents</a>, said the earlier altercation in no way justified the officers fatally shooting Pretti on Saturday.

“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street — despite posing no threat to anyone — he was violently assaulted by a group of (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents,” Schleicher said in a written statement. “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”

Homeland Security Investigations is reviewing the new videos and incident, a spokesperson with the department said. It's not known if any of the officers involved were also there when Pretti was killed.

Last weekend's fatal shooting occurred on a sidewalk next to the street where Pretti had been videoing immigration officers. In video taken by bystanders, one officer pushes him, then Pretti is taken to the ground and a half-dozen officers try to subdue him. One spots Pretti's weapon, which he was licensed to carry, and shouts, “He's got a gun.” Two officers then open fire and Pretti is killed.

Trump administration officials quickly reacted, saying Pretti had approached officers with a gun and attacked them.

The altercation and shooting was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-861a0d8f3ee182f3b5909b3613900e2e">captured in multiple videos</a>&nbsp;and showed Pretti never brandished his gun and didn't assault any officer. He was holding his phone when he was shot in the back while on the ground.

The new videos from the week prior to the shooting came from two sources. One, published by the Minnesota Star Tribune and later obtained by the AP, was taken by Max Shapiro, a witness who filmed the interaction. The second was by a crew for The News Movement, an online media outlet.

Confrontation came amid whistles and shouts

Shapiro, an attorney in Minneapolis, recounted in an interview Wednesday that he saw over a Signal chat that immigration enforcement was in the area. Driving over, Shapiro parked half a block from officers and got out.

“The observers were pretty distraught and screaming,” he said, adding that the officers began trying to get the crowd back, but their directives were largely drowned out in whistles and shouts.

The video from The News Movement shows Pretti wearing glasses, a dark baseball cap and a winter coat yelling at federal vehicles, at one point appearing to spit and yell “trash” toward the driver's side of a dark Ford Expedition with flashing red and blue lights.

As the vehicle pulls slowly away, Pretti kicks at the taillight and then delivers a second kick that shatters the red plastic and leaves the taillight dangling.

Shapiro began filming on his phone just after Pretti kicked out the taillight.

Both videos capture the rear door of the SUV swinging open and an immigration officer wearing a gas mask and helmet getting out. He starts walking toward Pretti.

The officer grabs Pretti’s shirt at his chest, pulling him back toward the vehicle as Pretti’s arms flail. The officer pulls Pretti back onto the street and down onto his knees, falling over Pretti in the scuffle.

Other masked and helmeted officers surround them and try to subdue Pretti. Others stand guard between them and a screaming crowd, before the officers set off tear gas canisters and withdraw.

After Pretti stumbles away, Shapiro walks over and hugs Pretti, asking if he is OK.

Pretti affirms that he is, before turning to others involved in the melee and asking: “Are we all OK? Are we all safe?”

Shapiro said he understands some will use the videos to try to vilify Pretti, but that he seemed like someone who cared deeply about what was happening to the people caught up in the Trump Administration's deportation push.

“I’m no immigration policy expert,” Shapiro said. “But there has to be a better way to go about this.”

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and JESSE BEDAYN Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Pretti was forcefully taken to the ground by federal immigration agents after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a Minneapolis protest 11 days before he was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers, videos that emerged Wednesday show.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 BOOM! I love this sht! <a href="https://t.co/7WSEmPNosJ">pic.twitter.com/7WSEmPNosJ</a>&mdash; Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2016712467825537506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Democrat hero nurse Alex Pretti screaming, “Fucking assault me motherfucker, fucking trash,” before spitting on ice agents and kicking out their tail lights. This guy was not emotionally well, may well have been psychotic, and was begging to be attacked: <a href="https://t.co/FmIVAifOJh">pic.twitter.com/FmIVAifOJh</a>&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2016715318240895086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Jan. 13 scuffle was captured in a pair of videos that show Pretti shouting an expletive at the federal officers and struggling with them. His winter coat comes off when he's on the ground and he either breaks free or the officers let him go and he scurries away.When he turns his back to the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. At no point do the videos show Pretti reaching for the gun and it is unclear whether the federal agents saw it.A person with knowledge of the incident confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the videos is Pretti and that he had told his family of the confrontation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters sensitive to the family.The new videos immediately rekindled the national debate about the death of Pretti, 37, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">intensive care nurse</a>&nbsp;at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, posted one of the videos on X and commented, “Just a peaceful legal observer.”<h2>Lawyer says new videos don't excuse shooting</h2>Steve Schleicher, a Minneapolis-based attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-dfe7d30628cffeb1ceb6f940943e7b33">representing Pretti’s parents</a>, said the earlier altercation in no way justified the officers fatally shooting Pretti on Saturday.“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street — despite posing no threat to anyone — he was violently assaulted by a group of (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents,” Schleicher said in a written statement. “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”Homeland Security Investigations is reviewing the new videos and incident, a spokesperson with the department said. It's not known if any of the officers involved were also there when Pretti was killed.Last weekend's fatal shooting occurred on a sidewalk next to the street where Pretti had been videoing immigration officers. In video taken by bystanders, one officer pushes him, then Pretti is taken to the ground and a half-dozen officers try to subdue him. One spots Pretti's weapon, which he was licensed to carry, and shouts, “He's got a gun.” Two officers then open fire and Pretti is killed.Trump administration officials quickly reacted, saying Pretti had approached officers with a gun and attacked them.The altercation and shooting was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-861a0d8f3ee182f3b5909b3613900e2e">captured in multiple videos</a>&nbsp;and showed Pretti never brandished his gun and didn't assault any officer. He was holding his phone when he was shot in the back while on the ground.The new videos from the week prior to the shooting came from two sources. One, published by the Minnesota Star Tribune and later obtained by the AP, was taken by Max Shapiro, a witness who filmed the interaction. The second was by a crew for The News Movement, an online media outlet.<h2>Confrontation came amid whistles and shouts</h2>Shapiro, an attorney in Minneapolis, recounted in an interview Wednesday that he saw over a Signal chat that immigration enforcement was in the area. Driving over, Shapiro parked half a block from officers and got out.“The observers were pretty distraught and screaming,” he said, adding that the officers began trying to get the crowd back, but their directives were largely drowned out in whistles and shouts.The video from The News Movement shows Pretti wearing glasses, a dark baseball cap and a winter coat yelling at federal vehicles, at one point appearing to spit and yell “trash” toward the driver's side of a dark Ford Expedition with flashing red and blue lights.As the vehicle pulls slowly away, Pretti kicks at the taillight and then delivers a second kick that shatters the red plastic and leaves the taillight dangling.Shapiro began filming on his phone just after Pretti kicked out the taillight.Both videos capture the rear door of the SUV swinging open and an immigration officer wearing a gas mask and helmet getting out. He starts walking toward Pretti.The officer grabs Pretti’s shirt at his chest, pulling him back toward the vehicle as Pretti’s arms flail. The officer pulls Pretti back onto the street and down onto his knees, falling over Pretti in the scuffle.Other masked and helmeted officers surround them and try to subdue Pretti. Others stand guard between them and a screaming crowd, before the officers set off tear gas canisters and withdraw.After Pretti stumbles away, Shapiro walks over and hugs Pretti, asking if he is OK.Pretti affirms that he is, before turning to others involved in the melee and asking: “Are we all OK? Are we all safe?”Shapiro said he understands some will use the videos to try to vilify Pretti, but that he seemed like someone who cared deeply about what was happening to the people caught up in the Trump Administration's deportation push.“I’m no immigration policy expert,” Shapiro said. “But there has to be a better way to go about this.”

🎥 New videos show Alex Pretti scuffle with officers days before his death

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child and have made two arrests.

Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, police t responded to a medical call in the 500 block of SW Buchanan Street in Topeka, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, Topeka Police Department officers located a 5-year-old girl who was transported by AMR to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. She was pronounced deceased.

As a result of the investigation, 24-year-old Lia Corbin and 25-year-old Kyle Valle, both of Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated endangering of a child and Abuse of a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769652518585.png" alt="Valle photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Valle photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating the death of a child and have made two arrests.Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, police t responded to a medical call in the 500 block of SW Buchanan Street in Topeka, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769652056338.png" alt="Corbin photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Corbin photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, Topeka Police Department officers located a 5-year-old girl who was transported by AMR to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. She was pronounced deceased.As a result of the investigation, 24-year-old Lia Corbin and 25-year-old Kyle Valle, both of Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated endangering of a child and Abuse of a child.

Kansas couple accused in abuse death of 5-year-old

DOUGLAS COUNTY — A group of four suspected scammers tried to make&nbsp; Walmart stores in Lawrence their next target, but the responding police officer called in the Kansas Highway Patrol to catch up with them and put an end to their travel plans, according to Lawrence Police.

A Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper, at the request of a Lawrence police, pulled the group over on Interstate 70 just west of Bonner Springs about 10:30 Tuesday night.&nbsp;

 Lawrence Officers then traveled to the scene and found suspected stolen merchandise, more than $6,000 in cash, numerous potentially fraudulent receipts, and evidence that the spree spread through the Kansas City metro area.

It began when officers were dispatched to Walmart on 33rd&nbsp;and Iowa in Lawrence about 9:30pm.&nbsp; The store’s alert asset manager told the officer he knew something was suspicious and had knowledge of similar scams.&nbsp;

We will detail the suspected deception here hoping it arms retailers with information to combat the elaborate scam.

Here’s how it works:&nbsp;The purchaser uses a fake card with specific instructions on the back.&nbsp; One of the cards in this case read, “ATTENTION: If cardholder exceeds daily limit for future transactions cashier must follow 2 step verification: SCAN ALL items, Input EXACT AMOUNT + ENTER to complete transaction.”&nbsp; It is our understanding that the purchaser then only partially slides the card into the payment device and when the cashier presses cash, the drawer opens and a receipt is printed.&nbsp; The cashier then believes the transaction is successful.&nbsp;Several variations of the scam likely exist -- all intended to intimidate and fool cashiers.

During Tuesday night’s interaction, four men approached a variety of cashiers with separate purchases and with returns including receipts. Some purchases were completed and some were not.&nbsp; As cashiers became suspicious, they contacted the asset manager. The manager got a description of the vehicle the men left in and called dispatch.

In total, the group left with about $4,400 worth of cash and merchandise.

The responding officer immediately alerted his fellow Lawrence officers and the Highway Patrol to be on the lookout for the vehicle. Officers ultimately learned that the men were in a car they rented in Michigan. They also recovered receipts worth thousands of dollars from various stores around Kansas City and another Lawarence Walmart.&nbsp; LKPD is in contact with the corresponding police departments and the investigation continues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769633124275.jpeg" alt="Photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY — A group of four suspected scammers tried to make&nbsp; Walmart stores in Lawrence their next target, but the responding police officer called in the Kansas Highway Patrol to catch up with them and put an end to their travel plans, according to Lawrence Police.A Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper, at the request of a Lawrence police, pulled the group over on Interstate 70 just west of Bonner Springs about 10:30 Tuesday night.&nbsp; Lawrence Officers then traveled to the scene and found suspected stolen merchandise, more than $6,000 in cash, numerous potentially fraudulent receipts, and evidence that the spree spread through the Kansas City metro area.It began when officers were dispatched to Walmart on 33rd&nbsp;and Iowa in Lawrence about 9:30pm.&nbsp; The store’s alert asset manager told the officer he knew something was suspicious and had knowledge of similar scams.&nbsp;We will detail the suspected deception here hoping it arms retailers with information to combat the elaborate scam.Here’s how it works:&nbsp;The purchaser uses a fake card with specific instructions on the back.&nbsp; One of the cards in this case read, “ATTENTION: If cardholder exceeds daily limit for future transactions cashier must follow 2 step verification: SCAN ALL items, Input EXACT AMOUNT + ENTER to complete transaction.”&nbsp; It is our understanding that the purchaser then only partially slides the card into the payment device and when the cashier presses cash, the drawer opens and a receipt is printed.&nbsp; The cashier then believes the transaction is successful.&nbsp;Several variations of the scam likely exist -- all intended to intimidate and fool cashiers.During Tuesday night’s interaction, four men approached a variety of cashiers with separate purchases and with returns including receipts. Some purchases were completed and some were not.&nbsp; As cashiers became suspicious, they contacted the asset manager. The manager got a description of the vehicle the men left in and called dispatch.In total, the group left with about $4,400 worth of cash and merchandise.The responding officer immediately alerted his fellow Lawrence officers and the Highway Patrol to be on the lookout for the vehicle. Officers ultimately learned that the men were in a car they rented in Michigan. They also recovered receipts worth thousands of dollars from various stores around Kansas City and another Lawarence Walmart.&nbsp; LKPD is in contact with the corresponding police departments and the investigation continues.

Police detail elaborate scam uncovered at Kansas retailer

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Wednesday spoke on the Senate floor to honor the victims of the January 29th, 2025, tragedy that occurred nearly a year ago when Flight 5342, originating from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport (DCA), resulting in the loss of 67 lives.

“A year later, the memory of this tragedy, the deadliest aviation incident that America has witnessed in nearly 25 years, is as painful as it was when we first heard the news,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“The victims were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers.”“I can’t imagine the pain each of the families of the victims has experienced every day since January 29th,”&nbsp;concluded Sen. Moran.&nbsp;

“This week, their loss must feel especially hard as they face the anniversary of the plane crash. Today, we resolve to honor their legacy, work to make our skies safer and cherish their memories.”

Sen. Moran’s full remarks as prepared:

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and honor the 67 lives we lost nearly one year ago on January 29th, 2025.“On that night, Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas and flew toward our nation’s capital with 64 on board.“In Washington, D.C., a Black Hawk helicopter with three Army soldiers would soon be in the air as well.“Flight 5342 was just minutes away from a safe landing at Reagan National Airport, when the plane and Army helicopter collided over the Potomac River.

“Shortly after 9:00 pm, I received a call with the news that a flight from Kansas was involved in an accident in our nation’s capital. As I made my way to Reagan National Airport that night, the banks of the Potomac River were illuminated with lights from emergency responders who were searching the icy water of a crash site.

“At the airport, I was joined by local leaders and newly sworn in Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Our conversation that night was one of many that would span the course of the following year trying to understand how an accident like this could occur and how to prevent it from happening again.

“At the airport we learned the tragic news that there were no survivors. Of those who perished, seven were Kansans:“Kiah Duggins – a civil rights attorney and Wichita native – was set to begin teaching at Howard University School of Law.“Lindsey Fields – a professor at Butler Community College and the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers – was traveling to our nation’s capital to advocate for the issues that mattered to her.“Bob and Lori Schrock – farmers from Kiowa, Kansas – were on their way to visit their daughter at college in Pennsylvania.

“Grace Maxwell – an engineering student from Wichita – was returning to college after attending her grandfather’s funeral in Kansas.

“Dustin Miller, an IT professional who grew up in El Dorado and was a lifelong Chiefs fan, told his mom he was going to try to make it back in time to watch his team play in the Super Bowl.“P.J. Diaz, of Wichita, was described by his loved ones as a world traveler who had been to 49 states. He especially loved cruises and had an extra-long cruise planned for later in the year.

“Sadly, 28 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community also lost their lives – young athletes traveling back from a National Development Camp in Wichita with their coaches and family members.“Maxim Naumov, a 24-year-old U.S. figure skater, lost both his parents, in the accident.

“In the wake of this tragedy, Maxim used his love of skating to overcome immense loss and now heads to the 2026 Olympic games, just weeks away, to achieve the lifelong dream he had shared with his parents. We all will be cheering him on.

“A year later, the memory of this night, the deadliest aviation incident that America has witnessed in nearly 25 years, is as painful as it was when we first heard the news. The victims were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers.

“As we mourn the victims, we also remember the heroism, solidarity and love displayed that night. Hundreds of first responders worked tirelessly through the night and into the coming days. Strangers offered comfort, and people checked on their neighbors.

“Since January 29th, the families of the victims have tried to find meaning and purpose after the death of their loved ones and worked to eliminate the likelihood of an accident like this ever happening again.

“One family in particular, Tim and Sheri Lilley, lost their son, Sam, a co-pilot for Flight 5342. Following the tragic accident, the Lilley family have used their voice to become advocates for safer skies in honor of their son, Sam.

“I’m grateful for the advocacy of the families of the victims over the last year as they worked to advocate for changes at FAA and congressional legislation like the ROTOR Act.

“Thanks to their support, the Senate advanced this critical legislation last year. This was an important step, but our progress has been stalled in the House. The National Transportation Safety Board’s hearing just yesterday further confirmed that this legislation could have made a difference on January 29th.

“We cannot afford to waste any more time. I urgently insist the House of Representative quickly pass this legislation or amend it and pass it so we can find consensus.

“I want to commend the NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and her team on their thorough investigation into the crash. Their report will guide Congress in the coming weeks in our efforts to ensure the safety of our skies.

“In addition to passing and implementing ROTOR Act, Congress must hold a hearing after the NTSB releases its final written report to review the findings and recommendations of the NTSB, determine what, if any, congressional action is necessary to implement these recommendations and make certain the FAA and Army are making the recommended changes, provide funding for further modernization of our aviation system, advance new technology at the FAA and train and support air traffic controllers.

“We cannot miss the moment to act and ensure lasting change.

“I cannot imagine the pain each of the families of the victims has experienced every day since January 29th. This week, their loss must be felt especially hard as they face the anniversary of the plane crash.&nbsp;

“Tonight, I want to remember those who perished. Sixty-seven lives that ended too soon.

“Today, we resolve to honor their legacy, work to make our skies safer and remember those we loved who lost their lives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738545032561.png" alt="During the recovery effort one year ago =Photo U.S. Coast Guard" />
 <figcaption>During the recovery effort one year ago =Photo U.S. Coast Guard</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Wednesday spoke on the Senate floor to honor the victims of the January 29th, 2025, tragedy that occurred nearly a year ago when Flight 5342, originating from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport (DCA), resulting in the loss of 67 lives.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e5g29-fqpdQ?si=6pwij8HgHOyJGFN-&amp;start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“A year later, the memory of this tragedy, the deadliest aviation incident that America has witnessed in nearly 25 years, is as painful as it was when we first heard the news,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“The victims were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers.”“I can’t imagine the pain each of the families of the victims has experienced every day since January 29th,”&nbsp;concluded Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“This week, their loss must feel especially hard as they face the anniversary of the plane crash. Today, we resolve to honor their legacy, work to make our skies safer and cherish their memories.”Sen. Moran’s full remarks as prepared:“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and honor the 67 lives we lost nearly one year ago on January 29th, 2025.“On that night, Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas and flew toward our nation’s capital with 64 on board.“In Washington, D.C., a Black Hawk helicopter with three Army soldiers would soon be in the air as well.“Flight 5342 was just minutes away from a safe landing at Reagan National Airport, when the plane and Army helicopter collided over the Potomac River.“Shortly after 9:00 pm, I received a call with the news that a flight from Kansas was involved in an accident in our nation’s capital. As I made my way to Reagan National Airport that night, the banks of the Potomac River were illuminated with lights from emergency responders who were searching the icy water of a crash site.“At the airport, I was joined by local leaders and newly sworn in Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Our conversation that night was one of many that would span the course of the following year trying to understand how an accident like this could occur and how to prevent it from happening again.“At the airport we learned the tragic news that there were no survivors. Of those who perished, seven were Kansans:“Kiah Duggins – a civil rights attorney and Wichita native – was set to begin teaching at Howard University School of Law.“Lindsey Fields – a professor at Butler Community College and the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers – was traveling to our nation’s capital to advocate for the issues that mattered to her.“Bob and Lori Schrock – farmers from Kiowa, Kansas – were on their way to visit their daughter at college in Pennsylvania.“Grace Maxwell – an engineering student from Wichita – was returning to college after attending her grandfather’s funeral in Kansas.“Dustin Miller, an IT professional who grew up in El Dorado and was a lifelong Chiefs fan, told his mom he was going to try to make it back in time to watch his team play in the Super Bowl.“P.J. Diaz, of Wichita, was described by his loved ones as a world traveler who had been to 49 states. He especially loved cruises and had an extra-long cruise planned for later in the year.“Sadly, 28 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community also lost their lives – young athletes traveling back from a National Development Camp in Wichita with their coaches and family members.“Maxim Naumov, a 24-year-old U.S. figure skater, lost both his parents, in the accident.“In the wake of this tragedy, Maxim used his love of skating to overcome immense loss and now heads to the 2026 Olympic games, just weeks away, to achieve the lifelong dream he had shared with his parents. We all will be cheering him on.“A year later, the memory of this night, the deadliest aviation incident that America has witnessed in nearly 25 years, is as painful as it was when we first heard the news. The victims were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers.“As we mourn the victims, we also remember the heroism, solidarity and love displayed that night. Hundreds of first responders worked tirelessly through the night and into the coming days. Strangers offered comfort, and people checked on their neighbors.“Since January 29th, the families of the victims have tried to find meaning and purpose after the death of their loved ones and worked to eliminate the likelihood of an accident like this ever happening again.“One family in particular, Tim and Sheri Lilley, lost their son, Sam, a co-pilot for Flight 5342. Following the tragic accident, the Lilley family have used their voice to become advocates for safer skies in honor of their son, Sam.“I’m grateful for the advocacy of the families of the victims over the last year as they worked to advocate for changes at FAA and congressional legislation like the ROTOR Act.“Thanks to their support, the Senate advanced this critical legislation last year. This was an important step, but our progress has been stalled in the House. The National Transportation Safety Board’s hearing just yesterday further confirmed that this legislation could have made a difference on January 29th.“We cannot afford to waste any more time. I urgently insist the House of Representative quickly pass this legislation or amend it and pass it so we can find consensus.“I want to commend the NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and her team on their thorough investigation into the crash. Their report will guide Congress in the coming weeks in our efforts to ensure the safety of our skies.“In addition to passing and implementing ROTOR Act, Congress must hold a hearing after the NTSB releases its final written report to review the findings and recommendations of the NTSB, determine what, if any, congressional action is necessary to implement these recommendations and make certain the FAA and Army are making the recommended changes, provide funding for further modernization of our aviation system, advance new technology at the FAA and train and support air traffic controllers.“We cannot miss the moment to act and ensure lasting change.“I cannot imagine the pain each of the families of the victims has experienced every day since January 29th. This week, their loss must be felt especially hard as they face the anniversary of the plane crash.&nbsp;“Tonight, I want to remember those who perished. Sixty-seven lives that ended too soon.“Today, we resolve to honor their legacy, work to make our skies safer and remember those we loved who lost their lives.”

🎥 Senator Moran honors victims of Flight 5342 one year after DCA tragedy

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-klobuchar">Amy Klobuchar</a>&nbsp;said Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government's immigration crackdown.

Klobuchar's decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide winner as their party tries to hold onto the office occupied by Gov. Tim Walz. The 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/tim-walz-drops-bid-for-third-term-as-minnesota-governor-amid-child-care-program-investigation-5ae60a6ffb554996aee18b029aff7370">abandoned his campaign</a>&nbsp;for a third term earlier this month amid criticism over mismanagement of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-child-care-funds-fraud-b511941de10f02fbb7349eff6738f748">taxpayer funding for child care programs</a>.

“Minnesota, we've been through a lot,” Klobuchar said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiV3xVkX-kg">a video announcement</a>&nbsp;Thursday. “These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration — but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.”

Klobuchar cited Trump’s immigration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misinformation-immigration-dhs-minnesota-lawsuit-8a7feeca54864980bf936e888e0ca506">crackdown in Minnesota</a>, federal officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">killing two Minnesotans</a>&nbsp;who protested,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-shot-197b8073b66449297986f8276e6dcfc9">the assassination</a>&nbsp;of a state legislative leader and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-catholic-school-shooting-annunciation-church-271e65d699d38e01e83a6502c18df155">a school shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed multiple children — all within the last year. She avoided direct mention of ongoing fraud investigations into the child care programs that Trump has made a political cudgel.

“I believe we must stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar, who becomes&nbsp;<a href="https://became%20the%20fourth%20sitting%20senator%20to%20seek%20leadership%20of%20a%20home%20state%20in%202026/">the fourth sitting senator</a>&nbsp;to seek leadership of a home state as governor in 2026, has been among the loudest Trump critics, most recently over the immigration enforcement effort that has prompted massive protests.

Multiple Republicans already are campaigning in what could become a marquee contest among 36 governorships on the ballot in November. Among those running for the GOP nomination are MyPillow founder and chief executive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-minnesota-governor-lindell-walz-b25e84e72bee54fbf14e1b516bd6fb9a">Mike Lindell</a>, a 2020 election denier who is close to Trump; Minnesota&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-governor-lisa-demuth-tim-walz-f80d8de9a8c4740d29c23416d6e19439">House Speaker Lisa Demuth</a>;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-minnesota-pandemics-234ec304532f2467deaa158473255926">Dr. Scott Jensen</a>, a former state senator who was the party’s 2022 gubernatorial candidate; and state Rep. Kristin Robbins.

The Minnesota contest is likely to test Trump and his fellow Republicans’ uncompromising law-and-order approach and mass deportation program against Democrats’ criticisms of his administration’s tactics.

Federal agents have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-boy-father-detained-342f319fafb766d13afe07f5bcc1f112">detained children</a>&nbsp;and adults who are U.S. citizens, entered homes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-arrests-warrants-minneapolis-trump-00d0ab0338e82341fd91b160758aeb2d">without warrants</a>&nbsp;and engaged protesters in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-protests-immigration-agents-crowd-control-policing-ice-dhs-bd9335c2b0b793a3bff5c51287a80819">violent exchanges</a>. Minnesota resident and U.S. citizen Renee Good was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">shot three times and killed</a>&nbsp;by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in early January. On Saturday, federal officers fatally shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">ICU nurse Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;during an encounter.

Many Democrats on Capitol Hill, in turn, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-government-funding-bills-d7ca791c2d1aa81d2982239f81bc86be">voted against spending bills</a>&nbsp;that fund Trump’s Department of Homeland Security. A standoff over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-partial-shutdown-ice-funding-homeland-security-35abc94e6579e701f03d9c18ca5a7c44">the funding</a>&nbsp;could lead to a partial government shutdown.

Trump and other Republicans also will try to saddle Klobuchar — or any other Democrat — with questions about the ongoing federal investigation into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-child-care-funds-fraud-trump-1d6edb8511d916fc3a5dc3b339d94e37">child care programs</a>&nbsp;and its Somali community. Trump also has made repeated assertions of widespread fraud in state government, and his administration is conducting multiple investigations of state officials, including Walz. The Democrat has maintained that his administration has investigated, reduced and prosecuted fraud.

Serving her fourth term in Washington, Klobuchar is a former local prosecutor and onetime presidential candidate who positions herself as a moderate and has demonstrated the ability to win across Minnesota.

The senator won her 2024 reelection bid by nearly 16 percentage points and received 135,000 more votes than Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who had chosen Walz as her running mate. Harris outpaced Trump by fewer than 5 percentage points.

Klobuchar gained attention during Trump’s first term for her questioning of his judicial nominees including now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At Kavanaugh’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6bbd19a9e7124fbead3da03cb6f2e7f9">acrimonious confirmation hearings</a>, she asked the future justice, who had been accused of sexual assault as a teenager, if he ever had so much to drink that he didn’t remember what happened. Kavanaugh retorted, “Have you?”

The senator, who had talked publicly of her father’s alcoholism, continued her questioning. Kavanaugh, who was confirmed by a single vote, later apologized to Klobuchar.

After Trump’s first presidency, Klobuchar was among the most outspoken lawmakers during bipartisan congressional inquiries of the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">Trump supporters attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;during certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over him in the 2020 presidential election. As Senate Rules Committee chair, she pressed Capitol Police, administration officials and others for details of what authorities knew beforehand and how rioters breached the Capitol.

“It’s our duty to have immediate responses to what happened,” she said after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-capitol-siege-government-and-politics-3c1d7afe65b45c9284376ac96a8059f5">helping write a report</a>&nbsp;focused not on Trump’s role but on better security protocols for the seat of Congress.

Klobuchar sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, running as a moderate in the same political lane as Biden. She launched her campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/31b00b46939f4f32ab9996181816c647">standing outside in a Minnesota snowstorm</a>&nbsp;to tout her “grit” and Midwestern sensibilities that have anchored her political identity.

As a candidate, Klobuchar faced stories of disgruntled Senate staffers who described her as a difficult boss but also distinguished herself on crowded debate stages as a determined pragmatist. She outlasted several better-funded candidates and ran ahead of Biden in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. But Biden, then a former vice president, trounced her and others in the South Carolina primaries, prompting her to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ap-top-news-amy-klobuchar-mn-state-wire-joe-biden-e8e7133c8dce77f1ddeaad29cb0cfa5f">drop out and join others</a>&nbsp;in closing ranks behind him.

After Biden’s victory, Klobuchar would have been well-positioned for a Cabinet post, perhaps even attorney general. But the Senate’s 50-50 split made it untenable for Biden to create any opening for Republicans to regain control of the chamber.

Klobuchar announced in 2021 that she had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-amy-klobuchar-66c8f9f3b7f42d11835603c8490ebbd7">treated for breast cancer</a>&nbsp;and in 2024 announced that she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-amy-klobuchar-breast-cancer-049efe56e9674767b6fd98be66a4fdd0">cancer-free</a>&nbsp;but undergoing another round of radiation.

Klobuchar joins Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet, Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn and Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senators-leaving-washington-dc-governor-fb46dc41b8853f5d783e2db012064b53">senators seeking to lead their home states</a>. Bennet, Blackburn and Klobuchar are not up for reelection in 2026 so could remain in the Senate should they not win their gubernatorial races. Tuberville is in the final year of his six-year term and will leave the Senate in January 2027 regardless.

Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporter Maya Sweedler in Washington contributed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-klobuchar">Amy Klobuchar</a>&nbsp;said Thursday she is running for governor of Minnesota, promising to take on President Donald Trump while unifying a state that has endured a series of challenges even before the federal government's immigration crackdown.Klobuchar's decision gives Democrats a high-profile candidate and proven statewide winner as their party tries to hold onto the office occupied by Gov. Tim Walz. The 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/tim-walz-drops-bid-for-third-term-as-minnesota-governor-amid-child-care-program-investigation-5ae60a6ffb554996aee18b029aff7370">abandoned his campaign</a>&nbsp;for a third term earlier this month amid criticism over mismanagement of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-child-care-funds-fraud-b511941de10f02fbb7349eff6738f748">taxpayer funding for child care programs</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Minnesotans, we’ve been through a lot. And I believe this moment calls for grit, resilience, and faith in each other. I believe we must stand up for what’s right. And fix what’s wrong. Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for Governor. <a href="https://t.co/yVnbvmMyxO">pic.twitter.com/yVnbvmMyxO</a>&mdash; Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyklobuchar/status/2016843854054641696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Minnesota, we've been through a lot,” Klobuchar said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiV3xVkX-kg">a video announcement</a>&nbsp;Thursday. “These times call for leaders who can stand up and not be rubber stamps of this administration — but who are also willing to find common ground and fix things in our state.”Klobuchar cited Trump’s immigration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/misinformation-immigration-dhs-minnesota-lawsuit-8a7feeca54864980bf936e888e0ca506">crackdown in Minnesota</a>, federal officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">killing two Minnesotans</a>&nbsp;who protested,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-lawmakers-shot-197b8073b66449297986f8276e6dcfc9">the assassination</a>&nbsp;of a state legislative leader and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-catholic-school-shooting-annunciation-church-271e65d699d38e01e83a6502c18df155">a school shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed multiple children — all within the last year. She avoided direct mention of ongoing fraud investigations into the child care programs that Trump has made a political cudgel.“I believe we must stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong,” Klobuchar said.Klobuchar, who becomes&nbsp;<a href="https://became%20the%20fourth%20sitting%20senator%20to%20seek%20leadership%20of%20a%20home%20state%20in%202026/">the fourth sitting senator</a>&nbsp;to seek leadership of a home state as governor in 2026, has been among the loudest Trump critics, most recently over the immigration enforcement effort that has prompted massive protests.Multiple Republicans already are campaigning in what could become a marquee contest among 36 governorships on the ballot in November. Among those running for the GOP nomination are MyPillow founder and chief executive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-minnesota-governor-lindell-walz-b25e84e72bee54fbf14e1b516bd6fb9a">Mike Lindell</a>, a 2020 election denier who is close to Trump; Minnesota&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-governor-lisa-demuth-tim-walz-f80d8de9a8c4740d29c23416d6e19439">House Speaker Lisa Demuth</a>;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-minnesota-pandemics-234ec304532f2467deaa158473255926">Dr. Scott Jensen</a>, a former state senator who was the party’s 2022 gubernatorial candidate; and state Rep. Kristin Robbins.<h2>Immigration and fraud will be at issue</h2>The Minnesota contest is likely to test Trump and his fellow Republicans’ uncompromising law-and-order approach and mass deportation program against Democrats’ criticisms of his administration’s tactics.Federal agents have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-minnesota-boy-father-detained-342f319fafb766d13afe07f5bcc1f112">detained children</a>&nbsp;and adults who are U.S. citizens, entered homes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-arrests-warrants-minneapolis-trump-00d0ab0338e82341fd91b160758aeb2d">without warrants</a>&nbsp;and engaged protesters in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-protests-immigration-agents-crowd-control-policing-ice-dhs-bd9335c2b0b793a3bff5c51287a80819">violent exchanges</a>. Minnesota resident and U.S. citizen Renee Good was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">shot three times and killed</a>&nbsp;by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in early January. On Saturday, federal officers fatally shot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-ice-b0cec9d1c5bae4b62469011775082300">ICU nurse Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;during an encounter.Many Democrats on Capitol Hill, in turn, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-government-funding-bills-d7ca791c2d1aa81d2982239f81bc86be">voted against spending bills</a>&nbsp;that fund Trump’s Department of Homeland Security. A standoff over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-partial-shutdown-ice-funding-homeland-security-35abc94e6579e701f03d9c18ca5a7c44">the funding</a>&nbsp;could lead to a partial government shutdown.Trump and other Republicans also will try to saddle Klobuchar — or any other Democrat — with questions about the ongoing federal investigation into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-child-care-funds-fraud-trump-1d6edb8511d916fc3a5dc3b339d94e37">child care programs</a>&nbsp;and its Somali community. Trump also has made repeated assertions of widespread fraud in state government, and his administration is conducting multiple investigations of state officials, including Walz. The Democrat has maintained that his administration has investigated, reduced and prosecuted fraud.<h2>Klobuchar has won across Minnesota</h2>Serving her fourth term in Washington, Klobuchar is a former local prosecutor and onetime presidential candidate who positions herself as a moderate and has demonstrated the ability to win across Minnesota.The senator won her 2024 reelection bid by nearly 16 percentage points and received 135,000 more votes than Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who had chosen Walz as her running mate. Harris outpaced Trump by fewer than 5 percentage points.Klobuchar gained attention during Trump’s first term for her questioning of his judicial nominees including now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At Kavanaugh’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6bbd19a9e7124fbead3da03cb6f2e7f9">acrimonious confirmation hearings</a>, she asked the future justice, who had been accused of sexual assault as a teenager, if he ever had so much to drink that he didn’t remember what happened. Kavanaugh retorted, “Have you?”The senator, who had talked publicly of her father’s alcoholism, continued her questioning. Kavanaugh, who was confirmed by a single vote, later apologized to Klobuchar.After Trump’s first presidency, Klobuchar was among the most outspoken lawmakers during bipartisan congressional inquiries of the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">Trump supporters attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;during certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over him in the 2020 presidential election. As Senate Rules Committee chair, she pressed Capitol Police, administration officials and others for details of what authorities knew beforehand and how rioters breached the Capitol.“It’s our duty to have immediate responses to what happened,” she said after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-capitol-siege-government-and-politics-3c1d7afe65b45c9284376ac96a8059f5">helping write a report</a>&nbsp;focused not on Trump’s role but on better security protocols for the seat of Congress.<h2>2020 presidential bid</h2>Klobuchar sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, running as a moderate in the same political lane as Biden. She launched her campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/31b00b46939f4f32ab9996181816c647">standing outside in a Minnesota snowstorm</a>&nbsp;to tout her “grit” and Midwestern sensibilities that have anchored her political identity.As a candidate, Klobuchar faced stories of disgruntled Senate staffers who described her as a difficult boss but also distinguished herself on crowded debate stages as a determined pragmatist. She outlasted several better-funded candidates and ran ahead of Biden in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. But Biden, then a former vice president, trounced her and others in the South Carolina primaries, prompting her to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ap-top-news-amy-klobuchar-mn-state-wire-joe-biden-e8e7133c8dce77f1ddeaad29cb0cfa5f">drop out and join others</a>&nbsp;in closing ranks behind him.After Biden’s victory, Klobuchar would have been well-positioned for a Cabinet post, perhaps even attorney general. But the Senate’s 50-50 split made it untenable for Biden to create any opening for Republicans to regain control of the chamber.Klobuchar announced in 2021 that she had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-amy-klobuchar-66c8f9f3b7f42d11835603c8490ebbd7">treated for breast cancer</a>&nbsp;and in 2024 announced that she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-amy-klobuchar-breast-cancer-049efe56e9674767b6fd98be66a4fdd0">cancer-free</a>&nbsp;but undergoing another round of radiation.Klobuchar joins Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet, Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn and Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senators-leaving-washington-dc-governor-fb46dc41b8853f5d783e2db012064b53">senators seeking to lead their home states</a>. Bennet, Blackburn and Klobuchar are not up for reelection in 2026 so could remain in the Senate should they not win their gubernatorial races. Tuberville is in the final year of his six-year term and will leave the Senate in January 2027 regardless.___Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporter Maya Sweedler in Washington contributed.

🎥Why U.S. Senator says she is running for Minnesota governor 

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court for robbing a local bank with the use of a firearm.

Richie E. Manley, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, to one count of aiding and abetting bank robbery, along with one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the United State's Attorney.

On Oct. 3, 2024, at approximately 10:43 a.m., Richie E. Manley&nbsp;entered a bank in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp; While speaking to a bank teller, Manley&nbsp;pulled out a handgun, later determined to be a Smith and Wesson, Model SD, .40 caliber pistol, and told the tellers “give me your money.” While pointing the pistol at the tellers, Manley told the tellers to give him the “hundreds.” The tellers provided the money from the bank drawers and Manley&nbsp;took the money and fled the bank. The bank reported an estimated loss of $2,155 from the robbery. The bank was federally insured by the FDIC.

Under federal statutes, Manley is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, up to life in federal prison without parole. The minimum and maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court for robbing a local bank with the use of a firearm.Richie E. Manley, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, to one count of aiding and abetting bank robbery, along with one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the United State's Attorney.On Oct. 3, 2024, at approximately 10:43 a.m., Richie E. Manley&nbsp;entered a bank in Kansas City, Missouri.&nbsp; While speaking to a bank teller, Manley&nbsp;pulled out a handgun, later determined to be a Smith and Wesson, Model SD, .40 caliber pistol, and told the tellers “give me your money.” While pointing the pistol at the tellers, Manley told the tellers to give him the “hundreds.” The tellers provided the money from the bank drawers and Manley&nbsp;took the money and fled the bank. The bank reported an estimated loss of $2,155 from the robbery. The bank was federally insured by the FDIC.Under federal statutes, Manley is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, up to life in federal prison without parole. The minimum and maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Armed suspect told KC bank teller to give me the “hundreds”

MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Ford Explorer driven by&nbsp; Angel M.&nbsp;Nichols, 41, Park City, was southbound on Interstate 35 one mile north of Comanche Road.&nbsp; The SUV rear-ended a 2025 Western Star semi driven by Jason R.&nbsp;Monarez, 48, Wichita, who was slowing, moving forward and yielding to traffic ahead.&nbsp;

Nichols was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Regional Forensics Center.&nbsp;Monarez and a passenger Gary C. Larson, 57, Salina, were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday in McPherson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Ford Explorer driven by&nbsp; Angel M.&nbsp;Nichols, 41, Park City, was southbound on Interstate 35 one mile north of Comanche Road.&nbsp; The SUV rear-ended a 2025 Western Star semi driven by Jason R.&nbsp;Monarez, 48, Wichita, who was slowing, moving forward and yielding to traffic ahead.&nbsp;Nichols was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Regional Forensics Center.&nbsp;Monarez and a passenger Gary C. Larson, 57, Salina, were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman killed after rear-end crash

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase in central Kansas.

&nbsp;On Tuesday evening, police were dispatched to&nbsp;Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a stolen vehicle, according to Salina Police&nbsp;Police Lt. Andrew Zeigler.

&nbsp;A silver&nbsp;2018 Ford Edge (valued at $20,000)&nbsp;was missing from the hospital's parking garage.&nbsp;A debit card and checkbook had also been left in the vehicle.&nbsp; It was determined the cards had been used at a couple of convenience stores in Salina.

Officers investigated the store and collected surveillance footage, as they spotted the vehicle in the&nbsp;1000 block of Park Street in Salina. When law enforcement arrived to the location, the vehicle fled and a pursuit ensued.

The vehicle traveled through several yards in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Park Street and ended in an alleyway nearby. The driver, identified as 45-year-old Brent Corwin of Salina, then fled on foot and officers followed. A K9 was released and apprehended Corwin in the backyard of a residence on West Ash Street. Police booked Corwin into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Theft, Obstruction and more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769612115567.jpeg" alt="Corwin photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Corwin photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a chase in central Kansas.&nbsp;On Tuesday evening, police were dispatched to&nbsp;Salina Regional Health Center for the report of a stolen vehicle, according to Salina Police&nbsp;Police Lt. Andrew Zeigler.&nbsp;A silver&nbsp;2018 Ford Edge (valued at $20,000)&nbsp;was missing from the hospital's parking garage.&nbsp;A debit card and checkbook had also been left in the vehicle.&nbsp; It was determined the cards had been used at a couple of convenience stores in Salina.Officers investigated the store and collected surveillance footage, as they spotted the vehicle in the&nbsp;1000 block of Park Street in Salina. When law enforcement arrived to the location, the vehicle fled and a pursuit ensued.The vehicle traveled through several yards in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Park Street and ended in an alleyway nearby. The driver, identified as 45-year-old Brent Corwin of Salina, then fled on foot and officers followed. A K9 was released and apprehended Corwin in the backyard of a residence on West Ash Street. Police booked Corwin into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Theft, Obstruction and more.

K9 tracks down suspect who took car from Kan. hospital parking garage

LONDON (AP) — The crime was in London, the suspect was Russian and the witness who saw the beating on a video call was in the United States and happened to be the youngest son of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Barron Trump called police in the British capital and his intervention more than a year ago led Wednesday to the assault conviction of Matvei Rumiantsev, who admitted he was jealous of his girlfriend's friendship with Trump.

Trump said he placed a late night FaceTime call to the victim, a woman he met on social media, and was startled when it was answered by a bare-chested man.

“This view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline,” Trump told police. “The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian.”

The call was hung up after a few seconds and Trump then phoned London police in a recording in which Trump desperately pleaded for help as the dispatcher insisted he answer basic questions about the victim.

"How do you know her?” the operator asked after a back-and-forth dialog.

“I don’t think these details matter, she’s getting beat up," Trump said.

“Can you stop being rude and actually answer my questions?" the dispatcher said. "If you want to help the person, you’ll answer my questions clearly and precisely, thank you. So how do you know her?”

Police went to the address on Jan. 18 and arrested Rumiantsev, 22, a receptionist who lived in London.

He was acquitted in Snaresbrook Crown Court of rape and choking the woman on the night Trump called police, and an additional rape and assault alleged in November 2024.

Rumiantsev testified that he was jealous of Trump but that he also felt badly for him because he thought that his girlfriend was leading him on.

Defense lawyer Sasha Wass said that Trump didn't know the woman had a boyfriend and questioned how much he could have seen in five or seven seconds of video.

Wass said that the woman exploited her ties to Trump to make her boyfriend envious in a “relationship full of dramas.”

Trump, 19, the only child of Donald and Melania Trump, didn't testify in the case.

Justice Bennathan advised jurors before they began deliberating to treat Barron Trump's accounts — on the recording of his call to police and his follow-up email to investigators — with caution because he hadn't been subjected to cross-examination.

“If he had done so, no doubt, he could have been asked about things such as whether he ever got a good view of what happened, whether he actually saw (the woman) being assaulted, or jumped to this conclusion on the basis of her screams," Bennathan said. “He might also have been asked whether his perception was biased because he was close friends with (her)."

Rumiantsev was also convicted of perverting the course of justice, because he sent the woman a letter from jail asking her to retract her allegations. He's scheduled to be sentenced on March 27.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769627597370.png" alt="File image Barron Trump image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File image Barron Trump image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The crime was in London, the suspect was Russian and the witness who saw the beating on a video call was in the United States and happened to be the youngest son of U.S. President Donald Trump.Barron Trump called police in the British capital and his intervention more than a year ago led Wednesday to the assault conviction of Matvei Rumiantsev, who admitted he was jealous of his girlfriend's friendship with Trump.Trump said he placed a late night FaceTime call to the victim, a woman he met on social media, and was startled when it was answered by a bare-chested man.“This view lasted maybe one second and I was racing with adrenaline,” Trump told police. “The camera was then flipped to the victim getting hit while crying, stating something in Russian.”The call was hung up after a few seconds and Trump then phoned London police in a recording in which Trump desperately pleaded for help as the dispatcher insisted he answer basic questions about the victim."How do you know her?” the operator asked after a back-and-forth dialog.“I don’t think these details matter, she’s getting beat up," Trump said.“Can you stop being rude and actually answer my questions?" the dispatcher said. "If you want to help the person, you’ll answer my questions clearly and precisely, thank you. So how do you know her?”Police went to the address on Jan. 18 and arrested Rumiantsev, 22, a receptionist who lived in London.He was acquitted in Snaresbrook Crown Court of rape and choking the woman on the night Trump called police, and an additional rape and assault alleged in November 2024.Rumiantsev testified that he was jealous of Trump but that he also felt badly for him because he thought that his girlfriend was leading him on.Defense lawyer Sasha Wass said that Trump didn't know the woman had a boyfriend and questioned how much he could have seen in five or seven seconds of video.Wass said that the woman exploited her ties to Trump to make her boyfriend envious in a “relationship full of dramas.”Trump, 19, the only child of Donald and Melania Trump, didn't testify in the case.Justice Bennathan advised jurors before they began deliberating to treat Barron Trump's accounts — on the recording of his call to police and his follow-up email to investigators — with caution because he hadn't been subjected to cross-examination.“If he had done so, no doubt, he could have been asked about things such as whether he ever got a good view of what happened, whether he actually saw (the woman) being assaulted, or jumped to this conclusion on the basis of her screams," Bennathan said. “He might also have been asked whether his perception was biased because he was close friends with (her)."Rumiantsev was also convicted of perverting the course of justice, because he sent the woman a letter from jail asking her to retract her allegations. He's scheduled to be sentenced on March 27.

Assailant convicted after Barron Trump calls London police to report crime

OSAGE COUNTY—On Wednesday, all three Osage County deputies who were injured in the line of duty on November 15th have returned to full duty.

"Over the past several months, the Osage County community has prayed, checked in, sent cards, brought food, and shown more support than we could ever put into words. Those prayers, that encouragement, and that kindness mattered more than you know—not just to the deputies, but to their families and to this entire Sheriff’s Office."

"These three deputies showed incredible strength, resilience, and determination through their recovery. Watching them fight to heal and return to the work they love has been nothing short of inspiring."

"We are blessed to have them back where they belong—serving the citizens of Osage County."

"Thank you to everyone who stood with us during this time. Your support helped us through, and today we are sharing some very good news with you."

"Osage County is lucky to have deputies like these."

On Saturday morning Nov. 15, the Osage County Sheriff's Office and Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at 11222 S. Topeka Ave. in Osage County after a female resident called 911, according to a media release from the KBI.

Law enforcement encountered a male suspect, identified as Stephen M. McMillan, 22, outside the residence. During the encounter, gunfire was exchanged. Three deputies and two KHP troopers fired during the incident. In the shooting, three deputies, one trooper, the suspect and a male resident were struck. The male resident was identified as the suspect's 77-year-old grandfather.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, cleared the residence, and rendered aid to the injured. All law enforcement officers were transported to Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center. The trooper was later transferred to KU Medical Center. The suspect's grandfather, 77, was also injured and taken to the hospital. McMillan was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769634014389.png" alt="Pictured from left: Sheriff Wells, Undersheriff Brenner, Deputy Moran, K9 Deputy Cason, Corporal Hartpence, Sergeant Knapp, and Lt. Nech" />
 <figcaption>Pictured from left: Sheriff Wells, Undersheriff Brenner, Deputy Moran, K9 Deputy Cason, Corporal Hartpence, Sergeant Knapp, and Lt. Nech</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—On Wednesday, all three Osage County deputies who were injured in the line of duty on November 15th have returned to full duty."Over the past several months, the Osage County community has prayed, checked in, sent cards, brought food, and shown more support than we could ever put into words. Those prayers, that encouragement, and that kindness mattered more than you know—not just to the deputies, but to their families and to this entire Sheriff’s Office."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763429453752.png" alt="Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, and K9 Deputy James Cason-Photos courtesy Osage County Sheriff's office" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence, and K9 Deputy James Cason-Photos courtesy Osage County Sheriff's office</figcaption>
 </figure>"These three deputies showed incredible strength, resilience, and determination through their recovery. Watching them fight to heal and return to the work they love has been nothing short of inspiring.""We are blessed to have them back where they belong—serving the citizens of Osage County.""Thank you to everyone who stood with us during this time. Your support helped us through, and today we are sharing some very good news with you.""Osage County is lucky to have deputies like these."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763259271274.png" alt="Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene -Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene -Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>On Saturday morning Nov. 15, the Osage County Sheriff's Office and Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at 11222 S. Topeka Ave. in Osage County after a female resident called 911, according to a media release from the KBI.Law enforcement encountered a male suspect, identified as Stephen M. McMillan, 22, outside the residence. During the encounter, gunfire was exchanged. Three deputies and two KHP troopers fired during the incident. In the shooting, three deputies, one trooper, the suspect and a male resident were struck. The male resident was identified as the suspect's 77-year-old grandfather.Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, cleared the residence, and rendered aid to the injured. All law enforcement officers were transported to Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center. The trooper was later transferred to KU Medical Center. The suspect's grandfather, 77, was also injured and taken to the hospital. McMillan was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Kan. deputies injured during domestic incident are back at work

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that two federal agents involved in Petti’s shooting have been on leave since Saturday.

The announcement came as Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shooting-minneapolis-protests-ice-immigration-41437baa4b349279cf8abfaf1076162c">a second deadly shooting</a>&nbsp;by federal immigration agents, though there seemed to be little evidence of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.

The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gregory-bovino-immigration-minneapolis-d90e0f478f1119d773989196b3db393e">sending his top border adviser</a>&nbsp;to Minnesota to take charge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">the immigration crackdown</a>. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor.

Trump said he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Gov. Tim Walz</a>, whom he criticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following a phone call. After a conversation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacob-frey-omar-fateh-minneapolis-mayor-e8d2d9ae7d0a12834c5c18a1648a92b6">Mayor Jacob Frey</a>, the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769443834529.png" alt="Image of the shooting from a bystander video obtained by the Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Image of the shooting from a bystander video obtained by the Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that two federal agents involved in Petti’s shooting have been on leave since Saturday.The announcement came as Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shooting-minneapolis-protests-ice-immigration-41437baa4b349279cf8abfaf1076162c">a second deadly shooting</a>&nbsp;by federal immigration agents, though there seemed to be little evidence of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gregory-bovino-immigration-minneapolis-d90e0f478f1119d773989196b3db393e">sending his top border adviser</a>&nbsp;to Minnesota to take charge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">the immigration crackdown</a>. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor.Trump said he and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Gov. Tim Walz</a>, whom he criticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following a phone call. After a conversation with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacob-frey-omar-fateh-minneapolis-mayor-e8d2d9ae7d0a12834c5c18a1648a92b6">Mayor Jacob Frey</a>, the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.”

DHS: Agents involved in shooting of Alex Pretti are on administrative leave 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year.

The central bank said in a statement that there are signs the job market has stabilized while it also said growth was “solid,” an upgrade from last month’s characterization as “modest.”

With the economy growing at a healthy pace and no signs of deterioration in hiring, Fed officials likely see little reason to rush any further rate cuts. While most policymakers do expect to reduce borrowing costs further this year, many want to see evidence that stubbornly-elevated inflation is moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-consumers-ac538fd750b4622ee7fa439ef8021783">2.8% in November</a>, slightly higher than a year ago.

Two officials dissented from the decision, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller preferring another quarter-point reduction. President Donald Trump appointed Miran in September, and he had dissented at the three previous meetings in favor of a half-point cut. Waller is under consideration by the White House to replace Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May.

The Fed’s decision to stand pat will likely fuel further criticism from Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-4821bb5d0baa9980c4c69ab26fab3ab4">assailed Powell</a>&nbsp;for months for not sharply cutting short-term rates. When the Fed reduces its key rate, it tends to lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing, though those rates are also influenced by market forces.

A key issue facing the Fed is how long it will remain on hold. The rate-setting committee remains split between those officials opposed to further cuts until inflation comes down, and those who want to lower rates to further support hiring.

In December, just 12 of the 19 participants in the committee's meetings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcprojtabl20251210.htm">supported</a>&nbsp;at least one more rate cut this year. Most economists forecast the Fed will cut twice this year, most likely at the June meeting or later.

One issue still overhanging the Fed when it comes to policy is the administration's trade policy and its tariffs on many U.S. trade partners. Powell was asked at a press conference following the rate decision if the impact of tariffs had already moved through inflation. He said “a lot of it has,” and added that the Fed generally sees the import taxes as a one-time price increase.

“The expectation is that we will see the effects of tariffs flowing through goods prices peaking and then starting to come down, assuming there are no new major tariff increases,” said Powell, adding that this was the trend the U.S. central bank expects “to see over the course of this year.”

Fed officials meet this week in the shadow of unprecedented pressure from the Trump White House. Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-trump-subpoena-bf4fc6c690fa248fbc531bc9bc7f1758">said Jan. 11</a>&nbsp;that the Fed had received subpoenas from the Justice Department as part of a criminal investigation into his congressional testimony about a $2.5 billion building renovation. Powell in an unusually blunt video statement said the subpoenas were a pretext to punish the Fed for not cutting rates more quickly. At a press conference after the Fed issued its rate decision, Powell declined to add anything to the earlier statement.

And last week, the Supreme Court took up Trump's attempt from last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-lisa-cook-trump-6fca3d2fbb54ba204cc91398e6a7b020">fire Fed governor Lisa Cook</a>&nbsp;over allegations of mortgage fraud, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">she denies</a>. No president has fired a governor in the Fed’s 112-year history. The justices at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-cook-federal-reserve-powell-a8572f8a1f62cf653e822a64c714d05a">an oral argument</a>&nbsp;appeared to be leaning toward allowing her to stay in her job until the case is resolved.

Powell attended the Cook hearing at the Supreme Court. When asked why he decided to attend, Powell said, “I would say that that this case is perhaps the most important legal case" in the Fed’s history. "And I as I thought about it, I thought, it might be hard to explain why I didn’t attend.”

The president’s efforts to pressure the Fed may have backfired, economists say, as Republicans in the Senate voiced support for Powell and threatened to block Trump’s replacement chair.

When asked by reporters Wednesday if he was confident the Fed can retain its independence, Powell said, “Yes,” and added, "I’m strongly committed to that and so are my colleagues.”

Trump has suggested he is close to naming a new Fed Chair, to replace Powell once his term ends in May. The announcement could come as soon as this week, though it has been delayed before.

Powell has the option of remaining as a Fed governor beyond May but told reporters he hadn’t made a decision about whether to stay or leave.

Only 12 of the 19 members of the Fed's rate-setting committee have a vote, including all seven members of the board of governors, the president of the New York Fed, and a rotating group of four presidents from the regional Fed banks.

This year, Beth Hammack, president of the Cleveland Fed; Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed; Lorie Logan, president of the Dallas Fed; and Anna Paulson, president of the Philadelphia Fed, will vote on rate decisions. All have recently expressed some skepticism of the need for further cuts in the immediate future.

Larger-than-usual tax refunds over the next few months should help fuel more consumer spending, economists expect. And faster growth could eventually boost hiring, which has been noticeably weak even as the economy is expanding.

With businesses barely adding jobs, consumers remain gloomy about the economy. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-economy-spending-inflation-conference-board-f36b997dc46ac9c3577d05db52166846">dropped to an 11-year low</a>&nbsp;in January, the business research group said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/federalreserve?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FederalReserve</a> Chair Jerome Powell: &quot;Today the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Eq6UDGq8HN">pic.twitter.com/Eq6UDGq8HN</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2016597199036018993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The central bank said in a statement that there are signs the job market has stabilized while it also said growth was “solid,” an upgrade from last month’s characterization as “modest.”With the economy growing at a healthy pace and no signs of deterioration in hiring, Fed officials likely see little reason to rush any further rate cuts. While most policymakers do expect to reduce borrowing costs further this year, many want to see evidence that stubbornly-elevated inflation is moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-consumers-ac538fd750b4622ee7fa439ef8021783">2.8% in November</a>, slightly higher than a year ago.Two officials dissented from the decision, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller preferring another quarter-point reduction. President Donald Trump appointed Miran in September, and he had dissented at the three previous meetings in favor of a half-point cut. Waller is under consideration by the White House to replace Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May.The Fed’s decision to stand pat will likely fuel further criticism from Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-4821bb5d0baa9980c4c69ab26fab3ab4">assailed Powell</a>&nbsp;for months for not sharply cutting short-term rates. When the Fed reduces its key rate, it tends to lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing, though those rates are also influenced by market forces.A key issue facing the Fed is how long it will remain on hold. The rate-setting committee remains split between those officials opposed to further cuts until inflation comes down, and those who want to lower rates to further support hiring.In December, just 12 of the 19 participants in the committee's meetings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcprojtabl20251210.htm">supported</a>&nbsp;at least one more rate cut this year. Most economists forecast the Fed will cut twice this year, most likely at the June meeting or later.One issue still overhanging the Fed when it comes to policy is the administration's trade policy and its tariffs on many U.S. trade partners. Powell was asked at a press conference following the rate decision if the impact of tariffs had already moved through inflation. He said “a lot of it has,” and added that the Fed generally sees the import taxes as a one-time price increase.“The expectation is that we will see the effects of tariffs flowing through goods prices peaking and then starting to come down, assuming there are no new major tariff increases,” said Powell, adding that this was the trend the U.S. central bank expects “to see over the course of this year.”Fed officials meet this week in the shadow of unprecedented pressure from the Trump White House. Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-trump-subpoena-bf4fc6c690fa248fbc531bc9bc7f1758">said Jan. 11</a>&nbsp;that the Fed had received subpoenas from the Justice Department as part of a criminal investigation into his congressional testimony about a $2.5 billion building renovation. Powell in an unusually blunt video statement said the subpoenas were a pretext to punish the Fed for not cutting rates more quickly. At a press conference after the Fed issued its rate decision, Powell declined to add anything to the earlier statement.And last week, the Supreme Court took up Trump's attempt from last year to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-lisa-cook-trump-6fca3d2fbb54ba204cc91398e6a7b020">fire Fed governor Lisa Cook</a>&nbsp;over allegations of mortgage fraud, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-cook-trump-fed-independence-firing-d06dfb46fbd300195c3cedc8cb5adadb">she denies</a>. No president has fired a governor in the Fed’s 112-year history. The justices at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-cook-federal-reserve-powell-a8572f8a1f62cf653e822a64c714d05a">an oral argument</a>&nbsp;appeared to be leaning toward allowing her to stay in her job until the case is resolved.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell on why he attended last week&#39;s Supreme Court oral argument: &quot;That case is perhaps the most important legal case in the Fed&#39;s 113-year history...I thought it might be harder to explain why I didn&#39;t attend...I thought it was an appropriate thing and I did it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ycd9fqC8rs">pic.twitter.com/ycd9fqC8rs</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2016597493581005215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Powell attended the Cook hearing at the Supreme Court. When asked why he decided to attend, Powell said, “I would say that that this case is perhaps the most important legal case" in the Fed’s history. "And I as I thought about it, I thought, it might be hard to explain why I didn’t attend.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell on his January 11th statement responding to the DOJ serving the Fed with subpoenas: &quot;I&#39;m not going to expand on it or repeat it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1uouT9sanQ">pic.twitter.com/1uouT9sanQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2016601433890554207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president’s efforts to pressure the Fed may have backfired, economists say, as Republicans in the Senate voiced support for Powell and threatened to block Trump’s replacement chair.When asked by reporters Wednesday if he was confident the Fed can retain its independence, Powell said, “Yes,” and added, "I’m strongly committed to that and so are my colleagues.”Trump has suggested he is close to naming a new Fed Chair, to replace Powell once his term ends in May. The announcement could come as soon as this week, though it has been delayed before.Powell has the option of remaining as a Fed governor beyond May but told reporters he hadn’t made a decision about whether to stay or leave.Only 12 of the 19 members of the Fed's rate-setting committee have a vote, including all seven members of the board of governors, the president of the New York Fed, and a rotating group of four presidents from the regional Fed banks.This year, Beth Hammack, president of the Cleveland Fed; Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed; Lorie Logan, president of the Dallas Fed; and Anna Paulson, president of the Philadelphia Fed, will vote on rate decisions. All have recently expressed some skepticism of the need for further cuts in the immediate future.Larger-than-usual tax refunds over the next few months should help fuel more consumer spending, economists expect. And faster growth could eventually boost hiring, which has been noticeably weak even as the economy is expanding.With businesses barely adding jobs, consumers remain gloomy about the economy. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-economy-spending-inflation-conference-board-f36b997dc46ac9c3577d05db52166846">dropped to an 11-year low</a>&nbsp;in January, the business research group said Tuesday.

🎥Fed Chair on interest rates and other major controversies

Abortion is Murder seeks total ban; Satanic Grotto argues 1st Amendment claim

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;

TOPEKA — Preacher Nicholas Heald lifted a well-worn Bible and his booming voice Tuesday in the Capitol rotunda to declare abortion the equivalent of murder and to amplify a denunciation of the Kansas Legislature for refusing to pass a bill outlawing abortion services statewide.

Heald was surrounded on the third floor by like-minded activists — several wielding large posters with graphic images of a deceased fetus — who made certain House and Senate members, Republicans and Democrats alike, could witness their impatience with politicians reluctant to take a big leap toward ending abortion in Kansas.

He dismissed skeptics who argued such a bill wouldn’t pass the GOP-controlled Legislature or would be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly or had no chance of surviving constitutional challenges before the Kansas Supreme Court.

“The legislators, our representatives, for far too long … have failed in your duty to establish equal justice protection for born and pre-born people,” Heald said. “We have come to you year after year after year … to protect every one of your pre-born neighbors, with no exceptions. And, you have failed. You have refused to do so for political reasons.”

“How much more blood will be on your hands as you sign more so-called pro-life bills that regulate murder?” he added.

His message was aimed, in part, at participants in the Kansas version of March for Life, who plan a rally noon Wednesday on south steps of the Capitol to press for new legal obstacles to reproductive rights. Those rights have been declared fundamental by the Kansas Supreme Court in decisions shielding the right of women to end a pregnancy.

On the first floor of the Capitol and on the south steps of the building, supporters of an organization known as Satanic Grotto took part in a much smaller but equally robust protest in support of reproductive choice.

More significantly, however, Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart said the group was there to continue building the foundation of a potential First Amendment lawsuit challenging the state’s action to allow Abortion is Murder supporters to bring into the Statehouse posters with ghastly and bloody images but to forbid Satanic Grotto from doing likewise.

“We’re here to say that in Kansas there are horrific people who hang gory signs and harass women and are part of a movement that has a history of incredible violence here in Kansas,” said Stewart, who was taken into police custody in March 2025 at the Capitol while trying to tear a Bible in half and stomp on communion wafers. “We are game to play by the rules as long as everybody’s paying by the rules.”

Stewart referenced the 2009 murder of Wichita physician George Tiller, who at that time was among few U.S. doctors performing late-term abortions. He was shot to death in church by anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder, who confessed to the murder and defended the violence because “pre-born children’s lives were in imminent danger.”

Stewart said Satanic Grotto was a group of “independent satanists” who came together for a sense of community. In the process, they’ve taken on “kind of a sacred duty” to take part in the public debate about political speech at the Capitol. He said group members wanted the state government to know that “we’re serious about what we’re doing, that we’re documenting it and we’re giving them a chance to respond and fix these issues before it can upgrade to litigation.”

One result of Satanic Grotto’s activism would be to demonstrate that state officials at the Capitol engaged in selective enforcement of rules related to protest signs. Information being gathered, he said, would&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/20/kansas-satanic-grotto-files-complaint-about-abortion-rally-permit-approval-plans-counterprotest/">support a complaint filed with the Kansas Department of Administration</a>&nbsp;alleging the Christian anti-abortion group received preferential treatment and expression by people taking part in counterprotests against Abortion is Murder were treated unfairly.

Before the political clash of ideas Tuesday, Stewart said his colleagues had intended to haul a 9-foot-tall sculpture named “Zombie Jesus” onto the Statehouse grounds and into the Capitol. Due to bitter weather conditions, he said, they sidelined the massive piece of art.

In the Capitol, signs displayed by Abortion is Murder adherents included “If abortion is murder, the victim is the baby,” “Taking a pill to terminate a baby is murder with malice aforethought,” “What has 50+ years of incrementalism accomplished?” “Abortion is murder — It must and shall be abolished” and “Abolish Abortion: Thou shalt not murder.”

Other materials distributed during the Abortion is Murder event said: “Abolish child sacrifice — ban in vitro fertilization” and “Public Service Announcement: Women are not sex objects. Babies are not body parts.” One folding piece of literature illustrated blood-covered hands with a photograph of the remains of a fetus aborted at 10 weeks. The image was surrounded by citations of Bible scripture from Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Psalm. A similarly graphic handout contained the same photo with the text: “You know this is murder. Stop suppressing the truth. Demand the total and immediate abolition of abortion.”

Josh Eaton, a pastor at Cross Point Baptist Church in Caney, said most anti-abortion laws included exceptions that enabled women who received an abortion not to be charged with a crime. He said abolitionists wanted all laws applicable to murder cases to apply to abortions, including punishing anyone who coerced or forced a woman to have an abortion.

“If a man sneaks a pill into his girlfriend’s drink to cause her to have an abortion, he can be charged with murder of the child,” Eaton said. “But, if she drinks the pill herself, then she can’t be charged with anything. It’s a double standard.”

Curtis Knapp, pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, spoke during the first of two sermons by Abortion is Murder supporters in the rotunda.

“With respect to sin, you either make war with it or you make peace with it,” he said. “With respect to the murder of the unborn, we have chosen peace, peaceful coexistence. Consequently, our conscience has been ruined.”

Knapp urged Republican legislators to quit rationalizing why abolishing abortion would be impractical or unwise. He said lawmakers claimed they couldn’t vote for an abolition bill because they might not get reelected and, if that occurred, the Republican Party could forfeit its supermajority in the House and Senate.

“Keep in mind, Kansas is a state where Republicans have enjoyed a supermajority uninterrupted in the Senate since 1992 and the House since 2012,” Knapp said. “Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in Kansas by almost 2-to-1. A question I have is: When will this supermajority ever benefit the unborn?”

During Knapp’s sermon, he responded to a comment from the crowd regarding abortion rights. He assumed the comment was made by a Satanic Grotto supporter.

“It is very clear, and our opponents are helping make that clear, Satan is for abortion. These are satanists, and they are very much for abortion,” Knapp said. “That is the contrast that you have here today. Abortion is Satan’s playground, and God hates it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769607480512.jpeg" alt="Clifton Boje, center in vest and holding the “Jesus Christ” sign on his shoulders, leads a rally Jan. 27, 2026, in the Capitol rotunda with allies in the Abortion is Murder organization. AIM wants the Kansas Legislature to pass a bill declaring abortion the equivalent of murder statewide. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Clifton Boje, center in vest and holding the “Jesus Christ” sign on his shoulders, leads a rally Jan. 27, 2026, in the Capitol rotunda with allies in the Abortion is Murder organization. AIM wants the Kansas Legislature to pass a bill declaring abortion the equivalent of murder statewide. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Abortion is Murder seeks total ban; Satanic Grotto argues 1st Amendment claim</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;TOPEKA — Preacher Nicholas Heald lifted a well-worn Bible and his booming voice Tuesday in the Capitol rotunda to declare abortion the equivalent of murder and to amplify a denunciation of the Kansas Legislature for refusing to pass a bill outlawing abortion services statewide.Heald was surrounded on the third floor by like-minded activists — several wielding large posters with graphic images of a deceased fetus — who made certain House and Senate members, Republicans and Democrats alike, could witness their impatience with politicians reluctant to take a big leap toward ending abortion in Kansas.He dismissed skeptics who argued such a bill wouldn’t pass the GOP-controlled Legislature or would be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly or had no chance of surviving constitutional challenges before the Kansas Supreme Court.“The legislators, our representatives, for far too long … have failed in your duty to establish equal justice protection for born and pre-born people,” Heald said. “We have come to you year after year after year … to protect every one of your pre-born neighbors, with no exceptions. And, you have failed. You have refused to do so for political reasons.”“How much more blood will be on your hands as you sign more so-called pro-life bills that regulate murder?” he added.His message was aimed, in part, at participants in the Kansas version of March for Life, who plan a rally noon Wednesday on south steps of the Capitol to press for new legal obstacles to reproductive rights. Those rights have been declared fundamental by the Kansas Supreme Court in decisions shielding the right of women to end a pregnancy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769607424345.png" alt="Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, says a counterprotest Jan. 27, 2026, to a rally inside the Capitol by Abortion is Murder, which seeks a total ban on abortion in Kansas, highlights inconsistency in the state’s handling of access to the Capitol. Stewart says Satanic Grotto faces discrimination by officials imposing on his group greater restrictions on expression than those faced by the anti-abortion organization inside the Statehouse. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, says a counterprotest Jan. 27, 2026, to a rally inside the Capitol by Abortion is Murder, which seeks a total ban on abortion in Kansas, highlights inconsistency in the state’s handling of access to the Capitol. Stewart says Satanic Grotto faces discrimination by officials imposing on his group greater restrictions on expression than those faced by the anti-abortion organization inside the Statehouse. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Satanic voices</h2>On the first floor of the Capitol and on the south steps of the building, supporters of an organization known as Satanic Grotto took part in a much smaller but equally robust protest in support of reproductive choice.More significantly, however, Satanic Grotto president Michael Stewart said the group was there to continue building the foundation of a potential First Amendment lawsuit challenging the state’s action to allow Abortion is Murder supporters to bring into the Statehouse posters with ghastly and bloody images but to forbid Satanic Grotto from doing likewise.“We’re here to say that in Kansas there are horrific people who hang gory signs and harass women and are part of a movement that has a history of incredible violence here in Kansas,” said Stewart, who was taken into police custody in March 2025 at the Capitol while trying to tear a Bible in half and stomp on communion wafers. “We are game to play by the rules as long as everybody’s paying by the rules.”Stewart referenced the 2009 murder of Wichita physician George Tiller, who at that time was among few U.S. doctors performing late-term abortions. He was shot to death in church by anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder, who confessed to the murder and defended the violence because “pre-born children’s lives were in imminent danger.”Stewart said Satanic Grotto was a group of “independent satanists” who came together for a sense of community. In the process, they’ve taken on “kind of a sacred duty” to take part in the public debate about political speech at the Capitol. He said group members wanted the state government to know that “we’re serious about what we’re doing, that we’re documenting it and we’re giving them a chance to respond and fix these issues before it can upgrade to litigation.”One result of Satanic Grotto’s activism would be to demonstrate that state officials at the Capitol engaged in selective enforcement of rules related to protest signs. Information being gathered, he said, would&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/20/kansas-satanic-grotto-files-complaint-about-abortion-rally-permit-approval-plans-counterprotest/">support a complaint filed with the Kansas Department of Administration</a>&nbsp;alleging the Christian anti-abortion group received preferential treatment and expression by people taking part in counterprotests against Abortion is Murder were treated unfairly.Before the political clash of ideas Tuesday, Stewart said his colleagues had intended to haul a 9-foot-tall sculpture named “Zombie Jesus” onto the Statehouse grounds and into the Capitol. Due to bitter weather conditions, he said, they sidelined the massive piece of art.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769607362230.png" alt="Clifton Boje appears at the Jan. 27, 2026 Abortion is Murder Rally at the Statehouse-photo by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Clifton Boje appears at the Jan. 27, 2026 Abortion is Murder Rally at the Statehouse-photo by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Abortion as murder</h2>In the Capitol, signs displayed by Abortion is Murder adherents included “If abortion is murder, the victim is the baby,” “Taking a pill to terminate a baby is murder with malice aforethought,” “What has 50+ years of incrementalism accomplished?” “Abortion is murder — It must and shall be abolished” and “Abolish Abortion: Thou shalt not murder.”Other materials distributed during the Abortion is Murder event said: “Abolish child sacrifice — ban in vitro fertilization” and “Public Service Announcement: Women are not sex objects. Babies are not body parts.” One folding piece of literature illustrated blood-covered hands with a photograph of the remains of a fetus aborted at 10 weeks. The image was surrounded by citations of Bible scripture from Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Psalm. A similarly graphic handout contained the same photo with the text: “You know this is murder. Stop suppressing the truth. Demand the total and immediate abolition of abortion.”Josh Eaton, a pastor at Cross Point Baptist Church in Caney, said most anti-abortion laws included exceptions that enabled women who received an abortion not to be charged with a crime. He said abolitionists wanted all laws applicable to murder cases to apply to abortions, including punishing anyone who coerced or forced a woman to have an abortion.“If a man sneaks a pill into his girlfriend’s drink to cause her to have an abortion, he can be charged with murder of the child,” Eaton said. “But, if she drinks the pill herself, then she can’t be charged with anything. It’s a double standard.”Curtis Knapp, pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, spoke during the first of two sermons by Abortion is Murder supporters in the rotunda.“With respect to sin, you either make war with it or you make peace with it,” he said. “With respect to the murder of the unborn, we have chosen peace, peaceful coexistence. Consequently, our conscience has been ruined.”Knapp urged Republican legislators to quit rationalizing why abolishing abortion would be impractical or unwise. He said lawmakers claimed they couldn’t vote for an abolition bill because they might not get reelected and, if that occurred, the Republican Party could forfeit its supermajority in the House and Senate.“Keep in mind, Kansas is a state where Republicans have enjoyed a supermajority uninterrupted in the Senate since 1992 and the House since 2012,” Knapp said. “Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in Kansas by almost 2-to-1. A question I have is: When will this supermajority ever benefit the unborn?”During Knapp’s sermon, he responded to a comment from the crowd regarding abortion rights. He assumed the comment was made by a Satanic Grotto supporter.“It is very clear, and our opponents are helping make that clear, Satan is for abortion. These are satanists, and they are very much for abortion,” Knapp said. “That is the contrast that you have here today. Abortion is Satan’s playground, and God hates it.”