BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.

Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”

A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.

Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-says-post-office-amtrak-should-be-privatized-2025-03-05/" target="_blank">floated</a>&nbsp;the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-postal-service-doge-agreement-daf3bf54fa0718908791fcb368b4d9d8">U.S. Postal Service</a>, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.

Musk, who has been at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-lawsuits-9f6cb9e7f695ee3ad7fa97743a6bf2de">forefront of the Trump administration’s</a>&nbsp;aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/business/musk-usps-amtrak-privatization/index.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.

When reached for comment on Thursday, the Transportation Department did not provide further details specific to Gardner’s resignation. A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-passenger-railroad-amtrak-ceo-abruptly-steps-down-2025-03-19/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-amtrak-7036ffa8c0c64118b9deed5a979d94e2">previously sought</a>&nbsp;to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.

When reached Thursday, Amtrak declined to comment on whether Gardner was asked to resign. But in Wednesday’s announcement, the Amtrak board stated that it looked forward to “working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves.”

Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the rail service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.

Amtrak struggled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the railroad seeing plummeting ridership as people across the country stopped traveling and stayed home. But passenger numbers have recently rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

For the 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported an all-time&nbsp;<a href="https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/" target="_blank">ridership record</a>&nbsp;of 32.8 million customer trips. That’s up 15% from 2023 — and surpasses Amtrak’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-health-business-coronavirus-pandemic-d924a925609b179dfc6ec5e7f4f02e16">previous record</a>&nbsp;of 32.4 million passengers in 2019.

Ticket revenue for the 2024 fiscal year totaled $2.5 billion, a 9% jump from 2023. And Amtrak posted an adjusted operated loss of $705.2 million, also a 9% improvement year-over-year.

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire Elon Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elon-musk-says-post-office-amtrak-should-be-privatized-2025-03-05/" target="_blank">floated</a>&nbsp;the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-postal-service-doge-agreement-daf3bf54fa0718908791fcb368b4d9d8">U.S. Postal Service</a>, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.Musk, who has been at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-lawsuits-9f6cb9e7f695ee3ad7fa97743a6bf2de">forefront of the Trump administration’s</a>&nbsp;aggressive push to downsize the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/business/musk-usps-amtrak-privatization/index.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.When reached for comment on Thursday, the Transportation Department did not provide further details specific to Gardner’s resignation. A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-passenger-railroad-amtrak-ceo-abruptly-steps-down-2025-03-19/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-amtrak-7036ffa8c0c64118b9deed5a979d94e2">previously sought</a>&nbsp;to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.When reached Thursday, Amtrak declined to comment on whether Gardner was asked to resign. But in Wednesday’s announcement, the Amtrak board stated that it looked forward to “working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves.”Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the rail service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.Amtrak struggled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the railroad seeing plummeting ridership as people across the country stopped traveling and stayed home. But passenger numbers have recently rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.For the 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported an all-time&nbsp;<a href="https://media.amtrak.com/2024/12/amtrak-sets-all-time-ridership-record-in-fiscal-year-2024/" target="_blank">ridership record</a>&nbsp;of 32.8 million customer trips. That’s up 15% from 2023 — and surpasses Amtrak’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-health-business-coronavirus-pandemic-d924a925609b179dfc6ec5e7f4f02e16">previous record</a>&nbsp;of 32.4 million passengers in 2019.Ticket revenue for the 2024 fiscal year totaled $2.5 billion, a 9% jump from 2023. And Amtrak posted an adjusted operated loss of $705.2 million, also a 9% improvement year-over-year.

Amtrak CEO abruptly resigns from the nation’s passenger railroad

By NATE KING Salina Post

One person died in a house fire Thursday in Salina, according to Salina Fire Chief Shane Pearson.

Just before 4:30a.m. Thursday, Salina Fire emergency crews were dispatched to the blaze at 119 S. Columbia Street.&nbsp;

"There were extremely heavy fire conditions upon arrival,"&nbsp; Pearson said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Details about the age of the deceased or the number of occupants living at the residence have not been released.

By NATE KING Salina PostOne person died in a house fire Thursday in Salina, according to Salina Fire Chief Shane Pearson.Just before 4:30a.m. Thursday, Salina Fire emergency crews were dispatched to the blaze at 119 S. Columbia Street.&nbsp;"There were extremely heavy fire conditions upon arrival,"&nbsp; Pearson said.The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Details about the age of the deceased or the number of occupants living at the residence have not been released.

One dead after fire at Kansas home

MITCHELL COUNTY — Three small earthquakes shook north central Kansas over the past 24-hours.

Just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Geological Survey reported a 2.3 magnitude quake northeast of Hope in rural Dickinson County.

At 3:47 a.m Thursday., the Kansas Geological Survey reported a quake one half mile east, northeast of Glen Elder with a preliminary magnitude 2.8.&nbsp; Four hours later, a quake with a magnitude 2.9&nbsp; shook one half mile west of Glen Elder, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.

There are no reports of any damage or injury, according to the Mitchell County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742491867827.png" alt="Red dots mark the location of the quakes on Thursday morning in Mitchell County-image Kansas Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Red dots mark the location of the quakes on Thursday morning in Mitchell County-image Kansas Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>MITCHELL COUNTY — Three small earthquakes shook north central Kansas over the past 24-hours.Just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Geological Survey reported a 2.3 magnitude quake northeast of Hope in rural Dickinson County.At 3:47 a.m Thursday., the Kansas Geological Survey reported a quake one half mile east, northeast of Glen Elder with a preliminary magnitude 2.8.&nbsp; Four hours later, a quake with a magnitude 2.9&nbsp; shook one half mile west of Glen Elder, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.There are no reports of any damage or injury, according to the Mitchell County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

3 small earthquakes reported in Kansas in past 24-hours

GRAND COUNTY, Colorado— A skier from Kansas died after he struck a tree at a Colorado resort on Tuesday.

Just before 11a.m. March 18,&nbsp;&nbsp;Winter Park Ski Patrol received reporting that a man struck a tree on the Lupin, an advanced trail at the Winter Park Ski resort, according to the Fraser Winter Park Police Department. Resort guests on the scene started CPR on the man later identified as 20-year-old Andrew McDonald of Shawnee, Kansas, according to Grand County Coroner's office.&nbsp; When the Ski Patrol arrived, they transported McDonald to Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center at the base of the resort.&nbsp; 

Despite resuscitation efforts, McDonald was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to police.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742488404695.png" alt="Image courtesy KKTV" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy KKTV</figcaption>
 </figure>GRAND COUNTY, Colorado— A skier from Kansas died after he struck a tree at a Colorado resort on Tuesday.Just before 11a.m. March 18,&nbsp;&nbsp;Winter Park Ski Patrol received reporting that a man struck a tree on the Lupin, an advanced trail at the Winter Park Ski resort, according to the Fraser Winter Park Police Department. Resort guests on the scene started CPR on the man later identified as 20-year-old Andrew McDonald of Shawnee, Kansas, according to Grand County Coroner's office.&nbsp; When the Ski Patrol arrived, they transported McDonald to Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center at the base of the resort.&nbsp; Despite resuscitation efforts, McDonald was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to police.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Skier from Kansas dies after striking a tree in Colorado

RENO COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Hutchinson.

Early Wednesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a fire at a home in the 300 block of West 16 Avenue in Hutchinson, according to a media release from the Hutchinson Fire Department.

Crews found a small fire in the attic space of a single-story home.&nbsp; Crews were able to make entry into the attic and extinguish the fire with no issues.&nbsp; Smoke detectors alerted the occupants and they were able to escape&nbsp; Damage was contained to the attic and ceiling.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742471645225.jpeg" alt="Photo Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in Hutchinson.Early Wednesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a fire at a home in the 300 block of West 16 Avenue in Hutchinson, according to a media release from the Hutchinson Fire Department.Crews found a small fire in the attic space of a single-story home.&nbsp; Crews were able to make entry into the attic and extinguish the fire with no issues.&nbsp; Smoke detectors alerted the occupants and they were able to escape&nbsp; Damage was contained to the attic and ceiling.&nbsp; There were no injuries reported.

Residents escape after attic fire in Kansas home

FRANKLIN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

On March 16, detectives and officers with the Ottawa Police Department, in collaboration with detectives from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, executed a narcotics search warrant in the 900 block of South Cypress Street, according to a media release.

During the search, a significant amount of fentanyl and other illegal drugs were discovered. Additionally, a juvenile residing in the home was subsequently taken into protective custody by Ottawa Police officers.

The suspect in this case was already in custody on unrelated criminal charges. Reports regarding this incident have been submitted to the Franklin County Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Police did not release the name of the suspect.

FRANKLIN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.On March 16, detectives and officers with the Ottawa Police Department, in collaboration with detectives from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, executed a narcotics search warrant in the 900 block of South Cypress Street, according to a media release.During the search, a significant amount of fentanyl and other illegal drugs were discovered. Additionally, a juvenile residing in the home was subsequently taken into protective custody by Ottawa Police officers.The suspect in this case was already in custody on unrelated criminal charges. Reports regarding this incident have been submitted to the Franklin County Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Police did not release the name of the suspect.

Child placed in protective custody after fentanyl found at Kan. home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving to fulfill a campaign promise, President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">shutdown of the Education Department</a>, an agency Republicans have talked about closing for decades.

The White House says Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be directed to facilitate the department's closure while "continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

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

In the weeks since he took office, the Trump administration already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut the department's staff in half</a>&nbsp;and overhauled much of the department’s work. Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">dozens of contracts</a>&nbsp;it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In his campaign platform, Trump said he would pursue civil rights cases to “stop schools from discriminating on the basis of race.” He has described diversity and equity policies in education as “explicit unlawful discrimination.” His administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-universities-investigated-f89dc9ec2a98897577ed0a6c446fae7b">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;of dozens of colleges for alleged racial discrimination.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741043570945.png" alt="File photo Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with&nbsp; Education Secretary Linda McMahon" />
 <figcaption>File photo Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall with&nbsp; Education Secretary Linda McMahon</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving to fulfill a campaign promise, President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">shutdown of the Education Department</a>, an agency Republicans have talked about closing for decades.The White House says Education Secretary Linda McMahon will be directed to facilitate the department's closure while "continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">Eliminating the department</a>&nbsp;altogether would be a cumbersome task, which likely would require an act of Congress.In the weeks since he took office, the Trump administration already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">cut the department's staff in half</a>&nbsp;and overhauled much of the department’s work. Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">dozens of contracts</a>&nbsp;it dismissed as “woke” and wasteful. It gutted the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.The agency's main role is financial. Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. Closing the department would mean redistributing each of those duties to another agency. The Education Department also plays an important regulatory role in services for students, ranging from those with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-suspension-special-education-adhd-3cda5e7b0e3080b0416bf879e190e849">disabilities</a>&nbsp;to low-income and homeless kids.Indeed, federal education money is central to Trump's plans for colleges and schools. Trump has vowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-critical-race-theory-antisemitism-college-protests-18136b8c8f5adb9c75c47907e020268a">cut off federal money</a>&nbsp;for schools and colleges that push "critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content" and to reward states and schools that end teacher tenure and support universal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-choice-trump-education-vouchers-c6ecc22879fe329da4acfac3aa7410e6">school choice programs</a>.Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. Colleges and universities are more reliant on it, through research grants along with federal financial aid that helps students pay their tuition.Here is a look at some of the department's key functions, and how Trump has said he might approach them.<h2>Student loans and financial aid</h2>The Education Department manages approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers. It also oversees the Pell Grant, which provides aid to students below a certain income threshold, and administers the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fafsa-loans-trump-federal-aid-pause-0bae211d87a63509b9abbba3b301552d">FAFSA</a>&nbsp;), which universities use to allocate financial aid.President Joe Biden's administration made cancellation of student loans a signature effort of the department's work. Even though Biden’s initial attempt to cancel student loans was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">overturned by the Supreme Court</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-debt-774b0ee69f911f68f646a066031ee604">forgave</a>&nbsp;over $175 billion for more than 4.8 million borrowers through a range of changes to programs it administers, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness.The loan forgiveness efforts have faced Republican pushback, including litigation from several GOP-led states.Trump has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-trump-e6c96fc0cce04286a9a8a3abbd9d88e8">criticized</a>&nbsp;Biden's efforts to cancel debt as illegal and unfair, calling it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.” Trump's plan for student debt is uncertain: He has not put out detailed plans.<h2>Civil rights enforcement</h2>Through its Office for Civil Rights, the Education Department conducts investigations and issues guidance on how civil rights laws should be applied, such as for LGBTQ+ students and students of color. The office also oversees a large data collection project that tracks disparities in resources, course access and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ferguson-black-lives-matter-school-discipline-suspension-d099aab519ff743dc2be04c6b6132144">discipline</a>&nbsp;for students of different racial and socioeconomic groups.Trump has suggested a different interpretation of the office's civil rights role. Under his administration, the department has instructed the office to prioritize complaints of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-antisemitism-columbia-berkeley-1f7ad6abc1b4e40e59b67e639a29a6ec">antisemitism</a>&nbsp;above all else and has opened investigations into colleges and school sports leagues for allowing transgender athletes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/volleyball-transgender-san-jose-state-politics-0e4da0292b4c5315e053e53c064d5a5c">compete on women’s teams</a>.In his campaign platform, Trump said he would pursue civil rights cases to “stop schools from discriminating on the basis of race.” He has described diversity and equity policies in education as “explicit unlawful discrimination.” His administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-universities-investigated-f89dc9ec2a98897577ed0a6c446fae7b">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;of dozens of colleges for alleged racial discrimination.Trump also has pledged to exclude&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-trump-title-ix-1b9d3a1d928ea78c21372da63600c6d1">transgender students</a>&nbsp;from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Originally passed in 1972, Title IX was first used as a women’s rights law. Last year, Biden’s administration said the law forbids discrimination based on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-sexual-assault-transgender-sports-d0fc0ab7515de02b8e4403d0481dc1e7">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>, but a federal judge undid those protections.<h2>College accreditation</h2>While the Education Department does not directly accredit colleges and universities, it oversees the system by reviewing all federally recognized accrediting agencies. Institutions of higher education must be accredited to gain access to federal money for student financial aid.Accreditation came under scrutiny from conservatives in 2022, when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools questioned political interference at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-new-college-florida-woke-15d61ab52724dc447ba6d03238f7719e">Florida public colleges</a>&nbsp;and universities. Trump has said he would fire “radical left accreditors” and take applications for new accreditors that would uphold standards including “defending the American tradition” and removing “Marxist” diversity administrators.Although the education secretary has the authority to terminate its relationship with individual accrediting agencies, it is an arduous process that has rarely been pursued. Under President Barack Obama, the department took steps to cancel accreditors for a now-defunct for-profit college chain, but the Trump administration blocked the move. The group, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, was terminated by the Biden administration in 2022.<h2>Money for schools</h2>Much of the Education Department's money for K-12 schools goes through large federal programs, such as Title I for low-income schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Those programs support services for students with disabilities, lower class sizes with additional teaching positions, and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools.During his campaign, Trump called for shifting those functions to the states. He has not offered details on how the agency's core functions of sending federal money to local districts and schools would be handled.The Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-harris-election-heritage-foundation-9183cf4c36c293e11b59847189d26a87">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping proposal outlining a far-right vision for the country, offered a blueprint. It suggested sending oversight of programs for kids with disabilities and low-income children first to the Department of Health and Human Services, before eventually phasing out the funding and converting it to no-strings-attached grants to states.___The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/">standards</a>&nbsp;for working with philanthropies, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/about/supporting-ap/">list</a>&nbsp;of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

What Trump's plan to shutdown the Education Department does

NODAWAY COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement is investigating&nbsp; after a swatting call was reported on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, approximately 90 minutes north of Kansas City, on Wednesday.

According to the University, the school received a swatting call around 11:30 a.m. to its main phone line that threatened gun violence on the main campus.&nbsp; University Police Department officers searched and cleared facilities on campus. The University says no threat was found.

University Police, Maryville Police Department, and the Nodaway County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact University Police Chief Amanda Cullin at (660) 562-1254 or acullin@nwmissouri.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742471345360.png" alt="Photo Northwest Missouri State" />
 <figcaption>Photo Northwest Missouri State</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostNODAWAY COUNTY, Mo. —Law enforcement is investigating&nbsp; after a swatting call was reported on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, approximately 90 minutes north of Kansas City, on Wednesday.According to the University, the school received a swatting call around 11:30 a.m. to its main phone line that threatened gun violence on the main campus.&nbsp; University Police Department officers searched and cleared facilities on campus. The University says no threat was found.University Police, Maryville Police Department, and the Nodaway County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident.Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact University Police Chief Amanda Cullin at (660) 562-1254 or acullin@nwmissouri.edu.

Law enforcement investigates swatting call on college campus

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy made her first court appearance on Wednesday.

&nbsp;Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.

When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.

At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.

As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on a&nbsp; bond of $500,000. Her next court date is March 31, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742206494454.png" alt="DILLARD photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>DILLARD photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman accused in the death of a 7-year-old boy made her first court appearance on Wednesday.&nbsp;Tasha Diane Dillard, 25, Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder and 7 counts of aggravated endangering a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment in the 3700 block of E Ross Parkway, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses. The caller reported that someone had been shot and that a child was bleeding.When officers arrived, they found 7-year-old Davion Gunter suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. Davion was transported to a local hospital, where he was&nbsp; pronounced deceased.At the scene, officers found seven other children and multiple adults. Wichita Police homicide investigators and the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit responded immediately, conducting interviews and gathered evidence.As a result, police took Dillard into custody, and the children were placed in protective care. Dillard remains jailed on a&nbsp; bond of $500,000. Her next court date is March 31, according to the district attorney's office.

Kansas woman accused in child's death appears before a judge

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal crash in northeast Kansas. Just after 12:30P.M. Tuesday, police and fire and EMS crews&nbsp;were dispatched to a vehicle crash into the Safari Hair Salon in the 900 block of W. Amity Street in Louisburg, according to a media release.

The vehicle crashed into the building and struck two people inside.

Louisburg Police learned the pickup was westbound on Amity Street, traveled off the roadway east of Rogers Road onto the the south curbside and continued&nbsp; eastbound and struck the east wall of the building.

 The pickup continued through the building and struck the two occupants who were inside at a desk, before continuing through the western wall of the business, where they struck a parked car in the parking lot. 

The two victims, later identified as Drexel Firefighter Anthony Juarez and his wife Devin were transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to the Drexel, Missouri Police Department. He was listed in critical condition.

Devin will recover from her injuries, according to police. Late Tuesday night, Anthony died from his many injuries, according to police.

EMS treated the driver of the pickup on scene for his minor injuries. Due to the serious nature of this accident, the Miami County Sheriff's Office provided their CHART and crash reconstruction team to assist in the investigation, and KDOT responded to help with traffic control as the two eastbound lanes of traffic had to be closed while crews were on scene. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742466512334.png" alt="Photo Louisburg Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Louisburg Police</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal crash in northeast Kansas. Just after 12:30P.M. Tuesday, police and fire and EMS crews&nbsp;were dispatched to a vehicle crash into the Safari Hair Salon in the 900 block of W. Amity Street in Louisburg, according to a media release.The vehicle crashed into the building and struck two people inside.Louisburg Police learned the pickup was westbound on Amity Street, traveled off the roadway east of Rogers Road onto the the south curbside and continued&nbsp; eastbound and struck the east wall of the building. The pickup continued through the building and struck the two occupants who were inside at a desk, before continuing through the western wall of the business, where they struck a parked car in the parking lot. The two victims, later identified as Drexel Firefighter Anthony Juarez and his wife Devin were transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to the Drexel, Missouri Police Department. He was listed in critical condition.Devin will recover from her injuries, according to police. Late Tuesday night, Anthony died from his many injuries, according to police.EMS treated the driver of the pickup on scene for his minor injuries. Due to the serious nature of this accident, the Miami County Sheriff's Office provided their CHART and crash reconstruction team to assist in the investigation, and KDOT responded to help with traffic control as the two eastbound lanes of traffic had to be closed while crews were on scene. This crash is still under investigation.

Man dies after pickup crash into Kansas hair salon

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcemente investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City have identified the two victims as 72-year-old Juah R. Mubarek and 33-year-old Leander D. Wooden, Jr., according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 11p.m. Tuesday, police were called to the 3400 block of Harrison Street on a sound of shots call. First responders located Mubarek and Wooden, Jr. unresponsive in the street. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over treatment. EMS transported both victims to the hospital where they were both pronounced deceased.

Detectives continue to investigate. The public is reminded of the need for any information in this caseThey can call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcemente investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City have identified the two victims as 72-year-old Juah R. Mubarek and 33-year-old Leander D. Wooden, Jr., according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 11p.m. Tuesday, police were called to the 3400 block of Harrison Street on a sound of shots call. First responders located Mubarek and Wooden, Jr. unresponsive in the street. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over treatment. EMS transported both victims to the hospital where they were both pronounced deceased.Detectives continue to investigate. The public is reminded of the need for any information in this caseThey can call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS

KCPD: 72-year-old among victims found shot in the street 

BENTON COUNTY —Since March 14, Water Patrol and Dive Team members have been diligently searching the Clear Creek Cove area of Truman Lake in Benton County for a missing boater, according to a Wednesday evening statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. As officers utilize all available resources to continue their search efforts, please avoid the area.

If you believe you have any information that will aid law enforcement in their search efforts, please call Troop A at 816-622-0800.

BENTON COUNTY —Since March 14, Water Patrol and Dive Team members have been diligently searching the Clear Creek Cove area of Truman Lake in Benton County for a missing boater, according to a Wednesday evening statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. As officers utilize all available resources to continue their search efforts, please avoid the area.If you believe you have any information that will aid law enforcement in their search efforts, please call Troop A at 816-622-0800.

Search continues for a missing boater in KC area lake

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-fraud-waste-doge-elon-musk-212e3089951f731fd3f83443e104b315">Social Security Administration's</a>&nbsp;plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices has sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population.

The new requirements will impact anyone who needs to verify their bank information with the agency, as well as families with children who receive Social Security benefits and cannot verify a child's information on the SSA website. They are intended to combat fraud and waste within the system, which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-trump-ukraine-war-526c3976f1549400c7d5c27c18028ecb">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and officials in his administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7">have claimed</a>&nbsp;are widespread.

The agency announced Tuesday that, beginning March 31, those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process. They also announced recently that Social Security field offices across the country will be closing.

Of the 47 SSA field offices listed for closure on the Department of Government Efficiency website, 26 are slated for closure this year, with some taking effect as early as next month, according to an Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">analysis of the data</a>.

That change, in addition to the impending closure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">field offices</a>&nbsp;across the country, and a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">reduce the agency workforce</a>&nbsp;with mass layoffs, could result in massive delays to services, advocates say. Nancy LeaMond of the AARP said eliminating phone verification “will result in more headaches and longer wait times to resolve routine customer service needs."

Leamond, the AARP's chief advocacy and engagement officer, said the announcement “not only comes as a total surprise but is on an impractical fast-track.”

“SSA needs to be transparent about its service changes and seek input from the older Americans who will be affected. Because any delay in Social Security caused by this change can mean real economic hardship,” LeaMond said.

Agency leaders said Tuesday that the agency would begin training frontline employees and management about the new policy for the next two weeks.

Pushback from Democrats came quickly. A group of 62 House Democrats wrote Wednesday to the agency's acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, to express concern about how the changes could hurt older beneficiaries in remote areas and people with limited internet access.

“Requiring beneficiaries to seek assistance exclusively online, through artificial intelligence, or in person at SSA field offices would create additional barriers, particularly for those who live far from an office,” they wrote. “We strongly urge you to consider the individuals who may be harmed."

One Social Security recipient, 80-year-old Sandi Bachom of New York, said she was terrified by the change.

“What would happen if I didn’t get that check?" she said. "I don’t have any family. Everybody’s dead. There’s no one to take care of me.”

Bachom, a retired documentary filmmaker, credits Social Security with “saving my life” after losing a six-figure advertising job and falling on hard times.

Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman told The AP that the intention of the change is “stopping vulnerabilities to fraud.”

“We’re looking out for seniors by doing this,” Fields said.

In announcing the changes, Dudek said that the agency sees $100 million in direct deposit fraud every year. However, congressional testimony from an official with the SSA inspector general in May 2023 said that “from January 2013 through May 2018 fraudsters redirected $33.5 million in benefits intended for 20,878 beneficiaries" and made unauthorized direct deposit changes through the agency's website.

The agency distributes roughly $1.6 trillion in old-age and disability benefits annually.

The end of phone service identification could be dramatic for some recipients, including families with children who will be required to visit an SSA office, since children can’t open online accounts through the “my Social Security" online service.

Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said "this will make it far harder for the American people to claim their earned benefits. It could even cause major delays, and ultimately collapse the system, by overwhelming the field offices.”

Altman, of the advocacy group, believes the administration's ultimate goal is to privatize the Social Security system.

Kentucky Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-governor-andy-beshear-4246dfac6009c265ea887b8c744efdcc">Andy Beshear</a>&nbsp;said he is concerned that “some of our oldest Kentuckians, who are living on a fixed income, who don’t have the resources to travel, have to travel hours to get basic questions answered.”

“Why? Because they don’t want them to do it, and they want to be able to kick them off. It’s not right," the Democrat said. “These are people who qualify and the federal government has an obligation to have enough offices, call-in or other resources to ultimately process the applications that are out there and answer the questions that people have.

“My concern is that what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-wildfire-firefighter-pay-firings-fe125ca00f74adbaf996aa23e5d7b408">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is trying to do is break government, not fix it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Musk’s</a>&nbsp;Department of Government Efficiency has embedded staffers in various agencies to look for ways to shrink the federal government. Musk has pushed debunked theories about Social Security and described the federal benefit programs as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-b21b74f56f30012a6450a629e7232a1a">Ponzi scheme</a>&nbsp;” rife with fraud.

Bachom, the New Yorker who depends on her monthly Social Security check arriving at the middle of the month, said people she knows were alarmed by what they have heard about steps the administration has taken.

“We’re all freaked out,” she said. “And we shouldn’t have to be freaked out at this age that somebody is going to rob us.”

Sedensky reported from New York. Associated Press reporters Chris Megerian and Meg Kinnard in Washington and Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Ky., contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-fraud-waste-doge-elon-musk-212e3089951f731fd3f83443e104b315">Social Security Administration's</a>&nbsp;plan to require in-person identity checks for millions of new and existing recipients while simultaneously closing government offices has sparked a furor among lawmakers, advocacy groups and program recipients who are worried that the government is placing unnecessary barriers in front of an already vulnerable population.The new requirements will impact anyone who needs to verify their bank information with the agency, as well as families with children who receive Social Security benefits and cannot verify a child's information on the SSA website. They are intended to combat fraud and waste within the system, which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-trump-ukraine-war-526c3976f1549400c7d5c27c18028ecb">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and officials in his administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7">have claimed</a>&nbsp;are widespread.The agency announced Tuesday that, beginning March 31, those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process. They also announced recently that Social Security field offices across the country will be closing.Of the 47 SSA field offices listed for closure on the Department of Government Efficiency website, 26 are slated for closure this year, with some taking effect as early as next month, according to an Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">analysis of the data</a>.That change, in addition to the impending closure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-offices-closures-doge-trump-b2b1a5b2ba4fb968abc3379bf90715ff">field offices</a>&nbsp;across the country, and a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de">reduce the agency workforce</a>&nbsp;with mass layoffs, could result in massive delays to services, advocates say. Nancy LeaMond of the AARP said eliminating phone verification “will result in more headaches and longer wait times to resolve routine customer service needs."Leamond, the AARP's chief advocacy and engagement officer, said the announcement “not only comes as a total surprise but is on an impractical fast-track.”“SSA needs to be transparent about its service changes and seek input from the older Americans who will be affected. Because any delay in Social Security caused by this change can mean real economic hardship,” LeaMond said.Agency leaders said Tuesday that the agency would begin training frontline employees and management about the new policy for the next two weeks.Pushback from Democrats came quickly. A group of 62 House Democrats wrote Wednesday to the agency's acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, to express concern about how the changes could hurt older beneficiaries in remote areas and people with limited internet access.“Requiring beneficiaries to seek assistance exclusively online, through artificial intelligence, or in person at SSA field offices would create additional barriers, particularly for those who live far from an office,” they wrote. “We strongly urge you to consider the individuals who may be harmed."One Social Security recipient, 80-year-old Sandi Bachom of New York, said she was terrified by the change.“What would happen if I didn’t get that check?" she said. "I don’t have any family. Everybody’s dead. There’s no one to take care of me.”Bachom, a retired documentary filmmaker, credits Social Security with “saving my life” after losing a six-figure advertising job and falling on hard times.Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman told The AP that the intention of the change is “stopping vulnerabilities to fraud.”“We’re looking out for seniors by doing this,” Fields said.In announcing the changes, Dudek said that the agency sees $100 million in direct deposit fraud every year. However, congressional testimony from an official with the SSA inspector general in May 2023 said that “from January 2013 through May 2018 fraudsters redirected $33.5 million in benefits intended for 20,878 beneficiaries" and made unauthorized direct deposit changes through the agency's website.The agency distributes roughly $1.6 trillion in old-age and disability benefits annually.The end of phone service identification could be dramatic for some recipients, including families with children who will be required to visit an SSA office, since children can’t open online accounts through the “my Social Security" online service.Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said "this will make it far harder for the American people to claim their earned benefits. It could even cause major delays, and ultimately collapse the system, by overwhelming the field offices.”Altman, of the advocacy group, believes the administration's ultimate goal is to privatize the Social Security system.Kentucky Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-governor-andy-beshear-4246dfac6009c265ea887b8c744efdcc">Andy Beshear</a>&nbsp;said he is concerned that “some of our oldest Kentuckians, who are living on a fixed income, who don’t have the resources to travel, have to travel hours to get basic questions answered.”“Why? Because they don’t want them to do it, and they want to be able to kick them off. It’s not right," the Democrat said. “These are people who qualify and the federal government has an obligation to have enough offices, call-in or other resources to ultimately process the applications that are out there and answer the questions that people have.“My concern is that what&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-wildfire-firefighter-pay-firings-fe125ca00f74adbaf996aa23e5d7b408">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;is trying to do is break government, not fix it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Musk’s</a>&nbsp;Department of Government Efficiency has embedded staffers in various agencies to look for ways to shrink the federal government. Musk has pushed debunked theories about Social Security and described the federal benefit programs as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-b21b74f56f30012a6450a629e7232a1a">Ponzi scheme</a>&nbsp;” rife with fraud.Bachom, the New Yorker who depends on her monthly Social Security check arriving at the middle of the month, said people she knows were alarmed by what they have heard about steps the administration has taken.“We’re all freaked out,” she said. “And we shouldn’t have to be freaked out at this age that somebody is going to rob us.”——Sedensky reported from New York. Associated Press reporters Chris Megerian and Meg Kinnard in Washington and Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Ky., contributed to this report.

Social Security to require in-person ID checks for new and existing recipients

WICHITA, KAN. – A registered sex offender is going back to prison for 188 months after federal law enforcement officers discovered child sexual abuse materials at his home, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Scott Warren Vass, 57, of Arkansas City pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

In April 2023, while executing a search warrant at Vass’ home, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents seized multiple devices belonging to Vass containing child sexual abuse materials.

Further investigation revealed several of Vass’ Google accounts also contained sexually explicit depictions of minors under 12-years of age.

Vass has previous convictions in Montana for sexual assault in 1996 and has been registered as a sex offender in Kansas since 2023, according to the KBI Offender Registry.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742329184052.png" alt="Vass photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Vass photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A registered sex offender is going back to prison for 188 months after federal law enforcement officers discovered child sexual abuse materials at his home, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Scott Warren Vass, 57, of Arkansas City pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.In April 2023, while executing a search warrant at Vass’ home, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents seized multiple devices belonging to Vass containing child sexual abuse materials.Further investigation revealed several of Vass’ Google accounts also contained sexually explicit depictions of minors under 12-years of age.Vass has previous convictions in Montana for sexual assault in 1996 and has been registered as a sex offender in Kansas since 2023, according to the KBI Offender Registry.&nbsp;

Prison: Sex offender caught with child porn in his Kan. home

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Wednesday stepped up his rhetoric regarding Yemen’s Houthi rebels as the U.S. military launched more airstrikes against the group, warning they “will be completely be annihilated.”

Trump made the comment on his website Truth Social. He claimed, without offering evidence, Iranian military support to the rebels “has lessened” but said it needed to entirely stop.

“Let the Houthis fight it out themselves,” he wrote. “Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump on Wednesday stepped up his rhetoric regarding Yemen’s Houthi rebels as the U.S. military launched more airstrikes against the group, warning they “will be completely be annihilated.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CENTCOM forces continue 24/7 operations against the Iran-backed Houthis…<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouthisAreTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouthisAreTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/RkWsmDgEFR">pic.twitter.com/RkWsmDgEFR</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1902485573073260989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Fighter aircraft shoot down Iran-backed Houthi one-way-attack drones with AGR-20 FALCO Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Laser Guided 2.75&quot; Rockets.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouthisAreTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouthisAreTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/bDoVnKwotc">pic.twitter.com/bDoVnKwotc</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1902332718215577795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742464762710.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump made the comment on his website Truth Social. He claimed, without offering evidence, Iranian military support to the rebels “has lessened” but said it needed to entirely stop.“Let the Houthis fight it out themselves,” he wrote. “Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

Trump warns: Houthi rebels ‘will be completely annihilated’

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating four suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 2:30a.m.&nbsp; March 17, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2012 Chrysler 300 near Arizona Avenue and Banner Road in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 Deputies placed four occupants from the vehicle under arrest. The driver, James Michael Johnson, 62, of Leavenworth, was jailed on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug and drug paraphernalia.

 Charles Ernest Hidy, 68, of Lees Summit, Missouri, was jailed on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.

 Shelly Jo Straub, 50, of Leavenworth, was jailed on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and possessing a hallucinogenic drug.

Ashley Joy Hooper, 37, of Blue Springs, Missouri, was jailed on requested charges for interference with law enforcement and transporting an open container.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742312227896.png" alt="Johnson -photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson -photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating four suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 2:30a.m.&nbsp; March 17, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2012 Chrysler 300 near Arizona Avenue and Banner Road in Holton, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742312108731.png" alt="Hooper -photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hooper -photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Deputies placed four occupants from the vehicle under arrest. The driver, James Michael Johnson, 62, of Leavenworth, was jailed on requested charges of possession of a hallucinogenic drug and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742312295259.png" alt="Hidy photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hidy photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Charles Ernest Hidy, 68, of Lees Summit, Missouri, was jailed on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742312341962.png" alt="Straub photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Straub photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Shelly Jo Straub, 50, of Leavenworth, was jailed on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and possessing a hallucinogenic drug.Ashley Joy Hooper, 37, of Blue Springs, Missouri, was jailed on requested charges for interference with law enforcement and transporting an open container.

2 from Kansas, 2 from Missouri jailed after drug bust

KANSAS CITY —A woman is in custody after fleeing from deputies and nearly running over a man attending a birthday party. 

At 4 p.m. March 15, a sheriff's deputy observed an SUV with a fake temporary tag near 210 Highway and Searcy Creek Parkway, according to a media release from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.

Before the deputy tried to stop the vehicle, he also saw the driver run a stop sign and go southbound into the northbound lanes of Searcy Creek Parkway. 

The driver eventually corrected, but as the deputy tried to stop the vehicle, it took off at high speed, frequently traveling on the wrong side of the road.

The deputy lost sight of the vehicle near a paintball and laser tag business at 9300 Underground Drive, but a bystander pointed him in the direction the SUV had gone. 

The deputy located the SUV crashed in the woods. The deputy couldn’t find the driver, later identified as 48-year-old&nbsp;Katherine A. Donohoe. Additional deputies arrived, and one of them located Donohoe walking on Underground Drive and took her into custody. She had only superficial injuries. The bystander told deputies the fleeing driver almost struck him as he retrieved pizzas from his vehicle for a birthday party. 

The SUV swerved, causing it to strike a gate and overturn in the woods. There were many vehicles in the business's parking lot at the time, and thankfully the SUV traveled&nbsp; off the road before striking anyone. 

Deputies later learned Donohoe had no valid license. She has now been charged with felony aggravated fleeing from a stop&nbsp; and has a bond of $75,000. She remains in custody in the Clay County Detention Center.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742406934115.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A woman is in custody after fleeing from deputies and nearly running over a man attending a birthday party. At 4 p.m. March 15, a sheriff's deputy observed an SUV with a fake temporary tag near 210 Highway and Searcy Creek Parkway, according to a media release from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742406892265.png" alt="Donohoe photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Donohoe photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Before the deputy tried to stop the vehicle, he also saw the driver run a stop sign and go southbound into the northbound lanes of Searcy Creek Parkway. The driver eventually corrected, but as the deputy tried to stop the vehicle, it took off at high speed, frequently traveling on the wrong side of the road.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742419470129.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The deputy lost sight of the vehicle near a paintball and laser tag business at 9300 Underground Drive, but a bystander pointed him in the direction the SUV had gone. The deputy located the SUV crashed in the woods. The deputy couldn’t find the driver, later identified as 48-year-old&nbsp;Katherine A. Donohoe. Additional deputies arrived, and one of them located Donohoe walking on Underground Drive and took her into custody. She had only superficial injuries. The bystander told deputies the fleeing driver almost struck him as he retrieved pizzas from his vehicle for a birthday party. The SUV swerved, causing it to strike a gate and overturn in the woods. There were many vehicles in the business's parking lot at the time, and thankfully the SUV traveled&nbsp; off the road before striking anyone. Deputies later learned Donohoe had no valid license. She has now been charged with felony aggravated fleeing from a stop&nbsp; and has a bond of $75,000. She remains in custody in the Clay County Detention Center.

Kansas City woman jailed after crash while fleeing deputy

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Pentagon has said it would restore images of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-defense-department-webpage-beed0c8883e7a31af0d9a71615cc643d">legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson</a>, the Tuskegee Airmen, Navajo Code Talkers, female fighter pilots and others swept up by a purge of diversity, equity and inclusion content.

It comes after The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">obtained and published a database</a>&nbsp;with more than 26,000 images and other content that were flagged for removal.

Removed in the DEI purge was a photo of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan, despite the Pentagon calling that false. As of Wednesday, an Enola Gay photo was still not restored.

Images honoring the Tuskegee Airmen also were still down, as were some images of the Navajo Code Talkers.

In a statement, the Pentagon defended the deletions but said historic photos that had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-military-website-department-of-defense-02673c3aa354f3191405fc9d7b249ab3">incorrectly removed would be restored</a>.

“Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others — we salute them for their strong and in many cases heroic service to our country, full stop,” said Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Pentagon has said it would restore images of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-defense-department-webpage-beed0c8883e7a31af0d9a71615cc643d">legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson</a>, the Tuskegee Airmen, Navajo Code Talkers, female fighter pilots and others swept up by a purge of diversity, equity and inclusion content.It comes after The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074">obtained and published a database</a>&nbsp;with more than 26,000 images and other content that were flagged for removal.Removed in the DEI purge was a photo of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan, despite the Pentagon calling that false. As of Wednesday, an Enola Gay photo was still not restored.Images honoring the Tuskegee Airmen also were still down, as were some images of the Navajo Code Talkers.In a statement, the Pentagon defended the deletions but said historic photos that had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-military-website-department-of-defense-02673c3aa354f3191405fc9d7b249ab3">incorrectly removed would be restored</a>.“Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others — we salute them for their strong and in many cases heroic service to our country, full stop,” said Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

Pentagon will restore images taken down during DEI purge

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

TOPEKA — Kansas voters will decide next year whether to rewrite the state’s constitution to turn the Kansas Supreme Court into an elected office.

The House on Wednesday narrowly endorsed a Senate resolution to place the question on the August 2026 ballot, rejecting concerns that the change from a merit-based selection system for justices&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/plan-to-elect-kansas-supreme-court-justices-scrutinized-by-critics-including-courts-former-chief/">would result in a more politicized court</a>.

Republicans have pursued the change for years in response to rulings that require lawmakers to fully fund public schools and that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/07/kansas-senate-adopts-plan-to-elect-supreme-court-justices-a-step-toward-overturning-abortion-rights/">established a right to terminate a pregnancy</a>. But they defend the change as a way to empower voters.

“They think the voters should have a bigger role in the selection process,” said Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, during debate Wednesday. “To that, I find it ironic that we have chosen to place this constitutional amendment on the ballot of a low-turnout election. And I think that’s because that’s not what this is really about. This is about injecting politics into our court system.”

Vaughn said the inevitable surge in campaign spending for the high court would “invite misinformation” and that “justice should not be for sale.”

Rep. Susan Humphries, R-Wichita, responded: “We all know elections are not for sale,” which was met with a smattering of laughter from her colleagues.

The highest bidder, she pointed out, doesn’t win every race. Campaign finance matters, she conceded, but is “vastly overstated” because voters can evaluate the merit of candidates.

And she pointed out that most Kansans, if asked, don’t know how justices currently are selected.

The House declared an emergency to take final action on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1611/" target="_blank">Senate Concurrent Resolution 1611</a>&nbsp;without waiting the customary day between the debate and a vote. The House then approved the resolution by an 84-40 margin, meeting the minimum two-thirds threshold needed for passage. The Senate passed the resolution 27-13 on March 6.

In the House, four Republicans joined Democrats in opposition: Rep. Jesse Borjon of Topeka, Rep. Angel Roeser of Manhattan, Rep. Mark Schreiber of Emporia, and Rep. Sean Willcott of Holton.

Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican who chairs the House Taxation Committee, initially voted against the resolution but flipped his vote to ensure it would pass.

The current system for selecting Kansas Supreme Court justices emerged from&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/26/kansas-senate-republicans-take-up-plan-to-rewrite-constitution-to-elect-supreme-court-justices/">a 1950s political scandal</a>. A nine-member nominating commission reviews applications to fill a vacancy and selects three finalists for the governor to choose from. There is no Senate approval of the governor’s pick.

The commission members include one lawyer and one nonlawyer from each of the state’s four congressional districts, plus an additional lawyer who serves as chair. Kansas bar members elect the lawyers who serve on the commission, and the governor appoints the nonlawyers.

Rep. Bob Lewis, a Republican attorney from Garden City, said the voters of Kansas “threw the baby out with the bathwater” when they installed the system through a constitutional amendment in 1958. He said it was wrong that only lawyers could have input into a majority of the nominating commission members.

“I think it’s a rigged system, quite frankly, and it needs to be changed,” Lewis said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742415749326.png" alt=" Rep. Susan Humphries, R-Wichita, during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House defends a plan to rewrite the state constitution so that voters can elect Kansas Supreme Court justices. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Susan Humphries, R-Wichita, during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House defends a plan to rewrite the state constitution so that voters can elect Kansas Supreme Court justices. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas voters will decide next year whether to rewrite the state’s constitution to turn the Kansas Supreme Court into an elected office.The House on Wednesday narrowly endorsed a Senate resolution to place the question on the August 2026 ballot, rejecting concerns that the change from a merit-based selection system for justices&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/plan-to-elect-kansas-supreme-court-justices-scrutinized-by-critics-including-courts-former-chief/">would result in a more politicized court</a>.Republicans have pursued the change for years in response to rulings that require lawmakers to fully fund public schools and that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/07/kansas-senate-adopts-plan-to-elect-supreme-court-justices-a-step-toward-overturning-abortion-rights/">established a right to terminate a pregnancy</a>. But they defend the change as a way to empower voters.“They think the voters should have a bigger role in the selection process,” said Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, during debate Wednesday. “To that, I find it ironic that we have chosen to place this constitutional amendment on the ballot of a low-turnout election. And I think that’s because that’s not what this is really about. This is about injecting politics into our court system.”Vaughn said the inevitable surge in campaign spending for the high court would “invite misinformation” and that “justice should not be for sale.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742415722010.png" alt=" Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, argues during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House that a plan to elect justices is really about trying to politicize the Kansas Supreme Court. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, argues during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House that a plan to elect justices is really about trying to politicize the Kansas Supreme Court. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Rep. Susan Humphries, R-Wichita, responded: “We all know elections are not for sale,” which was met with a smattering of laughter from her colleagues.The highest bidder, she pointed out, doesn’t win every race. Campaign finance matters, she conceded, but is “vastly overstated” because voters can evaluate the merit of candidates.And she pointed out that most Kansans, if asked, don’t know how justices currently are selected.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742415683477.png" alt=" Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, described the merit-based selection of Kansas Supreme Court justices as a “rigged system” during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, described the merit-based selection of Kansas Supreme Court justices as a “rigged system” during a March 19, 2025, debate in the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The House declared an emergency to take final action on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1611/" target="_blank">Senate Concurrent Resolution 1611</a>&nbsp;without waiting the customary day between the debate and a vote. The House then approved the resolution by an 84-40 margin, meeting the minimum two-thirds threshold needed for passage. The Senate passed the resolution 27-13 on March 6.In the House, four Republicans joined Democrats in opposition: Rep. Jesse Borjon of Topeka, Rep. Angel Roeser of Manhattan, Rep. Mark Schreiber of Emporia, and Rep. Sean Willcott of Holton.Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican who chairs the House Taxation Committee, initially voted against the resolution but flipped his vote to ensure it would pass.The current system for selecting Kansas Supreme Court justices emerged from&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/26/kansas-senate-republicans-take-up-plan-to-rewrite-constitution-to-elect-supreme-court-justices/">a 1950s political scandal</a>. A nine-member nominating commission reviews applications to fill a vacancy and selects three finalists for the governor to choose from. There is no Senate approval of the governor’s pick.The commission members include one lawyer and one nonlawyer from each of the state’s four congressional districts, plus an additional lawyer who serves as chair. Kansas bar members elect the lawyers who serve on the commission, and the governor appoints the nonlawyers.Rep. Bob Lewis, a Republican attorney from Garden City, said the voters of Kansas “threw the baby out with the bathwater” when they installed the system through a constitutional amendment in 1958. He said it was wrong that only lawyers could have input into a majority of the nominating commission members.“I think it’s a rigged system, quite frankly, and it needs to be changed,” Lewis said.

Kansas House endorses plan to elect Supreme Court justices, placing question on August 2026 ballot

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled that it still expects to cut rates twice this year, though it said the outlook is more uncertain.

The Fed also now expects the economy to grow more slowly this year and next than it did three months ago, according to a set of quarterly economic projections also released Wednesday. It also expects the unemployment rate to tick higher, to 4.4%, by the end of this year. Policymakers also expect inflation will pick up slightly this year, to 2.7% from its current level of 2.5%. Both are above the central bank’s 2% target.

“Uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased,” the Fed said in a statement released after its two-day meeting.

The projections underscore the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jerome-powell-stagflation-52113a78265b5316b3f378cab5563dca">tight spot</a>&nbsp;the Fed may find itself in this year: Higher inflation typically would lead the Fed to keep its key rate elevated, or even raise rates. On the other hand, slower growth and higher unemployment would often cause the Fed to cut rates to spur more borrowing and spending and lift the economy.

It is the second meeting in a row that the Fed has kept its interest rate at about 4.3% as the central bank has moved to the sidelines as it evaluates the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on the economy. Economists forecast that tariffs will likely push up inflation, at least temporarily. But other policies, such as deregulation, could lower costs and cool inflation.

At a news conference, Chair Jerome Powell said that there were signs the tariffs imposed so far may have pushed up the cost of imported goods. Inflation had been heading back to the Fed's 2% goal, but that may now take longer with the tariffs, he said.

“I do think with the arrival of tariff inflation, further progress is probably delayed,” Powell said.

Powell acknowledged that many surveys of businesses and consumers have showed rising concern about the economic outlook. Yet he noted that the unemployment rate remains low and the economy is still expanding.

“We do understand that sentiment has fallen off pretty sharply but economic activity has not yet," Powell said. “The economy seems to be healthy.”

The Fed also said it would slow the rate at which it is reducing its Treasury holdings, which grew massively during and after the pandemic. Previously it had allowed $25 billion of Treasurys to mature each month without reinvesting the proceeds. Now it will allow only $5 billion to mature each month.

In effect, the Fed will be reinvesting more of the expiring bonds into new securities, which should keep interest rates on long-term Treasurys lower than they would have been otherwise. Powell characterized the change as a technical one and not related to its interest-rate policies. Yields fell slightly in Treasury markets.

Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller voted against the decision to slow the Treasury purchases. The Fed is still allowing $35 billion of mortgage-backed securities to mature each month.

So far, growth appears to be slowing in the first three months of the year but the impact of tariffs on inflation hasn’t yet materialized. But economists at Goldman Sachs forecast that the import taxes will push inflation to 3% by the end of this year.

Fed officials are closely watching measures of Americans’ inflation expectations, which spiked in one survey released just last week. Inflation expectations — essentially a measure of how worried people are that inflation will get worse — are important to the Fed because they can be self-fulfilling. If people expect higher inflation, they may take steps, such as accelerating purchases, that can push prices higher.

Retailers of both high-end and lower-cost goods&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-sales-retail-7347cc7d0b8bec163fac1a89ed013c4f">have warned</a>&nbsp;that consumers are turning more cautious as they expect prices to rise because of tariffs. Retail sales rose modestly last month after a sharp fall in January. Homebuilders and contractors expect that home construction and renovations will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-home-improvement-housing-market-home-construction-ae55bcae89a8ad78814c3dbce69e435f">get more expensive</a>.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled that it still expects to cut rates twice this year, though it said the outlook is more uncertain.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Fed Chair Jerome Powell announces national interest rates will remain unchanged at 4.25% - 4.50%: &quot;Surveys of households and businesses point to heightened uncertainty about the economic outlook.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/n46lR5ADfC">pic.twitter.com/n46lR5ADfC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1902433455293579405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed also now expects the economy to grow more slowly this year and next than it did three months ago, according to a set of quarterly economic projections also released Wednesday. It also expects the unemployment rate to tick higher, to 4.4%, by the end of this year. Policymakers also expect inflation will pick up slightly this year, to 2.7% from its current level of 2.5%. Both are above the central bank’s 2% target.“Uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased,” the Fed said in a statement released after its two-day meeting.The projections underscore the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jerome-powell-stagflation-52113a78265b5316b3f378cab5563dca">tight spot</a>&nbsp;the Fed may find itself in this year: Higher inflation typically would lead the Fed to keep its key rate elevated, or even raise rates. On the other hand, slower growth and higher unemployment would often cause the Fed to cut rates to spur more borrowing and spending and lift the economy.It is the second meeting in a row that the Fed has kept its interest rate at about 4.3% as the central bank has moved to the sidelines as it evaluates the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on the economy. Economists forecast that tariffs will likely push up inflation, at least temporarily. But other policies, such as deregulation, could lower costs and cool inflation.At a news conference, Chair Jerome Powell said that there were signs the tariffs imposed so far may have pushed up the cost of imported goods. Inflation had been heading back to the Fed's 2% goal, but that may now take longer with the tariffs, he said.“I do think with the arrival of tariff inflation, further progress is probably delayed,” Powell said.Powell acknowledged that many surveys of businesses and consumers have showed rising concern about the economic outlook. Yet he noted that the unemployment rate remains low and the economy is still expanding.“We do understand that sentiment has fallen off pretty sharply but economic activity has not yet," Powell said. “The economy seems to be healthy.”The Fed also said it would slow the rate at which it is reducing its Treasury holdings, which grew massively during and after the pandemic. Previously it had allowed $25 billion of Treasurys to mature each month without reinvesting the proceeds. Now it will allow only $5 billion to mature each month.In effect, the Fed will be reinvesting more of the expiring bonds into new securities, which should keep interest rates on long-term Treasurys lower than they would have been otherwise. Powell characterized the change as a technical one and not related to its interest-rate policies. Yields fell slightly in Treasury markets.Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller voted against the decision to slow the Treasury purchases. The Fed is still allowing $35 billion of mortgage-backed securities to mature each month.So far, growth appears to be slowing in the first three months of the year but the impact of tariffs on inflation hasn’t yet materialized. But economists at Goldman Sachs forecast that the import taxes will push inflation to 3% by the end of this year.Fed officials are closely watching measures of Americans’ inflation expectations, which spiked in one survey released just last week. Inflation expectations — essentially a measure of how worried people are that inflation will get worse — are important to the Fed because they can be self-fulfilling. If people expect higher inflation, they may take steps, such as accelerating purchases, that can push prices higher.Retailers of both high-end and lower-cost goods&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-trump-sales-retail-7347cc7d0b8bec163fac1a89ed013c4f">have warned</a>&nbsp;that consumers are turning more cautious as they expect prices to rise because of tariffs. Retail sales rose modestly last month after a sharp fall in January. Homebuilders and contractors expect that home construction and renovations will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-home-improvement-housing-market-home-construction-ae55bcae89a8ad78814c3dbce69e435f">get more expensive</a>.Many economists have sharply reduced their forecasts for growth this year, with Barclays, a bank, now forecasting growth of just 0.7%, down from 2.5% in 2024. And economists at Goldman Sachs now expect inflation — excluding the volatile food and energy categories — will tick higher to 3% by the end of this year, up from its current level of 2.6%.___AP Business Writer Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed to this report.