By Barbara Ortutay and Matt O'Brien&nbsp; &nbsp;Associated Press

They’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship — but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season.

These toys, marketed to kids as young as 2 years old, are generally powered by AI models that have already been shown to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbot-teens-congress-chatgpt-character-ce3959b6a3ea1a4997bf1ccabb4f0de2" target="_blank">harm children and teenagers</a>, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://fairplayforkids.org/pf/aitoyadvisory" target="_blank">advisory published Thursday</a>&nbsp;by the children’s advocacy group Fairplay and signed by more than 150 organizations and individual experts such as child psychiatrists and educators.

“The serious harms that AI chatbots have inflicted on children are well-documented, including fostering obsessive use, having explicit sexual conversations, and encouraging unsafe behaviors, violence against others, and self-harm,” Fairplay said.

AI toys, made by companies including Curio Interactive and Keyi Technologies, are often marketed as educational, but Fairplay says they can displace important creative and learning activities. They promise friendship but disrupt children’s relationships and resilience, the group said.

“What’s different about young children is that their brains are being wired for the first time and developmentally it is natural for them to be trustful, for them to seek relationships with kind and friendly characters,” said Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline Program. Because of this, she added, the trust young children are placing in these toys can exacerbate the types of harms older children are already experiencing with AI chatbots.

<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai-ratings/ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-support" target="_blank">A separate report Thursday</a>&nbsp;by Common Sense Media and psychiatrists at Stanford University’s medical school warned teenagers against using popular AI chatbots as therapists.

Fairplay, a 25-year-old organization formerly known as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has been warning about AI toys for years. They just weren’t as advanced as they are today. A decade ago, during an emerging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70165102258e4d18aabc5247e284058a" target="_blank">fad of internet-connected toys</a>&nbsp;and AI speech recognition, the group helped lead a backlash against Mattel’s talking Hello Barbie doll that it said was recording and analyzing children’s conversations.

This time, though AI toys are mostly sold online and more popular in Asia than elsewhere, Franz said some have started to appear on store shelves in the U.S. and more could be on the way.

“Everything has been released with no regulation and no research, so it gives us extra pause when all of a sudden we see more and more manufacturers, including Mattel, who recently partnered with OpenAI, potentially putting out these products,” Franz said.

It’s the second big seasonal warning against AI toys since consumer advocates at U.S. PIRG last week called out the trend in its annual “&nbsp;<a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025-a-i-bots-and-toxics-represent-hidden-dangers/" target="_blank">Trouble in Toyland</a>&nbsp;” report that typically looks at a range of product hazards, such as high-powered magnets and button-sized batteries that young children can swallow. This year, the organization tested four toys that use AI chatbots.

“We found some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, will offer advice on where a child can find matches or knives, act dismayed when you say you have to leave, and have limited or no parental controls,” the report said. One of the toys, a teddy bear made by Singapore-based FoloToy, was later withdrawn, its CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/folotoy-kumma-ai-bear-scli-intl" target="_blank">told CNN this week.</a>

Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and social scientist who studies early brain development, said young children don’t have the conceptual tools to understand what an AI companion is. While kids have always bonded with toys through imaginative play, when they do this they use their imagination to create both sides of a pretend conversation, “practicing creativity, language, and problem-solving,” she said.

“An AI toy collapses that work. It answers instantly, smoothly, and often better than a human would. We don’t yet know the developmental consequences of outsourcing that imaginative labor to an artificial agent — but it’s very plausible that it undercuts the kind of creativity and executive function that traditional pretend play builds,” Suskind said.

Beijing-based Keyi, maker of an AI “petbot” called Loona, didn’t return requests for comment this week, but other AI toymakers sought to highlight their child safety protections.

California-based Curio Interactive makes stuffed toys, like Gabbo and rocket-shaped Grok, that have been promoted by the pop singer Grimes. The company said it has “meticulously designed” guardrails to protect children and the company encourages parents to “monitor conversations, track insights, and choose the controls that work best for their family.”

In response to the earlier PIRG findings, Curio said it is “actively working with our team to address any concerns, while continuously overseeing content and interactions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for children.”

Another company, Miko, based in Mumbai, India, said it uses its own conversational AI model rather than relying on general large language model systems such as ChatGPT in order to make its product — an interactive AI robot — safe for children.

“We are always expanding our internal testing, strengthening our filters, and introducing new capabilities that detect and block sensitive or unexpected topics,” said CEO Sneh Vaswani. “These new features complement our existing controls that allow parents and caregivers to identify specific topics they’d like to restrict from conversation. We will continue to invest in setting the highest standards for safe, secure and responsible AI integration for Miko products.”

Miko’s products are sold by major retailers such as Walmart and Costco and have been promoted by the families of social media “kidfluencers” whose YouTube videos have millions of views. On its website, it markets its robots as “Artificial Intelligence. Genuine friendship.”

Ritvik Sharma, the company’s senior vice president of growth, said Miko actually “encourages kids to interact more with their friends, to interact more with the peers, with the family members etc. It’s not made for them to feel attached to the device only.”

Still, Suskind and children’s advocates say analog toys are a better bet for the holidays.

“Kids need lots of real human interaction. Play should support that, not take its place. The biggest thing to consider isn’t only what the toy does; it’s what it replaces. A simple block set or a teddy bear that doesn’t talk back forces a child to invent stories, experiment, and work through problems. AI toys often do that thinking for them,” she said. “Here’s the brutal irony: when parents ask me how to prepare their child for an AI world, unlimited AI access is actually the worst preparation possible.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753194624103.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By Barbara Ortutay and Matt O'Brien&nbsp; &nbsp;Associated PressThey’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship — but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season.These toys, marketed to kids as young as 2 years old, are generally powered by AI models that have already been shown to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatbot-teens-congress-chatgpt-character-ce3959b6a3ea1a4997bf1ccabb4f0de2" target="_blank">harm children and teenagers</a>, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://fairplayforkids.org/pf/aitoyadvisory" target="_blank">advisory published Thursday</a>&nbsp;by the children’s advocacy group Fairplay and signed by more than 150 organizations and individual experts such as child psychiatrists and educators.“The serious harms that AI chatbots have inflicted on children are well-documented, including fostering obsessive use, having explicit sexual conversations, and encouraging unsafe behaviors, violence against others, and self-harm,” Fairplay said.AI toys, made by companies including Curio Interactive and Keyi Technologies, are often marketed as educational, but Fairplay says they can displace important creative and learning activities. They promise friendship but disrupt children’s relationships and resilience, the group said.“What’s different about young children is that their brains are being wired for the first time and developmentally it is natural for them to be trustful, for them to seek relationships with kind and friendly characters,” said Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline Program. Because of this, she added, the trust young children are placing in these toys can exacerbate the types of harms older children are already experiencing with AI chatbots.<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ai-ratings/ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-support" target="_blank">A separate report Thursday</a>&nbsp;by Common Sense Media and psychiatrists at Stanford University’s medical school warned teenagers against using popular AI chatbots as therapists.Fairplay, a 25-year-old organization formerly known as the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has been warning about AI toys for years. They just weren’t as advanced as they are today. A decade ago, during an emerging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70165102258e4d18aabc5247e284058a" target="_blank">fad of internet-connected toys</a>&nbsp;and AI speech recognition, the group helped lead a backlash against Mattel’s talking Hello Barbie doll that it said was recording and analyzing children’s conversations.This time, though AI toys are mostly sold online and more popular in Asia than elsewhere, Franz said some have started to appear on store shelves in the U.S. and more could be on the way.“Everything has been released with no regulation and no research, so it gives us extra pause when all of a sudden we see more and more manufacturers, including Mattel, who recently partnered with OpenAI, potentially putting out these products,” Franz said.It’s the second big seasonal warning against AI toys since consumer advocates at U.S. PIRG last week called out the trend in its annual “&nbsp;<a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025-a-i-bots-and-toxics-represent-hidden-dangers/" target="_blank">Trouble in Toyland</a>&nbsp;” report that typically looks at a range of product hazards, such as high-powered magnets and button-sized batteries that young children can swallow. This year, the organization tested four toys that use AI chatbots.“We found some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, will offer advice on where a child can find matches or knives, act dismayed when you say you have to leave, and have limited or no parental controls,” the report said. One of the toys, a teddy bear made by Singapore-based FoloToy, was later withdrawn, its CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/folotoy-kumma-ai-bear-scli-intl" target="_blank">told CNN this week.</a>Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and social scientist who studies early brain development, said young children don’t have the conceptual tools to understand what an AI companion is. While kids have always bonded with toys through imaginative play, when they do this they use their imagination to create both sides of a pretend conversation, “practicing creativity, language, and problem-solving,” she said.“An AI toy collapses that work. It answers instantly, smoothly, and often better than a human would. We don’t yet know the developmental consequences of outsourcing that imaginative labor to an artificial agent — but it’s very plausible that it undercuts the kind of creativity and executive function that traditional pretend play builds,” Suskind said.Beijing-based Keyi, maker of an AI “petbot” called Loona, didn’t return requests for comment this week, but other AI toymakers sought to highlight their child safety protections.California-based Curio Interactive makes stuffed toys, like Gabbo and rocket-shaped Grok, that have been promoted by the pop singer Grimes. The company said it has “meticulously designed” guardrails to protect children and the company encourages parents to “monitor conversations, track insights, and choose the controls that work best for their family.”In response to the earlier PIRG findings, Curio said it is “actively working with our team to address any concerns, while continuously overseeing content and interactions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for children.”Another company, Miko, based in Mumbai, India, said it uses its own conversational AI model rather than relying on general large language model systems such as ChatGPT in order to make its product — an interactive AI robot — safe for children.“We are always expanding our internal testing, strengthening our filters, and introducing new capabilities that detect and block sensitive or unexpected topics,” said CEO Sneh Vaswani. “These new features complement our existing controls that allow parents and caregivers to identify specific topics they’d like to restrict from conversation. We will continue to invest in setting the highest standards for safe, secure and responsible AI integration for Miko products.”Miko’s products are sold by major retailers such as Walmart and Costco and have been promoted by the families of social media “kidfluencers” whose YouTube videos have millions of views. On its website, it markets its robots as “Artificial Intelligence. Genuine friendship.”Ritvik Sharma, the company’s senior vice president of growth, said Miko actually “encourages kids to interact more with their friends, to interact more with the peers, with the family members etc. It’s not made for them to feel attached to the device only.”Still, Suskind and children’s advocates say analog toys are a better bet for the holidays.“Kids need lots of real human interaction. Play should support that, not take its place. The biggest thing to consider isn’t only what the toy does; it’s what it replaces. A simple block set or a teddy bear that doesn’t talk back forces a child to invent stories, experiment, and work through problems. AI toys often do that thinking for them,” she said. “Here’s the brutal irony: when parents ask me how to prepare their child for an AI world, unlimited AI access is actually the worst preparation possible.”

Advocacy groups urge parents to avoid AI toys this holiday season

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.

The announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">deal with the strain</a>&nbsp;of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopening-process-df0388b2d685bab9aa61edce0eb51a15">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.

The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”

A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, “AMERICANS FIRST.”

The announcement follows a July executive order in which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.

“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.

The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.

The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.

The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that “everyone, no matter their ZIP code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Park Service said Tuesday it is going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.The announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-national-parks-burgum-superintendents-trash-b5109ba06f1cb3baef9370f585650136">deal with the strain</a>&nbsp;of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts, along with recovering from damage during the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopening-process-df0388b2d685bab9aa61edce0eb51a15">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.The fee change will impact 11 national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.As part of the changes, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while U.S. residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on the social platform X that the changes make sure U.S. taxpayers who support the park service “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations!”A White House post on X laying out the increased fees ended with the phrase, “AMERICANS FIRST.”The announcement follows a July executive order in which President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.“There’s a lot to unpack in this announcement, including many questions on its implementation – all which NPCA will raise with the Department of Interior,” Kati Schmidt, a spokesperson for National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email.The U.S. Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15% of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30% in 2018.The money made off the new fees will help support the national parks, including with upgrading facilities for visitors and maintenance, according to the statement.The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025. The Department of the Interior had announced those days by saying they wanted to ensure that “everyone, no matter their ZIP code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands.”___

National Parks to raise fees for international tourists

JOHNSON COUNTY —Last week, while on patrol, a State Trooper observed a stolen vehicle that had recently failed to stop for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department, according to a social media report from KHP Troop A.

When the Trooper initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit. Thankfully, the Trooper was able to successfully conduct a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, misdemeanor interference, driving without a valid license, and a $5,000 fail to appear warrant out of the Johnson County, KS Sheriff's Office

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764169404046.png" alt="Image from the video" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Last week, while on patrol, a State Trooper observed a stolen vehicle that had recently failed to stop for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department, according to a social media report from KHP Troop A.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2250257718787924%2F&show_text=false&width=249&t=0" width="249" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>When the Trooper initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit. Thankfully, the Trooper was able to successfully conduct a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI), bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, felony possession of stolen property, misdemeanor interference, driving without a valid license, and a $5,000 fail to appear warrant out of the Johnson County, KS Sheriff's Office

🎥KHP Trooper uses Tactical Vehicle Intervention to stop suspect

KANSAS C ITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Thanksgiving house fire.

Just before 3:30a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 9500 block of Olmstead Road, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

 On arrival, crews reported heavy smoke and fire through the roof,&nbsp; from a 1-story residence. Interior operations were initiated on an offensive fire attack with 3 hose lines. Companies did encounter a broken natural gas line and power lines down in the rear of the structure and eventually evacuated. 

Moving to a defensive mode, fly piping operations of the structure began. After knocking down the majority of the fire, the aerial was eventually shut down, and the 3 hose lines resumed extinguishing the remaining fire and hot spots. 

Utility crews were on scene and secured their hazards.Searches of the structure were conducted and came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 4:35 a.m.

One firefighter was briefly evaluated by an ambulance on scene but was not transported. No other injuries or patients have been reported.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764246764849.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS C ITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a Thanksgiving house fire.Just before 3:30a.m., crews responded to a reported house fire in the 9500 block of Olmstead Road, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan. On arrival, crews reported heavy smoke and fire through the roof,&nbsp; from a 1-story residence. Interior operations were initiated on an offensive fire attack with 3 hose lines. Companies did encounter a broken natural gas line and power lines down in the rear of the structure and eventually evacuated. Moving to a defensive mode, fly piping operations of the structure began. After knocking down the majority of the fire, the aerial was eventually shut down, and the 3 hose lines resumed extinguishing the remaining fire and hot spots. Utility crews were on scene and secured their hazards.Searches of the structure were conducted and came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 4:35 a.m.One firefighter was briefly evaluated by an ambulance on scene but was not transported. No other injuries or patients have been reported.&nbsp;

Dangerous Thanksgiving Day house fire in Kansas City

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-white-house-afghan-national-138fbe6872d7ac30b20973783b39002c">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.

The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump’s orders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">one of whom died</a>&nbsp;shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.

A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">a program to resettle</a>&nbsp;those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”

Trump’s threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.

Elected on a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-violent-crime-trump-republican-convention-bd40d14546bc7eb9a1dbbadfcb190950">crack down on illegal migration</a>, Trump’s raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America’s foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The president said on Truth Social that “most” foreign-born U.S. residents “are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.

The perception that immigration breeds crime “continues to falter under the weight of the evidence,” according to a review of academic literature last year in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-033048" target="_blank">Annual Review of Criminology</a>.

“With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States,” it said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31440" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump’s claims.

But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called “one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump.”

Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions to the country made during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He also wants to end federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, denaturalize people “who undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”

Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota” as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state’s governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him “seriously retarded.”

Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">Trump called for the reinvestigation</a>&nbsp;of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.

On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.

The shooting of the two National Guard members appeared to trigger Trump’s anger over immigrants, yet he did not specifically refer to the event in his social media posting.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is accused of driving across the country to Washington and shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died on Thursday from the shooting, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

The suspect, currently in custody, was also shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Asked by a reporter on Thursday if he blamed the shootings on all Afghans who came to the U.S., Trump said: “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764331131237.png" alt="President Trump spoke about immigration to reporters after he announced National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia has died on Thanksgiving night-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke about immigration to reporters after he announced National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia has died on Thanksgiving night-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-white-house-afghan-national-138fbe6872d7ac30b20973783b39002c">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump’s orders,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">one of whom died</a>&nbsp;shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764331840667.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">a program to resettle</a>&nbsp;those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”Trump’s threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.Elected on a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-violent-crime-trump-republican-convention-bd40d14546bc7eb9a1dbbadfcb190950">crack down on illegal migration</a>, Trump’s raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America’s foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.The president said on Truth Social that “most” foreign-born U.S. residents “are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.The perception that immigration breeds crime “continues to falter under the weight of the evidence,” according to a review of academic literature last year in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-033048" target="_blank">Annual Review of Criminology</a>.“With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States,” it said.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31440" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump’s claims.But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called “one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump.”Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions to the country made during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He also wants to end federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, denaturalize people “who undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota” as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state’s governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him “seriously retarded.”Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">Trump called for the reinvestigation</a>&nbsp;of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.The shooting of the two National Guard members appeared to trigger Trump’s anger over immigrants, yet he did not specifically refer to the event in his social media posting.The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is accused of driving across the country to Washington and shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Beckstrom died on Thursday from the shooting, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.The suspect, currently in custody, was also shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening.Asked by a reporter on Thursday if he blamed the shootings on all Afghans who came to the U.S., Trump said: “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans.”

Trump: U.S. to ‘pause migration from Third World Countries’ after DC shooting

FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. on Thanksgiving in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Kason D. Ramsey, 18, Holcomb, was westbound on Railroad Avenue one mile west of Garden City. The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as Lance R. Stucky, 31, Garden City, who was walking in the westbound lane.

Stucky was pronounced deceased. Ramsey was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. on Thanksgiving in Finney County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Kason D. Ramsey, 18, Holcomb, was westbound on Railroad Avenue one mile west of Garden City. The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as Lance R. Stucky, 31, Garden City, who was walking in the westbound lane.Stucky was pronounced deceased. Ramsey was properly restrained and not injured, according to the KHP.

Man dies after struck by a pickup in southwest Kansas

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing multiple charges for the alleged theft of multiple packages from residences since September.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2765/Bennett-RED-COMPLAINT-CB">Curtis D. Bennett&nbsp;</a>faces six counts of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. Each count of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item is a class E felony, carrying one to four years in prison upon conviction. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2764/Bennett-RED-PC-CB">According to court records</a>, Kansas City detectives received reports from four different victims stating they had packages stolen from their homes. In total, the six packages were worth more than $1,100. Detectives were able to identify and connect Bennett to each incident through victim surveillance video. Bennett admitted to stealing the packages from the residences.&nbsp;

“We take package theft seriously because we understand our community works hard each day to be able to purchase holiday gifts and everyday necessities for their families,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “We’re committed to holding these repeat offenders accountable, but we need the community’s help to bring these cases to our office.”

With the holiday season underway, Prosecutor Johnson urges residents to take proactive steps to protect their deliveries. Install doorbell cameras and surveillance cameras around your home, which provide critical evidence for investigations.&nbsp;

Retrieve your packages immediately after delivery or ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect them if you will not be home. Consider having items delivered to your workplace or request that the post office or delivery service hold packages for pickup if you will be traveling. Requesting a signature requirement for valuable deliveries or using secure package lockers are other ways to ensure packages are protected.&nbsp;

“If you believe your package or mail was stolen, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency and provide any video or photo evidence,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “It’s crucial to report these crimes. Unless these cases reach our desk, we cannot do our job, prosecute, and protect our community.”

Bennett is being held on a $3,000 cash-only bond. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764283905207.png" alt="Bennett photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Bennett photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man is facing multiple charges for the alleged theft of multiple packages from residences since September.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2765/Bennett-RED-COMPLAINT-CB">Curtis D. Bennett&nbsp;</a>faces six counts of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson. Each count of Stealing a Postal or Delivery Item is a class E felony, carrying one to four years in prison upon conviction. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2764/Bennett-RED-PC-CB">According to court records</a>, Kansas City detectives received reports from four different victims stating they had packages stolen from their homes. In total, the six packages were worth more than $1,100. Detectives were able to identify and connect Bennett to each incident through victim surveillance video. Bennett admitted to stealing the packages from the residences.&nbsp;“We take package theft seriously because we understand our community works hard each day to be able to purchase holiday gifts and everyday necessities for their families,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “We’re committed to holding these repeat offenders accountable, but we need the community’s help to bring these cases to our office.”With the holiday season underway, Prosecutor Johnson urges residents to take proactive steps to protect their deliveries. Install doorbell cameras and surveillance cameras around your home, which provide critical evidence for investigations.&nbsp;Retrieve your packages immediately after delivery or ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect them if you will not be home. Consider having items delivered to your workplace or request that the post office or delivery service hold packages for pickup if you will be traveling. Requesting a signature requirement for valuable deliveries or using secure package lockers are other ways to ensure packages are protected.&nbsp;“If you believe your package or mail was stolen, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency and provide any video or photo evidence,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said. “It’s crucial to report these crimes. Unless these cases reach our desk, we cannot do our job, prosecute, and protect our community.”Bennett is being held on a $3,000 cash-only bond. &nbsp;

Porch Pirate: KC man admits theft of packages from multiple homes

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-ruling-dc-washington-national-guard-1be5c3744e35f8dd68a6a12fa4583186">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.”

As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”

“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”

The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”

Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” as he criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people."

The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan

The suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">emigrating from Afghanistan</a>, according to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">brazen act of violence</a>&nbsp;which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Webster Springs, where Beckstrom is from, will hold three prayer vigils Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, according to a Facebook post from the Webster County Veterans Auxiliary.

Pirro said that the suspect, Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.

The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding: “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the eve of Thanksgiving, comes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-dc-deployment-c1c2b13a7102632632267bf1262506ff">court fights</a>&nbsp;and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-crime-national-guard-homelessness-655bc22834223c7dc93115bbcb2b215c">emergency order</a>&nbsp;in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War

A resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.

Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.

Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.

Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">Operation Allies Welcome,</a>&nbsp;a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">in a video message released on social media,</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.

The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a social media post Thursday that Trump directed him to review the green cards of people from countries “of concern.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns. Green card holders and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan were listed as exempt.

Attack being investigated as terrorist act

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has previously questioned the effectiveness of using the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-army-8de4fca47b84d6b2eeaca59040b7cdb0">National Guard</a>&nbsp;to enforce city laws. Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment there, but the judge also paused her order for 21 days to allow the administration to remove the troops or appeal.

On Thursday, Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.

“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of the suspect’s name. It is Lakanwal, not Lakamal or Lakanmal.

Associated Press journalists Siddiqullah Alizai, Elena Becatoros, Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Gary Fields, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-ruling-dc-washington-national-guard-1be5c3744e35f8dd68a6a12fa4583186">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces that U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, one of the National Guardsmen savagely attacked yesterday in Washington, D.C., has just passed away. May God be with her family 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/BEbAOxmJme">pic.twitter.com/BEbAOxmJme</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1994189513929761268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom 2005–2025 A True American Hero 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/fJCIhSNvob">pic.twitter.com/fJCIhSNvob</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1994206037998538849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” as he criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people."<h2>The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan</h2>The suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">emigrating from Afghanistan</a>, according to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-washington-shooting-suspect-b37bc92853ba14625678236318f80751">brazen act of violence</a>&nbsp;which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Webster Springs, where Beckstrom is from, will hold three prayer vigils Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, according to a Facebook post from the Webster County Veterans Auxiliary.Pirro said that the suspect, Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding: “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the eve of Thanksgiving, comes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-dc-deployment-c1c2b13a7102632632267bf1262506ff">court fights</a>&nbsp;and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.Trump issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-crime-national-guard-homelessness-655bc22834223c7dc93115bbcb2b215c">emergency order</a>&nbsp;in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.<h2>Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War</h2>A resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-shooting-afghan-operation-allies-welcome-b11c48fb0b807e8f519c266e2a004d8e">Operation Allies Welcome,</a>&nbsp;a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.Wednesday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-shooting-6548fbcba4b6efce59a38eeed32b4865">in a video message released on social media,</a>&nbsp;President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a social media post Thursday that Trump directed him to review the green cards of people from countries “of concern.”Edlow didn’t name the countries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-exceptions-immigrants-visa-4d5a4d07a4430dd1e1cf24511370bc0e">But in June</a>, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-d4d74e856e06f1a2626cc1ddbdfaa9f7">banned travel to the U.S.</a>&nbsp;by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns. Green card holders and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan were listed as exempt.<h2>Attack being investigated as terrorist act</h2>FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has previously questioned the effectiveness of using the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-washington-army-8de4fca47b84d6b2eeaca59040b7cdb0">National Guard</a>&nbsp;to enforce city laws. Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment there, but the judge also paused her order for 21 days to allow the administration to remove the troops or appeal.On Thursday, Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”___This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of the suspect’s name. It is Lakanwal, not Lakamal or Lakanmal.___Associated Press journalists Siddiqullah Alizai, Elena Becatoros, Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Gary Fields, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.

Trump: Sarah Beckstrom, National Guard soldier shot in DC, has died

SEDGWICK COUNTY - Police have responded to two incidents in the 3500 block of S. Gold in Wichita involving a suspicious person seen looking into residential windows, according to a statement from Wichita Police.

These windows were identified as belonging to rooms of young female children. Both incidents occurred on Nov. 25, 2025, between approximately 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

A resident reported seeing the suspect flee the area on foot. The individual is described as a white male, approximately 6-foot tall, medium build, facial hair and he was wearing a gray Carhatt jacket and work boots.

This remains an active investigation. The Wichita Police Department is asking residents to call 911 to report any suspicious activity, persons, or vehicles. Anyone with any information can contact Investigations at 316-268-4407 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. We are also asking the public to review their home security camera footage for anything that may assist in this investigation.

SEDGWICK COUNTY - Police have responded to two incidents in the 3500 block of S. Gold in Wichita involving a suspicious person seen looking into residential windows, according to a statement from Wichita Police.These windows were identified as belonging to rooms of young female children. Both incidents occurred on Nov. 25, 2025, between approximately 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.A resident reported seeing the suspect flee the area on foot. The individual is described as a white male, approximately 6-foot tall, medium build, facial hair and he was wearing a gray Carhatt jacket and work boots.This remains an active investigation. The Wichita Police Department is asking residents to call 911 to report any suspicious activity, persons, or vehicles. Anyone with any information can contact Investigations at 316-268-4407 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. We are also asking the public to review their home security camera footage for anything that may assist in this investigation.

Police release description of reported Kan. window peeper

Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf’s most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74.

A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called him Thursday with the news.

Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979. He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day.

But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity.

Woods was on his way to a watershed moment in golf with the most dominant victory in Augusta National history. Zoeller had finished his round and had a drink in hand under the oak tree by the clubhouse when he was stopped by CNN and asked for his thoughts on the 21-year-old Woods on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National.

“That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?,” Zoeller said.

He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, “Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”

That moment haunted him the rest of his career.

Zoeller apologized. Woods was traveling and it took two weeks for him to comment as the controversy festered. Zoeller later said he received death threats for years after that moment.

Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”

“If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I’m here to tell you they got their way,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren’t a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.

“Still, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”

It marred a career filled with two famous major titles, eight other PGA Tour titles and a Senior PGA Championship among his two PGA Tour Champions titles.

More than winning was how he went about it. Zoeller played fast and still had an easygoing nature to the way he approach the game, often whistling between shots.

He made his Masters debut in 1979 and got into a three-way playoff when Ed Sneed bogeyed the last three holes. Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air.

“I’ve never been to heaven, and thinking back on my life, I probably won’t get a chance to go,” Zoeller once said. “I guess winning the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”

Zoeller was locked in a duel with Norman at Winged Foot in the 1984, playing in the group behind and watching Norman make putt after putt. So when he saw Norman make a 40-footer on the 18th, he assumed it was for birdie and began waving a white towel in a moment of sportsmanship.

Only later did he realize it was for par, and Zoeller made par to force a playoff. Zoeller beat him by eight shots in the 18-hole playoff (67-75). Zoeller’s lone regret was giving the towel to a kid after he finished in regulation.

“If you happen to see a grungy white towel hanging around, get it for me, will you?” he once said.

He was born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana. Zoeller said his father was known only as “Fuzzy” and he was given the same name. He played at a junior college in Florida before joining the powerful Houston golf team before turning pro.

His wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller has three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he used to play in the PNC Championship. Zoeller was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1985, the organization’s highest honor given for distinguished sportsmanship.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764279322793.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By DOUG FERGUSON &nbsp;AP Golf WriterFuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf’s most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74.A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called him Thursday with the news.Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979. He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day.But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity.Woods was on his way to a watershed moment in golf with the most dominant victory in Augusta National history. Zoeller had finished his round and had a drink in hand under the oak tree by the clubhouse when he was stopped by CNN and asked for his thoughts on the 21-year-old Woods on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National.“That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?,” Zoeller said.He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, “Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”That moment haunted him the rest of his career.Zoeller apologized. Woods was traveling and it took two weeks for him to comment as the controversy festered. Zoeller later said he received death threats for years after that moment.Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”“If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I’m here to tell you they got their way,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren’t a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.“Still, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”It marred a career filled with two famous major titles, eight other PGA Tour titles and a Senior PGA Championship among his two PGA Tour Champions titles.More than winning was how he went about it. Zoeller played fast and still had an easygoing nature to the way he approach the game, often whistling between shots.He made his Masters debut in 1979 and got into a three-way playoff when Ed Sneed bogeyed the last three holes. Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air.“I’ve never been to heaven, and thinking back on my life, I probably won’t get a chance to go,” Zoeller once said. “I guess winning the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”Zoeller was locked in a duel with Norman at Winged Foot in the 1984, playing in the group behind and watching Norman make putt after putt. So when he saw Norman make a 40-footer on the 18th, he assumed it was for birdie and began waving a white towel in a moment of sportsmanship.Only later did he realize it was for par, and Zoeller made par to force a playoff. Zoeller beat him by eight shots in the 18-hole playoff (67-75). Zoeller’s lone regret was giving the towel to a kid after he finished in regulation.“If you happen to see a grungy white towel hanging around, get it for me, will you?” he once said.He was born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana. Zoeller said his father was known only as “Fuzzy” and he was given the same name. He played at a junior college in Florida before joining the powerful Houston golf team before turning pro.His wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller has three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he used to play in the PNC Championship. Zoeller was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1985, the organization’s highest honor given for distinguished sportsmanship.

Fuzzy Zoeller, golf champion haunted by racist joke about Tiger Woods, dies at 74

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a> Associated Press

The Campbell’s Co. said Wednesday it has fired an executive who was recorded making racist comments and mocking the company’s products and customers.

Martin Bally, a vice president in Campbell’s information security department, was named in a lawsuit filed last week by Robert Garza, a former Campbell’s employee who said he was fired Jan. 30 after he reported Bally’s comments to a supervisor.

The lawsuit was filed in Michigan, where both Garza and Bally live. Campbell’s is based in Camden, New Jersey.

In the lawsuit, Garza claimed he met with Bally in November 2024 to discuss his salary. During the meeting, which Garza allegedly recorded, Bally described Campbell’s as “highly process(ed) food” and said it was for “poor people.”

Garza claimed in the lawsuit that Bally made racist remarks about Indian workers, whom he called “idiots.” Garza said Bally also told him that he often went to work high after consuming marijuana edibles.

Campbell’s said Wednesday it first learned of Garza’s lawsuit last week. After listening to portions of the recording, Campbell’s said it believed the voice was Bally’s. Bally was fired Tuesday.

“The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused,” the company said in a statement. “This behavior does not reflect our values and the culture of our company, and we will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”

Garza’s attorney didn’t respond when The Associated Press asked for a copy of the audio recording.

But according to Local 4 news in Detroit, which interviewed Garza and played a portion of the recording on air, Bally said Campbell’s products were unhealthy during his expletive-filled rant.

“Bioengineered meat. I don’t want to eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer,” Bally said.

Campbell’s defended its chicken Wednesday, saying it comes from long-trusted U.S. suppliers, is raised without antibiotics and meets high quality standards.

“The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate, they are patently absurd,” Campbell’s said.

Larry Kopp, the chairman and founder of The TASC Group, a strategic communications and public relations company, said Campbell’s should have fired Bally and reached a settlement with Garza as soon as it learned of the incident.

“If they had settled they would not be in this mess,” Kopp said. “Recordings like these are devastating and should never see the light of day.”

Garza is seeking monetary damages from Campbell’s, Bally and from his former manager, J.D. Aupperle. Garza said he told Aupperle about the conversation with Bally shortly before he was fired.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a> Associated PressThe Campbell’s Co. said Wednesday it has fired an executive who was recorded making racist comments and mocking the company’s products and customers.Martin Bally, a vice president in Campbell’s information security department, was named in a lawsuit filed last week by Robert Garza, a former Campbell’s employee who said he was fired Jan. 30 after he reported Bally’s comments to a supervisor.The lawsuit was filed in Michigan, where both Garza and Bally live. Campbell’s is based in Camden, New Jersey.In the lawsuit, Garza claimed he met with Bally in November 2024 to discuss his salary. During the meeting, which Garza allegedly recorded, Bally described Campbell’s as “highly process(ed) food” and said it was for “poor people.”Garza claimed in the lawsuit that Bally made racist remarks about Indian workers, whom he called “idiots.” Garza said Bally also told him that he often went to work high after consuming marijuana edibles.Campbell’s said Wednesday it first learned of Garza’s lawsuit last week. After listening to portions of the recording, Campbell’s said it believed the voice was Bally’s. Bally was fired Tuesday.“The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused,” the company said in a statement. “This behavior does not reflect our values and the culture of our company, and we will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”Garza’s attorney didn’t respond when The Associated Press asked for a copy of the audio recording.But according to Local 4 news in Detroit, which interviewed Garza and played a portion of the recording on air, Bally said Campbell’s products were unhealthy during his expletive-filled rant.“Bioengineered meat. I don’t want to eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer,” Bally said.Campbell’s defended its chicken Wednesday, saying it comes from long-trusted U.S. suppliers, is raised without antibiotics and meets high quality standards.“The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate, they are patently absurd,” Campbell’s said.Larry Kopp, the chairman and founder of The TASC Group, a strategic communications and public relations company, said Campbell’s should have fired Bally and reached a settlement with Garza as soon as it learned of the incident.“If they had settled they would not be in this mess,” Kopp said. “Recordings like these are devastating and should never see the light of day.”Garza is seeking monetary damages from Campbell’s, Bally and from his former manager, J.D. Aupperle. Garza said he told Aupperle about the conversation with Bally shortly before he was fired.

Campbell’s responds after exec allegedly called soup food for ‘poor people’

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A new page on a federal government website that provides inaccurate information about vaccines and autism is concerning to Kansans who work in autism research.

A majority of studies and researchers say there is no connection between autism and vaccinations, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html" target="_blank">updated a page</a>&nbsp;to share contradictory information.

“The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” the site says.

The page was updated last week, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/us/politics/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccines-autism-website.html" target="_blank">in an interview with the New York Times</a>, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, said he instructed the CDC to change the information.

“The information posted on the CDC website unfortunately contains multiple inaccurate or misleading statements,” said Matt Mosconi, director of the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training. “The CDC message ignores many studies that have been conducted on this topic. And, my expectation is that this statement is confusing for individuals and families, and it has strong potential to be harmful.”

The Coalition of Autism Scientists, which Mosconi and other researchers at K-CART belong to, published a statement saying the harm caused by questioning the safety of childhood vaccines cannot be overstated.

“By altering and distorting the evidence on vaccine safety, the CDC can no longer be relied on to provide the public with accurate information,” the statement said.

Mosconi said if there had been evidence that vaccines caused autism, scientists would have followed that evidence.

“Rigorous study after rigorous study failed to find that link, so we, as scientists, follow the data to identify those factors that are associated with autism and do have potential to be informative for supporting the autism community,” he said.

Kathryn Unruh, an assistant researcher at K-CART, said the new information presented on the CDC site is concerning for several reasons, including whether people will hesitate to vaccinate their children.

Kansas has seen&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/02/vaccination-rates-down-in-most-kansas-counties-where-measles-cases-occurring/">vaccination rates</a>&nbsp;for kindergarteners drop in many areas across the state. The state also had a measles outbreak, which has since ended.

“As an autism researcher, we are also quite concerned with how this may misdirect attention as well as the critical funding we may need for studies that will support autistic individuals and their families,” Unruh said.

Two “very large” and rigorous studies have shown no association between autism and vaccinations, she said. The studies were well-controlled and had large samples. The initial and since discredited study that started the misinformation about vaccines and autism included just 12 children, Unruh said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1124634/" target="_blank">2002 Danish study</a>&nbsp;included more than 500,000 children and looked at the risks of developing autism in children who were vaccinated and unvaccinated. The study controlled for multiple variables, including the age at which children received vaccines, their gestational age, birth weight and their economic status, Unruh said.

No connection was found between autism and vaccinations in that study.

<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215632120" target="_blank">Another large study</a>&nbsp;in the United States also looked at familial factors because of the high likelihood of developing autism if the individual has a sibling with autism, Unruh said.

“Even if kids already had one likelihood factor for developing autism, they also found no increased association with developing autism and vaccines in those children,” she said.

The information being put out by the CDC on its official website worries Unruh.

“As a scientist, I’m quite concerned that they have ignored decades of rigorous research, including multiple studies that use CDC data,” she said. “On their own website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html" target="_blank">an archived page now</a>, they do have a long list of studies that they have documented that show no association between vaccines and risk for developing autism.”

Scientific studies have shown a genetic component to autism and other studies have looked at environmental interactions that might increase the risk for autism, Unruh said.

<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25898051/" target="_blank">A 2015 study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, researched possible connections between children who have a genetic likelihood of developing autism — identified because siblings had autism — and vaccinations causing them to develop autism, she said.

That study found no connections between the two, Unruh said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763669079049.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A new page on a federal government website that provides inaccurate information about vaccines and autism is concerning to Kansans who work in autism research.A majority of studies and researchers say there is no connection between autism and vaccinations, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html" target="_blank">updated a page</a>&nbsp;to share contradictory information.“The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” the site says.The page was updated last week, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/us/politics/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccines-autism-website.html" target="_blank">in an interview with the New York Times</a>, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, said he instructed the CDC to change the information.“The information posted on the CDC website unfortunately contains multiple inaccurate or misleading statements,” said Matt Mosconi, director of the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training. “The CDC message ignores many studies that have been conducted on this topic. And, my expectation is that this statement is confusing for individuals and families, and it has strong potential to be harmful.”The Coalition of Autism Scientists, which Mosconi and other researchers at K-CART belong to, published a statement saying the harm caused by questioning the safety of childhood vaccines cannot be overstated.“By altering and distorting the evidence on vaccine safety, the CDC can no longer be relied on to provide the public with accurate information,” the statement said.Mosconi said if there had been evidence that vaccines caused autism, scientists would have followed that evidence.“Rigorous study after rigorous study failed to find that link, so we, as scientists, follow the data to identify those factors that are associated with autism and do have potential to be informative for supporting the autism community,” he said.Kathryn Unruh, an assistant researcher at K-CART, said the new information presented on the CDC site is concerning for several reasons, including whether people will hesitate to vaccinate their children.Kansas has seen&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/02/vaccination-rates-down-in-most-kansas-counties-where-measles-cases-occurring/">vaccination rates</a>&nbsp;for kindergarteners drop in many areas across the state. The state also had a measles outbreak, which has since ended.“As an autism researcher, we are also quite concerned with how this may misdirect attention as well as the critical funding we may need for studies that will support autistic individuals and their families,” Unruh said.Two “very large” and rigorous studies have shown no association between autism and vaccinations, she said. The studies were well-controlled and had large samples. The initial and since discredited study that started the misinformation about vaccines and autism included just 12 children, Unruh said.A&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1124634/" target="_blank">2002 Danish study</a>&nbsp;included more than 500,000 children and looked at the risks of developing autism in children who were vaccinated and unvaccinated. The study controlled for multiple variables, including the age at which children received vaccines, their gestational age, birth weight and their economic status, Unruh said.No connection was found between autism and vaccinations in that study.<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215632120" target="_blank">Another large study</a>&nbsp;in the United States also looked at familial factors because of the high likelihood of developing autism if the individual has a sibling with autism, Unruh said.“Even if kids already had one likelihood factor for developing autism, they also found no increased association with developing autism and vaccines in those children,” she said.The information being put out by the CDC on its official website worries Unruh.“As a scientist, I’m quite concerned that they have ignored decades of rigorous research, including multiple studies that use CDC data,” she said. “On their own website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html" target="_blank">an archived page now</a>, they do have a long list of studies that they have documented that show no association between vaccines and risk for developing autism.”Scientific studies have shown a genetic component to autism and other studies have looked at environmental interactions that might increase the risk for autism, Unruh said.<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25898051/" target="_blank">A 2015 study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, researched possible connections between children who have a genetic likelihood of developing autism — identified because siblings had autism — and vaccinations causing them to develop autism, she said.That study found no connections between the two, Unruh said.

Kansas autism researchers concerned about misinformation on federal website

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Afghan national who worked for the CIA in his native country and arrived in the U.S. in 2021 drove across the country from Washington state to shoot two West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-ruling-dc-washington-national-guard-1be5c3744e35f8dd68a6a12fa4583186">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;just blocks from the White House, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon's brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it's too soon to say” what the suspect's motives were.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764267409790.png" alt="Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe&nbsp;-photo Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe&nbsp;-photo Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — An Afghan national who worked for the CIA in his native country and arrived in the U.S. in 2021 drove across the country from Washington state to shoot two West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-ruling-dc-washington-national-guard-1be5c3744e35f8dd68a6a12fa4583186">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;just blocks from the White House, U.S. officials said Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (<a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyPirro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAttyPirro</a>): &quot;Two uniform guardsmen were ambushed in a brazen and targeted attack. A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style...&quot; FBI Director Kash Patel (<a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIDirectorKash</a>): &quot;It is an ongoing investigation of terrorism.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Ob9qwSEcNH">pic.twitter.com/Ob9qwSEcNH</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1994060975905857664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon's brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764267373071.png" alt="Specialist Sarah Beckstrom-photo Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Specialist Sarah Beckstrom-photo Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalized in critical condition.Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it's too soon to say” what the suspect's motives were.The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-dc-deployment-c1c2b13a7102632632267bf1262506ff">court fights</a>&nbsp;and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington.The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.<h2>Attack being investigated as terrorist act</h2>FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”Pirro said: “We have been in constant contact with their families and have provided them with every resource needed during this difficult time.”Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump's policies.“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bower said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”<h2>Suspect worked with CIA during Afghanistan War</h2>The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over allegations of gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.Lakamal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.Prior to his 2021 arrival in the United States, the suspect worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,” John Ratcliffe, the spy agency’s director, said in a statement. He did not specify what work Lakamal did, but said the relationship “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said on Wednesday that investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.<h2>Troops held down the shooter</h2>The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.“At this point, we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a sidewalk covered in broken glass.___Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Josh Boak, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.