<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20JAMIE%20STENGLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press</a>

DALLAS (AP) — Newly released documents related to President John F. Kennedy's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">assassination in 1963</a>&nbsp;gave curious readers more details Wednesday into Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations but didn't initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National Archives

Assessments of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">roughly 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;posted by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on its website came with a huge caveat: No one had enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.

An initial Associated Press review of more than 63,000 pages of records released this week shows that some were not directly related to the assassination but rather dealt with covert CIA operations, particularly in Cuba. And nothing in the first documents examined undercut the conclusion that Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

“Nothing points to a second gunman,” said Philip Shenon, who wrote a 2013 book about the assassination. “I haven't seen any big blockbusters that rewrite the essential history of the assassination, but it is very early."

Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.

Historians hope for new details about the man who killed JFK

A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, established by Johnson to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But critics of the commission still spun a web of alternative theories.

Historians are hoping for details fleshing out Oswald's activities before the assassination and what the CIA and FBI knew about him beforehand.

Shenon pointed Wednesday to previously released documents about a trip Oswald made to Mexico City at the end of September 1963. Records show Oswald intended to contact the Soviet Union's embassy there after living as a U.S. defector in the U.S.S.R. from October 1959 until June 1962.

Shenon said the U.S. government may have kept information about what it knew about Oswald before the assassination secret to hide what he described as officials' possible “incompetence and laziness."

“The CIA had Oswald under pretty aggressive surveillance while he was there and this was just several weeks before the assassination,” Shenon said. “There’s reason to believe he talked openly about killing Kennedy in Mexico City and that people overheard him say that.”

Speculation about such details surrounding Kennedy’s assassination has been intense over the decades, generating countless conspiracy theories about multiple shooters and involvement by the Soviet Union, the mafia and the CIA. The new release fueled rampant online speculation and sent people scurrying to read the documents and share online what they might mean.

Many documents already were public but information had been redacted

The latest release of documents followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>, though most of the records were made public previously with redactions. Before Tuesday, researchers had estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 files were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">still unreleased</a>, either wholly or partially. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.

Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, said in a statement posted on the social platform X that much of the “rampant overclassification of trivial information has been eliminated” from the documents.

The latest release also is a boon to historians of the Cold War. Timothy Natafali, an adjunct professor at Columbia University who is writing a book about JFK's presidency, said scholars now appear to have more details about U.S. intelligence activities under Kennedy than under any other president.

For example, in October 1975, U.S. senators were investigating what the CIA knew about Oswald, and an October 1975 memo said they considered the agency "not forthcoming.”

A version of that memo released in 2023 redacted the name of the CIA's security contact on Oswald in Mexico, as well as the identity of someone behind the “penetration of the Cuban embassy" there. The latest version shows that the security contact was the president of Mexico in 1975, Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who died in 2022, and that the Mexican government itself penetrated the Cuban embassy.

Also, Nafatali said, before the latest release, the government had made public copies of President Lyndon B. Johnson's “daily checklist” of highly sensitive foreign intelligence in the days after Kennedy's assassination, but with much of the material redacted. Now, he said, people can read what Johnson read.

“It’s quite remarkable to be able to walk through that secret world,” he said.

Some records provide small details about covert operations

Documents show that in December 1963, the CIA director's office was receiving messages from and replying to operatives in Cuba seeking to undermine the government under Fidel Castro. One, on Dec. 9, 1963, relayed a message to the director from Cuba: “TODAY RECD THE MAGNUM PISTOLS BUT NO BULLETS.”

“You’re getting both a bird’s-eye view of U.S. foreign policy, and you’re also getting a snail’s eye view of covert action, right there on the ground,” Nafatali said.

In a previously released April 1975 memo, the CIA downplayed what it knew about Oswald's visit to Mexico City before the assassination. The memo said the CIA recorded three phone calls between Oswald and a guard at the Soviet embassy, but only in the last one did Oswald identify himself.

“We’re now discovering how much more the CIA and the FBI knew before the assassination about Oswald,” Shenon said. “And the question is, why didn’t they act on the information in their own files?"

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - This Nov. 22, 1963 file photo shows President John F. Kennedy riding in motorcade with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo, file)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This Nov. 22, 1963 file photo shows President John F. Kennedy riding in motorcade with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo, file)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20JAMIE%20STENGLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press</a>DALLAS (AP) — Newly released documents related to President John F. Kennedy's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">assassination in 1963</a>&nbsp;gave curious readers more details Wednesday into Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations but didn't initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a>&nbsp;from the National ArchivesAssessments of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-files-release-trump-3e8f31e18468d96b53210572e0992c07">roughly 2,200 files</a>&nbsp;posted by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on its website came with a huge caveat: No one had enough time as of Wednesday to review more than a small fraction of them. The vast majority of the National Archives’ more than 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.An initial Associated Press review of more than 63,000 pages of records released this week shows that some were not directly related to the assassination but rather dealt with covert CIA operations, particularly in Cuba. And nothing in the first documents examined undercut the conclusion that Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.“Nothing points to a second gunman,” said Philip Shenon, who wrote a 2013 book about the assassination. “I haven't seen any big blockbusters that rewrite the essential history of the assassination, but it is very early."Kennedy was killed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">24-year-old Oswald,</a>&nbsp;a former Marine who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast live on television.<h2>Historians hope for new details about the man who killed JFK</h2>A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, established by Johnson to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But critics of the commission still spun a web of alternative theories.Historians are hoping for details fleshing out Oswald's activities before the assassination and what the CIA and FBI knew about him beforehand.Shenon pointed Wednesday to previously released documents about a trip Oswald made to Mexico City at the end of September 1963. Records show Oswald intended to contact the Soviet Union's embassy there after living as a U.S. defector in the U.S.S.R. from October 1959 until June 1962.Shenon said the U.S. government may have kept information about what it knew about Oswald before the assassination secret to hide what he described as officials' possible “incompetence and laziness."“The CIA had Oswald under pretty aggressive surveillance while he was there and this was just several weeks before the assassination,” Shenon said. “There’s reason to believe he talked openly about killing Kennedy in Mexico City and that people overheard him say that.”Speculation about such details surrounding Kennedy’s assassination has been intense over the decades, generating countless conspiracy theories about multiple shooters and involvement by the Soviet Union, the mafia and the CIA. The new release fueled rampant online speculation and sent people scurrying to read the documents and share online what they might mean.<h2>Many documents already were public but information had been redacted</h2>The latest release of documents followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>, though most of the records were made public previously with redactions. Before Tuesday, researchers had estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 files were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">still unreleased</a>, either wholly or partially. Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, said in a statement posted on the social platform X that much of the “rampant overclassification of trivial information has been eliminated” from the documents.<h2>A boon to historians of the Cold War</h2>The latest release also is a boon to historians of the Cold War. Timothy Natafali, an adjunct professor at Columbia University who is writing a book about JFK's presidency, said scholars now appear to have more details about U.S. intelligence activities under Kennedy than under any other president.For example, in October 1975, U.S. senators were investigating what the CIA knew about Oswald, and an October 1975 memo said they considered the agency "not forthcoming.”A version of that memo released in 2023 redacted the name of the CIA's security contact on Oswald in Mexico, as well as the identity of someone behind the “penetration of the Cuban embassy" there. The latest version shows that the security contact was the president of Mexico in 1975, Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who died in 2022, and that the Mexican government itself penetrated the Cuban embassy.Also, Nafatali said, before the latest release, the government had made public copies of President Lyndon B. Johnson's “daily checklist” of highly sensitive foreign intelligence in the days after Kennedy's assassination, but with much of the material redacted. Now, he said, people can read what Johnson read.“It’s quite remarkable to be able to walk through that secret world,” he said.<h2>Some records provide small details about covert operations</h2>Documents show that in December 1963, the CIA director's office was receiving messages from and replying to operatives in Cuba seeking to undermine the government under Fidel Castro. One, on Dec. 9, 1963, relayed a message to the director from Cuba: “TODAY RECD THE MAGNUM PISTOLS BUT NO BULLETS.”“You’re getting both a bird’s-eye view of U.S. foreign policy, and you’re also getting a snail’s eye view of covert action, right there on the ground,” Nafatali said.In a previously released April 1975 memo, the CIA downplayed what it knew about Oswald's visit to Mexico City before the assassination. The memo said the CIA recorded three phone calls between Oswald and a guard at the Soviet embassy, but only in the last one did Oswald identify himself.“We’re now discovering how much more the CIA and the FBI knew before the assassination about Oswald,” Shenon said. “And the question is, why didn’t they act on the information in their own files?"____Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.

JFK assassination files reveal more about CIA but don't yet point to conspiracies

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area high school teacher is facing charges for possessing child pornography on a school computer.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2551/MEYER-COMPLAINT-RED">Austin Meyer, a drama teacher at Truman High School, faces</a>&nbsp;11 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, according to Jackson County Prosecutor&nbsp;Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2550/Meyer-Austin---PC-Statement_Redacted">Click here to read the probably cause statement</a>

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2550/Meyer-Austin---PC-Statement_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were advised by school officials that 11 gigabytes of child pornography had been found on the Meyer's computer. Officers arrested Meyer and he is in custody on a $100,000 cash bond.&nbsp;

The Independence School District announced Meyer was placed on administrative leave due to the criminal investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742506503134.png" alt="Meyer photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Meyer photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area high school teacher is facing charges for possessing child pornography on a school computer.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2551/MEYER-COMPLAINT-RED">Austin Meyer, a drama teacher at Truman High School, faces</a>&nbsp;11 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, according to Jackson County Prosecutor&nbsp;Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2550/Meyer-Austin---PC-Statement_Redacted">Click here to read the probably cause statement</a><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2550/Meyer-Austin---PC-Statement_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were advised by school officials that 11 gigabytes of child pornography had been found on the Meyer's computer. Officers arrested Meyer and he is in custody on a $100,000 cash bond.&nbsp;The Independence School District announced Meyer was placed on administrative leave due to the criminal investigation.

KC area teacher had child porn on his school computer

On March 19th, 2025, Deputies responded to the 1900 block of Mount Pleasant Road for a vehicle in the ditch. Upon arrival, they found a vehicle that had burned with skeletal remains in it. No foul play is suspected, and the case is still under investigation.

Ellis County Sheriff's OfficeOn March 19th, 2025, Deputies responded to the 1900 block of Mount Pleasant Road for a vehicle in the ditch. Upon arrival, they found a vehicle that had burned with skeletal remains in it. No foul play is suspected, and the case is still under investigation.

Burned skeletal remains found inside car in NW Kansas

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico have surpassed a combined 350 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

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

Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

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

Texas state health officials said Friday there were 30 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to 309 across 14 counties — most in West Texas. Four more people were hospitalized, for a total of 40. Three new Texas counties reported cases: Garza, Hockley and Hale.

New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Friday, bringing the state’s total to 42. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in in Eddy County.

Oklahoma's state health department has four probable cases as of this week. Last week, it said the first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

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

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

Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">three clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.

In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740584009532.png" alt="File photo A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>File photo A sign warning of measles is posted on a glass door as a patient checks in for an appointment in the family medicine wing of at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DEVI%20SHASTRI%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico have surpassed a combined 350 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741908251964.png" alt="Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Morton County, Kansas this week, linked to a previous case identified in Stevens County last week, according to a statement from the Morton County Health Department." />
 <figcaption>Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Morton County, Kansas this week, linked to a previous case identified in Stevens County last week, according to a statement from the Morton County Health Department.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas state health officials said Friday there were 30 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to 309 across 14 counties — most in West Texas. Four more people were hospitalized, for a total of 40. Three new Texas counties reported cases: Garza, Hockley and Hale.New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Friday, bringing the state’s total to 42. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in in Eddy County.Oklahoma's state health department has four probable cases as of this week. Last week, it said the first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and WashingtonThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">three clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

Number of measles cases continues to climb

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that Boeing will build the Air Force’s future fighter jet, which the Pentagon says will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed those of its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China.

Known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, the manned jet will serve as quarterback to a fleet of future drone aircraft designed to be able to penetrate the air defenses of China and any other potential foes. The initial contract to proceed with production on a version for the Air Force version is worth an estimated $20 billion.

The 47th president, who announced the award at the White House with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force leadership, said with a grin that the new fighter would be named the F-47.

Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, said, “We're going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare with this." And Hegseth said the future fleet “sends a very clear, direct message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere.”

Critics have questioned the cost and the necessity of the program as the Pentagon is still struggling to fully produce its current most advanced jet, the F-35, which is expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.7 trillion over its lifespan. In addition, the Pentagon's future stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will have many of the same cutting edge technologies in advanced materials, AI, propulsion and stealth.

More than 1,100 F-35s have already been built for the U.S. and multiple international partners.

A fleet of about 100 future&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b21-bomber-warplane-stealth-nuclear-first-flight-2004cca92c641981567cfb1a1800c838">B-21 stealth bombers</a>&nbsp;at an estimated total cost of at least $130 billion is also planned. The first B-21 aircraft are now in test flights.

With evolving drone and space warfare likely to be the center of any fight with China, Dan Grazier, a military procurement analyst, questions whether “another exquisite manned fighter jet really is the right platform going forward.” Grazier, director of the national security reform program at the Stimson Center, said $20 billion is "just seed money. The total costs coming down the road will be hundreds of billions of dollars.”

Few details of what the new NGAD fighter would look like have been public, although Trump said early versions have been conducting test flights for the last five years. Renderings by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing have highlighted a flat, tail-less aircraft with a sharp nose.

The selection of Boeing, which has faced intense pressure from Trump over cost overruns and program delays on Air Force One, came after an independent analysis by the Air Force, an official said on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the selection. The Boeing offer was still determined to be the “best overall value to the government,” the official said.

The Air Force has not specified how many aircraft will be produced. In a statement, however, Allvin said there would be more F-47s produced than F-22s, the advanced fighter jet it's replacing. There are now about 180 F-22 fighter jets in service.

A separate Navy contract for its version of the NGAD fighter is still under competition between Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

Last year, the Biden administration's Air Force secretary, Frank Kendall, ordered a pause on the NGAD program to review if the aircraft was still needed or if the program, which was first designed in 2018, needed to be modified to reflect the past few years of warfighting advances.

That review by think tanks and academia examined what conflict with China would look like with NGAD and then without it — and determined that NGAD was still needed. Kendall then left the decision on which firm would build the fighter jet to the incoming Trump administration, a defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide details on the decision-making.

NGAD will bring “an entirely different level of low observability,” the official said. It will also have a much longer range than the F-35 or other current fighter jets, so it will require less refueling. A future unmanned version of NGAD also is planned as the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKcVvA2Oo-c">improves the AI for the aircraft,</a>&nbsp;the official said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742576430833.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that Boeing will build the Air Force’s future fighter jet, which the Pentagon says will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed those of its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> announce the F-47, &quot;the world&#39;s first sixth-generation fighter jet.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kip4Vbwmrn">pic.twitter.com/kip4Vbwmrn</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903109410701914453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built. An experimental version of the plane has secretly been flying for almost 5 years and we&#39;re confident that it massively overpowers the capabilities of any other nation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/J33fjUogs5">pic.twitter.com/J33fjUogs5</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903109912596537805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> on the new F-47: &quot;This is a big day for our warfighters. This is a big day for our country, a big day in the world ... America is going to have generations in the future of air dominance because of this sixth-generation fighter.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fe3V9oFaWO">pic.twitter.com/fe3V9oFaWO</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1903110938640695520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, the manned jet will serve as quarterback to a fleet of future drone aircraft designed to be able to penetrate the air defenses of China and any other potential foes. The initial contract to proceed with production on a version for the Air Force version is worth an estimated $20 billion.The 47th president, who announced the award at the White House with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force leadership, said with a grin that the new fighter would be named the F-47.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742579994644.png" alt="&nbsp;U.S. Air Force photo shows the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, the F-47." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;U.S. Air Force photo shows the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, the F-47.</figcaption>
 </figure>Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, said, “We're going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare with this." And Hegseth said the future fleet “sends a very clear, direct message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere.”Critics have questioned the cost and the necessity of the program as the Pentagon is still struggling to fully produce its current most advanced jet, the F-35, which is expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.7 trillion over its lifespan. In addition, the Pentagon's future stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will have many of the same cutting edge technologies in advanced materials, AI, propulsion and stealth.More than 1,100 F-35s have already been built for the U.S. and multiple international partners.A fleet of about 100 future&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b21-bomber-warplane-stealth-nuclear-first-flight-2004cca92c641981567cfb1a1800c838">B-21 stealth bombers</a>&nbsp;at an estimated total cost of at least $130 billion is also planned. The first B-21 aircraft are now in test flights.With evolving drone and space warfare likely to be the center of any fight with China, Dan Grazier, a military procurement analyst, questions whether “another exquisite manned fighter jet really is the right platform going forward.” Grazier, director of the national security reform program at the Stimson Center, said $20 billion is "just seed money. The total costs coming down the road will be hundreds of billions of dollars.”Few details of what the new NGAD fighter would look like have been public, although Trump said early versions have been conducting test flights for the last five years. Renderings by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing have highlighted a flat, tail-less aircraft with a sharp nose.The selection of Boeing, which has faced intense pressure from Trump over cost overruns and program delays on Air Force One, came after an independent analysis by the Air Force, an official said on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the selection. The Boeing offer was still determined to be the “best overall value to the government,” the official said.The Air Force has not specified how many aircraft will be produced. In a statement, however, Allvin said there would be more F-47s produced than F-22s, the advanced fighter jet it's replacing. There are now about 180 F-22 fighter jets in service.A separate Navy contract for its version of the NGAD fighter is still under competition between Northrop Grumman and Boeing.Last year, the Biden administration's Air Force secretary, Frank Kendall, ordered a pause on the NGAD program to review if the aircraft was still needed or if the program, which was first designed in 2018, needed to be modified to reflect the past few years of warfighting advances.That review by think tanks and academia examined what conflict with China would look like with NGAD and then without it — and determined that NGAD was still needed. Kendall then left the decision on which firm would build the fighter jet to the incoming Trump administration, a defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide details on the decision-making.NGAD will bring “an entirely different level of low observability,” the official said. It will also have a much longer range than the F-35 or other current fighter jets, so it will require less refueling. A future unmanned version of NGAD also is planned as the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKcVvA2Oo-c">improves the AI for the aircraft,</a>&nbsp;the official said.

🎥F-47: Boeing wins contract for secretive future U.S. fighter jet

The Kansas Department of Transportation is alerting the public to a scam involving fraudulent text messages, known as smishing, that falsely claim to be from KDOT and demand payment for unpaid tolls.

Do not click on the link. It is not a KDOT website. Clicking the link in the text can expose victims to financial fraud, allowing scammers access to bank accounts and personal data.

KDOT does not collect tolls for road usage and does not send unsolicited text messages. The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), a separate state agency responsible for turnpike toll collection, also has been targeted in similar scams.

Those who receive a fraudulent message can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.ic3.gov%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010195b97fb8d1-e0c13cc0-7f4a-4623-a279-52f08a7e107b-000000/GvVlzDirH4OaWctzfEfTStdmBYq6RvT86wci3pXhMeo=397">www.ic3.gov</a>. This site is dedicated to sharing information on internet crimes across law enforcement agencies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742577270565.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Transportation is alerting the public to a scam involving fraudulent text messages, known as smishing, that falsely claim to be from KDOT and demand payment for unpaid tolls.Do not click on the link. It is not a KDOT website. Clicking the link in the text can expose victims to financial fraud, allowing scammers access to bank accounts and personal data.KDOT does not collect tolls for road usage and does not send unsolicited text messages. The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), a separate state agency responsible for turnpike toll collection, also has been targeted in similar scams.Those who receive a fraudulent message can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.ic3.gov%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010195b97fb8d1-e0c13cc0-7f4a-4623-a279-52f08a7e107b-000000/GvVlzDirH4OaWctzfEfTStdmBYq6RvT86wci3pXhMeo=397">www.ic3.gov</a>. This site is dedicated to sharing information on internet crimes across law enforcement agencies.

KDOT warns of smishing scam...'unpaid tolls'

SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 12:05a.m. Friday in Topeka.

A vehicle was northbound in the 1400 Block of SW Wanamaker, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. The vehicle struck the bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not released the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742571842855.png" alt="Police on the scene early Friday- image by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene early Friday- image by Eric Ives courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 12:05a.m. Friday in Topeka.A vehicle was northbound in the 1400 Block of SW Wanamaker, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz. The vehicle struck the bridge. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.Police have not released the name of the victim.

One dead after crash into Kansas bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) —Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the Education Department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations.

She sketched out a roadmap for executing President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">order to dismantle the agency</a>&nbsp;in an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News.

McMahon said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.

“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">U.S. Education Department</a>, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.

Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.

The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities."

It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.

Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its "core necessities," preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.

The White House said earlier Thursday the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn't have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America's students.”

At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.

Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">slashed in half</a>, and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress "to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

Part of her job will be exploring which agencies can take on the Education Department's various roles, she said.

“The Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon told reporters after the signing.

The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department.

"For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system — one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind," said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.

Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">fundamentally unequal</a>&nbsp;education system.

“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”

Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.

“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?" she asked.

Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and federal government have been holding them back.

Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-antisemitism-investigation-trump-23855f8bc5597f4f94a816b6e46b0eac">civil rights enforcement</a>.

The Trump administration has not addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.

States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.

Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">children with disabilities</a>&nbsp;have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.

Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.

Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.

In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.

Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-19-2025">transgender athletes participating in women's sports</a>, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742573578411.png" alt="On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education" />
 <figcaption>On Thursday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the Education Department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations.She sketched out a roadmap for executing President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843">order to dismantle the agency</a>&nbsp;in an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News.McMahon said abolishing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-trump-ab509ad5778497dfbd6d53b9eef692b5">the department</a>&nbsp;“will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way.“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-secretary-linda-mcmahon-a49af0778fa7c50163619d1764f93c91">U.S. Education Department</a>, advancing a campaign promise to take apart an agency that’s been a longtime target of conservatives.Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. Republicans said they will introduce legislation to achieve that, while Democrats have quickly lined up to oppose the idea.The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities."It offers no detail on how that work will be carried out or where it will be targeted, though the White House said the agency will retain certain critical functions.Trump said his administration will close the department beyond its "core necessities," preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants and money for children with disabilities.The White House said earlier Thursday the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the order appears to say the opposite. It says the Education Department doesn't have the staff to oversee its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and “must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America's students.”At a signing ceremony, Trump blamed the department for America’s lagging academic performance and said states will do a better job.“It’s doing us no good," he said.Already, Trump's Republican administration has been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-layoffs-job-cuts-linda-mcmahon-ce9f6a8a63972aede0d8fbdf057ab788">slashed in half</a>, and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation’s academic progress.Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will remove red tape and empower states to decide what’s best for their schools. But she promised to continue essential services and work with states and Congress "to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”Part of her job will be exploring which agencies can take on the Education Department's various roles, she said.“The Department of Justice already has a civil rights office, and I think that there is an opportunity to discuss with Attorney General Bondi about locating some of our civil rights work there,” McMahon told reporters after the signing.The measure was celebrated by groups that have long called for an end to the department."For decades, it has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into a failing system — one that prioritizes leftist indoctrination over academic excellence, all while student achievement stagnates and America falls further behind," said Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.Advocates for public schools said eliminating the department would leave children behind in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-layoffs-closure-c7cddd1dbf310dadcd70e003d62a6df0">fundamentally unequal</a>&nbsp;education system.“This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.Opponents are already gearing up for legal challenges, including Democracy Forward, a public interest litigation group. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the order a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.”Margaret Spellings, who served as education secretary under Republican President George W. Bush, questioned whether whether the department will be able to accomplish its remaining missions, and whether it will ultimately improve schools.“Will it distract us from the ability to focus urgently on student achievement, or will people be figuring out how to run the train?" she asked.Spellings said schools have always been run by local and state officials, and rejected the idea that the Education Department and federal government have been holding them back.Currently, much of the agency’s work revolves around managing money — both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campus-antisemitism-investigation-trump-23855f8bc5597f4f94a816b6e46b0eac">civil rights enforcement</a>.The Trump administration has not addressed the fate of other department operations, like its support for for technical education and adult learning, grants for rural schools and after-school programs, and a federal work-study program that provides employment to students with financial need.States and districts already control local schools, including curriculum, but some conservatives have pushed to cut strings attached to federal money and provide it to states as “block grants” to be used at their discretion.Block granting has raised questions about vital funding sources including Title I, the largest source of federal money to America’s K-12 schools. Families of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-department-iep-disability-civil-rights-trump-85a6687d9ef1f5236f2637924d66a560">children with disabilities</a>&nbsp;have despaired over what could come of the federal department's work protecting their rights.Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets — roughly 14%. The money often supports supplemental programs for vulnerable students, such as the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students or Title I for low-income schools.Republicans have talked about closing the Education Department for decades, saying it wastes money and inserts the federal government into decisions that should fall to states and schools. The idea has gained popularity recently as conservative parents’ groups demand more authority over their children’s schooling.In his platform, Trump promised to close the department “and send it back to the states, where it belongs.” Trump has cast the department as a hotbed of “radicals, zealots and Marxists” who overextend their reach through guidance and regulation.Even as Trump moves to dismantle the department, he has leaned on it to promote elements of his agenda. He has used investigative powers of the Office for Civil Rights and the threat of withdrawing federal education money to target schools and colleges that run afoul of his orders on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-3-19-2025">transgender athletes participating in women's sports</a>, pro-Palestinian activism and diversity programs.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, dismissed Trump's claim that he's returning education to the states. She said he is actually “trying to exert ever more control over local schools and dictate what they can and cannot teach.”

Education Secretary says she’ll ‘unwind’ regulations

RENO COUNTY —One person and a pet died in house fire on Friday.

Just before 4a.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department received a call of a house fire in the 200 Block of West 15th in Hutchinson, according to a media release. Dispatch advised of possible victims inside the home. First arriving crews found a 1 and one half story home that was fully on fire with multiple exposures that consisted of residential homes. 

Crews initiated a defensive attack and worked to prevent the fire from spreading. Two nearby homes sustained moderate damage and were saved. 

 The fire was considered controlled 90 minutes after arrival. One victim and a dog died in the fire.

 Hutchinson Structural Collapse personnel brought in special equipment to shore up a load bearing wall and secure a chimney before personnel were allowed into the home to remove the victim and continue work to put the fire out.

Hutchinson Public Works Department brought in a loader to assist in removal of debris. The home is a complete loss.&nbsp; The 2 other homes were also occupied at the time of the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported. 

The HFD fire investigator and the State Fire Marshal are currently investigating to determine cause and origin.  A medical examiner from Wichita has also been brought in to assist.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742552892095.jpeg" alt="Photo Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —One person and a pet died in house fire on Friday.Just before 4a.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department received a call of a house fire in the 200 Block of West 15th in Hutchinson, according to a media release. Dispatch advised of possible victims inside the home. First arriving crews found a 1 and one half story home that was fully on fire with multiple exposures that consisted of residential homes. Crews initiated a defensive attack and worked to prevent the fire from spreading. Two nearby homes sustained moderate damage and were saved. The fire was considered controlled 90 minutes after arrival. One victim and a dog died in the fire. Hutchinson Structural Collapse personnel brought in special equipment to shore up a load bearing wall and secure a chimney before personnel were allowed into the home to remove the victim and continue work to put the fire out.Hutchinson Public Works Department brought in a loader to assist in removal of debris. The home is a complete loss.&nbsp; The 2 other homes were also occupied at the time of the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported. The HFD fire investigator and the State Fire Marshal are currently investigating to determine cause and origin. A medical examiner from Wichita has also been brought in to assist.&nbsp; The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

One person and a dog killed in Kansas house fire

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

TOPEKA — Rep. Sean Tarwater prayed Thursday for his House colleagues who support a satanic plot to make a mockery of his faith.

Tarwater, who identified himself as a devout Catholic, said he stayed silent earlier in the week during a committee hearing on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hr6016/" target="_blank">House Resolution 6016</a>, which denounces&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/16/afraid-of-letting-satan-loose-in-the-kansas-statehouse-then-check-your-religion-at-the-door-too/">the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass</a>&nbsp;on March 28 at the Statehouse. Tarwater, R-Stillwell, said he was afraid of what he might say if he spoke up during the hearing.

“I was simply dumbfounded by what I heard from some of those that are on the committee,” Tarwater said. “My blood was boiling, and I was deeply emotional. It was a terrible afternoon. The excuses that were made to support the black mass were plentiful and were nothing but an attempt to veil support for the mockery of Catholic religion.”

The House approved the resolution Thursday by a voice vote after members debated the balance between respecting First Amendment protections for offensive speech — and their own right to respond.

The Satanic Grotto’s plans, which include desecration of a Bible and communion wafers, caused an uproar in the Catholic community. Gov. Laura Kelly demanded the group&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">hold the black mass outside the Capitol</a>, which the group’s president agreed to do after initially intending to defy her. Legislative leadership also&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/kansas-legislators-archbishop-take-action-against-satanists-and-their-planned-black-mass/">modified rules designed to limit protests at the Statehouse</a>, and an archbishop filed a civil lawsuit accusing the group of stealing consecrated hosts to use during the black mass.

The House adopted the resolution to make a statement, although it carries no legal weight, that it considers the black mass to be “a despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.” Seventy-five members sponsored the resolution, which also calls for “all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God.”

Allegations that the Satanic Grotto has committed a crime are based on assumptions about what the group means when it says the black mass will include the destruction of a communion wafer.

Rep. Silas Miller, D-Wichita, said during Thursday’s debate in the House that you can buy communion wafers on Amazon for $7.

“The satanists did this specifically to get your attention, and it worked,” Miller said. “And sadly, we’re still missing the point.”

Tarwater said he could handle being offended and that the resolution wasn’t going to stop the satanists: “It’s going to happen, unfortunately.”

He closed his mournful-sounding speech by quoting Bible verse from Luke 23:34.

“What eats at me the most is that I fear for the souls of those that are going to be involved with this black mass, and especially for those that are supporting the black mass in this room and on that committee,” Tarwater said. “And from my souls and my friends and colleagues, I’ve been sitting over there and listening and praying for all of you: ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ ”

Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, a Topeka Democrat and pastor, said he supported the resolution because it doesn’t forbid the Satanic Grotto from protesting.

“I do take exception when a group willfully tries to bait and offend the believers of other faiths in things that are sacred to them,” Schlingensiepen said.

He said he also would denounce the use of Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist symbols “in order to somehow poke fun at them.”

“That said, I want to make an additional point. As a Christian, I will say this: I personally wish that we took the substance of our faith as seriously as we do the abuse of its symbols,” Schlingensiepen said.

He said the Legislature too often has departed from the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.

“If you’re truly Christian, and I can only speak for my side of or my portion of that spectrum, than to be taking care of the poor, taking care of the marginalized, is a fundamental Christian commitment,” Schlingensiepen said.

Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, said legislators talk about a lot of subjects, “and I cannot think of one any better than our faith an our beliefs.”

“Do we show love all the time the way it needs to be seen? Probably not,” Rahjes said. “But I think all of us, at one time or the other, when we’ve been on this floor this year, have said a little prayer for our colleague who maybe we don’t agree with. We may have said, ‘Bless their heart,’ under our voice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742559990940.png" alt="Rep. Sean Tarwater, seen outside a March 18, 2025, closed meeting of House Republicans, prayed for colleagues who support the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Sean Tarwater, seen outside a March 18, 2025, closed meeting of House Republicans, prayed for colleagues who support the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass at the Statehouse. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Sean Tarwater prayed Thursday for his House colleagues who support a satanic plot to make a mockery of his faith.Tarwater, who identified himself as a devout Catholic, said he stayed silent earlier in the week during a committee hearing on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hr6016/" target="_blank">House Resolution 6016</a>, which denounces&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/16/afraid-of-letting-satan-loose-in-the-kansas-statehouse-then-check-your-religion-at-the-door-too/">the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass</a>&nbsp;on March 28 at the Statehouse. Tarwater, R-Stillwell, said he was afraid of what he might say if he spoke up during the hearing.“I was simply dumbfounded by what I heard from some of those that are on the committee,” Tarwater said. “My blood was boiling, and I was deeply emotional. It was a terrible afternoon. The excuses that were made to support the black mass were plentiful and were nothing but an attempt to veil support for the mockery of Catholic religion.”The House approved the resolution Thursday by a voice vote after members debated the balance between respecting First Amendment protections for offensive speech — and their own right to respond.The Satanic Grotto’s plans, which include desecration of a Bible and communion wafers, caused an uproar in the Catholic community. Gov. Laura Kelly demanded the group&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/12/kansas-satanists-plan-to-defy-governor-with-therapeutic-blasphemy-in-black-mass-at-statehouse/">hold the black mass outside the Capitol</a>, which the group’s president agreed to do after initially intending to defy her. Legislative leadership also&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/kansas-legislators-archbishop-take-action-against-satanists-and-their-planned-black-mass/">modified rules designed to limit protests at the Statehouse</a>, and an archbishop filed a civil lawsuit accusing the group of stealing consecrated hosts to use during the black mass.The House adopted the resolution to make a statement, although it carries no legal weight, that it considers the black mass to be “a despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.” Seventy-five members sponsored the resolution, which also calls for “all Kansans to promote unity, mutual respect and the values that uphold our identity as one nation under God.”Allegations that the Satanic Grotto has committed a crime are based on assumptions about what the group means when it says the black mass will include the destruction of a communion wafer.Rep. Silas Miller, D-Wichita, said during Thursday’s debate in the House that you can buy communion wafers on Amazon for $7.“The satanists did this specifically to get your attention, and it worked,” Miller said. “And sadly, we’re still missing the point.”Tarwater said he could handle being offended and that the resolution wasn’t going to stop the satanists: “It’s going to happen, unfortunately.”He closed his mournful-sounding speech by quoting Bible verse from Luke 23:34.“What eats at me the most is that I fear for the souls of those that are going to be involved with this black mass, and especially for those that are supporting the black mass in this room and on that committee,” Tarwater said. “And from my souls and my friends and colleagues, I’ve been sitting over there and listening and praying for all of you: ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.’ ”Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, a Topeka Democrat and pastor, said he supported the resolution because it doesn’t forbid the Satanic Grotto from protesting.“I do take exception when a group willfully tries to bait and offend the believers of other faiths in things that are sacred to them,” Schlingensiepen said.He said he also would denounce the use of Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist symbols “in order to somehow poke fun at them.”“That said, I want to make an additional point. As a Christian, I will say this: I personally wish that we took the substance of our faith as seriously as we do the abuse of its symbols,” Schlingensiepen said.He said the Legislature too often has departed from the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount.“If you’re truly Christian, and I can only speak for my side of or my portion of that spectrum, than to be taking care of the poor, taking care of the marginalized, is a fundamental Christian commitment,” Schlingensiepen said.Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, said legislators talk about a lot of subjects, “and I cannot think of one any better than our faith an our beliefs.”“Do we show love all the time the way it needs to be seen? Probably not,” Rahjes said. “But I think all of us, at one time or the other, when we’ve been on this floor this year, have said a little prayer for our colleague who maybe we don’t agree with. We may have said, ‘Bless their heart,’ under our voice.”

Kan. House denounces satanic black mass as ‘despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege’

RENO COUNTY —A juvenile died in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reno County.

The Reno County Sheriff's office reported the accident involved a 2000 Dodge Dakota with three occupants just west of the Turon city limits on Sun City Road. The vehicle collided with a bridge rail and continued past the bridge&nbsp;

Two occupants had minor to no injuries. The 3rd occupant, a juvenile, was found to be deceased at the scene, according to the Sheriff's office.

Reno County EMS and Reno County Fire District 7 were also dispatched to the accident. The sheriff's office did not release the names of those involved.. This accident is still under investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

RENO COUNTY —A juvenile died in an accident just after 7:30p.m. Thursday in Reno County.The Reno County Sheriff's office reported the accident involved a 2000 Dodge Dakota with three occupants just west of the Turon city limits on Sun City Road. The vehicle collided with a bridge rail and continued past the bridge&nbsp;Two occupants had minor to no injuries. The 3rd occupant, a juvenile, was found to be deceased at the scene, according to the Sheriff's office.Reno County EMS and Reno County Fire District 7 were also dispatched to the accident. The sheriff's office did not release the names of those involved.. This accident is still under investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. juvenile dead after pickup crash into bridge rail

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight have two suspects in custody in connection with the crime and continue asking the public for help to locate a third.

The Wichita Police Department is asking for information on the whereabouts of 20-year-old Jerry Johnson.&nbsp; The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office charged Johnson in reference to his involvement to a homicide that occurred on February 11.

Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.

Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.

An 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact investigators at 316-268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111, or See Something Say Something at 316-519-2282.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating a fatal gun fight have two suspects in custody in connection with the crime and continue asking the public for help to locate a third.The Wichita Police Department is asking for information on the whereabouts of 20-year-old Jerry Johnson.&nbsp; The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office charged Johnson in reference to his involvement to a homicide that occurred on February 11.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739989718610.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 6p.m. Feb. 11, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of S. Bleckley in Wichita, according to Police Department spokesperson Brad Wright.Officers arrived at the scene and found 23-year-old Manuel Roach with a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance occurred involving Roach and three unidentified males dressed in all black. Following the incident, the suspects departed the scene in a white SUV before law enforcement arrival. The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting are still under investigation, according to Wright. Police do believe this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other.An 18-year-old identified as Sergio Clement arrived at a local hospital with a single gunshot wound to his lower extremity. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Clement and 21-year-old Alan Griffin, Jr. were involved in the fatal shooting of Roach. As a result, both were arrested and booked into Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact investigators at 316-268-4407, Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111, or See Something Say Something at 316-519-2282.

Search continues for suspect in deadly Kansas gun fight

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 22-year-old Dayteonna&nbsp;Thompson, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance at an apartment in the 600 block of E Minor Drive in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

On arrival officers were directed to an apartment unit where they located two adult women inside with unknown injuries. One of the women was alert and talking with what appeared to be minor injuries and another was unresponsive with significant injuries.

Based on preliminary information obtained by the initial responding officers, additional responding officers were able to locate a male subject of interest and take him into custody, for further investigation, a short distance away within the apartment complex.

Initial officers rendered aid to the injured victims and called for EMS who transported both the victims to the hospital for treatment. The female victim with significant injuries later identified as Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; deceased at the hospital. The second woman was treated for what is believed to be non life threatening injuries.

Based on preliminary information it is believed the male subject of interest is known to the women.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 22-year-old Dayteonna&nbsp;Thompson, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a disturbance at an apartment in the 600 block of E Minor Drive in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.On arrival officers were directed to an apartment unit where they located two adult women inside with unknown injuries. One of the women was alert and talking with what appeared to be minor injuries and another was unresponsive with significant injuries.Based on preliminary information obtained by the initial responding officers, additional responding officers were able to locate a male subject of interest and take him into custody, for further investigation, a short distance away within the apartment complex.Initial officers rendered aid to the injured victims and called for EMS who transported both the victims to the hospital for treatment. The female victim with significant injuries later identified as Thompson was pronounced&nbsp; deceased at the hospital. The second woman was treated for what is believed to be non life threatening injuries.Based on preliminary information it is believed the male subject of interest is known to the women.

Police ID woman who died in KC apartment disturbance

OSBORNE COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of train derailment in Downs, Kansas.

Early Thursday, a Kyle Railroad train passing through Downs derailed seven railcars carrying corn, according to Kyle Railroad spokesman Tom Ciuba.&nbsp;There were no injuries, and no hazardous materials were involved.&nbsp;

All railroad crossings that were blocked in town are now open.

OSBORNE COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of train derailment in Downs, Kansas.Early Thursday, a Kyle Railroad train passing through Downs derailed seven railcars carrying corn, according to Kyle Railroad spokesman Tom Ciuba.&nbsp;There were no injuries, and no hazardous materials were involved.&nbsp;All railroad crossings that were blocked in town are now open.

Cause of Kansas train derailment under investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities at Wichita State University are investigating after a bomb threat at 17th and Yale, near campus, according to an alert sent by the school late Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp; 

The school sent an all-clear alert later. Police released no additional details.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities at Wichita State University are investigating after a bomb threat at 17th and Yale, near campus, according to an alert sent by the school late Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp; The school sent an all-clear alert later. Police released no additional details.

All clear after bomb threat at Wichita State University

DOUGLAS COUNTY—The search continues for the&nbsp;driver who fled from an attempted vehicle stop Wednesday night leading to a pursuit through a Lawrence, Kansas, neighborhood before the driver struck a concrete barrier at Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.

Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy recognized the driver as someone with outstanding warrants and attempted to stop the vehicle near West Seventh Street and Lawrence Avenue before the driver fled in a 2004 Cadillac DeVille.&nbsp;

Striking the barrier deflated a tire on the vehicle, and the driver ran from the scene through backyards between residences in the 500 block of Schwarz Road. Lawrence police officers assisted deputies in searching the area, including using a drone and K-9.

Law enforcement did not locate the suspect. Deputies did identify the suspect and planned to submit an affidavit to prosecutors related to charges for felony fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement related to the pursuit.

Deputies took one passenger in the DeVille, a 21-year-old Lawrence man, into custody on warrants outside of Douglas County.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the suspects.

DOUGLAS COUNTY—The search continues for the&nbsp;driver who fled from an attempted vehicle stop Wednesday night leading to a pursuit through a Lawrence, Kansas, neighborhood before the driver struck a concrete barrier at Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, a Douglas County Sheriff's deputy recognized the driver as someone with outstanding warrants and attempted to stop the vehicle near West Seventh Street and Lawrence Avenue before the driver fled in a 2004 Cadillac DeVille.&nbsp;Striking the barrier deflated a tire on the vehicle, and the driver ran from the scene through backyards between residences in the 500 block of Schwarz Road. Lawrence police officers assisted deputies in searching the area, including using a drone and K-9.Law enforcement did not locate the suspect. Deputies did identify the suspect and planned to submit an affidavit to prosecutors related to charges for felony fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement related to the pursuit.Deputies took one passenger in the DeVille, a 21-year-old Lawrence man, into custody on warrants outside of Douglas County.&nbsp; The sheriff's office did not release the name of the suspects.

Kansas suspect at large after running from police chase, crash

WASHINGTON —The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in Middle East, pursue its nuclear program, and support its terrorist proxies.&nbsp; Iran’s oil exports are enabled by a network of illicit shipping facilitators in multiple jurisdictions who, through obfuscation and deception, load and transport Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.

WASHINGTON —The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in Middle East, pursue its nuclear program, and support its terrorist proxies.&nbsp; Iran’s oil exports are enabled by a network of illicit shipping facilitators in multiple jurisdictions who, through obfuscation and deception, load and transport Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.On Thursday, the United States announced it is taking action under National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2, President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on Iran.&nbsp; This action marks the fourth round of sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales to stop the flow of revenue the regime uses to fund their destabilizing activities.&nbsp; The Department of State is imposing sanctions on one entity engaged in the acquisition of Iranian petroleum.&nbsp; This target is being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran.&nbsp; In a separate action, the Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on 19 entities and vessels pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors.Specifically, the Department of State is taking action against a crude oil and petroleum products storage terminal in the port of Huizhou in China.&nbsp; The terminal received and stored Iranian-origin crude oil onboard a blocked tanker.&nbsp; Crude oil and petroleum products terminals based in China serve as the gateway for Iranian petroleum products to enter the Chinese market.&nbsp; As China is the largest importer of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, terminals in China play a critical role in supporting Iran’s efforts to maintain revenues from its energy exports and fuel its destabilizing activities.The Department is designating the following entity pursuant to section 3(a)(ii) of E.O. 13846 for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran:<ul>
 <li>HUAYING HUIZHOU DAYA BAY PETROCHEMICAL TERMINAL STORAGE CO., LTD (HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL)&nbsp;knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the acquisition of crude oil from Iran in late January 2025, when the U.S.-designated tanker, formerly SPIRIT OF CASPER, also known as NICHOLA, offloaded approximately one million barrels of Iranian-origin crude oil at the Huaying Daya Bay terminal, a China-based petroleum products storage terminal that is owned and operated by HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL.</li><li>NICHOLA, which was added to the SDN List in October 2024 in connection with transporting multiple shipments of Iranian oil to China-based refineries, loaded Iranian-origin petroleum in December 2024, when it engaged in a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer in the eastern outer port limits near Singapore with U.S.-designated SALINA, an Iran-flagged tanker associated with the U.S.-designated NATIONAL IRANIAN TANKER COMPANY (NITC). At the time of the transfer, SALINA was laden with petroleum from Kharg Island, Iran, which it had loaded a month earlier in November 2024.</li><li>Several days before the NICHOLA arrived at the Huaying terminal, multiple sources reported that the vessel was laden with Iranian-origin petroleum. On January 22, 2025, HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL received NICHOLA at its petroleum products berth, where the vessel subsequently discharged approximately one million barrels of Iranian crude oil.&nbsp; Since March 2021, HUAYING PETROCHEMICAL has received at least nine shipments of Iranian petroleum at its terminal facility, seven of which came from the U.S.-designated NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL COMPANY).</li>
 </ul>SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONSAs a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with E.O. 13846, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).&nbsp; Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.&nbsp; These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.