WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-kash-patel-what-happens-next-6b2678baba229362d25b468ed2f61f87">New FBI Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday.

Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department’s largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives.

The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it’s announced publicly. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-justice-department-8fa2f99b7915ee18def9fdf61150741f">Patel was sworn in Friday</a>&nbsp;as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kash-patel-fbi-trump-things-to-know-4cb7802bb3378576f3aa37df5f9770ad">steadfast Trump ally’s</a>&nbsp;plans to radically overhaul the FBI.

ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it’s in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations.

The move was first reported Saturday by ABC News.

The news comes days after Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF’s top lawyer. Bondi said in a Fox News interview Friday that she fired chief counsel Pamela Hicks because the agency was “targeting gun owners.” Hicks, who spent more than 20 years as a Justice Department lawyer, said in a social media post that being ATF chief counsel was the “highest honor” of her career.

Conservatives have long railed against ATF over its role in regulating firearms and have suggested shuttering the agency. Under the Biden administration, the ATF advanced new regulations aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">cracking down on ghost guns</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-administration-background-checks-atf-rule-70261cc0512eea8d52ef9585a9a48ab2">requiring thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks</a>&nbsp;on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores.

In an executive order earlier this month, President Donald Trump directed the attorney general to review all actions taken by the Biden administration around firearms “to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens.”

Gun safety groups have raised alarm about putting Patel in charge of the FBI, with gun control group Brady calling him a “known gun rights extremist.” Gun Owners of America, a gun rights group, called his confirmation as FBI director “a major victory for gun owners and constitutional rights advocates nationwide.”

The last confirmed ATF director was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-shooting-victims-gun-violence-atf-dettelbach-12c3ed0f8d8826b6d13dd88bf185f4e9">Steve Dettelbach</a>, a former federal prosecutor, who led the agency from July 2022 until last month. He was the first confirmed director since 2015 as both Republican and Democratic administrations failed to get nominees through the politically fraught process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740279531054.png" alt="<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-justice-department-8fa2f99b7915ee18def9fdf61150741f">Patel was sworn in Friday</a>&nbsp;as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kash-patel-fbi-trump-things-to-know-4cb7802bb3378576f3aa37df5f9770ad">steadfast Trump ally’s</a>&nbsp;plans to radically overhaul the FBI.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-justice-department-8fa2f99b7915ee18def9fdf61150741f">Patel was sworn in Friday</a>&nbsp;as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kash-patel-fbi-trump-things-to-know-4cb7802bb3378576f3aa37df5f9770ad">steadfast Trump ally’s</a>&nbsp;plans to radically overhaul the FBI.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-kash-patel-what-happens-next-6b2678baba229362d25b468ed2f61f87">New FBI Director Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday.Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department’s largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives.The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it’s announced publicly. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737910381416.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Patel in December -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall met with Patel in December -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-justice-department-8fa2f99b7915ee18def9fdf61150741f">Patel was sworn in Friday</a>&nbsp;as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kash-patel-fbi-trump-things-to-know-4cb7802bb3378576f3aa37df5f9770ad">steadfast Trump ally’s</a>&nbsp;plans to radically overhaul the FBI.ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it’s in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations.The move was first reported Saturday by ABC News.The news comes days after Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF’s top lawyer. Bondi said in a Fox News interview Friday that she fired chief counsel Pamela Hicks because the agency was “targeting gun owners.” Hicks, who spent more than 20 years as a Justice Department lawyer, said in a social media post that being ATF chief counsel was the “highest honor” of her career.Conservatives have long railed against ATF over its role in regulating firearms and have suggested shuttering the agency. Under the Biden administration, the ATF advanced new regulations aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">cracking down on ghost guns</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-administration-background-checks-atf-rule-70261cc0512eea8d52ef9585a9a48ab2">requiring thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks</a>&nbsp;on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores.In an executive order earlier this month, President Donald Trump directed the attorney general to review all actions taken by the Biden administration around firearms “to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens.”Gun safety groups have raised alarm about putting Patel in charge of the FBI, with gun control group Brady calling him a “known gun rights extremist.” Gun Owners of America, a gun rights group, called his confirmation as FBI director “a major victory for gun owners and constitutional rights advocates nationwide.”The last confirmed ATF director was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maine-shooting-victims-gun-violence-atf-dettelbach-12c3ed0f8d8826b6d13dd88bf185f4e9">Steve Dettelbach</a>, a former federal prosecutor, who led the agency from July 2022 until last month. He was the first confirmed director since 2015 as both Republican and Democratic administrations failed to get nominees through the politically fraught process.

New FBI Director will also be named acting head of the ATF, official says

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just after 1a.m. Saturday in Kansas.

A Chevrolet Tahoe was eastbound on NE Cookingham Road at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins. Just east of NE Reinking Road, the driver of the SUV failed to negotiate the curvature of the roadway. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left down the grassy embankment and continued&nbsp; eastbound along the embankment. 

The SUV struck a roadway sign, several small trees and then struck a large tree and caught on fire. The entire vehicle was engulfed in flames

The driver and front seat passenger were both declared deceased at the scene, according to Becchina. The rear seat passenger was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp; These are fatalities # 6 and 7 for 2025 compared to #17 at this time last year, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The names of the victims have not been released.

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just after 1a.m. Saturday in Kansas.A Chevrolet Tahoe was eastbound on NE Cookingham Road at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchins. Just east of NE Reinking Road, the driver of the SUV failed to negotiate the curvature of the roadway. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left down the grassy embankment and continued&nbsp; eastbound along the embankment. The SUV struck a roadway sign, several small trees and then struck a large tree and caught on fire. The entire vehicle was engulfed in flamesThe driver and front seat passenger were both declared deceased at the scene, according to Becchina. The rear seat passenger was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp; These are fatalities # 6 and 7 for 2025 compared to #17 at this time last year, according to Becchina.&nbsp; The names of the victims have not been released.

KCPD: 2 dead after SUV crash and fire

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been given little more than 48 hours to explain what they accomplished over the last week, sparking confusion across key agencies as billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;expands his crusade to slash the size of federal government.

Musk, who serves as President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;cost-cutting chief, telegraphed the extraordinary request on his social media network on Saturday.

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk posted on X, which he owns. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

Shortly afterward, federal employees — including some judges, court staff and federal prison officials — received a three-line email with this instruction: “Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager."

The deadline to reply was listed as Monday at 11:59 p.m., although the email did not include Musk's social media threat about those who fail to respond.

The latest unusual directive from Musk's team injects a new sense of chaos across beleaguered multiple agencies, including the National Weather Service, the State Department and the federal court system, as senior officials worked to verify the message's authenticity Saturday night and in some cases, instructed their employees not to respond.

Thousands of government employees have already been forced out of the federal workforce — either by being fired or offered a buyout — during the first month of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s administration</a>&nbsp;as the White House and Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency fire both new and career workers, tell agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force” and freeze trillions of dollars in federal grant funds.

There is no official figure available for the total firings or layoffs so far, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">The Associated Press has tallied</a>&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of workers who are being affected. Many work outside of Washington. The cuts include thousands at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Parks Service, among others.

Labor union leaders quickly condemned the ultimatum and threatened legal action.

AFGE President Everett Kelley called the new order an example of Trump and Musk's “utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”

“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," Kelley said. “AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.”

Musk on Friday celebrated his new role at a gathering of conservatives by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-chainsaw-trump-doge-6568e9e0cfc42ad6cdcfd58a409eb312">waving a giant chainsaw</a>&nbsp;in the air. He called it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy” and said, “Waste is pretty much everywhere” in the federal government.

McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson at the Office of Personnel Management, confirmed Musk's directive and said that individual agencies would "determine any next steps.”

What happens if an employee is on leave or vacation? Again, she said individual agencies would determine how to proceed.

In a message to employees on Saturday night, federal court officials instructed recipients not to respond.

“We understand that some judges and judiciary staff have received an email ... directing the recipient to reply with 5 accomplishments from the prior week. Please be advised that this email did not originate from the Judiciary or the Administrative Office and we suggest that no action be taken," officials wrote.

Judges around the country got emails from Musk's team in late January, apparently by mistake, U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss said earlier this month. Moss said he’d also gotten a message and ignored it.

The National Weather Service leadership acknowledged some confusion in a message to its employees late Saturday as well.

“Within the last few hours, some of us — potentially all of us -- received an email message titled ‘What did you do last week?’ Until such time as we can verify that the message that was received at or around 4:46pm ET is authentic, please do not respond.”

National Weather Service leadership continued: "Thank you all for your continued support and dedication ensuring public safety and the national security of our country.”

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein, Chris Megerian, Matthew Lee, Lindsay Whitehurst, Michael Sisak and Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740104356573.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been given little more than 48 hours to explain what they accomplished over the last week, sparking confusion across key agencies as billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;expands his crusade to slash the size of federal government.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740270477857.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Musk, who serves as President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;cost-cutting chief, telegraphed the extraordinary request on his social media network on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740324839366.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/SilB4gbF0O">pic.twitter.com/SilB4gbF0O</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1893665635407675670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Consistent with President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1893386883444437415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk posted on X, which he owns. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”Shortly afterward, federal employees — including some judges, court staff and federal prison officials — received a three-line email with this instruction: “Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager."The deadline to reply was listed as Monday at 11:59 p.m., although the email did not include Musk's social media threat about those who fail to respond.The latest unusual directive from Musk's team injects a new sense of chaos across beleaguered multiple agencies, including the National Weather Service, the State Department and the federal court system, as senior officials worked to verify the message's authenticity Saturday night and in some cases, instructed their employees not to respond.Thousands of government employees have already been forced out of the federal workforce — either by being fired or offered a buyout — during the first month of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump’s administration</a>&nbsp;as the White House and Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency fire both new and career workers, tell agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force” and freeze trillions of dollars in federal grant funds.There is no official figure available for the total firings or layoffs so far, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">The Associated Press has tallied</a>&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of workers who are being affected. Many work outside of Washington. The cuts include thousands at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Parks Service, among others.Labor union leaders quickly condemned the ultimatum and threatened legal action.AFGE President Everett Kelley called the new order an example of Trump and Musk's “utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life," Kelley said. “AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.”Musk on Friday celebrated his new role at a gathering of conservatives by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-chainsaw-trump-doge-6568e9e0cfc42ad6cdcfd58a409eb312">waving a giant chainsaw</a>&nbsp;in the air. He called it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy” and said, “Waste is pretty much everywhere” in the federal government.McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson at the Office of Personnel Management, confirmed Musk's directive and said that individual agencies would "determine any next steps.”What happens if an employee is on leave or vacation? Again, she said individual agencies would determine how to proceed.In a message to employees on Saturday night, federal court officials instructed recipients not to respond.“We understand that some judges and judiciary staff have received an email ... directing the recipient to reply with 5 accomplishments from the prior week. Please be advised that this email did not originate from the Judiciary or the Administrative Office and we suggest that no action be taken," officials wrote.Judges around the country got emails from Musk's team in late January, apparently by mistake, U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss said earlier this month. Moss said he’d also gotten a message and ignored it.The National Weather Service leadership acknowledged some confusion in a message to its employees late Saturday as well.“Within the last few hours, some of us — potentially all of us -- received an email message titled ‘What did you do last week?’ Until such time as we can verify that the message that was received at or around 4:46pm ET is authentic, please do not respond.”National Weather Service leadership continued: "Thank you all for your continued support and dedication ensuring public safety and the national security of our country.”___Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein, Chris Megerian, Matthew Lee, Lindsay Whitehurst, Michael Sisak and Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this report.

Read the email: Musk gives federal workers 48 hours to explain what they did last week

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon found guilty in a fatal shooting that occurred just days after his release from prison is going back to prison for the rest of his life.

&nbsp;This week, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 38-year-old Jeremy Miles of Wichita to life without parole eligibility for 586 months for first-degree murder and 19 months for criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury found Miles guilty of the killing that occurred in August of 2023.

Just before 11a.m. Aug. 30, 2023, police were dispatched to a reported shooting at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of S. Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;

First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;69-year-old James Gibson of Wichita with gunshot wounds inside an apartment. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police&nbsp; arrested&nbsp;Miles for the crime. He has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and had been placed on In-State Post Release just a week before the murder, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693488696173.png" alt="Miles-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Miles-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon found guilty in a fatal shooting that occurred just days after his release from prison is going back to prison for the rest of his life.&nbsp;This week, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 38-year-old Jeremy Miles of Wichita to life without parole eligibility for 586 months for first-degree murder and 19 months for criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon,&nbsp;according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In October, a jury found Miles guilty of the killing that occurred in August of 2023.Just before 11a.m. Aug. 30, 2023, police were dispatched to a reported shooting at an apartment complex in the 2000 block of S. Seneca in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740065155471.png" alt="Miles photo Kansas Dept. of Correction" />
 <figcaption>Miles photo Kansas Dept. of Correction</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders&nbsp; located&nbsp;69-year-old James Gibson of Wichita with gunshot wounds inside an apartment. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police&nbsp; arrested&nbsp;Miles for the crime. He has three previous convictions for aggravated robbery and one for criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and had been placed on In-State Post Release just a week before the murder, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas felon killed man a week after release from prison

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old pope, who remains conscious, received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.

“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday (Friday), the pope is not out of danger,” the statement said. It was the first time “critical” had been used in a written statement to describe Francis' condition since he was hospitalized Feb. 14.

The statement also said that the pontiff “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday." Doctors declined to offer a prognosis, saying it was “reserved.”

Doctors have said Francis' condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease.

They have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-illness-explainer-pneumonia-vatican-6c90fdb0d03ed1703293564686a80978">onset of sepsis</a>, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.

Saturday's blood tests showed that he had developed a low platelet count, a condition called platelopenia or thrombocytopenia. Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood that help form blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Low platelet counts can be caused by a number of things, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Francis, who has chronic lung disease and is prone to bronchitis in winter, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-gemelli-hospital-0a88f9b701a0933ac6a781df785cd0db">weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened</a>.

Doctors first diagnosed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-illness-polymicrobial-infection-6638f63730046f420b4d0a6d364826f7">complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection</a>&nbsp;and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Saturday's update marked the first time the Vatican has referred to Francis suffering an “asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows.”

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said Friday the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.

“Sepsis, with his respiratory problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of,” Alfieri told a news conference Friday at Gemelli. “The English say ‘knock on wood,’ we say ‘touch iron.’ Everyone touch what they want,” he said as he tapped the microphone. “But this is the real risk in these cases: that these germs pass to the bloodstream.”

“He knows he's in danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told us to convey that.”

Meanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy went on the defensive to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis might decide to resign. There is no provision in canon law for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated. Francis has said that he has written a letter of resignation that would be invoked if he were medically incapable of making such a decision. The pope remains fully conscious, alert, eating and working.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a rare interview to Corriere della Sera to respond to speculation and rumors about a possible resignation. It came after the Vatican issued an unusual and official denial of an Italian media report that said Parolin and the pope’s chief canonist had visited Francis in the hospital in secret. Given the canonical requirements to make a resignation legitimate, the implications of such a meeting were significant, but the Vatican flat-out denied that any such meeting occurred.

Parolin said such speculation seemed “useless” when what really mattered was the health of Francis, his recovery and return to the Vatican.

“On the other hand, I think it is quite normal that in these situations uncontrolled rumors can spread or some misplaced comment is uttered. It is certainly not the first time it has happened,” Parolin was quoted as saying. “However, I don’t think there is any particular movement, and so far I haven’t heard anything like that.”

Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Holy Year weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-jubilee-holy-year-pope-rome-c8ee2a3d8008107fa7277bb84e2f87ac">Vatican’s Holy Year</a>, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.

In his place, the Holy Year organizer will celebrate Sunday’s Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second consecutive weekend, Francis will skip his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it.

“Look, even though he's not (physically) here, we know he's here,” said Luis Arnaldo López Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who was at the Vatican on Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. “He's recovering, but he's in our hearts and is accompanying us, because our prayers and his go together.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740262535769.png" alt="Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)" />
 <figcaption>Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection, the Vatican said.The 88-year-old pope, who remains conscious, received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday (Friday), the pope is not out of danger,” the statement said. It was the first time “critical” had been used in a written statement to describe Francis' condition since he was hospitalized Feb. 14.The statement also said that the pontiff “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday." Doctors declined to offer a prognosis, saying it was “reserved.”Doctors have said Francis' condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease.They have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-illness-explainer-pneumonia-vatican-6c90fdb0d03ed1703293564686a80978">onset of sepsis</a>, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.Saturday's blood tests showed that he had developed a low platelet count, a condition called platelopenia or thrombocytopenia. Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood that help form blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Low platelet counts can be caused by a number of things, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.Francis, who has chronic lung disease and is prone to bronchitis in winter, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-gemelli-hospital-0a88f9b701a0933ac6a781df785cd0db">weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened</a>.Doctors first diagnosed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-illness-polymicrobial-infection-6638f63730046f420b4d0a6d364826f7">complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection</a>&nbsp;and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Saturday's update marked the first time the Vatican has referred to Francis suffering an “asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows.”Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said Friday the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.“Sepsis, with his respiratory problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of,” Alfieri told a news conference Friday at Gemelli. “The English say ‘knock on wood,’ we say ‘touch iron.’ Everyone touch what they want,” he said as he tapped the microphone. “But this is the real risk in these cases: that these germs pass to the bloodstream.”“He knows he's in danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told us to convey that.”Meanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy went on the defensive to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis might decide to resign. There is no provision in canon law for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated. Francis has said that he has written a letter of resignation that would be invoked if he were medically incapable of making such a decision. The pope remains fully conscious, alert, eating and working.The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a rare interview to Corriere della Sera to respond to speculation and rumors about a possible resignation. It came after the Vatican issued an unusual and official denial of an Italian media report that said Parolin and the pope’s chief canonist had visited Francis in the hospital in secret. Given the canonical requirements to make a resignation legitimate, the implications of such a meeting were significant, but the Vatican flat-out denied that any such meeting occurred.Parolin said such speculation seemed “useless” when what really mattered was the health of Francis, his recovery and return to the Vatican.“On the other hand, I think it is quite normal that in these situations uncontrolled rumors can spread or some misplaced comment is uttered. It is certainly not the first time it has happened,” Parolin was quoted as saying. “However, I don’t think there is any particular movement, and so far I haven’t heard anything like that.”Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Holy Year weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-jubilee-holy-year-pope-rome-c8ee2a3d8008107fa7277bb84e2f87ac">Vatican’s Holy Year</a>, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.In his place, the Holy Year organizer will celebrate Sunday’s Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second consecutive weekend, Francis will skip his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it.“Look, even though he's not (physically) here, we know he's here,” said Luis Arnaldo López Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who was at the Vatican on Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. “He's recovering, but he's in our hearts and is accompanying us, because our prayers and his go together.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Pope Francis is in critical condition after respiratory crisis

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in January as rising mortgage rates and prices put off many would-be homebuyers despite a wider selection of properties on the market.

Sales fell 4.9% last month from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.

Sales rose 2% compared with January last year, marking the fourth straight annual increase. The latest home sales, however, fell short of the 4.11 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 19th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.8% in January from a year earlier to $396,900.

“Mortgage rates have refused to budge for several months despite multiple rounds of short-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “When combined with elevated home prices, housing affordability remains a major challenge.”

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly fell to a 2-year low last September, but has been mostly hovering around 7% this year. That’s more than double the 2.65% record low the average rate hit a little over four years ago.

Rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have kept many prospective home shoppers on the sidelines, especially first-time buyers who don’t have equity from an existing home to put toward a new home purchase. They accounted for 28% of all homes sold last month, matching the share in January 2024, but down from 31% in December. The annual share of first-time buyers fell last year to a record-low 24%. It’s been 40% historically.

Home shoppers who could afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay all-cash to sidestep financing altogether had more homes to choose from last month.

There were 1.18 million unsold homes at the end of last month, up 3.5% from December and up 16.8% from January last year, NAR said.

That translates to a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 3.2-month pace in December and a 3-month pace at the end of January last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

One reason the inventory of homes for sale has been rising is properties are taking longer to sell.

Homes typically remained on the market for 41 days in January before selling — the longest since before the pandemic. In December, homes were typically on the market 35 days before they sold.

Despite the improved inventory, sellers still generally have the edge over buyers.

Some 15% of homes purchased last month sold for above their list price. And, on average, homes received 2.6 offers last month, Yun said.

Mortgage rates are not expected to come down significantly in the first half of the year, but slight dips could prompt some eager buyers to act, taking advantage of the growing number of homes on the market.”

Also make note of this, as I did in the Mortgage Rates story:&nbsp;However, as rates remain stubbornly stuck close to 7%, prospective homebuyers remain hesitant. The Mortgage Bankers Association released data&nbsp; showing that mortgage applications declined by 6.6% this week, falling to their lowest level of the year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714414768839.jpeg" alt="(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)" />
 <figcaption>(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY ALEX VEIGALOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in January as rising mortgage rates and prices put off many would-be homebuyers despite a wider selection of properties on the market.Sales fell 4.9% last month from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.Sales rose 2% compared with January last year, marking the fourth straight annual increase. The latest home sales, however, fell short of the 4.11 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 19th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.8% in January from a year earlier to $396,900.“Mortgage rates have refused to budge for several months despite multiple rounds of short-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “When combined with elevated home prices, housing affordability remains a major challenge.”The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>.The average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly fell to a 2-year low last September, but has been mostly hovering around 7% this year. That’s more than double the 2.65% record low the average rate hit a little over four years ago.Rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have kept many prospective home shoppers on the sidelines, especially first-time buyers who don’t have equity from an existing home to put toward a new home purchase. They accounted for 28% of all homes sold last month, matching the share in January 2024, but down from 31% in December. The annual share of first-time buyers fell last year to a record-low 24%. It’s been 40% historically.Home shoppers who could afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay all-cash to sidestep financing altogether had more homes to choose from last month.There were 1.18 million unsold homes at the end of last month, up 3.5% from December and up 16.8% from January last year, NAR said.That translates to a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 3.2-month pace in December and a 3-month pace at the end of January last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.One reason the inventory of homes for sale has been rising is properties are taking longer to sell.Homes typically remained on the market for 41 days in January before selling — the longest since before the pandemic. In December, homes were typically on the market 35 days before they sold.Despite the improved inventory, sellers still generally have the edge over buyers.Some 15% of homes purchased last month sold for above their list price. And, on average, homes received 2.6 offers last month, Yun said.Mortgage rates are not expected to come down significantly in the first half of the year, but slight dips could prompt some eager buyers to act, taking advantage of the growing number of homes on the market.”Also make note of this, as I did in the Mortgage Rates story:&nbsp;However, as rates remain stubbornly stuck close to 7%, prospective homebuyers remain hesitant. The Mortgage Bankers Association released data&nbsp; showing that mortgage applications declined by 6.6% this week, falling to their lowest level of the year.

January home sales fall as high mortgage rates freeze out would-be buyers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump says Elon Musk will be looking at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-domestic-news-domestic-news-d0e1efce41bb42ba9cdf1f34dc3f7e5c">Fort Knox</a>, the legendary depository in Kentucky for American gold reserves, to make sure the gold is still there.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there is an audit every year and that “all the gold is present and accounted for.”

The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox has stored precious metal bullion reserves for the United States since 1937 and has become synonymous for secure and well protected. Along with protecting gold reserves, Fort Knox is currently also used as the Army's human resources command center, and it hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.

The Army post is about 35 miles south of Louisville and encompasses 109,000 acres in three Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Hardin, and Mead.

Camp Knox was established during World War I and became an artillery training center, according to the Army post's website. It was made a permanent installation in 1932 and has been known since then as Fort Knox. The first gold arrived at Fort Knox in 1937 with the 1st Cavalry Regiment called on to guard the shipment.

With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the Army created the Armored Force at Fort Knox, and thousands of soldiers were ordered there and introduced to the tank. For nearly 80 years, the post was known as the “Home of Cavalry and Armor.”

In 2005, the Army decided to move the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Human Resource Command Center of Excellence was established at Fort Knox. In 2013, ROTC Cadet Summer Training was consolidated at Fort Knox. The post hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.

According to the U.S. Mint, current gold holdings at the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox are 147.3 million ounces. About half of the Treasury’s stored gold is kept at Fort Knox.

Has the gold ever been removed? The Mint says only very small quantities have been removed to test the purity of the gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the depository for many years. The gold's book value is $42.22 per ounce.

The depository is very secure. The actual structure and content of the facility is known by only a few, and no one person knows all the procedures to open the vault.

What is known publicly is that the facility was built in 1936 using 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel. The facility is heavily guarded and has broken its strict policy of not allowing visitors only three times.

Has anyone been allowed to see the gold reserves?

In 1974, the US Mint opened the vaults to a group of journalists and a congressional delegation so they could see the gold reserves. The Treasury secretary allowed the visit after persistent rumors that the gold had been removed. Until then, the only person other than authorized personnel to access the vaults was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Since then, the vaults have been opened one other time: In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and congressional representatives. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he would happily arrange an inspection for any senator who is interested in seeing the vaults.

The gold depository at Fort Knox has a reputation for being impenetrable, which has gained it a place in popular culture. As early as 1952, a Looney Tunes cartoon featured Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam digging for gold Fort Knox. Fort Knox has also been featured in the plot of movies such as the 1964 James Bond spy thriller “Goldfinger” and the 1981 comedy “Stripes,” which was partially filmed at the post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740087191250.png" alt="President Trump on Air Force One: "We're going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn't there, we're going to be very upset."" />
 <figcaption>President Trump on Air Force One: "We're going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn't there, we're going to be very upset."</figcaption>
 </figure>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump says Elon Musk will be looking at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-domestic-news-domestic-news-d0e1efce41bb42ba9cdf1f34dc3f7e5c">Fort Knox</a>, the legendary depository in Kentucky for American gold reserves, to make sure the gold is still there.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump on Air Force One: &quot;We&#39;re going to go to Fort Knox, the fabled Fort Knox, to make sure the gold is there. If there gold isn&#39;t there, we&#39;re going to be very upset.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/sujfQRLLDY">pic.twitter.com/sujfQRLLDY</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892426998221279378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says there is an audit every year and that “all the gold is present and accounted for.”The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox has stored precious metal bullion reserves for the United States since 1937 and has become synonymous for secure and well protected. Along with protecting gold reserves, Fort Knox is currently also used as the Army's human resources command center, and it hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.<h2>Fort Knox history and location</h2>The Army post is about 35 miles south of Louisville and encompasses 109,000 acres in three Kentucky counties — Bullitt, Hardin, and Mead.Camp Knox was established during World War I and became an artillery training center, according to the Army post's website. It was made a permanent installation in 1932 and has been known since then as Fort Knox. The first gold arrived at Fort Knox in 1937 with the 1st Cavalry Regiment called on to guard the shipment.With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, the Army created the Armored Force at Fort Knox, and thousands of soldiers were ordered there and introduced to the tank. For nearly 80 years, the post was known as the “Home of Cavalry and Armor.”In 2005, the Army decided to move the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Human Resource Command Center of Excellence was established at Fort Knox. In 2013, ROTC Cadet Summer Training was consolidated at Fort Knox. The post hosts the Army's largest annual training event each summer.<h2>How much gold is stored at Fort Knox</h2>According to the U.S. Mint, current gold holdings at the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox are 147.3 million ounces. About half of the Treasury’s stored gold is kept at Fort Knox.Has the gold ever been removed? The Mint says only very small quantities have been removed to test the purity of the gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the depository for many years. The gold's book value is $42.22 per ounce.<h2>Just how secure is Fort Knox</h2>The depository is very secure. The actual structure and content of the facility is known by only a few, and no one person knows all the procedures to open the vault.What is known publicly is that the facility was built in 1936 using 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel. The facility is heavily guarded and has broken its strict policy of not allowing visitors only three times.<h2>Has anyone been allowed to see the gold reserves?</h2>In 1974, the US Mint opened the vaults to a group of journalists and a congressional delegation so they could see the gold reserves. The Treasury secretary allowed the visit after persistent rumors that the gold had been removed. Until then, the only person other than authorized personnel to access the vaults was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Since then, the vaults have been opened one other time: In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and congressional representatives. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he would happily arrange an inspection for any senator who is interested in seeing the vaults.<h2>Fort Knox in popular lexicon</h2>The gold depository at Fort Knox has a reputation for being impenetrable, which has gained it a place in popular culture. As early as 1952, a Looney Tunes cartoon featured Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam digging for gold Fort Knox. Fort Knox has also been featured in the plot of movies such as the 1964 James Bond spy thriller “Goldfinger” and the 1981 comedy “Stripes,” which was partially filmed at the post.

🎥Trump: We're going to check the Fort Knox gold depository

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Many policies are symbolic, meant to reassure residents that the city isn’t taking part in immigration enforcement.

Even as the Trump administration criticizes state and local sanctuary policies as an impediment to its deportation aims, officials touting the policies are finding there isn’t much they can do to prevent immigration arrests.

Some states and counties are nonetheless defending their sanctuary policies as a way to slow arrests, especially for purely immigration-related offenses, and to assure residents that local leaders are not taking part in the Trump administration’s deportation plans.

Localities in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington joined a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2025/02/07/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-protecting-sanctuary-jurisdictions-from-illegal-federal-overreach/" target="_blank">February lawsuit</a>&nbsp;led by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California against a Trump administration executive order calling for defunding cities with sanctuary policies, calling the order “illegal and authoritarian.” California is also&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/sanctuary-cities-san-diego-letter/" target="_blank">preparing to defend</a>&nbsp;its state policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities, based on a 2017 law that withstood a court challenge under the first Trump administration.

The laws under scrutiny generally limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The policies either prevent local officials from holding prisoners for immigration arrests or, alternatively, from notifying immigration authorities what time prisoners will be released, so federal agents can arrest them on immigration charges that could lead to deportation. There are generally exceptions for some serious crimes.

Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle — all high-profile sanctuary locations — are among the cities that have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-cities-ice-raids-are-taking-place-rcna189390" target="_blank">Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests</a>.

ICE can always find other ways to arrest a person, but it’s harder without local cooperation.

“You’re adding to the time and expense and resources ICE needs,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.

She noted a 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/california-trust-act-reduced-deportations" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggesting that deportations fell in California after a 2013 law limited cooperation with ICE for minor and immigration crimes, though they later rose again.

“There is suggestive evidence that sanctuary policies reduce deportations but many reasons to also be skeptical of big effects,” the report concluded.

Most deportation arrests happen when ICE agents get fingerprint records from jails, whether run by city governments or independently elected sheriffs as they are in many counties, and identify people subject to court deportation orders. All jails regardless of sanctuary policy send the fingerprints for federal background checks during the booking process.

Still, federal officials complain that sanctuary policies can force them to arrest people on the street where it’s more dangerous and time-consuming than a transfer of custody inside a jail.

That happened recently in heavily Democratic Tompkins County in upstate New York, where the county and the city of Ithaca reaffirmed their sanctuary policies after criticism by the Trump administration.

A man who had been held in the county’s jail since 2023 was released on a judge’s order in late January, before ICE agents could arrive to arrest him for deportation. Several agencies, including state police, later arrested him in a parking lot in a show of force, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cnycentral.com/news/local/federal-government-challenges-ithacas-sanctuary-city-policy-with-arrest" target="_blank">local press accounts</a>.

The 27-year-old man, a citizen of Mexico, had been identified for deportation in early January because he had returned to the United States after being deported seven times in 2016. He pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and a jail guard and was sentenced to time served.

After the ICE arrest, acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove criticized the county, writing in a Jan. 30&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/violent-illegal-alien-arrested-after-release-local-jail-despite-federal-arrest-warrant" target="_blank">statement</a>: “We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again.”

Tompkins County Attorney Maury Josephson, in a statement to Stateline, called Bove’s statement “false and offensive.” Josephson wrote that the sheriff, Derek Osborne, had notified ICE about the prisoner’s release and that federal agents “had every opportunity to come to the jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident.”

Many sanctuary policies are mostly symbolic, meant to assure residents that the city isn’t taking part in federal immigration enforcement. Many policies say city employees will not ask about immigration status when people seek services.

Some sanctuary policies can help indirectly fight deportations by providing legal help and advice for immigrants on how to respond to questions from federal agents, said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, a supervisory policy and practice counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“There have been some steps forward in creating an immigration public defender system, but it’s not available at the federal level yet,” Ibañez Whitlock said. That can make it tricky when an immigration prisoner is moved to another state for detention, and they could lose their legal representation, she said.

Sanctuary policies also aim to improve public safety by assuring immigrants it’s safe for them to report and help investigate crimes. Often the policies forbid asking questions about immigration status for people seeking services.

“For us it’s simple. We are striving to create a culture of trust and security within our communities so that our residents know that they can come to the county when they are in need or when they can be of help,” said Tony LoPresti, county counsel for Santa Clara County, California, during a news conference announcing the San Francisco lawsuit this month.

“That includes feeling safe coming to local law enforcement to report crimes or to participate in investigations without fearing that they or their loved ones face deportation,” LoPresti added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740147958319.png" alt="U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest a man from Venezuela in Miami in February after a wire fraud conviction. As the Trump administration attacks local sanctuary policies, some states and local governments continue to do what little they can to protect some immigrants from deportation. (Courtesy of Miami ICE Enforcement &amp; Removal Operations office)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a><h2>Many policies are symbolic, meant to reassure residents that the city isn’t taking part in immigration enforcement.</h2>Even as the Trump administration criticizes state and local sanctuary policies as an impediment to its deportation aims, officials touting the policies are finding there isn’t much they can do to prevent immigration arrests.Some states and counties are nonetheless defending their sanctuary policies as a way to slow arrests, especially for purely immigration-related offenses, and to assure residents that local leaders are not taking part in the Trump administration’s deportation plans.Localities in Connecticut, Oregon and Washington joined a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfcityattorney.org/2025/02/07/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-protecting-sanctuary-jurisdictions-from-illegal-federal-overreach/" target="_blank">February lawsuit</a>&nbsp;led by the city and county of San Francisco and Santa Clara County in California against a Trump administration executive order calling for defunding cities with sanctuary policies, calling the order “illegal and authoritarian.” California is also&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/justice/2024/12/sanctuary-cities-san-diego-letter/" target="_blank">preparing to defend</a>&nbsp;its state policies limiting cooperation with immigration authorities, based on a 2017 law that withstood a court challenge under the first Trump administration.The laws under scrutiny generally limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The policies either prevent local officials from holding prisoners for immigration arrests or, alternatively, from notifying immigration authorities what time prisoners will be released, so federal agents can arrest them on immigration charges that could lead to deportation. There are generally exceptions for some serious crimes.Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle — all high-profile sanctuary locations — are among the cities that have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-cities-ice-raids-are-taking-place-rcna189390" target="_blank">Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests</a>.ICE can always find other ways to arrest a person, but it’s harder without local cooperation.“You’re adding to the time and expense and resources ICE needs,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.She noted a 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/california-trust-act-reduced-deportations" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggesting that deportations fell in California after a 2013 law limited cooperation with ICE for minor and immigration crimes, though they later rose again.“There is suggestive evidence that sanctuary policies reduce deportations but many reasons to also be skeptical of big effects,” the report concluded.Most deportation arrests happen when ICE agents get fingerprint records from jails, whether run by city governments or independently elected sheriffs as they are in many counties, and identify people subject to court deportation orders. All jails regardless of sanctuary policy send the fingerprints for federal background checks during the booking process.Still, federal officials complain that sanctuary policies can force them to arrest people on the street where it’s more dangerous and time-consuming than a transfer of custody inside a jail.That happened recently in heavily Democratic Tompkins County in upstate New York, where the county and the city of Ithaca reaffirmed their sanctuary policies after criticism by the Trump administration.A man who had been held in the county’s jail since 2023 was released on a judge’s order in late January, before ICE agents could arrive to arrest him for deportation. Several agencies, including state police, later arrested him in a parking lot in a show of force, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://cnycentral.com/news/local/federal-government-challenges-ithacas-sanctuary-city-policy-with-arrest" target="_blank">local press accounts</a>.The 27-year-old man, a citizen of Mexico, had been identified for deportation in early January because he had returned to the United States after being deported seven times in 2016. He pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and a jail guard and was sentenced to time served.After the ICE arrest, acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove criticized the county, writing in a Jan. 30&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/violent-illegal-alien-arrested-after-release-local-jail-despite-federal-arrest-warrant" target="_blank">statement</a>: “We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again.”Tompkins County Attorney Maury Josephson, in a statement to Stateline, called Bove’s statement “false and offensive.” Josephson wrote that the sheriff, Derek Osborne, had notified ICE about the prisoner’s release and that federal agents “had every opportunity to come to the jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident.”Many sanctuary policies are mostly symbolic, meant to assure residents that the city isn’t taking part in federal immigration enforcement. Many policies say city employees will not ask about immigration status when people seek services.Some sanctuary policies can help indirectly fight deportations by providing legal help and advice for immigrants on how to respond to questions from federal agents, said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, a supervisory policy and practice counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.“There have been some steps forward in creating an immigration public defender system, but it’s not available at the federal level yet,” Ibañez Whitlock said. That can make it tricky when an immigration prisoner is moved to another state for detention, and they could lose their legal representation, she said.Sanctuary policies also aim to improve public safety by assuring immigrants it’s safe for them to report and help investigate crimes. Often the policies forbid asking questions about immigration status for people seeking services.“For us it’s simple. We are striving to create a culture of trust and security within our communities so that our residents know that they can come to the county when they are in need or when they can be of help,” said Tony LoPresti, county counsel for Santa Clara County, California, during a news conference announcing the San Francisco lawsuit this month.“That includes feeling safe coming to local law enforcement to report crimes or to participate in investigations without fearing that they or their loved ones face deportation,” LoPresti added.

Even sanctuary policies can’t stop ICE arrests

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&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 — An intense confrontation between a Republican and Democrat on the Kansas House floor Thursday during a gun debate forced the chamber into a two-hour recess as leadership worked to deescalate tensions.

Democrats accused&nbsp;Rep. Nick Hoheisel, a Wichita Republican, of trying to start a fight with Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, by launching obscenities at Carr. The confrontation took place at Carr’s desk on the House floor.

The incident happened during debate over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2104/" target="_blank">House Bill 2104,</a>&nbsp;which would require school districts to implement an NRA program known as Eddie Eagle in public elementary schools, starting in kindergarten, if the schools want to teach gun safety. It was among dozens of bills the House has debated this week ahead of a deadline to advance legislation.

Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat, interrupted legislators debating the NRA curriculum bill and called for a point of order, citing “a need for decorum.” Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, then came to the front of the House chamber and asked for Hoheisel to be admonished.

“While I did not observe everything that occurred, I heard exactly what happened,” Carmichael said. “The member strolled through the Democratic seats using profanity, and in my view, from what I heard, was attempting to incite a fight. And I ask that the member be admonished never to do that again.”

In an interview, Carmichael said Hoheisel thumped a finger on Carr’s desk and repeatedly said, “That’s bulls***.”

After House Republican leadership recessed the House to break the tension, House Democrats banned reporters from a secret meeting at the Capitol to discuss the situation. Kansas Reflector obtained an audio recording of that meeting, in which members raise concerns about Hoheisel’s behavior and whether he was carrying a gun.

Hoheisel declined to comment for this story but disputed claims made by Democrats.

“I’m not going to dignify any of those false and outlandish allegations with a response,” Hoheisel said in a text message.

Carr didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but in the secret meeting, he joked about his willingness to get in a fight. Last month, he shoved another Democratic legislator to the ground during a bar fracas with a Wichita councilman. Democrats laughed at the reference during their secret meeting.

“I know that side of the aisle, and they constantly vote for gun rights,” Carr said. “I also know that some of them carry guns. I have one in my office. There’s a strong possibility that that gun will be on my person unless something is done, right?”

Carr continued: “He got up, he came over to me, and he made attacks. I can’t honestly see how someone of his stature would feel comfortable making those kind of attacks at me” — he paused for laughter — “unless, of course, he feels like he has some sort of an equalizer. So at this point, I feel like I need to equal and level the playing field.”

Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who runs House Democratic caucus meetings, said in the caucus meeting: “I understand what you’re saying along those lines, but what we’re asking is that we deescalate what happened.”

House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, told his caucus: “Everyone needs to breathe.”

“Him coming up to you on the floor and saying that s*** is bull****, but we can’t stoop to the low level of Republicans,” Woodard said during the closed meeting of Democrats.

Several Democrats, including Rep. Heather Meyer, an Overland Park Democrat, said they didn’t feel safe on the House floor.

Meyer asked her fellow Democrats “to remember that some of us have extensive, long-term trauma from gun violence, and we need to be chill.”

“This kind of talk makes me nervous, makes me not want to go back on the floor today, makes me want to go the f*** home,” Meyer said. “I am done with gun violence, and I just need you guys to remember that. Because I’m sitting here listening to this conversation thinking if I even want to be here, because it’s f***ing scary, and I am tired of being put in the line of fire.”

When the House reconvened, with a larger than usual Capitol Police presence on the floor, Republican leadership canceled the scheduled votes on the Eddie Eagle bill, as well as a proposed constitutional amendment that would assert a God-given right to own guns, ammunition and firearm accessories.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, and Woodard issued a joint statement on the “events that transpired on the House floor,” but didn’t respond to a request to explain what happened.

“The House of Representatives remains focused on the 2025 legislative session and completing the work we have been sent here to do,” they said in the joint statement. “The legislative session is an immense undertaking that requires a unified effort. We appreciate the continued dedication of our House members to the people of Kansas.”

Carmichael, who said he declined to participate in the meeting of House Democrats because it wasn’t open to the press, said Republican leadership did the right thing in the moment by shutting down debate and skipping over the gun bills.

“In the longer term,” Carmichael said, “leadership is going to have to have long conversations with some of their members.”

“I do not feel safe on the floor under these circumstances,” Carmichael added. “This situation with immature hotheads with guns on the floor needs to end.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740238444068.png" alt=" Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, checks the voting board during an April 27, 2023, session of the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, checks the voting board during an April 27, 2023, session of the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&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 — An intense confrontation between a Republican and Democrat on the Kansas House floor Thursday during a gun debate forced the chamber into a two-hour recess as leadership worked to deescalate tensions.Democrats accused&nbsp;Rep. Nick Hoheisel, a Wichita Republican, of trying to start a fight with Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, by launching obscenities at Carr. The confrontation took place at Carr’s desk on the House floor.The incident happened during debate over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2104/" target="_blank">House Bill 2104,</a>&nbsp;which would require school districts to implement an NRA program known as Eddie Eagle in public elementary schools, starting in kindergarten, if the schools want to teach gun safety. It was among dozens of bills the House has debated this week ahead of a deadline to advance legislation.Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat, interrupted legislators debating the NRA curriculum bill and called for a point of order, citing “a need for decorum.” Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, then came to the front of the House chamber and asked for Hoheisel to be admonished.“While I did not observe everything that occurred, I heard exactly what happened,” Carmichael said. “The member strolled through the Democratic seats using profanity, and in my view, from what I heard, was attempting to incite a fight. And I ask that the member be admonished never to do that again.”In an interview, Carmichael said Hoheisel thumped a finger on Carr’s desk and repeatedly said, “That’s bulls***.”After House Republican leadership recessed the House to break the tension, House Democrats banned reporters from a secret meeting at the Capitol to discuss the situation. Kansas Reflector obtained an audio recording of that meeting, in which members raise concerns about Hoheisel’s behavior and whether he was carrying a gun.Hoheisel declined to comment for this story but disputed claims made by Democrats.“I’m not going to dignify any of those false and outlandish allegations with a response,” Hoheisel said in a text message.Carr didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but in the secret meeting, he joked about his willingness to get in a fight. Last month, he shoved another Democratic legislator to the ground during a bar fracas with a Wichita councilman. Democrats laughed at the reference during their secret meeting.“I know that side of the aisle, and they constantly vote for gun rights,” Carr said. “I also know that some of them carry guns. I have one in my office. There’s a strong possibility that that gun will be on my person unless something is done, right?”Carr continued: “He got up, he came over to me, and he made attacks. I can’t honestly see how someone of his stature would feel comfortable making those kind of attacks at me” — he paused for laughter — “unless, of course, he feels like he has some sort of an equalizer. So at this point, I feel like I need to equal and level the playing field.”Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who runs House Democratic caucus meetings, said in the caucus meeting: “I understand what you’re saying along those lines, but what we’re asking is that we deescalate what happened.”House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, told his caucus: “Everyone needs to breathe.”“Him coming up to you on the floor and saying that s*** is bull****, but we can’t stoop to the low level of Republicans,” Woodard said during the closed meeting of Democrats.Several Democrats, including Rep. Heather Meyer, an Overland Park Democrat, said they didn’t feel safe on the House floor.Meyer asked her fellow Democrats “to remember that some of us have extensive, long-term trauma from gun violence, and we need to be chill.”“This kind of talk makes me nervous, makes me not want to go back on the floor today, makes me want to go the f*** home,” Meyer said. “I am done with gun violence, and I just need you guys to remember that. Because I’m sitting here listening to this conversation thinking if I even want to be here, because it’s f***ing scary, and I am tired of being put in the line of fire.”When the House reconvened, with a larger than usual Capitol Police presence on the floor, Republican leadership canceled the scheduled votes on the Eddie Eagle bill, as well as a proposed constitutional amendment that would assert a God-given right to own guns, ammunition and firearm accessories.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, and Woodard issued a joint statement on the “events that transpired on the House floor,” but didn’t respond to a request to explain what happened.“The House of Representatives remains focused on the 2025 legislative session and completing the work we have been sent here to do,” they said in the joint statement. “The legislative session is an immense undertaking that requires a unified effort. We appreciate the continued dedication of our House members to the people of Kansas.”Carmichael, who said he declined to participate in the meeting of House Democrats because it wasn’t open to the press, said Republican leadership did the right thing in the moment by shutting down debate and skipping over the gun bills.“In the longer term,” Carmichael said, “leadership is going to have to have long conversations with some of their members.”“I do not feel safe on the floor under these circumstances,” Carmichael added. “This situation with immature hotheads with guns on the floor needs to end.”

‘Everyone needs to breathe’: Intense confrontation on Kansas House floor forces two-hour recess

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;freed all six hostages in the latest exchange Saturday, even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-17-2025-c20c9664938b267354c9ac4812621a1e">the fragile ceasefire deal</a>.

The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern Israel when militants stormed across the border in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s nearly 16-month campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.

Five of the captives were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned in the past — brought out by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles.

In the central town of Nuseirat, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters on the stage. A beaming Shem Tov even kissed two militants next to him on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. Hamas has come under heavy criticism for such public displays, with Israel, the U.N. and the Red Cross saying they are cruel and do not respect the dignity of the hostages.

Watching the release, Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov’s grandmother ululated in joy, shrieking, “Omer, my joy! My life!” as she saw him.

The Israeli military said the final hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released later Saturday. The Bedouin Israeli crossed on his own into Gaza in 2015 and had been held since. His family has told Israeli media Al-Sayed was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The latest releases, to be followed by the freeing of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, went ahead after tensions mounted over a grisly and heart-wrenching dispute triggered this week when Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">an Israeli mother of two young boys</a>&nbsp;abducted by the militants.

The remains that Hamas transferred with her sons’ bodies on Thursday were later determined to be those of an unidentified Palestinian woman. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation,” while Hamas suggested it had been a mistake.

On Friday night, the small militant group believed to have been holding Bibas and her sons — the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades — handed over a second body. Bibas’ family said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed the remains were hers.

“For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure,” the family said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740232713632.png" alt="Image Hostage and Missing Familes Forum" />
 <figcaption>Image Hostage and Missing Familes Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;freed all six hostages in the latest exchange Saturday, even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-17-2025-c20c9664938b267354c9ac4812621a1e">the fragile ceasefire deal</a>.The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern Israel when militants stormed across the border in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s nearly 16-month campaign in the Gaza Strip.Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.Five of the captives were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned in the past — brought out by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles.In the central town of Nuseirat, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters on the stage. A beaming Shem Tov even kissed two militants next to him on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. Hamas has come under heavy criticism for such public displays, with Israel, the U.N. and the Red Cross saying they are cruel and do not respect the dignity of the hostages.Watching the release, Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov’s grandmother ululated in joy, shrieking, “Omer, my joy! My life!” as she saw him.The Israeli military said the final hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released later Saturday. The Bedouin Israeli crossed on his own into Gaza in 2015 and had been held since. His family has told Israeli media Al-Sayed was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740048973222.png" alt="Shiri Bibas photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Shiri Bibas photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>The latest releases, to be followed by the freeing of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, went ahead after tensions mounted over a grisly and heart-wrenching dispute triggered this week when Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">an Israeli mother of two young boys</a>&nbsp;abducted by the militants.The remains that Hamas transferred with her sons’ bodies on Thursday were later determined to be those of an unidentified Palestinian woman. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation,” while Hamas suggested it had been a mistake.On Friday night, the small militant group believed to have been holding Bibas and her sons — the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades — handed over a second body. Bibas’ family said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed the remains were hers.“For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure,” the family said.

Hamas frees 6 more hostages in the latest exchange with Israel

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.

Just after 3p.m. Feb. 20, police responded to the area of the 3400 Block of SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka for the report of a stabbing.

First responders located two individuals with non-life threatening injuries. These individuals were transported by ambulance to a local area hospital.

A short time later, an individual believed to be involved in the incident was located in the area. This individual, later identified as 58-year-old Bruce A. Bryant of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to speak with Detectives.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation, Bryant was arrested and booked into theShawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740138279238.png" alt="Bryant photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Bryant photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.Just after 3p.m. Feb. 20, police responded to the area of the 3400 Block of SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka for the report of a stabbing.First responders located two individuals with non-life threatening injuries. These individuals were transported by ambulance to a local area hospital.A short time later, an individual believed to be involved in the incident was located in the area. This individual, later identified as 58-year-old Bruce A. Bryant of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to speak with Detectives.&nbsp;As a result of the investigation, Bryant was arrested and booked into theShawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

Kansas man jailed for knife attack that hospitalized 2 victims

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

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock because the usually reliable staple is in short supply.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions</a>&nbsp;of chickens a month, causing U.S. egg prices to skyrocket.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-record-bird-flu-a2394bdefc7bd0514d4f003cc5e8a908">The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January</a>, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023. The Agriculture Department predicts prices will soar another 20% this year.

Most owners are taking the increase in stride, looking at it as just one of many hurdles they constantly face. But if the problem persists, they could be forced to raise prices or adjust their products.

Liz Berman is the owner and sole proprietor of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts. She specializes in custom, from-scratch cakes but also sells cupcakes, cookies, pies and other baked goods.

Eggs are just one of the baking ingredients experiencing price shocks. Items such as cocoa powder and butter have gone up as well. And price isn't the only issue.

“It’s not just the cost of eggs, right? It’s also just the availability,” she said. She prefers to buy medium-sized white shelled eggs, buying a box with 18 dozen eggs, but two weeks ago those were unavailable, so she had to buy brown eggs in individual cartons of 12.

“It sounds kind of silly, but when I I’m the sole proprietor and I have a huge volume of work, to have to take a dozen of eggs out of my walk-in at a time as opposed to a flat of eggs, it’s just it’s a pain,” she said.

She doesn't think prices will ease anytime soon. Cocoa powder prices have been elevated for years.

“I think ultimately I’m going to have to increase my prices, which is hard because that’s going to mean that there’s a category of customer that won’t order from me anymore,” she said.

In Princeton, New Jersey, John Nachlinger, owner of the Bad Cookie Company, is imposing a temporary 25 cent per cookie surcharge to help mitigate added costs.

“As cookies are already a tight-margin food, these increases have really hurt our bottom line,” Nachlinger said. He said he doesn't want to permanently raise prices or adjust the size of his cookies since he hopes the egg situation is temporary. “We want to bring value to our customers," he said.

At Daisies, a pasta restaurant in Chicago, chef/partner Joe Frillman and chef/partner Leigh Omilinsky haven't raised prices but are thinking of adjusting menu items.

Omilinsky said she is thinking of adding more vegan and egg-free deserts to the menu and has been working more with flax seeds. She said the shortage has made her more conscious of the ingredients she is using and wasting less.

“You know, if we need egg yolks we are absolutely saving those whites,” she said.

Meanwhile, Frillman said the restaurant has shifted to making pastas that use less eggs.

“We’ve just changed the shape of the noodle,” he said. “We use an extruder which is a piece of equipment that allows us to basically extrude pasta without eggs.”

Depending on how long the egg shortage lasts, they could adjust menu items too, he said.

“We have a pappardelle on our menu that’s been on since day one,” he said. “If this gets to the point where it’s just cost prohibitive, it’s very egg yolk heavy, we would then transfer to something like a spaghetti or a fettuccine that is a similar noodle that we can make without eggs.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie Maynard, co-owner of Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut, faces a different issue: skyrocketing demand.

The farm she owns with her husband produces beef, pork, poultry, eggs and vegetables. They have 950 laying hens, with 300 more coming in March. The winter is generally a quieter time as the farm prepares for busy spring and summer months, increasing the inventory on hand until it is ready to sell. But this year, they're rushing to increase egg production for customers at greenmarkets.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739399659085.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MAE%20ANDERSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock because the usually reliable staple is in short supply.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions</a>&nbsp;of chickens a month, causing U.S. egg prices to skyrocket.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-record-bird-flu-a2394bdefc7bd0514d4f003cc5e8a908">The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January</a>, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023. The Agriculture Department predicts prices will soar another 20% this year.Most owners are taking the increase in stride, looking at it as just one of many hurdles they constantly face. But if the problem persists, they could be forced to raise prices or adjust their products.Liz Berman is the owner and sole proprietor of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts. She specializes in custom, from-scratch cakes but also sells cupcakes, cookies, pies and other baked goods.Eggs are just one of the baking ingredients experiencing price shocks. Items such as cocoa powder and butter have gone up as well. And price isn't the only issue.“It’s not just the cost of eggs, right? It’s also just the availability,” she said. She prefers to buy medium-sized white shelled eggs, buying a box with 18 dozen eggs, but two weeks ago those were unavailable, so she had to buy brown eggs in individual cartons of 12.“It sounds kind of silly, but when I I’m the sole proprietor and I have a huge volume of work, to have to take a dozen of eggs out of my walk-in at a time as opposed to a flat of eggs, it’s just it’s a pain,” she said.She doesn't think prices will ease anytime soon. Cocoa powder prices have been elevated for years.“I think ultimately I’m going to have to increase my prices, which is hard because that’s going to mean that there’s a category of customer that won’t order from me anymore,” she said.In Princeton, New Jersey, John Nachlinger, owner of the Bad Cookie Company, is imposing a temporary 25 cent per cookie surcharge to help mitigate added costs.“As cookies are already a tight-margin food, these increases have really hurt our bottom line,” Nachlinger said. He said he doesn't want to permanently raise prices or adjust the size of his cookies since he hopes the egg situation is temporary. “We want to bring value to our customers," he said.At Daisies, a pasta restaurant in Chicago, chef/partner Joe Frillman and chef/partner Leigh Omilinsky haven't raised prices but are thinking of adjusting menu items.Omilinsky said she is thinking of adding more vegan and egg-free deserts to the menu and has been working more with flax seeds. She said the shortage has made her more conscious of the ingredients she is using and wasting less.“You know, if we need egg yolks we are absolutely saving those whites,” she said.Meanwhile, Frillman said the restaurant has shifted to making pastas that use less eggs.“We’ve just changed the shape of the noodle,” he said. “We use an extruder which is a piece of equipment that allows us to basically extrude pasta without eggs.”Depending on how long the egg shortage lasts, they could adjust menu items too, he said.“We have a pappardelle on our menu that’s been on since day one,” he said. “If this gets to the point where it’s just cost prohibitive, it’s very egg yolk heavy, we would then transfer to something like a spaghetti or a fettuccine that is a similar noodle that we can make without eggs.”Meanwhile, Stephanie Maynard, co-owner of Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut, faces a different issue: skyrocketing demand.The farm she owns with her husband produces beef, pork, poultry, eggs and vegetables. They have 950 laying hens, with 300 more coming in March. The winter is generally a quieter time as the farm prepares for busy spring and summer months, increasing the inventory on hand until it is ready to sell. But this year, they're rushing to increase egg production for customers at greenmarkets.People who might normally buy eggs at supermarkets are turning to greenmarkets due to the shortages, and regular customers are increasing their orders just to make sure they have eggs, she said.“We have developed a rapport with our customers. I know a lot of them by name and face,” she said. “And now you’re seeing people that you’ve never seen attend a market before. So I'm drawing a lot of new customers in to get eggs at the market.”