WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-trump-republicans-tax-cuts-programs-096be7e3ed20e3dfb4640192b1018479">$340 billion budget framework</a>&nbsp;to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-presidency-updates-2-20-2025#00000195-2386-d271-ad97-a3e774a50000">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;says it needs for&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/costa-rica-panama-mass-deportations-trump-migration-detention-85e70a0e4e053ea01b77b0e4d55c8fea">mass deportations and border security</a>&nbsp;that top their agenda.

The hours-long “vote-a-rama” rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part of the budget process, as senators considered one amendment after another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-elon-musk-doge-protest-91281e059b7e0d807a3dbb07ff638ebb">largely from Democrats</a>&nbsp;trying to halt it. But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-congress-spending-immigration-e4aebdcc9955f5d663208aec08778442">used their majority power</a>&nbsp;to muscle the package to approval on a largely party-line vote, 52-48, with all Democrats and one GOP senator opposing it. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

“What we're doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump's immigration agenda,” Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said while opening the debate.

Graham said President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">top immigration czar</a>, Tom Homan, told senators that the administration's deportation operations are “out of money” and need more funding from Congress to detain and deport immigrants.

With little power in the minority to stop the onslaught, Democrats instead used the all-night debate to force GOP senators into potentially embarrassing votes — including the first one, on blocking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">tax breaks to billionaires</a>. It was turned back on procedural grounds. So were many others.

“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;of New York warned. Hours later, Schumer said it “was only the beginning” of what could become a months-long debate.

The package is what Republicans view as a down payment on Trump’s agenda, part of a broader effort that will eventually include legislation to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and other priorities</a>. That's being assembled by House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;in a separate budget package that also seeks up to $2 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">reductions to health care</a>&nbsp;and other programs.

Trump has preferred what he calls one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-tax-cuts-border-reconciliation-budget-24a43b92aafac265592525acddaf5fc5">“big, beautiful bill,”</a>&nbsp;but the White House is open to the Senate’s strategy of working on the border package first, then turning to tax cuts later this year.

As voting began, the president signaled his go-ahead, posting a thank you to Senate Majority Leader John Thune “and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda.”

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cast the lone GOP vote against the framework.

The Republican Senate package would allow up to $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.

But there won't be any money flowing just yet, as the process has several steps ahead. The budget resolution is simply a framework that sends instructions to the various Senate committees — Homeland Security, Armed Services, Judiciary — to hammer out the details. Everything will eventually be assembled in another package, with another vote-a-rama down the road.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said GOP lawmakers are acting quickly to get the administration the resources they have requested and need to curb illegal border crossings.

“The budget will allow us to finish the wall. It also takes the steps we need toward more border agents,” Barrasso said. “It means more detention beds. ... It means more deportation flights.”

Republicans insist the whole thing will be paid for, rather than piled onto debt, with potential spending cuts and new revenues.

The committees are expected to consider rolling back the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-5020fdf48c51918d42176e0a4f6093dd">methane emissions fee</a>, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.

One amendment that was accepted after several hours of debate was actually a Republican effort to fend off criticism that the package would be paid for by cutting safety net programs. The amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Medicaid and Medicare would be strengthened during the budget process.

First up from Democrats was a vote to prevent tax breaks for billionaires — an amendment that was repeated in various forms throughout the night.

Democrats argue that the GOP tax cuts approved in 2017 flowed to the wealthiest Americans, and extending them as Trump wants Congress to do later this year would prolong the giveaway. Even though the billionaire amendments failed, they picked up some Republican support. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted for several of them, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted for another.

Schumer launched a strategy earlier this week to use the budget debate to focus on both the implications of the tax policy and the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing across the federal government.

It's a better approach for Democrats than arguing against tougher border security and deportations, which divides the party.

All told, senators processed almost three dozen amendments on reversing DOGE cuts, protecting federal workers from being fired, ensuring U.S. support for Ukraine as it battles Russia and others.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the single biggest driver of the national debt since 2001 has been a series of Republican-led tax cuts.

“And you’ll never guess what our Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now, nothing to lower the cost of eggs, it’s actually more Republican tax cuts,” Murray said.

She called the budget plan a “roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day, all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.”

The budget resolution is setting up what's called the reconciliation process, which used to be rare, but is now the tool often used to pass big bills on party-line votes when one party has control of the White House and Congress, as Republicans do now.

But Republicans are arguing with themselves over how to proceed. The House is marching ahead on its “big, beautiful bill,” believing they have one chance to get it right. The Senate views its two-bill strategy as more practical, delivering on border security first, then turning to taxes later.

Budget rules allow for passage by a simple majority vote, which is key in the Senate, where it typically takes 60 votes to break a filibuster on big items. During Trump’s first term, Republicans used the reconciliation process to pass GOP tax cuts in 2017. Democrats used reconciliation during Joe Biden's presidency to approve COVID-19 relief and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Trump appears to be stirring the fight, pitting Republicans in the House and Senate against each other to see which one delivers fastest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740135974641.png" alt="Counting votes in the U.S. Senate at 3:30a.m. CST Friday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes in the U.S. Senate at 3:30a.m. CST Friday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-trump-republicans-tax-cuts-programs-096be7e3ed20e3dfb4640192b1018479">$340 billion budget framework</a>&nbsp;to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-presidency-updates-2-20-2025#00000195-2386-d271-ad97-a3e774a50000">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;says it needs for&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/article/costa-rica-panama-mass-deportations-trump-migration-detention-85e70a0e4e053ea01b77b0e4d55c8fea">mass deportations and border security</a>&nbsp;that top their agenda.The hours-long “vote-a-rama” rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part of the budget process, as senators considered one amendment after another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-elon-musk-doge-protest-91281e059b7e0d807a3dbb07ff638ebb">largely from Democrats</a>&nbsp;trying to halt it. But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-congress-spending-immigration-e4aebdcc9955f5d663208aec08778442">used their majority power</a>&nbsp;to muscle the package to approval on a largely party-line vote, 52-48, with all Democrats and one GOP senator opposing it. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Glad to report my <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a> colleagues and I passed a budget resolution to secure $175 billion and deliver on President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s promise to secure our border. This resolution gives us the tools to: ➡️ Build the wall ➡️ Hire more ICE agents ➡️ Equip ICE with…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1892965496640692499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“What we're doing today is jumpstarting a process that will allow the Republican Party to meet President Trump's immigration agenda,” Senate Budget Committee chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said while opening the debate.Graham said President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-homan-ice-border-czar-7dea915b5ea43896390b8020d254f887">top immigration czar</a>, Tom Homan, told senators that the administration's deportation operations are “out of money” and need more funding from Congress to detain and deport immigrants.With little power in the minority to stop the onslaught, Democrats instead used the all-night debate to force GOP senators into potentially embarrassing votes — including the first one, on blocking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-jobs-act-trump-treasury-agenda-f4031196e0d69d0a1630e3b06b6d3cd7">tax breaks to billionaires</a>. It was turned back on procedural grounds. So were many others.“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Senate Democratic Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/schumer-democrats-election-trump-7ee99496ac9f2a73493f1aa89a02a33d">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;of New York warned. Hours later, Schumer said it “was only the beginning” of what could become a months-long debate.The package is what Republicans view as a down payment on Trump’s agenda, part of a broader effort that will eventually include legislation to extend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091">some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and other priorities</a>. That's being assembled by House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;in a separate budget package that also seeks up to $2 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87">reductions to health care</a>&nbsp;and other programs.Trump has preferred what he calls one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-tax-cuts-border-reconciliation-budget-24a43b92aafac265592525acddaf5fc5">“big, beautiful bill,”</a>&nbsp;but the White House is open to the Senate’s strategy of working on the border package first, then turning to tax cuts later this year.As voting began, the president signaled his go-ahead, posting a thank you to Senate Majority Leader John Thune “and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda.”Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cast the lone GOP vote against the framework.<h2>What’s in the Senate GOP package</h2>The Republican Senate package would allow up to $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and about $20 billion for the Coast Guard.But there won't be any money flowing just yet, as the process has several steps ahead. The budget resolution is simply a framework that sends instructions to the various Senate committees — Homeland Security, Armed Services, Judiciary — to hammer out the details. Everything will eventually be assembled in another package, with another vote-a-rama down the road.Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said GOP lawmakers are acting quickly to get the administration the resources they have requested and need to curb illegal border crossings.“The budget will allow us to finish the wall. It also takes the steps we need toward more border agents,” Barrasso said. “It means more detention beds. ... It means more deportation flights.”Republicans insist the whole thing will be paid for, rather than piled onto debt, with potential spending cuts and new revenues.The committees are expected to consider rolling back the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/methane-fee-epa-climate-biden-oil-gas-5020fdf48c51918d42176e0a4f6093dd">methane emissions fee</a>, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.One amendment that was accepted after several hours of debate was actually a Republican effort to fend off criticism that the package would be paid for by cutting safety net programs. The amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Medicaid and Medicare would be strengthened during the budget process.<h2>Democrats brought a slew of amendments</h2>First up from Democrats was a vote to prevent tax breaks for billionaires — an amendment that was repeated in various forms throughout the night.Democrats argue that the GOP tax cuts approved in 2017 flowed to the wealthiest Americans, and extending them as Trump wants Congress to do later this year would prolong the giveaway. Even though the billionaire amendments failed, they picked up some Republican support. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted for several of them, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted for another.Schumer launched a strategy earlier this week to use the budget debate to focus on both the implications of the tax policy and the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing across the federal government.It's a better approach for Democrats than arguing against tougher border security and deportations, which divides the party.All told, senators processed almost three dozen amendments on reversing DOGE cuts, protecting federal workers from being fired, ensuring U.S. support for Ukraine as it battles Russia and others.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the single biggest driver of the national debt since 2001 has been a series of Republican-led tax cuts.“And you’ll never guess what our Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now, nothing to lower the cost of eggs, it’s actually more Republican tax cuts,” Murray said.She called the budget plan a “roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day, all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.”<h2>Congress is racing itself</h2>The budget resolution is setting up what's called the reconciliation process, which used to be rare, but is now the tool often used to pass big bills on party-line votes when one party has control of the White House and Congress, as Republicans do now.But Republicans are arguing with themselves over how to proceed. The House is marching ahead on its “big, beautiful bill,” believing they have one chance to get it right. The Senate views its two-bill strategy as more practical, delivering on border security first, then turning to taxes later.Budget rules allow for passage by a simple majority vote, which is key in the Senate, where it typically takes 60 votes to break a filibuster on big items. During Trump’s first term, Republicans used the reconciliation process to pass GOP tax cuts in 2017. Democrats used reconciliation during Joe Biden's presidency to approve COVID-19 relief and the Inflation Reduction Act.Trump appears to be stirring the fight, pitting Republicans in the House and Senate against each other to see which one delivers fastest.___

Moran, Marshall pull all-nighter to help pass $340 billion budget

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A 22-year-old man is in custody after police believe he shot another man Wednesday night while inside a car at Casey’s General Store, 1703 W. 6th Street in Lawrence, according to a statement from the Lawrence Police Department.

&nbsp;Seven people were in the car when the suspect was recklessly handling a gun and discharged it, striking the 23-year-old victim.

At least some members of the group then drove with the victim to the hospital and remained.  Others did not and hospital staff notified Lawrence Police about 11pm.

Police did not find the car at the hospital nor all seven people when they arrived. Police learned the car was likely headed to Eudora.  Eudora Police quickly found the car near 13th and Cherry Street with only the driver inside.

The investigation led officers to the suspect’s home in the 1100 block of W. 29th Terrace.  Officers monitored the home and were able to safely arrest the suspect about 2am. Investigators also recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.

Police booked the suspect into Douglas County Correctional Facility and will forward the case to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for charging consideration. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A 22-year-old man is in custody after police believe he shot another man Wednesday night while inside a car at Casey’s General Store, 1703 W. 6th Street in Lawrence, according to a statement from the Lawrence Police Department.&nbsp;Seven people were in the car when the suspect was recklessly handling a gun and discharged it, striking the 23-year-old victim.At least some members of the group then drove with the victim to the hospital and remained. Others did not and hospital staff notified Lawrence Police about 11pm.Police did not find the car at the hospital nor all seven people when they arrived. Police learned the car was likely headed to Eudora. Eudora Police quickly found the car near 13th and Cherry Street with only the driver inside.The investigation led officers to the suspect’s home in the 1100 block of W. 29th Terrace. Officers monitored the home and were able to safely arrest the suspect about 2am. Investigators also recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.Police booked the suspect into Douglas County Correctional Facility and will forward the case to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for charging consideration. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Kan. man accused of recklessly handling gun while in a car

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Billionaire Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of “treason.”

Musk, the Tesla CEO who has become perhaps President Donald Trump’s most influential adviser, spoke about his crusade to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce with the administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>.

The entrepreneur was first announced earlier that day as a speaker, drawing huge cheers from activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Before his appearance, he met with Argentine President Javier Milei, who has been frequently praised by Musk and popularized the power tool while campaigning in 2023 and proposing slashing public spending.

After Musk appeared onstage, wearing shades and his trademark black “Make America Great Again” hat, he said Milei had a gift for him. The Argentine leader then walked onstage with the red chainsaw and passed it to Musk. The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which is Spanish for “Long live liberty, damn it.”

“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” he said.

Musk slammed the previous Biden administration for its immigration policies, specifically naming an app that was used by nearly 1 million people to be allowed into the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work. He accused Biden and Democrats of doing that as an “investment” to get more support in swing states.

“A lot of people don’t quite appreciate that this was an actual real scam at scale to tilt the scales of democracy in America,” Musk said before Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked him, “Treason?”

When Schmitt asked him if he would consider auditing the Federal Reserve, Musk responded, “Yeah, sure, while we’re at it.”

“Waste is pretty much everywhere,” Musk said.

The billionaire joked that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has told him he is worried about his security and said he was open to ideas on how to improve his safety measures.

“President Bukele from El Salvador, who managed to put in prison like a hundred thousand murderous thugs, and he called me. ‘I am worried about your security,’” he said the Central American leader told him. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you are worried about my security?’”

When asked to describe what is like inside his mind, Musk replied: “My mind is a storm. It’s a storm.”

Steve Bannon, a popular Trump ally who once served as his chief strategist, followed Musk’s appearance and acknowledged he was not the evening’s top attraction as he took the stage to a far less enthusiastic reception.

“How did I draw the card to follow Elon Musk?” Bannon asked about a man he has frequently criticized as insufficiently loyal to Trump. “C’mon man! You bring out the world’s wealthiest guy, Superman. I’m supposed to follow it? I’m just a crazy Irishman!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740104356573.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>OXON HILL, Md. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Billionaire Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of “treason.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Elon Musk at CPAC: &quot;This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.&quot; Full video here: <a href="https://t.co/1ZoWVmLCIT">https://t.co/1ZoWVmLCIT</a> <a href="https://t.co/hLvHOqG49J">pic.twitter.com/hLvHOqG49J</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892706390000414729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Musk, the Tesla CEO who has become perhaps President Donald Trump’s most influential adviser, spoke about his crusade to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce with the administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">Department of Government Efficiency</a>.The entrepreneur was first announced earlier that day as a speaker, drawing huge cheers from activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Before his appearance, he met with Argentine President Javier Milei, who has been frequently praised by Musk and popularized the power tool while campaigning in 2023 and proposing slashing public spending.After Musk appeared onstage, wearing shades and his trademark black “Make America Great Again” hat, he said Milei had a gift for him. The Argentine leader then walked onstage with the red chainsaw and passed it to Musk. The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which is Spanish for “Long live liberty, damn it.”“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” he said.Musk slammed the previous Biden administration for its immigration policies, specifically naming an app that was used by nearly 1 million people to be allowed into the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work. He accused Biden and Democrats of doing that as an “investment” to get more support in swing states.“A lot of people don’t quite appreciate that this was an actual real scam at scale to tilt the scales of democracy in America,” Musk said before Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked him, “Treason?”Musk responded, “Treason.”When Schmitt asked him if he would consider auditing the Federal Reserve, Musk responded, “Yeah, sure, while we’re at it.”“Waste is pretty much everywhere,” Musk said.The billionaire joked that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has told him he is worried about his security and said he was open to ideas on how to improve his safety measures.“President Bukele from El Salvador, who managed to put in prison like a hundred thousand murderous thugs, and he called me. ‘I am worried about your security,’” he said the Central American leader told him. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you are worried about my security?’”When asked to describe what is like inside his mind, Musk replied: “My mind is a storm. It’s a storm.”Steve Bannon, a popular Trump ally who once served as his chief strategist, followed Musk’s appearance and acknowledged he was not the evening’s top attraction as he took the stage to a far less enthusiastic reception.“How did I draw the card to follow Elon Musk?” Bannon asked about a man he has frequently criticized as insufficiently loyal to Trump. “C’mon man! You bring out the world’s wealthiest guy, Superman. I’m supposed to follow it? I’m just a crazy Irishman!”

🎥Musk waves chainsaw, talks up Trump cost-cutting efforts

SHAWNEE COUNTY —A family avoided injured after a fire at a Kansas home.

Just after 10 a.m.Thursday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 1508 SW Ward Pkwy, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Crews found a two-story house with smoke and flames and extinguished the fire. All residents were able to escape before fire crews arrived.

The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical, having originated in the kitchen. The estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $275,000, with $225,000 associated with structural damage and $50,000 associated with content loss. There were no injuries.

The home did not have working smoke detectors where the fire originated, according to Nichols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740086018934.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —A family avoided injured after a fire at a Kansas home.Just after 10 a.m.Thursday, crews from the Topeka Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 1508 SW Ward Pkwy, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Crews found a two-story house with smoke and flames and extinguished the fire. All residents were able to escape before fire crews arrived.The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical, having originated in the kitchen. The estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $275,000, with $225,000 associated with structural damage and $50,000 associated with content loss. There were no injuries.The home did not have working smoke detectors where the fire originated, according to Nichols.

$275,000 damage after fire at Kansas home

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge Friday for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement after a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">found to not be that of an Israeli mother</a>&nbsp;of two young boys, as the militants had promised.

The incident has thrown the future of the fragile ceasefire into question. Six more living hostages are scheduled to be released Saturday as part of the tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war.

Hamas militants turned over four bodies Thursday as part of the deal. They were supposed to have been those of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and of Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israeli authorities said that while the remains of the two boys and of Lifshitz were positively identified, the fourth body was found to not be that of Shiri Bibas, or of any other Israeli hostage held in Gaza.

“We will work with determination to bring Shiri home together with all our hostages — both living and dead — and ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement,” Netanyahu said. “The sacred memory of Oded Lifshitz and Ariel and Kfir Bibas will be forever enshrined in the heart of the nation. May God avenge their blood. And so we will avenge.”

Netanyahu said the fourth body was that of a woman from Gaza. Hamas has not responded to Israel’s announcement about the identity of the remains.

The revelation of the body’s identity was a shocking twist in the saga surrounding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-bodies-bibas-1d8718176c8d2564cf23c3e77f09ad72">Bibas family</a>, who have become global symbols of the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

During the ceasefire, which began in January, Hamas has been releasing living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. Thursday’s release marked the first time the group has returned the remains of dead hostages.

The Israeli army said Thursday that the fourth body released by Hamas was an “anonymous, unidentified body.” It said the Bibas family had been notified, including Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and father of the two boys, who had been taken captive separately from his wife and children and was released early this month as part of the ceasefire deal.

Hamas has claimed Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas and her sons were killed in Israeli airstrikes. But Israel said the testing had found the two boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors.

U.S. envoy Adam Boehler described the release of the wrong body as “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire.

“If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation,” Boehler, who serves as the U.S. envoy for hostages, told CNN.

It was unclear how the incident might affect the next scheduled swap of hostages for prisoners, set for Saturday. Hamas has said it will also release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the ceasefire. It is also unclear whether the truce will be extended beyond the end of the current phase, which expires in early March.

In another potential blow to the deal, a series of explosions struck three parked, empty buses in central Israel overnight.

There were no injuries and no claim of responsibility. But the Israeli military said in response it was beefing up its forces in the West Bank, raising the likelihood of further escalation in the area. Israel has been carrying out a broad military offensive in the occupied territory since the ceasefire took effect.

If the current phase of the ceasefire goes according to plan with the release of six hostages on Saturday and four more bodies next week, Hamas will be left with about 60 hostages, about half — all men — believed to still be alive.

Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-15-2025-1cf8b3cb7622489c368c610f85e51e35">full backing of the Trump administration</a>, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-endgame-0b4720545d294b4eb25eb97055c238eb">goals widely seen as mutually exclusive</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">Trump’s proposal</a>&nbsp;to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it, which has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt.

Hamas could be reluctant to free more hostages if it believes that the war will resume.

Israel’s military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">destroyed vast areas of Gaza</a>, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5">no way of rebuilding</a>.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The remains of two child hostages have been identified but another body released by Hamas was not the boys’ mother, the Israeli military said early Friday.

Hamas militants had turned over four bodies Thursday under the tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war. Israeli confirmed one body was that of Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

The remains of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-bodies-bibas-1d8718176c8d2564cf23c3e77f09ad72">Ariel and Kfir Bibas</a>&nbsp;were identified by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Israel Police and the families were notified, the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement. It said the boys were killed in captivity in November 2023.

But the additional body was not that of their mother Shiri Bibas, nor any other hostage, the military said.

“This is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages,” the Israeli military said in a statement early Friday. “We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages.”

Hamas did not immediately respond to Israel’s announcement that the body was not of the boys’ mother.

The announcement from the Israeli military comes as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began Jan. 19 remains shaky. A series of explosions Thursday on three parked buses rattled central Israel. The Israeli military said early Friday it had imposed restrictions on Palestinian movement and sealed off parts of in the West Bank amid its ongoing security operations there.

A statement on behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military would “carry out an intensive operation against centers of terrorism” in the West Bank, raising the specter of a further escalation there.

The handover of four bodies to Israel during the day Thursday had set off a nationwide outpouring of grief as flag-waving crowds lined highways on a rainy day to pay respect to a convoy carrying the coffins and thousands packed a Tel Aviv square in an emotional nighttime vigil.

Many people wiped away tears and softly sang the national anthem as the caravan wound through southern Israel — a stark contrast to the celebratory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-709efbcf93714a562640133d836bb31c">return of 24 living hostages</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks under a tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war.

The handover was a grim reminder of those who died in captivity.

Hamas has said that all four were killed along with their guards in Israeli airstrikes. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that Lifshitz was killed in captivity by the Islamic Jihad militant group.

Militants who handed over the bodies displayed four black coffins on a stage in the Gaza Strip surrounded by banners, including one depicting Netanyahu as a vampire. On each coffin, a photo of one of the hostages was stapled to the side.

Large numbers of masked and armed militants looked on as the coffins were loaded onto Red Cross vehicles before being driven to Israeli forces. The military later held a small funeral ceremony, at the request of the families, before transferring the bodies to a laboratory in Israel for formal identification using DNA.

In Tel Aviv where the bodies were transported, a double rainbow unfolded across the sky just before sunset. Thousands of people gathered at the city’s Hostage Square and recited traditional mourning prayers. Some held orange balloons, in honor of the Bibas boys, and the crowd swelled after sundown as musicians performed subdued ballads, matching the nation's grief.

"Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said. “On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”

Lifshitz's family said after the handover that his remains had been officially identified. His son, Yizhar, told an Israeli TV station that it had brought some closure to the family. He said they did not yet know the cause of death.

“On a certain level, it closes the small chance that we had thought about," he said. "It is also closure that he will be buried back on the kibbutz. It’s a difficult day.”

The four bodies were the first of eight hostages that Israel believes are dead and to be returned during the current phase of the ceasefire.

Kfir Bibas was a red-headed infant with a toothless smile when militants stormed the family’s home on Oct. 7, 2023. His brother, Ariel, was 4. Video from that day showed a terrified Shiri swaddling the boys as militants led them into Gaza.

Her husband, Yarden Bibas, was taken separately and released this month.

Relatives in Israel have clung to hope,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza-kfir-bibas-birthday-490c428ef168655c9028dd612a15a35a">marking the boys' birthdays</a>. The Bibas family said Wednesday it would wait for “identification procedures” before acknowledging that their loved ones were dead.

A cousin of Shiri Bibas who lives in Buenos Aires, told the local Radio Con Vos station she has been reliving the trauma of the abduction. Romina Miasnik said she hoped her loved ones “can become a symbol of something new, of coexistence, of hatred no longer having a place.”

Supporters throughout Israel have worn orange — a reference to the two boys' hair color — and a popular children’s song was written in their honor.

Like the Bibas family, Oded Lifshitz was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with his wife, Yocheved, who was freed early in the war as an apparent humanitarian gesture.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-hostages-israel-palestinians-gaza-orphan-c8e9f6dd703a9c14161eeb6ca9e25417">including about 30 children</a>, in the Oct. 7 attack, in which they also killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-ceasefire-gaza-bc81ab899aed78a90a5ff42088b0f79d">half the hostages</a>, and most of the women and children, have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight and have recovered dozens of bodies of people killed in the initial attack or who died in captivity.

It's not clear if the ceasefire will last

Hamas is set to free six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release-hamas-ceasefire-hostage-3a20774bb4b519e852273ec559687b3b">hundreds of Palestinian prisoners</a>, and says it will release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase. That will leave the militants with about 60 hostages, all men and about half believed to be dead.

Hamas has said it won't release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-15-2025-1cf8b3cb7622489c368c610f85e51e35">full backing of the Trump administration</a>, says he's committed to destroying Hamas' military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-endgame-0b4720545d294b4eb25eb97055c238eb">goals widely seen as mutually exclusive</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">Trump's proposal</a>&nbsp;to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it, which has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt.

Hamas could be reluctant to free more hostages if it believes that the war will resume with the goal of annihilating the group or forcibly transferring Gaza's population.

During the ceasefire, Israel has also been conducting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-gaza-militants-displaced-2fb430ce6eeeff40b416df566712eb99">broad offensive</a>&nbsp;against Palestinian militants in the West Bank, and in a sign that the region remains on edge,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-bus-explosions-palestinians-gaza-4a13242cfd220ebdbedf1f0f0a389834">a series of explosions</a>&nbsp;ripped through three empty busses in central Israel late Thursday in what authorities suspected was a militant attack. No injuries were reported.

Israel's military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">destroyed vast areas of Gaza</a>, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza's population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5">no way of rebuilding</a>.

<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>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge Friday for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement after a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">found to not be that of an Israeli mother</a>&nbsp;of two young boys, as the militants had promised.The incident has thrown the future of the fragile ceasefire into question. Six more living hostages are scheduled to be released Saturday as part of the tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war.Hamas militants turned over four bodies Thursday as part of the deal. They were supposed to have been those of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and of Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7, 2023.Israeli authorities said that while the remains of the two boys and of Lifshitz were positively identified, the fourth body was found to not be that of Shiri Bibas, or of any other Israeli hostage held in Gaza.“We will work with determination to bring Shiri home together with all our hostages — both living and dead — and ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and malicious violation of the agreement,” Netanyahu said. “The sacred memory of Oded Lifshitz and Ariel and Kfir Bibas will be forever enshrined in the heart of the nation. May God avenge their blood. And so we will avenge.”Netanyahu said the fourth body was that of a woman from Gaza. Hamas has not responded to Israel’s announcement about the identity of the remains.The revelation of the body’s identity was a shocking twist in the saga surrounding the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-bodies-bibas-1d8718176c8d2564cf23c3e77f09ad72">Bibas family</a>, who have become global symbols of the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.During the ceasefire, which began in January, Hamas has been releasing living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. Thursday’s release marked the first time the group has returned the remains of dead hostages.The Israeli army said Thursday that the fourth body released by Hamas was an “anonymous, unidentified body.” It said the Bibas family had been notified, including Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and father of the two boys, who had been taken captive separately from his wife and children and was released early this month as part of the ceasefire deal.Hamas has claimed Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas and her sons were killed in Israeli airstrikes. But Israel said the testing had found the two boys and Lifshitz were killed by their captors.U.S. envoy Adam Boehler described the release of the wrong body as “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire.“If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation,” Boehler, who serves as the U.S. envoy for hostages, told CNN.It was unclear how the incident might affect the next scheduled swap of hostages for prisoners, set for Saturday. Hamas has said it will also release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the ceasefire. It is also unclear whether the truce will be extended beyond the end of the current phase, which expires in early March.In another potential blow to the deal, a series of explosions struck three parked, empty buses in central Israel overnight.There were no injuries and no claim of responsibility. But the Israeli military said in response it was beefing up its forces in the West Bank, raising the likelihood of further escalation in the area. Israel has been carrying out a broad military offensive in the occupied territory since the ceasefire took effect.If the current phase of the ceasefire goes according to plan with the release of six hostages on Saturday and four more bodies next week, Hamas will be left with about 60 hostages, about half — all men — believed to still be alive.Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-15-2025-1cf8b3cb7622489c368c610f85e51e35">full backing of the Trump administration</a>, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-endgame-0b4720545d294b4eb25eb97055c238eb">goals widely seen as mutually exclusive</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">Trump’s proposal</a>&nbsp;to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it, which has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt.Hamas could be reluctant to free more hostages if it believes that the war will resume.Israel’s military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.The offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">destroyed vast areas of Gaza</a>, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5">no way of rebuilding</a>.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The remains of two child hostages have been identified but another body released by Hamas was not the boys’ mother, the Israeli military said early Friday.Hamas militants had turned over four bodies Thursday under the tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war. Israeli confirmed one body was that of Oded Lifshitz, who was 83 when he was abducted during the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7, 2023.The remains of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-ceasefire-hostages-bodies-bibas-1d8718176c8d2564cf23c3e77f09ad72">Ariel and Kfir Bibas</a>&nbsp;were identified by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in collaboration with the Israel Police and the families were notified, the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement. It said the boys were killed in captivity in November 2023.But the additional body was not that of their mother Shiri Bibas, nor any other hostage, the military said.“This is a violation of utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is obligated under the agreement to return four deceased hostages,” the Israeli military said in a statement early Friday. “We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages.”Hamas did not immediately respond to Israel’s announcement that the body was not of the boys’ mother.The announcement from the Israeli military comes as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began Jan. 19 remains shaky. A series of explosions Thursday on three parked buses rattled central Israel. The Israeli military said early Friday it had imposed restrictions on Palestinian movement and sealed off parts of in the West Bank amid its ongoing security operations there.A statement on behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military would “carry out an intensive operation against centers of terrorism” in the West Bank, raising the specter of a further escalation there.The handover of four bodies to Israel during the day Thursday had set off a nationwide outpouring of grief as flag-waving crowds lined highways on a rainy day to pay respect to a convoy carrying the coffins and thousands packed a Tel Aviv square in an emotional nighttime vigil.Many people wiped away tears and softly sang the national anthem as the caravan wound through southern Israel — a stark contrast to the celebratory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-709efbcf93714a562640133d836bb31c">return of 24 living hostages</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks under a tenuous ceasefire that has paused over 15 months of war.The handover was a grim reminder of those who died in captivity.Hamas has said that all four were killed along with their guards in Israeli airstrikes. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that Lifshitz was killed in captivity by the Islamic Jihad militant group.Militants who handed over the bodies displayed four black coffins on a stage in the Gaza Strip surrounded by banners, including one depicting Netanyahu as a vampire. On each coffin, a photo of one of the hostages was stapled to the side.Large numbers of masked and armed militants looked on as the coffins were loaded onto Red Cross vehicles before being driven to Israeli forces. The military later held a small funeral ceremony, at the request of the families, before transferring the bodies to a laboratory in Israel for formal identification using DNA.In Tel Aviv where the bodies were transported, a double rainbow unfolded across the sky just before sunset. Thousands of people gathered at the city’s Hostage Square and recited traditional mourning prayers. Some held orange balloons, in honor of the Bibas boys, and the crowd swelled after sundown as musicians performed subdued ballads, matching the nation's grief."Our hearts — the hearts of an entire nation — lie in tatters," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said. “On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”Lifshitz's family said after the handover that his remains had been officially identified. His son, Yizhar, told an Israeli TV station that it had brought some closure to the family. He said they did not yet know the cause of death.“On a certain level, it closes the small chance that we had thought about," he said. "It is also closure that he will be buried back on the kibbutz. It’s a difficult day.”The four bodies were the first of eight hostages that Israel believes are dead and to be returned during the current phase of the ceasefire.<h2>Infant was the youngest taken hostage</h2>Kfir Bibas was a red-headed infant with a toothless smile when militants stormed the family’s home on Oct. 7, 2023. His brother, Ariel, was 4. Video from that day showed a terrified Shiri swaddling the boys as militants led them into Gaza.Her husband, Yarden Bibas, was taken separately and released this month.Relatives in Israel have clung to hope,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-hostages-gaza-kfir-bibas-birthday-490c428ef168655c9028dd612a15a35a">marking the boys' birthdays</a>. The Bibas family said Wednesday it would wait for “identification procedures” before acknowledging that their loved ones were dead.A cousin of Shiri Bibas who lives in Buenos Aires, told the local Radio Con Vos station she has been reliving the trauma of the abduction. Romina Miasnik said she hoped her loved ones “can become a symbol of something new, of coexistence, of hatred no longer having a place.”Supporters throughout Israel have worn orange — a reference to the two boys' hair color — and a popular children’s song was written in their honor.Like the Bibas family, Oded Lifshitz was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with his wife, Yocheved, who was freed early in the war as an apparent humanitarian gesture.Hamas-led militants abducted 251 hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-hostages-israel-palestinians-gaza-orphan-c8e9f6dd703a9c14161eeb6ca9e25417">including about 30 children</a>, in the Oct. 7 attack, in which they also killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hostages-hamas-ceasefire-gaza-bc81ab899aed78a90a5ff42088b0f79d">half the hostages</a>, and most of the women and children, have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight and have recovered dozens of bodies of people killed in the initial attack or who died in captivity.<h2>It's not clear if the ceasefire will last</h2>Hamas is set to free six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-prisoner-release-hamas-ceasefire-hostage-3a20774bb4b519e852273ec559687b3b">hundreds of Palestinian prisoners</a>, and says it will release four more bodies next week, completing the first phase. That will leave the militants with about 60 hostages, all men and about half believed to be dead.Hamas has said it won't release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-15-2025-1cf8b3cb7622489c368c610f85e51e35">full backing of the Trump administration</a>, says he's committed to destroying Hamas' military and governing capacities and returning all the hostages,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-endgame-0b4720545d294b4eb25eb97055c238eb">goals widely seen as mutually exclusive</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-plan-palestinians-israel-3f12eb51869da2221afbb22b0bcf47ba">Trump's proposal</a>&nbsp;to remove about 2 million Palestinians from Gaza so the U.S. can own and rebuild it, which has been welcomed by Netanyahu but universally rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, has thrown the ceasefire into further doubt.Hamas could be reluctant to free more hostages if it believes that the war will resume with the goal of annihilating the group or forcibly transferring Gaza's population.During the ceasefire, Israel has also been conducting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-gaza-militants-displaced-2fb430ce6eeeff40b416df566712eb99">broad offensive</a>&nbsp;against Palestinian militants in the West Bank, and in a sign that the region remains on edge,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-bus-explosions-palestinians-gaza-4a13242cfd220ebdbedf1f0f0a389834">a series of explosions</a>&nbsp;ripped through three empty busses in central Israel late Thursday in what authorities suspected was a militant attack. No injuries were reported.Israel's military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.The offensive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-war-aftermath-destruction-4c148d498f3d67a5d6de2107b6a1c966">destroyed vast areas of Gaza</a>, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced 90% of Gaza's population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5">no way of rebuilding</a>.

Israel: Child hostages identified but body Hamas released not the mother

LINN COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a small plane mishap that occurred just after noon Thursday in Linn County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1968 Cessna&nbsp; 177A piloted by Matthew Gregersen&nbsp;Evans, 42, Indianapolis, Indiana, made an emergency landing three quarters of a mile southeast of the intersection of County Road 1650 and County Road 1095 in a field.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The pilot told the patrol that the aircraft fuel line froze and forced him to bring the plane down in the field.&nbsp; Evans was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740158064470.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>LINN COUNTY—Authorities are investigating a small plane mishap that occurred just after noon Thursday in Linn County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1968 Cessna&nbsp; 177A piloted by Matthew Gregersen&nbsp;Evans, 42, Indianapolis, Indiana, made an emergency landing three quarters of a mile southeast of the intersection of County Road 1650 and County Road 1095 in a field.&nbsp;&nbsp;The pilot told the patrol that the aircraft fuel line froze and forced him to bring the plane down in the field.&nbsp; Evans was not injured. The FAA and NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.&nbsp;

Pilot of small plane made emergency landing in Kansas field

WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a high speed chase in Wabaunsee Countuy.

While on an overnight patrol, a Wabaunsee Sheriff's Sergeant attempted to perform a lawful traffic stop on a brown Pontiac, according to a social media report from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's office.

Upon activating emergency lights and audible sirens the driver, later identified as 36-year-old Justin Case Goodspeed of Eskkridge, attempted to flee from the Sheriff's Sergeant.

The Sergeant initiated a pursuit and gave chase of the suspect vehicle which attempted to evade law enforcement at high speeds on snow and ice. 

The Sergeant, out of an abundance of caution, deactivated emergency lights and sirens and reduced his own speed yet persisted forward towards the suspects last known direction of travel. 

Shortly thereafter Sergeant again activated emergency lights after discovering the suspect vehicle crashed the 15550 block of Wakarusa Road in Eskridge.

The Sergeant performed a felony car stop and arrested Goodspeed, the lone occupant, without incident and transported him to Wabounsee County Jail where he is being held on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude LEO by engaging in reckless driving;&nbsp; Felong Driving while a habitual violator; Operate vehicle without registration or w/ expired tag; Vehicle liability insurance; Liability coverage required; Basic rule governing speed of vehicle; too fast for conditions; Maximum speed limits; Failure to wear seatbelt; Transporting open container; Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (meth); Possession of marijuana; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Traffic contraband in correction facility. There were no injuries or property damages from the incident.

Goodspeed has previous convictions for theft, burglary, domestic battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740077810278.png" alt="Goodspeed -photo Wabaunsee County" />
 <figcaption>Goodspeed -photo Wabaunsee County</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after a high speed chase in Wabaunsee Countuy.While on an overnight patrol, a Wabaunsee Sheriff's Sergeant attempted to perform a lawful traffic stop on a brown Pontiac, according to a social media report from the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's office.Upon activating emergency lights and audible sirens the driver, later identified as 36-year-old Justin Case Goodspeed of Eskkridge, attempted to flee from the Sheriff's Sergeant.The Sergeant initiated a pursuit and gave chase of the suspect vehicle which attempted to evade law enforcement at high speeds on snow and ice. The Sergeant, out of an abundance of caution, deactivated emergency lights and sirens and reduced his own speed yet persisted forward towards the suspects last known direction of travel. Shortly thereafter Sergeant again activated emergency lights after discovering the suspect vehicle crashed the 15550 block of Wakarusa Road in Eskridge.The Sergeant performed a felony car stop and arrested Goodspeed, the lone occupant, without incident and transported him to Wabounsee County Jail where he is being held on requested charges of Flee or attempt to elude LEO by engaging in reckless driving;&nbsp; Felong Driving while a habitual violator; Operate vehicle without registration or w/ expired tag; Vehicle liability insurance; Liability coverage required; Basic rule governing speed of vehicle; too fast for conditions; Maximum speed limits; Failure to wear seatbelt; Transporting open container; Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant (meth); Possession of marijuana; Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and Traffic contraband in correction facility. There were no injuries or property damages from the incident.Goodspeed has previous convictions for theft, burglary, domestic battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon jailed after high-speed chase, crash on icy highway

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday, preserving a tradition by holding a reception at the same time that his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending the federal government's diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.

The ceremony comes as Trump has called DEI programs “discrimination” and pushed to eradicate diversity programs from the government,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">directed that DEI workers eventually be laid off</a>&nbsp;and exerted similar pressure on the private sector to shift to an exclusive focus on merit.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-dei-7ef0bf4ce1d465f6b61f3fcfde544593">sweeping effort</a>&nbsp;has sown discord and confusion across federal agencies, which have variously interpreted the order to limit how they can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">acknowledge race in history and culture</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gender-ideology-sex-pronouns-order-transgender-2d7e54837f5d0651ed0cefa5ea0d6301">report demographic data on race and gender</a>.

Trump was joined by golf legend Tiger Woods as he addressed hundreds of guests in a reception in the East Room.

“Welcome to the White House. And we proudly celebrate Black History Month," Trump said.

The president went on and added: “Today, we pay tribute to the generations of Black legends, champions, warriors and patriots who helped drive our country forward to greatness. And you really are great, great people.”

Joining Trump were Black political figures and activists who have been his vocal supporters. Invited guests, according to a White House official, included Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; Republican Rep. John James of Michigan; Alveda King, a niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; Herschel Walker, the football legend who is Trump’s choice as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas; and prison reform advocate Alice Johnson, whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-politics-tn-state-wire-4672b3b09a3f127b11af92e0681dd6df">he pardoned</a>&nbsp;in 2020.

Johnson had spent more than two decades serving life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense before Trump granted her clemency.

On Thursday, Trump called her out by name in his remarks and said he’s going to bring her into his administration.

“She’s going to be my pardon czar,” he said.

It’s not clear what the role would entail.

Other invited guests included figures from sports and entertainment, including former ESPN host Sage Steele; former NFL player Jack Brewer; and rap stars Kodak Black, Lil Boosie and Rod Wave, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In the wake of his executive order, the Defense Department issued guidance declaring “identity months dead” and said that working hours would no longer be used to mark cultural awareness months such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

That seemed to clash with a National Black History Month proclamation signed the same day by Trump, which called for “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”

While the White House has issued its position, agencies of the government have discretion on whether to continue to recognize Black History Month, according to the official.

On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that his department “will no longer participate in celebrations based on immutable traits or any other identity-based observances.” And in a diplomatic cable, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agency’s removal of DEI policies would dovetail with “eliminating our focus on political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad.”

The administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-critical-race-theory-colleges-diversity-db8317ad37931558dd5a396cf5ab3d42">issued a deadline to schools</a>&nbsp;and universities to eliminate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-critical-race-theory-antisemitism-college-protests-18136b8c8f5adb9c75c47907e020268a">diversity initiatives</a>&nbsp;or risk losing federal money. Major corporations have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-race-gender-ethnicity-diversity-equity-inclusion-companies-policies-8b22129bab630e62be36aa447a2bd47b">backtracked on DEI</a>&nbsp;policies in hiring, promotion and workplace culture in recent months, with many citing potential legal challenges from the administration.

Black History Month has been recognized by every U.S. president since 1976, including Trump during his first term.

“Black History is American history. And similar to the story of our nation, it is a story of strength, resilience, and dogged perseverance,” said CJ Pearson, a national co-chair of the Republican National Committee's youth advisory council. Pearson, who is Black, has been an outspoken defender of Trump against Black civic leaders, civil rights advocates and Democrats who lambast the president as racist.

“President Trump’s anti-DEI policies aren’t promoting racism but what they are doing is manifesting the dream of the great Martin Luther King, Jr.: a nation where one isn’t judged by the color of their skin but instead by the content of their character,” said Pearson, who will attend the White House event.

Other Black Republicans aren't so sanguine about the administration's current course or what it portends for the GOP's nascent inroads with Black voters or other communities of color.

“Trump can build upon the coalition he pulled together in November with Blacks and Asians and Hispanics and young folks,” said Raynard Jackson, a Republican strategist. “But if they leave it the way it stands right now, Trump is going to destroy the very coalition he so marvelously brought to the table in November.”

To Jackson, DEI is a catch-all for liberal policies that are “unrecognizable” from the original intent of civil rights laws meant to promote the social and economic progress of Black Americans. But in removing and denigrating the policies, Jackson said, the White House risked being labeled as discriminatory by offering no alternative framework for how disadvantaged communities can get ahead.

“How do you have diversity without it being a mandated bean-counting situation?” Jackson asked. "They’ve done a masterful job at telling me what they’re against. I’m waiting to hear what they’re for.”

During the 2024 campaign, Trump tried to reach Black voters through in-person events in Atlanta, Chicago and New York. His campaign courted Black celebrities and media personalities to boost his message. Trump's Black conservative allies, including Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., conducted roundtables at Black barbershops and bus tours through majority-Black cities.

But Trump also frequently denigrated Black communities in his pitch and made claims that pitted voters of color against immigrants, who he said were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.”

The efforts to boost support among Black voters seemed to have some success. He won a larger share of Black voters than he did in 2020, particularly among young Black men, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters in the 2024 election.

Overall, about 16% of Black voters supported Trump in November, while about 8 in 10 voted for Democrat Kamala Harris. But that represented an improvement for Trump from 2020, when only 8% of Black voters backed him and about 9 in 10 went for Democrat Joe Biden.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740087842234.png" alt="Photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump marked Black History Month at the White House on Thursday, preserving a tradition by holding a reception at the same time that his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">executive order</a>&nbsp;ending the federal government's diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> brings <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> on stage at a reception honoring National Black History Month 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/3mln2t1Z1t">pic.twitter.com/3mln2t1Z1t</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1892683370699612633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tiger Woods at White House Black History Month Reception <a href="https://t.co/hv69IQGkaq">pic.twitter.com/hv69IQGkaq</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892684928489320924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The ceremony comes as Trump has called DEI programs “discrimination” and pushed to eradicate diversity programs from the government,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-executive-order-diversity-834a241a60ee92722ef2443b62572540">directed that DEI workers eventually be laid off</a>&nbsp;and exerted similar pressure on the private sector to shift to an exclusive focus on merit.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-dei-7ef0bf4ce1d465f6b61f3fcfde544593">sweeping effort</a>&nbsp;has sown discord and confusion across federal agencies, which have variously interpreted the order to limit how they can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-tuskegee-airmen-women-war-history-88a92c8485281d7c088c5eafe5dbf002">acknowledge race in history and culture</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-gender-ideology-sex-pronouns-order-transgender-2d7e54837f5d0651ed0cefa5ea0d6301">report demographic data on race and gender</a>.Trump was joined by golf legend Tiger Woods as he addressed hundreds of guests in a reception in the East Room.“Welcome to the White House. And we proudly celebrate Black History Month," Trump said.The president went on and added: “Today, we pay tribute to the generations of Black legends, champions, warriors and patriots who helped drive our country forward to greatness. And you really are great, great people.”Joining Trump were Black political figures and activists who have been his vocal supporters. Invited guests, according to a White House official, included Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; Republican Rep. John James of Michigan; Alveda King, a niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; Herschel Walker, the football legend who is Trump’s choice as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas; and prison reform advocate Alice Johnson, whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-politics-tn-state-wire-4672b3b09a3f127b11af92e0681dd6df">he pardoned</a>&nbsp;in 2020.Johnson had spent more than two decades serving life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense before Trump granted her clemency.On Thursday, Trump called her out by name in his remarks and said he’s going to bring her into his administration.“She’s going to be my pardon czar,” he said.It’s not clear what the role would entail.Other invited guests included figures from sports and entertainment, including former ESPN host Sage Steele; former NFL player Jack Brewer; and rap stars Kodak Black, Lil Boosie and Rod Wave, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.In the wake of his executive order, the Defense Department issued guidance declaring “identity months dead” and said that working hours would no longer be used to mark cultural awareness months such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.That seemed to clash with a National Black History Month proclamation signed the same day by Trump, which called for “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”While the White House has issued its position, agencies of the government have discretion on whether to continue to recognize Black History Month, according to the official.On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that his department “will no longer participate in celebrations based on immutable traits or any other identity-based observances.” And in a diplomatic cable, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agency’s removal of DEI policies would dovetail with “eliminating our focus on political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad.”The administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-critical-race-theory-colleges-diversity-db8317ad37931558dd5a396cf5ab3d42">issued a deadline to schools</a>&nbsp;and universities to eliminate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-critical-race-theory-antisemitism-college-protests-18136b8c8f5adb9c75c47907e020268a">diversity initiatives</a>&nbsp;or risk losing federal money. Major corporations have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dei-trump-race-gender-ethnicity-diversity-equity-inclusion-companies-policies-8b22129bab630e62be36aa447a2bd47b">backtracked on DEI</a>&nbsp;policies in hiring, promotion and workplace culture in recent months, with many citing potential legal challenges from the administration.Black History Month has been recognized by every U.S. president since 1976, including Trump during his first term.“Black History is American history. And similar to the story of our nation, it is a story of strength, resilience, and dogged perseverance,” said CJ Pearson, a national co-chair of the Republican National Committee's youth advisory council. Pearson, who is Black, has been an outspoken defender of Trump against Black civic leaders, civil rights advocates and Democrats who lambast the president as racist.“President Trump’s anti-DEI policies aren’t promoting racism but what they are doing is manifesting the dream of the great Martin Luther King, Jr.: a nation where one isn’t judged by the color of their skin but instead by the content of their character,” said Pearson, who will attend the White House event.Other Black Republicans aren't so sanguine about the administration's current course or what it portends for the GOP's nascent inroads with Black voters or other communities of color.“Trump can build upon the coalition he pulled together in November with Blacks and Asians and Hispanics and young folks,” said Raynard Jackson, a Republican strategist. “But if they leave it the way it stands right now, Trump is going to destroy the very coalition he so marvelously brought to the table in November.”To Jackson, DEI is a catch-all for liberal policies that are “unrecognizable” from the original intent of civil rights laws meant to promote the social and economic progress of Black Americans. But in removing and denigrating the policies, Jackson said, the White House risked being labeled as discriminatory by offering no alternative framework for how disadvantaged communities can get ahead.“How do you have diversity without it being a mandated bean-counting situation?” Jackson asked. "They’ve done a masterful job at telling me what they’re against. I’m waiting to hear what they’re for.”During the 2024 campaign, Trump tried to reach Black voters through in-person events in Atlanta, Chicago and New York. His campaign courted Black celebrities and media personalities to boost his message. Trump's Black conservative allies, including Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., conducted roundtables at Black barbershops and bus tours through majority-Black cities.But Trump also frequently denigrated Black communities in his pitch and made claims that pitted voters of color against immigrants, who he said were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.”The efforts to boost support among Black voters seemed to have some success. He won a larger share of Black voters than he did in 2020, particularly among young Black men, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters in the 2024 election.Overall, about 16% of Black voters supported Trump in November, while about 8 in 10 voted for Democrat Kamala Harris. But that represented an improvement for Trump from 2020, when only 8% of Black voters backed him and about 9 in 10 went for Democrat Joe Biden.

🎥Trump holds Black History Month event with Tiger Woods

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has allowed President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">mass firings of federal workers</a>&nbsp;to move forward.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided Thursday he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block the layoffs. He found that their complaint amounted to an employment dispute and must follow a different process outlined in federal employment law.

Cooper acknowledged that the Republican president's second term “has been defined by an onslaught of executive actions that have caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society.”

But Cooper, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat, wrote that judges are “duty-bound to decide legal issues based on even-handed application of law and precedent — no matter the identity of the litigants or, regrettably at times, the consequences of their rulings for average people.”

The ruling comes as thousands of federal government employees have been shown the door during in the first month of Trump’s second administration.

The administration argued in court the unions failed to show that they were facing the kind of irreparable, immediate harm that would justify an emergency order stopping layoffs.

The unions, representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers, maintain that Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">efforts to slash the federal workforce</a>&nbsp;conflicts with Congress’ power to shape the size and direction of agencies through funding decisions, as well as laws detailing how such layoffs must be carried out.

The president of the National Treasury Employees’ Union, Doreen Greenwald, said that Cooper’s decision was a temporary setback and that “federal employees will get their day in court to challenge the unlawful mass firings and other attacks on their jobs, their agencies, and their service to the country.”

The lawsuit is among more than 80 challenging a range of actions Trump has undertaken with his blitz of executive orders. Unions also filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-employees-firing-lawsuit-trump-probation-unions-4a9384c21e408df85ca17dfac5b9dc93">a separate suit</a>&nbsp;challenging mass firings in California this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740091744250.png" alt="Photo from the protest last week by members of the American Federation of Government Employees&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo from the protest last week by members of the American Federation of Government Employees&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has allowed President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">mass firings of federal workers</a>&nbsp;to move forward.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided Thursday he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to temporarily block the layoffs. He found that their complaint amounted to an employment dispute and must follow a different process outlined in federal employment law.Cooper acknowledged that the Republican president's second term “has been defined by an onslaught of executive actions that have caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society.”But Cooper, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat, wrote that judges are “duty-bound to decide legal issues based on even-handed application of law and precedent — no matter the identity of the litigants or, regrettably at times, the consequences of their rulings for average people.”The ruling comes as thousands of federal government employees have been shown the door during in the first month of Trump’s second administration.The administration argued in court the unions failed to show that they were facing the kind of irreparable, immediate harm that would justify an emergency order stopping layoffs.The unions, representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers, maintain that Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">efforts to slash the federal workforce</a>&nbsp;conflicts with Congress’ power to shape the size and direction of agencies through funding decisions, as well as laws detailing how such layoffs must be carried out.The president of the National Treasury Employees’ Union, Doreen Greenwald, said that Cooper’s decision was a temporary setback and that “federal employees will get their day in court to challenge the unlawful mass firings and other attacks on their jobs, their agencies, and their service to the country.”The lawsuit is among more than 80 challenging a range of actions Trump has undertaken with his blitz of executive orders. Unions also filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-employees-firing-lawsuit-trump-probation-unions-4a9384c21e408df85ca17dfac5b9dc93">a separate suit</a>&nbsp;challenging mass firings in California this week.

Judge allows mass firings of federal workers to move forward

WASHINGTON — A Kansas man pleaded guilty Thursday to operating an internet-based platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion, according to the United State's Department of Justice.

According to court documents, Gregory Schreck, 50, of Johnson County, admitted that he and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to provide their personally identifiable information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Schreck and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items for these beneficiaries. 

Schreck, a vice president of the company that operated DMERx, admitted that he offered to connect pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders that were transmitted using the DMERx platform. Schreck and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid for them. 

The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in reality, purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity and based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary, or sometimes no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders generated through DMERx billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1&nbsp;billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these false and fraudulent claims.

Schreck pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Southeast Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fcriminal-fraud%2Fhealth-care-fraud-unit%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010001952556bac1-bbef654d-6126-45be-b254-d9c5ecc3e9dd-000000/Dd8w0yEPttRwjnPB8hceih8qcjmM1DnXMyUcGv7hZEM=392">www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit</a>.

WASHINGTON — A Kansas man pleaded guilty Thursday to operating an internet-based platform that generated false doctors’ orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion, according to the United State's Department of Justice.According to court documents, Gregory Schreck, 50, of Johnson County, admitted that he and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to provide their personally identifiable information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. Schreck and his co-conspirators owned, controlled, and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthotic braces, pain creams, and other items for these beneficiaries. Schreck, a vice president of the company that operated DMERx, admitted that he offered to connect pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders that were transmitted using the DMERx platform. Schreck and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies, and telemarketers that paid for them. The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in reality, purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity and based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary, or sometimes no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders generated through DMERx billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1&nbsp;billion. Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these false and fraudulent claims.Schreck pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin E. Fleck of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s Southeast Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office made the announcement.HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the case.Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Andrea Savdie and Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution.The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov%2Fcriminal-fraud%2Fhealth-care-fraud-unit%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010001952556bac1-bbef654d-6126-45be-b254-d9c5ecc3e9dd-000000/Dd8w0yEPttRwjnPB8hceih8qcjmM1DnXMyUcGv7hZEM=392">www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit</a>.

Kan. man admits role in billion dollar healthcare fraud scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-kash-patel-61610c5384536667eb112734465b0a19">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump's bidding and go after the Republican president's adversaries.

“I cannot imagine a worse choice," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority.

 Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts.

A Trump loyalist who has fiercely criticized the agency, Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents</a>&nbsp;who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Patel has spoken of his desire to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-fisa-russia-2d215ded96ad8a08689b6f7f0b2d49ec">implement major changes</a>&nbsp;at the FBI, including a reduced footprint at headquarters in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau's traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering and national security work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades. But he also echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/kash-patel-is-pushing-conspiracies-and-his-brand-hes-poised-to-help-lead-a-trump-administration/">Trump's desire for retribution</a>. Patel raised alarm among Democrats for saying before he was nominated that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” in the federal government and the media.

Republicans angry over what they see as law enforcement bias against conservatives during the Democratic Biden administration, as well as criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the right person for the job.

“Mr. Patel wants to make the FBI accountable once again -– get back the reputation that the FBI has had historically for law enforcement,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Patel was confirmed. “He wants to hold the FBI accountable to Congress, to the president and, most importantly, to the people they serve — the American taxpayer.”

Democrats complained about Patel's lack of management experience compared with previous FBI directors and they highlighted incendiary past statements that they said called his judgment into question.

“I am absolutely sure of this one thing: this vote will haunt anyone who votes for him. They will rue the day they did it,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.

He added: “To my Republican colleagues, think about what you will tell your constituents” and family “about why you became voted for this person who will so completely and utterly disgrace this office and do such grave damage to our nation’s justice system.”

About a half-dozen Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee gathered outside FBI headquarters earlier Thursday in a last-ditch plea to derail his confirmation.

“This is someone we cannot trust,” said Sen. Adam Schiff of California. “This is someone who lacks the character to do this job, someone who lacks the integrity to do this job. We know that, our Republican colleagues know that."

<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/kash-patels-podcast-persona-staunch-trump-defender-and-fierce-critic-of-the-fbi-he-could-soon-lead/">Patel's eyebrow-raising remarks</a>&nbsp;on hundreds of podcasts and in other interviews over the past four years include referring to law enforcement officials who investigated Trump as “criminal gangsters," saying some Jan. 6 rioters were “political prisoners” and proposing to shut down the FBI headquarters and turning it into a museum for the so-called deep state.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-patel-senate-f3465219e265df1598e15da3ad0e8a07">At his Senate hearing in January</a>, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make. Patel has also denied the idea that a list in book he authored of government officials who he said were part of a “deep state” amounted to an “enemies list,” calling that a “total mischaracterization.”

FBI directors are given 10-year terms as a way to insulate them from political influence and keep them from becoming beholden to a particular president or administration. Patel was selected in November to replace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chris-wray-fbi-farewell-trump-patel-partisanship-afe159a6e112e68dd5319ceac905d517">Christopher Wray</a>, who was picked by Trump in 2017 and served for more than seven years but who repeatedly angered the president and was seen by him as insufficiently loyal. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wray-fbi-director-resign-trump-patel-ca7553c92819b5487ce12de252a5a543">resigned</a>&nbsp;before Trump took office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737910381416.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Patel during a December meeting -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Patel during a December meeting -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-kash-patel-61610c5384536667eb112734465b0a19">Kash Patel</a>&nbsp;as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump's bidding and go after the Republican president's adversaries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740068029916.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Patel on Jan. 17-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Patel on Jan. 17-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“I cannot imagine a worse choice," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Kansas U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted with the majority. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740079258648.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, upper right) during the vote count Thursday afternoon-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, upper right) during the vote count Thursday afternoon-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>A Trump loyalist who has fiercely criticized the agency, Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-justice-department-jan-6-ff003e46ea48c4e8be710d1ba2eb2d02">highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents</a>&nbsp;who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740079232134.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (center) casting his vote for Patel-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (center) casting his vote for Patel-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">U.S. Senate CONFIRMS Kash Patel to be FBI Director, 51-49. <a href="https://t.co/xB2nrm8obk">pic.twitter.com/xB2nrm8obk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892657932623327599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Patel has spoken of his desire to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-patel-fisa-russia-2d215ded96ad8a08689b6f7f0b2d49ec">implement major changes</a>&nbsp;at the FBI, including a reduced footprint at headquarters in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau's traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering and national security work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades. But he also echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/kash-patel-is-pushing-conspiracies-and-his-brand-hes-poised-to-help-lead-a-trump-administration/">Trump's desire for retribution</a>. Patel raised alarm among Democrats for saying before he was nominated that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” in the federal government and the media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CONFIRMED 🇺🇸 Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/Kash_Patel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kash_Patel</a> on his confirmation as FBI Director. Kash is committed to transparency and fair application of justice — something Americans should expect from law enforcement agencies. We must end the weaponization of government and return the FBI…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1892657258481229855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republicans angry over what they see as law enforcement bias against conservatives during the Democratic Biden administration, as well as criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the right person for the job.“Mr. Patel wants to make the FBI accountable once again -– get back the reputation that the FBI has had historically for law enforcement,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Patel was confirmed. “He wants to hold the FBI accountable to Congress, to the president and, most importantly, to the people they serve — the American taxpayer.”Democrats complained about Patel's lack of management experience compared with previous FBI directors and they highlighted incendiary past statements that they said called his judgment into question.“I am absolutely sure of this one thing: this vote will haunt anyone who votes for him. They will rue the day they did it,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.He added: “To my Republican colleagues, think about what you will tell your constituents” and family “about why you became voted for this person who will so completely and utterly disgrace this office and do such grave damage to our nation’s justice system.”About a half-dozen Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee gathered outside FBI headquarters earlier Thursday in a last-ditch plea to derail his confirmation.“This is someone we cannot trust,” said Sen. Adam Schiff of California. “This is someone who lacks the character to do this job, someone who lacks the integrity to do this job. We know that, our Republican colleagues know that."<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/kash-patels-podcast-persona-staunch-trump-defender-and-fierce-critic-of-the-fbi-he-could-soon-lead/">Patel's eyebrow-raising remarks</a>&nbsp;on hundreds of podcasts and in other interviews over the past four years include referring to law enforcement officials who investigated Trump as “criminal gangsters," saying some Jan. 6 rioters were “political prisoners” and proposing to shut down the FBI headquarters and turning it into a museum for the so-called deep state.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-patel-senate-f3465219e265df1598e15da3ad0e8a07">At his Senate hearing in January</a>, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make. Patel has also denied the idea that a list in book he authored of government officials who he said were part of a “deep state” amounted to an “enemies list,” calling that a “total mischaracterization.”FBI directors are given 10-year terms as a way to insulate them from political influence and keep them from becoming beholden to a particular president or administration. Patel was selected in November to replace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chris-wray-fbi-farewell-trump-patel-partisanship-afe159a6e112e68dd5319ceac905d517">Christopher Wray</a>, who was picked by Trump in 2017 and served for more than seven years but who repeatedly angered the president and was seen by him as insufficiently loyal. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wray-fbi-director-resign-trump-patel-ca7553c92819b5487ce12de252a5a543">resigned</a>&nbsp;before Trump took office.Since Wray's resignation, the FBI has been led by interim leaders, who have clashed with the Justice Department over its demands for details about the agents who investigated the Capitol riot — a move seen as a possible prelude to broader firings. Patel denied having any knowledge of discussions about potential firings, but a letter from Durbin last week that cited information that he said had come from insiders suggested that Patel may have been covertly involved in that process.Trump has said that he expects some of those agents will be fired.Patel is a former federal defender and Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor. He attracted Trump’s attention during the president's first term when, as a staffer on the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/af8b27485d7a42ad86b8bf7ad1d554bb">Patel helped write a memo with pointed criticism of the FBI’s investigation</a>&nbsp;into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.Patel later joined Trump’s administration, both as a counterterrorism official at the National Security Council and as chief of staff to the defense secretary.