WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

The Monday evening order from the White House Office of Management and Budget sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington and left the White House scrambling to explain what would and wouldn't be subject to a pause in funding.

The White House confirmed that OMB pulled the order Wednesday in a two sentence notice sent to agencies and departments, but said that Trump's underlying executive orders targeting federal spending in areas like diversity, equity and inclusion and climate change, remained in place.

Administration officials said the decision to halt loans and grants was necessary to conduct a review to ensure that spending complies with Trump’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">blitz of executive orders</a>. Agencies had been directed to answer a series of yes or no questions on each federal program by Feb. 7. The questions included “does this program promote gender ideology?” and “does this program promote or support in any way abortion?”

Still, the vaguely worded memo, combined with incomplete answers from the White House throughout the day, left lawmakers, public officials and average Americans struggling to figure out what programs would be affected by the pause. Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.

The freeze was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, but was stayed by a federal judge until at least Monday after an emergency hearing requested by nonprofit groups that receive federal grants. An additional lawsuit by Democratic state attorneys general was also pending.

“The Executive Orders issued by the President on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, blaming the confusion on the courts and news outlets, not the administration. “This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending."

Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans, including Medicare, Social Security, student loans and food stamps, would not be affected. But they sometimes struggled to provide a clear picture.

Leavitt initially would not say whether Medicaid was exempted from the freeze, but the administration later clarified that it was.

Although Trump had promised to turn Washington upside down if elected to a second term, the effects of his effort to pause funding were being felt far from the nation’s capital. Organizations like Meals on Wheels, which receives federal money to deliver food to the elderly, and Head Start which provides early childcare in lower income communities, were worried about getting cut off.

Democratic critics of the order moved swiftly to celebrate the action.

“This is an important victory for the American people whose voices were heard after massive pressure from every corner of this country—real people made a difference by speaking out," said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/patty-murray">Patty Murray</a>, D-Wash. "Still, the Trump administration—through a combination of sheer incompetence, cruel intentions, and a willful disregard of the law—caused real harm and chaos for millions over the span of the last 48 hours which is still ongoing."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that “Americans fought back and Donald Trump backed off.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737908838710.png" alt="President Trump speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
 <figcaption>President Trump speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738177826569.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Monday evening order from the White House Office of Management and Budget sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington and left the White House scrambling to explain what would and wouldn't be subject to a pause in funding.The White House confirmed that OMB pulled the order Wednesday in a two sentence notice sent to agencies and departments, but said that Trump's underlying executive orders targeting federal spending in areas like diversity, equity and inclusion and climate change, remained in place.Administration officials said the decision to halt loans and grants was necessary to conduct a review to ensure that spending complies with Trump’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">blitz of executive orders</a>. Agencies had been directed to answer a series of yes or no questions on each federal program by Feb. 7. The questions included “does this program promote gender ideology?” and “does this program promote or support in any way abortion?”Still, the vaguely worded memo, combined with incomplete answers from the White House throughout the day, left lawmakers, public officials and average Americans struggling to figure out what programs would be affected by the pause. Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.The freeze was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, but was stayed by a federal judge until at least Monday after an emergency hearing requested by nonprofit groups that receive federal grants. An additional lawsuit by Democratic state attorneys general was also pending.“The Executive Orders issued by the President on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, blaming the confusion on the courts and news outlets, not the administration. “This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending."Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans, including Medicare, Social Security, student loans and food stamps, would not be affected. But they sometimes struggled to provide a clear picture.Leavitt initially would not say whether Medicaid was exempted from the freeze, but the administration later clarified that it was.Although Trump had promised to turn Washington upside down if elected to a second term, the effects of his effort to pause funding were being felt far from the nation’s capital. Organizations like Meals on Wheels, which receives federal money to deliver food to the elderly, and Head Start which provides early childcare in lower income communities, were worried about getting cut off.Democratic critics of the order moved swiftly to celebrate the action.“This is an important victory for the American people whose voices were heard after massive pressure from every corner of this country—real people made a difference by speaking out," said Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/patty-murray">Patty Murray</a>, D-Wash. "Still, the Trump administration—through a combination of sheer incompetence, cruel intentions, and a willful disregard of the law—caused real harm and chaos for millions over the span of the last 48 hours which is still ongoing."Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that “Americans fought back and Donald Trump backed off.

Read the notice: White House rescinds order freezing federal grants

WYANDOTTE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) updated details on the investigation into the death of Roger Golubski, 71, of Edwardsville.

Upon arriving at the scene, KBI agents recovered a&nbsp;Smith and Wesson M&amp;P Shield handgun on the back deck of the residence near the body, and five suicide letters from Golubski. KBI agents traced the handgun to a woman who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She indicated the gun had been stolen from her vehicle in 2022. The investigation did not establish a relationship or connection between Golubski and the gun owner. Agents were not able to determine how Golubski gained possession of the firearm.

Through the investigation, KBI agents established that Golubski left his house for his federal trial around 8:30 a.m., but never arrived at the Courthouse. He made several phone calls to family and to his attorney, and returned home. His roommate reported that she heard the gunshot around 9 a.m. and then called 911.

The final autopsy report concluded Golubski’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and manner of his death was suicide. The toxicology report found no significant positive findings.

The KBI has concluded this investigation. Foul play is not suspected in Golubski’s death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663616484786.png" alt="Golubski photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Golubski photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) updated details on the investigation into the death of Roger Golubski, 71, of Edwardsville.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738116368745.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arriving at the scene, KBI agents recovered a&nbsp;Smith and Wesson M&amp;P Shield handgun on the back deck of the residence near the body, and five suicide letters from Golubski. KBI agents traced the handgun to a woman who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She indicated the gun had been stolen from her vehicle in 2022. The investigation did not establish a relationship or connection between Golubski and the gun owner. Agents were not able to determine how Golubski gained possession of the firearm.Through the investigation, KBI agents established that Golubski left his house for his federal trial around 8:30 a.m., but never arrived at the Courthouse. He made several phone calls to family and to his attorney, and returned home. His roommate reported that she heard the gunshot around 9 a.m. and then called 911.The final autopsy report concluded Golubski’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and manner of his death was suicide. The toxicology report found no significant positive findings.The KBI has concluded this investigation. Foul play is not suspected in Golubski’s death.

KBI: Stolen handgun used in death of disgraced Kansas detective 

Sen. Jerry Moran says VA programs exempt from president’s federal funding freeze

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

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, said President Donald Trump’s sudden pause of federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs was causing unnecessary disruption and anxiety for Kansans.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the spending freeze until Monday when a hearing on the issue was scheduled.

The Trump administration’s standstill in allocation of federal tax dollars was devised to create a window for an administrative review intended to root out initiatives opposed by the president.

“Families shouldn’t have to worry about feeding their kids, keeping a roof over their heads or affording health care,” Davids said. “This reckless and deliberately vague order cuts vital investments in our economy that hardworking Kansans rely on to stay safe and healthy.”

Davids said the Trump administration should be working to address “real needs of our communities” that included lowering the cost of living for families rather than prioritizing interests of “big corporations and special interests.”

The president’s order put public safety as risk by jeopardizing funding to law enforcement, homeland security and disaster response programs, Davids said. Questions were raised about implications for federally funded road, bridge and transit infrastructure projects, she said.

Davids said the president’s directive could interfere with operation of Head Start, mental health services, the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline as well as funding for tribal communities, small business loans and energy programs.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said Trump’s directive wouldn’t disrupt services and benefits offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he was assured no VA programs, including those provided through grant recipients, would be undercut by directives issued by Trump through the Office of Management and Budget.

“Veterans and their families, as well as the organizations that serve them, will continue to have access to the benefits, services and resources provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Moran said. “I appreciate the VA quickly providing answers to my questions and continuing the important programs that serve our veterans and their families.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738170282573.png" alt="File photo Rep. Davids a the Panasonic manufacturing plant in De Soto&nbsp; earlier this month" />
 <figcaption>File photo Rep. Davids a the Panasonic manufacturing plant in De Soto&nbsp; earlier this month</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Sen. Jerry Moran says VA programs exempt from president’s federal funding freeze</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, said President Donald Trump’s sudden pause of federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs was causing unnecessary disruption and anxiety for Kansans.A federal judge in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked the spending freeze until Monday when a hearing on the issue was scheduled.The Trump administration’s standstill in allocation of federal tax dollars was devised to create a window for an administrative review intended to root out initiatives opposed by the president.“Families shouldn’t have to worry about feeding their kids, keeping a roof over their heads or affording health care,” Davids said. “This reckless and deliberately vague order cuts vital investments in our economy that hardworking Kansans rely on to stay safe and healthy.”Davids said the Trump administration should be working to address “real needs of our communities” that included lowering the cost of living for families rather than prioritizing interests of “big corporations and special interests.”The president’s order put public safety as risk by jeopardizing funding to law enforcement, homeland security and disaster response programs, Davids said. Questions were raised about implications for federally funded road, bridge and transit infrastructure projects, she said.Davids said the president’s directive could interfere with operation of Head Start, mental health services, the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline as well as funding for tribal communities, small business loans and energy programs.U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said Trump’s directive wouldn’t disrupt services and benefits offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he was assured no VA programs, including those provided through grant recipients, would be undercut by directives issued by Trump through the Office of Management and Budget.“Veterans and their families, as well as the organizations that serve them, will continue to have access to the benefits, services and resources provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Moran said. “I appreciate the VA quickly providing answers to my questions and continuing the important programs that serve our veterans and their families.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids blasts Trump’s ‘reckless and deliberately vague’ halt to spending

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in a deadly shooting will have to wait to learn his fate for murder.

The sentencing hearing for 41-year-old Tyree Jackson of Wichita was delayed and is now scheduled for February 21, according to the Sedwick County District Attorney's office.

Jackson was found guilty of first degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In March, police were alerted to a shooting incident in the 2200 Block of N. Grove in Wichita, according to Police spokesperson Andrew Ford.

First responders discovered 20-year-old Jaden Wilson outside of a gold Buick, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. Despite immediate medical attention, he was pronounced deceased at 5:46 p.m. by Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services.

A witness in the vehicle at the time of the incident was able to provide officers with details that quickly led to the identification of the suspect.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect were acquainted and involved in an ongoing dispute.

A short time after the shooting occurred, a 17-year-old suspect voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement at the Sedgwick County Jail and was later charged in Juvenile court, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711631518712.png" alt="Jackson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Jackson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in a deadly shooting will have to wait to learn his fate for murder.The sentencing hearing for 41-year-old Tyree Jackson of Wichita was delayed and is now scheduled for February 21, according to the Sedwick County District Attorney's office.Jackson was found guilty of first degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;In March, police were alerted to a shooting incident in the 2200 Block of N. Grove in Wichita, according to Police spokesperson Andrew Ford.First responders discovered 20-year-old Jaden Wilson outside of a gold Buick, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. Despite immediate medical attention, he was pronounced deceased at 5:46 p.m. by Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services.A witness in the vehicle at the time of the incident was able to provide officers with details that quickly led to the identification of the suspect.A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect were acquainted and involved in an ongoing dispute.A short time after the shooting occurred, a 17-year-old suspect voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement at the Sedgwick County Jail and was later charged in Juvenile court, according to the district attorney's office.

Sentencing delayed for Kan. man who joined teen for murder

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City. Just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire in the 6000 block of E. 98th Street, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews reported heavy smoke from a split-level home.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported at this incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. Red Cross was ordered for two adults and two children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738083214223.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City. Just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire in the 6000 block of E. 98th Street, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Crews reported heavy smoke from a split-level home.&nbsp; Searches of the structure came back all clear. No injuries were reported at this incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. Red Cross was ordered for two adults and two children.

2 adults, 2 children displaced after KC house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would begin subjecting all federal employees to “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” and ominously warned of future downsizing, while offering buyouts to those who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed.

A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, was emailed to employees and says that those who leave their posts voluntarily will receive about eight months of salary. But they have to chose to do so by Feb 6.

<a href="https://www.opm.gov/fork/faq">Click here to read </a>the frequently asked questions on the buyout

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has built a political career around promising to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f">disrupt Washington</a>, and vowed that his second administration would go far further in shaking up traditional political norms than his first did. Still, the repercussions of so many government workers being invited to leave their jobs were difficult to calculate.

The federal government employs more than 3 million people, which makes it roughly the nation’s 15th largest workforce. The average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center of data from OPM.

Even a fraction of the workforce accepting buyouts could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger widespread disruptions throughout society as a whole, triggering wide-ranging — and as yet unknowable — implications for the delivery, timeliness and effectiveness of federal services across the nation.

Untold numbers of front-line health workers in the Veterans Affairs Department, officials who process loans for homebuyers or small businesses, and contractors who help procure the next generation of military weaponry could all head for the exits at once. It could also mean losing experienced food inspectors and scientists who test the water supply — while disrupting everything from air travel and consumer product protections.

In response, American Federation of Government Employees union President Everett Kelley said it should not be viewed as voluntary buyouts, but pressuring workers not considered loyal to the new administration to vacate their jobs.

“Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government,” Kelley said in a statement. “Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”

In its emailed memo detailing its plan, OPM lists four directives that it says Trump is mandating for the federal workforce going forward — including that most workers return to their offices full-time.

“The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week,” it reads. That echoes Trump, who said of federal employees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-air-force-one-tiktok-canada-workers-06489fe4a05a352ce553e7da94a923a7">over the weekend</a>: “You have to go to your office and work. Otherwise you’re not going to have a job.”

The memo also says Trump “will insist on excellence at every level,” and while some parts of the government’s workforce may increase under his administration, “The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized.”

Finally, it says, the ”federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work.”

“Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward,” the memo reads. “Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”

The emailed message includes a “deferred resignation letter” for federal employees wishing to participate in the buyout program.

“If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30,” it says.

The email even includes instructions on how to accept, stating: “If you wish to resign: Select ‘Reply’ to this email. You must reply from your government account.” It adds: “Type the word ‘Resign’ into the body of this email and hit ‘send.’”

Meanwhile, OPM has released guidance for an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term known as “Schedule Career/Policy.” It replaces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-government-regulations-democrats-6badc3b424b9eff3ba51e0ec35a8d824">Schedule F</a>, an order Trump signed late in his first term that sought to reclassify thousands of federal employees and make them political appointees without the same job security protections.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;rescinded Trump’s Schedule F order almost immediately upon taking office in 2021, and under his administration, OPM&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-employee-job-protections-rule-trump-biden-4c1954c0ac089d0370a405ec4029fc9d">issued a new rule</a>&nbsp;last year designed to make it more difficult to fire many federal employees.

That move was seen as a safeguard against using a new Schedule F order to help carry out the key goals of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-harris-election-heritage-foundation-9183cf4c36c293e11b59847189d26a87">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">plan</a>&nbsp;by a conservative Washington think tank to dismiss large swaths of the federal workforce in favor of more conservative alternatives while also cutting back on the overall size of government.

But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from swiftly moving to gut the federal workforce and leave employees with little recourse to protest firings or reassignments.

Trump’s OPM on Monday set deadlines for agencies to begin to recommend workers for reclassification. Agency heads are being instructed to establish a contact person no later than Wednesday and begin to submit interim personnel recommendations within 90 days.

“Agencies are encouraged to submit recommendations on a rolling basis before this date,” Charles Ezell, the acting director of OPM, said in a memo.

Perhaps more stunning, the Trump personnel office simply did away with the Biden administration’s 2024 regulation to better protect federal workers. Monday’s memo said Trump’s new executive order used the president’s authority “to directly nullify these regulations.”

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would begin subjecting all federal employees to “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” and ominously warned of future downsizing, while offering buyouts to those who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed.A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, was emailed to employees and says that those who leave their posts voluntarily will receive about eight months of salary. But they have to chose to do so by Feb 6.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738115904337.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738115941751.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.opm.gov/fork/faq">Click here to read </a>the frequently asked questions on the buyout<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karoline Leavitt on buyouts: &quot;This is a suggestion to federal workers that they have to return to work. If they don&#39;t then they have the option to resign and this administration is very generously offering to pay them for eight months.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/B6AmEe79vB">pic.twitter.com/B6AmEe79vB</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1884594591271129598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has built a political career around promising to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f">disrupt Washington</a>, and vowed that his second administration would go far further in shaking up traditional political norms than his first did. Still, the repercussions of so many government workers being invited to leave their jobs were difficult to calculate.The federal government employs more than 3 million people, which makes it roughly the nation’s 15th largest workforce. The average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center of data from OPM.Even a fraction of the workforce accepting buyouts could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger widespread disruptions throughout society as a whole, triggering wide-ranging — and as yet unknowable — implications for the delivery, timeliness and effectiveness of federal services across the nation.Untold numbers of front-line health workers in the Veterans Affairs Department, officials who process loans for homebuyers or small businesses, and contractors who help procure the next generation of military weaponry could all head for the exits at once. It could also mean losing experienced food inspectors and scientists who test the water supply — while disrupting everything from air travel and consumer product protections.In response, American Federation of Government Employees union President Everett Kelley said it should not be viewed as voluntary buyouts, but pressuring workers not considered loyal to the new administration to vacate their jobs.“Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government,” Kelley said in a statement. “Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”In its emailed memo detailing its plan, OPM lists four directives that it says Trump is mandating for the federal workforce going forward — including that most workers return to their offices full-time.“The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week,” it reads. That echoes Trump, who said of federal employees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-air-force-one-tiktok-canada-workers-06489fe4a05a352ce553e7da94a923a7">over the weekend</a>: “You have to go to your office and work. Otherwise you’re not going to have a job.”The memo also says Trump “will insist on excellence at every level,” and while some parts of the government’s workforce may increase under his administration, “The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized.”Finally, it says, the ”federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work.”“Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward,” the memo reads. “Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”The emailed message includes a “deferred resignation letter” for federal employees wishing to participate in the buyout program.“If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30,” it says.The email even includes instructions on how to accept, stating: “If you wish to resign: Select ‘Reply’ to this email. You must reply from your government account.” It adds: “Type the word ‘Resign’ into the body of this email and hit ‘send.’”Meanwhile, OPM has released guidance for an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term known as “Schedule Career/Policy.” It replaces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-2024-government-regulations-democrats-6badc3b424b9eff3ba51e0ec35a8d824">Schedule F</a>, an order Trump signed late in his first term that sought to reclassify thousands of federal employees and make them political appointees without the same job security protections.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;rescinded Trump’s Schedule F order almost immediately upon taking office in 2021, and under his administration, OPM&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-employee-job-protections-rule-trump-biden-4c1954c0ac089d0370a405ec4029fc9d">issued a new rule</a>&nbsp;last year designed to make it more difficult to fire many federal employees.That move was seen as a safeguard against using a new Schedule F order to help carry out the key goals of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-trump-harris-election-heritage-foundation-9183cf4c36c293e11b59847189d26a87">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">plan</a>&nbsp;by a conservative Washington think tank to dismiss large swaths of the federal workforce in favor of more conservative alternatives while also cutting back on the overall size of government.But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from swiftly moving to gut the federal workforce and leave employees with little recourse to protest firings or reassignments.Trump’s OPM on Monday set deadlines for agencies to begin to recommend workers for reclassification. Agency heads are being instructed to establish a contact person no later than Wednesday and begin to submit interim personnel recommendations within 90 days.“Agencies are encouraged to submit recommendations on a rolling basis before this date,” Charles Ezell, the acting director of OPM, said in a memo.Perhaps more stunning, the Trump personnel office simply did away with the Biden administration’s 2024 regulation to better protect federal workers. Monday’s memo said Trump’s new executive order used the president’s authority “to directly nullify these regulations.”<h2>___</h2>Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

Read the Trump admin. buyout offer to government employees 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/new-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-arrives-at-pentagon-and-vows-support-for-trump-border-policies-0a65048f94cf4828b10a19569a24bdba">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;is pulling the security protections and clearance of retired Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and has ordered the Pentagon's inspector general to review Milley's actions while serving as the nation's top uniformed officer to determine if a demotion is warranted, two defense officials confirmed late Tuesday.

The inspector general review will include “an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen Milley’s conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination,” said Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot.

“The Secretary informed General Milley today that he is revoking the authorization for his security detail and suspending his security clearance as well," he said.

Milley served as chairman during President Donald Trump's first term in office. While the relationship initially went well, it soured deeply and fast, as Milley tried to advise and contain the president on a host of issues.

He pushed back on the president's interest in using force domestically to quell protestors after the death of George Floyd, and was at the center of a controversy in 2021 when he made independent calls to his Chinese counterpart. Trump called the calls an act of treason, but at the time Milley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1b23ba339e50a7c17c43c1281a0b4e04">said the calls were routine</a>&nbsp;and part of the scope of his job.

Milley in his final days as chairman after Trump had left office was equally outspoken about his former boss. He said at his official retirement ceremony “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milley-trump-biden-democracy-military-d2abb76858291c87ae856f91e9556d8e">we don’t take an oath to a king or a queen</a>&nbsp;or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.”

“We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it," he said at the time.

Hegseth's chief of staff Joe Kasper said that the decision to strip Milley of his clearance and detail was taken because "undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.”

The moves, which were first reported by Fox News, may also include taking down Milley's Army chief of staff portrait. Milley's chairman portrait was stripped from the wall just hours after Trump was sworn in. The portraits were both paid for by a donation from the Association of the United States Army, not taxpayer dollars, and were a gift to Milley honoring his service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737408736359.png" alt="On Jan. 20, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley’s portrait and nameplate were taken down in the Pentagon. The portrait was just unveiled Jan. 12 at a ceremony." />
 <figcaption>On Jan. 20, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley’s portrait and nameplate were taken down in the Pentagon. The portrait was just unveiled Jan. 12 at a ceremony.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/new-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-arrives-at-pentagon-and-vows-support-for-trump-border-policies-0a65048f94cf4828b10a19569a24bdba">Pete Hegseth</a>&nbsp;is pulling the security protections and clearance of retired Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and has ordered the Pentagon's inspector general to review Milley's actions while serving as the nation's top uniformed officer to determine if a demotion is warranted, two defense officials confirmed late Tuesday.The inspector general review will include “an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen Milley’s conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination,” said Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot.“The Secretary informed General Milley today that he is revoking the authorization for his security detail and suspending his security clearance as well," he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We unveiled the portrait of U.S. Army (Ret.) General Mark Milley, the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mark, it was good to see you back at the Pentagon. Thanks again for all you have given in service to our nation. I wish you Godspeed in the chapters to come. <a href="https://t.co/oKjYQk7HZx">pic.twitter.com/oKjYQk7HZx</a>&mdash; Archive: Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDefAustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDefAustin/status/1878551376592036038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Milley served as chairman during President Donald Trump's first term in office. While the relationship initially went well, it soured deeply and fast, as Milley tried to advise and contain the president on a host of issues.He pushed back on the president's interest in using force domestically to quell protestors after the death of George Floyd, and was at the center of a controversy in 2021 when he made independent calls to his Chinese counterpart. Trump called the calls an act of treason, but at the time Milley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1b23ba339e50a7c17c43c1281a0b4e04">said the calls were routine</a>&nbsp;and part of the scope of his job.Milley in his final days as chairman after Trump had left office was equally outspoken about his former boss. He said at his official retirement ceremony “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milley-trump-biden-democracy-military-d2abb76858291c87ae856f91e9556d8e">we don’t take an oath to a king or a queen</a>&nbsp;or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.”“We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it," he said at the time.Hegseth's chief of staff Joe Kasper said that the decision to strip Milley of his clearance and detail was taken because "undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.”The moves, which were first reported by Fox News, may also include taking down Milley's Army chief of staff portrait. Milley's chairman portrait was stripped from the wall just hours after Trump was sworn in. The portraits were both paid for by a donation from the Association of the United States Army, not taxpayer dollars, and were a gift to Milley honoring his service.

Pentagon pulls security clearance, protective detail of former top general

ENID, OK —A former Kansas police officer has been found guilty of child sex crimes.

On October 7, 2022, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by a former Kansas and Oklahoma police officer, according to a statement from the OSBI.

During the investigation, OSBI special agents identified the suspect as 34-year-old Brock England, who was an officer for both the Wichita, Kansas and Enid Police Departments from 2014 to 2022.

During their comprehensive investigation, special agents determined that England committed multiple child sex crimes in Kansas and Oklahoma, some of which were during his time as an officer.

 In March of 2023, England was arrested and booked into the Garfield County Jail on child sex abuse charges. Last week, England was found guilty by the Garfield County District Court of Child Sex Abuse with a Child Under the age of 12 and two counts of Lewd Molestation.

The Wichita Police Department&nbsp;assisted with this investigation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738088542862.png" alt="England photo OSBI" />
 <figcaption>England photo OSBI</figcaption>
 </figure>ENID, OK —A former Kansas police officer has been found guilty of child sex crimes.On October 7, 2022, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by a former Kansas and Oklahoma police officer, according to a statement from the OSBI.During the investigation, OSBI special agents identified the suspect as 34-year-old Brock England, who was an officer for both the Wichita, Kansas and Enid Police Departments from 2014 to 2022.During their comprehensive investigation, special agents determined that England committed multiple child sex crimes in Kansas and Oklahoma, some of which were during his time as an officer. In March of 2023, England was arrested and booked into the Garfield County Jail on child sex abuse charges. Last week, England was found guilty by the Garfield County District Court of Child Sex Abuse with a Child Under the age of 12 and two counts of Lewd Molestation.The Wichita Police Department&nbsp;assisted with this investigation.&nbsp;

Former Kan. police officer found guilty of child sex crimes

GASCONADE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Tuesday in Gasconade County Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Western Star dump truck driven by a 70-year-old New Haven, Missouri man, was westbound on MO 28 at 305 East Lincoln Avenue.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The truck traveled off the right side of the road, struck a utility pole, a concrete parking post, a tree and a house.

An 84-year-old&nbsp; man in the house was pronounced dead the scene and was transported to the Crawford County Morgue. EMS transported the truck driver and an 82-year-old woman in the house to Mercy Hospital.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738089163428.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GASCONADE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Tuesday in Gasconade County Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Western Star dump truck driven by a 70-year-old New Haven, Missouri man, was westbound on MO 28 at 305 East Lincoln Avenue.&nbsp;&nbsp;The truck traveled off the right side of the road, struck a utility pole, a concrete parking post, a tree and a house.An 84-year-old&nbsp; man in the house was pronounced dead the scene and was transported to the Crawford County Morgue. EMS transported the truck driver and an 82-year-old woman in the house to Mercy Hospital.The Missouri State Highway Patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

Dump truck crash into house killed man in the residence

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

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined federal agents Tuesday in New York City to announce the arrests of immigrants wanted on criminal charges, including a man accused of kidnapping who was seen on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-immigrants-aurora-colorado-police-37acd4e064347d51808cb244117ac21e">viral video</a>&nbsp;entering a Colorado apartment with reputed gang members.

Noem was the latest high-ranking official from President Donald Trump's administration to tout the president's ramped-up immigration enforcement in a city where arrests were being made. Border czar Tom Homan and acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove were in Chicago on Sunday as federal agents made arrests there.

“Arresting some criminal aliens this morning in NYC — thank you to the brave officers involved,” Noem posted on X. “Criminal alien with kidnapping, assault &amp; burglary charges is now in custody — thanks to @ICE. Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.”

An operation in the Bronx early Tuesday snared Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 26, who authorities said was part of a group of men, including members of the Venezuelan gang&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-gang-venezuela-us-a12c8fee9dc4a0ca73769ea893e09e53">Tren de Aragua</a>, who entered an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, last summer and were recorded on a widely viewed video.

The charges were brought by local authorities in Colorado. It was not immediately clear what would happen next for Zambrano-Pacheco. Two other men who police said were in the video were arrested in New York in November. They are still in ICE custody.

The incident caught President Donald Trump's attention during the presidential campaign, and he announced a plan called “Operation Aurora” to target migrant gangs. The video led Trump to claim that the Denver suburb had been taken over by the gang, which city officials denied.

In an arrest warrant, Aurora police said Zambrano-Pacheco was also wanted in a kidnapping in which at least 20 armed men abducted and threatened two people in late June. In addition, police said Zambrano-Pacheco was with a group of armed men before a shooting occurred shortly after the apartment incident that was caught on video.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer or if he was a member of Tren de Aragua.

Local and federal authorities, including Aurora police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investigated the apartment video incident for months beginning when Joe Biden was still president.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said Tuesday's arrests did not appear to be part of a “wholesale raid,” but rather an operation targeting specific people accused of crimes.

“I want to be clear, there’s always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past. This is not a new dynamic," she said.

Zambrano-Pacheco is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the Aurora apartment incident. The video showed six armed men, including at least some people identified as Tren de Aragua members by federal authorities, entering the apartment shortly before a fatal shooting outside the complex.

In Chicago, city leaders criticized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-chicago-immigration-arrests-cfb20a3e412443aa2ca6c6ed4d1070d4">highly publicized enforcement operations</a>&nbsp;that started over the weekend in the nation’s third-largest city. That included the surprising decision to allow daytime television psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw to livestream immigrant arrests alongside Homan.

“This desire to popularize fear is unconscionable and abhorrent,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday at a City Hall news conference alongside Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, city lawyers and others. “We’re talking about people’s lives.”

Johnson defended the city’s strong sanctuary protections that bar Chicago police from cooperating with federal immigration agents. Chicago has been a so-called sanctuary city for decades and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-immigration-lori-lightfoot-crime-1e53b67700ee66ceefd459d4afa57b86">strengthened those protections</a>&nbsp;several times, including during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-08b68d060fbbbca355a0f48487e96fb3">Trump’s first term</a>.

ICE has offered few details about the operation in Chicago, including the number of arrests. The agency did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Snelling said Chicago police have communicated with federal agents but did not participate in the operation or cooperate. He estimated roughly 100 people were taken into custody.

In other developments, authorities said Tuesday that none of the 41 people taken into ICE custody following a weekend raid in Colorado are likely to face drug or gun charges. The Sunday raid targeted drug trafficking by Tren de Aragua at a makeshift nightclub near Denver.

The people who had gathered dropped their drugs and guns before agents got inside, making it hard to connect the items to specific people, according to a spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Steffan Tubbs. The drugs found were amounts for personal use, he said.

Back in the Bronx, no one answered the door at apartment 1A by the entrance to the building where Zambrano-Pacheco was detained. But Richard Egu, 50, who lives in a third-floor unit, said he was roused from sleep by the commotion around 5 a.m.

Egu, a correctional officer who is originally from Nigeria and has been a naturalized citizen for more than 15 years, said he didn’t venture out to investigate and did not know the man who was arrested.

He said he understood the need to arrest and deport those in the country illegally who commit crimes, but he also worries about the effect such enforcement will have in the community.

“You need to give immigrants a chance. These people are already here,” he said. “Figure out the ones who are committing the crimes. Don’t just judge all immigrants as criminals.”

Associated Press writers Colleen Slevin in Denver, Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder in Chicago, and Philip Marcelo and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20COLLINS%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE COLLINS &nbsp;Associated Press</a>Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined federal agents Tuesday in New York City to announce the arrests of immigrants wanted on criminal charges, including a man accused of kidnapping who was seen on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-immigrants-aurora-colorado-police-37acd4e064347d51808cb244117ac21e">viral video</a>&nbsp;entering a Colorado apartment with reputed gang members.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our work started at 3 AM in NYC to arrest criminal aliens. Among the arrests was the ringleader of a vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. We’re getting these criminals off our streets. <a href="https://t.co/plrljTOuRV">pic.twitter.com/plrljTOuRV</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1884372401737371664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Noem was the latest high-ranking official from President Donald Trump's administration to tout the president's ramped-up immigration enforcement in a city where arrests were being made. Border czar Tom Homan and acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove were in Chicago on Sunday as federal agents made arrests there.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">7 AM in NYC. Getting the dirt bags off the streets. <a href="https://t.co/AlDD819K89">pic.twitter.com/AlDD819K89</a>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1884264039158800547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Arresting some criminal aliens this morning in NYC — thank you to the brave officers involved,” Noem posted on X. “Criminal alien with kidnapping, assault &amp; burglary charges is now in custody — thanks to @ICE. Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets.”An operation in the Bronx early Tuesday snared Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 26, who authorities said was part of a group of men, including members of the Venezuelan gang&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tren-de-aragua-gang-venezuela-us-a12c8fee9dc4a0ca73769ea893e09e53">Tren de Aragua</a>, who entered an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, last summer and were recorded on a widely viewed video.The charges were brought by local authorities in Colorado. It was not immediately clear what would happen next for Zambrano-Pacheco. Two other men who police said were in the video were arrested in New York in November. They are still in ICE custody.The incident caught President Donald Trump's attention during the presidential campaign, and he announced a plan called “Operation Aurora” to target migrant gangs. The video led Trump to claim that the Denver suburb had been taken over by the gang, which city officials denied.In an arrest warrant, Aurora police said Zambrano-Pacheco was also wanted in a kidnapping in which at least 20 armed men abducted and threatened two people in late June. In addition, police said Zambrano-Pacheco was with a group of armed men before a shooting occurred shortly after the apartment incident that was caught on video.It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer or if he was a member of Tren de Aragua.Local and federal authorities, including Aurora police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investigated the apartment video incident for months beginning when Joe Biden was still president.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said Tuesday's arrests did not appear to be part of a “wholesale raid,” but rather an operation targeting specific people accused of crimes.“I want to be clear, there’s always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past. This is not a new dynamic," she said.Zambrano-Pacheco is the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the Aurora apartment incident. The video showed six armed men, including at least some people identified as Tren de Aragua members by federal authorities, entering the apartment shortly before a fatal shooting outside the complex.In Chicago, city leaders criticized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-chicago-immigration-arrests-cfb20a3e412443aa2ca6c6ed4d1070d4">highly publicized enforcement operations</a>&nbsp;that started over the weekend in the nation’s third-largest city. That included the surprising decision to allow daytime television psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw to livestream immigrant arrests alongside Homan.“This desire to popularize fear is unconscionable and abhorrent,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday at a City Hall news conference alongside Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, city lawyers and others. “We’re talking about people’s lives.”Johnson defended the city’s strong sanctuary protections that bar Chicago police from cooperating with federal immigration agents. Chicago has been a so-called sanctuary city for decades and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-immigration-lori-lightfoot-crime-1e53b67700ee66ceefd459d4afa57b86">strengthened those protections</a>&nbsp;several times, including during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-08b68d060fbbbca355a0f48487e96fb3">Trump’s first term</a>.ICE has offered few details about the operation in Chicago, including the number of arrests. The agency did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.Snelling said Chicago police have communicated with federal agents but did not participate in the operation or cooperate. He estimated roughly 100 people were taken into custody.In other developments, authorities said Tuesday that none of the 41 people taken into ICE custody following a weekend raid in Colorado are likely to face drug or gun charges. The Sunday raid targeted drug trafficking by Tren de Aragua at a makeshift nightclub near Denver.The people who had gathered dropped their drugs and guns before agents got inside, making it hard to connect the items to specific people, according to a spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Steffan Tubbs. The drugs found were amounts for personal use, he said.Back in the Bronx, no one answered the door at apartment 1A by the entrance to the building where Zambrano-Pacheco was detained. But Richard Egu, 50, who lives in a third-floor unit, said he was roused from sleep by the commotion around 5 a.m.Egu, a correctional officer who is originally from Nigeria and has been a naturalized citizen for more than 15 years, said he didn’t venture out to investigate and did not know the man who was arrested.He said he understood the need to arrest and deport those in the country illegally who commit crimes, but he also worries about the effect such enforcement will have in the community.“You need to give immigrants a chance. These people are already here,” he said. “Figure out the ones who are committing the crimes. Don’t just judge all immigrants as criminals.”___Associated Press writers Colleen Slevin in Denver, Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder in Chicago, and Philip Marcelo and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.

New Homeland Security secretary joins agents to tout immigrant arrests in NYC

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse materials over the internet.

According to court documents, Sebastian Grattan, 28, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.

Grattan admits to creating an account on a messaging app and using it to distribute child sex abuse materials in November 2023.

The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), Wichita Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737845246701.png" alt="Grattan is being held in Butler County" />
 <figcaption>Grattan is being held in Butler County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse materials over the internet.According to court documents, Sebastian Grattan, 28, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.Grattan admits to creating an account on a messaging app and using it to distribute child sex abuse materials in November 2023.The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), Wichita Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case.

Kan. man admits using messaging app to distribute child porn

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;– Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Detention Deputy Michelle Estes was arrested on Monday on suspicion of Domestic Aggravated Assault and Criminal Threat, according to a media release from the sheriff's department.

&nbsp;Estes, 27, has been employed by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office since June 2021.&nbsp; She is currently suspended from duty, pending the outcome of the criminal case and an internal investigation.

She remains jailed prior to a court appearance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738084449162.png" alt="Estes photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Estes photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;– Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Detention Deputy Michelle Estes was arrested on Monday on suspicion of Domestic Aggravated Assault and Criminal Threat, according to a media release from the sheriff's department.&nbsp;Estes, 27, has been employed by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office since June 2021.&nbsp; She is currently suspended from duty, pending the outcome of the criminal case and an internal investigation.She remains jailed prior to a court appearance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas jail deputy accused of criminal threat, aggravated assault

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas couple was sentenced to prison for illegally taking proceeds from a relative’s Social Security and retirement benefits for years after his death.

According to court documents, Lynn Ritter, 62, and Kirk Ritter, 62, of Overland Park pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government funds. A federal judge sentenced Lynn Ritter to 12 months and one day in prison. Kirk Ritter was sentenced to seven months in prison, according to the United State's Attorney.

The couple lived with Lynn’s father in a single-family house in Overland Park with Lynn acting as his caretaker. On October 23, 2022, Kirk Ritter contacted the Overland Park Police Department. He advised that his father-in-law was deceased, and his body was in the residence. Officers found the body lying in a bed, in a mummified state. It was later determined the man died on or about July 1, 2016. 

The father had been receiving monthly Social Security and retirement pension payments as direct deposits to his bank account. After July 2016, $68,637 in pension payments and $147,429 in Social Security payments were deposited into the bank account. Lynn and Kirk Ritter did not report the death, and instead without authority, wrote checks on the deceased’s account and transferred funds into their bank accounts to use for their own personal benefit. The Ritters paid the funds back during their prosecution.

Mark Underwood, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Kansas City Regional Office said, “These sentencings show the Labor Department is committed to ensuring that justice is served for those who steal from retirement plans.”

The Overland Park Police Department, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor investigated the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738082956322.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas couple was sentenced to prison for illegally taking proceeds from a relative’s Social Security and retirement benefits for years after his death.According to court documents, Lynn Ritter, 62, and Kirk Ritter, 62, of Overland Park pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government funds. A federal judge sentenced Lynn Ritter to 12 months and one day in prison. Kirk Ritter was sentenced to seven months in prison, according to the United State's Attorney.The couple lived with Lynn’s father in a single-family house in Overland Park with Lynn acting as his caretaker. On October 23, 2022, Kirk Ritter contacted the Overland Park Police Department. He advised that his father-in-law was deceased, and his body was in the residence. Officers found the body lying in a bed, in a mummified state. It was later determined the man died on or about July 1, 2016. The father had been receiving monthly Social Security and retirement pension payments as direct deposits to his bank account. After July 2016, $68,637 in pension payments and $147,429 in Social Security payments were deposited into the bank account. Lynn and Kirk Ritter did not report the death, and instead without authority, wrote checks on the deceased’s account and transferred funds into their bank accounts to use for their own personal benefit. The Ritters paid the funds back during their prosecution.Mark Underwood, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Kansas City Regional Office said, “These sentencings show the Labor Department is committed to ensuring that justice is served for those who steal from retirement plans.”The Overland Park Police Department, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor investigated the case.

Prison for Kan. couple who lived with body of dead parent, collected benefits

WASHINGTON (AP) —White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered an update from Trump during a briefing Tuesday, saying the Federal Aviation Administration approved the flights, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-buzz-6ef6cfdd5dd6508da22b3c3a1d2f6718">captured the public’s attention over a month ago</a>.

“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones.

She added: “It got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.” She said the news came directly from the president.

The drones led to widespread curiosity as well as some confusion and worry last month. State and Biden administration officials had said there was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-mystery-new-jersey-york-b37fda04755803392178b1f39b76ccd8">no evidence</a>&nbsp;of anything nefarious with the sightings.

Trump had said the “government knows” what was happening with the drones. He said at the time, “I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it’s the enemy they’d blast it out.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734228753383.png" alt="Image from New Jersey Senator Andy Kim" />
 <figcaption>Image from New Jersey Senator Andy Kim</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered an update from Trump during a briefing Tuesday, saying the Federal Aviation Administration approved the flights, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-buzz-6ef6cfdd5dd6508da22b3c3a1d2f6718">captured the public’s attention over a month ago</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karoline Leavitt reads statement from President Trump: &quot;The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by FAA for research and various other reasons...this was not the enemy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M5Qk5exLPn">pic.twitter.com/M5Qk5exLPn</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1884307003289272431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said. “Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones.She added: “It got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.” She said the news came directly from the president.The drones led to widespread curiosity as well as some confusion and worry last month. State and Biden administration officials had said there was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drones-mystery-new-jersey-york-b37fda04755803392178b1f39b76ccd8">no evidence</a>&nbsp;of anything nefarious with the sightings.Trump had said the “government knows” what was happening with the drones. He said at the time, “I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it’s the enemy they’d blast it out.”

🎥 White House: Drone mystery solved

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “predator” who is addicted to power, Caroline Kennedy urged the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday letter to reject the nomination of her cousin to be President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;health secretary.

In a letter to Senators, Ms. Kennedy, who previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Australia and Japan and is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, etched a damning sketch of her cousin, the latest condemnation Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has received from members of his own, prominent Democratic family.

Several denounced her cousin's bid for the presidency last year. The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, was first reported by The Washington Post.

Ms. Kennedy said in the letter that her cousin’s views on vaccines are disqualifying. She offered senators personal details from their lives growing up together that she said pose an even greater concern.

She described her cousin’s basement, garage and dorm as being an epicenter for drug use, where he would also put baby chickens and mice in blenders to feed to his hawks.

“It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence,” she wrote. She also read the letter in a video recording, sharing it on social media. Attempts to reach Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for comment were not immediately successful.

He has openly talked about his heroin use and he pleaded guilty for bringing it on an airplane in 1984.

Kennedy now “preys on the desperation of parents of sick children,” she told senators, noting that he has vaccinated his own children while discouraging others from vaccinating theirs.

She also pointed out that Kennedy plans to still profit off a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Merck over Gardasil, its human papillomavirus vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. Last year, he made over $850,000 from the arrangement.

“In other words, he is willing to enrich himself by denying access to a vaccine that can prevent almost all forms of cervical cancer and which has been safely administered to millions of boys and girls,” she wrote. She had previously not spoken about his candidacy or nomination for health secretary.

Her father was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">assassinated</a>&nbsp;in 1963 when she was a young girl. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968 during his presidential campaign event.

“Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father – but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public services, and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his Senate career to improving health care, would be disgusted,” Ms. Kennedy wrote.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday in his bid to become Trump’s health secretary. Another hearing for his nomination will be held on Wednesday in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee, the panel his uncle, Ted Kennedy, once chaired.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “predator” who is addicted to power, Caroline Kennedy urged the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday letter to reject the nomination of her cousin to be President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;health secretary.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Ambassador Caroline Kennedy’s statement to the US Senate on RFKJr’s nomination for HHS Secretary This is a reading of a letter she just sent to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions I’m so proud of my courageous mother, who’s lived a life of dignity,… <a href="https://t.co/feysNA0Wwp">pic.twitter.com/feysNA0Wwp</a>&mdash; Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/JBKSchlossberg/status/1884294384474046900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a letter to Senators, Ms. Kennedy, who previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Australia and Japan and is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, etched a damning sketch of her cousin, the latest condemnation Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has received from members of his own, prominent Democratic family.Several denounced her cousin's bid for the presidency last year. The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, was first reported by The Washington Post.Ms. Kennedy said in the letter that her cousin’s views on vaccines are disqualifying. She offered senators personal details from their lives growing up together that she said pose an even greater concern.She described her cousin’s basement, garage and dorm as being an epicenter for drug use, where he would also put baby chickens and mice in blenders to feed to his hawks.“It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence,” she wrote. She also read the letter in a video recording, sharing it on social media. Attempts to reach Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for comment were not immediately successful.He has openly talked about his heroin use and he pleaded guilty for bringing it on an airplane in 1984.Kennedy now “preys on the desperation of parents of sick children,” she told senators, noting that he has vaccinated his own children while discouraging others from vaccinating theirs.She also pointed out that Kennedy plans to still profit off a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Merck over Gardasil, its human papillomavirus vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. Last year, he made over $850,000 from the arrangement.“In other words, he is willing to enrich himself by denying access to a vaccine that can prevent almost all forms of cervical cancer and which has been safely administered to millions of boys and girls,” she wrote. She had previously not spoken about his candidacy or nomination for health secretary.Her father was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">assassinated</a>&nbsp;in 1963 when she was a young girl. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968 during his presidential campaign event.“Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father – but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public services, and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his Senate career to improving health care, would be disgusted,” Ms. Kennedy wrote.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday in his bid to become Trump’s health secretary. Another hearing for his nomination will be held on Wednesday in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee, the panel his uncle, Ted Kennedy, once chaired.

🎥Caroline Kennedy shocks Senators ahead of RFK Jr. confirmation hearing

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating after three bodies were found in a rural Kansas home have released the names of the victim as Thomas R. Noble, 79, Ruth D. Noble, 76, and Kristin M. Noble, 41, all of Berryton, Kansas, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. Investigators learned that the individuals were immediate family.

Just before 6p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a disturbance at a home in the 7800 Block of Ratner Road, according to Christian.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they located two adult females suffering from gunshot wounds and one adult male that appeared to have sustained a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. All three individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738063904552.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement investigating after three bodies were found in a rural Kansas home have released the names of the victim as Thomas R. Noble, 79, Ruth D. Noble, 76, and Kristin M. Noble, 41, all of Berryton, Kansas, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. Investigators learned that the individuals were immediate family.Just before 6p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a disturbance at a home in the 7800 Block of Ratner Road, according to Christian.When deputies arrived at the residence, they located two adult females suffering from gunshot wounds and one adult male that appeared to have sustained a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. All three individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene.

Sheriff IDs 3 found dead at rural Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars.

U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.

The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending.

The plan sparked confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline.

Administration officials have said federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;plunged the U.S. government into panic and confusion on Tuesday by pausing federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives, setting the stage for a constitutional clash over control of taxpayer money.

Administration officials said the decision to halt loans and grants — a financial lifeline for local governments, schools and nonprofit organizations around the country — was necessary to ensure that spending complies with Trump’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">blitz of executive orders.</a>&nbsp;The Republican president wants to increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-climate-change-environmental-policy-e4fb2b2495c0bcf880fab46605936b09">fossil fuel production</a>, remove protections for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">transgender people</a>&nbsp;and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.</a>

But a vaguely worded memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget, combined with incomplete answers from the White House throughout the day, left lawmakers, public officials and average Americans struggling to figure out what programs would be affected by the pause. Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.

“This sort of came out of the blue,” said David Smith, a spokesperson for the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas, one of countless districts that receives federal funding. Now they're trying to figure out what it means “based on zero information.”

Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans would not be affected, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and food stamps. They also defended the funding pause, saying Trump was following through on his promise to turn Washington upside down if elected to a second term.

However, the effects were being felt far from the nation’s capital. Organizations like Meals on Wheels, which receives federal money to deliver food to the elderly, were worried about getting cut off.

“The lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos,” spokeswoman Jenny Young said. She said “seniors may panic not knowing where their next meals will come from.”

The National Science Foundation postponed this week’s panels for reviewing grant applications. Officials in Prichard, Alabama, feared they wouldn’t receive infrastructure funding to fix their leaking drinking water system. Republican leaders in Louisiana said they were “seeking clarity” to ensure nothing was “jeopardizing financial stability of the state.”

“Trump’s actions would wreak havoc in red and blue communities everywhere,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are talking about our small towns, our cities, our school districts.”

The full scope of the administration’s review was spelled out in a 51-page spreadsheet sent to federal agencies and viewed by The Associated Press. Each line was a different government initiative, from pool safety to tribal workforce development to special education.

Officials were directed to answer a series of yes or no questions for every item on the list, including “does this program promote gender ideology?” or “does this program promote or support in any way abortion?” Responses are due by Feb. 7.

Trillions of dollars are potentially under review. Grants that have been awarded but not spent are also supposed to be halted if they might violate one of Trump’s executive orders.

“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” wrote Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a memo distributed Monday.

Vaeth wrote that “each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders.” He also wrote that the pause should be implemented “to the extent permissible under applicable law.”

The pause on grants and loans was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. ET, just one day after agencies were informed of the decision.

Democrats described the Trump administration’s decision as capricious and illegal. They argued that the president had no right to unilaterally stop spending money appropriated by Congress.

New York Attorney General Letitia James planned to ask a Manhattan federal court to block the funding pause.

“There is no question this policy is reckless, dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars.U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738073386129.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738073444144.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending.The plan sparked confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline.Administration officials have said federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;plunged the U.S. government into panic and confusion on Tuesday by pausing federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives, setting the stage for a constitutional clash over control of taxpayer money.Administration officials said the decision to halt loans and grants — a financial lifeline for local governments, schools and nonprofit organizations around the country — was necessary to ensure that spending complies with Trump’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">blitz of executive orders.</a>&nbsp;The Republican president wants to increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-climate-change-environmental-policy-e4fb2b2495c0bcf880fab46605936b09">fossil fuel production</a>, remove protections for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sex-gender-transgender-dei-order-245350b97e0c4dcc221fefc49ef44699">transgender people</a>&nbsp;and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-dei-executive-order-diversity-inclusion-f67ea86032986084dd71c5aa0c6b8d1d">diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.</a>But a vaguely worded memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget, combined with incomplete answers from the White House throughout the day, left lawmakers, public officials and average Americans struggling to figure out what programs would be affected by the pause. Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.“This sort of came out of the blue,” said David Smith, a spokesperson for the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas, one of countless districts that receives federal funding. Now they're trying to figure out what it means “based on zero information.”Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans would not be affected, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and food stamps. They also defended the funding pause, saying Trump was following through on his promise to turn Washington upside down if elected to a second term.However, the effects were being felt far from the nation’s capital. Organizations like Meals on Wheels, which receives federal money to deliver food to the elderly, were worried about getting cut off.“The lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos,” spokeswoman Jenny Young said. She said “seniors may panic not knowing where their next meals will come from.”The National Science Foundation postponed this week’s panels for reviewing grant applications. Officials in Prichard, Alabama, feared they wouldn’t receive infrastructure funding to fix their leaking drinking water system. Republican leaders in Louisiana said they were “seeking clarity” to ensure nothing was “jeopardizing financial stability of the state.”“Trump’s actions would wreak havoc in red and blue communities everywhere,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We are talking about our small towns, our cities, our school districts.”The full scope of the administration’s review was spelled out in a 51-page spreadsheet sent to federal agencies and viewed by The Associated Press. Each line was a different government initiative, from pool safety to tribal workforce development to special education.Officials were directed to answer a series of yes or no questions for every item on the list, including “does this program promote gender ideology?” or “does this program promote or support in any way abortion?” Responses are due by Feb. 7.Trillions of dollars are potentially under review. Grants that have been awarded but not spent are also supposed to be halted if they might violate one of Trump’s executive orders.“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” wrote Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a memo distributed Monday.Vaeth wrote that “each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders.” He also wrote that the pause should be implemented “to the extent permissible under applicable law.”The pause on grants and loans was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. ET, just one day after agencies were informed of the decision.Democrats described the Trump administration’s decision as capricious and illegal. They argued that the president had no right to unilaterally stop spending money appropriated by Congress.New York Attorney General Letitia James planned to ask a Manhattan federal court to block the funding pause.“There is no question this policy is reckless, dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional,” she said.Separately, group of nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit in Washington saying that the funding pause is “devoid of any legal basis or the barest rationale.”The issue dominated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-leavitt-white-house-first-press-briefing-5ba5ff116e18c29b04c934a24a8983d1">the first briefing</a>&nbsp;held by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She said the administration was trying to be “good stewards” of public money by making sure that there was “no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness.”She denied that Trump was deliberately challenging Congress to establish his dominance over the federal budget.“He’s just trying to ensure that the tax money going out the door in this very bankrupt city actually aligns with the will and the priorities of the American people,” she said.The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that it would implement the pause to “align federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through President Trump’s priorities.” The Department of Energy also said it was conducting a review of its spending.The funding pause is the latest example of how Trump is harnessing his power over the federal system to advance his conservative goals. Unlike during his first term, when Trump and many members of his inner circle were unfamiliar with Washington, this time he’s reaching deep into the bureaucracy.For example, federal employees are being asked to report their colleagues if they try to continue&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-orders-dei-7ef0bf4ce1d465f6b61f3fcfde544593">diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.</a>“They are pushing the president’s agenda from the bottom up,” said Paul Light, an expert on the federal government and professor emeritus of public service at New York University.He also said there are risks in Trump’s approach, especially with so many voters reliant on Washington.“You can’t just hassle, hassle, hassle,” Light said. “You’ve got to deliver.”Fears about interruption in government services were exacerbated as states reported problems with the Medicaid funding portal, where officials request reimbursement for providing healthcare to poor residents.Democrats condemned the Trump administration, connecting the issue to the funding pause.But Leavitt said the portal would be back online soon.“We have confirmed no payments have been affected — they are still being processed and sent," she posted on social media.____Associated Press writers JoNel Aleccia, Moriah Balingit, Collin Binkley, Matthew Daly, Lisa Mascaro, Adithi Ramakrishnan, Amanda Seitz, Michael Sisak and Tammy Weber contributed to this report.