WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release Tuesday.

William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975.

Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokesperson, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.

Jill Biden declined to comment, according to an emailed response from a spokesperson at the former president and first lady’s office.

Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail after his arrest Monday on first-degree murder charges. He is charged with killing Linda Stevenson, 64, on Dec. 28.

Police were called to the home for a reported domestic dispute after 11 p.m. and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

She ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.

Stevenson was charged in a grand jury indictment after a weekslong investigation by detectives in the Delaware Department of Justice.

It was not immediately clear if Stevenson has a lawyer. He founded a popular music venue in Newark called the Stone Balloon in the early 1970s.

In an interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax in 2024, Stevenson criticized Jill Biden and he described their divorce as contentious, calling her “bitter” and “nasty.”

Jill Biden married U.S. Sen. Joe Biden in 1977. He served as U.S. president from January 2021 to January 2025.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770174750129.png" alt="Stevenson-photo New Castle County Police" />
 <figcaption>Stevenson-photo New Castle County Police</figcaption>
 </figure>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release Tuesday.William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975.Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokesperson, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden.Jill Biden declined to comment, according to an emailed response from a spokesperson at the former president and first lady’s office.Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail after his arrest Monday on first-degree murder charges. He is charged with killing Linda Stevenson, 64, on Dec. 28.Police were called to the home for a reported domestic dispute after 11 p.m. and found a woman unresponsive in the living room, according to a prior news release. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.She ran a bookkeeping business and was described as a family-oriented mother and grandmother and a Philadelphia Eagles fan, according to her obituary, which does not mention her husband.Stevenson was charged in a grand jury indictment after a weekslong investigation by detectives in the Delaware Department of Justice.It was not immediately clear if Stevenson has a lawyer. He founded a popular music venue in Newark called the Stone Balloon in the early 1970s.In an interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax in 2024, Stevenson criticized Jill Biden and he described their divorce as contentious, calling her “bitter” and “nasty.”Jill Biden married U.S. Sen. Joe Biden in 1977. He served as U.S. president from January 2021 to January 2025.

Jill Biden's ex-husband charged with murdering his wife

Deandre Pointer lost his challenge to the way the Missouri Department of Corrections calculated his time-served credit. His attorney says he will appeal

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A Missouri man fighting a calculation that could keep him in state prison for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/08/missouri-math-how-a-23-year-sentence-adds-up-to-more-than-40-years-in-prison/">more than 40 years</a>&nbsp;on a 23-year sentence lost the first round of a court battle seeking to be released.

On Friday, Cole County Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/MEMORANDUM,%20ORDER%20AND%20JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3793908" target="_blank">refused to order</a>&nbsp;the Missouri Department of Corrections to change how it calculated the time-served credit for Deandre Pointer, resentenced in 2023 for his part in two 2003 Kansas City murders.

Because his initial sentence was four terms to be served consecutively, Stumpe wrote, the department was correct to apply his time in state custody to only one of the terms imposed at resentencing, even if the new sentence called for the time to be served as a single, concurrent term.

“Put simply, Pointer has received all the jail time credit to which he is entitled…,” Stumpe wrote.

During an interview last year with The Independent, Pointer said he thought the work he had done to have his initial sentence overturned would also result in his release in 2024.

After years of protesting his innocence of the murder charges and failing to convince any court, Pointer cut a deal to trade his life without parole sentence for a 23-year term on two counts of second degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.

He did it, Pointer said, to care for his family.

“The only reason why I took this plea was that my father was sick,” Pointer said.

Stumpe’s decision came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=24AC-CC05711&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">case seeking a declaration</a>&nbsp;that the department had improperly denied Pointer credit for the time served since his original conviction.

The decision will be appealed, Kent Gipson, Pointer’s attorney, said in an email to The Independent.&nbsp;

“I am obviously disappointed by the decision but I can’t say I am surprised,” Gipson said. “I can honestly say that in my 40-plus years as a lawyer, this case is the most bizarre and irrational situation I have ever encountered.”

In June 2003, Pointer was sharing his home with a man named Eddie Hall. On June 12, 2003, Hall brought a woman to the home, smoked crack with her and then strangled her. Pointer helped Hall dispose of the body.

Five days later, Pointer’s cousin,&nbsp;Bobby Roby, and another woman arrived in the evening. Near midnight, according to the statement Pointer made to police, Hall again pulled a gun, tied Pointer to a chair with speaker wire, bound Roby with duct tape to a basement support pole and raped the woman.&nbsp;

Roby was strangled and Hall forced the woman to help him get rid of his body.

At his trial, Pointer contended he was a victim and was forced to help Hall in fear of his life. The jury found him guilty of one count of first-degree murder, a count of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.

He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on the first-degree murder charge and life in prison, with possibility of parole, on the other three counts. The counts were to run consecutively.

His efforts to get the sentence changed stalled in 2008, when a judge dismissed an appeal after rescinding an order for a public defender. Gipson successfully reopened the appeal in 2022 and, after negotiations, Pointer pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action, receiving the 23-year sentence on all counts to be served concurrently.

Because he was serving life without parole on the first degree murder count, Pointer never began his sentences on the other three counts.&nbsp;

The department awarded Pointer 6,929 days of credit toward one of the second-degree murder charges but only 557 days&nbsp;against the other three counts for the time he was held in the Jackson County jail from the time of his arrest in 2003 until his conviction in 2005.

The department calculated Pointer’s release date as occurring in 2044.

“Pointer argues it was wrong for the department to apply the credit from his vacated first-degree murder sentence first to the second degree murder sentence,” Stumpe wrote. “But the department is required to calculate the time in that fashion.”

State law and prior court precedent mean that because Pointer had not begun serving any of the counts which had a possibility of parole, the department did not have to credit his prison time to all four counts, Stumpe wrote.

“Pointer had not yet started to serve his consecutive sentences for second-degree murder and armed criminal action and he cannot receive jail-time credit on those sentences now,” Stumpe wrote.

Along with challenging the calculation directly in Cole County, Pointer is asking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2316-CV31115&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">Jackson County courts</a>&nbsp;to again vacate his sentence and re-impose it in shorter, consecutive blocks that total 23 years instead.

That case is months away from a final ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770153844113.png" alt=" Deandre Pointer, a man incarcerated at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, discusses his legal effort to get his parole date recalculated. If the date is not changed, Pointer will serve 40 years on a 23-year sentence (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Deandre Pointer, a man incarcerated at the Jefferson City Correctional Center, discusses his legal effort to get his parole date recalculated. If the date is not changed, Pointer will serve 40 years on a 23-year sentence (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Deandre Pointer lost his challenge to the way the Missouri Department of Corrections calculated his time-served credit. His attorney says he will appeal</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A Missouri man fighting a calculation that could keep him in state prison for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/08/missouri-math-how-a-23-year-sentence-adds-up-to-more-than-40-years-in-prison/">more than 40 years</a>&nbsp;on a 23-year sentence lost the first round of a court battle seeking to be released.On Friday, Cole County Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/MEMORANDUM,%20ORDER%20AND%20JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3793908" target="_blank">refused to order</a>&nbsp;the Missouri Department of Corrections to change how it calculated the time-served credit for Deandre Pointer, resentenced in 2023 for his part in two 2003 Kansas City murders.Because his initial sentence was four terms to be served consecutively, Stumpe wrote, the department was correct to apply his time in state custody to only one of the terms imposed at resentencing, even if the new sentence called for the time to be served as a single, concurrent term.“Put simply, Pointer has received all the jail time credit to which he is entitled…,” Stumpe wrote.During an interview last year with The Independent, Pointer said he thought the work he had done to have his initial sentence overturned would also result in his release in 2024.After years of protesting his innocence of the murder charges and failing to convince any court, Pointer cut a deal to trade his life without parole sentence for a 23-year term on two counts of second degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.He did it, Pointer said, to care for his family.“The only reason why I took this plea was that my father was sick,” Pointer said.Stumpe’s decision came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=24AC-CC05711&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">case seeking a declaration</a>&nbsp;that the department had improperly denied Pointer credit for the time served since his original conviction.The decision will be appealed, Kent Gipson, Pointer’s attorney, said in an email to The Independent.&nbsp;“I am obviously disappointed by the decision but I can’t say I am surprised,” Gipson said. “I can honestly say that in my 40-plus years as a lawyer, this case is the most bizarre and irrational situation I have ever encountered.”In June 2003, Pointer was sharing his home with a man named Eddie Hall. On June 12, 2003, Hall brought a woman to the home, smoked crack with her and then strangled her. Pointer helped Hall dispose of the body.Five days later, Pointer’s cousin,&nbsp;Bobby Roby, and another woman arrived in the evening. Near midnight, according to the statement Pointer made to police, Hall again pulled a gun, tied Pointer to a chair with speaker wire, bound Roby with duct tape to a basement support pole and raped the woman.&nbsp;Roby was strangled and Hall forced the woman to help him get rid of his body.At his trial, Pointer contended he was a victim and was forced to help Hall in fear of his life. The jury found him guilty of one count of first-degree murder, a count of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on the first-degree murder charge and life in prison, with possibility of parole, on the other three counts. The counts were to run consecutively.His efforts to get the sentence changed stalled in 2008, when a judge dismissed an appeal after rescinding an order for a public defender. Gipson successfully reopened the appeal in 2022 and, after negotiations, Pointer pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action, receiving the 23-year sentence on all counts to be served concurrently.Because he was serving life without parole on the first degree murder count, Pointer never began his sentences on the other three counts.&nbsp;The department awarded Pointer 6,929 days of credit toward one of the second-degree murder charges but only 557 days&nbsp;against the other three counts for the time he was held in the Jackson County jail from the time of his arrest in 2003 until his conviction in 2005.The department calculated Pointer’s release date as occurring in 2044.“Pointer argues it was wrong for the department to apply the credit from his vacated first-degree murder sentence first to the second degree murder sentence,” Stumpe wrote. “But the department is required to calculate the time in that fashion.”State law and prior court precedent mean that because Pointer had not begun serving any of the counts which had a possibility of parole, the department did not have to credit his prison time to all four counts, Stumpe wrote.“Pointer had not yet started to serve his consecutive sentences for second-degree murder and armed criminal action and he cannot receive jail-time credit on those sentences now,” Stumpe wrote.Along with challenging the calculation directly in Cole County, Pointer is asking the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2316-CV31115&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16&amp;inputVO.isTicket=false#header" target="_blank">Jackson County courts</a>&nbsp;to again vacate his sentence and re-impose it in shorter, consecutive blocks that total 23 years instead.That case is months away from a final ruling.

Court rules against man serving 40+ years on a 23-year prison sentence

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Graphic videos showing the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;while he spoke to a crowd on a Utah college campus quickly went viral, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-video-graphic-online-social-media-6cfd4dfde356b960aeea69c01ea3ec34">millions of views</a>.

Now, attorneys for the man charged in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk want&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-assassination-tyler-robinson-media-e90d404b03383dec9e0d9a327b491920">a state judge</a>&nbsp;to block such videos from being shown during a hearing Tuesday. Defense attorneys also want to oust TV and still cameras from the courtroom, arguing that “highly biased” news outlets risk tainting the case.

Prosecutors, attorneys for news organizations, and Kirk’s widow urged state District Judge Tony Graf to keep the proceedings open.

“In the absence of transparency, speculation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories are likely to proliferate, eroding public confidence in the judicial process,” Erika Kirk's attorney wrote in a Monday court filing. “Such an outcome serves neither the interests of justice nor those of Ms. Kirk.”

But legal experts say the defense team's worries are real: Media coverage in high-profile cases such as Tyler Robinson's can have a direct “biasing effect” on potential jurors, said Cornell Law School Professor Valerie Hans.

“There were videos about the killing, and pictures and analysis (and) the entire saga of how this particular defendant came to turn himself in,” said Hans, a leading expert on the jury system. “When jurors come to a trial with this kind of background information from the media, it shapes how they see the evidence that is presented in the courtroom.”

Watching those videos might make people think, "'Yeah, this was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,'” Hans said.

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray testified Tuesday that he thought about seeking the death penalty before an arrest had been made. He could not recall exactly when he told the governor and federal officials about his plan. Asked why he announced so early his intent to seek the death penalty, Gray said the case was already drawing enormous public attention.

“The more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary public speculation,” he said, adding that he didn’t want Erika Kirk to have to sit with the uncertainty.

Defense attorneys are seeking to disqualify local prosecutors because the adult daughter of Chad Grunander, a deputy county attorney helping prosecute the case, attended the rally where Kirk was shot. The defense alleges the relationship represents a conflict of interest.

In response, prosecutors said in a court filing that they could present videos to demonstrate that Grunander's daughter was not a necessary witness since numerous other people recorded the shooting. Among the videos, prosecutors wrote, is one that shows the bullet hitting Kirk, blood coming from his neck, and Kirk falling from his chair.

Grunander's daughter testified Tuesday that she did not video the shooting or the aftermath. She said she had been looking at the crowd when she heard a loud pop and a man sitting nearby shouted, “He’s been shot.” She said she never turned to look at Kirk and was more focused on running to safety.

Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing. Robinson also reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.” He has not yet entered a plea.

Robinson's attorneys have ramped up claims of bias as the case has advanced, even accusing news outlets of using lip readers to deduce what the defendant is whispering to his attorneys during court hearings.

Fueling those concerns was a television camera operator who zoomed in on Robinson's face as he talked to his attorneys during a Jan. 16 hearing. That violated courtroom orders, prompting the judge to stop filming of Robinson for the remainder of the hearing.

“Rather than being a beacon for truth and openness, the News Media have simply become a financial investor in this case,” defense attorneys wrote in a request for the court to seal some of their accusations of media bias. Unsealing those records, they added, “will simply generate even more views of the offending coverage, and more revenue for the News Media.”

Further complicating efforts to ensure a fair trial is the political rhetoric swirling around Kirk, stemming from the role his organization played in Trump’s 2024 election. Even before Robinson was charged, people jumped to conclusions about who the shooter could be and what kind of politics he espoused, said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown.

“People are just projecting a lot of their own sense of what they think was going on, and that really creates concerns about whether they can be open to hearing the actual evidence that’s presented,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757539632054.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVO, Utah (AP) — Graphic videos showing the killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>&nbsp;while he spoke to a crowd on a Utah college campus quickly went viral, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-video-graphic-online-social-media-6cfd4dfde356b960aeea69c01ea3ec34">millions of views</a>.Now, attorneys for the man charged in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk want&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-assassination-tyler-robinson-media-e90d404b03383dec9e0d9a327b491920">a state judge</a>&nbsp;to block such videos from being shown during a hearing Tuesday. Defense attorneys also want to oust TV and still cameras from the courtroom, arguing that “highly biased” news outlets risk tainting the case.Prosecutors, attorneys for news organizations, and Kirk’s widow urged state District Judge Tony Graf to keep the proceedings open.“In the absence of transparency, speculation, misinformation, and conspiracy theories are likely to proliferate, eroding public confidence in the judicial process,” Erika Kirk's attorney wrote in a Monday court filing. “Such an outcome serves neither the interests of justice nor those of Ms. Kirk.”But legal experts say the defense team's worries are real: Media coverage in high-profile cases such as Tyler Robinson's can have a direct “biasing effect” on potential jurors, said Cornell Law School Professor Valerie Hans.“There were videos about the killing, and pictures and analysis (and) the entire saga of how this particular defendant came to turn himself in,” said Hans, a leading expert on the jury system. “When jurors come to a trial with this kind of background information from the media, it shapes how they see the evidence that is presented in the courtroom.”Watching those videos might make people think, "'Yeah, this was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,'” Hans said.Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray testified Tuesday that he thought about seeking the death penalty before an arrest had been made. He could not recall exactly when he told the governor and federal officials about his plan. Asked why he announced so early his intent to seek the death penalty, Gray said the case was already drawing enormous public attention.“The more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary public speculation,” he said, adding that he didn’t want Erika Kirk to have to sit with the uncertainty.Defense attorneys are seeking to disqualify local prosecutors because the adult daughter of Chad Grunander, a deputy county attorney helping prosecute the case, attended the rally where Kirk was shot. The defense alleges the relationship represents a conflict of interest.In response, prosecutors said in a court filing that they could present videos to demonstrate that Grunander's daughter was not a necessary witness since numerous other people recorded the shooting. Among the videos, prosecutors wrote, is one that shows the bullet hitting Kirk, blood coming from his neck, and Kirk falling from his chair.Grunander's daughter testified Tuesday that she did not video the shooting or the aftermath. She said she had been looking at the crowd when she heard a loud pop and a man sitting nearby shouted, “He’s been shot.” She said she never turned to look at Kirk and was more focused on running to safety.Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing. Robinson also reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.” He has not yet entered a plea.Robinson's attorneys have ramped up claims of bias as the case has advanced, even accusing news outlets of using lip readers to deduce what the defendant is whispering to his attorneys during court hearings.Fueling those concerns was a television camera operator who zoomed in on Robinson's face as he talked to his attorneys during a Jan. 16 hearing. That violated courtroom orders, prompting the judge to stop filming of Robinson for the remainder of the hearing.“Rather than being a beacon for truth and openness, the News Media have simply become a financial investor in this case,” defense attorneys wrote in a request for the court to seal some of their accusations of media bias. Unsealing those records, they added, “will simply generate even more views of the offending coverage, and more revenue for the News Media.”Further complicating efforts to ensure a fair trial is the political rhetoric swirling around Kirk, stemming from the role his organization played in Trump’s 2024 election. Even before Robinson was charged, people jumped to conclusions about who the shooter could be and what kind of politics he espoused, said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown.“People are just projecting a lot of their own sense of what they think was going on, and that really creates concerns about whether they can be open to hearing the actual evidence that’s presented,” she said.

Defense seeks to block videos of Charlie Kirk's killing in murder case

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.

The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.

“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.

The vote Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programs through Sept. 30. Trump has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, ending the partial government shutdown that began Saturday.

Passage of the legislation marked the end point for one funding fight, but the start of another. That's because the package only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, through Feb 13, at the behest of Democrats who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Difficult negotiations are ahead, particularly for the agency that enforces the nation’s immigration laws —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-arrests-workplace-agents-chicago-los-angeles-ba352692f27fa6d2846a9410496e4359">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>, or ICE.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly warned Democrats would not support any further temporary funding for Homeland Security without substantial changes to its immigration operations., raising the potential of another shutdown for the department and its agencies.

“We need dramatic change in order to make sure that ICE and other agencies within the department of Homeland Security are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement organization in the country,” Jeffries said.

Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects the two sides will be able to reach an agreement by the deadline.

“This is no time to play games with that funding. We hope that they will operate in good faith over the next 10 days as we negotiate this,” said Johnson. “The president, again, has reached out.”

But Johnson’s counterpart across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sounded less optimistic of a deal. “There’s always miracles, right?” Thune told reporters.

The funding bill that cleared Congress Tuesday had provisions that appealed to both parties.

Republicans avoided a massive, catchall funding bill known as an omnibus as part of this year’s appropriations process. Such bills, often taken up before the holiday season with lawmakers anxious to return home, have contributed to greater federal spending, they say.

Democrats were able to fend off some of Trump's most draconian proposed cuts while adding language that helps ensure funds are spent as stipulated by Congress.

Still, Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote on the bill. He narrowly got it during a roll call that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.

The final vote wasn't much easier for GOP leaders. In the end, 21 Republicans sided with the vast majority of Democrats in voting against the funding bill, while that exact same number of Democrats sided with the vast majority of Republicans in voting yes.

Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”

The current partial shutdown that is coming to a close differed in many ways from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">a record 43 days</a>.

Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.

Congress made important progress since then. Some of the six appropriations bills it passed prior to Tuesday ensured the current shutdown had less sting. For example, important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites were already funded through Sept. 30.

The remaining bills passed Tuesday mean that the vast majority of the federal government has been funded.

“You might say that now that 96% of the government is funded, it’s just 4% what’s out there?" Johnson said. "But it’s a very important 4%”

Associated Press video journalist Nathan Ellgren and writers Lisa Mascaro, Joey Cappelletti and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;This bill is a great victory for the American people. Instead of a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts, we&#39;ve succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending, while supporting… <a href="https://t.co/e8SaId9wSh">https://t.co/e8SaId9wSh</a> <a href="https://t.co/rteuybrPSv">pic.twitter.com/rteuybrPSv</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2018800271019671602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.The vote Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programs through Sept. 30. Trump has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, ending the partial government shutdown that began Saturday.Passage of the legislation marked the end point for one funding fight, but the start of another. That's because the package only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, through Feb 13, at the behest of Democrats who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-protester-alex-pretti-15ade7de6e19cb0291734e85dac763dc">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-minneapolis-minnesota-9aa822670b705c89906f2c699f1d16c5">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;by federal officers in Minneapolis.<h2>Leaders are digging in for a fight</h2>Difficult negotiations are ahead, particularly for the agency that enforces the nation’s immigration laws —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-arrests-workplace-agents-chicago-los-angeles-ba352692f27fa6d2846a9410496e4359">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>, or ICE.House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly warned Democrats would not support any further temporary funding for Homeland Security without substantial changes to its immigration operations., raising the potential of another shutdown for the department and its agencies.“We need dramatic change in order to make sure that ICE and other agencies within the department of Homeland Security are conducting themselves like every other law enforcement organization in the country,” Jeffries said.Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects the two sides will be able to reach an agreement by the deadline.“This is no time to play games with that funding. We hope that they will operate in good faith over the next 10 days as we negotiate this,” said Johnson. “The president, again, has reached out.”But Johnson’s counterpart across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sounded less optimistic of a deal. “There’s always miracles, right?” Thune told reporters.<h2>Voting with no margin for error</h2>The funding bill that cleared Congress Tuesday had provisions that appealed to both parties.Republicans avoided a massive, catchall funding bill known as an omnibus as part of this year’s appropriations process. Such bills, often taken up before the holiday season with lawmakers anxious to return home, have contributed to greater federal spending, they say.Democrats were able to fend off some of Trump's most draconian proposed cuts while adding language that helps ensure funds are spent as stipulated by Congress.Still, Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote on the bill. He narrowly got it during a roll call that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.The final vote wasn't much easier for GOP leaders. In the end, 21 Republicans sided with the vast majority of Democrats in voting against the funding bill, while that exact same number of Democrats sided with the vast majority of Republicans in voting yes.Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”<h2>Key differences from the last shutdown</h2>The current partial shutdown that is coming to a close differed in many ways from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">a record 43 days</a>.Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.Congress made important progress since then. Some of the six appropriations bills it passed prior to Tuesday ensured the current shutdown had less sting. For example, important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites were already funded through Sept. 30.The remaining bills passed Tuesday mean that the vast majority of the federal government has been funded.“You might say that now that 96% of the government is funded, it’s just 4% what’s out there?" Johnson said. "But it’s a very important 4%”___Associated Press video journalist Nathan Ellgren and writers Lisa Mascaro, Joey Cappelletti and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

President Trump signs $1.2T gov't funding bill, ready for ICE fight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's long-awaited moonshot with astronauts is off until at least March because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-artemis-astronauts-space-479f13e074b3df8b9453230cb248c5bf">hydrogen fuel leaks</a>&nbsp;that marred the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-astronauts-moon-540260c90a45e0de4cb28f3e481777ff">dress rehearsal</a>&nbsp;of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artemis-nasa-moonshot-921fc1a0a832217fae8b57d2fce2dc66">giant new rocket</a>.

It's the same problem that delayed the Space Launch System rocket's debut three years ago. That first test flight was grounded for months because of leaking hydrogen, which is highly flammable and dangerous.

“Actually, this one caught us off guard,” NASA's John Honeycutt said Tuesday, hours after the test came to an abrupt halt at Kennedy Space Center.

Until the exasperating fuel leaks, the space agency had been targeting as soon as this weekend for humanity's first trip to the moon in more than half a century.

“When you’re dealing with hydrogen, it’s a small molecule. It’s highly energetic and we like it for that reason and we do the best we can," Honeycutt explained.

Officials said the month-long delay will allow the launch team to conduct another fueling test before committing the four astronauts — three U.S. and one Canadian — to a lunar fly-around. It's too soon to know when the countdown dress rehearsal might be repeated.

Any repairs to deformed or damaged seals, or other components, can likely be completed at the pad, managers said. A return to the Vehicle Assembly Building would likely result in an even longer delay.

The leaks cropped up early in Monday's loading operation and again hours later, ultimately halting the countdown clocks at the five-minute mark. Launch controllers had wanted to get all the way down to a half-minute in the countdown, but the escaping hydrogen exceeded safety limits.

NASA repeatedly interrupted the flow of liquid hydrogren, which was minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 253 degrees Celsius), in an attempt to warm up the area between the rocket and fuel lines and, hopefully, reseat any loose seals. But that didn't work and neither did altering the flow of the hydrogen — adjustments that allowed the first SLS rocket to finally soar without a crew in 2022.

With their launch now off until at least March 6, commander Reid Wiseman and his crew were given the all-clear to emerge from quarantine in Houston. They will reenter it two weeks before the next launch attempt.

Wiseman said on the social platform X that he was proud of how the dress rehearsal went, “especially knowing how challenging the scenario was for our launch team doing the dangerous and unforgiving work.”

The extreme cold at the launch site did not contribute to the fuel leaks or any other problem, according to officials. Heaters kept the Orion capsule warm atop the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, while constant purging protected the rocket and ground systems.

Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, stressed that the Space Launch System is “an experimental vehicle," with more lessons to be learned. Years between fueling tests and flights don't help, he added.

“I'm just reminded again almost four days and 40 years from Challenger, nobody sitting in one of these chairs needs to be calling any of these vehicles operational,” Kshatriya said at a news conference.

NASA has only a handful of days any given month to send them around the moon — the first time astronauts will have flown there since 1972. They won't land on the moon or even go into lunar orbit during the nearly 10-day mission, but rather check out life support and other vital capsule systems ahead of a moon landing by other astronauts in a few years.

NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo. The new Artemis program is aiming for new territory — the moon's south polar region — and looking to keep crews on the lunar surface for much longer periods.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's long-awaited moonshot with astronauts is off until at least March because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-artemis-astronauts-space-479f13e074b3df8b9453230cb248c5bf">hydrogen fuel leaks</a>&nbsp;that marred the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-astronauts-moon-540260c90a45e0de4cb28f3e481777ff">dress rehearsal</a>&nbsp;of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artemis-nasa-moonshot-921fc1a0a832217fae8b57d2fce2dc66">giant new rocket</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NASA completed a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis II mission in the early morning hours on Feb. 3. To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA will now target March as the the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II mission.… <a href="https://t.co/jSnCUPLQb6">pic.twitter.com/jSnCUPLQb6</a>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2018582079013831128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It's the same problem that delayed the Space Launch System rocket's debut three years ago. That first test flight was grounded for months because of leaking hydrogen, which is highly flammable and dangerous.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Immense pride seeing the rocket reach 100% fuel load last night, especially knowing how challenging the scenario was for our launch team doing the dangerous and unforgiving work. The crew just shared a peaceful breakfast with our families and we jump back into training tomorrow… <a href="https://t.co/go1g0QBsiO">pic.twitter.com/go1g0QBsiO</a>&mdash; Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) <a href="https://twitter.com/astro_reid/status/2018734374452175166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Actually, this one caught us off guard,” NASA's John Honeycutt said Tuesday, hours after the test came to an abrupt halt at Kennedy Space Center.Until the exasperating fuel leaks, the space agency had been targeting as soon as this weekend for humanity's first trip to the moon in more than half a century.“When you’re dealing with hydrogen, it’s a small molecule. It’s highly energetic and we like it for that reason and we do the best we can," Honeycutt explained.Officials said the month-long delay will allow the launch team to conduct another fueling test before committing the four astronauts — three U.S. and one Canadian — to a lunar fly-around. It's too soon to know when the countdown dress rehearsal might be repeated.Any repairs to deformed or damaged seals, or other components, can likely be completed at the pad, managers said. A return to the Vehicle Assembly Building would likely result in an even longer delay.The leaks cropped up early in Monday's loading operation and again hours later, ultimately halting the countdown clocks at the five-minute mark. Launch controllers had wanted to get all the way down to a half-minute in the countdown, but the escaping hydrogen exceeded safety limits.NASA repeatedly interrupted the flow of liquid hydrogren, which was minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 253 degrees Celsius), in an attempt to warm up the area between the rocket and fuel lines and, hopefully, reseat any loose seals. But that didn't work and neither did altering the flow of the hydrogen — adjustments that allowed the first SLS rocket to finally soar without a crew in 2022.With their launch now off until at least March 6, commander Reid Wiseman and his crew were given the all-clear to emerge from quarantine in Houston. They will reenter it two weeks before the next launch attempt.Wiseman said on the social platform X that he was proud of how the dress rehearsal went, “especially knowing how challenging the scenario was for our launch team doing the dangerous and unforgiving work.”The extreme cold at the launch site did not contribute to the fuel leaks or any other problem, according to officials. Heaters kept the Orion capsule warm atop the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, while constant purging protected the rocket and ground systems.Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, stressed that the Space Launch System is “an experimental vehicle," with more lessons to be learned. Years between fueling tests and flights don't help, he added.“I'm just reminded again almost four days and 40 years from Challenger, nobody sitting in one of these chairs needs to be calling any of these vehicles operational,” Kshatriya said at a news conference.NASA has only a handful of days any given month to send them around the moon — the first time astronauts will have flown there since 1972. They won't land on the moon or even go into lunar orbit during the nearly 10-day mission, but rather check out life support and other vital capsule systems ahead of a moon landing by other astronauts in a few years.NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo. The new Artemis program is aiming for new territory — the moon's south polar region — and looking to keep crews on the lunar surface for much longer periods.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Why NASA has again postponed long-awaited moonshot 

SUMNER COUNTY —Woods Park and Donut Bay,&nbsp;1500 W Harvey Avenue, in the city of Wellington will be temporarily closed as City staff work to address a potential outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, according to a media release from the city.

Staff are coordinating closely with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Research and Survey Office.

HPAI is a severe and often fatal viral disease that spreads rapidly among bird populations. Residents are urged not to approach, handle, or attempt to assist any birds that appear ill. Birds exhibiting HPAI may show one or more of the following symptoms:

● Neurological impairment, including lack of coordination, disorientation, inability to hold the head up, hunched posture, tremors, seizures, or twisted neck

● Difficulty breathing, such as open‑mouth breathing or wheezing

● Nasal discharge, coughing, or sneezing, sometimes with blood‑tinged fluid

While the risk of avian influenza to the general public is considered very low, humans and pets can be vulnerable, especially those with weakened immune systems. Based on guidance from KDWP, the City advises the followingmprecautions:

● Avoid touching or approaching wildlife. Observe from a safe distance. If contact occurs, avoid touching your face and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, drinking, or smoking.

● Do not touch diseased or dead wildlife. Sick birds should not be taken to rehabilitators or zoos, as doing so increases the risk of spreading the disease to vulnerable captive birds. Do not transport sick wildlife in vehicles, into homes, or into public spaces.

● Keep pets away from birds that appear sick. Do not allow them to lick or eat sick or dead waterfowl.

● Do not handle or consume sick game birds.

In an effort to protect the people and pets of our community, Woods Park will remain closed until further notice. No members of the public will be allowed beyond the barricades located at the park entrances. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation in helping protect local wildlife and public health.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY —Woods Park and Donut Bay,&nbsp;1500 W Harvey Avenue, in the city of Wellington will be temporarily closed as City staff work to address a potential outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, according to a media release from the city.Staff are coordinating closely with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Research and Survey Office.HPAI is a severe and often fatal viral disease that spreads rapidly among bird populations. Residents are urged not to approach, handle, or attempt to assist any birds that appear ill. Birds exhibiting HPAI may show one or more of the following symptoms:● Neurological impairment, including lack of coordination, disorientation, inability to hold the head up, hunched posture, tremors, seizures, or twisted neck● Difficulty breathing, such as open‑mouth breathing or wheezing● Nasal discharge, coughing, or sneezing, sometimes with blood‑tinged fluid● Sudden deathWhile the risk of avian influenza to the general public is considered very low, humans and pets can be vulnerable, especially those with weakened immune systems. Based on guidance from KDWP, the City advises the followingmprecautions:● Avoid touching or approaching wildlife. Observe from a safe distance. If contact occurs, avoid touching your face and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, drinking, or smoking.● Do not touch diseased or dead wildlife. Sick birds should not be taken to rehabilitators or zoos, as doing so increases the risk of spreading the disease to vulnerable captive birds. Do not transport sick wildlife in vehicles, into homes, or into public spaces.● Keep pets away from birds that appear sick. Do not allow them to lick or eat sick or dead waterfowl.● Do not handle or consume sick game birds.In an effort to protect the people and pets of our community, Woods Park will remain closed until further notice. No members of the public will be allowed beyond the barricades located at the park entrances. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation in helping protect local wildlife and public health.

Kansas community closes park due to bird flu outbreak

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Tuesday passed a roughly $1.2 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-immigration-trump-homeland-security-39fd7917e39aaf9e4e78e89f3449a587">spending package</a>&nbsp;to end the partial government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump and setting the stage for a debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.

The vote was 217-214.&nbsp; GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.

The vote wraps up congressional work on 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills, funding the vast majority of the government for the budget year ending Sept. 30.

 The last bill still to be worked out covers the Department of Homeland Security where Democrats are demanding more restrictions on enforcement operations.

Trump has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.

Speaker Mike Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote. He narrowly got it during a procedural vote that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure.

"We have to work through individual members’ concerns. That’s the game here. It’s a consensus building operation. We do it every day,” Johnson said.

Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”

“We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly — One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats. I hope everyone will vote, YES!,” Trump wrote on his social media site.

The measure once signed will end the partial government shutdown that began Saturday. In addition to funding most of the federal government through Sept. 30, it includes a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13 as lawmakers negotiate potential changes for the agency that enforces the nation's immigration laws —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-arrests-workplace-agents-chicago-los-angeles-ba352692f27fa6d2846a9410496e4359">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>, or ICE.

The House had previously approved the final package of spending bills, but the Senate broke up that package so that more negotiations could take place for the Homeland Security funding bill. Democrats are demanding changes in response to events in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were shot and killed by federal agents.

Johnson said on Fox News Channel's “Fox News Sunday” it was Trump's "play call to do it this way. He had already conceded he wants to turn down the volume, so to speak.” But GOP leaders sounded as if they still had work to do in convincing the rank-and-file to join them as House lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday after a week back in their congressional districts.

“We always work till the midnight hour to get the votes,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “You never start the process with everybody on board. You work through it, and you could say that about every major bill we've passed.”

The path to the current partial shutdown differs from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">a record 43 days</a>.

Congress has made important progress since then, passing six of the 12 annual appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and programs. That includes important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites. They are funded through Sept. 30. The remaining bills passed Tuesday represent roughly three-quarters of federal spending set annually by Congress, including the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The House has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-ice-funding-471e55ba4c3247051739ee1b50b2857a">passed a bill to end the partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a final vote Tuesday afternoon, cleared by a bipartisan vote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-house-johnson-trump-ice-democrats-bb4cfeaab5f3a17e2fde5c23bb27677f">under the insistence</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>.&nbsp; The measure passed by a vote of&nbsp;217-214.&nbsp; GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.

The measure funds most of the federal government through Sept. 30, while providing the Department of Homeland Security with short-term funding for two weeks. Lawmakers will return to negotiate potential changes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Democrats demand more restrictions on its operations.

Earlier in the afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson managed to secure the near-unanimous GOP support needed to pass the bill through a procedural vote, despite some members of the party trying to tack unrelated priorities onto the funding package.

Trump called on Republicans to stay united in a social media post Monday, telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”

He has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770139154727.jpeg" alt="Counting votes on Tuesday in the House -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Counting votes on Tuesday in the House -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Tuesday passed a roughly $1.2 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-immigration-trump-homeland-security-39fd7917e39aaf9e4e78e89f3449a587">spending package</a>&nbsp;to end the partial government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump and setting the stage for a debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. House PASSES government funding bill to end partial government shutdown, 217-214. Goes now to the president. <a href="https://t.co/bmObW0s5lE">pic.twitter.com/bmObW0s5lE</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2018765047586033822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The vote was 217-214.&nbsp; GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.The vote wraps up congressional work on 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills, funding the vast majority of the government for the budget year ending Sept. 30. The last bill still to be worked out covers the Department of Homeland Security where Democrats are demanding more restrictions on enforcement operations.Trump has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.Speaker Mike Johnson needed near-unanimous support from his Republican conference to proceed to a final vote. He narrowly got it during a procedural vote that was held open for nearly an hour as leaders worked to gain support from a handful of GOP lawmakers who were trying to advance other priorities unrelated to the funding measure."We have to work through individual members’ concerns. That’s the game here. It’s a consensus building operation. We do it every day,” Johnson said.Trump had weighed in Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to stay united and telling holdouts “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”“We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly — One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats. I hope everyone will vote, YES!,” Trump wrote on his social media site.The measure once signed will end the partial government shutdown that began Saturday. In addition to funding most of the federal government through Sept. 30, it includes a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13 as lawmakers negotiate potential changes for the agency that enforces the nation's immigration laws —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-trump-arrests-workplace-agents-chicago-los-angeles-ba352692f27fa6d2846a9410496e4359">U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</a>, or ICE.<h2>Running Trump's ‘play call’</h2>The House had previously approved the final package of spending bills, but the Senate broke up that package so that more negotiations could take place for the Homeland Security funding bill. Democrats are demanding changes in response to events in Minneapolis, where two American citizens were shot and killed by federal agents.Johnson said on Fox News Channel's “Fox News Sunday” it was Trump's "play call to do it this way. He had already conceded he wants to turn down the volume, so to speak.” But GOP leaders sounded as if they still had work to do in convincing the rank-and-file to join them as House lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday after a week back in their congressional districts.“We always work till the midnight hour to get the votes,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “You never start the process with everybody on board. You work through it, and you could say that about every major bill we've passed.”<h2>Key differences from the last shutdown</h2>The path to the current partial shutdown differs from the fall impasse, which affected more agencies and lasted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">a record 43 days</a>.Then, the debate was over extending temporary coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Democrats were unsuccessful in getting those subsidies included as part of a package to end the shutdown.Congress has made important progress since then, passing six of the 12 annual appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and programs. That includes important programs such as nutrition assistance and fully operating national parks and historic sites. They are funded through Sept. 30. The remaining bills passed Tuesday represent roughly three-quarters of federal spending set annually by Congress, including the Defense Department.___WASHINGTON (AP) —The House has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-ice-funding-471e55ba4c3247051739ee1b50b2857a">passed a bill to end the partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a final vote Tuesday afternoon, cleared by a bipartisan vote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-house-johnson-trump-ice-democrats-bb4cfeaab5f3a17e2fde5c23bb27677f">under the insistence</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>.&nbsp; The measure passed by a vote of&nbsp;217-214.&nbsp; GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted with the majority.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. House PASSES government funding bill to end partial government shutdown, 217-214. Goes now to the president. <a href="https://t.co/bmObW0s5lE">pic.twitter.com/bmObW0s5lE</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2018765047586033822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The measure funds most of the federal government through Sept. 30, while providing the Department of Homeland Security with short-term funding for two weeks. Lawmakers will return to negotiate potential changes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Democrats demand more restrictions on its operations.Earlier in the afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson managed to secure the near-unanimous GOP support needed to pass the bill through a procedural vote, despite some members of the party trying to tack unrelated priorities onto the funding package.Trump called on Republicans to stay united in a social media post Monday, telling holdouts, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”He has said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk.

Kan. GOP lawmakers help House pass bill to end partial gov't shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln</a>&nbsp;in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, threatening to ramp up tensions as the Trump administration warns of possible military action to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-protests-negotiations-nuclear-deal-9758adb33c0d01c70a07ad7de0f5221b">get Iran to the negotiating table</a>.

The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and kept flying toward it "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

The shootdown occurred within hours of Iranian forces harassing a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said.

The developments could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-terrorist-groups-protests-c0023d9ff1e7c4e6fa92077d640e244c">the heightened tensions between the longtime adversaries</a>&nbsp;as President Donald Trump has threatened to use military action first over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-protesters-executions-195edfa07111be782db71af07b538fdc">Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests</a>&nbsp;and then to try to get the country to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-protests-revolutionary-guard-d38bc397f1bb54d7352879401449b50b">a deal over its nuclear program</a>. Trump's Republican administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">built up military forces in the region</a>, sending the aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defense assets and more to supplement its presence.

The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which was sailing about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Iran’s southern coast, Hawkins said. No American troops were harmed, and no U.S. equipment was damaged, the military’s statement noted.

Iranian state media reported that Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is investigating the “interruption” of the drone. Semi-official Tasnim news agency posted on its Telegram that before the footage cut out, the drone was able to successfully transfer the images it took back to Iran.

US says Iran also harassed a merchant vessel

After the shootdown, Revolutionary Guard forces harassed the merchant vessel Stena Imperative, the U.S. military said. Two boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the ship “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins’ statement said.

The destroyer USS McFaul responded and escorted the Stena Imperative “with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force,” the statement said, adding that the merchant vessel was now sailing safely.

Talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials were still planned, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” Leavitt said after the incidents. She added, “As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”

Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/irans-reformist-president-pezeshkian-hardens-tone-on-protests-2582f00401b94c0b94fdce9c48a6b17d">President Masoud Pezeshkian</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he instructed the country's foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the U.S., marking one of the first clear signs from Tehran that it wants to try to negotiate with Washington.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on Telegram that he had spoken with his counterparts in Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Oman regarding regional developments and the importance of protecting “regional stability and security.”

Tensions began to rise again between the U.S. and Iran as the Islamic Republic spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nuclear-us-what-to-know-explainer-845b3ac10c37727add7118ec9c2f6e46">quelling protests</a>&nbsp;that began in late December against growing economic instability before broadening into a challenge to the country's ruling theocracy.

Trump had promised in early January to “rescue” Iranians from their government's protest crackdown before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-united-states-protests-nuclear-5cac82fc0230b761361706cdd9b249d9">starting to pressure Tehran again</a>&nbsp;to make a deal over its nuclear program. That is even as the Republican president insists Iranian nuclear sites were “obliterated” in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">U.S. strikes in June</a>.

“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters Monday. Asked what his threshold was for military action against Iran, he declined to elaborate.

“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-protests-revolutionary-guard-d38bc397f1bb54d7352879401449b50b">Turkey had been working behind the scenes</a>&nbsp;to make the talks happen there later this week as Witkoff is traveling in the region. A Turkish official later said the location of talks was uncertain but that Turkey was ready to support the process.

US military builds up presence in the region

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has been moving a growing number of assets into the region over the past several weeks, including the Lincoln and several destroyers, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">arrived last week</a>.

The carrier strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional service members, joined three destroyers and three littoral combat ships that were already in the region.

Analysts of flight-tracking data also have noticed dozens of U.S. military cargo planes heading to the region.

The activity is similar to last year when the U.S. moved in air defense hardware, like a Patriot missile system, in anticipation of an Iranian counterattack following the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">bombing three key nuclear sites</a>. Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar days after the strikes.

The U.S. has several bases in the Middle East, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-base-qatar-evacuation-iran-protests-c15e0fa925abf2144edf6cd634d7c3a0">Al Udeid</a>, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770142115328.png" alt="File An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, launches from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) while conducting routine flight operations in the Arabian Sea on January 30, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to support security and stability within the Middle East region. Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, launches from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) while conducting routine flight operations in the Arabian Sea on January 30, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to support security and stability within the Middle East region. Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln</a>&nbsp;in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, threatening to ramp up tensions as the Trump administration warns of possible military action to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-trump-protests-negotiations-nuclear-deal-9758adb33c0d01c70a07ad7de0f5221b">get Iran to the negotiating table</a>.The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and kept flying toward it "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.The shootdown occurred within hours of Iranian forces harassing a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said.The developments could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-terrorist-groups-protests-c0023d9ff1e7c4e6fa92077d640e244c">the heightened tensions between the longtime adversaries</a>&nbsp;as President Donald Trump has threatened to use military action first over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-protesters-executions-195edfa07111be782db71af07b538fdc">Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests</a>&nbsp;and then to try to get the country to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-protests-revolutionary-guard-d38bc397f1bb54d7352879401449b50b">a deal over its nuclear program</a>. Trump's Republican administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">built up military forces in the region</a>, sending the aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defense assets and more to supplement its presence.The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which was sailing about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Iran’s southern coast, Hawkins said. No American troops were harmed, and no U.S. equipment was damaged, the military’s statement noted.Iranian state media reported that Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is investigating the “interruption” of the drone. Semi-official Tasnim news agency posted on its Telegram that before the footage cut out, the drone was able to successfully transfer the images it took back to Iran.<h2>US says Iran also harassed a merchant vessel</h2>After the shootdown, Revolutionary Guard forces harassed the merchant vessel Stena Imperative, the U.S. military said. Two boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the ship “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins’ statement said.The destroyer USS McFaul responded and escorted the Stena Imperative “with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force,” the statement said, adding that the merchant vessel was now sailing safely.Talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials were still planned, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” Leavitt said after the incidents. She added, “As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/irans-reformist-president-pezeshkian-hardens-tone-on-protests-2582f00401b94c0b94fdce9c48a6b17d">President Masoud Pezeshkian</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he instructed the country's foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the U.S., marking one of the first clear signs from Tehran that it wants to try to negotiate with Washington.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on Telegram that he had spoken with his counterparts in Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Oman regarding regional developments and the importance of protecting “regional stability and security.”Tensions began to rise again between the U.S. and Iran as the Islamic Republic spent weeks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-nuclear-us-what-to-know-explainer-845b3ac10c37727add7118ec9c2f6e46">quelling protests</a>&nbsp;that began in late December against growing economic instability before broadening into a challenge to the country's ruling theocracy.Trump had promised in early January to “rescue” Iranians from their government's protest crackdown before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-united-states-protests-nuclear-5cac82fc0230b761361706cdd9b249d9">starting to pressure Tehran again</a>&nbsp;to make a deal over its nuclear program. That is even as the Republican president insists Iranian nuclear sites were “obliterated” in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">U.S. strikes in June</a>.“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters Monday. Asked what his threshold was for military action against Iran, he declined to elaborate.“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-eu-protests-revolutionary-guard-d38bc397f1bb54d7352879401449b50b">Turkey had been working behind the scenes</a>&nbsp;to make the talks happen there later this week as Witkoff is traveling in the region. A Turkish official later said the location of talks was uncertain but that Turkey was ready to support the process.<h2>US military builds up presence in the region</h2>Meanwhile, the U.S. military has been moving a growing number of assets into the region over the past several weeks, including the Lincoln and several destroyers, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aircraft-carrier-iran-protests-us-military-58e6da912f9167df94f913d7dafe5af4">arrived last week</a>.The carrier strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional service members, joined three destroyers and three littoral combat ships that were already in the region.Analysts of flight-tracking data also have noticed dozens of U.S. military cargo planes heading to the region.The activity is similar to last year when the U.S. moved in air defense hardware, like a Patriot missile system, in anticipation of an Iranian counterattack following the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">bombing three key nuclear sites</a>. Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar days after the strikes.The U.S. has several bases in the Middle East, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-base-qatar-evacuation-iran-protests-c15e0fa925abf2144edf6cd634d7c3a0">Al Udeid</a>, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

US shoots down Iranian drone that approached a warship

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 2:30p.m. February 1,&nbsp;an officer on patrol observed 66-year-old Newton Colvin walking in the 600 block Santa Fe Street in the city of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The officer knew there to be an outstanding Municipal Court warrant for Colvin. Officers took Colvin into custody and subsequently found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Colvin is being held on the Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court and on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770040982129.png" alt="Colvin photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Colvin photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after 2:30p.m. February 1,&nbsp;an officer on patrol observed 66-year-old Newton Colvin walking in the 600 block Santa Fe Street in the city of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The officer knew there to be an outstanding Municipal Court warrant for Colvin. Officers took Colvin into custody and subsequently found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.Colvin is being held on the Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear in court and on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Police: Man who skipped court was carrying meth during arrest

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would require kindergarteners to be potty trained before starting school, pulling the decision-making power about how to handle those students away from school districts.

The House bill was introduced to reduce distractions in classrooms, supporters say. Opponents worry it would create a barrier for vulnerable children to access education, and argue the decision should be left to school districts.

The bill was one of three the House Education Committee heard Thursday, along with two others regarding state-funded scholarships.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2486/" target="_blank">House Bill 2486</a>&nbsp;would require school districts to get written assurance from parents that their child is potty trained before enrolling in school. School districts would have to figure out next steps if a child isn’t potty trained, such as whether they should refer additional support, appoint someone to help potty train the student, or remove the student from the school.&nbsp;

Rep. Sherri Brantley, a Republican from Great Bend, introduced the bill.&nbsp;

“When classrooms are not pulled off task for routine hygiene emergencies, teachers can protect instructional time — a critical driver of achievement — and students benefit from consistent, uninterrupted learning,” Brantley said.&nbsp;

The bill acknowledges that accidents happen — especially with kindergarteners ages 5-7 — and defines potty trained as when “accidents happen with such frequency as to impact the educational experience of the student or the student’s peers.” Students would need to be able to tell adults when they need to use the restroom, and use it without assistance from an adult.&nbsp;

Students with individualized education programs or a 504 plan, which are programs designed to help students with disabilities, or medical conditions would be exempt.&nbsp;

“This bill is not about denying access to education,” Brantley said. “It’s about early support and intervention so every child can start kindergarten safely, confidently, and ready to learn by setting a clear readiness expectation while also establishing compassionate pathways for families who need help.”&nbsp;

Opponents worry the bill would deny access to education, especially for vulnerable children.

“Lack of toilet training at age 5 is often a red flag for developmental delay, autism, or other medical conditions,” said Kimberly Martin, the legislative chair for&nbsp; Kansas School Nurses Organization. “By denying enrollment because of this symptom, the district is effectively punishing a child for a potential disability before it has been identified.”

Other opponents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_ed_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_ed_1_20260129_07_testimony.html" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;foster children often experience significant trauma before starting school, which can make it difficult to potty train.

“The more kids we have held out of kindergarten for toileting issues, the more kids we have at risk of not getting to where we want them to be in our literacy efforts by the time they’re at about third grade,” said Leah Fliter, assistant executive director of advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards.&nbsp;

Brantley said she introduced the bill after hearing concerns from her constituents. Fliter said she had not heard concerns from the school boards.&nbsp;

“It appears to me that this should be a local control issue,” said Rep. Lon Pishny, a Republican from Garden City.&nbsp;

In the bill’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2486_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>, the Kansas State Department of Education said there would be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2486_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">no fiscal effect</a>, but the Kansas Association of School Boards said there would be administrative costs.&nbsp;

“This would likely be an unfunded mandate because of the potential litigation,” Fliter said. “And again, you know, special education is not fully funded, and so we would ask that the Legislature not impose another unfunded mandate.”

The potential litigation Fliter mentioned is referring to opponents’ concerns that the bill contradicts a student’s right to a free public education.

The committee also heard two other bills that were requested for introduction by the Kansas Board of Regents regarding scholarships.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2485/" target="_blank">House Bill 2485</a>&nbsp;would allow the Board of Regents to negotiate and settle scholarship repayment obligations after the recipient fails to meet the obligations.&nbsp;

The Board of Regents offers a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasregents.gov/scholarships_and_grants" target="_blank">scholarships</a>&nbsp;that have service requirements, like the Promise Act, which requires recipients to live and work in Kansas after graduation. If the recipient fails to meet that service, they’re obligated to repay the scholarship.&nbsp;

Elaine Frisbie, vice president for finance and administration for the Board of Regents, said there are several thousand recipients who are required to repay.&nbsp;

She said the administrative cost of collecting these repayments is more than what they would recover. In 2019 they spent $539 on a third-party vendor to collect the repayments, and more than $11,000 in 2025.&nbsp;

“We have several students in the Promise Act, they owe us $164 and $6,” Frisbie said. “We’d rather devote our time and attention and resources to settling for what we can extract and then recouping those dollars for our scholarship programs and then moving on.”

There were no opponents to the bill.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2487/" target="_blank">House Bill 2487</a>&nbsp;would help define a teacher and paraprofessional to clarify eligibility for a scholarship.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770136301389.png" alt=" Rep. Sherri Brantley, R-Great Bend, listens to testimony during a Jan. 29, 2026, hearing on legislation she introduced that would require kindergartners to be potty trained in order to attend public school. (Photo by Grace Hills for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Sherri Brantley, R-Great Bend, listens to testimony during a Jan. 29, 2026, hearing on legislation she introduced that would require kindergartners to be potty trained in order to attend public school. (Photo by Grace Hills for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would require kindergarteners to be potty trained before starting school, pulling the decision-making power about how to handle those students away from school districts.The House bill was introduced to reduce distractions in classrooms, supporters say. Opponents worry it would create a barrier for vulnerable children to access education, and argue the decision should be left to school districts.The bill was one of three the House Education Committee heard Thursday, along with two others regarding state-funded scholarships.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2486/" target="_blank">House Bill 2486</a>&nbsp;would require school districts to get written assurance from parents that their child is potty trained before enrolling in school. School districts would have to figure out next steps if a child isn’t potty trained, such as whether they should refer additional support, appoint someone to help potty train the student, or remove the student from the school.&nbsp;Rep. Sherri Brantley, a Republican from Great Bend, introduced the bill.&nbsp;“When classrooms are not pulled off task for routine hygiene emergencies, teachers can protect instructional time — a critical driver of achievement — and students benefit from consistent, uninterrupted learning,” Brantley said.&nbsp;The bill acknowledges that accidents happen — especially with kindergarteners ages 5-7 — and defines potty trained as when “accidents happen with such frequency as to impact the educational experience of the student or the student’s peers.” Students would need to be able to tell adults when they need to use the restroom, and use it without assistance from an adult.&nbsp;Students with individualized education programs or a 504 plan, which are programs designed to help students with disabilities, or medical conditions would be exempt.&nbsp;“This bill is not about denying access to education,” Brantley said. “It’s about early support and intervention so every child can start kindergarten safely, confidently, and ready to learn by setting a clear readiness expectation while also establishing compassionate pathways for families who need help.”&nbsp;Opponents worry the bill would deny access to education, especially for vulnerable children.“Lack of toilet training at age 5 is often a red flag for developmental delay, autism, or other medical conditions,” said Kimberly Martin, the legislative chair for&nbsp; Kansas School Nurses Organization. “By denying enrollment because of this symptom, the district is effectively punishing a child for a potential disability before it has been identified.”Other opponents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_ed_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_h_ed_1_20260129_07_testimony.html" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;foster children often experience significant trauma before starting school, which can make it difficult to potty train.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770136392138.png" alt="Leah Fliter, of the Kansas Association of School Boards, argues for local control during a Jan. 29, 2026, legislative hearing. (Photo by Grace Hills for Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Leah Fliter, of the Kansas Association of School Boards, argues for local control during a Jan. 29, 2026, legislative hearing. (Photo by Grace Hills for Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>“The more kids we have held out of kindergarten for toileting issues, the more kids we have at risk of not getting to where we want them to be in our literacy efforts by the time they’re at about third grade,” said Leah Fliter, assistant executive director of advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards.&nbsp;Brantley said she introduced the bill after hearing concerns from her constituents. Fliter said she had not heard concerns from the school boards.&nbsp;“It appears to me that this should be a local control issue,” said Rep. Lon Pishny, a Republican from Garden City.&nbsp;In the bill’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2486_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">fiscal note</a>, the Kansas State Department of Education said there would be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2486_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">no fiscal effect</a>, but the Kansas Association of School Boards said there would be administrative costs.&nbsp;“This would likely be an unfunded mandate because of the potential litigation,” Fliter said. “And again, you know, special education is not fully funded, and so we would ask that the Legislature not impose another unfunded mandate.”The potential litigation Fliter mentioned is referring to opponents’ concerns that the bill contradicts a student’s right to a free public education.<h2>Scholarship-related bills</h2>The committee also heard two other bills that were requested for introduction by the Kansas Board of Regents regarding scholarships.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2485/" target="_blank">House Bill 2485</a>&nbsp;would allow the Board of Regents to negotiate and settle scholarship repayment obligations after the recipient fails to meet the obligations.&nbsp;The Board of Regents offers a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasregents.gov/scholarships_and_grants" target="_blank">scholarships</a>&nbsp;that have service requirements, like the Promise Act, which requires recipients to live and work in Kansas after graduation. If the recipient fails to meet that service, they’re obligated to repay the scholarship.&nbsp;Elaine Frisbie, vice president for finance and administration for the Board of Regents, said there are several thousand recipients who are required to repay.&nbsp;She said the administrative cost of collecting these repayments is more than what they would recover. In 2019 they spent $539 on a third-party vendor to collect the repayments, and more than $11,000 in 2025.&nbsp;“We have several students in the Promise Act, they owe us $164 and $6,” Frisbie said. “We’d rather devote our time and attention and resources to settling for what we can extract and then recouping those dollars for our scholarship programs and then moving on.”There were no opponents to the bill.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2487/" target="_blank">House Bill 2487</a>&nbsp;would help define a teacher and paraprofessional to clarify eligibility for a scholarship.