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

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/lox/">National Weather Service's Los Angeles page</a>&nbsp;screams “Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)” in hot pink letters against a gray background.

It's a rare warning aimed at seizing attention ahead of extreme wildfire risk that's predicted to start in southern California at 4 a.m. (1200GMT) Tuesday.

PDS warnings were first used to warn of tornado outbreaks in the Midwest. More than a decade ago, three meteorologists proposed expanding their use to disasters such as ice storms, floods, hurricanes, and now wildfires.

"It catches the attention, it really heightens that awareness and the need to really act at that point," said one of those scientists, Jonathan Howell.

The hope was that the phrase would “become synonymous with extreme weather events” and also could be used for emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms, Howell and two colleagues wrote for a presentation at a 2011 conference of the American Meteorological Society.

“I definitely think this has made an impact and has saved lives over the years," said Howell, who is the science and operations officer at the weather service’s Mobile, Alabama office.

The weather service's Storm Prediction Center — whose mission is to provide "forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes” — says that the term was first used on April 2, 1982 by forecaster Robert H. Johns, in conjunction with a tornado watch.

That came after a “failed attempt in the late 1970s," Johns said in an interview in the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. Meteorologists had alerted the public to a “big next day,” only to see no severe weather, he said.

Today, meteorologists have better tools to predict catastrophic weather outbreaks than they had in the 1970s and 1980s and forecasters can more reliably issue severe warnings, Howell said.

The PDS term appeared in newspaper articles such as an April, 1, 1983 Associated Press story about a widespread storm system that caused a blinding dust storm in west Texas.

During the first week of November last year, as Santa Ana winds fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-winds-36ff3257749a0e5bbc870863a9da68a5">the Mountain Fire</a>&nbsp;northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a PDS warning. Forecasters called the threat “extreme and life-threatening.”

Then, on Dec. 9, residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were again warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” as Santa Ana winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-weather-winds-5a3cff526465877782c4ed0c531b6091">roared through the mountains</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736724211560.png" alt="Image California National Guard" />
 <figcaption>Image California National Guard</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JEFF%20MARTIN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JEFF MARTIN Associated Press</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weather.gov/lox/">National Weather Service's Los Angeles page</a>&nbsp;screams “Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)” in hot pink letters against a gray background.It's a rare warning aimed at seizing attention ahead of extreme wildfire risk that's predicted to start in southern California at 4 a.m. (1200GMT) Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Extreme fire danger will continue thru Wed. PDS Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cawx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cawx</a> <a href="https://t.co/JedMNHvygB">pic.twitter.com/JedMNHvygB</a>&mdash; NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1878882840492044401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>PDS warnings were first used to warn of tornado outbreaks in the Midwest. More than a decade ago, three meteorologists proposed expanding their use to disasters such as ice storms, floods, hurricanes, and now wildfires.<h2>Grabbing attention</h2>"It catches the attention, it really heightens that awareness and the need to really act at that point," said one of those scientists, Jonathan Howell.The hope was that the phrase would “become synonymous with extreme weather events” and also could be used for emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms, Howell and two colleagues wrote for a presentation at a 2011 conference of the American Meteorological Society.“I definitely think this has made an impact and has saved lives over the years," said Howell, who is the science and operations officer at the weather service’s Mobile, Alabama office.<h2>Past warnings</h2>The weather service's Storm Prediction Center — whose mission is to provide "forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes” — says that the term was first used on April 2, 1982 by forecaster Robert H. Johns, in conjunction with a tornado watch.That came after a “failed attempt in the late 1970s," Johns said in an interview in the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. Meteorologists had alerted the public to a “big next day,” only to see no severe weather, he said.Today, meteorologists have better tools to predict catastrophic weather outbreaks than they had in the 1970s and 1980s and forecasters can more reliably issue severe warnings, Howell said.The PDS term appeared in newspaper articles such as an April, 1, 1983 Associated Press story about a widespread storm system that caused a blinding dust storm in west Texas.<h2>PDS warnings for wildfires</h2>During the first week of November last year, as Santa Ana winds fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-winds-36ff3257749a0e5bbc870863a9da68a5">the Mountain Fire</a>&nbsp;northwest of Los Angeles, the National Weather Service issued a PDS warning. Forecasters called the threat “extreme and life-threatening.”Then, on Dec. 9, residents of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were again warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” as Santa Ana winds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-weather-winds-5a3cff526465877782c4ed0c531b6091">roared through the mountains</a>.

'PDS' warnings were made to grab attention in tornadoes and now wildfires

KANSAS CITY —Police have released the names of two women&nbsp; who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Friday in Kansas City.

A preliminary investigation revealed a Honda SUV driven by 24-year-old&nbsp; Breanna Bullington was westbound on Interstate 435 too fast for weather conditions on the snow covered highway, according KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just east of 103rd Street, the Honda traveled off the roadway to the right, up and over the snowbank that was lining the north side of the highway.&nbsp; The Honda then vaulted off the bridge, falling approximately 100 feet and landing in the Blue River.

Bullington and the rear seat passenger of the Honda identified as her sister 22-year-old Alexis Bullington were both declared deceased at the scene.

EMS transported the male front seat passenger of the Honda to a local hospital for treatment of critical injuries according to Becchina.

Two lanes of westbound Interstate 435 were closed to traffic as recovery efforts of the Honda and the deceased subjects was made.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736593685157.png" alt="-First responders at the scene early Friday-image from KC Scout" />
 <figcaption>-First responders at the scene early Friday-image from KC Scout</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police have released the names of two women&nbsp; who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Friday in Kansas City.A preliminary investigation revealed a Honda SUV driven by 24-year-old&nbsp; Breanna Bullington was westbound on Interstate 435 too fast for weather conditions on the snow covered highway, according KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just east of 103rd Street, the Honda traveled off the roadway to the right, up and over the snowbank that was lining the north side of the highway.&nbsp; The Honda then vaulted off the bridge, falling approximately 100 feet and landing in the Blue River.Bullington and the rear seat passenger of the Honda identified as her sister 22-year-old Alexis Bullington were both declared deceased at the scene.EMS transported the male front seat passenger of the Honda to a local hospital for treatment of critical injuries according to Becchina.Two lanes of westbound Interstate 435 were closed to traffic as recovery efforts of the Honda and the deceased subjects was made.&nbsp;

KCPD IDs sisters who died after SUV slid on snow into river

Authorities in Indianapolis have charged a 55-year-old Texas man with felony stalking of Indiana Fever star and WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.

Michael Thomas Lewis is accused of repeated and continued harassment of the 22-year-old Clark beginning on Dec. 16, the Marion County prosecutor's office wrote in a court filing Saturday. Jail records show Lewis is due in court on Tuesday.

Lewis posted numerous messages on Clark's X account, according to an affidavit from a Marion County sheriff's lieutenant.

In one, he said he had been driving by the Gainbridge Fieldhouse — one of the arenas where the Fever plays home games — three times day, and in another he said he had “one foot on a banana peel and the other on a stalking charge.” Other messages directed at Clark were sexually explicit.

The posts “actually caused Caitlin Clark to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened” and an implicit or explicit threat also was made “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery,” prosecutors wrote in the Marion County Superior Court filing.

The FBI learned that the X account belonged to Lewis and that the messages were sent from IP addresses associated with an Indianapolis hotel and downtown public library.

Indianapolis police spoke with Lewis on Jan. 8 at his hotel room. He told officers he was in Indianapolis on vacation. When asked why he was making so many posts about Clark, Lewis replied: “Just the same reason everybody makes posts,” according to court documents.

He told police that he didn't mean any harm and that he fantasized about being in a relationship with Clark.

“It’s an imagination, fantasy type thing and it’s a joke, and it’s nothing to do with threatening,” he told police, according to the court documents.

In asking the court for a higher than standard bond, the prosecutor's office said Lewis traveled from his home in Texas to Indianapolis “with the intent to be in close proximity to the victim."

The prosecutor's office also sought a stay-away order as a specific condition if Lewis is released from jail ahead of trial. Prosecutors requested that Lewis be ordered to stay away from the Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses where the Fever play home games.

The Associated Press was unable to determine Monday if Lewis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.

Fever officials have not responded to an Associated Press request for comment.

The Associated Press named Clark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-female-athlete-of-year-clark-7e5aa066120ee2b1f85b6ab1098b7a8d">Female Athlete of the Year</a>&nbsp;for 2024. After leading Iowa to last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-south-carolina-ratings-fe3c29aabbea557d83a911afb4ebf637">national championship game</a>, she was the top pick in the WNBA draft and went on to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-rookie-year-wnba-ecfc3070241f5c659402e0843c433808">rookie of the year</a>&nbsp;honors in the league.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728043885875.png" alt="Rile photo -Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)&nbsp; (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)" />
 <figcaption>Rile photo -Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)&nbsp; (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)</figcaption>
 </figure>By COREY WILLIAMS Associated PressAuthorities in Indianapolis have charged a 55-year-old Texas man with felony stalking of Indiana Fever star and WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.Michael Thomas Lewis is accused of repeated and continued harassment of the 22-year-old Clark beginning on Dec. 16, the Marion County prosecutor's office wrote in a court filing Saturday. Jail records show Lewis is due in court on Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736813656061.png" alt="Lewis photo Marion County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Lewis photo Marion County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Lewis posted numerous messages on Clark's X account, according to an affidavit from a Marion County sheriff's lieutenant.In one, he said he had been driving by the Gainbridge Fieldhouse — one of the arenas where the Fever plays home games — three times day, and in another he said he had “one foot on a banana peel and the other on a stalking charge.” Other messages directed at Clark were sexually explicit.The posts “actually caused Caitlin Clark to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened” and an implicit or explicit threat also was made “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery,” prosecutors wrote in the Marion County Superior Court filing.The FBI learned that the X account belonged to Lewis and that the messages were sent from IP addresses associated with an Indianapolis hotel and downtown public library.Indianapolis police spoke with Lewis on Jan. 8 at his hotel room. He told officers he was in Indianapolis on vacation. When asked why he was making so many posts about Clark, Lewis replied: “Just the same reason everybody makes posts,” according to court documents.He told police that he didn't mean any harm and that he fantasized about being in a relationship with Clark.“It’s an imagination, fantasy type thing and it’s a joke, and it’s nothing to do with threatening,” he told police, according to the court documents.In asking the court for a higher than standard bond, the prosecutor's office said Lewis traveled from his home in Texas to Indianapolis “with the intent to be in close proximity to the victim."The prosecutor's office also sought a stay-away order as a specific condition if Lewis is released from jail ahead of trial. Prosecutors requested that Lewis be ordered to stay away from the Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses where the Fever play home games.The Associated Press was unable to determine Monday if Lewis has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.Fever officials have not responded to an Associated Press request for comment.The Associated Press named Clark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-female-athlete-of-year-clark-7e5aa066120ee2b1f85b6ab1098b7a8d">Female Athlete of the Year</a>&nbsp;for 2024. After leading Iowa to last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-iowa-south-carolina-ratings-fe3c29aabbea557d83a911afb4ebf637">national championship game</a>, she was the top pick in the WNBA draft and went on to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-rookie-year-wnba-ecfc3070241f5c659402e0843c433808">rookie of the year</a>&nbsp;honors in the league.

Man jailed for allegedly stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark

JOHNSON COUNTY —A&nbsp;man found guilty for shooting a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer is going to prison.

Jesse J. Flaugher, 37, was sentenced last week to more than 20 years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

On December 15, 2020, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Flaugher and Officer Daniel Vance who had contacted him in Overland Park, Kansas. The officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and ballistic vest.

Flaugher originally refused to stop for officers who attempted to pull him over in Kansas City, Kansas, when he was seen driving without a seatbelt on. Instead, he ran a stop sign but was hit by another vehicle. Despite the crash Flaugher continued to speed away.

A short time later, police saw Flaugher’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac near W. 47th and Conser Street in Overland Park. As law enforcement officials stopped to observe the vehicle, Flaugher opened fire and shot Officer Vance in the forearm and chest.

Flaugher drove through a yard and fence as he sped away from the scene of the shooting. The vehicle was later found to be stolen. Officer Vance was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Flaugher's sentence is set to begin after he serves a sentence in Oklahoma.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608730975884.png" alt="Jesse James Flaugher-photo Miami County" />
 <figcaption>Jesse James Flaugher-photo Miami County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A&nbsp;man found guilty for shooting a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer is going to prison.Jesse J. Flaugher, 37, was sentenced last week to more than 20 years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.On December 15, 2020, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Flaugher and Officer Daniel Vance who had contacted him in Overland Park, Kansas. The officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and ballistic vest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608120251326.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Flaugher originally refused to stop for officers who attempted to pull him over in Kansas City, Kansas, when he was seen driving without a seatbelt on. Instead, he ran a stop sign but was hit by another vehicle. Despite the crash Flaugher continued to speed away.A short time later, police saw Flaugher’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac near W. 47th and Conser Street in Overland Park. As law enforcement officials stopped to observe the vehicle, Flaugher opened fire and shot Officer Vance in the forearm and chest.Flaugher drove through a yard and fence as he sped away from the scene of the shooting. The vehicle was later found to be stolen. Officer Vance was treated for non-life threatening injuries.Flaugher's sentence is set to begin after he serves a sentence in Oklahoma.----------

Man who survived gunfight with police in Kan. is going to prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — The criminal charges against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;“were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25486004-report-of-special-counsel-weiss-january-2025/">report released Monday</a>&nbsp;that sharply criticized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/Report-of-Special-Counsel-Weiss-January-2025.pdf">Click here to read</a> the final repor

“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” said the report from special counsel David Weiss, whose team filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">gun and tax charges</a>&nbsp;against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.

The report is the culmination of years-long investigations that predated the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House over the treatment of the president's son.

The document, as is customary for reports prepared by Justice Department special counsels, provides a recap of the investigative findings. But it is most notable for its steadfast defense of the team's work and for its open criticism of the president over a written statement he issued when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">pardoning his son last month.</a>

Biden had repeatedly pledged that he would not pardon his son but reversed course on Dec. 1, saying that such an action was warranted because of what he called a “miscarriage of justice” and a selective prosecution. He said he believed that his son had been treated "differently" on account of his last name and that “raw politics” had infected the decision making of the Justice Department.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” Biden said.

Weiss, who served as U.S. attorney for Delaware during the Trump administration and was kept in his position by Garland before being named to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-david-weiss-congress-republicans-aed25541b709a57371cdfe1582be0c5a">role of special counsel in 2023</a>, took exception to those comments and noted that judges had rejected that assessment as well.

“The president’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong,” Weiss wrote. Such remarks undermine the public's confidence in the justice system, Weiss said.

Calling judges' rulings "into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable," Weiss wrote. “It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.”

Hunter Biden’s lawyer criticized the report, saying Weiss failed to explain why prosecutors “pursued wild — and debunked — conspiracies” about the president’s son that prolonged the investigation.

“What is clear from this report is that the investigation into Hunter Biden is a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power,” defense attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement.

The investigations, which Hunter Biden himself revealed in 2020 when he disclosed that prosecutors were examining his taxes, took a tortured path toward resolution across Justice Department leaders of both political parties.

Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty in 2023 to misdemeanor tax charges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">but the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion</a>&nbsp;among a last-minute disagreement between his lawyers and federal prosecutors. He went to trial in Delaware last year and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted of three federal felonies</a>&nbsp;that accused him of having lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

Describing the younger Biden as a “Yale-educated lawyer and businessperson,” Weiss said the president's son understood that he was lying when he filled out the federal form when he bought his gun in 2018 and marked that he wasn’t a drug user.

“But he did it anyway, because he wanted to own a gun, even though he was actively using crack cocaine,” Weiss wrote.

Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.

Weiss said Hunter “consciously and willfully chose” not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years.

The president's claims that Hunter Biden was mistreated by the criminal justice system echoed in some ways arguments from the younger Biden's legal team, who had asserted that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict Hunter after the collapse of what Donald Trump and other Republicans called a “sweetheart” plea deal.

“Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice — no matter who you are, or what your last name is, you are subject to the same laws as everyone else in the United States,” Weiss said.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736822422724.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The criminal charges against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;“were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25486004-report-of-special-counsel-weiss-january-2025/">report released Monday</a>&nbsp;that sharply criticized&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for having maligned the Justice Department when he pardoned his son.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/Report-of-Special-Counsel-Weiss-January-2025.pdf">Click here to read</a> the final repor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733169375710.png" alt="FILE - President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” said the report from special counsel David Weiss, whose team filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">gun and tax charges</a>&nbsp;against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.The report is the culmination of years-long investigations that predated the arrival of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House over the treatment of the president's son.The document, as is customary for reports prepared by Justice Department special counsels, provides a recap of the investigative findings. But it is most notable for its steadfast defense of the team's work and for its open criticism of the president over a written statement he issued when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-son-hunter-charges-pardon-pledge-24f3007c2d2f467fa48e21bbc7262525">pardoning his son last month.</a>Biden had repeatedly pledged that he would not pardon his son but reversed course on Dec. 1, saying that such an action was warranted because of what he called a “miscarriage of justice” and a selective prosecution. He said he believed that his son had been treated "differently" on account of his last name and that “raw politics” had infected the decision making of the Justice Department.“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” Biden said.Weiss, who served as U.S. attorney for Delaware during the Trump administration and was kept in his position by Garland before being named to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-david-weiss-congress-republicans-aed25541b709a57371cdfe1582be0c5a">role of special counsel in 2023</a>, took exception to those comments and noted that judges had rejected that assessment as well.“The president’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong,” Weiss wrote. Such remarks undermine the public's confidence in the justice system, Weiss said.Calling judges' rulings "into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable," Weiss wrote. “It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.”Hunter Biden’s lawyer criticized the report, saying Weiss failed to explain why prosecutors “pursued wild — and debunked — conspiracies” about the president’s son that prolonged the investigation.“What is clear from this report is that the investigation into Hunter Biden is a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power,” defense attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement.The investigations, which Hunter Biden himself revealed in 2020 when he disclosed that prosecutors were examining his taxes, took a tortured path toward resolution across Justice Department leaders of both political parties.Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty in 2023 to misdemeanor tax charges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">but the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion</a>&nbsp;among a last-minute disagreement between his lawyers and federal prosecutors. He went to trial in Delaware last year and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted of three federal felonies</a>&nbsp;that accused him of having lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.Describing the younger Biden as a “Yale-educated lawyer and businessperson,” Weiss said the president's son understood that he was lying when he filled out the federal form when he bought his gun in 2018 and marked that he wasn’t a drug user.“But he did it anyway, because he wanted to own a gun, even though he was actively using crack cocaine,” Weiss wrote.Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.Weiss said Hunter “consciously and willfully chose” not to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years.The president's claims that Hunter Biden was mistreated by the criminal justice system echoed in some ways arguments from the younger Biden's legal team, who had asserted that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict Hunter after the collapse of what Donald Trump and other Republicans called a “sweetheart” plea deal.Not so, said Weiss.“Far from selective, these prosecutions were the embodiment of the equal application of justice — no matter who you are, or what your last name is, you are subject to the same laws as everyone else in the United States,” Weiss said.____Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Read Special Counsel's final report on Hunter Biden

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a surge in fentanyl crimes.

Over the weekend, police in Garden City reported First Responders have responded to several suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in the community over a 24-hour period, according to a social media report.

"While none of these overdoses resulted in death, fentanyl continues to drive the overdose epidemic and is the #1 cause of death for Americans ages 18-45." 

"Fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills or mixed with other types of street drugs, in powder and pill form, to drive addiction." The police department reminded the public, "talk to your friends and family about fentanyl. No drug is worth your life.The GCPD is investigating these incidents and continues efforts to stop the flow of drugs."

We encourage the community to report illegal drug activity by calling us at (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP, and your information to Tip411 (847411)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664309962436.png" alt="File photo Fentanyl " />
 <figcaption>File photo Fentanyl </figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas are investigating a surge in fentanyl crimes.Over the weekend, police in Garden City reported First Responders have responded to several suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in the community over a 24-hour period, according to a social media report."While none of these overdoses resulted in death, fentanyl continues to drive the overdose epidemic and is the #1 cause of death for Americans ages 18-45." "Fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills or mixed with other types of street drugs, in powder and pill form, to drive addiction." The police department reminded the public, "talk to your friends and family about fentanyl. No drug is worth your life.The GCPD is investigating these incidents and continues efforts to stop the flow of drugs."We encourage the community to report illegal drug activity by calling us at (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP, and your information to Tip411 (847411)

Police: Surge in suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in SW Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is already having a golden playoffs and the Chiefs haven't even played yet.

The two-time NFL MVP quarterback and his wife, Brittany,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">announced Monday the birth of their third child</a>, a daughter that they named Golden Raye. She was born on Sunday while Kansas City was waiting to learn its divisional-round opponent.

The Chiefs, who are chasing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy</a>, had the weekend off as the No. 1 seed. They will play the Houston Texans on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of a game won by Kansas City last month.

The Mahomes' have a daughter, 3-year-old Sterling, and a 2-year-old son named Bronze.

“I always wanted to have kids young,” Mahomes, whose father Patrick Mahomes Sr. spent 11 years pitching in the big leagues, said during an interview last year. “I got to grow up in the locker room. I mean, I’ve talked about it before, and it made such an impact in my life. And so I wanted to have kids young, and we’re having our third kid now to join the family.”

Patrick Mahomes said during an interview last month that he hoped the timing would work out so that their latest child would arrive during their bye week. Mahomes announced in a social media posting with his wife in July that they were expecting their third child, and about a week later they revealed that they were having another girl.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have been together since high school. He went on to play quarterback at Texas Tech before the Chiefs made him a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, while she played soccer at the University of Texas-Tyler before a stint as a professional in Iceland. The couple wed in Hawaii in March 2022.

As for a fourth child? Well,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-623b76507d9375f2e19ecfd78e8ede24">the two-time NFL MVP put the thought to rest</a>&nbsp;ahead of training camp last July.

“I'm done. I'll say that,” Mahomes said with a grin. “I did three and I'm done.”

KANSAS CITY— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany are now a family of five.

On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>Monday afternoon, Brittany Mahomes announced the birth of the couples third child, Golden Raye Mahomes. According to the Instagram post, the baby girl was born on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724461026275.png" alt="-File photo Brittany Mahomes (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)" />
 <figcaption>-File photo Brittany Mahomes (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is already having a golden playoffs and the Chiefs haven't even played yet.The two-time NFL MVP quarterback and his wife, Brittany,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">announced Monday the birth of their third child</a>, a daughter that they named Golden Raye. She was born on Sunday while Kansas City was waiting to learn its divisional-round opponent.The Chiefs, who are chasing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-playoffs-6f7dbffff1f69e7b31277850fa6626b3">unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy</a>, had the weekend off as the No. 1 seed. They will play the Houston Texans on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of a game won by Kansas City last month.The Mahomes' have a daughter, 3-year-old Sterling, and a 2-year-old son named Bronze.“I always wanted to have kids young,” Mahomes, whose father Patrick Mahomes Sr. spent 11 years pitching in the big leagues, said during an interview last year. “I got to grow up in the locker room. I mean, I’ve talked about it before, and it made such an impact in my life. And so I wanted to have kids young, and we’re having our third kid now to join the family.”Patrick Mahomes said during an interview last month that he hoped the timing would work out so that their latest child would arrive during their bye week. Mahomes announced in a social media posting with his wife in July that they were expecting their third child, and about a week later they revealed that they were having another girl.Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have been together since high school. He went on to play quarterback at Texas Tech before the Chiefs made him a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, while she played soccer at the University of Texas-Tyler before a stint as a professional in Iceland. The couple wed in Hawaii in March 2022.As for a fourth child? Well,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-623b76507d9375f2e19ecfd78e8ede24">the two-time NFL MVP put the thought to rest</a>&nbsp;ahead of training camp last July.“I'm done. I'll say that,” Mahomes said with a grin. “I did three and I'm done.”___KANSAS CITY— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany are now a family of five.On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DExu1ETx-0Q/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>Monday afternoon, Brittany Mahomes announced the birth of the couples third child, Golden Raye Mahomes. According to the Instagram post, the baby girl was born on Sunday.

Congratulations: Patrick and Brittany Mahomes now a family of 5

GOP edge an advantage in House, Senate veto battles with Gov. Laura Kelly

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

TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas Legislature gathered with family and friends Monday to convene the 2025 session and welcome three dozen new lawmakers and test the influence of expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Unanimous votes accompanied formal selection of Andover Sen. Ty Masterson as Senate president and Wichita Rep. Dan Hawkins as House speaker. The anticipated GOP agenda of budget, tax, education, transgender rights, election and judicial reform could be familiar to statehouse observers of previous sessions. The GOP’s wider numerical advantage over Democratic legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly could amplify opportunities to press conservative bills.

“The trust you all have placed in me to serve as House speaker for another two years is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Hawkins, a House member for 12 years. “We accomplished much in the last two years and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead for the next two years.”

He said the 125 members of the House had diverse views and subscribed to different ideologies, but as colleagues serving the interests of Kansas they shouldn’t allow disagreement to turn the building into a battleground for adversaries.

“The chamber represents the diversity of our state from rural to urban and everything in between,” he said. “Our strength lies in finding common ground. The challenges we face, and the people we serve, demand that we rise above partisanship.”

In the November election, Republicans gained three seats in the House to take an 88-37 advantage. In the Senate, Republicans claimed two additional seats for a 31-9 margin. Two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — are necessary to override vetoes by the governor. There are a dozen new senators and 25 incoming representatives.

Newly elected House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat from Lenexa, said the opportunity to serve in the House had been experienced by about 6,000 people in the history of the state. He warned not all days in the 90-day legislative session would be smooth.

“When the days of our public service feel tough, and I promise you there will be very tough days ahead, please remember how you feel right now,” Woodard said. “I do want to invite every member to step outside of your comfort zone, show up every day with an open mind, and to explore getting to know your colleagues as people before considering their politics.”

The House and Senate followed the script and gaveled in their respective chambers at 2 p.m. That was followed by speeches by legislative leaders and photographs with family to mark the moment. Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert handled the oaths of office in the House, while Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles performed that duty in the Senate.

In the Senate, Masterson set the tone for the session:&nbsp;“Ready or not, here we go.”

The 50-minute ceremonious first day in the Senate was filled with smiles, handshakes and embraces among colleagues old and new. Legislators were welcomed at the Senate chamber’s entrance by family members and a group representing a Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy organization.

“I think everybody here has a best intention of making Kansas a greater state, but we simply disagree sometimes on what that means or how we get there,” Masterson said.

“There’ll be tears,” he said. “ There’ll be emotion. We’ll get angry sometimes.”

Masterson said he hoped to retain in the Senate something society has been losing — the ability to have passionate debates on complex subjects “and still love the other person on the other end of the argument.”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, in a speech following Masterson’s emphasized education’s critical role in Kansas’ history. She advocated for policies supporting children, educators and funding for special education.

“Together those of us elected by voters have the opportunity to address the issues that make a difference in people’s lives,” Sykes said. “We could be distracted by culture wars, but doing that only divides us.”

She vowed on behalf of Senate Democrats to put aside ideological agendas to prioritize Kansas’ needs.

A handful of bills were prefiled in the Senate before the onset of the session. One was a bid to eliminate the practice of switching to daylight saving time twice a year and convert the state to permanent standard time. Another proposed validating results of a May 2024 bond election in Greeley County, which voters approved but ran into hiccups when the Kansas attorney general’s held back the funds because the county didn’t meet a requirement to advertise the election on a county-run website.

House Republicans also gathered Monday morning across the street from the statehouse for a closed-door meeting to discuss policy goals. On Sunday, Senate Republicans took part in a similar session outline legislative priorities.

Kelly is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the House chamber. Kelly, who is halfway through her second term, would be making her seven State of the State speech to the Legislature.

Meanwhile, Luckert plans to present the State of the Kansas Judiciary to senators and representatives in a speech scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, also in the House chamber.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736804927394.png" alt="Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, gets a fresh shoe shine Monday shortly before the Kansas Legislature gaveled in for the 2025 session. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, gets a fresh shoe shine Monday shortly before the Kansas Legislature gaveled in for the 2025 session. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>GOP edge an advantage in House, Senate veto battles with Gov. Laura Kelly</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas Legislature gathered with family and friends Monday to convene the 2025 session and welcome three dozen new lawmakers and test the influence of expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate.Unanimous votes accompanied formal selection of Andover Sen. Ty Masterson as Senate president and Wichita Rep. Dan Hawkins as House speaker. The anticipated GOP agenda of budget, tax, education, transgender rights, election and judicial reform could be familiar to statehouse observers of previous sessions. The GOP’s wider numerical advantage over Democratic legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly could amplify opportunities to press conservative bills.“The trust you all have placed in me to serve as House speaker for another two years is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” said Hawkins, a House member for 12 years. “We accomplished much in the last two years and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead for the next two years.”He said the 125 members of the House had diverse views and subscribed to different ideologies, but as colleagues serving the interests of Kansas they shouldn’t allow disagreement to turn the building into a battleground for adversaries.“The chamber represents the diversity of our state from rural to urban and everything in between,” he said. “Our strength lies in finding common ground. The challenges we face, and the people we serve, demand that we rise above partisanship.”In the November election, Republicans gained three seats in the House to take an 88-37 advantage. In the Senate, Republicans claimed two additional seats for a 31-9 margin. Two-thirds majorities — 84 in the House, 27 in the Senate — are necessary to override vetoes by the governor. There are a dozen new senators and 25 incoming representatives.Newly elected House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat from Lenexa, said the opportunity to serve in the House had been experienced by about 6,000 people in the history of the state. He warned not all days in the 90-day legislative session would be smooth.“When the days of our public service feel tough, and I promise you there will be very tough days ahead, please remember how you feel right now,” Woodard said. “I do want to invite every member to step outside of your comfort zone, show up every day with an open mind, and to explore getting to know your colleagues as people before considering their politics.”The House and Senate followed the script and gaveled in their respective chambers at 2 p.m. That was followed by speeches by legislative leaders and photographs with family to mark the moment. Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert handled the oaths of office in the House, while Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles performed that duty in the Senate.In the Senate, Masterson set the tone for the session:&nbsp;“Ready or not, here we go.”The 50-minute ceremonious first day in the Senate was filled with smiles, handshakes and embraces among colleagues old and new. Legislators were welcomed at the Senate chamber’s entrance by family members and a group representing a Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy organization.“I think everybody here has a best intention of making Kansas a greater state, but we simply disagree sometimes on what that means or how we get there,” Masterson said.“There’ll be tears,” he said. “ There’ll be emotion. We’ll get angry sometimes.”Masterson said he hoped to retain in the Senate something society has been losing — the ability to have passionate debates on complex subjects “and still love the other person on the other end of the argument.”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, in a speech following Masterson’s emphasized education’s critical role in Kansas’ history. She advocated for policies supporting children, educators and funding for special education.“Together those of us elected by voters have the opportunity to address the issues that make a difference in people’s lives,” Sykes said. “We could be distracted by culture wars, but doing that only divides us.”She vowed on behalf of Senate Democrats to put aside ideological agendas to prioritize Kansas’ needs.A handful of bills were prefiled in the Senate before the onset of the session. One was a bid to eliminate the practice of switching to daylight saving time twice a year and convert the state to permanent standard time. Another proposed validating results of a May 2024 bond election in Greeley County, which voters approved but ran into hiccups when the Kansas attorney general’s held back the funds because the county didn’t meet a requirement to advertise the election on a county-run website.House Republicans also gathered Monday morning across the street from the statehouse for a closed-door meeting to discuss policy goals. On Sunday, Senate Republicans took part in a similar session outline legislative priorities.Kelly is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the House chamber. Kelly, who is halfway through her second term, would be making her seven State of the State speech to the Legislature.Meanwhile, Luckert plans to present the State of the Kansas Judiciary to senators and representatives in a speech scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, also in the House chamber.

Kansas Legislature convenes 2025 session with emboldened Republican supermajority

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as Thursday after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing.

The 320-foot (98-meter)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">New Glenn rocket</a>&nbsp;was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite. But ice formed in a purge line for a unit powering some of the rocket’s hydraulic systems and launch controllers ran out of time to clear it, according to the company.

Founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon’s Jeff Bezos</a>, Blue Origin further delayed the launch because of Tuesday's poor weather forecast for Cape Canaveral and a moonshot planned Wednesday by SpaceX. The test flight already had been postponed by rough seas that posed a risk to Blue Origin's plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.

Bezos started the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

No matter what happens, Bezos said this weekend, “We’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble.

The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to deal with an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown and ran out of time. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket.

Blue Origin did not immediately set a new launch date, saying the team needed more time to resolve the problem.

The test flight already had been delayed by rough seas that posed a risk to the company’s plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos founded the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Orlando, Florida.

No matter what happens, Bezos said Sunday evening, “we’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as Thursday after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New Glenn Launch Update: Our next launch attempt is no earlier than Tuesday, January 14. Our three-hour launch window remains the same, opening at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). Tonight’s poor weather forecast at LC-36 could result in missing this window. This morning’s scrub was due to…&mdash; Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1878950836208050188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 320-foot (98-meter)&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/john-glenn-honored-with-launch-of-space-station-supply-ship-c9d6fdad2031486ba09c80024bb5a5a7">New Glenn rocket</a>&nbsp;was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite. But ice formed in a purge line for a unit powering some of the rocket’s hydraulic systems and launch controllers ran out of time to clear it, according to the company.Founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265">Amazon’s Jeff Bezos</a>, Blue Origin further delayed the launch because of Tuesday's poor weather forecast for Cape Canaveral and a moonshot planned Wednesday by SpaceX. The test flight already had been postponed by rough seas that posed a risk to Blue Origin's plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.Bezos started the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.No matter what happens, Bezos said this weekend, “We’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”___CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-science--6506107348652d290f556518b138b3d2">Blue Origin</a>&nbsp;called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New Glenn’s inaugural mission is targeting January 13. Our three-hour launch window opens Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). Join us here for the webcast hosted by Ariane Cornell and Denisse Aranda beginning an hour before launch! <a href="https://t.co/SkuvkZ3m8s">pic.twitter.com/SkuvkZ3m8s</a>&mdash; Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1878544427884449928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to deal with an unspecified rocket issue in the final minutes of the countdown and ran out of time. Once the countdown clock was halted, they immediately began draining all the fuel from the rocket.Blue Origin did not immediately set a new launch date, saying the team needed more time to resolve the problem.The test flight already had been delayed by rough seas that posed a risk to the company’s plan to land the first-stage booster on a floating platform in the Atlantic.New Glenn is named after the first American to orbit Earth, John Glenn. It is five times taller than Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket that carries paying customers to the edge of space from Texas.Amazon’s Jeff Bezos founded the company 25 years ago. He took part in Monday's countdown from Mission Control, located at the rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Orlando, Florida.No matter what happens, Bezos said Sunday evening, “we’re going to pick ourselves up and keep going.”

Bezos' space company called off launch of massive new rocket 2nd straight day

MITCHELL COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Mitchell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Toyota Tundra driven by Christopher J. Herz, 39, Burr Oak, Kansas, was northbound on Kansas 14 just north of C Road. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a southbound 2008 Ford Escape driven by Cady G. Travis, 44, Jewel.

Travis was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Roberts Funeral Home.&nbsp; EMS transported Herz to the Mitchell County Hospital. Herz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

MITCHELL COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Mitchell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Toyota Tundra driven by Christopher J. Herz, 39, Burr Oak, Kansas, was northbound on Kansas 14 just north of C Road. The pickup crossed the center line and struck a southbound 2008 Ford Escape driven by Cady G. Travis, 44, Jewel.Travis was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Roberts Funeral Home.&nbsp; EMS transported Herz to the Mitchell County Hospital. Herz was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies in pickup, SUV crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A woman charged with driving under the influence in a crash that killed a woman is scheduled for an arraignment hearing next month.

Trisha Greer, 43, was scheduled for hearing before Judge Sean Hatfield on Friday. She waived her hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office and will be back in court February 21.

Just after 11p.m. May 14, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.

Greet was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records. She&nbsp;is free on bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717510102482.png" alt="Greer-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Greer-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A woman charged with driving under the influence in a crash that killed a woman is scheduled for an arraignment hearing next month.Trisha Greer, 43, was scheduled for hearing before Judge Sean Hatfield on Friday. She waived her hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office and will be back in court February 21.Just after 11p.m. May 14, Greer was driving without headlights at 55th Street South and Hoover, according to Sheriff's Lt Nathan Gibbs. The vehicle struck and killed 18-year-old Bethany Aillen Callista Leggio who was standing with a group of people at the location.Greet was booked into jail just after 1a.m. the following morning, according to online jail records. She&nbsp;is free on bond.

Woman charged in deadly Kan. crash scheduled for arraignment

DICKINSON COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a rural Saline County home.

Just after 2a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;crews responded to a house fire near Carlton, according to a social media report from Saline County Rural Fire District #1.

&nbsp;Dickinson County EMS checked a resident for smoke inhalation.  Additional assistance from Saline County Fire District #2 was called in to relieve personnel and help with overhaul efforts. Operations ended and the last units were released at approximately 8a.m.&nbsp; Authorities have not released a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736788080978.png" alt="-Photos Saline County Fire District 1" />
 <figcaption>-Photos Saline County Fire District 1</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a rural Saline County home.Just after 2a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;crews responded to a house fire near Carlton, according to a social media report from Saline County Rural Fire District #1.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736788349762.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Dickinson County EMS checked a resident for smoke inhalation. Additional assistance from Saline County Fire District #2 was called in to relieve personnel and help with overhaul efforts. Operations ended and the last units were released at approximately 8a.m.&nbsp; Authorities have not released a damage estimate.

Home destroyed in rural Kansas fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/greglarose/">GREG LAROSE</a>&nbsp;

An infectious disease expert says the relatively mild cases of avian influenza detected so far among dairy workers don’t warrant making a vaccine available to them, even as they work to contain and prevent spread of the contagious virus among herds.

Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist and chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, said the minor spread of the H5N1 among humans – and no reported instances of human-to-human transmission – makes any widespread administration of a vaccine premature right now.

“There are also many logistical issues that would be associated with deployment of vaccine to farm workers – language barrier, undocumented status, compliance – so that is not the plan at this time, “ Doron said Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America teleconference.

H5N1 has circulated globally for decades, she said. Analysis of the strains currently circulating shows them to be poorly suited for transmission between humans and with low pandemic potential, according to Doron.

Human patients have also responded well to antiviral treatments such as Tamiflu, the doctor said.

The current avian flu strains have led to two severe cases in humans. One involved a 65-year-old person from Louisiana who contracted the virus from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, state health officials said. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/06/avian-flu-louisiana/" target="_blank">the nation’s first ever fatal human case</a>&nbsp;of avian flu, though the patient was reported to have underlying conditions that worsened after they contracted H5N1.

The other severe case was a teen in Canada who had to be admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit. That patient contracted the virus from wild birds, Doron said.

Dr. Julio Figeroua, LSU Health chief of infectious diseases and a professor at Louisiana State University’s medical school in New Orleans, also took part in the IDSA teleconference. There have been no secondary avian flu cases related to the patient in Louisiana who died, he said.

“We have people who do hunting, hunting of geese and ducks, and so advisories have been put out to those for proper handling of those particular animals,” Figeroua said. “A lot of backyard flocks that are here and in urban and suburban areas are potentially also potential sources for transmission.”

In addition to 919 dairy herds in 16 states, the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has impacted more than 133 million poultry farms in all 50 states as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coordination about the various federal and state agencies responding to avian flu outbreaks will be crucial to containing its spread, especially as the incoming Trump administration takes over, Doron and Figueroa said.

Asked to provide an estimate for when the current H5N1 outbreak might be contained or peter out on its own, Doron said it’s difficult to determine at this point.

“I think it really is going to depend on how long immunity lasts, and it’s too early in the outbreak to know that,” she said. “… If the immunity doesn’t last more than a few months, then we could have ongoing spread indefinitely.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/10/avian-flu/" target="_blank">Louisiana Illuminator</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/greglarose/">GREG LAROSE</a>&nbsp;An infectious disease expert says the relatively mild cases of avian influenza detected so far among dairy workers don’t warrant making a vaccine available to them, even as they work to contain and prevent spread of the contagious virus among herds.Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist and chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, said the minor spread of the H5N1 among humans – and no reported instances of human-to-human transmission – makes any widespread administration of a vaccine premature right now.“There are also many logistical issues that would be associated with deployment of vaccine to farm workers – language barrier, undocumented status, compliance – so that is not the plan at this time, “ Doron said Friday morning during an Infectious Diseases Society of America teleconference.H5N1 has circulated globally for decades, she said. Analysis of the strains currently circulating shows them to be poorly suited for transmission between humans and with low pandemic potential, according to Doron.Human patients have also responded well to antiviral treatments such as Tamiflu, the doctor said.The current avian flu strains have led to two severe cases in humans. One involved a 65-year-old person from Louisiana who contracted the virus from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, state health officials said. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/06/avian-flu-louisiana/" target="_blank">the nation’s first ever fatal human case</a>&nbsp;of avian flu, though the patient was reported to have underlying conditions that worsened after they contracted H5N1.The other severe case was a teen in Canada who had to be admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit. That patient contracted the virus from wild birds, Doron said.Dr. Julio Figeroua, LSU Health chief of infectious diseases and a professor at Louisiana State University’s medical school in New Orleans, also took part in the IDSA teleconference. There have been no secondary avian flu cases related to the patient in Louisiana who died, he said.“We have people who do hunting, hunting of geese and ducks, and so advisories have been put out to those for proper handling of those particular animals,” Figeroua said. “A lot of backyard flocks that are here and in urban and suburban areas are potentially also potential sources for transmission.”In addition to 919 dairy herds in 16 states, the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has impacted more than 133 million poultry farms in all 50 states as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coordination about the various federal and state agencies responding to avian flu outbreaks will be crucial to containing its spread, especially as the incoming Trump administration takes over, Doron and Figueroa said.Asked to provide an estimate for when the current H5N1 outbreak might be contained or peter out on its own, Doron said it’s difficult to determine at this point.“I think it really is going to depend on how long immunity lasts, and it’s too early in the outbreak to know that,” she said. “… If the immunity doesn’t last more than a few months, then we could have ongoing spread indefinitely.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/10/avian-flu/" target="_blank">Louisiana Illuminator</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

No need to provide an avian flu vaccine for humans yet, expert says

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced a Kansas City woman to seven years in prison for her two-year-old child’s fatal fentanyl poisoning, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

In December, 33-year-old Tierra O’Field pled guilty to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2479/Afterhours-Complaint-Packet-OField-Redacted">Involuntary Manslaughter in the 1st Degree</a>&nbsp;last month.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2477/Tierra-Ofield-PC-Statement_Redacted" target="_blank">court records</a>, Kansas City police and EMS were dispatched on Oct. 11, 2022, to a Kansas City apartment where they located a two-year-old child who was cold to the touch, with rigor mortis and beyond medical help.&nbsp;

Detectives interviewed the child’s mother, the defendant, who said she fell asleep in a chair in the living room with her child. She was awoken by her sister and mother knocking at the front door. The defendant got up to answer the door, but the child remained on the chair, and she thought he was still asleep. When the defendant went back to check on him, the child was unresponsive and cold to the touch. She called 911.&nbsp;

During the interview with detectives, the defendant said she kept fentanyl in a baggie in her bra and when she checked on her child, she saw the baggie was on the chair and empty. When she moved her child, she saw particles of fentanyl on the chair under where he was sleeping. When detectives interviewed the defendant’s mother, she said the defendant struggles with drug addiction.

When police processed the scene, they also found a glass pipe on the chair along with an empty plastic bag and a torch lighter. On the floor next to the chair was a red straw and a whitish rock-like substance. Detectives located multiple pieces of tin foil with burnt residue in multiple locations in the apartment along with five syringes with apparent residue.&nbsp;

The Jackson County Medical Examiner found the child’s manner of death was a result of fentanyl intoxication.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736614244462.png" alt="O'field photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>O'field photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced a Kansas City woman to seven years in prison for her two-year-old child’s fatal fentanyl poisoning, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.In December, 33-year-old Tierra O’Field pled guilty to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2479/Afterhours-Complaint-Packet-OField-Redacted">Involuntary Manslaughter in the 1st Degree</a>&nbsp;last month.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2477/Tierra-Ofield-PC-Statement_Redacted" target="_blank">court records</a>, Kansas City police and EMS were dispatched on Oct. 11, 2022, to a Kansas City apartment where they located a two-year-old child who was cold to the touch, with rigor mortis and beyond medical help.&nbsp;Detectives interviewed the child’s mother, the defendant, who said she fell asleep in a chair in the living room with her child. She was awoken by her sister and mother knocking at the front door. The defendant got up to answer the door, but the child remained on the chair, and she thought he was still asleep. When the defendant went back to check on him, the child was unresponsive and cold to the touch. She called 911.&nbsp;During the interview with detectives, the defendant said she kept fentanyl in a baggie in her bra and when she checked on her child, she saw the baggie was on the chair and empty. When she moved her child, she saw particles of fentanyl on the chair under where he was sleeping. When detectives interviewed the defendant’s mother, she said the defendant struggles with drug addiction.When police processed the scene, they also found a glass pipe on the chair along with an empty plastic bag and a torch lighter. On the floor next to the chair was a red straw and a whitish rock-like substance. Detectives located multiple pieces of tin foil with burnt residue in multiple locations in the apartment along with five syringes with apparent residue.&nbsp;The Jackson County Medical Examiner found the child’s manner of death was a result of fentanyl intoxication.&nbsp;

KC mother sentenced for toddler son’s fatal fentanyl poisoning 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-schools-religion-38ae3d9d481a736d274dd4580b3bf8a0">Christianity to public school classrooms</a>, testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments.

The efforts come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office&nbsp;<a href="https://rncplatform.donaldjtrump.com/?_gl=1*1303efn*_gcl_au*MTE1NzQ5NDM1LjE3MzE0MzQxNDk.&amp;_ga=2.102021505.1296244442.1734716952-1564405565.1731434149">pledging to champion</a>&nbsp;the First Amendment right to pray and read the Bible in school, practices that are already allowed as long as they are not government-sponsored.

While the federal government is&nbsp;<a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:20%20section:1232a%20edition:prelim)">explicitly barred</a>&nbsp;from directing states on what to teach, Trump can indirectly influence what is taught in public schools and his election may embolden state-level activists.

Trump and his fellow Republicans support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-republican-platform-education-schools-172e27bbfb3402d22e5c2effb740654f">school choice</a>, hoping to expand the practice of using taxpayer-funded vouchers to help parents send their children to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-private-school-choice-ohio-3c49fe1477a678377ede32e5de5f6db3">religious schools</a>.

But there is a parallel push to incorporate more Christianity into the mainstream public schools that serve the overwhelming majority of students, including those of other faiths. And with the help of judicial appointees from Trump's first presidential term, courts have begun to bless the notion of more religion in the public sphere,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">including in schools</a>.

“The effect of even Trump being the president-elect, let alone the president again, is Christian nationalists are emboldened like never before,” said Rachel Laser, the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation. A smaller group, part of a movement widely called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-founders-christian-nation-conservative-beliefs-4ea388e8d80c54016a6a4460cbef9b82">Christian nationalism</a>, champions a fusion of American and Christian identity and believes the U.S. has a mandate to build an explicitly Christian society.

Many historians argue the opposite, claiming the framers created the United States as an alternative to European monarchies with official state churches and oppression of religious minorities.

Efforts to introduce more Christianity into classrooms have taken hold in several states.

In Louisiana, Republicans passed a law requiring every public school classroom to post the Ten Commandments, which begin with “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Families have sued.

In Texas, officials in November approved a curriculum&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-bible-religion-schools-52b74577982b34ce2607b693bd51cae7">intertwining language arts with biblical lessons</a>. And in Oklahoma, the state superintendent of education has called for lessons to incorporate the Bible from grades 5 through 12, a requirement schools&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bible-mandate-oklahoma-schools-bixby-superintendent-19e235a16d9aefd350df9106a5d759b3">have declined to follow</a>.

Utah state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://custom.statenet.com/public/resources.cgi?id=ID:bill:UT2024000H269&amp;ciq=ncsl5&amp;client_md=b4d4548adfcbc8e85b76125afcc7b842&amp;mode=current_text">designated</a>&nbsp;the Ten Commandments as a historic document, in the same category as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, so teachers could post it in their classrooms. Many other states have seen legislation that would put them in more classrooms. And attorneys general from 17 GOP-led states recently filed a brief supporting Louisiana's Ten Commandments mandate.

Schools are permitted — and even encouraged — to teach about religion and to expose students to religious texts. But some say the new measures are indoctrinating students, not educating them.

Critics have raised concerns also about proliferating lesson plans. Some states have allowed teachers to use videos from Prager U, a nonprofit founded by a conservative talk show host, despite criticism that the videos positively highlight the spread of Christianity and include Christian nationalist talking points.

During his first administration, Trump commissioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-revoke-trump-patriotic-education-259b9302ab24bac55fa14676a1a9d11e">the 1776 Project</a>, a report that attempted to promote a more patriotic version of American history. It was panned by historians and scholars who said it credited Christianity for many of the positive turns in U.S. history without mentioning the religion's role in perpetuating slavery, for example.

The project was developed into a curriculum by the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan and is now taught in a network of publicly funded charter schools supported by the college. It also has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-donald-trump-michigan-south-dakota-sioux-falls-54712a652c5a0f1f74deebe280dcfc01">influenced state standards in South Dakota</a>.

Challenges to some state measures are now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-schools-ten-commandments-cf59c57adfa049111c67a6cda1efb796">working their way through the courts</a>, which have grown friendlier to religious interests thanks to Trump's judicial appointments.

In 2022, the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">ruled in favor of a football coach</a>&nbsp;in Washington state who was fired for praying with players at midfield after a game, saying the school district infringed on his rights to religious expression. Dissenting justices noted some players felt pressure to join the coach. But the high court said a public school can't restrict an employee's religious activity just because it could be construed as an endorsement of religion, reversing a five-decade precedent.

The ruling could pave the way for conservatives to introduce more Christianity in public schools, said Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina.

“Donald Trump’s judicial appointees have emboldened states” to test the separation of church and state, he said.

In the wake of the football coach's case, courts now analyze church-state separation through the lens of history, said Joseph Davis of Becket, a public interest law firm focused on religious freedom that is defending Louisiana over its Ten Commandments mandate.

The Supreme Court has endorsed the idea that “it’s OK to have religious expression in the public spaces," Davis said, "and that we should sort of expect that ... if it’s a big part of our history.”

Critics say some measures to introduce more historical references to Christianity in classrooms have taken things too far, inserting biblical references gratuitously, while erasing the role Christianity played in justifying atrocities perpetuated by Americans, like genocide of Native people.

These are among the criticisms facing the new reading curriculum in Texas. Created by the state, districts aren't required to use it, but they receive financial incentives for adopting it.

“The authors appear to go out of their way to work detailed Bible lessons into the curriculum even when they are both unnecessary and unwarranted,” religious studies scholar David R. Brockman wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://tfn.org/cms/assets/uploads/2024/11/11.24-OER-Analysis-Update.pdf">in a report on the material</a>. “Though religious freedom is vital to American democracy, the curriculum distorts its role in the nation’s founding while underplaying the importance of other fundamental liberties cherished by Americans.”

Texas Values, a conservative think tank that backed the new reading curriculum, said in a statement that the court's pivot toward permitting more Christianity in schools, and allowing more taxpayer money to flow to religious institutions, is corrective.

The football coach case has rightfully returned protections for religion and free speech in public school, said Jonathan Saenz, the Texas Values president.

“Voters and lawmakers (are) getting tired of the attacks on God and our heritage of being ‘One Nation Under God,'” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-schools-religion-38ae3d9d481a736d274dd4580b3bf8a0">Christianity to public school classrooms</a>, testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments.The efforts come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office&nbsp;<a href="https://rncplatform.donaldjtrump.com/?_gl=1*1303efn*_gcl_au*MTE1NzQ5NDM1LjE3MzE0MzQxNDk.&amp;_ga=2.102021505.1296244442.1734716952-1564405565.1731434149">pledging to champion</a>&nbsp;the First Amendment right to pray and read the Bible in school, practices that are already allowed as long as they are not government-sponsored.While the federal government is&nbsp;<a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:20%20section:1232a%20edition:prelim)">explicitly barred</a>&nbsp;from directing states on what to teach, Trump can indirectly influence what is taught in public schools and his election may embolden state-level activists.Trump and his fellow Republicans support&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-republican-platform-education-schools-172e27bbfb3402d22e5c2effb740654f">school choice</a>, hoping to expand the practice of using taxpayer-funded vouchers to help parents send their children to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-private-school-choice-ohio-3c49fe1477a678377ede32e5de5f6db3">religious schools</a>.But there is a parallel push to incorporate more Christianity into the mainstream public schools that serve the overwhelming majority of students, including those of other faiths. And with the help of judicial appointees from Trump's first presidential term, courts have begun to bless the notion of more religion in the public sphere,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">including in schools</a>.“The effect of even Trump being the president-elect, let alone the president again, is Christian nationalists are emboldened like never before,” said Rachel Laser, the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.Large numbers of Americans believe the founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation. A smaller group, part of a movement widely called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-founders-christian-nation-conservative-beliefs-4ea388e8d80c54016a6a4460cbef9b82">Christian nationalism</a>, champions a fusion of American and Christian identity and believes the U.S. has a mandate to build an explicitly Christian society.Many historians argue the opposite, claiming the framers created the United States as an alternative to European monarchies with official state churches and oppression of religious minorities.Efforts to introduce more Christianity into classrooms have taken hold in several states.In Louisiana, Republicans passed a law requiring every public school classroom to post the Ten Commandments, which begin with “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Families have sued.In Texas, officials in November approved a curriculum&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-bible-religion-schools-52b74577982b34ce2607b693bd51cae7">intertwining language arts with biblical lessons</a>. And in Oklahoma, the state superintendent of education has called for lessons to incorporate the Bible from grades 5 through 12, a requirement schools&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bible-mandate-oklahoma-schools-bixby-superintendent-19e235a16d9aefd350df9106a5d759b3">have declined to follow</a>.Utah state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://custom.statenet.com/public/resources.cgi?id=ID:bill:UT2024000H269&amp;ciq=ncsl5&amp;client_md=b4d4548adfcbc8e85b76125afcc7b842&amp;mode=current_text">designated</a>&nbsp;the Ten Commandments as a historic document, in the same category as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, so teachers could post it in their classrooms. Many other states have seen legislation that would put them in more classrooms. And attorneys general from 17 GOP-led states recently filed a brief supporting Louisiana's Ten Commandments mandate.Schools are permitted — and even encouraged — to teach about religion and to expose students to religious texts. But some say the new measures are indoctrinating students, not educating them.Critics have raised concerns also about proliferating lesson plans. Some states have allowed teachers to use videos from Prager U, a nonprofit founded by a conservative talk show host, despite criticism that the videos positively highlight the spread of Christianity and include Christian nationalist talking points.During his first administration, Trump commissioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-revoke-trump-patriotic-education-259b9302ab24bac55fa14676a1a9d11e">the 1776 Project</a>, a report that attempted to promote a more patriotic version of American history. It was panned by historians and scholars who said it credited Christianity for many of the positive turns in U.S. history without mentioning the religion's role in perpetuating slavery, for example.The project was developed into a curriculum by the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan and is now taught in a network of publicly funded charter schools supported by the college. It also has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-donald-trump-michigan-south-dakota-sioux-falls-54712a652c5a0f1f74deebe280dcfc01">influenced state standards in South Dakota</a>.Challenges to some state measures are now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-schools-ten-commandments-cf59c57adfa049111c67a6cda1efb796">working their way through the courts</a>, which have grown friendlier to religious interests thanks to Trump's judicial appointments.In 2022, the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">ruled in favor of a football coach</a>&nbsp;in Washington state who was fired for praying with players at midfield after a game, saying the school district infringed on his rights to religious expression. Dissenting justices noted some players felt pressure to join the coach. But the high court said a public school can't restrict an employee's religious activity just because it could be construed as an endorsement of religion, reversing a five-decade precedent.The ruling could pave the way for conservatives to introduce more Christianity in public schools, said Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina.“Donald Trump’s judicial appointees have emboldened states” to test the separation of church and state, he said.In the wake of the football coach's case, courts now analyze church-state separation through the lens of history, said Joseph Davis of Becket, a public interest law firm focused on religious freedom that is defending Louisiana over its Ten Commandments mandate.The Supreme Court has endorsed the idea that “it’s OK to have religious expression in the public spaces," Davis said, "and that we should sort of expect that ... if it’s a big part of our history.”Critics say some measures to introduce more historical references to Christianity in classrooms have taken things too far, inserting biblical references gratuitously, while erasing the role Christianity played in justifying atrocities perpetuated by Americans, like genocide of Native people.These are among the criticisms facing the new reading curriculum in Texas. Created by the state, districts aren't required to use it, but they receive financial incentives for adopting it.“The authors appear to go out of their way to work detailed Bible lessons into the curriculum even when they are both unnecessary and unwarranted,” religious studies scholar David R. Brockman wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://tfn.org/cms/assets/uploads/2024/11/11.24-OER-Analysis-Update.pdf">in a report on the material</a>. “Though religious freedom is vital to American democracy, the curriculum distorts its role in the nation’s founding while underplaying the importance of other fundamental liberties cherished by Americans.”Texas Values, a conservative think tank that backed the new reading curriculum, said in a statement that the court's pivot toward permitting more Christianity in schools, and allowing more taxpayer money to flow to religious institutions, is corrective.The football coach case has rightfully returned protections for religion and free speech in public school, said Jonathan Saenz, the Texas Values president.“Voters and lawmakers (are) getting tired of the attacks on God and our heritage of being ‘One Nation Under God,'” he said.___