By MARCIA DUNN &nbsp;AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA ran into a leak while fueling its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artemis-nasa-moonshot-921fc1a0a832217fae8b57d2fce2dc66">new moon rocket</a>&nbsp;Monday in one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-astronauts-moon-540260c90a45e0de4cb28f3e481777ff">final make-or-break test</a>&nbsp;that will determine when astronauts can launch on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-moon-astronauts-countdown-db49cef0eafce61f89a2984a5215c089">lunar fly-around</a>.

The launch team began loading the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket with super-cold hydrogen and oxygen at Kennedy Space Center at midday. More than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) had to flow into the tanks and remain on board for several hours, mimicking the final stages of an actual countdown.

But just a couple hours into the daylong operation, excessive hydrogen was detected near the bottom of the rocket. Hydrogen loading was temporarily halted, with just half of the core stage filled.

The launch team scrambled to work around the problem using techniques developed during the only other Space Launch System rocket launch three years ago. That first test flight was plagued by hydrogen leaks before finally soaring.

The crew, three Americans and one Canadian, monitored the critical dress rehearsal from nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away in Houston, home to Johnson Space Center. They have been in quarantine for the past 1½ weeks, awaiting the practice countdown's outcome.

The all-day operation will determine when they can blast off on the first lunar voyage by a crew in more than half a century.

Running two days behind because of a bitter cold snap, NASA set its countdown clocks to stop a half-minute before reaching zero, just before engine ignition. The clocks began ticking Saturday night, giving launch controllers the chance to go through all the motions and deal with any lingering rocket problems. Hydrogen leaks kept the first SLS rocket on the pad for months in 2022.

If the fueling demo can be completed successfully on time, NASA could launch commander Reid Wiseman and his crew to the moon as soon as Sunday. The rocket must be flying by Feb. 11 or the mission will be called off until March. The space agency only has a few days in any given month to launch the rocket, and the extreme cold already has shortened February’s launch window by two days.

The nearly 10-day mission will send the astronauts past the moon, around the mysterious far side and then straight back to Earth, with the goal of testing the capsule's life support and other vital systems. The crew will not go into lunar orbit or attempt to land.

NASA last sent astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program. The new Artemis program aims for a more sustained lunar presence, with Wiseman’s crew setting the stage for future moon landings by other astronauts.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769203436542.png" alt="The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission (left to right):NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen- Credits: NASA" />
 <figcaption>The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission (left to right):NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen- Credits: NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARCIA DUNN &nbsp;AP Aerospace WriterCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA ran into a leak while fueling its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artemis-nasa-moonshot-921fc1a0a832217fae8b57d2fce2dc66">new moon rocket</a>&nbsp;Monday in one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-astronauts-moon-540260c90a45e0de4cb28f3e481777ff">final make-or-break test</a>&nbsp;that will determine when astronauts can launch on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-artemis-moon-astronauts-countdown-db49cef0eafce61f89a2984a5215c089">lunar fly-around</a>.The launch team began loading the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket with super-cold hydrogen and oxygen at Kennedy Space Center at midday. More than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) had to flow into the tanks and remain on board for several hours, mimicking the final stages of an actual countdown.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our &quot;wet dress rehearsal&quot; for Artemis II is underway at <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAKennedy</a>! Watch our static feed as teams practice fueling the rocket and conduct a simulated launch countdown as we prepare for the real thing: <a href="https://t.co/4iEhNgfQb3">https://t.co/4iEhNgfQb3</a> Real-time Artemis updates: <a href="https://t.co/40PMWktQjO">https://t.co/40PMWktQjO</a> <a href="https://t.co/D9nZskFuP1">pic.twitter.com/D9nZskFuP1</a>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/2018361967644127646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But just a couple hours into the daylong operation, excessive hydrogen was detected near the bottom of the rocket. Hydrogen loading was temporarily halted, with just half of the core stage filled.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770064312533.png" alt="Image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>The launch team scrambled to work around the problem using techniques developed during the only other Space Launch System rocket launch three years ago. That first test flight was plagued by hydrogen leaks before finally soaring.The crew, three Americans and one Canadian, monitored the critical dress rehearsal from nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) away in Houston, home to Johnson Space Center. They have been in quarantine for the past 1½ weeks, awaiting the practice countdown's outcome.The all-day operation will determine when they can blast off on the first lunar voyage by a crew in more than half a century.Running two days behind because of a bitter cold snap, NASA set its countdown clocks to stop a half-minute before reaching zero, just before engine ignition. The clocks began ticking Saturday night, giving launch controllers the chance to go through all the motions and deal with any lingering rocket problems. Hydrogen leaks kept the first SLS rocket on the pad for months in 2022.If the fueling demo can be completed successfully on time, NASA could launch commander Reid Wiseman and his crew to the moon as soon as Sunday. The rocket must be flying by Feb. 11 or the mission will be called off until March. The space agency only has a few days in any given month to launch the rocket, and the extreme cold already has shortened February’s launch window by two days.The nearly 10-day mission will send the astronauts past the moon, around the mysterious far side and then straight back to Earth, with the goal of testing the capsule's life support and other vital systems. The crew will not go into lunar orbit or attempt to land.NASA last sent astronauts to the moon during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program. The new Artemis program aims for a more sustained lunar presence, with Wiseman’s crew setting the stage for future moon landings by other astronauts.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

NASA has problems during a practice countdown of moon rocket 

WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations. J

Democrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:

1. Ending “roving patrols” in cities and requiring coordination with local law enforcement on immigration arrests

2. Stopping the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens

3. Requiring judicial approval for warrants

4. Implementing an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents and giving them enhanced training

5. Requiring agents to wear body cameras and unmask

Republicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxxing — the publishing of their private info online.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768672710821.png" alt="Photo DHS" />
 <figcaption>Photo DHS</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations. JDemocrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:1. Ending “roving patrols” in cities and requiring coordination with local law enforcement on immigration arrests2. Stopping the detention and deportation of U.S. citizens3. Requiring judicial approval for warrants4. Implementing an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents and giving them enhanced training5. Requiring agents to wear body cameras and unmaskRepublicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxxing — the publishing of their private info online.

Details on what Dems and Republicans want in the ICE legislation

MANHATTAN, KAN. –&nbsp;Law enforcement are investigating a fatal stabbing in Manhattan.

Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1900 block of Anderson Avenue in Manhattan for a reported stabbing, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Deparament.

Officers located Teray Robinson, 24, of Manhattan, who had sustained a stab wound. Robinson was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and later died as a result of his injury. &nbsp;

Officers detained the suspect Billy Arnez, 39, of Manhattan, on scene.&nbsp; Following an investigation into the incident, Billy Arnez was arrested on requested charges of second-degree murder at 1:00 a.m. on Monday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond, according to the RCPD.

MANHATTAN, KAN. –&nbsp;Law enforcement are investigating a fatal stabbing in Manhattan.Just after 8 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1900 block of Anderson Avenue in Manhattan for a reported stabbing, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Deparament.Officers located Teray Robinson, 24, of Manhattan, who had sustained a stab wound. Robinson was transported by ambulance to Via Christi Hospital and later died as a result of his injury. &nbsp;Officers detained the suspect Billy Arnez, 39, of Manhattan, on scene.&nbsp; Following an investigation into the incident, Billy Arnez was arrested on requested charges of second-degree murder at 1:00 a.m. on Monday. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bond, according to the RCPD.

Police: Suspect jailed after deadly Kansas knife attack

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump&nbsp;is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah after the Grammy host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/article/trevor-noah-grammys-nicki-minaj-kendrick-lamar-79ee508f2e15ec56b2b4826b787b6913">mocked Trump</a>&nbsp;during Sunday’s show.

After the song of the year presentation, Noah said, “That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

Trump answered Monday on Truth Social, calling it “false and defamatory” to suggest he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-musk-andrew-tisch-google-682447e50bf9a3643a36c9b54ccdfa22">Trump, Clinton and other powerful men</a>&nbsp;are in headlines after another release of the U.S. government’s files on Epstein.

The president called Noah a “poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.” and referenced his previous lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>. Those yielded settlement payments that will go to Trump’s future presidential library.

“Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Trump wrote.

Noah's Epstein Island joke was not his only dig at President Trump during the Grammy Awards.

Noah joked that the Grammy Awards were coming to viewers “completely live” because “if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion.”

It’s a not-so-subtle reference to Trump’s uneasy history with CBS News. He won a $16 million settlement last summer from Paramount over a&nbsp;“60 Minutes” interview that he claimed was edited deceptively for Kamala Harris’ benefit. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt more recently reportedly told new “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil that they would “sue your ass off” if his 13-minute interview with the president was cut in any way.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754697291233.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Trump&nbsp;is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah after the Grammy host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/article/trevor-noah-grammys-nicki-minaj-kendrick-lamar-79ee508f2e15ec56b2b4826b787b6913">mocked Trump</a>&nbsp;during Sunday’s show.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770032034136.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>After the song of the year presentation, Noah said, “That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Here&#39;s Trevor Noah&#39;s comments and joke about Trump and Bill Clinton at the Grammy Awards... -DW <a href="https://t.co/PnxvnkP2sW">pic.twitter.com/PnxvnkP2sW</a>&mdash; DeSota Wilson (@desota) <a href="https://twitter.com/desota/status/2018217062783451401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump answered Monday on Truth Social, calling it “false and defamatory” to suggest he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-trump-musk-andrew-tisch-google-682447e50bf9a3643a36c9b54ccdfa22">Trump, Clinton and other powerful men</a>&nbsp;are in headlines after another release of the U.S. government’s files on Epstein.The president called Noah a “poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.” and referenced his previous lawsuits against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68">ABC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-media-harris-minutes-paramount-6415042fe910ae60b432dd8c73ef61b2">CBS</a>. Those yielded settlement payments that will go to Trump’s future presidential library.“Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Trump wrote.Noah's Epstein Island joke was not his only dig at President Trump during the Grammy Awards.Noah joked that the Grammy Awards were coming to viewers “completely live” because “if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion.”It’s a not-so-subtle reference to Trump’s uneasy history with CBS News. He won a $16 million settlement last summer from Paramount over a&nbsp;“60 Minutes” interview that he claimed was edited deceptively for Kamala Harris’ benefit. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt more recently reportedly told new “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil that they would “sue your ass off” if his 13-minute interview with the president was cut in any way.

What Trump said about comedian's Epstein joke during Grammy awards

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– A General Court-Martial at McConnell Air Force Base resulted in a conviction on several charges, according to a statement from the base.

Senior Airman Randall Moore, 22nd&nbsp;Maintenance Squadron, faced court-martial Jan. 26-Feb. 1 on one&nbsp; charge and two specifications of violating Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sexual abuse of a child; one charge and two specification specifications of violating Article 131b of the UCMJ, obstruction of justice; and one charge and five specifications of violating Article 134 of the UCMJ, child pornography and indecent conduct.

Moore was found guilty of one charge and all five specifications of child pornography and indecent conduct, and also found guilty of one charge and one specification of obstruction of justice.

The presiding military judge sentenced Moore to 40 months confinement, a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction to the rank of Airman Basic, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He will be confined in a military facility, with the location to be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted Air Force rank.

In December he was also arrested for alleged insurance fraud, according to Sedgwick County arrest records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769992727420.png" alt="Moore photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Moore photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– A General Court-Martial at McConnell Air Force Base resulted in a conviction on several charges, according to a statement from the base.Senior Airman Randall Moore, 22nd&nbsp;Maintenance Squadron, faced court-martial Jan. 26-Feb. 1 on one&nbsp; charge and two specifications of violating Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sexual abuse of a child; one charge and two specification specifications of violating Article 131b of the UCMJ, obstruction of justice; and one charge and five specifications of violating Article 134 of the UCMJ, child pornography and indecent conduct.Moore was found guilty of one charge and all five specifications of child pornography and indecent conduct, and also found guilty of one charge and one specification of obstruction of justice.The presiding military judge sentenced Moore to 40 months confinement, a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction to the rank of Airman Basic, and total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He will be confined in a military facility, with the location to be determined.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted Air Force rank.In December he was also arrested for alleged insurance fraud, according to Sedgwick County arrest records.

Court-Martial: Kansas airman sentenced for child sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;as debate intensifies over the Trump administration's sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.

Johnson signaled he is relying on help from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to ensure passage. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-republican-trump-ice-homeland-security-1eb2706ef2c4f91a69a083d23e30ba95">struck a deal with senators</a>&nbsp;to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader package after public outrage over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-fbi-alex-pretti-immigration-65a963816603a08bbc9db83961dd173f">two shooting deaths</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChJQJk-DRy0">protests in Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-immigration-trump-homeland-security-39fd7917e39aaf9e4e78e89f3449a587">approved by the Senate,</a>&nbsp;DHS would be funded temporarily to Feb. 13, setting up a deadline for Congress to try to find consensus on new restrictions on ICE operations.

“The president is leading this,” Johnson, R-La., told “Fox News Sunday.”

“It’s his play call to do it this way," the speaker said, adding that the Republican president has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration sweeps and raids.

A first test will come Monday afternoon during a committee meeting when Johnson will need his own GOP majority to advance the package after Democrats refused to provide the votes for speedy consideration. Johnson said he is hopeful work can wrap up for a full House vote, at least by Tuesday.

Democrats are demanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-customs-enforcement-democrats-noem-impeachment-funding-03095f6a4041bef063afe22becf1a788">restraints on ICE</a>&nbsp;that go beyond $20 million for body cameras that already is in the bill and want to require that federal immigration agents unmask and identify themselves and are pressing for an end to roving patrols, amid other changes.

“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;of New York on ABC’s “This Week.”

Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations now, not over the next two weeks, on changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.

“Masks should come off," he said. “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution, in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”

At the same time, House Republicans, with some allies in the Senate, are making their own demands, as they work to support Trump's clamp down on immigrants in the U.S.

The House Freedom Caucus has insisted on fuller funding for Homeland Security while certain Republicans are pushing to include other measures, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">the SAVE Act</a>, a longshot Trump priority that would require proof of citizenship before Americans are eligible to participate in elections and vote.

Johnson said he would be talking to lawmakers over the day ahead to see what it will take to win over support.

Meanwhile, a number of federal agencies are snared in the funding standoff as the government went into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial shutdown</a>&nbsp;over the weekend.

Defense, health, transportation and housing are among those that were given shutdown guidance by the administration, though many operations are deemed essential and services are not necessarily interrupted. Workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on. Some could be furloughed.

Lawmakers from both parties are increasingly concerned the closure will disrupt the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which they rely on to help constituents in the states after storms and other disasters.

This is the second time in a matter of months that federal government operations have been disrupted as Congress is using the annual funding process as leverage to extract policy changes. Last fall, Democrats sparked what became the longest federal shutdown in history, 43 days, as they protested the expiration of health insurance tax breaks.

That shutdown ended with a promise to vote on proposals to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. But with GOP opposition, Democrats were unable to achieve their goal of keeping the subsidies in place. Insurance premiums spiked in the new year for millions of people.

This time, the administration has signaled its interest in more quickly resolving the shutdown.

Johnson said he was in the Oval Office last week when Trump, along with border czar Tom Homan, spoke with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York to work out a deal on immigration enforcement changes.

“I think we’re on the path to get agreement,” Johnson said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

Body cameras, which are already provided for in the package, and an end to the roving patrols by immigration agents are areas of potential agreement, Johnson said.

But he said taking the masks off and putting names on agents' uniforms could lead to problems for law enforcement officers as they are being targeted by the protesters and their personal information is posted online.

“I don’t think the president would approve it — and he shouldn’t,” Johnson said on Fox.

Democrats, however, said the immigration operations are out of control, and must end in Minneapolis and other cities.

Growing numbers of lawmakers are calling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shootings-kristi-noem-ice-congress-add9ac7b90f5677621009e8a603c0141">fired or impeached</a>.

"What is happening in Minnesota right now is a dystopia," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who led efforts to hold the line for more changes.

“ICE is making this country less safe, not more safe today," Murphy said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“Our focus over the next two weeks has to be reining in a lawless and immoral immigration agency.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315687610.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;as debate intensifies over the Trump administration's sweeping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.Johnson signaled he is relying on help from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to ensure passage. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-republican-trump-ice-homeland-security-1eb2706ef2c4f91a69a083d23e30ba95">struck a deal with senators</a>&nbsp;to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader package after public outrage over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-fbi-alex-pretti-immigration-65a963816603a08bbc9db83961dd173f">two shooting deaths</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChJQJk-DRy0">protests in Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-immigration-trump-homeland-security-39fd7917e39aaf9e4e78e89f3449a587">approved by the Senate,</a>&nbsp;DHS would be funded temporarily to Feb. 13, setting up a deadline for Congress to try to find consensus on new restrictions on ICE operations.“The president is leading this,” Johnson, R-La., told “Fox News Sunday.”“It’s his play call to do it this way," the speaker said, adding that the Republican president has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration sweeps and raids.A first test will come Monday afternoon during a committee meeting when Johnson will need his own GOP majority to advance the package after Democrats refused to provide the votes for speedy consideration. Johnson said he is hopeful work can wrap up for a full House vote, at least by Tuesday.<h2>Democrats dig in on ICE changes</h2>Democrats are demanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-customs-enforcement-democrats-noem-impeachment-funding-03095f6a4041bef063afe22becf1a788">restraints on ICE</a>&nbsp;that go beyond $20 million for body cameras that already is in the bill and want to require that federal immigration agents unmask and identify themselves and are pressing for an end to roving patrols, amid other changes.“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;of New York on ABC’s “This Week.”Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations now, not over the next two weeks, on changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minneapolis-hospitals-32cd5ca61d495e155d43b7cfd5e563b9">immigration enforcement operations</a>.“Masks should come off," he said. “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution, in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”<h2>Republicans make their own demands</h2>At the same time, House Republicans, with some allies in the Senate, are making their own demands, as they work to support Trump's clamp down on immigrants in the U.S.The House Freedom Caucus has insisted on fuller funding for Homeland Security while certain Republicans are pushing to include other measures, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">the SAVE Act</a>, a longshot Trump priority that would require proof of citizenship before Americans are eligible to participate in elections and vote.Johnson said he would be talking to lawmakers over the day ahead to see what it will take to win over support.<h2>Partial government shutdown drags on</h2>Meanwhile, a number of federal agencies are snared in the funding standoff as the government went into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-homeland-security-pentagon-transportation-2dd3464f56295ff79f136c1c5c24a532">partial shutdown</a>&nbsp;over the weekend.Defense, health, transportation and housing are among those that were given shutdown guidance by the administration, though many operations are deemed essential and services are not necessarily interrupted. Workers could go without pay if the impasse drags on. Some could be furloughed.Lawmakers from both parties are increasingly concerned the closure will disrupt the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which they rely on to help constituents in the states after storms and other disasters.This is the second time in a matter of months that federal government operations have been disrupted as Congress is using the annual funding process as leverage to extract policy changes. Last fall, Democrats sparked what became the longest federal shutdown in history, 43 days, as they protested the expiration of health insurance tax breaks.That shutdown ended with a promise to vote on proposals to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. But with GOP opposition, Democrats were unable to achieve their goal of keeping the subsidies in place. Insurance premiums spiked in the new year for millions of people.<h2>Trump wants quick end to shutdown</h2>This time, the administration has signaled its interest in more quickly resolving the shutdown.Johnson said he was in the Oval Office last week when Trump, along with border czar Tom Homan, spoke with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York to work out a deal on immigration enforcement changes.“I think we’re on the path to get agreement,” Johnson said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”Body cameras, which are already provided for in the package, and an end to the roving patrols by immigration agents are areas of potential agreement, Johnson said.But he said taking the masks off and putting names on agents' uniforms could lead to problems for law enforcement officers as they are being targeted by the protesters and their personal information is posted online.“I don’t think the president would approve it — and he shouldn’t,” Johnson said on Fox.Democrats, however, said the immigration operations are out of control, and must end in Minneapolis and other cities.Growing numbers of lawmakers are calling for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kristi-noem">Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem</a>&nbsp;to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shootings-kristi-noem-ice-congress-add9ac7b90f5677621009e8a603c0141">fired or impeached</a>."What is happening in Minnesota right now is a dystopia," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who led efforts to hold the line for more changes.“ICE is making this country less safe, not more safe today," Murphy said on “Fox News Sunday.”“Our focus over the next two weeks has to be reining in a lawless and immoral immigration agency.”

Partial federal government shutdown far from over

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil is said to be predicting six more weeks of wintry weather after he saw his shadow Monday.

His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-phil-history-d13aaf4f0e62b1bf0126935f0176d2f2">annual prediction</a>&nbsp;was translated by his handlers at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter.

Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.

Tens of thousands of people were on hand at Gobbler's Knob for the annual ritual that goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney's festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.

Lisa Gibson was at her 10th Groundhog Day, wearing a lighted hat that resembled the tree stump from which Phil emerges shortly after daybreak.

“Oh man, it just breaks up the doldrums of winter,” said Gibson, accompanied by her husband — dressed up as Elvis Presley — and teenage daughter. “It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all wrapped up into one holiday.”

Gibson, a resident of Pittsburgh, had been rooting for Phil to not see his shadow and therefore predict an early start to spring.

Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic development, said the outdoor thermometer in his vehicle read 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) on his way to Gobbler’s Knob.

“I think it’s just fun — folks having a good time,” said Siger, attending his fourth straight Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. “It brings people together at a challenging time. It is a unifying force that showcases the best of Pennsylvania, the best of Punxsutawney, this area.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/punxsutawney-phil-groundhog-winter-forecast-ab11e8b4745227fe2b218d2ccebbbaa4">Last year’s announcement</a>&nbsp;was six more weeks of winter, by far Phil’s more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phil’s “groundhogese” of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meteorological marmot’s muses about the days ahead.

AccuWeather’s chief long-range weather expert, meteorologist Paul Pastelok, said early Monday some clouds moved into Punxsutawney overnight, bringing flurries he called “microflakes.”

Pastelok said the coming week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-ice-snow-cold-4b1aad9d5c8b380ae18e6e6c2e650dee">will remain cold</a>, with below-average temperatures in the eastern United States.

Phil isn't the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-baby-jesus-restoration-a242ac62e87662c6b44f961b34005750">Christian holiday of Candlemas</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770035450810.png" alt="Punxsutawney Phil&nbsp; image from Associated Press video" />
 <figcaption>Punxsutawney Phil&nbsp; image from Associated Press video</figcaption>
 </figure>PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil is said to be predicting six more weeks of wintry weather after he saw his shadow Monday.His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-phil-history-d13aaf4f0e62b1bf0126935f0176d2f2">annual prediction</a>&nbsp;was translated by his handlers at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rAcg590fUWM?si=-I8-jQadP1omp3oX&amp;start=12159" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter.Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.Tens of thousands of people were on hand at Gobbler's Knob for the annual ritual that goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney's festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.Lisa Gibson was at her 10th Groundhog Day, wearing a lighted hat that resembled the tree stump from which Phil emerges shortly after daybreak.“Oh man, it just breaks up the doldrums of winter,” said Gibson, accompanied by her husband — dressed up as Elvis Presley — and teenage daughter. “It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all wrapped up into one holiday.”Gibson, a resident of Pittsburgh, had been rooting for Phil to not see his shadow and therefore predict an early start to spring.Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic development, said the outdoor thermometer in his vehicle read 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) on his way to Gobbler’s Knob.“I think it’s just fun — folks having a good time,” said Siger, attending his fourth straight Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. “It brings people together at a challenging time. It is a unifying force that showcases the best of Pennsylvania, the best of Punxsutawney, this area.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/punxsutawney-phil-groundhog-winter-forecast-ab11e8b4745227fe2b218d2ccebbbaa4">Last year’s announcement</a>&nbsp;was six more weeks of winter, by far Phil’s more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phil’s “groundhogese” of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meteorological marmot’s muses about the days ahead.AccuWeather’s chief long-range weather expert, meteorologist Paul Pastelok, said early Monday some clouds moved into Punxsutawney overnight, bringing flurries he called “microflakes.”Pastelok said the coming week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-weather-ice-snow-cold-4b1aad9d5c8b380ae18e6e6c2e650dee">will remain cold</a>, with below-average temperatures in the eastern United States.Phil isn't the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-baby-jesus-restoration-a242ac62e87662c6b44f961b34005750">Christian holiday of Candlemas</a>.___

🎥Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction on winter's end

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas joined CBS Face The Nation on Sunday to discuss critical issues facing American cities. From immigration policy and housing affordability to crime reduction and preparing for the 2026 World Cup.

On the proposed federal detention center for the region, Mayor Lucas said, "Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane."

ICE was given $45 billion for detention centers in the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769999366187.png" alt="Photo from Mayor Lucas' social media page" />
 <figcaption>Photo from Mayor Lucas' social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas joined CBS Face The Nation on Sunday to discuss critical issues facing American cities. From immigration policy and housing affordability to crime reduction and preparing for the 2026 World Cup.On the proposed federal detention center for the region, Mayor Lucas said, "Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Mayor Lucas on the proposed federal detention center for Face the Nation: &quot;Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JTY0PDnKys">pic.twitter.com/JTY0PDnKys</a>&mdash; Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorLucasKC/status/2018087502104371704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ICE was given $45 billion for detention centers in the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last year.

🎥KCMO Mayor talks proposed federal detention center on Face The Nation

WYANDOTTE CCOUNTY—Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a double-homicide.

Just before noon Saturday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;in the 1000 block of Orville Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders located three adults inside a home; one man and one woman were pronounced deceased on scene and one man was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

 All three had apparent gunshot wounds. The initial investigation indicates that the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. Detectives are not currently seeking suspects. Police did not release the names of the victims or additional details.

This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.

WYANDOTTE CCOUNTY—Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a double-homicide.Just before noon Saturday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the&nbsp;in the 1000 block of Orville Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders located three adults inside a home; one man and one woman were pronounced deceased on scene and one man was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All three had apparent gunshot wounds. The initial investigation indicates that the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. Detectives are not currently seeking suspects. Police did not release the names of the victims or additional details.This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.

Police: 2 dead, 1 wounded in shooting at Kansas home

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 12:30a.m. early Saturday in Atchison.

A 2019 Honda pickup driven by Joshua Hosier, 42, Atchison, was westbound on Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; A 2001 Toyota Highlander driven by Joshua Campbell, 18, Atchison, was southbound on 14th Street. The two vehicles collided at the&nbsp;intersection of 14th and Kansas Avenue. 

EMS arrived on the scene and examined and treated Campbell and a 21-year-old passenger for minor injuries but they were not transported. 

Hosier had fled the scene on foot but went to Police headquarters a short time later.&nbsp; EMS later transported him to Amberwell Hospital for treatment of injuries that he sustained in the accident. 

Charges are pending against Hosier, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769959094995.jpeg" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 12:30a.m. early Saturday in Atchison.A 2019 Honda pickup driven by Joshua Hosier, 42, Atchison, was westbound on Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; A 2001 Toyota Highlander driven by Joshua Campbell, 18, Atchison, was southbound on 14th Street. The two vehicles collided at the&nbsp;intersection of 14th and Kansas Avenue. EMS arrived on the scene and examined and treated Campbell and a 21-year-old passenger for minor injuries but they were not transported. Hosier had fled the scene on foot but went to Police headquarters a short time later.&nbsp; EMS later transported him to Amberwell Hospital for treatment of injuries that he sustained in the accident. Charges are pending against Hosier, according to Wilson.

Kan. man hospitalized after running from 2 vehicle crash

KANSAS CITY– A former Grain Valley, Missouri police officer was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge D. Gregory Kays to 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by supervised release for Life.

August Price Gildehaus, 30, of Blue Springs, Mo., previously pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of producing child pornography.

Gildehaus admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual activity with a 15-year-old female victim. Gildehaus and the victim met on an online social media platform. Gildehaus met with the victim on five separate occasions between Aug. 5, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, to engage in illicit sexual activity at different locations, including a middle school parking lot.

Gildehaus admitted that the child victim took photographs of herself when she was home, and he took photographs of himself that he sent to her. Gildehaus also admitted that he recorded videos of their sexual encounters.

Gildehaus will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Grain Valley, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681393419659.png" alt="Gildehaus-photo Grain Valley Police" />
 <figcaption>Gildehaus-photo Grain Valley Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A former Grain Valley, Missouri police officer was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge D. Gregory Kays to 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons to be followed by supervised release for Life.August Price Gildehaus, 30, of Blue Springs, Mo., previously pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of producing child pornography.Gildehaus admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual activity with a 15-year-old female victim. Gildehaus and the victim met on an online social media platform. Gildehaus met with the victim on five separate occasions between Aug. 5, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, to engage in illicit sexual activity at different locations, including a middle school parking lot.Gildehaus admitted that the child victim took photographs of herself when she was home, and he took photographs of himself that he sent to her. Gildehaus also admitted that he recorded videos of their sexual encounters.Gildehaus will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Grain Valley, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Prison: KC area police officer admitted to sex crimes with 15-year-old

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man who shot his wife outside a Wichita elementary school in 2024 is going to prison for a long time.

On Friday, Judge Sean Hatfield sentenced 47-year-old Vincent Solomon to 330 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In December a jury convicted him of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, criminal use of weapons and interference with law enforcement.

Just after 9a.m. September 23, 2024, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a news conference.

The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located Solomon who was armed with a handgun. Solomon made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.

Solomon then ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for Solomon to drop his gun and observed Solomon place the gun to the woman's head.

In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. Solomon would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm Solomon physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm Solomon.

Investigators later learned that Solomon and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to Solomon shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw Solomon with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.

EMS transported Somomon and the woman to an area hospital.&nbsp;The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct an investigation and Solomon was later booked into jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727347323043.png" alt="Solomon photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Solomon photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man who shot his wife outside a Wichita elementary school in 2024 is going to prison for a long time.On Friday, Judge Sean Hatfield sentenced 47-year-old Vincent Solomon to 330 months in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In December a jury convicted him of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, criminal use of weapons and interference with law enforcement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769810858483.png" alt="Image from security camera shows Solomon chasing the woman, after she had been shot, as they approach the entrance to the school.- image from Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image from security camera shows Solomon chasing the woman, after she had been shot, as they approach the entrance to the school.- image from Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 9a.m. September 23, 2024, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a news conference.The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located Solomon who was armed with a handgun. Solomon made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.Solomon then ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for Solomon to drop his gun and observed Solomon place the gun to the woman's head.In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. Solomon would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm Solomon physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm Solomon.Investigators later learned that Solomon and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to Solomon shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw Solomon with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.EMS transported Somomon and the woman to an area hospital.&nbsp;The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct an investigation and Solomon was later booked into jail.&nbsp;

Prison for shooting his wife outside Kan. elementary school

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/starbucks-corp">Starbucks</a>.

The company that revolutionized the United States’ coffee culture remains America’s biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it’s facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.

Starbucks’ share of spending at all U.S. coffee shops fell in 2024 and 2025; it now stands at 48%, down from 52% in 2023, according to Technomic, a food industry consulting firm.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dunkin-nebraska-donut-shortage-5b543c958215ea5f749f3eb830653df5">Dunkin</a>&nbsp;', a perennial rival that just opened its 10,000th U.S. store, gained market share in both of those years.

Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros. Chinese chains like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/luckin-a-starbucks-rival-in-china-rises-in-us-stock-debut-2e7a1340e4084e8389c4c08a43a9a080">Luckin Coffee</a>&nbsp;and Mixue are opening U.S. stores. High-end coffee shop Blue Bottle, which has 78 U.S. stores, has opened two more since the start of the year. Even McDonald’s and Taco Bell are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-cosmcs-closing-drinks-a30951a5ea9c0b996febbe9a2c10038e">bolstering their beverage offerings</a>.

“People haven’t fallen out of love with Starbucks, but they’re now polyamorous in their coffee choices,” said Chris Kayes, chair of the management department in the George Washington University School of Business. “People are now experimenting with other coffees, and they’re seeing what’s out there.”

Americans love coffee. In both 2024 and 2025, an estimated 66% of Americans reported drinking coffee every day, up 7% from 2020, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.

Coffee chains are racing to cash in on that demand. The number of chain coffee stores in the U.S. jumped 19% to more than 34,500 over the last six years, according to Technomic, a consulting firm that researches the foodservice industry.

Seattle-based Starbucks was a small, regional chain when former CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-howard-schultz-053345a59f1bdb53b9f55355865b216e">Howard Schultz</a>&nbsp;acquired it in 1987. Now, other small chains are seeing explosive growth. Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee had 200 locations in 2019; it now has more than 850. Arkansas-based 7 Brew, which had 14 locations in 2019, now has more than 600.

“There’s too much supply relative to demand,” said Neil Saunders, a managing director and retail analyst at consulting firm GlobalData Retail

Saunders said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-china-stake-boyu-capital-coffee-290006ba2eec33168b42985eb6576818">Starbucks’ size</a>&nbsp;is somewhat of a disadvantage, since it has less ability to grow sales by opening new locations.

“Honestly, they’re pretty saturated,” Saunders said. “They’re a very mature business.”

Starbucks is undaunted. At a conference for investors on Thursday, the company said an ongoing effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-lawsuits-union-9d1eff89242d00f65d459d8a393f409a">improve service</a>&nbsp;while making stores&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer and more welcoming</a>&nbsp;was boosting U.S. store traffic. It plans to add 25,000 seats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-settlement-labor-law-wages-nyc-dfe280b1505fde8b23a847a342757155">its U.S. cafes</a>&nbsp;by this fall.

“Growth doesn’t require us to become something new. It requires us to be exceptionally good at what we already are,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said.

Starbucks expects to open more than 575 new U.S. stores over the next three years. It developed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-coffee-open-new-stores-investors-c1ac462204ea97754380b6f6bd9f200c">a smaller-format store</a>&nbsp;that is cheaper to build but still has indoor seating, drive-thru lanes and mobile pickup. The company said the reduced scale would allow Starbucks stores to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-close-stores-layoffs-3aa70c7d3828520855998a490ebe865b">operate in locations</a>&nbsp;they couldn’t before.

Starbucks is also adding new products, like updated pastries and snackable foods that are high in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fiber-fibermaxxing-digestion-wellness-730bdd5f68f448fe979f4ebd598e2340">protein and fiber</a>, to try to win back customers.

Lack of menu innovation is one reason Starbucks has struggled, especially among younger consumers who like novelty and will try new places to find it, Saunders said.

Arizona-based Dutch Bros, for example, added protein coffee drinks in January 2024, nearly two years before Starbucks did. Energy drinks make up 25% of Dutch Bros’ business almost 14 years after the chain introduced them. Starbucks offered iced energy drinks for a limited time in 2024; executives said Thursday that customizable energy drinks would appear on the Starbucks menu soon.

Dutch Bros, which is led by former Starbucks executive Christine Barone, has just over 1,000 shops in the U.S. and hopes to double that number by 2029. It’s betting that customers want speed and convenience; nearly all of its stores are drive-thrus with walk-up windows.

Dutch Bros also focuses on value. In a recent meeting with investors, Barone pointed out that Dutch Bros’ medium drinks are 24 ounces; at Starbucks, a medium drink is 16 ounces.

Luckin, whose app brims with coupons and promotions, is also value-oriented. On a recent afternoon, one of its nine New York stores buzzed with customers picking up mobile orders. The tiny shop had no seating.

Xunyi Xie, who was visiting New York from his home in Delaware, said he stopped by to try a Velvet Latte because Luckin had a $1.99 drink promotion. Xie said he normally brews his own espresso, but if Luckin opened a store that was on his way to work, he would go there.

As for Starbucks? “I think it’s overpriced,” Xie said.

In 2024, the average customer spent $9.34 at Starbucks, compared to $8.44 at Dutch Bros and $4.68 at Dunkin’, according to an analysis by the investment research company Morningstar.

Starbucks didn’t raise prices in its 2025 fiscal year and has vowed to be judicious about future increases. But Ari Felhandler, an equity analyst with Morningstar, said it would be a mistake for Starbucks to try to win over customers with discounts because competitors will always go lower.

“Keep your prices the same and try to justify them,” Felhandler said. He thinks Starbucks’ store redesigns and new menu items will bring back traffic.

Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company firmly believes its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-coffee-sales-results-d555357a6d70c0a144958826e92d91c9">best way forward</a>&nbsp;is not drive-thru-only stores or mobile pickup kiosks. It’s building cafes with comfortable seating — the “soul of Starbucks,” as he put it — that also serve mobile, drive-thru and delivery customers. Customers sometimes want something convenient, and they sometimes want to dwell, he said.

“There’s always going to be competition. We’re aware of it, we keep an eye on it for sure, but we don’t try to be them,” Grams told The Associated Press. “We offer something that most people don’t, which is a legitimate space to sit down, enjoy and use it for a variety of different reasons.”

But Kayes, of George Washington University, wonders if that strategy will be enough to keep Starbucks on top, or if customers who want a cozy or premium experience have already moved on to independent coffee shops or upscale chains like Blue Bottle.

“In some ways, I think they are a victim of their own success,” Kayes said. “I do think that the aura of Starbucks as being something special and unique and exciting isn’t there anymore.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643748207424.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a> NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/starbucks-corp">Starbucks</a>.The company that revolutionized the United States’ coffee culture remains America’s biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it’s facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.Starbucks’ share of spending at all U.S. coffee shops fell in 2024 and 2025; it now stands at 48%, down from 52% in 2023, according to Technomic, a food industry consulting firm.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dunkin-nebraska-donut-shortage-5b543c958215ea5f749f3eb830653df5">Dunkin</a>&nbsp;', a perennial rival that just opened its 10,000th U.S. store, gained market share in both of those years.Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros. Chinese chains like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/luckin-a-starbucks-rival-in-china-rises-in-us-stock-debut-2e7a1340e4084e8389c4c08a43a9a080">Luckin Coffee</a>&nbsp;and Mixue are opening U.S. stores. High-end coffee shop Blue Bottle, which has 78 U.S. stores, has opened two more since the start of the year. Even McDonald’s and Taco Bell are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-cosmcs-closing-drinks-a30951a5ea9c0b996febbe9a2c10038e">bolstering their beverage offerings</a>.“People haven’t fallen out of love with Starbucks, but they’re now polyamorous in their coffee choices,” said Chris Kayes, chair of the management department in the George Washington University School of Business. “People are now experimenting with other coffees, and they’re seeing what’s out there.”<h2>Caffeination nation</h2>Americans love coffee. In both 2024 and 2025, an estimated 66% of Americans reported drinking coffee every day, up 7% from 2020, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.Coffee chains are racing to cash in on that demand. The number of chain coffee stores in the U.S. jumped 19% to more than 34,500 over the last six years, according to Technomic, a consulting firm that researches the foodservice industry.Seattle-based Starbucks was a small, regional chain when former CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-howard-schultz-053345a59f1bdb53b9f55355865b216e">Howard Schultz</a>&nbsp;acquired it in 1987. Now, other small chains are seeing explosive growth. Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee had 200 locations in 2019; it now has more than 850. Arkansas-based 7 Brew, which had 14 locations in 2019, now has more than 600.“There’s too much supply relative to demand,” said Neil Saunders, a managing director and retail analyst at consulting firm GlobalData RetailSaunders said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-china-stake-boyu-capital-coffee-290006ba2eec33168b42985eb6576818">Starbucks’ size</a>&nbsp;is somewhat of a disadvantage, since it has less ability to grow sales by opening new locations.“Honestly, they’re pretty saturated,” Saunders said. “They’re a very mature business.”<h2>From grande to venti</h2>Starbucks is undaunted. At a conference for investors on Thursday, the company said an ongoing effort to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-dress-code-lawsuits-union-9d1eff89242d00f65d459d8a393f409a">improve service</a>&nbsp;while making stores&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-niccol-coffee-b547ab2141e194b30675ad8d1caff90d">warmer and more welcoming</a>&nbsp;was boosting U.S. store traffic. It plans to add 25,000 seats to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-settlement-labor-law-wages-nyc-dfe280b1505fde8b23a847a342757155">its U.S. cafes</a>&nbsp;by this fall.“Growth doesn’t require us to become something new. It requires us to be exceptionally good at what we already are,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said.Starbucks expects to open more than 575 new U.S. stores over the next three years. It developed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-coffee-open-new-stores-investors-c1ac462204ea97754380b6f6bd9f200c">a smaller-format store</a>&nbsp;that is cheaper to build but still has indoor seating, drive-thru lanes and mobile pickup. The company said the reduced scale would allow Starbucks stores to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-close-stores-layoffs-3aa70c7d3828520855998a490ebe865b">operate in locations</a>&nbsp;they couldn’t before.Starbucks is also adding new products, like updated pastries and snackable foods that are high in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fiber-fibermaxxing-digestion-wellness-730bdd5f68f448fe979f4ebd598e2340">protein and fiber</a>, to try to win back customers.<h2>What’s on the menu</h2>Lack of menu innovation is one reason Starbucks has struggled, especially among younger consumers who like novelty and will try new places to find it, Saunders said.Arizona-based Dutch Bros, for example, added protein coffee drinks in January 2024, nearly two years before Starbucks did. Energy drinks make up 25% of Dutch Bros’ business almost 14 years after the chain introduced them. Starbucks offered iced energy drinks for a limited time in 2024; executives said Thursday that customizable energy drinks would appear on the Starbucks menu soon.Dutch Bros, which is led by former Starbucks executive Christine Barone, has just over 1,000 shops in the U.S. and hopes to double that number by 2029. It’s betting that customers want speed and convenience; nearly all of its stores are drive-thrus with walk-up windows.Dutch Bros also focuses on value. In a recent meeting with investors, Barone pointed out that Dutch Bros’ medium drinks are 24 ounces; at Starbucks, a medium drink is 16 ounces.Luckin, whose app brims with coupons and promotions, is also value-oriented. On a recent afternoon, one of its nine New York stores buzzed with customers picking up mobile orders. The tiny shop had no seating.Xunyi Xie, who was visiting New York from his home in Delaware, said he stopped by to try a Velvet Latte because Luckin had a $1.99 drink promotion. Xie said he normally brews his own espresso, but if Luckin opened a store that was on his way to work, he would go there.As for Starbucks? “I think it’s overpriced,” Xie said.<h2>Starbucks’ future</h2>In 2024, the average customer spent $9.34 at Starbucks, compared to $8.44 at Dutch Bros and $4.68 at Dunkin’, according to an analysis by the investment research company Morningstar.Starbucks didn’t raise prices in its 2025 fiscal year and has vowed to be judicious about future increases. But Ari Felhandler, an equity analyst with Morningstar, said it would be a mistake for Starbucks to try to win over customers with discounts because competitors will always go lower.“Keep your prices the same and try to justify them,” Felhandler said. He thinks Starbucks’ store redesigns and new menu items will bring back traffic.Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company firmly believes its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-coffee-sales-results-d555357a6d70c0a144958826e92d91c9">best way forward</a>&nbsp;is not drive-thru-only stores or mobile pickup kiosks. It’s building cafes with comfortable seating — the “soul of Starbucks,” as he put it — that also serve mobile, drive-thru and delivery customers. Customers sometimes want something convenient, and they sometimes want to dwell, he said.“There’s always going to be competition. We’re aware of it, we keep an eye on it for sure, but we don’t try to be them,” Grams told The Associated Press. “We offer something that most people don’t, which is a legitimate space to sit down, enjoy and use it for a variety of different reasons.”But Kayes, of George Washington University, wonders if that strategy will be enough to keep Starbucks on top, or if customers who want a cozy or premium experience have already moved on to independent coffee shops or upscale chains like Blue Bottle.“In some ways, I think they are a victim of their own success,” Kayes said. “I do think that the aura of Starbucks as being something special and unique and exciting isn’t there anymore.”

America is drinking more coffee but less of it from Starbucks

Contender Vicki Schmidt skips debate to protest mandatory $10,000 payment to state party

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WICHITA — Six Republican candidates for Kansas governor stepped onto the debate stage Friday intent on finding separation from their rivals despite unanimity on key issues of abortion, marijuana, judicial bias and praise for President Donald Trump.

The goal of offering voters a distinct vision of themselves at the event sponsored by the Kansas Republican Party surfaced quickly as Charlotte O’Hara, a former Johnson County commissioner and Kansas House member, launched into an opening statement that sought to undercut a couple of her peers.

“We’re going to have some real difficult discussions this evening because Kansas has a real problem, within the Republican Party, of a vast sea of RINOs masquerading as Republicans,” said O’Hara, who directly chastised Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Senate President Ty Masterson for being too chummy with Democrats.

Masterson, an Andover Republican, said O’Hara’s broadside against fellow Republicans had been shown to be toxic for voters.

“That type of thing is why we lose in the general election. We spend time cutting each other off at the legs,” he said, glancing at the other GOP candidates. “This is not the enemy. The Democrats are the enemy.”

Philip Sarnecki, a financial services executive who has never before run for elected office, picked up the attack thread by noting Trump carried Kansas three times by double-digits in the same era that Kansans twice elected Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Without naming names, he criticized longstanding politicians next to him, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Masterson. He apparently wasn’t referring to Joy Eakins, who only has won election to the Wichita school board.

“Career politicians are failing us,” Sarnecki said. “I am tired of watching Republicans lose in Kansas. No more losing. It’s time to start winning again, and that’s why I’m running for governor.”

Eakins jumped into the fray by declaring that veteran politicians in Kansas were undermining the American dream. She said the state’s established politicians “have been stewarding our decline. You see it everywhere.”

Colyer, who was lieutenant governor to Gov. Sam Brownback before assuming the top job for one year, said he didn’t appreciate the notion experience working as the state’s chief executive was a handicap.

“Kansas needs a proven, strong, competent conservative governor who will fight for you and who will stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump,” Colyer said. “This is about winning. This is about taking back our state so that we are the beating heart of America once again.”

Schwab, who struggled with a health issue that weakened his speaking voice, said he grew as a leader by working as secretary of state and serving in the Kansas House.

“Having experience to understand the terrain has always been a plus in America,” he said. “They call be a career politician, but no one’s insulting my integrity.”

Absent from the GOP debate was Schmidt, the state’s insurance commissioner. In a letter to GOP officials, Schmidt said she strongly opposed the state party’s $10,000 “pay-to-play” requirement for candidates who wanted to participate in the debate. She said the Republican Party should remain neutral during the primary campaign and that every GOP candidate for office ought to have equal opportunities to share their views at party-sanctioned events.

“Under this agreement, the party picks winners and losers,” Schmidt said. “President Trump has brought new voters to the party and we need to be encouraging good folks to run for office as Republicans, not creating road blocks and challenges that discourage them.”

Despite a bit of theatrical elbowing on the stage, the six candidates found harmony on the goal of reducing the number of abortions performed at Kansas clinics, rejecting legalization of medicinal or recreational marijuana in Kansas and endorsing a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution — on the August ballot — that would require justices of the Kansas Supreme Court to be elected by popular vote.

In 2024, the state reported more than 19,000 abortions due to an influx of women from states that essentially banned the procedure. The state Supreme Court issued an opinion in 2019 that said a foundational right in the Kansas Constitution to bodily autonomy granted women the ability to decide whether to end a pregnancy. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion has remained legal in Kansas.

Colyer said at the current rate of growth in abortions in Kansas, there would be more abortions reported than live births in the state by 2030.

“How do we defend innocent life? I think this is one of the civil rights issues of our time,” Colyer said. “We have a Supreme Court that has found this right to abortion that is nowhere found in that constitution. It’s our fastest-growing industry in the state of Kansas.”

In lockstep, each of the other candidates — Schwab, Masterson, Eakins, Sarnecki and O’Hara — outlined their revulsion with Kansas’ status as an abortion destination state.

“It is frustration that the court hates its Legislature,” Schwab said. “That’s unholy. I feel horrible that a young woman can be manipulated to have an abortion, and there’s no recourse.”

The candidates had a lively conversation about marijuana use that at times appeared to clash with scientific reality.

Eakins, a businesswoman who was on the school board in Wichita, said she didn’t want high school students thinking about where to score a joint rather than focusing on their reading and math test scores. Where marijuana had been legalized, she said, states collected $1 in taxes for every $4 expended to deal with health problems resulting from pot.

“It creates all kinds of problems inside a culture that then need services,” she said. “I’ve watched families raise there children in states with this legalized marijuana … and all of them had struggles.”

Sarnecki, who said he’d never tried marijuana, said he opposed legalization because chemicals in the product would lead to a swift dumbing down of the nation. He said the active ingredient in pot these days was much higher than what was in the 1970s or 1980s.

“This is not you mom and dad’s marijuana,” he said. “Marijuana is a gateway drug. It creates massive problems — hallucinations, schizophrenia, massive anxiety.”

Masterson, who controls the Kansas Senate debate calendar, said he wouldn’t welcome legislation to legalize marijuana in Kansas, but he endorsed Trump’s decision to open the door to research on marijuana because pot was pervasive in the United States. He predicted research would demonstrate it was “damaging.”

All six candidates threw their weight behind the proposed constitutional amendment to transform how Kansas Supreme Court justices were placed on the high court. Currently, applicants for openings were interviewed by a committee that included a majority of attorneys. The committee forwarded up to three finalists to the state’s governor, who selected a person to fill the vacancy.

The amendment would eliminate that merit-selection process and replace it with statewide elections for justices. Other states that have chosen this method fostered a wild political atmosphere in which millions of dollars were spent on elections.

O’Hara, the former Johnson County commissioner, said the current process was dominated by the Kansas Bar Association. It resulted in appointment of justices who forced the state to increase spending on K-12 education and found a loophole in the constitution to keep abortion legal.

“We have to have direct elections of our justices,” she said. “It needs to be a partisan election. We have to stop allowing the Kansas Bar Association control our life through their erroneous judicial decisions.”

Danedri Herbert, chairwoman of the state Republican Party, told about 500 people gathered for the debate the primary election result wouldn’t satisfy everyone in the room. She urged Republicans to come together in November to defeat the Democratic Party’s choice.

“The one that walks away with the crown may not be your favorite,” she said. “At the end of it, we still want all of you on board because when all Republicans are united, we win.”

The dust in what could be a boisterous campaign for the Republican nomination won’t settle until votes are counted in Aug. 4 election in Kansas.

Johanna Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Governors Association, said the “crowded, messy race to the right where attacks are already flying and candidates are staking out the most extreme positions” was on display at the Wichita Marriott. She asserted the Kansas GOP’s potential candidates to replace Kelly had aligned themselves with the Trump administration.

“The GOP candidates running for governor have all embraced the administration’s unpopular, cost-raising agenda,” Warshaw said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769894326015.png" alt="Former Gov. Jeff Colyer makes a point during the Kansas Republican Party’s gubernatorial candidate debate in Wichita. Six contenders took part, but Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt declined because the state GOP demanded a $10,000 contribution to take part. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Former Gov. Jeff Colyer makes a point during the Kansas Republican Party’s gubernatorial candidate debate in Wichita. Six contenders took part, but Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt declined because the state GOP demanded a $10,000 contribution to take part. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Contender Vicki Schmidt skips debate to protest mandatory $10,000 payment to state party</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>WICHITA — Six Republican candidates for Kansas governor stepped onto the debate stage Friday intent on finding separation from their rivals despite unanimity on key issues of abortion, marijuana, judicial bias and praise for President Donald Trump.The goal of offering voters a distinct vision of themselves at the event sponsored by the Kansas Republican Party surfaced quickly as Charlotte O’Hara, a former Johnson County commissioner and Kansas House member, launched into an opening statement that sought to undercut a couple of her peers.“We’re going to have some real difficult discussions this evening because Kansas has a real problem, within the Republican Party, of a vast sea of RINOs masquerading as Republicans,” said O’Hara, who directly chastised Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Senate President Ty Masterson for being too chummy with Democrats.Masterson, an Andover Republican, said O’Hara’s broadside against fellow Republicans had been shown to be toxic for voters.“That type of thing is why we lose in the general election. We spend time cutting each other off at the legs,” he said, glancing at the other GOP candidates. “This is not the enemy. The Democrats are the enemy.”Philip Sarnecki, a financial services executive who has never before run for elected office, picked up the attack thread by noting Trump carried Kansas three times by double-digits in the same era that Kansans twice elected Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Without naming names, he criticized longstanding politicians next to him, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Masterson. He apparently wasn’t referring to Joy Eakins, who only has won election to the Wichita school board.“Career politicians are failing us,” Sarnecki said. “I am tired of watching Republicans lose in Kansas. No more losing. It’s time to start winning again, and that’s why I’m running for governor.”Eakins jumped into the fray by declaring that veteran politicians in Kansas were undermining the American dream. She said the state’s established politicians “have been stewarding our decline. You see it everywhere.”Colyer, who was lieutenant governor to Gov. Sam Brownback before assuming the top job for one year, said he didn’t appreciate the notion experience working as the state’s chief executive was a handicap.“Kansas needs a proven, strong, competent conservative governor who will fight for you and who will stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump,” Colyer said. “This is about winning. This is about taking back our state so that we are the beating heart of America once again.”Schwab, who struggled with a health issue that weakened his speaking voice, said he grew as a leader by working as secretary of state and serving in the Kansas House.“Having experience to understand the terrain has always been a plus in America,” he said. “They call be a career politician, but no one’s insulting my integrity.”Absent from the GOP debate was Schmidt, the state’s insurance commissioner. In a letter to GOP officials, Schmidt said she strongly opposed the state party’s $10,000 “pay-to-play” requirement for candidates who wanted to participate in the debate. She said the Republican Party should remain neutral during the primary campaign and that every GOP candidate for office ought to have equal opportunities to share their views at party-sanctioned events.“Under this agreement, the party picks winners and losers,” Schmidt said. “President Trump has brought new voters to the party and we need to be encouraging good folks to run for office as Republicans, not creating road blocks and challenges that discourage them.”Despite a bit of theatrical elbowing on the stage, the six candidates found harmony on the goal of reducing the number of abortions performed at Kansas clinics, rejecting legalization of medicinal or recreational marijuana in Kansas and endorsing a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution — on the August ballot — that would require justices of the Kansas Supreme Court to be elected by popular vote.In 2024, the state reported more than 19,000 abortions due to an influx of women from states that essentially banned the procedure. The state Supreme Court issued an opinion in 2019 that said a foundational right in the Kansas Constitution to bodily autonomy granted women the ability to decide whether to end a pregnancy. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion has remained legal in Kansas.Colyer said at the current rate of growth in abortions in Kansas, there would be more abortions reported than live births in the state by 2030.“How do we defend innocent life? I think this is one of the civil rights issues of our time,” Colyer said. “We have a Supreme Court that has found this right to abortion that is nowhere found in that constitution. It’s our fastest-growing industry in the state of Kansas.”In lockstep, each of the other candidates — Schwab, Masterson, Eakins, Sarnecki and O’Hara — outlined their revulsion with Kansas’ status as an abortion destination state.“It is frustration that the court hates its Legislature,” Schwab said. “That’s unholy. I feel horrible that a young woman can be manipulated to have an abortion, and there’s no recourse.”The candidates had a lively conversation about marijuana use that at times appeared to clash with scientific reality.Eakins, a businesswoman who was on the school board in Wichita, said she didn’t want high school students thinking about where to score a joint rather than focusing on their reading and math test scores. Where marijuana had been legalized, she said, states collected $1 in taxes for every $4 expended to deal with health problems resulting from pot.“It creates all kinds of problems inside a culture that then need services,” she said. “I’ve watched families raise there children in states with this legalized marijuana … and all of them had struggles.”Sarnecki, who said he’d never tried marijuana, said he opposed legalization because chemicals in the product would lead to a swift dumbing down of the nation. He said the active ingredient in pot these days was much higher than what was in the 1970s or 1980s.“This is not you mom and dad’s marijuana,” he said. “Marijuana is a gateway drug. It creates massive problems — hallucinations, schizophrenia, massive anxiety.”Masterson, who controls the Kansas Senate debate calendar, said he wouldn’t welcome legislation to legalize marijuana in Kansas, but he endorsed Trump’s decision to open the door to research on marijuana because pot was pervasive in the United States. He predicted research would demonstrate it was “damaging.”All six candidates threw their weight behind the proposed constitutional amendment to transform how Kansas Supreme Court justices were placed on the high court. Currently, applicants for openings were interviewed by a committee that included a majority of attorneys. The committee forwarded up to three finalists to the state’s governor, who selected a person to fill the vacancy.The amendment would eliminate that merit-selection process and replace it with statewide elections for justices. Other states that have chosen this method fostered a wild political atmosphere in which millions of dollars were spent on elections.O’Hara, the former Johnson County commissioner, said the current process was dominated by the Kansas Bar Association. It resulted in appointment of justices who forced the state to increase spending on K-12 education and found a loophole in the constitution to keep abortion legal.“We have to have direct elections of our justices,” she said. “It needs to be a partisan election. We have to stop allowing the Kansas Bar Association control our life through their erroneous judicial decisions.”Danedri Herbert, chairwoman of the state Republican Party, told about 500 people gathered for the debate the primary election result wouldn’t satisfy everyone in the room. She urged Republicans to come together in November to defeat the Democratic Party’s choice.“The one that walks away with the crown may not be your favorite,” she said. “At the end of it, we still want all of you on board because when all Republicans are united, we win.”The dust in what could be a boisterous campaign for the Republican nomination won’t settle until votes are counted in Aug. 4 election in Kansas.Johanna Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Governors Association, said the “crowded, messy race to the right where attacks are already flying and candidates are staking out the most extreme positions” was on display at the Wichita Marriott. She asserted the Kansas GOP’s potential candidates to replace Kelly had aligned themselves with the Trump administration.“The GOP candidates running for governor have all embraced the administration’s unpopular, cost-raising agenda,” Warshaw said.