By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO Associated Press

Several faith leaders called urgently for protecting the rights of worshippers while also expressing compassion for migrants after anti-immigration enforcement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-doj-church-protest-st-paul-46dac5c5595ec78e3360ec927eef92d2">protesters disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota.

About three dozen protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul during Sunday service, some walking right up to the pulpit, others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/doj-vows-to-press-charges-after-activists-disrupt-church-where-minnesota-ice-official-is-a-pastor-0ba96f12bda841f69064e457a4370ca3">loudly chanting “ICE out”</a>&nbsp;and “Renee Good,” referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">a woman who was fatally shot</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 7 by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the local ICE field office, and one of the leaders of the protest and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said she’s also an ordained pastor.

The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called what happened “an unacceptable trauma,” saying the service was ”forced to end prematurely" as protesters shouted “insults and accusations at youth, children, and families.”

“I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship,” Trey Turner, who leads the convention, told The Associated Press on Monday. Cities Church belongs to the convention.

The U.S. Department of Justice said it has opened a civil rights investigation.

The recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protests-shootings-minneapolis-portland-3f9db36657dda5bfebf9c240b6011ee5">surge in operations</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota has pitted more than 2,000 federal immigration officers against community activists and protesters. The Trump administration and Minnesota officials have traded blame for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-immigration-crackdown-protests-96888fbbf2b5939aa7abdc0380773e46">heightened tensions</a>.

“No cause — political or otherwise — justifies the desecration of a sacred space or the intimidation and trauma inflicted on families gathered peacefully in the house of God,” Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, said in a statement. “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.”

Jonathan Parnell, the pastor who led the disrupted service, is a missionary with Ezell’s group and serves dozens of Southern Baptist churches in the area. Cities Church, housed in a Gothic-style, century-old stone building next to a college campus on one of the Twin Cities’ landmark boulevards, has not returned AP requests for comment.

Christians disagree on immigration enforcement

Christians in the United States are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-trump-border-christian-3c0a48d4ce37baa8d9e05786716a7b00">divided on the moral and legal dilemmas</a>&nbsp;raised by immigration, including the presence of an estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-map-biden-trump-top-destinations-c49da44347307374166ca6169e82a66f">the spike</a>&nbsp;in illegal border crossings and asylum requests during the Biden administration.

Opinions differ between and within denominations on whether Christians must prioritize care for strangers and neighbors or the immigration enforcement push in the name of security. White evangelicals tend to support strong enforcement, while Catholic leaders have spoken in favor of migrant rights.

The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. and has a conservative evangelical theology.

Miles Mullin, the vice-president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said faith leaders can and often have led protests on social issues, but those should never prevent others from worshipping.

“This is something that just shouldn’t happen in America,” Mullin said. “For Baptists, our worship services are sacred.”

On Facebook, Levy Armstrong wrote about Sunday's protest in religious terms: “It’s time for judgment to begin and it will begin in the House of God!!!”

But Albert Mohler, the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called the protesters' tactics unjustifiable.

“For Christians, the precedent of invading a congregation at worship should be unthinkable,” Mohler said in an interview. “I think the political left is crossing a threshold.”

Brian Kaylor, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-affiliated minister and leader of the Christian media organization Word&amp;Way, called having an ICE official serve as a pastor “a serious moral failure.”

But Kaylor, who has spoken out against the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants, said he was “very torn” by the protesters’ action inside a church.

“It would be very alarming if we come to see this become a widespread tactic across the political spectrum,” he said.

Federal protections for houses of worship

Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-churches-trump-immigration-crackdown-sanctuary-2746fa5c80aa8e2ce6db878e0d6e1c24">faith leaders were dismayed</a>&nbsp;when the government announced last January that federal immigration agencies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-ice-raids-school-2d899678264f44fe1021847ee385fd15">can make arrests in churches, schools and hospitals</a>, ending the protection of people in sensitive spaces.

No immigration raids during church services have been reported, but some churches have posted notices on their doors saying no federal immigration officers are allowed inside. Others have reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-crackdown-catholic-church-washington-874e6deca9e54a4e14081c63adca7718">a drop in attendance</a>, particularly during enforcement surges.

Following the protest in Cities Church, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, said her office is investigating “potential violations of the federal FACE Act,” calling the protest “un-American and outrageous.”

The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act prohibits interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned in a social media post that “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.”

Several pastors called for better security in churches.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservative-christians-sin-of-toxic-empathy-c9ab96faf99605e010f487df61d92d8f">Rev. Joe Rigney</a>, one of the founding pastors at Cities Church in 2015 who served there until 2023, said safety would have been his first concern had a group disrupted service, especially since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-school-shooting-annunciation-0fb27d2c911fe63a9f04791b444f298f">the fatal shooting</a>&nbsp;at a Minneapolis Catholic school Mass last summer.

In a statement to the AP, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's spokesperson said that while people have a right to speak out, the governor doesn't support interrupting a place of worship.

Legal developments and protests in the Twin Cities

Also Monday, the Department of Justice notified a federal appeals court that it will appeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-immigration-operation-lawsuit-8805b301ff4a7bfb0058e085ffa8c034">ruling that federal officers</a>&nbsp;in the Minneapolis area cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities. The case was filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists who are among thousands of people observing the activities of federal immigration officers in the area.

Yet more protesters braved temperatures that dipped below zero (minus 8 Celsius) Monday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in St. Paul. Some waved signs from vehicles bearing messages including, “What did you do while your neighbors were being kidnapped?” and “We love our Somali neighbors.”

Dozens of protesters also staged a brief sit-in at a Target store in St. Paul demanding that the retailer bar entry to federal agents. Target, headquartered in Minneapolis, has been criticized by activists after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aliya-rahman-minneapolis-ice-arrest-videos-b277e328a2053fde361c6a74295efb06">a video showed federal agents</a>&nbsp;detaining two employees at a store in Richfield, Minnesota.

Associated Press journalists Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee, Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Jack Brook in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768861083439.png" alt="Image inside the church from MLPS video via Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Image inside the church from MLPS video via Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO Associated PressSeveral faith leaders called urgently for protecting the rights of worshippers while also expressing compassion for migrants after anti-immigration enforcement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-ice-doj-church-protest-st-paul-46dac5c5595ec78e3360ec927eef92d2">protesters disrupted a service</a>&nbsp;at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota.About three dozen protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul during Sunday service, some walking right up to the pulpit, others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/doj-vows-to-press-charges-after-activists-disrupt-church-where-minnesota-ice-official-is-a-pastor-0ba96f12bda841f69064e457a4370ca3">loudly chanting “ICE out”</a>&nbsp;and “Renee Good,” referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-immigration-enforcement-shooting-crackdown-surge-173e00fa7388054e98c3b5b9417c1e5a">a woman who was fatally shot</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 7 by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768861054523.png" alt="Image inside the church from MLPS video via Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Image inside the church from MLPS video via Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the local ICE field office, and one of the leaders of the protest and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said she’s also an ordained pastor.The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called what happened “an unacceptable trauma,” saying the service was ”forced to end prematurely" as protesters shouted “insults and accusations at youth, children, and families.”“I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship,” Trey Turner, who leads the convention, told The Associated Press on Monday. Cities Church belongs to the convention.The U.S. Department of Justice said it has opened a civil rights investigation.The recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ice-protests-shootings-minneapolis-portland-3f9db36657dda5bfebf9c240b6011ee5">surge in operations</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota has pitted more than 2,000 federal immigration officers against community activists and protesters. The Trump administration and Minnesota officials have traded blame for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-immigration-crackdown-protests-96888fbbf2b5939aa7abdc0380773e46">heightened tensions</a>.“No cause — political or otherwise — justifies the desecration of a sacred space or the intimidation and trauma inflicted on families gathered peacefully in the house of God,” Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, said in a statement. “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.”Jonathan Parnell, the pastor who led the disrupted service, is a missionary with Ezell’s group and serves dozens of Southern Baptist churches in the area. Cities Church, housed in a Gothic-style, century-old stone building next to a college campus on one of the Twin Cities’ landmark boulevards, has not returned AP requests for comment.<h2>Christians disagree on immigration enforcement</h2>Christians in the United States are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-trump-border-christian-3c0a48d4ce37baa8d9e05786716a7b00">divided on the moral and legal dilemmas</a>&nbsp;raised by immigration, including the presence of an estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-map-biden-trump-top-destinations-c49da44347307374166ca6169e82a66f">the spike</a>&nbsp;in illegal border crossings and asylum requests during the Biden administration.Opinions differ between and within denominations on whether Christians must prioritize care for strangers and neighbors or the immigration enforcement push in the name of security. White evangelicals tend to support strong enforcement, while Catholic leaders have spoken in favor of migrant rights.The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. and has a conservative evangelical theology.Miles Mullin, the vice-president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said faith leaders can and often have led protests on social issues, but those should never prevent others from worshipping.“This is something that just shouldn’t happen in America,” Mullin said. “For Baptists, our worship services are sacred.”On Facebook, Levy Armstrong wrote about Sunday's protest in religious terms: “It’s time for judgment to begin and it will begin in the House of God!!!”But Albert Mohler, the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called the protesters' tactics unjustifiable.“For Christians, the precedent of invading a congregation at worship should be unthinkable,” Mohler said in an interview. “I think the political left is crossing a threshold.”Brian Kaylor, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-affiliated minister and leader of the Christian media organization Word&amp;Way, called having an ICE official serve as a pastor “a serious moral failure.”But Kaylor, who has spoken out against the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants, said he was “very torn” by the protesters’ action inside a church.“It would be very alarming if we come to see this become a widespread tactic across the political spectrum,” he said.<h2>Federal protections for houses of worship</h2>Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-churches-trump-immigration-crackdown-sanctuary-2746fa5c80aa8e2ce6db878e0d6e1c24">faith leaders were dismayed</a>&nbsp;when the government announced last January that federal immigration agencies&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-ice-raids-school-2d899678264f44fe1021847ee385fd15">can make arrests in churches, schools and hospitals</a>, ending the protection of people in sensitive spaces.No immigration raids during church services have been reported, but some churches have posted notices on their doors saying no federal immigration officers are allowed inside. Others have reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-crackdown-catholic-church-washington-874e6deca9e54a4e14081c63adca7718">a drop in attendance</a>, particularly during enforcement surges.Following the protest in Cities Church, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, said her office is investigating “potential violations of the federal FACE Act,” calling the protest “un-American and outrageous.”The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act prohibits interference or intimidation of “any person by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned in a social media post that “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.”Several pastors called for better security in churches.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservative-christians-sin-of-toxic-empathy-c9ab96faf99605e010f487df61d92d8f">Rev. Joe Rigney</a>, one of the founding pastors at Cities Church in 2015 who served there until 2023, said safety would have been his first concern had a group disrupted service, especially since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-school-shooting-annunciation-0fb27d2c911fe63a9f04791b444f298f">the fatal shooting</a>&nbsp;at a Minneapolis Catholic school Mass last summer.In a statement to the AP, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's spokesperson said that while people have a right to speak out, the governor doesn't support interrupting a place of worship.<h2>Legal developments and protests in the Twin Cities</h2>Also Monday, the Department of Justice notified a federal appeals court that it will appeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-immigration-operation-lawsuit-8805b301ff4a7bfb0058e085ffa8c034">ruling that federal officers</a>&nbsp;in the Minneapolis area cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities. The case was filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists who are among thousands of people observing the activities of federal immigration officers in the area.Yet more protesters braved temperatures that dipped below zero (minus 8 Celsius) Monday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in St. Paul. Some waved signs from vehicles bearing messages including, “What did you do while your neighbors were being kidnapped?” and “We love our Somali neighbors.”Dozens of protesters also staged a brief sit-in at a Target store in St. Paul demanding that the retailer bar entry to federal agents. Target, headquartered in Minneapolis, has been criticized by activists after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aliya-rahman-minneapolis-ice-arrest-videos-b277e328a2053fde361c6a74295efb06">a video showed federal agents</a>&nbsp;detaining two employees at a store in Richfield, Minnesota.___Associated Press journalists Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee, Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Jack Brook in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers' rights after protesters interrupt service

KANSAS CITY—Four puppies were rescued after they were found outside Monday and nearly froze to death, according to the&nbsp; Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.

These four pups were rescued by a kind community member who found them outside, alone, nearly frozen to death. They are now in the care of the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, receiving the care they need.  Once stabilized, they will go to foster homes and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.

If you feel inclined to support the work of the Humane Society, please donate today.&nbsp;info@hsgkc.org

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768879782834.png" alt="Photos Humane Society of Greater Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Photos Humane Society of Greater Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Four puppies were rescued after they were found outside Monday and nearly froze to death, according to the&nbsp; Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768879588352.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>These four pups were rescued by a kind community member who found them outside, alone, nearly frozen to death. They are now in the care of the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, receiving the care they need. Once stabilized, they will go to foster homes and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.If you feel inclined to support the work of the Humane Society, please donate today.&nbsp;info@hsgkc.org

Humane society: Nearly frozen puppies rescued near Kansas City

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self did not accompany the Jayhawks to Boulder for their game Tuesday night at Colorado after being taken to a hospital in Lawrence on Monday, the school said.

Kansas' athletic department said in a statement that Self was feeling under the weather and went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. Self felt better after receiving IV fluids, the school said.

It was not immediately clear if Self would attempt to travel for the game or if an assistant would run the bench for the 19th-ranked Jayhawks.

Self, 63, missed the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments in 2023 because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-self-kansas-basketball-coach-stents-heart-765a63dee3b9d55d73baba3e6f7ff2b7">had two more stents inserted</a>&nbsp;in July.

Now in his 23rd season, Self led Kansas to national titles in 2008 and 2022 and is the program's career wins leader with a 609-156 record. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, the former Oklahoma State player also coached at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761740734109.jpeg" alt="Kansas head coach Bill Self (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas head coach Bill Self (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self did not accompany the Jayhawks to Boulder for their game Tuesday night at Colorado after being taken to a hospital in Lawrence on Monday, the school said.Kansas' athletic department said in a statement that Self was feeling under the weather and went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. Self felt better after receiving IV fluids, the school said.It was not immediately clear if Self would attempt to travel for the game or if an assistant would run the bench for the 19th-ranked Jayhawks.Self, 63, missed the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments in 2023 because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-self-kansas-basketball-coach-stents-heart-765a63dee3b9d55d73baba3e6f7ff2b7">had two more stents inserted</a>&nbsp;in July.Now in his 23rd season, Self led Kansas to national titles in 2008 and 2022 and is the program's career wins leader with a 609-156 record. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, the former Oklahoma State player also coached at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.___

KU coach Bill Self hospitalized, did not travel with team to Boulder

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for fentanyl distribution and illegally possessing firearms.

Darius Burnett, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a total sentence of 13 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.

Burnett pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 8, 2025.

On Nov. 8, 2023, investigators with the ATF, DEA, and Springfield Police Department executed a search warrant at Burnett’s residence. During the search of Burnett’s apartment and vehicle, officers located four loaded semi-automatic pistols, including two with extended magazines, body armor, ammunition, marijuana, over 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, and $78,935.80 in cash. 

In an interview, the defendant described himself as the “top dude” in Springfield, Missouri, for fentanyl sales, stated that he was purchasing 5,000 pills a month from a source in St. Louis, Missouri, and admitted that the cash located by law enforcement were drug proceeds.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768861591490.png" alt="Burnett photo Greene County" />
 <figcaption>Burnett photo Greene County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court earlier this month for fentanyl distribution and illegally possessing firearms.Darius Burnett, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a total sentence of 13 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.Burnett pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 8, 2025.On Nov. 8, 2023, investigators with the ATF, DEA, and Springfield Police Department executed a search warrant at Burnett’s residence. During the search of Burnett’s apartment and vehicle, officers located four loaded semi-automatic pistols, including two with extended magazines, body armor, ammunition, marijuana, over 1,000 pills containing fentanyl, and $78,935.80 in cash. In an interview, the defendant described himself as the “top dude” in Springfield, Missouri, for fentanyl sales, stated that he was purchasing 5,000 pills a month from a source in St. Louis, Missouri, and admitted that the cash located by law enforcement were drug proceeds.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Prison for man who described himself as 'top dude' in fentanyl sales

By CARA ANNA and JOSH BOAK Associated Press

At least eight more countries say the United States has invited them to join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-board-of-peace-gaza-un-b27d17190177041865c6827acd042e56">President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace,</a>&nbsp;a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-yellow-line-062f3a55d737cc83607c0ddacf312df0">Gaza</a>&nbsp;that shows ambitions for a broader mandate in global affairs. Two of the countries, Hungary and Vietnam, said they have accepted.

A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter, which hasn’t been made public. The official said the money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted an invitation to join the board, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told state radio Sunday. Orbán is one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Europe.

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, also has accepted, a foreign ministry statement said.

India has received an invitation, a senior government official with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information hadn’t been made public by authorities.

Australia has been invited and will talk it through with the U.S. “to properly understand what this means and what’s involved,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday.

Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they were invited. It was not clear how many have been invited in all.

The U.S. is expected to announce its official list of members in the coming days, likely during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Those on the board will oversee next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 moves into its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-israel-hamas-gaza-trump-witkoff-bb39015d25aeb627a5b9ce73dd4e1155">challenging second phase</a>. It includes a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.

In letters sent Friday to world leaders inviting them to be “founding members,” Trump said the Board of Peace would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”

That could become a potential rival to the U.N. Security Council, the most powerful body of the global entity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-80-anniversary-funding-divided-war-reform-985385cba3547a2e4286091ff36a1207">created in the wake of World War II</a>. The 15-seat council has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-resolution-israel-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-f11ff1d39387062455c0b0bf4bdea1e4">blocked by U.S. vetoes</a>&nbsp;from taking action to end the war in Gaza, while the U.N.'s clout has been diminished by major funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors.

Trump’s invitation letters for the Board of Peace noted that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-gaza-ceasefire-us-resolution-russia-107e44e276fe04a5365ff6d914545718">Security Council had endorsed</a>&nbsp;the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">20-point Gaza ceasefire plan</a>, which includes the board’s creation. The letters were posted on social media by some invitees.

The White House last week also announced an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-appointments-efe95e29fb1cfe099f44e3ac48d06fa2">executive committee of leaders</a>&nbsp;who will carry out the Board of Peace’s vision, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-white-housoe-gaza-next-steps-17579d16219d79982e48556d85a47e81">Israel on Saturday objected</a>&nbsp;that the committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was rare criticism of its close ally in Washington.

The executive committee’s members include U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, along with an Israeli business owner, billionaire Yakir Gabay.

Members also include representatives of ceasefire monitors Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel but good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the group to yield power in Gaza and disarm.

Boak reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, Rajesh Roy in New Delhi and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.

By CARA ANNA and JOSH BOAK Associated PressAt least eight more countries say the United States has invited them to join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-board-of-peace-gaza-un-b27d17190177041865c6827acd042e56">President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace,</a>&nbsp;a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-yellow-line-062f3a55d737cc83607c0ddacf312df0">Gaza</a>&nbsp;that shows ambitions for a broader mandate in global affairs. Two of the countries, Hungary and Vietnam, said they have accepted.A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter, which hasn’t been made public. The official said the money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza.Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted an invitation to join the board, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told state radio Sunday. Orbán is one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Europe.Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, also has accepted, a foreign ministry statement said.India has received an invitation, a senior government official with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information hadn’t been made public by authorities.Australia has been invited and will talk it through with the U.S. “to properly understand what this means and what’s involved,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday.Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they were invited. It was not clear how many have been invited in all.The U.S. is expected to announce its official list of members in the coming days, likely during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Those on the board will oversee next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 moves into its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-israel-hamas-gaza-trump-witkoff-bb39015d25aeb627a5b9ce73dd4e1155">challenging second phase</a>. It includes a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.In letters sent Friday to world leaders inviting them to be “founding members,” Trump said the Board of Peace would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”That could become a potential rival to the U.N. Security Council, the most powerful body of the global entity&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-80-anniversary-funding-divided-war-reform-985385cba3547a2e4286091ff36a1207">created in the wake of World War II</a>. The 15-seat council has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-resolution-israel-hamas-hostages-ceasefire-f11ff1d39387062455c0b0bf4bdea1e4">blocked by U.S. vetoes</a>&nbsp;from taking action to end the war in Gaza, while the U.N.'s clout has been diminished by major funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors.Trump’s invitation letters for the Board of Peace noted that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-gaza-ceasefire-us-resolution-russia-107e44e276fe04a5365ff6d914545718">Security Council had endorsed</a>&nbsp;the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-war-gaza-708a08671b8842d7a7a5e250ec51351c">20-point Gaza ceasefire plan</a>, which includes the board’s creation. The letters were posted on social media by some invitees.The White House last week also announced an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-appointments-efe95e29fb1cfe099f44e3ac48d06fa2">executive committee of leaders</a>&nbsp;who will carry out the Board of Peace’s vision, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-white-housoe-gaza-next-steps-17579d16219d79982e48556d85a47e81">Israel on Saturday objected</a>&nbsp;that the committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was rare criticism of its close ally in Washington.The executive committee’s members include U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, along with an Israeli business owner, billionaire Yakir Gabay.Members also include representatives of ceasefire monitors Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel but good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the group to yield power in Gaza and disarm.___Boak reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, Rajesh Roy in New Delhi and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.

Trump sets large price tag for a permanent seat on Board of Peace for Gaza

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man with a history of crime died in a deputy involved shooting in Sedgwick County January 12.

Wichita Police, as part of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team, is charge of the investigation. On Friday, Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan provided an update on the investigation.

Just after 5:30a.m. January 12, Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shirtless man holding a handgun in the roadway near 55th Street South and Hoover Road, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.

Deputies responded to the scene and found 32-year-old Trey Houlden of Wichita near the intersection, still armed. Deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation for several minutes.

During the encounter, Houlden fired at deputies, striking at least one patrol vehicle. Deputies returned fire, striking Houlden multiple times.

Deputies immediately provided aid and requested assistance from Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Fire Department. EMS transported Houlden to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later died. Hospital staff pronounced him dead at 6:51 a.m.

No deputies were injured during the incident.

Sheriff Jeff Easter activated the Wichita-Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team. Under the ALERT agreement, the Wichita Police Department will lead the investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Houlden had a history of crime with previous convictions that included aggravated domestic battery, aggravated intimidation of a witness, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768230233129.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man with a history of crime died in a deputy involved shooting in Sedgwick County January 12.Wichita Police, as part of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team, is charge of the investigation. On Friday, Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan provided an update on the investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768663735204.png" alt="Houlden from a domestic battery arrest in 2022- Sedgwick County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Houlden from a domestic battery arrest in 2022- Sedgwick County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=280&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F851535924449608%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="280" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Just after 5:30a.m. January 12, Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shirtless man holding a handgun in the roadway near 55th Street South and Hoover Road, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.Deputies responded to the scene and found 32-year-old Trey Houlden of Wichita near the intersection, still armed. Deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation for several minutes.During the encounter, Houlden fired at deputies, striking at least one patrol vehicle. Deputies returned fire, striking Houlden multiple times.Deputies immediately provided aid and requested assistance from Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Fire Department. EMS transported Houlden to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later died. Hospital staff pronounced him dead at 6:51 a.m.No deputies were injured during the incident.Sheriff Jeff Easter activated the Wichita-Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team. Under the ALERT agreement, the Wichita Police Department will lead the investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Houlden had a history of crime with previous convictions that included aggravated domestic battery, aggravated intimidation of a witness, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

Kan. man who died in deputy shooting had a history of crime

KANSAS CITY—One firefighter was injured working a fire Sunday inKansas City, Missouri.

Just after 5:30a.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the Cargill plant, 2334 Rochester Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. 

At the scene, fire department companies were met by Cargill staff stating there was a fire located in a material hopper housing soybean product. The hopper is located approximately 4 stories above the ground level. 

Working with on-site personnel, KCFD secured the power and electronics to the hopper and were able to access and extinguish the fire. The fire was placed under control a little before 7:00 a.m., according to Hopkins.

One KCFD firefighter sustained an injury and was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. The firefighter was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768833465554.png" alt="Photo KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—One firefighter was injured working a fire Sunday inKansas City, Missouri.Just after 5:30a.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a reported fire in the Cargill plant, 2334 Rochester Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. At the scene, fire department companies were met by Cargill staff stating there was a fire located in a material hopper housing soybean product. The hopper is located approximately 4 stories above the ground level. Working with on-site personnel, KCFD secured the power and electronics to the hopper and were able to access and extinguish the fire. The fire was placed under control a little before 7:00 a.m., according to Hopkins.One KCFD firefighter sustained an injury and was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. The firefighter was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.&nbsp; The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

KC firefighter injured working fire in fourth-floor soybean hopper

By AAMER MADHANI, GEIR MOULSON and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

U.S. President Donald Trump linked his aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-us-trump-899d73348f2ee6c0cd2a8a6e6e136a90">stance on Greenland</a>&nbsp;to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway’s prime minister that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” in a text message released on Monday.

Trump's message to Jonas Gahr Støre appears to ratchet up a standoff between Washington and its closest allies over his threats to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark. On Saturday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-us-trump-4ad99ea3975a8b62d37bd04961feda55">announced a 10% import tax</a>&nbsp;starting in February on goods from eight nations that have rallied around Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.

Those countries issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-us-trump-eu-tariffs-4e63efa690604004c69fc89a7c14e7c2">forceful rebuke</a>. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions on Monday. While the White House has not ruled taking control of the strategic Arctic island by force, Starmer said he did not believe military action would occur.

"I think this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said.

Still, the American leader's message to Gahr Støre could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-greenland-us-europe-history-disputes-bbd9b17ae1d653bd1544d8706277b0c3">further fracture a U.S.-European relationship</a>&nbsp;already strained by differences over how to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, previous rounds of tariffs, military spending and migration policy.

In a sign of how tensions have increased in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/photos-protest-greenland-trump-takeover-threats-nuuk-de1eedfae1d5b36a30adaaebb74e3966">thousands of Greenlanders</a>&nbsp;marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not change the their stance.

“We will not be pressured,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, minerals, energy, justice and equality, told The Associated Press that she was moved by the quick response of allies to the tariff threat and said it showed that countries realize “this is about more than Greenland.”

“I think a lot of countries are afraid that if they let Greenland go, what would be next?”

Trump sends a message to the Norwegian leader

Trump's message to Gahr Støre, released by the Norwegian government, read in part: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”

It concluded: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”

The Norwegian leader said Trump’s message was a reply to an earlier missive sent on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in which they conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement, pointed to a need to de-escalate, and proposed a telephone conversation among the three leaders.

“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” the Norwegian leader said in a statement. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to president Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.”

He told TV2 Norway that he hadn't responded to the message, but "I still believe it’s wise to talk," and he hopes to talk with Trump in Davos this week.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an independent body whose five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the president’s approach in Greenland during a brief Q&amp;A with reporters in Davos, Switzerland, which is hosting the World Economic Forum meeting this week.

“I think it’s a complete canard that the president would be doing this because of the Nobel,” Bessent said, immediately after saying he did not “know anything about the president’s letter to Norway.”

Bessent insisted Trump “is looking at Greenland as a strategic asset for the United States,” adding that “we are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to anyone else.”

Trump has openly coveted the peace prize, which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nobel-peace-prize-oslo-41b6bff88e2d57af0917bcf778e132ad">committee awarded</a>&nbsp;to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado last year. Last week, Machado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-machado-venezuela-maduro-nobel-peace-prize-ed23992bccabf128b7e849259d3c29a8">presented her Nobel medal</a>&nbsp;to Trump, who said he planned to keep it though the committee said the prize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-machado-nobel-peace-prize-c7f47c161edc9b719dea3d0165f32a1f">can’t be revoked, transferred or shared</a>&nbsp;with others.

Starmer says a trade war is in no one's interest

In his latest threat of tariffs, Trump indicated they would be retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greenland-united-states-denmark-trump-vance-rubio-meeting-b10f5151008f1f18a788dc0751473c0e">troops from the European countries</a>&nbsp;to Greenland — though he also suggested that he was using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark.

European governments said that the troops traveled to the island to assess Arctic security, part of a response to Trump’s own concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-greenland-denmark-trump-arctic-security-russia-china-6346aa8e86be594e467e8cc18f98357b">about interference from Russia and China</a>.

Starmer on Monday called Trump’s threat of tariffs “completely wrong” and said that a trade war is in no one’s interest.

He added that “being pragmatic does not mean being passive and partnership does not mean abandoning principles.”

Six of the eight countries targeted are part of the 27-member European Union, which operates as a single economic zone in terms of trade. European Council President Antonio Costa said Sunday that the bloc’s leaders expressed “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.” He announced a summit for Thursday evening.

Starmer indicated that Britain, which is not part of the EU, is not planning to consider retaliatory tariffs.

“My focus is on making sure we don’t get to that stage,” he said.

Denmark’s defense minister and Greenland’s foreign minister are expected to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday, a meeting that was planned before the latest escalation.

Associated Press writers Josh Boak in West Palm Beach, Florida; Emma Burrows in Nuuk, Greenland; and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768011543732.png" alt="File photo-President Trump&nbsp; from White House video" />
 <figcaption>File photo-President Trump&nbsp; from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>By AAMER MADHANI, GEIR MOULSON and JILL LAWLESS Associated PressU.S. President Donald Trump linked his aggressive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-us-trump-899d73348f2ee6c0cd2a8a6e6e136a90">stance on Greenland</a>&nbsp;to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway’s prime minister that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” in a text message released on Monday.Trump's message to Jonas Gahr Støre appears to ratchet up a standoff between Washington and its closest allies over his threats to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark. On Saturday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-us-trump-4ad99ea3975a8b62d37bd04961feda55">announced a 10% import tax</a>&nbsp;starting in February on goods from eight nations that have rallied around Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768840523471.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Those countries issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-us-trump-eu-tariffs-4e63efa690604004c69fc89a7c14e7c2">forceful rebuke</a>. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions on Monday. While the White House has not ruled taking control of the strategic Arctic island by force, Starmer said he did not believe military action would occur."I think this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said.Still, the American leader's message to Gahr Støre could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-greenland-us-europe-history-disputes-bbd9b17ae1d653bd1544d8706277b0c3">further fracture a U.S.-European relationship</a>&nbsp;already strained by differences over how to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, previous rounds of tariffs, military spending and migration policy.In a sign of how tensions have increased in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/photos-protest-greenland-trump-takeover-threats-nuuk-de1eedfae1d5b36a30adaaebb74e3966">thousands of Greenlanders</a>&nbsp;marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not change the their stance.“We will not be pressured,” he wrote.Meanwhile, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, minerals, energy, justice and equality, told The Associated Press that she was moved by the quick response of allies to the tariff threat and said it showed that countries realize “this is about more than Greenland.”“I think a lot of countries are afraid that if they let Greenland go, what would be next?”<h2>Trump sends a message to the Norwegian leader</h2>Trump's message to Gahr Støre, released by the Norwegian government, read in part: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”It concluded: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”The Norwegian leader said Trump’s message was a reply to an earlier missive sent on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in which they conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement, pointed to a need to de-escalate, and proposed a telephone conversation among the three leaders.“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” the Norwegian leader said in a statement. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to president Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.”He told TV2 Norway that he hadn't responded to the message, but "I still believe it’s wise to talk," and he hopes to talk with Trump in Davos this week.The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an independent body whose five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the president’s approach in Greenland during a brief Q&amp;A with reporters in Davos, Switzerland, which is hosting the World Economic Forum meeting this week.“I think it’s a complete canard that the president would be doing this because of the Nobel,” Bessent said, immediately after saying he did not “know anything about the president’s letter to Norway.”Bessent insisted Trump “is looking at Greenland as a strategic asset for the United States,” adding that “we are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to anyone else.”Trump has openly coveted the peace prize, which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nobel-peace-prize-oslo-41b6bff88e2d57af0917bcf778e132ad">committee awarded</a>&nbsp;to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado last year. Last week, Machado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-machado-venezuela-maduro-nobel-peace-prize-ed23992bccabf128b7e849259d3c29a8">presented her Nobel medal</a>&nbsp;to Trump, who said he planned to keep it though the committee said the prize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-machado-nobel-peace-prize-c7f47c161edc9b719dea3d0165f32a1f">can’t be revoked, transferred or shared</a>&nbsp;with others.<h2>Starmer says a trade war is in no one's interest</h2>In his latest threat of tariffs, Trump indicated they would be retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greenland-united-states-denmark-trump-vance-rubio-meeting-b10f5151008f1f18a788dc0751473c0e">troops from the European countries</a>&nbsp;to Greenland — though he also suggested that he was using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark.European governments said that the troops traveled to the island to assess Arctic security, part of a response to Trump’s own concerns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-greenland-denmark-trump-arctic-security-russia-china-6346aa8e86be594e467e8cc18f98357b">about interference from Russia and China</a>.Starmer on Monday called Trump’s threat of tariffs “completely wrong” and said that a trade war is in no one’s interest.He added that “being pragmatic does not mean being passive and partnership does not mean abandoning principles.”Six of the eight countries targeted are part of the 27-member European Union, which operates as a single economic zone in terms of trade. European Council President Antonio Costa said Sunday that the bloc’s leaders expressed “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.” He announced a summit for Thursday evening.Starmer indicated that Britain, which is not part of the EU, is not planning to consider retaliatory tariffs.“My focus is on making sure we don’t get to that stage,” he said.Denmark’s defense minister and Greenland’s foreign minister are expected to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday, a meeting that was planned before the latest escalation.___Associated Press writers Josh Boak in West Palm Beach, Florida; Emma Burrows in Nuuk, Greenland; and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Read the letter: President Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Prize snub

As communities across the country on Monday host parades, panels and service projects for the 40th&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-mlk-day-7ed384feeeef9b88fb9b34614ea52428">federal observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day</a>, the political climate for some is more fraught with tensions than festive with reflection on the slain Black American civil rights icon's legacy.

In the year since Donald Trump's second inauguration fell on King Day, the Republican president has gone scorched earth against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-mayors-national-guard-police-takeover-dc-aa9a9cd07f0704b13f3d2deb2e351e44">targeted mostly Black-led cities</a>&nbsp;for federal law enforcement operations, among other policies that many King admirers have criticized.

One year ago, Trump's executive orders, “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” accelerated a rollback of civil rights and racial justice initiatives in federal agencies, corporations and universities. Last month, the National Park Service announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-parks-free-trump-birthday-juneteenth-mlk-225b10728a9df22d54407ecaec1e5e5f">it will no longer offer free admission</a>&nbsp;to parks on King Day and Juneteenth, but instead on Flag Day and Trump's birthday.

The fatal shooting this month of an unarmed Minneapolis woman in her car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sent there to target the city's Somali immigrant population, as well as Trump recently decrying civil rights as discrimination against white people, have only intensified fears of a regression from the social progress King and many others advocated for.

Still, the concerns have not chilled many King holiday events planned this year. Some conservative admirers of King say the holiday should be a reminder of the civil rights icon's plea that all people be judged by their character and not their skin color. Some Black advocacy groups, however, are vowing a day of resistance and rallies nationwide.

‘We’ve always strived to be a more perfect union'

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and the reforms it helped usher in were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Politicians and advocates say Trump's comments are what are harmful, because they dismiss the hard work of King and others that helped not just Black Americans but other groups, including women and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I think the Civil Rights Movement was one of the things that made our country so unique, that we haven’t always been perfect, but we’ve always strived to be this more perfect union, and that’s what I think the Civil Rights Movement represents,” Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor and only the nation’s third elected Black governor, said this week in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maryland-congressional-redistricting-wes-moore-democrats-aeec01f37b914b792375842daafdd45e">an interview with The Associated Press</a>.

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, one of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalitions, said the Trump administration's priorities make clear it is actively trying to erase the movement.

“From health care access and affordable housing to good paying jobs and union representation," Wiley said, “things Dr. King made part of his clarion call for a beloved community are still at stake and is even more so because (the administration) has dismantled the very terms of government and the norms of our culture.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank is encouraging the holiday’s focus to stay solely on King himself. Brenda Hafera, a foundation research fellow, urged people to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta or reread his “I have a dream” speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington nearly 63 years ago.

But using the holiday as a platform to rally and speak about “anti-racism” and “critical race theory” actually rejects King’s ambition for the country, Hafera argued.

“I think efforts should be conducted in the spirit of what Martin Luther King actually believed and what he preached. And his vision was a colorblind society, right,” Hafera said. “He says very famously in his speech, don’t judge by the color of your skin, but the content of your character.”

Groups call for holiday of reclamation, education and rallying

The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil right organization which had a myriad MLK Day events planned for Monday, asserted that the heightened fears among communities of color and in immigrant communities mean King Day observances must take a different tone. People will have to put their safety first, even if their government isn't, said Wisdom Cole, NAACP senior national director of advocacy.

“As folks are using their constitutional right to protest and to speak out and stand up for what they believe in, we are being faced with violence. We are faced with increased police and state violence inflicted by the government,” Cole said.

The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of organizations affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, has planned its events under the banner “Reclaim MLK Day of Action.” Organizers planned demonstrations in Atlanta, Chicago and Oakland, California, among other cities, over the weekend and Monday.

“This year it is more important than ever to reclaim MLK’s radical legacy, letting his wisdom and fierce commitment to freedom move us into the action necessary to take care of one another, fight back, and free ourselves from this fascist regime,” Devonte Jackson, a national organizing director for the coalition, said in a statement.

Indiana school cancels historic MLK Day event

For the first time in its 60-year history, Indiana University in Indianapolis canceled its annual Martin Luther King dinner. Over the years, the event drew notable guest speakers including Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and activist Angela Davis.

The reasoning was “budget constraints,” according to a social media post by the school's Black Student Union. However, the group said it was worried this was “connected to broader political pressures.” A few students have since organized smaller community dinners or “eat-ins” to fill the void, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis reported.

Meanwhile, the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Westbrook, Maine, canceled a MLK Day service due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to the parish website. But a member of the church's “social justice and peace committee” told NewsCenterMaine.com that the pastor was concerned about people's safety amid rumors of ICE agents being in the area.

Overall, there have been few reports of King Day events being majorly scaled down or canceled altogether.

In Memphis, Tennessee, the National Civil Rights Museum is going about its annual King Day celebration as normal. The museum is located on the site of the former Lorraine Motel, where King was shot on April 4, 1968. The museum is offering free admission on the holiday, an annual tradition.

“This milestone year is not only about looking back at what Dr. King stood for, but also recognizing the people who continue to make his ideals real today,” museum President Russell Wigginton said.

Tang reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Washington, Adrian Sanz in Memphis, Tennessee, and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712150370031.png" alt="Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes his last public appearance at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn., on April 3, 1968. The following day King was assassinated on his motel balcony. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly)" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes his last public appearance at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn., on April 3, 1968. The following day King was assassinated on his motel balcony. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TERRY TANG Associated PressAs communities across the country on Monday host parades, panels and service projects for the 40th&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-mlk-day-7ed384feeeef9b88fb9b34614ea52428">federal observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day</a>, the political climate for some is more fraught with tensions than festive with reflection on the slain Black American civil rights icon's legacy.In the year since Donald Trump's second inauguration fell on King Day, the Republican president has gone scorched earth against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-mayors-national-guard-police-takeover-dc-aa9a9cd07f0704b13f3d2deb2e351e44">targeted mostly Black-led cities</a>&nbsp;for federal law enforcement operations, among other policies that many King admirers have criticized.One year ago, Trump's executive orders, “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” accelerated a rollback of civil rights and racial justice initiatives in federal agencies, corporations and universities. Last month, the National Park Service announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-parks-free-trump-birthday-juneteenth-mlk-225b10728a9df22d54407ecaec1e5e5f">it will no longer offer free admission</a>&nbsp;to parks on King Day and Juneteenth, but instead on Flag Day and Trump's birthday.The fatal shooting this month of an unarmed Minneapolis woman in her car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sent there to target the city's Somali immigrant population, as well as Trump recently decrying civil rights as discrimination against white people, have only intensified fears of a regression from the social progress King and many others advocated for.Still, the concerns have not chilled many King holiday events planned this year. Some conservative admirers of King say the holiday should be a reminder of the civil rights icon's plea that all people be judged by their character and not their skin color. Some Black advocacy groups, however, are vowing a day of resistance and rallies nationwide.<h2>‘We’ve always strived to be a more perfect union'</h2>In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and the reforms it helped usher in were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Politicians and advocates say Trump's comments are what are harmful, because they dismiss the hard work of King and others that helped not just Black Americans but other groups, including women and the LGBTQ+ community.“I think the Civil Rights Movement was one of the things that made our country so unique, that we haven’t always been perfect, but we’ve always strived to be this more perfect union, and that’s what I think the Civil Rights Movement represents,” Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor and only the nation’s third elected Black governor, said this week in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maryland-congressional-redistricting-wes-moore-democrats-aeec01f37b914b792375842daafdd45e">an interview with The Associated Press</a>.Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, one of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalitions, said the Trump administration's priorities make clear it is actively trying to erase the movement.“From health care access and affordable housing to good paying jobs and union representation," Wiley said, “things Dr. King made part of his clarion call for a beloved community are still at stake and is even more so because (the administration) has dismantled the very terms of government and the norms of our culture.”The White House did not respond to a request for comment.The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank is encouraging the holiday’s focus to stay solely on King himself. Brenda Hafera, a foundation research fellow, urged people to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta or reread his “I have a dream” speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington nearly 63 years ago.But using the holiday as a platform to rally and speak about “anti-racism” and “critical race theory” actually rejects King’s ambition for the country, Hafera argued.“I think efforts should be conducted in the spirit of what Martin Luther King actually believed and what he preached. And his vision was a colorblind society, right,” Hafera said. “He says very famously in his speech, don’t judge by the color of your skin, but the content of your character.”<h2>Groups call for holiday of reclamation, education and rallying</h2>The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil right organization which had a myriad MLK Day events planned for Monday, asserted that the heightened fears among communities of color and in immigrant communities mean King Day observances must take a different tone. People will have to put their safety first, even if their government isn't, said Wisdom Cole, NAACP senior national director of advocacy.“As folks are using their constitutional right to protest and to speak out and stand up for what they believe in, we are being faced with violence. We are faced with increased police and state violence inflicted by the government,” Cole said.The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of organizations affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, has planned its events under the banner “Reclaim MLK Day of Action.” Organizers planned demonstrations in Atlanta, Chicago and Oakland, California, among other cities, over the weekend and Monday.“This year it is more important than ever to reclaim MLK’s radical legacy, letting his wisdom and fierce commitment to freedom move us into the action necessary to take care of one another, fight back, and free ourselves from this fascist regime,” Devonte Jackson, a national organizing director for the coalition, said in a statement.<h2>Indiana school cancels historic MLK Day event</h2>For the first time in its 60-year history, Indiana University in Indianapolis canceled its annual Martin Luther King dinner. Over the years, the event drew notable guest speakers including Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and activist Angela Davis.The reasoning was “budget constraints,” according to a social media post by the school's Black Student Union. However, the group said it was worried this was “connected to broader political pressures.” A few students have since organized smaller community dinners or “eat-ins” to fill the void, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis reported.Meanwhile, the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Westbrook, Maine, canceled a MLK Day service due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to the parish website. But a member of the church's “social justice and peace committee” told NewsCenterMaine.com that the pastor was concerned about people's safety amid rumors of ICE agents being in the area.Overall, there have been few reports of King Day events being majorly scaled down or canceled altogether.In Memphis, Tennessee, the National Civil Rights Museum is going about its annual King Day celebration as normal. The museum is located on the site of the former Lorraine Motel, where King was shot on April 4, 1968. The museum is offering free admission on the holiday, an annual tradition.“This milestone year is not only about looking back at what Dr. King stood for, but also recognizing the people who continue to make his ideals real today,” museum President Russell Wigginton said.___Tang reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Washington, Adrian Sanz in Memphis, Tennessee, and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.

Current US political climate is spurring a 'reclaim' and rallying on the MLK holiday

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 2p.m Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to a parking lot within the apartment complex. There they located a victim later identified as 36-year-old Charles Brown, Jr., suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures while KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously. Medics pronounced Brown deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

This is being investigated as a homicide. The officers on scene took a subject of interest into custody pending further investigation. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance in the parking lot between several individuals that led to shots being fired and Brown being struck.&nbsp;

If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768791527783.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 2p.m Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil Dimartino.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768791548732.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers arrived they were directed to a parking lot within the apartment complex. There they located a victim later identified as 36-year-old Charles Brown, Jr., suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing life saving measures while KCFD EMS arrived simultaneously. Medics pronounced Brown deceased at the scene.&nbsp;This is being investigated as a homicide. The officers on scene took a subject of interest into custody pending further investigation. Preliminary information revealed there was a disturbance in the parking lot between several individuals that led to shots being fired and Brown being struck.&nbsp;If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

KCPD: Suspect in custody for deadly apartment parking lot killing

In the past decade, more than 50,000 Missouri women sought abortions in Kansas and Illinois. The rare complications suffered are at the heart of arguments over its safety

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">Anna Spoerre</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

KANSAS CITY — Roughly 1% of the more than 53,000 Missourians who received abortions over the last 10 years in Illinois and Kansas experienced complications, ranging from infection to incomplete abortions to hemorrhaging.&nbsp;

Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office are dissecting dozens of Missouri’s Targeted Regulation of Abortion, or TRAP laws, as a judge decides which, if any, should remain in place. The safety of abortion is at the heart of the debate.

As the trial enters its second week on Tuesday in Jackson County, the state is trying to make the case that the potential for complications justifies strict regulations on abortion providers.&nbsp;

“The risks associated with abortion don’t just exist in the abstract,” said Assistant Solicitor General Alexandria Overcash. “Real women, Missouri women have suffered.”

Experts called by Planned Parenthood say that’s not the case. Abortion, they said, presents less risk than many medical procedures, including child birth.

“But there’s nothing like sitting in your patient’s pool of blood as she’s bleeding out four liters of blood to realize that a healthy term pregnancy has a whole hell of a lot of risk,” Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB-GYN in St. Louis, testified Friday.

Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 overturning the state’s abortion ban and enacting protections for reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to repeal abortion regulations it argues now violate the new constitutional amendment. The 10-day trial in the case began last week.

Among the laws being challenged is a requirement that only doctors provide abortions, a ban on prescribing medication abortion through telehealth, facility licensing requirements, admitting privileges and a written transfer agreement at a nearby hospital and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">state-approved complication plan</a>&nbsp;for medication abortions.&nbsp;

These regulations eventually halted nearly all access to abortion in Missouri as more and more women seeking to terminate a pregnancy sought care in Illinois and Kansas. By the time Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect in 2022,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/24/2-year-anniversary-missouri-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;thousands of Missourians were already leaving the state</a>&nbsp;each year to end their pregnancies.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is seeking to access records for patients who traveled to Planned Parenthood clinics in Illinois and Kansas for abortions and experienced a complication.

In December, the state tried to impose sanctions to force Planned Parenthood to turn over these patient complication reports. Planned Parenthood refused, saying the records would violate patient privacy. A separate judge intervened, ordering the clinics to only turn over a summary chart outlining the complications.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/">The state is appealing&nbsp;</a>this decision.

Over the past decade, nearly 29,000 Missourians had abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, and Pittsburg, Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, testified Tuesday. Of 28,764 who had abortions between 2015 and 2024, 248 had complications as defined by the state, bringing the complication rate to .86%, according to data later provided by Planned Parenthood to The Independent. &nbsp;

“We are significantly better when it comes to complication rates than the national average,” Wales said, noting that the complication rate for Missouri women at each of the three clinics is regularly under 1% and has been for the past decade.&nbsp;

Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue asked if some patients had to have follow-up procedures at local hospitals, and if Planned Parenthood Great Plains has advised patients to go to the ER?&nbsp;

Yes, Wales said, but they’ve never had to transport a patient from a clinic to a hospital.

Under state law, Planned Parenthood must report any abortion complications to the health department. But how the health department and how Planned Parenthood defines complications differs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2022, the most recent year Department of Health and Senior Services data is available,&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalstatistics/mvs22/Table12c.pdf" target="_blank">115 complications were reported</a>. Fifty-five involved procedural abortions, which happen in-clinic, and 60 were the result of medication abortions.

Gillian Wilcox, litigation director for the ACLU of Missouri, said state attorneys were misrepresenting the safety of abortions and said the practice doesn’t necessitate special regulations.&nbsp;

“All medical care carries risk of complications. And when you look at it in isolation, you don’t get a full picture,” Wilcox said in an interview. “Because when you get the full picture it is that they are providing thousands of abortions. And the complication rate actually percentage-wise is very low.”&nbsp;

Complications associated with abortion included hemorrhaging, fever, uterine perforation, pregnancy tissue left in the uterus, cervical lacerations, incomplete abortion and failed abortion.&nbsp;

The latter, which is a circumstance where the abortion doesn’t work and the pregnancy continues, is not generally considered a complication, but rather a possible outcome, Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health based at the University of California-San Francisco, testified Tuesday.

State-mandated complication reporting requirements “create the impression that abortion is riskier than it really is,” said Grossman, who is a liaison to Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee.

Missouri is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/abortion-reporting-requirements" target="_blank">one of 27 states</a>&nbsp;that requires providers to submit complication reports.

Grossman pointed to a section on the complication report marked “death.”

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">Bleeding and cramping are expected side effects</a>&nbsp;of both medication and procedural abortions. Hemorrhaging and infection are among the rare complications.&nbsp;

Since mifepristone was approved for use in medication abortions 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been associated with its use,</a>&nbsp;according to the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA evaluated data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.

Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN in Texas and a board member at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, was called to testify Friday by the Attorney General’s Office. She has treated dozens of women for abortion complications, Skop said, and she believes national data is lacking.

“It appears safer than it actually is,” she said.

That’s because abortion clinics are not generally mandated to report complications, Skop said.&nbsp;

Complications can happen after women leave clinics, and women presenting in hospital emergency rooms do not always tell doctors about their abortions. Skop said abortion providers do little follow up, unlike a routine doctor that has built a relationship with their patients.&nbsp;

“The assumption seems to be no news is good news,” she said of abortion providers who may not hear from patients after procedural or medication abortions.

On cross examination, a plaintiff’s attorney noted that Skop has never performed abortions and disagrees with mainstream medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians &amp; Gynecologists. Skop was also questioned about the fact that several of her articles were&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23333928231216699" target="_blank">retracted</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/09/1230175305/abortion-pill-mifepristone-retraction-supreme-court" target="_blank">methodology issues&nbsp;</a>from peer-reviewed journals, though she maintained those were politically motivated moves.

On Thursday, Overcash questioned Margot Riphagan, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers president and CEO, extensively about complications.

Overcash entered into evidence a spreadsheet summarizing complications reported among the nearly 24,000 Missourians who traveled to Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Fairview Heights for abortions in the last decade. Planned Parenthood later told The Independent there were 418 complications among 24,350 Missourians at the clinic between 2015 and 2024, or a 1.72% complication rate as defined by the state.

Overcash then highlighted nine instances of ectopic pregnancies, a dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus that, if left untreated, can lead to death.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768828924754.png" alt=" The Planned Parenthood Great Plains office in Overland Park, Kansas, is pictured in June 2024 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Planned Parenthood Great Plains office in Overland Park, Kansas, is pictured in June 2024 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In the past decade, more than 50,000 Missouri women sought abortions in Kansas and Illinois. The rare complications suffered are at the heart of arguments over its safety</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">Anna Spoerre</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kevinhardy/">Kevin Hardy</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>KANSAS CITY — Roughly 1% of the more than 53,000 Missourians who received abortions over the last 10 years in Illinois and Kansas experienced complications, ranging from infection to incomplete abortions to hemorrhaging.&nbsp;Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office are dissecting dozens of Missouri’s Targeted Regulation of Abortion, or TRAP laws, as a judge decides which, if any, should remain in place. The safety of abortion is at the heart of the debate.As the trial enters its second week on Tuesday in Jackson County, the state is trying to make the case that the potential for complications justifies strict regulations on abortion providers.&nbsp;“The risks associated with abortion don’t just exist in the abstract,” said Assistant Solicitor General Alexandria Overcash. “Real women, Missouri women have suffered.”Experts called by Planned Parenthood say that’s not the case. Abortion, they said, presents less risk than many medical procedures, including child birth.“But there’s nothing like sitting in your patient’s pool of blood as she’s bleeding out four liters of blood to realize that a healthy term pregnancy has a whole hell of a lot of risk,” Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB-GYN in St. Louis, testified Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718794587714.png" alt="Jennifer Smith, an OBGYN, speaks about medical challenges without legal abortions in Missouri in 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Jennifer Smith, an OBGYN, speaks about medical challenges without legal abortions in Missouri in 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2024 overturning the state’s abortion ban and enacting protections for reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to repeal abortion regulations it argues now violate the new constitutional amendment. The 10-day trial in the case began last week.Among the laws being challenged is a requirement that only doctors provide abortions, a ban on prescribing medication abortion through telehealth, facility licensing requirements, admitting privileges and a written transfer agreement at a nearby hospital and a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/11/laws-regulations-medication-abortion-mifepristone-misoprostol-missouri/">state-approved complication plan</a>&nbsp;for medication abortions.&nbsp;These regulations eventually halted nearly all access to abortion in Missouri as more and more women seeking to terminate a pregnancy sought care in Illinois and Kansas. By the time Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect in 2022,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/24/2-year-anniversary-missouri-abortion-ban/">&nbsp;thousands of Missourians were already leaving the state</a>&nbsp;each year to end their pregnancies.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is seeking to access records for patients who traveled to Planned Parenthood clinics in Illinois and Kansas for abortions and experienced a complication.In December, the state tried to impose sanctions to force Planned Parenthood to turn over these patient complication reports. Planned Parenthood refused, saying the records would violate patient privacy. A separate judge intervened, ordering the clinics to only turn over a summary chart outlining the complications.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/">The state is appealing&nbsp;</a>this decision.Over the past decade, nearly 29,000 Missourians had abortions at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, and Pittsburg, Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, testified Tuesday. Of 28,764 who had abortions between 2015 and 2024, 248 had complications as defined by the state, bringing the complication rate to .86%, according to data later provided by Planned Parenthood to The Independent. &nbsp;“We are significantly better when it comes to complication rates than the national average,” Wales said, noting that the complication rate for Missouri women at each of the three clinics is regularly under 1% and has been for the past decade.&nbsp;Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue asked if some patients had to have follow-up procedures at local hospitals, and if Planned Parenthood Great Plains has advised patients to go to the ER?&nbsp;Yes, Wales said, but they’ve never had to transport a patient from a clinic to a hospital.Under state law, Planned Parenthood must report any abortion complications to the health department. But how the health department and how Planned Parenthood defines complications differs.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2022, the most recent year Department of Health and Senior Services data is available,&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/vitalstatistics/mvs22/Table12c.pdf" target="_blank">115 complications were reported</a>. Fifty-five involved procedural abortions, which happen in-clinic, and 60 were the result of medication abortions.Gillian Wilcox, litigation director for the ACLU of Missouri, said state attorneys were misrepresenting the safety of abortions and said the practice doesn’t necessitate special regulations.&nbsp;“All medical care carries risk of complications. And when you look at it in isolation, you don’t get a full picture,” Wilcox said in an interview. “Because when you get the full picture it is that they are providing thousands of abortions. And the complication rate actually percentage-wise is very low.”&nbsp;Complications associated with abortion included hemorrhaging, fever, uterine perforation, pregnancy tissue left in the uterus, cervical lacerations, incomplete abortion and failed abortion.&nbsp;The latter, which is a circumstance where the abortion doesn’t work and the pregnancy continues, is not generally considered a complication, but rather a possible outcome, Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health based at the University of California-San Francisco, testified Tuesday.State-mandated complication reporting requirements “create the impression that abortion is riskier than it really is,” said Grossman, who is a liaison to Planned Parenthood’s National Medical Committee.Missouri is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/abortion-reporting-requirements" target="_blank">one of 27 states</a>&nbsp;that requires providers to submit complication reports.Grossman pointed to a section on the complication report marked “death.”<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">Bleeding and cramping are expected side effects</a>&nbsp;of both medication and procedural abortions. Hemorrhaging and infection are among the rare complications.&nbsp;Since mifepristone was approved for use in medication abortions 28 years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">32 deaths have been associated with its use,</a>&nbsp;according to the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA evaluated data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides.Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN in Texas and a board member at the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, was called to testify Friday by the Attorney General’s Office. She has treated dozens of women for abortion complications, Skop said, and she believes national data is lacking.“It appears safer than it actually is,” she said.That’s because abortion clinics are not generally mandated to report complications, Skop said.&nbsp;Complications can happen after women leave clinics, and women presenting in hospital emergency rooms do not always tell doctors about their abortions. Skop said abortion providers do little follow up, unlike a routine doctor that has built a relationship with their patients.&nbsp;“The assumption seems to be no news is good news,” she said of abortion providers who may not hear from patients after procedural or medication abortions.On cross examination, a plaintiff’s attorney noted that Skop has never performed abortions and disagrees with mainstream medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians &amp; Gynecologists. Skop was also questioned about the fact that several of her articles were&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23333928231216699" target="_blank">retracted</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/09/1230175305/abortion-pill-mifepristone-retraction-supreme-court" target="_blank">methodology issues&nbsp;</a>from peer-reviewed journals, though she maintained those were politically motivated moves.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768301874356.png" alt="Margot Riphagan, left, stands next to Dr. Margaret Baum (center), chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, as she speaks to reporters following the opening day of a trial litigating Missouri’s abortion regulations on Jan. 12 in front of the Jackson County courthouse in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Margot Riphagan, left, stands next to Dr. Margaret Baum (center), chief medical officer with Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, as she speaks to reporters following the opening day of a trial litigating Missouri’s abortion regulations on Jan. 12 in front of the Jackson County courthouse in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday, Overcash questioned Margot Riphagan, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers president and CEO, extensively about complications.Overcash entered into evidence a spreadsheet summarizing complications reported among the nearly 24,000 Missourians who traveled to Planned Parenthood’s clinic in Fairview Heights for abortions in the last decade. Planned Parenthood later told The Independent there were 418 complications among 24,350 Missourians at the clinic between 2015 and 2024, or a 1.72% complication rate as defined by the state.Overcash then highlighted nine instances of ectopic pregnancies, a dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus that, if left untreated, can lead to death.&nbsp;Doctors testifying on behalf of Planned Parenthood said taking mifepristone doesn’t increase a patient’s risk of dying from an ectopic pregnancy. The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, including abdominal pain, would disqualify someone from being able to be prescribed medication abortion without first seeing a doctor in-person.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/164331/download" target="_blank">Two people over three decades have died from ruptured ectopic pregnancies&nbsp;</a>after taking mifepristone, according to the FDA. The FDA reported an additional 95 cases of mifepristone taken during an ectopic pregnancy. The patients were hospitalized in a majority of those cases.&nbsp;Overcash also pointed to several cases documenting failed or incomplete abortions in which the patient later chose to stay pregnant.&nbsp;“So once again, a woman decided to continue her pregnancy?” she asked.“It’s critical that women make decisions about their own bodies, yes” Riphagan responded.Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who was<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/catherine-hanaway-missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey/">&nbsp;appointed to the job in September,&nbsp;</a>made her first appearance at the trial Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;“There are real concerns about the safety for women if these treatments are not medically supervised in the appropriate way,” she told The Independent.&nbsp;Asked whether the state viewed abortion as unsafe Hanaway said: “Remember, we all have a job, which is to represent the state. And these are the laws that were adopted by the state, and we’re defending them.”