<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorShapiro</a>, your <a href="https://twitter.com/Eagles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eagles</a> are no match for our <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a>. I&#39;ll bet you <a href="https://twitter.com/CreekstoneFarms?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CreekstoneFarms</a>&#39; Premium Black Angus steaks that <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/tkelce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tkelce</a> will make history on Sunday by securing a Super Bowl 3-peat. As <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@taylorswift13</a> would say, are you ready for it? <a href="https://t.co/c2VlFnoK0T">https://t.co/c2VlFnoK0T</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1887925874919358848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kan. governor makes friendly Super Bowl wager with PA. governor

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years.

One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-05.html">data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, other viral infections can be mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to be on the decline, according to hospital data and to CDC modeling projections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/">Available data</a>&nbsp;also suggests another respiratory illness, RSV, has been fading nationally.

The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student system near Fort Worth, Texas, last week closed for three days after 650 students and 60 staff were out Tuesday.

Jeff Meador, a district spokesman, said the vast majority of illnesses there have been flu, plus some strep throat. He called it the worst flu season he could remember.

So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children. Traditionally, flu season peaks around February.

Overall, 43 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. Flu was most intense in the South, Southwest and western states.

In Rochester, New York, the flu season has been intense but not necessarily worse than at the peak of other years, said Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

She said there’s a lot of flu, but there’s also still a lot of RSV and a surprising number of babies with COVID-19.

“All of the respiratory illnesses are around, with a vengeance,” Murray added.

The CDC declined to let an Associated Press reporter speak to an agency flu expert about recent trends. The Trump administration ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">temporary “pause”</a>&nbsp;on health agency communications and has continued to refuse interview requests that were routinely granted in the past.

U.S. health officials recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-flu-rsv-vaccines-shots-ad33f4fe23f4c293ab87415b6449d9ad">annual flu vaccination</a>.

About 44% of adults got flu shots this winter, the same as last winter. But coverage of children is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/children-vaccination-coverage.html">way down</a>, at about 45% this winter. It’s usually around 50%, according to CDC data.

About 23% of U.S. adults were up to date in their COVID-19 vaccinations as of late January, up from about 20% at the same point in time the year before. COVID-19 vaccination rates for kids were about the same, at around 12%.

The government has not yet reported its estimates of how well this season's flu vaccine is working.

Testing results from patients indicate that two strains of seasonal flu that are causing most illnesses — a Type A H1N1 and a Type A H3N2. Health officials are closely watching a third strain — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;known as Type A H5N1 — that has sickened tens of millions of animals, but is known to have infected only 67 people in the U.S.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norovirus-flu-symptoms-covid19-rsv-a673bf84d9503395783d849733e007eb">To avoid seasonal viruses</a>, doctors say you should avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth because germs can spread that way. You should also wash your hands with soap and water, clean frequently touched surfaces and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738961853692.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years.One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2025-week-05.html">data</a>&nbsp;posted Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Of course, other viral infections can be mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to be on the decline, according to hospital data and to CDC modeling projections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/">Available data</a>&nbsp;also suggests another respiratory illness, RSV, has been fading nationally.The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student system near Fort Worth, Texas, last week closed for three days after 650 students and 60 staff were out Tuesday.Jeff Meador, a district spokesman, said the vast majority of illnesses there have been flu, plus some strep throat. He called it the worst flu season he could remember.So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children. Traditionally, flu season peaks around February.Overall, 43 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. Flu was most intense in the South, Southwest and western states.In Rochester, New York, the flu season has been intense but not necessarily worse than at the peak of other years, said Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor at the University of Rochester Medical Center.She said there’s a lot of flu, but there’s also still a lot of RSV and a surprising number of babies with COVID-19.“All of the respiratory illnesses are around, with a vengeance,” Murray added.The CDC declined to let an Associated Press reporter speak to an agency flu expert about recent trends. The Trump administration ordered a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4">temporary “pause”</a>&nbsp;on health agency communications and has continued to refuse interview requests that were routinely granted in the past.U.S. health officials recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-flu-rsv-vaccines-shots-ad33f4fe23f4c293ab87415b6449d9ad">annual flu vaccination</a>.About 44% of adults got flu shots this winter, the same as last winter. But coverage of children is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/children-vaccination-coverage.html">way down</a>, at about 45% this winter. It’s usually around 50%, according to CDC data.About 23% of U.S. adults were up to date in their COVID-19 vaccinations as of late January, up from about 20% at the same point in time the year before. COVID-19 vaccination rates for kids were about the same, at around 12%.The government has not yet reported its estimates of how well this season's flu vaccine is working.Testing results from patients indicate that two strains of seasonal flu that are causing most illnesses — a Type A H1N1 and a Type A H3N2. Health officials are closely watching a third strain — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>&nbsp;known as Type A H5N1 — that has sickened tens of millions of animals, but is known to have infected only 67 people in the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norovirus-flu-symptoms-covid19-rsv-a673bf84d9503395783d849733e007eb">To avoid seasonal viruses</a>, doctors say you should avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth because germs can spread that way. You should also wash your hands with soap and water, clean frequently touched surfaces and avoid close contact with people who are sick.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Flu season in the US is the most intense it's been in at least 15 years

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators from both political parties wrote to the acting Social Security commissioner on Thursday, expressing concern it might take the agency more than a year to implement an expansion to benefits that Congress approved last year.

“The Social Security Fairness Act restores full Social Security benefits for the millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who are unfairly penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO),” the group of 28 senators wrote. “We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO.”

The senators then asked Commissioner Michelle King to provide Congress with “monthly updates and briefings” on how the agency was implementing the new law.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/252025_letter_to_ssa_re_hr82wepgpoimplementation.pdf" target="_blank">one-page letter</a>&nbsp;was signed by Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Maine independent Sen. Angus King, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch and Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

The Social Security Administration has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html" target="_blank">webpage</a>&nbsp;with answers to several questions regarding the new law and how the agency is trying to implement the change in benefits.

The webpage says the agency “cannot yet provide an estimated timeframe for when we will adjust a person’s past or future benefits, but we will continue to provide updates on this webpage. We thank the public for its patience.”

The webpage also explains how people who have never filed for Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision or the Government Pension Offset can apply now that there is a new law.

A spokesperson for the Social Security Administration said the agency “received the letter and will respond directly to the requestors.” States Newsroom had asked for details about why the law’s implementation might take a year.&nbsp;

Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-benefits-boosted-millions-bill-headed-bidens-desk-1" target="_blank">voted on a broadly bipartisan basis</a>&nbsp;late last year to approve the bill making the change and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-signs-bill-expanding-social-security-benefits-retired-teachers-public-employees" target="_blank">then-President Joe Biden signed it into law</a>&nbsp;in January.

The pension offset affects about 746,000 Americans while the windfall provision affects 2.1 million, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12451" target="_blank">a report&nbsp;</a>from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which includes maps showing which states have higher concentrations of people affected by the two former provisions.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716140421905.png" alt="File photo Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran" />
 <figcaption>File photo Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. senators from both political parties wrote to the acting Social Security commissioner on Thursday, expressing concern it might take the agency more than a year to implement an expansion to benefits that Congress approved last year.“The Social Security Fairness Act restores full Social Security benefits for the millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who are unfairly penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO),” the group of 28 senators wrote. “We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO.”The senators then asked Commissioner Michelle King to provide Congress with “monthly updates and briefings” on how the agency was implementing the new law.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/252025_letter_to_ssa_re_hr82wepgpoimplementation.pdf" target="_blank">one-page letter</a>&nbsp;was signed by Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New Mexico Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Maine independent Sen. Angus King, Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, New Mexico Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch and Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.<h2>No estimated timeframe</h2>The Social Security Administration has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/social-security-fairness-act.html" target="_blank">webpage</a>&nbsp;with answers to several questions regarding the new law and how the agency is trying to implement the change in benefits.The webpage says the agency “cannot yet provide an estimated timeframe for when we will adjust a person’s past or future benefits, but we will continue to provide updates on this webpage. We thank the public for its patience.”The webpage also explains how people who have never filed for Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision or the Government Pension Offset can apply now that there is a new law.A spokesperson for the Social Security Administration said the agency “received the letter and will respond directly to the requestors.” States Newsroom had asked for details about why the law’s implementation might take a year.&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-benefits-boosted-millions-bill-headed-bidens-desk-1" target="_blank">voted on a broadly bipartisan basis</a>&nbsp;late last year to approve the bill making the change and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-signs-bill-expanding-social-security-benefits-retired-teachers-public-employees" target="_blank">then-President Joe Biden signed it into law</a>&nbsp;in January.The pension offset affects about 746,000 Americans while the windfall provision affects 2.1 million, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12451" target="_blank">a report&nbsp;</a>from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which includes maps showing which states have higher concentrations of people affected by the two former provisions.&nbsp;

Lawmakers press Social Security on lag in paying expanded benefits to public employees

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– The Blue Angels have named McConnell Air Force Base’s 2024 Frontiers in Flight airshow as the&nbsp;2024 Blue Angels Military Airshow of the Year.

The airshow was August 24-25, 2024, and brought in a crowd of more than 65,000 people on its first day. The event featured aerial demonstrations, static aircraft displays and interactive exhibits, allowing attendees to see military aviation capabilities up close. The Blue Angels headlined the performances, demonstrating precision flying and teamwork. A variety of military and civilian aircraft were also on display, showcasing both historical and modern aviation technology.

The award recognizes excellence in planning, execution, and community engagement, key factors that set McConnell’s airshow apart. The Blue Angels evaluate each of the airshows they performed at in 2024, considering elements such as crowd management, logistical coordination, airfield operations, and overall event impact. McConnell’s ability to coordinate a large-scale event while maintaining strict safety protocols and providing an engaging experience contributed to its selection for this recognition.

The air show was also cut short on Aug. 25, when a wet microburst, a sudden, intense downdraft of sustained 50+ mph winds and rain, forced the cancellation of the second day’s events.

These weather events are common in the Great Plains during the summer, typically forming overnight and weakening after sunrise. However, in this case, an upper-level disturbance allowed the storm to persist longer than expected, creating unsafe conditions for public attendance and flying demonstrations.

“Planning for the air show began about two years prior. The number of variables to cover is incredibly wide, ranging from weather and medical emergencies to making sure there is enough food and parking spaces for everyone,” said Maj. Ryan Sheive, 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker pilot and air show director.

Hosting a large-scale event like an airshow requires extensive coordination across multiple agencies both on base and throughout the local communities, requiring months of preparation, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen challenges.

“We had a great team this year, but during the air show there were challenges that popped up every five minutes,” said Capt. Matthew Robbins, 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 pilot and air show deputy director. “There were more people in attendance this year than was expected -- lines at security check, medical teams helping attendees with the heat and when the weather hit, that’s when we really stepped up as a team.”

Planning is also underway for the next Frontiers in Flight Airshow, slated for the fall of 2026.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738946297135.png" alt="The U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform during the practice show for the Frontiers in Flight Air Show Aug. 24, 2024, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The show will feature 13 performers including the Blue Angels, the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, Tora Tora Tora and local pilots. Team McConnell invited the public on base to show appreciation to the local community for their support to the base and its Airmen, as well as showcase Department of Defense and Air Force capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhguh)" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform during the practice show for the Frontiers in Flight Air Show Aug. 24, 2024, at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The show will feature 13 performers including the Blue Angels, the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, Tora Tora Tora and local pilots. Team McConnell invited the public on base to show appreciation to the local community for their support to the base and its Airmen, as well as showcase Department of Defense and Air Force capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tryphena Mayhguh)</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– The Blue Angels have named McConnell Air Force Base’s 2024 Frontiers in Flight airshow as the&nbsp;2024 Blue Angels Military Airshow of the Year.The airshow was August 24-25, 2024, and brought in a crowd of more than 65,000 people on its first day. The event featured aerial demonstrations, static aircraft displays and interactive exhibits, allowing attendees to see military aviation capabilities up close. The Blue Angels headlined the performances, demonstrating precision flying and teamwork. A variety of military and civilian aircraft were also on display, showcasing both historical and modern aviation technology.The award recognizes excellence in planning, execution, and community engagement, key factors that set McConnell’s airshow apart. The Blue Angels evaluate each of the airshows they performed at in 2024, considering elements such as crowd management, logistical coordination, airfield operations, and overall event impact. McConnell’s ability to coordinate a large-scale event while maintaining strict safety protocols and providing an engaging experience contributed to its selection for this recognition.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724616069059.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The air show was also cut short on Aug. 25, when a wet microburst, a sudden, intense downdraft of sustained 50+ mph winds and rain, forced the cancellation of the second day’s events.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738946491701.png" alt="Photo Kansas Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>These weather events are common in the Great Plains during the summer, typically forming overnight and weakening after sunrise. However, in this case, an upper-level disturbance allowed the storm to persist longer than expected, creating unsafe conditions for public attendance and flying demonstrations.“Planning for the air show began about two years prior. The number of variables to cover is incredibly wide, ranging from weather and medical emergencies to making sure there is enough food and parking spaces for everyone,” said Maj. Ryan Sheive, 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 Stratotanker pilot and air show director.Hosting a large-scale event like an airshow requires extensive coordination across multiple agencies both on base and throughout the local communities, requiring months of preparation, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen challenges.“We had a great team this year, but during the air show there were challenges that popped up every five minutes,” said Capt. Matthew Robbins, 350th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 pilot and air show deputy director. “There were more people in attendance this year than was expected -- lines at security check, medical teams helping attendees with the heat and when the weather hit, that’s when we really stepped up as a team.”Planning is also underway for the next Frontiers in Flight Airshow, slated for the fall of 2026.

Blue Angels name McConnell as 2024 Airshow of the Year  

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Johnson County have identified the victim as&nbsp;28-year-old Eduardo E. Portillo of Independence, Missouri.

Just before 10:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the 15900 block of West 127th Street in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

First responders found Portillo suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police have identified and contacted all individual involved. Police have not reported an arrest.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a fatal shooting in Johnson County have identified the victim as&nbsp;28-year-old Eduardo E. Portillo of Independence, Missouri.Just before 10:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the 15900 block of West 127th Street in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.First responders found Portillo suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.Police have identified and contacted all individual involved. Police have not reported an arrest.

Police: Missouri man identified as victim in Kansas shooting

NEW ORLEANS — In a joint press conference with the National Football League, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, led by Director Ivan J. Arvelo, announced the seizure of $39.5 million in counterfeit sports merchandise through Operation Team Player, according to a media release from Homeland Security.

This year-long, collaborative initiative between Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and major sports leagues aims to prevent counterfeit sports-related merchandise and apparel from reaching fans ahead of high-profile sporting events.

In total, more than 214,507 counterfeit items were seized, including jerseys, t-shirts, hats, jewelry, and various other memorabilia. Since its launch in 2013, Operation Team Player has seized more than $455 million in counterfeit sports merchandise and apparel, making it the largest anti-counterfeiting initiative within the federal government.

“With the rise of e-commerce, it has become incredibly easy for criminals to create fake websites, online marketplaces, and social media ads offering deceptive deals with the sole intention of scamming sports fans,” said Arvelo. “That’s why our partnership with sports leagues, such as the NFL, is critical in our efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit merchandise and help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.”

“As we prepare for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, it is important to remember that the success of the game depends on so many crucial partners and vital stakeholders. The NFL is extremely grateful for its long partnership with the IPR Center, HSI, CBP and New Orleans law enforcement, and all that they do to protect NFL fans,” said Dolores DiBella, NFL Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs. “The continued success of Operation Team Player would not be possible without their tireless efforts and ongoing commitment to protecting NFL fans from counterfeit crimes both on the ground and online.”

“At CBP, we’re not just fans of the game — we’re also here to protect the fans, businesses, and communities that make this event so special. One of the ways we do this is by tackling an issue many consumers don’t realize has an enormous impact: counterfeit goods. Fake jerseys and hats might seem like a good deal, but they can come with serious risks,” said AnneMarie Highsmith, Executive Associate Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade.

“Leading up to and during the game, members of the New Orleans Police Department will be teamed up with agents from the city’s Department of Revenue, the Department of Homeland Security and NFL members, to identify and address illegal vendors and the sale of counterfeit merchandise,” said Lt. Kenny Temple, New Orleans Police Department.

“Excitement is growing ahead of the big game in New Orleans on Sunday. But if you’re looking to be in that number — and buy tickets to the Super Bowl LIX, you’ve got to do your homework first. Sadly, many con artists will be working overtime this week to prey on innocent people looking to attend the game,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill.

While many mistakenly believe that counterfeiting only affects large corporations, the reality is that purchasing fake merchandise has real consequences such as identify theft or financial loss. In response, the IPR Center launched the 'True Fans Keep It Real' campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit goods and provide sports fans with helpful tips to shop smart and spot counterfeit merchandise both online and in person.

“Our goal is to arm consumers with the knowledge to avoid purchasing counterfeit items in the first place,” Arvelo added.

To help fans stay safe from counterfeit products, the IPR Center and the NFL recommend the following tips when making purchases:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739026217872.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS — In a joint press conference with the National Football League, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, led by Director Ivan J. Arvelo, announced the seizure of $39.5 million in counterfeit sports merchandise through Operation Team Player, according to a media release from Homeland Security.This year-long, collaborative initiative between Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and major sports leagues aims to prevent counterfeit sports-related merchandise and apparel from reaching fans ahead of high-profile sporting events.In total, more than 214,507 counterfeit items were seized, including jerseys, t-shirts, hats, jewelry, and various other memorabilia. Since its launch in 2013, Operation Team Player has seized more than $455 million in counterfeit sports merchandise and apparel, making it the largest anti-counterfeiting initiative within the federal government.“With the rise of e-commerce, it has become incredibly easy for criminals to create fake websites, online marketplaces, and social media ads offering deceptive deals with the sole intention of scamming sports fans,” said Arvelo. “That’s why our partnership with sports leagues, such as the NFL, is critical in our efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit merchandise and help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.”“As we prepare for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, it is important to remember that the success of the game depends on so many crucial partners and vital stakeholders. The NFL is extremely grateful for its long partnership with the IPR Center, HSI, CBP and New Orleans law enforcement, and all that they do to protect NFL fans,” said Dolores DiBella, NFL Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs. “The continued success of Operation Team Player would not be possible without their tireless efforts and ongoing commitment to protecting NFL fans from counterfeit crimes both on the ground and online.”“At CBP, we’re not just fans of the game — we’re also here to protect the fans, businesses, and communities that make this event so special. One of the ways we do this is by tackling an issue many consumers don’t realize has an enormous impact: counterfeit goods. Fake jerseys and hats might seem like a good deal, but they can come with serious risks,” said AnneMarie Highsmith, Executive Associate Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade.“Leading up to and during the game, members of the New Orleans Police Department will be teamed up with agents from the city’s Department of Revenue, the Department of Homeland Security and NFL members, to identify and address illegal vendors and the sale of counterfeit merchandise,” said Lt. Kenny Temple, New Orleans Police Department.“Excitement is growing ahead of the big game in New Orleans on Sunday. But if you’re looking to be in that number — and buy tickets to the Super Bowl LIX, you’ve got to do your homework first. Sadly, many con artists will be working overtime this week to prey on innocent people looking to attend the game,” said Attorney General Liz Murrill.While many mistakenly believe that counterfeiting only affects large corporations, the reality is that purchasing fake merchandise has real consequences such as identify theft or financial loss. In response, the IPR Center launched the 'True Fans Keep It Real' campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of counterfeit goods and provide sports fans with helpful tips to shop smart and spot counterfeit merchandise both online and in person.“Our goal is to arm consumers with the knowledge to avoid purchasing counterfeit items in the first place,” Arvelo added.To help fans stay safe from counterfeit products, the IPR Center and the NFL recommend the following tips when making purchases:<ul>
 <li>Stick to trusted retail locations.</li><li>Be cautious when shopping online. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Criminals often use legitimate product photos while selling fraudulent items.</li><li>Use caution before purchasing expensive items from unfamiliar online sellers. Shop from authorized dealers with a reputation for quality merchandise to ensure a safe transaction and responsible customer service.</li><li>Look for signs of poor quality, such as sloppy stitching, missing security labels, or irregular markings on apparel.</li><li>Check your online bank statements regularly. Keep a record of purchases and confirmation pages and compare them to your bank statements. If discrepancies arise, report them immediately.</li><li>Purchase event tickets only from trusted sources, such as the NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster, On Location, or other reputable ticket retailers. This year, Super Bowl LIX will be entirely digital, and no paper tickets will be accepted. Screenshots or PDFs of tickets will not be valid for entry.</li>
 </ul>

$39.5M in Counterfeit Sports Merchandise Seized Ahead of Super Bowl 

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli civilian men they held for the past 16 months on Saturday, and Israel was freeing dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile agreement that has paused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in the Gaza Strip</a>.

Before a crowd of hundreds, armed Hamas fighters led Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, onto a stage, where they were forced to make a public statement before being handed over to the Red Cross.

The three were among about 250 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. They appeared to be in much poorer physical condition than any of the 18 other hostages released so far during the ceasefire that began Jan. 19.

The hostages' emaciated condition and the stage-managed ceremony — a departure from previous hostage releases where the captives were not made to speak — sparked outrage in Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “we will not accept the shocking scenes” that played out. The statement did not lay out punitive measures.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the “difficult scenes” were reason to extend the truce with Hamas and bring home the dozens of remaining hostages.

In an apparent response to concerns over the released hostages’ health, Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed it had “made efforts to preserve their lives despite the (Israeli) bombardment.”

Many Palestinians released from Israeli jails during the ceasefire have also appeared gaunt and pale, and have alleged abuses and mistreatment in Israeli custody.

The current phase of the truce, which runs until early March, does not appear to have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-trump-gaza-egypt-saudi-2b1af11c18bf7d5d9aedef68aaba4c00">stunning proposal</a>&nbsp;to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, welcomed by Israel but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-egypt-trump-displacement-bc1c43f80655190824a5de4eb1d310cc">vehemently rejected by the Palestinians</a>&nbsp;and most of the international community.

But it could complicate talks over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">the second and more difficult phase</a>, when Hamas is to release dozens more hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire. Hamas may be reluctant to free more captives — and lose its main bargaining chip — if it believes the U.S. and Israel are serious about depopulating the territory, which rights groups say would violate international law.

This was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners during the ceasefire. Before Saturday, 18 hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners had been freed.

The gaunt appearance of the three hostages “evoke the horrifying pictures from the liberation of the camps in 1945, the darkest chapter of our history,” said the Hostages Families Forum, a group representing relatives of most of the captives. "We have to get all of the hostages out of hell. There can be no more delays.”

The first phase of the ceasefire calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory. Last week, wounded Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt for the first time since May.

Sharabi and Ben Ami were both captured from Kibbutz Beeri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-displaced-hamas-dead-sea-beeri-hotel-94d57fc34dd18a73e38eea8437d15801">one of the hardest-hit farming communities</a>, during the Hamas-led attack. Levy was abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-music-festival-6a55aae2375944f10ecc4c52d05f2ffe">the Nova music festival</a>, where he was taking shelter in a safe room when the militants arrived.

Sharabi’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-war-98c2dbb2634eefbe52de11c1e06528af">wife and two teenage daughters</a>&nbsp;were killed in the attack. His brother Yossi was also abducted and died in captivity. Levy’s wife was killed during the attack and his now 3-year-old son has been cared for by relatives.

It is unclear whether either man knows about what happened to their families.

Ben Ami, a father of three, was kidnapped with his wife, Raz, who was released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.

Relatives of the hostages cheered, clapped and cried as they watched live footage of their loved ones being released.

Levy's brother, Michael, said his brother’s young son, Almog, was already told his father was on his way.

“Mogi, we found daddy,” Michael Levy said he told the boy, using his nickname, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12. “We haven’t seen happiness like that in him for a long time."

The 183 Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel on Saturday include 18 people serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis, 54 serving long-term sentences and 111 Palestinians from Gaza who were detained after the Oct. 7 attack but not tried for any crime. All are men are aged between 20 and 61.

Virtually every Palestinian has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-boys-prison-west-bank-israel-war-d0f73d0a1581749894ffc0e078b4b160">friend, relative or acquaintance</a>&nbsp;who has been imprisoned.

More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. More than 70 are still in Gaza, and Israel has said 34 of those are believed to be dead. Israel says Hamas has confirmed eight of the 33 to be released during the first phase of the truce are dead.

It is not clear whether Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the ceasefire. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.

Hamas says it won’t release remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

In the Oct. 7 attack, some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground war, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in residential neighborhoods.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli civilian men they held for the past 16 months on Saturday, and Israel was freeing dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile agreement that has paused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in the Gaza Strip</a>.Before a crowd of hundreds, armed Hamas fighters led Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, onto a stage, where they were forced to make a public statement before being handed over to the Red Cross.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739021341139.png" alt=""The horrifying images of Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharbi, and Or Levy reveal the devastating toll of 491 days in Hamas captivity. These are men who have endured hell itself. This is a crime against humanity." Image courtesy Hostage and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>"The horrifying images of Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharbi, and Or Levy reveal the devastating toll of 491 days in Hamas captivity. These are men who have endured hell itself. This is a crime against humanity." Image courtesy Hostage and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>The three were among about 250 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. They appeared to be in much poorer physical condition than any of the 18 other hostages released so far during the ceasefire that began Jan. 19.<h2>Hostages' condition sparks concern</h2>The hostages' emaciated condition and the stage-managed ceremony — a departure from previous hostage releases where the captives were not made to speak — sparked outrage in Israel.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “we will not accept the shocking scenes” that played out. The statement did not lay out punitive measures.Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the “difficult scenes” were reason to extend the truce with Hamas and bring home the dozens of remaining hostages.In an apparent response to concerns over the released hostages’ health, Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed it had “made efforts to preserve their lives despite the (Israeli) bombardment.”Many Palestinians released from Israeli jails during the ceasefire have also appeared gaunt and pale, and have alleged abuses and mistreatment in Israeli custody.The current phase of the truce, which runs until early March, does not appear to have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-trump-gaza-egypt-saudi-2b1af11c18bf7d5d9aedef68aaba4c00">stunning proposal</a>&nbsp;to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, welcomed by Israel but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-egypt-trump-displacement-bc1c43f80655190824a5de4eb1d310cc">vehemently rejected by the Palestinians</a>&nbsp;and most of the international community.But it could complicate talks over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-draft-terms-hostages-3df21b67620fdc8f62aa1d1e96487880">the second and more difficult phase</a>, when Hamas is to release dozens more hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire. Hamas may be reluctant to free more captives — and lose its main bargaining chip — if it believes the U.S. and Israel are serious about depopulating the territory, which rights groups say would violate international law.This was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners during the ceasefire. Before Saturday, 18 hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners had been freed.The gaunt appearance of the three hostages “evoke the horrifying pictures from the liberation of the camps in 1945, the darkest chapter of our history,” said the Hostages Families Forum, a group representing relatives of most of the captives. "We have to get all of the hostages out of hell. There can be no more delays.”The first phase of the ceasefire calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory. Last week, wounded Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt for the first time since May.<h2>Who was released on Saturday?</h2>Sharabi and Ben Ami were both captured from Kibbutz Beeri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-displaced-hamas-dead-sea-beeri-hotel-94d57fc34dd18a73e38eea8437d15801">one of the hardest-hit farming communities</a>, during the Hamas-led attack. Levy was abducted from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-music-festival-6a55aae2375944f10ecc4c52d05f2ffe">the Nova music festival</a>, where he was taking shelter in a safe room when the militants arrived.Sharabi’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas-war-98c2dbb2634eefbe52de11c1e06528af">wife and two teenage daughters</a>&nbsp;were killed in the attack. His brother Yossi was also abducted and died in captivity. Levy’s wife was killed during the attack and his now 3-year-old son has been cared for by relatives.It is unclear whether either man knows about what happened to their families.Ben Ami, a father of three, was kidnapped with his wife, Raz, who was released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.Relatives of the hostages cheered, clapped and cried as they watched live footage of their loved ones being released.Levy's brother, Michael, said his brother’s young son, Almog, was already told his father was on his way.“Mogi, we found daddy,” Michael Levy said he told the boy, using his nickname, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12. “We haven’t seen happiness like that in him for a long time."The 183 Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel on Saturday include 18 people serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis, 54 serving long-term sentences and 111 Palestinians from Gaza who were detained after the Oct. 7 attack but not tried for any crime. All are men are aged between 20 and 61.Virtually every Palestinian has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-boys-prison-west-bank-israel-war-d0f73d0a1581749894ffc0e078b4b160">friend, relative or acquaintance</a>&nbsp;who has been imprisoned.More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. More than 70 are still in Gaza, and Israel has said 34 of those are believed to be dead. Israel says Hamas has confirmed eight of the 33 to be released during the first phase of the truce are dead.<h2>Ceasefire's next phase is uncertain</h2>It is not clear whether Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-ceasefire-war-cb56a3da64e144492decfffc40c589cf">second phase</a>&nbsp;of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached.Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-militants-rule-93da074c251d0fcaa395503749e2849e">reasserted its rule over Gaza</a>&nbsp;within hours of the ceasefire. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.Hamas says it won’t release remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.In the Oct. 7 attack, some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground war, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in residential neighborhoods.

Shocking images: 3 more hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

First responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested 29-year-old Devin Miller of Topeka on requested charges of first degree murder and aggravated battery.

This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943432820.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.Just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2700 Block of SW Burnett Road, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738979967925.png" alt="Miller -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Miller -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders found three individuals who had life-threatening injuries. One was pronounced deceased on scene by medical personnel, and the other two were taken to a local area hospital.As a result of the investigation, police arrested 29-year-old Devin Miller of Topeka on requested charges of first degree murder and aggravated battery.This is the city’s 1st homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim who died.

Kansas man jailed for shooting that killed 1, injured 2 others

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in Kansas City.

Just after 8a.m. Friday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 4600 block of NW 78th Terrace in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

&nbsp;Crews reported smoke showing on arrival and initiated interior operations.

Crews discovered a small fire in one of the units. During a search of the smoking structure, firefighters found a dog and rescued from the smokey conditions.

The fire was quickly brought under control. . The property was equipped with working smoke detectors which alerted neighbors to call KCFD. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738949439769.png" alt="Photos KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in Kansas City.Just after 8a.m. Friday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 4600 block of NW 78th Terrace in Kansas City, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;Crews reported smoke showing on arrival and initiated interior operations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738949418874.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews discovered a small fire in one of the units. During a search of the smoking structure, firefighters found a dog and rescued from the smokey conditions.The fire was quickly brought under control. . The property was equipped with working smoke detectors which alerted neighbors to call KCFD. There were no injuries reported.

Dog rescued from Kansas City apartment fire

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Friday that he's revoking former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;access to government secrets and ending the daily intelligence briefings he's receiving in payback for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-says-erratic-trump-shouldnt-get-intel-briefings-44b9f2c7204e482b55a2d03077a4c5bf">doing the same</a>&nbsp;to him in 2021.

Trump announced his decision in a post on his social media platform shortly after he arrived at his Mar-a-Lago home and private club in Palm Beach for the weekend.

“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,”&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113965169045323865">Trump wrote</a>. “He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents.”

The move is the latest in a vengeance tour of Washington that Trump promised during his campaign. He has previously revoked security clearances from more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steve-bannon-politics-united-states-government-robert-hunter-d20948db8967e21024059f38cde5e94c">Hunter Biden laptop saga</a>&nbsp;bore the hallmarks of a “Russian information operation.” He's also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pompeo-hook-iran-security-protections-987ca371756f48028ebd34ca7111f1c5">revoked security details</a>&nbsp;assigned to protect former government officials who have criticized him, including his own former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">faces threats from Iran</a>, and former infectious disease expert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fauci-trump-security-detail-4b2e317dc9e7768c0571df30750e863a">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>.

Biden didn't immediately comment on the move.

Biden ended Trump's intelligence briefings after Trump helped spur efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and incited the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. At the time, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-says-erratic-trump-shouldnt-get-intel-briefings-44b9f2c7204e482b55a2d03077a4c5bf">said Trump's “erratic” behavior</a>&nbsp;should prevent him from getting the intel briefings.

Asked in an interview with CBS News what he feared if Trump continued to receive the briefings, Biden said he did not want to “speculate out loud” but made clear he did not want Trump to continue having access to such information.

“I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings,” Biden said. “What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”

in 2022, federal agents searched Trump's Florida home and seized boxes of classified records. He was indicted on dozens of felony counts accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-florida-indictment-highlights-857476c71e98e91521212a826efc8816">illegally hoarding classified records</a>&nbsp;and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. He pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. A judge dismissed the charges, ruling the special counsel who brought them was illegally appointed, and the Justice Department gave up appeals after Trump was elected in November.

In a related matter, Trump dismissed Colleen Shogan as the archivist of the United States, White House aide Sergio Gor posted on X Friday night.

Trump had said in early January that he would replace the head of the National Archives and Records Administration. The government agency drew his anger after it informed the Justice Department about issues with Trump’s handling of classified documents. Shogan, the first woman in the post, wasn’t the archivist of the United States at the time the issue emerged.

In his post on Biden, Trump cited the special counsel report last year into his handling of classified documents, saying, “The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.”

He ended his post by saying, “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Special counsel Robert Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified information and found that criminal charges were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">not warranted</a>&nbsp;but delivered a bitingly critical assessment of his handling of sensitive government records. The report&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-age-special-counsel-report-doj-f4232bc8316e556ed467185b67c3e0a8">described</a>&nbsp;Biden’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations.” It said Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.

Trump has the right to end the briefings for Biden because it is a sitting president’s decision on whether a past president should continue to have access to classified information.

Steven Cheung, the president’s communications director, shared Trump’s post on the X social media platform and said, “Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731519489185.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Friday that he's revoking former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;access to government secrets and ending the daily intelligence briefings he's receiving in payback for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-says-erratic-trump-shouldnt-get-intel-briefings-44b9f2c7204e482b55a2d03077a4c5bf">doing the same</a>&nbsp;to him in 2021.Trump announced his decision in a post on his social media platform shortly after he arrived at his Mar-a-Lago home and private club in Palm Beach for the weekend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738983167971.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,”&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113965169045323865">Trump wrote</a>. “He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents.”The move is the latest in a vengeance tour of Washington that Trump promised during his campaign. He has previously revoked security clearances from more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-steve-bannon-politics-united-states-government-robert-hunter-d20948db8967e21024059f38cde5e94c">Hunter Biden laptop saga</a>&nbsp;bore the hallmarks of a “Russian information operation.” He's also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pompeo-hook-iran-security-protections-987ca371756f48028ebd34ca7111f1c5">revoked security details</a>&nbsp;assigned to protect former government officials who have criticized him, including his own former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">faces threats from Iran</a>, and former infectious disease expert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fauci-trump-security-detail-4b2e317dc9e7768c0571df30750e863a">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>.Biden didn't immediately comment on the move.Biden ended Trump's intelligence briefings after Trump helped spur efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and incited the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. At the time, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-says-erratic-trump-shouldnt-get-intel-briefings-44b9f2c7204e482b55a2d03077a4c5bf">said Trump's “erratic” behavior</a>&nbsp;should prevent him from getting the intel briefings.Asked in an interview with CBS News what he feared if Trump continued to receive the briefings, Biden said he did not want to “speculate out loud” but made clear he did not want Trump to continue having access to such information.“I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings,” Biden said. “What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”in 2022, federal agents searched Trump's Florida home and seized boxes of classified records. He was indicted on dozens of felony counts accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-florida-indictment-highlights-857476c71e98e91521212a826efc8816">illegally hoarding classified records</a>&nbsp;and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. He pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. A judge dismissed the charges, ruling the special counsel who brought them was illegally appointed, and the Justice Department gave up appeals after Trump was elected in November.In a related matter, Trump dismissed Colleen Shogan as the archivist of the United States, White House aide Sergio Gor posted on X Friday night.Trump had said in early January that he would replace the head of the National Archives and Records Administration. The government agency drew his anger after it informed the Justice Department about issues with Trump’s handling of classified documents. Shogan, the first woman in the post, wasn’t the archivist of the United States at the time the issue emerged.In his post on Biden, Trump cited the special counsel report last year into his handling of classified documents, saying, “The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.”He ended his post by saying, “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”Special counsel Robert Hur investigated Biden’s handling of classified information and found that criminal charges were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">not warranted</a>&nbsp;but delivered a bitingly critical assessment of his handling of sensitive government records. The report&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-age-special-counsel-report-doj-f4232bc8316e556ed467185b67c3e0a8">described</a>&nbsp;Biden’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations.” It said Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.Trump has the right to end the briefings for Biden because it is a sitting president’s decision on whether a past president should continue to have access to classified information.Steven Cheung, the president’s communications director, shared Trump’s post on the X social media platform and said, “Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more!”

Trump says he’s revoking Biden’s access to classified information

SEWARD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Friday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Suburban driven by David Vargas, 35, Hooker, Oklahoma, was&nbsp;southbound at the intersection on Main Street and Saint Louis at the Southwestern Railway crossing in Kismet.

The SUV traveled around the railroad crossing arm. An eastbound train struck the SUV. Vargas was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hornung Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SEWARD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Friday in Seward County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Suburban driven by David Vargas, 35, Hooker, Oklahoma, was&nbsp;southbound at the intersection on Main Street and Saint Louis at the Southwestern Railway crossing in Kismet.The SUV traveled around the railroad crossing arm. An eastbound train struck the SUV. Vargas was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hornung Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Man dies after train strikes SUV in southwest Kansas

LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities investigating a fatal crash during a police chase have identified the man who died as 52-year-old John H. Jones, according to a statement from the Labette County Sheriff.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, while driving northbound on Wallace Road., a Labette County Deputy observed a tan Ford F-150 run the stop sign at 20000 and Wallace Road. at a high rate of speed, acc

Upon seeing the deputy, the driver later identified as Jones attempted several evasive maneuvers to lose the deputy, including driving through a field. 

 Upon activating the emergency lights, Jones started driving northbound on Wallace Road at speeds over 100 mph. 

The driver ran four motorists off the road and at one point, Jones slammed on their brakes, causing the deputy to sideswipe the suspect’s vehicle. 

Once the deputy went around the suspect’s vehicle, the Jones sped up, attempting to ram the deputy’s vehicle.&nbsp; Jones continued northbound at high speeds on Wallace Road., ignoring the warning signs. The suspect missed the curve at 22097 Wallace Road., then collided with a tree near 22097 Wallace Road

 Emergency medical and Oswego and Neosho fire departments were dispatched to the accident scene. Jones was transported to Labette Health, where he died of his injuries.&nbsp;

Deputies learned that Jones’ was driving while suspended and had arrest warrants issued out of Montgomery County and Neosho County.&nbsp; He also had previous convictions for aggravated burglary, theft, criminal threat obstruction and seven for drug related activity, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738954791730.png" alt="Jones photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Jones photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>LABETTE COUNTY—Authorities investigating a fatal crash during a police chase have identified the man who died as 52-year-old John H. Jones, according to a statement from the Labette County Sheriff.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, while driving northbound on Wallace Road., a Labette County Deputy observed a tan Ford F-150 run the stop sign at 20000 and Wallace Road. at a high rate of speed, accUpon seeing the deputy, the driver later identified as Jones attempted several evasive maneuvers to lose the deputy, including driving through a field. Upon activating the emergency lights, Jones started driving northbound on Wallace Road at speeds over 100 mph. The driver ran four motorists off the road and at one point, Jones slammed on their brakes, causing the deputy to sideswipe the suspect’s vehicle. Once the deputy went around the suspect’s vehicle, the Jones sped up, attempting to ram the deputy’s vehicle.&nbsp; Jones continued northbound at high speeds on Wallace Road., ignoring the warning signs. The suspect missed the curve at 22097 Wallace Road., then collided with a tree near 22097 Wallace Road Emergency medical and Oswego and Neosho fire departments were dispatched to the accident scene. Jones was transported to Labette Health, where he died of his injuries.&nbsp;Deputies learned that Jones’ was driving while suspended and had arrest warrants issued out of Montgomery County and Neosho County.&nbsp; He also had previous convictions for aggravated burglary, theft, criminal threat obstruction and seven for drug related activity, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Suspect who died in police chase, crash had a history of crime

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a television reporter who was in New Orleans to cover the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;and on Friday announced the arrest of a woman they say used his credit card.

Adan Manzano, 27, an anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Wednesday in his hotel room in Kenner, a suburb just outside New Orleans, police said.

Police on Thursday evening arrested Louisiana resident Danette Colbert, 48. She is facing four felony charges, as well as a misdemeanor fraud and theft charge, Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick said.

She also faces a state felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm, but Kenner Police do not believe it's related to Manzano's case, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Lt. Suzanne Carboni said.

Colbert was seen on security video footage arriving with Manzano at his hotel room around 5 a.m. the day of his death and then leaving without him about an hour later, police said. She used Manzano's credit card at several stores in the area and authorities later located Manzano's credit card and cellphone at Colbert's residence in Slidell, northeast of New Orleans they said.

Police also uncovered narcotics at Colbert's residence, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said Friday during a press conference. Investigators believe Colbert acted alone, he said.

A phone number affiliated with Colbert’s residence was disconnected and no one responded to a message sent to an email associated with her.

Conley described Colbert as a “career criminal” known to New Orleans police for “fraud schemes.”

“Everybody should be aware of their surroundings,” Conley said. “This brings to light that there are people out there that prey on other people and bring them into their confidence and victimize them.”

Colbert was twice arrested in 2022 in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, Colbert was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and stealing from them, according to Daniel Lippmann, the attorney who represented her.

Lippmann told The Associated Press that both cases were later dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court. Lippmann said he had no comment on the new allegations against Colbert.

One of the victims told police he woke up alone and with a bloody nose after going up to his hotel room with Colbert, who he met at a bar, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/woman-charged-in-50k-las-vegas-strip-theft-arrested-again-2608323/">Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2022</a>. He said missing from his room was $50,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, $11,000 in poker chips, his phone and a designer luggage bag.

And last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges. She was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, according to Orleans Parish court records.

Telemundo Kansas City General Manager Steve Downing said Manzano was a “rising star” and “true professional” — a bilingual television anchor and reporter who loved sports, and had covered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;′ past two Super Bowl victories. He hoped to see a record third straight win Sunday.

“You would always see him with a smile on his face, he enjoyed the work that he did,” Downing said. “He was very committed to serving the local community by providing them the best in sports news.”

Kenner police are awaiting the results of the coroner’s full autopsy, which will determine whether Manzano's death was a homicide, Conley said.

The coroner's office is conducting toxicology tests, and results are expected to take three to four weeks, Jefferson Parish Director of Forensic Operations Tim Genevay said. There was no obvious physical trauma found on Manzano's body, he added.

Manzano was born in Mexico City and later moved to Kansas, NBC affiliate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/topekas-manzano-ready-for-super-bowl-on-the-sideline/">KSNT reported</a>.

He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. He had been raising her on his own with help from family after his wife died last year in a car accident, Downing said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738973498909.png" alt="Adan Manzano photo courtesy Telemundo Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Adan Manzano photo courtesy Telemundo Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a television reporter who was in New Orleans to cover the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;and on Friday announced the arrest of a woman they say used his credit card.Adan Manzano, 27, an anchor and reporter for Telemundo in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Wednesday in his hotel room in Kenner, a suburb just outside New Orleans, police said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738979386634.png" alt="Colbert photo Kenner Police" />
 <figcaption>Colbert photo Kenner Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Police on Thursday evening arrested Louisiana resident Danette Colbert, 48. She is facing four felony charges, as well as a misdemeanor fraud and theft charge, Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick said.She also faces a state felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm, but Kenner Police do not believe it's related to Manzano's case, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Lt. Suzanne Carboni said.Colbert was seen on security video footage arriving with Manzano at his hotel room around 5 a.m. the day of his death and then leaving without him about an hour later, police said. She used Manzano's credit card at several stores in the area and authorities later located Manzano's credit card and cellphone at Colbert's residence in Slidell, northeast of New Orleans they said.Police also uncovered narcotics at Colbert's residence, Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said Friday during a press conference. Investigators believe Colbert acted alone, he said.A phone number affiliated with Colbert’s residence was disconnected and no one responded to a message sent to an email associated with her.Conley described Colbert as a “career criminal” known to New Orleans police for “fraud schemes.”“Everybody should be aware of their surroundings,” Conley said. “This brings to light that there are people out there that prey on other people and bring them into their confidence and victimize them.”Colbert was twice arrested in 2022 in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, Colbert was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and stealing from them, according to Daniel Lippmann, the attorney who represented her.Lippmann told The Associated Press that both cases were later dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court. Lippmann said he had no comment on the new allegations against Colbert.One of the victims told police he woke up alone and with a bloody nose after going up to his hotel room with Colbert, who he met at a bar, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/woman-charged-in-50k-las-vegas-strip-theft-arrested-again-2608323/">Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in 2022</a>. He said missing from his room was $50,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, $11,000 in poker chips, his phone and a designer luggage bag.And last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges. She was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution, according to Orleans Parish court records.Telemundo Kansas City General Manager Steve Downing said Manzano was a “rising star” and “true professional” — a bilingual television anchor and reporter who loved sports, and had covered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kansas-city-chiefs">Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;′ past two Super Bowl victories. He hoped to see a record third straight win Sunday.“You would always see him with a smile on his face, he enjoyed the work that he did,” Downing said. “He was very committed to serving the local community by providing them the best in sports news.”Kenner police are awaiting the results of the coroner’s full autopsy, which will determine whether Manzano's death was a homicide, Conley said.The coroner's office is conducting toxicology tests, and results are expected to take three to four weeks, Jefferson Parish Director of Forensic Operations Tim Genevay said. There was no obvious physical trauma found on Manzano's body, he added.Manzano was born in Mexico City and later moved to Kansas, NBC affiliate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/topekas-manzano-ready-for-super-bowl-on-the-sideline/">KSNT reported</a>.He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. He had been raising her on his own with help from family after his wife died last year in a car accident, Downing said.___

Woman arrested in death of Kansas City reporter in New Orleans for Super Bowl

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">U.S. Agency for International Development,</a>&nbsp;ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave just 30 days to move families and households back to the U.S. on government expense.

Both moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense, the judge said.

Nichols pointed to accounts from workers abroad that the Trump administration, in its rush to shut down the agency and its programs abroad, had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems they needed to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.

The Associated Press reported earlier that USAID contractors in the Middle East and elsewhere had found even “panic button” apps&nbsp;<a href="https://that%20both%20orders%20exposed%20u.s.%20aid%20and%20development%20workers%20abroad%20to%20unwarranted%20risk%20and%20hardship./">wiped off their mobile phones</a>&nbsp;or disabled when the administration abruptly furloughed them.

“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” the judge said in his order Friday night.

In agreeing to stop the 30-day deadline given USAID staffers to return home at government expense, Nichols cited statements from agency employees who had no home to go to in the U.S. after decades abroad, who faced pulling children with special needs out of school midyear, and had other difficulties.

The judge also ordered USAID staffers already placed on leave by the Trump administration reinstated. But he declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on a Trump administration funding freeze that has shut down the six-decade-old agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers' lawsuit.

Nichols stressed in the hearing earlier Friday on the request to pause the Trump administration's actions that his order was not a decision on the employees' request to roll back the administration's swiftly moving destruction of the agency.

“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump said on social media of USAID before the judge’s ruling.

The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees argue that Trump lacks the authority to shut down the agency without approval from Congress. Democratic lawmakers have made the same argument.

Trump's administration moved quickly Friday to literally erase the agency's name. Workers on a crane scrubbed the name from the stone front of its Washington headquarters. They used duct tape to block it out on a sign and took down USAID flags. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door.

The Trump administration and&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have made USAID their biggest target so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.

Administration appointees and Musk's teams have shut down almost all funding for the agency, stopping aid and development programs worldwide. They have placed staffers and contractors on leave and furlough and locked them out of the agency's email and other systems. According to Democratic lawmakers, they also carted away USAID's computer servers.

“This is a full-scale gutting of virtually all the personnel of an entire agency,” Karla Gilbride, the attorney for the employee associations, told the judge.

Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate argued that the administration has all the legal authority it needs to place agency staffers on leave. “The government does this across the board every day,” Shumate said. “That’s what’s happening here. It’s just a large number.”

Friday’s ruling is the latest setback in the courts for the Trump administration, whose policies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buyout-offer-deadline-trump-federal-workers-ce854b19c41b90cd657f75cf09511e96">offer financial incentives for federal workers</a>&nbsp;to resign and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-executive-order-3ac5d6dc51ee95dcccc647a8c080c3e3">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone born in the U.S. to someone in the country illegally have been temporarily paused by judges.

Earlier Friday, a group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to continue funding. None were, the officials said.

Among the programs they said had not received waivers: $450 million in food grown by U.S. farmers sufficient to feed 36 million people, which was not being paid for or delivered; and water supplies for 1.6 million people displaced by war in Sudan’s Darfur region, which were being cut off without money for fuel to run water pumps in the desert.

The judge’s order involved the Trump administration’s decision earlier this week to pull almost all USAID workers off the job and out of the field worldwide.

Trump and congressional Republicans have spoken of moving a much-reduced number of aid and development programs under the State Department.

Within the State Department itself, employees fear substantial staff reductions following the deadline for the Trump administration's offer of financial incentives for federal workers to resign, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. A judge temporarily blocked that offer and set a hearing Monday.

The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Diplomats at embassies asked for waivers allowing more time for some, including families forced to pull their children out of schools midyear.

In a notice posted on the USAID website late Thursday, the agency clarified that none of the overseas personnel put on leave would be forced to leave the country where they work. But it said that workers who chose to stay longer than 30 days might have to cover their own expenses unless they received a specific hardship waiver.

Rubio said Thursday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;that the government would help staffers get home within 30 days “if they so desired" and would listen to those with special conditions.

He insisted the moves were the only way to get cooperation because staffers were working “to sneak through payments and push through payments despite the stop order” on foreign assistance. Agency staffers deny his claims of obstruction.

Rubio said the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid, “but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Democrat members of Congress protest USAID cuts Wednesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-musk-doge-7ec0a2b4032d4782d41c00164003b5de">U.S. Agency for International Development,</a>&nbsp;ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job.U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave just 30 days to move families and households back to the U.S. on government expense.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738968148672.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Both moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense, the judge said.Nichols pointed to accounts from workers abroad that the Trump administration, in its rush to shut down the agency and its programs abroad, had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems they needed to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.The Associated Press reported earlier that USAID contractors in the Middle East and elsewhere had found even “panic button” apps&nbsp;<a href="https://that%20both%20orders%20exposed%20u.s.%20aid%20and%20development%20workers%20abroad%20to%20unwarranted%20risk%20and%20hardship./">wiped off their mobile phones</a>&nbsp;or disabled when the administration abruptly furloughed them.“Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,” the judge said in his order Friday night.In agreeing to stop the 30-day deadline given USAID staffers to return home at government expense, Nichols cited statements from agency employees who had no home to go to in the U.S. after decades abroad, who faced pulling children with special needs out of school midyear, and had other difficulties.The judge also ordered USAID staffers already placed on leave by the Trump administration reinstated. But he declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on a Trump administration funding freeze that has shut down the six-decade-old agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers' lawsuit.Nichols stressed in the hearing earlier Friday on the request to pause the Trump administration's actions that his order was not a decision on the employees' request to roll back the administration's swiftly moving destruction of the agency.“CLOSE IT DOWN,” Trump said on social media of USAID before the judge’s ruling.The American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees argue that Trump lacks the authority to shut down the agency without approval from Congress. Democratic lawmakers have made the same argument.Trump's administration moved quickly Friday to literally erase the agency's name. Workers on a crane scrubbed the name from the stone front of its Washington headquarters. They used duct tape to block it out on a sign and took down USAID flags. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door.The Trump administration and&nbsp;<a href="https://elon%20musk/">Musk</a>, who is running a budget-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, have made USAID their biggest target so far in an unprecedented challenge of the federal government and many of its programs.Administration appointees and Musk's teams have shut down almost all funding for the agency, stopping aid and development programs worldwide. They have placed staffers and contractors on leave and furlough and locked them out of the agency's email and other systems. According to Democratic lawmakers, they also carted away USAID's computer servers.“This is a full-scale gutting of virtually all the personnel of an entire agency,” Karla Gilbride, the attorney for the employee associations, told the judge.Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate argued that the administration has all the legal authority it needs to place agency staffers on leave. “The government does this across the board every day,” Shumate said. “That’s what’s happening here. It’s just a large number.”Friday’s ruling is the latest setback in the courts for the Trump administration, whose policies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buyout-offer-deadline-trump-federal-workers-ce854b19c41b90cd657f75cf09511e96">offer financial incentives for federal workers</a>&nbsp;to resign and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-birthright-citizenship-executive-order-3ac5d6dc51ee95dcccc647a8c080c3e3">birthright citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone born in the U.S. to someone in the country illegally have been temporarily paused by judges.Earlier Friday, a group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to continue funding. None were, the officials said.Among the programs they said had not received waivers: $450 million in food grown by U.S. farmers sufficient to feed 36 million people, which was not being paid for or delivered; and water supplies for 1.6 million people displaced by war in Sudan’s Darfur region, which were being cut off without money for fuel to run water pumps in the desert.The judge’s order involved the Trump administration’s decision earlier this week to pull almost all USAID workers off the job and out of the field worldwide.Trump and congressional Republicans have spoken of moving a much-reduced number of aid and development programs under the State Department.Within the State Department itself, employees fear substantial staff reductions following the deadline for the Trump administration's offer of financial incentives for federal workers to resign, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. A judge temporarily blocked that offer and set a hearing Monday.The administration earlier this week gave almost all USAID staffers posted overseas 30 days, starting Friday, to return to the U.S., with the government paying for their travel and moving costs. Diplomats at embassies asked for waivers allowing more time for some, including families forced to pull their children out of schools midyear.In a notice posted on the USAID website late Thursday, the agency clarified that none of the overseas personnel put on leave would be forced to leave the country where they work. But it said that workers who chose to stay longer than 30 days might have to cover their own expenses unless they received a specific hardship waiver.Rubio said Thursday during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-panama-canal-gaza-migration-usaid-b148af6bb15da37a8b6e4edf5a873829">a trip to the Dominican Republic</a>&nbsp;that the government would help staffers get home within 30 days “if they so desired" and would listen to those with special conditions.He insisted the moves were the only way to get cooperation because staffers were working “to sneak through payments and push through payments despite the stop order” on foreign assistance. Agency staffers deny his claims of obstruction.Rubio said the U.S. government will continue providing foreign aid, “but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest."

30-day deadline: Judge blocks Trump from placing USAID workers on leave

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening.

Just after 5 p.m., deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;

The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as 75-year-old Manolopoulos Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.

Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro fled the scene following the collision.

Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department, the driver, identified as 24-year-old Madelyn Walter of Derby, was found at a nearby Derby residence.

Walter was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.

The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Team. Once all details are gathered, the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging.

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. — The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening in Oaklawn.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738943687419.png" alt="Walter photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Walter photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.&nbsp;— The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening.Just after 5 p.m., deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47th Street South and Clifton, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection.&nbsp;The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as 75-year-old Manolopoulos Panagiotis of Wichita, to be ejected and then struck by his own car.Sedgwick County EMS transported Panagiotis to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Nitro fled the scene following the collision.Thanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department, the driver, identified as 24-year-old Madelyn Walter of Derby, was found at a nearby Derby residence.Walter was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Team. Once all details are gathered, the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging.-------SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. — The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday evening in Oaklawn.&nbsp;At 5:07 PM. on Feb. 6, deputies, Sedgwick County EMS and Sedgwick County Fire District #1 responded to a hit-and-run crash at 47 Street South and Clifton. Witnesses reported that a red Dodge Nitro was traveling south on Clifton when it failed to yield to an eastbound Ford Fiesta and struck the vehicle in the intersection. The driver of the Nitro fled the scene following the collision.&nbsp;The impact caused the driver of the Fiesta, identified as 75-year-old Panagiotis Manolopoulos of Wichita, to be ejected from his vehicle. He was then struck by his own car. Sedgwick County EMS transported Manolopoulos to a Wichita hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at 10:46 PMThanks to witness reports and information provided to 911 dispatchers, deputies utilized the Flock license plate reader system to locate the suspect vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart in Derby. With assistance from the Derby Police Department, the driver, identified as 24-year-old Madelyn Walter of Derby, was found at a nearby Derby residence.Walter was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on a charge of failing to stop at an injury crash resulting in great bodily injury. As part of the investigation, it was determined that Walter’s 5-year-old child was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Neither Walter nor the child was injured.The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Team. Once all details are gathered, the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging.&nbsp;