HUTCHINSON, Kan. — USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools held a National Signing Day ceremony inside the Salthawk Activity Center on Wednesday morning for student-athletes that will be moving on to a two-year or four-year institution.&nbsp;

Eight current Salthawks signed their national letter of intents in front of a large crowd in the SAC. Each student-athlete had a table to decorate with their future schools' apparel.

The eight signees that were a part of the signing day activity are listed below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772533667.jpeg" alt="Terrell King - HutchCC - Football - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Terrell King - HutchCC - Football - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — USD 308 Hutchinson Public Schools held a National Signing Day ceremony inside the Salthawk Activity Center on Wednesday morning for student-athletes that will be moving on to a two-year or four-year institution.&nbsp;Eight current Salthawks signed their national letter of intents in front of a large crowd in the SAC. Each student-athlete had a table to decorate with their future schools' apparel.The eight signees that were a part of the signing day activity are listed below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772533667.jpeg" alt="Terrell King - HutchCC - Football - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Terrell King - HutchCC - Football - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772552010.jpeg" alt="Madalyn Moore - HutchCC - Dance Team -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Madalyn Moore - HutchCC - Dance Team -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772576370.jpeg" alt="Carter Morgan - Emporia State - Baseball -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Carter Morgan - Emporia State - Baseball -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772590466.jpeg" alt="Landon Nusser - Bethany College - Soccer, Track &amp; Field -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Landon Nusser - Bethany College - Soccer, Track &amp; Field -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772605634.jpeg" alt="Grace Posch - Seward County CC - Basketball -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Grace Posch - Seward County CC - Basketball -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772617817.jpeg" alt="Taysha Rideaux - HutchCC - Athletic Training -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Taysha Rideaux - HutchCC - Athletic Training -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772630801.jpeg" alt="Spencer Riggs - University of Central Missouri - Football -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Spencer Riggs - University of Central Missouri - Football -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772643249.jpeg" alt="Taysen Runyon - Iowa Western CC - Football -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Taysen Runyon - Iowa Western CC - Football -&nbsp;(Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738772789361.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson High School athletic director Steve Kappenman - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson High School athletic director Steve Kappenman - (Courtesy USD 308/Stacy Goss)</figcaption>
 </figure>

🖊 Hutch High holds National Signing Day event

The Pratt County Attorney’s Office investigated complaints made by six individuals alleging •of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (the “KOMA”) by the USD 382 Board of Directors. The Board of Education was notified of the finding of the investigation on Jan. 13. &nbsp;

Tracy Beverlin, the Pratt County Attorney concluded that there was enough evidence to support a finding that the Board of Education’s Sept. 16 executive session violated the KOMA. She also conluded that there is enough evidence to support a finding that the Board of Education violated KOMA in ways not included in the KOMA complaints. &nbsp;

The review by the county attorney found these additional violations:&nbsp;&nbsp;

• The board’s minutes inaccurately reflect those present in the September 16, 2024, executive session and a pattern of inaccuracies in documenting individuals present in executive sessions.&nbsp;

• The board’s September 16, 2024 motion to enter into executive session was deficient and a pattern of deficient motions to enter into executive session.&nbsp;

• The board engaged in improper interactive discussion of a matter of substance among a majority of a quorum in response to the KOMA complaint.&nbsp;

The board of education was asked by the county attorney to:&nbsp;

• Complete at least one hour of KOMA training within the next 90 days.&nbsp;

• The meeting minutes should reflect the training and specifically identify which Directors and staff were in attendance for the training. The minutes should further reflect the individual and/or entity that provided the training.&nbsp;

• Provide a copy of the training material to county attorney’s office for her&nbsp;review&nbsp;

• Adopt and use a checklist or other similar protocol or process to ensure that the Board meets all the statutory requirements for recessing into executive session. The checklist should reflect each step that must be taken when making a motion to move into executive session. The checklist should be available for referral to all Directors during each meeting.&nbsp;

• Amend the minutes of the May 13, 2024, meeting to accurately reflect who was in attendance of the executive session&nbsp;

• Post in the Board’s usual course for posting meeting minutes, the Board’s minutes from its May 8, 2024, special meeting.&nbsp;

The Pratt USD 382 Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting on Feb. 5, at 5:30 PM at the Board of Education Meeting Room at 402 South Hamilton for the purpose of having their KOMA/KORA training. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The public is invited to attend the meeting. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738721071706.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBS - Hutch PostThe Pratt County Attorney’s Office investigated complaints made by six individuals alleging •of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (the “KOMA”) by the USD 382 Board of Directors. The Board of Education was notified of the finding of the investigation on Jan. 13. &nbsp;Tracy Beverlin, the Pratt County Attorney concluded that there was enough evidence to support a finding that the Board of Education’s Sept. 16 executive session violated the KOMA. She also conluded that there is enough evidence to support a finding that the Board of Education violated KOMA in ways not included in the KOMA complaints. &nbsp;The review by the county attorney found these additional violations:&nbsp;&nbsp;• The board’s minutes inaccurately reflect those present in the September 16, 2024, executive session and a pattern of inaccuracies in documenting individuals present in executive sessions.&nbsp;• The board’s September 16, 2024 motion to enter into executive session was deficient and a pattern of deficient motions to enter into executive session.&nbsp;• The board engaged in improper interactive discussion of a matter of substance among a majority of a quorum in response to the KOMA complaint.&nbsp;The board of education was asked by the county attorney to:&nbsp;• Complete at least one hour of KOMA training within the next 90 days.&nbsp;• The meeting minutes should reflect the training and specifically identify which Directors and staff were in attendance for the training. The minutes should further reflect the individual and/or entity that provided the training.&nbsp;• Provide a copy of the training material to county attorney’s office for her&nbsp;review&nbsp;• Adopt and use a checklist or other similar protocol or process to ensure that the Board meets all the statutory requirements for recessing into executive session. The checklist should reflect each step that must be taken when making a motion to move into executive session. The checklist should be available for referral to all Directors during each meeting.&nbsp;• Amend the minutes of the May 13, 2024, meeting to accurately reflect who was in attendance of the executive session&nbsp;• Post in the Board’s usual course for posting meeting minutes, the Board’s minutes from its May 8, 2024, special meeting.&nbsp;The Pratt USD 382 Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting on Feb. 5, at 5:30 PM at the Board of Education Meeting Room at 402 South Hamilton for the purpose of having their KOMA/KORA training. &nbsp;&nbsp;The public is invited to attend the meeting. &nbsp;

USD 382 Board of Education to undergo KOMA/KORA training 

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;DAVID KLEPPER&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/farnoush-amiri">FARNOUSH AMIRI</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be President Donald Trump director of national intelligence cleared a key Senate committee Tuesday despite concerns raised about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-russia-ukraine-syria-20b7a404704efe88aa56a06ce1894f9a">her past comments</a>&nbsp;sympathetic to Russia and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-syria-assad-trump-b7518871e72a5e19c618c5ff52dedfd2">meeting</a>&nbsp;with Syria’s now-deposed leader.

A former Democratic congresswoman, Gabbard is one of Trump’s most divisive nominees, with lawmakers of both parties also pointing to her past support for government leaker Edward Snowden. But the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, advanced her nomination in a closed-door 9-8 vote, and it now heads to the full Senate for consideration. A vote has not been scheduled yet.

Following a contentious confirmation hearing last week, where some Republican senators questioned Gabbard harshly, GOP support for her fell into place following a pressure campaign over the weekend unleashed by Trump supporters and allies, including Elon Musk.

Until three GOP members seen as swing votes announced their support, it wasn’t clear her nomination would advance beyond the Intelligence Committee. Given strong Democratic opposition and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">thin Republican margins</a>, Gabbard will need almost all GOP senators to vote yes to win confirmation to the top intelligence job.

Given the sensitive nature of the work it does, the Intelligence Committee regularly meets privately, and Tuesday’s vote on Gabbard was held during such a session. While the votes of members of the committee were not released, support for Gabbard has fallen along party lines, with no Democrats expressing support.

Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who deployed twice to the Middle East and ran for president in 2020. She has no formal intelligence experience, however, and has never run a government agency or department.

Gabbard’s past praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-797f390ee28b4bfbb0e1b13cfedf0593">Snowden</a>&nbsp;drew particularly harsh questions during the nomination hearing. The former National Security Agency contractor fled to Russia after he was charged with revealing classified information about surveillance programs.

Gabbard said that while Snowden revealed important facts about surveillance programs she believes are unconstitutional, he violated rules about protecting classified secrets. “Edward Snowden broke the law,” she said.

A 2017 visit with Syrian President Bashar Assad is another flash point. Assad was recently deposed following a brutal civil war in which he was accused of using chemical weapons. Following her visit, Gabbard faced criticism that she was legitimizing a dictator and then more questions when she said she was skeptical that Assad had used chemical weapons.

Gabbard defended her meeting with Assad, saying she used the opportunity to press the Syrian leader on his human rights record.

She has also repeatedly echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-science-health-donald-trump-300742272576985618e1d5a30f53bb23">Russian propaganda</a>&nbsp;used to justify the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine and in the past opposed a key U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>.

In the latest instance of the “Make America Great Again” base pressuring senators to support Trump’s nominees, Musk blasted Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana as a “deep-state puppet” in a now-deleted social media post before the two men spoke and Musk later called him an ally.

Young, whose critical questioning of Gabbard had prompted speculation he might oppose her, confirmed Tuesday he would back Gabbard. Young said his tough questions for Gabbard were just part of the process.

“I have done what the framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security,” he wrote in statement announcing his support for Gabbard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738022744738.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Gabbard in December" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Gabbard in December</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;DAVID KLEPPER&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/farnoush-amiri">FARNOUSH AMIRI</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be President Donald Trump director of national intelligence cleared a key Senate committee Tuesday despite concerns raised about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-intelligence-director-russia-ukraine-syria-20b7a404704efe88aa56a06ce1894f9a">her past comments</a>&nbsp;sympathetic to Russia and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-syria-assad-trump-b7518871e72a5e19c618c5ff52dedfd2">meeting</a>&nbsp;with Syria’s now-deposed leader.A former Democratic congresswoman, Gabbard is one of Trump’s most divisive nominees, with lawmakers of both parties also pointing to her past support for government leaker Edward Snowden. But the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, advanced her nomination in a closed-door 9-8 vote, and it now heads to the full Senate for consideration. A vote has not been scheduled yet.Following a contentious confirmation hearing last week, where some Republican senators questioned Gabbard harshly, GOP support for her fell into place following a pressure campaign over the weekend unleashed by Trump supporters and allies, including Elon Musk.Until three GOP members seen as swing votes announced their support, it wasn’t clear her nomination would advance beyond the Intelligence Committee. Given strong Democratic opposition and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-election-results-mike-johnson-5103c8b5c0ef03a1e61a1c0f9ca3dd4f">thin Republican margins</a>, Gabbard will need almost all GOP senators to vote yes to win confirmation to the top intelligence job.Given the sensitive nature of the work it does, the Intelligence Committee regularly meets privately, and Tuesday’s vote on Gabbard was held during such a session. While the votes of members of the committee were not released, support for Gabbard has fallen along party lines, with no Democrats expressing support.Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who deployed twice to the Middle East and ran for president in 2020. She has no formal intelligence experience, however, and has never run a government agency or department.Gabbard’s past praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-united-states-government-797f390ee28b4bfbb0e1b13cfedf0593">Snowden</a>&nbsp;drew particularly harsh questions during the nomination hearing. The former National Security Agency contractor fled to Russia after he was charged with revealing classified information about surveillance programs.Gabbard said that while Snowden revealed important facts about surveillance programs she believes are unconstitutional, he violated rules about protecting classified secrets. “Edward Snowden broke the law,” she said.A 2017 visit with Syrian President Bashar Assad is another flash point. Assad was recently deposed following a brutal civil war in which he was accused of using chemical weapons. Following her visit, Gabbard faced criticism that she was legitimizing a dictator and then more questions when she said she was skeptical that Assad had used chemical weapons.Gabbard defended her meeting with Assad, saying she used the opportunity to press the Syrian leader on his human rights record.She has also repeatedly echoed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-science-health-donald-trump-300742272576985618e1d5a30f53bb23">Russian propaganda</a>&nbsp;used to justify the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine and in the past opposed a key U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>.In the latest instance of the “Make America Great Again” base pressuring senators to support Trump’s nominees, Musk blasted Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana as a “deep-state puppet” in a now-deleted social media post before the two men spoke and Musk later called him an ally.Young, whose critical questioning of Gabbard had prompted speculation he might oppose her, confirmed Tuesday he would back Gabbard. Young said his tough questions for Gabbard were just part of the process.“I have done what the framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security,” he wrote in statement announcing his support for Gabbard.

Moran helps advance Trump’s pick to oversee US spy agencies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general Tuesday evening, putting a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president.</a>

The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46.

Bondi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-trump-attorney-general-4b94c094cfcabf606e4883fe709ab55a">a former Florida attorney general</a>&nbsp;and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump's ire over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">criminal cases it brought against him</a>. She enters with the FBI, which she will oversee,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fbi-justice-department-8460829a0874f91a95bc4a9d22e36fce">in turmoil over the scrutiny of agents</a>&nbsp;involved in investigations related to the president, who has made clear his desire to seek revenge on his perceived adversaries.

Republicans have praised Bondi as a highly qualified leader they contend will bring much-needed change to a department they believe unfairly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-counsel-aileen-cannon-d7be86dad89227f12a6f5aac3433b202">pursued Trump through investigations</a>&nbsp;resulting in two indictments.

“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

But Bondi has faced intense scrutiny over her close relationship with the president, who during his term&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">fired an FBI director</a>&nbsp;who refused to pledge loyalty to him and forced out an attorney general who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">recused himself</a>&nbsp;from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.

While Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, she also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">refused at her confirmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’s adversaries</a>. And she has repeated Trump's claims that the prosecutions against him amounted to political persecution, saying the Justice Department “had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., praised Bondi as “accomplished and competent” but said his "grave concern is really about President Trump and what he is clearly demanding.”

“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” Welch said.

Bondi’s confirmation vote came just hours after FBI agents sued the Justice Department over efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-firing-a7b19a5f414ce82c6f6b5f6656000d23">develop a list of employees</a>&nbsp;involved in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, which agents fear could be a precursor to mass firings.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove last week ordered the acting FBI director to provide the names, titles and offices of all FBI employees who worked on the Jan. 6 cases —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-trump-pardons-jan-6-f6e23bcd84eaed672318c88f05286767">which Trump has described as a “grave national injustice.”</a>&nbsp;Bove, who defended Trump in his criminal cases before joining the administration, said Justice Department officials would carry out a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”

Justice Department officials have also recently forced out senior FBI executives, fired prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">investigated Trump</a>&nbsp;and terminated a group of prosecutors in the D.C. U.S. attorney's office who were hired to help with the massive Jan. 6 investigation.

Bondi repeatedly stressed at her confirmation hearing that she would not pursue anyone for political reasons, and vowed that the public, not the president, would be her client. But her answers at times echoed Trump's campaign rhetoric about a politicized justice system.

“They targeted Donald Trump,” Bondi told lawmakers. “They went after him — actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.” She added, “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”

Trump nominated Bondi for attorney general after it became clear that his initial pick, former Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">Matt Gaetz</a>, could not win enough support from Republican senators to be confirmed.

Bondi has been a fixture in Trump’s orbit for years, and a regular defender of the president-elect on news programs amid his legal woes. In a 2023 Fox News appearance, she suggested that “bad” Justice Department prosecutors would be investigated under the Trump administration.

“The investigators will be investigated," she said.

Smith has said politics played no part in his decisions and the evidence his team gathered was sufficient for Trump to have been convicted at trial on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738022793205.png" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Bondi in December" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran met with Bondi in December</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general Tuesday evening, putting a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a Justice Department that has already been rattled by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president.</a>The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46.Bondi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pam-bondi-justice-department-trump-attorney-general-4b94c094cfcabf606e4883fe709ab55a">a former Florida attorney general</a>&nbsp;and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump's ire over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">criminal cases it brought against him</a>. She enters with the FBI, which she will oversee,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fbi-justice-department-8460829a0874f91a95bc4a9d22e36fce">in turmoil over the scrutiny of agents</a>&nbsp;involved in investigations related to the president, who has made clear his desire to seek revenge on his perceived adversaries.Republicans have praised Bondi as a highly qualified leader they contend will bring much-needed change to a department they believe unfairly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-special-counsel-aileen-cannon-d7be86dad89227f12a6f5aac3433b202">pursued Trump through investigations</a>&nbsp;resulting in two indictments.“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.But Bondi has faced intense scrutiny over her close relationship with the president, who during his term&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-4ff1ecb621884a728b25e62661257ef0">fired an FBI director</a>&nbsp;who refused to pledge loyalty to him and forced out an attorney general who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf2d24bc798e42409d5ef66f484361da">recused himself</a>&nbsp;from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.While Bondi has sought to reassure Democrats that politics would play no part in her decision-making, she also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-bondi-garland-01edf039f8102271943da4fb85d56fa7">refused at her confirmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’s adversaries</a>. And she has repeated Trump's claims that the prosecutions against him amounted to political persecution, saying the Justice Department “had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., praised Bondi as “accomplished and competent” but said his "grave concern is really about President Trump and what he is clearly demanding.”“That clearly is a loyalty oath to him as opposed to a demand for straightforward, candid advice, including if the president is asking for something to be done like the prosecution of a political adversary,” Welch said.Bondi’s confirmation vote came just hours after FBI agents sued the Justice Department over efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-firing-a7b19a5f414ce82c6f6b5f6656000d23">develop a list of employees</a>&nbsp;involved in the Jan. 6 prosecutions, which agents fear could be a precursor to mass firings.Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove last week ordered the acting FBI director to provide the names, titles and offices of all FBI employees who worked on the Jan. 6 cases —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-trump-pardons-jan-6-f6e23bcd84eaed672318c88f05286767">which Trump has described as a “grave national injustice.”</a>&nbsp;Bove, who defended Trump in his criminal cases before joining the administration, said Justice Department officials would carry out a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”Justice Department officials have also recently forced out senior FBI executives, fired prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-special-counsel-trump-046ce32dbad712e72e500c32ecc20f2f">investigated Trump</a>&nbsp;and terminated a group of prosecutors in the D.C. U.S. attorney's office who were hired to help with the massive Jan. 6 investigation.Bondi repeatedly stressed at her confirmation hearing that she would not pursue anyone for political reasons, and vowed that the public, not the president, would be her client. But her answers at times echoed Trump's campaign rhetoric about a politicized justice system.“They targeted Donald Trump,” Bondi told lawmakers. “They went after him — actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him.” She added, “If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”Trump nominated Bondi for attorney general after it became clear that his initial pick, former Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/gaetz-pick-shows-value-trump-places-on-loyalty-and-retribution-as-he-returns-to-washington/">Matt Gaetz</a>, could not win enough support from Republican senators to be confirmed.Bondi has been a fixture in Trump’s orbit for years, and a regular defender of the president-elect on news programs amid his legal woes. In a 2023 Fox News appearance, she suggested that “bad” Justice Department prosecutors would be investigated under the Trump administration.“The investigators will be investigated," she said.Smith has said politics played no part in his decisions and the evidence his team gathered was sufficient for Trump to have been convicted at trial on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>.

With Democrat support Senate confirms Pam Bondi as US attorney general

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disputed the perception that officials favor the Kansas City Chiefs, saying it’s a “ridiculous theory.”

Goodell addressed several topics, including diversity, an 18-game season,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-goodell-international-47862fd499887c37bfc1d21ea63c7645">international expansion</a>, Tom Brady’s dual role as a broadcaster and co-owner and more during his annual news conference that kicked off Super Bowl week on Monday.

The Chiefs are going for a three-peat Sunday in a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to Kansas City 38-35 two years ago.

The two-time defending champions have benefited from calls that have gone their way in the playoffs. There were two roughing-the-passer penalties during a 23-14 victory over Houston in the divisional round that viewers, including Fox broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, considered egregious.

A questionable spot on Josh Allen’s sneak on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 32-29 victory over Buffalo in the AFC championship game became a major point of contention.

“A lot of those theories are things that happen in social media and they get a new life,” Goodell said during his 48-minute news conference inside the Saints’ locker room. “I understand that. I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ passion and is a reminder for us on how important officiating is. I think the men and women officiating the NFL are outstanding. We have the highest possible standards. It’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day it’s something we have to work at, how do we make our officiating better.”

Goodell said the league evaluates officials in several ways.

“It’s not just the performance on the field but things that go on in their own lives.” Goodell said. “We monitor that very closely in a number of ways. .... It’s a tough job, a really hard job. I’ve never seen a more dedicated group of people to getting it right, doing the best job they possibly can. And I’m proud of the work they do.”

NFL executive Kimberly Fields told The Associated Press last week the league plans to engage its Competition Committee on technology to take virtual line-to-gain measurements next season, but officials will continue to spot the football.

“What this technology cannot do is take the place of the human element in determining where forward progress ends,” Fields said. “There will always be a human official spotting the ball. Once the ball is spotted, then the line-to-gain technology actually does the measurement itself.”

Goodell said the league will continue to work with partners to develop the technology needed to potentially help with spotting the ball in the future.

Goodell said he doesn’t believe the NFL’s policies to promote diversity are in conflict with the Trump administration’s efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government.

The NFL has rules in place that require teams to interview diverse candidates for key coaching and front office positions as part of the Rooney Rule that has been in place for more than two decades.

Several NFL owners contributed to Donald Trump’s campaign or conservative causes during the 2024 election cycle.

“Our owners participate in everything that we do,” Goodell said. “Our policies have been designed to be well within the law, well within the practice. There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL.

“We also believe we are doing the right thing for the NFL and our policies are consistent with the current administration as well as the last administration.”

The NFL is aiming to have a team outside the United States.

“I do think there’s potential that someday we will have an international franchise. If we do, it would not surprise me at all if a Super Bowl follows and is played there,” Goodell said.

The NFL has made a big effort to expand its footprint worldwide with games played in England, Germany, Mexico and Brazil in recent years with a game scheduled for 2025 in Spain.

But as of now, the Super Bowls have been played in NFL stadiums and international sites haven’t been considered.

A Super Bowl outside of North America would present challenges in terms of time zones for the U.S.-based broadcasters.

Goodell said there’s “a lot of work to be done” before the NFL possibly expands its season to 18 regular-season games.

The league hasn’t had formal negotiations with the players’ union about adding a game to the season but Goodell said he has had informal discussions with NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr.

The NFL added a 17th game and cut the preseason from four games to three before the 2021 season and Goodell has indicated an interest in eventually adding another regular-season game.

“If we do, 18 and 2 might be a possibility,” he said. “We know fans love football and they want more football. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart with the balance and how we deal with that.”

Goodell said changes the league has made in terms of equipment, and training in the offseason and preseason have helped reduce the number of concussions and other injuries, making adding an additional game more palatable.

The league will consider whether rules surrounding Tom Brady’s role as an analyst for Fox and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders need to be altered in any way.

Brady was officially approved as a minority owner of the Raiders in Las Vegas and played a big role during the team’s search for a new coach and general manager last month that led to the hiring of Pete Carroll and John Spytek.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion is also in his first season as an analyst for Fox and is under rules that prevent his access to team facilities and production meetings with players and coaches.

Brady is under the same tampering rules as any other member of the league and has checked in frequently to make sure he isn’t violating any rules.

“I think he’s serious that he separates these two and he doesn’t put the league or anyone in a position of conflict,” Goodell said.

The NFL plans to look into the “serious” allegations that Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct with several massage therapists.

Nine massage therapists from five spas and wellness centers have told the Baltimore Banner that Tucker engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct during sessions from 2012-16.

Tucker said in a statement last week that he has never received any complaints from a massage therapist or been told he was not welcome at a spa or other place of business.

“They are obviously serious issues and he is taking that seriously as are we,” Goodell said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738676769092.jpeg" alt="NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in New Orleans, ahead of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Photo/Matt York)" />
 <figcaption>NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in New Orleans, ahead of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Photo/Matt York)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disputed the perception that officials favor the Kansas City Chiefs, saying it’s a “ridiculous theory.”Goodell addressed several topics, including diversity, an 18-game season,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-goodell-international-47862fd499887c37bfc1d21ea63c7645">international expansion</a>, Tom Brady’s dual role as a broadcaster and co-owner and more during his annual news conference that kicked off Super Bowl week on Monday.The Chiefs are going for a three-peat Sunday in a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to Kansas City 38-35 two years ago.The two-time defending champions have benefited from calls that have gone their way in the playoffs. There were two roughing-the-passer penalties during a 23-14 victory over Houston in the divisional round that viewers, including Fox broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, considered egregious.A questionable spot on Josh Allen’s sneak on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 32-29 victory over Buffalo in the AFC championship game became a major point of contention.“A lot of those theories are things that happen in social media and they get a new life,” Goodell said during his 48-minute news conference inside the Saints’ locker room. “I understand that. I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ passion and is a reminder for us on how important officiating is. I think the men and women officiating the NFL are outstanding. We have the highest possible standards. It’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day it’s something we have to work at, how do we make our officiating better.”Goodell said the league evaluates officials in several ways.“It’s not just the performance on the field but things that go on in their own lives.” Goodell said. “We monitor that very closely in a number of ways. .... It’s a tough job, a really hard job. I’ve never seen a more dedicated group of people to getting it right, doing the best job they possibly can. And I’m proud of the work they do.”NFL executive Kimberly Fields told The Associated Press last week the league plans to engage its Competition Committee on technology to take virtual line-to-gain measurements next season, but officials will continue to spot the football.“What this technology cannot do is take the place of the human element in determining where forward progress ends,” Fields said. “There will always be a human official spotting the ball. Once the ball is spotted, then the line-to-gain technology actually does the measurement itself.”Goodell said the league will continue to work with partners to develop the technology needed to potentially help with spotting the ball in the future.<h2>Diversity</h2>Goodell said he doesn’t believe the NFL’s policies to promote diversity are in conflict with the Trump administration’s efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government.The NFL has rules in place that require teams to interview diverse candidates for key coaching and front office positions as part of the Rooney Rule that has been in place for more than two decades.Several NFL owners contributed to Donald Trump’s campaign or conservative causes during the 2024 election cycle.“Our owners participate in everything that we do,” Goodell said. “Our policies have been designed to be well within the law, well within the practice. There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL.“We also believe we are doing the right thing for the NFL and our policies are consistent with the current administration as well as the last administration.”<h2>International expansion</h2>The NFL is aiming to have a team outside the United States.“I do think there’s potential that someday we will have an international franchise. If we do, it would not surprise me at all if a Super Bowl follows and is played there,” Goodell said.The NFL has made a big effort to expand its footprint worldwide with games played in England, Germany, Mexico and Brazil in recent years with a game scheduled for 2025 in Spain.But as of now, the Super Bowls have been played in NFL stadiums and international sites haven’t been considered.A Super Bowl outside of North America would present challenges in terms of time zones for the U.S.-based broadcasters.<h2>18-game season</h2>Goodell said there’s “a lot of work to be done” before the NFL possibly expands its season to 18 regular-season games.The league hasn’t had formal negotiations with the players’ union about adding a game to the season but Goodell said he has had informal discussions with NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr.The NFL added a 17th game and cut the preseason from four games to three before the 2021 season and Goodell has indicated an interest in eventually adding another regular-season game.“If we do, 18 and 2 might be a possibility,” he said. “We know fans love football and they want more football. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart with the balance and how we deal with that.”Goodell said changes the league has made in terms of equipment, and training in the offseason and preseason have helped reduce the number of concussions and other injuries, making adding an additional game more palatable.<h2>Tom Brady</h2>The league will consider whether rules surrounding Tom Brady’s role as an analyst for Fox and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders need to be altered in any way.Brady was officially approved as a minority owner of the Raiders in Las Vegas and played a big role during the team’s search for a new coach and general manager last month that led to the hiring of Pete Carroll and John Spytek.The seven-time Super Bowl champion is also in his first season as an analyst for Fox and is under rules that prevent his access to team facilities and production meetings with players and coaches.Brady is under the same tampering rules as any other member of the league and has checked in frequently to make sure he isn’t violating any rules.“I think he’s serious that he separates these two and he doesn’t put the league or anyone in a position of conflict,” Goodell said.<h2>Justin Tucker</h2>The NFL plans to look into the “serious” allegations that Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct with several massage therapists.Nine massage therapists from five spas and wellness centers have told the Baltimore Banner that Tucker engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct during sessions from 2012-16.Tucker said in a statement last week that he has never received any complaints from a massage therapist or been told he was not welcome at a spa or other place of business.“They are obviously serious issues and he is taking that seriously as are we,” Goodell said.

🏈 Roger Goodell says perception that officials favor the Chiefs is a ‘ridiculous theory’

By KEN MORITSUGU and HUIZHONG WU Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China countered President Donald Trump's across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports Tuesday, as well as announcing an antitrust investigation into Google and other trade measures.

U.S. tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico were also set to go into effect Tuesday before Trump agreed to a 30-day pause as the two countries acted to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. Trump planned to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next few days.

The Chinese response was "measured," said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. "I don't think they want the trade war escalating," he said. "And they see this example from Canada and Mexico and probably they are hoping for the same thing."

This isn't the first round of tit-for-tat actions between the two countries. China and the U.S. had engaged in a trade war in 2018 when Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods and China responded in kind.

This time, analysts said, China is much better prepared to counter, with the government announcing a slew of measures that cut across different sectors of the economy, from energy to individual U.S. companies.

China said it would implement a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars imported from the U.S. The tariffs would take effect next Monday.

"The U.S.'s unilateral tariff increase seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization," the State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement. "It is not only unhelpful in solving its own problems, but also damages normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S."

The impact on U.S. exports may be limited. Though the U.S. is the biggest exporter of liquid natural gas globally, it does not export much to China. In 2023, the U.S. exported 173,247 million cubic feet of LNG to China, representing about 2.3% of total natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

China imported only about 700,000 cars overall last year, and the leading importers are from Europe and Japan, said Bill Russo, the founder of the Automobility Limited consultancy in Shanghai.

Further export controls on critical minerals

China announced export controls on several elements critical to the production of modern high-tech products.

They include tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium, many of which are designated as critical minerals by the U.S. Geological Survey, meaning they are essential to U.S. economic or national security that have supply chains vulnerable to disruption.

The export controls are in addition to ones China placed in December on key elements such as gallium.

"They have a much more developed export control regime," Philip Luck, an economist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former State Department official, said at a panel discussion on Monday.

"We depend on them for a lot of critical minerals: gallium, germanium, graphite, a host of others," he said. "So … they could put some significant harm on our economy."

The response from China appears calculated and measured, said Stephen Dover, chief market strategist and head of the Franklin Templeton Institute, a financial research firm. However, he said, the world is bracing for further impact.

"A risk is that this is the beginning of a tit-for-tat trade war, which could result in lower GDP growth everywhere, higher U.S. inflation, a stronger dollar and upside pressure on U.S. interest rates," Dover said.

In addition, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said Tuesday it is investigating Google on suspicion of violating antitrust laws. The announcement did not mention the tariffs but came just minutes after Trump's 10% tariffs on China were to take effect.

It is unclear how the probe will affect Google's operations. The company has long faced complaints from Chinese smartphone makers over its business practices surrounding the Android operating system, Gong said.

Otherwise, Google has a limited presence in China, and its search engine is blocked in the country like most other Western platforms. Google exited the Chinese market in 2010 after refusing to comply with censorship requests from the Chinese government and following a series of cyberattacks on the company.

The Commerce Ministry also placed two American companies on an unreliable entities list: PVH Group, which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and Illumina, which is a biotechnology company with offices in China. The listing could bar them from engaging in China-related import or export activities and from making new investments in the country.

Beijing began investigating PVH Group in September last year over "improper Xinjiang-related behavior" after the company allegedly boycotted the use of Xinjiang cotton.

Putting these U.S. companies on the unreliable entities list is "alarming" because it shows that the Chinese government is using the list to pressure U.S. companies to take a side, said George Chen, managing director for The Asia Group, a Washington D.C.-headquartered business policy consultancy.

"It's almost like telling American companies, what your government is doing is bad, you need to tell the government that if you add more tariffs or hurt U.S.-China relations at the end of the day it'll backfire on American companies," Chen said.

Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Zen Soo in Hong Kong and Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738676744689.png" alt="President Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office Monday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office Monday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By KEN MORITSUGU and HUIZHONG WU Associated PressBEIJING (AP) — China countered President Donald Trump's across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports Tuesday, as well as announcing an antitrust investigation into Google and other trade measures.U.S. tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico were also set to go into effect Tuesday before Trump agreed to a 30-day pause as the two countries acted to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. Trump planned to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next few days.The Chinese response was "measured," said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. "I don't think they want the trade war escalating," he said. "And they see this example from Canada and Mexico and probably they are hoping for the same thing."This isn't the first round of tit-for-tat actions between the two countries. China and the U.S. had engaged in a trade war in 2018 when Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods and China responded in kind.This time, analysts said, China is much better prepared to counter, with the government announcing a slew of measures that cut across different sectors of the economy, from energy to individual U.S. companies.Counter tariffsChina said it would implement a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars imported from the U.S. The tariffs would take effect next Monday."The U.S.'s unilateral tariff increase seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization," the State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement. "It is not only unhelpful in solving its own problems, but also damages normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S."The impact on U.S. exports may be limited. Though the U.S. is the biggest exporter of liquid natural gas globally, it does not export much to China. In 2023, the U.S. exported 173,247 million cubic feet of LNG to China, representing about 2.3% of total natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.China imported only about 700,000 cars overall last year, and the leading importers are from Europe and Japan, said Bill Russo, the founder of the Automobility Limited consultancy in Shanghai.Further export controls on critical mineralsChina announced export controls on several elements critical to the production of modern high-tech products.They include tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium, many of which are designated as critical minerals by the U.S. Geological Survey, meaning they are essential to U.S. economic or national security that have supply chains vulnerable to disruption.The export controls are in addition to ones China placed in December on key elements such as gallium."They have a much more developed export control regime," Philip Luck, an economist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former State Department official, said at a panel discussion on Monday."We depend on them for a lot of critical minerals: gallium, germanium, graphite, a host of others," he said. "So … they could put some significant harm on our economy."The response from China appears calculated and measured, said Stephen Dover, chief market strategist and head of the Franklin Templeton Institute, a financial research firm. However, he said, the world is bracing for further impact."A risk is that this is the beginning of a tit-for-tat trade war, which could result in lower GDP growth everywhere, higher U.S. inflation, a stronger dollar and upside pressure on U.S. interest rates," Dover said.US companies also impactedIn addition, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said Tuesday it is investigating Google on suspicion of violating antitrust laws. The announcement did not mention the tariffs but came just minutes after Trump's 10% tariffs on China were to take effect.It is unclear how the probe will affect Google's operations. The company has long faced complaints from Chinese smartphone makers over its business practices surrounding the Android operating system, Gong said.Otherwise, Google has a limited presence in China, and its search engine is blocked in the country like most other Western platforms. Google exited the Chinese market in 2010 after refusing to comply with censorship requests from the Chinese government and following a series of cyberattacks on the company.Google did not immediately comment.The Commerce Ministry also placed two American companies on an unreliable entities list: PVH Group, which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and Illumina, which is a biotechnology company with offices in China. The listing could bar them from engaging in China-related import or export activities and from making new investments in the country.Beijing began investigating PVH Group in September last year over "improper Xinjiang-related behavior" after the company allegedly boycotted the use of Xinjiang cotton.Putting these U.S. companies on the unreliable entities list is "alarming" because it shows that the Chinese government is using the list to pressure U.S. companies to take a side, said George Chen, managing director for The Asia Group, a Washington D.C.-headquartered business policy consultancy."It's almost like telling American companies, what your government is doing is bad, you need to tell the government that if you add more tariffs or hurt U.S.-China relations at the end of the day it'll backfire on American companies," Chen said.___Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Zen Soo in Hong Kong and Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.

China hits back as Trump’s tariffs go into effect

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have delivered a strong rebuke against the Trump administration’s attempt to gut an agency that provides crucial aid overseas to fund education and fight starvation and disease, calling it illegal, vowing a court fight and lambasting billionaire Elon Musk for wielding so much power in Washington.

Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters, and officers blocked the lawmakers from entering the lobby Monday, after Musk announced President Donald Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-classified-information-usaid-security-35101dee28a766e0d9705e0d47958611">agreed with him to shut the agency</a>.

The fast-moving developments come after thousands of USAID employees already have been laid off and programs shut down in the two weeks since Trump became president. And they show the extraordinary power of Musk and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;in the Trump administration. Musk announced closing of the agency early Monday, as Trump’s secretary of state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migration-rubio-panama-colombia-venezuela-237f06b7d4bdd9ff1396baf9c45a2c0b">Marco Rubio</a>, was out of the country on a trip to Central America.

Trump said shutting down USAID “should have been done a long time ago” and was asked whether he needs Congress to approve such a measure. The president said he did not think so, and accused the Biden administration of fraud, without giving any evidence and only promising a report later on.

“They went totally crazy, what they were doing and the money they were giving to people that shouldn’t be getting it and to agencies and others that shouldn’t be getting it, it was a shame, so a tremendous fraud,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

Rubio told reporters in San Salvador that he was now the acting administrator of USAID but had delegated his authorities to someone else. The change means that USAID is no longer an independent government agency as it had been for decades — although its new status will likely be challenged in court — and will be run out of the State Department.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland called it an “illegal power grab” and said it was “a corrupt abuse of power that is going on.”

“It’s not only a gift to our adversaries, but trying to shut down the Agency for International Development by executive order is plain illegal,” the Maryland senator said.

The upheaval follows Trump ordering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-7d9c8cbcb241ec9a710feb8e883b9756">a freeze on foreign assistance</a>, with widespread effects around the world. The moves by the U.S., the world’s largest provider of humanitarian aid, have upended decades of policy that put humanitarian, development and security assistance in the center of efforts to build alliances and counter adversaries such as China and Russia.

U.S. and international companies have been forced to shut down tens of thousands of programs globally, leading to furloughs, layoffs and financial crises that have left many fearing the aid community has been too damaged by the freeze to resume work even if funding resumes. Other organizations have filed for bankruptcy after being told USAID would not be paying its invoices for projects that have already been approved and implemented around the world.

The Democratic lawmakers gathered outside the agency building for a rally and press conference and gave the most forceful pushback since Trump took office last month. They said they expected a flurry of lawsuits to be issued in the coming days against the Trump administration. They tried to walk into the offices to talk to staff about the changes but were denied entrance.

They said Trump lacks the constitutional authority to shut down USAID without congressional approval and decried Musk’s accessing sensitive government-held information through his Trump-sanctioned inspections of federal government agencies and programs.

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said USAID is not just about saving other countries from starvation and disease. “There is a reason that USAID is an arm of American foreign policy, and it is because we understand that a stable world means a stable America,” he said.

USAID staffers said more than 600 additional employees had reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.” The agency’s website vanished Saturday without explanation.

On Monday, two State Department employees who tried to get into the USAID offices said they were turned away by security guards. Later, uniformed Department of Homeland Security officers and security officers blocked the lobby of the USAID’s headquarters using yellow tape with the words “do not cross.”

Musk, who’s leading an extraordinary civilian review of the federal government with Trump’s agreement, said early Monday that he had spoken with Trump about the six-decade U.S. aid and development agency and “he agreed we should shut it down.”

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said in a live session on X Spaces early Monday. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”

Musk, Trump and some Republican lawmakers have targeted the U.S. aid and development agency, which oversees humanitarian, development and security programs in some 120 countries, in increasingly strident terms, accusing it of promoting liberal causes.

Since Trump took office, appointees brought in from his first term such as Peter Marocco placed more than 50 senior officials on leave for investigation without public explanation, gutting the agency’s leadership. When the agency’s personnel chief announced that the allegations against them were groundless and tried to reinstate them, he was placed on leave as well.

It is widely known among current and former State Department and USAID employees that Marocco has been delegated authority over the agency by Rubio.

In his remarks Rubio stressed that some and perhaps many USAID programs would continue in the new configuration but that the switch was necessary because the agency had become unaccountable to the executive branch and Congress.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-website-offline-trump-foreign-funding-freeze-9d2ecdaff5c74a9f6b0d6096fa2228ff">on leave</a>&nbsp;after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams, a current and a former U.S. official said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Musk’s DOGE</a>&nbsp;earlier carried out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">a similar operation at the Treasury Department</a>, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official had resigned over Musk’s team accessing sensitive information.

USAID, meanwhile, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-7d9c8cbcb241ec9a710feb8e883b9756">one of the federal agencies most targeted</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration in an escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">crackdown on the federal government</a>&nbsp;and many of its programs. The U.S. spends less than 1% of its budget on foreign assistance, a smaller share overall than some other countries.

The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-department-trump-foreign-aid-bf047e17ef64cb42a1a1b7fdf05caffa">freeze on foreign assistance</a>&nbsp;has shut down much of USAID’s aid programs worldwide, including an HIV-AIDS program started by Republican President George W. Bush credited with saving more than 20 million lives in Africa and elsewhere. Aid contractors spoke of millions of dollars in medication and other goods now stuck in port that they were forbidden to deliver.

Other programs that would shut down provided education to schoolgirls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and monitored an Ebola outbreak spreading in Uganda. A USAID-supported crisis monitoring program, which was credited for helping prevent repeats of the 1980s famine in Uganda that killed up to 1.2 million people, has gone offline.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have delivered a strong rebuke against the Trump administration’s attempt to gut an agency that provides crucial aid overseas to fund education and fight starvation and disease, calling it illegal, vowing a court fight and lambasting billionaire Elon Musk for wielding so much power in Washington.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> on DOGE: &quot;Before our very eyes an unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government...Donald Trump does not have the authority to erase an independent agency created by Congress nor can the Department of State absorb USAID...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HiUqndKMet">pic.twitter.com/HiUqndKMet</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1886526693579292718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorAndyKim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorAndyKim</a> at USAID: &quot;I talked to the security guard just in there. He said he has been given specific orders to prevent employees of USAID from entering the building today. I just find that to be absolutely ridiculous. This is no way to govern.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ixdFDLqGps">pic.twitter.com/ixdFDLqGps</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1886461565060162004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> in El Salvador: &quot;I&#39;m the acting director of USAID. I&#39;ve delegated that authority to someone...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/dabJ41IyxC">pic.twitter.com/dabJ41IyxC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1886473339201360210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rep. Jim <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMcGovern</a> (D-MA) to USAID employees: &quot;I&#39;m sorry that you have to put up with this offensive bullshit coming out of this White House.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/s2OARF6W8R">pic.twitter.com/s2OARF6W8R</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1886493658267934972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisVanHollen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisVanHollen</a> (D-MD) leads other Congressional Democrats into USAID headquarters: &quot;So we can hear firsthand from whoever is here at AID or at least witness firsthand what is happening with this Elon Musk attempted takeover which will not stand. We will prevail. Let&#39;s go.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/anu41Bjyg7">pic.twitter.com/anu41Bjyg7</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1886494205062590751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters, and officers blocked the lawmakers from entering the lobby Monday, after Musk announced President Donald Trump had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-classified-information-usaid-security-35101dee28a766e0d9705e0d47958611">agreed with him to shut the agency</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests…&mdash; Department of State (@StateDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1886512412863684802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The fast-moving developments come after thousands of USAID employees already have been laid off and programs shut down in the two weeks since Trump became president. And they show the extraordinary power of Musk and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;in the Trump administration. Musk announced closing of the agency early Monday, as Trump’s secretary of state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migration-rubio-panama-colombia-venezuela-237f06b7d4bdd9ff1396baf9c45a2c0b">Marco Rubio</a>, was out of the country on a trip to Central America.Trump said shutting down USAID “should have been done a long time ago” and was asked whether he needs Congress to approve such a measure. The president said he did not think so, and accused the Biden administration of fraud, without giving any evidence and only promising a report later on.“They went totally crazy, what they were doing and the money they were giving to people that shouldn’t be getting it and to agencies and others that shouldn’t be getting it, it was a shame, so a tremendous fraud,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.Rubio told reporters in San Salvador that he was now the acting administrator of USAID but had delegated his authorities to someone else. The change means that USAID is no longer an independent government agency as it had been for decades — although its new status will likely be challenged in court — and will be run out of the State Department.Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland called it an “illegal power grab” and said it was “a corrupt abuse of power that is going on.”“It’s not only a gift to our adversaries, but trying to shut down the Agency for International Development by executive order is plain illegal,” the Maryland senator said.The upheaval follows Trump ordering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-7d9c8cbcb241ec9a710feb8e883b9756">a freeze on foreign assistance</a>, with widespread effects around the world. The moves by the U.S., the world’s largest provider of humanitarian aid, have upended decades of policy that put humanitarian, development and security assistance in the center of efforts to build alliances and counter adversaries such as China and Russia.U.S. and international companies have been forced to shut down tens of thousands of programs globally, leading to furloughs, layoffs and financial crises that have left many fearing the aid community has been too damaged by the freeze to resume work even if funding resumes. Other organizations have filed for bankruptcy after being told USAID would not be paying its invoices for projects that have already been approved and implemented around the world.The Democratic lawmakers gathered outside the agency building for a rally and press conference and gave the most forceful pushback since Trump took office last month. They said they expected a flurry of lawsuits to be issued in the coming days against the Trump administration. They tried to walk into the offices to talk to staff about the changes but were denied entrance.They said Trump lacks the constitutional authority to shut down USAID without congressional approval and decried Musk’s accessing sensitive government-held information through his Trump-sanctioned inspections of federal government agencies and programs.Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said USAID is not just about saving other countries from starvation and disease. “There is a reason that USAID is an arm of American foreign policy, and it is because we understand that a stable world means a stable America,” he said.USAID staffers said more than 600 additional employees had reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight. Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3.” The agency’s website vanished Saturday without explanation.On Monday, two State Department employees who tried to get into the USAID offices said they were turned away by security guards. Later, uniformed Department of Homeland Security officers and security officers blocked the lobby of the USAID’s headquarters using yellow tape with the words “do not cross.”Musk, who’s leading an extraordinary civilian review of the federal government with Trump’s agreement, said early Monday that he had spoken with Trump about the six-decade U.S. aid and development agency and “he agreed we should shut it down.”“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said in a live session on X Spaces early Monday. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.”“We’re shutting it down,” he said.Musk, Trump and some Republican lawmakers have targeted the U.S. aid and development agency, which oversees humanitarian, development and security programs in some 120 countries, in increasingly strident terms, accusing it of promoting liberal causes.Since Trump took office, appointees brought in from his first term such as Peter Marocco placed more than 50 senior officials on leave for investigation without public explanation, gutting the agency’s leadership. When the agency’s personnel chief announced that the allegations against them were groundless and tried to reinstate them, he was placed on leave as well.It is widely known among current and former State Department and USAID employees that Marocco has been delegated authority over the agency by Rubio.In his remarks Rubio stressed that some and perhaps many USAID programs would continue in the new configuration but that the switch was necessary because the agency had become unaccountable to the executive branch and Congress.Over the weekend, the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-website-offline-trump-foreign-funding-freeze-9d2ecdaff5c74a9f6b0d6096fa2228ff">on leave</a>&nbsp;after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams, a current and a former U.S. official said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-government-trump-executive-order-1a2fb7235b9d6f178c764cf6c78d3317">Musk’s DOGE</a>&nbsp;earlier carried out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-treasury-5e26cc80fcb766981cea56afd57ae759">a similar operation at the Treasury Department</a>, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. The Washington Post reported that a senior Treasury official had resigned over Musk’s team accessing sensitive information.USAID, meanwhile, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-7d9c8cbcb241ec9a710feb8e883b9756">one of the federal agencies most targeted</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration in an escalating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-buyouts-to-all-federal-employees-f67f5751a0fd5ad8471806a5a1067b5e">crackdown on the federal government</a>&nbsp;and many of its programs. The U.S. spends less than 1% of its budget on foreign assistance, a smaller share overall than some other countries.The Trump administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-department-trump-foreign-aid-bf047e17ef64cb42a1a1b7fdf05caffa">freeze on foreign assistance</a>&nbsp;has shut down much of USAID’s aid programs worldwide, including an HIV-AIDS program started by Republican President George W. Bush credited with saving more than 20 million lives in Africa and elsewhere. Aid contractors spoke of millions of dollars in medication and other goods now stuck in port that they were forbidden to deliver.Other programs that would shut down provided education to schoolgirls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and monitored an Ebola outbreak spreading in Uganda. A USAID-supported crisis monitoring program, which was credited for helping prevent repeats of the 1980s famine in Uganda that killed up to 1.2 million people, has gone offline.

🎥Dems push back after Trump agrees to close USAID and workers are kept out

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary, a key post to promote President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;efforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chris-wright-energy-cabinet-4161f363d59013339d5b444ddf123d45">Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy,</a>&nbsp;has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He says more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe and has promised to help Trump “unleash energy security and prosperity.”

The Senate approved his nomination, 59-38. Eight Democrats — including both senators from Wright's home state of Colorado — voted in favor.

The centerpiece of Trump’s energy policy is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f">“drill, baby, drill</a>,” and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats’ “green new scam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.

“President Trump shares my passion for energy,” Wright said at his confirmation hearing last month, promising that if confirmed, he would “work tirelessly to implement (Trump's) bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”

That includes oil and natural gas, coal, nuclear power and hydropower, along with wind and solar power and geothermal energy, Wright said.

Trump’s energy wishes are likely to run into real-world limits, including the fact that U.S. oil production is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61545">already at record levels</a>. The federal government cannot force companies to drill for more oil, and production increases could lower prices and reduce profits.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican, called Wright an innovator who “tells the truth about energy production."

While Wright “acknowledges that climate change is real, he knows more American energy is the solution — not the problem,'' Barrasso said, calling Wright's “energy realism” welcome news.

Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Wright “understands that energy policies should focus on making energy abundant and affordable for families” and businesses.

“Our nation deserves a champion for American energy and innovation, and we’ve got the Wright guy for the job,'' Lee posted on X.

Colorado's two Democratic senators both supported their home-state nominee.

“Chris Wright is a scientist who has dedicated his life to the study and use of energy. He believes in science and supports the research that will deliver the affordable, reliable and clean energy" that will lower costs and make the country more secure, Sen. John Hickenlooper said.

“While we don’t always agree, we will work together because none of us have four years to wait to act,” Hickenlooper said.

Sen. Michael Bennet called Wright a successful Colorado entrepreneur with deep expertise in energy innovation and technology. He pledged to work with Wright to “ensure Colorado continues to lead the country in energy production and innovation.”

While acknowledging that climate change is real, Wright said at his hearing that he believes “there isn’t dirty energy or clean energy.” Rather, he said, there are different sources of energy with different tradeoffs.

Wright, 60, has been chairman and CEO of Liberty Energy since 2011 and has no prior experience in government. He grew up in Colorado, earned an undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pinnacle-financial-partners-inc">Pinnacle Technologies</a>, which helped launch commercial shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

He later served as chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before founding Liberty Resources in 2010.

As energy secretary, Wright will join Interior Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/doug-burgum">Doug Burgum</a>&nbsp;as a key player on energy policy. Both will serve on a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transition-white-house-cheung-gor-f3e02df04ffece1b07a44062ee723d71">National Energy Council</a>&nbsp;that Burgum will chair. The panel will include all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation, with a focus on “cutting red tape” and boosting domestic energy production, Trump said. The council’s mission represents a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, who made fighting climate change a top priority.

Wright said he would sever all ties across the energy industry if confirmed.

Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, an environmental group, said Democrats should have unanimously opposed Wright.

“Senate Republicans just handed Trump’s Big Oil allies the keys to the Department of Energy,'' she said in a statement. “Chris Wright built his career expanding fossil fuels and denying climate science. Now, he’ll be in a position to help Trump" stall clean energy investments, hike energy prices “and keep Americans addicted to expensive, volatile fossil fuels."

Now is the time, she added, "for Democrats to stand united and fight back against Trump’s relentless push to rig the system for Big Oil.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary, a key post to promote President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;efforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations to our new Secretary of Energy Chris Wright! <a href="https://t.co/gK5W9Dj9WC">pic.twitter.com/gK5W9Dj9WC</a>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1886556704529166504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-chris-wright-energy-cabinet-4161f363d59013339d5b444ddf123d45">Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy,</a>&nbsp;has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He says more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe and has promised to help Trump “unleash energy security and prosperity.”The Senate approved his nomination, 59-38. Eight Democrats — including both senators from Wright's home state of Colorado — voted in favor.The centerpiece of Trump’s energy policy is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-policies-agenda-election-2024-second-term-d656d8f08629a8da14a65c4075545e0f">“drill, baby, drill</a>,” and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats’ “green new scam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.“President Trump shares my passion for energy,” Wright said at his confirmation hearing last month, promising that if confirmed, he would “work tirelessly to implement (Trump's) bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”That includes oil and natural gas, coal, nuclear power and hydropower, along with wind and solar power and geothermal energy, Wright said.Trump’s energy wishes are likely to run into real-world limits, including the fact that U.S. oil production is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61545">already at record levels</a>. The federal government cannot force companies to drill for more oil, and production increases could lower prices and reduce profits.Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican, called Wright an innovator who “tells the truth about energy production."While Wright “acknowledges that climate change is real, he knows more American energy is the solution — not the problem,'' Barrasso said, calling Wright's “energy realism” welcome news.Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Wright “understands that energy policies should focus on making energy abundant and affordable for families” and businesses.“Our nation deserves a champion for American energy and innovation, and we’ve got the Wright guy for the job,'' Lee posted on X.Colorado's two Democratic senators both supported their home-state nominee.“Chris Wright is a scientist who has dedicated his life to the study and use of energy. He believes in science and supports the research that will deliver the affordable, reliable and clean energy" that will lower costs and make the country more secure, Sen. John Hickenlooper said.“While we don’t always agree, we will work together because none of us have four years to wait to act,” Hickenlooper said.Sen. Michael Bennet called Wright a successful Colorado entrepreneur with deep expertise in energy innovation and technology. He pledged to work with Wright to “ensure Colorado continues to lead the country in energy production and innovation.”While acknowledging that climate change is real, Wright said at his hearing that he believes “there isn’t dirty energy or clean energy.” Rather, he said, there are different sources of energy with different tradeoffs.Wright, 60, has been chairman and CEO of Liberty Energy since 2011 and has no prior experience in government. He grew up in Colorado, earned an undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pinnacle-financial-partners-inc">Pinnacle Technologies</a>, which helped launch commercial shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.He later served as chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before founding Liberty Resources in 2010.As energy secretary, Wright will join Interior Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/doug-burgum">Doug Burgum</a>&nbsp;as a key player on energy policy. Both will serve on a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transition-white-house-cheung-gor-f3e02df04ffece1b07a44062ee723d71">National Energy Council</a>&nbsp;that Burgum will chair. The panel will include all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation, with a focus on “cutting red tape” and boosting domestic energy production, Trump said. The council’s mission represents a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, who made fighting climate change a top priority.Wright said he would sever all ties across the energy industry if confirmed.Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, an environmental group, said Democrats should have unanimously opposed Wright.“Senate Republicans just handed Trump’s Big Oil allies the keys to the Department of Energy,'' she said in a statement. “Chris Wright built his career expanding fossil fuels and denying climate science. Now, he’ll be in a position to help Trump" stall clean energy investments, hike energy prices “and keep Americans addicted to expensive, volatile fossil fuels."Now is the time, she added, "for Democrats to stand united and fight back against Trump’s relentless push to rig the system for Big Oil.”

More good news for oil producers: Senate confirms Wright as energy secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that after a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump that the planned tariffs are on hold for a month, a statement confirmed by the White House.

“Mexico will reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard immediately, to stop drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl,” Sheinbaum posted on X. “The United States commits to work to stop the trafficking of high powered weapons to Mexico.”

The Mexican president added that the two countries would continue talks on security and trade and that “the tariffs are put on pause for a month from now.”

The pause added to the drama as Trump’s tariffs against Canada and China are still slated to go into effect on Tuesday. Uncertainty remains about the durability of any deals and whether the tariffs are a harbinger of a broader trade war as Trump has promised more import taxes to come.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;posted on social media that he spoke Monday morning with Canadian Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/justin-trudeau">Justin Trudeau</a>&nbsp;and would “be speaking to him again at 3:00 P.M.” Both Canada and Mexico had plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-retaliation-trudeau-sheinbaum-70e067b092a3af72c2eb7ca37d532c91">levy their own tariffs</a>&nbsp;in response to U.S. actions, but Mexico is holding off for the moment.

Trump used his Monday social media post to repeat his complaints that Canada has been uncooperative, despite decades of friendship and partnerships that range from World War II to the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

“Canada doesn’t even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there,” Trump posted. “What’s that all about? Many such things, but it’s also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the Borders of Mexico and Canada.”

Financial markets, businesses and consumers are trying to prepare for the possibility of the new tariffs. Stock market indices opened with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-trump-tariffs-5f365936ea9bdf45a0460556f3a5f4e8">a modest selloff</a>, suggesting some hope that the import taxes that could push up inflation and disrupt global trade and growth would be short-lived.

But the outlook reflected a deep uncertainty about a Republican president who has talked with adoration about tariffs, even saying the U.S. government made a mistake in 1913 by switching to income taxes as its primary revenue source. Trump said Sunday the tariffs would lift if Canada and Mexico did more to crack down on illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling, though there are no clear benchmarks. Trump also said the U.S. can no longer run a trade imbalance with its two largest trade partners.

Mexico is facing a 25% tariff, while Canada would be charged 25% on its imports to the United States and 10% on its energy products. China is facing a 10% additional tariff due to its role in the making and selling of fentanyl, the Trump White House said.

Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Monday that it was misleading to characterize the showdown as a trade war despite the planned retaliations and risk of escalation.

“Read the executive order where President Trump was absolutely, 100% clear that this is not a trade war,” Hassett said. “This is a drug war.”

But even if the orders are focused on illegal drugs, Trump’s own remarks have often been more about his perceived sense that foreign countries are ripping off the United States by running trade surpluses. On Sunday, Trump said that tariffs would be coming soon on countries in the European Union. He has discussed tariffs as both a diplomatic tool on national security issues, a way to raise revenues and a vehicle for renegotiating existing trade pacts.

Multiple economists outside the administration have warned that the tariffs would push up prices and hamper growth, with Trump himself saying there would be some short term pain after having campaigned last year on the promise that he could tame inflation.

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM, said the United States was unlikely to fall into a recession this year, but the tariffs would hurt growth and push up the cost of government borrowing, which would potentially keep the interest rates charged on mortgages and auto loans elevated.

“If there is no resolution, the impact on the U.S. economy will be significant,” he said. “Growth will slow notably from the 2.9% average over the past three years as inflation and interest rates rise. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, currently around 4.5%, could climb to a range between 4.75% and 5%.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738598650321.png" alt="Mexican Claudia Sheinbaum during a Monday news conference- courtesy image from the online video" />
 <figcaption>Mexican Claudia Sheinbaum during a Monday news conference- courtesy image from the online video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that after a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump that the planned tariffs are on hold for a month, a statement confirmed by the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> on his call with the President of Mexico “President Sheinbaum…I like her very much, but we have to stop fentanyl from coming in, whether I like somebody or not.” A President for the American People! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/oZR7dd7x5z">pic.twitter.com/oZR7dd7x5z</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1886484168453816435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/10LlQayKyD">pic.twitter.com/10LlQayKyD</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1886441086203158844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Mexico will reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard immediately, to stop drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl,” Sheinbaum posted on X. “The United States commits to work to stop the trafficking of high powered weapons to Mexico.”The Mexican president added that the two countries would continue talks on security and trade and that “the tariffs are put on pause for a month from now.”The pause added to the drama as Trump’s tariffs against Canada and China are still slated to go into effect on Tuesday. Uncertainty remains about the durability of any deals and whether the tariffs are a harbinger of a broader trade war as Trump has promised more import taxes to come.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;posted on social media that he spoke Monday morning with Canadian Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/justin-trudeau">Justin Trudeau</a>&nbsp;and would “be speaking to him again at 3:00 P.M.” Both Canada and Mexico had plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-retaliation-trudeau-sheinbaum-70e067b092a3af72c2eb7ca37d532c91">levy their own tariffs</a>&nbsp;in response to U.S. actions, but Mexico is holding off for the moment.Trump used his Monday social media post to repeat his complaints that Canada has been uncooperative, despite decades of friendship and partnerships that range from World War II to the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.“Canada doesn’t even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there,” Trump posted. “What’s that all about? Many such things, but it’s also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the Borders of Mexico and Canada.”Financial markets, businesses and consumers are trying to prepare for the possibility of the new tariffs. Stock market indices opened with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-trump-tariffs-5f365936ea9bdf45a0460556f3a5f4e8">a modest selloff</a>, suggesting some hope that the import taxes that could push up inflation and disrupt global trade and growth would be short-lived.But the outlook reflected a deep uncertainty about a Republican president who has talked with adoration about tariffs, even saying the U.S. government made a mistake in 1913 by switching to income taxes as its primary revenue source. Trump said Sunday the tariffs would lift if Canada and Mexico did more to crack down on illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling, though there are no clear benchmarks. Trump also said the U.S. can no longer run a trade imbalance with its two largest trade partners.Mexico is facing a 25% tariff, while Canada would be charged 25% on its imports to the United States and 10% on its energy products. China is facing a 10% additional tariff due to its role in the making and selling of fentanyl, the Trump White House said.Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Monday that it was misleading to characterize the showdown as a trade war despite the planned retaliations and risk of escalation.“Read the executive order where President Trump was absolutely, 100% clear that this is not a trade war,” Hassett said. “This is a drug war.”But even if the orders are focused on illegal drugs, Trump’s own remarks have often been more about his perceived sense that foreign countries are ripping off the United States by running trade surpluses. On Sunday, Trump said that tariffs would be coming soon on countries in the European Union. He has discussed tariffs as both a diplomatic tool on national security issues, a way to raise revenues and a vehicle for renegotiating existing trade pacts.Multiple economists outside the administration have warned that the tariffs would push up prices and hamper growth, with Trump himself saying there would be some short term pain after having campaigned last year on the promise that he could tame inflation.Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the consultancy RSM, said the United States was unlikely to fall into a recession this year, but the tariffs would hurt growth and push up the cost of government borrowing, which would potentially keep the interest rates charged on mortgages and auto loans elevated.“If there is no resolution, the impact on the U.S. economy will be significant,” he said. “Growth will slow notably from the 2.9% average over the past three years as inflation and interest rates rise. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, currently around 4.5%, could climb to a range between 4.75% and 5%.”

Trump wins concession, agrees to pause tariffs on Mexico


The Dillon Lecture Series named after Ray and Stella Dillon kicks off
its 2025 series on Tuesday .  


Rob Kinney, host of
YouTubes “Dad, how do I?” show will be in the arena on Tuesday. 
Rob rose
to fame in 2020 with his YouTube channel “Dad, How Do I?”, where
he generates practical advice and life skills for people who may not
have had a father figure in their lives. 

His channel covers a wide
range of topics, from how to tie a tie, change a tire, unclog a sink,
and other essential “dad advice.” Kenney’s inspiration for
starting the channel stems from his own childhood. His father left
when he was just 14, leaving him and his siblings to navigate life
without that guiding parental influence.



Since
1982, the Dillon Lecture Series has provided distinguished and
notable speakers that many in Hutchinson, Kansas and surrounding
communities might not have the opportunity to experience.&nbsp;


From
poets, politicians and&nbsp;space scientists to American heroes, each
is&nbsp;chosen by the Dillon Lecture Committee by following the
teachings of Chinese philosopher Kuan-Tzam - “learning is the key
to enlightenment” -&nbsp;to educate and inspire audiences across a
wide age span.


All
lectures are held in the Hutchinson Sports Arena beginning at 10:30
a.m. and last one hour.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738589327923.jpeg" alt="Rob Kenney - February 4" />
 <figcaption>Rob Kenney - February 4</figcaption>
 </figure>
The Dillon Lecture Series named after Ray and Stella Dillon kicks off
its 2025 series on Tuesday . 
Rob Kinney, host of
YouTubes “Dad, how do I?” show will be in the arena on Tuesday. 
Rob rose
to fame in 2020 with his YouTube channel “Dad, How Do I?”, where
he generates practical advice and life skills for people who may not
have had a father figure in their lives. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738589327923.jpeg" alt="Rob Kenney - February 4" />
 <figcaption>Rob Kenney - February 4</figcaption>
 </figure>His channel covers a wide
range of topics, from how to tie a tie, change a tire, unclog a sink,
and other essential “dad advice.” Kenney’s inspiration for
starting the channel stems from his own childhood. His father left
when he was just 14, leaving him and his siblings to navigate life
without that guiding parental influence.

Since
1982, the Dillon Lecture Series has provided distinguished and
notable speakers that many in Hutchinson, Kansas and surrounding
communities might not have the opportunity to experience.&nbsp;
From
poets, politicians and&nbsp;space scientists to American heroes, each
is&nbsp;chosen by the Dillon Lecture Committee by following the
teachings of Chinese philosopher Kuan-Tzam - “learning is the key
to enlightenment” -&nbsp;to educate and inspire audiences across a
wide age span.
All
lectures are held in the Hutchinson Sports Arena beginning at 10:30
a.m. and last one hour.Here are the
remainder of this years speakers. 
<h2>Tyler Merritt - April 1</h2>Tyler
Merritt&nbsp;is
an actor, comedian, viral sensation, activist, founder of The Tyler
Merritt Project, and author of the memoir,&nbsp;I
Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith,
and Being Black in America.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738589410234.jpeg" alt="Tyler Merrit - April 1" />
 <figcaption>Tyler Merrit - April 1</figcaption>
 </figure>As
a 6’2” dreadlocked black man living in the South, Merritt is well
aware of stereotypes and their potentially dangerous consequences. In
response, Merritt has devoted his creativity to bringing his ethos of
“Love. Learn. Create.” to life through his words and videos as
part of The Tyler Merritt Project.
<h2>Jim Olson –
September 16</h2>James
Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations
of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine
operations. 
<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738589456482.jpeg" alt="Jim Olson - September 16" />
 <figcaption>Jim Olson - September 16</figcaption>
 </figure>In
addition to several foreign assignments, he was Chief of
Counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
<h2>Joel Goldberg –
October 28
</h2>Award-winning
broadcaster Joel Goldberg has been a member of the Kansas City Royals
television broadcast since 2008, serving as the host of every pregame
and postgame show on FOX Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports KC.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738589675720.jpeg" alt="Joel Goldberg - October 28" />
 <figcaption>Joel Goldberg - October 28</figcaption>
 </figure>He also hosts a podcast, “Rounding the Bases,” and does various corporate speaking engagements throughout the country on team building and culture.Following the 2020 season, Goldberg authored a book “Small Ball Big Results,” about the small things that add up to the big wins in baseball, business and life.