ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a college student for an alleged prank phone call.

Just before 9p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;responded to a dormitory on the Benedictine College campus to investigate a report that someone was being chased with a knife, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 The investigation that followed determined the report was false and that a student had made a prank call to a college staff person resulting in law enforcement response.

Police arrested 20-year-old Lydia C. Fontenot, 20, Southlake Texas, at 1020 North 2nd Street. She was jailed on a requested charge in connection with transmitting false information to request emergency service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739807980534.png" alt="Fontenot photo Atchison Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Fontenot photo Atchison Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a college student for an alleged prank phone call.Just before 9p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;responded to a dormitory on the Benedictine College campus to investigate a report that someone was being chased with a knife, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson. The investigation that followed determined the report was false and that a student had made a prank call to a college staff person resulting in law enforcement response.Police arrested 20-year-old Lydia C. Fontenot, 20, Southlake Texas, at 1020 North 2nd Street. She was jailed on a requested charge in connection with transmitting false information to request emergency service.&nbsp;

Student jailed for alleged prank phone call on Kan. college campus

CASS COUNTY, Neb. —The Nebraska State Patrol announced that a Nebraska State Trooper died in the line of duty on Monday.

A motor vehicle crash occurred while the trooper and others were responding to another crash on Interstate 80 between Ashland and Greenwood, according to a statement from the patrol.&nbsp;

The Patrol asked the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the crash investigation.&nbsp;The name of the trooper has not been released or additional details of the incident.

As winter weather conditions continue across the state, the Nebraska Patrol urged all motorists to be safe if they must travel.

&nbsp;I-80 remains closed between mile markers 420 and 426.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739823420144.png" alt="Portions of I-80 remained closed between mile markers 420 and 426 after the crash-photo courtesy KETV" />
 <figcaption>Portions of I-80 remained closed between mile markers 420 and 426 after the crash-photo courtesy KETV</figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY, Neb. —The Nebraska State Patrol announced that a Nebraska State Trooper died in the line of duty on Monday.A motor vehicle crash occurred while the trooper and others were responding to another crash on Interstate 80 between Ashland and Greenwood, according to a statement from the patrol.&nbsp;The Patrol asked the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the crash investigation.&nbsp;The name of the trooper has not been released or additional details of the incident.As winter weather conditions continue across the state, the Nebraska Patrol urged all motorists to be safe if they must travel.&nbsp;I-80 remains closed between mile markers 420 and 426.

Nebraska state trooper killed while responding to crash

Good news from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp; The Department's Game Warden social media page released a video last week of amazing effort by a warden in November.

According to the post, last Thanksgiving, a Kansas Game Wardens was called out on his day off to a whitetail buck stuck in a fence.

 It was apparent that the buck had been there most of the night, as he was very tired and not happy. The buck appeared to have a nylon rope tied to an aluminum pipe that was caught in his antlers, and when he attempted to jump the fence it must have got caught.

 The game warden was able to successfully cut the deer free without harm. Wardens across the state frequently get these types of calls during the months when deer are on the move, and many times wonder if they survive such a stressful incident. This story has a happy ending as a local passerby posted a photo he took of what appears to be the same buck in the area approximately one month later.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739460602264.png" alt="image from the video" />
 <figcaption>image from the video</figcaption>
 </figure>Good news from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.&nbsp; The Department's Game Warden social media page released a video last week of amazing effort by a warden in November.According to the post, last Thanksgiving, a Kansas Game Wardens was called out on his day off to a whitetail buck stuck in a fence.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkdwpgamewardens%2Fvideos%2F606352438774414%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=8" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div> It was apparent that the buck had been there most of the night, as he was very tired and not happy. The buck appeared to have a nylon rope tied to an aluminum pipe that was caught in his antlers, and when he attempted to jump the fence it must have got caught. The game warden was able to successfully cut the deer free without harm. Wardens across the state frequently get these types of calls during the months when deer are on the move, and many times wonder if they survive such a stressful incident. This story has a happy ending as a local passerby posted a photo he took of what appears to be the same buck in the area approximately one month later.

Kansas game warden frees whitetail buck stuck in a fence

SALINE COUNTY —Police in Salina are investigating a double-homicide and have a registered Kansas violent offender in custody.

Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 700 block of Vassar Drive in Salina, according to a media release.

First responders located two women in the driveway of the home who were deceased due to an apparent homicide.

Moments later, officers located the suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Preston James Reyna a couple blocks from the scene and took him into custody without incident.

Reyna, of Salina, is being held on requested charges that include two counts of 1st Degree Murder, 2 counts of Aggravated DV Battery, Aggravated Kidnapping, 2 counts of DV Battery, and DV Damage to Property.

Reyna has been listed as a Registered Offender since 2014 after a 2009 conviction in Saline County for second degree murder.&nbsp; According to the Associated Press, Reyna was to be evaluated at Larned State Hospital after he pleaded guilty to unintentional second-degree murder in death of Nicolas Chavez Castro. He beat Castro to death with a board.

During trial, Reyna's mother, Rosalinda Reyna, testified that on the day Castro was killed, she was trying to get someone to help her get her son to the Salina Regional Health Center. Prosecutors say Castro was killed because Reyna mistakenly believed he had kidnapped and raped his mother.&nbsp;Reyna has been previously been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739792336312.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Police in Salina are investigating a double-homicide and have a registered Kansas violent offender in custody.Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 700 block of Vassar Drive in Salina, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739789789567.png" alt="Reyna photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Reyna photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located two women in the driveway of the home who were deceased due to an apparent homicide.Moments later, officers located the suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Preston James Reyna a couple blocks from the scene and took him into custody without incident.Reyna, of Salina, is being held on requested charges that include two counts of 1st Degree Murder, 2 counts of Aggravated DV Battery, Aggravated Kidnapping, 2 counts of DV Battery, and DV Damage to Property.Reyna has been listed as a Registered Offender since 2014 after a 2009 conviction in Saline County for second degree murder.&nbsp; According to the Associated Press, Reyna was to be evaluated at Larned State Hospital after he pleaded guilty to unintentional second-degree murder in death of Nicolas Chavez Castro. He beat Castro to death with a board.During trial, Reyna's mother, Rosalinda Reyna, testified that on the day Castro was killed, she was trying to get someone to help her get her son to the Salina Regional Health Center. Prosecutors say Castro was killed because Reyna mistakenly believed he had kidnapped and raped his mother.&nbsp;Reyna has been previously been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

Suspect in death of 2 women has previous Kan. murder conviction 

The USD 305 school board unanimously voted to appoint Heath Hogan as the district’s new superintendent, effective July 1, 2025.

“We are confident that Mr. Hogan will bring strong leadership and experience to our students, educators and community,” said USD 305 Board President Gabe Grant. “Mr. Hogan’s proven track record will build on the foundation of excellence that has been established.” The board made the decision at a special meeting on Monday, February 17.

He will replace Linn Exline, retiring at the school year's end.

Hogan, 53, said, “It is an honor to be selected for this position. Salina Public Schools has a reputation as an innovative and progressive school system. I am excited for the opportunity to continue the strong partnerships with staff, stakeholders and the board as we move forward and build upon the district’s accomplishments.”

Currently superintendent at Smoky Valley USD 400, Hogan has 28 years of experience in public education. He worked at Garden City Public Schools, USD 457, for 25 years, serving in many different roles, including deputy superintendent, human resources director, elementary principal and teacher.

With 6,752 students, Salina Public Schools (SPS) is the 16th largest school district in Kansas. The district offers personalized learning and many opportunities to engage every student beyond the classroom. By embracing challenges, creating belonging, fostering pride and inspiring hope, SPS prepares students to transform Salina and the world. An early learning center, a 6-12 virtual school, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools serve pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 students.

For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usd305.com/">www.usd305.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739540128637.jpeg" alt="Heath Hogan&nbsp; courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Heath Hogan&nbsp; courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>USD 305The USD 305 school board unanimously voted to appoint Heath Hogan as the district’s new superintendent, effective July 1, 2025.“We are confident that Mr. Hogan will bring strong leadership and experience to our students, educators and community,” said USD 305 Board President Gabe Grant. “Mr. Hogan’s proven track record will build on the foundation of excellence that has been established.” The board made the decision at a special meeting on Monday, February 17.He will replace Linn Exline, retiring at the school year's end.Hogan, 53, said, “It is an honor to be selected for this position. Salina Public Schools has a reputation as an innovative and progressive school system. I am excited for the opportunity to continue the strong partnerships with staff, stakeholders and the board as we move forward and build upon the district’s accomplishments.”Currently superintendent at Smoky Valley USD 400, Hogan has 28 years of experience in public education. He worked at Garden City Public Schools, USD 457, for 25 years, serving in many different roles, including deputy superintendent, human resources director, elementary principal and teacher.With 6,752 students, Salina Public Schools (SPS) is the 16th largest school district in Kansas. The district offers personalized learning and many opportunities to engage every student beyond the classroom. By embracing challenges, creating belonging, fostering pride and inspiring hope, SPS prepares students to transform Salina and the world. An early learning center, a 6-12 virtual school, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools serve pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 students.For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usd305.com/">www.usd305.com</a>.

New superintendent selected to lead school district in Salina

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation's nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-lawsuit-states-fbb9695bcffaa96470752d56da20da57">blind cost cutting</a>&nbsp;will put communities at risk.

Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late Thursday, with some losing access to email before they'd learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

One of the hardest hit offices was the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, which saw about 30% of the cuts. Those employees work on reassembling warheads, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-warheads-military-bomb-plutonium-6b86198def4516cebe496c9f5fbfbb75">most sensitive jobs</a>&nbsp;across the nuclear weapons enterprise, with the highest levels of clearance.

The hundreds let go at NNSA were part of a DOGE purge across the Department of Energy that targeted about 2,000 employees.

“The DOGE people are coming in with absolutely no knowledge of what these departments are responsible for,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, referencing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. “They don’t seem to realize that it’s actually the department of nuclear weapons more than it is the Department of Energy.”

By late Friday night, the agency's acting director, Teresa Robbins, issued a memo rescinding the firings for all but 28 of those hundreds of fired staff members.

“This letter serves as formal notification that the termination decision issued to you on Feb. 13, 2025 has been rescinded, effective immediately,” said the memo, which was obtained by the AP.

The accounts from the three officials contradict an official statement from the Department of Energy, which said fewer than 50 National Nuclear Security Administration staffers were let go, calling them “probationary employees” who “held primarily administrative and clerical roles.”

But that wasn't the case. The firings prompted one NNSA senior staffer to post a warning and call to action.

“This is a pivotal moment. We must decide whether we are truly committed to leading on the world stage or if we are content with undermining the very systems that secure our nation’s future,” deputy division director Rob Plonski posted to LinkedIn. “Cutting the federal workforce responsible for these functions may be seen as reckless at best and adversarily opportunistic at worst.”

While some of the Energy Department employees who were fired dealt with energy efficiency and the effects of climate change, issues not seen as priorities by the Trump administration, many others dealt with nuclear issues, even if they didn't directly work on weapons programs. This included managing massive radioactive waste sites and ensuring the material there doesn't further contaminate nearby communities.

That incudes the Savannah River National Laboratory in Jackson, South Carolina; the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington state, where workers secure 177 high-level waste tanks from the site's previous work producing plutonium for the atomic bomb; and the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, a Superfund contamination site where much of the early work on the Manhattan Project was done, among others.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, both Democrats, called the firings last week “utterly callous and dangerous.”

The NNSA staff who had been reinstated could not all be reached after they were fired, and some were reconsidering whether to return to work, given the uncertainty created by DOGE.

Many federal employees who had worked on the nation's nuclear programs had spent their entire careers there, and there was a wave of retirements in recent years that cost the agency years of institutional knowledge.

But it's now in the midst of a major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-warheads-military-bomb-plutonium-6b86198def4516cebe496c9f5fbfbb75">$750 billion nuclear weapons modernization effort</a>&nbsp;— including new land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, new stealth bombers and new submarine-launched warheads. In response, the labs have aggressively hired over the past few years: In 2023, 60% of the workforce had been there five years or less.

Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the firings could disrupt the day-to-day workings of the agency and create a sense of instability over the nuclear program both at home and abroad.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739799144954.png" alt="File image- Elon Musk during his Oval Office press conference last week" />
 <figcaption>File image- Elon Musk during his Oval Office press conference last week</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation's nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-musk-trump-lawsuit-states-fbb9695bcffaa96470752d56da20da57">blind cost cutting</a>&nbsp;will put communities at risk.Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late Thursday, with some losing access to email before they'd learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.One of the hardest hit offices was the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, which saw about 30% of the cuts. Those employees work on reassembling warheads, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-warheads-military-bomb-plutonium-6b86198def4516cebe496c9f5fbfbb75">most sensitive jobs</a>&nbsp;across the nuclear weapons enterprise, with the highest levels of clearance.The hundreds let go at NNSA were part of a DOGE purge across the Department of Energy that targeted about 2,000 employees.“The DOGE people are coming in with absolutely no knowledge of what these departments are responsible for,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, referencing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. “They don’t seem to realize that it’s actually the department of nuclear weapons more than it is the Department of Energy.”By late Friday night, the agency's acting director, Teresa Robbins, issued a memo rescinding the firings for all but 28 of those hundreds of fired staff members.“This letter serves as formal notification that the termination decision issued to you on Feb. 13, 2025 has been rescinded, effective immediately,” said the memo, which was obtained by the AP.The accounts from the three officials contradict an official statement from the Department of Energy, which said fewer than 50 National Nuclear Security Administration staffers were let go, calling them “probationary employees” who “held primarily administrative and clerical roles.”But that wasn't the case. The firings prompted one NNSA senior staffer to post a warning and call to action.“This is a pivotal moment. We must decide whether we are truly committed to leading on the world stage or if we are content with undermining the very systems that secure our nation’s future,” deputy division director Rob Plonski posted to LinkedIn. “Cutting the federal workforce responsible for these functions may be seen as reckless at best and adversarily opportunistic at worst.”While some of the Energy Department employees who were fired dealt with energy efficiency and the effects of climate change, issues not seen as priorities by the Trump administration, many others dealt with nuclear issues, even if they didn't directly work on weapons programs. This included managing massive radioactive waste sites and ensuring the material there doesn't further contaminate nearby communities.That incudes the Savannah River National Laboratory in Jackson, South Carolina; the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington state, where workers secure 177 high-level waste tanks from the site's previous work producing plutonium for the atomic bomb; and the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, a Superfund contamination site where much of the early work on the Manhattan Project was done, among others.U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, both Democrats, called the firings last week “utterly callous and dangerous.”The NNSA staff who had been reinstated could not all be reached after they were fired, and some were reconsidering whether to return to work, given the uncertainty created by DOGE.Many federal employees who had worked on the nation's nuclear programs had spent their entire careers there, and there was a wave of retirements in recent years that cost the agency years of institutional knowledge.But it's now in the midst of a major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-warheads-military-bomb-plutonium-6b86198def4516cebe496c9f5fbfbb75">$750 billion nuclear weapons modernization effort</a>&nbsp;— including new land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, new stealth bombers and new submarine-launched warheads. In response, the labs have aggressively hired over the past few years: In 2023, 60% of the workforce had been there five years or less.Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the firings could disrupt the day-to-day workings of the agency and create a sense of instability over the nuclear program both at home and abroad.

Trump admin. tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers in DOGE reversal

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is investigating&nbsp; ​the use of skimming devices in the Kansas City metro area.&nbsp; Thieves placed illegal skimming devices at the businesses to collect purchase EBT card information used at stores, according to a media release from the agency.

The EBT team recently discovered suspicious out-of-state phone numbers calling to complete balance&nbsp;inquiries for multiple EBT cards. This unusual activity prompted the team to further investigate&nbsp;and identify three businesses in common where the EBT cards were used. 

The team then took quick&nbsp;action and proactively shut down about 1,000 EBT cards that were identified as being used at these&nbsp;businesses. Skimming devices were subsequently discovered at these businesses. DCF immediately made&nbsp;the stores aware of the devices and encouraged the stores to work with law enforcement. 

DCF is&nbsp;working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the incidents. “Through quick action, DCF prevented the theft of a total of $369,532 in benefits for about 830&nbsp;cardholders,”said DCF Secretary Laura Howard.

These cardholders will automatically have a replacement card loaded with their benefits mailed to&nbsp;their homes. Their new cards should arrive 5-7 business days after their original card was&nbsp;canceled.

To date, DCF has also identified 162 cardholders whose benefits were stolen through these skimming&nbsp;events with a total of $38,653.90 in benefits stolen.

A federal provision that provided federal funds to replace SNAP and TANF benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning and other similar methods expired on Dec. 20, 2024. It was not extended with the 2025 American Relief Act. At this time stolen benefits cannot be replaced and there is not state funding available to replace stolen benefits.DCF encourages victims to call United Way 211 by dialing 211 on their phone or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://unitedwaygkc.org/211-2/" target="_blank">211KC.org​</a>if they need help accessing food.

“It’s disheartening that there are people preying on some of the most vulnerable Kansans – children and the elderly – and are stealing the money they depend on to put food on their tables,”Howard said.Protecting cards/benefitsThe illegal use of skimming devices is a growing problem across the country. 

All Kansas EBT cardholders are encouraged to use the ebtEDGE app from DCF’s EBT contractor, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), or access the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do" target="_blank">ebtedge.com&nbsp;</a>to monitor their account and help safeguard their benefits by using the following features:

Third-party EBT apps do not provide the same protection features as ebtEDGE. The ebtEDGE app can be accessed in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.Cardholders are also encouraged to beware of phishing attempts and they should not share their card info or the PIN over the phone or via text message. DCF and FIS will never call or text cardholders and explicitly ask for their card number or PIN.“We encourage all cardholders to utilize the tools available through ebtEDGE to help protect their money from falling into the hands of thieves,”Howard said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/skimming" target="_blank">Federal Bureau of Investigation’s skimming</a>page provides more information about skimming scams and EBT card skimming.Requesting a new cardIf a Kansas EBT cardholder suspects their card has been compromised, they should immediately report the suspected fraud and request a new card by calling ebtEDGE Customer Service at 1-800-997-6666 or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do" target="_blank">ebtedge.com​</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597867755742.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is investigating&nbsp; ​the use of skimming devices in the Kansas City metro area.&nbsp; Thieves placed illegal skimming devices at the businesses to collect purchase EBT card information used at stores, according to a media release from the agency.The EBT team recently discovered suspicious out-of-state phone numbers calling to complete balance&nbsp;inquiries for multiple EBT cards. This unusual activity prompted the team to further investigate&nbsp;and identify three businesses in common where the EBT cards were used. The team then took quick&nbsp;action and proactively shut down about 1,000 EBT cards that were identified as being used at these&nbsp;businesses. Skimming devices were subsequently discovered at these businesses. DCF immediately made&nbsp;the stores aware of the devices and encouraged the stores to work with law enforcement. DCF is&nbsp;working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the incidents. “Through quick action, DCF prevented the theft of a total of $369,532 in benefits for about 830&nbsp;cardholders,”said DCF Secretary Laura Howard.These cardholders will automatically have a replacement card loaded with their benefits mailed to&nbsp;their homes. Their new cards should arrive 5-7 business days after their original card was&nbsp;canceled.To date, DCF has also identified 162 cardholders whose benefits were stolen through these skimming&nbsp;events with a total of $38,653.90 in benefits stolen.A federal provision that provided federal funds to replace SNAP and TANF benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning and other similar methods expired on Dec. 20, 2024. It was not extended with the 2025 American Relief Act. At this time stolen benefits cannot be replaced and there is not state funding available to replace stolen benefits.DCF encourages victims to call United Way 211 by dialing 211 on their phone or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://unitedwaygkc.org/211-2/" target="_blank">211KC.org​</a>if they need help accessing food.“It’s disheartening that there are people preying on some of the most vulnerable Kansans – children and the elderly – and are stealing the money they depend on to put food on their tables,”Howard said.Protecting cards/benefitsThe illegal use of skimming devices is a growing problem across the country. All Kansas EBT cardholders are encouraged to use the ebtEDGE app from DCF’s EBT contractor, Fidelity Information Services (FIS), or access the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do" target="_blank">ebtedge.com&nbsp;</a>to monitor their account and help safeguard their benefits by using the following features:<ol>
 <li>Freeze the EBT card when not using it. Cardholders must unfreeze the card when they are ready to make a purchase.</li><li>Block out-of-state and online transactions. Cardholders will have to unblock these transactions when they want to make an out-of-state or online purchase.</li><li>Regularly change the four-digit PIN and use number combinations that are not easy for others to figure out. For example, don’t use birthdays or anniversaries.</li>
 </ol>Third-party EBT apps do not provide the same protection features as ebtEDGE. The ebtEDGE app can be accessed in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.Cardholders are also encouraged to beware of phishing attempts and they should not share their card info or the PIN over the phone or via text message. DCF and FIS will never call or text cardholders and explicitly ask for their card number or PIN.“We encourage all cardholders to utilize the tools available through ebtEDGE to help protect their money from falling into the hands of thieves,”Howard said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/skimming" target="_blank">Federal Bureau of Investigation’s skimming</a>page provides more information about skimming scams and EBT card skimming.Requesting a new cardIf a Kansas EBT cardholder suspects their card has been compromised, they should immediately report the suspected fraud and request a new card by calling ebtEDGE Customer Service at 1-800-997-6666 or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do" target="_blank">ebtedge.com​</a>.

Hundreds of Kansas EBT cards impacted by skimming fraud

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

Just after 11:30a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched a report of a vehicle accident in the area of 56th and Woodland in Kansas City, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The call was upgraded to a shooting. As officers arrived they located an adult male victim inside of a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound. 

Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the man deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739759311054.png" alt="PHoto courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>PHoto courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just after 11:30a.m. Sunday, patrol officers were dispatched a report of a vehicle accident in the area of 56th and Woodland in Kansas City, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The call was upgraded to a shooting. As officers arrived they located an adult male victim inside of a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the man deceased on scene.This is being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp;

Homicide: Man found with gunshot wound in Kansas City

DAMASCUS —On Saturday, U.S. Forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing a senior finance and logistics official in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

"The airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.'

On Feb. 12, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), enabled by U.S. Central Command&nbsp; forces, conducted an airstrike in the vicinity of Rawa, Iraq, killing five ISIS operatives, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

An initial post-strike clearance confirmed the dead ISIS operatives, various medium and small caliber weapons, grenades, suicide explosive belts, and ammunition.

The ISF-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to disrupt and degrade ISIS' capabilities, dismantle their attack networks, and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Coalition Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CTF-OIR) enabled ISF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence. CJTF-OIR advises, assists, and enables partner forces to secure the lasting defeat of ISIS and to enable the establishment of enduring security cooperation frameworks. 

"ISF continue to be a credible and capable fighting element leading the D-ISIS mission in Iraq and are a valuable partner in efforts to diminish ISIS’s presence and its radical ideologies.'

"ISIS remains a threat to the region and beyond, and CENTCOM, along with partners and allies, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists."

"We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739746302792.png" alt="U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons patrol the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.-Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons patrol the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.-Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS —On Saturday, U.S. Forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing a senior finance and logistics official in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command."The airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.'On Feb. 12, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), enabled by U.S. Central Command&nbsp; forces, conducted an airstrike in the vicinity of Rawa, Iraq, killing five ISIS operatives, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.An initial post-strike clearance confirmed the dead ISIS operatives, various medium and small caliber weapons, grenades, suicide explosive belts, and ammunition.The ISF-led operation is part of the ongoing Defeat-ISIS campaign to disrupt and degrade ISIS' capabilities, dismantle their attack networks, and ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. Coalition Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CTF-OIR) enabled ISF during the operation by providing technical support and intelligence. CJTF-OIR advises, assists, and enables partner forces to secure the lasting defeat of ISIS and to enable the establishment of enduring security cooperation frameworks. "ISF continue to be a credible and capable fighting element leading the D-ISIS mission in Iraq and are a valuable partner in efforts to diminish ISIS’s presence and its radical ideologies.'"ISIS remains a threat to the region and beyond, and CENTCOM, along with partners and allies, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists.""We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

U.S. forces kill senior operative of Al-Qaeda affiliate 

KANSAS CITY– A man who purchased more than 50 firearms has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally trafficking firearms and methamphetamine, according to the United State's Attorney.

David Allen Gaunt, 57, Strafford, Mo., was charged in a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. The indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Gaunt on Jan. 16, 2025.

The federal indictment alleges that Gaunt participated in a conspiracy to traffic firearms from June 21, 2023, to Jan. 23, 2025. Those firearms, according to the indictment, included a Kalashnikov pistol, a Century Arms pistol, a Tokarev shotgun, a Canik pistol and an HS Produkt pistol. In addition to the conspiracy, Gaunt is charged with one count of trafficking those firearms to a recipient who was legally prohibited from possessing them.

The federal indictment also charges Gaunt with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of 15 different firearms. Gaunt is charged with four counts of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase firearms, four counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, four counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Gaunt has personally purchased more than 50 firearms. On every purchase, the affidavit says, Gaunt marked “No” on the federal form that asked, “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Eighteen of these firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, from Gaunt and others. Additionally, 11 of the firearms Gaunt purchased have been either sold to or pawned at pawn shops.

Springfield police officers seized three of those firearms during the execution of two search warrants in separate drug-trafficking investigations in June 2023, and the Greene County Sheriff’s Department seized one of those firearms during enforcement activities in July 2023. All of the firearms were seized from individuals who were legally prohibited from possessing firearms, the affidavit says, and were traced to Gaunt as the original purchaser.

On Aug. 16, 2023, Springfield police officers stopped Gaunt near S. Glenstone Avenue and E. St. Louis Street. When officers searched his vehicle, they found six firearms. On Nov. 6, 2024, Springfield officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Gaunt. Officers seized a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from Gaunt’s waistband. A clear plastic bag of methamphetamine was found in the center console of the vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739053132958.png" alt="Gaunt photo Greene County" />
 <figcaption>Gaunt photo Greene County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A man who purchased more than 50 firearms has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally trafficking firearms and methamphetamine, according to the United State's Attorney.David Allen Gaunt, 57, Strafford, Mo., was charged in a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. The indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Gaunt on Jan. 16, 2025.The federal indictment alleges that Gaunt participated in a conspiracy to traffic firearms from June 21, 2023, to Jan. 23, 2025. Those firearms, according to the indictment, included a Kalashnikov pistol, a Century Arms pistol, a Tokarev shotgun, a Canik pistol and an HS Produkt pistol. In addition to the conspiracy, Gaunt is charged with one count of trafficking those firearms to a recipient who was legally prohibited from possessing them.The federal indictment also charges Gaunt with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of 15 different firearms. Gaunt is charged with four counts of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in order to purchase firearms, four counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, four counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of distributing methamphetamine.According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Gaunt has personally purchased more than 50 firearms. On every purchase, the affidavit says, Gaunt marked “No” on the federal form that asked, “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?” Eighteen of these firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, from Gaunt and others. Additionally, 11 of the firearms Gaunt purchased have been either sold to or pawned at pawn shops.Springfield police officers seized three of those firearms during the execution of two search warrants in separate drug-trafficking investigations in June 2023, and the Greene County Sheriff’s Department seized one of those firearms during enforcement activities in July 2023. All of the firearms were seized from individuals who were legally prohibited from possessing firearms, the affidavit says, and were traced to Gaunt as the original purchaser.On Aug. 16, 2023, Springfield police officers stopped Gaunt near S. Glenstone Avenue and E. St. Louis Street. When officers searched his vehicle, they found six firearms. On Nov. 6, 2024, Springfield officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Gaunt. Officers seized a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from Gaunt’s waistband. A clear plastic bag of methamphetamine was found in the center console of the vehicle.

KC grand jury indicts man who purchased more than 50 firearms

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Fire Department battled a two-alarm fire at a
vacant building on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; 

Shortly after 4 pm the fire department was called to a fire
in the area of Ninth and Main.&nbsp; When first
crews arrived, the found heavy smoke in the area but no visible fire.

Firefighters from Squad One located a large two-story building
with flames and heavy smoke visible.&nbsp;
During a recent familiarization training crews from Station One had been
made aware that the building was being left open and under demolition. 

Earlier in the afternoon fire crews had walked through the
building to keep up with the demolition process and monitor it for homeless
activity. During the walk through crews encountered 14 different homeless
individuals staying in the building for shelter. 

Due to the known potential life hazards and heavy fire
involvement, an aggressive search was prioritized, and three attack lines were
put into service. With crews battling freezing temperatures, challenging
building construction, and the manpower needed to confine and control the fire,
a second alarm was started. 

Search crews reported an “all clear” on primary and
secondary searches. The cause of the fire is not known as of Sunday
afternoon.&nbsp; 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739748527967.jpeg" alt="Wellington Place Fire - Wichita Fire Department " />
 <figcaption>Wellington Place Fire - Wichita Fire Department </figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Fire Department battled a two-alarm fire at a
vacant building on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; Shortly after 4 pm the fire department was called to a fire
in the area of Ninth and Main.&nbsp; When first
crews arrived, the found heavy smoke in the area but no visible fire.Firefighters from Squad One located a large two-story building
with flames and heavy smoke visible.&nbsp;
During a recent familiarization training crews from Station One had been
made aware that the building was being left open and under demolition. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739748075635.jpeg" alt="Wellington Place Fire - Wichita Fire Department " />
 <figcaption>Wellington Place Fire - Wichita Fire Department </figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier in the afternoon fire crews had walked through the
building to keep up with the demolition process and monitor it for homeless
activity. During the walk through crews encountered 14 different homeless
individuals staying in the building for shelter. Due to the known potential life hazards and heavy fire
involvement, an aggressive search was prioritized, and three attack lines were
put into service. With crews battling freezing temperatures, challenging
building construction, and the manpower needed to confine and control the fire,
a second alarm was started. Search crews reported an “all clear” on primary and
secondary searches. The cause of the fire is not known as of Sunday
afternoon.&nbsp;

14 homeless individuals found just before Kansas building fire

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two men on drug allegations.

Just after 7:30a.m. February 10, a Sheriff’s Deputy located a stolen vehicle west of Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse The vehicle had been reported stolen on February 4, 2025, in Lansing, Kansas.

Deputies arrested two men and booked them into the Jackson County Jail. Justin Joe Riis, 31, of Topeka, is being held on requested charges that include distribution of methamphetamine, possession of opiates, interference with law enforcement altering/conceal/destroy evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; 

Curtis Dean Sult, 63, of Lansing, is jailed on requested charges for possession of stolen property, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of opiates, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia. The PBPN Police assisted with the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739279742586.png" alt="Riis photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Riis photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two men on drug allegations.Just after 7:30a.m. February 10, a Sheriff’s Deputy located a stolen vehicle west of Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse The vehicle had been reported stolen on February 4, 2025, in Lansing, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739279709622.png" alt="Sult photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Sult photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested two men and booked them into the Jackson County Jail. Justin Joe Riis, 31, of Topeka, is being held on requested charges that include distribution of methamphetamine, possession of opiates, interference with law enforcement altering/conceal/destroy evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; Curtis Dean Sult, 63, of Lansing, is jailed on requested charges for possession of stolen property, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of opiates, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia. The PBPN Police assisted with the incident.

Sheriff: 2 Kansas meth dealers caught in stolen vehicle

PLATTE COUNTY, WY (AP)—An older woman in southeast Wyoming is hospitalized with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, state health department officials said Friday.

It’s the state’s first human case of Type A H5N1 influenza, which is spreading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-cats-raw-pet-food-10e7b3bcaffe92ab84cadcbcab1f09c6">through animals</a>&nbsp;and some people. Nearly 70 people in the U.S. have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">reported infected with bird flu</a>&nbsp;in the last year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though researchers and studies suggest that’s likely an undercount.

The woman, who lives in Platte County, Wyoming, likely was infected through direct contact with an&nbsp;<a href="https://health.wyo.gov/wyomings-first-human-bird-flu-case-confirmed/" target="_blank">infected poultry flock</a>&nbsp;at her home, the state health department said in a news release. She has other health conditions and is hospitalized in another state.

Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer and state epidemiologist, said Wyoming residents shouldn’t have “a high level of concern” about the human case, the test result for which was confirmed by a CDC on Friday.

Most confirmed human cases of bird flu across the U.S. came with mild symptoms.

“Unfortunately, this patient’s experience has been much more serious,” Harrist said in the news release.

A new study published by the CDC showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-cdc-vets-e468e1dec4c4344c4719f0b23be00540">bird flu has silently spread</a>&nbsp;from animals to some veterinarians.

Bird flu has been spreading in wild birds in the U.S. since 2022. The virus was detected for the first time in U.S. dairy cows last year. It has infected more than 960 cattle herds in 16 states.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733747978622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE COUNTY, WY (AP)—An older woman in southeast Wyoming is hospitalized with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bird-flu">bird flu</a>, state health department officials said Friday.It’s the state’s first human case of Type A H5N1 influenza, which is spreading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-cats-raw-pet-food-10e7b3bcaffe92ab84cadcbcab1f09c6">through animals</a>&nbsp;and some people. Nearly 70 people in the U.S. have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">reported infected with bird flu</a>&nbsp;in the last year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though researchers and studies suggest that’s likely an undercount.The woman, who lives in Platte County, Wyoming, likely was infected through direct contact with an&nbsp;<a href="https://health.wyo.gov/wyomings-first-human-bird-flu-case-confirmed/" target="_blank">infected poultry flock</a>&nbsp;at her home, the state health department said in a news release. She has other health conditions and is hospitalized in another state.Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer and state epidemiologist, said Wyoming residents shouldn’t have “a high level of concern” about the human case, the test result for which was confirmed by a CDC on Friday.Most confirmed human cases of bird flu across the U.S. came with mild symptoms.“Unfortunately, this patient’s experience has been much more serious,” Harrist said in the news release.A new study published by the CDC showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-cdc-vets-e468e1dec4c4344c4719f0b23be00540">bird flu has silently spread</a>&nbsp;from animals to some veterinarians.Bird flu has been spreading in wild birds in the U.S. since 2022. The virus was detected for the first time in U.S. dairy cows last year. It has infected more than 960 cattle herds in 16 states.<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Bird flu confirmed in woman who likely had contact with infected flock at her home

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, attending Sunday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-daytona-500-trump-earnhardt-fc4fa6416f3f3b277b1e004a933783eb">Daytona 500</a>, for the second time as president, called the opening event of the NASCAR series a unifying event that possesses a spirit that will “fuel America’s Golden Age” — which he has said would happen under his leadership.

In a presidential message released as he flew to Daytona Beach, Florida, Trump said the Daytona 500 brings together people from all walks of life in a “shared passion for speed, adrenaline and the thrill of the race.”

“From the roar of the engines on the track to the echo of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ soaring through the stands, the Daytona 500 is a timeless tribute to the speed, strength and unyielding spirit that make America great,” Trump said. “That spirit is what will fuel America’s Golden Age, and if we harness it, the future is truly ours.”

Trump said in his Jan. 20 inaugural address that “the golden age of America begins right now.”

Air Force One buzzed the Daytona International Speedway before it landed. Trump traveled from West Palm Beach, Florida, airport with several guests, including his son Eric, his wife, grandson Luke, Transportation Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-crash-dca-5d372d1945929293f10c1f0de58df3cc">Sean Duffy</a>&nbsp;and Interior Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-oil-gas-industry-burgum-interior-ally-3ebe90d0207c99866365d72e74eda371">Doug Burgum</a>&nbsp;and his wife, Kathryn, the White House said. Several members of Congress are traveled with Trump.

His motorcade arrived at the speedway by driving onto a portion of the track. Trump’s limousine later led drivers on two ceremonial laps before he went on the radio to urge them to have fun and be safe.

“This is your favorite president. I’m a big fan. I am a really big fan of you people. How you do this I don’t know, but I just want you to be safe,” Trump said. “You’re talented people and you’re great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I’ll see you later.”

Trump was at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fdb2eff94fa935ed3854fbbdb3703faf">the race in 2020</a>&nbsp;while running for a second term. He was given the honor of being grand marshal of NASCAR’s biggest and most prestigious event of the year and delivered the command for drivers to start their engines. Air Force One did a flyover and his limousine drove on the speedway back then, too.

Sunday’s race got underway in front of a sold-out crowd but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-daytona-500-trump-rain-9fc0437921b3c9fa289c4d25f08a90f8">was halted about an hour later after eight laps because of heavy rain</a>&nbsp;that was expected to cause a lengthy delay. The sport’s fans are seen as leaning conservative and many in the stands on Sunday wore red caps that said “MAGA” for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Trump, who watched the race from a suite, also wore a MAGA cap.

Trump is a sports fan. He is an avid golfer and attends college football games and UFC matches.

Last weekend, the Republican made history as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nfl-super-bowl-first-president-766c628f4ea3faf38d100e4f33f2ac8c">first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl</a>.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, attending Sunday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-daytona-500-trump-earnhardt-fc4fa6416f3f3b277b1e004a933783eb">Daytona 500</a>, for the second time as president, called the opening event of the NASCAR series a unifying event that possesses a spirit that will “fuel America’s Golden Age” — which he has said would happen under his leadership.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump lap at the Daytona 500. <a href="https://t.co/e7KEURXLHz">pic.twitter.com/e7KEURXLHz</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1891220003891872103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🇺🇸President Donald J. Trump Has Arrived: Air Force One SOARS Over the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Daytona500?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Daytona500</a> 🏎️ <a href="https://twitter.com/NASCAR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASCAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/yAcAPgH8ip">pic.twitter.com/yAcAPgH8ip</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1891199529988280662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a presidential message released as he flew to Daytona Beach, Florida, Trump said the Daytona 500 brings together people from all walks of life in a “shared passion for speed, adrenaline and the thrill of the race.”“From the roar of the engines on the track to the echo of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ soaring through the stands, the Daytona 500 is a timeless tribute to the speed, strength and unyielding spirit that make America great,” Trump said. “That spirit is what will fuel America’s Golden Age, and if we harness it, the future is truly ours.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump, The Beast, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Daytona500?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Daytona500</a>—It doesn&#39;t get more American than that! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/NASCAR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASCAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/NbPubVuxAa">pic.twitter.com/NbPubVuxAa</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1891198367180407186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump said in his Jan. 20 inaugural address that “the golden age of America begins right now.”Air Force One buzzed the Daytona International Speedway before it landed. Trump traveled from West Palm Beach, Florida, airport with several guests, including his son Eric, his wife, grandson Luke, Transportation Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-crash-dca-5d372d1945929293f10c1f0de58df3cc">Sean Duffy</a>&nbsp;and Interior Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-oil-gas-industry-burgum-interior-ally-3ebe90d0207c99866365d72e74eda371">Doug Burgum</a>&nbsp;and his wife, Kathryn, the White House said. Several members of Congress are traveled with Trump.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Beast 🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DAYTONA500?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DAYTONA500</a> 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/KaYNsXILg9">pic.twitter.com/KaYNsXILg9</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1891212001831006325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;This is your favorite President... You&#39;re talented people, and you&#39;re great people, and great Americans. Have a good day. Have a lot of fun, and I&#39;ll see you later.&quot; –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/65iFBFDjD7">pic.twitter.com/65iFBFDjD7</a>&mdash; President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1891208340895654031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">START… YOUR… ENGINES!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DAYTONA500?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DAYTONA500</a> <a href="https://t.co/yl6yil1ndy">pic.twitter.com/yl6yil1ndy</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1891201723097612598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>His motorcade arrived at the speedway by driving onto a portion of the track. Trump’s limousine later led drivers on two ceremonial laps before he went on the radio to urge them to have fun and be safe.“This is your favorite president. I’m a big fan. I am a really big fan of you people. How you do this I don’t know, but I just want you to be safe,” Trump said. “You’re talented people and you’re great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I’ll see you later.”Trump was at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fdb2eff94fa935ed3854fbbdb3703faf">the race in 2020</a>&nbsp;while running for a second term. He was given the honor of being grand marshal of NASCAR’s biggest and most prestigious event of the year and delivered the command for drivers to start their engines. Air Force One did a flyover and his limousine drove on the speedway back then, too.Sunday’s race got underway in front of a sold-out crowd but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-daytona-500-trump-rain-9fc0437921b3c9fa289c4d25f08a90f8">was halted about an hour later after eight laps because of heavy rain</a>&nbsp;that was expected to cause a lengthy delay. The sport’s fans are seen as leaning conservative and many in the stands on Sunday wore red caps that said “MAGA” for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Trump, who watched the race from a suite, also wore a MAGA cap.Trump is a sports fan. He is an avid golfer and attends college football games and UFC matches.Last weekend, the Republican made history as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nfl-super-bowl-first-president-766c628f4ea3faf38d100e4f33f2ac8c">first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl</a>.

🎥President Trump takes laps in The Beast ahead of Daytona 500

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week.

This comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">federal workforce</a>, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.

It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected.

Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.

However, IRS employees involved in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-direct-file-refund-31fcb0c4466e8ef286952d3e22b9c277">2025 tax season</a>&nbsp;were told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-union-irs-worker-buyouts-tax-season-222d98c76b5e30e8f94738bb0c01b938">they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees.

It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.

Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency.

Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-downsizing-federal-workers-doge-00683abc4de44a151f26aaa6cb0d0f30">Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.

Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of to access&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-lawsuit-attorneys-general-5733f8985e4cf7ad5b233fddefef4d01">sensitive government data</a>&nbsp;and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Thursday.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the powers of Congress and the president.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690229574211.png" alt="Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week.This comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-workforce-employees-trump-cuts-buyouts-86d7a1bc5b3968aa92e0657a7e15bee1">federal workforce</a>, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected.Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.However, IRS employees involved in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-direct-file-refund-31fcb0c4466e8ef286952d3e22b9c277">2025 tax season</a>&nbsp;were told&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/treasury-union-irs-worker-buyouts-tax-season-222d98c76b5e30e8f94738bb0c01b938">they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees.It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff announcement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency.Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-downsizing-federal-workers-doge-00683abc4de44a151f26aaa6cb0d0f30">Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency</a>&nbsp;have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority of to access&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-doge-lawsuit-attorneys-general-5733f8985e4cf7ad5b233fddefef4d01">sensitive government data</a>&nbsp;and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Thursday.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the powers of Congress and the president.

IRS will lay off thousands of workers in the middle of tax season

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a bank robbery in Topeka and have released security camera images of the suspect.

Just before 5p.m. January 13, a suspect, described as a black male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200-215 pounds and wearing&nbsp; a black jacket with a hood, dark colored jeans, dark colored tennis shoes and a face covering,&nbsp; entered&nbsp;Equity Bank, 3825 SW 29th&nbsp;Street in Topeka,&nbsp;according to a media release from the FBI. 

The suspect approached the teller and made a verbal demand for money and brandished a firearm.

The suspect fled the bank in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737990037407.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating a bank robbery in Topeka and have released security camera images of the suspect.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737989757231.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5p.m. January 13, a suspect, described as a black male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200-215 pounds and wearing&nbsp; a black jacket with a hood, dark colored jeans, dark colored tennis shoes and a face covering,&nbsp; entered&nbsp;Equity Bank, 3825 SW 29th&nbsp;Street in Topeka,&nbsp;according to a media release from the FBI. The suspect approached the teller and made a verbal demand for money and brandished a firearm.The suspect fled the bank in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

Search continues for Kansas bank robbery suspect

Christianity is by far the largest faith in America, and Christian conservatives have a strong grip on the levers of government. That dominance is leaving many to question why&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;new task force on eradicating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">anti-Christian bias</a>&nbsp;is needed.

Critics see the task force initiative as unnecessary and pandering to Trump’s base. But some Christian supporters said it is overdue, claiming the Biden administration had discriminated against them through actions and inactions.

The two-year task force, chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi and composed of Cabinet and other government representatives, is assigned to review and “identify any unlawful anti-Christian” actions under the Biden administration, change any objectionable policies and recommend steps to rectify any past failures.

Bruce Ledewitz, a law professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, criticized the mindset behind the executive order as that of a powerful group claiming victimhood.

The Christian conservative movement — a core Republican constituency — now has significant sway on the Supreme Court and in numerous states, Congress and the presidency, Ledewitz said. And still, they declare, “We are victims,” he said.

“There’s a struggle for the soul of America,” said Ledewitz, who studies the relationship between constitutional law and religion. “We call this a culture war, but it’s very deep,” animated by the charge “that you people, the Democrats, you are not religious, and we are.”

Trump said exactly that at a National Prayer Breakfast gathering on Feb. 6.

“The opposing side, they oppose religion, they oppose God,” Trump claimed, accusing the previous administration of engaging in “persecution.” President Joe Biden, a regular Mass-attending Catholic, often spoke of drawing on the values of his faith and had warm relations with Pope Francis.

But Ryan Bangert, a senior vice president at the conservative legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, said the task force is overdue.

He said the Biden administration was “deliberately targeting Christian beliefs through discriminatory policies” on issues such as abortion and gender. These are “not fringe beliefs” and are shared by other religious groups besides Christians, he said.

Do the cases of alleged bias add up to a pattern?

Critics said Trump is claiming to see persecution in distorted case descriptions, a calendar coincidence and other situations that, while raising concerns, don’t add up to a pattern.

For example, Trump spoke at the prayer breakfast about how he pardoned a set of abortion protesters. He mischaracterized the case of one woman, who was sentenced to prison at age 75, as being “put in jail because she was praying.” She and co-defendants were sentenced for blockading an abortion clinic in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, enacted in the 1990s after violent attacks on abortion providers.

But Bangert said the Biden administration “severely weaponized” the FACE Act, being far more aggressive against anti-abortion protesters than those who vandalized or threatened other institutions protected by the same act, including churches and pregnancy centers that counsel women not to have abortions. Those incurred a spate of attacks after the Supreme Court, in 2022, overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had made abortion legal nationwide.

A Biden-era Justice Department document lists one case of a conviction of three activists who supported abortion rights and vandalized pregnancy centers. That list otherwise documents numerous prosecutions against anti-abortion protesters who blockaded, threatened or disrupted clinic activities.

The act was “simply deployed to prosecute pro-life advocates who, had they been advocating for any other set of beliefs, would never have been prosecuted by the government,” Bangert said. “Yet the Biden administration refused to enforce the FACE Act in cases where pro-life pregnancy centers or churches or synagogues were targeted.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomed the creation of the task force.

“We are hopeful in hearing the news that the Administration is seeking to address anti-Christian bias and incidents, and we stand ready to offer our own insights into how we might ensure that all people are able to fully exercise their religious freedom,” said conference spokesperson Chieko Noguchi.

The conference keeps a running list of reports of vandalism and attacks on churches, reporting at least 366 cases of arson, damaged religious statues and other incidents since 2020. The conference’s religious liberty committee released a report in 2024 citing a bipartisan list of concerns ranging from mandates from the Biden administration regarding gender and abortion to a crackdown by Texas’ Republican attorney general on Catholic organizations serving immigrants.

Trump’s executive order claims that Biden-era equal-employment officials sought to “force Christians to affirm radical transgender ideology against their faith” and that another department “sought to drive Christians out of the foster-care system.”

Trump claimed the FBI in 2023 “asserted that traditional Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested infiltrating Catholic churches as ’threat mitigation.’”

The claim emerged from the case of a man of who pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge and who had spoken of intending to kill Jews and other minorities. He had been attending a church espousing traditionalist Catholic beliefs -- though not in communion with the pope – where he reportedly sought to recruit others, according to a Justice Department review.

A leaked FBI report cited a purported link between “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists” and “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” adherents.

A Justice Department inspector general subsequently found “there was no evidence of malicious intent” but that the memo showed a failure to “adhere to analytic tradecraft standards.”

Biden had issued a declaration proclaiming March 31, 2024, as “Transgender Day of Visibility,” which occurs annually on that date. In 2024, that date also happened to be Easter Sunday. While churches have a range of views on LGBTQ+ issues, the proclamation’s timing led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-biden-easter-egg-transgender-proclamation-667689922248">indignant responses</a>&nbsp;from conservative Christian leaders that do not affirm transgender identity.

A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The secular advocacy group Freedom From Religion Foundation questioned the new task force on the social media platform X, saying “government’s job is to protect everyone’s rights, not give special treatment to one religion.” It questioned whether the task force would “just push a Christian nationalist agenda.”

Ledewitz said the task force doesn’t violate the constitutional prohibition on the state establishment of a religion — in theory.

“If, in practice, it’s going to have government promote Christianity, that violates the Establishment clause,” he said.

Ledewitz cited the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, saying that his state’s Civil Rights Commission showed “hostility” to his religious beliefs.

“Government is not allowed to be hostile to religion,” Ledewitz said.

However, Ledewitz said there is no case to be made for U.S. Christians suffering systemic persecution.

Though the numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/the-nones/the-nones-us.html">people without religion</a>&nbsp;have grown to about 3 in 10 American adults, Christians still make up nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-ap-poll-nones-survey-111e9f5bbcaaa47ea522f1aae9c24df9">two-thirds of the population</a>.

Matthew Taylor, Protestant scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, said the task force raises concerns. Taylor’s 2024 book, “The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy,” recounts the role of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservative-christians-spiritual-warfare-donald-trump-kamala-harris-9c861aa7c58907ff67bde3c3499a9365">charismatic leaders</a>&nbsp;who have been among Trump’s most fervent supporters.

In a majority Christian country, “it’s a bit absurd to claim that there is widespread anti-Christian bias,” Taylor said. “When a majority begins to claim persecution, that is often a license for attacks on minorities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739479345615.png" alt="President Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month-White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;PETER SMITH Associated PressChristianity is by far the largest faith in America, and Christian conservatives have a strong grip on the levers of government. That dominance is leaving many to question why&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;new task force on eradicating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-30ff6f55a2e3c7b8643a15e7b158537d">anti-Christian bias</a>&nbsp;is needed.Critics see the task force initiative as unnecessary and pandering to Trump’s base. But some Christian supporters said it is overdue, claiming the Biden administration had discriminated against them through actions and inactions.The two-year task force, chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi and composed of Cabinet and other government representatives, is assigned to review and “identify any unlawful anti-Christian” actions under the Biden administration, change any objectionable policies and recommend steps to rectify any past failures.<h2>A debate over victimhood</h2>Bruce Ledewitz, a law professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, criticized the mindset behind the executive order as that of a powerful group claiming victimhood.The Christian conservative movement — a core Republican constituency — now has significant sway on the Supreme Court and in numerous states, Congress and the presidency, Ledewitz said. And still, they declare, “We are victims,” he said.“There’s a struggle for the soul of America,” said Ledewitz, who studies the relationship between constitutional law and religion. “We call this a culture war, but it’s very deep,” animated by the charge “that you people, the Democrats, you are not religious, and we are.”Trump said exactly that at a National Prayer Breakfast gathering on Feb. 6.“The opposing side, they oppose religion, they oppose God,” Trump claimed, accusing the previous administration of engaging in “persecution.” President Joe Biden, a regular Mass-attending Catholic, often spoke of drawing on the values of his faith and had warm relations with Pope Francis.But Ryan Bangert, a senior vice president at the conservative legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, said the task force is overdue.He said the Biden administration was “deliberately targeting Christian beliefs through discriminatory policies” on issues such as abortion and gender. These are “not fringe beliefs” and are shared by other religious groups besides Christians, he said.<h2>Do the cases of alleged bias add up to a pattern?</h2>Critics said Trump is claiming to see persecution in distorted case descriptions, a calendar coincidence and other situations that, while raising concerns, don’t add up to a pattern.For example, Trump spoke at the prayer breakfast about how he pardoned a set of abortion protesters. He mischaracterized the case of one woman, who was sentenced to prison at age 75, as being “put in jail because she was praying.” She and co-defendants were sentenced for blockading an abortion clinic in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, enacted in the 1990s after violent attacks on abortion providers.But Bangert said the Biden administration “severely weaponized” the FACE Act, being far more aggressive against anti-abortion protesters than those who vandalized or threatened other institutions protected by the same act, including churches and pregnancy centers that counsel women not to have abortions. Those incurred a spate of attacks after the Supreme Court, in 2022, overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had made abortion legal nationwide.A Biden-era Justice Department document lists one case of a conviction of three activists who supported abortion rights and vandalized pregnancy centers. That list otherwise documents numerous prosecutions against anti-abortion protesters who blockaded, threatened or disrupted clinic activities.The act was “simply deployed to prosecute pro-life advocates who, had they been advocating for any other set of beliefs, would never have been prosecuted by the government,” Bangert said. “Yet the Biden administration refused to enforce the FACE Act in cases where pro-life pregnancy centers or churches or synagogues were targeted.”The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomed the creation of the task force.“We are hopeful in hearing the news that the Administration is seeking to address anti-Christian bias and incidents, and we stand ready to offer our own insights into how we might ensure that all people are able to fully exercise their religious freedom,” said conference spokesperson Chieko Noguchi.The conference keeps a running list of reports of vandalism and attacks on churches, reporting at least 366 cases of arson, damaged religious statues and other incidents since 2020. The conference’s religious liberty committee released a report in 2024 citing a bipartisan list of concerns ranging from mandates from the Biden administration regarding gender and abortion to a crackdown by Texas’ Republican attorney general on Catholic organizations serving immigrants.Trump’s executive order claims that Biden-era equal-employment officials sought to “force Christians to affirm radical transgender ideology against their faith” and that another department “sought to drive Christians out of the foster-care system.”Trump claimed the FBI in 2023 “asserted that traditional Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested infiltrating Catholic churches as ’threat mitigation.’”The claim emerged from the case of a man of who pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge and who had spoken of intending to kill Jews and other minorities. He had been attending a church espousing traditionalist Catholic beliefs -- though not in communion with the pope – where he reportedly sought to recruit others, according to a Justice Department review.A leaked FBI report cited a purported link between “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists” and “Radical Traditionalist Catholic” adherents.A Justice Department inspector general subsequently found “there was no evidence of malicious intent” but that the memo showed a failure to “adhere to analytic tradecraft standards.”Trump also cited a calendar mashup.Biden had issued a declaration proclaiming March 31, 2024, as “Transgender Day of Visibility,” which occurs annually on that date. In 2024, that date also happened to be Easter Sunday. While churches have a range of views on LGBTQ+ issues, the proclamation’s timing led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-biden-easter-egg-transgender-proclamation-667689922248">indignant responses</a>&nbsp;from conservative Christian leaders that do not affirm transgender identity.<h2>Looking at the big picture</h2>A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.The secular advocacy group Freedom From Religion Foundation questioned the new task force on the social media platform X, saying “government’s job is to protect everyone’s rights, not give special treatment to one religion.” It questioned whether the task force would “just push a Christian nationalist agenda.”Ledewitz said the task force doesn’t violate the constitutional prohibition on the state establishment of a religion — in theory.“If, in practice, it’s going to have government promote Christianity, that violates the Establishment clause,” he said.Ledewitz cited the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, saying that his state’s Civil Rights Commission showed “hostility” to his religious beliefs.“Government is not allowed to be hostile to religion,” Ledewitz said.However, Ledewitz said there is no case to be made for U.S. Christians suffering systemic persecution.Though the numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/the-nones/the-nones-us.html">people without religion</a>&nbsp;have grown to about 3 in 10 American adults, Christians still make up nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-ap-poll-nones-survey-111e9f5bbcaaa47ea522f1aae9c24df9">two-thirds of the population</a>.Matthew Taylor, Protestant scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, said the task force raises concerns. Taylor’s 2024 book, “The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy,” recounts the role of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservative-christians-spiritual-warfare-donald-trump-kamala-harris-9c861aa7c58907ff67bde3c3499a9365">charismatic leaders</a>&nbsp;who have been among Trump’s most fervent supporters.In a majority Christian country, “it’s a bit absurd to claim that there is widespread anti-Christian bias,” Taylor said. “When a majority begins to claim persecution, that is often a license for attacks on minorities.”<h2>___</h2>

Trump’s new task force to examine anti-Christian bias

LINN COUNTY—A friend has established an online fundraiser after two missing boys were found dead on a lake in Linn County.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-keagan-grubbs-family-in-their-time-of-need?attribution_id=sl:d91733f6-0df4-43e2-9acb-b3fe66dae3b2&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=sms">Click here to view </a>the online fundraiser

Just after 8p.m. January 27, sheriff's deputies responded to the Lake Chaparral Community in rural Linn County for a report of two missing 8-year-old boys who had not been seen for several hours, according to Linn County Sheriff James Akes.

Deputies quickly assessed the need for more resources, the Linn County Fire Department responded to the area and assisted in the search for the boys. Searchers found evidence leading them to believe the boys had been around the lake. The Sheriff’s Office utilized an aerial drone to search above the water and the two boys were discovered deceased in the water and trapped under the ice. 

The Overland Park Fire Dive Team was called in for assistance retrieving the two juveniles from the icy water.&nbsp; The sheriff released no additional details early Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738196645303.png" alt="Keegan Grubbs photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Keegan Grubbs photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>LINN COUNTY—A friend has established an online fundraiser after two missing boys were found dead on a lake in Linn County.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-keagan-grubbs-family-in-their-time-of-need?attribution_id=sl:d91733f6-0df4-43e2-9acb-b3fe66dae3b2&amp;lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=sms">Click here to view </a>the online fundraiserJust after 8p.m. January 27, sheriff's deputies responded to the Lake Chaparral Community in rural Linn County for a report of two missing 8-year-old boys who had not been seen for several hours, according to Linn County Sheriff James Akes.Deputies quickly assessed the need for more resources, the Linn County Fire Department responded to the area and assisted in the search for the boys. Searchers found evidence leading them to believe the boys had been around the lake. The Sheriff’s Office utilized an aerial drone to search above the water and the two boys were discovered deceased in the water and trapped under the ice. The Overland Park Fire Dive Team was called in for assistance retrieving the two juveniles from the icy water.&nbsp; The sheriff released no additional details early Tuesday.

Online fundraiser continues after boys died under ice on Kan. lake

Republican state legislators are filing a flurry of bills addressing junk food, vaccines, fluoride.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/avollers/">ANNA CLAIRE VOLLERS</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Republican state legislators across the country are filing a flurry of bills to advance the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda promoted by activist lawyer and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s in line to be the next U.S. health secretary.

Under the MAHA banner, state lawmakers are working to regulate candy and soda purchases under social welfare programs, remove fluoride from public water systems, roll back state vaccination requirements, and remove ultra-processed food from schools.

They’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Leo4AzHouse/posts/pfbid02JfgSgCw6Q2cCBMg6wtZu6BaURnikQMoqnvzDvxEcawMRbGPybnEkQBewqNrXneNnl" target="_blank">enlisted celebrities</a>&nbsp;to help. They’re using&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Jacob4Wyoming/status/1886478813804048864" target="_blank">#RFK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Leo4AzHouse/posts/pfbid02JfgSgCw6Q2cCBMg6wtZu6BaURnikQMoqnvzDvxEcawMRbGPybnEkQBewqNrXneNnl" target="_blank">#MAHA</a>&nbsp;hashtags on social media to share legislative wins. Lawmakers even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=983860476948534&amp;set=pb.100059737712851.-2207520000" target="_blank">walked the red carpet</a>&nbsp;at a January gala celebrated as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/the-maha-gala#:~:text=more%20than%20800%20of%20US%20health%20secretary%20nominee%20Robert%20F.%20Kennedy%20Jr.%E2%80%99s%20most%20loyal%20followers%20have%20gathered%20to%20celebrate%20the%20official%20start%20of%20the%20Make%20America%20Healthy%20movement" target="_blank">official start</a>&nbsp;of the MAHA movement in the Trump era.

“It’s pretty exciting for me,” said Wyoming Republican state Rep. Jacob Wasserburger, who has sponsored a MAHA bill in his state.

“I was a pretty overweight kid when I was growing up. … When I was about 16, I started trying to get healthy, and it seemed to me like there were some badly flawed issues with our health care in this country that weren’t being addressed,” he said.

Kennedy is a vocal vaccine skeptic with controversial and sometimes misleading views on a number of public health policies, from fluoride in public water to the underlying causes of HIV and autism. He’s decried ultra-processed foods, government overreach and greedy corporations for harming human health and the environment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739629912875.png" alt="RFK Jr. swearing in ceremony on Thursday- image Whit House" />
 <figcaption>RFK Jr. swearing in ceremony on Thursday- image Whit House</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Republican state legislators are filing a flurry of bills addressing junk food, vaccines, fluoride.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/avollers/">ANNA CLAIRE VOLLERS</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a> Republican state legislators across the country are filing a flurry of bills to advance the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda promoted by activist lawyer and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s in line to be the next U.S. health secretary.Under the MAHA banner, state lawmakers are working to regulate candy and soda purchases under social welfare programs, remove fluoride from public water systems, roll back state vaccination requirements, and remove ultra-processed food from schools.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN 🇺🇸 Based on all health indicators and global comparisons, Americans are becoming sicker, beset by illnesses that our medical system isn&#39;t addressing effectively. The Trump Administration IS CHANGING THAT! 1/4 <a href="https://t.co/oIeHWvqK4e">pic.twitter.com/oIeHWvqK4e</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1890190620641440243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>They’ve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Leo4AzHouse/posts/pfbid02JfgSgCw6Q2cCBMg6wtZu6BaURnikQMoqnvzDvxEcawMRbGPybnEkQBewqNrXneNnl" target="_blank">enlisted celebrities</a>&nbsp;to help. They’re using&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Jacob4Wyoming/status/1886478813804048864" target="_blank">#RFK</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Leo4AzHouse/posts/pfbid02JfgSgCw6Q2cCBMg6wtZu6BaURnikQMoqnvzDvxEcawMRbGPybnEkQBewqNrXneNnl" target="_blank">#MAHA</a>&nbsp;hashtags on social media to share legislative wins. Lawmakers even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=983860476948534&amp;set=pb.100059737712851.-2207520000" target="_blank">walked the red carpet</a>&nbsp;at a January gala celebrated as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/the-maha-gala#:~:text=more%20than%20800%20of%20US%20health%20secretary%20nominee%20Robert%20F.%20Kennedy%20Jr.%E2%80%99s%20most%20loyal%20followers%20have%20gathered%20to%20celebrate%20the%20official%20start%20of%20the%20Make%20America%20Healthy%20movement" target="_blank">official start</a>&nbsp;of the MAHA movement in the Trump era.“It’s pretty exciting for me,” said Wyoming Republican state Rep. Jacob Wasserburger, who has sponsored a MAHA bill in his state.“I was a pretty overweight kid when I was growing up. … When I was about 16, I started trying to get healthy, and it seemed to me like there were some badly flawed issues with our health care in this country that weren’t being addressed,” he said.Kennedy is a vocal vaccine skeptic with controversial and sometimes misleading views on a number of public health policies, from fluoride in public water to the underlying causes of HIV and autism. He’s decried ultra-processed foods, government overreach and greedy corporations for harming human health and the environment.His often unorthodox — and in some cases, false — views have inspired some conservative lawmakers and given political cover to others, spurring them to reshape public health policy in myriad ways.<h2>Candy, soda and SNAP</h2>One popular MAHA measure is to prevent families who qualify for food stamps from using their benefits to purchase candy or soda.Republican legislators in states including&nbsp;<a href="https://azmirror.com/2025/02/04/republicans-follow-lead-of-rfk-jr-with-effort-to-ban-snap-users-from-buying-soda-candy/?nvep=&amp;hmac=&amp;emci=89624625-bae3-ef11-90cb-0022482a94f4&amp;emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&amp;ceid=53701" target="_blank">Arizona</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/h0109/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/05/buying-candy-soda-with-food-stamps-banned-under-proposed-kansas-bill/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1821889" target="_blank">Tennessee</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0403.html" target="_blank">Utah</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/WY/bill/HB0323/2025" target="_blank">Wyoming</a>&nbsp;have introduced bills directing their respective state agencies to ask the federal government to allow them to remove candy and soda from the list of eligible products that can be purchased with food stamps, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/governor-sanders-calls-for-reforms-to-the-snap-program/" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to the feds in December asking them to bar junk food items from SNAP, which is a federal program administered by the states.In Wyoming, Wasserburger sponsored a bill that would prevent people in SNAP from using their benefits to purchase candy and soda.“I’m all in favor of people having food choice and freedoms, but if taxpayers are going to be funding the cost of that food with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the funding should be going to what it says: nutrition,” Wasserburger told Stateline.“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the soda and candy bars. Anybody can go buy that with their own money.”The bill recently passed the Wyoming House and is headed to the Senate.Proponents of the SNAP bills argue candy and sugary drinks harm the health of recipients, many of whom are children. And taxpayers, they say, shouldn’t have to pay for unhealthy foods that can lead to obesity and other issues.Critics of the bills argue that the fundamental problem for SNAP recipients is that healthy food is&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/05/buying-candy-soda-with-food-stamps-banned-under-proposed-kansas-bill/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20fundamental%20problem%20for%20SNAP%20recipients%20and%20for%20all%20of%20us%20is%20that%20healthy%20food%20is%20more%20expensive%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Karen%20Siebert%2C%20a%20lobbyist%20for%20a%20network%20of%20food%20banks%20that%20serve%20all%20105%20Kansas%20counties%20including%20Harvesters%2C%20Kansas%20Food%20Bank%20and%20Second%20Harvest%20Community%20Food%20Bank." target="_blank">more expensive</a>&nbsp;and can be harder to find in low-income neighborhoods. Lobbyists contend that identifying foods as “good” or “bad” amounts to government overreach.And even some Republicans say the definitions in the bills are&nbsp;<a href="https://azmirror.com/2025/02/04/republicans-follow-lead-of-rfk-jr-with-effort-to-ban-snap-users-from-buying-soda-candy/#:~:text=Heap%20agreed%20with%20supporters%20of%20the%20bill%20that%20obesity%20is%20a%20major%20issue%20in%20Arizona%20and%20across%20the%20country%2C%20but%20sided%20with%20opponents%20that%20the%20definitions%20in%20it%20were%20too%20vague.%C2%A0" target="_blank">too vague</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://azmirror.com/2025/02/04/republicans-follow-lead-of-rfk-jr-with-effort-to-ban-snap-users-from-buying-soda-candy/#:~:text=Those%20definitions%20would%20preclude%20SNAP%20participants%20from%20purchasing%20granola%20bars%2C%20sports%20energy%20bars%20and%20possibly%20many%20cereals%20like%20Honey%20Nut%20Cheerios%2C%20while%20allowing%20the%20purchase%20of%20things%20like%20potato%20chips.%C2%A0" target="_blank">Arizona’s bill</a>, for example, could have prevented SNAP participants from buying granola bars and some cereals, while allowing them to buy potato chips. The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/05/buying-candy-soda-with-food-stamps-banned-under-proposed-kansas-bill/#:~:text=Under%20those%20definitions%2C%20Kit%20Kat%20and%20Twix%2C%20which%20contain%20flour%2C%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20be%20restricted.%20Certain%20juices%20that%20contain%20high%20amounts%20of%20sugar%20but%20are%20more%20than%20half%20fruit%20juice%20by%20volume%20also%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20be%20banned." target="_blank">Kansas</a>&nbsp;bill defines prohibited candy in such a way that Kit Kat and Twix bars, which contain flour, wouldn’t be restricted.Many of the state bills follow on the heels of a federal version, the&nbsp;<a href="https://brecheen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1372" target="_blank">Healthy SNAP Act</a>, which Republicans reintroduced in Congress last month.