BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — Three former secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education took to a Brookings Institution panel on Tuesday to offer more perspective on President Donald Trump’s calls to dismantle the federal agency, among other education-related priorities of the new administration.

Trump — who repeatedly pledged to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-won-presidency-what-does-mean-education" target="_blank">get rid of the department&nbsp; </a>throughout his campaign — has vowed to “save American education” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and funding preferences for states and school districts that adhere to his sweeping education vision.

In his inaugural address on Monday, Trump said “we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country, despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.”

“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” Trump said, going on to enact a barrage of executive orders later on Monday and undo some of former President Joe Biden’s most consequential efforts in protecting LGBTQ+ students.

Trump’s pick for Education secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-nominate-transition-co-chair-linda-mcmahon-education-secretary" target="_blank">Linda McMahon</a>, could be pivotal to making more of his education vision a reality.

McMahon, who has yet to sit before a U.S. Senate panel for her confirmation hearing, is a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, the prior head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first administration and a wealthy donor.

She is likely to be confirmed in the GOP-controlled Senate.

In the meantime, Trump named Denise Carter as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/designation-of-acting-leaders/" target="_blank">acting secretary of Education</a>. Prior to stepping into the post, she was the acting chief operating officer of the department’s Office of Federal Student Aid — the largest student financial aid provider in the country.

Trump’s vow to abolish the department is one that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/unlikely-trump-can-actually-eliminate-education-department-experts-say" target="_blank">experts have viewed with skepticism</a>&nbsp;over the complex logistics, the need for bipartisan congressional approval and the redirection of federal programs that would be necessary.

Margaret Spellings, who was Education secretary under then-President George W. Bush, said the push for abolishing the department is “kind of an old saw that has been around for a long time.”

“Obviously, there’s maybe more seriousness around it this time as we think about slicing and dicing and relitigating the federal role, and I think that’s an appropriate conversation, I mean, we ought to do that,” Spellings said.

Arne Duncan, Education secretary under then-President Barack Obama, compared Trump’s promise to get rid of the department to his “saying he’s going to build a wall and get Mexico to pay for it, which is stuff he says.”

“No one ever seems to hold him accountable for lies, false promises, but that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.

On his first day back in office, Trump also issued a slew of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank">wide-ranging executive orders</a>&nbsp;including that the federal government should only recognize “two sexes: male and female,” and that federal agencies should use the term “sex” and not “gender” in all federal policies and documents.

The order also calls for federal agencies to “end the Federal funding of gender ideology.”

He also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/" target="_blank">rescinded a series of Biden-era executive orders</a>, including certain directives regarding LGBTQ+ students.

“I think about LGBTQ students and how they might feel based on the statements from the administration so far and the executive order yesterday,” said former Education Secretary John B. King Jr., who also served under the Obama administration.

King said he worries about “low-income students, about students of color, where we still see huge opportunity gaps, and so all of us need to be asking, ‘Who’s championing the needs of those most vulnerable students?’”

King said he also thinks about “the impact on undocumented students or students from mixed-status families, of the conversation about mass deportation and the fear that that instills in them and their families.”

Trump’s deluge of executive orders signified his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-executive-orders-kick-start-his-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank">immigration crackdown</a>, including a move to end birthright citizenship in the United States, which has already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/flurry-legal-challenges-immediately-mounted-trump-birthright-citizenship-order" target="_blank">drawn legal challenges</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632243927152.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — Three former secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education took to a Brookings Institution panel on Tuesday to offer more perspective on President Donald Trump’s calls to dismantle the federal agency, among other education-related priorities of the new administration.Trump — who repeatedly pledged to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-won-presidency-what-does-mean-education" target="_blank">get rid of the department&nbsp; </a>throughout his campaign — has vowed to “save American education” with a focus on parental rights, universal school choice and funding preferences for states and school districts that adhere to his sweeping education vision.In his inaugural address on Monday, Trump said “we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases, to hate our country, despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.”“All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” Trump said, going on to enact a barrage of executive orders later on Monday and undo some of former President Joe Biden’s most consequential efforts in protecting LGBTQ+ students.Trump’s pick for Education secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-nominate-transition-co-chair-linda-mcmahon-education-secretary" target="_blank">Linda McMahon</a>, could be pivotal to making more of his education vision a reality.McMahon, who has yet to sit before a U.S. Senate panel for her confirmation hearing, is a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, the prior head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first administration and a wealthy donor.She is likely to be confirmed in the GOP-controlled Senate.In the meantime, Trump named Denise Carter as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/designation-of-acting-leaders/" target="_blank">acting secretary of Education</a>. Prior to stepping into the post, she was the acting chief operating officer of the department’s Office of Federal Student Aid — the largest student financial aid provider in the country.<h2>‘Kind of an old saw’</h2>Trump’s vow to abolish the department is one that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/unlikely-trump-can-actually-eliminate-education-department-experts-say" target="_blank">experts have viewed with skepticism</a>&nbsp;over the complex logistics, the need for bipartisan congressional approval and the redirection of federal programs that would be necessary.Margaret Spellings, who was Education secretary under then-President George W. Bush, said the push for abolishing the department is “kind of an old saw that has been around for a long time.”“Obviously, there’s maybe more seriousness around it this time as we think about slicing and dicing and relitigating the federal role, and I think that’s an appropriate conversation, I mean, we ought to do that,” Spellings said.Arne Duncan, Education secretary under then-President Barack Obama, compared Trump’s promise to get rid of the department to his “saying he’s going to build a wall and get Mexico to pay for it, which is stuff he says.”“No one ever seems to hold him accountable for lies, false promises, but that’s what’s going to happen,” he said.<h2>‘Sex’ rather than ‘gender’ order</h2>On his first day back in office, Trump also issued a slew of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank">wide-ranging executive orders</a>&nbsp;including that the federal government should only recognize “two sexes: male and female,” and that federal agencies should use the term “sex” and not “gender” in all federal policies and documents.The order also calls for federal agencies to “end the Federal funding of gender ideology.”He also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/" target="_blank">rescinded a series of Biden-era executive orders</a>, including certain directives regarding LGBTQ+ students.“I think about LGBTQ students and how they might feel based on the statements from the administration so far and the executive order yesterday,” said former Education Secretary John B. King Jr., who also served under the Obama administration.King said he worries about “low-income students, about students of color, where we still see huge opportunity gaps, and so all of us need to be asking, ‘Who’s championing the needs of those most vulnerable students?’”King said he also thinks about “the impact on undocumented students or students from mixed-status families, of the conversation about mass deportation and the fear that that instills in them and their families.”Trump’s deluge of executive orders signified his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-executive-orders-kick-start-his-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank">immigration crackdown</a>, including a move to end birthright citizenship in the United States, which has already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/flurry-legal-challenges-immediately-mounted-trump-birthright-citizenship-order" target="_blank">drawn legal challenges</a>.&nbsp;

Former secretaries Dissect Trump Plans to Abolish Department of Education

Proposal follows bipartisan 2024 law cutting Kansas’ upper bracket to 5.58%

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber business lobbying organization wants to convince the 2025 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly to pass a law tying increases in state expenditures to the inflation rate and devoting excess revenue to lowering the state’s individual income tax rate to 4.5%.

The objective would be to take a step beyond a 2024 law imposing $1.2 billion in tax reductions over three years and implementing a structural change to move from three to two personal income tax brackets. That law passed during a special legislative session and signed by Kelly cut the state’s upper individual income tax bracket from 5.7% to 5.58% and set the lower bracket at 5.2%.

Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, have advocated for a single-rate state income tax. In 2024, for example, the Senate passed a bill that would automatically shrink a single rate over a six-year period to 5.45% by 2029.

Alan Cobb, the Kansas Chamber’s president and CEO, said the organization would focus on adoption of a single bracket and the goal of a rate of 4.5%.

He said Kansas was ranked 25th nationally by the conservative Tax Foundation in terms of business climate. Thirty-one states lowered income tax rates during the past four years, he said.

“Kansas is an affordable and enjoyable place to raise a family, but overall has a high tax burden,” Cobb said. “As other states take action to become more attractive and competitive for investment, Kansas continues to fall behind.”

The Kansas Chamber vowed to support efforts to reduce corporate income taxes despite Kelly’s rejection of proposals to eliminate the state income tax on businesses.

“Going forward, I will not support any proposal that robs our schools of the funds they need to teach our children,” Kelly said. “There was a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. That is a nonstarter.”

In 2012, the Republican-led Legislature aggressively reduced Kansas income taxes in an experiment in supply-side economics. Lawmakers in Kansas didn’t match the popular tax cuts with unpopular spending cuts. That led to five years of budget problems and produced a sales tax increase and cuts to schools, highways and other core government programs. The GOP-led Legislature repealed much of that tax program in 2017.

Cobb said the lobbying organization would oppose proposals to apply a sales tax to professional services or to repeal existing sales tax exemptions for businesses.

Kansas ranked 10th among U.S. states in terms of renewable energy production, Cobb said, but the low-cost energy source hadn’t resulted in meaningful savings for consumers. State lawmakers should maneuver to deal with above-average energy costs that hurt businesses, Cobb said.

Cobb said the state should reverse erosion of liability protections for businesses and individuals. Altering the state’s legal environment to lower insurance premiums would help with economic competitiveness, he said.

He said Kansas could pursue reform that reduced scope-of-practice barriers for health professionals and broadened licensure reciprocity so workers from other states could more easily transition to jobs in Kansas. The change would help address workforce shortages and access to health care, he said.

The Kansas Chamber annually produces a policy agenda based on past legislative activity and polling of business leaders.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansaschamber.org/legislativeagenda/" target="_blank">The 2025 edition can be found here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737998024914.png" alt="Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber, said a top priority of the business lobbying organization was to limit state spending to the annual inflation rate and devote excess tax revenue to lowering the individual state income tax rate to 4.5%. Currently, Kansas has a two-rate system with the lower rate at 5.2% and the upper at 5.58%. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber, said a top priority of the business lobbying organization was to limit state spending to the annual inflation rate and devote excess tax revenue to lowering the individual state income tax rate to 4.5%. Currently, Kansas has a two-rate system with the lower rate at 5.2% and the upper at 5.58%. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Proposal follows bipartisan 2024 law cutting Kansas’ upper bracket to 5.58%</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber business lobbying organization wants to convince the 2025 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly to pass a law tying increases in state expenditures to the inflation rate and devoting excess revenue to lowering the state’s individual income tax rate to 4.5%.The objective would be to take a step beyond a 2024 law imposing $1.2 billion in tax reductions over three years and implementing a structural change to move from three to two personal income tax brackets. That law passed during a special legislative session and signed by Kelly cut the state’s upper individual income tax bracket from 5.7% to 5.58% and set the lower bracket at 5.2%.Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, have advocated for a single-rate state income tax. In 2024, for example, the Senate passed a bill that would automatically shrink a single rate over a six-year period to 5.45% by 2029.Alan Cobb, the Kansas Chamber’s president and CEO, said the organization would focus on adoption of a single bracket and the goal of a rate of 4.5%.He said Kansas was ranked 25th nationally by the conservative Tax Foundation in terms of business climate. Thirty-one states lowered income tax rates during the past four years, he said.“Kansas is an affordable and enjoyable place to raise a family, but overall has a high tax burden,” Cobb said. “As other states take action to become more attractive and competitive for investment, Kansas continues to fall behind.”The Kansas Chamber vowed to support efforts to reduce corporate income taxes despite Kelly’s rejection of proposals to eliminate the state income tax on businesses.“Going forward, I will not support any proposal that robs our schools of the funds they need to teach our children,” Kelly said. “There was a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. That is a nonstarter.”In 2012, the Republican-led Legislature aggressively reduced Kansas income taxes in an experiment in supply-side economics. Lawmakers in Kansas didn’t match the popular tax cuts with unpopular spending cuts. That led to five years of budget problems and produced a sales tax increase and cuts to schools, highways and other core government programs. The GOP-led Legislature repealed much of that tax program in 2017.Cobb said the lobbying organization would oppose proposals to apply a sales tax to professional services or to repeal existing sales tax exemptions for businesses.Kansas ranked 10th among U.S. states in terms of renewable energy production, Cobb said, but the low-cost energy source hadn’t resulted in meaningful savings for consumers. State lawmakers should maneuver to deal with above-average energy costs that hurt businesses, Cobb said.Cobb said the state should reverse erosion of liability protections for businesses and individuals. Altering the state’s legal environment to lower insurance premiums would help with economic competitiveness, he said.He said Kansas could pursue reform that reduced scope-of-practice barriers for health professionals and broadened licensure reciprocity so workers from other states could more easily transition to jobs in Kansas. The change would help address workforce shortages and access to health care, he said.The Kansas Chamber annually produces a policy agenda based on past legislative activity and polling of business leaders.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansaschamber.org/legislativeagenda/" target="_blank">The 2025 edition can be found here</a>.

Kansas Chamber lobbyists striving to slash state’s individual income tax rate to 4.5%

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a domestic incident and have made an arrest.

Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at an address in the 3300 block of Forest Avenue in Great Bend, according to a media release.&nbsp; While on scene, officers contacted a woman and three juveniles.

Officers were advised that the woman and John Feemster, age 34,&nbsp; had been arguing. Officers were advised that during the argument, the woman was allegedly battered by Feemster and that he had obtained a weapon and forced the woman and children into a bedroom.

Feemster was contacted outside of the residence and was arrested. He was transported to the Barton County jail and booked on requested charges of of kidnapping, aggravated assault and endangering a child, in lieu of bond. Police did not report the relationship between Feemster and the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737999866187.png" alt="Feemster-photo Barton County" />
 <figcaption>Feemster-photo Barton County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a domestic incident and have made an arrest.Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at an address in the 3300 block of Forest Avenue in Great Bend, according to a media release.&nbsp; While on scene, officers contacted a woman and three juveniles.Officers were advised that the woman and John Feemster, age 34,&nbsp; had been arguing. Officers were advised that during the argument, the woman was allegedly battered by Feemster and that he had obtained a weapon and forced the woman and children into a bedroom.Feemster was contacted outside of the residence and was arrested. He was transported to the Barton County jail and booked on requested charges of of kidnapping, aggravated assault and endangering a child, in lieu of bond. Police did not report the relationship between Feemster and the victim.

Police: Kan. man accused in attack on a woman in front of children

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas reported U.S. Marshals have arrested 25-year-old Jesus Loya of Garden City, according to a statement from Garden City Police.

On Thursday, Loya walked out in the middle of his jury trial in Garden City.

Loya has been found guilty and was wanted on a warrant for Kidnapping&nbsp; Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Intimidation of a Witness/Victim, Aggravated Assault and Criminal Threat.

Loya’s Bond had been set at $1,000,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737757966841.png" alt="Jesus Loya -photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Jesus Loya -photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in southwest Kansas reported U.S. Marshals have arrested 25-year-old Jesus Loya of Garden City, according to a statement from Garden City Police.On Thursday, Loya walked out in the middle of his jury trial in Garden City.Loya has been found guilty and was wanted on a warrant for Kidnapping&nbsp; Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Intimidation of a Witness/Victim, Aggravated Assault and Criminal Threat.Loya’s Bond had been set at $1,000,000.

U.S. Marshals capture man who escaped during trial in SW Kansas 

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts since taking office. On Saturday night, he added a 20-minute Q&amp;A with reporters aboard Air Force One to the mix.

Asked about the series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">executive orders</a>&nbsp;he’s signed since taking office that have placed new rules on the federal workforce, Trump said he was opposed to work-from-home concessions that became more common during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</a>.

“You have to go to your office and you have to work,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re not going to have a job.”

Trump also said he’s not worried about existing federal employees leaving and the talent pool to find replacements being diminished: “We have very deep talent. We also have a lot of excess people.”

“This was a gimmick for Democrats, to a certain extent,” he said of existing federal worker rolls, which he suggested were too large.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737908838710.png" alt="President Trump speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President" />
 <figcaption>President Trump speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday-photo by Margo Martin, Assistant to the President</figcaption>
 </figure>ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts since taking office. On Saturday night, he added a 20-minute Q&amp;A with reporters aboard Air Force One to the mix.Asked about the series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-has-trump-done-trump-executive-orders-f061fbe7f08c08d81509a6af20ef8fc0">executive orders</a>&nbsp;he’s signed since taking office that have placed new rules on the federal workforce, Trump said he was opposed to work-from-home concessions that became more common during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</a>.“You have to go to your office and you have to work,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re not going to have a job.”Trump also said he’s not worried about existing federal employees leaving and the talent pool to find replacements being diminished: “We have very deep talent. We also have a lot of excess people.”“This was a gimmick for Democrats, to a certain extent,” he said of existing federal worker rolls, which he suggested were too large.

President Trump really wants federal workers back in the office 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">Kansas felon&nbsp;</a>convicted in the fatal stabbing of a Kansas woman in her home is scheduled for sentencing , according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Goldy Metcalf, 39, was<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">&nbsp;charged with 1st&nbsp;degree</a> murder, attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass, according to the district attorney's office.

Just after 8 a.m. Dec. 4, 2021, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

 Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. 

EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 4, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had Metcalf at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; 

Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.

Metcalf left St. Francis Hospital against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.

Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. He then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.

Metcalf was paroled from prison in July 2021 and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638721469657.png" alt="Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">Kansas felon&nbsp;</a>convicted in the fatal stabbing of a Kansas woman in her home is scheduled for sentencing , according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Goldy Metcalf, 39, was<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">&nbsp;charged with 1st&nbsp;degree</a> murder, attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass, according to the district attorney's office.Just after 8 a.m. Dec. 4, 2021, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 4, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had Metcalf at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.Metcalf left St. Francis Hospital against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. He then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.Metcalf was paroled from prison in July 2021 and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sentencing Day: Felon stabbed Kan. woman to death in her home 

KIOWA COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol investigating a fatal&nbsp; car crash during a weekend pursuit have identified the victim who died as Jerry Wayne Thompson.

Thompson and the car were being sought as part of a homicide investigation in Anderson County, according to a media release from the KHP.

Just after 9p.m. Saturday, troopers saw the car traveling eastbound on U.S. 54 west of Greensburg. A troopers began to conduct a traffic stop, the car pulled over to the shoulder and stopped. After the trooper made verbal contact with Thompson, he fled and a pursuit ensued.

The Kiowa County Sheriff's office successfully deployed stop sticks on the fleeing vehicle approximately one mile west of Greensburg. The car traveled off the road into the south ditch, struck a field entrance, went airborne and rolled. Thompson was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;Investigators recovered a loaded firearm from the crash scene.

The KHP Critical Accident Response Team responded to the scene and is investigating.&nbsp; The homicide is under investigation in Anderson County.

KIOWA COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol investigating a fatal&nbsp; car crash during a weekend pursuit have identified the victim who died as Jerry Wayne Thompson.Thompson and the car were being sought as part of a homicide investigation in Anderson County, according to a media release from the KHP.Just after 9p.m. Saturday, troopers saw the car traveling eastbound on U.S. 54 west of Greensburg. A troopers began to conduct a traffic stop, the car pulled over to the shoulder and stopped. After the trooper made verbal contact with Thompson, he fled and a pursuit ensued.The Kiowa County Sheriff's office successfully deployed stop sticks on the fleeing vehicle approximately one mile west of Greensburg. The car traveled off the road into the south ditch, struck a field entrance, went airborne and rolled. Thompson was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;Investigators recovered a loaded firearm from the crash scene.The KHP Critical Accident Response Team responded to the scene and is investigating.&nbsp; The homicide is under investigation in Anderson County.

KHP: Victim in fatal pursuit, crash was wanted in homicide investigation

FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump has ended the federal security detail for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.

Fauci is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.

Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he wouldn’t feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said that Fauci’s federal security detail was ended on Thursday and that he has since hired private security.

When asked about Fauci and former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump said, “They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too."

Trump, a Republican, earlier this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pompeo-hook-iran-security-protections-987ca371756f48028ebd34ca7111f1c5">revoked protection details</a>&nbsp;for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well as Bolton. All have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">faced threats from Iran</a>&nbsp;since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration and fell out with him in the years after he left office in 2021.

Fauci was a regular at Trump’s side early in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the COVID-19 outbreak</a>&nbsp;but grew critical of Trump after the president tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-health-697d9ecef7f89cf5e9abb3b008c7faa7">undermine public health guidance</a>. Fauci faced regular threats to his life and has received federal protection for years.

Bolton, Hook and Pompeo had their security details repeatedly renewed by the Biden administration because of credible and ongoing threats from Iran. Fauci’s was also repeatedly renewed by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, because of domestic threats.

“You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government,” Trump said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610053263006.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump has ended the federal security detail for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.Fauci is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647123002389.png" alt="In May of 2022, the State Department reported they were paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to former Kansas congressman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top aide, both of whom faced “serious and credible” threats from Iran.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>In May of 2022, the State Department reported they were paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to former Kansas congressman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top aide, both of whom faced “serious and credible” threats from Iran.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he wouldn’t feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said that Fauci’s federal security detail was ended on Thursday and that he has since hired private security.When asked about Fauci and former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump said, “They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too."Trump, a Republican, earlier this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pompeo-hook-iran-security-protections-987ca371756f48028ebd34ca7111f1c5">revoked protection details</a>&nbsp;for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well as Bolton. All have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">faced threats from Iran</a>&nbsp;since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration and fell out with him in the years after he left office in 2021.Fauci was a regular at Trump’s side early in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the COVID-19 outbreak</a>&nbsp;but grew critical of Trump after the president tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-health-697d9ecef7f89cf5e9abb3b008c7faa7">undermine public health guidance</a>. Fauci faced regular threats to his life and has received federal protection for years.Bolton, Hook and Pompeo had their security details repeatedly renewed by the Biden administration because of credible and ongoing threats from Iran. Fauci’s was also repeatedly renewed by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, because of domestic threats.“You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you worked for government,” Trump said.

Dr. Fauci and former Kan. Congressman now without Secret Service protection

GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) — A man accused of using TikTok to urge attacks on the government and death to President Donald Trump has been arrested, the FBI said.

Douglas Thrams, 23, of Goshen, Indiana, made a series of threats in videos posted to the social media site last week, authorities said.

Thrams is in custody awaiting an appearance Monday in federal court in South Bend. He does not have an attorney yet who could respond to the charge of using interstate commerce to make threats.

In one TikTok video, Thrams said Trump needed to be killed “and this time don’t ... miss,” FBI agent Taylor Pletz said in a court filing. It was an apparent reference to an assassination attempt last July in Pennsylvania.

“In all videos, he is visible, audible and identifiable,” Pletz said of Thrams.

TikTok was supposed to be banned in the U.S., effective last Sunday. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-executive-order-50df1f96c25576762b65e24b63ce61eb">Trump paused it for 75 days</a>&nbsp;to allow his new administration to assess national security concerns and seek a potential American buyer for the popular digital platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737767640964.png" alt="Thrams photo -St. Joseph County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Thrams photo -St. Joseph County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) — A man accused of using TikTok to urge attacks on the government and death to President Donald Trump has been arrested, the FBI said.Douglas Thrams, 23, of Goshen, Indiana, made a series of threats in videos posted to the social media site last week, authorities said.Thrams is in custody awaiting an appearance Monday in federal court in South Bend. He does not have an attorney yet who could respond to the charge of using interstate commerce to make threats.In one TikTok video, Thrams said Trump needed to be killed “and this time don’t ... miss,” FBI agent Taylor Pletz said in a court filing. It was an apparent reference to an assassination attempt last July in Pennsylvania.“In all videos, he is visible, audible and identifiable,” Pletz said of Thrams.TikTok was supposed to be banned in the U.S., effective last Sunday. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-ban-executive-order-50df1f96c25576762b65e24b63ce61eb">Trump paused it for 75 days</a>&nbsp;to allow his new administration to assess national security concerns and seek a potential American buyer for the popular digital platform.

Man accused of threats against Trump on TikTok due in court

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a fire at a Kansas home. On Saturday night crews responded to a fire at a home at 141st and Nieman in Overland Park, according to a social media report from the department.&nbsp;It took almost 2 hours to bring the fire under control.&nbsp;

Fire was called in by a passerby. There were no injuries reported. The residents were out of town. Authorities have not reported a damage estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737977395986.png" alt="Photos from video by Overland Park Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos from video by Overland Park Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a fire at a Kansas home. On Saturday night crews responded to a fire at a home at 141st and Nieman in Overland Park, according to a social media report from the department.&nbsp;It took almost 2 hours to bring the fire under control.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737977374452.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Fire was called in by a passerby. There were no injuries reported. The residents were out of town. Authorities have not reported a damage estimate.

Passerby calls in fire that seriously damaged Kansas home

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The White House claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S. on Sunday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs on imports and other sanctions on the longtime U.S. partner.

Long close partners in anti-narcotics efforts, the U.S. and Colombia clashed Sunday over the deportation of migrants and imposed tariffs on each other’s goods in a show of what other countries could face if they intervene in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-trump-costs-5c6c59afdb8fa79a7ca74848bd3b7cc8">Trump administration’s crackdown</a>&nbsp;on illegal immigration. The White House held up the episode as a warning to other nations who might seek to impede his plans.

Earlier, the U.S. president had ordered visa restrictions, 25% tariffs on all Colombian incoming goods, which would be raised to 50% in one week, and other retaliatory measures sparked by President Gustavo Petro's decision to reject two Colombia-bound U.S. military aircraft carrying migrants after Petro accused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-trump-immigration-ice-border-ba586dc760a5ffab73c0611fbf924df9">Trump</a>&nbsp;of not treating immigrants with dignity during deportation. Petro also announced a retaliatory 25% increase in Colombian tariffs on U.S. goods.

Trump said the measures were necessary because Petro’s decision “jeopardized” national security in the U.S. by blocking the deportation flights.

“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a late Sunday statement that the “Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”

Leavitt said the tariff orders will be “held in reserve, and not signed." But Leavitt said Trump would maintain visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced customs inspections of goods from the country, “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”

The Colombian government late Sunday said it considered as “overcome” the episode with the Trump administration and Petro reposted the statement from the White House on X.

“We have overcome the impasse with the United States government,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. “We will continue to receive Colombians who return as deportees, guaranteeing them decent conditions as citizens subject to rights.”

Murillo added that the South American country’s presidential aircraft is available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes.

Earlier Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he was authorizing the visa restrictions on Colombian government officials and their families “who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations." They were being imposed on top of the State Department's move to suspend the processing of visas at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia’s capital, Bogota.

Petro had said earlier that his government would not accept flights carrying migrants deported from the U.S. until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with “dignity.” Petro made the announcement in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil walking on a tarmac with restraints on their hands and feet.

“A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” Petro said. “That is why I returned the U.S. military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants... In civilian planes, without being treated like criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens."

After Trump's earlier tariff threat, Petro said in a post on X that he had ordered the “foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%.”

Colombia has traditionally been the U.S.’s top ally in Latin America. But their relationship has strained since Petro, a former guerrilla, became Colombia’s first leftist president in 2022 and sought distance from the U.S.

Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the U.S. from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.

Colombia is also among the countries that last year began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.

The U.S. government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press regarding aircraft and protocols used in deportations to Colombia.

“This is a clear message we are sending that countries have an obligation to accept repatriation flights," a senior administration official told AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss issue publicly.

Rubio in a statement said Petro “canceled his authorization” for the flights when the aircraft were in the air.

Colombians emerged in recent years as a major presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided in part by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arizona-united-states-mexico-colombia-fb4f913f2c43c48c0f4ecade8b2c1913">a visa regime</a>&nbsp;that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid trekking though the treacherous Darien Gap. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for illegal crossings during a 12-month period through September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.

Mexico hasn't imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-peru-visa-immigration-border-asylum-0d4206bbb002318b9e0fd2bbf22ab48c">they have on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians</a>.

Petro's government in a statement later announced that the South American country's presidential aircraft had been made available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes and guarantee them “dignified conditions."

As part of a flurry of actions to make good on Trump's campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration, his government is using active-duty military to help secure the border and carry out deportations.

Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. touched down early Friday in Guatemala. That same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.

Colombia is the U.S.’s fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil, shipping about 209,000 barrels of oil per day last year, although booming domestic production has reduced the U.S.’ dependence on foreign oil. The South American country is also the U.S.’s largest supplier of fresh cut flowers.

Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and Zeke Miller from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737727787494.png" alt="File photo -A C-17 Military Transport with the 301st Airlift Squadron of the 60th Air Mobility Wing from Travis Air Force Base loading Illegal Aliens on a deportation flight -Photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo -A C-17 Military Transport with the 301st Airlift Squadron of the 60th Air Mobility Wing from Travis Air Force Base loading Illegal Aliens on a deportation flight -Photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The White House claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S. on Sunday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened steep tariffs on imports and other sanctions on the longtime U.S. partner.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737975212424.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Long close partners in anti-narcotics efforts, the U.S. and Colombia clashed Sunday over the deportation of migrants and imposed tariffs on each other’s goods in a show of what other countries could face if they intervene in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-trump-costs-5c6c59afdb8fa79a7ca74848bd3b7cc8">Trump administration’s crackdown</a>&nbsp;on illegal immigration. The White House held up the episode as a warning to other nations who might seek to impede his plans.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737922445516.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier, the U.S. president had ordered visa restrictions, 25% tariffs on all Colombian incoming goods, which would be raised to 50% in one week, and other retaliatory measures sparked by President Gustavo Petro's decision to reject two Colombia-bound U.S. military aircraft carrying migrants after Petro accused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deportation-trump-immigration-ice-border-ba586dc760a5ffab73c0611fbf924df9">Trump</a>&nbsp;of not treating immigrants with dignity during deportation. Petro also announced a retaliatory 25% increase in Colombian tariffs on U.S. goods.Trump said the measures were necessary because Petro’s decision “jeopardized” national security in the U.S. by blocking the deportation flights.“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.”Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a late Sunday statement that the “Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”Leavitt said the tariff orders will be “held in reserve, and not signed." But Leavitt said Trump would maintain visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced customs inspections of goods from the country, “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737944581955.png" alt="Image from President Trump's social media account" />
 <figcaption>Image from President Trump's social media account</figcaption>
 </figure>The Colombian government late Sunday said it considered as “overcome” the episode with the Trump administration and Petro reposted the statement from the White House on X.“We have overcome the impasse with the United States government,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. “We will continue to receive Colombians who return as deportees, guaranteeing them decent conditions as citizens subject to rights.”Murillo added that the South American country’s presidential aircraft is available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">America will not back down when it comes to defending our national security interests. <a href="https://t.co/PJQhuRXlvz">https://t.co/PJQhuRXlvz</a>&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@secrubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/secrubio/status/1883666024492679361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Earlier Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he was authorizing the visa restrictions on Colombian government officials and their families “who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations." They were being imposed on top of the State Department's move to suspend the processing of visas at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia’s capital, Bogota.Petro had said earlier that his government would not accept flights carrying migrants deported from the U.S. until the Trump administration creates a protocol that treats them with “dignity.” Petro made the announcement in two X posts, one of which included a news video of migrants reportedly deported to Brazil walking on a tarmac with restraints on their hands and feet.“A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that a human being deserves,” Petro said. “That is why I returned the U.S. military planes that were carrying Colombian migrants... In civilian planes, without being treated like criminals, we will receive our fellow citizens."After Trump's earlier tariff threat, Petro said in a post on X that he had ordered the “foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%.”Colombia has traditionally been the U.S.’s top ally in Latin America. But their relationship has strained since Petro, a former guerrilla, became Colombia’s first leftist president in 2022 and sought distance from the U.S.Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the U.S. from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.Colombia is also among the countries that last year began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama.The U.S. government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press regarding aircraft and protocols used in deportations to Colombia.“This is a clear message we are sending that countries have an obligation to accept repatriation flights," a senior administration official told AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss issue publicly.Rubio in a statement said Petro “canceled his authorization” for the flights when the aircraft were in the air.Colombians emerged in recent years as a major presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided in part by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-arizona-united-states-mexico-colombia-fb4f913f2c43c48c0f4ecade8b2c1913">a visa regime</a>&nbsp;that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid trekking though the treacherous Darien Gap. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for illegal crossings during a 12-month period through September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans.Mexico hasn't imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-peru-visa-immigration-border-asylum-0d4206bbb002318b9e0fd2bbf22ab48c">they have on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians</a>.Petro's government in a statement later announced that the South American country's presidential aircraft had been made available to facilitate the return of migrants who were to arrive hours earlier on the U.S. military airplanes and guarantee them “dignified conditions."As part of a flurry of actions to make good on Trump's campaign promises to crack down on illegal immigration, his government is using active-duty military to help secure the border and carry out deportations.Two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes carrying migrants removed from the U.S. touched down early Friday in Guatemala. That same day, Honduras received two deportation flights carrying a total of 193 people.Colombia is the U.S.’s fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil, shipping about 209,000 barrels of oil per day last year, although booming domestic production has reduced the U.S.’ dependence on foreign oil. The South American country is also the U.S.’s largest supplier of fresh cut flowers.___Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and Zeke Miller from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York, Joshua Goodman in Miami, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Colombia backs down: Read White House statement on Trump tariff showdown

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an incident that critically injured a juvenile have made an arrest.

Just after 7p.m. Friday, police responded to a Topeka area hospital for a report of a gunshot victim arriving by private vehicle, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Through investigation officers were led to the 1000 block of SE Locust Street in Topeka where the incident reportedly occurred. 

One juvenile was identified as the victim and was reported in critical but stable condition.

The Topeka Police Criminal Investigations Bureau responded to the home and later arrested 24-year-old Jaquiez R. Spann-Samuel of Topeka. He remains jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Endangering a Child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737861265856.png" alt="Spann-Samuel-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Spann-Samuel-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating an incident that critically injured a juvenile have made an arrest.Just after 7p.m. Friday, police responded to a Topeka area hospital for a report of a gunshot victim arriving by private vehicle, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Through investigation officers were led to the 1000 block of SE Locust Street in Topeka where the incident reportedly occurred. One juvenile was identified as the victim and was reported in critical but stable condition.The Topeka Police Criminal Investigations Bureau responded to the home and later arrested 24-year-old Jaquiez R. Spann-Samuel of Topeka. He remains jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated Endangering a Child.

Kan. man jailed after juvenile hospitalized with critical injuries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could say that Taylor Swift's championship era has reached its second consecutive season.

The 14-time Grammy Award-winning superstar returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-kansas-city-chiefs-afc-championship-score-c9187ccf15160bd5eabba73086ee9a42">beat the Buffalo Bills 32-29</a>&nbsp;for a spot in their third consecutive Super Bowl.

As confetti rained down on the field afterward, Swift and Kelce kissed in celebration. Swift gave Chiefs coach Andy Reid a big hug, and she continued the party with Kelce's mother, Donna, and some 80,000 fans who simply refused to leave their seats.

“I’m very thankful that I’m here in Kansas City, playing with the guys and everybody in this building,” said Kelce, who had just two catches for 19 yards as the Bills refused to let him beat them single-handedly. “It’s a special, special place. We feel that every single day and we just try to take advantage of it and not let it slip out of our hands.”

Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. And their relationship only seemed to blossom into the playoffs last season, with Swift celebrating on the field with Kelce after the Chiefs had beaten the Ravens in Baltimore for the AFC championship.

Then came the Super Bowl, and Swift's much-watched dash from a concert in Tokyo for kickoff of the big game in Las Vegas.

She made it with plenty of time to spare, of course. And Swift became the focus of attention in her own right, winning what appeared to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756841836713476406">beer-chugging contest</a>, partying with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756889859455885414">celebrity suite mates</a>&nbsp;such as Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey, and standing next to Kelce's mother, Donna, while he held aloft the Lombardi Trophy following the 25-22 win over the 49ers.

The couple eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">locked lips</a>&nbsp;again on the field at Allegiant Stadium that night.

On Sunday, Swift walked toward her usual suite about 90 minutes before kickoff against Buffalo. And while she was decked out in Chanel for their divisional-round win over Houston, Swift opted for a sleek black-and-gold Louis Vuitton look for the AFC title game, including a jacquard knit jacket that retails for $5,000 and a stocking cap with a list price of $830.

Modest fare compared to what suite prices for the Super Bowl will probably run.

Swift will almost certainly be in New Orleans with her celebrity friends when the Chiefs go for an unprecedented third straight Lombardi Trophy against the Eagles on Feb. 9. They got a big game from Patrick Mahomes — no surprise there — and some key stops from their defense to end the Bills’ season for the fourth time in the last five years.

“There’s nothing better than to be playing at Arrowhead for an AFC championship,” Kelce said. “They had that thing rocking more than ever, and we needed them more than ever. That Buffalo team was as good as we’ve ever played. A lot of great competitors over there. Got a lot of respect for those guys. They made it hard.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737974936244.jpeg" alt="Donna Kelce stands with her son Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)" />
 <figcaption>Donna Kelce stands with her son Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift after the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could say that Taylor Swift's championship era has reached its second consecutive season.The 14-time Grammy Award-winning superstar returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-kansas-city-chiefs-afc-championship-score-c9187ccf15160bd5eabba73086ee9a42">beat the Buffalo Bills 32-29</a>&nbsp;for a spot in their third consecutive Super Bowl.As confetti rained down on the field afterward, Swift and Kelce kissed in celebration. Swift gave Chiefs coach Andy Reid a big hug, and she continued the party with Kelce's mother, Donna, and some 80,000 fans who simply refused to leave their seats.“I’m very thankful that I’m here in Kansas City, playing with the guys and everybody in this building,” said Kelce, who had just two catches for 19 yards as the Bills refused to let him beat them single-handedly. “It’s a special, special place. We feel that every single day and we just try to take advantage of it and not let it slip out of our hands.”Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. And their relationship only seemed to blossom into the playoffs last season, with Swift celebrating on the field with Kelce after the Chiefs had beaten the Ravens in Baltimore for the AFC championship.Then came the Super Bowl, and Swift's much-watched dash from a concert in Tokyo for kickoff of the big game in Las Vegas.She made it with plenty of time to spare, of course. And Swift became the focus of attention in her own right, winning what appeared to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756841836713476406">beer-chugging contest</a>, partying with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756889859455885414">celebrity suite mates</a>&nbsp;such as Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey, and standing next to Kelce's mother, Donna, while he held aloft the Lombardi Trophy following the 25-22 win over the 49ers.The couple eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">locked lips</a>&nbsp;again on the field at Allegiant Stadium that night.On Sunday, Swift walked toward her usual suite about 90 minutes before kickoff against Buffalo. And while she was decked out in Chanel for their divisional-round win over Houston, Swift opted for a sleek black-and-gold Louis Vuitton look for the AFC title game, including a jacquard knit jacket that retails for $5,000 and a stocking cap with a list price of $830.Modest fare compared to what suite prices for the Super Bowl will probably run.Swift will almost certainly be in New Orleans with her celebrity friends when the Chiefs go for an unprecedented third straight Lombardi Trophy against the Eagles on Feb. 9. They got a big game from Patrick Mahomes — no surprise there — and some key stops from their defense to end the Bills’ season for the fourth time in the last five years.“There’s nothing better than to be playing at Arrowhead for an AFC championship,” Kelce said. “They had that thing rocking more than ever, and we needed them more than ever. That Buffalo team was as good as we’ve ever played. A lot of great competitors over there. Got a lot of respect for those guys. They made it hard.”___

Taylor Swift watches boyfriend Travis Kelce, Chiefs get back to Super Bowl

KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Alonso Alfredo Nunez, also known as “Bullet,” 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Jan. 23, to 15 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.

On April 10, 2024, Nunez pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Nunez admitted that he and co-defendant Jaloany Garcia-Medina, also known as “J. Lo,” 22, of Kansas City, Kan., working together, sold fentanyl on multiple occasions to a confidential informant working for the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

Nunez and Garcia-Medina sold approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills to a confidential informant on each of six separate occasions during the six months of the conspiracy from July 25 to Dec. 18, 2022. A different FBI confidential source reported that Nunez was supplied 200 to 500 fentanyl-laced pills weekly from July 2022 through December 2022.

Garcia-Medina has pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737915260748.png" alt="Nunez photo from an arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Nunez photo from an arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A&nbsp; Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.Alonso Alfredo Nunez, also known as “Bullet,” 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Jan. 23, to 15 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney.On April 10, 2024, Nunez pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Nunez admitted that he and co-defendant Jaloany Garcia-Medina, also known as “J. Lo,” 22, of Kansas City, Kan., working together, sold fentanyl on multiple occasions to a confidential informant working for the Jackson County Drug Task Force.Nunez and Garcia-Medina sold approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills to a confidential informant on each of six separate occasions during the six months of the conspiracy from July 25 to Dec. 18, 2022. A different FBI confidential source reported that Nunez was supplied 200 to 500 fentanyl-laced pills weekly from July 2022 through December 2022.Garcia-Medina has pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

Kansas man sold fentanyl pills to Drug Task Force informant

SHAWNEE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating alleged sex crimes and have a suspect in custody.

On Jan. 23, following an investigation into a possible child sex crimes, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division served a search warrant in the 4400 block of SW 61st Street in response to a report that had been filed regarding sexual crimes against a minor, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Joseph G. Pittman, 41, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Sexual exploitation of a child; possess media of a child, Sexual exploitation of a child; promote performance, Aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, Aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Intimidation of a witness or victim,&nbsp;Aggravated criminal sodomy and Rape.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737814373488.png" alt="Pittman-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Pittman-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating alleged sex crimes and have a suspect in custody.On Jan. 23, following an investigation into a possible child sex crimes, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division served a search warrant in the 4400 block of SW 61st Street in response to a report that had been filed regarding sexual crimes against a minor, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Joseph G. Pittman, 41, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Sexual exploitation of a child; possess media of a child, Sexual exploitation of a child; promote performance, Aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, Aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Intimidation of a witness or victim,&nbsp;Aggravated criminal sodomy and Rape.

Kansas man accused of multiple sex crimes involving a child

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could say that Taylor Swift's championship era is in its second consecutive season.

The 14-time Grammy Award-winning superstar returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs play the Buffalo Bills for a spot in their third consecutive Super Bowl.

Swift walked down the tunnel to her usual suite about 90 minutes before kickoff. And while she was decked out in Chanel for the divisional round against Houston, she opted for a sleek black-and-gold Louis Vuitton look for the AFC title game, including a jacquard knit jacket that retails for $5,000 and a stocking cap with a list price of $830.

She began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. And their relationship only seemed to blossom into the new year, with Swift eventually celebrating on the field with Kelce after the Chiefs had beaten the Ravens in Baltimore for the AFC championship.

She made it with plenty of time to spare, of course. And Swift became the focus of attention in her own right, winning what appeared to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756841836713476406">beer-chugging contest</a>, partying with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756889859455885414">celebrity suite mates</a>&nbsp;such as Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey, and standing next to Kelce's mother while he held aloft the Lombardi Trophy following the 25-22 win over the 49ers.

The couple eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">locked lips</a>&nbsp;again on the field at Allegiant Stadium.

Perhaps the couple will have an opportunity to celebrate again in a couple of weeks in the Big Easy.

The Chiefs, who were playing in the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season, were trying to become the fourth team in NFL history to reach at least three straight Super Bowls — and the first to win three in a row. The Bills memorably lost all four of their appearances in the 1990s, while the Dolphins and Patriots each lost one of their three trips.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737932162645.png" alt="Taylor Swift arrives to Arrowhead Stadium before the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Swift arrives to Arrowhead Stadium before the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could say that Taylor Swift's championship era is in its second consecutive season.The 14-time Grammy Award-winning superstar returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs play the Buffalo Bills for a spot in their third consecutive Super Bowl.Swift walked down the tunnel to her usual suite about 90 minutes before kickoff. And while she was decked out in Chanel for the divisional round against Houston, she opted for a sleek black-and-gold Louis Vuitton look for the AFC title game, including a jacquard knit jacket that retails for $5,000 and a stocking cap with a list price of $830.She began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. And their relationship only seemed to blossom into the new year, with Swift eventually celebrating on the field with Kelce after the Chiefs had beaten the Ravens in Baltimore for the AFC championship.Then came the Super Bowl, and Swift's much-watched dash from a concert in Tokyo for kickoff of the big game in Las Vegas.She made it with plenty of time to spare, of course. And Swift became the focus of attention in her own right, winning what appeared to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756841836713476406">beer-chugging contest</a>, partying with&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756889859455885414">celebrity suite mates</a>&nbsp;such as Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey, and standing next to Kelce's mother while he held aloft the Lombardi Trophy following the 25-22 win over the 49ers.The couple eventually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">locked lips</a>&nbsp;again on the field at Allegiant Stadium.Perhaps the couple will have an opportunity to celebrate again in a couple of weeks in the Big Easy.The Chiefs, who were playing in the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season, were trying to become the fourth team in NFL history to reach at least three straight Super Bowls — and the first to win three in a row. The Bills memorably lost all four of their appearances in the 1990s, while the Dolphins and Patriots each lost one of their three trips.___

Taylor Swift arrives for AFC title game, hoping Kelce and Chiefs return to the Super Bowl

WICHITA – The Consumer Protection Division of the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has recently begun an investigation involving a six-figure electronic transfer of funds that had been intended to be sent to a legitimate bank account in anticipation of a property closing. 

The emails that were the subject of the communication were very close to the legitimate email addresses, but did contain a single letter/digit alteration to the email address which was not noticed until after the transaction. This ultimately contributed to the funds being sent to an illegitimate bank account.

This is not the first time this sort of fraud has been perpetrated in the area. 

The district attorney office reminded all banks, title companies and realtors in the south central Kansas area and beyond to take the following steps when transferring money electronically:

(1) Confirm the accuracy of any email address purported to represent an individual or entity who is requesting the electronic transfer of any sum of money; and (2) take the time to call and confirm the identity and/or contact information as well as the account number and routing information of any banking institution to whom money is being electronically sent.

WICHITA – The Consumer Protection Division of the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office has recently begun an investigation involving a six-figure electronic transfer of funds that had been intended to be sent to a legitimate bank account in anticipation of a property closing. The emails that were the subject of the communication were very close to the legitimate email addresses, but did contain a single letter/digit alteration to the email address which was not noticed until after the transaction. This ultimately contributed to the funds being sent to an illegitimate bank account.This is not the first time this sort of fraud has been perpetrated in the area. The district attorney office reminded all banks, title companies and realtors in the south central Kansas area and beyond to take the following steps when transferring money electronically:(1) Confirm the accuracy of any email address purported to represent an individual or entity who is requesting the electronic transfer of any sum of money; and (2) take the time to call and confirm the identity and/or contact information as well as the account number and routing information of any banking institution to whom money is being electronically sent.

DA issues caution on money transfers in Kansas

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/devna-bose">DEVNA BOSE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/carla-k-johnson">CARLA K. JOHNSON</a> Associated Press

Susan Scarbro stares down a bowling lane at the distant pins.

She hears a sound that breaks her focus. Was that a cough? Will her mask protect her?

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 remains</a>&nbsp;a very present threat for the 55-year-old. Scarbro has multiple immune disorders, making her vulnerable to infection.

“Any minute anybody could cough, just incidentally,” said Scarbro, who lives in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. “And that cough could be the one thing that could make me sick.”

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. The virus would go on to kill 1.2 million Americans and disrupt countless lives.

While the pandemic’s emergency phase ended in May 2023, the threat of infection remains a governing force in the lives of people like Scarbro. They protect themselves from the virus with masks and isolate themselves in small family bubbles. Some grasp for unproven strategies — gargling with antiseptic mouthwash, carrying a personal carbon dioxide monitor to check the ventilation of indoor spaces.

In online support groups, they trade research about the danger of repeat infections and cognitive impairment. They miss the empathy they felt during the early days of the pandemic. Some have lost friendships, but they strive to maintain the social ties that are important to mental health.

Scarbro’s bowling league helps her feel connected to her neighbors. But recently, she’s detected more stares and skeptical looks from strangers when she bowls in a mask.

“There was more respect and understanding, but now they’re over it,” she said. “They expect me to be over it, but they don’t understand that even before COVID-19, these were the precautions I needed to take.”

Most Americans have developed some level of protection against severe disease from previous COVID-19 infections, vaccinations or both. But immunocompromised people like Scarbro, who has common variable immune deficiency, must be constantly vigilant. Unlike the flu, COVID has not settled into a seasonal pattern.

“There’s never a time when they can relax a little bit,” said Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s a really challenging and exhausting thing to ask someone to do.”

Who are the people still cautious about COVID-19? They include young caregivers of vulnerable relatives, people with chronic health conditions and families rallying around a loved one. In interviews with The Associated Press, they talked about how they manage the trade-offs and the toll of isolation on their mental health.

Before the pandemic, Bazia Zebrowski, 61, of Newbury, Ohio, dined out, shopped for groceries and took her dog, Shadoh, to the park. When she felt well, she occasionally could get together with friends despite having myalgic encephalomyelitis, a condition formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome that causes inflammation, immune system problems, fatigue and pain.

Now she keeps close to home, venturing out only for medical appointments. Her husband does the shopping and wears a mask at his workplace.

They have not had COVID-19 and hope their luck holds. Getting sick would be a disaster, she said, potentially triggering a relapse or superimposing long COVID-19 onto her illness.

“I don’t consider myself COVID cautious. I consider myself COVID competent,” Zebrowski said. “Cautious would imply that I have an unreasonable fear of something. I do not have an unreasonable fear of this disease.”

What does Zebrowski miss about pre-pandemic times? “I miss the illusion that people are willing to care for each other,” she said. “How hard is it to put a mask on? It rattles your faith in humankind … (you learn) how little the people in your life understood how sick you were to begin with.”

Trauma is part of the experience of having a chronic illness, said DePaul University psychologist Leonard Jason, who has studied myalgic encephalomyelitis for more than three decades.

“Then you’re traumatized by the societal reaction to the illness,” he said.

Some people aren’t sick themselves but are taking precautions to protect a family member. Steve Alejandro, 42, of Wentzville, Missouri, calls himself a COVID shielder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737911120142.jpeg" alt="Steve Alejandro and his wife, Ashley, sit for a portrait in the room where Ashley spends most of her time due to illness, in the basement of their home Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in Wentzville, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)" />
 <figcaption>Steve Alejandro and his wife, Ashley, sit for a portrait in the room where Ashley spends most of her time due to illness, in the basement of their home Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in Wentzville, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/devna-bose">DEVNA BOSE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/carla-k-johnson">CARLA K. JOHNSON</a> Associated PressSusan Scarbro stares down a bowling lane at the distant pins.She hears a sound that breaks her focus. Was that a cough? Will her mask protect her?<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-variant-omicron-deaths-wuhan-lab-1ae8a7b3e6e034e03722f17e7aad34cb">COVID-19 remains</a>&nbsp;a very present threat for the 55-year-old. Scarbro has multiple immune disorders, making her vulnerable to infection.“Any minute anybody could cough, just incidentally,” said Scarbro, who lives in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. “And that cough could be the one thing that could make me sick.”This month marks the fifth anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. The virus would go on to kill 1.2 million Americans and disrupt countless lives.While the pandemic’s emergency phase ended in May 2023, the threat of infection remains a governing force in the lives of people like Scarbro. They protect themselves from the virus with masks and isolate themselves in small family bubbles. Some grasp for unproven strategies — gargling with antiseptic mouthwash, carrying a personal carbon dioxide monitor to check the ventilation of indoor spaces.In online support groups, they trade research about the danger of repeat infections and cognitive impairment. They miss the empathy they felt during the early days of the pandemic. Some have lost friendships, but they strive to maintain the social ties that are important to mental health.Scarbro’s bowling league helps her feel connected to her neighbors. But recently, she’s detected more stares and skeptical looks from strangers when she bowls in a mask.“There was more respect and understanding, but now they’re over it,” she said. “They expect me to be over it, but they don’t understand that even before COVID-19, these were the precautions I needed to take.”Most Americans have developed some level of protection against severe disease from previous COVID-19 infections, vaccinations or both. But immunocompromised people like Scarbro, who has common variable immune deficiency, must be constantly vigilant. Unlike the flu, COVID has not settled into a seasonal pattern.“There’s never a time when they can relax a little bit,” said Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s a really challenging and exhausting thing to ask someone to do.”Who are the people still cautious about COVID-19? They include young caregivers of vulnerable relatives, people with chronic health conditions and families rallying around a loved one. In interviews with The Associated Press, they talked about how they manage the trade-offs and the toll of isolation on their mental health.<h2>‘How hard is it to put a mask on?’</h2>Before the pandemic, Bazia Zebrowski, 61, of Newbury, Ohio, dined out, shopped for groceries and took her dog, Shadoh, to the park. When she felt well, she occasionally could get together with friends despite having myalgic encephalomyelitis, a condition formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome that causes inflammation, immune system problems, fatigue and pain.Now she keeps close to home, venturing out only for medical appointments. Her husband does the shopping and wears a mask at his workplace.They have not had COVID-19 and hope their luck holds. Getting sick would be a disaster, she said, potentially triggering a relapse or superimposing long COVID-19 onto her illness.“I don’t consider myself COVID cautious. I consider myself COVID competent,” Zebrowski said. “Cautious would imply that I have an unreasonable fear of something. I do not have an unreasonable fear of this disease.”What does Zebrowski miss about pre-pandemic times? “I miss the illusion that people are willing to care for each other,” she said. “How hard is it to put a mask on? It rattles your faith in humankind … (you learn) how little the people in your life understood how sick you were to begin with.”Trauma is part of the experience of having a chronic illness, said DePaul University psychologist Leonard Jason, who has studied myalgic encephalomyelitis for more than three decades.“Then you’re traumatized by the societal reaction to the illness,” he said.<h2>Protecting a partner</h2>Some people aren’t sick themselves but are taking precautions to protect a family member. Steve Alejandro, 42, of Wentzville, Missouri, calls himself a COVID shielder.His wife, Ashley Alejandro, 44, also has myalgic encephalomyelitis. “She’s got maybe four good hours a day,” Alejandro said. “There’s not a thing in the world I wouldn’t do to protect those four hours.”Alejandro changed careers during the pandemic, leaving behind “my whole support system” so he could sell vintage books online from home. His three children — now 20, 18 and 12 — never went back to in-person school after lockdowns ended and are continuing their learning at home.“We’ve really come together,” Alejandro said. “This is a choice that can be made and you can win at it.”In Miami, Kira Levin is the primary caregiver for her 98-year-old grandmother. She said the thought of getting COVID-19 and risking her grandmother’s health is terrifying.So, at a July wedding, the 29-year-old was the only bridesmaid and attendee in a mask — an N95 layered with a pretty mask to match the bride’s green color scheme.“I didn’t take off the mask for pictures and nobody asked me to,” Levin said. “And I felt incredibly grateful for that.”<h2>‘COVID Cautious’ dating</h2>Denver-based sisters Jacqueline and Alexa Child stay masked while going to concerts and dining outdoors with friends who don’t share the same level of COVID-19 caution.“We have done everything we possibly could to maintain our mental health and our social life,” said Jacqueline, who has an immune disease that makes her vulnerable to infections. “There’s nothing worse than being disabled and isolated. As someone who has been disabled and isolated, I don’t want that isolation part.”Jacqueline, 30, and her sister Alexa, 34, launched a dating app called Dateability in 2022 for people who are disabled or chronically ill, though all are welcomed. Users can add a “COVID Cautious” tag to their profiles to signal they’re interested in meeting others who take precautions. The Child sisters say 10% of their 30,000 users add “COVID Cautious” to their dating profiles.“It’s a market that we didn’t expect to target but we happily accept,” Jacqueline said.Alexa said the precautions started as a way to protect Jacqueline, “but they’re no longer about that.” She’s trying to avoid long COVID, a long-term disability.Tossing aside the threat of long COVID is hard to imagine for Yale University immunologist Akiko Iwasaki. Though people have been studying the virus since its emergence, she said scientists still don’t know how pieces of the virus can stick around in the blood of some people for more than a year after they’ve recovered from the illness.Iwasaki still wears masks indoors and stays up to date with vaccines.“I just can’t afford to get sick and become chronically ill,” she said. “I feel that we really are in a position to be able to better understand the disease, to help millions of people.”<h2>A new normal</h2>While Scarbro understands that others are ready to return to “normal,” it’s not that easy for her or her family. It’s true for many others with chronic immune illnesses, said Jorey Berry, CEO of Immune Deficiency Foundation.“While the rest of the world is able to kind of go back to their regular lives, our community doesn’t have that luxury,” she said.Scarbro, her husband and children are constantly taking into account other people’s COVID-19 safety practices.And as the world turns back to pre-COVID life, Scarbro’s family is doing what they can to keep her healthy — but not in complete isolation.“I feel very scared about the future,” she said. “I know that people are done, and I respect that, but it’s only going to make it harder for me and my family to keep me safe.”<h2>___</h2>AP videojournalist Laura Bargfeld contributed to this report from Sunset Beach, North Carolina.