CHICAGO (AP) — James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97.

Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA said in a statement on Friday.

“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” NASA said. “We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”

One of NASA’s most traveled astronauts in the agency’s first decade, Lovell flew four times — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 — with the two Apollo flights riveting the folks back on Earth.

In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew of Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and the first to fly to and circle the moon. They could not land, but they put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers told the crew that their stunning pale blue dot photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and the crew’s Christmas Eve reading from Genesis saved America from a tumultuous 1968.

The Apollo 13 mission had a lifelong impact on Lovell

But the big rescue mission was still to come. That was during the harrowing Apollo 13 flight in April 1970. Lovell was supposed to be the fifth man to walk on the moon. But Apollo 13’s service module, carrying Lovell and two others, experienced a sudden oxygen tank explosion on its way to the moon. The astronauts barely survived, spending four cold and clammy days in the cramped lunar module as a lifeboat.

''The thing that I want most people to remember is (that) in some sense it was very much of a success,’' Lovell said during a 1994 interview. ''Not that we accomplished anything, but a success in that we demonstrated the capability of (NASA) personnel.’'

A retired Navy captain known for his calm demeanor, Lovell told a NASA historian that his brush with death did affect him.

“I don’t worry about crises any longer,” he said in 1999. Whenever he has a problem, “I say, ‘I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.’ So, I don’t worry about crises.”

And the mission’s retelling in the popular 1995 movie “Apollo 13” brought Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert renewed fame — thanks in part to Lovell’s movie persona reporting “Houston, we have a problem,” a phrase he didn’t exactly utter.

Lovell had ice water in his veins like other astronauts, but he didn’t display the swagger some had, just quiet confidence, said Smithsonian Institution historian Roger Launius. He called Lovell “a very personable, very down-to-earth type of person, who says ‘This is what I do. Yes, there’s risk involved. I measure risk.’”

Lovell spent a total of nearly 30 days in space

In all, Lovell flew four space missions — and until the Skylab flights of the mid-1970s, he held the world record for the longest time in space with 715 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds.

Aboard Apollo 8, Lovell described the oceans and land masses of Earth. “What I keep imagining, is if I am some lonely traveler from another planet, what I would think about the Earth at this altitude, whether I think it would be inhabited or not,” he remarked.

That mission may be as important as the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, a flight made possible by Apollo 8, Launius said.

“I think in the history of space flight, I would say that Jim was one of the pillars of the early space flight program,” Gene Kranz, NASA’s legendary flight director, once said.

Lovell was immortalized by Tom Hanks’ portrayal

But if historians consider Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 the most significant of the Apollo missions, it was during Lovell’s last mission — immortalized by the popular film starring Tom Hanks as Lovell — that he came to embody for the public the image of the cool, decisive astronaut.

The Apollo 13 crew of Lovell, Haise and Swigert was on the way to the moon in April 1970, when an oxygen tank from the spaceship exploded 200,000 miles from Earth.

That, Lovell recalled, was “the most frightening moment in this whole thing.” Then oxygen began escaping and “we didn’t have solutions to get home.”

“We knew we were in deep, deep trouble,” he told NASA’s historian.

Four-fifths of the way to the moon, NASA scrapped the mission. Suddenly, their only goal was to survive.

Lovell’s “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” a variation of a comment Swigert had radioed moments before, became famous. In Hanks’ version, it became “Houston, we have a problem.”

What unfolded over the next four days captured the imagination of the nation and the world, which until then had largely been indifferent about what seemed a routine mission.

With Lovell commanding the spacecraft, Kranz led hundreds of flight controllers and engineers in a furious rescue plan.

The plan involved the astronauts moving from the service module, which was hemorrhaging oxygen, into the cramped, dark and frigid lunar lander while they rationed their dwindling oxygen, water and electricity. Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, they swung around the moon, aimed for Earth and raced home.

By coolly solving the problems under the most intense pressure imaginable, the astronauts and the crew on the ground became heroes. In the process of turning what seemed routine into a life-and-death struggle, the entire flight team had created one of NASA’s finest moments that ranks with Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s walks on the moon nine months earlier.

“They demonstrated to the world they could handle truly horrific problems and bring them back alive,” said Launius.

The loss of the opportunity to walk on the moon “is my one regret,” Lovell said in a 1995 interview with The Associated Press for a story on the 25th anniversary of the mission.

President Bill Clinton agreed when he awarded Lovell the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1995. “While you may have lost the moon ... you gained something that is far more important perhaps: the abiding respect and gratitude of the American people,” he said.

Lovell once said that while he was disappointed he never walked on the moon, “The mission itself and the fact that we triumphed over certain catastrophe does give me a deep sense of satisfaction.”

And Lovell clearly understood why this failed mission afforded him far more fame than had Apollo 13 accomplished its goal.

“Going to the moon, if everything works right, it’s like following a cookbook. It’s not that big a deal,” he told the AP in 2004. “If something goes wrong, that’s what separates the men from the boys.”

James A. Lovell was born March 25, 1928, in Cleveland. He attended the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland. On the day he graduated in 1952, he and his wife, Marilyn, were married.

A test pilot at the Navy Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, Lovell was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1962.

Lovell retired from the Navy and from the space program in 1973, and went into private business. In 1994, he and Jeff Kluger wrote “Lost Moon,” the story of the Apollo 13 mission and the basis for the film “Apollo 13.” In one of the final scenes, Lovell appeared as a Navy captain, the rank he actually had.

He and his family ran a now-closed restaurant in suburban Chicago, Lovell’s of Lake Forest.

His wife, Marilynn, died in 2023. Survivors include four children.

AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754681672588.png" alt="James Lovell -image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>James Lovell -image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran. Lovell&#39;s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today. <a href="https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI">https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI</a> <a href="https://t.co/jBlxzgrmSk">pic.twitter.com/jBlxzgrmSk</a>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1953893398995243332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA said in a statement on Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591121929614.png" alt="The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere" />
 <figcaption>The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754689800377.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” NASA said. “We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”One of NASA’s most traveled astronauts in the agency’s first decade, Lovell flew four times — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 — with the two Apollo flights riveting the folks back on Earth.In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew of Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and the first to fly to and circle the moon. They could not land, but they put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers told the crew that their stunning pale blue dot photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and the crew’s Christmas Eve reading from Genesis saved America from a tumultuous 1968.<h2>The Apollo 13 mission had a lifelong impact on Lovell</h2>But the big rescue mission was still to come. That was during the harrowing Apollo 13 flight in April 1970. Lovell was supposed to be the fifth man to walk on the moon. But Apollo 13’s service module, carrying Lovell and two others, experienced a sudden oxygen tank explosion on its way to the moon. The astronauts barely survived, spending four cold and clammy days in the cramped lunar module as a lifeboat.''The thing that I want most people to remember is (that) in some sense it was very much of a success,’' Lovell said during a 1994 interview. ''Not that we accomplished anything, but a success in that we demonstrated the capability of (NASA) personnel.’'A retired Navy captain known for his calm demeanor, Lovell told a NASA historian that his brush with death did affect him.“I don’t worry about crises any longer,” he said in 1999. Whenever he has a problem, “I say, ‘I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.’ So, I don’t worry about crises.”And the mission’s retelling in the popular 1995 movie “Apollo 13” brought Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert renewed fame — thanks in part to Lovell’s movie persona reporting “Houston, we have a problem,” a phrase he didn’t exactly utter.Lovell had ice water in his veins like other astronauts, but he didn’t display the swagger some had, just quiet confidence, said Smithsonian Institution historian Roger Launius. He called Lovell “a very personable, very down-to-earth type of person, who says ‘This is what I do. Yes, there’s risk involved. I measure risk.’”<h2>Lovell spent a total of nearly 30 days in space</h2>In all, Lovell flew four space missions — and until the Skylab flights of the mid-1970s, he held the world record for the longest time in space with 715 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds.Aboard Apollo 8, Lovell described the oceans and land masses of Earth. “What I keep imagining, is if I am some lonely traveler from another planet, what I would think about the Earth at this altitude, whether I think it would be inhabited or not,” he remarked.That mission may be as important as the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, a flight made possible by Apollo 8, Launius said.“I think in the history of space flight, I would say that Jim was one of the pillars of the early space flight program,” Gene Kranz, NASA’s legendary flight director, once said.<h2>Lovell was immortalized by Tom Hanks’ portrayal</h2>But if historians consider Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 the most significant of the Apollo missions, it was during Lovell’s last mission — immortalized by the popular film starring Tom Hanks as Lovell — that he came to embody for the public the image of the cool, decisive astronaut.The Apollo 13 crew of Lovell, Haise and Swigert was on the way to the moon in April 1970, when an oxygen tank from the spaceship exploded 200,000 miles from Earth.That, Lovell recalled, was “the most frightening moment in this whole thing.” Then oxygen began escaping and “we didn’t have solutions to get home.”“We knew we were in deep, deep trouble,” he told NASA’s historian.Four-fifths of the way to the moon, NASA scrapped the mission. Suddenly, their only goal was to survive.Lovell’s “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” a variation of a comment Swigert had radioed moments before, became famous. In Hanks’ version, it became “Houston, we have a problem.”What unfolded over the next four days captured the imagination of the nation and the world, which until then had largely been indifferent about what seemed a routine mission.With Lovell commanding the spacecraft, Kranz led hundreds of flight controllers and engineers in a furious rescue plan.The plan involved the astronauts moving from the service module, which was hemorrhaging oxygen, into the cramped, dark and frigid lunar lander while they rationed their dwindling oxygen, water and electricity. Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, they swung around the moon, aimed for Earth and raced home.By coolly solving the problems under the most intense pressure imaginable, the astronauts and the crew on the ground became heroes. In the process of turning what seemed routine into a life-and-death struggle, the entire flight team had created one of NASA’s finest moments that ranks with Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s walks on the moon nine months earlier.“They demonstrated to the world they could handle truly horrific problems and bring them back alive,” said Launius.The loss of the opportunity to walk on the moon “is my one regret,” Lovell said in a 1995 interview with The Associated Press for a story on the 25th anniversary of the mission.President Bill Clinton agreed when he awarded Lovell the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1995. “While you may have lost the moon ... you gained something that is far more important perhaps: the abiding respect and gratitude of the American people,” he said.Lovell once said that while he was disappointed he never walked on the moon, “The mission itself and the fact that we triumphed over certain catastrophe does give me a deep sense of satisfaction.”And Lovell clearly understood why this failed mission afforded him far more fame than had Apollo 13 accomplished its goal.“Going to the moon, if everything works right, it’s like following a cookbook. It’s not that big a deal,” he told the AP in 2004. “If something goes wrong, that’s what separates the men from the boys.”James A. Lovell was born March 25, 1928, in Cleveland. He attended the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland. On the day he graduated in 1952, he and his wife, Marilyn, were married.A test pilot at the Navy Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, Lovell was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1962.Lovell retired from the Navy and from the space program in 1973, and went into private business. In 1994, he and Jeff Kluger wrote “Lost Moon,” the story of the Apollo 13 mission and the basis for the film “Apollo 13.” In one of the final scenes, Lovell appeared as a Navy captain, the rank he actually had.He and his family ran a now-closed restaurant in suburban Chicago, Lovell’s of Lake Forest.His wife, Marilynn, died in 2023. Survivors include four children.___AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.

Astronaut Jim Lovell, famed Apollo 13 commander, dies at 97

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed former U.S. Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner, the official said. Long will instead serve as ambassador to Iceland, Long said in a statement on the social media site X.

“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!" Long said.

The Senate confirmed Long on a 53-44 vote despite Democrats’ concerns about the Republican’s past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and about campaign contributions he received after Trump nominated him.

Before Long's confirmation, the IRS shuffled through four&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-irs-tax-policy-biden-shapley-b60455836992c078f1177f6802755b91">acting leaders</a>, including one who resigned over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-ice-tax-data-deportations-federal-judge-fd696d215843bdc16260dfad471f500d">share immigrants’ tax data</a>&nbsp;with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another whose appointment led to a fight between former Trump adviser Elon Musk and Bessent.

Long will be the the shortest-tenured IRS commissioner confirmed by the Senate since the position was created in 1862.

His departure also comes after the agency underwent a series of massive job cuts this year, ushered in by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-07/2025ier027fr.pdf">reports that the agency</a>&nbsp;has been cut down from 103,000 workers in January to 77,000 workers in May 2025. Most of the reductions came from DOGE's deferred resignation program. The workforce reductions were part of the Trump administration’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy</a>

While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, Long sponsored&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/25">legislation to get rid of the IRS</a>. A former auctioneer, Long has no background in tax administration.

After leaving Congress to mount an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate, Long worked with a firm that distributed the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down after then-IRS Commissioner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-commissioner-werfel-362c3a82afccf40780eaf6357afcb637">Daniel Werfel</a>&nbsp;determined that it was fraudulent.

Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-wyden-call-for-criminal-investigation-into-evidence-of-fraud-by-promoters-affiliated-with-irs-nominee-billy-long/">called for a criminal investigation</a>&nbsp;into Long’s connections to other alleged tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits.

An IRS spokesperson referred The Associated Press to the Treasury Department for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754682615731.png" alt="Billy Long, former Missouri Congressman, photo IRS" />
 <figcaption>Billy Long, former Missouri Congressman, photo IRS</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed former U.S. Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!” - Billy Long&mdash; Billy Long (@auctnr1) <a href="https://twitter.com/auctnr1/status/1953917753854759307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NEW: Billy Long is being replaced as IRS Commissioner… FLASHBACK: 9-5-2018: Laura Loomer interrupts House hearing with then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Then-Rep. Billy Long (R-LA), a certified auctioneer, begins auctioneering to drown her out. <a href="https://t.co/40BFexIL80">pic.twitter.com/40BFexIL80</a>&mdash; Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardMortman/status/1953907635406688424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner, the official said. Long will instead serve as ambassador to Iceland, Long said in a statement on the social media site X.“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!" Long said.The Senate confirmed Long on a 53-44 vote despite Democrats’ concerns about the Republican’s past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and about campaign contributions he received after Trump nominated him.Before Long's confirmation, the IRS shuffled through four&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-irs-tax-policy-biden-shapley-b60455836992c078f1177f6802755b91">acting leaders</a>, including one who resigned over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-ice-tax-data-deportations-federal-judge-fd696d215843bdc16260dfad471f500d">share immigrants’ tax data</a>&nbsp;with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another whose appointment led to a fight between former Trump adviser Elon Musk and Bessent.Long will be the the shortest-tenured IRS commissioner confirmed by the Senate since the position was created in 1862.His departure also comes after the agency underwent a series of massive job cuts this year, ushered in by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2025-07/2025ier027fr.pdf">reports that the agency</a>&nbsp;has been cut down from 103,000 workers in January to 77,000 workers in May 2025. Most of the reductions came from DOGE's deferred resignation program. The workforce reductions were part of the Trump administration’s efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-layoffs-d295d4bb2cdd5023c27d9cb03754e81b">shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy</a>While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, Long sponsored&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/25">legislation to get rid of the IRS</a>. A former auctioneer, Long has no background in tax administration.After leaving Congress to mount an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate, Long worked with a firm that distributed the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit. That tax credit program was eventually shut down after then-IRS Commissioner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-commissioner-werfel-362c3a82afccf40780eaf6357afcb637">Daniel Werfel</a>&nbsp;determined that it was fraudulent.Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cortezmasto.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cortez-masto-wyden-call-for-criminal-investigation-into-evidence-of-fraud-by-promoters-affiliated-with-irs-nominee-billy-long/">called for a criminal investigation</a>&nbsp;into Long’s connections to other alleged tax credit loopholes. The lawmakers allege that firms connected to Long duped investors into spending millions of dollars to purchase fake tax credits.An IRS spokesperson referred The Associated Press to the Treasury Department for comment.

 IRS commissioner is out; Trump is sending him where?

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas reported no new measles cases for the third week in a row Wednesday, and health officials are encouraging parents to vaccinate their children as they return to school next week to keep that trend going.&nbsp;

The lack of new cases puts Kansas about halfway through the 42 days required for a measles outbreak to be considered over, which is two incubation periods of 21 days each, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.&nbsp;

Close proximity in classrooms creates the ideal environment for the spread of measles, considered the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, said Karen Winkelman, public health director for the Barton County Health Department.&nbsp;

She said county health officials maintain a strong working relationship with schools, which helps speed communications if there is a measles case.

“With measles, it’s going to be quick action, quick notification,” she said, adding that they’re also encouraging schools to adopt and teach strong hygiene practices.

Handwashing, good practices when sneezing and coughing, and encouraging parents to keep their children home when they have symptoms are among the practices Winkelman highlighted.

“Also review immunization records, making sure they are properly and appropriately vaccinated, and also just being honest, up front,” she said. “We’re not going to force vaccination, but we want you to know what the consequences are if there would happen to be an exposure.”

With a 21-day incubation period, an unvaccinated child who has been exposed may not be able to attend school for that time period.

School vaccination data from 2025 isn’t available yet, but many Kansas school districts last year reported&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/02/vaccination-rates-down-in-most-kansas-counties-where-measles-cases-occurring/">decreased vaccination rates</a>, according to Kansas State Department of Education data. For instance, the Gray County kindergarten vaccination rate dropped from 76% in the 2022-23 school year to 66% in 2023-24. Stevens County dropped from 98% to 83% in the same time period.

Ninety cases of measles have been reported in 12 Kansas counties since January, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2314/Measles-Outbreak-Data" target="_blank">Kansas Department of Health and Environment data</a>. Most of the cases, 87, are related to an outbreak, which occurs when three or more cases are linked to each other.&nbsp;

The last new Kansas measles cases were reported during the week of July 6.&nbsp;

“Certainly we can hope that the current outbreak situation is improved and nearly ending,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System.

But Hawkinson said measles cases continue to increase at the national level. The CDC reported 1,356 confirmed cases of measles as of Wednesday.

Communicating about the importance of vaccines continues to be important, he said. Many people still quote information that has been thoroughly researched and debunked, Hawkinson said.

“There have continued to be publications which continue to support the safety and benefits of vaccines, but especially the (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine,” he said. “There continue to be new, updated, well-done studies that show the safety of these vaccines.”

Hawkinson referenced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00997" target="_blank">a recent Denmark study</a>&nbsp;of 1.2 million children born between 1997 and 2018 that found no association between minute amounts of aluminum in vaccines and long-term health impacts.

“I think we have to continue to promote honest science and transparency, and it is a battle against disinformation, which has persisted and really grown in the past few decades,” he said.

Hawkinson said vaccine information has become intertwined with political and societal views.

“When we’re talking about our mechanic or our lawyer or our electrician, we will listen to them and take their advice,” he said. “But when it comes to the most important thing, we are finding it harder and harder, as a society, to take the advice of those people and those experts who are dedicating their lives and their training and their every day to giving accurate information and trying to keep individuals and communities healthy.”

Hawkinson said it’s important for parents to make informed decisions about their children’s health, and to also consider that an illness like measles can have an economic impact in terms of missed work and medical costs.

Before the measles vaccine was available in the 1960s, most people were infected with the measles virus, with about 400 to 500 people dying each year; 48,000 being hospitalized; and 1,000 suffering from encephalitis, or brain swelling, the CDC website said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1743085628490.png" alt="Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tatiana Lanzieri Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas reported no new measles cases for the third week in a row Wednesday, and health officials are encouraging parents to vaccinate their children as they return to school next week to keep that trend going.&nbsp;The lack of new cases puts Kansas about halfway through the 42 days required for a measles outbreak to be considered over, which is two incubation periods of 21 days each, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.&nbsp;Close proximity in classrooms creates the ideal environment for the spread of measles, considered the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, said Karen Winkelman, public health director for the Barton County Health Department.&nbsp;She said county health officials maintain a strong working relationship with schools, which helps speed communications if there is a measles case.“With measles, it’s going to be quick action, quick notification,” she said, adding that they’re also encouraging schools to adopt and teach strong hygiene practices.Handwashing, good practices when sneezing and coughing, and encouraging parents to keep their children home when they have symptoms are among the practices Winkelman highlighted.“Also review immunization records, making sure they are properly and appropriately vaccinated, and also just being honest, up front,” she said. “We’re not going to force vaccination, but we want you to know what the consequences are if there would happen to be an exposure.”With a 21-day incubation period, an unvaccinated child who has been exposed may not be able to attend school for that time period.School vaccination data from 2025 isn’t available yet, but many Kansas school districts last year reported&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/02/vaccination-rates-down-in-most-kansas-counties-where-measles-cases-occurring/">decreased vaccination rates</a>, according to Kansas State Department of Education data. For instance, the Gray County kindergarten vaccination rate dropped from 76% in the 2022-23 school year to 66% in 2023-24. Stevens County dropped from 98% to 83% in the same time period.Ninety cases of measles have been reported in 12 Kansas counties since January, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2314/Measles-Outbreak-Data" target="_blank">Kansas Department of Health and Environment data</a>. Most of the cases, 87, are related to an outbreak, which occurs when three or more cases are linked to each other.&nbsp;The last new Kansas measles cases were reported during the week of July 6.&nbsp;“Certainly we can hope that the current outbreak situation is improved and nearly ending,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System.But Hawkinson said measles cases continue to increase at the national level. The CDC reported 1,356 confirmed cases of measles as of Wednesday.Communicating about the importance of vaccines continues to be important, he said. Many people still quote information that has been thoroughly researched and debunked, Hawkinson said.“There have continued to be publications which continue to support the safety and benefits of vaccines, but especially the (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine,” he said. “There continue to be new, updated, well-done studies that show the safety of these vaccines.”Hawkinson referenced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00997" target="_blank">a recent Denmark study</a>&nbsp;of 1.2 million children born between 1997 and 2018 that found no association between minute amounts of aluminum in vaccines and long-term health impacts.“I think we have to continue to promote honest science and transparency, and it is a battle against disinformation, which has persisted and really grown in the past few decades,” he said.Hawkinson said vaccine information has become intertwined with political and societal views.“When we’re talking about our mechanic or our lawyer or our electrician, we will listen to them and take their advice,” he said. “But when it comes to the most important thing, we are finding it harder and harder, as a society, to take the advice of those people and those experts who are dedicating their lives and their training and their every day to giving accurate information and trying to keep individuals and communities healthy.”Hawkinson said it’s important for parents to make informed decisions about their children’s health, and to also consider that an illness like measles can have an economic impact in terms of missed work and medical costs.Before the measles vaccine was available in the 1960s, most people were infected with the measles virus, with about 400 to 500 people dying each year; 48,000 being hospitalized; and 1,000 suffering from encephalitis, or brain swelling, the CDC website said.

Kansas reports no new measles cases in three weeks as cases increase nationally

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 42-year-old Drew Davis, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

Just after 11:15 p.m., Wednesday, police responded to a shooting in the 100 block of NW Kendall Avenue in Topeka.&nbsp; As officers arrived in the area, they located Davis suffering from life-threatening injuries. While on the scene, medical personnel pronounced him deceased.&nbsp;

This is the city’s 14th homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754568656602.png" alt="Photo by Cole Hermesch courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Cole Hermesch courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 42-year-old Drew Davis, according to Topeka Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.Just after 11:15 p.m., Wednesday, police responded to a shooting in the 100 block of NW Kendall Avenue in Topeka.&nbsp; As officers arrived in the area, they located Davis suffering from life-threatening injuries. While on the scene, medical personnel pronounced him deceased.&nbsp;This is the city’s 14th homicide investigation of 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police ID 42-year-old Kansas homicide victim

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge in Maryland late Thursday ruled President Donald Trump’s administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to people in the country illegally or temporarily, issuing the fourth court decision blocking the president’s birthright citizenship order nationwide since a key U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-birthright-citizenship-immigration-9da9e11d83f2fd3cbf95e6a733651daf">ruling</a>&nbsp;in June.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman’s preliminary injunction was expected after the judge said last month she would issue such an order if the case were returned to her by an appeals court. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to her later in July.

Since June, two other district courts, as well as an appellate panel of judges, have also blocked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">the birthright order</a>&nbsp;nationwide.

An email to the White House for comment was not immediately returned.

Trump’s January order would deny citizenship to children born to parents living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.

Boardman in February issued a preliminary injunction blocking it nationwide. But the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-birthright-citizenship-immigration-9da9e11d83f2fd3cbf95e6a733651daf">June ruling</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Supreme Court upended that decision and other court rulings blocking the order across the nation.

The justices ruled that lower courts generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions, but they didn’t rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states.

In her ruling Thursday, Boardman certified a class of all children who have been born or will be born in the United States after February 19, 2025, who would be affected by Trump’s order.

She said the plaintiffs in the lawsuit before her were “extremely likely” to win their argument that the birthright order violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which includes a citizenship clause that says all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are citizens. They were also likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order went into effect, she wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747849916674.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge in Maryland late Thursday ruled President Donald Trump’s administration cannot withhold citizenship from children born to people in the country illegally or temporarily, issuing the fourth court decision blocking the president’s birthright citizenship order nationwide since a key U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-birthright-citizenship-immigration-9da9e11d83f2fd3cbf95e6a733651daf">ruling</a>&nbsp;in June.U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman’s preliminary injunction was expected after the judge said last month she would issue such an order if the case were returned to her by an appeals court. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to her later in July.Since June, two other district courts, as well as an appellate panel of judges, have also blocked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birthright-citizenship-immigration-trump-20919d26029cf0f98ecb0dc7f90a066b">the birthright order</a>&nbsp;nationwide.An email to the White House for comment was not immediately returned.Trump’s January order would deny citizenship to children born to parents living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily.Boardman in February issued a preliminary injunction blocking it nationwide. But the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-birthright-citizenship-immigration-9da9e11d83f2fd3cbf95e6a733651daf">June ruling</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Supreme Court upended that decision and other court rulings blocking the order across the nation.The justices ruled that lower courts generally can’t issue nationwide injunctions, but they didn’t rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states.In her ruling Thursday, Boardman certified a class of all children who have been born or will be born in the United States after February 19, 2025, who would be affected by Trump’s order.She said the plaintiffs in the lawsuit before her were “extremely likely” to win their argument that the birthright order violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which includes a citizenship clause that says all people born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are citizens. They were also likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order went into effect, she wrote.<figure>
 <img src="https://sync.intentiq.com/profiles_engine/ProfilesEngineServlet?at=20&amp;mi=10&amp;secure=1&amp;dpi=456059511&amp;iiqidtype=2&amp;iiqpcid=af53ea04-0e6c-4047-87a7-d92e9e195176&amp;iiqpciddate=1754666222737&amp;tsrnd=467_1754666222738&amp;vrref=&amp;jsver=5.082" alt="" />
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Another judge blocks Trump's birthright order nationwide 

Hutchinson Community College (HutchCC) and Barton Community College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a new partnership aimed at expanding access to respiratory care education and addressing a growing workforce need in central Kansas.

Through this agreement, students from Barton will complete their general education requirements at Barton and then have the opportunity to transition into HutchCC’s Respiratory Care Program. The partnership was developed in response to an increased demand for respiratory care professionals in Barton’s service area, which includes nine regional hospitals."

This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to meeting the healthcare workforce needs of our communities," said Dr. Tricia Paramore, President of Hutchinson Community College. "By working together, we are creating clearer pathways for students and helping ensure that Kansas hospitals have access to the skilled respiratory therapists they urgently need."

Dr. Marcus Garstecki, President of Barton Community College, echoed the value of the partnership: “We’ve seen a significant increase in the demand for respiratory care professionals across our service area. Partnering with HutchCC allows us to provide our students with a high-quality, accessible path into this critical field, while also supporting the healthcare systems in our region.”

The collaboration aligns with both institutions’ missions to provide affordable, accessible, and relevant education while serving the needs of Kansas communities.

For more information about the Respiratory Care Program, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/rt">www.hutchcc.edu/rt</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754664885506.jpeg" alt="Hutch CC BartonCC Respiratory " />
 <figcaption>Hutch CC BartonCC Respiratory </figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY COLLEGEHutchinson Community College (HutchCC) and Barton Community College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a new partnership aimed at expanding access to respiratory care education and addressing a growing workforce need in central Kansas.Through this agreement, students from Barton will complete their general education requirements at Barton and then have the opportunity to transition into HutchCC’s Respiratory Care Program. The partnership was developed in response to an increased demand for respiratory care professionals in Barton’s service area, which includes nine regional hospitals."This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to meeting the healthcare workforce needs of our communities," said Dr. Tricia Paramore, President of Hutchinson Community College. "By working together, we are creating clearer pathways for students and helping ensure that Kansas hospitals have access to the skilled respiratory therapists they urgently need."Dr. Marcus Garstecki, President of Barton Community College, echoed the value of the partnership: “We’ve seen a significant increase in the demand for respiratory care professionals across our service area. Partnering with HutchCC allows us to provide our students with a high-quality, accessible path into this critical field, while also supporting the healthcare systems in our region.”The collaboration aligns with both institutions’ missions to provide affordable, accessible, and relevant education while serving the needs of Kansas communities.For more information about the Respiratory Care Program, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/rt">www.hutchcc.edu/rt</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

HutchCC and Barton CC announce new partnership

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect following a road rage incident, his second arrest for similar behavior in three months, according to Garden City police.

Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of a road rage altercation along W. Kansas Avenue in Garden City. The reporting party stated that they and another driver, identified as Andrew Ortiz, 31, were involved in an incident during which Ortiz allegedly pointed a handgun at them before fleeing the area. 

With the assistance of the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, police quickly located Ortiz in the 200 block of N. 11th Street. A high-risk traffic stop was conducted, and Ortiz was taken into custody. 

Officers later recovered a lower receiver of a firearm. Ortiz, who was arrested for a similar incident in May, is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Assault. There were no injuries from the incident. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754575860844.png" alt="Ortiz photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Ortiz photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect following a road rage incident, his second arrest for similar behavior in three months, according to Garden City police.Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of a road rage altercation along W. Kansas Avenue in Garden City. The reporting party stated that they and another driver, identified as Andrew Ortiz, 31, were involved in an incident during which Ortiz allegedly pointed a handgun at them before fleeing the area. With the assistance of the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, police quickly located Ortiz in the 200 block of N. 11th Street. A high-risk traffic stop was conducted, and Ortiz was taken into custody. Officers later recovered a lower receiver of a firearm. Ortiz, who was arrested for a similar incident in May, is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Assault. There were no injuries from the incident.

Road rage: SW Kan. man jailed again for pointing a gun at another driver 

The Department of State and the Department of Justice are announcing a reward offer increase of up to $50 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nicolás Maduro for violating U.S. narcotics laws, according to a statement from agency.

For over a decade, Maduro has been a leader of Cartel de los Soles, which is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States.&nbsp; On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Cartel de Los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).&nbsp;

Since 2020, Maduro has strangled democracy and grasped at power in Venezuela.&nbsp; Maduro claimed to have won Venezuela’s July 28, 2024, presidential election but failed to present any evidence that he had prevailed.&nbsp; The United States has refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of 2024 election and does not recognize him as the President of Venezuela.&nbsp;

Today’s reward offer is authorized by the Secretary under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/releases-bureau-of-international-narcotics-and-law-enforcement-affairs?results=30&amp;currpage=2&amp;totalpages=2&amp;coll_filter_year&amp;coll_filter_month&amp;coll_filter_speaker&amp;coll_filter_country&amp;coll_filter_release_type=1438&amp;coll_filter_bureau&amp;coll_filter_program&amp;coll_filter_profession" target="_blank">NRP</a>, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.&nbsp; If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (voice, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or text) at +1-202-681-8187, or by&nbsp;<a href="mailto:CartelSolesTips@dea.gov">email</a>.&nbsp; If you are located outside the United States, you may also visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.&nbsp; If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office.

ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.&nbsp; Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

The Department of State and the Department of Justice are announcing a reward offer increase of up to $50 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Nicolás Maduro for violating U.S. narcotics laws, according to a statement from agency.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StateDept</a> are announcing a $50 MILLION REWARD for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. <a href="https://t.co/D8LNqjS9yk">pic.twitter.com/D8LNqjS9yk</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1953583017353466306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>For over a decade, Maduro has been a leader of Cartel de los Soles, which is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States.&nbsp; On July 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Cartel de Los Soles as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).&nbsp;Since 2020, Maduro has strangled democracy and grasped at power in Venezuela.&nbsp; Maduro claimed to have won Venezuela’s July 28, 2024, presidential election but failed to present any evidence that he had prevailed.&nbsp; The United States has refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of 2024 election and does not recognize him as the President of Venezuela.&nbsp;Today’s reward offer is authorized by the Secretary under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/releases-bureau-of-international-narcotics-and-law-enforcement-affairs?results=30&amp;currpage=2&amp;totalpages=2&amp;coll_filter_year&amp;coll_filter_month&amp;coll_filter_speaker&amp;coll_filter_country&amp;coll_filter_release_type=1438&amp;coll_filter_bureau&amp;coll_filter_program&amp;coll_filter_profession" target="_blank">NRP</a>, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice as a key pillar of President Trump’s “America First” priorities.&nbsp; If you have information, please contact the DEA by phone (voice, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or text) at +1-202-681-8187, or by&nbsp;<a href="mailto:CartelSolesTips@dea.gov">email</a>.&nbsp; If you are located outside the United States, you may also visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.&nbsp; If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office.ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.&nbsp; Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.

🎥U.S. offers $50M reward for arrest of Venezuelan President 

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would meet with Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader will not meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in comments that suggested Washington and Moscow could soon hold a summit.

Trump's comments followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">a statement from Putin</a>&nbsp;earlier in the day that he hoped to meet with Trump next week, possibly in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-arab-emirates">United Arab Emirates</a>. But the White House was still working through the details of any potential meetings, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

When asked by a reporter if Putin would need to meet with Zelenskyy in order to secure a meeting with the U.S., Trump said: “No, he doesn’t. No.”

A White House official told The Associated Press earlier Thursday that a U.S.-Russian summit would not happen if Putin did not agree to meet with Zelenskyy, but the official later said it only made the summit less likely. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and had spoken on condition of anonymity.

A meeting with Trump would be a coup for Putin, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-istanbul-talks-zelenskyy-putin-05795eea960b9035f93a143c3e177c3d">has spurned</a>&nbsp;previous offers of a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy and has been isolated globally since the invasion. He has long suggested a meeting with Trump to discuss ending the fighting. Trump too has repeatedly boasted that he and Putin could make a deal to end the war.

Any direct talks between them about the conflict would also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-talks-ceasefire-00af5f61f1faf41e78a3b4e072c21a14">renew questions</a>&nbsp;about the risk of excluding Ukraine from peace efforts.

Putin’s announcement came on the eve of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-sanctions-tariffs-witkoff-9444ab7b042944090d51a73ae871571a">White House deadline</a>&nbsp;for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;or suffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-russia-ukraine-war-b265ec364349a7e2065982064748e69a">additional economic sanctions</a>.

When asked Thursday at the White House whether his deadline for Friday would hold, Trump said of Putin: "It’s going to be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s going to be up to him. Very disappointed.”

The president also touched on the killing that has continued on both sides and added, “I don’t like long waits. I think it’s a shame.”

Speaking of possible direct talks with Zelenskyy, Putin said he has mentioned several times that he was not against it, adding: “It’s a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created” for it to happen.

The Kremlin has previously said that Putin and Zelenskyy should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close.

Ukraine fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow, and Zelenskyy said he had phone conversations with several European leaders Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. European countries have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia's invasion.

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier brushed aside the possibility of Zelenskyy joining the summit, something the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-witkoff-moscow-trump-deadline-118b3cbcfa12d1dd9a75ce20b0b3e61e">said Trump was ready to consider</a>. Putin has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-istanbul-talks-zelenskyy-putin-05795eea960b9035f93a143c3e177c3d">spurned Zelenskyy’s previous offers</a>&nbsp;of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough.

“We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,” Ushakov said, adding that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff's suggestion of a meeting including Ukraine's leader “was not specifically discussed.”

Putin made the announcement in the Kremlin about a possible meeting with Trump after meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.

Asked who initiated the possible talks with the American president, Putin said that didn't matter and “both sides expressed an interest.”

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund who met Wednesday with Witkoff, said a Trump-Putin meeting would allow Moscow to “clearly convey its position," and he hoped a summit would include discussions on mutually beneficial economic issues, including joint investments in areas such as rare earth elements.

The meeting would be the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">Trump’s effort</a>&nbsp;to end the war, although there’s no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">far apart on their conditions for peace</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-diplomatic-putin-trump-2a2c4bda9bb53ae2036837af899573a3">Months of U.S.-led efforts</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">yielded no progress</a>&nbsp;on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.

Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. Putin previously has offered no concessions and said he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-peace-talks-istanbul-7cafd1b233b30de0c9683aaa2b042212">accept a settlement only on his terms</a>.

At the start of his second term, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he has long shown admiration, and even echoed some of his talking points on the war. But he recently has expressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rutte-nato-putin-ukraine-524abe34764e4bb5838bbc90fc992520">increasing exasperation with Putin</a>, criticizing the Kremlin leader for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-peace-talks-istanbul-7cafd1b233b30de0c9683aaa2b042212">unyielding stance</a>&nbsp;on U.S.-led peace efforts, and has threatened Moscow with new sanctions.

Zelenskyy said European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent.

“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,” he added.

A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media.

Securing a truce, deciding a format for a summit and providing assurances for Ukraine’s future protection from invasion — a consideration that must involve the U.S. and Europe — are crucial aspects to address, Zelenskyy said.

He noted that Russian strikes on civilians have not eased despite Trump publicly urging Putin to relent. A Russian attack Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, he said.

Poll shows support for continuing the fight waning in Ukraine

A&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693203/ukrainian-support-war-effort-collapses.aspx">new Gallup poll</a>&nbsp;published Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a peace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.

The enthusiasm for a negotiated deal is a sharp reversal from 2022 — the year the war began — when Gallup found that about three-quarters of Ukrainians wanted to keep fighting until victory. Now only about one-quarter hold that view, with support for continuing the war declining steadily across all regions and demographic groups.

The findings were based on samples of 1,000 or more respondents ages 15 and older living in Ukraine. Some territories under entrenched Russian control, representing about 10% of the population, were excluded from surveys conducted after 2022 due to lack of access.

In Kyiv, opinions on the usefulness of a Trump-Putin meeting were divided.

“Negotiations are necessary, and we all really want the war to end … because this war will only end with negotiations,” resident Ruslan Prindun said.

But Volodymyr Tasak said it was “unlikely” that anything good would come from U.S.-Russia talks and that Zelenskyy was “being squeezed out.”

Lyudmila Kostrova said in downtown Kyiv that Putin was simply trying to avoid U.S. sanctions by agreeing to meet with Trump. “Putin is not interested in ending the war now,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would meet with Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader will not meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in comments that suggested Washington and Moscow could soon hold a summit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on a potential meeting with President Putin: &quot;They would like to meet with me — and I&#39;ll do whatever I can to stop the killing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/NqIUb9YIQG">pic.twitter.com/NqIUb9YIQG</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953554633927905545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump's comments followed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">a statement from Putin</a>&nbsp;earlier in the day that he hoped to meet with Trump next week, possibly in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-arab-emirates">United Arab Emirates</a>. But the White House was still working through the details of any potential meetings, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.When asked by a reporter if Putin would need to meet with Zelenskyy in order to secure a meeting with the U.S., Trump said: “No, he doesn’t. No.”A White House official told The Associated Press earlier Thursday that a U.S.-Russian summit would not happen if Putin did not agree to meet with Zelenskyy, but the official later said it only made the summit less likely. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and had spoken on condition of anonymity.A meeting with Trump would be a coup for Putin, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-istanbul-talks-zelenskyy-putin-05795eea960b9035f93a143c3e177c3d">has spurned</a>&nbsp;previous offers of a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy and has been isolated globally since the invasion. He has long suggested a meeting with Trump to discuss ending the fighting. Trump too has repeatedly boasted that he and Putin could make a deal to end the war.Any direct talks between them about the conflict would also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-talks-ceasefire-00af5f61f1faf41e78a3b4e072c21a14">renew questions</a>&nbsp;about the risk of excluding Ukraine from peace efforts.Putin’s announcement came on the eve of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-sanctions-tariffs-witkoff-9444ab7b042944090d51a73ae871571a">White House deadline</a>&nbsp;for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;or suffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-russia-ukraine-war-b265ec364349a7e2065982064748e69a">additional economic sanctions</a>.When asked Thursday at the White House whether his deadline for Friday would hold, Trump said of Putin: "It’s going to be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s going to be up to him. Very disappointed.”The president also touched on the killing that has continued on both sides and added, “I don’t like long waits. I think it’s a shame.”Speaking of possible direct talks with Zelenskyy, Putin said he has mentioned several times that he was not against it, adding: “It’s a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created” for it to happen.The Kremlin has previously said that Putin and Zelenskyy should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close.Ukraine fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow, and Zelenskyy said he had phone conversations with several European leaders Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. European countries have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia's invasion.Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier brushed aside the possibility of Zelenskyy joining the summit, something the White House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-witkoff-moscow-trump-deadline-118b3cbcfa12d1dd9a75ce20b0b3e61e">said Trump was ready to consider</a>. Putin has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-istanbul-talks-zelenskyy-putin-05795eea960b9035f93a143c3e177c3d">spurned Zelenskyy’s previous offers</a>&nbsp;of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough.“We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,” Ushakov said, adding that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff's suggestion of a meeting including Ukraine's leader “was not specifically discussed.”Putin made the announcement in the Kremlin about a possible meeting with Trump after meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.Asked who initiated the possible talks with the American president, Putin said that didn't matter and “both sides expressed an interest.”Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund who met Wednesday with Witkoff, said a Trump-Putin meeting would allow Moscow to “clearly convey its position," and he hoped a summit would include discussions on mutually beneficial economic issues, including joint investments in areas such as rare earth elements.The meeting would be the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-ukraine-war-633a216d0506c82353fc7745b69c0fe0">Trump’s effort</a>&nbsp;to end the war, although there’s no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">far apart on their conditions for peace</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-diplomatic-putin-trump-2a2c4bda9bb53ae2036837af899573a3">Months of U.S.-led efforts</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">yielded no progress</a>&nbsp;on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. Putin previously has offered no concessions and said he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-peace-talks-istanbul-7cafd1b233b30de0c9683aaa2b042212">accept a settlement only on his terms</a>.At the start of his second term, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he has long shown admiration, and even echoed some of his talking points on the war. But he recently has expressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rutte-nato-putin-ukraine-524abe34764e4bb5838bbc90fc992520">increasing exasperation with Putin</a>, criticizing the Kremlin leader for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-peace-talks-istanbul-7cafd1b233b30de0c9683aaa2b042212">unyielding stance</a>&nbsp;on U.S.-led peace efforts, and has threatened Moscow with new sanctions.<h2>Zelenskyy seeks European involvement</h2>Zelenskyy said European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent.“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,” he added.A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media.Securing a truce, deciding a format for a summit and providing assurances for Ukraine’s future protection from invasion — a consideration that must involve the U.S. and Europe — are crucial aspects to address, Zelenskyy said.He noted that Russian strikes on civilians have not eased despite Trump publicly urging Putin to relent. A Russian attack Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, he said.<h2>Poll shows support for continuing the fight waning in Ukraine</h2>A&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693203/ukrainian-support-war-effort-collapses.aspx">new Gallup poll</a>&nbsp;published Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a peace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.The enthusiasm for a negotiated deal is a sharp reversal from 2022 — the year the war began — when Gallup found that about three-quarters of Ukrainians wanted to keep fighting until victory. Now only about one-quarter hold that view, with support for continuing the war declining steadily across all regions and demographic groups.The findings were based on samples of 1,000 or more respondents ages 15 and older living in Ukraine. Some territories under entrenched Russian control, representing about 10% of the population, were excluded from surveys conducted after 2022 due to lack of access.In Kyiv, opinions on the usefulness of a Trump-Putin meeting were divided.“Negotiations are necessary, and we all really want the war to end … because this war will only end with negotiations,” resident Ruslan Prindun said.But Volodymyr Tasak said it was “unlikely” that anything good would come from U.S.-Russia talks and that Zelenskyy was “being squeezed out.”Lyudmila Kostrova said in downtown Kyiv that Putin was simply trying to avoid U.S. sanctions by agreeing to meet with Trump. “Putin is not interested in ending the war now,” she said.___

🎥Trump wants meeting with Putin: Anything to stop the killing

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement a investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 42-year-old&nbsp;Braisen Cain, according to KCKPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 4000 Block of Morrell in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Police found Cain who had been shot and was unresponsive in front of a residence there. Officers called for EMS who responded and declared her deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives responded and are investigating this case as a homicide.&nbsp;Detectives made progress identifying a subject of interest and they are working with prosecutors on presenting evidence for charges and to ensure that subject is taken into custody.

This was the 99th homicide of the year in Kansas City, Missouri, compared with 91 at this time a year ago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754563530575.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement a investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 42-year-old&nbsp;Braisen Cain, according to KCKPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 4000 Block of Morrell in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Police found Cain who had been shot and was unresponsive in front of a residence there. Officers called for EMS who responded and declared her deceased at the scene. Homicide detectives responded and are investigating this case as a homicide.&nbsp;Detectives made progress identifying a subject of interest and they are working with prosecutors on presenting evidence for charges and to ensure that subject is taken into custody.This was the 99th homicide of the year in Kansas City, Missouri, compared with 91 at this time a year ago.

Homicide: Police ID woman found dead in front of KC home

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of Americans saving for retirement through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-pensions-retirement-401k-tax-34574f697826495333a4293485624293">401(k) accounts</a>&nbsp;could have the option of putting their money in higher-risk private equity and cryptocurrency investments, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-democratizes-access-to-alternative-assets-for-401k-investors/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;signed Thursday by President Donald Trump that could give those financial players long-sought access to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-401-k-plans-d59940fdfbec720b6fbef99b8e055999">a pool of funds worth trillions</a>.

There is no immediate change in how people invest part of their work earnings. Federal agencies would need to rewrite rules and regulations to allow the expanded choices, and that would take months or more to complete. But once done, employers could offer a broader array of mutual funds and investments to workers, according to the White House. New plans could invest in alternative assets, particularly private equity, cryptocurrencies and real estate.

The Republican president’s order directs the Labor Department and other agencies to redefine what would be considered a qualified asset under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-sponsor/401k-plan-overview" target="_blank">401(k) retirement</a>&nbsp;rules.

Americans’ retirement plans are governed by a law known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, better known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/erisa" target="_blank">ERISA</a>. Employers are required by law to offer retirement options that are in the best interest of their employees, not Wall Street. Most retirement plans for Americans are made up of stock and bond investments, and to a much lesser extent, cash and heavily traded commodities such as gold.

Trump’s move rewards both the $5 trillion private equity industry, which for decades has wanted to compete for a role in retirement plans, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-businesses-trump-organization-white-house-conflicts-of-interest-b970b5681b27f86dcd461ff473be23fa">cryptocurrency industry</a>, whose executives strongly supported Trump’s 2024 campaign as they aimed for more mainstream acceptance among Americans.

The price of bitcoin was up 2% on Thursday to $116,542 and has nearly doubled since Trump was elected.

Under Democratic President Joe Biden, federal regulators were to treat cryptocurrency investments with “extreme care” because of the extreme volatility of crypto. It is not uncommon for bitcoin, ethereum and other big cryptocurrencies to move up or down 10% in a single day, whereas a 2% or 3% single-day move in the stock market would be considered historic.

For&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-stablecoins-congress-cryptocurrency-94fa3c85e32ec6fd5a55576cf46e58ea">cryptocurrency companies</a>, which donated millions to Trump’s campaign as well as his inauguration, one goal was to get their industry qualified under ERISA. Coinbase, one of the largest crypto companies in the United States, was also a major donor toward Trump’s military parade in Washington this summer. Under Trump, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase, where the Biden administration said crypto should be treated as a security.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-trump-crypto-bitcoin-convention-regulation-007bf9ce161fdb33a7e1613fb5a3e661">Crypto</a>&nbsp;is particularly popular among young Americans. While volatile, bitcoin has generally moved upward since it was created by an anonymous programmer nearly 20 years ago.

“It was inevitable that bitcoin would make its way into American 401(k)'s,” said Cory Klippsten, the CEO of Swan Bitcoin. “As fiduciaries realize bitcoin’s risk-adjusted upside over the long term, we’ll see growing allocations, especially from younger, tech-savvy workers who want hard money, not melting ice cubes.”

Private equity firms rely heavily on high-net-worth individuals and state and private pension plans, which have extremely long investment timelines. But having access to Americans’ retirement assets would open up a deep pool of cash.

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman has told investors going back to at least 2017 that it was a “dream” of his and the industry to be able to draw upon these retirement assets. Previous administrations, Republican and Democrat, have agreed that private equity investments, which can be riskier, more expensive and less liquid than traditional stock and bond market mutual funds, should not be included in 401(k) plans.

The average historic annual return on private equity assets going back to 1990 is roughly 13%, net of fees, according to Cambridge Associates. The S&amp;P 500 index has had an approximate annual return, including dividends, of roughly 10.6% in the same period of time. However, private equity assets tend to be locked up for years, because the companies underlying the assets have to be sold on the private market, making them highly illiquid compared to stocks, which can be sold in a day.

“We look forward to working with the Trump Administration on a thoughtful framework that expands access to alternatives for retirement savers, offering Americans more diversification and investment options with appropriate investor guardrails,” said Bryan Corbett, the president and CEO of the Managed Funds Association, which is the trade group for the private equity industry.

Even after the regulations are written, it will take time for major retirement plan companies, such as Fidelity, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and others, to develop appropriate funds for employers to use. Employers are unlikely to revise their retirement plan options quickly, so it may take several years before crypto and private equity investments become mainstream in an individual’s retirement plan.

“While Vanguard has not committed to launching a product for defined contribution plans, Vanguard is dedicated to educating retirement investors to ensure a clear understanding of the opportunities and risks of investing in private assets,” the company said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620732850317.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of Americans saving for retirement through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-pensions-retirement-401k-tax-34574f697826495333a4293485624293">401(k) accounts</a>&nbsp;could have the option of putting their money in higher-risk private equity and cryptocurrency investments, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-democratizes-access-to-alternative-assets-for-401k-investors/" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;signed Thursday by President Donald Trump that could give those financial players long-sought access to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-401-k-plans-d59940fdfbec720b6fbef99b8e055999">a pool of funds worth trillions</a>.There is no immediate change in how people invest part of their work earnings. Federal agencies would need to rewrite rules and regulations to allow the expanded choices, and that would take months or more to complete. But once done, employers could offer a broader array of mutual funds and investments to workers, according to the White House. New plans could invest in alternative assets, particularly private equity, cryptocurrencies and real estate.The Republican president’s order directs the Labor Department and other agencies to redefine what would be considered a qualified asset under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-sponsor/401k-plan-overview" target="_blank">401(k) retirement</a>&nbsp;rules.Americans’ retirement plans are governed by a law known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, better known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/erisa" target="_blank">ERISA</a>. Employers are required by law to offer retirement options that are in the best interest of their employees, not Wall Street. Most retirement plans for Americans are made up of stock and bond investments, and to a much lesser extent, cash and heavily traded commodities such as gold.Trump’s move rewards both the $5 trillion private equity industry, which for decades has wanted to compete for a role in retirement plans, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-businesses-trump-organization-white-house-conflicts-of-interest-b970b5681b27f86dcd461ff473be23fa">cryptocurrency industry</a>, whose executives strongly supported Trump’s 2024 campaign as they aimed for more mainstream acceptance among Americans.The price of bitcoin was up 2% on Thursday to $116,542 and has nearly doubled since Trump was elected.Under Democratic President Joe Biden, federal regulators were to treat cryptocurrency investments with “extreme care” because of the extreme volatility of crypto. It is not uncommon for bitcoin, ethereum and other big cryptocurrencies to move up or down 10% in a single day, whereas a 2% or 3% single-day move in the stock market would be considered historic.For&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-stablecoins-congress-cryptocurrency-94fa3c85e32ec6fd5a55576cf46e58ea">cryptocurrency companies</a>, which donated millions to Trump’s campaign as well as his inauguration, one goal was to get their industry qualified under ERISA. Coinbase, one of the largest crypto companies in the United States, was also a major donor toward Trump’s military parade in Washington this summer. Under Trump, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase, where the Biden administration said crypto should be treated as a security.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vance-trump-crypto-bitcoin-convention-regulation-007bf9ce161fdb33a7e1613fb5a3e661">Crypto</a>&nbsp;is particularly popular among young Americans. While volatile, bitcoin has generally moved upward since it was created by an anonymous programmer nearly 20 years ago.“It was inevitable that bitcoin would make its way into American 401(k)'s,” said Cory Klippsten, the CEO of Swan Bitcoin. “As fiduciaries realize bitcoin’s risk-adjusted upside over the long term, we’ll see growing allocations, especially from younger, tech-savvy workers who want hard money, not melting ice cubes.”Private equity firms rely heavily on high-net-worth individuals and state and private pension plans, which have extremely long investment timelines. But having access to Americans’ retirement assets would open up a deep pool of cash.Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman has told investors going back to at least 2017 that it was a “dream” of his and the industry to be able to draw upon these retirement assets. Previous administrations, Republican and Democrat, have agreed that private equity investments, which can be riskier, more expensive and less liquid than traditional stock and bond market mutual funds, should not be included in 401(k) plans.The average historic annual return on private equity assets going back to 1990 is roughly 13%, net of fees, according to Cambridge Associates. The S&amp;P 500 index has had an approximate annual return, including dividends, of roughly 10.6% in the same period of time. However, private equity assets tend to be locked up for years, because the companies underlying the assets have to be sold on the private market, making them highly illiquid compared to stocks, which can be sold in a day.“We look forward to working with the Trump Administration on a thoughtful framework that expands access to alternatives for retirement savers, offering Americans more diversification and investment options with appropriate investor guardrails,” said Bryan Corbett, the president and CEO of the Managed Funds Association, which is the trade group for the private equity industry.Even after the regulations are written, it will take time for major retirement plan companies, such as Fidelity, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and others, to develop appropriate funds for employers to use. Employers are unlikely to revise their retirement plan options quickly, so it may take several years before crypto and private equity investments become mainstream in an individual’s retirement plan.“While Vanguard has not committed to launching a product for defined contribution plans, Vanguard is dedicated to educating retirement investors to ensure a clear understanding of the opportunities and risks of investing in private assets,” the company said in a statement.___

Trump signs order providing amazing new options for your 401(k)

HARVEY COUNTY—&nbsp;Matthew Ratzlaff, 38, of Burrton, entered guilty pleas Wednesday in Harvey County District Court to Kidnapping and 2 counts of Aggravated Indecent Solicitation of a Child involving sexual crimes against a child under the age of 10, according to&nbsp; Harvey County Attorney Heather L. Figger.

At the time of the offenses, Ratzlaff was on post-release supervision. His guilty pleas mark a significant step toward justice for the victim and community.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Judge Nancy Parrish on October 8. 

Ratzlaff faces a potential prison sentence of 283 to 315 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.

“This case is a painful reminder of the seriousness of crimes against children,” said County Attorney Heather L. Figger. “We are committed to holding offenders accountable and pursuing justice for the most vulnerable members of our community.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754597878549.png" alt="Ratzlaff photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Ratzlaff photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—&nbsp;Matthew Ratzlaff, 38, of Burrton, entered guilty pleas Wednesday in Harvey County District Court to Kidnapping and 2 counts of Aggravated Indecent Solicitation of a Child involving sexual crimes against a child under the age of 10, according to&nbsp; Harvey County Attorney Heather L. Figger.At the time of the offenses, Ratzlaff was on post-release supervision. His guilty pleas mark a significant step toward justice for the victim and community.Sentencing is scheduled to take place before Judge Nancy Parrish on October 8. Ratzlaff faces a potential prison sentence of 283 to 315 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by lifetime post-release supervision. He will also be subject to lifetime registration as a sex offender.“This case is a painful reminder of the seriousness of crimes against children,” said County Attorney Heather L. Figger. “We are committed to holding offenders accountable and pursuing justice for the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Kan. felon on parole admits to sex crimes with child under age 10

JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.

Just after 2a.m. on August, 5, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 2018 Chevy Silverado heading north on U.S. Highway 75 near 134th Road for allegedly committing traffic infractions, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued northbound on U.S. Hwy 75. The suspect vehicle allegedly exceeded over 100mph.  At one point, a Jackson County Deputy performed a tactical vehicle intervention which temporarily disabled the suspect vehicle. The suspect allegedly ran motorists off the road way during the pursuit. The suspect vehicle eventually came to a stop near 278th Road on U.S. Hwy 75. 

 The driver, 35-year-old Michael Andrew Richardson of Topeka was arrested and taken into custody.  Richardson was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery on law enforcement, two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, two counts battery on law enforcement, battery on a corrections officer, one count of aggravated assault, felony criminal damage to property, flee and eluding law enforcement by reckless driving, driving under the influence and felony interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754506700869.png" alt="Richardson-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Richardson-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase.Just after 2a.m. on August, 5, a Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 2018 Chevy Silverado heading north on U.S. Highway 75 near 134th Road for allegedly committing traffic infractions, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued northbound on U.S. Hwy 75. The suspect vehicle allegedly exceeded over 100mph. At one point, a Jackson County Deputy performed a tactical vehicle intervention which temporarily disabled the suspect vehicle. The suspect allegedly ran motorists off the road way during the pursuit. The suspect vehicle eventually came to a stop near 278th Road on U.S. Hwy 75. The driver, 35-year-old Michael Andrew Richardson of Topeka was arrested and taken into custody. Richardson was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery on law enforcement, two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, two counts battery on law enforcement, battery on a corrections officer, one count of aggravated assault, felony criminal damage to property, flee and eluding law enforcement by reckless driving, driving under the influence and felony interference with law enforcement.

Sheriff: Kansas driver ran vehicles off the road during 100mph chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change the way&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-census-bureau">the Census Bureau</a>&nbsp;collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants who are in the United States illegally, he said Thursday.

The census' data collections will be based on “modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” the Republican president said on his social media platform, an indication he might try to inject his politics into survey work that measures everything from child poverty to business operations.

Trump stressed that as part of the changes people in “our Country illegally” will be excluded from census counts.

His Truth Social post fits into an overall pattern in which he has tried to reshape basic measures of how U.S. society is faring to his liking, a process that ranges from monthly jobs figures to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">how congressional districts are drawn</a>&nbsp;going into the 2026 midterm elections. But there could be legal challenges if he were to reshape the census, which also guides the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funds to the states for roads, health care and other programs.

In a 2019 decision, the Supreme Court effectively blocked Trump from adding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-9ea2d39220e14e4e80979a68effa93cd">a citizenship question</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-us-supreme-court-courts-supreme-courts-ap-top-news-9193a30c38c345a88997020b6b958d9f">the 2020 census</a>. The 14th Amendment says that “the whole number of persons in each state” should be counted for the numbers used for apportionment, the process of allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states based on population.

The last time the census included a question about citizenship was in 1950, and the Census Bureau’s own experts had predicted that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen.

Changes to the census could also play into the efforts by Trump to urge several Republican-led states, including Texas, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-california-house-map-trump-0f5f79185bbeeba8c2ff9999f48e5867">redraw their congressional maps</a>&nbsp;ahead of schedule in ways that would favor GOP candidates.

Redistricting typically occurs once every 10 years following the census, as states adjust district boundaries based on population changes, often gaining or losing seats in the process.

Despite Texas having redrawn its maps just a few years ago, Trump is pressuring Republicans in the state to redistrict again, claiming they are “entitled” to five additional Republican seats. Texas Republicans have cited population growth as justification for redrawing the congressional map.

Trump’s team is also engaged in similar redistricting discussions in other GOP-controlled states, including Missouri and Indiana.

Last Friday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-firing-f00e9bf96d0110519be9bf4f3ec89195">fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-erika-mcentarfer-bls-fired-by-trump-ae0b3ac36971070265dedf16223ddfd1">Erika McEntarfer</a>, after standard revisions to the monthly jobs report showed that employers added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in May and June. The revisions suggested that hiring has severely weakened under Trump, undermining his claims of an economic boom.

The White House insists that the problem was the size of the revisions and that it wants accurate numbers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754599064127.png" alt="Image U.S. Census Bureau" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Census Bureau</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change the way&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-census-bureau">the Census Bureau</a>&nbsp;collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants who are in the United States illegally, he said Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/ou5k3RexW3">pic.twitter.com/ou5k3RexW3</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953416856309477756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The census' data collections will be based on “modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” the Republican president said on his social media platform, an indication he might try to inject his politics into survey work that measures everything from child poverty to business operations.Trump stressed that as part of the changes people in “our Country illegally” will be excluded from census counts.His Truth Social post fits into an overall pattern in which he has tried to reshape basic measures of how U.S. society is faring to his liking, a process that ranges from monthly jobs figures to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting">how congressional districts are drawn</a>&nbsp;going into the 2026 midterm elections. But there could be legal challenges if he were to reshape the census, which also guides the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funds to the states for roads, health care and other programs.In a 2019 decision, the Supreme Court effectively blocked Trump from adding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-9ea2d39220e14e4e80979a68effa93cd">a citizenship question</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-us-supreme-court-courts-supreme-courts-ap-top-news-9193a30c38c345a88997020b6b958d9f">the 2020 census</a>. The 14th Amendment says that “the whole number of persons in each state” should be counted for the numbers used for apportionment, the process of allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states based on population.The last time the census included a question about citizenship was in 1950, and the Census Bureau’s own experts had predicted that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen.Changes to the census could also play into the efforts by Trump to urge several Republican-led states, including Texas, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-california-house-map-trump-0f5f79185bbeeba8c2ff9999f48e5867">redraw their congressional maps</a>&nbsp;ahead of schedule in ways that would favor GOP candidates.Redistricting typically occurs once every 10 years following the census, as states adjust district boundaries based on population changes, often gaining or losing seats in the process.Despite Texas having redrawn its maps just a few years ago, Trump is pressuring Republicans in the state to redistrict again, claiming they are “entitled” to five additional Republican seats. Texas Republicans have cited population growth as justification for redrawing the congressional map.Trump’s team is also engaged in similar redistricting discussions in other GOP-controlled states, including Missouri and Indiana.Last Friday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-firing-f00e9bf96d0110519be9bf4f3ec89195">fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-erika-mcentarfer-bls-fired-by-trump-ae0b3ac36971070265dedf16223ddfd1">Erika McEntarfer</a>, after standard revisions to the monthly jobs report showed that employers added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in May and June. The revisions suggested that hiring has severely weakened under Trump, undermining his claims of an economic boom.The White House insists that the problem was the size of the revisions and that it wants accurate numbers.Trump's census posting raised the question as to whether he would embark on a mid-decade census, or simply change the standards for 2030 or change how the estimates operate between censuses. It was unclear what his changes would be.It would be almost logistically impossible to carry out a mid-decade census in such a short period of time, New York Law School professor Jeffrey Wice said. Any changes in the conduct of a national census, which is the biggest non-military undertaking by the federal government, also would require approval from Congress, which has oversight responsibilities, and there likely would be a fierce fight, he said.“This isn’t something that you can do overnight,” said Wice, a census and redistricting expert. “To get all the pieces put together, it would be such a tremendous challenge, if not impossible.”___AP writer Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report. Schneider reported from Orlando, Fla.