<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to nearly 320 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

As of Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its count of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed 2024. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a>

How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 20 new cases of measles since last week, bringing the total to 279 across 11 counties — most in West Texas. Two more people were hospitalized, for a total of 36.

New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 38. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and the other cases are in Eddy County.

Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles last week, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.

Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">three clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.

In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.

The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.

Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.

A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.

People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.

The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>

AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740583865667.png" alt="A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" />
 <figcaption>A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District in Brownfield, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-mmr-vaccine-texas-rfk-ff8e744b19ead87698d7217de02814ee">Measles outbreaks</a>&nbsp;in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to nearly 320 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549">Measles</a>&nbsp;is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.As of Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its count of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed 2024. Here's what else you&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c">need to know about measles in the U.S.</a><h2>How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?</h2>Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 20 new cases of measles since last week, bringing the total to 279 across 11 counties — most in West Texas. Two more people were hospitalized, for a total of 36.New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 38. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and the other cases are in Eddy County.Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles last week, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9">school-age child died of measles in Texas</a>&nbsp;last month, and New Mexico reported its first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-death-new-mexico-texas-outbreak-b9aef6fdd51fbb4ebd1ce9ce28e33299">measles-related death in an adult</a>&nbsp;last week.<h2>Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?</h2>Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases — and there have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">three clusters</a>&nbsp;that qualified as outbreaks in 2025.In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-asia-measles-rates-unicef-who-report-2f888732cc297090238956986fd89cc4">someone who caught the disease abroad</a>. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.<h2>Do you need an MMR booster?</h2>The best way to avoid measles is to get the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/mmr.html">measles, mumps and rubella</a>&nbsp;(MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.Adults with “presumptive evidence of immunity” generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they got.<h2>What are the symptoms of measles?</h2>Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html">dangerous complications</a>&nbsp;such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<h2>How can you treat measles?</h2>There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.<h2>Why do vaccination rates matter?</h2>In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.The U.S. saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-cdc-outbreak-chicago-mmr-vaccine-7ecdfef41e6dbd659c7ac8b80d5de38f">a rise in measles cases in 2024</a>, including an outbreak in Chicago that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/measles-chicago-migrant-shelter-cdc-e58517c830f73e42266d45d45983c12b">sickened more than 60.</a>___AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Measles outbreak grows; more states reporting cases

WICHITA, KS —A suspect accused in a Kansas cold case killing made his first court appearance in the case Monday.

Pedro Morones, Jr., 31 of Wichita, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and three counts of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 1:30a..m. March 29, 2021, police responded to a report of a walk-in shooting victim at a local hospital in Wichita, according to Police Captain Aaron Moses.&nbsp; The victim, 21-year-old Abram Galvan, had been shot once and later died from his injuries.

Investigators determined the shooting was linked to a shots-fired incident reported near 19th and Jackson in Wichita around the same time.

Since that day, WPD Homicide Investigators have worked tirelessly to seek justice for Abram and his loved ones. Their efforts included following up on leads, analyzing forensic and electronic evidence, collaborating with media to encourage witnesses to come forward, and featuring the case on Wichita Police Department's Cold Case Homicide website.

In early 2025, new information emerged, leading investigators to identify a potential suspect. On Wednesday with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Office, Wichita Police investigators peacefully arrested Morones.

He is now scheduled for a preliminary-status hearing on March 27.  His bond is one-million-500 thousand dollars, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741866222570.png" alt="Morones photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Morones photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KS —A suspect accused in a Kansas cold case killing made his first court appearance in the case Monday.Pedro Morones, Jr., 31 of Wichita, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, and three counts of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 1:30a..m. March 29, 2021, police responded to a report of a walk-in shooting victim at a local hospital in Wichita, according to Police Captain Aaron Moses.&nbsp; The victim, 21-year-old Abram Galvan, had been shot once and later died from his injuries.Investigators determined the shooting was linked to a shots-fired incident reported near 19th and Jackson in Wichita around the same time.Since that day, WPD Homicide Investigators have worked tirelessly to seek justice for Abram and his loved ones. Their efforts included following up on leads, analyzing forensic and electronic evidence, collaborating with media to encourage witnesses to come forward, and featuring the case on Wichita Police Department's Cold Case Homicide website.In early 2025, new information emerged, leading investigators to identify a potential suspect. On Wednesday with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Office, Wichita Police investigators peacefully arrested Morones.He is now scheduled for a preliminary-status hearing on March 27. His bond is one-million-500 thousand dollars, according to the district attorney's office.

Suspect charged in Kansas cold-case killing

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the Constitution and blocked billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from further cuts to the agency.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-federal-judges-impeachment-29da1153a9f82106748098a6606fec39">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;to restore email and computer access to all employees of USAID, including those who were placed on administrative leave.

The lawsuit singled out Musk as a defendant covered by the preliminary injunction, arguing that he was wielding power the Constitution reserves only for those who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate.

The order comes in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for USAID employees and contractors.

Chuang said the evidence suggests that Musk made decisions to shut down USAID’s headquarters and website despite the administration’s claim that he was merely President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-violence-prevention-office-1ed9d79dbdb5b61a4ed30cff77071d56">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;advisor. Musk’s public statements and social media posts demonstrate that he has “firm control over DOGE,” the judge concluded.

The judge acknowledged that it’s unlikely that USAID is no longer capable of performing some of its statutorily required functions.

“Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated,” Chuang wrote.

In February, the Trump administration placed all but a fraction of USAID’s worldwide staff on leave and notified at least 1,600 of its U.S.-based staffers they were being fired. The effort to gut the six-decade-old aid agency was part of a broader push to eradicate the foreign aid agency and most of its humanitarian and development programs abroad.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;on Inauguration Day issued an executive order directing a freeze of foreign assistance funding and a review of all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-cuts-hunger-sickness-288b1d3f80d85ad749a6d758a778a5b2">U.S. aid and development work abroad</a>. Trump charged that much of foreign assistance was wasteful and advanced a liberal agenda.

The White House and DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738896794184.jpeg" alt="File photo Democrat members of Congress protest outside USAID headquarters in DC" />
 <figcaption>File photo Democrat members of Congress protest outside USAID headquarters in DC</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the Constitution and blocked billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from further cuts to the agency.U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-federal-judges-impeachment-29da1153a9f82106748098a6606fec39">Trump administration</a>&nbsp;to restore email and computer access to all employees of USAID, including those who were placed on administrative leave.The lawsuit singled out Musk as a defendant covered by the preliminary injunction, arguing that he was wielding power the Constitution reserves only for those who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate.The order comes in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for USAID employees and contractors.Chuang said the evidence suggests that Musk made decisions to shut down USAID’s headquarters and website despite the administration’s claim that he was merely President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-violence-prevention-office-1ed9d79dbdb5b61a4ed30cff77071d56">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;advisor. Musk’s public statements and social media posts demonstrate that he has “firm control over DOGE,” the judge concluded.The judge acknowledged that it’s unlikely that USAID is no longer capable of performing some of its statutorily required functions.“Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated,” Chuang wrote.In February, the Trump administration placed all but a fraction of USAID’s worldwide staff on leave and notified at least 1,600 of its U.S.-based staffers they were being fired. The effort to gut the six-decade-old aid agency was part of a broader push to eradicate the foreign aid agency and most of its humanitarian and development programs abroad.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;on Inauguration Day issued an executive order directing a freeze of foreign assistance funding and a review of all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usaid-cuts-hunger-sickness-288b1d3f80d85ad749a6d758a778a5b2">U.S. aid and development work abroad</a>. Trump charged that much of foreign assistance was wasteful and advanced a liberal agenda.The White House and DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Judge rules DOGE's USAID dismantling likely violates the Constitution

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, the Kansas City police department helicopter was following a vehicle which fled from law enforcement in Kansas and Missouri, according to a media release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.&nbsp; With information provided by the helicopter, KCPD officers on the ground contacted the suspect vehicle in a parking lot in 1600 block of Jefferson Street just west of the downtown loop of Interstate 35 and Interstate 670.

Officers exited their vehicle and began giving the driver commands. The driver drove his vehicle in the direction of the officers and struck the patrol car. One officer fired his duty weapon at the driver striking him.&nbsp; As the suspect vehicle stopped, the driver was taken into custody and later transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp; The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the shooting investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742379426063.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating an officer-involved shooting in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, the Kansas City police department helicopter was following a vehicle which fled from law enforcement in Kansas and Missouri, according to a media release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.&nbsp; With information provided by the helicopter, KCPD officers on the ground contacted the suspect vehicle in a parking lot in 1600 block of Jefferson Street just west of the downtown loop of Interstate 35 and Interstate 670.Officers exited their vehicle and began giving the driver commands. The driver drove his vehicle in the direction of the officers and struck the patrol car. One officer fired his duty weapon at the driver striking him.&nbsp; As the suspect vehicle stopped, the driver was taken into custody and later transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp; The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the shooting investigation.

Officer shot driver who rammed KCPD vehicle

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

TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson celebrated passage Monday of two more bills that would reshape Kansas elections.

The latest legislation to be endorsed by both the House and Senate would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Kansas and restrict funding for election-related activities, such as voter registration efforts.

The Legislature now has sent three election bills to the governor’s desk. The other one would narrow the window for advance ballots to arrive at county election offices.

“Over the past several years, Kansas Republicans have taken several common-sense steps to ensure that our elections are safe and secure, and these three bills further accomplish that goal,” Masterson said in a statement. “I encourage the governor to sign all three and join us in making our election laws a model for the nation.”

Gov. Laura Kelly could sign the bills, let them become law without her signature, or use her veto pen. The Legislature could override a veto with two-thirds support in both chambers — 84 House members and 27 senators.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb4/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 4</a>, which the House passed 80-39 on Feb. 27 and the Senate passed 30-10 on March 6, would end the three-day grace period for advance ballots. Currently, ballots are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by the following Friday. The law would require ballots to be returned instead by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Based on last year’s numbers, the change could result in more than 2,000 ballots being disqualified statewide in a general election.

The House passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb5/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 5</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb6/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 6</a>&nbsp;by 86-37 margins on March 13.

SB 5, which the Senate passed 32-8 on Monday, would prohibit election officials from accepting funds for election expenses from any source not authorized by the Legislature.

The bill requires federal election funding only be used for purposes authorized by Congress. The law would explicitly prohibit the use of federal funding for election-related activities that include voter registration and voter assistance.

SB 6, which the Senate passed 30-10 on Monday, would prohibit any form of ranked-choice voting methods in federal, state, county or municipal elections.

The method gives voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference, and if the first choice doesn’t have the votes to win, the ballot counts for the next choice.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/28/out-of-state-advocates-support-kansas-ranked-choice-voting-ban/">has not used ranked choice voting</a>&nbsp;in official state-run or county-run elections. It was last used in the state during the 2020 party-run Democratic presidential primary.

Other election-related bills and proposed constitutional amendments are still working their way through the Legislature.

They include&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/plan-to-elect-kansas-supreme-court-justices-scrutinized-by-critics-including-courts-former-chief/">a change to the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected</a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1611/" target="_blank">Senate Resolution 1611</a>&nbsp;and expanding or eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/17/kansas-gop-activist-democrat-legislator-find-common-ground-in-opposition-to-campaign-finance-bills/">campaign finance spending limits</a>.

The potential combination of electing state Supreme Court justices, gerrymandering and excessive spending on campaigns would mean Kansans can’t truly pick their candidates, said Davis Hammet, president of Loud Light Civic Action.

The result is an “incredible amount of control” over the state, he said.

The underlying intent of the campaign finance bill, which was forwarded to the governor Friday, is to “make parties more powerful than PACs,” said Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican and chair of the House elections committee.

“I don’t know about you, but as I’ve, you know, gone around talking to my constituents and folks around the state about campaign finance, the constant refrain that I hear from Kansans is that we need to get PAC money out of politics,” Proctor said during floor debate in early March.

Topeka Democrat Rep. Kirk Haskins said during the bill’s debate on the House floor that the shift in campaign contributions would have “major impacts on politics in Kansas as we know it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742327830508.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson speaks at a Jan. 28, 2025, rally of private school kids at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson speaks at a Jan. 28, 2025, rally of private school kids at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson celebrated passage Monday of two more bills that would reshape Kansas elections.The latest legislation to be endorsed by both the House and Senate would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Kansas and restrict funding for election-related activities, such as voter registration efforts.The Legislature now has sent three election bills to the governor’s desk. The other one would narrow the window for advance ballots to arrive at county election offices.“Over the past several years, Kansas Republicans have taken several common-sense steps to ensure that our elections are safe and secure, and these three bills further accomplish that goal,” Masterson said in a statement. “I encourage the governor to sign all three and join us in making our election laws a model for the nation.”Gov. Laura Kelly could sign the bills, let them become law without her signature, or use her veto pen. The Legislature could override a veto with two-thirds support in both chambers — 84 House members and 27 senators.<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb4/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 4</a>, which the House passed 80-39 on Feb. 27 and the Senate passed 30-10 on March 6, would end the three-day grace period for advance ballots. Currently, ballots are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by the following Friday. The law would require ballots to be returned instead by 7 p.m. on Election Day.Based on last year’s numbers, the change could result in more than 2,000 ballots being disqualified statewide in a general election.The House passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb5/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 5</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb6/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 6</a>&nbsp;by 86-37 margins on March 13.SB 5, which the Senate passed 32-8 on Monday, would prohibit election officials from accepting funds for election expenses from any source not authorized by the Legislature.The bill requires federal election funding only be used for purposes authorized by Congress. The law would explicitly prohibit the use of federal funding for election-related activities that include voter registration and voter assistance.SB 6, which the Senate passed 30-10 on Monday, would prohibit any form of ranked-choice voting methods in federal, state, county or municipal elections.The method gives voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference, and if the first choice doesn’t have the votes to win, the ballot counts for the next choice.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/28/out-of-state-advocates-support-kansas-ranked-choice-voting-ban/">has not used ranked choice voting</a>&nbsp;in official state-run or county-run elections. It was last used in the state during the 2020 party-run Democratic presidential primary.Other election-related bills and proposed constitutional amendments are still working their way through the Legislature.They include&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/18/plan-to-elect-kansas-supreme-court-justices-scrutinized-by-critics-including-courts-former-chief/">a change to the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected</a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/scr1611/" target="_blank">Senate Resolution 1611</a>&nbsp;and expanding or eliminating&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/17/kansas-gop-activist-democrat-legislator-find-common-ground-in-opposition-to-campaign-finance-bills/">campaign finance spending limits</a>.The potential combination of electing state Supreme Court justices, gerrymandering and excessive spending on campaigns would mean Kansans can’t truly pick their candidates, said Davis Hammet, president of Loud Light Civic Action.The result is an “incredible amount of control” over the state, he said.The underlying intent of the campaign finance bill, which was forwarded to the governor Friday, is to “make parties more powerful than PACs,” said Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican and chair of the House elections committee.“I don’t know about you, but as I’ve, you know, gone around talking to my constituents and folks around the state about campaign finance, the constant refrain that I hear from Kansans is that we need to get PAC money out of politics,” Proctor said during floor debate in early March.Topeka Democrat Rep. Kirk Haskins said during the bill’s debate on the House floor that the shift in campaign contributions would have “major impacts on politics in Kansas as we know it.”

Kan. Senate adds to potential makeover of state elections with passage of two more bills

KANSAS CITY —The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under investigation.

Just after 11p.m. Monday, Kansas City Missouri Fire crews responded to a reported fire at the Tesla car lot, 10111 Stateline Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews found two Tesla Cyber Trucks on fire. KCFD sent an additional company for additional water and a Battalion Chief.

The fire was brought under control and the vehicles were covered with a fire blanket to prevent reignition.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742305766866.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The cause of a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City is under investigation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FBI Kansas City has released the following statement alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFKansasCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFKansasCity</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kcpolice</a> regarding an overnight incident in South Kansas City. <a href="https://t.co/M2SZS6iWeQ">pic.twitter.com/M2SZS6iWeQ</a>&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1902048654795432263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just after 11p.m. Monday, Kansas City Missouri Fire crews responded to a reported fire at the Tesla car lot, 10111 Stateline Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Crews found two Tesla Cyber Trucks on fire. KCFD sent an additional company for additional water and a Battalion Chief.The fire was brought under control and the vehicles were covered with a fire blanket to prevent reignition.

Cybertruck fires at KC Tesla dealership under federal investigation 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has launched a new campaign of intense airstrikes targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>.

This weekend’s strikes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">killed at least 53 people</a>, including children, and wounded others. The campaign is likely to continue, part of a wider pressure campaign by Trump now targeting the Houthis’ main benefactor, Iran, as well.

Here’s what to know about the U.S. strikes and what could happen next:

Why did the U.S. launch the new airstrikes?

The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January this year. Their leadership described the attacks as aiming to end the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis’ profile in the wider Arab world and tamped down on public criticism against their human rights abuses and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-un-war-israel-hamas-099c777c457b49c8362d590afc32a537">crackdowns on dissent and aid workers</a>.

Trump, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, said his administration targeted the Houthis over their “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism.” He noted the disruption Houthi attacks have caused through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, key waterways for energy and cargo shipments between Asia and Europe through Egypt’s Suez Canal.

“We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Trump said.

Didn’t the U.S. already target the Houthis with airstrikes?

Under former President Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">the U.S. and the United Kingdom began a series of airstrikes against the Houthis</a>&nbsp;starting in January 2024. A December report by The International Institute for Strategic Studies said the U.S. and its partners struck the Houthis over 260 times up to that point.

U.S. military officials during that period acknowledged having a far-wider target list for possible strikes. While the Biden administration didn’t go too far into explaining its targeting, analysts believe officials largely were trying to avoid civilian casualties and not rekindle Yemen’s stalemated war, which pits the Houthis and their allies against the country’s exiled government and their local and international allies, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Trump administration, however, appears willing to go after more targets, based on the weekend’s strikes and public remarks made by officials.

“We’re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS News’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday. “That’s the mission here, and it will continue until that’s carried out.”

Rubio added: “Some of the key people involved in those missile launches are no longer with us, and I can tell you that some of the facilities that they used are no longer existing, and that will continue.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-airstrikes-sanaa-israel-hamas-war-8f73755ccc47a34261cc041658403b4d">Israel also launched its own airstrikes on Houthi-held sites</a>, including the port city of Hodeida, over the rebels’ missile and drone attacks targeting Israel.

What could the new U.S. strikes mean for the wider Mideast?

The Houthis said last week they’ll again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">target “Israeli” ships traveling through Mideast waterways</a>&nbsp;like the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, because of Israel’s blocking of aid to the Gaza Strip. No rebel attack targeting commercial shipping has been reported as of Monday morning.

However, the new U.S. campaign likely could inspire Houthi attacks at sea or on land beyond American warships. The rebels previously targeted oil infrastructure in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-sports-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-yemen-a0673736ceddfd5f498deb16a4254d64">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-media-dubai-united-arab-emirates-abu-dhabi-a507ac70e7d4739afd535f0f9477e7fc">the UAE</a>, two countries deeply involved in Yemen’s war since 2015.

“Although the U.S. has been striking at Houthi targets for over a year, the scope and scale of this new campaign, including the targeting of senior Houthi figures, marks a significant escalation in the conflict,” analysts at the Eurasia Group said Monday.

Gulf Arab countries “will distance themselves from ongoing hostilities but now face threats to their major oil infrastructure. The Houthis will want to hit President Donald Trump where it hurts, oil prices.”

Meanwhile, the Houthis likely will expand their possible targets for ship attacks, meaning shippers will continue to stay out of the region, said Jakob P. Larsen, the head of maritime security for BIMCO, the largest international association representing shipowners.

Iran long has armed the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shiite Zaydi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-united-states-government-middle-east-65b99a04a99d2504fd1123fc8e4300cc">physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran</a>. That’s likely because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis.

The Houthis now form the strongest group within Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance.” Others like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973">Lebanon’s Hezbollah</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-news-10-17-2024-d12ca71945313e601cf10876072f4182">Palestinian militant group Hamas</a>&nbsp;have been decimated by Israel after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-military-inquiry-gaza-34988076bd5283686cb80678aff799ad">the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas</a>&nbsp;that sparked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war of attrition in the Gaza Strip</a>. Allied Shiite militias in Iraq largely have kept their heads down since the U.S. launched retaliatory attacks last year over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jordan-drone-attack-attack-confusion-f175962e058b9b6f668303faf248d8e6">a drone attack</a>&nbsp;that killed three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drone-attack-soldier-killed-jordan-sanders-georgia-947c5c440e149154b06bc1bc29d84a19">American troops</a>&nbsp;and injured at least 34 others at a military base in Jordan.

While Iranian state television aired footage of civilian casualties from the weekend strikes in Yemen, top political leaders stayed away from suggestion Tehran itself would get involved in the fight. Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami notably underscored the Houthis made their own decisions — while not offering any warning over what would happen if the strikes killed any members of the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, who are believed to actively support the rebels on the ground.

“We have always declared — and we declare again today — that the Yemenis are an independent and free nation in their own land, with an independent national policy,” Salami said.

Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, speaking to ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, warned Guard officials training the Houthis “will be on the table too” as possible targets for attack.

Meanwhile, Iran is still trying to determine how to respond to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">a letter from Trump aiming to restart negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Monday officials continue to review the letter and will respond “after investigations are completed.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately traveled Sunday to Oman, which long has been an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. The Houthis also operate a political office in the sultanate.

The attacks on the Houthis are “a not-so-subtle signal to Iran, as President Trump has been unequivocal in his insistence that Iran return to the negotiating table to deal with its nuclear program,” the New York-based Soufan Center said in an analysis Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742347497679.png" alt="Image U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has launched a new campaign of intense airstrikes targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CENTCOM continuous operations against Iran-back Houthi terrorists…<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouthisAreTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouthisAreTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/ppggVK1Jgg">pic.twitter.com/ppggVK1Jgg</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1902145041063178333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This weekend’s strikes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-yemen-houthis-rebels-attack-airstrike-11b0e080b3982542dd621338a7b18afd">killed at least 53 people</a>, including children, and wounded others. The campaign is likely to continue, part of a wider pressure campaign by Trump now targeting the Houthis’ main benefactor, Iran, as well.Here’s what to know about the U.S. strikes and what could happen next:<h2>Why did the U.S. launch the new airstrikes?</h2>The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-rebels-ship-attack-red-sea-yemen-bfa7d321e55c5bb59b268b82ef3c56ba">sinking two vessels</a>&nbsp;and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January this year. Their leadership described the attacks as aiming to end the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis’ profile in the wider Arab world and tamped down on public criticism against their human rights abuses and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-un-war-israel-hamas-099c777c457b49c8362d590afc32a537">crackdowns on dissent and aid workers</a>.Trump, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, said his administration targeted the Houthis over their “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism.” He noted the disruption Houthi attacks have caused through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, key waterways for energy and cargo shipments between Asia and Europe through Egypt’s Suez Canal.“We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Trump said.<h2>Didn’t the U.S. already target the Houthis with airstrikes?</h2>Under former President Joe Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">the U.S. and the United Kingdom began a series of airstrikes against the Houthis</a>&nbsp;starting in January 2024. A December report by The International Institute for Strategic Studies said the U.S. and its partners struck the Houthis over 260 times up to that point.U.S. military officials during that period acknowledged having a far-wider target list for possible strikes. While the Biden administration didn’t go too far into explaining its targeting, analysts believe officials largely were trying to avoid civilian casualties and not rekindle Yemen’s stalemated war, which pits the Houthis and their allies against the country’s exiled government and their local and international allies, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.The Trump administration, however, appears willing to go after more targets, based on the weekend’s strikes and public remarks made by officials.“We’re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS News’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday. “That’s the mission here, and it will continue until that’s carried out.”Rubio added: “Some of the key people involved in those missile launches are no longer with us, and I can tell you that some of the facilities that they used are no longer existing, and that will continue.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-airstrikes-sanaa-israel-hamas-war-8f73755ccc47a34261cc041658403b4d">Israel also launched its own airstrikes on Houthi-held sites</a>, including the port city of Hodeida, over the rebels’ missile and drone attacks targeting Israel.<h2>What could the new U.S. strikes mean for the wider Mideast?</h2>In two words: More attacks.The Houthis said last week they’ll again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a">target “Israeli” ships traveling through Mideast waterways</a>&nbsp;like the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, because of Israel’s blocking of aid to the Gaza Strip. No rebel attack targeting commercial shipping has been reported as of Monday morning.However, the new U.S. campaign likely could inspire Houthi attacks at sea or on land beyond American warships. The rebels previously targeted oil infrastructure in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-sports-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-yemen-a0673736ceddfd5f498deb16a4254d64">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-media-dubai-united-arab-emirates-abu-dhabi-a507ac70e7d4739afd535f0f9477e7fc">the UAE</a>, two countries deeply involved in Yemen’s war since 2015.“Although the U.S. has been striking at Houthi targets for over a year, the scope and scale of this new campaign, including the targeting of senior Houthi figures, marks a significant escalation in the conflict,” analysts at the Eurasia Group said Monday.Gulf Arab countries “will distance themselves from ongoing hostilities but now face threats to their major oil infrastructure. The Houthis will want to hit President Donald Trump where it hurts, oil prices.”Meanwhile, the Houthis likely will expand their possible targets for ship attacks, meaning shippers will continue to stay out of the region, said Jakob P. Larsen, the head of maritime security for BIMCO, the largest international association representing shipowners.<h2>Where are the Iranians in all of this?</h2>Iran long has armed the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shiite Zaydi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-united-states-government-middle-east-65b99a04a99d2504fd1123fc8e4300cc">physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran</a>. That’s likely because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis.The Houthis now form the strongest group within Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance.” Others like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973">Lebanon’s Hezbollah</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-lebanon-hezbollah-news-10-17-2024-d12ca71945313e601cf10876072f4182">Palestinian militant group Hamas</a>&nbsp;have been decimated by Israel after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-military-inquiry-gaza-34988076bd5283686cb80678aff799ad">the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas</a>&nbsp;that sparked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s war of attrition in the Gaza Strip</a>. Allied Shiite militias in Iraq largely have kept their heads down since the U.S. launched retaliatory attacks last year over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jordan-drone-attack-attack-confusion-f175962e058b9b6f668303faf248d8e6">a drone attack</a>&nbsp;that killed three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drone-attack-soldier-killed-jordan-sanders-georgia-947c5c440e149154b06bc1bc29d84a19">American troops</a>&nbsp;and injured at least 34 others at a military base in Jordan.While Iranian state television aired footage of civilian casualties from the weekend strikes in Yemen, top political leaders stayed away from suggestion Tehran itself would get involved in the fight. Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami notably underscored the Houthis made their own decisions — while not offering any warning over what would happen if the strikes killed any members of the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, who are believed to actively support the rebels on the ground.“We have always declared — and we declare again today — that the Yemenis are an independent and free nation in their own land, with an independent national policy,” Salami said.Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, speaking to ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, warned Guard officials training the Houthis “will be on the table too” as possible targets for attack.Meanwhile, Iran is still trying to determine how to respond to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-us-tensions-explains-25acc4bfbbe165a374a58ebfa6a4ab41">a letter from Trump aiming to restart negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program</a>. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Monday officials continue to review the letter and will respond “after investigations are completed.”Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately traveled Sunday to Oman, which long has been an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. The Houthis also operate a political office in the sultanate.The attacks on the Houthis are “a not-so-subtle signal to Iran, as President Trump has been unequivocal in his insistence that Iran return to the negotiating table to deal with its nuclear program,” the New York-based Soufan Center said in an analysis Monday.

U.S. airstrikes continue against Iran-backed terrorists

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces felony charges in connection with an attempted kidnapping, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2546/KEITH-COMPLAINT-REDACTED">Jeromy Keith, 47, Independence, Mo., faces</a>&nbsp;one count of 1st Degree Attempted Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2547/keithjeromy---pc-statement">According to court records</a>, Independence police responded to a disturbance call where victims reported Keith had threatened to kidnap his wife and murder another person. Officers later arrested Keith and an individual who was with him, and discovered packing tape, a mask, a container of bleach, detergent, a striking baton, and a specialized view camera in their vehicle.&nbsp;

Witnesses told police they overheard the defendant planning to pay someone to help kidnap his wife and murder another victim.&nbsp;

Officers were told Keith had a history of domestic abuse, causing his wife to often relocate to avoid him. Keith had also been sending threatening messages to his wife, which made her fear for her safety.&nbsp;

Keith is being held on a $200,000 bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742232326673.png" alt="Keith photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Keith photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces felony charges in connection with an attempted kidnapping, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2546/KEITH-COMPLAINT-REDACTED">Jeromy Keith, 47, Independence, Mo., faces</a>&nbsp;one count of 1st Degree Attempted Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2547/keithjeromy---pc-statement">According to court records</a>, Independence police responded to a disturbance call where victims reported Keith had threatened to kidnap his wife and murder another person. Officers later arrested Keith and an individual who was with him, and discovered packing tape, a mask, a container of bleach, detergent, a striking baton, and a specialized view camera in their vehicle.&nbsp;Witnesses told police they overheard the defendant planning to pay someone to help kidnap his wife and murder another victim.&nbsp;Officers were told Keith had a history of domestic abuse, causing his wife to often relocate to avoid him. Keith had also been sending threatening messages to his wife, which made her fear for her safety.&nbsp;Keith is being held on a $200,000 bond.&nbsp;

Prosecutor: KC area man planned to pay for his wife's kidnapping

DALLAS (AP) — Previously classified documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">1963 assassination</a>&nbsp;of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;were released Tuesday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a> from the National Archives

The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The vast majority of the National Archives' collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.

Trump told reporters Monday that has administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it’s not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public.

“We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-kennedy-center-559bf5254b99f938dc156b60c9a495e7">while visiting</a>&nbsp;the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

Researchers have estimated that 3,000 records or so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">hadn't been released</a>, either in whole or in part. And last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.

Many who have studied what’s been released so far by the government say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it.

Trump's January order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records.

Kennedy was killed on Nov. 22, 1963, on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>. As his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested 24-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.

A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.

In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017</a>, barring any exemptions designated by the president.

Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remained unseen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Previously classified documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">1963 assassination</a>&nbsp;of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;were released Tuesday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-files-trump-release-381cd547e10e4f41d27a8e020bb6a435">an order by President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/available-online">Click here to read the files</a> from the National ArchivesThe documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. The vast majority of the National Archives' collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.Trump told reporters Monday that has administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it’s not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public.“We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading,” Trump said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-kennedy-center-559bf5254b99f938dc156b60c9a495e7">while visiting</a>&nbsp;the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742345702324.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Researchers have estimated that 3,000 records or so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">hadn't been released</a>, either in whole or in part. And last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-fbi-trump-newly-discovered-files-0bd8ad5569f5fa3ed92b8ee9b795c9e7#">the FBI said</a>&nbsp;that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.Many who have studied what’s been released so far by the government say the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it.Trump's January order directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records.Kennedy was killed on Nov. 22, 1963, on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">visit to Dallas</a>. As his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository</a>&nbsp;building. Police arrested 24-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-general-news-808c313725d849fd884794fe49b6fd39">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017</a>, barring any exemptions designated by the president.Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remained unseen.

Read the new JFK assassination files just released

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a television reporter last month while he was on assignment to cover the Super Bowl in New Orleans, authorities said Tuesday.

Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Feb. 5 in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner. The next day, police arrested Danette Colbert, 48, on charges that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-telemundo-reporter-death-adan-manzano-590192fafbbc6401682e813402801e94">stolen Manzano's cellphone</a>&nbsp;and bank cards.

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley told a news conference streamed online Tuesday that a charge of second-degree murder had been added against Colbert, who remained jailed since her arrest last month. He said a suspected accomplice had been arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on theft and fraud charges.

The decision to charge Colbert in Manzano's death was made despite preliminary autopsy results being inconclusive as to whether he was killed or died accidentally.

An attorney for Colbert, Stavros Panagoulopoulos, did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment Tuesday. He said last month that police were making “assumptions and guesses” to link Colbert to Manzano’s death.

Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich, the Jefferson Parish coroner, told reporters that the autopsy found Manzano died from “positional asphyxia” as he was lying facedown on a pillow and unable to breathe after ingesting a combination of alcohol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-reporter-death-drug-telemundo-2e63ce04cbe526ae6856559b20c92913">and the depressant Xanax.</a>

“Both of them are central nervous system depressants, and when you add them up they're really bad,” the coroner said, adding: “One of the dangers is you end up in a position where you are obstructing your ability to breathe.”

Conley said he was “very confident” authorities have enough evidence to successfully prosecute Colbert for murder, though he declined to discuss specifics of their case.

Police have previously said security video from the hotel where Manzano was staying showed him and Colbert entering his room together the day of his death. Footage showed Colbert leaving without him about an hour later. Authorities have said Colbert later used Manzano’s credit card to make a purchase at a New Orleans gas station and several stores in the area.

Police have also said Manzano's medical records showed no prescriptions for Xanax or other depressants, and that they recovered the drug from Colbert's home.

“Look, there's a lot of pieces in this puzzle,” the police chief said. “We recognize it's going to be a circumstantial case.”

As for the man charged with theft and fraud alongside Colbert, Conley said only that police had found “correspondence and information where they were going back and forth. So we think they were working hand-in-hand in concert with each other.”

Last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges in an unrelated case.

In 2022, Colbert was twice arrested in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, she was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms and stealing from them. The charges were dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court, Colbert’s attorney for those cases, Daniel Lippmann, told The Associated Press.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738973498909.png" alt="Adan Manzano courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Adan Manzano courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a television reporter last month while he was on assignment to cover the Super Bowl in New Orleans, authorities said Tuesday.Adan Manzano, a 27-year-old reporter and anchor for Telemundo based in Kansas City, Missouri, was found dead Feb. 5 in his hotel room in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner. The next day, police arrested Danette Colbert, 48, on charges that she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-telemundo-reporter-death-adan-manzano-590192fafbbc6401682e813402801e94">stolen Manzano's cellphone</a>&nbsp;and bank cards.Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley told a news conference streamed online Tuesday that a charge of second-degree murder had been added against Colbert, who remained jailed since her arrest last month. He said a suspected accomplice had been arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on theft and fraud charges.The decision to charge Colbert in Manzano's death was made despite preliminary autopsy results being inconclusive as to whether he was killed or died accidentally.An attorney for Colbert, Stavros Panagoulopoulos, did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment Tuesday. He said last month that police were making “assumptions and guesses” to link Colbert to Manzano’s death.Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich, the Jefferson Parish coroner, told reporters that the autopsy found Manzano died from “positional asphyxia” as he was lying facedown on a pillow and unable to breathe after ingesting a combination of alcohol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-reporter-death-drug-telemundo-2e63ce04cbe526ae6856559b20c92913">and the depressant Xanax.</a>“Both of them are central nervous system depressants, and when you add them up they're really bad,” the coroner said, adding: “One of the dangers is you end up in a position where you are obstructing your ability to breathe.”Conley said he was “very confident” authorities have enough evidence to successfully prosecute Colbert for murder, though he declined to discuss specifics of their case.Police have previously said security video from the hotel where Manzano was staying showed him and Colbert entering his room together the day of his death. Footage showed Colbert leaving without him about an hour later. Authorities have said Colbert later used Manzano’s credit card to make a purchase at a New Orleans gas station and several stores in the area.Police have also said Manzano's medical records showed no prescriptions for Xanax or other depressants, and that they recovered the drug from Colbert's home.“Look, there's a lot of pieces in this puzzle,” the police chief said. “We recognize it's going to be a circumstantial case.”As for the man charged with theft and fraud alongside Colbert, Conley said only that police had found “correspondence and information where they were going back and forth. So we think they were working hand-in-hand in concert with each other.”Last year, a Louisiana jury found Colbert guilty of theft and fraud charges in an unrelated case.In 2022, Colbert was twice arrested in Las Vegas on felony charges of grand larceny and administering a drug to aid in a felony crime, court records show. In both cases, she was accused of drugging men in their hotel rooms and stealing from them. The charges were dismissed because the victims did not want to testify in court, Colbert’s attorney for those cases, Daniel Lippmann, told The Associated Press.

Woman charged in the death of a Super Bowl reporter from Kansas City

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Stuck in space no more,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-432d8c3ebf8d617d2df4d3ae53db51c3">NASA astronauts</a>&nbsp;Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday, hitching a different ride home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stuck-astronauts-nasa-boeing-starliner-1929d955463291701b99d4862b2c45ef">close out a saga</a>&nbsp;that began with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-boeing-starliner-92dca67a1fbecf05f5f0e6e2e79afc3b">bungled test flight</a>&nbsp;more than nine months ago.

Their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-launch-boeing-nasa-stuck-astronauts-e179d0dc6c77d224278fd0430148ff8b">SpaceX capsule</a>&nbsp;parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico in the early evening, just hours after departing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-international-space-station-e8e2d188bc4cd1bf36c3c41512d38fcb">the International Space Station</a>. Splashdown occurred off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle, bringing their unplanned odyssey to an end.

It all started with a flawed Boeing test flight last spring.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-spacewalk-2cb2b5897892449f9d4661449a88de1c">The two</a>&nbsp;expected to be gone just a week or so after launching on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-e139ce1842e0324942746bb0cdee5c73">Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule</a>&nbsp;on June 5. So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming into February. Then SpaceX capsule issues added another month’s delay.

Sunday’s arrival of their relief crew meant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-4e379e121d4386d2baca1e3426f62e58">Wilmore and Williams</a>&nbsp;could finally leave. NASA cut them loose a little early, given the iffy weather forecast later this week. They checked out with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-astronauts-faith-orbit-international-space-station-b5d3e3473dff3b92c8dcfc7a7cb48b50">Wilmore</a>&nbsp;and Williams ended up spending 286 days in space — 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched. They circled Earth 4,576 times and traveled 121 million miles (195 million kilometers) by the time of splashdown.

Their plight captured the world’s attention, giving new meaning to the phrase “stuck at work" and turning “Butch and Suni” into household names. While other astronauts had logged longer spaceflights over the decades, none had to deal with so much uncertainty or see the length of their mission expand by so much.

Wilmore and Williams quickly transitioned from guests to full-fledged station crew members, conducting experiments, fixing equipment and even spacewalking together. With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts.

Both had lived on the orbiting lab before and knew the ropes, and brushed up on their station training before rocketing away. Williams became the station's commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month.

Their mission took an unexpected twist in late January when President Donald Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate the astronauts’ return and blamed the delay on the Biden administration. The replacement crew’s brand new SpaceX capsule still wasn’t ready to fly, so SpaceX subbed it with a used one, hurrying things along by at least a few weeks.

Even in the middle of the political storm, Wilmore and Williams continued to maintain an even keel at public appearances from orbit, casting no blame and insisting they supported NASA’s decisions from the start.

NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing after the shuttle program ended, in order to have two competing U.S. companies for transporting astronauts to and from the space station until it's abandoned in 2030 and steered to a fiery reentry. By then, it will have been up there more than three decades; the plan is to replace it with privately run stations so NASA can focus on moon and Mars expeditions.

Both retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams stressed they didn’t mind spending more time in space — a prolonged deployment reminiscent of their military days. But they acknowledged it was tough on their families.

Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school; his older daughter is in college. Williams, 59, had to settle for internet calls from space to her mother and relatives.

“We have not been worried about her because she has been in good spirits,” said Falguni Pandya, who is married to Williams’ cousin. “She’s been healthy and we’ve been in touch with her right until they left. She was definitely ready to come home.”

Prayers for Williams and Wilmore were offered up at 21 Hindu temples in the U.S. in the months leading up to their return, organizer Tejal Shah, president of World Hindu Council of America said. Williams has spoken frequently about her Indian and Slovenian heritage. Prayers for their safe return also came from Wilmore’s Baptist church in Houston, where he serves as an elder.

After returning in the gulf — Trump in January signed an executive order renaming the body of water Gulf of America — Wilmore and Williams will have to wait until they’re off the SpaceX recovery ship and flown to Houston before reuniting with their loved ones. The three NASA astronauts will be checked out by flight surgeons as they adjust to gravity, officials said, and allowed to go home after several days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742338402938.png" alt="Suni Williams exits the spacecraft with a smile and a wave- image courtesy SpaceX video" />
 <figcaption>Suni Williams exits the spacecraft with a smile and a wave- image courtesy SpaceX video</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Stuck in space no more,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-432d8c3ebf8d617d2df4d3ae53db51c3">NASA astronauts</a>&nbsp;Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday, hitching a different ride home to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stuck-astronauts-nasa-boeing-starliner-1929d955463291701b99d4862b2c45ef">close out a saga</a>&nbsp;that began with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-boeing-starliner-92dca67a1fbecf05f5f0e6e2e79afc3b">bungled test flight</a>&nbsp;more than nine months ago.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742338623314.png" alt="Astronaut Butch Wilmore exits the spacecraft&nbsp; -image courtesy SpaceX video" />
 <figcaption>Astronaut Butch Wilmore exits the spacecraft&nbsp; -image courtesy SpaceX video</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Drogue and main parachutes have deployed <a href="https://t.co/X0wiXqFaPt">pic.twitter.com/X0wiXqFaPt</a>&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1902116771806732511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks! <a href="https://t.co/M4RZ6UYsQ2">pic.twitter.com/M4RZ6UYsQ2</a>&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1902117509798465910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spacex-launch-boeing-nasa-stuck-astronauts-e179d0dc6c77d224278fd0430148ff8b">SpaceX capsule</a>&nbsp;parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico in the early evening, just hours after departing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-international-space-station-e8e2d188bc4cd1bf36c3c41512d38fcb">the International Space Station</a>. Splashdown occurred off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle, bringing their unplanned odyssey to an end.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742336199488.png" alt="Dragon capsule moments before it was lifted onto the recovery vessel" />
 <figcaption>Dragon capsule moments before it was lifted onto the recovery vessel</figcaption>
 </figure>It all started with a flawed Boeing test flight last spring.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742335496712.png" alt="Image courtesy Space X video" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Space X video</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-spacewalk-2cb2b5897892449f9d4661449a88de1c">The two</a>&nbsp;expected to be gone just a week or so after launching on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-e139ce1842e0324942746bb0cdee5c73">Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule</a>&nbsp;on June 5. So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming into February. Then SpaceX capsule issues added another month’s delay.Sunday’s arrival of their relief crew meant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-4e379e121d4386d2baca1e3426f62e58">Wilmore and Williams</a>&nbsp;could finally leave. NASA cut them loose a little early, given the iffy weather forecast later this week. They checked out with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-astronauts-faith-orbit-international-space-station-b5d3e3473dff3b92c8dcfc7a7cb48b50">Wilmore</a>&nbsp;and Williams ended up spending 286 days in space — 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched. They circled Earth 4,576 times and traveled 121 million miles (195 million kilometers) by the time of splashdown.Their plight captured the world’s attention, giving new meaning to the phrase “stuck at work" and turning “Butch and Suni” into household names. While other astronauts had logged longer spaceflights over the decades, none had to deal with so much uncertainty or see the length of their mission expand by so much.Wilmore and Williams quickly transitioned from guests to full-fledged station crew members, conducting experiments, fixing equipment and even spacewalking together. With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts.Both had lived on the orbiting lab before and knew the ropes, and brushed up on their station training before rocketing away. Williams became the station's commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month.Their mission took an unexpected twist in late January when President Donald Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate the astronauts’ return and blamed the delay on the Biden administration. The replacement crew’s brand new SpaceX capsule still wasn’t ready to fly, so SpaceX subbed it with a used one, hurrying things along by at least a few weeks.Even in the middle of the political storm, Wilmore and Williams continued to maintain an even keel at public appearances from orbit, casting no blame and insisting they supported NASA’s decisions from the start.NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing after the shuttle program ended, in order to have two competing U.S. companies for transporting astronauts to and from the space station until it's abandoned in 2030 and steered to a fiery reentry. By then, it will have been up there more than three decades; the plan is to replace it with privately run stations so NASA can focus on moon and Mars expeditions.Both retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams stressed they didn’t mind spending more time in space — a prolonged deployment reminiscent of their military days. But they acknowledged it was tough on their families.Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school; his older daughter is in college. Williams, 59, had to settle for internet calls from space to her mother and relatives.“We have not been worried about her because she has been in good spirits,” said Falguni Pandya, who is married to Williams’ cousin. “She’s been healthy and we’ve been in touch with her right until they left. She was definitely ready to come home.”Prayers for Williams and Wilmore were offered up at 21 Hindu temples in the U.S. in the months leading up to their return, organizer Tejal Shah, president of World Hindu Council of America said. Williams has spoken frequently about her Indian and Slovenian heritage. Prayers for their safe return also came from Wilmore’s Baptist church in Houston, where he serves as an elder.After returning in the gulf — Trump in January signed an executive order renaming the body of water Gulf of America — Wilmore and Williams will have to wait until they’re off the SpaceX recovery ship and flown to Houston before reuniting with their loved ones. The three NASA astronauts will be checked out by flight surgeons as they adjust to gravity, officials said, and allowed to go home after several days.___

🎥Stuck in Space no more: 2 NASA astronauts are back on Earth

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday released their preliminary report on the incident that led to the gas line explosion and fire on Feb. 22. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/PLD25FR003.aspx" target="_blank">Click here to read the full preliminary report&nbsp;</a>

In the first portion of the report, the NTSB states that an underline gas leak resulted in a commercial building explosion which destroyed the building and caused an evacuation of the surrounding community. &nbsp;&nbsp;

No injuries or deaths occurred and the NTSB states that the damages are to be approximately $975,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The report states that the Reno County dispatch received a gas odor report from the public at approximately 9:26 a.m., and that Hutchinson Fire Department arrived on the scene approximately seven minutes later at 9:33 a.m. &nbsp;

After the explosion ONE Gas, the parent company of Kansas Gas Service, excavated the area exposing approximately 120-feet of the ten-inch steel gas main. &nbsp;During the excavation, a leak was found at a girth weld, which is where two gas pipes are welded along their circumference. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The NTSB while on scene conducted a visual examination of the pipeline, collected physical evidence and conducted interviews. &nbsp;A portion of the gas line was later transported to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington DC for evaluation and testing. &nbsp;&nbsp;Currently the investigation by the NTSB is ongoing. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The report says that future investigative activity will focus on previous failures and the leak history of the pipeline as well as aspects o ONE Gas’s integrity management program and state regulatory oversite; ONE Gas emergency response training and ONE Gas’s leak response, safety management system program and isolation planning tool. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742323605763.png" alt="Photo NTSB report" />
 <figcaption>Photo NTSB report</figcaption>
 </figure>The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday released their preliminary report on the incident that led to the gas line explosion and fire on Feb. 22. &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/PLD25FR003.aspx" target="_blank">Click here to read the full preliminary report&nbsp;</a>In the first portion of the report, the NTSB states that an underline gas leak resulted in a commercial building explosion which destroyed the building and caused an evacuation of the surrounding community. &nbsp;&nbsp;No injuries or deaths occurred and the NTSB states that the damages are to be approximately $975,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740255614106.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department (file photo)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department (file photo)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The report states that the Reno County dispatch received a gas odor report from the public at approximately 9:26 a.m., and that Hutchinson Fire Department arrived on the scene approximately seven minutes later at 9:33 a.m. &nbsp;After the explosion ONE Gas, the parent company of Kansas Gas Service, excavated the area exposing approximately 120-feet of the ten-inch steel gas main. &nbsp;During the excavation, a leak was found at a girth weld, which is where two gas pipes are welded along their circumference. &nbsp;&nbsp;The NTSB while on scene conducted a visual examination of the pipeline, collected physical evidence and conducted interviews. &nbsp;A portion of the gas line was later transported to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington DC for evaluation and testing. &nbsp;&nbsp;Currently the investigation by the NTSB is ongoing. &nbsp;&nbsp;The report says that future investigative activity will focus on previous failures and the leak history of the pipeline as well as aspects o ONE Gas’s integrity management program and state regulatory oversite; ONE Gas emergency response training and ONE Gas’s leak response, safety management system program and isolation planning tool. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read the NTSB preliminary report on the gas explosion in Hutchinson

WASHINGTON (AP)—On Monday a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore federal grands for teacher training programs.

The order applies to more than 100 teacher preparation and training programs the administration canceled in February.

The judge in Maryland issued the preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Center for Teacher Residencies.

The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-teacher-training-doge-34f1a56f7394ee3343412e6a96b635c7">cut $600 million in grants</a>&nbsp;to teacher training programs, saying they ran afoul of its policies against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Grantees rejected the notion that their work was tied to DEI. Many programs used the money to hire teachers, to pay for college scholarships, and to address retention issues leading to staff shortages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742327693872.png" alt="American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education" />
 <figcaption>American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)—On Monday a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore federal grands for teacher training programs.The order applies to more than 100 teacher preparation and training programs the administration canceled in February.The judge in Maryland issued the preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Center for Teacher Residencies.The administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-teacher-training-doge-34f1a56f7394ee3343412e6a96b635c7">cut $600 million in grants</a>&nbsp;to teacher training programs, saying they ran afoul of its policies against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Grantees rejected the notion that their work was tied to DEI. Many programs used the money to hire teachers, to pay for college scholarships, and to address retention issues leading to staff shortages.

Judge orders Trump admin. to restore federal grants for teacher training programs

WILSON COUNTY —With more fire weather warnings in portions of Kansas, officials are asking the public to monitor their previous controlled burns. 

On Monday Wilson County fire units were paged out for embers blowing across a road into unburnt pastures from a controlled burn conducted Sunday, according to a social media report from the rural fire department. 

Fire officials ask that you to double check your burns from the last couple weeks.

Just after 3pm Monday additional crews were paged out for a grassfire in the Southeast corner of the Wilson County. There are not reports of injury. Officials did not release details on what caused the afternoon grass fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742319065148.png" alt="Photos Wilson Co. Rural Fire" />
 <figcaption>Photos Wilson Co. Rural Fire</figcaption>
 </figure>WILSON COUNTY —With more fire weather warnings in portions of Kansas, officials are asking the public to monitor their previous controlled burns. On Monday Wilson County fire units were paged out for embers blowing across a road into unburnt pastures from a controlled burn conducted Sunday, according to a social media report from the rural fire department. Fire officials ask that you to double check your burns from the last couple weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742319118211.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 3pm Monday additional crews were paged out for a grassfire in the Southeast corner of the Wilson County. There are not reports of injury. Officials did not release details on what caused the afternoon grass fire.

Fire officials: Double check your previous controlled burns

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to seek a limited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-ceasefire-e8232c202998d5b934ca81bf98e74c55">ceasefire</a>&nbsp;against energy and infrastructure targets in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia-Ukraine war,</a>&nbsp;according to the White House.

The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting.

Shortly after the call, the White House released a brief summary of the conversation. It is below.

&nbsp;Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.

The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
 
This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts.

The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.

These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East. 
 
The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application.

The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. 
 
The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.

The White House added negotiations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-ceasefire-e8232c202998d5b934ca81bf98e74c55">would “begin immediately”</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East on those steps for a ceasefire. It was not immediately clear whether Ukraine is on board with the phased ceasefire plan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742207940676.png" alt="File photo President Trump discussed calling Putin during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Trump discussed calling Putin during a flight from Florida to Washington on Sunday-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;agreed during a lengthy call Tuesday to seek a limited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-ceasefire-e8232c202998d5b934ca81bf98e74c55">ceasefire</a>&nbsp;against energy and infrastructure targets in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia-Ukraine war,</a>&nbsp;according to the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NEW: Statement from President Trump <a href="https://t.co/jsY8Ut66i7">pic.twitter.com/jsY8Ut66i7</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1902070277690753268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting.Shortly after the call, the White House released a brief summary of the conversation. It is below.&nbsp;Today, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace. They also stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people.
 
This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East. 
 
The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. 
 
The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.The White House added negotiations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-ceasefire-e8232c202998d5b934ca81bf98e74c55">would “begin immediately”</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East on those steps for a ceasefire. It was not immediately clear whether Ukraine is on board with the phased ceasefire plan.Ukrainian officials had proposed a limited ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes and the release of prisoners at their meeting with the U.S delegation in Saudi Arabia this month.The Kremlin said Putin welcomed Trump's calls for the maritime ceasefire and “agreed to begin negotiations to further work out specific details of such an agreement.”Putin also told Trump that Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 175 prisoners of war each on Wednesday, and Russia will also hand over to Ukraine 23 badly wounded soldiers, the Kremlin said.Putin also called on Trump to end foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine as the U.S. looks to bring an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.The move comes as the White House pushes for Russia to sign off on its 30-day ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the 30-day ceasefire proposal during talks in Saudi Arabia led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, remains skeptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to pound Ukraine.The engagement is just the latest turn in dramatically shifting U.S.-Russia relations as Trump made quickly ending the conflict a top priority — even at the expense of straining ties with longtime American allies who want Putin to pay a price for the invasion.In preparation for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-ukraine-russia-b86c7230a3d9df6a76ed0a064ec3402a">Trump-Putin call</a>, White House special envoy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-witkoff-special-envoy-russia-ukraine-mideast-d26c80c87a57fd3a811e4b0aa0eda58e">Steve Witkoff</a>&nbsp;met last week with Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal. Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-us-saudi-arabia-ca9630cdccb0a8b904a77d6e134690b6">to agree to the ceasefire framework.</a>Putin last week said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-sudzhba-military-occupation-17cebbc24642ab56d78112eba7eb7509">agreed in principle</a>&nbsp;with the U.S. proposal, but emphasized that Russia would seek guarantees that Ukraine would not use a break in hostilities to rearm and continue mobilization. The Russian president has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-ceasefire-e8232c202998d5b934ca81bf98e74c55">also demanded</a>&nbsp;that Ukraine renounce joining the NATO military alliance, sharply cut its army, and protect Russian language and culture to keep the country in Moscow’s orbit.The U.S. president said this week that Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing “dividing up certain assets" between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict.Trump, who during his campaign pledged to end the war quickly, has at moments boasted of his relationship with Putin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-trump-war-zelenskyy-putin-7fe8c0c80b4e93e3bc079c621a44e8bb">blamed Ukraine for Russia’s unprovoked invasion</a>, all while accusing Zelenskyy of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.Trump had said before the call that control of land and power plants would be part of the conversation, which came on the anniversary of Russia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-ukraine-crimea-seizure-8245aec572fb71236febfa8735c42879">annexing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula</a>&nbsp;11 years ago. That bold land grab by Russia set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022.Witkoff suggested that U.S. and Russian officials have discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe's largest — in southern Ukraine.The plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine">sent troops into Ukraine in 2022</a>&nbsp;and seized the facility shortly after. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about it, fueling fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe.The plant is a significant asset, producing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/why-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-mattersfor-whole-world">nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s electricity</a>&nbsp;in the year before the war.After a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-security-guarantees-trump-meeting-washington-eebdf97b663c2cdc9e51fa346b09591d">disastrous Feb. 28 White House meeting</a>&nbsp;with Zelenskyy, Trump temporarily cut off some military intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine. It was restored after the Ukrainians last week signed off on the Trump administration's 30-day ceasefire proposal.Zelenskyy in his&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1901734482639523936">nightly video address on Monday</a>&nbsp;made clear he remains doubtful that Putin is ready for peace."Now, almost a week later, it’s clear to everyone in the world — even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years — that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war," Zelenskyy said.In his dealings with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Putin</a>, Trump has frequently focused on who has the leverage. Putin has “the cards” and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly.Trump, who has long shown admiration for Putin, has also made clear he'd like to see the U.S.-Russia relationship return to a more normal footing.The president during his recent contentious meeting with Zelenskyy grumbled that “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," a reference to the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">investigation into Russian interference</a>&nbsp;in the 2016 presidential election in which he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton.Trump on Monday again underscored his view that Ukraine is not in a strong negotiating position. He said Russian forces have “surrounded” Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region — amplifying an assertion made by Russian officials that's been disputed by Zelenskyy.Ukraine’s army&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-incursion-putin-1178b99b32b476816db3a48ffa06b11a">stunned Russia in August last year</a>&nbsp;by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land. But Ukraine’s forces are now in retreat and it has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kursk-sudzhba-military-occupation-17cebbc24642ab56d78112eba7eb7509">ceasefire with Russia</a>.Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Ukrainians are on their back foot while disputing Russian claims that his troops are encircled in Kursk.Trump suggested that he's taken unspecified action that has kept Russia from slaughtering Ukrainian troops in Kursk.“They’re surrounded by Russian soldiers, and I believe if it wasn’t for me they wouldn’t be here any longer,” Trump said.The White House said the leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed “Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”U.S. officials have previously said that Iran has provided Russia with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-iran-ukraine-ballistic-missiles-us-intelligence-1e637abe11396989c641fa5bf3f57b24">short-range ballistic missiles</a>&nbsp;and attack drones for the war in Ukraine. The U.S. has also said that Iran has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory.___