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

TOPEKA — An intense confrontation between a Republican and Democrat on the Kansas House floor Thursday during a gun debate forced the chamber into a two-hour recess as leadership worked to deescalate tensions.

Democrats accused&nbsp;Rep. Nick Hoheisel, a Wichita Republican, of trying to start a fight with Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, by launching obscenities at Carr. The confrontation took place at Carr’s desk on the House floor.

The incident happened during debate over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2104/" target="_blank">House Bill 2104,</a>&nbsp;which would require school districts to implement an NRA program known as Eddie Eagle in public elementary schools, starting in kindergarten, if the schools want to teach gun safety. It was among dozens of bills the House has debated this week ahead of a deadline to advance legislation.

Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat, interrupted legislators debating the NRA curriculum bill and called for a point of order, citing “a need for decorum.” Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, then came to the front of the House chamber and asked for Hoheisel to be admonished.

“While I did not observe everything that occurred, I heard exactly what happened,” Carmichael said. “The member strolled through the Democratic seats using profanity, and in my view, from what I heard, was attempting to incite a fight. And I ask that the member be admonished never to do that again.”

In an interview, Carmichael said Hoheisel thumped a finger on Carr’s desk and repeatedly said, “That’s bulls***.”

After House Republican leadership recessed the House to break the tension, House Democrats banned reporters from a secret meeting at the Capitol to discuss the situation. Kansas Reflector obtained an audio recording of that meeting, in which members raise concerns about Hoheisel’s behavior and whether he was carrying a gun.

Hoheisel declined to comment for this story but disputed claims made by Democrats.

“I’m not going to dignify any of those false and outlandish allegations with a response,” Hoheisel said in a text message.

Carr didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but in the secret meeting, he joked about his willingness to get in a fight. Last month, he shoved another Democratic legislator to the ground during a bar fracas with a Wichita councilman. Democrats laughed at the reference during their secret meeting.

“I know that side of the aisle, and they constantly vote for gun rights,” Carr said. “I also know that some of them carry guns. I have one in my office. There’s a strong possibility that that gun will be on my person unless something is done, right?”

Carr continued: “He got up, he came over to me, and he made attacks. I can’t honestly see how someone of his stature would feel comfortable making those kind of attacks at me” — he paused for laughter — “unless, of course, he feels like he has some sort of an equalizer. So at this point, I feel like I need to equal and level the playing field.”

Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who runs House Democratic caucus meetings, said in the caucus meeting: “I understand what you’re saying along those lines, but what we’re asking is that we deescalate what happened.”

House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, told his caucus: “Everyone needs to breathe.”

“Him coming up to you on the floor and saying that s*** is bull****, but we can’t stoop to the low level of Republicans,” Woodard said during the closed meeting of Democrats.

Several Democrats, including Rep. Heather Meyer, an Overland Park Democrat, said they didn’t feel safe on the House floor.

Meyer asked her fellow Democrats “to remember that some of us have extensive, long-term trauma from gun violence, and we need to be chill.”

“This kind of talk makes me nervous, makes me not want to go back on the floor today, makes me want to go the f*** home,” Meyer said. “I am done with gun violence, and I just need you guys to remember that. Because I’m sitting here listening to this conversation thinking if I even want to be here, because it’s f***ing scary, and I am tired of being put in the line of fire.”

When the House reconvened, with a larger than usual Capitol Police presence on the floor, Republican leadership canceled the scheduled votes on the Eddie Eagle bill, as well as a proposed constitutional amendment that would assert a God-given right to own guns, ammunition and firearm accessories.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, and Woodard issued a joint statement on the “events that transpired on the House floor,” but didn’t respond to a request to explain what happened.

“The House of Representatives remains focused on the 2025 legislative session and completing the work we have been sent here to do,” they said in the joint statement. “The legislative session is an immense undertaking that requires a unified effort. We appreciate the continued dedication of our House members to the people of Kansas.”

Carmichael, who said he declined to participate in the meeting of House Democrats because it wasn’t open to the press, said Republican leadership did the right thing in the moment by shutting down debate and skipping over the gun bills.

“In the longer term,” Carmichael said, “leadership is going to have to have long conversations with some of their members.”

“I do not feel safe on the floor under these circumstances,” Carmichael added. “This situation with immature hotheads with guns on the floor needs to end.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740238444068.png" alt=" Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, checks the voting board during an April 27, 2023, session of the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, checks the voting board during an April 27, 2023, session of the House. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — An intense confrontation between a Republican and Democrat on the Kansas House floor Thursday during a gun debate forced the chamber into a two-hour recess as leadership worked to deescalate tensions.Democrats accused&nbsp;Rep. Nick Hoheisel, a Wichita Republican, of trying to start a fight with Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, by launching obscenities at Carr. The confrontation took place at Carr’s desk on the House floor.The incident happened during debate over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2104/" target="_blank">House Bill 2104,</a>&nbsp;which would require school districts to implement an NRA program known as Eddie Eagle in public elementary schools, starting in kindergarten, if the schools want to teach gun safety. It was among dozens of bills the House has debated this week ahead of a deadline to advance legislation.Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat, interrupted legislators debating the NRA curriculum bill and called for a point of order, citing “a need for decorum.” Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, then came to the front of the House chamber and asked for Hoheisel to be admonished.“While I did not observe everything that occurred, I heard exactly what happened,” Carmichael said. “The member strolled through the Democratic seats using profanity, and in my view, from what I heard, was attempting to incite a fight. And I ask that the member be admonished never to do that again.”In an interview, Carmichael said Hoheisel thumped a finger on Carr’s desk and repeatedly said, “That’s bulls***.”After House Republican leadership recessed the House to break the tension, House Democrats banned reporters from a secret meeting at the Capitol to discuss the situation. Kansas Reflector obtained an audio recording of that meeting, in which members raise concerns about Hoheisel’s behavior and whether he was carrying a gun.Hoheisel declined to comment for this story but disputed claims made by Democrats.“I’m not going to dignify any of those false and outlandish allegations with a response,” Hoheisel said in a text message.Carr didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but in the secret meeting, he joked about his willingness to get in a fight. Last month, he shoved another Democratic legislator to the ground during a bar fracas with a Wichita councilman. Democrats laughed at the reference during their secret meeting.“I know that side of the aisle, and they constantly vote for gun rights,” Carr said. “I also know that some of them carry guns. I have one in my office. There’s a strong possibility that that gun will be on my person unless something is done, right?”Carr continued: “He got up, he came over to me, and he made attacks. I can’t honestly see how someone of his stature would feel comfortable making those kind of attacks at me” — he paused for laughter — “unless, of course, he feels like he has some sort of an equalizer. So at this point, I feel like I need to equal and level the playing field.”Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who runs House Democratic caucus meetings, said in the caucus meeting: “I understand what you’re saying along those lines, but what we’re asking is that we deescalate what happened.”House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, told his caucus: “Everyone needs to breathe.”“Him coming up to you on the floor and saying that s*** is bull****, but we can’t stoop to the low level of Republicans,” Woodard said during the closed meeting of Democrats.Several Democrats, including Rep. Heather Meyer, an Overland Park Democrat, said they didn’t feel safe on the House floor.Meyer asked her fellow Democrats “to remember that some of us have extensive, long-term trauma from gun violence, and we need to be chill.”“This kind of talk makes me nervous, makes me not want to go back on the floor today, makes me want to go the f*** home,” Meyer said. “I am done with gun violence, and I just need you guys to remember that. Because I’m sitting here listening to this conversation thinking if I even want to be here, because it’s f***ing scary, and I am tired of being put in the line of fire.”When the House reconvened, with a larger than usual Capitol Police presence on the floor, Republican leadership canceled the scheduled votes on the Eddie Eagle bill, as well as a proposed constitutional amendment that would assert a God-given right to own guns, ammunition and firearm accessories.House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, and Woodard issued a joint statement on the “events that transpired on the House floor,” but didn’t respond to a request to explain what happened.“The House of Representatives remains focused on the 2025 legislative session and completing the work we have been sent here to do,” they said in the joint statement. “The legislative session is an immense undertaking that requires a unified effort. We appreciate the continued dedication of our House members to the people of Kansas.”Carmichael, who said he declined to participate in the meeting of House Democrats because it wasn’t open to the press, said Republican leadership did the right thing in the moment by shutting down debate and skipping over the gun bills.“In the longer term,” Carmichael said, “leadership is going to have to have long conversations with some of their members.”“I do not feel safe on the floor under these circumstances,” Carmichael added. “This situation with immature hotheads with guns on the floor needs to end.”

‘Everyone needs to breathe’: Intense confrontation on Kansas House floor forces two-hour recess

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;freed all six hostages in the latest exchange Saturday, even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-17-2025-c20c9664938b267354c9ac4812621a1e">the fragile ceasefire deal</a>.

The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern Israel when militants stormed across the border in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s nearly 16-month campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.

Five of the captives were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned in the past — brought out by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles.

In the central town of Nuseirat, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters on the stage. A beaming Shem Tov even kissed two militants next to him on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. Hamas has come under heavy criticism for such public displays, with Israel, the U.N. and the Red Cross saying they are cruel and do not respect the dignity of the hostages.

Watching the release, Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov’s grandmother ululated in joy, shrieking, “Omer, my joy! My life!” as she saw him.

The Israeli military said the final hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released later Saturday. The Bedouin Israeli crossed on his own into Gaza in 2015 and had been held since. His family has told Israeli media Al-Sayed was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The latest releases, to be followed by the freeing of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, went ahead after tensions mounted over a grisly and heart-wrenching dispute triggered this week when Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">an Israeli mother of two young boys</a>&nbsp;abducted by the militants.

The remains that Hamas transferred with her sons’ bodies on Thursday were later determined to be those of an unidentified Palestinian woman. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation,” while Hamas suggested it had been a mistake.

On Friday night, the small militant group believed to have been holding Bibas and her sons — the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades — handed over a second body. Bibas’ family said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed the remains were hers.

“For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure,” the family said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740232713632.png" alt="Image Hostage and Missing Familes Forum" />
 <figcaption>Image Hostage and Missing Familes Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hamas">Hamas</a>&nbsp;freed all six hostages in the latest exchange Saturday, even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-17-2025-c20c9664938b267354c9ac4812621a1e">the fragile ceasefire deal</a>.The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern Israel when militants stormed across the border in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s nearly 16-month campaign in the Gaza Strip.Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.Five of the captives were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned in the past — brought out by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles.In the central town of Nuseirat, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters on the stage. A beaming Shem Tov even kissed two militants next to him on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. Hamas has come under heavy criticism for such public displays, with Israel, the U.N. and the Red Cross saying they are cruel and do not respect the dignity of the hostages.Watching the release, Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov’s grandmother ululated in joy, shrieking, “Omer, my joy! My life!” as she saw him.The Israeli military said the final hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released later Saturday. The Bedouin Israeli crossed on his own into Gaza in 2015 and had been held since. His family has told Israeli media Al-Sayed was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740048973222.png" alt="Shiri Bibas photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum" />
 <figcaption>Shiri Bibas photo Hostages and Missing Families Forum</figcaption>
 </figure>The latest releases, to be followed by the freeing of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, went ahead after tensions mounted over a grisly and heart-wrenching dispute triggered this week when Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-20-2025-4c2ffabae1771cff1a9542fddfaf7d07">an Israeli mother of two young boys</a>&nbsp;abducted by the militants.The remains that Hamas transferred with her sons’ bodies on Thursday were later determined to be those of an unidentified Palestinian woman. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for “a cruel and malicious violation,” while Hamas suggested it had been a mistake.On Friday night, the small militant group believed to have been holding Bibas and her sons — the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades — handed over a second body. Bibas’ family said Israeli forensic authorities had confirmed the remains were hers.“For 16 months we sought certainty, and now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it marks the beginning of closure,” the family said.

Hamas frees 6 more hostages in the latest exchange with Israel

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.

Just after 3p.m. Feb. 20, police responded to the area of the 3400 Block of SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka for the report of a stabbing.

First responders located two individuals with non-life threatening injuries. These individuals were transported by ambulance to a local area hospital.

A short time later, an individual believed to be involved in the incident was located in the area. This individual, later identified as 58-year-old Bruce A. Bryant of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to speak with Detectives.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation, Bryant was arrested and booked into theShawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740138279238.png" alt="Bryant photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Bryant photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.Just after 3p.m. Feb. 20, police responded to the area of the 3400 Block of SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka for the report of a stabbing.First responders located two individuals with non-life threatening injuries. These individuals were transported by ambulance to a local area hospital.A short time later, an individual believed to be involved in the incident was located in the area. This individual, later identified as 58-year-old Bruce A. Bryant of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to speak with Detectives.&nbsp;As a result of the investigation, Bryant was arrested and booked into theShawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

Kansas man jailed for knife attack that hospitalized 2 victims

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MAE%20ANDERSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock because the usually reliable staple is in short supply.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions</a>&nbsp;of chickens a month, causing U.S. egg prices to skyrocket.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-record-bird-flu-a2394bdefc7bd0514d4f003cc5e8a908">The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January</a>, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023. The Agriculture Department predicts prices will soar another 20% this year.

Most owners are taking the increase in stride, looking at it as just one of many hurdles they constantly face. But if the problem persists, they could be forced to raise prices or adjust their products.

Liz Berman is the owner and sole proprietor of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts. She specializes in custom, from-scratch cakes but also sells cupcakes, cookies, pies and other baked goods.

Eggs are just one of the baking ingredients experiencing price shocks. Items such as cocoa powder and butter have gone up as well. And price isn't the only issue.

“It’s not just the cost of eggs, right? It’s also just the availability,” she said. She prefers to buy medium-sized white shelled eggs, buying a box with 18 dozen eggs, but two weeks ago those were unavailable, so she had to buy brown eggs in individual cartons of 12.

“It sounds kind of silly, but when I I’m the sole proprietor and I have a huge volume of work, to have to take a dozen of eggs out of my walk-in at a time as opposed to a flat of eggs, it’s just it’s a pain,” she said.

She doesn't think prices will ease anytime soon. Cocoa powder prices have been elevated for years.

“I think ultimately I’m going to have to increase my prices, which is hard because that’s going to mean that there’s a category of customer that won’t order from me anymore,” she said.

In Princeton, New Jersey, John Nachlinger, owner of the Bad Cookie Company, is imposing a temporary 25 cent per cookie surcharge to help mitigate added costs.

“As cookies are already a tight-margin food, these increases have really hurt our bottom line,” Nachlinger said. He said he doesn't want to permanently raise prices or adjust the size of his cookies since he hopes the egg situation is temporary. “We want to bring value to our customers," he said.

At Daisies, a pasta restaurant in Chicago, chef/partner Joe Frillman and chef/partner Leigh Omilinsky haven't raised prices but are thinking of adjusting menu items.

Omilinsky said she is thinking of adding more vegan and egg-free deserts to the menu and has been working more with flax seeds. She said the shortage has made her more conscious of the ingredients she is using and wasting less.

“You know, if we need egg yolks we are absolutely saving those whites,” she said.

Meanwhile, Frillman said the restaurant has shifted to making pastas that use less eggs.

“We’ve just changed the shape of the noodle,” he said. “We use an extruder which is a piece of equipment that allows us to basically extrude pasta without eggs.”

Depending on how long the egg shortage lasts, they could adjust menu items too, he said.

“We have a pappardelle on our menu that’s been on since day one,” he said. “If this gets to the point where it’s just cost prohibitive, it’s very egg yolk heavy, we would then transfer to something like a spaghetti or a fettuccine that is a similar noodle that we can make without eggs.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie Maynard, co-owner of Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut, faces a different issue: skyrocketing demand.

The farm she owns with her husband produces beef, pork, poultry, eggs and vegetables. They have 950 laying hens, with 300 more coming in March. The winter is generally a quieter time as the farm prepares for busy spring and summer months, increasing the inventory on hand until it is ready to sell. But this year, they're rushing to increase egg production for customers at greenmarkets.

People who might normally buy eggs at supermarkets are turning to greenmarkets due to the shortages, and regular customers are increasing their orders just to make sure they have eggs, she said.

“We have developed a rapport with our customers. I know a lot of them by name and face,” she said. “And now you’re seeing people that you’ve never seen attend a market before. So I'm drawing a lot of new customers in to get eggs at the market.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739399659085.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MAE%20ANDERSON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners that rely on eggs for their products are facing sticker shock because the usually reliable staple is in short supply.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-nevada-strain-06ca2696a3477b7534cc4d6b3a5edfa8">Avian flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions</a>&nbsp;of chickens a month, causing U.S. egg prices to skyrocket.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/egg-prices-record-bird-flu-a2394bdefc7bd0514d4f003cc5e8a908">The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities reached $4.95 in January</a>, eclipsing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 that was recorded in August 2023. The Agriculture Department predicts prices will soar another 20% this year.Most owners are taking the increase in stride, looking at it as just one of many hurdles they constantly face. But if the problem persists, they could be forced to raise prices or adjust their products.Liz Berman is the owner and sole proprietor of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts. She specializes in custom, from-scratch cakes but also sells cupcakes, cookies, pies and other baked goods.Eggs are just one of the baking ingredients experiencing price shocks. Items such as cocoa powder and butter have gone up as well. And price isn't the only issue.“It’s not just the cost of eggs, right? It’s also just the availability,” she said. She prefers to buy medium-sized white shelled eggs, buying a box with 18 dozen eggs, but two weeks ago those were unavailable, so she had to buy brown eggs in individual cartons of 12.“It sounds kind of silly, but when I I’m the sole proprietor and I have a huge volume of work, to have to take a dozen of eggs out of my walk-in at a time as opposed to a flat of eggs, it’s just it’s a pain,” she said.She doesn't think prices will ease anytime soon. Cocoa powder prices have been elevated for years.“I think ultimately I’m going to have to increase my prices, which is hard because that’s going to mean that there’s a category of customer that won’t order from me anymore,” she said.In Princeton, New Jersey, John Nachlinger, owner of the Bad Cookie Company, is imposing a temporary 25 cent per cookie surcharge to help mitigate added costs.“As cookies are already a tight-margin food, these increases have really hurt our bottom line,” Nachlinger said. He said he doesn't want to permanently raise prices or adjust the size of his cookies since he hopes the egg situation is temporary. “We want to bring value to our customers," he said.At Daisies, a pasta restaurant in Chicago, chef/partner Joe Frillman and chef/partner Leigh Omilinsky haven't raised prices but are thinking of adjusting menu items.Omilinsky said she is thinking of adding more vegan and egg-free deserts to the menu and has been working more with flax seeds. She said the shortage has made her more conscious of the ingredients she is using and wasting less.“You know, if we need egg yolks we are absolutely saving those whites,” she said.Meanwhile, Frillman said the restaurant has shifted to making pastas that use less eggs.“We’ve just changed the shape of the noodle,” he said. “We use an extruder which is a piece of equipment that allows us to basically extrude pasta without eggs.”Depending on how long the egg shortage lasts, they could adjust menu items too, he said.“We have a pappardelle on our menu that’s been on since day one,” he said. “If this gets to the point where it’s just cost prohibitive, it’s very egg yolk heavy, we would then transfer to something like a spaghetti or a fettuccine that is a similar noodle that we can make without eggs.”Meanwhile, Stephanie Maynard, co-owner of Ox Hollow Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut, faces a different issue: skyrocketing demand.The farm she owns with her husband produces beef, pork, poultry, eggs and vegetables. They have 950 laying hens, with 300 more coming in March. The winter is generally a quieter time as the farm prepares for busy spring and summer months, increasing the inventory on hand until it is ready to sell. But this year, they're rushing to increase egg production for customers at greenmarkets.People who might normally buy eggs at supermarkets are turning to greenmarkets due to the shortages, and regular customers are increasing their orders just to make sure they have eggs, she said.“We have developed a rapport with our customers. I know a lot of them by name and face,” she said. “And now you’re seeing people that you’ve never seen attend a market before. So I'm drawing a lot of new customers in to get eggs at the market.”

From farms to bakeries, egg shortages and price hikes are challenging small businesses

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.

The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.

Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.

Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.

Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.

However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.

Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.

A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.

Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.

The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.

Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.

The firing follows days of speculation after a list of officers, including Brown, to be fired was circulated on Capitol Hill — but notably was not sent via any formal notification to either of the Republican chairmen of the House or Senate armed services committees.

Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.

“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.

“A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy," Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late Friday. “For the sake of our troops and the well-being of every American, elected leaders — especially Senate Republicans — must defend that enduring principle against corrosive attempts to remake the military into a partisan force.”

Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”

Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.

“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.

As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.

“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”

Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.

As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.

Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.

It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.

Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.

However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, as a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738070098080.png" alt="File photo-Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his first day of work at the Pentagon.-courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on his first day of work at the Pentagon.-courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”<h2>More Pentagon firings</h2>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.The firing follows days of speculation after a list of officers, including Brown, to be fired was circulated on Capitol Hill — but notably was not sent via any formal notification to either of the Republican chairmen of the House or Senate armed services committees.Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.“A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy," Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late Friday. “For the sake of our troops and the well-being of every American, elected leaders — especially Senate Republicans — must defend that enduring principle against corrosive attempts to remake the military into a partisan force.”<h2>Brown risked discussing race</h2>Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-trump-diversity-pentagon-list-602477b6e80641b53f4f9b640a14f4ce">rid the military of leaders who support diversity</a>&nbsp;and equity in the ranks.The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and the expanded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict in the Middle East</a>.“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-job-cuts-trump-doge-31e3ed62f5f35a5e5a4a07fd8708232f">cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers</a>&nbsp;starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.Trump said he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography.Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs.However, he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job, including serving as either the vice chairman, as a combatant commander or a service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest.”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown, announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife.Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired by the Trump administration. Trump fired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-alejandro-mayorkas-us-coast-guard-government-and-politics-8b589577fa03f04f3ce096e2bbf98928">Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan</a>&nbsp;just a day after he was sworn in.A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints as aircraft carrier strike group commander.Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.Trump has asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term, removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next.The chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-navy-football-penny-hegseth-desantis-85da138b3ac130b211afc414bf43514a">Army-Navy football game</a>.Sen. Roger Wicker, GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name in a statement Friday.“I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”Brown’s future was called into question during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-hearing-senate-defense-pentagon-trump-37d0961eb63d824cae8d4478cb12e412">confirmation hearing for Hegseth</a>&nbsp;last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards, lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.”Hegseth had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e">previously taken aim at Brown</a>. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.As he walked into the Pentagon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-priorities-border-budget-3227111b703be8a90ad93da289784932">on his first day as defense chief</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire Brown.“I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the back. “Look forward to working with him.”Brown, who spent Friday visiting troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said, discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to say something.As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life, but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot.Brown’s path to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior military officers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-military-promotion-tuberville-alabama-8269bbc6a8a7bbb0eabbbba6f1a27787">whose nominations were stalled for months</a>&nbsp;by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8.It had been 30 years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to 1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense Department report.Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were Black.

Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been convicted in federal court of a scheme in which he spent more than $200,000 in donations for his own personal expenses.

Aaron Wayne McKie, 47, was found guilty on Thursday, Feb. 20, of nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. McKie worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.

McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.

Evidence produced during the trial indicated that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. Individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $200,060 for his own personal purposes.

The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.

From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax-exempt status in 2010.

Under federal statutes, McKie is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 10 counts on which he was convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for nine hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 10.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714219569463.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been convicted in federal court of a scheme in which he spent more than $200,000 in donations for his own personal expenses.Aaron Wayne McKie, 47, was found guilty on Thursday, Feb. 20, of nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. McKie worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.Evidence produced during the trial indicated that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. Individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $200,060 for his own personal purposes.The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax-exempt status in 2010.Under federal statutes, McKie is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 10 counts on which he was convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for nine hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 10.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Jury: Former KCPD officer guilty in $200K charity fraud scheme

WASHINGTON —For the second time within 48 hours, the U.S. conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Thursday, demonstrating force projection capabilities and partner nation integration in the region, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

Two B-52s from RAF Fairford, U.K., flew across Europe and six partner countries in CENTCOM's area of responsibility during their mission, which included aerial refueling and training missions at ranges. 

Additionally, one partner nation provided fighter escorts for the bombers throughout the mission.

U.S. forces conducted a similar Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740081202044.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —For the second time within 48 hours, the U.S. conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Thursday, demonstrating force projection capabilities and partner nation integration in the region, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.Two B-52s from RAF Fairford, U.K., flew across Europe and six partner countries in CENTCOM's area of responsibility during their mission, which included aerial refueling and training missions at ranges. Additionally, one partner nation provided fighter escorts for the bombers throughout the mission.U.S. forces conducted a similar Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East on Monday.

Show of force: Second U.S. bomber task force mission this week

SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — A snowboarder was killed in an avalanche in the mountains of southwestern Colorado on Thursday, the fourth person to die in an avalanche in the U.S. West this week after a string of winter storms.

The snowboarder was caught in the debris of the avalanche in the backcountry near Silverton but a man who was skiing with the snowboarder escaped the snow slide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Staff from a nearby backcountry hut noticed the avalanche, alerted rescuers and helped the skier dig the victim out of the debris, it said.

Three people died in avalanches Monday — one person near Lake Tahoe in California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avalanche-bend-oregon-cascades-snowmobile-backcountry-skiers-1ac75611c4efd8e68d50d2551d129fb2">two backcountry skiers</a>&nbsp;in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740194627568.png" alt="Photo DeAnne Gallegos/Silverton Medical Rescue" />
 <figcaption>Photo DeAnne Gallegos/Silverton Medical Rescue</figcaption>
 </figure>SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — A snowboarder was killed in an avalanche in the mountains of southwestern Colorado on Thursday, the fourth person to die in an avalanche in the U.S. West this week after a string of winter storms.The snowboarder was caught in the debris of the avalanche in the backcountry near Silverton but a man who was skiing with the snowboarder escaped the snow slide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Staff from a nearby backcountry hut noticed the avalanche, alerted rescuers and helped the skier dig the victim out of the debris, it said.Three people died in avalanches Monday — one person near Lake Tahoe in California and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avalanche-bend-oregon-cascades-snowmobile-backcountry-skiers-1ac75611c4efd8e68d50d2551d129fb2">two backcountry skiers</a>&nbsp;in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

Snowboarder killed in Co. avalanche in 4th slide death in West this week

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the death of a man who body was found in the truck of a car in August.

Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 24-year-old Daitrez Birch to 272 months for killing&nbsp;Kyce Barnes, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Christmas Eve, Birch pleaded guilty to&nbsp;second-degree murder, aggravated battery and desecration of remains.

Just after 8a.m. August 21, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot located in the 8200 block of West Irving Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Officers were directed to a white four door Mercedes and discovered a victim later identified as Barnes in the trunk of the vehicle wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. His remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.

During the investigation, detectives identified the Deluxe Motel at 8401 W. Kellogg Drive as the original crime scene.&nbsp;

Barnes had a long history of crime. He spent time in the Kansas Department of Corrections for drug convictions in Cowley County. He was released from prison in 2020.&nbsp; On August 20, police booked Barnes into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges that included possession of stolen property and drug possession, according to jail booking records. He was released from the Sedgwick County jail just after 3p.m. August 21.

Police in Wichita also arrested him in 2022 on requested charges of theft, violation of a protection order, domestic battery and failure to appear.&nbsp;

Officers responded the morning of August 21 to the report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot near Kellogg and Tyler. Police were then directed to a white four-door Mercedes.

According to police, Barnes&nbsp;was found wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. Investigators later identified the&nbsp;Delux Inn at 8401 West Kellogg Drive as the crime scene.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kake.com/home/3rd-suspect-charged-in-case-of-wichita-man-found-dead-in-trunk-of-car/article_bef5449e-7688-11ef-b73b-4f86f2c2ec24.html" target="_blank">Two other people</a>, Taryn Bowman and Demetrius Hill, were charged with&nbsp;concealing, altering or destroying evidence. Hill's case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in April, court records show. Bowman pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to a year of probation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724266152157.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the death of a man who body was found in the truck of a car in August.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724854691982.png" alt="Birch-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Birch-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 24-year-old Daitrez Birch to 272 months for killing&nbsp;Kyce Barnes, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On Christmas Eve, Birch pleaded guilty to&nbsp;second-degree murder, aggravated battery and desecration of remains.Just after 8a.m. August 21, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot located in the 8200 block of West Irving Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.Officers were directed to a white four door Mercedes and discovered a victim later identified as Barnes in the trunk of the vehicle wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. His remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.During the investigation, detectives identified the Deluxe Motel at 8401 W. Kellogg Drive as the original crime scene.&nbsp;Barnes had a long history of crime. He spent time in the Kansas Department of Corrections for drug convictions in Cowley County. He was released from prison in 2020.&nbsp; On August 20, police booked Barnes into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges that included possession of stolen property and drug possession, according to jail booking records. He was released from the Sedgwick County jail just after 3p.m. August 21.Police in Wichita also arrested him in 2022 on requested charges of theft, violation of a protection order, domestic battery and failure to appear.&nbsp;Officers responded the morning of August 21 to the report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot near Kellogg and Tyler. Police were then directed to a white four-door Mercedes.According to police, Barnes&nbsp;was found wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. Investigators later identified the&nbsp;Delux Inn at 8401 West Kellogg Drive as the crime scene.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kake.com/home/3rd-suspect-charged-in-case-of-wichita-man-found-dead-in-trunk-of-car/article_bef5449e-7688-11ef-b73b-4f86f2c2ec24.html" target="_blank">Two other people</a>, Taryn Bowman and Demetrius Hill, were charged with&nbsp;concealing, altering or destroying evidence. Hill's case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in April, court records show. Bowman pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to a year of probation.&nbsp;

Prison after Kansas man's body found in trunk of a Mercedes 

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sparred with Maine’s Democratic governor during a meeting of governors at the White House on Friday, with Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-mills">Janet Mills</a>&nbsp;telling the Republican president, “We’ll see you in court,” over his push to deny federal funding to the state over transgender athletes.

Trump told the governor he looked forward to it, and predicted the end of her political career for opposing his order.

The confrontation came after Mills and Trump had traded barbs over the last 24 hours regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">his push to bar transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from playing in girls’ and women’s sports. The confrontation in the State Dining Room was an unusual breach of the typically courteous interactions that lawmakers, even of opposing parties, have historically shared at the White House.

The back-and-forth came in the middle of the president’s remarks welcoming the nation’s governors to the White House. As he was speaking about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order he signed</a>&nbsp;earlier this month on transgender athletes, he sought out Mills in the room after singling her out a day earlier in remarks to the Republican Governors Association.

“Are you not going to comply with it?” he asked.

“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” Mills replied.

Trump responded, “We are the federal law.” He again threatened the state’s federal funding and said Maine may be a Democratic state but its residents largely agree with him on this issue.

“We’re going to follow the law,” she said.

“You’d better comply,” Trump warned. “Otherwise, you’re not getting any federal funding.”

“We’ll see you in court,” the governor replied.

“Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one,” Trump said. “And enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”

Trump made a similar threat Thursday night as he spoke to a group of Republican governors. He said that he “heard men are still playing in Maine” and that he would pull funding because of it.

“So we’re not going to give them any federal funding. None whatsoever, until they clean that up,” Trump said.

The Maine Principals’ Association, which governs high school sports in the state, said earlier this month that it would continue to allow transgender female athletes to compete. The association’s executive director, Mike Burnham, said it would follow the Maine Human Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on gender identity.

Mills and Maine’s Democratic attorney general responded Friday morning to Trump’s comments the night before, issuing statements declaring they’d push back.

Mills said the state “will not be intimidated” by Trump’s threats.

“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of Federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,” Mills said in a statement before the confrontation with Trump.

Aaron Frey, Maine’s attorney general, said he would “defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us.”

The order Trump signed earlier this month gives federal agencies wide latitude to make sure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sparred with Maine’s Democratic governor during a meeting of governors at the White House on Friday, with Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-mills">Janet Mills</a>&nbsp;telling the Republican president, “We’ll see you in court,” over his push to deny federal funding to the state over transgender athletes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Heated exchange between President Trump and Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) over executive order banning transgender women in sports President Trump: &quot;Are you not going to comply with that?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/GovJanetMills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovJanetMills</a>: &quot;I&#39;m complying with state and federal laws.&quot; Trump: &quot;We are the federal law.… <a href="https://t.co/O7my5uN45W">pic.twitter.com/O7my5uN45W</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1893017453925384617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump told the governor he looked forward to it, and predicted the end of her political career for opposing his order.The confrontation came after Mills and Trump had traded barbs over the last 24 hours regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">his push to bar transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;from playing in girls’ and women’s sports. The confrontation in the State Dining Room was an unusual breach of the typically courteous interactions that lawmakers, even of opposing parties, have historically shared at the White House.The back-and-forth came in the middle of the president’s remarks welcoming the nation’s governors to the White House. As he was speaking about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-athletes-3606411fc12efffec95a893351624e1b">an executive order he signed</a>&nbsp;earlier this month on transgender athletes, he sought out Mills in the room after singling her out a day earlier in remarks to the Republican Governors Association.“I’m here,” she replied.“Are you not going to comply with it?” he asked.“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” Mills replied.Trump responded, “We are the federal law.” He again threatened the state’s federal funding and said Maine may be a Democratic state but its residents largely agree with him on this issue.“We’re going to follow the law,” she said.“You’d better comply,” Trump warned. “Otherwise, you’re not getting any federal funding.”“We’ll see you in court,” the governor replied.“Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one,” Trump said. “And enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”Trump made a similar threat Thursday night as he spoke to a group of Republican governors. He said that he “heard men are still playing in Maine” and that he would pull funding because of it.ADVERTISEMENT“So we’re not going to give them any federal funding. None whatsoever, until they clean that up,” Trump said.The Maine Principals’ Association, which governs high school sports in the state, said earlier this month that it would continue to allow transgender female athletes to compete. The association’s executive director, Mike Burnham, said it would follow the Maine Human Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on gender identity.Mills and Maine’s Democratic attorney general responded Friday morning to Trump’s comments the night before, issuing statements declaring they’d push back.Mills said the state “will not be intimidated” by Trump’s threats.“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of Federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,” Mills said in a statement before the confrontation with Trump.Aaron Frey, Maine’s attorney general, said he would “defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the president to bully and threaten us.”The order Trump signed earlier this month gives federal agencies wide latitude to make sure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

🎥Trump spars with Maine’s governor over transgender athletes

NEW YORK (AP) — Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the 1960s and after whose rich, intimate baritone graced such hits as “For Your Precious Love,” “Only the Strong Survive” and “Make It Easy On Yourself,” has died at age 85.

Butler’s niece, Yolanda Goff, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Butler died Thursday at his home in Chicago. Butler was a former Cook County board commissioner who would still perform on weekends and identify himself as Jerry “Iceman” Butler, a show business nickname given for his understated style.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a three-time Grammy Award nominee, Butler was a voice for two major soul music hubs: Chicago and Philadelphia. Along with childhood friend Curtis Mayfield, he helped found the Chicago-based Impressions and sang lead on the breakthrough hit “For Your Precious Love,” a deeply emotional, gospel-influenced ballad that made Butler a star before the age of 20. A decade later, in the late ‘60s, he joined the Philadelphia-based production team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who worked with him on “Only the Strong Survive,” “Hey Western Union Man” and other hits. His albums “Ice on Ice” and “The Iceman Cometh” are regarded as early models for the danceable, string-powered productions that became the classic “Sound of Philadelphia.”

Butler was an inspired songwriter who collaborated with Otis Redding on “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” a signature ballad for Redding; and with Gamble and Huff on “Only the Strong Survive,” later covered by Elvis Presley among others. His credits also included “For Your Precious Love,” “Never Give You Up” (with Gamble and Huff) and “He Will Break Your Heart,” which Butler helped write after he began thinking about the boyfriends of the groupies he met on the road.

“You go into a town; you’re only going to be there for one night; you want some company; you find a girl; you blow her mind,” Butler told Rolling Stone in 1969. “Now you know that girl hasn’t been sitting in town waiting for you to come in. She probably has another fellow and the other fellow’s probably in love with her; they’re probably planning to go through the whole thing, right? But you never take that into consideration on that particular night.”

Butler was the son of Mississippi sharecroppers who moved north to Chicago when Butler was 3, part of the era’s “Great Migration” of Black people out of the South. He loved all kinds of music as a child and was a good enough singer that a friend suggested he come to a local place of worship, the Traveling Souls Spiritualist Church, presided over by the Rev. A.B. Mayfield. Her grandson, Curtis Mayfield, soon became a close friend. (Mayfield died in 1999).

In 1958, Mayfield and Butler along with Sam Gooden and brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks recorded “For Your Precious Love” for Vee-Jay Records. The group called itself the Impressions, but Vee-Jay, anxious to promote an individual star, advertised the song as by Jerry Butler and the Impressions, leading to estrangement between Butler and the other performers and to an unexpected solo career.

“Fame didn’t change me as much as it changed the people around me,” Butler wrote in his memoir “Only the Strong Survive,” published in 2000.

One of his early solo performances was a 1961 cover of “Moon River,” the theme to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Butler was the first performer to hit the charts with what became a pop standard, but “Moon River” would be associated with Andy Williams after the singer was chosen to perform it at the Academy Awards, a snub Butler long resented. His other solo hits, some recorded with Mayfield, included “He Will Break Your Heart”, “Find Another Girl” and “I’m A-Telling You.” By 1967, his formal style seemed out of fashion, but Butler was impressed by the new music coming out of Philadelphia and received permission from his record label (Mercury) to work with Gamble and Huff. The chemistry, Butler recalled, was so “fierce” they wrote hits such as “Only the Strong Survive” in less than an hour.

“Things just seem to fall into place,” Butler told Ebony magazine in 1969. “We lock ourselves in a room, create stories about lovers, compose the music, then write the lyrics to match the music.”

By the 1980s, Butler’s career had faded and he was becoming increasingly interested in politics. Encouraged by the 1983 election of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor, he ran successfully for the Cook County Board in 1985 and was re-elected repeatedly, even after supporting a controversial sales tax increase in 2009. He retired from the board in 2018.

Butler was married for 60 years to Annette Smith, who died in 2019, and with her had twin sons. Many of his generational peers had struggled financially and he worked to help them. He chaired the Rhythm &amp; Blues Foundation, which provides a wide range of assistance to musicians, and pushed the industry to provide medical and retirement benefits. Butler considered himself relatively lucky, even if he did pass on the chance to own a part of Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International recording company.

“You know, I have lived well. My wife probably would say I could’ve lived better,” Butler told the Chicago Reader in 2011. “Did I make 40, 50 million dollars? No. Did I keep one or two? Yes. The old guys on the street used to say, ‘It’s not how much you make. It’s how much you keep.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740161363501.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Jerry Butler, a premier soul singer of the 1960s and after whose rich, intimate baritone graced such hits as “For Your Precious Love,” “Only the Strong Survive” and “Make It Easy On Yourself,” has died at age 85.Butler’s niece, Yolanda Goff, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Butler died Thursday at his home in Chicago. Butler was a former Cook County board commissioner who would still perform on weekends and identify himself as Jerry “Iceman” Butler, a show business nickname given for his understated style.A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a three-time Grammy Award nominee, Butler was a voice for two major soul music hubs: Chicago and Philadelphia. Along with childhood friend Curtis Mayfield, he helped found the Chicago-based Impressions and sang lead on the breakthrough hit “For Your Precious Love,” a deeply emotional, gospel-influenced ballad that made Butler a star before the age of 20. A decade later, in the late ‘60s, he joined the Philadelphia-based production team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, who worked with him on “Only the Strong Survive,” “Hey Western Union Man” and other hits. His albums “Ice on Ice” and “The Iceman Cometh” are regarded as early models for the danceable, string-powered productions that became the classic “Sound of Philadelphia.”Butler was an inspired songwriter who collaborated with Otis Redding on “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” a signature ballad for Redding; and with Gamble and Huff on “Only the Strong Survive,” later covered by Elvis Presley among others. His credits also included “For Your Precious Love,” “Never Give You Up” (with Gamble and Huff) and “He Will Break Your Heart,” which Butler helped write after he began thinking about the boyfriends of the groupies he met on the road.“You go into a town; you’re only going to be there for one night; you want some company; you find a girl; you blow her mind,” Butler told Rolling Stone in 1969. “Now you know that girl hasn’t been sitting in town waiting for you to come in. She probably has another fellow and the other fellow’s probably in love with her; they’re probably planning to go through the whole thing, right? But you never take that into consideration on that particular night.”Butler was the son of Mississippi sharecroppers who moved north to Chicago when Butler was 3, part of the era’s “Great Migration” of Black people out of the South. He loved all kinds of music as a child and was a good enough singer that a friend suggested he come to a local place of worship, the Traveling Souls Spiritualist Church, presided over by the Rev. A.B. Mayfield. Her grandson, Curtis Mayfield, soon became a close friend. (Mayfield died in 1999).ADVERTISEMENTIn 1958, Mayfield and Butler along with Sam Gooden and brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks recorded “For Your Precious Love” for Vee-Jay Records. The group called itself the Impressions, but Vee-Jay, anxious to promote an individual star, advertised the song as by Jerry Butler and the Impressions, leading to estrangement between Butler and the other performers and to an unexpected solo career.“Fame didn’t change me as much as it changed the people around me,” Butler wrote in his memoir “Only the Strong Survive,” published in 2000.One of his early solo performances was a 1961 cover of “Moon River,” the theme to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Butler was the first performer to hit the charts with what became a pop standard, but “Moon River” would be associated with Andy Williams after the singer was chosen to perform it at the Academy Awards, a snub Butler long resented. His other solo hits, some recorded with Mayfield, included “He Will Break Your Heart”, “Find Another Girl” and “I’m A-Telling You.” By 1967, his formal style seemed out of fashion, but Butler was impressed by the new music coming out of Philadelphia and received permission from his record label (Mercury) to work with Gamble and Huff. The chemistry, Butler recalled, was so “fierce” they wrote hits such as “Only the Strong Survive” in less than an hour.ADVERTISEMENT“Things just seem to fall into place,” Butler told Ebony magazine in 1969. “We lock ourselves in a room, create stories about lovers, compose the music, then write the lyrics to match the music.”By the 1980s, Butler’s career had faded and he was becoming increasingly interested in politics. Encouraged by the 1983 election of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor, he ran successfully for the Cook County Board in 1985 and was re-elected repeatedly, even after supporting a controversial sales tax increase in 2009. He retired from the board in 2018.Butler was married for 60 years to Annette Smith, who died in 2019, and with her had twin sons. Many of his generational peers had struggled financially and he worked to help them. He chaired the Rhythm &amp; Blues Foundation, which provides a wide range of assistance to musicians, and pushed the industry to provide medical and retirement benefits. Butler considered himself relatively lucky, even if he did pass on the chance to own a part of Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International recording company.“You know, I have lived well. My wife probably would say I could’ve lived better,” Butler told the Chicago Reader in 2011. “Did I make 40, 50 million dollars? No. Did I keep one or two? Yes. The old guys on the street used to say, ‘It’s not how much you make. It’s how much you keep.’”

Soul singer Jerry Butler, whose hits included ‘Only the Strong Survive,’ dies at 85

BY:&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 — A Senate Democrat unsuccessfully attempted to insert “medicinal cannabis” among treatments allowed under a bill meant to broaden Kansans’ access to experimental drugs.

Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher, who introduced Wednesday the amendment that would have legalized medicinal cannabis for terminally ill patients, later emphasized her intention was not to create a public medical marijuana program.

“I think most of you realize I would not bring something of that magnitude to an important bill like SB 250,” said Holscher, of Overland Park, Wednesday evening. “That amendment, rather, was to mirror what was approved by President Trump in the&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-sign-right-try-legislation-fulfilling-promise-made-expand-healthcare-options-terminal-americans/" target="_blank">Right to Try Act</a>, which is a very defined, narrow scope only for terminally ill patients.”

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb250/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 250</a>, introduced and carried on the Senate floor by Eudora Republican Sen. Beverly Gossage, would create the Right to Try for Individualized Investigative Treatments Act. Investigational treatments can also be referred to as experimental drugs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The bill would permit people who are unable to find relief from rare, life-threatening or debilitating conditions to access individualized, genetics-based medical treatment. The drug trial evaluation system in the U.S. is designed to evaluate medications meant to help larger populations leaving behind drugs that can be individually tailored to a patient’s unique genetic makeup, Gossage said.&nbsp;

“Individualized treatments are being pioneered in the U.S. and abroad, but often patients in the U.S. travel thousands of miles,” she said.

The bill passed the Senate and is awaiting approval in the House.

Holscher supported the bill as a whole but voiced concerns.

“I don’t want to give people false hope,” she said, “yet I certainly would not stand in the way of a parent or individual trying to get medical help for a family member.”

Her amendment added medicinal cannabis to the list of treatments allowed under the definition of individualized investigative treatment.

Cannabis “has been found to have proven benefits for those with life-threatening or debilitating diseases,” Holscher said.&nbsp;

During floor debate on the amendment, Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who sat on the two-day 2024 interim committee that evaluated the possibility of medical marijuana in Kansas, said adding legislation opens a door to unintended consequences.

“We’ve examined medical cannabis for quite some time,” Thompson said, “and the term medical cannabis is nothing but a marketing ploy.”

Medical marijuana is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/state-medical-cannabis-laws" target="_blank">legal</a>&nbsp;in 39 states and Washington, D.C., and recreational use is legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Recreational use of marijuana is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Kansas and Idaho are the only states without any form of marijuana legalization. In 2023, of the four proposed bills in&nbsp;<a href="https://klrd.gov/2024/12/18/medical-marijuana-update-2025/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>&nbsp;related to medical marijuana, one received a hearing and died in committee. In 2024, two were introduced and both died in committee.&nbsp;

Gossage admonished Holscher’s amendment after nine Democrats voted in favor and all 31 Republicans voted against it.&nbsp;

“I just think it’s tragic that we would turn a discussion on a right to try for individualized treatment for patients with ultra-rare, life-threatening, debilitating diseases that could be life-saving to a debate on so-called medical marijuana,” she said. “That should be a completely separate bill.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740152824434.png" alt=" Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat on Dec. 2, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat on Dec. 2, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&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 — A Senate Democrat unsuccessfully attempted to insert “medicinal cannabis” among treatments allowed under a bill meant to broaden Kansans’ access to experimental drugs.Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher, who introduced Wednesday the amendment that would have legalized medicinal cannabis for terminally ill patients, later emphasized her intention was not to create a public medical marijuana program.“I think most of you realize I would not bring something of that magnitude to an important bill like SB 250,” said Holscher, of Overland Park, Wednesday evening. “That amendment, rather, was to mirror what was approved by President Trump in the&nbsp;<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-sign-right-try-legislation-fulfilling-promise-made-expand-healthcare-options-terminal-americans/" target="_blank">Right to Try Act</a>, which is a very defined, narrow scope only for terminally ill patients.”<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb250/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 250</a>, introduced and carried on the Senate floor by Eudora Republican Sen. Beverly Gossage, would create the Right to Try for Individualized Investigative Treatments Act. Investigational treatments can also be referred to as experimental drugs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The bill would permit people who are unable to find relief from rare, life-threatening or debilitating conditions to access individualized, genetics-based medical treatment. The drug trial evaluation system in the U.S. is designed to evaluate medications meant to help larger populations leaving behind drugs that can be individually tailored to a patient’s unique genetic makeup, Gossage said.&nbsp;“Individualized treatments are being pioneered in the U.S. and abroad, but often patients in the U.S. travel thousands of miles,” she said.The bill passed the Senate and is awaiting approval in the House.Holscher supported the bill as a whole but voiced concerns.“I don’t want to give people false hope,” she said, “yet I certainly would not stand in the way of a parent or individual trying to get medical help for a family member.”Her amendment added medicinal cannabis to the list of treatments allowed under the definition of individualized investigative treatment.Cannabis “has been found to have proven benefits for those with life-threatening or debilitating diseases,” Holscher said.&nbsp;During floor debate on the amendment, Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who sat on the two-day 2024 interim committee that evaluated the possibility of medical marijuana in Kansas, said adding legislation opens a door to unintended consequences.“We’ve examined medical cannabis for quite some time,” Thompson said, “and the term medical cannabis is nothing but a marketing ploy.”Medical marijuana is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/state-medical-cannabis-laws" target="_blank">legal</a>&nbsp;in 39 states and Washington, D.C., and recreational use is legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Recreational use of marijuana is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Kansas and Idaho are the only states without any form of marijuana legalization. In 2023, of the four proposed bills in&nbsp;<a href="https://klrd.gov/2024/12/18/medical-marijuana-update-2025/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>&nbsp;related to medical marijuana, one received a hearing and died in committee. In 2024, two were introduced and both died in committee.&nbsp;Gossage admonished Holscher’s amendment after nine Democrats voted in favor and all 31 Republicans voted against it.&nbsp;“I just think it’s tragic that we would turn a discussion on a right to try for individualized treatment for patients with ultra-rare, life-threatening, debilitating diseases that could be life-saving to a debate on so-called medical marijuana,” she said. “That should be a completely separate bill.”

Kansas Democrat attempts to insert narrow medical marijuana legalization into treatment bill

KANSAS CITY —There were no injuries after law enforcement successfully retrieved&nbsp; a WW2 area grenade from a vehicle in downtown Blue Springs.

Authorities blocked off Main Street from 15th Street east to the railroad tracks and 14th Street from Smith to Vesper in downtown Blue Springs while the Lees Summit Police bomb squad responded and then confirmed the device was a real WW2 era grenade.&nbsp;

On Friday, Lee's Summit Police did not release details on whether the grenade was still a live explosive.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —There were no injuries after law enforcement successfully retrieved&nbsp; a WW2 area grenade from a vehicle in downtown Blue Springs.Authorities blocked off Main Street from 15th Street east to the railroad tracks and 14th Street from Smith to Vesper in downtown Blue Springs while the Lees Summit Police bomb squad responded and then confirmed the device was a real WW2 era grenade.&nbsp;On Friday, Lee's Summit Police did not release details on whether the grenade was still a live explosive.&nbsp;

Bomb squad retrieves World War II era grenade in KC suburb

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

Conservative cities and states across the country have taken to President Donald Trump’s deportation plans and are increasing cooperation with federal authorities — even seeking new laws against illegal immigration that would be enforced by local and state police.

Florida’s legislature held a special session last week and&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/02/13/florida-legislature-passes-immigration-bills-the-governor-is-expected-to-sign/" target="_blank">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;creating a state-level immigration enforcement operation. Tennessee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/01/30/tennessee-house-passes-immigration-enforcement-bill-aclu-plans-legal-challenge/" target="_blank">new law</a>&nbsp;creates a similar office and makes it a felony for public officials to back sanctuary policies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738002670796.png" alt="Photo Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>Photo Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>Conservative cities and states across the country have taken to President Donald Trump’s deportation plans and are increasing cooperation with federal authorities — even seeking new laws against illegal immigration that would be enforced by local and state police.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">KBI director, Kansas attorney general allow agents to work with ICE on immigration cases | | <a href="https://t.co/RfW1IPzKSL">https://t.co/RfW1IPzKSL</a> <a href="https://t.co/zkUMzyNJx0">pic.twitter.com/zkUMzyNJx0</a>&mdash; Kansas AG&#39;s Office (@KSAGOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAGOffice/status/1891972999227576388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Florida’s legislature held a special session last week and&nbsp;<a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/02/13/florida-legislature-passes-immigration-bills-the-governor-is-expected-to-sign/" target="_blank">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;creating a state-level immigration enforcement operation. Tennessee’s&nbsp;<a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/01/30/tennessee-house-passes-immigration-enforcement-bill-aclu-plans-legal-challenge/" target="_blank">new law</a>&nbsp;creates a similar office and makes it a felony for public officials to back sanctuary policies.<a href="https://x.com/KathleenBushJo2/status/1884268940110749965" target="_blank">Iowa</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-temporarily-blocks-oklahomas-anti-immigrant-hb-4156#:~:text=OKLAHOMA%20CITY%20%E2%80%94%20A%20federal%20court,and%20conflicts%20with%20federal%20law." target="_blank">Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;passed state deportation laws that have been blocked by courts. Six Colorado counties are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.douglas.co.us/douglas-county-appeals-denver-judges-dismissal-of-immigration-lawsuit/" target="_blank">suing the state</a>&nbsp;over its sanctuary policies, and Indiana is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/articles/ag-sues-st-joe-county-police-over-alleged-lack-of-cooperation-with-immigration-officials#:~:text=%2D%20Indiana%20Attorney%20General%20Todd%20Rokita,to%20honor%20ICE%20detainment%20requests" target="_blank">suing one of its counties</a>&nbsp;over immigration enforcement.The New Hampshire House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-democrats-join-republicans-passing-anti-sanctuary-city-bill-pointing-compromise" target="_blank">overwhelmingly</a>&nbsp;passed legislation that would prohibit sanctuary cities, though that bill has a competing version in the state Senate. And last week, Georgia’s Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/02/13/georgia-senate-passes-bill-to-take-lawsuit-immunity-away-from-so-called-sanctuary-cities/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;a bill that would allow local government employees and officials in sanctuary cities to be held civilly liable for any crimes committed by immigrants without permanent legal status.In Louisiana, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill last week&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2025/02/14/new-orleans-sanctuary/" target="_blank">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;in U.S. District Court in New Orleans to force the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to abandon its sanctuary approach.Despite Trump’s pledge to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally, the key targets so far have been the roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/12/19/immigration-enforcement-deportations-biden/" target="_blank">750,000 people</a>&nbsp;who already have open deportation orders signed by a judge, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank devoted to immigration policy.Suburban Nassau County on Long Island, New York, is one locality planning closer cooperation with immigration authorities. The county voted Republican in last year’s presidential race for the first time since 1988.The county has agreed to allow 10 detectives to help arrest wanted immigrants with criminal convictions and to hold them for up to 72 hours, in exchange for reimbursement from ICE, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, said in a statement.The partnership gives Nassau County more leeway to hold people on suspicion of immigration violations than it would have if it were acting independently, he wrote, because of&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/oag-immigrationenforcement-guidance-1.10.pdf" target="_blank">state guidance</a>&nbsp;questioning the legality of jailing someone after their release by a court.