&nbsp;More than 1,100 students completed degree requirements from Kansas State University in fall 2025. KSU announced&nbsp; that the university awarded approximately 800 bachelor's degrees, 250 master's degrees and 50 doctorates. Several students earned multiple degrees.For outstanding academic performance, more than 681 students earned graduation honors. 

Of those, 262 students graduated summa cum laude with a grade point average of 3.95 or above, 238 students graduated magna cum laude with a grade point average of 3.85 to 3.949, and 181 students graduated cum laude with a GPA of 3.75 to 3.849.A full list of graduating students, listed by county or state and hometown, is available at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.k-state.edu/news/articles/lists/fa25/graduation-honors.html">k-state.edu/news/articles/lists/fa25/graduation-honors.html</a>.&nbsp;

Kansas State University students earn fall 2025 degrees, graduation honors

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST State Emergency Management and the National Weather Service&nbsp; will conduct a Statewide Severe Weather Tornado Drill. 

Every school, citizen, and business is encouraged to participate in the drill. 

Geary County Emergency Management said that residents should treat the drill as if it were an actual Tornado Warning. The purpose of the drill is to test everyone's readiness for life-threatening severe weather events such as tornadoes, flash floods, and damaging winds. Local officials are encouraged to sound warning sirens to initiate the drill.

The National Weather Service will issue a Routine Weekly Test (RWT) to NOAA Weather Radios to initiate the drill. 

Annual Statewide Tornado Drill

Big Red One Day at Fort Riley will be held on Wednesday.

The Army said that 1ID and Fort Riley Leaders, Kansas legislators, and Community leaders will be in attendance. The Fay provides an immersive look into daily Soldier life at the 1st Infantry Division, showcasing the professionalism, discipline, innovation, and readiness of America’s First Division.&nbsp;

Background:&nbsp;BRO Day is an initiative designed to connect the community with the Soldiers of Fort Riley and demonstrate the Division’s commitment to readiness, innovation, and people. Attendees move alongside Soldiers through a curated series of events that highlight training excellence, equipment capability, leader development, and the evolving modernization efforts of the Big Red One.

This event will also feature a focused look at the 1st Infantry Division Innovation Cell, Victory Forge, where Soldiers and leaders collaborate to develop rapid solutions, prototype emerging concepts, and strengthen the Army’s modernization priorities.&nbsp;

Big Red One Day

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating alleged fraud in Riley County.

Just after 4p.m. Monday, officers filed a report of fraud in the 700 block of Highland Ridge Drive, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report

A 38-year-old woman reported an unknown suspect took out student loans in her name. The total estimated loss associated with this case is $9,914.

RCPD: Suspect took out student loans in victim's name

Kansas Department of Transportation

The new 2026-28 Official State Bicycle Map of Kansas is now available from the Kansas Department of Transportation. 

Whether riding a few miles or cycling across the state, this edition offers a variety of information to help active transportation users plan a short trip or a long ride.

State bicycle maps and educational flyers with bicycle safety tips are free and can be ordered on KDOT’s website at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/http:%2F%2Fwww.ksdot.gov%2FKSBikeMap%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/0101019c905a8d54-bd897f15-5be6-4b6b-a147-79936c3ce9b7-000000/snB9tF1vNXXat8kX6P-utpLRlocVbcwyYYVW_VTDztg=445">http://www.ksdot.gov/KSBikeMap</a>.

“Rail-Trails and the U.S. Bicycle Route System maps are included in the publication and showcase historic and unique places to visit along these routes,” said KDOT’s Active Transportation Manager Jenny Kramer. “We want residents and visitors alike to experience a few of the many venues and sights Kansas offers by bike while participating in active lifestyles.”

The map features color-coded highways to help riders distinguish traffic levels and varying route widths to show where shoulders are paved and wider than 3 feet. For those wanting to avoid highways, county roads are also shown using the same color coding for traffic ranges and denote whether they are paved or unpaved.

- Hospitals with 24-hour emergency care. 

In addition, details and contact information on the new Kansas Trails Inc. organization are available. According to the group, its mission is to provide the resources, support and community connections needed to make trails across the state accessible and sustainable for everyone.

For more information or to order maps, send an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KATE@ks.gov">KATE@ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call Kramer at 785-296-5186.

KDOT provides new bicycle maps and safety tips for 2026-2028

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged scam in Manhattan.

Just before 2p.m. Monday, officers filed a report of larceny in the 100 block of Bluemont Avenue, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. 

A 76-year-old man reported an unknown suspect conducted a telephone scam involving money transfers. The total estimated loss associated with this case is $3,503.74.

RCPD: Man lost $3,500 in phone scam

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Riley County Arrest Report February 24

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

In August of 2025, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators determined the tips were associated with a case that began in 2023. Investigators continued the investigation and with the new information executed a search warrant on September 3, 2025, at a residence in the 100 Block of West Walnut Street, Herington, Kansas. 

Additional search warrants were executed and an arrest warrant was issued on February 18, 2026, for Loren Michael Jones.

On February 20, Sedgwick County Sheriff's office deputies arrested Jones on the warrant issued through the Dickinson County District Court. Jones was later booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Cyber tip led to arrest of Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday March 8

Daylight Savings Time Nears

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 9a.m.&nbsp; February 20, police arrested 27-year-old Tyrea Stewart of Junction City in the 100 block of Courthouse Plaza in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report. 

Stewart is being without bond for two Riley County District Court warrants for probation violation. The arrest stems from original charges of endangering a child, driving under the influence, improper child passenger safety restraint and transportation of liquor in an open container.&nbsp;

RCPD: Junction City man accused of DUI with child in the car

Riley County Arrest Report February 23

Salina voters were required to turn in their ballots by noon Tuesday in the special election to decide if the City of Salina should repeal its 22-year-old ordinance banning pit bulls.

&nbsp;The unofficial vote for "not" repealing the&nbsp;Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) pitbull ban&nbsp;5,329&nbsp;and "yes" 4,123, according to the Saline County Election office.

The provisional ballots will be counted on&nbsp;Monday, March 2 at 9:00 am&nbsp;and&nbsp;there are about 270.&nbsp;

Part of the provisional ballots include voters who may have forgotten to sign the ballot. Saline County Clerk, Jamie Doss stated she encourages those who are apart of that to come to the Saline County Election office (300 W. Ash) before March 2nd.

Results: Special election in Salina to repeal ban on pit bulls

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/will-weissert">WILL WEISSERT</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — They typically start the day as low-profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-promises-patel-kennedy-bessent-rollins-b86a6dd08ab08f4b54e1a4d18fce11be">Cabinet secretaries</a>. They end it that way, too, God willing.

But when the rest of the government is gathered together for a big event, like President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-union-speech-economy-midterms-affordability-d31fc47a200d159a2d24833bd378ec56">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;Tuesday night, a designated survivor is kept away to ensure someone in the line of leadership succession stays alive.

Picking a fail-safe in case of a cataclysmic event that wipes out everyone else dates back to the Cold War. It’s been dramatized in novels and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8696f0dd99ec4e008e75a26ffc1d8b9b">an ABC series starring Kiefer Sutherland</a>&nbsp;that aired from 2016 to 2019. When Trump addressed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speech-congress-immigration-tariffs-guests-93f6107ede260854f90c65c4bde60de8">a joint session of Congress</a>&nbsp;last March, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins was chosen as the designated survivor.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">The president’s</a>&nbsp;pick to sit out this time hasn’t yet been announced.

Taking on the role of designated survivor brings extra adrenaline jolts and humbling thoughts about being unwittingly catapulted into the presidency and unthinkable tragedy — though the minute-to-minute details usually don’t feature the high drama of fictional portrayals, those who have done it say.

“It focuses your mind. It also enhances your prayer that it doesn’t happen to you,” James Nicholson, who was President George W. Bush’s veterans affairs secretary and designated survivor during the 2006 State of the Union, said of possibly becoming president after a cataclysmic event.

Historian and journalist Garrett M. Graff said the concept of a designated survivor has long captivated people because it combines the public’s inherent fascination with danger and the romance of an “everyman” being thrust into the presidency.

“The idea of, you’re just a random Cabinet official, and then something terrible happens and, all of a sudden, you’re president of the United States,” said Graff, author of “Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die.”

Until the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, designated survivors had more control over where they went outside Washington. President Bill Clinton’s energy secretary, the late Bill Richardson, was picked in 2000 and simply moved up a planned weekend trip to Oxford, Maryland, a waterfront town about 80 miles (130 kilometers) away, so he’d be there during the State of the Union.

When Dan Glickman, Clinton’s agriculture secretary, was tapped during the 1997 State of the Union, his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, was too far away, so he chose New York, where his daughter lived.

“I thought it was kind of exciting. But I wasn’t hyped up from a dangerous perspective,” Glickman said. “I don’t even think anybody told me to be careful.”

Alberto Gonzales, Bush’s attorney general, was the designated survivor during the 2007 State of the Union. He said White House chief of staff Josh Bolten called a few days before and offered a couple of options for where he could hunker down.

Gonzales chose to be in flight, and he arrived at what was then called Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to find “members of every major department and agency” there to ride with him. They carried thick binders stuffed with memos and protocol instructions, just in case.

He recalled a series of briefings that may have stretched right into Bush’s speech, which he watched from the air.

“It was during that time that it sort of suddenly hit me, if something happened in the Capitol and everyone’s killed, that I’d be president,” Gonzales said. “It’s sort of sobering. And you wonder, ‘Would I be up to governing a wounded nation?’”

In “Raven Rock,” Graff details how the designated survivor idea was formalized by the Carter and Reagan administrations amid fears that Soviet subs just off the Atlantic coast could fire nuclear missiles and wipe out Washington with barely 10 minutes’ warning.

Beginning in April 1980, the White House Military Office tasked the Federal Emergency Management Agency with ensuring succession. An aide was directed to recommend to the president who should skip events when all possible successors were together outside the White House.

Officials still prepare for a massive attack or disaster. The military helicopter that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-cebb142d24859ba0c4e0e4fd6c33773f">collided with a regional jet</a>&nbsp;outside Reagan National Airport in January 2025 was on a continuity of government mission — training to keep the federal government functioning in case of catastrophe.

The first time that a Cabinet member being kept away from a presidential speech to Congress was publicly divulged was President Ronald Reagan’s Education Secretary Terrel Bell in 1981. But Bell wasn’t identified until afterward. Today, TV images from the House chamber allow political junkies to spot the missing Cabinet member within minutes.

‘If this awful thing happened, you’d be well fed’

Nicholson said Bush’s chief of staff Andy Card had asked him a few weeks before the State of the Union to be the designated survivor. He was a natural fit given that his agency played an important role in continuity of government exercises due to its numerous hospitals and clinics nationwide.

Nicholson flew by helicopter to a destination only divulged once he was in the air and later sat in a command center, where he underwent briefings before watching Bush’s speech.

He was served a “wonderful” dinner, prepared on-site by personnel from the White House mess, though he said he couldn’t recall if it was T-bone steak or prime rib or something similar. “It made you think that, at least if this awful thing happened, you’d be well fed,” he said.

“The enormity of that job. You think about, remote as it is, this is something you might have to do,” Nicholson said of becoming president. Nicholson’s wife was attending the State of the Union, meaning that if something happened, she could be among the victims, which only added to the pressure.

When it was over, Nicholson wasn’t asked to fill in future designated survivors like Gonzales on what to expect.

“We don’t have a club,” he laughed. “We should.”

Glickman recalls boarding an Air Force G-3 from Andrews along with Secret Service agents, a military official and a series of advisers not on his usual staff. A three-car motorcade later carried him from LaGuardia Airport to his daughter’s apartment near Union Square.

She wanted to invite others to watch the speech with them, but Glickman nixed that. “This was not a party,” he said.

It wasn’t all serious, though. Glickman said he was told he didn’t need to dress up, so he didn’t wear a suit. Instructions not to study up spared him from reading briefing books or memorizing security protocols.

After the speech, the Secret Service asked if Glickman wanted a ride to the airport. He declined, saying he planned to have dinner with his daughter. It was sleeting when the motorcade left without him, making taxis scarce — and the sudden return to real life especially abrupt.

“I was the most powerful man on the face of the earth, theoretically,” Glickman remembered joking at the time. “And then I can’t even get a cab.”

Kansan knows about being the designated survivor for President's address

SEDGWICK COUNTY —On March 6, 2024, at nearly the exact same moment, eight Wichita Police Department officers each used deadly force against Luis Rivera. Due to the&nbsp; multiple injuries, it cannot be determined which particular gunshot wound could be&nbsp; considered the fatal shot. Further, and for the same reason, it cannot be determined&nbsp; which particular officer(s)’ fired such fatal shot(s), according to a report released Monday by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.

However, under these particular&nbsp; circumstances, the inability to determine that information does not impact the assessment of criminal liability. 

Under K.S.A. 21-5222(b), a person may employ deadly force when the person reasonably&nbsp; believes that deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent risk of great bodily harm to himself or another.

Since 2011, under the Kansas "stand your ground" law, one who acts in defense of himself or to protect a third party is immune from prosecution. See K.S.A. 21-5231. Meaning, a&nbsp; person may not be charged or prosecuted unless the state can establish that the person who&nbsp; utilized deadly force was not acting reasonably under the circumstances. In Graham v.&nbsp; Connor, the United States Supreme Court made clear that assessment as to the&nbsp; reasonableness of an officer’s decision to utilize deadly force must be made within the context in which the officer found himself – not from the perspective of “20/20 hindsight.” 

The investigation established that while apparently suffering from mental depression and having consumed amphetamine and methamphetamine, Mr. Rivera entered a thirdparty’s residence, threatened the residents with a handgun, forcibly took the cell phones of others, and forced one resident to remove his clothes so that Mr. Rivera could confirm&nbsp; that the resident was not a police officer wearing a recording device. 

When officers arrived, Rivera walked out of the residence with a handgun to his head&nbsp; and, despite repeated orders to stop and drop the weapon, proceeded to lead officers on a 10-minute foot pursuit to 21st Street and Arkansas, all the while threatening to shoot&nbsp; himself and to shoot the officers. When officers attempted to disarm Mr. Rivera with a less lethal foam projectile, Mr. Rivera pointed his handgun at the officers and fired 3 times.

Eight different law enforcement officers reacted to the situation, determined that when Rivera turned toward the gathered officers and&nbsp; fired his handgun three times, that his actions posed an immediate threat to them and to the other officers stationed in the area, and they each made the near-simultaneous decision to fire their respective weapons. That all eight officers made the same decision to shoot in the same moment, without coordination or communication with one another in the moment, speaks to the reasonableness of their individual assessments and the reasonableness of the determination that a lethal risk was posed by Rivera. 

Under the totality of the circumstances, all eight officers are immune from prosecution under Kansas law. 

Under Kansas law and the facts of the case, conclude that no criminal charges will be filed

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating fatal officer involved shooting that occurred on March 6, in the area of 21st&nbsp;Street North and Arkansas in Wichita.

Just before 8p.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County 911 received a call reporting someone was in a house pointing a gun at another person in the 2300 block of North Fairview, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Lt. Nathan Gibbs.

The suspect left the residence prior to the officer’s arrival. Several Wichita Police Officers arrived in the area at approximately 7:54 PM and located a man later identified as 35-year-old Luis A. Rivera, in the street holding a gun to his head, according to Gibbs.

Officers attempted to talk to Rivera and get him to put the gun down. He walked away from the officers, going south on Fairview, still holding a gun to his head and yelling at the officers.

Some officers followed Rivera on foot while others followed in police vehicles. A Crisis Negotiator was on scene and utilized the patrol car’s public address speaker to communicate with Rivera and ordered him to drop the gun.

Rivera walked west on 21st&nbsp;Street, continuing to hold the gun to his head and refusing to comply with the multiple requests to drop the gun. Other officers in the area attempted to divert traffic on 21st&nbsp;street to reduce the danger to the public, officers, and Rivera.

At approximately 8:04 PM a supervisor requested less lethal munitions as Rivera walked to a parking lot of a vacant building at 21st&nbsp;and Arkansas. An officer deployed a less lethal 40mm foam projectile, striking the suspect in the back in an attempt to have him comply.

While the officer was announcing the deployment of the less lethal round, Rivera stated he was going to make it lethal. Rivera turned toward the officers, leveling his gun toward the officers, and fired multiple rounds. Eight officers returned fire and struck Rivera multiple times.

Officers rendered aid to Rivera until the Wichita Fire Department and Sedgwick County EMS arrived on scene at approximately 8:14 PM. Rivera was pronounced dead on scene at approximately 8:21 PM.

No officers were injured during this incident.

DA: 8 Kan. officers made same decision; no charges in police shooting

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Amazon doing that new fast, drone delivery thing, Kansas City, Kansas reported on their social media page.

"Yes, Kansas City, Kansas we are now on the cutting edge in shopping as one of only eight markets for Amazon's new ultra-fast delivery system - Prime Air! Other cities include Phoenix, Pontiac, MI, Dallas–Fort Worth, Waco, San Antonio, Tampa, and Detroit. Look at us."

"Amazon's Prime Air drone, based at the MKC6 fulfillment center at 6925 Riverview Ave., delivers packages up to 5 pounds to Prime members within a 7.5-mile radius (during daylight hours) for $4.99 - in under 60 minutes!!! The KCKPD, which has a long-standing relationship with Amazon and was included in pre-launch planning, operates its own drones and believes that Amazon's advanced testing and technology will address any public safety concerns which residents may have."

"So, the next time you’re out walking your dog and notice a large drone zipping past to land on your neighbor's lawn, don’t be alarmed. It's merely Amazon delivering 500 popsicle sticks and a tube of E600 glue for that science project their 11-year-old forgot is due tomorrow."

"Shooting down a drone is a federal crime in the U.S., as they are legally considered aircraft, potentially resulting in up to 20 years in prison, heavy fines, and civil liability for damages. It is illegal to destroy, damage, or disable a drone, regardless of whether it is flying over private property."

🎥Amazon making drone deliveries in parts of Kansas

HIGHLANDVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Two Missouri sheriff’s deputies were fatally shot, one during a traffic stop and the other hours later during an exchange of gunfire with the suspect, who was also killed, authorities said.

Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said the initial shooting happened during a traffic stop south of Highlandville on Monday in southwest Missouri, news outlets reported.

About 100 officers, deputies, and state troopers helped with the search for the suspect, Cole said. He says U.S. Marshals and FBI and ATF agents were also involved.

The suspected shooter’s truck was found abandoned several miles south near Reeds Spring and law enforcement officers searched the area nearby, Cole said. Early Tuesday, after a heat signature was detected in the woods, deputies moved in. Cole said the suspect opened fire, striking three deputies.

One Christian County deputy was killed and two other deputies, from Christian and Webster counties, were wounded with injuries that aren’t considered life-threatening, Cole said. Law enforcement officers on the scene returned fire and the suspect was killed, he said.

Cole identified the deputy killed in the initial shooting as Deputy Gabriel Ramirez.

“Deputy Ramirez was always kind to everybody, Cole said. “He was always a friend, was always there for anybody who needed a shoulder to lean on.”

2 Missouri sheriff's deputies fatally shot, 2 others wounded

Someone knows how to find our mom and bring her home. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) — you can remain anonymous — or find a way to reach out to me.NOTE: Family reward of up to $1 million will be paid only for recovery of Nancy Guthrie, consistent with FBI criteria for payment of its reward in this case: <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/nancy-guthrie">Click here for details</a>

There is also a $100,000 reward in the case.

🎥Family offering $1 million reward in Nancy Guthrie mystery

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is set to invalidate about 1,700 driver’s licenses held by transgender residents and roughly as many birth certificates under a new law that goes beyond Republican-imposed restrictions in other states on listing gender identities in government documents.

The new law takes effect Thursday. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the measure but the Legislature's GOP supermajorities overrode it last week as Republican state lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued another round of measures to roll back transgender rights.

The bill prohibits documents from listing any sex other than the one assigned birth and invalidates any that reflect a conflicting gender identity. Florida, Tennessee and Texas also don't allow driver's licenses to reflect a trans person's gender identity, and at least eight states besides Kansas have policies that bar trans residents from changing their birth certificates.

But only Kansas' law requires reversing changes previously made for trans residents. Kansas officials expect to cancel about 1,700 driver's licenses and issue new birth certificates for up to 1,800 people.

“It tells me that Kansas Republicans are interested in being on the vanguard of the culture war and in a race to the bottom,” said Democratic state Rep. Abi Boatman, a transgender Air Force veteran appointed in January to fill a vacant Wichita seat.

Kansas' new law enjoyed nearly unanimous GOP support. It is the latest success in what has become an annual effort to further roll back transgender rights by Republicans in statehouses across the U.S., bolstered by policies and rhetoric from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-rights-lawsuit-e0c462aeb4662576e3569dfdf91b0a9c">President Donald Trump's administration.</a>

Trump and other Republicans attack research-backed conclusions that gender can change or be fluid as radical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-order-passports-prisons-military-3c14ecbdd10f61618384e81624d090fb">“gender ideology."</a>&nbsp;GOP lawmakers in Kansas regularly describe transgender girls and women as male and as they say they're protecting women.

Like fellow Republicans, Kansas Senate Majority Leader Chase Blaisi said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-campaign-trump-kamala-harris-democrats-republicans-bbae5660ef59110e5fc9c24f98b082d6">Trump’s reelection</a>&nbsp;and other GOP victories in 2024 show that voters want “to return to common sense" on gender.

"When I go home, people believe there are just two sexes, male and female,” Blasi said. “It’s basic biology I learned in high school.”

Kelly supports transgender rights, but GOP lawmakers have overridden her vetoes three of the past four years. Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-minors-kansas-07d1d75b82f3c7f9f6bc9b7daf02d8e9">bans gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-ban-kansas-08604c663518fb2538565f3e1ac3d4ba">bars transgender women and girls</a>&nbsp;from female sports teams, kindergarten through college.

Transgender people can't use public restrooms, locker rooms or other single-sex facilities associated with their gender identities, though there was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-laws-enforcement-e96e94b8935eb6bd23a42562cdeeec6c">no enforcement mechanism</a>&nbsp;until this year's law added tough new provisions.

Transgender people have said carrying IDs that misgender them opens them to intrusive questions, harassment and even violence when they show it to police, merchants, and others.

In 2023, Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-8424f36613c05d03b7d4eb8f82229ee6">halted changes</a>&nbsp;in Kansas birth certificates and driver's licenses by enacting a measure ending the state's legal recognition of trans residents' gender identities. Though the law didn't mention either document, it legally defined male and female by a person's “biological reproductive system” at birth.

However, a lawsuit led to state court decisions that last year permitted driver's license changes to resume.

Legislators in at least seven other states are considering bills to prevent transgender people from changing one or both documents, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pluralpolicy.com/app/tagged-bills/49041">a search</a>&nbsp;using the bill-tracking software Plural.

The extra step by Kansas legislators reinforces a message “that trans people aren’t welcome,” said Anthony Alvarez, a transgender University of Kansas student who works for a pro-LGBTQ rights group.

Kansas is likely to notify transgender residents by mail that their driver's licenses are no longer valid and they need to go to a local licensing office to get a new one, said Zachary Denney, spokesperson for the agency that issues them.

The Legislature hasn't earmarked funds to cover the cost, so each person will pay it — $26 for a standard license.

Alvarez already has had four IDs in four years as he's changed his name, changed his gender marker and turned 21.

He's always planned to stay in his native Kansas after getting his history degree this spring.

But, he said, “They’re just making it harder and harder for me to live in the state that I love.”

New law puts Kansas at vanguard of ending trans IDs on drivers licenses, birth certificates

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Police have released more details surrounding the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the November shooting death of a 16-year-old Kansas boy.

On Friday, police asked the public for help to locate 20-year-old Nassir Tiriq Gill in connection with the November killing of 16-year-old Kingston Scott.

Late Monday, Topeka Police thanked members of the public for their assistance in providing information related to the crime and arrest. Police also thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office.

 Just before 9p.m. Sunday, police booked 20-year-old&nbsp; Nassir Tiriq Gill into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just before 1a.m. November 22, 2025,&nbsp; police responded to several reports of gunshots around SE 37th Street and SE Adams Street in Topeka. While officers were investigating that area, they received information on a subject arriving at a local hospital by private vehicle with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim later identified as Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation police have already arrested two 16-year-old boys from Topeka on&nbsp;&nbsp;charges including murder, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle with great bodily harm and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon.

&nbsp;Gill is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony. Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, Criminal discharge of firearm; Occupied vehicle w great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property; Without consent value &lt; $1000, according to online jail records.

Police: Tips helped in arrest of suspect in killing of Kansas boy

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an altercation that led to an arrest during a student&nbsp; protest in Olathe.

Just after 2p.m. February 20, police were dispatched to a reported fight in the area of College Boulevard and South Lone Elm Road in Olathe, according to Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Officers learned there was a planned anti-ICE protest near Olathe Northwest High school when they confronted and started a fight with students who were counter protesting them. During the incident, approximately four students were injured.&nbsp;

Numerous officers responded and stabilized the incident. As a result of the investigation, one juvenile male was taken into custody. Investigators are continuing work to identify and contact individuals who may have been involved.

"The Olathe Police Department supports the community’s right to engage in peaceful protest and lawful assembly. We are committed to protecting those rights while also ensuring public safety. Violence, property damage, or threats to people will be addressed appropriately to protect the community."

&nbsp;Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Olathe Police Department at (913) 971-6363 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.&nbsp;

Student-led anti-ice protest ends in Kan. teen's arrest after fight

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;will stand before Congress on Tuesday to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-of-union-affordability-9dd2fe1f3ba81bddd4ad115356131b41">the annual State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;to a suddenly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQt_5Q07iI" target="_blank">transformed nation</a>.

One year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-approval-economy-immigration-foreign-policy-0cf4ce30aa2bead033122b6d287e0c7f">back in office</a>, Trump has emerged as a president defying conventional expectations. He has executed a head-spinning agenda, upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">priorities at home</a>, shattering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-europe-us-trump-leadership-ukraine-security-92ebda5a785423a9ef72d96dc1117ca6">alliances abroad</a>&nbsp;and challenging the nation’s foundational system of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-executive-order-lawsuit-tracker/">checks and balances</a>. Two Americans were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-renee-good-alex-pretti-memorial-114fc6189d63adb8cc06d275929652eb">killed by federal agents</a>&nbsp;while protesting the Trump administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrant-detention-warehouses-ice-trump-52244cad6413704d4bacfcb0cb06b6bb">immigration raids and mass deportations</a>.

As the lawmakers sit in the House chamber listening to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-whats-next-b8b6d5d44ebb3640a88f7202754cb361">Trump’s agenda</a>&nbsp;for the year ahead, the moment is an existential one for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/congress">the Congress</a>, which has essentially become sidelined by his expansive reach, the Republican president bypassing his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-troubles-midterms-trump-7a4a88479807ea15a8050129dbe19c0d">slim GOP majority</a>&nbsp;to amass enormous power for himself.

“It’s crazy,” said Nancy Henderson Korpi, a retiree in northern Minnesota who joined an Indivisible protest group and plans to watch the speech from home. “But what is disturbing more to me is that Congress has essentially just handed over their power.”

She said, “We could make some sound decisions and changes if Congress would do their job.”

The country is at a crossroads, celebrating its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/america-250-congress-spending-history-trump-9163856922b428f53a8e1a7c30a06a04">250th anniversary</a>&nbsp;while experiencing some of the most significant changes to its politics, policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-gallup-optimism-future-republicans-democrats-4dc287cdbbaefb077895746613fea4e4">general mood</a>&nbsp;in many Americans’ lifetimes.

The president muscled his agenda through Congress when he needed to — often pressuring lawmakers with a phone call during cliffhanger votes — but more often avoided the messy give-and-take of the legislative process to power past his own party and the often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-speaker-johnson-228dde6760bbd2cf98be8f2e676bf175">unified Democratic opposition</a>.

Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment so far is the GOP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-beautiful-gop-taxes-ced365c347de9320eef2ccb8df16dda2">big tax cuts bill</a>, with its new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-accounts-kids-michael-dell-1831095c23ead75b67edc65ead5309fd">savings accounts</a>&nbsp;for babies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-tax-tips-income-employment-b1f5a296b3926dd2a448769ca69b6f4c">no taxes on tips</a>&nbsp;and other specialty deductions, and steep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-medicaid-cuts-snap-ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647">cuts to Medicaid</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-big-bill-tax-cuts-medicaid-416f8f60ba7b541622f1d5d149555752">SNAP food aid</a>. It also fueled more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-immigration-ice-deportation-budget-be983b14f60a5cdfc17af7cf0307f1c9">$170 billion to Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;for his immigration deportations.

But the GOP-led Congress has largely stood by as Trump dramatically seized power through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/executive-orders">hundreds of executive actions</a>, many being challenged in court, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to impose his agenda.

“Retrieving a lost power is no easy business in our constitutional order,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">landmark rebuke</a>&nbsp;of Trump’s tariffs policy on Friday.

Gorsuch said that without the court stepping in on major questions, “Our system of separated powers and checks-and-balances threatens to give way to the continual and permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man.”

Trump goes it alone, with or without Congress

From slashing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654">the federal workforce</a>&nbsp;to upending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-9b8df9e2767c1261aaac4e2331e77fa3">the childhood vaccine</a>&nbsp;schedule to attacking Venezuela and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-presidential-palace-blowtorches-7969152ae48510003fe9cbde92f3c102">capturing that country’s president</a>, Trump’s reach appeared to know no bounds.

His administration launched investigations of would-be political foes, imposed his name on historic buildings, including the storied John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and perhaps most visibly has been rounding up people and converting warehouses into detention holding centers for deportations.

At almost every step of the way, there were moments when Congress could have intervened but did not.

Democrats, in the minority, often tried to push back, including by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-dhs-government-shutdown-2-17-2026">halting routine Homeland Security funds</a>&nbsp;unless there are restraints on the immigration actions.

But Republicans believe the country elected the president and gave their party control of Congress to align with his agenda, according to one senior GOP leadership aide who insisted on anonymity to discuss the dynamic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">House Speaker Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana has said Trump will be the “most consequential” president of the modern era.

Democrats plan to either boycott the speech or sit in stony silence.

“The state of the union is falling apart,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

There have been times when Congress held its own against the White House, but they have been rare — as in the high-profile bipartisan push from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Ca., to force the release of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">the Jeffrey Epstein files</a>, over the objections of Johnson and GOP leadership.

The flex of congressional power has more often come from a few renegade Republicans joining with most Democrats to put a check on the president, as when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tariffs-trump-canada-db591b69fbc3d867a82c7ae22d7e308b">the House voted</a>&nbsp;to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-war-powers-venezuela-trump-maduro-greenland-e1c5c8390eb2331779504b710fe85025">Senate advanced a war powers resolution</a>&nbsp;to prevent military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-senate-war-powers-2350b162d116090759a7428c4b915eea">backed off</a>&nbsp;after Trump intervened.

Those have been mostly symbolic votes, because Congress would not have the numbers to overcome any expected Trump veto.

More often, the Congress has accommodated Trump, by rolling back already approved bipartisan funding for USAID foreign aid or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-broadcasting-pbs-npr-b68f441c227ec7e076c038821b4a5931">public broadcasting</a>&nbsp;or failing to stop the U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats that killed two survivors in the Caribbean. When Trump issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606">Day One pardon</a>&nbsp;of some 1,500 people charged in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/">the Jan. 6, 2021 attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol, the Republicans in Congress did not object.

And as Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency with billionaire Elon Musk started firing federal workers, GOP lawmakers signaled approval by forming their own DOGE caucus on Capitol Hill.

“The central question for us is does the public understand what’s at stake” said Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization focused on government management and democracy. “We are in the midst of the most significant transformation of our government and our public servants in our history as a country.”

He said some 300,000 federal employees were fired or moved on, while 100,000 new hires or rehires have largely gone to Homeland Security.

In courtrooms across the country, cases are being filed against the administration at record levels, as Congress was “asleep at the wheel,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which has filed more than 150 cases against the administration, part of the largest legal effort against an executive branch in U.S. history.

But the judicial system has been under strain, and the White House has not always abided by court rulings. GOP lawmakers have joined Trump’s criticism of the courts, displaying outside their offices posters of judges they want to impeach.

A next big test will be over a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that Trump wants ahead of the midterm elections.

The House has passed the SAVE America Act, which would require birth certificates or passports to register to vote in federal elections and a photo ID at the polls. Supporters say it’s needed to crack down on fraud, while critics argue it will shut millions of Americans out of voting because they don’t have citizenship documents readily available.

The Senate has a majority to pass the measure but not the necessary 60 votes to overcome an expected Democratic-led filibuster.

Trump has vowed executive actions if Congress fails to approve legislation.

State of the Union: President's big speech will be delivered to a changed nation

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tre White scored a season-high 23 points and No. 14 Kansas bounced back from a surprising defeat with a 69-56 victory over No. 5 Houston on Monday night.

Freshman star Darryn Peterson added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes for the Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 Big 12), who fell six spots in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-poll-duke-39fdb6bef07b4466f0e6140826fdcad5">this week's AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;following an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-kansas-score-23ec2476f761e00a0f453d49b9fc7178">84-68 loss at home</a>&nbsp;Saturday to unranked Cincinnati.

Bryson Tiller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kansas, which handed the scuffling Cougars (23-5, 11-4) their third consecutive defeat — all against top-15 opponents. Melvin Council Jr. added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Kingston Flemings scored 16 on 6-of-18 shooting for Houston, which hadn't dropped three straight games since January 2017. The Cougars shot 32% from the field, including 5 of 24 (21%) from 3-point territory.

Kansas hasn’t lost consecutive home games since the 1988-89 season, Roy Williams’ first as coach. The Jayhawks are 52-1 on ESPN’s Big Monday in Allen Fieldhouse, including 41-0 under coach Bill Self. Two weeks ago, they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-arizona-t25-e016411899b672dac1f6ea190cb7de8a">took down top-ranked Arizona</a>&nbsp;at The Phog.

Kansas used a 12-0 run early in the second half to turn a two-point lead into a 49-35 advantage at the under-12 timeout. The margin stretched to 20 before Houston went on a 7-0 spurt, but the Cougars never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

The Jayhawks missed nine of their first 10 shots, going 8:28 without a field goal. But they closed the first half with an 11-0 run to take a 31-27 lead into the break.

🏀 White scores 23 as KU rebounds with win over Houston

MILAN (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/milan-cortina-winter-olympics-hockey-closing-ceremony-updates">The United States is on top</a>&nbsp;of the hockey world for the first time in nearly a half-century. No miracle needed.

Jack Hughes scored in overtime and the U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-canada-gold-medal-game-olympics-c901edacf7f6ccca94b5f19f1d27f479">the gold medal final</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://___%20ap%20winter%20olympics:%20https//apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">the Milan Cortina Olympics</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, earning the nation’s third men’s title at the Games and its first since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1980-miracle-on-ice-hockey-c64ae6cbf5c4b41f71d9a78782409780">“Miracle on Ice”</a>&nbsp;in 1980 — 46 years to the day of the upset over the mighty Soviet Union, too.

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