HRVEY COUNTY —A grain bin accident left one person dead in southern Harvey County Saturday afternoon.

Emergency personnel were called to the 2100 block of South Spencer Road at 2:30 p.m., according to a media release the county.

Three men were working to level and empty soybeans inside a large grain bin. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping one of the men.

The trapped man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two men escaped without injury.

The identification of the man is being withheld pending notification of family. The death has been ruled accidental.

Traffic was initially rerouted off of Spencer during the response, but the road has since reopened.

Newton Fire/EMS, Halstead Fire/EMS and Sedgwick County emergency personnel assisted in the response. 

<p>HRVEY COUNTY —A grain bin accident left one person dead in southern Harvey County Saturday afternoon.</p><p>Emergency personnel were called to the 2100 block of South Spencer Road at 2:30 p.m., according to a media release the county.</p><p>Three men were working to level and empty soybeans inside a large grain bin. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping one of the men.</p><p>The trapped man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two men escaped without injury.</p><p>The identification of the man is being withheld pending notification of family. The death has been ruled accidental.</p><p>Traffic was initially rerouted off of Spencer during the response, but the road has since reopened.</p><p>Newton Fire/EMS, Halstead Fire/EMS and Sedgwick County emergency personnel assisted in the response. </p>

Man dead in Kansas grain bin accident

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a woman's death and the death of a Kansas registered offender accused of her death.

On February 20th, 2026, at approximately 8:19 P.M., officers with the Hutchinson Police Department were dispatched to the 800 block of West 4th Avenue in reference to a reported shooting, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.

When they arrived, officers located a woman later identified as 37-year-old Lacy D Nelson of Hutchinson, with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began rendering first aid until Reno County EMS arrived on scene. She was transported by ambulance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

During the investigation, Curtis E Richardson, age 49 of Hutchinson, was identified as a person of interest. Just before 9:30p.m., a statewide BOLO was issued for Richardson.

Just after 7a.m. Saturday, Pratt County Kansas Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Preston, Kansas, in reference to a reported robbery. The victim reported that a man forced entry into her residence and took her vehicle without permission

While en route, a Pratt County Sheriff’s Office deputy located the reported stolen vehicle traveling southbound on K61 Highway in Pratt County. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the driver, later identified as Richardson, refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the stolen vehicle left the roadway and drove into a field near NE 30th Avenue and NE 20th Street in Pratt County, where it became stuck. The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office deputy maintained scene security until additional units arrived.

The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) responded to the scene. Richardson refused to exit his vehicle despite multiple clear commands from the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office and continued efforts by the SRT negotiator. While he remained inside the vehicle, less-lethal tactics were deployed in an effort to gain compliance. 

Richardson was later located inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pratt County EMS initiated lifesaving measures. Mr. Richardson was transported by ambulance to Pratt Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Richardson had been listed as a registered offender following a drug distribution conviction in Crawford County in 2015, according to the KBI Offender Registry. He has previous convictions for theft, violation of the offender registration act and for various illegal drug violations, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771707087358.png" alt="Richardson photo KBI Offender Registry" />
                        <figcaption>Richardson photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a woman's death and the death of a Kansas registered offender accused of her death.</p><p>On February 20th, 2026, at approximately 8:19 P.M., officers with the Hutchinson Police Department were dispatched to the 800 block of West 4th Avenue in reference to a reported shooting, according to a media release from Hutchinson Police.</p><p>When they arrived, officers located a woman later identified as 37-year-old Lacy D Nelson of Hutchinson, with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began rendering first aid until Reno County EMS arrived on scene. She was transported by ambulance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries.</p><p>During the investigation, Curtis E Richardson, age 49 of Hutchinson, was identified as a person of interest. Just before 9:30p.m., a statewide BOLO was issued for Richardson.</p><p>Just after 7a.m. Saturday, Pratt County Kansas Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Preston, Kansas, in reference to a reported robbery. The victim reported that a man forced entry into her residence and took her vehicle without permission</p><p>While en route, a Pratt County Sheriff’s Office deputy located the reported stolen vehicle traveling southbound on K61 Highway in Pratt County. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the driver, later identified as Richardson, refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the stolen vehicle left the roadway and drove into a field near NE 30th Avenue and NE 20th Street in Pratt County, where it became stuck. The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office deputy maintained scene security until additional units arrived.</p><p>The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) responded to the scene. Richardson refused to exit his vehicle despite multiple clear commands from the Pratt County Sheriff’s Office and continued efforts by the SRT negotiator. While he remained inside the vehicle, less-lethal tactics were deployed in an effort to gain compliance. </p><p>Richardson was later located inside the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pratt County EMS initiated lifesaving measures. Mr. Richardson was transported by ambulance to Pratt Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.</p><p>Richardson had been listed as a registered offender following a drug distribution conviction in Crawford County in 2015, according to the KBI Offender Registry. He has previous convictions for theft, violation of the offender registration act and for various illegal drug violations, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</p>

Kan. woman and registered offender dead after shooting, police chase

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-funk">JOSH FUNK</a>

More than 550 commercial driving schools in the U.S. that train truckers and bus drivers must close after investigators found they employed unqualified instructors, failed to adequately test students and had other safety issues, the federal Transportation Department announced this week.

The move marks the Trump administration’s latest effort to improve safety in the trucking industry. And unlike its actions last fall to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-trucking-california-pennsylvania-96fee86df4f9bfb0ef65af20da878a57">decertify up to 7,500 schools</a>&nbsp;that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trucking-duffy-cdl-immigrant-commercial-license-schools-ef4ade6ada39cbbab0c56d14dc9d9d1f">many defunct operations</a>, this latest step is focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Provider/InReview" target="_blank">active schools</a>&nbsp;inspectors identified as having significant shortcomings in 1,426 site visits completed in December.

The department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August. A truck driver who Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-uturn-florida-california-immigration-b2db54aef36c178e2d0bb299f907603d">that killed three people</a>. Other fatal crashes since then, including one in Indiana that killed four earlier this month, have only heightened concerns.

Duffy said 448 schools failed to meet basic safety standards. Inspectors found such deficiencies as employing unqualified instructors, failing to test students’ skills or teach them how to handle hazardous materials and using the wrong equipment to teach drivers. Another 109 schools removed themselves from the registry of schools when they learned inspections were planned.

“American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel,” Duffy said.

The list of schools officials want to decertify now are generally smaller ones, including a number of programs run by school districts. Five of the bigger, more reputable schools represented by the national Commercial Vehicle Training Association were audited but those all passed.

Jeffery Burkhardt, chair of the national trucking schools group, said established schools welcome the enforcement effort to eliminate bad schools that aren’t meeting the standards. He said these audits mark the first time regulators have enforced the standards for driving schools that were passed in 2022.

“You know, the good players have no problem with it. Absolutely none,” said Burkhardt, who is also is senior director of operations at Ancora, which provides CDL training at colleges, community colleges and companies.

Another 97 schools are currently under investigation for compliance issues.

There has been limited oversight in the past

Part of the industry problem is that schools and trucking companies can essentially self certify themselves when they apply to begin operating, observers note, and questionable operations might not be caught until much later when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gets a chance to audit them.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many students were enrolled at these schools that are being decertified or how many graduated with questionable qualifications. A Transportation Department spokeswoman said officials may follow up on those graduates later. Burkhardt said that hopefully most of the unqualified drivers were weeded out before they got on the highway by the skills tests states administer before handing out commercial licenses.

There is steady demand for truck drivers because there is high turnover in the industry, and it has been difficult to attract enough drivers willing to spend days away from home delivering heavy loads. But there is some cushion in the industry right now because there are currently more drivers than needed in the midst of a 10% drop in shipments since 2022 owing to economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, many trucking companies still struggle to find enough well-qualified drivers with clean records.

Trucking industry groups praise the effort

Both the American Trucking Association and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association praised the decisive action to shut down “sham schools” that aren’t meeting basic safety standards. Todd Spencer, President of the independent owners group, said the reliance of some companies on these questionable schools “fueled a destructive churn” in the industry.

“Rather than fix retention problems and working conditions, some in the industry chose to cut corners and push undertrained drivers onto the road. That approach has undermined safety and devalued the entire trucking profession,” Spencer said.

Besides threatening to withhold federal funding from states that don’t clean up their commercial driver’s license programs, the administration has demanded truck drivers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truck-drivers-english-language-required-92c733048e85c34b1822cc4403eaf262">meet English proficiency standards</a>. California is the only state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-funding-a8904a07754ba2a5c8ec9781e6262ec1">lose funding</a>&nbsp;so far with the federal government planning to withhold $160 million.

The Transportation Department is threatening to withhold $128 million from Illinois after the latest state audit announced earlier this week found problems with nearly 20% of the 150 licenses they reviewed. The most common problems uncovered in state audits across the country have been licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant’s authorization to be in the U.S. expired and instances when the states couldn’t show that they checked a driver’s immigration status before giving them a license.

Problems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-trucking-crash-duffy-c4023a6beac854a5af31d5a8c98040f2">have been found</a>&nbsp;in 10 states so far, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565041802198.jpeg" alt="Image Pixabay" />
                        <figcaption>Image Pixabay</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-funk">JOSH FUNK</a></p><p>More than 550 commercial driving schools in the U.S. that train truckers and bus drivers must close after investigators found they employed unqualified instructors, failed to adequately test students and had other safety issues, the federal Transportation Department announced this week.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’re putting the brakes on CDL mills 🛑<br><br>Unqualified drivers DO NOT BELONG on our roads, and we’re holding the industry to a higher standard!<br><br>The buck stops HERE 🇺🇸🚚<a href="https://t.co/wKOnOaLehb">https://t.co/wKOnOaLehb</a></p>&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2024227686978076783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The move marks the Trump administration’s latest effort to improve safety in the trucking industry. And unlike its actions last fall to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-trucking-california-pennsylvania-96fee86df4f9bfb0ef65af20da878a57">decertify up to 7,500 schools</a>&nbsp;that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trucking-duffy-cdl-immigrant-commercial-license-schools-ef4ade6ada39cbbab0c56d14dc9d9d1f">many defunct operations</a>, this latest step is focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/Provider/InReview" target="_blank">active schools</a>&nbsp;inspectors identified as having significant shortcomings in 1,426 site visits completed in December.</p><p>The department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August. A truck driver who Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fatal-uturn-florida-california-immigration-b2db54aef36c178e2d0bb299f907603d">that killed three people</a>. Other fatal crashes since then, including one in Indiana that killed four earlier this month, have only heightened concerns.</p><p>Duffy said 448 schools failed to meet basic safety standards. Inspectors found such deficiencies as employing unqualified instructors, failing to test students’ skills or teach them how to handle hazardous materials and using the wrong equipment to teach drivers. Another 109 schools removed themselves from the registry of schools when they learned inspections were planned.</p><p>“American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel,” Duffy said.</p><h2>Established schools welcome the effort</h2><p>The list of schools officials want to decertify now are generally smaller ones, including a number of programs run by school districts. Five of the bigger, more reputable schools represented by the national Commercial Vehicle Training Association were audited but those all passed.</p><p>Jeffery Burkhardt, chair of the national trucking schools group, said established schools welcome the enforcement effort to eliminate bad schools that aren’t meeting the standards. He said these audits mark the first time regulators have enforced the standards for driving schools that were passed in 2022.</p><p>“You know, the good players have no problem with it. Absolutely none,” said Burkhardt, who is also is senior director of operations at Ancora, which provides CDL training at colleges, community colleges and companies.</p><p>Another 97 schools are currently under investigation for compliance issues.</p><h2>There has been limited oversight in the past</h2><p>Part of the industry problem is that schools and trucking companies can essentially self certify themselves when they apply to begin operating, observers note, and questionable operations might not be caught until much later when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gets a chance to audit them.</p><p>It wasn’t immediately clear how many students were enrolled at these schools that are being decertified or how many graduated with questionable qualifications. A Transportation Department spokeswoman said officials may follow up on those graduates later. Burkhardt said that hopefully most of the unqualified drivers were weeded out before they got on the highway by the skills tests states administer before handing out commercial licenses.</p><p>There is steady demand for truck drivers because there is high turnover in the industry, and it has been difficult to attract enough drivers willing to spend days away from home delivering heavy loads. But there is some cushion in the industry right now because there are currently more drivers than needed in the midst of a 10% drop in shipments since 2022 owing to economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, many trucking companies still struggle to find enough well-qualified drivers with clean records.</p><h2>Trucking industry groups praise the effort</h2><p>Both the American Trucking Association and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association praised the decisive action to shut down “sham schools” that aren’t meeting basic safety standards. Todd Spencer, President of the independent owners group, said the reliance of some companies on these questionable schools “fueled a destructive churn” in the industry.</p><p>“Rather than fix retention problems and working conditions, some in the industry chose to cut corners and push undertrained drivers onto the road. That approach has undermined safety and devalued the entire trucking profession,” Spencer said.</p><p>Besides threatening to withhold federal funding from states that don’t clean up their commercial driver’s license programs, the administration has demanded truck drivers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truck-drivers-english-language-required-92c733048e85c34b1822cc4403eaf262">meet English proficiency standards</a>. California is the only state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-funding-a8904a07754ba2a5c8ec9781e6262ec1">lose funding</a>&nbsp;so far with the federal government planning to withhold $160 million.</p><p>The Transportation Department is threatening to withhold $128 million from Illinois after the latest state audit announced earlier this week found problems with nearly 20% of the 150 licenses they reviewed. The most common problems uncovered in state audits across the country have been licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant’s authorization to be in the U.S. expired and instances when the states couldn’t show that they checked a driver’s immigration status before giving them a license.</p><p>Problems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-trucking-crash-duffy-c4023a6beac854a5af31d5a8c98040f2">have been found</a>&nbsp;in 10 states so far, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas.</p>

DOT: Hundreds of driving schools must close over safety failures

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a>

Complex legislation two years in the making addresses market dominance of PBMs

TOPEKA — A bipartisan majority in the Kansas Senate passed a complex bill increasing state oversight of prescription drug middlemen companies accused of manipulating lax regulations to promote anti-competitive practices, monopolize the market for maximum profit, undermine local pharmacies and raise costs for consumers.

Thirty-five states have taken legislative steps to intensify regulation of pharmacy benefit managers that were created to work with drug manufacturers to lower costs for health insurance plans, pharmacies and customers. Advocates of reform asserted PBMs — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx control 80% of the U.S. market — stepped away from this fiduciary role and took command of the prescription drug market by negotiating mostly on their own behalf.

Under&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_sb360_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 360</a>, which advocates spent two years writing, the state insurance commissioner would have more tools to regulate PBMs in Kansas.

The bill would require transparency from PBMs in terms of pharmacy reimbursement and drug pricing. It would deal with PBMs giving their own retailers better deals by requiring all Kansas pharmacies to be reimbursed at or above the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost. A pharmacy dispensing fee would be implemented to better cover costs incurred by local or independent pharmacies, especially in rural communities.

Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who carried the bill on the Senate floor, said the time had come for Kansas to answer persistent complaints about pharmacy benefit companies operating in Kansas.

“I feel like this is a bit of a David versus Goliath situation with hometown pharmacies versus billion-dollar PBMs,” Dietrich said. “We’ve just got to stop feeding the beast. The imbalance of power and wealth is inherently unfair and frightening. SB 360 is about saving local pharmacies, fairness and transparency.”

Dietrich highlighted the harm of “spread pricing” in which PBMs charged health plans or insurers more for prescription drugs than PBMs paid a dispensing pharmacy. The PBMs simply retained the difference as profit, she said. The senator referred to spread pricing as “a big black box used by the PBMs to siphon millions from plans and patients with no actual benefit to the plan or patients.”

The bill addressed another state regulatory failing — PBMs have gotten away with auditing pharmacies but refused to allow auditing of their operations, Dietrich said.

“The PBMs are watching out for their exorbitant profit margins,” she said. “They are overcharging our health plans with hidden fees and costs through price spreading, keeping rebates and not reimbursing your local hometown pharmacies as much as they reimburse their own brick-and-mortar pharmacies or their mail-order pharmacies.”

Dietrich said Kansas was so far behind the PBM reform movement that even the federal government approved changes to the industry that would take effect in 2028 and 2029.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said she welcomed the state Senate legislation because&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/10/kansas-pharmacists-fight-for-better-oversight-of-pharmacy-middleman-companies/">Kansas pharmacies are struggling</a>&nbsp;to keep their doors open and patients are unable to afford high prices for medications.

“Gigantic insurance monopolies are controlling every aspect of our health care system and they’re using their power to increase costs and eliminate competition,” she said.

The Senate bill was backed by pharmacies in Hoisington, Wichita, Downs, El Dorado, Galena, Winfield, Hesston, Hillsboro, Humboldt, Lawrence, Junction City, Coldwater, Mankato, Holton, Basehor, Phillipsburg, Mulvane, Oakley, Scott City and Baxter Springs. It was endorsed by Hy-Vee, Walgreens, the Independent Pharmacy Association of Kansas, the Kansas Hospital Association as well as individual pharmacists, pharmacy students and consumers.

The bill was derided by PBMs, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, as well as the Kansas Bankers Association and the Kansas Chamber because it could drive up the cost of health insurance.

“I fear this bill doesn’t consider the full potential cost shifting that will happen,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee.

He echoed the message of BCBS of Kansas lobbyist Sarah Fertig, who said the bill incorrectly assumed business issues confronting Kansas pharmacies were the fault of PBMs. She said the bill would increase drug prices for Kansas consumers, but that assertion was criticized by the bill’s proponents.

“The reality is that making Kansans pay more for prescription drugs will not guarantee that all independent pharmacies can stay afloat,” she said. “Consumer choice, population shifts and other players in the drug distribution chain are more impactful to a pharmacy’s success.”

The legislation was approved Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20260218181550_042722/" target="_blank">on a vote of 32-8</a>&nbsp;and sent to the Kansas House. The Senate rejected amendments beneficial to PBMs. The measure included an amendment from Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, to forbid sharing protected, personal health information with the state insurance commissioner.

Sen. Beverly Gossage, the Eudora Republican, said PBM reform was the responsibility of Congress rather than state legislatures. She offered an amendment to remove a requirement that pharmacies receive a $10.50 prescription processing fee. Currently, local pharmacies were paid a fraction of the actual cost of handling prescriptions through PBMs.

Dietrich, the Topeka Republican, said about 20 states had a comparable fee to balance those business transactions.

Gossage’s amendment was blocked by the bipartisan majority, but the concept was supported by Sen. Jeff Klemp, R-Lansing, and Sen. TJ Rose, R-Olathe. It was Rose who said he supported the idea of deleting the “pill tax” fee, while Klemp said the Legislature needed to err on the side of fiscal responsibility when regulating PBMs.

“The government has no role in ensuring one private industry profits over another,” Klemp said. “The key to this is no other Kansas statute requires a business to pay another a fixed fee. We’re moving into uncharted waters.”

Klemp and others seeking to weaken the PBM bill found themselves facing a tidal wave of opposition from their Republican and Democratic brethren.

“Personally, my own pharmacy was closed because of PBMs and I’m sick of it,” said Sen. Bill Clifford, a Garden City Republican with 138 small pharmacies in his Senate district.

GOP Sen. Michael Murphy of Sylvia said he considered attempts to diminish the bill nothing more than a “PBM enrichment amendment.”

“It’s time to stop out-of-state middlemen companies and corporations from starving our pharmacists, especially our Main Street pharmacists,” said Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker.

Sen. Stephen Owens, R-Hesston, said the Senate bill should be placed in law despite the instinct to avoid government intrusion into the economy. He said PBMs operating in Kansas were “playing favorites” and placed local pharmacies at a heavy disadvantage.

“When the free market is no longer free, we as a government have got to step in,” Owens said.

He said Gossage was wrong to expect the federal government to promptly address the long list of shortcomings in the PBM-dominated drug market.

“If we’ve learned anything, it is we cannot have faith in our federal government to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done,” Owens said.

Sen. Scott Hill, R-Abilene, piled on. He said the rise of PBMs was destroying local pharmacies that were more to communities than places to pick up a prescription. He said anyone embracing the PBM model was naive.

“This is about price fixing,” he said. “This is about charging me, for my cancer drugs, $14,000 for a drug that costs $750. This is about gouging and increasing prices.”

He said more than 250 years ago colonists in America objected to a British company’s monopoly on tea.

“Pharmaceuticals have become the tea of our generation,” Hill said. “We have much to do on pharmacy reform as well as health care reform in general. This bill is a start, not an end.”

The bill was expected to receive a committee hearing in the House, but passage could be complicated given House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita is a GOP candidate for state insurance commissioner.

Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Baxter Springs Republican who worked for two years on drafting the bill, said the Legislature needed to push back against PBMs, including the PBM operated by BCBS of Kansas.

“This a terrible system we have,” Shallenburger said. “It’s not just transparency. We’re looking for equity. There is no reason a PBM should direct my benefit to an out-of-state pharmacy, pay them more money than they’re paying the Walker Pharmacy at home. It’s just not fair.”

He praised Senate President Ty Masterson and Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi, both Republicans, for allowing the bill to come to the Senate floor for debate. Masterson and Blasi were among the eight GOP senators voting against the measure.

“Many times in this building good ideas don’t have a chance of a hearing. If they do have a hearing, they don’t have a vote,” Shallenburger said. “I hope the body across the rotunda takes the opportunity to have a hearing and a vote on this bill.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771619907456.png" alt=" Sen. Brenda Dietrich, R-Topeka, is a leading advocate of a Kansas Senate bill that seeks to bring greater state regulation to pharmacy benefit managers operating in Kansas. She says the measure, passed 32-8 by the Senate, is crafted to deliver transparency to PBMs and address the "unfair and frightening" power of PBMs over local pharmacies in Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption> Sen. Brenda Dietrich, R-Topeka, is a leading advocate of a Kansas Senate bill that seeks to bring greater state regulation to pharmacy benefit managers operating in Kansas. She says the measure, passed 32-8 by the Senate, is crafted to deliver transparency to PBMs and address the "unfair and frightening" power of PBMs over local pharmacies in Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/"><i>Kansas Reflector</i></a></p><h2>Complex legislation two years in the making addresses market dominance of PBMs</h2><p>TOPEKA — A bipartisan majority in the Kansas Senate passed a complex bill increasing state oversight of prescription drug middlemen companies accused of manipulating lax regulations to promote anti-competitive practices, monopolize the market for maximum profit, undermine local pharmacies and raise costs for consumers.</p><p>Thirty-five states have taken legislative steps to intensify regulation of pharmacy benefit managers that were created to work with drug manufacturers to lower costs for health insurance plans, pharmacies and customers. Advocates of reform asserted PBMs — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx control 80% of the U.S. market — stepped away from this fiduciary role and took command of the prescription drug market by negotiating mostly on their own behalf.</p><p>Under&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/supp_note_sb360_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Senate Bill 360</a>, which advocates spent two years writing, the state insurance commissioner would have more tools to regulate PBMs in Kansas.</p><p>The bill would require transparency from PBMs in terms of pharmacy reimbursement and drug pricing. It would deal with PBMs giving their own retailers better deals by requiring all Kansas pharmacies to be reimbursed at or above the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost. A pharmacy dispensing fee would be implemented to better cover costs incurred by local or independent pharmacies, especially in rural communities.</p><p>Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who carried the bill on the Senate floor, said the time had come for Kansas to answer persistent complaints about pharmacy benefit companies operating in Kansas.</p><p>“I feel like this is a bit of a David versus Goliath situation with hometown pharmacies versus billion-dollar PBMs,” Dietrich said. “We’ve just got to stop feeding the beast. The imbalance of power and wealth is inherently unfair and frightening. SB 360 is about saving local pharmacies, fairness and transparency.”</p><p>Dietrich highlighted the harm of “spread pricing” in which PBMs charged health plans or insurers more for prescription drugs than PBMs paid a dispensing pharmacy. The PBMs simply retained the difference as profit, she said. The senator referred to spread pricing as “a big black box used by the PBMs to siphon millions from plans and patients with no actual benefit to the plan or patients.”</p><p>The bill addressed another state regulatory failing — PBMs have gotten away with auditing pharmacies but refused to allow auditing of their operations, Dietrich said.</p><p>“The PBMs are watching out for their exorbitant profit margins,” she said. “They are overcharging our health plans with hidden fees and costs through price spreading, keeping rebates and not reimbursing your local hometown pharmacies as much as they reimburse their own brick-and-mortar pharmacies or their mail-order pharmacies.”</p><p>Dietrich said Kansas was so far behind the PBM reform movement that even the federal government approved changes to the industry that would take effect in 2028 and 2029.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771619861473.png" alt="Hundreds of pharmacists from across Kansas descend on the Kansas Capitol on Feb. 4, 2026, to support a Kansas Senate bill that advocates are convinced will give state officials more tools to to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. The bill was approved Wednesday by the Senate and forwarded to the Kansas House. (Photo by Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption>Hundreds of pharmacists from across Kansas descend on the Kansas Capitol on Feb. 4, 2026, to support a Kansas Senate bill that advocates are convinced will give state officials more tools to to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. The bill was approved Wednesday by the Senate and forwarded to the Kansas House. (Photo by Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Grassroots uprising</h2><p>Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said she welcomed the state Senate legislation because&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/10/kansas-pharmacists-fight-for-better-oversight-of-pharmacy-middleman-companies/">Kansas pharmacies are struggling</a>&nbsp;to keep their doors open and patients are unable to afford high prices for medications.</p><p>“Gigantic insurance monopolies are controlling every aspect of our health care system and they’re using their power to increase costs and eliminate competition,” she said.</p><p>The Senate bill was backed by pharmacies in Hoisington, Wichita, Downs, El Dorado, Galena, Winfield, Hesston, Hillsboro, Humboldt, Lawrence, Junction City, Coldwater, Mankato, Holton, Basehor, Phillipsburg, Mulvane, Oakley, Scott City and Baxter Springs. It was endorsed by Hy-Vee, Walgreens, the Independent Pharmacy Association of Kansas, the Kansas Hospital Association as well as individual pharmacists, pharmacy students and consumers.</p><p>The bill was derided by PBMs, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, as well as the Kansas Bankers Association and the Kansas Chamber because it could drive up the cost of health insurance.</p><p>“I fear this bill doesn’t consider the full potential cost shifting that will happen,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee.</p><p>He echoed the message of BCBS of Kansas lobbyist Sarah Fertig, who said the bill incorrectly assumed business issues confronting Kansas pharmacies were the fault of PBMs. She said the bill would increase drug prices for Kansas consumers, but that assertion was criticized by the bill’s proponents.</p><p>“The reality is that making Kansans pay more for prescription drugs will not guarantee that all independent pharmacies can stay afloat,” she said. “Consumer choice, population shifts and other players in the drug distribution chain are more impactful to a pharmacy’s success.”</p><p>The legislation was approved Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/vote_view/je_20260218181550_042722/" target="_blank">on a vote of 32-8</a>&nbsp;and sent to the Kansas House. The Senate rejected amendments beneficial to PBMs. The measure included an amendment from Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, to forbid sharing protected, personal health information with the state insurance commissioner.</p><h2>‘I’m sick of it’</h2><p>Sen. Beverly Gossage, the Eudora Republican, said PBM reform was the responsibility of Congress rather than state legislatures. She offered an amendment to remove a requirement that pharmacies receive a $10.50 prescription processing fee. Currently, local pharmacies were paid a fraction of the actual cost of handling prescriptions through PBMs.</p><p>Dietrich, the Topeka Republican, said about 20 states had a comparable fee to balance those business transactions.</p><p>Gossage’s amendment was blocked by the bipartisan majority, but the concept was supported by Sen. Jeff Klemp, R-Lansing, and Sen. TJ Rose, R-Olathe. It was Rose who said he supported the idea of deleting the “pill tax” fee, while Klemp said the Legislature needed to err on the side of fiscal responsibility when regulating PBMs.</p><p>“The government has no role in ensuring one private industry profits over another,” Klemp said. “The key to this is no other Kansas statute requires a business to pay another a fixed fee. We’re moving into uncharted waters.”</p><p>Klemp and others seeking to weaken the PBM bill found themselves facing a tidal wave of opposition from their Republican and Democratic brethren.</p><p>“Personally, my own pharmacy was closed because of PBMs and I’m sick of it,” said Sen. Bill Clifford, a Garden City Republican with 138 small pharmacies in his Senate district.</p><p>GOP Sen. Michael Murphy of Sylvia said he considered attempts to diminish the bill nothing more than a “PBM enrichment amendment.”</p><p>“It’s time to stop out-of-state middlemen companies and corporations from starving our pharmacists, especially our Main Street pharmacists,” said Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker.</p><h2>Free market collapse</h2><p>Sen. Stephen Owens, R-Hesston, said the Senate bill should be placed in law despite the instinct to avoid government intrusion into the economy. He said PBMs operating in Kansas were “playing favorites” and placed local pharmacies at a heavy disadvantage.</p><p>“When the free market is no longer free, we as a government have got to step in,” Owens said.</p><p>He said Gossage was wrong to expect the federal government to promptly address the long list of shortcomings in the PBM-dominated drug market.</p><p>“If we’ve learned anything, it is we cannot have faith in our federal government to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done,” Owens said.</p><p>Sen. Scott Hill, R-Abilene, piled on. He said the rise of PBMs was destroying local pharmacies that were more to communities than places to pick up a prescription. He said anyone embracing the PBM model was naive.</p><p>“This is about price fixing,” he said. “This is about charging me, for my cancer drugs, $14,000 for a drug that costs $750. This is about gouging and increasing prices.”</p><p>He said more than 250 years ago colonists in America objected to a British company’s monopoly on tea.</p><p>“Pharmaceuticals have become the tea of our generation,” Hill said. “We have much to do on pharmacy reform as well as health care reform in general. This bill is a start, not an end.”</p><h2>‘Just not fair’</h2><p>The bill was expected to receive a committee hearing in the House, but passage could be complicated given House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita is a GOP candidate for state insurance commissioner.</p><p>Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Baxter Springs Republican who worked for two years on drafting the bill, said the Legislature needed to push back against PBMs, including the PBM operated by BCBS of Kansas.</p><p>“This a terrible system we have,” Shallenburger said. “It’s not just transparency. We’re looking for equity. There is no reason a PBM should direct my benefit to an out-of-state pharmacy, pay them more money than they’re paying the Walker Pharmacy at home. It’s just not fair.”</p><p>He praised Senate President Ty Masterson and Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi, both Republicans, for allowing the bill to come to the Senate floor for debate. Masterson and Blasi were among the eight GOP senators voting against the measure.</p><p>“Many times in this building good ideas don’t have a chance of a hearing. If they do have a hearing, they don’t have a vote,” Shallenburger said. “I hope the body across the rotunda takes the opportunity to have a hearing and a vote on this bill.”</p>

Kansas Senate plunges ahead with bipartisan bill targeting prescription drug middlemen

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-l-price">MICHELLE L. PRICE</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was raising the global tariff he wants to impose to 15%, up from 10% he had announced a day earlier.

Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday,” by the U.S. Supreme Court.

After the court ruled he didn’t have the emergency power to impost many sweeping tariffs, Trump signed an executive order on Friday night that enabled him to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tax on imports from around the world. The catch is that those tariffs would be limited to just 150 days, unless they are extended legislatively.

Trump’s post significantly ratcheting up a global tax on imports to the U.S. yet again was the latest sign that despite the court’s check, the Republican president was intent on continuing to wield in an unpredictable manner his favorite tool to for the economy and to apply global pressure. Trump’s shifting announcements over the last year that he was raising and sometimes lowering tariffs with little notice jolted markets and rattled nations.

Under the order Trump signed Friday night, the 10% tariff was scheduled to take effect starting Feb. 24. The White House did not immediately respond to a message inquiring when the president would sign an updated order.

In addition to the temporary tariffs that Trump wants to set at 15%, the president said Friday that he was also pursuing tariffs through other sections of federal law which require an investigation by the Commerce Department.

<p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-l-price">MICHELLE L. PRICE</a></p><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was raising the global tariff he wants to impose to 15%, up from 10% he had announced a day earlier.</p><p>Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday,” by the U.S. Supreme Court.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/PwhYmplV3z">pic.twitter.com/PwhYmplV3z</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2025243382612738548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Keep calm. <a href="https://t.co/Mj5ptXqPxT">pic.twitter.com/Mj5ptXqPxT</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2024989115800764736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>After the court ruled he didn’t have the emergency power to impost many sweeping tariffs, Trump signed an executive order on Friday night that enabled him to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tax on imports from around the world. The catch is that those tariffs would be limited to just 150 days, unless they are extended legislatively.</p><p>Trump’s post significantly ratcheting up a global tax on imports to the U.S. yet again was the latest sign that despite the court’s check, the Republican president was intent on continuing to wield in an unpredictable manner his favorite tool to for the economy and to apply global pressure. Trump’s shifting announcements over the last year that he was raising and sometimes lowering tariffs with little notice jolted markets and rattled nations.</p><p>Under the order Trump signed Friday night, the 10% tariff was scheduled to take effect starting Feb. 24. The White House did not immediately respond to a message inquiring when the president would sign an updated order.</p><p>In addition to the temporary tariffs that Trump wants to set at 15%, the president said Friday that he was also pursuing tariffs through other sections of federal law which require an investigation by the Commerce Department.</p>

President Trump to impose 15% tariff, up from 10% he announced after Supreme Court decision

Authorities trying to solve the disappearance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;say they might tap DNA genealogy databases, the same step that police took to unravel a decades-old series of murders in California and the fatal stabbings of four college students in Idaho.

The strategy could be fruitful: If unidentified DNA evidence can be connected to someone — even a distant relative — in a common genealogy database, it would give investigators more information and possibly lead to a suspect in Guthrie’s kidnapping in Arizona.

“It’s a fantastic tool,” said Ruth Ballard, a geneticist in California who specializes in DNA and has testified in hundreds of court cases. “If it’s a good quality sample and they’re able to get a profile, they could find a hit on that fairly quickly.”

The sheriff's department in Pima County, Arizona, said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-missing-savannah-guthrie-aadbb20a613491c10373f55ba33d1831">DNA collected so far</a>&nbsp;in the investigation has not turned up any matches in a national criminal justice database known as CODIS, which has DNA profiles from convicted criminals and, in some states, people arrested for certain crimes.

“Investigators are currently looking into additional investigative genetic genealogy options for DNA evidence to check for matches. CODIS is one option of many databases that are available,” the sheriff's department said Tuesday.

The department said Wednesday that biological evidence from Guthrie's Tucson-area home was being examined and that DNA profiles were at a lab for analysis.

Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing from her home since Feb. 1. The FBI said gloves found about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away appeared to match those worn by a masked suspect who was recorded on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">porch camera</a>.

Genealogy sites Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage say they can be asked to comply with court orders seeking information. Another site, GEDmatch, said its policy is to ask users if they want to opt in to allow police to look at their data. The Associated Press e-mailed the companies, asking if they have a role in the Guthrie investigation.

GEDmatch has been credited with helping solve the case of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-us-news-08a241b485d1d7be03f62293e2da3277">so-called Golden State Killer</a>. Police used DNA from crime scenes to find a distant relative and build a family tree that led to Joseph DeAngelo Jr. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to 13 killings and dozens of rapes in California in the 1970s and '80s. He is serving life in prison without possibility of parole.

Barbara Rae-Venter, an expert genealogist who worked on the DeAngelo case, said patience often is needed in high-tech sleuthing.

“I’ve solved cases in less than eight hours where people shared a lot of DNA with the suspect. Other cases, you’re still working on them two years later. This could take awhile,” Rae-Venter told CNN, referring to the Guthrie effort.

In Idaho, DNA from a knife sheath helped point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/bryan-kohberger-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-murdering-4-idaho-students-a5e895b16155474ea89d258bf450a84d">Bryan Kohberger</a>&nbsp;in the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Investigators used genealogy sites to build a family tree and pulled trash from the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger's parents to make a connection. Kohberger pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

Ballard said the source and quality of the DNA evidence held by police can be factors when trying to find matches on genealogy sites.

“It does require a much better sample than CODIS searching does,” she said.

“There are a lot of unknowns when you go into these databases,” Ballard said. “The databases are not equal in terms of ethnic distribution. It’s comparatively easier to find a Caucasian because more have uploaded their data and there are more family trees to mine.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770749564250.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By ED WHITE<br>&nbsp;Associated Press</p><p>Authorities trying to solve the disappearance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;say they might tap DNA genealogy databases, the same step that police took to unravel a decades-old series of murders in California and the fatal stabbings of four college students in Idaho.</p><p>The strategy could be fruitful: If unidentified DNA evidence can be connected to someone — even a distant relative — in a common genealogy database, it would give investigators more information and possibly lead to a suspect in Guthrie’s kidnapping in Arizona.</p><p>“It’s a fantastic tool,” said Ruth Ballard, a geneticist in California who specializes in DNA and has testified in hundreds of court cases. “If it’s a good quality sample and they’re able to get a profile, they could find a hit on that fairly quickly.”</p><p>The sheriff's department in Pima County, Arizona, said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-missing-savannah-guthrie-aadbb20a613491c10373f55ba33d1831">DNA collected so far</a>&nbsp;in the investigation has not turned up any matches in a national criminal justice database known as CODIS, which has DNA profiles from convicted criminals and, in some states, people arrested for certain crimes.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770737956751.png" alt="Billboard in Texas -photo courtesy KVUE" />
                        <figcaption>Billboard in Texas -photo courtesy KVUE</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>“Investigators are currently looking into additional investigative genetic genealogy options for DNA evidence to check for matches. CODIS is one option of many databases that are available,” the sheriff's department said Tuesday.</p><p>The department said Wednesday that biological evidence from Guthrie's Tucson-area home was being examined and that DNA profiles were at a lab for analysis.</p><p>Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing from her home since Feb. 1. The FBI said gloves found about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away appeared to match those worn by a masked suspect who was recorded on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-nest-camera-footage-kidnapper-bd5f1d886543e23f2d105535031c9445">porch camera</a>.</p><p>Genealogy sites Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage say they can be asked to comply with court orders seeking information. Another site, GEDmatch, said its policy is to ask users if they want to opt in to allow police to look at their data. The Associated Press e-mailed the companies, asking if they have a role in the Guthrie investigation.</p><p>GEDmatch has been credited with helping solve the case of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-us-news-08a241b485d1d7be03f62293e2da3277">so-called Golden State Killer</a>. Police used DNA from crime scenes to find a distant relative and build a family tree that led to Joseph DeAngelo Jr. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to 13 killings and dozens of rapes in California in the 1970s and '80s. He is serving life in prison without possibility of parole.</p><p>Barbara Rae-Venter, an expert genealogist who worked on the DeAngelo case, said patience often is needed in high-tech sleuthing.</p><p>“I’ve solved cases in less than eight hours where people shared a lot of DNA with the suspect. Other cases, you’re still working on them two years later. This could take awhile,” Rae-Venter told CNN, referring to the Guthrie effort.</p><p>In Idaho, DNA from a knife sheath helped point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/bryan-kohberger-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-murdering-4-idaho-students-a5e895b16155474ea89d258bf450a84d">Bryan Kohberger</a>&nbsp;in the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Investigators used genealogy sites to build a family tree and pulled trash from the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger's parents to make a connection. Kohberger pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.</p><p>Ballard said the source and quality of the DNA evidence held by police can be factors when trying to find matches on genealogy sites.</p><p>“It does require a much better sample than CODIS searching does,” she said.</p><p>And there can be other hurdles.</p><p>“There are a lot of unknowns when you go into these databases,” Ballard said. “The databases are not equal in terms of ethnic distribution. It’s comparatively easier to find a Caucasian because more have uploaded their data and there are more family trees to mine.”</p>

Police in Nancy Guthrie mystery might tap DNA genealogy databases

Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department responded to a reported shooting near 4th Avenue and Whiteside Street shortly after 8:15 p.m. Friday.

Dayton Gates confirmed officers were dispatched to a shooting call in the area. When officers arrived at the K-Go convenience store, they located a female victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The victim was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Her condition has not been released.

<p>MARC JACOBS<br>Hutch Post&nbsp;</p><p>Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department responded to a reported shooting near 4th Avenue and Whiteside Street shortly after 8:15 p.m. Friday.</p><p>Dayton Gates confirmed officers were dispatched to a shooting call in the area. When officers arrived at the K-Go convenience store, they located a female victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.</p><p>The victim was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Her condition has not been released.</p>

Police: Kan. woman wounded in shooting at convenience store

WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs in a 6-3 decision on Friday.

On social media, Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, "President Trump’s tariffs secured 10 trade deals, brought supply chains back to America, and strengthened our national security. This decision is disappointing — but it won’t stop him from using every tool available to fight for American workers, rebuild U.S. manufacturing, and put America First."

During a press conference Friday afternoon, President Trump said he will impose a global 10% tariff as an alternative while pressing his trade policies by other means.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
                        <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs in a 6-3 decision on Friday.</p><p>On social media, Kansas Junior U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, "President Trump’s tariffs secured 10 trade deals, brought supply chains back to America, and strengthened our national security. This decision is disappointing — but it won’t stop him from using every tool available to fight for American workers, rebuild U.S. manufacturing, and put America First."</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reckless tariffs have driven up costs for all hardworking Kansans. Here’s my response after the Supreme Court ruled them unlawful. ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/i2fewOic5L">pic.twitter.com/i2fewOic5L</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/2024867378979299599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>During a press conference Friday afternoon, President Trump said he will impose a global 10% tariff as an alternative while pressing his trade policies by other means.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tariffs can be an important and effective tool to address unfair trade practices and help level the playing field with foreign competitors. Senate Republicans will continue working with the administration and our colleagues in the House to advance our shared goal to strengthen…</p>&mdash; Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/2024909322388423065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re doing something in a different way... and we&#39;re using things that some people thought we should&#39;ve used in the first place... but the end result is going to get us more money.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M8jp0pgmo2">pic.twitter.com/M8jp0pgmo2</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2024920064143639000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A victory for the wallets of every American consumer.<br><br>Trump’s illegal tariff tax just collapsed—He tried to govern by decree and stuck families with the bill.<br><br>Enough chaos. End the trade war. <a href="https://t.co/VrHIwTGJ0c">pic.twitter.com/VrHIwTGJ0c</a></p>&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/2024869159197118878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">No Supreme Court decision can undo the massive damage that Trump&#39;s chaotic tariffs have caused.<br> <br>The American people paid for these tariffs and the American people should get their money back. <a href="https://t.co/I78bV2jJUH">https://t.co/I78bV2jJUH</a></p>&mdash; Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/2024872083130335653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/USTradeRep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USTradeRep</a> on tariffs: &quot;We&#39;re very focused on using the alternative authorities that Congress has delegated to the President... Although the tools may change, the policy remains the same.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pppt5jvOrr">pic.twitter.com/pppt5jvOrr</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2024988217972257002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/fSxgGDjTCL">pic.twitter.com/fSxgGDjTCL</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2025009503083597979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kan. lawmakers react to court ruling on President Trump's tariffs

On Friday at the direction of U.S. Southern Command&nbsp; Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to an online report from the U.S. Southern Command.

Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.

<p>On Friday at the direction of U.S. Southern Command&nbsp; Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to an online report from the U.S. Southern Command.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On Feb. 20, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOUTHCOM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOUTHCOM</a> commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… <a href="https://t.co/PzWQFfNgHm">pic.twitter.com/PzWQFfNgHm</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2025006036776878463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.</p>

🎥 3 more killed after new U.S. strike on a drug boat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man was charged with child pornography offenses in a now-unsealed federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the United State's Attorney.

Luis Leony Valentin, 34, was charged by federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography over the internet, and possession of child pornography. Following his arrest Valentin had his first appearance in court.

An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Valentin communicated over the internet with a 14-year-old to obtain depictions of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Valentin possessed numerous videos of child pornography of minor females.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the FBI.

<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man was charged with child pornography offenses in a now-unsealed federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the United State's Attorney.</p><p>Luis Leony Valentin, 34, was charged by federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography over the internet, and possession of child pornography. Following his arrest Valentin had his first appearance in court.</p><p>An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Valentin communicated over the internet with a 14-year-old to obtain depictions of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Valentin possessed numerous videos of child pornography of minor females.</p><p>This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the FBI.</p>

Sex crimes: KC man communicated online with 14-year-old

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/matt-brown">MATT BROWN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lisa-mascaro">LISA MASCARO</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The late Rev. Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office due to past precedent.

Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-dies-43abb84d2ffc76d967f9a5596ebd0be1">civil rights leader died this week</a>&nbsp;at the age of 84. The family and some House Democrats had filed a request for Jackson to be honored at the U.S. Capitol.

Amid the country’s political divisions, there have been flare ups over who is memorialized at the Capitol with a service to lie in state, or honor, in the Rotunda. During such events, the public is generally allowed to visit the Capitol and pay their respects.

Recent requests had similarly been made, and denied, to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative activist, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

There is no specific rule about who qualifies for the honor, a decision that is controlled by concurrence from both the House and Senate.

The Jackson family&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-memorial-funeral-south-carolina-washington-dc690a5153483549898d1dfc548015bb">has announced scheduled dates</a>&nbsp;for memorial services beginning next week that will honor the late reverend’s life in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and South Carolina. In a statement, the Jackson family said it had heard from leaders in both South Carolina, Jackson’s native state, and Washington offering for Jackson to be celebrated in both locations. Talks are ongoing with lawmakers about where those proceedings will take place. His final memorial services will be held in Chicago on March 6 and 7.

Typically, the Capitol and its Rotunda have been reserved for the “most eminent citizens,” according to the Architect of the Capitol’s website. It said government and military officials lay in state, while private citizens in honor.

In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, another veteran of the Civil Rights movement, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-michael-pence-dc-wire-49f76cd3296678f9c5645250b6b8b13b">the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda</a>&nbsp;after a ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions at the time.

Later that year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed services for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall after agreement could not be reached for services in the Capitol’s Rotunda.

It is rare for private citizens to be honored at the Capitol, but there is precedent – most notably Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, in 2005, and the Reverend Billy Graham, in 2018.

A passionate civil rights leader and globally-minded humanitarian, Jackson’s fiery speeches and dual 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-dead-8ed88b7da0b911ed842f3c219cee77e8">transformed American politics for generations</a>. Jackson’s organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a hub for progressive organizers across the country.

His unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies for all racial groups, religions, genders and orientations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-legacy-politics-race-ethnicity-7c88b376fbfc94697f2b57797edb24bf">laid the groundwork for the progressive movement</a>&nbsp;within the Democratic Party.

Jackson also garnered a global reputation as a champion for human rights. He conducted the release of American hostages on multiple continents and argued for greater connections between civil rights movements around the world, most notably as a fierce critic of the policies of Apartheid South Africa.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771375987987.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;FILE - Jesse Jackson (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)" />
                        <figcaption>&nbsp;FILE - Jesse Jackson (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/matt-brown">MATT BROWN</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/lisa-mascaro">LISA MASCARO</a></p><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The late Rev. Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office due to past precedent.</p><p>Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-dies-43abb84d2ffc76d967f9a5596ebd0be1">civil rights leader died this week</a>&nbsp;at the age of 84. The family and some House Democrats had filed a request for Jackson to be honored at the U.S. Capitol.</p><p>Amid the country’s political divisions, there have been flare ups over who is memorialized at the Capitol with a service to lie in state, or honor, in the Rotunda. During such events, the public is generally allowed to visit the Capitol and pay their respects.</p><p>Recent requests had similarly been made, and denied, to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative activist, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.</p><p>There is no specific rule about who qualifies for the honor, a decision that is controlled by concurrence from both the House and Senate.</p><p>The Jackson family&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-memorial-funeral-south-carolina-washington-dc690a5153483549898d1dfc548015bb">has announced scheduled dates</a>&nbsp;for memorial services beginning next week that will honor the late reverend’s life in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and South Carolina. In a statement, the Jackson family said it had heard from leaders in both South Carolina, Jackson’s native state, and Washington offering for Jackson to be celebrated in both locations. Talks are ongoing with lawmakers about where those proceedings will take place. His final memorial services will be held in Chicago on March 6 and 7.</p><p>Typically, the Capitol and its Rotunda have been reserved for the “most eminent citizens,” according to the Architect of the Capitol’s website. It said government and military officials lay in state, while private citizens in honor.</p><p>In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, another veteran of the Civil Rights movement, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-race-and-ethnicity-michael-pence-dc-wire-49f76cd3296678f9c5645250b6b8b13b">the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda</a>&nbsp;after a ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions at the time.</p><p>Later that year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed services for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall after agreement could not be reached for services in the Capitol’s Rotunda.</p><p>It is rare for private citizens to be honored at the Capitol, but there is precedent – most notably Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, in 2005, and the Reverend Billy Graham, in 2018.</p><p>A passionate civil rights leader and globally-minded humanitarian, Jackson’s fiery speeches and dual 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-dead-8ed88b7da0b911ed842f3c219cee77e8">transformed American politics for generations</a>. Jackson’s organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a hub for progressive organizers across the country.</p><p>His unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies for all racial groups, religions, genders and orientations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-legacy-politics-race-ethnicity-7c88b376fbfc94697f2b57797edb24bf">laid the groundwork for the progressive movement</a>&nbsp;within the Democratic Party.</p><p>Jackson also garnered a global reputation as a champion for human rights. He conducted the release of American hostages on multiple continents and argued for greater connections between civil rights movements around the world, most notably as a fierce critic of the policies of Apartheid South Africa.</p>

Why the late Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Topeka Police are asking the public for help in locating Nassir Tiriq Gill, 20, of Topeka, in reference to homicide investigation.

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 16-year-old&nbsp;Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.

As a result of the investigation police have 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 sought for the following charges Murder in the 1st degree, Criminal discharge of a firearm; at occupied vehicle with great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of a firearm; recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online at www.p3tips.com/128.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764973228137.png" alt="Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe" />
                        <figcaption>Kingston Scott photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Topeka Police are asking the public for help in locating Nassir Tiriq Gill, 20, of Topeka, in reference to homicide investigation.</p><p>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 16-year-old&nbsp;Kingston Scott of Topeka was pronounced deceased.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771624164755.png" alt="Gill photo Topeka Police" />
                        <figcaption>Gill photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>As a result of the investigation police have 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</p><p>&nbsp;Gill is being sought for the following charges Murder in the 1st degree, Criminal discharge of a firearm; at occupied vehicle with great bodily harm, Criminal discharge of a firearm; recklessly at occupied dwelling and Criminal damage to property.</p><p>Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007. You can also make anonymous tips online at www.p3tips.com/128.</p>

Police: Kansas man wanted for murder of 16-year-old boy

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street kept calm Friday after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs</a>, which had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">triggered panic in financial markets</a>&nbsp;when announced last year, and stocks ticked higher.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.7%. It had been flipping between small gains and losses before the court’s ruling, following discouraging reports showing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gdp-economy-consumer-shutdown-immigration-0e5caca783b93eaf2231496e3e0f54f3">slowing growth for the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumers-inflation-economy-4cf2b9b627cc3ad1bbf6c31f77d27a02">faster inflation</a>.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 230 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.9%.

Many on Wall Street were likely expecting such a ruling from the Supreme Court, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management. That likely led to the relatively muted reactions across financial markets, and trading remained tentative as investors tried to suss out the long-term effects.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-ieepa-a3e43fe91fa8335eac383921bed55f7e">Tariffs also aren’t going away</a>, even with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Trump in the afternoon said he would use other avenues to put taxes on imports from other countries after calling the court’s decision terrible.

“Just so you understand, we have tariffs, we just have them in a different way,” Trump told reporters in an afternoon briefing. He said he would sign an executive order to impose a 10% global tariff under a law that could limit it to 150 days. The president also said he’s exploring other tariffs through other avenues, ones that would require an investigation through the Commerce Department.

“During that period of about five months, we are doing the various investigations necessary to put fair tariffs – or tariffs, period – on other countries,” Trump said.

Earlier in his comments, Trump said that the Supreme Court’s ruling had other countries “dancing in the streets, but they won’t be dancing for long.”

Among the tentative moves across markets, Treasury yields edged a bit higher in the bond market.

If investors thought the tariff ruling would improve inflation significantly, it could have sent yields lower. On the other hand, if investors were worried about the U.S. government’s debt rising faster in the future because of the loss of revenue from tariffs, long-term yields could have jumped. For now, at least, yields broadly held relatively steady.

The stock price of Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, rushed from an early loss to a gain of 3.3% after investors learned of the Supreme Court’s ruling. But it quickly flipped back to a loss before finishing with a rise of 2.2%. During April last year, the stock had dropped nearly 23% in four days after Trump announced his tariffs because of worries about how they would hurt its profits.

In other markets, gold’s price slumped briefly after the ruling and then erased the loss. Stock indexes in Europe added some to their gains from earlier in the day, while the U.S. dollar’s value edged down against other currencies.

Heading into the day, the main event for markets had seemed to be discouraging reports showing slowing U.S. economic growth and accelerating inflation. They found a relatively muted response from investors.

While the reports underscore the tricky situation the Federal Reserve faces as it sets interest rates, they did not change traders’ expectations much for what the Fed will ultimately do. Traders are still betting that the Fed will lower rates at least twice this year, according to data from CME Group. Some shifted bets for the timing of when the cuts could begin to slightly later in the summer.

Lower interest rates would give the economy and investment prices a boost, but they also risk worsening inflation. Fed officials said at their last meeting that they want to see&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jobs-fed-trump-d7aabc066d5a3a330022963289abc0c0">inflation fall further</a>&nbsp;before they would support cutting rates further.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.08%, where it was late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, inched up to 3.48% from 3.47%.

On Wall Street, Akamai Technologies dropped 14.1% for one of the market’s sharpest losses. The cybersecurity and cloud computing company reported stronger results for the end of 2025 than analysts expected, but it gave a profit forecast for the upcoming year that fell short of estimates.

Akamai plans to spend a bigger percentage of its revenue this upcoming year on equipment and other investments. It’s the latest potential indicator of how shortages of computer memory created by the AI boom are affecting customers throughout the economy.

On the winning side of the market was Comfort Systems, which rose 6.5% after the provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical services reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Brian Lane said his company is seeing “unprecedented demand.”

Al told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 47.62 points to 6,909.51. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 230.81 to 49,625.97, and the Nasdaq composite rose 203.34 to 22,886.07.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following a more mixed finish in Asia.

<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street kept calm Friday after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs</a>, which had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">triggered panic in financial markets</a>&nbsp;when announced last year, and stocks ticked higher.</p><p>The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.7%. It had been flipping between small gains and losses before the court’s ruling, following discouraging reports showing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gdp-economy-consumer-shutdown-immigration-0e5caca783b93eaf2231496e3e0f54f3">slowing growth for the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumers-inflation-economy-4cf2b9b627cc3ad1bbf6c31f77d27a02">faster inflation</a>.</p><p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 230 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.9%.</p><p>Many on Wall Street were likely expecting such a ruling from the Supreme Court, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management. That likely led to the relatively muted reactions across financial markets, and trading remained tentative as investors tried to suss out the long-term effects.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-ieepa-a3e43fe91fa8335eac383921bed55f7e">Tariffs also aren’t going away</a>, even with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Trump in the afternoon said he would use other avenues to put taxes on imports from other countries after calling the court’s decision terrible.</p><p>“Just so you understand, we have tariffs, we just have them in a different way,” Trump told reporters in an afternoon briefing. He said he would sign an executive order to impose a 10% global tariff under a law that could limit it to 150 days. The president also said he’s exploring other tariffs through other avenues, ones that would require an investigation through the Commerce Department.</p><p>“During that period of about five months, we are doing the various investigations necessary to put fair tariffs – or tariffs, period – on other countries,” Trump said.</p><p>Earlier in his comments, Trump said that the Supreme Court’s ruling had other countries “dancing in the streets, but they won’t be dancing for long.”</p><p>Among the tentative moves across markets, Treasury yields edged a bit higher in the bond market.</p><p>If investors thought the tariff ruling would improve inflation significantly, it could have sent yields lower. On the other hand, if investors were worried about the U.S. government’s debt rising faster in the future because of the loss of revenue from tariffs, long-term yields could have jumped. For now, at least, yields broadly held relatively steady.</p><p>The stock price of Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, rushed from an early loss to a gain of 3.3% after investors learned of the Supreme Court’s ruling. But it quickly flipped back to a loss before finishing with a rise of 2.2%. During April last year, the stock had dropped nearly 23% in four days after Trump announced his tariffs because of worries about how they would hurt its profits.</p><p>In other markets, gold’s price slumped briefly after the ruling and then erased the loss. Stock indexes in Europe added some to their gains from earlier in the day, while the U.S. dollar’s value edged down against other currencies.</p><p>Heading into the day, the main event for markets had seemed to be discouraging reports showing slowing U.S. economic growth and accelerating inflation. They found a relatively muted response from investors.</p><p>While the reports underscore the tricky situation the Federal Reserve faces as it sets interest rates, they did not change traders’ expectations much for what the Fed will ultimately do. Traders are still betting that the Fed will lower rates at least twice this year, according to data from CME Group. Some shifted bets for the timing of when the cuts could begin to slightly later in the summer.</p><p>Lower interest rates would give the economy and investment prices a boost, but they also risk worsening inflation. Fed officials said at their last meeting that they want to see&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jobs-fed-trump-d7aabc066d5a3a330022963289abc0c0">inflation fall further</a>&nbsp;before they would support cutting rates further.</p><p>The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.08%, where it was late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, inched up to 3.48% from 3.47%.</p><p>On Wall Street, Akamai Technologies dropped 14.1% for one of the market’s sharpest losses. The cybersecurity and cloud computing company reported stronger results for the end of 2025 than analysts expected, but it gave a profit forecast for the upcoming year that fell short of estimates.</p><p>Akamai plans to spend a bigger percentage of its revenue this upcoming year on equipment and other investments. It’s the latest potential indicator of how shortages of computer memory created by the AI boom are affecting customers throughout the economy.</p><p>On the winning side of the market was Comfort Systems, which rose 6.5% after the provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical services reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Brian Lane said his company is seeing “unprecedented demand.”</p><p>Al told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 47.62 points to 6,909.51. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 230.81 to 49,625.97, and the Nasdaq composite rose 203.34 to 22,886.07.</p><p>In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following a more mixed finish in Asia.</p>

Wall Street keeps calm after Supreme Court ruling on Trump's tariffs

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📣HUGE NEWS FOR KANSAS CITY:<br><br>We secured $13.3 MILLION for KC Area Transportation Authority to upgrade buses &amp; facilities ahead of the 2026 World Cup. 🌎⚽️ <a href="https://t.co/pXaurVbuUQ">pic.twitter.com/pXaurVbuUQ</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMarkAlford/status/2024878308295626891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

KCATA gets funds to upgrade buses, facilities ahead of World Cup

The Supreme Court struck down&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s global tariffs&nbsp;on Friday. A significant loss for his economic agenda.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771612720731.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
                        <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The Supreme Court struck down&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s global tariffs&nbsp;on Friday. A significant loss for his economic agenda.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump: &quot;The Supreme Court&#39;s ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing and I&#39;m ashamed of certain members of the Court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what&#39;s right for our country.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Ei07ATVDE9">pic.twitter.com/Ei07ATVDE9</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2024913944805032063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump: &quot;In actuality, while I am sure that they did not mean to do so, the Supreme Court&#39;s decision today made a president&#39;s ability to both regulate trade and impose tariffs more powerful and more crystal clear rather than less.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/mekPEzDgEU">pic.twitter.com/mekPEzDgEU</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2024916771686244639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Effective immediately all National Security tariffs under Section 232 and existing Section 301 tariffs...remain in place, fully in place and in full force and effect. Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/XzOZxR2RYT">pic.twitter.com/XzOZxR2RYT</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2024917513897672712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;The good news is that there are methods, practices, statutes and authorities as recognized by the entire court... that are even stronger than the IEEPA tariffs available to me as President of the United States.&quot; - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/v2juxmYHiR">pic.twitter.com/v2juxmYHiR</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2024919657782694316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! <a href="https://t.co/5UudUfHe42">https://t.co/5UudUfHe42</a> <a href="https://t.co/un5zFbSEJl">pic.twitter.com/un5zFbSEJl</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2024921307855417373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥President Trump reacts to Supreme Court decision on tariffs

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is attempting to identify the suspects who were involved in a shooting that occurred in the 300 Block of Westport Road on February 8 at 08:54p.m., according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Police released no additional details on the crime.

If you can identify the suspects, please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771609590416.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
                        <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is attempting to identify the suspects who were involved in a shooting that occurred in the 300 Block of Westport Road on February 8 at 08:54p.m., according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.</p><p>Police released no additional details on the crime.</p><p>If you can identify the suspects, please contact the Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.</p>

KCPD asks for help to ID shooting suspects

WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.

"The Supreme Court’s announcement today regarding tariffs provides much-needed certainty for U.S. businesses and manufacturers, enabling global supply chains to operate without ambiguity. Clear and consistent trade policy is essential for economic growth, creating jobs and opportunities for American families. We urge the lower court to ensure a&nbsp;seamless&nbsp;process to refund the tariffs to U.S. importers. The refunds will serve as an economic boost and allow companies to reinvest in their operations, their&nbsp;employees&nbsp;and their customers."

<b></b>The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.&nbsp;<a href="https://nrf.com/">nrf.com</a>

<p>National Retail Federation</p><p>WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771606912161.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>"The Supreme Court’s announcement today regarding tariffs provides much-needed certainty for U.S. businesses and manufacturers, enabling global supply chains to operate without ambiguity. Clear and consistent trade policy is essential for economic growth, creating jobs and opportunities for American families. We urge the lower court to ensure a&nbsp;seamless&nbsp;process to refund the tariffs to U.S. importers. The refunds will serve as an economic boost and allow companies to reinvest in their operations, their&nbsp;employees&nbsp;and their customers."</p><p><b>About NRF</b></p><p><b></b>The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.&nbsp;<a href="https://nrf.com/">nrf.com</a></p>

National Retail Federation responds to Supreme Court ruling on tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;struck down President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-liberation-day-d3458da225c1fdfade97ed494b23e868">far-reaching global tariffs</a>&nbsp;on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1287_4gcj.pdf">Click here to read the ruling</a>

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-1287">Click here to listen to oral arguments</a> before court on Nov. 5, 2025

The decision centers on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country.

It's the first major piece of Trump's broad agenda to come squarely before the nation's highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.

The Republican president has been vocal about the case, calling it one of the most important in U.S. history and saying a ruling against him would be an economic body blow to the country. But legal opposition crossed the political spectrum, including libertarian and pro-business groups that are typically aligned with the GOP. Polling has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-economy-approval-immigration-border-crime-373766302cde6d45624d6bb738b16231">tariffs aren't broadly popular</a>&nbsp;with the public, amid wider voter concern about affordability.

The Supreme Court ruling comes despite a series of short-term wins on the court's emergency docket that have allowed Trump to push ahead with extraordinary flexes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-autocrats-authoritarian-constitution-threat-542ac437a58880e81c052f8f2df1643f">executive power</a>&nbsp;on issues ranging from high-profile firings to major federal funding cuts.

The tariffs decision doesn't stop Trump from imposing duties under other laws. While those have more limitations on the speed and severity of Trump's actions, top administration officials have said they expect to keep the tariff framework in place under other authorities.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1743626000304.png" alt="President Trump announced his tariff plan in April -photo White House" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump announced his tariff plan in April -photo White House</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;struck down President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-economy-liberation-day-d3458da225c1fdfade97ed494b23e868">far-reaching global tariffs</a>&nbsp;on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.</p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1287_4gcj.pdf">Click here to read the ruling</a></p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-1287">Click here to listen to oral arguments</a> before court on Nov. 5, 2025</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771601035444.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The decision centers on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country.</p><p>It's the first major piece of Trump's broad agenda to come squarely before the nation's highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.</p><p>The Republican president has been vocal about the case, calling it one of the most important in U.S. history and saying a ruling against him would be an economic body blow to the country. But legal opposition crossed the political spectrum, including libertarian and pro-business groups that are typically aligned with the GOP. Polling has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-economy-approval-immigration-border-crime-373766302cde6d45624d6bb738b16231">tariffs aren't broadly popular</a>&nbsp;with the public, amid wider voter concern about affordability.</p><p>The Supreme Court ruling comes despite a series of short-term wins on the court's emergency docket that have allowed Trump to push ahead with extraordinary flexes of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-autocrats-authoritarian-constitution-threat-542ac437a58880e81c052f8f2df1643f">executive power</a>&nbsp;on issues ranging from high-profile firings to major federal funding cuts.</p><p>The tariffs decision doesn't stop Trump from imposing duties under other laws. While those have more limitations on the speed and severity of Trump's actions, top administration officials have said they expect to keep the tariff framework in place under other authorities.</p><p>The Constitution gives Congress the power to levy tariffs. But the Trump administration argued that a 1977 law allowing the president to regulate importation during emergencies also allows him to set tariffs. Other presidents have used the law dozens of times, often to impose sanctions, but Trump was the first president to invoke it for import taxes.</p><p>Trump set what he called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">"reciprocal" tariffs</a>&nbsp;on most countries in April 2025 to address trade deficits that he declared a national emergency. Those came after he imposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/trump-plans-tariffs-on-mexico-and-canada-for-tuesday-while-doubling-existing-10-tariffs-on-china/">duties on Canada, China and Mexico</a>, ostensibly to address a drug trafficking emergency.</p><p>A series of lawsuits followed, including a case from a dozen largely Democratic-leaning states and others from small businesses selling everything from plumbing supplies to educational toys to women’s cycling apparel.</p><p>The challengers argued the emergency powers law doesn’t even mention tariffs and Trump's use of it fails several legal tests, including one that doomed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-7c44eedbf32bec35fc638e9953db2aeb">then-President Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;$500 billion student loan forgiveness program.</p><p>The economic impact of Trump's tariffs has been estimated at some $3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Treasury has collected more than $133 billion from the import taxes the president has imposed under the emergency powers law,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/trade">federal data</a>&nbsp;from December shows. Many companies, including the big-box warehouse chain Costco, have already lined up in court to demand refunds.</p><p>___</p>